Covenant Update

Dear Covenant Family:

Today was a great day at Covenant, with 35 folks in attendance this morning.  Attached is today’s bulletin, please check out the Sentence Sermons that Tina included today which are all excellent and provide food for thought.  Also, note that Covenant will hold a Good Friday service at Covenant on Friday, March 29, at 5 PM.  Finally, members are invited to bring Easter lilies to church next Sunday (Palm Sunday) to decorate the front of the church for Palm Sunday and Easter.  Lilies should be provided in memory or honor of loved ones.  Members should then take their lilies home with them after the Easter service.

A number of prayer requests were asked today in church.  Frank Dolwick asked for prayers for Francis Bush who was hospitalized a few days this weeks, but is now home.  Larry Noegel asked for prayers for a close friend having blood pressure issues.  Nancy Parke asked for prayers for an unspoken request.  Becky Alexander asked for prayers that she will get a good result this week from the annual MRI she receives to ensure her prior brain cancer has not returned.  Finally, Carolyn Vlacos asked for prayers for her granddaughter who is facing surgery.

Pastor Don’s sermon today, in preparation for Holy Week, was based on chapter 12 from the book of John.  This chapter provides detail on the last week of Jesus’ life.  Although he said the entire chapter is important in the detail provided, his sermon focused on the following verses.

John 12:4-5 – But Judas Iscariot, one of His disciples, the one who intended to betray Him, said, ⁵ “Why was this perfume not sold for three hundred denarii and the proceeds given to poor people?”

John 12:12-13 – On the next day, when the large crowd that had come to the feast heard that Jesus was coming to Jerusalem, ¹³ they took the branches of the palm trees and went out to meet Him, and began shouting, “Hosanna! Blessed is He who comes in the name of the Lord, indeed, the King of Israel!”

John 12:32-34 – And I, if I am lifted up from the earth, will draw all people to Myself.” ³³ Now He was saying this to indicate what kind of death He was going to die. ³⁴ The crowd then answered Him, “We have heard from the Law that the Christ is to remain forever; and how is it that You say, ‘The Son of Man must be lifted up’? Who is this Son of Man?”

John 12:42-43 – Nevertheless many, even of the rulers, believed in Him, but because of the Pharisees they were not confessing Him, so that they would not be excommunicated from the synagogue; ⁴³ for they loved the approval of people rather than the approval of God.

To hear Pastor Don’s comments relating these verses of scripture to Holy Week, you will need to listen to his entire sermon.  All sermons can be accessed at https://gainesvillecovenantchurch.org/ and then choose Sermons on the home page, and then choose the sermon you want to hear. 

I wish for each of you a blessed week as we prepare for a peaceful and joyful Holy Week and Easter.

Ron