Covenant Naples

In John 9 we meet a man who is physically blind but ultimately receives physical and spiritual sight, and we also meet a group of deeply religious men who can physically see, who wind up deeper in spiritual blindness. At one point, Jesus says something that prompts them to ask what we should all ask, “Are we also blind?” 

We all build our lives on some center other than Christ, whether religious or ethnic heritage, moral record or political tribe. When the real Jesus threatens it, we edit him or demonize him rather than lose it.

In a sobering passage, Jesus reveals to the crowd that they are following their father, the devil. Will we explore John 8, asking ourselves tough diagnostic questions to examine our spiritual family lineage: Is our Father in Heaven? Or is he the father of lies?

Jesus says hard words. They aren’t hard because they’re unclear, but because they cost us something we are reluctant to give up. The question the disciples then and today must wrestle with is this: where else are we going to go?

People often see Jesus as a means to an end of what we really want: full bellies, nice homes, good family, inner peace, stable life. But Jesus is not a means to an end; he is everything. The satisfaction we long for is only found in him.

In the episode of the feeding of the 5,000, as in many of the Gospel miracles, Jesus puts people’s faith to the test. Reflecting on this story, we should ask ourselves the question: have I placed my faith in Jesus and has that faith been tested?

Jesus is not officially in a courtroom, but he is very much on trial. The religious leaders have accused him of blasphemy for claiming equality with God. As in a courtroom, Jesus is going to call witnesses that verify the authenticity and truthfulness of his claims. In short, it’s all about Jesus. By the end of his speech, it is no longer Jesus on trial, but his accusers…and those of us still on t...

In the story of the healing of the official’s son, we see Jesus exposing the sign-seeking hearts of the people around him, while demonstrating that true and lasting faith comes not through observing miracles, but by believing the word of Christ. Questions: 1. Why do signs and miracles so often fail to produce lasting faith? 2. What is the difference between a spiritual life that seeks more of the...

What are you feeding on? In John 4:31-45, Jesus tells his disciples that his food is to do the will of the One who sent him, and in doing so, he reframes obedience, mission, and satisfaction entirely. Join us Sunday to explore what it looks like to find true nourishment in Christ.

“Come, see a man who told me everything I ever did.” How could that possibly be good news? Someone knows everything about you-every wound, every failure, every secret-and it is the best thing that ever happened to you? Because He stayed. Come and see. Small Group Questions Warm-up: Pastor Chuck's pet peeve is loud chewers at the movies. What is yours? And be honest: has anyone ever caught you doin...

He Must Increase John the Baptist embodied the whole Old Testament only to point away from himself. "He must increase, but I must decrease" wasn't resignation; it was joy. This week we look at what it means to find contentment not in our own increase, but in Christ’s, and why that pattern of decrease has always been the path to glory.  Outline The man: John, the Old Testament embodied The text: he...

Fireworks light up the sky for a night. This Sunday we look at the Light that has been shining for 2,000 years and has never been overcome. "The Light Still Shines," John 3:16–21. Bring a friend! Sermon Discussion Questions: 1. This series has repeatedly distinguished between knowing about Jesus and truly knowing him. Nicodemus knew the Scriptures better than anyone and was still in the dark. Wher...

Jesus has a very interesting conversation with a man named Nicodemus. He’s a good man, moral, upright, loves God and the Scriptures as best we can tell. He’s a spiritual leader of his people. But what Jesus will say to him in this passage is that it’s not enough. What Nicodemus needs, what all of us need, is the one thing we cannot provide or produce for ourselves. We need to be born again.  Sermo...

In this passage, Jesus is going to clear the way to God. Even more, he’s going to show us that he himself is the way to God because he is the temple. Sermon Outline: I. What Jesus Does II. What Jesus Claims III. What Jesus Is Sermon Discussion Questions: 1. Have you ever had an experience of going through the motions of worship at church, in prayer, in your quiet time, and coming away feeling like...

In this passage, we encounter a wedding that has run out of wine. This situation was not only sad, it had the potential to bring great shame and even legal trouble upon the groom’s family. But fortunately for them, Jesus was there. When the wine ran out, Jesus supplied a superabundance. And John tells us exactly why he chose to record this story. Join us to find out. Sermon Outline: I. The Joy tha...

In this passage, we see dominos starting to fall in a chain reaction. It begins with John the Baptist pointing to Jesus as the Lamb of God. That leads to Andrew and another disciple following Jesus. That leads to an invitation to Peter coming to Jesus. Jesus invites Philip to follow him. Philip does, and then he invites Nathanael to come and see for himself. He does. Domino after domino fell, and...

Many people have their own ideas about who Jesus is, but we want to derive our picture of him from what the Bible says. Who is Jesus according to the man God appointed to introduce him to the world?  Sermon Outline: I. The Lamb of God Who Takes Away Sin II. The Savior of Humanity We Cannot Manufacture III. The Son of God Who Demands a Response Sermon Discussion Questions: 1. What are some versions...

John the Baptist makes it clear that he is not the Christ. In a world driven by pride, John leads us down a very different path, a path marked by humility, as we look to the one Jesus Christ who humbled himself for prideful people like me and you.  Outline I. Confess: You are not the Christ II. Acknowledge: You have a role in the kingdom of God III. Proclaim: Jesus is the worthy Savior Sermon Ques...

We have these two desires woven deep into us as fallen humans: the desire to be rescued, and the desire for another person to understand our struggles. We’re looking for a hero that can close the gap between us and them. John introduces us to that hero in these verses. Sermon Outline: I. Jesus Moves In. II. Jesus Makes God Known. III. Jesus Pours Out Grace. Sermon Discussion Questions: 1. How does...