Future Family Week 7: The Echo; Father's Day Message

Message by:
Pastor Terry Carwford
Covenant Church
Shepherdstown, WV

Your decisions will shape others and your life will be a snapshot to your future family generations.

Genesis 37
Jacob lived in the land where his father had stayed, the land of Canaan. This is the account of Jacob’s family line. Joseph, a young man of seventeen, was tending the flocks with his brothers, the sons of Bilhah and the sons of Zilpah, his father’s wives, and he brought their father a bad report about them. Now Israel loved Joseph more than any of his other sons, because he had been born to him in his old age; and he made an ornate robe for him. When his brothers saw that their father loved him more than any of them, they hated him and could not speak a kind word to him. Joseph had a dream, and when he told it to his brothers, they hated him all the more. He said to them, “Listen to this dream I had: We were binding sheaves of grain out in the field when suddenly my sheaf rose and stood upright, while your sheaves gathered around mine and bowed down to it.” His brothers said to him, “Do you intend to reign over us? Will you actually rule us?” And they hated him all the more because of his dream and what he had said. Then he had another dream, and he told it to his brothers. “Listen,” he said, “I had another dream, and this time the sun and moon and eleven stars were bowing down to me.” When he told his father as well as his brothers, his father rebuked him and said, “What is this dream you had? Will your mother and I and your brothers actually come and bow down to the ground before you?” His brothers were jealous of him, but his father kept the matter in mind. Now his brothers had gone to graze their father’s flocks near Shechem, and Israel said to Joseph, “As you know, your brothers are grazing the flocks near Shechem. Come, I am going to send you to them.” “Very well,” he replied. So he said to him, “Go and see if all is well with your brothers and with the flocks, and bring word back to me.” Then he sent him off from the Valley of Hebron. When Joseph arrived at Shechem, a man found him wandering around in the fields and asked him, “What are you looking for?” He replied, “I’m looking for my brothers. Can you tell me where they are grazing their flocks?” “They have moved on from here,” the man answered. “I heard them say, ‘Let’s go to Dothan.’ ”So Joseph went after his brothers and found them near Dothan. But they saw him in the distance, and before he reached them, they plotted to kill him. “Here comes that dreamer!” they said to each other. “Come now, let’s kill him and throw him into one of these cisterns and say that a ferocious animal devoured him. Then we’ll see what comes of his dreams.” When Reuben heard this, he tried to rescue him from their hands. “Let’s not take his life,” he said. “Don’t shed any blood. Throw him into this cistern here in the wilderness, but don’t lay a hand on him.” Reuben said this to rescue him from them and take him back to his father. So when Joseph came to his brothers, they stripped him of his robe—the ornate robe he was wearing— and they took him and threw him into the cistern. The cistern was empty; there was no water in it. As they sat down to eat their meal, they looked up and saw a caravan of Ishmaelites coming from Gilead. Their camels were loaded with spices, balm and myrrh, and they were on their way to take them down to Egypt. Judah said to his brothers, “What will we gain if we kill our brother and cover up his blood? Come, let’s sell him to the Ishmaelites and not lay our hands on him; after all, he is our brother, our own flesh and blood.” His brothers agreed. So when the Midianite merchants came by, his brothers pulled Joseph up out of the cistern and sold him for twenty shekels of silver to the Ishmaelites, who took him to Egypt. When Reuben returned to the cistern and saw that Joseph was not there, he tore his clothes. He went back to his brothers and said, “The boy isn’t there! Where can I turn now?” Then they got Joseph’s robe, slaughtered a goat and dipped the robe in the blood. They took the ornate robe back to their father and said, “We found this. Examine it to see whether it is your son’s robe.” He recognized it and said, “It is my son’s robe! Some ferocious animal has devoured him. Joseph has surely been torn to pieces.” Then Jacob tore his clothes, put on sackcloth and mourned for his son many days. All his sons and daughters came to comfort him, but he refused to be comforted. “No,” he said, “I will continue to mourn until I join my son in the grave.” So his father wept for him. Meanwhile, the Midianitesc sold Joseph in Egypt to Potiphar, one of Pharaoh’s officials, the captain of the guard.

Genesis 41:16
"I cannot do it," Joseph replied to Pharaoh, "but God will give Pharaoh the answer he desires."

Genesis 42:5-6
So Israel’s sons were among those who went to buy grain, for there was famine in the land of Canaan also. Now Joseph was the governor of the land, the person who sold grain to all its people. So when Joseph’s brothers arrived, they bowed down to him with their faces to the ground.

Our clearest messages are sent in times of crisis.

Genesis 33:1-3
Then Jacob lifted his eyes and looked, and behold, Esau was coming, and four hundred men with him. So he divided the children among Leah and Rachel and the two maids. He put the maids and their children in front, and Leah and her children next, and Rachel and Joseph last. But he himself passed on ahead of them and bowed down to the ground seven times, until he came near to his brother.

Genesis 45:3-7
Then Joseph said to his brothers, “I am Joseph! Is my father still alive?” But his brothers could not answer him, for they were dismayed at his presence. Then Joseph said to his brothers, “Please come closer to me.” And they came closer. And he said, “I am your brother Joseph, whom you sold into Egypt. “Now do not be grieved or angry with yourselves, because you sold me here, for God sent me before you to preserve life. “For the famine has been in the land these two years, and there are still five years in which there will be neither plowing nor harvesting. “God sent me before you to preserve for you a remnant in the earth, and to keep you alive by a great deliverance.

Micah 6:8
He has shown you, O mortal, what is good. And what does the Lord require of you? To act justly and to love mercy and to walk humbly with your God.

What can I do with today’s message?

Keep Micah 6:8 close to you this week and let it be a reminder to you?

Pray for your family and people you influence, that they will be able to do Micah 6:8 now and in future generations?

If you are not walking with God, if you have never given your mind and heart to Christ, would you do that today?

If you like having these notes Please Subscribe to the blog to have the notes emailed to you. You will find the form in the upper right corner.

Click here for more from Covenant Church

Future Family Week 6: 9 Strategies For Effective Parenting

Message by:
Rev. Bob Gerstmyer
Covenant Church
Shepherdstown, WV

Proverbs 22:6
Train a child in the way he should go, and when he is old he will not turn from it.

1. Be the kind of person you want your child to be.

Proverbs 20:7
The righteous man leads a blameless life; blessed are his children after him.

2. Keep your child safe.

Proverbs 4: 10-17
Listen, my son, accept what I say, and the years of your life will be many. I guide you in the way of wisdom and lead you along straight paths. When you walk, your steps will not be hampered; when you run, you will not stumble. Hold on to instruction, do not let it go; guard it well, for it is your life. Do not set foot on the path of the wicked or walk in the way of evil men. Avoid it, do not travel on it; turn from it and go on your way. For they cannot sleep till they do evil; they are robbed of slumber till they make someone fall. They eat the bread of wickedness and drink the wine of violence.

3. Create a warm, caring, supportive family

Proverbs 24:3-4
By wisdom a house is built, and through understanding it is established; through knowledge its rooms are filled with rare and beautiful treasures.

4. Set boundaries and high expectations.

Proverbs 29:17

Discipline your son, and he will give you peace; he will bring delight to your soul.

Proverbs 13:24
Whoever spares the rod hates his son, but he who loves him is diligent to discipline him.

Proverbs 19:18
Discipline your son, for there is hope; do not set your heart on putting him to death.

Proverbs 22:15
Folly is bound up in the heart of a child, but the rod of discipline drives it far from him.

Proverbs23:13-14
Do not withhold discipline from a child; if you strike him with a rod, he will not die. If you strike him with the rod, you will save his soul from Sheol.

5. Maintain open, honest communication.

Proverbs 25:11-12
A word aptly spoken is like apples of gold in settings of silver. Like an earring of gold or an ornament of fine gold is a wise man's rebuke to a listening ear.

6. Empower your kids to contribute.

Proverbs 14:31
He who oppresses the poor shows contempt for their Maker, but whoever is kind to the needy honors God.

7. Connect your kids to other caring, responsible adults.

Proverbs 13:20
He who walks with the wise grows wise, but a companion of fools suffers harm.

Proverbs 15:22
Plans fail for lack of counsel, but with many advisers they succeed.

8. Get involved in your kid’s education.

Proverbs 1:8-9
Listen, my son, to your father's instruction and do not forsake your mother's teaching. They will be a garland to grace your head and a chain to adorn your neck.

 

9. Get to know your kid’s friends.

Proverbs 23:19-21
Listen, my son, and be wise, and keep your heart on the right path Do not join those who drink too much wine or gorge themselves on meat, for drunkards and gluttons become poor, and drowsiness clothes them in rags

If you like having these notes Please Subscribe to the blog to have the notes emailed to you. You will find the form in the upper right corner.

Click here for more from Covenant Church

Future Family Week 5: How to Make Your Marriage Last

How to Make Your Marriage Last

Message by:
Rev. Bob Gerstmyer
Covenant Church
Shepherdstown, WV

Proverbs 18:22
He who finds a wife finds what is good and receives favor from the LORD.

Proverbs 21:21
He who pursues righteousness and love finds life, prosperity and honor.

What is love?

1. Love is Action. - How do I show it?

a. Spend time together each day.

Proverbs 12:14
From the fruit of his lips a man is filled with good things, as surely as the work of his hands rewards him.

b. Affirm something your spouse said or did.

Proverbs 15:30
A cheerful look brings joy to the heart and good news gives health to the bones.

c. Be kind to one another.

Proverbs 11: 16-17
A kindhearted woman gains respect, but ruthless men gain only wealth. 17 A kind man benefits himself, but a cruel man brings trouble on himself.

2. Love is Affection.

a. Kiss your spouse often.

Proverbs 24:26
An honest answer is like a kiss on the lips.

b. Say I Love You.

Proverbs 16:24
Pleasant words are a honeycomb, sweet to the soul and healing to the bones.

c. Do something caring and romantic for your spouse.

Proverbs 18:16
A gift opens the way for the giver and ushers him into the presence of the great.

d. Laugh together.

Proverbs 17:22
A cheerful heart is good medicine, but a crushed spirit dries up the bones.

3. Love is unconditional acceptance.

a. Don’t try to change your spouse.

Proverbs 14:21
He who despises his neighbor sins, but blessed is he who is kind to the needy.

b. Fight Fair.

Proverbs 12:18
Reckless words pierce like swords, but the tongue of the wise brings healing.

Proverbs 15:1, 18, 23; 19:13
A gentle answer turns away wrath, but a harsh word stirs up anger (15:1), A hot-tempered person stirs up conflict, but the one who is patient calms a quarrel. (15:18), A person finds joy in giving an apt reply-- and how good is a timely word! (15:23), A foolish child is a father's ruin, and a quarrelsome wife is like the constant dripping of a leaky roof. (19:13)

c. Be willing to forgive.

Proverbs 10:12
Hatred stirs up dissension, but love covers over all wrongs.

1 Peter 4:8
Above all, love each other deeply, because love covers over a multitude of sins.

Colossians 3:13
Bear with each other and forgive whatever grievances you may have against one another. Forgive as the Lord forgave you.

If you like having these notes Please Subscribe to the blog to have the notes emailed to you. You will find the form in the upper right corner.

Click here for more from Covenant Church

Future Family Week 4 - All the Fixin's

Message by:
Pastor Terry Carwford
Covenant Church
Shepherdstown, WV

The terms father, mother, son, daughter, brother are emotionally attached. I don’t Care is the most harmful lie you can tell yourself about family.

The most dangerous lie you can tell yourself about family relationships: I don’t care.

I used to care but I got tired, it wore me out. It was emotionally too hard.

I don’t want to talk about it when it comes to her or him. You were born to care. If you don’t care then there is something wrong with you. But you haven’t heard my sad story, there is something wrong with him/her. Yeah there probably is something wrong with them to.

There is a big old bungee cord attached to your family. When you are older, that cord jerks you back to the past. You’re suddenly flooded with emotions about what happened to say I don’t care. The problem is you are now living with other people and your angry. Your frustrated. Your perfectionistic tendencies are out of control. Your drinking or self medicating and you’re blaming the people closest to you.

A lot of the pain comes from our relationships with our Fathers. No matter how old you are you always feel 8 years old around your dad. For some reason you care what they say. You can say you don’t care, but you do.

You were created to care.

Talking to those of you who are Christians. Specifically to you about continually or beginning to reconcile with that family member you are estranged from. As followers of Jesus, we don’t have an excuse to shut down. Whatever the reason.

I’m not a bible person, don’t know about my faith. I’m not sure how this message applies to you specifically. I think in generally you were born to care too. When it comes to family, the tension, the drama, the pain, the past, this is a losing battle that’s worth fighting because of what happens inside of you.

As Christians we are bound to this, we have to do this. Everybody else this is an option. The reason you can’t live with the” I don’t care” attitude is that Christ’s love for us compels us to love.

Christ’s love compels us to reconcile with our family.

2 Corinthians 5:14-15
For Christ’s love compels us, because we are convinced that one died for all, and therefore all died. And he died for all, that those who live should no longer live for themselves but for him who died for them and was raised again.

One died for all, all died. All who died, who no longer live for themselves. Christ did for you what was uncomfortable for you and compels us to do the same.

Passionate followers of Jesus no longer live for themselves.

2 Corinthians 5:16-20
So now on we regard no one from a worldly point of view. Though we once regarded Christ in this way, we do so no longer. Therefore if anyone is in Christ Jesus, the new creation has come. The old has passed away, the new is here! All this is from God, who reconciled us to himself through Christ and gave us the ministry of reconciliation: that God was reconciling the world to himself in Christ, not counting people’s sins against them. And he has committed to us the message of reconciliation. We are therefore Christ’s ambassadors, as though God were making his appeal through us. We implore you on Christ’s behalf: Be reconciled with God.

Your entire life is to be a message that says to the people in the world. Do you know that you can be reconciled to God? The good news is God has removed every obstacle, he cleared out your sin, bad attitude, even future sins, God has sent the invitation to you and is waiting for you to say yes. Reconciliation is in spite of.

We are done with some family members, because of, because of, but

Reconciliation is not “because of” but “in spite of”.

We carry the message of reconciliation. We are Christ’s ambassadors.
Here is what we are saying if we don’t lead a life of reconciliation.

You can be reconciled to God in spite of your sin, but you can’t be reconciled to me because of your sin.

I have standards. They are higher than God’s. Who reconciled me in spite of my sins. You died to yourself, remember. Jesus said to yes to you, so you can now say yes to him. He said no to himself for your sake, so you can say no to yourself for his sake.

You can give up on your relationship with your father, when your heavenly Father gives up on you. (shot to the heart, your to blame). In spite of, not because of.

Objections!!!

I’m just supposed to overlook all of the stuff? Reconciliation isn’t about working through the issues. It’s not about totally understanding each other. Its not about getting it all worked out, condemning, controlling, convincing. Reconciliation is about writing a letter and giving an update. Having a cup of coffee and talking about nothing in particular.

While you were still a sinner, Christ died for you.

If I start going over there, it will look like I’m condoning the relationship, their behavior. If that really happens, then you are more like Jesus than you thought. But most are just hiding behind that excuse. I don’t want other to get the wrong impression.

Christ moved into your life in spite of your sin.

Romans 5:8
But God demonstrated his love for us in this: While we were still sinners Christ died for us.

It’s not going to work. It will work on you. You open up and send the invite or picture. My attempt to reconcile became the epicenter of my adult life. There are still elephants in the room, its still awkward and not perfect.

Who have you said this about in your family? (I don’t Care). Imitate your heavenly father and move toward reconciliation because Christ’s love compels you.

We implore you on Christ’s behalf: Be reconciled with God.

Questions for action:

Do you have someone in your family you need to reconcile with?

Are you reconciled with God?

Click here for more from Covenant Church

Future Family Series Week 3 - Common Cause

Message by:
Pastor Terry Crawford
Covenant Church
Shepherdstown, WV

Your Family. You see it doesn’t matter what your family looks like, or how it is shaped and filled, we all have one thing in common.

Every family has conflict.

What makes it even more complicated is that we don’t even process conflict the same way as individuals. See if you see yourself in one of these conflict process descriptions.

The Peacemaker - (Me) won’t argue. You can’t even get them to argue or push.

The Sulker - you are just down. Passive Aggressive. The more you ask, what’ wrong or are you o.k., the sulkier they get.

The Stuffer - Everything is fine. They stuff it all in to avoid conflict. They expect people to read their minds. Over time, they become angry and bitter.

The Litigator - you are never wrong. You are such a good arguer that you win the argument and nobody wants to talk with you about a conflict ever again. But when it’s all over and you’ve won the argument, it is really not over and resolved.

The Screamer - Yell about everything. If you yell loud enough and long enough everyone else will give in. Maybe you came from a yelling family and everybody voiced their opinions about everything loudly. That was how you worked through things. Most likely, you didn’t marry a screamer and that process is really strange to those who aren’t loud screaming people.

Wherever you find yourself, as long as there is family there is going to be conflict. And when we are pressed or stressed we naturally move to a flight or fight mentality. We attack or run. For some that attacking looks like nagging. Running looks like disinterest or uncaring for the other person, or lack of courage. My thoughts and fears are nothing to you, you just want to run away from problems.

Conflict is real and can do so much damage if not dealt with in a healthy, healing way. So today I want us to look at “What causes conflict, what is the root of it” and “what plan of action do we have to deal with conflict.”

James, the brother of Jesus has something say about this subject. James, in his writings, was very straight forward and to the point. I like that about him and he asked this question: “What causes fights and quarrels among you?”

If you turn to your family members and ask this question, most would point to one of the other members of the family. We would start blaming, wouldn’t we? If everybody just did what I wanted, we would have peace in this home. We immediately go to blame.

As long as you blame others for your unhappiness, you will always be unhappy.

Every time you start to blame someone, you hand them your happiness and give them the potential for your future happiness. You are giving control of your happiness or potential happiness to the person you are in conflict with. If you would, (start, stop, quit). I can’t be happy until you do something. If my family would just do… I would get my happiness back. It’s not true though. Look at what James says.

James 4:1-2a (NIV)
What causes fights and quarrels among you? Don’t they come from your desires that battle within you? You desire but do not have, so you kill. You covet but you cannot get what you want, so you quarrel and fight.

The source is something inside of you. There is a desire in you that is spilling out to those around you. You desire but you do not have. Every time you have a conflict, there is something I want. He promised, she promised, I deserve. Sometimes there are things that you want so badly, that you are willing to hurt the people you love most to get what you want. Some parent child relationships are ruined because of this. They wanted you to do something or you to be something and you wouldn’t. Or something you wanted them to do or stop doing and the relationship is ruined. I think most of the time it is this idea that “I want you to want the same things I want for you.” Right. But I just want the best for him/her. I want my wife/husband to reach their full potential. It sounds so selfless, but isn’t it really about you.

Do you know why most of the conflict is with those close to you? Because they are close to you. James is saying you desire and can’t get what you want so you quarrel and fight. Here is the reality: Every them, is a you. When James is talking, he uses you, so we look at ourselves and not the other person.

The whole time you are leaving the notes, going into their rooms and searching for proof, having those family meetings, talking to your friends, tearing down your family members, it is because you want something from the other you can’t get. That’s the root, the source of the problem. So what is the plan to get beyond this or deal with the conflict? You need to A.R.M. yourself with a plan.

Admit the problem.

Part of what I’m feeling right now is because I’m not getting what I want. Admit that to one another.

You know what part of the problem is, I’m not getting what I want.

I put all of these expectations on you and want certain outcomes on my time schedule and I’m not getting what I want and this is a big part of this fight or conflict.

I wish my husband was here to hear this. I wish the Middle school kids were in big church to hear this. See you did it again. It’s not about them, it’s about you. Admit the problem. I know objection, objection. He promised. I want him/her to fulfill their vows. They promised to pay us back. They promised to stop doing that stuff. That’s not fair. Let me tell you something: Fairness left this world when right after Adam and Eve sinned. And don’t be so hurt about fairness, you only throw down the fair card when it benefits you. How many times have you thanked God for granted the other guy the best parking space at Walmart? But when you get it. Thank you God for your fairness as you look upon your child. Admit the problem, this brings the heat of the argument down and we deal with who we really should be dealing with: ourselves.

Resolve to resolve and Make peace.

Here is what I have found in doing marriage counseling and meeting with so many families. People don’t come in with a plan to deal with conflict. They just think it will work out. But it doesn’t because we have different passions, values and desires. I believe that at the end of the day two things need to happen with conflict.

A resolution to the issue at hand. What do we do about the thing, the bill, the issue (resolution) and how do we have peace back in the family. Because what I have seen is most women need resolution to function. If things are unresolved, they can’t sleep, they can’t move to the next area of life without the unresolved issue affecting everything. And what men need is peace. We want things to be peaceful and the feelings and drama to stop oozing through house. So right now before the arguments start, before the conflict resolve that you will come to a resolution to the problem and make peace with one another.

James 4:2b-3 (NIV)
You do not have because you do not ask God. When you ask, you do not receive, because you ask with wrong motives, that you may spend what you get on your pleasures.

Did it ever occur to you before you started the argument, raging in, roaring in, sulking around, before you did any of that, did you go to God on your knees about the issue. Have you prayed to the one who has the power to do something amazing in you and your family? It doesn’t have to be a fake prayer. Tell God that “I want something I want from my husband, mother, kids, and I’m not getting what I want.” One of the marks of a passionate follower of Christ is giving control of your life to God’s Spirit. Go to him.

Usually our prayers are at them. God make them do what I want. Change them. Don’t go there. You ask God to work in you, your desires, your part and give thanks for all things. Sure, you can pray for others, but you have to make sure your motives are pure.

Are you A.R.M. ed with a plan for conflict or are you just going to keep floating and hoping it will work out? Ready to admit the problem, and move to resolution and peace?

Who in your family is suffering because you aren’t getting your way? What could you do today, through a letter an email, a phone call, a lunch to start to tear away at that pressure you have placed on everybody.

Have you prayed about the situation and your part? God do in me what you need to do in me, before I try to squeeze something out of someone who doesn’t have to give.

The common cause of conflict is our selfish desires. The common denominator for resolution and peace is found in the power of Christ working in us. Do you have that power working in you? Can you go to Christ for your family because you’ve made him the king of your life? If not, would you seriously consider trusting in Jesus today?

Future Family Series Week 2 -Power Down

Message by:
Pastor Terry Crawford
Covenant Church
Shepherdstown, WV

Summary of 1st Century Family Teaching: (Ephesians 5)

1. Husbands, love your wives and be considerate.
2. Wives, submit to your husbands.
3. Children, obey your parents.
4. Fathers, don’t irritate your children.

Ephesians 5:1-2 ESV
Therefore be imitators of God, as beloved children.  And walk in love, as Christ loved us and gave himself up for us, a fragrant offering and sacrifice to God.

Living out love is impossible without the Gospel.

Ephesians 5:18b-21 ESV
And do not get drunk with wine, for that is debauchery, but be filled with the Spirit, addressing one another in psalms and hymns and spiritual songs, singing and making melody to the Lord with your heart, giving thanks always and for everything to God the Father in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ, submitting to one another out of reverence for Christ.

Colossians 3:16 ESV
Let the word of Christ dwell in you richly, teaching and admonishing one another in all wisdom, singing psalms and hymns and spiritual songs, with thankfulness in your hearts to God.

Healthy marriage dynamics only happen if both parties are filled with the Holy Spirit and centered on the Gospel of Jesus.

Ephesians 5:22 ESV
Wives, submit to your own husbands, as to the Lord.

Marriage roles are not an issue of human capability but God-given responsibility.

Paul teaches the heart not the how of marriage.

The question that Mutual Submission begs us to ask is “What can I do to help?”

Future Family Series Week 1 -Ideally Speaking

Message by:
Pastor Terry Crawford
Covenant Church
Shepherdstown, WV

You can’t choose your family.

Ephesians 6:1-2
Children, obey your parents in the Lord, for this is right. “Honor your father and mother”—which is the first commandment with a promise

Colossians 3:18 -21
Wives, submit yourselves to your husbands, as is fitting in the Lord. Husbands, love your wives and do not be harsh with them. Children, obey your parents in everything, for this pleases the Lord. Fathers, do not embitter your children, or they will become discouraged.

1 Peter 3:7
Husbands, in the same way be considerate as you live with your wives, and treat them with respect as the weaker partner and as heirs with you of the gracious gift of life, so that nothing will hinder your prayers.

Summary of 1st Century Family Teaching:

Husbands, love your wives and be considerate.
Wives, submit to your husbands.
Children, obey your parents.
Fathers, don’t irritate your children.

Jesus taught and pointed toward an ideal yet refused to condemn those who fell short.

Matthew 19:3-6
Some Pharisees came to him to test him. They asked, “Is it lawful for a man to divorce his wife for any and every reason?” “Haven’t you read,” he replied, “that at the beginning the Creator ‘made them male and female,’ and said, ‘For this reason a man will leave his father and mother and be united to his wife, and the two will become one flesh’ ? So they are no longer two, but one flesh. Therefore what God has joined together, let no one separate.”

All of us want a better future for our children.

Question: Are you willing to live with the tension between your reality and Jesus’ ideal?

Jesus Ruined My Religion Week 1

Jesus Ruined My Religion - “Ruined and Restored” Part 1

Message by:
Pastor Terry Crawford
Covenant Church
Shepherdstown, WV

When you hear the word “RELIGION”, what is your 1st impression or thought?

Religion - the belief in and worship of a superhuman controlling power, esp. a personal God or gods.

Why I hate Religion but love Jesus.

Jesus came to ruin and restore us not start a different religion.

2 Corinthians 5:17 (NAS)
Therefore if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creature; the old things passed away; behold, new things have come.

Ezekiel 36:26
I will give you a new heart and put a new spirit in you; I will remove from you your heart of stone and give you a heart of flesh

Jesus ruined my religion of…

Luke 11:37-52
When Jesus had finished speaking, a Pharisee invited him to eat with him; so he went in and reclined at the table. But the Pharisee was surprised when he noticed that Jesus did not first wash before the meal. Then the Lord said to him, “Now then, you Pharisees clean the outside of the cup and dish, but inside you are full of greed and wickedness. You foolish people! Did not the one who made the outside make the inside also? But now as for what is inside you—be generous to the poor, and everything will be clean for you. “Woe to you Pharisees, because you give God a tenth of your mint, rue and all other kinds of garden herbs, but you neglect justice and the love of God. You should have practiced the latter without leaving the former undone. “Woe to you Pharisees, because you love the most important seats in the synagogues and respectful greetings in the marketplaces. “Woe to you, because you are like unmarked graves, which people walk over without knowing it.” One of the experts in the law answered him, “Teacher, when you say these things, you insult us also.” Jesus replied, “And you experts in the law, woe to you, because you load people down with burdens they can hardly carry, and you yourselves will not lift one finger to help them. “Woe to you, because you build tombs for the prophets, and it was your ancestors who killed them. So you testify that you approve of what your ancestors did; they killed the prophets, and you build their tombs. Because of this, God in his wisdom said, ‘I will send them prophets and apostles, some of whom they will kill and others they will persecute.’ Therefore this generation will be held responsible for the blood of all the prophets that has been shed since the beginning of the world, from the blood of Abel to the blood of Zechariah, who was killed between the altar and the sanctuary. Yes, I tell you, this generation will be held responsible for it all. “Woe to you experts in the law, because you have taken away the key to knowledge. You yourselves have not entered, and you have hindered those who were entering.”

Mark 7: 5-8
So the Pharisees and teachers of the law asked Jesus, “Why don’t your disciples live according to the tradition of the elders instead of eating their food with defiled hands?” He replied, “Isaiah was right when he prophesied about you hypocrites; as it is written: “ ‘These people honor me with their lips, but their hearts are far from me. They worship me in vain; their teachings are merely human rules.’ You have let go of the commands of God and are holding on to human traditions.”

Legal living

James 1:26-27
Those who consider themselves religious and yet do not keep a tight rein on their tongues deceive themselves, and their religion is worthless. Religion that God our Father accepts as pure and faultless is this: to look after orphans and widows in their distress and to keep oneself from being polluted by the world.

Look at Me

Loading and leaving

Galatians 6:1--2
Brothers and sisters, if someone is caught in a sin, you who live by the Spirit should restore that person gently. But watch yourselves, or you also may be tempted. Carry each other’s burdens, and in this way you will fulfill the law of Christ.

Luke 4:18-19
“The Spirit of the Lord is on me, because he has anointed me to proclaim good news to the poor. He has sent me to proclaim freedom for the prisoners and recovery of sight for the blind, to set the oppressed free, to proclaim the year of the Lord’s favor.”

Mark 7:5-8
So the Pharisees and teachers of the law asked Jesus, “Why don’t your disciples live according to the tradition of the elders instead of eating their food with defiled hands?” He replied, “Isaiah was right when he prophesied about you hypocrites; as it is written: “‘These people honor me with their lips, but their hearts are far from me. They worship me in vain; their teachings are merely human rules.’ You have let go of the commands of God and are holding on to human traditions.”

The Key to Knowledge is TRUTH

John 8:32
Then you will know the truth, and the truth will set you free.”

Question: Has your religion been ruined and restored?

Ktesis - building, creating (creator to a creation, a designer to a design)

Kainos - new (more like freshness, renewed) than an age thing (neos).

Archaios - (ar -hi -oss) old (man’s previous moral condition)

Jefferson Bethke has recently published Jesus > Religion: Why He Is So Much Better Than Trying Harder, Doing More, and Being Good Enough. The book’s title and content are inspired by his spoken-word video, “Why I Hate Religion, But Love Jesus,” which has been viewed 26 million times. Yes, 26 million.

“Initially, I blamed God for the pain in my life, but slowly I started to hear the whisper of his grace. I didn’t know it then, but God broke me to fix me because he loved me.” (6)

Jesus was a Jew who taught (mostly Jewish) people how to better understand and practice their Jewish faith. That’s what all that “You have heard it said…but I say…” talk was about. Which means Jesus literally spent his entire life learning, teaching, and practicing religion.

So, when you go around bashing religion and everyone who practices religion you’re also bashing Jesus. Because as much as you want to believe otherwise, he was a fairly devout religious person.

Practicing religion.

Going to the temple as a boy with his parents “according to the custom?”

Going to a prophet in order be ritually bathed in water?

Fasting in the wilderness?

Teaching theology and particular ways of faithful living to crowds of people?

Intentionally taking routine time away from those crowds of people for times of prayer?

Celebrating annual ritual meals with disciples?

Following a divine calling to the point of death?

Can religion become an overbearing, legalistic, and oppressive monster? Absolutely. But as soon as you start talking about God and how you worship that God and how you want to live your life in relationship to or with that God, you’ve entered into the world of religion. And that’s ok. It doesn’t make you an evil pharisee. It makes you a normal, God loving person. In fact, it makes you a lot like Jesus of Nazareth.

So look, I know it makes for good rhetoric to trash religion and I know your heart is in the right place, but please stop. If not for me, then do it for yourself. Why? Because you know what you’re doing when you correct other people’s theology and tell them they just need to have a personal relationship with Jesus?
You’re practicing religion.

2 Corinthians 5:16-21
So from now on we regard no one from a worldly point of view. Though we once regarded Christ in this way, we do so no longer. Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, the new creation has come: The old has gone, the new is here! All this is from God, who reconciled us to himself through Christ and gave us the ministry of reconciliation: that God was reconciling the world to himself in Christ, not counting people’s sins against them. And he has committed to us the message of reconciliation. We are therefore Christ’s ambassadors, as though God were making his appeal through us. We implore you on Christ’s behalf: Be reconciled to God. God made him who had no sin to be sin for us, so that in him we might become the righteousness of God.

New Year Soul Goal Week 2 - United in Mind

Message by:
Pastor Terry Carwford
Covenant Church
Shepherdstown, WV

Last week we talked about one of our main strategies of growth and maturity where we share our lives “our very souls” with one another through Small Groups. This is how we do life together. Where we encourage, comfort and challenge one another to live a life worthy of God. Today I want us to look at another of our strategies and it deals specifically with unity. Go with me to …

I Corinthians 1:4-10
I always thank my God for you because of his grace given you in Christ Jesus. For in him you have been enriched in every way—with all kinds of speech and with all knowledge - God thus confirming our testimony about Christ among you. Therefore you do not lack any spiritual gift as you eagerly wait for our Lord Jesus Christ to be revealed. He will also keep you firm to the end, so that you will be blameless on the day of our Lord Jesus Christ. God is faithful, who has called you into fellowship with his Son, Jesus Christ our Lord. I appeal to you, brothers and sisters, in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ, that all of you agree with one another in what you say and that there be no divisions among you, but that you be perfectly united in mind and thought.

Passionate followers of Jesus are to be united in mind and purpose.

We have different gifts and talents and are uniquely made up, but in the context of moving together as a gathered people, just like the Corinthians, Philippians, Thessalonians, Ephesians and other New Testament churches, we are to utilize all of the uniqueness for unity of mind and purpose. Several times the phrase “one mind” and “One accord” was used for those in Christ ready for his leading.

Unity does not happen naturally.

Unity is given by Christ and must be taught and exampled.

Believers are never told to become one; we already are one and are expected to act like it. - Joni Erikson-Tada

Covenant’s strategy for essential unity is through our

Christian Life And Service Seminars

(C.L.A.S.S.).

This isn’t all we offer for discipleship and maturity. We have small groups, individual biblical courses, leadership training, mission trips and other specific events to continue maturity efforts. But the foundational knowledge, purposes and expectations are spelled out in our CLASS Seminars. It gets us all on the same page, the same song, to be the most united and affective.

1. In essential beliefs — we have unity. Ephesians 4:4-6 - There is one body and one Spirit, just as you were called to one hope when you were called; one Lord, one faith, one baptism; one God and Father of all, who is over all and through all and in all.
2. In non-essential beliefs — we have liberty. Romans 14:1 - Accept the one whose faith is weak, without quarreling over disputable matters. , Romans 14:4 - Who are you to judge someone else’s servant? To their own master, servants stand or fall. And they will stand, for the Lord is able to make them stand., Romans 14:12 - So then, each of us will give an account of ourselves to God, Romans 14:22 - So whatever you believe about these things keep between yourself and God. Blessed is the one who does not condemn himself by what he approves.
3. In all our beliefs — we show charity. 1 Corinthians 13:2 - If I have the gift of prophecy and can fathom all mysteries and all knowledge, and if I have a faith that can move mountains, but do not have love, I am nothing.

I have never yet known the Spirit of God to work where the Lord's people were divided. - D.L. Moody

Christ Jesus and the power of His cross.

1. There are things that God gives us that no man can.
2. There are things that we give to one another.
3. There are things that the called leaders of God’s church give to equip the saints and keep unity.

Goals of Christian Life And Service Seminars

1. In CLASS 101 - To commit to loving Christ and His family at Covenant.
2. In CLASS 201 - To commit to growing in the habits for Spiritual Maturity.
3. In CLASS 301 - To commit to discovering your unique design and serving a Ministry in our church.
4. In CLASS 401 - To discover your Mission of reaching the world for Christ.

The Essentials We Believe:

1. We teach that the Scriptures of the Old and New Testament are verbally inspired of God and inerrant in the original writing, and that they are the supreme and final authority in faith and life.
2. We teach one God eternally existing in three persons - Father, Son and Holy Spirit.
3. We teach that Jesus Christ was conceived by the Holy Spirit and born of the Virgin Mary and is true God and true man.
4. We teach that man was created in the image of God, and that he sinned and thereby incurred not only physical death, but spiritual death, which is separation from God.
5. We teach that the Lord Jesus Christ died for our sins according to the Scriptures as a representative and substitutionary sacrifice, and that all who believe in Him are justified on the ground of His shed blood.
6. We teach the resurrection of the crucified body of our Lord, in His ascension into heaven, and in His present life there for us as High Priest, Intercessor and Advocate.
7. We teach the personal, bodily visible, imminent return of Jesus Christ.
8. We teach that all who receive by faith the Lord Jesus Christ are born again in the Holy Spirit and thereby become children of God.
9. We teach the bodily resurrection of the just and the unjust, the everlasting blessedness of the saved and in the conscious everlasting punishment of the lost.
10. We teach that a true believer is eternally secure, that he cannot lose his salvation, but that sin may interrupt the joy of his fellowship with God and bring the loving discipline of his Heavenly Father.
11. We teach that the Holy Spirit is a person, is God and possesses all the divine attributes. He dwells in all believers, baptizes and seals all believers at the time of their salvation, and fills them in response to confession of sin and yieldedness.
12. We teach that it is the goal of every Christian to grow in spiritual maturity through obedience to the Word of God and the indwelling Spirit.

I Corinthians 1:10
I appeal to you, brothers and sisters, in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ, that all of you agree with one another in what you say and that there be no divisions among you, but that you be perfectly united in mind and thought.

Question of the day: How will you be perfectly united in mind and thought?

For more information, please visit: Covenant Church

Christmas Re-Gifted Week 4: Batteries Included

Message by:
Pastor Terry Crawford
Covenant Church
Shepherdstown, WV

We have all we need to love like Jesus:

GRACE AND TRUTH

You might say that the whole book is summarized in the first 18 verses. Then you might say that the first 18 verses are summarized in verses 14 to 18. Then you might say that verse 14 summarizes verses 14 to 18.

John 1:14-15
The Word became flesh and made his dwelling among us. We have seen his glory, the glory of the one and only Son, who came from the Father, full of grace and truth. (John testified concerning him. He cried out, saying, “This is the one I spoke about when I said, ‘He who comes after me has surpassed me because he was before me.’”)

Jesus’ glory is divine and detectable.

Christ is full of grace and truth

He was expressing the reality of glory. And so when John says I beheld His glory, he's not only saying physically but he's saying I sensed it because I walked with Him for three years and I talked with Him and I sat with Him and I followed Him and I listened to Him and I prayed with Him and I loved Him and His glory splattered all over me because it was there and you couldn't stop it. And so John says though it was veiled it was visible, I beheld His glory.

John 11:40
Then Jesus said, “Did I not tell you that if you believe, you will see the glory of God?”

Jesus did not come to simply show us grace and truth
but to give them to us.

John 1:16-17
Out of his fullness we have all received grace in place of grace already given. For the law was given through Moses; grace and truth came through Jesus Christ.

God doesn't just want to stock your head with knowledge about his truth and grace, he wants you to receive it and experience it. This Christmas he wants to give you personally a foundation of truth and reality to stand on so you won't cave in under stress. This Christmas he wants to treat you with grace—to forgive all your sins—all of them!—to take away all your guilt, to make your conscience clean, to help you with your problems, to give you strength for each day, and to fill you with hope and joy and peace.

The Son is not simply full of grace; he has a fullness from which he shares with others (v. 16). The verse reads literally, "For from his fullness we all (have) received even grace upon grace."

If you're a believer you have the fullness of Christ.

Colossians 2:9-10
For in Christ all the fullness of the Deity lives in bodily form, and in Christ you have been brought to fullness. He is the head over every power and authority.

"All that is in Christ is in us."

When Christ came into your life He planted in you all that is God's. We don't lack anything...nothing. Except as James says the wisdom to know what we've got. It's all there, all the fullness of Christ is mine. Do you know what that says? That says because Christ is in me my resources are inexhaustible. There's no reason for a Christian to feel inadequate. It's all yours.

Jesus gives us AA power to energize our life…

1. Amazing Grace
2. Absolute Truth

grace answers to the hesed of the Old Testament: God's covenant-keeping, gracious love.
Truth answers to 'emet, God's covenant-keeping, faithful reliability in which there is nothing false or deceitful.

So there is a contrast here, but it is one of degree. The grace received in Jesus is added upon the grace that came through Moses and the law. There is a greater fulfillment of this picture, for the law itself points to Jesus (5:39). The law points to the revelation. We have received grace and truth, John 1:17. He had said (John 1:14) that Christ was full of grace and truth; now here he says that by him grace and truth came to us. grace:—Its preference above the law of Moses: The law was given by Moses, and it was a glorious discovery, both of God’s will concerning man and his good will to man; but the gospel of Christ is a much clearer discovery both of duty and happiness.

He is the true paschal lamb, the true scape-goat, the true manna. They had grace in the picture; we have grace in the person, that is, grace and truth. The law was only made known by Moses, but the being of this grace and truth, as well as the discovery of them, is Jesus Christ.

The law was a witness to grace and truth. Jesus was the fulfillment not the contradiction of the law of Moses.

And then he adds, and I love this at the end of verse 16, he says, "And grace for grace." You know what that is? Grace in the place of grace. When grace goes grace comes, it's just like this...it's like the waves on the ocean, one wave rolls in and right away comes another one, more grace and more grace. And if you don't recognize it, that's not God's fault, it's not that the grace isn't there, it's that you would rather court your misery than express it in grace.

And so, the whole testimony of believers come together and say, "I know Christ is God, I have His fullness." And then he draws a closing contrast in verses 17 and it's very simple. He says, "For the law was given by Moses," and he just reiterates the truth of verse 14, "But grace and truth came by Jesus Christ." Moses gave the law, went up in Sinai and God carved it out on the mountain with His finger of fire. Moses put the two tables of stone under his arm, called the tables a testimony, marched down off the mountain, brought the law. Everybody was put under law, obey the law or else

So the law was given by Moses and all the law could do was show you how rotten you were, it couldn't save you. The law just showed us how bad we were, but grace and truth which provided salvation came in Jesus Christ.

“Love without truth is sentimentality; it supports and affirms us but keeps us in denial about our flaws. Truth without love is harshness; it gives us information but in such a way that we cannot really hear it. God's saving love in Christ, however, is marked by both radical truthfulness about who we are and yet also radical, unconditional commitment to us. The merciful commitment strengthens us to see the truth about ourselves and repent. The conviction and repentance moves us to cling to and rest in God's mercy and grace.” Tim Keller

Truth is far more than facts. It’s not just something we act upon. It acts upon us. We can’t change the truth, but the truth can change us. It sanctifies (sets us apart) from the falsehoods woven into our sin natures.

To know the truth is to see accurately. To believe what isn’t true is to be blind.

As followers of Christ, we are to walk in the truth (3 John 3), love the truth and believe the truth (2 Thessalonians 2:10,12). We are to speak the truth, in contrast to “the cunning and craftiness of men in their deceitful scheming” (Ephesians 4:14). We’re to speak the truth “in love” (Ephesians 4:32). Christ’s disciples know the truth (John 8:32), do the truth (John 3:21), and abide in the truth (John 8:44). We are commanded to know the truth (1 Timothy 4:3), handle the truth accurately (2 Timothy 2:25) and avoid doctrinal untruths (2 Tim. 2:18). The “belt of truth” holds together our spiritual armor (Ephesians 6:14).

The universe is not a democracy. Truth is not a ballot measure.

Truth will set you free, but grace is the key to receiving the truth. Only by grace were we given the truth, the fullness of truth, Jesus.

“I can’t get past the idea that someone could live a selfish no-good life, and then repent on his death bed and go to heaven. It just sounds too easy, too cheap.”

I pointed out his underlying assumption, that we think we can earn God’s grace, and that going to heaven takes work on our part. We discussed that the hardest part about grace may be swallowing our pride and saying, “I don’t deserve this any more than that criminal on his deathbed deserves it.”

Any concept of grace that makes us feel more comfortable about sinning is not biblical grace. Anyone who misuses grace as a license for violating God’s truth does not grasp the infinite price God paid for our redemption.

Only because God knows all my sins he could die for them all.

Titus 2:11-14
For the grace of God has appeared that offers salvation to all people. It teaches us to say “No” to ungodliness and worldly passions, and to live self-controlled, upright and godly lives in this present age, while we wait for the blessed hope—the appearing of the glory of our great God and Savior, Jesus Christ, who gave himself for us to redeem us from all wickedness and to purify for himself a people that are his very own, eager to do what is good.

For more information, please visit: Covenant Church

Christmas Re-Gifted Week 2: A Gift to Brighten Your Day

Message by:
Pastor Terry Crawford
Covenant Church
Shepherdstown, WV

John 1:1-3
In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. He was with God in the beginning. Through him all things were made; without him nothing was made that has been made.

John 1:4-5
In him was life, and that life was the light of all mankind. The light shines in the darkness, and the darkness has not overcome it.

The 3 words we need to pay close attention to are life, light and darkness.

Our gift from God was not a what but a who.

He began all things with life and came as a life to give us life. Life begins with him and is sustained by him. Stuff will never satisfy, so all the wants leave us empty. But in Jesus, the way, the truth, the life, we find our rightful place in God’s kingdom.

Life - Sun (gives us life, but also illuminates our darkness) power source

Light -

Our gift from God was not darkness but light.

This is important because the use of light here represents life and the ability to see our path to God clearly.

John 3:19
This is the verdict: Light has come into the world, but people loved darkness instead of light because their deeds were evil.

Darkness deals with the motives of our heart and the actions of our lives.

Darkness - Our ways, sin, it will always desire to overcome but cannot.

1 Corinthians 4:5
Therefore don’t judge anything prematurely, before the Lord comes, who will both bring to light what is hidden in darkness and reveal the intentions of the hearts. And then praise will come to each one from God.

Romans 13:12
The night is nearly over, and the daylight is near, so let us discard the deeds of darkness and put on the armor of light.

So darkness is the power of evil and unbelief. The darkness is the world of evil and unbelief and death and judgment.

What you will experience in darkness.

1. Fear
2. Confusion
3. Hopelessness
4. Lack of movement
5. Faulty Confidence

Following Christ brings light into our lives to see clearly.

Micah 7:9
Because I have sinned against him, I will bear the Lord’s wrath, until he pleads my case and upholds my cause. He will bring me out into the light; I will see his righteousness.

Paul before King Agrippa (Jesus spoke to Paul)
Acts 26:17b-18
I am sending you to them to open their eyes and turn them from darkness to light, and from the power of Satan to God, so that they may receive forgiveness of sins and a place among those who are sanctified by faith in me.’

John 8:12
When Jesus spoke again to the people, he said, “I am the light of the world. Whoever follows me will never walk in darkness, but will have the light of life.”

The gift of life and light is for everyone.

John 1:9
The true light that gives light to everyone was coming into the world.

Overcome - direct and powerful attack

Motives of the heart

So the first reason the light shines in the darkness and the darkness does not overcome it is that this light is living—it has energy and purposefulness and growth and reproduction. It is not a static thing, like a stoplight that might be ignored. The light that shines in the world today is the very life of the Son of God.

That leaves one last reason for why we can be sure that the light will not be overcome by the darkness. Not only is the light a living light, and not only is the life of this light the life of God's Word through whom he created all things, but this Word, this life, this light, IS GOD! And God Almighty cannot be overcome.

And the light shineth in darkness,.... Which, through sin, came upon the minds of men; who are naturally in the dark about the nature and perfections of God; about sin, and the consequences of it; about Christ, and salvation by him; about the Spirit of God, and his work upon the soul; and about the Scriptures of truth, and the doctrines of the Gospel. Man was created a knowing creature, but, not content with his knowledge, sins, and is banished from the presence of God, the fountain of light; which brought a darkness on him, and his posterity, and which is increased in them by personal iniquity, and in which Satan, the god of this world, has an hand; and sometimes they are left to judicial blindness, and which issues in worse darkness, if grace prevents not: now amidst this darkness there were some remains of the light of nature: with respect to the being of God, which shines in the works of creation and providence and to the worship of God, though very dimly; and to the knowledge of moral good and evil:

Christmas is the end of religion as we know it. We don’t get a religion, we get a person.

Covenant Church Website

Storms of Sudden Tragedy

Message by
Pastor Terry Crawford
Covenant Church
Shepherdstown, WV

Storm Winds

Job 1:18-19
While he was still speaking, yet another messenger came and said, “Your sons and daughters were feasting and drinking wine at the oldest brother’s house, when suddenly a mighty wind swept in from the desert and struck the four corners of the house. It collapsed on them and they are dead, and I am the only one who has escaped to tell you!”

Not Free of Tragedy

We do not live in a tragedy-free world.

Allowing this to be the reality in our lives may help with the start of the mourning process if tragedy hits in your life. This is not utopia or heaven. It is a world affected by sin and its consequences. When we start with the mindset that nothing bad can happen then there is a wider gap to overcome when tragedy hits.

Job Reacts

Job 1:20a
At this, Job got up and tore his robe and shaved his head.

Mourning

Mourning is a natural reaction to tragedy.

5 Stages of Grief
1. Denial
2. Anger
3. Bargaining
4. Depression
5. Acceptance

God can handle your feelings.You can bring your complaints and questions to God. He’s big enough to handle your doubts, complaints, questions, and feelings. He’s even big enough to handle your anger. That’s why you can release your feelings to God. In Mt. 5:4, Jesus says, “Blessed are those who mourn, for they will be comforted.” Literally, God blesses those who mourn. So, it’s okay to grieve. It’s okay to mourn. God doesn’t expect you to be happy all the time. You can face your feelings honestly. You can release it all to God.
Although grieving is an individual experience, there are symptoms many people share after suffering personal loss:

Feels physically drained

Can't sleep at night

Forgetful and unable to think clearly

Noticeable change in appetite

Physical distress such as chest pains, headaches or nausea

Stays extremely busy to avoid thinking about his or her grief

Eats, drinks watches television, etc. excessively

Participates in harmful activities

Becomes withdrawn, lonely and apathetic

Frequent sighing and crying

Job Worshiped

Job 1:20b-21
Then he fell to the ground in worship and said: “Naked I came from my mother’s womb, and naked I will depart. The Lord gave and the Lord has taken away; may the name of the Lord be praised.”

Great and Good Lord

Even in tragedy, Job praised the Lord because he was confident that:
1. The Lord was Great.
2. The Lord was Good.

I believe he knew that if any good or healing or restoration would come, it would only be because of God’s greatness and goodness. Where else can we go? Our own strength?

2Ways to Help in Storms of Tragedy
1. Bear one another’s burden. Galatians 6:2
2. Be a comforter not a curser.

Friends in Tragedy

Job 2:11-13
When Job’s three friends, Eliphaz the Temanite, Bildad the Shuhite and Zophar the Naamathite, heard about all the troubles that had come upon him, they set out from their homes and met together by agreement to go and sympathize with him and comfort him. When they saw him from a distance, they could hardly recognize him; they began to weep aloud, and they tore their robes and sprinkled dust on their heads. Then they sat on the ground with him for seven days and seven nights. No one said a word to him, because they saw how great his suffering was.

How to not React

Job 2:9-10
His wife said to him, “Are you still maintaining your integrity? Curse God and die!” He replied, “You are talking like a foolish woman. Shall we accept good from God, and not trouble?”

Comfort from God

2 Corinthians 1:3-4 "Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of mercies and God of all comfort, who comforts us in all our tribulation, that we may be able to comfort those who are in any trouble, with the comfort with which we ourselves are comforted by God".

Blessed after Tragedy

Life is not the same after a tragedy but it can be blessed.

More Blessed Later

Job 42:12
The Lord blessed the latter part of Job’s life more than the former part.

Heard and Seen

Job 42:5
My ears had heard of you but now my eyes have seen you.

A Hurricane Called Me

Message by:
Pastor Terry Crawford
Covenant Church
Shepherdstown, WV

Running From the Lord

Jonah 1:1-3
The word of the Lord came to Jonah son of Amittai: “Go to the great city of Nineveh and preach against it, because its wickedness has come up before me.” But Jonah ran away from the Lord and headed for Tarshish. He went down to Joppa, where he found a ship bound for that port. After paying the fare, he went aboard and sailed for Tarshish to flee from the Lord.

Coming Storms

We can blind ourselves of a coming storm.

Running creates Storms

Jonah 1:4-5
Then the Lord sent a great wind on the sea, and such a violent storm arose that the ship threatened to break up. All the sailors were afraid and each cried out to his own god. And they threw the cargo into the sea to lighten the ship.

We cause Storms

Some storms of life are caused by our disobedience.

Idea that storm was a curse or payment for something done wrong.

A Storm was a tool of God and Only stops through obedience or death.

God Disciplines

Hebrews 12:5-11
And have you completely forgotten this word of encouragement that addresses you as a father addresses his son? It says, “My son, do not make light of the Lord’s discipline, and do not lose heart when he rebukes you, because the Lord disciplines the one he loves, and he chastens everyone he accepts as his son.” Endure hardship as discipline; God is treating you as his children. For what children are not disciplined by their father? If you are not disciplined—and everyone undergoes discipline—then you are not legitimate, not true sons and daughters at all. Moreover, we have all had human fathers who disciplined us and we respected them for it. How much more should we submit to the Father of spirits and live! They disciplined us for a little while as they thought best; but God disciplines us for our good, in order that we may share in his holiness. No discipline seems pleasant at the time, but painful. Later on, however, it produces a harvest of righteousness and peace for those who have been trained by it.

Discipline for Good

God’s discipline is for our good and produces righteousness and peace.

Our storms

Storms meant for us affect those around us.

Our Storms
1. Cost more money (fare for Tarshish)
2. Affected others (ship in trouble)
3. Scared them with storm
4. Endangered them
5. Heaped guilt on them for doing what was necessary

The Storms End

When we deal with our disobedience the storm will end.

Recognize

When we recognize God’s movement in storms, our lives are changed.God was able to answer prayers and chastise his son/prophet at the same time.

Other’s Should not be punished because of you

Jonah 1:13-15
Instead, the men did their best to row back to land. But they could not, for the sea grew even wilder than before. Then they cried out to the Lord, “Please, Lord, do not let us die for taking this man’s life. Do not hold us accountable for killing an innocent man, for you, Lord, have done as you pleased.” Then they took Jonah and threw him overboard, and the raging sea grew calm.

The 2 Keys for Dealing with Our Disobedience
1. Repentance - turning toward God
2. Obedience - walking with God

Humble Yourself and Pray

2 Chronicles 7:14
if my people, who are called by my name, will humble themselves and pray and seek my face and turn from their wicked ways, then I will hear from heaven, and I will forgive their sin and will heal their land.

The Deluge of Disillusionment

Message by
Pastor Terry Crawford
Covenant Church
Shepherdstown, WV

Squall over the Sea

Mark 4:35-37 That day when evening came, he said to his disciples, “Let us go over to the other side.” Leaving the crowd behind, they took him along, just as he was, in the boat. There were also other boats with him. A furious squall came up, and the waves broke over the boat, so that it was nearly swamped.

Storms

Jesus went through storms.

Jesus was Tempted

Hebrews 4:15
For we do not have a high priest who is unable to empathize with our weaknesses, but we have one who has been tempted in every way, just as we are--yet he did not sin.

Jesus Cares

Mark 4:38
Jesus was in the stern, sleeping on a cushion. The disciples woke him and said to him, “Teacher, don’t you care if we drown?”

Disillusioned

When Jesus doesn’t move like we want him to, we can get disillusioned.

A storm in your life isn’t an indication that …
1. God doesn’t love you.
2. God isn’t aware of your need.
3. God is powerless.

Jesus’ Calms

Mark 4:39
He got up, rebuked the wind and said to the waves, “Quiet! Be still!” Then the wind died down and it was completely calm.
Jesus is the calmer of storms.

In the Beginning
Well the simple answer to that question is, "He is God because only God has such power over wind and waves." We shouldn't be surprised about that since we hear the testimony of John in John 1:1, "In the beginning was the Word," meaning Christ, "and the Word was with God, the Word was God. He was in the beginning with God. All things came into being through Him and apart from Him nothing came into being that has come into being." That is to say that Christ, the Word, is the Creator of everything that exists. If He has the power to create it, He has the power to control it.

Christ Sustains
In Hebrews chapter 1 it speaks of God's Son who is appointed heir of all things, verse 2, "Through whom also He made the world." And then in verse 3 He upholds all things by the Word of His power. Here we are told that God made the world through the agency of Christ and Christ sustains it by His power.

All Things
In Colossians chapter 1, there is a similar testimony from the Apostle Paul where it tells us in verse 16, "By Him," that is by Christ, "all things were created both in the heavens and on earth, visible and invisible. All things have been created through Him and for Him. He is before all things and in Him all things hold together. He is the Creator and the sustainer of the creation." That is the testimony of Scripture. And those are only samples of the kind of testimony that is repeated in the New Testament regarding Christ. Another one is 1 Corinthians 8 which tells us similarly that He is the one who has made everything that has been made. "There is but one God, one Father from whom are all things. We exist for Him and one Lord Jesus Christ by whom are all things and we exist through Him." He is the Creator of the universe, all things exist because He made them and all things are sustained because He sustains them.

Mighty, Faithfull, and Calming

Psalms 89:8-9
Who is like you, Lord God Almighty?
You, Lord, are mighty, and your faithfulness surrounds you.
You rule over the surging sea;
when its waves mount up, you still them.

The storm or the Follower

Sometimes Jesus calms the storm first, sometimes he calms the follower.

Wind and Waves obey

Mark 4:40-41
He said to his disciples, “Why are you so afraid? Do you still have no faith?” They were terrified and asked each other, “Who is this? Even the wind and the waves obey him!”

Who Is Jesus

It is only in storms that we see who Jesus really is.
1. Healer - It is in the midst of the healing process where we see the healer.
2. Reconciler - It is in the separation that we see the reconciler.
3. Out of Ashes - It is in the ashes where we see him make things beautiful again.
4. Redeemer - It is in the ruin where we see the redeemer.
5. Calmer - It is in the storm where we see the calmer of the storm.

Action in the face of the Storm

Our understanding of Jesus will define our actions in a storm.

The Storms Are Coming

Message by Pastor Terry Crawford
Covenant Church
Shepherdstown, WV

HOUSE ON ROCK OR SAND

Matthew 7:24-27
“Therefore everyone who hears these words of mine and puts them into practice is like a wise man who built his house on the rock. The rain came down, the streams rose, and the winds blew and beat against that house; yet it did not fall, because it had its foundation on the rock. But everyone who hears these words of mine and does not put them into practice is like a foolish man who built his house on sand. The rain came down, the streams rose, and the winds blew and beat against that house, and it fell with a great crash.”

STORMS

Everybody will have storms in their lives.

RIGHTEOUS AN UNRIGHTEOUS

Matthew 5:45b
He causes his sun to rise on the evil and the good, and sends rain on the righteous and the unrighteous.

Four Observations About Storms:

1. Storms are a part of life. No one is exempt from storms, (Even God-loving, God-fearing, God’s favorite Christians are not exempt!). If you are not in one or coming out of one right now, then one is coming.
2. Storms come in all shapes and sizes.
3. Storms can either make us or break us. Trials, tragedies, and misfortunes can either be a stepping stone or a stumbling block for us depending on our heart’s response.
4. Storms expose areas of weakness or unpreparedness in our lives. Trials, tragedies, and misfortunes expose our character to surface strength or weakness in our character. It is not when everything is going well that our true character is revealed but it is when things go wrong.

Foolish preparation brings a future fall.

What Jesus offers brings strength in times of storms.

BUILD ON THE FOUNDATION OF ROCK

Matthew 7:25
The rain came down, the streams rose, and the winds blew and beat against that house; yet it did not fall, because it had its foundation on the rock.

NARROW OR WIDE GATE

Matthew 7:13-14
“Enter through the narrow gate. For wide is the gate and broad is the road that leads to destruction, and many enter through it. But small is the gate and narrow the road that leads to life, and only a few find it.

NOTHING CAN SEPARATE US FROM GOD

Romans 8:38-39
For I am convinced that neither death nor life, neither angels nor demons, neither the present nor the future, nor any powers, neither height nor depth, nor anything else in all creation, will be able to separate us from the love of God that is in Christ Jesus our Lord.

Storms will tear down any Christ-less foundation. What is your foundation?

People are like teabags. You never know how strong they are until they are placed in hot water.

George MacDonald a Scottish writer and man of faith, who influenced writers like C.K. Chesterton, C.S. Lewis, and Oswald Chambers wrote… “God left the world unfinished for man to work his skill upon. He left the electricity still in the cloud, the oil still in the earth. How often we look upon God as our last and feeblest resource! We go to Him because we have nowhere else to go. And then we learn that the storms of life have driven us, not upon the rocks, but into the desired haven.”

ALERT - The Great and Powerful Church

Message by Pastor Terry Crawford
Covenant Church, Shepherdstown, WV

Are you Going to Restore the Kingdom
===============
Acts 1:1-9 (NIV)
---------------
In my former book, Theophilus, I wrote about all that Jesus began to do and to teach
until the day he was taken up to heaven, after giving instructions through the Holy Spirit to the apostles he had chosen.
After his suffering, he presented himself to them and gave many convincing proofs that he was alive. He appeared to them over a period of forty days and spoke about the kingdom of God.
On one occasion, while he was eating with them, he gave them this command: “Do not leave Jerusalem, but wait for the gift my Father promised, which you have heard me speak about.
For John baptized with water, but in a few days you will be baptized with the Holy Spirit.”
Then they gathered around him and asked him, “Lord, are you at this time going to restore the kingdom to Israel?”
He said to them: “It is not for you to know the times or dates the Father has set by his own authority.
But you will receive power when the Holy Spirit comes on you; and you will be my witnesses in Jerusalem, and in all Judea and Samaria, and to the ends of the earth.”
After he said this, he was taken up before their very eyes, and a cloud hid him from their sight.

Waiting
===============
Everyone has to deal with the reality of waiting.

Wait
===============
Psalm 27:14 (NIV)
---------------
Wait for the Lord; be strong and take heart and wait for the Lord.

Be Still
===============
Psalm 37:7 (NIV)
---------------
Be still before the Lord and wait patiently for him; do not fret when people succeed in their ways, when they carry out their wicked schemes.

Hope
===============
Isaiah 40:31 (NIV)
---------------
but those who hope in the Lord will renew their strength. They will soar on wings like eagles; they will run and not grow weary, they will walk and not be faint.

Fear
===============
We do not have to be frozen by the fear of waiting.

Open minds
===============
Luke 24:45-49 (NIV)
---------------
Then he opened their minds so they could understand the Scriptures.
He told them, “This is what is written: The Messiah will suffer and rise from the dead on the third day,
and repentance for the forgiveness of sins will be preached in his name to all nations, beginning at Jerusalem.
You are witnesses of these things.
I am going to send you what my Father has promised; but stay in the city until you have been clothed with power from on high.” The Ascension of Jesus

Great Commission
===============
Matthew 28:19-20 (NIV)
---------------
Therefore go and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit,
and teaching them to obey everything I have commanded you. And surely I am with you always, to the very end of the age.”

God can use waiting and watching to…
===============
Rearrange our priorities.

God can use waiting and watching to…
===============
Test our faith.

God can use waiting and watching to…
===============
Purify our motives.

Rely on the Spirit
===============
Zechariah 4:6 (NIV)
---------------
So he said to me, “This is the word of the Lord to Zerubbabel: ‘Not by might nor by power, but by my Spirit,’ says the Lord Almighty.

Gratitude
===============
Increase our gratitude when the answer finally comes

Rediscover the Cross

Shadows of the Cross - March 17, 2013

Covenant Church - Shepherdstown, WV

Message by Pastor Terry Crawford

The Cross
===============
The Cross is inseparable from the story of Jesus.

Know Jesus
===============
1 Corinthians 2:2 (NIV)
---------------
For I resolved to know nothing while I was with you except Jesus Christ and him crucified.

Question
===============
Where have you seen a cross?  (style, vampires, good luck, red cross, enemy, faith)

The serpents curse
===============
Genesis 3:14-15 (NIV)
---------------
So the Lord God said to the serpent, “Because you have done this, “Cursed are you above all livestock and all wild animals! You will crawl on your belly and you will eat dust all the days of your life.
And I will put enmity between you and the woman, and between your offspring and hers; he will crush your head, and you will strike his heel.”

Learning
===============
Proto-evangelium = first gospel

He will enter Jerusalem riding a donkey (the colt of an ass)
===============
Zechariah 9:9 (NIV)
---------------
Rejoice greatly, Daughter Zion! Shout, Daughter Jerusalem! See, your king comes to you, righteous and victorious, lowly and riding on a donkey, on a colt, the foal of a donkey.

He will be betrayed by a friend
===============
Psalm 41:9 (NIV)
---------------
Even my close friend, someone I trusted, one who shared my bread, has turned against me.

The price of his betrayal will be thirty pieces of silver
===============
Zechariah 11:12 (NIV)
---------------
I told them, “If you think it best, give me my pay; but if not, keep it.” So they paid me thirty pieces of silver.

The betrayal money will be cast onto the floor of the Temple
===============
Zechariah 11:13 (NIV)
---------------
And the Lord said to me, “Throw it to the potter”—the handsome price at which they valued me! So I took the thirty pieces of silver and threw them to the potter at the house of the Lord.

The betrayal money will be used to buy a potter's field
===============
Zechariah 11:13 (NIV)
---------------
And the Lord said to me, “Throw it to the potter”—the handsome price at which they valued me! So I took the thirty pieces of silver and threw them to the potter at the house of the Lord.

He will not open his mouth to defend himself
===============
Isaiah 53:7 (NIV)
---------------
He was oppressed and afflicted, yet he did not open his mouth; he was led like a lamb to the slaughter, and as a sheep before its shearers is silent, so he did not open his mouth.

He will be beaten and spat upon
===============
Isaiah 50:6 (NIV)
---------------
I offered my back to those who beat me, my cheeks to those who pulled out my beard; I did not hide my face from mocking and spitting.

He will be "numbered with the transgressors"
===============
Isaiah 53:12 (NIV)
---------------
Therefore I will give him a portion among the great, and he will divide the spoils with the strong, because he poured out his life unto death, and was numbered with the transgressors. For he bore the sin of many, and made intercession for the transgressors.

He will be given vinegar and gall to drink
===============
Psalm 69:21 (NIV)
---------------
They put gall in my food and gave me vinegar for my thirst.

He will say: "My God, my God, why hast thou forsaken me?"
===============
Psalm 22:1 (NIV)
---------------
My God, my God, why have you forsaken me? Why are you so far from saving me, so far from my cries of anguish?

He will be buried with the rich
===============
Isaiah 53:9 (NIV)
---------------
He was assigned a grave with the wicked, and with the rich in his death, though he had done no violence, nor was any deceit in his mouth.

He will be buried with the rich (Fulfillment)
===============
Matthew 27:57-60 (NIV)
---------------
As evening approached, there came a rich man from Arimathea, named Joseph, who had himself become a disciple of Jesus.
Going to Pilate, he asked for Jesus’ body, and Pilate ordered that it be given to him.
Joseph took the body, wrapped it in a clean linen cloth,
and placed it in his own new tomb that he had cut out of the rock. He rolled a big stone in front of the entrance to the tomb and went away.

He will not decay
===============
Psalm 16:10 (NIV)
---------------
because you will not abandon me to the realm of the dead, nor will you let your faithful one see decay.

He will not decay (Fulfillment)
===============
Acts 2:31 (NIV)
---------------
Seeing what was to come, he spoke of the resurrection of the Messiah, that he was not abandoned to the realm of the dead, nor did his body see decay.

The age old Story
===============
Sin brings death

The plan
===============
God had a plan that involved a cross and a Savior

Look upon and Live
===============
Numbers 21:4-9 (NIV)
---------------
They traveled from Mount Hor along the route to the Red Sea, to go around Edom. But the people grew impatient on the way;
they spoke against God and against Moses, and said, “Why have you brought us up out of Egypt to die in the wilderness? There is no bread! There is no water! And we detest this miserable food!”
Then the Lord sent venomous snakes among them; they bit the people and many Israelites died.
The people came to Moses and said, “We sinned when we spoke against the Lord and against you. Pray that the Lord will take the snakes away from us.” So Moses prayed for the people.
The Lord said to Moses, “Make a snake and put it up on a pole; anyone who is bitten can look at it and live.”
So Moses made a bronze snake and put it up on a pole. Then when anyone was bitten by a snake and looked at the bronze snake, they lived. The Journey to Moab

Talking to Nicodemus
===============
John 3:13-15 (NIV)
---------------
No one has ever gone into heaven except the one who came from heaven—the Son of Man.
Just as Moses lifted up the snake in the wilderness, so the Son of Man must be lifted up,
that everyone who believes may have eternal life in him.”

Eternal
===============
The cross reminds us of the eternal.

Who is Jesus?
===============
Mark 8:29-35 (NIV)
---------------
“But what about you?” he asked. “Who do you say I am?” Peter answered, “You are the Messiah.”
Jesus warned them not to tell anyone about him. Jesus Predicts His Death
He then began to teach them that the Son of Man must suffer many things and be rejected by the elders, the chief priests and the teachers of the law, and that he must be killed and after three days rise again.
He spoke plainly about this, and Peter took him aside and began to rebuke him.
But when Jesus turned and looked at his disciples, he rebuked Peter. “Get behind me, Satan!” he said. “You do not have in mind the concerns of God, but merely human concerns.”
Then he called the crowd to him along with his disciples and said: “Whoever wants to be my disciple must deny themselves and take up their cross and follow me.
For whoever wants to save their life will lose it, but whoever loses their life for me and for the gospel will save it.