Covenant Update

Dear Covenant Family:

We had a large turnout today at Covenant, with 34 folks in attendance.  It was great to have Carol King back with us, as she is now over the health issues she has been having.  Virginia Phillips is much improved after having open heart surgery late Thursday night, and is hoping to go home by the end of this week.  Please keep Virginia and her daughter in your prayers.  We also need to keep Betty Arnette in our prayers as her brother died this past week.  Tina also asked for prayers for Kim Haddow, who used to be the women’s golf coach at Florida and a member at Covenant, who is dealing with cancer. 

The next 3 Sundays are all special services – next Sunday is Palm Sunday, followed by Easter, and then our 35^th anniversary celebration on April 24.  After the church service on April 24, Covenant will provide a Fellowship Luncheon of barbeque (pulled pork and barbeque chicken) and sides of baked beans, cole slaw, mac and cheese, and rolls, bread, and tea.   Covenant members are asked to provide the desserts, you can just bring them on Sunday morning.  Feel free to invite your family and friends to all 3 of these special services the next few weeks.

Covenant is also asking members who would like to provide an Easter lilly in honor or memory of someone can do so.  You can bring your lilly to church on Palm Sunday or Easter Sunday.  If anyone is interested in having a lilly but cannot go buy one, Covenant can provide one for you for $5.  If you want to take advantage of this offer, please let Cindy Marks (352-359-2941) or Rose Morgan (352-339-0046) know.  We will compile a list of all donated lillies and who they are in honor or memory of, and provide it at the Easter service.  Please be sure to take your lilly home with you after the Easter service.  Attached is today’s church bulletin with additional church information for you.

Pastor Don’s sermon was on believing in the power of prayer, and his scripture was Acts 16:1-16.  This scripture tells the story of Herod committing violence against church members and imprisoning Peter, planning to execute him as well.  We learn in verse 5 that:

Acts 12:5 – So Peter was kept in the prison, but prayer for him was being made to God intensely by the church.

But then we see in verse 6 that:

Acts 12:6 – On the very night when Herod was about to bring him forward, Peter was sleeping between two soldiers, bound with two chains, and guards in front of the door were watching over the prison.

So things do not look good for Peter.  However, we next learn that an angel arrives, wakens Peter, his chains fall off, and he is led past the guards and out of the locked prison.  Peter thought he was having a dream, but he then realized in verse 11 that:

Acts 12:11 – When Peter came to himself, he said, “Now I know for sure that the Lord has sent forth His angel and rescued me from the hand of Herod and from all that the Jewish people were expecting.”

When Peter realized he was free, he immediately went to the house of Mary where many believers had gathered to pray for him.  He knocked and a servant-girl answered the door.  This is what happened next:

Acts 12:14-16 – When she recognized Peter’s voice, because of her joy she did not open the gate, but ran in and announced that Peter was standing in front of the gate. ¹⁵ They said to her, “You are out of your mind!” But she kept insisting that it was so. They said, “It is his angel.” ¹⁶ But Peter continued knocking; and when they had opened the door, they saw him and were amazed.

So we see that the same people who prayed for Peter in verse 5 now didn’t believe that God had answered their prayers.  We know we can ask God for a miracle, but how do we respond when we are unexpectedly blessed with God’s answer.  We need to remember that God is bigger than our problem.  We may get help from an unexpected source, as there are lots of people around us who God can use to provide needed help.  Pastor Don also mentioned a number of church members whom we have prayed for, and God has answered our prayers, anything is possible through prayer. 

When the sermon ended, Tina reminded us of our ensemble’s anthem today called Awaken Me to Pray which directly tied into Don’s sermon even though she and Don had not discussed at all his sermon message today.  You can listen at:

 to hear the ensemble’s anthem. 

Today’s message is clear and can be summed up in three words – Pray, and believe!

God is good … all the time!  All the time … God is good!!

I wish each of you a very blessed week!

Ron