Christ Church Evangelical Covenant

The Expression of Victory (Pastor Cheryl Lavornia)

Do you ever feel disconnected from the "joy" that is supposed to be part of the Christmas season? Where does that disconnect come from? Pastor Cheryl shares what it takes to find that sense of joy again.

The Evidence of Victory (Pastor Vann Trapp)

Peace. We look for it. We hope for it. We pray for it. No one wants to live in a war zone, whether that war is outside your home. or within it. But it ends up that peace doesn’t just happen in a broken, fearful, selfish world. You have to work for it, build it, and even fight for it at times. But that sounds like a contradiction: fight for peace. That depends on how and who you’re fighting. But make no mistake, peace is the evidence of victory in a hard-fought battle to gain it. God fought that battle for us. Jesus is His victory. Peace is now ours in Him. And we go into this world to continue that same mission of peace.

The Expectation of Victory (Pastor Vann Trapp)

Hope. It’s an essential part of our lives because hope is all about the promise of something better than what we see. And who doesn’t long for something better than what we see? But hope is also about the ability of the one who promises it to pull off what has been promised. At Christmas, God brought His promised victory into this world. Some missed it because of the wrapping God’s victory gift came in. (How can a baby save the world?) But those who know the rest of the story understand that Jesus was God’s greatest sign of victory… and promise of an even greater future hope.

Victory Shouts (Pastor Cheryl Lavornia)

What is the true meaning of Advent? Does it have anything to do with my life today? Let's delve into the mystery of Jesus' second coming and explore how it can help us radically shift our perspective, understand the importance of using our spiritual gifts in community, and lead us toward the joyous and fulfilling life that God has for us.

Home Field Advantage (Pastor Vann Trapp)

So, where is this battle fought? On our knees. In prayer. In praise and worship. Prayer is where we enter the fray and speak with confidence about our victory. This is where we bind the evil one. This is where we claim God’s victory for those bound in chains of deceit, fear, and shame. Prayer is the power that God has given us. We suit up, and we pray.

On Good Authority (Pastor Vann Trapp)

God has commissioned us to do His business in this world in Jesus’ name. But what is the sign that we have the authority to do that? What is the proof of that commission? The word of God. But not just the act of quoting verses from the Bible. Instead, when we speak God’s Word straight from scripture or out of the wisdom of His Spirit for the circumstance, He backs it up. Those words become divinely powerful for tearing down spiritual strongholds, breaking through spiritual darkness, and defeating enemies far stronger and more numerous than we. By the power of the Spirit, the words we speak in Jesus’ name into and over people’s lives become effective. And He wants us to use those words to speak into all kinds of situations.

Standout (Pastor Vann Trapp)

A helmet on a battlefield always gives away which side you’re on. The team helmet of God’s army is salvation: the events and evidence that we have been - and are - being saved from the defeat and destruction of this world and the enemy. It can be seen in our inner transformation, in outer signs and wonders, in healings, in miracles, and in wisdom that is beyond us. If we choose to take up the helmet of the fullness of God’s salvation, we will no longer blend in on the battlefield of this spiritual war. He will make His victory known to all the world and even the powers and authorities in the heavenly places through us!

Full Coverage (Pastor Vann Trapp)

Faith in the Bible is not just talking about our belief in something. Faith is primarily talking about the faithfulness of the one we believe in. When we give ourselves to God’s truth, pursuing just and right living with His people, and the confidence of who He says we are, we are protected, not by how hard we believe, but the God who rises up and fights for His own! Psalm 91 tells us that He surrounds us as a shield and a bulwark.

Learning from Our Battles (Pastor Cheryl Lavornia)

God is always trying to get us to lean in. Even when we don’t experience Him, He is still there. Walking with Him through our battles is a way for us to grow in Him.

Spiritual Warfare - Cliff Notes Version (Greg Johnson)

Greg Johnson (guest preacher, and Executive Director of Revive New England - revivenewengland.org) reminds us of the big picture in the midst of our deep dive into spiritual warfare. He reminds us that there are four things we need to do in order to engage well in spiritual warfare and Paul tells us all four in 10 short verses.