Foundations News and Covenant Chronicles

 

We look forward to starting a great new year in Foundations with some exciting opportunities for fellowship ahead. Remember to save the date for our Girls Night, Jan 19 (details coming soon). Carter Stewart will be teaching again this week on Fruits of the Spirit. See you Sunday!  

 

 

COVENANT CHRONICLES FROM DANNY GIFFEN:

Welcome to 2012!

 

We pray you and your family had a wonderful Christmas and New Year's.  If you participated in the Christmas Eve/Day services you know that it was very special here.   I have never seen that many people stuffed (literally) into our sanctuary before.  Over 1000 in one service!  It was truly a blessing to hear the praises of God's people and Bill Boyd's sermon on God being involved in the "process" of our lives.  Get a copy of the sermon through our church office by emailing Donald dgiven@covpres.com if you'd like.

 

The new year starts off with a bang as we recommence many of our studies, gatherings and teaching.

 

What's Happening

1.  Wednesday Nights! - We will begin 2012 with a new series on January 18th, titled The Christian Life.  It will be led by Bill Boyd, TJ Wolters & Danny Giffen.  We expect a full crowd so make every effort to attend and make this a part of your weekly activities.  All other ministries will kick off as well including children's activities, music clubs, youth, etc.

 

2.  Night of Praise & Prayer - Bruce McLeod (elder over prayer) will be hosting a night for adults and youth alike this Sunday evening in the Sanctuary for a time to pray for our church and her ministries.  Come at 6:30

 

3.  In Honor of Bill & Cyndie Hay – Fixed Point Foundation is hosting a luncheon on January 22nd at Latimer House immediately following the 11 o'clock service.  Larry Taunton will interview Bill & Cyndie about their ministry before and during their years at Covenant.  For reservations, contact Rebekah Page at 960-5257.  $25/person

 

4.  Short Term Missions – if you are interested in going on a short term mission trip with Covenant in 2012, please come to the informational meeting this Sunday in room E201 after the 2nd service.  We will discuss trips Honduras (spring break), Zambia, Australia & Ukraine.  Also please pray for the Haiti team led by Tom Edwards that leaves this week.

 

5.  Crown Ministries – Denny Ragland is beginning a financial seminar class on Sunday evenings.  Please email Denny at denny.ragland@cadencebank.com if interested.

 

 

Theology 101

This Is The Year? Tullian Tchvidian

Today is the very first day of a brand new year. And for many that means a fresh start.

This is the year. It all starts now. We resolve to turn over a new leaf–and this time we’re serious. This time we’re really going to try, we’re not going to quit. We promise ourselves that we’re going to quit bad habits and start good ones. We’re going to get in shape, eat better, lust less, waste less time, be more content, more disciplined, more intentional. We’re going to be better husbands, wives, fathers, mothers. We’re going to pray more, serve more, plan more, give more, read more, and memorize more Bible verses. We’re going to finally be all that we can be. No more messing around.

Well…I say try. Seriously, try. You might make some great strides this year. I’m hoping to. There are a lot of improvements I’m hoping to make over the next 12 months. But don’t be surprised a year from now when you realize that you’ve fallen short…again.

For those who try and try, year after year, again and again, to get better and better, with seemingly less and less success…I have good news for you: you’re in good company!

My friend Jean Larroux sent me this powerful illustration that he got from Jack Miller.

Miller recounts the valiant efforts of Samuel Johnson (a literary giant of the 18th century) to fight sloth and to get up early in the morning to pray. Taken from Johnson’s diary and prayer journal, Jack gives us a record–through the years–of Johnson’s life-long resolutions, failures, and frustrations:

1738: He wrote, “Oh Lord, enable me to redeem the time which I have spent in sloth.”

1757: (19 years later) “Oh mighty God, enable me to shake off sloth and redeem the time misspent in idleness and sin by diligent application of the days yet remaining.”

1759: (2 years later) “Enable me to shake off idleness and sloth.”

1761: “I have resolved until I have resolved that I am afraid to resolve again.”

1764: “My indolence since my last reception of the sacrament has sunk into grossest sluggishness. My purpose is from this time to avoid idleness and to rise early.”

1764: (5 months later) He resolves to rise early, “not later than 6 if I can.”

1765: “I purpose to rise at 8 because, though, I shall not rise early it will be much earlier than I now rise for I often lie until 2.”

1769: “I am not yet in a state to form any resolutions. I purpose and hope to rise early in the morning, by 8, and by degrees, at 6.”

1775: “When I look back upon resolution of improvement and amendments which have, year after year, been made and broken, why do I yet try to resolve again? I try because reformation is necessary and despair is criminal.” He resolves again to rise at 8.

1781: (3 years before his death) “I will not despair, help me, help me, oh my God.” He resolves to rise at 8 or sooner to avoid idleness.

I love the never-quit effort of Johnson. What he chronicles sounds so much like me over the years. Try and fail. Fail then try. Try and succeed. Succeed then fail. Two steps forward. One step back. One step forward. Three steps back.

What I’m most deeply grateful for (as was Johnson) is that God’s love for me, approval of me, and commitment to me is not dependent on my success and resolve, but on Christ’s success and resolve for me. The gospel is the good news announcing Christ’s infallible devotion to us in spite of our lack of devotion to him. The gospel is not a command to hang onto Jesus. Rather, it’s a promise that no matter how weak and unsuccessful your faith and efforts may be, God is always holding on to you.

It’s ironically comforting to me as this new year gets under way that I am weak and He is strong–that while my love for Jesus will continue to fall short, Jesus’ love for me will never fall short. For, as Mark Twain said, “Heaven goes by favor. If it went by merit, your dog would get in and you would stay out.”

Thank God!

Happy New Year!