Christ Church Evangelical Covenant

Empowering (Pastor Vann Trapp)

We’ve talked about abiding; making room for God to make His home in us. We’ve talked about releasing; letting Him remodel our lives once He moves in. But this week, we need to talk about the result of all this – being empowered to have the impact Jesus did through His life! What does it mean to live a life empowered by the Holy Spirit?

Releasing (Pastor Vann Trapp)

There is another word we have in the English language that sounds exactly like “pairing” but has almost the complete opposite meaning – “paring.” Pairing adds something. Paring takes something away. And in our relationship with God, He does both. John says that our heavenly Father is a gardener who wants to make sure that we are rightly paired with Jesus (who is like a vine to our branch), but also rightly pared of all our distractions and deceptions that keep us from the purposeful, fruitful life He created us for. But while pairing is an exciting process, paring can be a challenging time in our lives. So, is God clipping away at some area of your life right now? What is the purpose? Why can’t He just leave well enough alone and stick to pairing?

Abiding (Pastor Vann Trapp)

Abide. Sounds easy. Just stay where you are. Don’t move. Remain. A branch on a grapevine doesn’t have to worry about just falling off one day. So, why does Jesus sound so insistent when He says, “Abide in Me?” What does abiding in Jesus actually require of us? And what kind of “fruit” comes as a result? What is so great about a life abiding in Jesus?

Upward (Pastor Cheryl Lavornia)

There are moments when we don't feel very secure about our decisions or our circumstances. Our trust is shaken every day through the news, by people, and by things we never saw coming. We struggle with change and with uncertainty. But what if there is a way to strengthen our trust "muscles" and learn practices that help us learn how to trust in God and trust His ways? Come join us this Sunday, ready to learn some new spiritual exercises that will help you along your spiritual journey with Jesus.

Onward (Pastor Cheryl Lavornia)

Every year, thousands of people go looking for ways to find things they've lost. It could be their sense of identity or how to handle a great tragedy or loss. But what is remarkable is that we all have this sense that we get lost at times... no matter how hard we try, we feel that maybe we've lost God or that He's lost us. This week we will be discovering that it's ok to get lost at times... because it helps us rediscover our actual location in perspective to God.

Pure and Simple (Pastor Vann Trapp)

Prayer is the power of God and resources of heaven made available to us through a relationship with Jesus! Some of you already know that. Some of you are hoping this is true and that it is available to you. This Sunday, we will dig into these words of Jesus to find how we can avoid taking something so pure and simple (like He promised in the verses above) and make it overly complex. God loves us. And it ends up, He loves to answer our prayers.

Tall Tales (Pastor Vann Trapp)

Worry. There seems to always be something to worry about; those we love, our own lives, the state of the world. But what did worry ever do for anyone except create an ulcer, send into a depression, or distract them from the important people and projects right in front of them? What is God’s recommendation for a worry-free life? (Doesn’t that sound wonderful!)

Doubtful Discernment (Pastor Vann Trapp)

How often do we find ourselves trying to establish how great we are by comparing ourselves to the shortcomings of others? And how often is that practice just a cover for the fact that we don’t feel all that great about ourselves? Jesus would love for us to become the powerful, Spirit-filled healers and comforters in this world that we are meant to be. But we first have to deal with the way we judge, belittle, and condemn others. What place do right judgment and discernment have in our lives?

A Big Blind Spot (Pastor Vann Trapp)

Clarity or confusion? Light or darkness? Jesus says that these are determined in our lives by how we see certain things… how we “behold” them. And there is one specific thing that He highlights that will either bring clarity or confusion, light or darkness to our lives. Do you know what that one thing is? Because it is a big part of every one of our lives!

Ponder (Lyle Mook)

I (Lyle) am glad to be with you to preach on a topic that will tie in with the current series on the Sermon on the Mount. The focus will be on a Word — a Practice — that is indispensable, and desperately needed in every age and among all ages. It’s a Discipline that is a starting point for the transformation God’s Spirit works in us through the Scriptures and seeing of God “in the ordinary.” It’s a practice modeled by Christian disciples living in every distracting age. It’s central to prayer, wisdom, caring for others and fruitful action of all kinds. Oh ya — the word is, “PONDER!"

 

Is that too much hype?  Maybe it’s because this is where God is at work in my personal and work life over the last few years. I’m eager to share it. Let’s pray for attentive hearts and faithful feet that walk in the way of Jesus!