Covenant Life Church

Covenant Life Church

By Pastor Dave CrammerSociety & CultureReligion & SpiritualityChristianityEducationSelf-ImprovementPhilosophy
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Covenant Life Church episodes

  • Pressure

    Matthew 12:33-37 NKJV

    “Either make the tree good and its fruit good, or else make the tree bad and its fruit bad; for a tree is known by its fruit. 34 Brood of vipers! How can you, being evil, speak good things? For out of the abundance of the heart the mouth speaks.35 A good man out of the good treasure of his heart brings forth good things, and an evil man out of the evil treasure brings forth evil things. 36 But I say to you that for every idle word men may speak, they will give account of it in the day of judgment. 37 For by your words you will be justified, and by your words you will be condemned.”

    1. THE PRESSURE REVEALS THE CONTENTS

    “When the pressure is on—what comes out?”

    Jesus makes it clear:

    “Out of the abundance of the heart the mouth speaks.” (Matthew 12:34)

    “By your words you will be justified, and by your words you will be condemned.” (v.37)

    2. THE HEART IS A STOREHOUSE

    Greek word: “treasure” (θησαυρός — thēsauros)

    • A storehouse, repository, magazine
    • A place where things are stored now to be used later

      • Matthew 12:35 NKJV

      A good man out of the good treasure of his heart brings forth good things, and an evil man out of the evil treasure brings forth evil things.

      Psalm 1:1–3 NKJV

      Blessed is the man Who walks not in the counsel of the ungodly, Nor stands in the path of sinners, Nor sits in the seat of the scornful; 2 But his delight is in the law of the Lord, And in His law he meditates day and night 3 He shall be like a tree Planted by the rivers of water, That brings forth its fruit in its season, Whose leaf also shall not wither; And whatever he does shall prosper.

      3. THE WORD TRANSFORMS

      Psalm 119:130 NKJV

      The entrance of Your words gives light; It gives understanding to the simple.

      When the Word enters:

      • It brings light
      • It brings understanding
      • It begins to transform the inner man

        • 2 Corinthians 3:17–18 NKJV

        Now the Lord is the Spirit; and where the Spirit of the Lord is, there is liberty. 18 But we all, with unveiled face, beholding as in a mirror the glory of the Lord, are being transformed into the same image from glory to glory, just as by the Spirit of the Lord.

        “You have to meditate upon the Word Of God until all doubts are driven out.”

        Kenneth Hagin

        John 1:1–5 NKJV

        In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. 2 He was in the beginning with God. 3 All things were made through Him, and without Him nothing was made that was made. 4 In Him was life, and the life was the light of men. 5 And the light shines in the darkness, and the darkness did not comprehend it.

        “You have to meditate upon the Word of God until all doubts are driven out.” – Kenneth Hagin

        So when the squeeze comes:

        • Fear doesn’t come out
        • Doubt doesn’t come out
        • Negativity doesn’t come out

          • The Word comes out. Faith comes out. Life comes out.

          Final Thought

          If you don’t like what’s coming out under pressure…
          Change what you’re storing in your heart.

          The post Pressure first appeared on Covenant Life Church.
          34 min
        • The Prayer of Intercession

          To Intercede means — To intervene on behalf of another, to act as a mediator in a dispute, or to plead with an authority to help someone.

          So when it comes to prayer, an intercessor is someone who takes the place of another or who pleads another’s case before God.

          1 Corinthians 14:15 KJV

          What is it then? I will pray with the spirit, and I will pray with the understanding also; I will sing with the spirit, and I will sing with the understanding also.

          There is mental intercession which we do in our understanding as far as we can, but then there is spiritual intercession which we do in other tongues.

          Romans 8:26-27 KJV

          26 Likewise the Spirit also helpeth our infirmities: for we know not what we should pray for as we ought: but the Spirit itself maketh intercession for us with groanings which cannot be uttered. 27 And he that searcheth the hearts knoweth what is the mind of the Spirit, because he maketh intercession for the saints according to the will of God.

          The Holy Spirit will take hold with you to pray out what needs to be prayed out, but if we don’t start praying then He has nothing to take hold with.

          Ezekiel 22:30 KJV

          And I sought for a man among them, that should make up the hedge, and stand in the gap before me for the land, that I should not destroy it: but I found none.

          Isaiah 66:8-9 KJV

          7 Before she travailed, she brought forth; before her pain came, she was delivered of a man child. 8 Who hath heard such a thing? who hath seen such things? Shall the earth be made to bring forth in one day? or shall a nation be born at once? for as soon as Zion travailed, she brought forth her children. 9 Shall I bring to the birth, and not cause to bring forth? saith the Lord: shall I cause to bring forth, and shut the womb? saith thy God.

          John Wesley said, “It seems as if God can do nothing on the earth apart from prayer.”

          James 5:16b

          The earnest (heartfelt, continued) prayer of a righteous man makes tremendous power available [dynamic in its working].

          Galatians 4:19 ESV 

          19 my little children, for whom I am again in the anguish of childbirth until Christ is formed in you!

          The KJV actually says for whom I travail in prayer until Christ be formed in you…

          When you have a burden to pray, pray all the way through.

          You’ll know when you’ve prayed through when you hit “a note of victory.

          The post The Prayer of Intercession first appeared on Covenant Life Church.
          14 min
        • Guest Speaker Pastor Craig Hagin – Fig Tree Faith

          Mark 11:12-14

          Now the next day, when they had come out from Bethany, He was hungry. And seeing from afar a fig tree having leaves, He went to see if perhaps He would find something on it. When He came to it, He found nothing but leaves, for it was not the season for figs. In response Jesus said to it, “Let no one eat fruit from you ever again.” And His disciples heard it.

          Mark 11:20

          Now in the morning, as they passed by, they saw the fig tree dried up from the roots. 

          Mark 11:22

          So Jesus answered and said to them, “Have faith in God.

          Mark 11:23

          For assuredly, I say to you, whoever says to this mountain, ‘Be removed and be cast into the sea,’ and does not doubt in his heart, but believes that those things he says will be done, he will have whatever he says.

          Mark 11:24

          Therefore I say to you, whatever things you ask when you pray, believe that you receive them, and you will have them.

          Proverbs 18:21

          Death and life are in the power of the tongue, And those who love it will eat its fruit.

          2 Corinthians 4:13

          And since we have the same spirit of faith, according to what is written, “I believed and therefore I spoke,” we also believe and therefore speak,

          Romans 4:17

          (as it is written, “I have made you a father of many nations”) in the presence of Him whom he believed—God, who gives life to the dead and calls those things which do not exist as though they did; 

          Hebrews 11:3

          By faith we understand that the worlds were framed by the word of God, so that the things which are seen were not made of things which are visible.

          Mark 9:23

          Jesus said to him, “If you can believe, all things are possible to him who believes.”

          The post Guest Speaker Pastor Craig Hagin – Fig Tree Faith first appeared on Covenant Life Church.
          1 hr 1 min
        • Pray for Peace

          PRAY FOR PEACE

          1 Corinthians 14:1–5, NKJV

          Pursue love, and desire spiritual gifts, but especially that you may prophesy. 2 For he who speaks in a tongue does not speak to men but to God, for no one understands him; however, in the spirit he speaks mysteries. 3 But he who prophesies speaks edification and exhortation and comfort to men. 4 He who speaks in a tongue edifies himself, but he who prophesies edifies the church. 5 I wish you all spoke with tongues, but even more that you prophesied; for he who prophesies is greater than he who speaks with tongues, unless indeed he interprets, that the church may receive edification.

          Romans 8:26–27, NKJV

          Likewise the Spirit also helps in our weaknesses. For we do not know what we should pray for as we ought, but the Spirit Himself makes intercession for us with groanings which cannot be uttered. 27 Now He who searches the hearts knows what the mind of the Spirit is, because He makes intercession for the saints according to the will of God.

          1 Timothy 2:1–4 NKJV

          Therefore I exhort first of all that supplications, prayers, intercessions, and giving of thanks be made for all men, 2 for kings and all who are in authority, that we may lead a quiet and peaceable life in all godliness and reverence. 3 For this is good and acceptable in the sight of God our Savior, 4 who desires all men to be saved and to come to the knowledge of the truth.

          1. PRAY FOR LEADERS TO RECEIVE WISDOM

          Wars are often prolonged by pride, fear, and poor counsel.

          1 Kings 3:9 NKJV

          Therefore give to Your servant an understanding heart to judge Your people, that I may discern between good and evil. For who is able to judge this great people of Yours?

          1 Kings 3:12 NKJV

          Behold, I have done according to your words; see, I have given you a wise and understanding heart, so that there has not been anyone like you before you, nor shall any like you arise after you.”

          1 Kings 4:24-25 NKJV

          For he had dominion over all the region on this side of the River from Tiphsah even to Gaza, namely over all the kings on this side of the River; and he had peace on every side all around him. 25 And Judah and Israel dwelt safely, each man under his vine and his fig tree, from Dan as far as Beersheba, all the days of Solomon.

          Proverbs 21:1 NKJV

          The king’s heart is in the hand of the Lord, Like the rivers of water; He turns it wherever He wishes.

          2. PRAY FOR PEACE

          Psalm 122:6 NKJV

          Pray for the peace of Jerusalem: ‘May they prosper who love you.’”

          Here are a few other translations for added depth:

          ESV “Pray for the peace of Jerusalem! ‘May they be secure who love you!’”

          Psalm 46:9 NKJV

          He makes wars cease to the end of the earth.”

          God is not the author of chaos. He is a peacemaker. You’re not begging; you’re aligning with His revealed will.

          3. TAKE AUTHORITY

          Take Authority Over the Spiritual Forces Behind War

          Ephesians 6:12 NKJV

          For we do not wrestle against flesh and blood, but against principalities, against powers, against the rulers of the darkness of this age, against spiritual hosts of wickedness in the heavenly places.

          Luke 9:1, NKJV

          Then He called His twelve disciples together and gave them power and authority over all demons, and to cure diseases.

          Luke 10:17–19, NKJV

          Then the seventy returned with joy, saying, “Lord, even the demons are subject to us in Your name.” 18 And He said to them, “I saw Satan fall like lightning from heaven. 19 Behold, I give you the authority to trample on serpents and scorpions, and over all the power of the enemy, and nothing shall by any means hurt you.

          Matthew 28:18, NKJV

          And Jesus came and spoke to them, saying, “All authority has been given to Me in heaven and on earth.

          4. PRAY FOR PROTECTION

          of Civilians and the Church

          • Innocent families
          • Children
          • Believers in the region

            • 5. PRAY FOR REDEMPTION, NOT JUST RESOLUTION

            • For hearts to turn to Christ
            • For dreams and visions (especially in Muslim regions where testimonies of Jesus appearing are common)
            • For the gospel to advance

              • You’re not only praying for war to stop; you’re praying for eternal impact.

              The post Pray for Peace first appeared on Covenant Life Church.
              38 min
            • The Prayer of Commitment

              1 Peter 5:7 AMP

              Casting the whole of your care [all your anxieties, all your worries, all your concerns, once and for all] on Him, for He cares for you affectionately and cares about you watchfully.

              Rules/Principles: Roll burdens/anxieties over to God and leave them there — refuse to worry or take them back. It’s about trust and release,

              1. GIVE IT TO HIM

              John 6:5-7 NLT

              Jesus soon saw a huge crowd of people coming to look for him. Turning to Philip, he asked, “Where can we buy bread to feed all these people?” 6 He was testing Philip, for he already knew what he was going to do. 7 Philip replied, “Even if we worked for months, we wouldn’t have enough money* to feed them!”

              2. LEARN TO REST IN HIS FINISHED WORK

              Come unto me all you who labor… take my yoke upon you

              Easy light

              Matthew 6:31–34 NKJV

              Therefore do not worry, saying, ‘What shall we eat?’ or ‘What shall we drink?’ or ‘What shall we wear?’ 32 For after all these things the Gentiles seek. For your heavenly Father knows that you need all these things. 33 But seek first the kingdom of God and His righteousness, and all these things shall be added to you. 34 Therefore do not worry about tomorrow, for tomorrow will worry about its own things. Sufficient for the day is its own trouble.

              1 Peter 5:7 TPT

              Pour out all your worries and stress upon him and leave them there, for he always tenderly cares for you.

              3. CASTING DOWN

              2 Corinthians 10:5 NKJV

              Casting down arguments and every high thing that exalts itself against the knowledge of God, bringing every thought into captivity to the obedience of Christ.”

              This verse shows that believers have authority in Christ to challenge, restrain, and redirect thoughts that contradict God’s truth, aligning them instead with Christ’s lordship.

              Refuse to allow a satanic thought to reign supreme in your thinking.

              1. Bringing

              Meaning: to take captive, to lead away as a prisoner of war

              • From αἰχμάλωτος = a captive taken by spear
              • continuous action
                • Not a one-time event, but an ongoing, active enforcement of victory.

                2. Every (pan)

                • every, all, without exception

                  • Emphasis: No rogue thoughts allowed—total jurisdiction.

                  3. Thought (nóēma)

                  • thought, perception, mindset, intention, mental purpose
                    • From νοέω = to perceive, to understand
                      • Includes reasoning patterns, not just passing thoughts.

                      4. Into (eis)

                      Indicates movement toward a new condition.

                      5. obedience (tēn hypakoēn)

                      submission that comes from attentive listening
                      Obedience is placing something under what Christ says.

                      6. Of Christ, (tou Christou)

                      belonging to Chris → ownership and authority

                      The post The Prayer of Commitment first appeared on Covenant Life Church.
                      39 min
                    • The Prayer of Praise and Worship

                      The prayer of praise and worship is the highest type of prayer. It can and should be used in conjunction to all other forms of prayer.

                      Praise means: To express approval or admiration for someone’s virtues, achievements, or actions.

                      True Praise and Worship

                      John 4:23-24 KJV

                      23 But the hour cometh, and now is, when the true worshippers shall worship the Father in spirit and in truth: for the Father seeketh such to worship him. 24 God is a Spirit: and they that worship him must worship him in spirit and in truth.

                      Isaiah 29:13 AMPC

                      13 And the Lord said, Forasmuch as this people draw near Me with their mouth and honor Me with their lips but remove their hearts and minds far from Me, and their fear and reverence for Me are a commandment of men that is learned by repetition [without any thought as to the meaning],

                      We need to be authentic in our worship of God. Everybody knows how to praise if it’s something that’s important to them. Praise is not a denominational, cultural, or racial thing.

                      Expressions of Praise

                      1. Singing

                      Psalm 98:1 NKJV

                      Oh, sing to the Lord a new song! For He has done marvelous things; His right hand and His holy arm have gained Him the victory.

                      Psalm 100:1-2 KJV

                      Make a joyful noise unto the Lord, all ye lands. 2 Serve the Lord with gladness: come before his presence with singing.

                      Colossians 3:16 KJV

                      Let the word of Christ dwell in you richly in all wisdom, teaching and admonishing one another in psalms and hymns and spiritual songs, singing with grace in your hearts to the Lord.

                      2. Shouting

                      Psalm 47:1 KJV

                      O clap your hands, all ye people; shout unto God with the voice of triumph.

                      1 Samuel 4:5-7 NIV

                      5 When the ark of the Lord’s covenant came into the camp, all Israel raised such a great shout that the ground shook. 6 Hearing the uproar, the Philistines asked, “What’s all this shouting in the Hebrew camp?” When they learned that the ark of the Lord had come into the camp, 7 the Philistines were afraid. “A god has[a] come into the camp,” they said. “Oh no! Nothing like this has happened before.

                      3. Lifting Our Hands

                      Psalm 134:2 KJV

                      Lift up your hands in the sanctuary, and bless the Lord.

                      1 Timothy 2:8 NKJV

                      I desire therefore that the men pray everywhere, lifting up holy hands, without wrath and doubting;

                      4. Dancing

                      Psalm 149:3 KJV

                      Let them praise His name in the dance

                      2 Samuel 6:14 KJV

                      And David danced before the Lord with all his might.

                      Psalm 30:11 NLT

                      You have turned my mourning into joyful dancing. You have taken away my clothes of mourning and clothed me with joy,

                      Praise is a Weapon

                      Praising God will carry you through the hard times in life. Your family needs to see you praise God. We should be able to offer praise to God at any given time.

                      Psalm 149:6 NKJV

                      Let the high praises of God be in their mouth, And a two-edged sword in their hand,

                      Dr. Lillian B. Yeomans M.D.

                      The Praise Cure

                      “Just believe what the word says God has done for you body soul and spirit. Think about it. Talk about it. Sing about it. Shout about it. And the praise cure has begun.”

                      1 Peter 1:8 NKJV

                      Though now you do not see Him, yet believing, you rejoice with joy inexpressible and full of glory,

                      The post The Prayer of Praise and Worship first appeared on Covenant Life Church.
                      47 min
                    • The Prayer of Agreement

                      When Two Touch Heaven Together!

                      Ephesians 6:19-20 NKJV

                      praying always with all prayer and supplication in the Spirit, being watchful to this end with all perseverance and supplication for all the saints—19 and for me, that utterance may be given to me, that I may open my mouth boldly to make known the mystery of the gospel, 20 for which I am an ambassador in chains; that in it I may speak boldly, as I ought to speak.

                      1. THE POWER OF UNITY

                      Deuteronomy 32:30

                      One can put 1000 two flight two can put 10,000 to flight!

                      Genesis 11:3–4, NKJV

                      Then they said to one another, “Come, let us make bricks and bake them thoroughly.” They had brick for stone, and they had asphalt for mortar. 4 And they said, “Come, let us build ourselves a city, and a tower whose top is in the heavens; let us make a name for ourselves, lest we be scattered abroad over the face of the whole earth.”

                      Genesis 11:6–7 AMP

                      And the Lord said, Behold, they are one people and they have all one language; and this is only the beginning of what they will do, and now nothing they have imagined they can do will be impossible for them. 7 Come, let Us go down and there confound (mix up, confuse) their language, that they may not understand one another’s speech.

                      Matthew 12:25 AMP

                      And knowing their thoughts, He said to them, Any kingdom that is divided against itself is being brought to desolation and laid waste, and no city or house divided against itself will last or continue to stand.

                      2. TRUE AGREEMENT

                      Matthew 18:19 NKJV

                      Again I say to you that if two of you agree on earth concerning anything that they ask, it will be done for them by My Father in heaven.

                      3. SPECIFIC AND SCRIPTURAL

                      Touching Any Thing in Line with God’s Will. The prayer covers “any thing” they ask, but it must align with Gods Word.

                      1 John 5:14–15, NKJV

                      Now this is the confidence that we have in Him, that if we ask anything according to His will, He hears us. 15 And if we know that He hears us, whatever we ask, we know that we have the petitions that we have asked of Him.

                      4. HEAVEN’S BACKING

                      Matthew 18:19 NKJV

                      Again I say to you that if two of you agree on earth concerning anything that they ask, it will be done for them by My Father in heaven.

                      Amos 3:3

                      Can two walk together, unless they are agreed? They must of agreed on something,

                      The post The Prayer of Agreement first appeared on Covenant Life Church.
                      40 min
                    • The Prayer of Faith

                      Ephesians 6:18-20 NKJV

                      praying always with all prayer and supplication in the Spirit, being watchful to this end with all perseverance and supplication for all the saints—19 and for me, that utterance may be given to me, that I may open my mouth boldly to make known the mystery of the gospel, 20 for which I am an ambassador in chains; that in it I may speak boldly, as I ought to speak. Here are the Rules to the “Prayer of Faith.”

                      1. YOU MUST KNOW THE WILL OF GOD

                      1 John 5:14–15 NKJV

                      Now this is the confidence that we have in Him, that if we ask anything according to His will, He hears us. 15 And if we know that He hears us, whatever we ask, we know that we have the petitions that we have asked of Him.

                      Romans 10:8–10 NKJV

                      But what does it say? “The word is near you, in your mouth and in your heart” (that is, the word of faith which we preach): 9 that if you confess with your mouth the Lord Jesus and believe in your heart that God has raised Him from the dead, you will be saved. 10 For with the heart one believes unto righteousness, and with the mouth confession is made unto salvation.

                      Romans 10:17 NKJV

                      So then faith comes by hearing, and hearing by the word of God.

                      2. RECEIVE WHEN YOU PRAY

                      Mark 11:24 (KJV)

                      “Therefore I say unto you, What things soever ye desire, when ye pray, believe that ye receive them, and ye shall have them.” The believing comes before the having. You don’t pray and then hope or beg—you pray, believe you’ve got it, and thank God as if it’s already yours. Faith sees the answer in the spirit realm before it appears in the natural.

                      3. NO DOUBT

                      Matthew 14:28–31 NKJV

                      And Peter answered Him and said, “Lord, if it is You, command me to come to You on the water.” 29 So He said, “Come.” And when Peter had come down out of the boat, he walked on the water to go to Jesus. 30 But when he saw that the wind was boisterous, he was afraid; and beginning to sink he cried out, saying, “Lord, save me!” 31 And immediately Jesus stretched out His hand and caught him, and said to him, “O you of little faith, why did you doubt?”

                      4. THE EVIDENCE OF FAITH

                      True faith acts like it already has the answer. after believing you receive, thank God continually and act accordingly.

                      Hebrews 10:23 KJV

                      Let us hold fast the profession of our faith without wavering; for he is faithful that promised

                      4. THIS PRAYER IS FOR YOU

                      Mark 11:24 NKJV

                      Therefore I say to you, whatever things you ask when you pray, believe that you receive them, and you will have them. Do you see the focus? It is on you.

                      The post The Prayer of Faith first appeared on Covenant Life Church.
                      39 min

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