Covenant Update

Dear Covenant Family:

Yesterday we had a great service at Covenant.  We had 26 folks in attendance.  Check out in the attached bulletin the note titled We Have Forgotten God.  Try not to look at who wrote it and when until after reading it, you may be surprised.

We had a number of prayer concerns raised today.  Betty Arnette is back in the hospital so please keep her in your prayers.  Carol King has been under the weather for a few weeks now, and she would appreciate receiving calls from her friends.  The Craft family in Tallahassee, formerly from Alachua, had their 35 year-old son Chris die so please keep that family in your prayers as well. 

We also had a number of mission opportunities raised requesting prayers.  Mark and Dana Walters have just started their ministry at the newly planted church in White Springs named Suwannee Church of the Nazarene, so prayers are requested for their new opportunity.  Missy Mauldin also asked for prayers for the Bonilla family, friends of hers who just planted a new church in Madrid Spain.  Finally, we were asked also to pray for our brothers and sisters and their work on Coffee Island.

Don’s sermon was about God giving us a mind to do good and make a difference for Him.  However, the devil wants to get in our way, and he deceives and schemes to do so.  Don’s scripture for this sermon are a few verses from Ephesians 6.

Ephesians 6:11 – Put on the full armor of God, so that you will be able to stand firm against the schemes of the devil.

Don quoted Yogi Berra “If you don’t know where you’re going, you may not like it when you get there”.  Be careful and be alert at all times, don’t let the devil tempt you and start leading you in directions that can be harmful to you.

Ephesians 6:12 – For our struggle is not against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the powers, against the world forces of this darkness, against the spiritual forces of wickedness in the heavenly places.

The devil will try to get you angry at a person, maybe even a family member.  Such anger can then have an impact on many people, it can even tear a family apart.  Stay alert and work through differences with others.

Ephesians 6:16 – in addition to all, taking up the shield of faith with which you will be able to extinguish all the flaming arrows of the evil one.

Do not fall victim to complacency, seeming satisfied with the status quo.  Spend intimate time with God on a regular basis, speak to Him and listen when He speaks to you.  Stay strong in your relationship with God.

Ephesians 6:18 – With every prayer and request, pray at all times in the Spirit, and with this in view, be alert with all perseverance and every request for all the saints.

Pray, pray, pray all the time.  That is the best antidote for fighting off the devil. 

I wish you all a very blessed week!