In Isaiah 28:12 the Lord calls his people to find rest and repose, but they would not listen. Not much has changed. Sometimes I wonder if it's because we prefer our anxiousness. In any…
The two themes woven throughout our service today are the fear of the Lord and the Lord's compassion. Without the fear of God we obey self, others, or the prevailing culture. Without the Lord's…
Worship notes for April 10, 2022 for Christ Covenant Church, Matthew, NC.
For many churches certain worship services or seasons look very similar from year to year: Advent and Christmas, Maundy Thursday and Good Friday, Easter, Ascension Sunday, Pentecost, etc…
This week we will study a fairly gruesome passage of Scripture. Genesis 34 is not the most uplifting section… What songs do you sing when dealing with defilement and murder? At the very least you can say that Jacob did…
In several songs this week we will emphasizing the singing of the congregation by singing a cappella (with no instruments). The sound of nothing but the voice of the congregation is often quite glorious. But in this case I’ve planned…
In Hebrew 12:15, referring to Esau, we are told to see to it that “no root of bitterness springs up and causes trouble.” I suppose there is no end to the trouble caused by bitterness. It certainly can cause us…
In Genesis 26 Isaac follows in his father’s deceptive footsteps. Though the sins of the fathers visit the children’s children and though the heart is deceitful, the word of the Lord breaks in with life and blessing. He bring water…
I really enjoy writing music for a variety of projects and recently I got a chance to do that for a short animation for our church. I got to work with my children in the creation process, too.
The Christian life calls for a healthy balance between being faithful with earthly responsibilities and keeping an eternal perspective. Right before our eyes is all the stuff of daily life; a job, investment, food…
Christian worship should cause us to let go of self-sufficiency. Of course, this flies in the face of what we naturally pick up from our own culture. Self-sufficiency, independence, self-reliance, survival, and the like…
Approaching the Lord in prayer can be done in several ways, one of which is to allow his word to inform our prayer. Often, the call to worship I write is a reflection on…
Today is the traditional Sunday upon which we celebrate Epiphany or the 'manifestation" of Jesus Christ. This is an opportunity to meditate upon one aspect of the story of Christ's brith, that is, the…
After considering the decline of mankind in Genesis 4, chapter 5 comes as a relief. In fact, relief is promised. This week, as we sing at Christ Covenant Church, we will be reminded that…
I have been working with several pastoral interns as they plan our worship services for the next four weeks (July 12 - Aug. 2). We are looking forward to learning together. Already I have noticed that I will learn a…
Lord, now indeed I find thy power and thine alone, can change the leper’s spots and melt the heart of stone. Jesus Paid It All, by Elvina M. Hall, 1865
The Bible proclaims and calls for the spread of God's…
We are in the midst of a health crises, race crises, financial instability, and more. Of course, we don't expect a complete melt down, but what would our response be if that were the case? Habakkuk knew that destruction was…
This month (June 2020) at Christ Covenant Church we are working our way through Habakkuk, which is one of my favorite books of the Bible. This week in worship I will introduce I Will Rejoice, based on Hab. 3:17-19.
My faith looks up to thee, thou Lamb of Calvary, Savior divine; Now hear me while I pray, take all my guilt away, O let me from this day be wholly thine. —Lowell Mason
When we feed our dog, Dottie, we tell her to ‘Sit!’ and ‘Wait.’ Dottie obeys, and as she waits, begins quivering with anticipation. Dottie will wait a very long time, fully expecting good things to come. She is quite strong.
A biblical worship service should reflect good news, tell good news, and propels us toward gospel service. Neither the service nor the Christian life should be static. This week Kevin DeYoung’s sermon series takes us to Acts 13:1-12 in which…
*The following is copied from our bulletin at Christ Covenant Church, which we call “In Preparation.” I write these notes off and on in order to help our flock train their eyes and hearts for worship. I don’t write them…