Announcements

MEMBER ALERT:

Mark you calendar so you can be here the last Sunday of this month, October 27th, as Robert Young will be speaking!

Bible study for the ladies on the English-speaking side: October 26th at 11 AM to 1 PM in person at Rosemary Dayie's home. All ladies are invited and welcomed! For additional information, contact Winnie Sylvester or Rosemary Dayie using the information in the directory

Men’s Bible study –Friday, November 15th at 7 PM, at the church building. Zoom will be available if you can't attend in-person. Volunteers to lead/facilitate future Bible studies are needed. Contact Bob Greene for more information.

Parents, remember to review and work with your children on the new books and the things that they learned/talked about in Bible class and that they are prepared for Bible class.

Ladies, the Heritage Christian University offers a credit certificate program: “The Certificate in Women’s Ministry”. It is designed to provide training to better equip women to provide holistic ministry in the congregation for discipleship, mentoring, teaching and leading. This is 15 credit hours program

Lessons are taught Sundays 10-10:45am, and Wednesdays 7:30- 8:15pm. We encourage you to bring your young ones to both classes so the can benefit most from lessons. Our prayer and goal is that our young ones will love the Truth and internalize the Truths in scriptures so they may become obedient and faithful disciples of Christ. Let us all do our part to encourage our young ones to memorize scripture, develop holy habits, and love to come to Bible classes and worship services. Parents and guardians, we are honored to journey with you on this path. If you did not receive the Bible class letter from our shepherds, please contact brothers Kwaku or Riley

Sign-up sheets are on the bulletin board for hall monitors, Sunday morning greeters, meal contact persons and Bible class substitutes and assistants on Sundays and Wednesdays.

Bible class teachers and assistants are needed, see Arnoldo Velásquez or one of the elders if you desire to serve in this capacity

Pray for our shepherds and the flock (our congregation): that we may all submit to the Lord's will and His design for His Church that He purchased with His own blood (Acts 20:28, 31; 1 Thessalonians 5:11-24; 1 Timothy 3:1-7; 5:1-21; Titus 1:6-15; 1 Peter 5:1-11).

Pray for the congregation in Ecuador, for the security of that country and for all people who are suffering through no fault of their own.

MEMORY VERSES

Exodus 20:4 - “You shall not make for yourself an idol, or any likeness of what is in heaven above or on the earth beneath or in the water under the earth. NASB95

Luke 4:8 - Jesus answered him, “It is written, ‘YOU SHALL WORSHIP THE LORD YOUR GOD AND SERVE HIM ONLY.’” NASB9

The Immeasurable Love of Christ

Paul finished his masterful dissertation on the church of the Christ, and he began to close the “doctrinal” section of his letter to the Ephesians before beginning the “practical section.” In this transition, he penned a prayer on behalf of his brethren, in which he made at least five distinct requests. The fourth desire in his list is that God “would grant” them to “be able to comprehend with all the saints what is the width and length and depth and height—to know the love of Christ which passes knowledge” (Eph. 3:14- 19). Ponder, for a moment, the love of Christ. There is no greater subject on which to meditate! How much can you stretch your mind around it?

The width of Christ’s love. Perhaps this is to draw our minds to the truth that the love of Christ embraces all people, regardless of race, culture, social status, economic status, education, etc. When Jesus died on the cross, He literally stretched His arms as wide as they would go to demonstrate the allencompassing love He has for mankind (Rom. 5:8; Heb. 2:9; 2 Cor. 5:15). No one is excluded!

The length of Christ’s love. Perhaps this is to draw our minds to the truth that the love of Christ “never fails” (1 Cor. 13:8). From eternity past (before the foundation of the world, 1 Pet. 1:19-21) into eternity future (if we can use such terminology), His love for you always has been, currently is and always will be! How far has He gone to prove His love?

The depth of Christ’s love. Perhaps this is to draw our minds to the truth that the love of Christ compelled Him to leave the splendor and glory of heaven (John 17:5) to come down into the depths of the earth (Phil. 2:5-8), in order to reach down and save the vilest of sinners (1 Tim. 1:12-15; 1 Cor. 6:9- 11). Even though we were “dead in trespasses and sins,” “His great love with which He loved us” (Eph. 2:1-4) drove Him to incomprehensible depths!

The height of Christ’s love. Perhaps this is to draw our minds to the truth that the love of Christ raises one up from the waters of baptism and honors him to wear the name that is above every name—the name of Christ (1 Pet. 4:16), and makes him to “sit in the heavenly places in Christ Jesus” (Eph. 2:6)—i.e., the church (Eph. 3:21). Even more, He has “reserved” (1 Pet. 1:3-5) an eternal home “in heaven above” (cf. Deut. 4:39).

After talking about “the width and length and depth and height” of the love of Christ, Paul then says that it “surpasses knowledge” (i.e., it extraordinarily exceeds any scale on which we could place it)! That is why I wrote with each expression, “Perhaps this is to draw our minds.” The reality is that we will never be able to measure and fully comprehend the immensity of the love of Christ! What a thought!

David Sproule - https://www.pblcoc.org/bulletin-articles/the-immeasurable-love-of-christ/

THINK ON THIS!

A man asked, "When will the service be over?" An usher replied, "The congregation is still at worship, sir, but the SERVICE will actually begin when the people LEAVE the church" (Eph. 4:12).