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Week of December 17, 2023 | |
God's Grace is Free, But It Isn't Cheap (Part 1)
By Mike Riley
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In John 1:14-17, John records the following about our Lord:
“And the Word became flesh, and dwelt among us, and we beheld His glory, glory as of the only begotten from the Father, full of grace and truth. John bore witness of Him, and cried out, saying, ‘This was He of whom I said, ‘He who comes after me is preferred before me [ranks higher than I], for He was before me.’ And of His fullness we have all received, and grace for grace. For the Law was given through Moses, but grace and truth came through Jesus Christ. “
The word “grace” simply means “unmerited favor” — favor that one receives which is undeserved and unearned. The idea of grace being “free” means that it became available to us without cost to us (Ephesians 2:8).
However, it does not mean it was without cost at all, for it cost God plenty to offer it to us without charge (John 3:16; Romans 5:8; 1 John 4:9). Grace is indeed priceless, but Someone else paid the price because we couldn’t afford it.
With the above thoughts in mind, let us look at the following aspects of what grace costs:
Grace is Costly Because it Calls Us To Follow Jesus
We are permitted the privilege of choosing the way of grace and become disciples of Jesus. To be a disciple means to follow after the Teacher. Of course, while we are given this opportunity by grace, we cannot follow through and take advantage of it without cost.
To follow Jesus, means to put His kingdom and righteousness first (Matthew 6:33). The cost of discipleship means that we must put other things second, third, etc. Another cost associated with discipleship is picking up and bearing a cross of self-denial (Matthew 16:24). We cannot be His disciple if we refuse to do this.
We cannot be Jesus’ disciple if we insist on speaking bitterly against and reviling those who have reviled us. Now that is a heavy cost of discipleship because when someone speaks ill of us wouldn’t we love to reply in kind?
But Peter states:
“For to this you were called, because Christ also suffered for us, leaving us an example, that you should follow His steps …. who, when He was reviled, did not revile in return; when He suffered, He did not threaten, but committed Himself to Him who judges righteously” (1 Peter 2:21-23; cf. Isaiah 53:9).
We need to understand that it is a privilege without cost to us to be able to become disciples of Christ. We do not deserve the opportunity of being called His people, but when we choose to walk after Him, there will be costs to faithful discipleship. For that reason, He told us to calculate the cost (cf. Luke 14:25-30).
Continued next week
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Elders
Leon Cort
Mark Craigwell
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Minister
Mark Craigwell
Assistant Minister
Denver Simmons
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Deacons
Raleigh Gallington
Anthony Johnson
Gregory Johnson
Carlfred Malcolm
Albert Martin, Jr.
Walter Maxwell
Richard Meuse
Barry Person
Jason Reid
In Memoriam
Gone, but never forgotten, our beloved brother,
James W. Wade, Sr.
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Sermon for Sunday, December 17, 2023
Title: Growing in Grace
Text: 2 Peter 3:17-18
Speaker: Bro. Mark Craigwell
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Doris Suttles was baptized into Christ on Sunday, December 10, 2023, during the 11:00 a.m. service. Let us welcome our new sister in Christ!
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A PSA from the Retention Ministry | |
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Don't Miss Out! Please scroll through the entire e-bulletin each week to be certain not to miss any important announcements or links. Many items are repeated each week, but there are also new announcements that you'll miss if you don't scroll through the entire bulletin.
Youth & Family Ministry Lock-In: Friday, December 29th. Ages 5-11: 6-8 p.m.; ages 12-19: Overnight. See Upcoming Events section below for details. Sign-up required.
The Couples’ Ministry meets the 2nd and 3rd Friday of the month via Zoom. See Couples' Ministry section below for connection information.
Tech Day: 3rd Saturday of the month, 11 a.m. – 1 p.m. at the church building. Bring your cell phones, tablets, and laptops for help with your tech issues. See Bro. Javier Jackson, Jr., or Bro. Jerard Samuel for details. Sign-up sheets will be posted monthly. The January Tech Day is currently scheduled for January 20th.
2024 Mature in Heart Pennsylvania Dutch Country Excursion: We are now accepting registrations for next year's excursion to see a live performance of "Daniel" and the Sight & Sound Theater. See Mature in Heart Ministry section below for details and link to registration form. Registration form and deposits due by 12/31/23.
2024 Roxbury Ladies' Day: Saturday, March 16th at the Tirrell Room in Quincy. See Women's Ministry below for details. Please submit payments by the end of January.
Community Outreach: Our monthly community outreach grocery distribution will resume in January.
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The congregation is requesting member support of its Mission Fund as we provide an educational stipend to Bro. Phillip Morrison while he attends Sunset International Bible Institute full time for the next 18 months to train as a minister. We are asking members to commit/pledge at whatever amount your heart and ability can provide for this period of time. This is a commitment over and above your regular giving and we hope all members will participate to the level of their ability and heart for God. Our target is to provide $3,000 per month and all commitments, whether large or small, are helpful and appreciated.
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Please make checks and money orders payable to Church of Christ in Roxbury and write Mission Fund in the memo line.
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Electronic donations may be made via the E-Giving option at ChurchofChristinRoxbury.org/e-giving, followed up with a text or email to Bro. Gallington [(617) 922-4598, mrcg13@hotmail.com].
Click here to complete the pledge form electronically.
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OUR CURRENT COVID PROTOCOLS | |
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Effective immediately, and until further notice, we have suspended the requirement for attendees to sign up in advance to attend Sunday worship. We have also suspended attendance taking at our in-person services, classes, and events. Masking remains optional.
Remember that although COVID numbers are down, COVID has not gone away, and is one of the leading causes of death in the United States. Please protect yourself and those around you by adhering to the guidelines below.
If you test positive for COVID after attending an in-person church event, please notify us by email at cocroxbury@gmail.com or by text to Sis. Gloria Gallington at 617-922-5987 so that notifications can be made as needed.
For up-to-date information regarding COVID in Massachusetts, click the link below:
COVID-19 Updates and Information | Mass.gov
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We will continue to offer two Sunday morning worship services to accommodate in-person attendees
The first service begins at 8:30 a.m. and runs until approximately 9:45 a.m.; the second service begins at 11:00 a.m. Our weekly Bible classes for all ages begin at 10:00 a.m. We will continue to livestream the 11:00 service on our YouTube channel, and we encourage members to utilize e-giving, even when attending in person. As noted under News & Notes, it is no longer necessary to sign up in advance to attend worship services in person.
E-giving link
https://churchofchristinroxbury.org/e-giving
Livestream link
Church of Christ in Roxbury - YouTube
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Our monthly community outreach grocery distrubution will resume in JANUARY 2024. | |
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Remote & In-Person
Class/Meeting Schedule
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Wednesday Night In-Person & Dial-In Bible Study
Wednesday evenings at 6:30 p.m. in-person and via freeconferencecall.com.
Dial in number: 978-990-5000
Access Code: 261232#
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REMINDER: Please remember to mute your phone or computer when joining any of the above conference calls to avoid interrupting the class or service you are entering, particularly if you are joining the call after the event has started. | |
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Rehearsals are held on Thursday evenings at 7:30 p.m. at the church building
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The Couples' Ministry meets the second and third Fridays of the month at 7:00 p.m. unless otherwise noted. | |
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Our December Women's Class will take place on Sunday, December 17th at 5:00 p.m. at the church building and via Free Conference Call.
Dial in number: 978-990-5000
Access Code: 261232#
Or join the class online at join.freeconferencecall.com/carl95fred
Presenters: The Mature in Heart
Sis. Sarah Williams & Sis. Beatriz Lites
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December 2023
Visitor Thank You Letters - Sis. Sharee Farley
Visitor Gift Bags - Sis. Sandra Wade
Baptistry - Sis. Shamara Morris/
Sis. Wendy Craigwell
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Please check the bulletin board to make sure you are signed up to attend this event. The date will be here before you know it. The cost is $70 per person/$35 for ages 18 and under. Remember that we do not ask our guests or our sisters from other congregations to pay to attend this event. Please submit your payment(s) to Sis. Gallington, Sis. Cindy Woodley, or Sis. Maria Harris by the end of January. Menu will be posted shortly. | |
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2024 Mature in Heart Pennsylvania Dutch Country Excursion:
We are accepting registrations for the 2024 trip to Lancaster County Pennsylvania to see the September 19th showing of "Daniel" at the Sight and Sound Theater. The bus will be scheduled to leave at 4am on the 19th and estimated to return between 9pm and 10pm on the 20th. A minimum initial deposit of $120 is required to secure a spot. This should be completed by December 31, 2023 to allow us to plan for the number to attend. The deposit (and subsequent payments) can be made by cash, check (payable to Church of Christ in Roxbury), or electronically via our e-giving link: churchofchristinroxbury.org/e-giving. If you make your deposit or any subsequent payments electronically, please follow up with an email to cocroxbury@gmail.com with the subject line 2024 Pennsylvania Trip, and your name and payment amount in the body of the email.
The number of participants is limited by bus capacity. The overall cost of the charter bus, show ticket hotel and banquet has increased by $54 per person from 2023, however we have made some changes and restrictions to try to reduce the impact.
1. The minimum number for the event is increased from 24 to 30 (bus passengers). This will ensure that the bus cost per person is no more than $145.
2. The family-only restriction is removed for triple and quad hotel accommodations. However, we are requiring that all roommates be identified at the time of registration and the spots are not confirmed until all roommates have registered. There are also restrictions on refunds to make sure room costs are covered. More details are available upon request. Please see Bro. or Sis. Gallington, Sis. Keitrice Johnson, or Sis. Elizabeth Nagarajah with any questions.
Based on the changes described above, the following are the trip costs for 2024:
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Quad Occupancy hotel room, banquet seat, bus seat and theater seat -- $352
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Triple occupancy hotel room, banquet seat, bus seat and theater seat -- $371
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Double occupancy hotel room, banquet seat, bus seat and theater seat -- $408
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Single occupancy hotel room, banquet seat, bus seat and theater seat -- $535
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Grand king hotel room, two banquet seats, two bus seats and two theater seats -- $859
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Banquet seat and theater seat only -- $120
Please click here to access the online registration form.
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The date for the December men's class is Sunday, December 17th at 5 p.m. at the church building.
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Young Adult Ministry (YAM) | |
Date of next meeting will be announced. | |
Monthly Ministry Meeting
1st Sunday of each month at 1:00 p.m.
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Meetings & Events
12/3 - Youth & Family Ministry Meeting, 2pm @church building.
12/4 - Ministers'/Elders'/Deacons' Meeting, 7pm
12/10 - Deacons' Meeting following 11:00 service @church building.
12/16 - Ministers'/Elders'/Deacons' Wives' Meeting, 9am
12/16 - Tech Day, 11am-1pm
12/17 - Retention Ministry Meeting following 11:00 service @church building.
12/17 - Men's & Women's Classes, 5pm @church building.
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Ministry Meetings - Please contact your ministry coordinator for remote meeting schedules.
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- Sunday New Converts' Class, 10:00am @church building
- Sunday Bible Class (children) Sundays at 10:00am @church building
- Sunday Adult Devotional/Bible Study, 10:00am @church building
- Sunday Worship Service 8:30 and 11:00am in person and 11:00am via livestream on YouTube. See above for details.
- Men's/Women's Classes, 5pm (4th Sunday of the month) @church building
- Youth & Family Ministry (1st Sunday of the month at 2pm)
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Mature in Heart Women's Prayer (Tuesdays @ 10:30am) VIA TELECONFERENCE (connection info above)
- Prayer Meeting (Tuesdays @ 7pm) VIA TELECONFERENCE (connection info above)
- Mid-Week Bible Study (Wednesdays @ 6:30pm) in person and VIA TELECONFERENCE (connection info above)
- Mid-Week New Converts' Class (Wednesdays @ 7pm) @church building
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Healing Hearts (Thursdays @6:15pm) VIA ZOOM
- Choral Ministry (Thursdays @7:30pm) in person @church building
- Couple's Ministry (2nd & 3rd Fridays @ 7 pm)
- Retention Ministry (3rd Sunday following 11:00 service)
- Women's Prayer (Saturdays 9:30am) VIA TELECONFERENCE (Connection info above)
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Bro. John Kurpiel, minister for the Lawrence congregation, hosts an international radio program, “Soul Food,” on Mondays and Tuesdays from 11AM until 3PM. The program airs on Ignite Radio Broadcast via Mixlr, an interactive internet radio platform. Use the link below to tune in to listen, or to participate in the conversation. Always free to listen. https://mixlr.com/ignite-radio-broadcast.
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Church of Christ in Roxbury
81 Walnut Avenue
Roxbury, MA 02119
617-442-5826
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