For those who missed the sermon on Sunday, July 13th, by Pastor Brian and Maria Zahasky you can listen to it Here, on the SERMONS page of our website. It was good to hear their story and how God is working in their lives during this next part of their journey. The Zahasky’s last official Sunday at LCC will be August 3rd although they will be with us through the Church Family Retreat the weekend of August 8-10th.
It is with joy and thanksgiving that we announce a candidate for the senior pastor position at Libertyville Covenant Church! By unanimous vote of the committee on June 17, 2014, Pastor Steven Larson was asked to come to Libertyville for a weekend to meet the congregation and preach on Sunday morning.
Download Mp3 Audio: LCC-20140629.mp3
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Per the by-laws, there will be a congregational meeting on Sunday, July 6, 2014, immediately following the worship service, at which church members will discuss and vote on extending a formal call. Absentee ballots will be made available to members who are not able to attend.
Luke 15:11-32 (click to display NIV text)
Aug. 18, 2013
Pastor Dwight A. Nelson
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“. . .he got up and went to his father. But while he was still a long way off, his father saw him and was filled with compassion for him; he ran to his son, threw his arms around him and kissed him.”
““But because of his great love for us, God, who is rich in mercy, made us alive with Christ even when we were dead in transgressions –- it is by grace you have been saved.” — Ephesians 2
I remember beginning my first sermon in Jamestown, New York, in the summer of 1975. That day was really the beginning of the journey in ministry. I began by saying it might be appropriate to start with an old Swedish saying that I learned from my father: “Vell, here ve go, now.” What began then has now come to completion, but not to an ending. In Christ there are completions; of tasks, of callings along the way, but there are no endings. His love endures forever.
We did not get all the way to the end of Luke in this series, so we conclude with the parable of the Lost Son, which is not the end of the Gospel, but is the heart of the Gospel. Read more
Luke 15:1-10 (click to display NIV text)
Aug. 11, 2013
Pastor Dwight A. Nelson
“Then he calls his friends and neighbors together and says, ‘Rejoice with me; I have found my lost sheep.’ ”
Some of the authorities were not happy with Jesus because he ate with tax collectors and sinners, two of the main groups of what would have been considered “lost” people. Kenneth Bailey explains that an invitation to a meal was an offer of peace, trust, brotherhood and forgiveness. Jesus was not only eating with sinners, he was welcoming them, even honoring them.
So Jesus tells them a story about a lost sheep, a lost coin and a lost son. The theme is the determination of God to find the lost. Read more
Luke 13:18-30 (click to display NIV text)
Aug. 4, 2013
Pastor Dwight A. Nelson
“People will come from east and west and north and south, and will take their places at the feast in the Kingdom of God.”
I remember in my seminary days that one central question among students was, “Which church or denomination will you choose to serve in?” The school I attended had students from a great number of church bodies, so we were aware of many possibilities. It is one thing to make a commitment to Christ and another to choose a particular church, denomination or institution in which to serve. We work within imperfect structures and to commit to one of them is always a risk. It means that I will work in an organization where I will not always agree with what is decided, and I will not always be appreciated or rewarded by those in authority. Yet, you have to locate your commitment and service somewhere. You probably can’t be a minister at large in the earth. So where to serve is a serious question. I took it that way, although I never really considered moving to another church body. But I did enter this Covenant Church ministry in a very intentional and realistic way.
I am glad now for the choice I made. Read more