Covenant Naples

Many of us spend our lives grinding it out day after day to accomplish, achieve, and accumulate only to find ourselves mildly to severely dissatisfied. Or to put it in the language of Ecclesiastes, “what have we gained from all our grinding?” Take a break from the grind and join us to find out where true gain is found.

Sermon Outline:

I. Grinding for Gain is Absurd.

II. Grinding as Gift is Joyful.

III. Enjoying God’s Gifts is a Gift.

Sermon Discussion Questions:

1. Have you ever experienced the “arrival fallacy,” where you accomplished something only to discover there is no lasting happiness there? Tell about it.

2. Where do you feel most keenly the daily grind of life and work? What three reasons are found in the passage for why grinding for gain is ultimately absurd?

3. How can we be free from the endless pursuit of trying to gain by turning good things into ultimate things? Why can we not enjoy God’s good gifts apart from him?

4. How does the promise of the resurrection fundamentally change the way we view our work in this world? (See 1 Corinthians 15:58)

There is so much to enjoy in this life. God made the world and called it good, and he made us with the capacity to enjoy. And it doesn't matter how much money you have, or where you were born, every human being naturally searches for pleasure in their life. The author of Ecclesiastes in this Sunday's passage searched the world for its greatest pleasures, but in his search, he found no pleasure that actually changed his final destination, nor any pleasure that lasted. Join us this weekend as we continue to explore the book of Ecclesiastes--and God's heart for humankind--together.

There was also a few typos in his Sermon Discussion questions, please use these:

I. Sources of Pleasure

II. Problems with Pleasure

III. Walking in The Father’s Pleasure

Sermon Discussion Questions:

1. Have you ever been disappointed by something you thought would bring you pleasure?

2. Are there ways you take pleasure in indulging? In hard work? In accumulating? Ask God to show you ways of which you might not be aware.

3. Dwell on our Heavenly Father and his love for you. Why does he love you? When does he love you least, or most (trick question)?

4. As you think about our Father’s love, what priorities in your life change?

5. How can we help one another navigate our heart’s relentless pursuit of satisfaction? Consider turning to Hebrews chapters 10-12.

If you are puzzled by the way things are in the world, if you are wondering why you can’t seem to find satisfaction in the pursuit of your work, or the pursuit of pleasure, or even in the pursuit of wisdom, if you are troubled by the question, “what’s it all for?”, then join us for the beginning of this new series in Ecclesiastes.

Sermon Outline:

I. The Vanity of Life

i. Life is Elusive

ii. Life is Short

iii. Life is Inscrutably Repetitive

II. The End of Pretend

Sermon Discussion Questions:

1. If you have read Ecclesiastes before, what are some of the takeaways or impressions it has left on you?

2. Describe your understanding of the word hevel, translated “vanity” in Ecclesiastes 1:2. Where do you most keenly feel the vanity of life?

3. Ecclesiastes invites us to look at the world for what it really is. Why do you think we are so resistant to do that and live so much of our lives “playing pretend”? What is it about our Christian faith that should encourage us to be the first ones to stop pretending?

4. How does our awareness of the vanity of life prepare us to hear the good news of the gospel? How might this be a bridge for a gospel conversation with an non-Christian friend or family member?

Mission Fest 2023

Fear of the future is one of the most common fears gripping our world. This tends to paralyze and isolate people. So what are we to do in the face of the uncertainty about the future? What instruction does God’s word give his people? What has done and what will God do on behalf of his people?

I. Overcoming fear starts with a firm foundation

II. Fear of the future will often include lies of the enemy

III. Overcoming fear through the means of grace

1. How do you typically respond when you anticipate bad things to come?

2. What element of the Rabshakeh’s speech was most alarming to you? Why?

3. What are some things you currently are afraid of as you think about the future?

4. How does Jesus’ work on the cross put into perspective our fear of the future?

Psalm 78 reminds the people of God of the importance of remembering God’s works and words and passing them on to the next generation. In this message, we will remember the mighty works of God at Covenant Church over the last 14 years so that we would trust him more and obey his good commands.

Sermon Outline:

I. We Must Remember

1. The Works of God

2. The Word of God

II. So that We Trust

III. So that We Obey

Sermon Discussion Questions:

1. How has your understanding of God's mighty works changed or been strengthened through hearing about the history and growth of our church over the last fourteen years?

2. Why is remembering so essential to trusting? Why is trusting so fundamental for obeying?

3. Scan the rest of Psalm 78. When do the people of God get themselves into trouble? How can we avoid doing the same as a church? As individuals?

4. In what ways can reflecting on the successes and challenges of our church's history provide insight and guidance for making decisions and setting goals in the present and future?

Unless Jesus returns first, we will all die with unfulfilled longings, just like Moses. We will have goals we did not accomplish, books we did not write, places we did not travel, changes we did not make, things we did not say, growth that did not happen. Death is the jagged rock upon which our deepest longings will be dashed. How then should we live? Join us for the last in the Deuteronomy series.

Sermon Outline:

I. Death Comes to the Best of Us and to the Rest of Us.

II. Business Will Remain Unfinished and Longings Will Remain Unfulfilled.

III. No One is Indispensable and the World Will Move On.

IV. One Day, Death Will be Swallowed Up in Victory and Every Longing Will Be Satisfied.

Sermon Discussion Questions:

1. Think back on this series through Deuteronomy that began in August 2021. What were some highlights or main takeaways for you from studying this remarkable book?

2. Death will come to us all, as surely as it came to Moses. Why is facing this fact so important for living life well?

3. Unfulfilled longings will be the reality for each of us when we come to die. The question is whether the longings we have are worthy of who God has called us to be. What worthy pursuit are you unwilling to begin for fear of not finishing? How does this passage speak to that?

4. How does the resurrection and the promise of a new heavens and a new earth speak to the pain of our unfulfilled longings in this life? What kind of people ought we to be when we know that one day even our greatest sufferings will become the subject of God’s greatest praises?

5. What do you need to remember? Where do you need to trust? How is he calling you to obey?

What do you do when your life is on the rocks? The song Moses teaches the people of God in Deuteronomy 32 gives us the answer.

Sermon Outline:

I. Ascribe Perfection to Yahweh.

II. Acknowledge the Imperfections of Yahweh’s People.

III. Recognize the Justice of Yahweh.

IV. Treasure the Compassion of Yahweh.

V. Rejoice in and Respond to the Deliverance of Yahweh.

Sermon Discussion Questions:

1. What is a song that evokes powerful memories for you?

2. How is ascribing perfection to God a powerful help when we find ourselves on the rocks of life? Why does ascribing perfection to God not preclude lamenting difficult circumstances?

3. As you read or heard about the way Israel trampled and scorned God’s grace, did it bother you? How are you repaying the Lord for his kindnesses to you? Are there any changes you need to make today?

4. How can we hold God’s justice toward evil and God’s compassion toward his people together? How does the gospel resolve the tension?

5. The proper response to God’s promised salvation is both joy and obedience. How do those two things go together? What happens if we separate them?