Weekly Update 10/20/2020

Greetings!

Ah, the best laid plans of mice and men! Or so the saying goes. We had good plans to meet in one service last Sunday but, as you’re aware, the weather predictions changed this on Saturday so that we ended up with two services on Sunday. I can’t tell you how disappointing that is for the pastoral staff! We want to meet in one gathering as one body. But I also can’t tell you how thankful we are for all of you with the flexibility and adjustments you’ve willingly made. Thank you so much!

The plan is to meet in one service this Sunday at 10:30 a.m. (rather than the previous 10:00) so that we can have a little warmer temperatures for the gathering. We plan to do the church-provided box lunch from Jason’s Deli after the service (Chris sent out a sign up earlier today). But just in case the weather does not cooperate with our plans, we’re asking you to go ahead and sign up for the three weekend services here. We will let you know on Friday whether we are on for the one service or must do the three services. Again, thank you for your patience and flexibility!

Our elders regularly spend time investigating and discussing future plans, especially in light of current restrictions. Please pray for us as we sort out and prepare and adjust. We’d love nothing better than to get back into a full schedule but we’re trying to be sensitive to the current situation that all of us face. Let me encourage you to make the most of the opportunities we have (because the days are evil, as Paul told us in Ephesians 5). Be part of our gatherings unless you’re unable to due to medical reasons. Take advantage of the Wednesday Gentle and Lowly study. However your shepherding group meets (in a park, at a home, through technology), be sure to engage in fellowship with one another.

The guys and teenagers have their Gentle and Lowly study tomorrow at 6:0 p.m. We’re on chapters 6 & 7, so read, come, discuss, and be enriched!

Please pray for Karen and me as we travel to Keller, TX this weekend where I’ll be preaching three times for a conference on assurance of salvation. I’m really excited to speak on such an important topic and to encourage a friend in ministry who has served First Baptist of Keller for a number of years.

Every section of Scripture bears weight in our understanding the rest of Scripture. Seeing, as we did on Sunday, the importance to the apostolic witness helps us to grasp why there’s such continuity in the New Testament gospel message. Pastor Chris helped us to put pieces of the bigger biblical picture together as we listened with thankfulness. You can listen to or read the sermon from Sunday by this link.

Pastor Matt will be preaching from the opening verses of Acts 2 this Sunday, as we see the Day of Pentecost bringing massive change to the small band of Christ’s followers. We’re still, thank God, living in the reality of what took place that day!

Blessings,
Phil N.

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