Covenant Life Church

December 26 2009 at 6:58 pm

Photos from Christmas Eve Services

Hope you had a wonderful Christmas celebrating the birth of our Lord.

I was so encouraged by our two Christmas Eve services. It was good to see so many new faces and meet so many guests. We gave away many New Testaments as well as books to guests. Thanks for your prayers and for inviting friends and neighbors.

And thank you, Paul Barrios, for taking the photos.

December 19 2009 at 7:32 pm

“Snowed In” Family Worship

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Well, I’m bummed that we can’t gather together tomorrow to worship as a church. I worked on my sermon all day today and was looking forward to wrapping up our Bookends Series. But God had other plans! This snowstorm is a great reminder that God is sovereign over weather patterns, and his plans are better than ours.

Though we can’t gather together as a church, I want to encourage you to set aside time as a single, singles household or family to worship and read God’s word. Here are a few suggestions:

1. Take a moment to pray together for our nation, our local community and for our church. A morning like this that we can’t gather is a good reminder of what a blessing it is to be a church family. Pray for others you know in the church that God brings to mind.
2. If someone in your house is musical sing a song or two of worship. If not, consider singing along to a worship CD.
3. Download and listen to a recent sermon (especially one that you missed.)
4. Listen to one of our past sermons on the incarnation from our sermon archive.
5. In place of a sermon, read the account of Christ’s birth in Luke 1 & 2 (if you have young children, a selection from a children’s Bible works great, too.)

Remember, none of this has to be fancy. And it’s okay if you’re still in your pajamas. But it will be well worth your time to focus your attention on our great God and give thanks to him in song and prayer.

The Harris family will be thanking God for you and praying for you tomorrow as we worship in our home. Stay safe and warm, and have a wonderful Lord’s day.

P.S. One more thought: This snowstorm presents a unique opportunity to reach out to and serve your neighbors. Ask the Lord how you can express care and develop relationships by offering help with snow removal. Children, teens, singles: this is a great way to honor the Savior by spending yourselves on behalf of others. Families: Maybe you can put the whole crew into action!

December 18 2009 at 10:32 am

A ‘Wonderful Helper’

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In case you didn’t see it on the One Blog, I just wanted to highlight a recent post about one of our members, Olu Edegbai, and the way he has been laying down his life to serve local kids at the Emory Grove Resource Center. Thanks for your example, brother!

Hope you enjoy reading the post.

December 14 2009 at 4:00 am

Bookends of the Christian Life, Part 6

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God calls us to dependent diligence. That was the crux of my message yesterday as I considered the balance between the Holy Spirit’s work and our responsibility.

Options:
• Listen online or download an mp3 of the message.
• A summary outline in PDF format should be available here shortly.
• Use the following questions to reflect on how to apply the message to your life:

1. Josh taught us that God calls us to dependent diligence—100% dependent on the Holy Spirit and 100% diligent in work. Does this characterize your life? Why or why not?

2. Use the following questions to evaluate your “dependent diligence”:

a. What am I NOT praying about? Where am I acting without asking for the Spirit’s help?
b. Where is my confidence built on my plan, my experiences, or my will power?
c. Where am I toiling without joy?

3. Where do you need to grow in being dependent on the person and work of the Holy Spirit? Where do you need to grow in being diligent in the things of the Lord, like Bible reading, prayer, serving in the church or evangelism?

December 7 2009 at 4:00 am

Bookends of the Christian Life, Part 5

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This Sunday I preached the fifth message in our “Bookends” series and started on the second bookend: the Holy Spirit. My primary text was 2 Timothy 1:7, “for God gave us a spirit not of fear but of power and love and self-control.” Through the Holy Spirit, God has given us everything we need to live the Christian life.

Options:
• Listen online or download an mp3 of the message.
• Download a summary outline in PDF format.
• Use the following questions to reflect on how to apply the message to your life:

1. Why is the power of the Holy Spirit considered the second bookend of the Christian life?

2. In any area of life, are you fearful, overwhelmed, weak or weary of the fight? How can the Holy Spirit empower you and give you courage, strength and faith to overcome?

3. Is there any area of your life for which you have given up hope of ever growing and changing? How can you depend on power of the Holy Spirit to give you the faith and grace to change?

4. Are there unbelievers in your relational network to whom the Lord wants you to reach out? How can you be empowered by the Holy Spirit to take a step of faith to talk to them or invite them into your home or to church?

5. 1 Cor. 12:7 states that every Christian is given gifts of the Holy Spirit. How can you grow in using those gifts for the building up and edification of the church?

6. Take time to pray for a fresh infilling of the Spirit (Eph. 4:18), for fresh enabling to grow in godliness and fresh empowering for witness.

December 1 2009 at 4:24 pm

Report on Work in Fabens, Tx.

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A team of men from Covenant Life spent the last week of October in Fabens, Tx., tackling a construction project that will serve Rancho3M Orphanage and its staff. Participants were Grant Layman, Andy Tvardzik, Peter Giglio, Larry Wethje, Larry Earles, Morrie Wilson, Nick DeCarlo, Tom Crow, Bo Lotinsky, and Joe Flaherty. During church on Sunday Grant Layman took a few minutes to describe the trip and the nature of the work.

The video clip and separate slide show below will fill in the details:

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