Covenant Update
Dear Covenant Family:
In spite of the rain falling as folks arrived at church today, we had 31 folks in attendance. There were a number of new prayer requests today. Michelle Miller asked for prayers for her 20-month old granddaughter Sophia who is hospitalized at Shands with a bacterial infection. Carolyn Vlacos asked for prayers for her brother who is fighting cancer. Missy Mauldin asked for prayers for her friend Brandy and her two small children in the death of Brandy’s husband. Larry Noegel also asked for prayers for the family of a long time friend (and his Sunday School teacher many years ago) who died this week. Also, remember to keep Francis Bush in your prayers as he recuperates from a compression fracture of his lumbar vertebrae, he may be at the Oak Hammock Rehab for a few weeks. Please keep all these people in your prayers.
Attached is the bulletin from today’s service. Please note the story on The Visitor, it is most interesting and meaningful.
Pastor Don’s sermon today was on Missed Opportunities and his scripture was Matthew 25:1-13, the Parable of the Ten Virgins.
Matthew 25:1-13 – “Then the kingdom of heaven will be comparable to ten virgins, who took their lamps and went out to meet the groom. 2 Five of them were foolish, and five were prudent. 3 For when the foolish took their lamps, they did not take extra oil with them; 4 but the prudent ones took oil in flasks with their lamps. 5 Now while the groom was delaying, they all became drowsy and began to sleep. 6 But at midnight there finally was a shout: ‘Behold, the groom! Come out to meet him.’ 7 Then all those virgins got up and trimmed their lamps. 8 But the foolish virgins said to the prudent ones, ‘Give us some of your oil, because our lamps are going out.’ 9 However, the prudent ones answered, ‘No, there most certainly would not be enough for us and you too; go instead to the merchants and buy some for yourselves.’ 10 But while they were on their way to buy the oil, the groom came, and those who were ready went in with him to the wedding feast; and the door was shut. 11 Yet later, the other virgins also came, saying, ‘Lord, lord, open up for us.’ 12 But he answered, ‘Truly I say to you, I do not know you.’ 13 Be on the alert then, because you do not know the day nor the hour.
Pastor Don began by giving 2 examples of a family member and two friends who each were offered an opportunity, and showed what they missed by not taking advantage of their opportunity. Don continued that God has given us an opportunity to be part of His kingdom, and we need to take advantage of it. We should not procrastinate until it is too late. We can’t get to heaven on someone else’s work, we have to be prepared on our own.
You have been blessed with an invitation to attend, you need to accept it and get a front row seat. The door will someday close, it is your choice to be on the inside or outside.
Cindy and I will be out of town next Sunday, so I will not be able to send an update. Have a blessed week and a blessed service next Sunday.
Ron
