Dear Brothers and Sisters,
In Sunday’s sermon, we looked at the biblical example of the antithesis of brotherly love: Cain. This coming Sunday, we turn our attention to Jesus in 1 John 3:16-18: By this we know love, that he laid down his life for us, and we ought to lay down our lives for the brothers. But if anyone has the world’s goods and sees his brother in need, yet closes his heart against him, how does God’s love abide in him? Little children, let us not love in word or talk but in deed and in truth. Instead of taking life, as Cain did, John calls us to imitate Jesus in giving our lives and our material possessions on behalf of our siblings in Christ. We are empowered to walk the path of sacrificial love because Jesus did it first, and we follow where he leads in the power of his abiding Spirit.
Please keep in mind the following announcements this week:
Outdoor Worship Service: August 30, 6 pm, West Side of Church Building
Join us for an evening of worship on August 30 at 6 pm on the west lawn. We will erect canopies for shade and provide bottles of water. We encourage you to bring your own chair or blanket and to join us in singing praise (out loud!) to our God.
God of Covenant: Tuesday Night Women’s Bible Study Resumes August 25, 7-8:30 pm in the Worship Center
The Tuesday night women’s bible study will gather beginning August 25 to learn from Genesis 11-50 in a study entitled God of Covenant, taught by Jen Wilkin. Participants will watch the teaching videos in the Worship Center, exercising social distance and wearing masks, and convene outside for the discussion (as long as weather permits). If you are interested in joining, please contact Amy Paglia. If you are able, please contribute $5 to cover the cost of study materials (cash or checks made out to Faith Community Church).
Saturday Morning Men’s Bible Study to Resume September 12, 8 am
The men’s bible study will take a break until the Saturday after Labor Day, resuming on September 12.
Prayer Requests
Joanne Klingberg and family: Please continue to pray that our Lord would encourage and strengthen Joanne Klingberg and the Klingberg family. Last Saturday a funeral service was held for immediate family members at Norris-Segert funeral home in West Chicago, followed by a graveside service at Glen Oak cemetery. You are invited to view the obituary here. The Klingberg family hopes to host a memorial service for John at the church in approximately a year’s time, with the aim that all can attend without limitations. We will provide more details as they become available.
Amy Rhody: Please pray for Larry and Pat LaBelle’s daughter Amy Rhody as she is experiencing extreme exhaustion and complications related to her thyroid.
Little children, let us not love in word or talk but in deed and in truth. (1 John 3:18)
In Christ,
Pastor Rhett