Weekly Update 08/18/2020

I hope this note finds you doing well, rejoicing in the Lord’s mercies, and seeing Him as your life.

We have two more Sundays in our current series “Songs of Lament & Hope.” Pastor Matt will consider Psalm 85 this weekend, while I’ll follow the next weekend with Psalm 86. Please pray for us as we prepare. I’ve enjoyed discussing this series with Matt and Chris as we’ve thought through on the various interpretations and applications of the psalms we’ve expounded. Your many comments to us have been an encouragement. As I’m reading through the Psalms again in my daily devotions, I am struck in fresh ways by the psalms we’ve studied this summer, finding them filled with hope amid the somber tones. Only the Lord can do that!

If you’ve not picked up or received a copy of Dane Ortlund’s Gentle and Lowly, please let us know. We want every family in the church to have the chance to read through this unusually helpful (and readable) book that gives us a view of Christ much needed in our day. Plus, we’re going to start back Wednesday STINT but with a TWIST! We plan to study through and discuss Gentle & Lowly, starting in September. In order to accommodate for our inability to have smaller classes with our children, we’re inviting the women to attend on September 2nd at 6:30 for the initial study. The guys are invited to attend the following week on September 9th. The women and men will continue alternating in this pattern. Pray that the Lord will use this STINT class to work deeply in our hearts. I’m looking forward to these gatherings so that we get to see one another, too! We’ll continue social distancing practices by meeting in the church auditorium.

Our weekend expositional series beginning in September will start a journey through the Book of Acts. Pastor Matt will overview Luke on September 6th, showing the themes we considered during that series. This will help us to better understand the connection between Luke and Acts. I’ll also be doing an overview of Luke so that we get the lay of the land. Pray for the preparation ahead for our pastors in working through this study in God’s Word.

Psalm 80 had some wonderful pointers to our Lord Jesus in this national lament. We realized that its ultimate answers centered in the work of Christ. You can watch the video from this past weekend here.

Warmly,Phil N.