Scripture will, at times, speak of the mysteries of God kept hidden through the ages. Quite an interesting concept that when a prophet speaks, revealing to his generation God’s intended purposes and expectations, there is also a hidden message that carries with it a prophetic significance for a future generation. Most of those prophecies were thought to have a Messianic tone related to them. When one begins to look back at the prophecies in light of Jesus Christ, all of a sudden, there is an “Aha!” moment and no longer do the mysterious things remain hidden.
Types and Shadows are what Biblical scholars call things that appear under the Old Covenant or in the Old Testament but are introducing to mankind the realities of heaven. So, in chapter seven of Hebrews, we find a mysterious man, Melchizedek, who made a cameo appearance after the struggle of Abram to rescue his nephew Lot (Genesis 14) who had been captured in war.
Melchizedek appears on the scene and blesses Abram after his defeat of the 4 troublesome kings from the north. In their brief encounter, Abram was nourished by Melchizedek’s generosity by providing him bread and wine. In response, Abram offers this mysterious king of Salem and priest of God Most High one-tenth of everything he owns. Without father or mother, beginning or end, Melchizedek appears to be an eternal being that some have suggested multiple answers as to his true identity.
Well, whoever he was or is, it seems that he has opened up for us a new understanding of the role in which Jesus plays for us today. In Hebrews, we’ll discover that it is in the vein of this man’s identity which Jesus assumes an everlasting position as our High Priest and King of Kings.
This Sunday, we’ll dig a little deeper into what this means for us as Christians when it comes to our ability to approach the Throne of Grace, receive redemption, and forgiveness of our sins once and for all.
Eternally thankful,
John
PRAISE AND WORSHIP
Thank you for your prayers! Shaun Ratcliff, our student minister, has been tested for the coronavirus (COVID-19) and the test has come back negative. While it may not have been the dreaded disease, he was still going through an illness that took him out of commission for a period of time. We are looking forward to having him back in the driver’s seat for our student ministry and working alongside us as we move forward as a church body.
With that being said, the leadership has already decided and communicated that this coming Sunday, July 19th, will be an online service only. Beginning next week, the church facility will open again for small groups to meet and we anticipate our worship together on Sunday, July 26th in house as well as online.
NEW CITY KIDS
Hi Everyone! We have been so excited about re-starting New City Kids but with the potential of spreading COVID-19, we will be taking a step back this week. We are considering how we might begin to re-gather this week and will keep you posted as soon as we can.
For THIS SUNDAY, we will be going back online. What does that mean for you? It means that we will continue to put the Gospel Project Links in this email to equip you and help you teach your kids about Jesus. Make sure you prepare beforeSunday to make the most of it.
We will be including a short, New City Kids video during our service so make sure you gather the family for worship at 10 am. Please continue to pray for health, safety, and wisdom as we continue to shepherd one another.
Also, here are some helpful hints for your family worship time:
Grab a notebook for each child and ask them to draw a picture or write what they are learning.
Use Right Now Media throughout the week for your bible time. Make sure to sign up for a FREE account using the link below.
God bless everyone. Stay safe and keep your eyes firmly fixed on Jesus."
POSTPONED- FCC FISHING FELLOWSHIP
Due to COVID-19 the fishing fellowship scheduled for July 18, 2020, has been postponed.
212 STUDENT MINISTRY
POSTPONED - till August 5, 2020
THURSDAY NIGHT LIVE - Livestream only July 16, 2020
You’re invited to join us every Thursday night throughout the summer for “Thursday Night Live!”
What is Thursday Night Live? It’s sort of like a Bible study and community group smashed together. Due to the nature of our current circumstances, we are always looking for ways to help each other stay connected to the Lord, the church, and one another while helping each other grow in Christ.
You can join us here at the building or from the comfort of your home. The ministers and elders will be working through an interactive panel discussing the text that was preached on the previous Sunday and answer your questions as well. We will be monitoring our Facebook Live comments section as well to help answer as much as we can.
And while we won’t answer every question, we pray that this will be beneficial to your understanding of the Word and grow your affection for Jesus.
We will host and Livestream every Thursday night from 7-8 pm.
BACK TO SCHOOL FAIR
We will be collecting school supplies during the month of July for the Franklin County Back to School Fair to be held 7/24 & 7/25 from 9 am-12 pm. Any school item is needed and appreciated! Bring in your donated items and leave them in the church lobby.
This year the location has changed, it will be held at Union High School 1 Wildcat Drive Union, MO 63084.
MEN'S MINISTRY
Bible Study
Join us this Saturday, July 18 @ 7 am for men's Bible study at Red, White, and Brew coffee house in Union.
WOMEN'S MINISTRY
Tuesday mornings from 9-11 am. The Bible is always applicable, so even if you can't make it at the beginning, you are always welcome! The gathering is in the Fellowship Hall downstairs.
Save the date! Starting Tuesday, July 21 from 6:30 pm - 8 pm we will begin a six-week study in the book of James. We will meet in the Fellowship Hall. Here is the link to watch the trailer for this study. The last night will be a time to visit and share. Stay tuned for more details.
POSTPONED - CELEBRATE RECOVERY
Monday evening at 6 pm. We are asking people to adhere to the general guidelines, staying 6 feet apart, and using social distancing. I know a lot of us are huggers...please ask before hugging and maybe try to just offer a high five or fist bump for the first few weeks.
We will NOT HAVE CHILD CARE. I repeat THERE IS NO CHILDCARE. Please be patient with us as we work on learning a new normal for our CR Chapter when it comes to kiddos.
We will NOT have a meal! For the first few weeks, we cannot offer food; we will need volunteers that are able to stand and serve food and are not allergic to gloves for when we are able to start serving food!
There will be some changes in this new normal time. Please hang with us. We love you all and are excited to see everyone soon!
Check out our Facebook page at @FCCUnionCR. If you have any questions, comments, or requests feel free to email us.
RIGHTNOW MEDIA
Have you ever wanted to do a Bible study with your spouse, kids or maybe a group of friends but you didn’t know where to start? Leading a Bible study can seem like such a big task. Planning what to say and what questions to ask can be one of the reasons people are so hesitant to lead a study. Well, what if we took all the planning and prep work out of it and made it easy for you to do right in your own living room?
As someone who attends First Christian Church you have access to RightNow Media, a website with hundreds of video-driven studies. There are studies on just about every topic you may want; from parenting to having “the talk” with your older kids, marriage, studies on books of the Bible and so much more. There are even cartoons for the kids that teach Biblical principles. And the best part is, it costs you nothing! If you would like to check out this incredible resource you can signup here.
PRAYER
Are there times that you really need people to pray for you? If you have something that needs some extra prayer send us a prayer request please indicate if confidential or if you desire the church to pray. Even if you want it to just be prayed for by the staff at FCC you can submit your request here or call the church office to put it on the prayer list. There is also a table in the lobby that you can write out your request.
Do you love to pray? We are looking for more prayer worries on Sunday mornings from 8:00 - 8:45 am.
