Sermon Preview:

Dear Brothers and Sisters in Christ,

For a good while now we have been exploring the theme of the Greater Priesthood of our Lord Jesus as expressed in the words of Hebrews 5:1-10. And as we focus upon verse 7 for this weeks’ sermon, we will discover that Jesus was a praying Priest.

In this verse, the author of the Epistle tells us about our Lord’s “ prayers and supplications, with loud cries and tears,” which were “ offered up” to the Father. And what is likely in view here is Christ’s final time in prayer before the crucifixion, as so dramatically recorded in Luke 22:39-44–

39 And he came out and went, as was his custom, to the Mount of Olives, and the disciples followed him. 40 And when he came to the place, he said to them, “Pray that you may not enter into temptation.” 41 And he withdrew from them about a stone’s throw, and knelt down and prayed, 42 saying, “Father, if you are willing, remove this cup from me. Nevertheless, not my will, but yours, be done.” 43 And there appeared to him an angel from heaven, strengthening him. 44 And being in agony he prayed more earnestly; and his sweat became like great drops of blood falling down to the ground.

There is much mystery here as well as majesty. And as we explore this amazing scene together, we will begin to understand what our Lord accomplished on the cross as our Great High Priest, what He endured for us, and how the benefit we have received from His prayers, and His death and resurrection, make our lives immeasurably wonderful!

Note About Our Sunday School Class ‘Understanding the Times’

This Sunday at 9:30 in the Worship Center we will begin exploring the topic of Existentialism. In the words of the late Dr. R. C. Sproul, existentialism is a philosophy (whether knowingly embraced or not) that has had an “ enormous impact” upon our world. And he claims that we encounter its pervasive influence “ virtually every day of our lives and in virtually every sphere of our culture.”

Existentialism, as we shall discover, is evidenced today in narcissism, victimology, reproductive rights, feminism, identity-politics, gay rights, transgenderism, gender-fluidity, and even anarchy. It is a world-view that we really need to understand so that we might be faithful witnesses of the Gospel.

The outline for Sunday’s class, including some suggested sources for further study, will be available for download at our website.

I love you all, and look forward to our gathering together on the Lord’s Day!

Mike

Announcements:

COVID-19 Message:

For those of you who are attending worship in person on Sunday morning, please practice social distancing as much as you are able and observe the pew markers so that we may keep a safe, 6-ft between families. During this time, we will not have nursery or fellowship time with food and drink. If any family member has been sick, or you have a pre-existing condition, please consider staying home and joining us by watching the recorded service when it is sent out. Masks are not required if you are maintaining social distance, but are welcome. We hope and pray that if you have any needs, you will let a staff member or deacon know so that we can serve you well during this trying time.

Men’s Ministry:

Men’s book study of Calvin’s Institutes is meeting weekly on Tuesdays at 6:15-7:15 AM. We’re meeting upstairs at the Cooper House on Randolph Ave near downtown. All men are welcome to join us in building friendships as we discuss our lives in Christ at a practical level. If interested, please contact darondrown@gmail.com

Senior Fellows:

At 9 AM, Tues, Nov 10, the Senior Fellows will meet for Breakfast and Bible Study at the Church. We will wear masks, safe distance and use no touch food service. We will cover “Unconditional Election” in our ongoing Bible Study Series (What is Reformed theology?). A Zoom connection will be provided for those who cannot attend. All are welcome.

Future Topics:
Nov 17 – Limited Atonement
Nov 24 – Irresistible Grace
Dec 1 – Perseverance of the Saints

Women’s Ministry:

Therefore, here is the Current information regarding our Bible Studies this Fall. The three studies will be listed below.

Tuesday Morning Study facilitated by Amy Schnorrenberg
Time: 9:30 am
Place: Christ Pres
Topic: Marriage
Speaker: Video series by Paul Tripp
Childcare: Will be provided and currently in the planning stages
Contact person: Amy Schnorrenberg

Wednesday Morning Bible Study
Time: 10am -1130am
Place: Christ Pres Fellowship Hall
Topic: Pilgrim’s Progress (Penguin Classics )
( book can order through Amazon.com for $10.79 )
Speaker: Video series by Derek Thomas (Ligonier Ministry)
Contact person: Mary Lee McKee

Wednesday Night Bible Study
Time: 6pm – 730pm
Place: Christ Pres Fellowship Hall
Topic: Pilgrim’s Progress (Penguin Classics)
( book can be ordered through Amazon.com for $10.79 )
Speaker: Video series by Derek Thomas (Ligonier Ministry)
Contact person: Denise Scrip

For the two Wednesday Women’s studies I am in the process of learning how to incorporate a Zoom Meeting process for those who don’t feel comfortable meeting in person but still want to participate. I will let you know if and when it becomes available.

Children’s Ministry:

Staff Updates

Amanda Dean is now working as our Nursery Coordinator. She will assist me on Sunday mornings with nursery logistics and greeting, as well as help with some programming for that age group. Thank you, Amanda, for working with our children at Christ Pres! And thank you to Nikki Profozich, who has done this for several years – we are so thankful!

We also welcome back Ms. Irene and Ms. Myranda. They will work in the toddler nursery as we will continue to keep our baby room closed. They will check temps and wear masks as safety precautions. If you have an infant and need help during worship, please feel free to use them as well (they offered to help w/ babies). If you are signed up to volunteer for the remainder of the semester, feel free to stop by and see if they need help on your designated Sunday.

Resources

As always, feel free to check the hallway bookcases for resources. I purchase things here and there and add them to the shelves for YOUR use. Feel free to borrow a book or take one home to see if you like it. Just be sure to return in a timely manner for others to use. I added two upper elementary devotion books that might be good for your children to learn more about daily scripture reading. And, just a reminder that one of my favorite devotion books is Nancy Guthrie’s Dinner Table Devotions. Highly recommended for elementary and middle school families. I’ll be coming out w/ my annual Advent resource list mid month as well! Watch for that!

Save the Date

Save the date for the Nursery to 2nd grade Christmas party at the Dean’s house on Sunday, 12/6. Amanda will send out an RSVP closer to time. Mark that on your calendars (families invited!).

Watch for emails about upcoming fellowships and as always, check the bulletin for children’s updates.

Youth:

Youth group meets again on Sunday afternoon at 4:30 at the church house.

Career/Singles:

The young career/singles group meets every Sunday evening at 5:30 at the home of Jim and Sharon Daughtry, for a time of fellowship & spiritual encouragement. Other upcoming events include a bonfire on October 23rd at 6:00 at the home of Shay Huter, the Galaxy of Lights walking tour (dog-walk night) in November, & Winterlude concert in December. Details to follow.

Prayer Requests:

Healing: Please pray for the health of the following individuals: Lincoln Ely, Rich Bagdazian, Zig and Virdia Jastrebski, Ramona Edwards, Bill Dent, Jacky Haynes, Steve Terry, Bill Cowley, Larrabee Kirkland, Elizabeth Holton, and Nolan Osmer.
Ministries: Please pray for the following missionaries and ministries: Seth and Jessica Lewis (Ireland); Steve and Rita Williams (New Zealand); Noah and Karleigh Stephens (Thailand); Vinnie and Molly Athey (RUF at UAH); Amos and Jessica Williams (RUF at Alabama A&M); Ken and Angie Burnett (FCA); Franky and Alaina Garcia (church plant in Canada); Dieter Paulson (church plant in Scottsboro, AL); Gannon Miles (seminary student); The Huntsville Pregnancy Resource Center.

Online Donations:

If you would like to give to Christ Presbyterian, you can do so at the following link:

Emails:

general inquiries: admin@christpreshamptoncove.org
benevolence needs: benevolence@christpreshamptoncove.org
counsel and ministry needs: matthew@christpreshamptoncove.org
men’s ministry: men@christpreshamptoncove.org
women’s ministry: women@christpreshamptoncove.org
children’s ministry: children@christpreshamptoncove.org
youth ministry: youth@christpreshamptoncove.org
senior fellows: seniorfellows@christpreshamptoncove.org

Address:

288 Old Highway 431
Owens Cross Roads, AL 35763