Covenant Update

Dear Covenant Family:

Today was a great day at Covenant Church.  We had 29 folks attend today’s service,  and note that today’s bulletin is attached for your information.  Please note Tina’s addition of One Liners which are good food for thought!

Both Victoria McArthur and Nancy Parke had unspoken prayer requests.  Michelle Miller asked for prayers for a friend’s elderly mother who fell, broke her hip, and will require surgery tomorrow to repair the damage.  Maurita McKee asked for continued prayers for the family of her sister Marilyn, who died a few days ago in Virginia.  Pastor Don asked for prayers for the family of Patsy Sutton’s brother who died recently.  Diane Mauldin asked for prayers for her family members who were hospitalized last week and one of them has now died.  Please also ask for traveling mercies for both Pastor Don and Diane who will be traveling to Alabama for the funeral this week.  Missy Mauldin asked for prayers for a student of hers that has been speaking with her after school about how God seems to be speaking with her.  Becky Alexander asked for continued prayers for her as she is still trying to work out the plan for which her health insurance will cover the cost of her needed kidney cancer surgery next month.  Pastor Don also asked for prayers for Larry Noegel who was unable to attend church today due to back issues.  Pastor Don also asked for continued prayers for both Carolyn and Mack Vlacos as Carolyn was again hospitalized this week for two days, but she is now home again. 

Tina Floyd was in church today and thanked everyone for our prayers for her daughter Missy, who was hospitalized last week; she is now back at home and improving.  It turns out that she had a TIA instead of a stroke.  Shaw Grigsby also had a praise for the wives of two of his fishermen buddies who were hospitalized recently but who were both OK after they were medically checked out. 

Pastor Don’s sermon today was somewhat a continuation of last week’s sermon in the seemingly small lies that we can tell that can keep our lives from shining.  He emphasized that the punishment for lying is always worse then that for telling the truth!  He used the following scripture as an illustration, including the prophet Elisha, his servant Gehazi, and the Syrian army commander Naaman who had leprosy:

2 Kings 5:21-27 – So Gehazi pursued Naaman. When Naaman saw someone running after him, he came down from the chariot to meet him and said, “Is everything well?” ²² And he said, “Everything is well. My master has sent me, saying, ‘Behold, just now two young men of the sons of the prophets have come to me from the hill country of Ephraim. Please give them a talent of silver and two changes of clothes.’” ²³ Naaman said, “Be sure to take two talents.” And he urged him, and tied up two talents of silver in two bags with two changes of clothes, and gave them to two of his servants; and they carried them before him. ²⁴ When he came to the hill, he took them from their hand and deposited them in the house, and he sent the men away, and they departed. ²⁵ But he went in and stood before his master. And Elisha said to him, “Where have you been, Gehazi?” And he said, “Your servant went nowhere.”

²⁶ Then he said to him, “Did my heart not go with you, when the man turned from his chariot to meet you? Is it a time to accept money and to accept clothes, olive groves, vineyards, sheep, oxen, and male and female slaves? ²⁷ Therefore, the leprosy of Naaman shall cling to you and to your descendants forever.” So he went out from his presence afflicted with leprosy, as white as snow.

Gehazi lied twice to Elisha (v 22 and 25).  Elisha knew that Gehazi had lied (v 26) and Elisha condemned Gehazi and his descendants to the leprosy suffered by Naaman.  Pastor Don concluded that little things can keep people from seeing the good in you.  Also, if we acknowledge our sins and transgressions, He will forgive us!  This was another powerful and prayerful sermon from Pastor Don.

If you would like to listen to this sermon, all recorded sermons can be accessed at https://gainesvillecovenantchurch.org/ and then choose Sermons on the home page, and then choose today’s message.

I wish you all a most blessed week!

Ron