There are so many of us on this journey who truly desire to live a life that honors God. We come to church and work hard practicing self discipline only to end up like a stringed instrument that is wound up too tight. We become rigid in our determination to serve Him to the point that we can snap at any moment because we are bending under the weight of trying to do good and please God. Today we are reminded that God sends an invitation to all who are weary and heavy laden. He invites us to come into a power and a rest that is not our own. The call is to those who know they are dependent on God alone. The secret place of God's rest is not found in strength but in weakness. It's not found in knowledge but in complete trust in Him. Declare your trust in Jesus and He will take you into the secret place of His presence.

Is true community an option for a real disciple of Christ? God commands us to love Him and love others. Part of our new life in Christ is to be in community with other believers. If we neglect this, we are compromising in our complete obedience to Him. God is calling us out of this life of compromise to follow His example of community as He walked this earth. We don't have to do this in our own strength. God has called us to this life, established us and empowers us to be the center of His move on this earth.

It is very hard to get right with God in the midst of panic and calamity. Now is the time to make right choices so we can have strength to get through the coming days. Fear is one of the most powerful weapons that Satan uses against God's people. Fear strips away our faith. Fear finds its strength against us when we look at what lies ahead and we come to a wrong conclusion that even with Christ within us we will not be able to make it through hard times. We must begin to embrace the Word of God so we can be empowered to do the will of God and the life of Christ can love through us to those who need a Savior.

Throughout Scripture God has called a people to himself — to establish community with Him and with each other. He prepares His people and fills them with the power to relieve suffering, heal the sick, and save lives from eternal death and separation from God. He gives common man the power to do uncommon things. Covenant Gospel community is not to build bigger churches, establish our own ministries, make friends, or maintain a social life; it is to lay down our lives for Christ and for others.

We will all experience seasons of loneliness. Some of you may be wondering why you cannot get rid of this deep sense of loneliness. Is it possible that loneliness has deeper roots and a deeper purpose than you understand? Is it possible that we live trying to escape something that could truly have reason for being in our lives? This message suggests that loneliness is in your heart for a reason. God put an ache of loneliness in all humanity so we could find our way back to Him. But there is also something in the heart of God that is lonely for us. Is it possible that the loneliness in the human heart is in part God sharing with us His heart to have all people come back to Him? The next time you feel lonely consider that it is Christ in you trying to reach a lost and lonely generation.

God is well able to give you complete spiritual victory. If you are going through a wilderness experience, the Word of the Lord to you is be strong and be very courageous. We have the promises and provision of God to keep us from taking the imprint of the world. The only thing that dies in the wilderness is unbelief. We will not be defeated by despair and fear because God’s promises give us all the strength and courage we need. We must be a people who will turn to the Word of the Lord and trust Him to bring us into the Promised Land. Entering into the Promised Land means entering into the victory that we have in Jesus Christ.

It is difficult for us to realize just how materialistic we are when we are immersed in a culture of materialism. Before we make drastic changes to our life, we need to understand what God says about our possessions. God blesses us and has provided everything we have so that we in turn can bless others. When we use the possessions and finances God has given us for self-serving purposes it is covetous.

God created us in His image with an eternal purpose. Your body is the temple of the Holy Spirit and we must be pure and holy in every area of our life. The Bible gives a stern warning about immoral living and sex outside of the bounds of marriage. Satan wants to destroy your body and he offers you momentary pleasures but it has eternal consequences. God also has an eternal plan for your body and soul. God has given us the Holy Spirit to empower us against all sin so we can live pure and holy lives. If you are in an immoral relationship God wants to break the ties and set you free. Don't wait another minute, cry out to God for deliverance!

Scriptures says that the inside must be clean before the outside can be clean, but what happens if the outside remains unchanged? The Gospel doesn’t only call for reflection but requires action and obedience. You must understand the Gospel in order for transformation to take place. The Gospel is understanding the grace of a glorious God, the wrath that God has for the depraved, the sufficiency of Christ, the necessity of faith and a longing for eternity. If we know and live the Gospel we will be real and transformed disciples.

Have you ever been walking along on your journey with Jesus and realize you have wandered away from Him? We can go to church every Sunday and lose Jesus in rituals, religion and relationships. Somehow He just gets lost in the clutter of our lives. This message reminds us not to settle for the natural when God offers us a supernatural life. There comes a time when we must allow the supernatural power of God impact our worship, warfare and witness. Today you can choose to open your heart and allow Jesus to get into the inner most parts so He can astound you with His love and power.