Chapel Messages

Covenant Christian School is not a church, but we do conduct weekly chapel services. It is good for the people of God to worship together, especially in age appropriate settings that encourage the students to grow in their understanding of and their appreciation for the praise of God as he as revealed himself in the Scriptures.

All of our chapel messages can now be downloaded for free as an iTunes podcast.

Monday, February 20, 2012

Check out the new chapels messages just uploaded. Watch for more postings coming soon!

Wednesday, October 19, 2011

On the heels of Jesus' teaching on divorce, the author of this gospel opens to us Jesus' compassion upon the children. Society's view of children during the time of Jesus was vastly different than our society's view of children. Today, children often live as the center of attention by their parents, teachers, and society. During Jesus' time, children were to be seen and not heard, were viewed at the provider of parents in their later years, and were often begrudgingly tolerated.

The author of this gospel contrasts the human callousness and selfishness of the disciples over  and against the overwhelming generous love of Jesus. This is a poignant and well-placed narrative. This account also helps us to understand what the kingdom of heaven is all about.

The parents in Mark's gospel bring their children to Jesus in the hope of obtaining a blessing for them. They recognized that their children needed this blessing. But, and most did not fully understand the significance of what they were doing, while the parents were seeking a blessing from Jesus as Prophet and Messiah, they would receive much more than they anticipated. They would receive a blessing from God Himself, as Jesus is "God with us." After all, his name is Emmanuel.

Mark wants you and I to understand that these babies are receiving a blessing from God. The kingdom of God belongs to these children. These children can do nothing for themselves. They are totally dependent. But they receive the gift of God by grace through faith. Please listen to this account of the compassion and love of Christ.

Thursday, October 13, 2011

It has been estimated that the divorce rate among Christian marriages is 42 percent, compared to 50 percent among non-Christian husbands and wives. Regardless of the rate, it is well known that divorce is one of the most stressful events which occurs in any family. A divorce not only separates a husband and wife, but also children and parents, families and friends. The effect of divorce reaches into every social aspect of our lives. In God's providence, the text of our chapel message this week reveals to us Jesus' teaching about divorce.

The Pharisees ask Jesus, "Is it lawful for a man to divorce his wife?" Were the Pharisees trying again to trap Jesus? After all, John the Baptist told Herod that it was not lawful for him to have Herodias, his brother Philip's wife, as his own wife. And look what happened to John the Baptist! (See Matthew 14:1-12)

Jesus responds by asking the Pharisees, who after all knew the Law, "What did Moses command you?" The Pharisees respond by quoting Deuteronomy 24, the last of the five books of the Pentateuch which were written by Moses. Moses allowed a man to write a certificate of divorce and to send her away. We might think that this response would settle the issue. After all, certainly Jesus would not oppose Moses, would he?

Then Jesus corrects the understanding of the Pharisees. Moses permitted Israel to divorce, he tells them, because of the hardness of their hearts. The hearts of the people of Israel had become so hardened that they divorced for the most trivial of reasons. But Jesus says this was not the original intent of God. Quoting Genesis, the first book of the Pentateuch also written by Moses, Jesus tells the Pharisees what God has joined together, let not man separate. Jesus' response does not pit him against Moses, but affirms to them what Moses had written about God's intention for marriage.

While the Pharisees focused on the problems of the marriage relationship and how to best deal them through divorce, Jesus focuses on the heart of God for the marriage relationship and the promise that what God intends, he will bring to pass. This passage gives all of us hope for that most vital of all human relationships, marriage.

Jesus explains to the Pharisees that Moses permitted them to divorce because ot the hardness of their hearts. Listen here for the hope that God gives to us in Christ.

Wednesday, October 5, 2011

We pick up our message where we left off last week. Jesus and his disciples are on the road to Jerusalem. Jesus understands that the cross awaits him at the end of this road. Among his final acts, Jesus is trying to get his disciples to understand the true cost of discipleship. The path of a disciple of Jesus is not the fast track to popularity, power, fame, glory, or riches. However, it is the only path that leads to life, because this path goes through the Cross. Listen to more about the cost of discipleship that Jesus wants his disciples to learn.

Wednesday, September 28, 2011

We live in a world in which it is all too common for people to increase their importance, reputation, and power at the expense of others. A common characterization of life in the world is that it is "a dog-eat-dog world." For someone to succeed, the saying goes, someone one else must fail.

As with all things, Jesus turns this philosophy on its head and shows it to be the lie it really is. For the second time, Jesus tells his disciples of his coming death and resurrection. But, his disciples did not understand the importance of the impending events that Jesus was teaching them. While Jesus teaches, the disciples are arguing about which of them would be greatest in the kingdom of heaven. How discouraging that must have been! Jesus is telling them that he was to die and be raised from the dead, and the disciples are bickering about their own glory. Jesus understands that the path of glory leads to and through the cross.

Jesus uses his actions as the One who came, not to be served, but to serve as an example to be followed by his disciples, then and now. If you wish to be great in the kingdom of heaven, you must become the servant of all. Rather than pushing himself to his rightful place of glory and honor, Jesus submits himself to the shame of the cross to serve his people by saving them from their sin. Jesus trusts his Father to glorify him with the glory that he had with him before the foundation of the world. His example becomes our example and our obligation to become the servant of all.

Listen here to find out what Jesus is really all about.

Wednesday, September 21, 2011

After his transfiguration, Jesus rejoins his disciples in the middle of a great crowd and an argument with the scribes. The focus of their attention is a desperate father and his son, who is possessed of a demon that makes him mute. The father tells Jesus that he asked the disciples to cast the demon out, and they were not able. The father then says to Jesus, "If you can do anything, have compassion on us and help us."
Jesus replied, "If you can!" Jesus has already demonstrated his power over demons, diseases, infirmities, and even death! Then Jesus tells the father, "All things are possible for one who believes." The desperate father's reply is certainly one that we should cry out today; "I believe; help my unbelief!" Listen to this powerful message of Jesus' compassion and power.

Wednesday, September 14, 2011

Most of us love glory and hate humiliation. However, the Lord Jesus Christ's life involved both humiliation and glory. His humiliation consisted in his incarnation, his life as a man, and his death on the cross. His glory was revealed in his resurrection from the dead, following a life and death that glorified his Father. In this message from the gospel of Mark chapter nine, hear how Jesus manifested his glory in his transfiguration in verses two through eight, and then openly taught his disciples about his coming humiliation in verses nine through thirteen. Listen to the message here.

Wednesday, September 7, 2011

Today we began our weekly chapel worship in the Gospel of Mark by picking up where we left off at the end of the last school year.

In Mark 8:31-33 Peter has the audacity to rebuke Jesus after he tells the disciples of his coming death and resurrection. What in the world was Peter thinking? To find out, please listen to the message.