Important Updates:
Bridal Shower for Melinda Goplin-Iriarte
Sunday, November 13 at 1:00 PMAll ladies at the chapel are invited to a Bridal Shower for Melinda Goplin-Iriarte. This is a Pampered Chef shower so you do not need to buy a gift in advance.Gifts will be purchased at the shower (large selection and pricing).
IMPORTANT: Please RSVP to Erica McLaughlin at 978-994-1104 or cemclaughlin66@yahoo.com as soon as possible, and no later than Wednesday, November 2. Please let Erica know if you are able to bring a dish to share at the potluck. We will need a final head count in order to plan for food, favors, and table settings. Thank you!
Courageous
Courageous is NOT in theaters any more. There will be NO trip on Saturday to go see it. Thank you!
Devotional:
Love: The Labor of Christian Hedonism by John Piper (required for Sunday School as well).
But I have a hard time loving others? What then?
Maybe you are not a Christian at all: New Birth Produces Love, Piper
Or
Maybe you are, but your love has grown cold: When Love Grows Cold, John MacArthur.
Resources for Growth not to ignore:
The Difficult Doctrine of the Love of God by scholar D.A. Carson (full text pdf, 93 pages). Especially relevant is his contention that Agape does NOT reflect the full course of God’s love we so often talk about (p. 25-30 for his more intellectual reasons why not to approach God’s love in this way). If you like to think, Carson is the man for you.
Love in Hard Places by D.A. Carson (full book pdf, 200 pages). From amazon write up:
“This book not only focuses on the aspects of Christian love that are not easy–such as when it comes to loving our enemies, and even forgiving those loved ones who have hurt us–but also helps readers understand, then, what biblical love really is. As author D. A.Carson points out, thinking seriously about Christian love soon embroils us in reflection on justice, revenge, war, the authority of the state, forgiveness, hate, and much more. This book shows some of the important ways in which the love of Christians is a reflection of the love of God, and enables believers to develop an appropriate understanding of how to love in the hard places of life.”
Praying for the overwhelming love of God in your life,
Pastor Corey
