Christ Church Evangelical Covenant

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.

Quiet Confidence (Pastor Vann Trapp)

Where does confidence come from? We are confident in our abilities, our connections, our bank account, our military. But all those run out. Where does true confidence come from? Only in knowing that God has your back. That never runs out. If God is for us, who can be against us? If God has given us life, not even death can take that away. Only the presence of the Spirit of God in our lives brings true confidence no matter what we face. And He is ours when we put our trust in Jesus.

Gentle Whisper (Greg Johnson)

At the heart of any relationship is communication - two way communication. No relationship can thrive or even survive without it. However, when it comes to God, so often our relationship with him can feel like a one way street, unless we learn and cultivate the practice of listening to God’s voice. Elijah needed to hear God’s voice in 1 Kings 19 when he was burnt out and at the end of his rope…and we need to hear God today. But how do we do that? That’s what we will be exploring. Could it be that we could be people who regularly hear God’s voice? Could it be that God often doesn’t speak in dramatic fashion through neon signs in the sky but through a gentle whisper? Could it be that God wants to speak to us now, and we must simply pay attention?

Gentle Power (Pastor Vann Trapp)

If you were to think of the greatest gift God could give in this life, what would it be? (Something in this life, not just the life to come.) Would it be some amazing healing? Or a miraculous provision to pay off some huge bill you have? Maybe an opportunity in your career or to travel or in a relationship you are pursuing? But how would all those compare to simply having an overflowing joy in your life? Or peace in your mind and heart? What about patience and self-control? Isn’t it interesting that God tells us that the way we know that He is alive in us through His Holy Spirit is that we will see these “simple” fruit in our lives. Not all the big, flashy “gifts” we might think of first. But aren’t these fruits of the Spirit the things we are truly seeking in our lives?

Through the Noise (Pastor Vann Trapp)

Sometimes life is just too loud. Not just literal sound in the world, but everything that is coming at us in life and everything that is going on in the background. Family responsibilities. Work responsibilities. Global unrest. The needs of others. Our health needs. Our mental health needs. Our spiritual needs. Too much to think about. Too much to process. Too loud. And yet, somehow, God says that His Spirit will speak through all that and bring peace, confidence, joy. So, what are the things that get in the way of hearing His voice? What are the things we can turn down so that we can hear the Spirit speak?

A Hint of Something New (Pastor Vann Trapp)

Have you ever been to the end of your rope, the end of the line, out of steam, out of options, game over? We don’t like it there, but that is exactly where the Spirit of God waits for us. While we are still able to figure things out on our own, that’s what we tend to do. So, God waits in those places that are beyond our ability to figure out… and then He shows us what He can do. That is where He brings life from death, joy from sorrow, healing from brokenness. And He doesn’t make a big show of it. Instead He speaks with that gentle power of His Spirit, that quiet rumbling of His presence, that invisible movement of His hand. Out of a dead stump, a new shoot springs up and brings unexpected life. That is His promise because that is our God.

Stumbling Into the Kingdom (Pastor Cheryl Lavornia)

This is part 2 of Covenant & Kingdom series: Stumbling into the Kingdom. The themes of Covenant & Kingdom are like DNA running throughout the story of God and His people. Covenant is about God’s invitation into relationship AND Kingdom is about God’s rule and our responsibility under His reign. What is our part in the Kingdom? What should we be paying attention to as a church? As families? As individuals?