Covenant Naples

The Israelites needed reminding constantly of the Lord faithfulness. Psalm 115 lifts our eyes to the God who created heaven and earth. And our response to him is to trust in all his glory, which he lays down for the sake of his people.

Outline:
You can trust because…
He is glorious
He is relational
He is remembers his people

Sermon Questions:
What aspect of Psalm 115 is particularly impactful for you?
What do you think of when you mediate on God’s glory?
What are some other reasons you or other don’t trust in God?
What is one area that you need to go before the Lord and surrender?
How much are you looking forward to the Deuteronomy series continuing?!

In this passage, Israel is called to take on two powerful kings. Alone, they don’t have a chance—but the Lord is with them. Like them, our enemies are also big and fierce, but take heart: the Lord is still fighting for his people today.

Sermon Outline:
I. The Call to War
II. The Battle Belongs to the Lord
III. One for All and All for One
IV. A Final Request


Sermon Discussion Questions:

1. Can you tell of a time when you found yourself psyched out by an enemy, a problem, or challenge?

2. If God is able to put fear and dread in the hearts of his enemies, do you think he’s able to put courage in the hearts of his people? Why or why not?

3. What are some theological truths we need to keep in mind when we read of Israel devoting God’s enemies to destruction? How are Christians to act toward earthly enemies? How are Christians to act toward spiritual enemies?

4. The church is called to live as members of one body, each caring for the other. When have you seen this done well? Where could you currently contribute to this kind of mutual support?

Can God be trusted to provide for his people? And what happens if we don’t trust him to provide? Join us to find out.

Sermon Outline:
I. What If We Don’t Trust God to Provide?
II. Why Can We Trust God to Provide?

Sermon Discussion Questions:
1. Why is it impossible to please God without faith?
2. How have you seen grumbling in your own life connected with a lack of faith in God’s provision? Why do you think we don’t take the sin of grumbling more seriously?
3. How does trusting that God is sovereign, gracious, all-knowing, and faithful help us in times when we’re not certain God will provide what we need?
4. Where are you having trouble trusting in the Lord’s provision today? Will you take hold of the truths in this passage and bring them to bear on your fears?

Unbelieving rebellion rouses the judgment of God, forfeits the promises of God, and presumes upon the grace of God leading to separation from the presence of God. But it doesn’t have to be that way. Listen in as we consider a better way to live.

Sermon Outline:
I. Unbelieving Rebellion Rouses the Judgement of God.
II. Unbelieving Rebellion Forfeits the Promises of God.
III. Unbelieving Rebellion Presumes Upon the Grace of God.

Sermon Discussion Questions:
1. Do you believe that God ever has the right to be angry? If so, on what basis?
2. How seriously would you say you take the sin of unbelief? How seriously does God take it?
3. What does Matthew Henry mean when he says that “no sin will ruin us but unbelief?”
4. What is the gospel remedy for our unbelief? What does God call us to do?

If we fix our eyes on the problems we face, it will skew our view of God’s promises and even of his love. But if we fix our eyes on the promises, especially of his love, it will helpfully shape the way we view our problems.

Outline:
I. The Promises
II. The Problems
III. The Plea

Sermon Discussion Questions:
1. Can you tell of a time where you did something significant in spite of great challenges or opposition? Or conversely, can you tell of a time you regret not attempting something because the potential problems and challenges loomed so large?
2. Why do you think it is so difficult for us to believe that God really loves us?

3. How might your life be different today if you truly believed at the core of your being that God loves you? How would you feel different? How might you see current trials differently?

4. In our text we see that God is a fighter and a father. Where do you need to bring those twin truths to bear on your life today?

5. Where in your life today are you more focused on the problems than the promises? Are you ready for a change?

This is the third sermon in the series "Remember, Trust, and Obey", today, August 29th, 2021, Pastor Trent Casto delivers his sermon entitled "The Problems or the Promises?” based on Deuteronomy 1:19-33

Some of God’s best gifts require effort to be fully possessed and enjoyed by God’s people. What are the gifts of God for the people of God and how we can take hold of them?

Sermon Outline:
I. The Gift of a Great Land.
II. The Gift of a Great People.
III. The Gift of a Great Law.

Sermon Discussion Questions:
1. Tell of a gift you have received that required some effort to properly enjoy.
2. God blessed Israel with the extraordinary gift of a land to live in, but they still needed to go in and take possession of it. What are some of the gifts God has given to us that require us to appropriate them?
3. As God’s people grew, it was necessary to raise up more leaders. What are the kinds of characteristics required of the leaders of God’s people today? How does this compare to what was required of leaders in Moses’ day?
4. Ultimately a people’s laws are only as good as those charged with administrating them. What are some hindrances to justice in our society today? What are some hindrances to justice inside the church today?
5. How does the cross secure the Christian’s ultimate hope of justice?

This is the Second sermon in the series "Remember, Trust, and Obey", today, August 29th, 2021, Pastor Trent Casto delivers his sermon entitled "The Gifts of God for the People of God.” based on Deuteronomy 1:5-18

In Deuteronomy, God re-establishes Israel as his covenant people. What does it mean to be the covenant people of God, and what are the implications for our lives today.?

Sermon Outline:
I. A Promise of Land, People, and Blessing.
II. The Establishment of God’s Covenant People.
III. Deuteronomy as a Covenant Treaty.
IV. The Long Way of Disobedience.
V. Living as God’s Covenant People Today.

Sermon Discussion Questions:
1. What has been your past experience, if any, with the book of Deuteronomy?
2. How does seeing God’s relationship to Israel in terms of a suzerain/vassal treaty enhance your understanding of God’s dealings with Israel?
3. In a typical suzerain/vassal treaty, the suzerain kingdom was expected to do certain things for the vassal kingdom. What were some of those things? How do you see God doing these things for his covenant people?
4. Likewise, the vassal people were supposed to be faithful to the suzerain in some particular ways. How do you see Israel either doing that or failing to do that? How does God respond?
5. What can we learn as the covenant people of God today from Israel’s unnecessary 38 years of wandering around in the wilderness? What does God desire from his covenant people today?

This is the First sermon in the series "Remember, Trust, and Obey", today, August 29th, 2021, Pastor Trent Casto delivers his sermon entitled "God's Covenant People” based on Deuteronomy 1:1-5

We are made for the life everlasting. Do you believe this? If so, in what way is this reflected in your actions and reactions, priorities, lifestyle choices, preoccupations, and affections?

Points:
1. Only eternal things bring lasting satisfaction
2. Understanding and embracing the doctrine of the life eternal necessitates a radical re-orientation of priorities
3. An eternal perspective does not mean that we renounce all treasure. It means that we pursue the right kind of treasure.
4. Only in acknowledging the fact of eternal life may we place the triumphs and tragedies of this life in their proper perspective.
5. The blessings of eternal life to which Christ refers are not for everyone; they are only for those who believe.

Questions for further study:
What are those things we can do in this life that have eternal implications?
What are things that have significance in this life and in the life to come?
Christ said that the fool is someone ‘who lays up treasure for himself and is not rich toward God.’ How is it possible to be rich towards God?
Does everyone live forever, or only believers? Explain.
Harry Blamires writes: “To think Christianly is to accept all things with the mind as related, directly or indirectly, to man’s eternal destiny as the redeemed and chosen child of God.” How can we condition our mind to think ‘Christianly’, especially on matters of eternity?
If you believe in the life everlasting, how does your lifestyle differ from that of your unbelieving neighbor?

This is the ninth sermon in the series "I Believe", today, August 22th, 2021, Pastor Brent Whitefield delivers his sermon entitled "The Life Everlasting" based on John 6:22-40

Many people think of the Christian hope as simply going from the "forgiveness of sins” to the "life everlasting.” But that’s not the full Christian hope. Sandwiched between the forgiveness of sins and the life everlasting, we confess: “I believe in the resurrection of the body.” What does this mean, and why should you be excited about it? Listen in to find out!

Sermon Outline:

I. Why Must My Body Be Raised?
II. What Will My Resurrection Body Be Like?

Sermon Discussion Questions:
1. Have you ever thought much about the resurrection of the body? Or have you mostly thought about your eternal existence in a disembodied state?
2. Why can we have such firm confidence in the resurrection of our own bodies one day?
3. What do you think about the idea that there will be continuity between our present bodies and our resurrection bodies? Does it raise any concerns for you?
4. What aspect of the transformation of our bodies do you most anticipate?

This is the eighth sermon in the series "I Believe", today, August 8th, 2021, Pastor Trent Casto delivers his sermon entitled "The Resurrection of the Body" based on 1 Corinthians 15:12-26

Forgiveness is something the world has rejected. Once a mistake has been made you are canceled. But God has a different design for forgiveness. He alone can hold justice and grace together as he offers the sinner forgiveness

Outline
Foundations of Forgiveness
Horizontal Implications of Forgiveness

Questions
What strikes you about the crucifixion story? What is something that you were drawn to this time reading it?
What are other stories in scripture that show God’s heart and his forgiveness?
Who do you need to seek forgiveness from and who do you need to forgive?
Why is forgiving yourself so meaningless and unbiblical?

This is the seventh sermon in the series "I Believe", today, August 8th, 2021, Pastor Chris Voorhees delivers his sermon entitled "The Forgiveness Of Sins" based on Luke 23:13-24, 32-38