The disciples had been with Jesus, they were formed to become like Him, and then it was time to do what Jesus did. But, what does that look like without Jesus? How could we do what Jesus did? How do we spread the message of Jesus to our neighbors and community? We still have the same questions the disciples had. The book of Acts is the second volum…

Easter morning we celebrate the risen Jesus, who conquered sin and death! What do we do, though, for those of us who struggle with our unbelief? What does Easter offer the curious, the doubters, and the faithful? It is a call to come and see. Join us as we explore the implications of Jesus’ call to his disciples and us to take notice of his wounds!…

This week we consider the last words that Jesus spoke right before he took his last breath. These words are especially significant when we consider that just one week prior, Jesus entered into Jerusalem heralded as king. In the midst of Palm Sunday and in anticipation of Holy Week leading into Easter, we consider this one simple question from the c…

What was so important about Jesus’ thirst that it needed to be recorded for us to hear? To hear Jesus’ cry of thirst is to understand the suffering He was enduring. Join us as we explore the living water that Jesus offers for our suffering and thirsty souls. John 19:28-30 28 Later, knowing that everything had now been finished, and so that Scriptur…

Jesus’ final declaration from the cross to the people was, “It is finished.” In this pronouncement, Jesus is saying so many things about his life, his work on the cross, his ministry, and his calling on earth. Come and explore this joyous assertion that Jesus is victorious over sin and the implications for how we now live in light of God’s victory.…

Matthew 27:46 may be the most honest and weighty OMG in history—“…and Jesus cried out with a loud voice, ‘My God, my God, why have you forsaken me?’” With the help of God’s Holy Spirit, we will sit with this difficult ‘last word’ of Jesus from the cross. Matthew 27:46 46 About three in the afternoon Jesus cried out in a loud voice, “Eli, Eli,[a]lem…

This week, we continue our Lenten journey from the cross to the tomb as we explore Jesus’ last words, “Woman, behold your son,” and to his disciple, “behold your mother.” These are words Jesus spoke to his mother, Mary, and his disciple, John. These words are a message of compassion, provision, and a new relationship forged in faith. This Sunday we…

As we enter this Lenten season, we journey with Jesus from the cross to the tomb. In the final hours of His earthly time, as Jesus was dying, He spoke seven times from the cross. Last words can be very revealing. Jesus’ last words of forgiveness, salvation, relationship abandonment, distress, triumph and reunion enable us to look into eternity and …

This week we conclude our series, “The Power to Change,” as we reflect upon how change can actually last for a lifetime. The roadmap to change prescribed by our culture is one of “trying harder” or “giving that little extra…” While that might work in some capacities, Jesus prescribes a different roadmap for lasting change: one rooted in changing ou…

Our worship might not seem like it needs to change, but God wants more than just our worship; He wants our lives. In this prophetic word from Amos, God makes it clear that He is not pleased with the Israelites worship and wants their righteousness and justice along with their worship. Come and reflect on what God wants our worship and our lives to …

It’s great to have a routine or rhythm for our days, but when it gets too comfortable or too routine, our world around us often gets smaller. However, when we shift our focus off ourselves and our comfort zone, instead looking to God and his fullness, he reorients us to his purposes. Join us as we explore where Jesus may be desiring to shift your f…

This week we continue in our series, “The Power to Change,” as we consider the ways in which change actually occurs. From the very beginning, God was focused on relationship with creation, even in the midst of brokenness and uncertainty. This week, we will explore the ways in which relationship will always be the vehicle for reconciliation in our l…

The power to change begins with surrender and repentance, both corporately and personally, but deepens with trust when the wheels fall off. Deuteronomy 8:1-10 1 Be careful to follow every command I am giving you today, so that you may live and increase and may enter and possess the land the Lord promised on oath to your ancestors. 2 Remember how th…

As we look to God and the world around us, where do we even begin to make a positive change? We can try harder and make more plans, but will they amount to anything? Instead, Jesus reorients us—changing our relationships, priorities, and even our worship. He is the Power to Change. Watch HereWatch on FacebookWatch on YouTube Watch on Facebook Watch…

As we set our intentions and resolutions for the New Year, or choose a word to guide us to new possibilities, are we actually setting ourselves up for disappointment or failure? What if, instead of declaring these ideas to God, we sit before him, listen, and maybe ask a different question? Join us as we are challenged into moving out of our heads, …

Joy bursts onto every scene of the nativity story in scripture. It is the shared experience of all who are encountering the good news of Christ’s birth. The shepherds hear the declaration of this great joy from angels, and this changes their lives. They encounter God’s glory around them; explore the meaning; experience God with them; express their …

Peace is a word we throw around during the Christmas season. We sing carols that talk about a peaceful time where a baby was born in Bethlehem, but the peace that Jesus brought was not a platitude. It was a new order: God’s shalom and God’s kingdom. Come as we celebrate Peace Sunday this Advent and learn more about God’s shalom that leads us to His…

Before the birth of Christ, there were almost 500 years of waiting for a sign or word from God. Yet the faithful clung to the promise of and hope for the Messiah. Today, do we rush into the holiday season and the finish line called Christmas morning or do we intentionally slow down and look for the ongoing promises of God? Join us Sunday as we expl…

In the midst of the hustle and bustle of the holiday season, it’s easy to lose sight of the simple truth of Christmas—the extraordinary gift of God’s love. As we enter the season of Advent, we embark on a journey of anticipation. Come with us as we unwrap the layers of hope, peace, joy, and love that Jesus brings to our lives through the ultimate g…

Worry is something we all deal with on some level, and in response, humans have come up with tools like breathing exercises and mindfulness techniques to help us cope. Yet as Christians we receive this simple command from Jesus: “Do not worry.” How can we live in step with the way of Jesus if our lives are filled with worry? Come this week as we di…

This week, we welcome Rev. Peter Sung as our guest speaker! Pastor Peter serves the PacNW Conference and the ECC/SSC as an executive coach and organizational psychologist. Watch through FacebookWatch through YouTube The post The Only Thing That Counts appeared first on Pine Lake Covenant Church.By Pine Lake Covenant Church

This week, we welcome Rev. Dawn Taloyo, Associate Superintendent of the PacNW Conference, as our guest speaker! Ephesians 1:3-14 Praise for Spiritual Blessings in Christ 3 Praise be to the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who has blessed us in the heavenly realms with every spiritual blessing in Christ. 4 For he chose us in him before the c…

As Jesus continues to reorient people to the Kingdom of God in the Sermon on the Mount, He calls out the people’s heart condition. Jesus is not only fulfilling the law, He’s calling out the truth of our own heart conditions. Join us as we explore the way Jesus reshapes us, even in our anger, to be more like Him. Matthew 5:21-26 21 “You have heard t…

We talk about darkness in the world, but darkness is just the absence of light. As disciples, what role do we play as the light of the world in our present lives? Join us as we understand our identity and purpose as light to the world. Matthew 5:14-16 14 “You are the light of the world. A town built on a hill cannot be hidden. 15 Neither do people …

After Jesus had finished his initial address to the gathered crowd, he looked at the disciples and charged them with what? To be salty! Now that has loaded meaning in our culture today, but for Jesus it was pretty clear. Join us as we explore the first responsibilities of Jesus’ disciples who are to go forth from this teaching as the salt of the ea…

Jesus calls all of us to be his disciples. That means we are transformed by being with and becoming like him, and then doing what he did. But what does that look like? We need look no further than Jesus’ first teaching to understand the nature and character of Jesus and, thus, us as his disciples. Join us as we learn to live “The Way of Jesus” ever…

When Jesus called his disciples, he invited them to come and see! That is only half the story! What happened next in the lives of the disciples was preparing them for what was to come. What was to come? Join us as we live into our call as disciples to “come and see, and I will make you fishers of people.” Matthew 4:18-25 Jesus Calls His First Disci…

Who are you becoming? We might not often stop and reflect on who we are now, and who we are aiming to become. As the talmidim of Jesus, we are called to become like Jesus through intentional practices that transform us from the inside out. Join us as we learn the life call to become like Jesus. Luke 6:39-40 39 He also told them this parable: “Can t…

In the Gospels, Jesus calls people to follow Him. It’s not just a mental belief in Him, but a transformative call to apprentice our lives after Him. But what does that really look like? What does apprenticing after Jesus mean 2000 years after He first called His disciples? Join us as we learn that the call to be the Talmidim (the Hebrew word for a …

Vision Sunday is an opportunity to celebrate what we’ve seen God doing in the past year and to anticipate how He might be working through and around us in the coming year! Come this weekend as we cast a vision for what defines us as a community who desires to find and follow Jesus, together! Matthew 22:36-40 36 “Teacher, which is the greatest comma…

How many of us have been hurt by people talking about us behind our backs? As disciples of Jesus, we have been called to bring life not death. Join us as we learn how to talk to—not about—one another. Proverbs 18:8 8 The words of a gossip are like choice morsels; they go down to the inmost parts. Watch on YouTubeWatch on Facebook Watch on Facebook …

Fibs. Kidding. Half-truths. Funny business. To pull the wool over someone’s eyes. Each of these are the nice ways to say someone is lying. Join us as we explore what our lies say about us and about God. Ephesians 4:21-25 21 when you heard about Christ and were taught in him in accordance with the truth that is in Jesus. 22 You were taught, with reg…

Our words have power; power to bring life and to bring destruction. Criticism isn’t always bad, but partnering with the enemy’s critical spirit leads to sin and death. Once we know who we are and whose we are, we can love our neighbor as ourselves, walk in the path God has set for us, and build one another up with our words. Ephesians 4:29 29 Do no…

Whether it’s by complaining, criticizing, gossiping, or lying, our mouths can cause a lot of problems. Words can beat us down and lift us up. They wound and they heal. And the right words at the right time can be exactly what we need to hear—or what we need to say. Let’s find the right words together in a new series, My Big Fat Mouth. James 3:1-12 …

Top Secret documents are for a few eyes only. If you are on the outside, you might feel at the mercy of those with the top secret information. This weekend, Paul is going to open up the Top Secret file for how to have a JoyFULL life, and it is going to be a not-so-top secret anymore. Come as we learn the secret to living a JoyFULL life. Philippians…

If you were to brainstorm the top 5 stressors in your life right now, what would make the list? Finances? Work/employment? Relationships? Family/parenting? We live in a culture that is wrapped in stress and anxiety, yet Paul’s charge at the end of Philippians is to ‘not be anxious about anything.’ These words seem improbable, even impossible when w…

In a job interview, you might get the question, “Where do you see yourself in 5 years?” So, no matter whether you have been following Jesus for 5 minutes or 5 decades, “Where do you see yourself in 5 years as a disciple of Jesus?” Join us as we gain clarity from Paul’s words of encouragement to the people in Philippi. Philippians 3:12-16 12 Not tha…

Confidence can be a tricky thing. It takes time to build and is tested constantly by the world around us. But does your confidence sometimes feel like a house of cards built on a shaky foundation? Join us as we learn the joyFULL confidence found not in what we do or accomplish, but by the singular pursuit of knowing and being known by God. Philippi…

A joyful attitude is centered in participating in God’s kingdom mission, together. When we accept this open invitation to participation, we discover the absolute joy and fulfillment of being coworkers in our Father’s vineyard, and we then rejoice in what He rejoices in… we rejoice together! But, what can steal our joyful attitude? Envy. Envy is a v…

Humility is not about being lowly and self-deprecating. It’s about who we are and whose we are. As we see ourselves as God sees us and act out of that humble place, we will experience the joy of loving others as God loves them and the joy of God using us to build His Kingdom. Philippians 2:1-11 Imitating Christ’s Humility 2 Therefore if you have an…

Do you ever think about what comes next as followers of Jesus? How does the joy we find in the life to come impact our lives today? Join us in understanding how our future joy is lived in our present lives. Philippians 1:19-26 19 for I know that through your prayers and God’s provision of the Spirit of Jesus Christ what has happened to me will turn…

Rejoicing is an outward expression of a JoyFULL heart. It is a natural outflow that cannot be contained. We are called to be people who rejoice, but what are we rejoicing about? Join us this week as we seek to be people who rejoice because we are JoyFULL people. Philippians 1:9-18 9 And this is my prayer: that your love may abound more and more in …

Did you know that each year a report is generated on the happiest places in the world? Some rate companies and some rate countries. But no company or country stays on top of the happiness rankings. As Christians, we’re not seeking after happiness, but after joy. Joy isn’t something that we find, it is something we receive as a gift. Join us as we l…

This week is Confirmation Sunday! Come celebrate all that God has done and continues to do in the life of a student who has journeyed through the confirmation experience this year. This is not only a huge step in this student’s faith journey, but an opportunity to celebrate God’s faithfulness as a church. See you Sunday! Luke 15:11-32 The Parable o…

God has wired us to be a community of friends, but what does that look like? How does our spiritual friendship look any different than the friendship culture describes? Join us as we explore what it looks like to be friends who follow Jesus. Proverbs 27:17 As iron sharpens iron, so one person sharpens another. Watch through FacebookWatch through Yo…

The truth is friendship across all ages is at an all-time low. We have fewer friends, and spend less time with the friends we have. So what does friendship have to do with Jesus? Join us as we learn God’s intention for our connected relationships with each other. Proverbs 27:17 As iron sharpens iron, so one person sharpens another. Watch through Fa…

When we hear the word “conflict,” some of us head for the hills, and others face it head on. Conflict has the power to disconnect us when we allow it to drive a wedge between us, but it doesn’t have to be this way for us as followers of Jesus. Join us as we learn to navigate conflict Jesus’ way so that we can be reconnected again! Matthew 18:15-17 …

How do you know who to trust? How do you learn to trust? What happens when trust is broken? This weekend we will see what Jesus has to say about the trust He puts in us and the trust we give to others. Matthew 25:14-30 The Parable of the Bags of Gold 14 “Again, it will be like a man going on a journey, who called his servants and entrusted his weal…

How do you react when people want so much from you? Jesus always had a crowd seeking after him, wanting something from him. His reaction to them tells us why people not only sought him out, but knew there was something different about him than other religious leaders. So what made him different? It was the posture of his heart towards people. Join …

It doesn’t take much to realize that our world is hurting, and often times this pain stems from broken relationships that leave us disconnected from one another. And yet, Jesus spoke extensively about relationships and embodied a simple model for healthy living. This week we begin a new series called ‘Disconnected’ by exploring the relational frame…