Tell About It

Now as we come into summer, we’ll give the church family a chance to tell about it!

Every one of us who is a follower of Jesus has experienced God at work in our life in quiet, powerful and life-changing ways. He has spoken to us in his word and transformed us by his Spirit. This summer some of our brothers and sisters in the Covenant family will tell about how they’ve experienced perspective change, heart change, and life change through their encounters with God in his word.

Psalm 145 says:

The Lord is merciful and compassionate,
    slow to get angry and filled with unfailing love.
The Lord is good to everyone.
    He showers compassion on all his creation.
All of your works will thank you, Lord,
    and your faithful followers will praise you.
They will speak of the glory of your kingdom;
    they will give examples of your power.
They will tell about your mighty deeds
    and about the majesty and glory of your reign.

This summer we are going to take that passage to heart. Each Sunday between now and August 11 we’ll ask two members of our church family to share. We’ve asked them:

What are the passages of Scripture that God has been using to encourage you or strengthen you recently? To bring you to a new and deeper place? To transform you or your relationship with him? What passages have you found yourself continually coming back to, or telling others about?

June 9      How God Calls Us Faithfully and Sovereignly

Isaiah Mensah      Jeremiah 29:11

God is trustworthy. When He calls us to Himself, He  fulfills His purposes for us at each step – even when the way is hard.

Joe Ely                     Jonah 1:8-17

God rules over all and uses all; He leads us and makes His call on our lives clear when we recognize him as the King and Lord – even when His leading is not easy.

June 16     Lives Joined to the Life, Death, and Risen Life of Jesus

Spencer Kelley     Romans 6:4

At the heart of the Christian life is just that – life: dying to the old world and its old ways, and rising up into life that is new and different in every way.

Susan Hyde           Romans 6:5

There is much to which we seek to tether our frantic hearts; Jesus, in His life, death and resurrection, alone suffices to anchor and define us.

June 23     Belonging to God, We Seek Him and Live for Him

Jerie Artz               Psalm 27:4-5, Psalm 16:11

God created us for Himself – we exist to praise and revere Him, and He is worthy of all praise and honor and glory.

Franki Kung          Daniel 2:26-30

As people who belong to God, we are called to be distinctive – to live our lives differently than our surrounding culture, giving our hearts fully to God, and communicating to others that we belong to Him.

June 30     God is the First and Only Satisfaction of our Hearts

Sang Woo Tay        Luke 10:38-42

There are many alluring distractions to woo the heart, so many things with which to busy our schedules; there is only one that satisfies and rightly comes first – Jesus.

Kenny Wilson         Psalm 90:14

God invites us to find our satisfaction in Him alone, not in anything or anyone else. God made us for Himself; our hearts are restless until they rest in Him.

July 7         Life is an Endless Display of God’s Love and Faithfulness

Christie Keen        Romans 8:38-39

God’s love for us exceeds and transcends all circumstances; regardless of what we face, we can be sure of His love.

Bob Truitt               Psalm 37:3-7, 11, 23-26, 34

David lays down a pattern for a rich and meaningful life: trust God, do the right thing, commit your ways to Him, let Him lead. After a lifetime of seeking to do so, we look back and all we see is God’s faithfulness.

July 14      God Rescued Us Once, and He Does So Again and Again

Alex Pothen           Hebrews 12:18-24

God is holy and inaccessible to us as human beings. We cannot access God through His law or our obedience, but He crossed the uncrossable distance between us, sending Jesus as our mediator.

Sarah Wilcox          Psalm 40

Life can be overwhelming, but God is strong and near. When we cry out to him, God pulls us up out the mud and mire and puts our feet on solid ground.

July 21       Worship combined with Congregational Meeting

A Life of Love, a Life of Generosity

July 28       Life is Hard, Bringing Fear and Anxiety, but God is Near

Cliff Johnston         Mark 4:35-41

When we face fearful situations, it’s tempting to conclude God is disengaged, asleep in the boat; Jesus invites us to find Him present and near in those fearful moments.

Meg Gay                   Philippians 4:6-7

When we’re anxious, perfect peace seems unattainable until we realize that God Himself is our peace, and He is to be found even in our most anxious moments.

August 4       God Has a Plan for Us… but It Rarely Lines Up With Ours

Ming-Yu Ngai          Proverbs 3:5-6

It is tempting to rely on our own insight as we make decisions and walk through life; God invites us to rely on Him instead.

Erin Smith                Ecclesiastes 5:18-19

There is so little in life that plays out as we might wish; we see injustice at every turn. Yet God invites us to find purpose in Him, and even to find joy in a simple life lived for Him.

August 11     The Christian Life is Love Received, Love Given

Jennifer Pimmler    Ephesians 3:14-19

There are so many dimensions to the Christian life, but the thing that roots us in the purposes and plans of God is his love for us, which reaches higher and wider and deeper than we can ever imagine.

Joel Mulder               Luke 16:19-31

It’s tempting to think of ourselves as generous people who are tuned in and mindful of the needs of those around us, but there are so many we can walk right past without seeing. Jesus confronts our blindness with this parable and invites us to see as he sees.