At Covenant Family Church we seek to apply the word of God to our lives, not just on Sundays but throughout the entire week.
To this end, we worship God, study the Bible, pray for one another, evangelize and disciple our own children, care for the needy, witness to the lost, and seek to advance Christ’s kingdom here on earth.
It is our singular purpose to glorify God and enjoy Him forever. We hope that this website encourages you with beneficial resources as you grow in your own walk with the Lord.
Moreover, please know that you and your family are welcome to join us for worship on the Lord’s Day.
June 16th - Men’s Meeting at the Bringe’s home (7-9 PM)
June 21st - Fellowship Meal—held at the Brabo’s Farm
June 28th - Guest Preacher, Rev. Conrad Cheatham
July 5th - Guest Preacher, Rev. Jeffrey Yelton
July 5th - Full Meal following the worship service
June 23-24th - CHEF Conference in St. Charles
Jul. 1-4 - Reformation500 in Boston, MA
July 27-Aug. 1st - West Coast Christian Worldview Conference, in Santa Cruz, CA
Oct. 23-24 - Reformation Day Faire in Peoria, IL
The Bringe’s will host this meeting on Tuesday, June 16th (7-9 PM). We will eat, share, pray, and discuss life together as Christian men. Plus, Pastor Serven will share exciting stories about Wycliffe, Bucer, Hus, Tyndale, and Zwingli. All men & boys are welcome!
Mike & Carol Brabo have invited us to their farm in Clarkesville for our fellowship meal after the worship service on Sunday, June 21st. Bring the same food that you would bring to church, and we will enjoy an extended time of eating, singing, and visiting.
Trinity Hymnal #168 “I Greet Thee, Who My Sure Redeemer Art”. This hymn is attributed to John Calvin, and was found in the Strasbourg Psalter (1545) and the Genevan Psalter (1551). We will learn it in honor of the 500th Anniversary of Calvin’s birth (July 10, 1509).
Having focused in two previous sermons on the rise of the Apostate Church (vs. 1-5), let us now consider Paul’s teaching on the characteristics of a True Church (vs. 6-16). On the basis of this passage, and many others, the Protestant Reformers came to recognize that a True Church of Jesus Christ is characterized by “three marks”. They are:
1. The true preaching of the Word of God (cf. John 8:31-32, 47, 14:23; 2 Timothy 3:16-17; 1 John 4:1-3).
2. The right administration of the Sacraments (cf. Matthew 28:19; Mark 16:15-16; Acts 2:42; 1 Corinthians 11:23-30).
3. The faithful exercise of church discipline (cf. Matthew 16:19, 18:18; 1 Corinthians 5:1-5, 13, 14:33, 40; Galatians 6:1-2).
(cf. Louis Berkhof, Systematic Theology, 576-578)
Hence, we should strive to make sure that our own church is faithful to these characteristics—not for the sake of boasting, but for the purpose of pleasing our Lord. Moreover, let us give thanks to God that by grace we can be a part of God’s ongoing work—the growth and expansion of the True Church.
Text: I John 4:7-12 Guest Preacher: Pastor Jeff Yelton
We should be very impressed with God’s love for us. Motivated by love, God sent Jesus Christ to die as an atoning sacrifice for our sins. He also caused us to be born again. Therefore, we must reflect the love of God in our relationships with one another, by loving each other. This love is not a worldly love, but rather a godly love. In fact, it is a love from God. Unless we love each other in this way, we cannot truly claim to know God at all. On the other hand, if we truly love each other, we can be certain that God lives in us.
In this passage the Apostle Paul tells us how an Apostate Church will arise in the “later times”. This false church will be known as, “having the appearance of godliness, but denying its power.” (2 Timothy 3:5). Jesus also taught this same essential truth, but applied it to the entire Church Age that stretched from the Resurrection to the Return of Jesus (Matthew 13:24-30, 36-43). In other words, Jesus says that alongside of the true Church there will be a false Church. At times it will be difficult to distinguish between those who really love and serve the Lord Jesus, and those who merely say they do with their words. Ultimately, the Lord of the harvest will make a distinction between believers and unbelievers with absolute precision. Yet in the meantime, as Christians we are called to be wise and discerning about our doctrine and our practice—carefully testing everything by the inspired and inerrant Word of God (2 Timothy 3:16-17).
In this passage the Apostle Paul tells us how an Apostate Church will arise in the “later times”. This false church will be known as, “having the appearance of godliness, but denying its power.” (2 Timothy 3:5). Jesus also taught this same essential truth, but applied it to the entire Church Age that stretched from the Resurrection to the Return of Jesus (Matthew 13:24-30, 36-43). In other words, Jesus says that alongside of the true Church there will be a false Church. At times it will be difficult to distinguish between those who really love and serve the Lord Jesus, and those who merely say they do with their words. Ultimately, the Lord of the harvest will make a distinction between believers and unbelievers with absolute precision. Yet in the meantime, as Christians we are called to be wise and discerning about our doctrine and our practice—carefully testing everything by the inspired and inerrant Word of God (2 Timothy 3:16-17).
Verse of the Month:
Psalm 146:3-5
"Put not your trust in princes, in a son of man, in whom there is no salvation. When his breath departs he returns to the earth; on that very day his plans perish. Blessed is he whose help is the God of Jacob, whose hope is in the Lord his God . . ."
Hymn of the Month:
Trinity Hymnal, #168
“I Greet Thee, Who My Sure Redeemer Art”