The Covenant Church

Controlling the Tongue

Carl — Wed, 19 Aug 2009 19:04:42 +0000

Last week was the Chebogyan County Fair and so I took my three oldest. Among their favorite things to see were the horses. I admit that my knowledge of horses is extremely limited. But the one thing that amazes me is the way a rider/driver is able to control such a large and powerful animal by placing a bit in the mouth. The apostle James picks up exactly this picture to describe the way in which a person is controlled by their tongue (James 3:1-12). For those who prefer boating, he gives the analogy of the way a rudder steers a ship.
James counsels us here that if we wish to be pure and more like Christ, the place to begin is the tongue, because “The tongue also is a fire, a world of evils among the parts of the body. It corrupts the whole person, sets the whole course of his life on fire, and is itself set on fire by hell.” (James 3:6) When we think of the necessity of controlling our words, we often think in terms of the reaction of others: if we life, people will not trust us; speak harshly and people will not like you. James points to a more personal reason for controlling the tongue – that sin in your speech will spread to the rest of your life. Read James 3:6 again and see how he describes the tongue as “a world of evils” that “corrupts the whole person”, setting the “whole course of his life on fire.” Yes, that little tongue is very powerful. And very dangerous. Not only to our listeners, but also to ourselves.
Yet, we as followers of Christ often fail to see the inconsistency in our lives of the way we use our tongues. We sing together on Sunday, “Bind Us Together” and then make snide remarks about a fellow member in the parking lot. We offer up a prayer that says “as we forgive those who trespass against us”, but hold a grudge for years about a slight someone made against us. We are challenged by Jesus to pray for our enemies, yet some of the most hateful, vitriolic speech I have seen during the current health care debate has come from those call themselves Christians. From left and right, from leaders and ordinary Christians, the gossip, slander, lies and meanness are simply unbelievable. I hear and read it and want to ask, “Do you praise your God with that same tongue?”, which is exactly the point James is making.
Back to the point – what James is telling us is that if we want to be more like Jesus, then we have to begin with that little part of our body that spreads so much evil and infects the rest of us. Yet, we say, “But, I can’t help it. I’m just a person who speaks their mind. I know I talk too much. I gossip, but it’s only a little stuff.” To all these, James says “Purify your speech. Be quick to listen, slow to speak. Discipline your tongue.” We cannot do it on our own, but with God’s help, it is possible. God desires to see us pure and will give wisdom to us when we ask (James 1:5). Ask him. Then begin to practice. When you disagree with someone, listen to them until you can’t stand it any more, then listen a little bit longer. Spend some time in silence: try a whole day without talking; the world will not fall apart because no one heard you. Memorize James 1:19. Let God’s Holy Spirit work on your tongue, and you will see the rest of your life transformed. And that is what we want – to be each day ever more conformed to the image of Jesus Christ.

The Church Has Left the Building

Carl — Wed, 19 Aug 2009 18:35:25 +0000

September 26-27, we will be having our 2nd annual “The Church Has Left the Building” event. This is a weekend dedicated to serving others. There will be opportunities for service on Saturday and Sunday both. We will not have a worship service on Sunday morning but will worship through service. Last year, during this event we delivered flowers to the hospital and nursing homes, packed shoe boxes for Samaritan’s purse, prepared personal care kits for the local soup kitchen and food bank, rolled bandages for the Congo, did some work at the Crisis Pregnancy Center and more. This year will have some of the same and a few new opportunities. If you have ideas or would like to help lead a project, please contact Carl at 627-9889.

Verse for May 2009

Carl — Wed, 03 Jun 2009 14:55:17 +0000

Find rest, O my soul, in God alone; my hope comes from him. He alone is my rock and my salvation; he is my fortress, I will not be shaken. Psalm 62:5-6 (NIV)

Verse for April 2009

Carl — Wed, 03 Jun 2009 14:54:13 +0000

Therefore, there is no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus, because through Christ Jesus the law of the Spirit of life set me free from the law of sin and death. Romans 8:1-2 (NIV)

Verse for March 2009

Carl — Wed, 03 Jun 2009 14:52:10 +0000

For even the Son of Man did not come to be served, but to serve, and to give his life as a ransom for many. Mark 10:45 (NIV)

Women’s Breakfast

Carl — Sat, 21 Feb 2009 15:47:48 +0000

There will be a breakfast for all women on March 28th at 9:00 a.m. At the breakfast, there will be a Secret Sister reveal. Enjoy a scrumptious breakfast in the fellowship area with all your sisters and learn the identity of the special one who has been blessing you this past year.

Women’s Bible Study Begins

Carl — Sat, 21 Feb 2009 15:44:01 +0000

A new women’s Bible study begins on Wednesday, February 25th at 6:30 p.m. The study is Beth Moore’s “Believing God”. For more information, contact Jan Tulk at 627-5897

01.25.09 The Call of the Kingdom

Carl — Sat, 31 Jan 2009 19:33:00 +0000

This week we studied Mark 3:7-35, with the focus on Jesus calling the 12 disciples. It says that Jesus called them “so that they might be with him and that he might send them out”. The call to us today is still the same – to be with Jesus and to be sent. What does that look like? Listen to the audio here: The Call of the Kingdom

01.18.09 Who is This Man?

Carl — Sat, 31 Jan 2009 19:27:03 +0000

In this message which looks at Mark 2:1 – 3:6, we see people asking a lot of questions about why Jesus does what he does. Why does he seem to violate all the rules that “good religious people” follow? What sort of molds and patterns do we think that people should fit into? What should motivate our action s – religious obligation or love for others? Listen to the sermon here: Who is This Man?

01.11.09 The Essential Message of Jesus

Carl — Sat, 31 Jan 2009 19:22:08 +0000

This is the first in a series of sermons based on the Gospel of Mark. Over the next few months, we will be going through the entire book of Mark up until Easter. This will allow us to better see the book as a story, to hear the big picture that we sometimes miss when reading smaller segments. In this message, we look at Mark 1:1-45 and ask the question, “What is the essential message of Jesus? What did he focus on?” Listen to an audio of the sermon here: The Essential Message of Jesus.