Christ Church Evangelical Covenant

God and Chaos (Pastor Vann Trapp)

So, where is God in the midst of chaos? When nothing seems to make sense or fit anywhere. Because we all have times like that in our lives. And during those times, that’s when anxiety and unsettledness set in… or worse. So, where is God? What is He up to during those times? The story of the sea has a lot to teach about God and chaos.

The Heart and Power of God (Pastor Vann Trapp)

We are the sent people of a going God. He wasn’t satisfied to sit and wait for us to try to work our way to Him. He came to us; to rescue us, redeem us, and restore us. And now, He sends us, with His heart, His drive, and His authority to continue the work He started. The day Jesus spoke the words of Matthew 28:18-20 was the day we were commissioned. But Pentecost was the day we were empowered to carry out that commission. So, what does that mean for our everyday lives?

The Man that God Uses (Brother Philip)

Brother Philip, a guest missions speaker, shares about the characteristics of people that God uses.

Weighting for a Breakthrough (Pastor Vann Trapp)

It is hard to wait… for anything. But it is especially hard to wait when there is extra weight in the waiting! Weight like hardship, sorrow, suffering, sadness; the weight of the world. But God promises that the wait will be worth it, and the weight will seem like nothing when we arrive at our home with Him. And He promises that our journey with Him to get there will be peppered with glimpses of the glory to come.

Comfort (Pastor Vann Trapp)

What does it take to bring comfort to someone in a tough time? Being present? Having the right words? A big hug? Yes to all of these. But there is more. And there is so much more in how God brings us comfort in our hard times. It is His kind of comfort that He desires to work through us in the lives of those struggling around us. How can we learn to comfort like that?

The Burden (Pastor Vann Trapp)

We know that we are to love our neighbor and care for each other. But what does this verse mean to “bear each other’s burdens?” Any one of us would say that we have enough burdens of our own. Why would we ever take on someone else’s? Does God really expect us to do that? That seems like a pretty big ask. Is that really what He means? Or might there be more to this short verse than first meets the eye?

The Yoke (Pastor Vann Trapp)

How can it be that taking up a yoke will bring rest? A yoke means work. A yoke means serving someone else’s plan. We work our whole lives to get to that day when we can finally take off the yoke of others. We call that rest… or retirement. But Jesus says that there is a yoke that actually brings us the rest we are looking for. How can that be?

Suffering Savior (Pastor Cheryl Lavornia)

What are you afraid of? Everyone's afraid of something and those fears usually stop us from experiencing all that life has to offer. We actually spend a huge amount of energy and resources trying to outrun our fears... we try to outrun our suffering, our fears, and our death. This is always on our shoulders... it's the Weight of the World. As we enter into our next sermon series called: The Weight of the World: Living Intercession, we are going to be exploring the deeper meaning behind suffering. Jesus' suffering means more than pain and discomfort... somehow, it is our invitation into a deeper life with Him.

God’s Exclamation Point (Pastor Vann Trapp)

Easter Sunday. The most amazing day in history. It was amazing enough that God had come to earth, took on a human body, lived among us and showed us His persistent love for us in real time. It was amazing enough that He didn’t strike back when we did our worst when we falsely accused, tortured, and killed Him on the cross. It was amazing enough that His only words towards us from the cross were, “Father, forgive them because they don’t know what they’re doing.” But the to see that He rose from the dead, conquering death itself and inviting us into His forgiveness and that new life? Completely over the top, unimaginable, amazing grace and love. But one of the most amazing parts of Easter is that God didn’t go rent a bunch of billboards to tell what He had done. He didn’t emblazon it across the sky with thousands of angels. Instead, He entrusted the most amazing event in the history of the world to us, and told us to tell His story. What a privilege. What a responsibility.

When Rocks Cry Out (Pastor Vann Trapp)

There are so many things we try to manage in our lives. We manage our careers, our health, our finances, our time. But when we look a bit closer, there are many things that we have no control over whatsoever! And that can be a bit unnerving. But in those moments where we seek control because we seem to have lost control, isn’t it comforting to know that God is always in control? Comforting? Well… sometimes.