COV LIFE BLOG

Mark 8:31-9:1 – The Necessity of the Cross

Those who think that if they were present the day Jesus was crucified, they could have somehow prevented his death, speak out of ignorance. I often rehearse the following words to my congregation, which I am sure to have borrowed from someone else: “The cross was not an atrocity; it was a necessity.” As I […]

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Posted on: November 8, 2018 - 10:00PM

Mark 8:1-9 The Reach, Breadth, and Expanse of Christ’s Compassion and Power

While many similarities exist between Mark 6:30–44 and 8:1–10, there are also key differences. For instance, the crowd in 8:1–10 is much smaller, consisting of four thousand people total, whereas the crowd in 6:30–44 consists of five thousand men. These men would have had their families with them, making the total number fed on that […]

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Posted on: October 18, 2018 - 10:00PM

Pastoral Prayer – October 14, 2018

Almighty God, your people in this place – we who, by your grace, have seen the wretchedness of our sin, repented of it, and surrendered to Jesus as Lord  – humbly come before you now at His invitation; not on our own merits but on His. Merciful Father, you have adopted us as your children […]

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Posted on: October 15, 2018 - 11:40AM

Mark 7:31-37 – The Compassionate Touch of Jesus

The last thing which demands our notice in these verses, is the remarkable testimony which was borne by those who saw the miracle here recorded. They said of our Lord, “He has done all things well!”   It is more than probable that those who said these words were little sensible of their full meaning, […]

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Posted on: October 11, 2018 - 10:00PM

Book Review – The Secret Thoughts of an Unlikely Convert

The Secret Thoughts of an Unlikely Convert by Rosaria Champagne Butterfield Review written by Marbeth Wickliffe Some of my favorite types of books are missionary stories. I love to hear how God uses regular people with struggles to bring glory to Himself. This book is a missionary story with a twist. It tells the story […]

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Posted on: October 1, 2018 - 10:44AM

Reflecting on the Sing! 2018 Conference

Written by Jenny Fugler It was not the first time I had seen my dad cry over something spiritual. It was not unusual for him to sing throughout his day. The fact that he loved hymns and knew most of them by heart was also not surprising, as he and my mom raised my four […]

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Posted on: September 24, 2018 - 1:51PM

Mark 6:53-56 – Don’t Miss the Compassion and Power of Jesus

One of the greatest qualities in the life of Jesus was his willingness to enter into the human situation and to be deeply moved by tender compassion that compelled him to help and to heal. Jesus was never detached from, nor indifferent to human sorrow and suffering. People were never a nuisance to Jesus but […]

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Posted on: September 13, 2018 - 10:00PM

Mark 6:45-52 – Jesus Walks On Water

Sinking times are praying times with the Lord’s servants. Peter neglected prayer at starting upon his venturous journey, but when he began to sink his danger made him a suppliant, and his cry though late was not too late. In our hours of bodily pain and mental anguish, we find ourselves as naturally driven to […]

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Posted on: September 6, 2018 - 10:00PM

Pastoral Prayer – September 2, 2018

You are worthy, our Lord and God, to receive glory and honor and power, for you created all things, and by your will they were created and have their being. (Rev 4.11 NIV) We come before your throne as a broken people living in a broken world.  You are all knowing, and so you know […]

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Posted on: September 2, 2018 - 2:40PM

Mark 6:30-44 – Jesus Our Provider and Provision

The sad fact is that the people are without a shepherd and so Jesus has compassion on them. Not only is this event loaded with messianic significance–Israel’s Messiah feeding the true Israel out in the wilderness–but in miracle this we see Jesus’ response to the physical hunger on the part of the people.10 Jesus is […]

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Posted on: August 30, 2018 - 10:00PM