Covenant Update
Dear Covenant Family:
Today we had a robust gathering of 36 folks at church. The attached bulletin provides information on our local ministry for November which is SWAG, our Covenant Thanksgiving Dinner 2 weeks from tonight at 5 PM, and the YAH group meeting this Tuesday at 10:30 AM. Covenant Church will provide the turkey, ham, and dressing along with drinks, and members should bring their favorite vegetable, salad, or dessert dish to share with others.
Tina Floyd is still in rehab at Magnolia Ridge, she is doing well but expects to be there awhile yet. She is open to having visitors if you are interested. Becky Alexander had a good friend with her at church this morning, Albert, from Philadelphia, and she requested prayers for Albert and his sister. Bobby and Patsy Sutton asked for prayers for their neighbor Ginny. Victoria MacArthur asked for prayers for her cousin Richard and Maurita McKee asked for prayers for her sister Mary who is suffering with dementia.
Pastor Don gave a sermon to Be Ready, and it was based on 2 Timothy 4:1-8 – I solemnly exhort you in the presence of God and of Christ Jesus, who is to judge the living and the dead, and by His appearing and His kingdom: 2 preach the word; be ready in season and out of season; correct, rebuke, and exhort, with great patience and instruction. 3 For the time will come when they will not tolerate sound doctrine; but wanting to have their ears tickled, they will accumulate for themselves teachers in accordance with their own desires, 4 and they will turn their ears away from the truth and will turn aside to myths. 5 But as for you, use self-restraint in all things, endure hardship, do the work of an evangelist, fulfill your ministry. 6 For I am already being poured out as a drink offering, and the time of my departure has come. 7 I have fought the good fight, I have finished the course, I have kept the faith; 8 in the future there is reserved for me the crown of righteousness, which the Lord, the righteous Judge, will award to me on that day; and not only to me, but also to all who have loved His appearing.
Don told us that Jesus emphasized that we need to be ready for His return. Here Paul is telling Timothy to be ready for giving the right message at the right place, in the right mind, heart, and spirit, and exhort with patience. Verse 3 tells us that there will come a time when being ready won’t matter anymore, that people won’t listen. Everyone needs to be ready to make the right choice – it will make a difference for you! We need to do what God wants us to do, not what we want to do and hear what we want to hear. Verse 5 tells us to be clear in our thinking at all time by focusing on God’s Word! God said I have given you a ministry, and you need to fulfill your responsibility. In verse 6, Paul tells Timothy that Paul has completed the job God gave him, it is now Timothy’s time. Are we ready for our time? Remember that we cannot teach people to love God if we don’t love God ourselves, always show love to others! We need to be ready for what He tells us when He tells us! The time will come when you don’t have an opportunity anymore, so make sure you are ready to respond when needed!
I wish you all a very blessed week!
Ron
