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Happy September, FCC! September is one of my favorite months. I love the transition to fall. I love the brilliant colors of the leaves. I get excited for football. But even more, I love September because it holds my wife's birthday, and the anniversary of my first date with her.
I appeal to you therefore, brothers, by the mercies of God,
to present your bodies as a living sacrifice...
Romans 12.1
As Kevin Christopher mentioned in his sermon on Sunday, Sept 3, Romans 12 marks a turning point in the letter to the Romans. Chapters 1-11 have primarily concerned a description of the gospel of God. Chapters 12 through 16 will primarily concern the “so what” portion of the letter. This is not to say there wasn't practical instruction in chapters one through 11, or that the gospel will be absent from chapters 12 through 16. There is gospel and instruction in both sections of the letter. But each section of the letter has an emphasis. Romans 1 through 11: what God has done. Romans 12 through16: what does God's mercy means for how I live.
In the first part of Romans 12.1, Paul shows us how we are to view our lives in Christ. To change into Jesus' likeness—to obey God from the heart—we need to continually remind ourselves of God's mercies (which Paul described in Romans 1-11) and give ourselves to a lifestyle of sacrifice for the good of others. Paul is going to get more and more practical about what this looks like in the complexities of life, but the principle described in 12.1 is crucial. The way to give ourselves in self-sacrifice for the good of others is to view the manifold mercies of God.
Another way to look at this is that Jesus goes first and calls us to follow him. He picked up his cross for us, in our place. And in light of his great sacrificial love for us, he calls us to do the same.
Is there someone today you are struggling to love? View God's mercies.
Is there something difficult today that God is calling you to do? View God's mercies.
Let God's mercies be the basis of your sacrificial love.
In view of God's mercies, Pastor Tim Prince will preach “The Gospel and Loving Enemies” (Romans 12:9-32). This is such an important text, because Paul shows us the demands of love and how God empowers us to do good in response to evil. May God grant us mercy and power to overcome evil with good!
Starting this Sunday, Sept. 10, we’ll have donuts and coffee available after both services!
Ladies—after the worship gatherings this Sunday, stop by the Women’s Ministry Meet and Greet in the Refuge Room to discover all the ways you can grow in friendship and the gospel through FCC’s various women’s ministries.
https://vimeo.com/228751229
Sept. 15-17, 2017 at Lodge at Crooked Lake – Siren, WI
This year’s theme is COMMUNICATION.
Lucas Cooper, Senior Pastor of Bayview Glen Church in Toronto, Ontario, will teach on:
· What the Scriptures say about communication
· How God’s grace inspires us to communicate grace to others
· Practical ways to communicate effectively with our spouse
Did you know that you can find the announcements shared during the Sunday worship gatherings at fcchudson.com? Check online at the beginning of the week to learn more about what’s happening at FCC. You can listen to the audio recording of the announcements or read a brief written summary.
Facilitated by Pat Stream
Meets Thursdays, Sept 7 to Jan 25
(No Class during the weeks of Thanksgiving, Christmas and New Year’s)
This foundational discipleship training aligns with FCC’s 5-year strategic plan to express a culture of discipleship. It is designed to acquaint people with an understanding of how the sufficiency of Scripture impacts how we view struggles, especially in relation to psychology.
REGISTER TODAY AT FCCHUDSON.COM!
For more information, contact Pat Stream at pat.stream@gmail.com or 651.248.9295.
WATCH THIS VIDEO to learn more about service opportunities in support of discipleship. And, if you’d like to help serve, check out service opportunities posted at fcchudson.com.
With the Romans series, we have a schedule for memorizing key verses—together as a church—which are crucial for helping us preach the gospel to ourselves and encourage one another as we seek to live out the gospel in all of life. The verses all come from Romans, and correspond to the preaching schedule. Pick up a memory verse card this Sunday to help you memorize the verses each week:
1 I appeal to you therefore, brothers, by the mercies of God, to present your bodies as a living sacrifice, holy and acceptable to God, which is your spiritual worship. 2 Do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewal of your mind, that by testing you may discern what is the will of God, what is good and acceptable and perfect. (Romans 12:1-2)
33 Oh, the depth of the riches and wisdom and knowledge of God! How unsearchable are his judgments and how inscrutable his ways! 34 “For who has known the mind of the Lord,
or who has been his counselor?” 35 “Or who has given a gift to him that he might be repaid?” 36 For from him and through him and to him are all things. To him be glory forever. Amen (Romans 11:33-36)
