Covenant Naples

What do you do when your life is on the rocks? The song Moses teaches the people of God in Deuteronomy 32 gives us the answer. Sermon Outline: I. Ascribe Perfection to Yahweh. II. Acknowledge the Imperfections of Yahweh’s People. III. Recognize the Justice of Yahweh. IV. Treasure the Compassion of Yahweh. V. Rejoice in and Respond to the Deliverance of Yahweh. Sermon Discussion Questions: 1. What...

The people of Israel are facing the uncertainty of a leadership transition. Who and what will they be able to depend on when they cross the Jordan and face the enemies that caused their parents’ faith to shrivel up and die? We, too, go through times of uncertainty. We may be passing from one season of our life across a Jordan river moment into an unknown land and we do not know what to expect. Wha...

Isaiah 35 speaks hope to weary exiles who wait for redemption. Its an appropriate meditation during Advent season for Christians who are still waiting for Christ to return. Sermon Outline: I. Homesick exiles  II. The home we’re sick for  III. The way back home  IV. What we have while we wait    Discussion Questions  1.  When was the last time you visited your hometown? What was the experience like...

God has made it clear throughout the book of Deuteronomy that if his people break his covenant and disobey his commandments, they are going to find themselves cast out of the land and into the far country. Eventually that would happen. But judgment is not God’s final word to his people. This passage reminds us that no matter how far we have drifted or run from God’s good plan, the option to choose...

God has revealed to his people everything they needed to know for life in the land through this book of Deuteronomy. But the revelation itself is not enough to benefit from it. And so, in this chapter Moses brings together all of the main threads of Deuteronomy in order to impress upon them the importance of taking heed to the message that is revealed. How can they be sure to benefit from the thin...

God desires a people who will not leave him or forsake him, who will not worship other gods besides him, who will obey his commands, honor him as Lord, and keep coming back to him as long as their heart is pumping. And while this kind of loyalty will yield blessings beyond our imagination, disloyalty is threatened with curses unspeakable. Sermon Outline: I. Obedience leads to blessings untold. The...

It is hard to imagine a worse word to describe our lives than “cursed.” Over the next four chapters of Deuteronomy, the people of God are going to be presented with a choice: blessing or curse. It is a choice we all face every single day. If we are going to avoid the curse, we need to be clear on what the law requires, clear on who we are, clear on the consequences of disobedience, and clear on th...

Gratitude is the natural response to rescue. In this passage, Moses prescribes a couple of rituals and recitations that will serve to remind the people of what God has done for them. Come discover how gratitude for God’s grace expresses itself in obedient worship, obedient giving, and obedient living. Sermon Outline: I. Give thanks for God’s grace through obedient worship. II. Give thanks for God’...

In a world that puts self first, God’s people put the interests of others ahead of their own. In a world where many seek to take advantage through dishonesty, God’s people are honest even when it hurts. In a world that seeks to divide, God’s people are breaking down boundaries with love. When we live this way, we push back against the spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly places and upon the ea...

In this passage, Moses reminds the people of God that they were once enslaved, without hope, and unable to help themselves. Yet God stepped into their misery and demonstrated compassion toward them and rescued them from their misery. And now in this series of loosely connected laws, he calls forth the same kind of compassion to be demonstrated by his covenant people. Sermon Outline: I. Have Compas...

This week we came face-to-face with the power of the waves in Southwest Florida. Now, in the wake of Hurricane Ian, we have the opportunity to come face-to-face with the one who is even mightier than the waves.

To take advantage of other human beings, or to exploit them, seems as natural to us as breathing. We see it all around us everyday. But it is not to be so among God’s covenant people. Rather than taking advantage, we are called to love. Join us to find out how! Sermon Outline: I. Do not Take Advantage of the Refugee Slave. II. Do Not Take Advantage of the Sinful Vices of Others. III. Do Not Take A...

The rules in this passage are quite strange to us. But God’s motive in giving them to his people was so that his people who are sinful and unclean, could enjoy the benefit of fellowship with the God who is described as “Holy, holy, holy”. While the ceremonial rules regarding ritual purity in Israel have come to an end through the ministry of Jesus, the instructions about who can be in the assembly...

Real life isn’t random as many might say; we are all living in a story written and orchestrated by a powerful and loving God. This story is filled with hope and can give us comfort and courage each and every day. The reigning sentiment of our time gives us conflicting messages about how we get hope in this life, but the Gospel of Jesus gives a clear answer. Sermon Outline I. Do Not Conform II. Be...

We are all disciples of something or of someone. Only Jesus disciples us in the ways that are best for us, and can fill the void in our hearts we try to fill with achievements, experiences, possessions…the list is endless. The world disciples us by demanding and taking. Jesus disciples us by leading, tending, guiding, nurturing, strengthening, correcting, and restoring, as our Creator and as the L...

This passage teaches us that sexual matters are not isolated from the rest of life, and as God’s covenant people we are called to live with sexual integrity of heart and body. Sermon Outline: I. Sexual Integrity is a Community Matter II. Sexual Sin is a Community Matter 1. A Case of Adultery 2. A Case of Implied Consent 3. A Case of Sexual Assault 4. A Case of Seduction III. Redemption After Sexua...

We are largely a people, both inside and outside the church, turned inward on ourselves, and inclined to live without respect to God or others. In this passage, God gives his people some rules for everyday life as to how to live a life of love. The verses in this section feel like a random hodgepodge of commandments. And probably when we hear them read, they do not sound particularly relevant. But...

The message of the Gospel is for all peoples in all places. If we are to disciples the nations, as commanded by Christ, we must assure that the good news is heard by all. This means redoubling our commitment to send and go, until Christ returns or all have been reached. I. Because of God’s sovereignty, the Christian faith is transnational and His church is universal. II. There is no Scriptural war...

I. How should we engage in the mission to disciple our community, when the culture around us is hostile to our faith? 1. Embrace your place as a religious minority. (The culture war is over and we lost). 2. Settle down in one place. Build a life and stay there as long as you can. 3. Pray for the people around you, especially those who do not share your faith in Christ. 4. Be a blessing to the comm...

This week we will consider an often overlooked aspect of the great commission. We will consider together how God has given us the mission critical task in the discipleship of our families. We will look to the Scriptures to understand God‘s call on our lives to disciple our family, the context of family discipleship, and the comfort Christ offers all of us as we acknowledge our own failures and sho...

This week we will consider some difficult laws in Deuteronomy. We will see how these laws reflect the grace and mercy of God toward sinful humanity in that they aim to minimize the misery of life in a world under the curse of sin. And in the midst of these depressing scenarios, we will discover a ray of hope that one day the curse of sin will finally be removed and laws that mitigate the effects o...

Human life is of such value that an unnatural death leaves a stain on the community that must be dealt with through another death. The shedding of innocent blood pollutes the community and blood is on everyone’s hands. If that is true, what does that mean for a nation that has shed the blood of 63 million innocent babies? What does that mean for a nation giving regular witness to mass shootings, g...

War is a fact and harsh reality of our present existence in the world. War brings death and destruction of every sort, to every sort of person and community it touches. And yet, here in Deuteronomy 20, we find specific instructions regarding war. Join us to discover how to think biblically about war today, even while we await the One who will bring an end to war for all time. Sermon outline: I. Go...

History is littered with stories of an injury, followed by a retaliation, followed by escalating violence and death. Such retaliatory feuds and vigilante justice destroy families, communities, and even nations. Where there are people, harm will be done, both accidental and intentional. How can a society prevent these incidents from spiraling out of control? And how should we as individuals respond...