Sermons Pine Lake Covenant Church

Jesus’ arrival in an insignificant town through an ordinary peasant couple is part of Christmas’ astonishing reversal. God often shows up in unexpected places through unexpected means. Are we prepared to welcome Him in small and often overlooked places as well? The post Bethlehem’s Promise appeared first on Pine Lake Covenant Church.

Advent looks ahead to the arrival of the most significant figure in human history. From ancient prophecies through our times, we can be assured that God’s actions are purposeful not purposeless. The post Arrival, Not A…Rival appeared first on Pine Lake Covenant Church.

Because Christ is the ultimate source of all energy and all that is good, we can get ready for the future! We can be people who add energy, goodness, truth and love to the world around us rather than those who drain energy away. The post Energy appeared first on Pine Lake Covenant Church.

What character qualities are needed as we get ready for a new season? Jesus’ sermon on the mount outlined practices that would define his followers. It’s never been about outward show, but a genuine, prayer-shaped walk with God. Encountering Jesus through prayer influences the trajectory of a church more than anything else we might do. The post Prayer Full appeared first on Pine Lake Covenant Church.

We’ve called a new pastor and have high hopes for what this leader will bring to our community and our mission in the world. Now the question is: How can we prepare as a church for this next season? How might God be renewing us as a welcoming people? The post Radical Welcome appeared first on Pine Lake Covenant Church.

When Moses set up the tabernacle as commanded, God’s presence settled in the middle of the Israelite community. Heaven met earth and God’s glory was visible in the neighborhood. God continues to “tabernacle” in our time, in our place. Where does heaven meet earth today? The post Tabernacle appeared first on Pine Lake Covenant Church.

In Genesis chapter 3, Adam’s & Eve’s sin creates a rift between them and God, and God makes the first move to close that gap. Austin Bailey shares how that’s a perfect model for us today as we approach the relationships in our lives. *On Sunday, October 24, we welcomed Austin Bailey, the candidate for our Lead Pastor position! Despite having no power due to a windstorm, we managed to capture video (missing a few minutes at 31:56) and audio […] The post Close the Gap appeared first on Pine Lake Covenant Church.

Our intention to live God’s way inevitably bumps up against the desire to live our way. Like Israel, we are prone to fashion gods that fit our sensibilities and meet our needs. Maybe not a golden calf, but rebellion against God is expressed in many ways. Is there hope for Israel? For us? The post Rebellion appeared first on Pine Lake Covenant Church.

The 10 commandments are often viewed as strict rules we must adhere to in order for God to save us. But these guidelines express commitments for those God has already delivered into freedom. This is the wonder of God’s covenant law. The post Covenant Law appeared first on Pine Lake Covenant Church.

Water and bread have pivotal significance throughout the story of Scripture as expressions of God’s presence. As we approach the Communion table together this Sunday we’ll consider how God’s provision becomes a daily test of obedience during seasons in the wilderness. The post Provision appeared first on Pine Lake Covenant Church.

Cloud and fire: The people of the Exodus were given these 24/7 visible reminders that God was for them and with them. We too want to know that God is present and connected to our daily lives. Could Presence be so close and constant that we’ve failed to notice? The post Presence appeared first on Pine Lake Covenant Church.

We’ve probably seen cinematic depictions of Israel before the Red Sea—Dreamworks’ The Prince of Egypt or Charlton Heston in The 10 Commandments. Whatever vision comes to your mind, the terrifying experience brought the people to a crossroads. Would they turn back to the oppressive yet predictable existence of Egypt, or trust God to bring a new deliverance? The same questions confront us in the terrifying experiences of our lives. Will we wait on God’s deliverance? The post Deliverance appeared first on Pine Lake Covenant Church.

Where do you place your hopes for the future? In Jeremiah’s day, as in our own, the choice is clear. We can put our trust in human endeavors or set our confidence in the Lord. As we launch into a new ministry year, we root ourselves anew in our only true source of hope. The post Rooted in Hope appeared first on Pine Lake Covenant Church.

This week we conclude our series as we turn to the book of Acts to see how the early church took seriously this simple yet profound call to serve, and as a result it turned the Roman Empire upside down. How might the trajectory of the early church continue to shape our purpose as a church 2,000 years later? The post A Call to Serve appeared first on Pine Lake Covenant Church.

We go through our days without giving much thought to how the parts of our bodies are working. Yet each body part is necessary and valuable to keep us living. When we view each person in the church in the same way, we are a healthy working community. The post One Body, Many Parts appeared first on Pine Lake Covenant Church.

Welcome! Join us here for our service at 10AM on Sunday, August 22. In a culture that celebrates ambition and personal power, Jesus calls for a different kind of greatness. Instead of exerting power over others, Jesus’ power comes from serving under them. What might this greatness look like in Sammamish in 2021? The post True Greatness appeared first on Pine Lake Covenant Church.

The marks of a true Christian include loving and serving one another. However, we often reduce serving to a checklist item, or chore we need to get through. What happens when we reframe serving by asking the question, “What Needs to be Done?” Let’s explore stories of those who recently did this as we also consider how we might serve one another. The post What Needs to be Done? appeared first on Pine Lake Covenant Church.

The “good life” that often captures our imagination is centered on upward mobility and getting ahead. But the mindset to which Jesus calls us is just the opposite. What does downward mobility mean for His followers? The post The Downward Mobility of Servanthood appeared first on Pine Lake Covenant Church.

There are common things in our world which help us stick with a group—family, ethnicity, socioeconomic factors, occupation, even political persuasions. But the church is defined by wholly different commonalities. John ends his letter with a call to build community through loving, obeying and overcoming. Here are the responses from the congregation on what makes a genuine Christian community. The post Lovers, Followers, Overcomers appeared first on Pine Lake Covenant Church.

The issue of sin is not one we readily dive into; yet we know the reality of its influence in our lives. John reminds us that genuine community is birthed through honest recognition of our sin and confident reliance on the One who ultimately destroys its power over us. The post Dealing with Sin appeared first on Pine Lake Covenant Church.