Christ Church Evangelical Covenant christchurchec

The greatest and best influence on humankind over the course of our history has been, without a doubt, Jesus Christ. The way He rebuked injustice. The way He modeled kindness. The way He invited us into relationship with Him. What would be better than to see that influence continue to impact our lives and the structures of our world? That is the primary goal of the Holy Spirit; continue the work of Jesus… through us. So, if we want to understand the purpose of the gifts that the Spirit has given, we simply need to look at the purpose of the life of Jesus.

What does it mean to be gifted by the Spirit of God? Does it change situation by situation? Or is it always the effect in the same way? Are we limited to one or two expressions of grace and the Spirit working in and through us? And can we grow in our how effective we are in using the gift God has given us? All good questions. All things we need to understand as we learn to walk with the Spirit in the transforming power of Jesus that He works through us. But that is the most important thing we need to remember: these gifts are not about us; they’re about Jesus.

We can think of God’s gifts to us in many ways. He gave us this world of beauty to live in and enjoy. He gave us our abilities and personalities when He formed us in our mother’s womb. He gave us Jesus to pay a debt we couldn’t pay and reconcile us to Himself. He gave us His Holy Spirit to empower us to live a holy life. But the Bible also tells us that God has gifted each of us with a unique expression of His grace in this world. People call them ministries or spiritual gifts, but the Bible calls them “charismata,” bits of grace. And when we come together as God’s people and gather all these bits of grace together in one place, people can begin to see the full picture of who God is. They begin to see Jesus in us together. That’s the multifaceted grace of God.

Pastor Vann's sermon "Hope Revealed" focuses on the transformative power of encountering the resurrection of Jesus, comparing it to blowing our minds with new discoveries that challenge our worldview. The disciples' struggle to comprehend Jesus' resurrection highlights the profound impact of this event in reshaping their lives. Jesus' resurrection sets him apart and proves the validity of his teachings, offering hope in the face of life's hardships. The sermon concludes with a call to celebrate new life in Christ through baptism and encourages believers to support one another in embracing the truth of Jesus' resurrection.

Sometimes, we just need a distraction. Our situation is overwhelming, or the challenges are relentless, and we just need a break. But in taking our eyes off the circumstances, are we also missing the work that God is doing in the midst of our struggle? Because He is there. And He is good. The story of Palm Sunday is not just about how to put on a good parade. It is a reminder to keep our eyes on our God at all times, good and bad, because He is where our hope is found.

The sermon "What's in Your Name?" by Pastor Cheryl discusses the importance of names in shaping our identities. She uses the story of Abram and Sarai's name changes to demonstrate how God transforms and revitalizes individuals. Pastor Cheryl connects biblical instances of name changes to emphasize the impact of embracing new identities given by Jesus. The congregation is encouraged to release old labels, embrace new names, and live authentically in their identities with God's transformative power.