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Good Morning, Mt. Carmel family! I am praying that you are experiencing a blessed and Christ-centered week so far. 

In my morning devotions yesterday, I read a few paragraphs about the call to live a crucified life. I guess for most of my life I’ve thought: “Dying to self allows Jesus to live in me and through me. And since that is the only way He will live in me, I HAVE TO die.” More than anything, dying to self was an act of surrender rather a joyful choice. Maybe a pastor shouldn’t say this, but I’ve never really been excited about putting my own wants, desires, and passions to death.

But yesterday morning, one particular statement from The Gospel Primer really arrested my attention. Here is what I read: “...on the other side of each layer of dying lie experiences of a life with God that are far richer, far higher, and far more intimate than anything I would have otherwise known.”

Wow! That really turned the tables in my mind! Dying to self is not simply a chance for Jesus to live in me—although it is! Dying to self is a chance to experience far greater things with God than I will ever experience in living a life on my own. And each “layer” or depth of my life I am willing to put to death, the greater those experiences become! Isn’t that a great truth?!?

The more I die, the more I truly live! Wow! What a God who would do this for me! 

Attached to this e-mail, you will find an update that was available this past Sunday morning to those at church. This includes the offerings for the past quarter, the two business decisions that were made on behalf of the church, and numerous updates about all that has taken place over the past few weeks at Mt. Carmel.

You will also notice that we are going to have a church business meeting next Wednesday, September 2, at 7:00 p.m. in the church auditorium. If you have any questions about these updates—or want to know more about a specific issue—please let your deacon know. He will, in turn, pass on that information. We are also preparing a plan to wisely and purposefully re-engage a portion of our Life Groups and Kid’s Ministries on Sunday, September 20. I hope to have those details ready to share with you next Wednesday at the business meeting. 

Also, I would encourage you to begin now to make plans to join us over the next few Sunday mornings. Unless the Lord re-directs my heart, I plan to address the racial tensions facing our nation this Sunday—and to use the month of September as an opportunity to engage in Gospel-centered conversations during the message. Please pray with me that this time will be God-glorifying. 

Finally, I have asked that the Care List be sent to everyone in the church this week. We have many in our church family who are suffering great health needs—as well as hurting hearts. So when you receive this week’s Care List, would you please ask the Lord which of these needs He would use you to be a tangible blessing? Call to pray, write a note, send a text, surprise with a gift card, or even take a meal to express God’s love to those in need.  

God bless you, Mt. Carmel! Our weekly gatherings sure look different than they did at the beginning of 2020, but our mission has not changed! We are still a disciple-making community with hearts of faith moved by the promises of God contained in the Gospel! So let’s live out that mission and be the disciple-makers Jesus desires us to be today!

I love you all!

Pastor Brian