Covenant Reformed Fellowship

2010-05-30T05:10:00.004-05:00

Due to various providences CRF has closed. However, the pastor and some of the members still meet together on a weekly basis. If you would like to fellowship with other committed Christians and study the Bible, please feel free to join us. Contact Pastor Matt for more information. We also welcome you to join us as we worship with the people of Providence Church in Mifflin, OH.

Combined Service Announced

2010-04-06T08:55:00.000-05:00

Please Note:

On April 25th CRF will have a combined service with the members of Providence church in Mifflin. Please feel free to join us. Worship is from 10:30-12:00 and Rev. Timmons will be preaching. Providence meets in the Community Center (Lions Club Building) on State Route 603 in the center of Mifflin across from The Mifflin Trading Post. (Map).

Resurrection Praise

2010-04-06T08:41:00.002-05:00

The rock trembled before you and the mighty soldiers became paralyzed with fear. The earth heaved and the grave did give up its possession. Christ our King walked forth victoriously. None could stop his conquest.

So we shout this morning with songs of praise to our mighty Deliverer. We rejoice in his redemption. While others wallow under the grip of death, we sing songs of gladness and joy. For a door has been opened to us and heaven’s gates cannot be closed to the chosen of God.

Therefore we confess the Day of the Lord. This day is yours. You have set it apart for yourself and you sanctified it with the resurrection of Your Son.

So let a resurrection occur today. May the deadness of our sin be continually overcome and may we rise with new obedience because your life giving Word has come to rest in our hearts.

Spiritual Traitors

2010-04-06T08:41:00.000-05:00

Blessed God,

How shall we express the depth of depravity and the sorrow we feel for it. You have raised us from the dead and promised us everlasting life, but we have seen fit to dwell in the tomb and we have chosen to wear the rags of death and folly.

Forgive us, O God, for not hastening on in the faith. Forgive us for not pressing the victory of Christ to the very end. We admit before you that we have not sought to resist temptation like we should and we have often become the enemy’s friend.

Such a traitorous spirit deserves a terrible end. We know that treason is punishable by death.

But we come to you, O God, looking for your mercy and forgiveness. We pray moreover that you would bind our hearts and fetter our wayward spirits. God, how we wish we had never left your ranks and would never desire to turn from your way.

Though we have been slow to do battle against the flesh and have often given the enemy a foothold over us, do forgive us. And may you loosen the chains that do bind now bind us so that we can walk in the way that we ought.

For we ask this in the strong Name of our Risen Savior. Amen.

A Symphony of Praise

2010-03-30T07:15:00.000-05:00

God Almighty,

We are gathered here today to proclaim your praises and to honor your name. Truly you are deserving. And we acknowledge that You have become our Redeemer. We have the privilege of standing here today because you have drawn us into your love and made us to abide in Christ.

Now O God, we pray that you would have your fill. We ask that our mouths would be opened and our hearts would burst forth with streams of praise. You have the power to make stones cry out in worship, and we ask that our hearts of stone would be made pour forth honor and exalt your holy name.

Let there be a chorus among us today. May our voices and our meditations be a sweet symphony to your ears. And may you be pleased to draw near to us as we sanctify this day and set this most holy time apart to you.

Sick with Sin

2010-03-30T07:14:00.000-05:00

Almighty God,

Our mouths are feeble and our hearts are frail. We are so sick with sin that all that we do is polluted with its loathsome presence. Even our worship is besmirched with all kinds of awful sins. Yet we come as beggars, knowing that our petty offerings are as rubbish in and of themselves.

And we pray that your grace and mercy would cover all our iniquities. Lord, we know that we ought to be condemned for defiling your worship and for having lived in opposition to you each day up to now. But we ask, O God, that you would have mercy on us. Look upon us with the eyes of compassion, rather than the eyes of justice. And let us have the joy of knowing your forgiveness and love.

Lord, we have no hope of salvation, save in the Name of your dear Son. We cling to him and recognize that his passion is our only means of eternal life.

We praise you for offering him up for sinners like us. And we thank you that he was willing to die in our place. And now we ask that the unthinkable would be done. We ask that our sins would be exchanged for his obedience. Let our fiendish ways die with him on the cross and may seeds of new obedience begin to take root within us.

Our Creator: Despised, yet Merciful

2010-03-14T06:37:00.001-05:00

God Almighty,

Being that you created us, you are Lord over us. Because you have formed us, you have sovereignty over us.

Yet we acknowledge that we not given proper heed to our Creator. From birth we have renounced you and rebelled against you. Instead of adoring you and delighting ourselves in you, we have only despised you and provoked you. And we know that we cannot even begin to number our offenses. Day after day, hour after hour our iniquities mount up. And they are all tallied by your all seeing eye.

Yet we know that as infinite as this vast creation is, so is the eternal reaches of your mercy. And we look to you now, asking that you would blot out our transgressions from before you.

Father, your word declares that the blood of Jesus Christ is able to cleanse us from all unrighteousness. And you promise to cast our sins as far as the east is from the west when we humble ourselves before you.

And so we pray that you would do that very thing this morning. Let the books be cleared, and may you not look on us as our sins deserve. For we ask this not in our own name, but only in the strong name of our precious Redeemer, the Lord Jesus Christ.

Combined Service Scheduled for March 7th & 14th

2010-02-23T13:37:00.002-05:00

On March 7th and 14th, CRF will not be holding its morning service at the Bill Harris Dealership like we normally do. We will have a combined service at the Savanah Presbyterian Church, located approximately10 minutes north of Ashland on State Route 250 North (the church is located on the left hand side of the road as you pass through Savannah).

Rev. Timmons will be speaking at both the worship service (11:00 am) and adult Sunday School (9:45 am).

Our Lamentable View of God

2010-02-20T07:11:00.000-05:00

O God, you are the God of all grace. One who forgives iniquity, transgression and sin. Yet, you will by no means clear the guilty, this we know. For this reason we confess our sin.

We know that we have not regarded you as we ought. Our thoughts of you have been few and corrupt. And even when our minds turn to contemplate the divine, we never fail to corrupt the splendor of your being.

We beg your forgiveness, O God, for we know that we have refashioned you and cast you in another light; one that does not reflect what you have revealed yourself to be. We know that we have grievously misrepresented you. To be sure we have held wicked and unworthy thoughts of you. Instead of being big, we have made you small. Though you are infinite in being and glory, we have limited you.

In all, we have created a god in our own image and of our own liking; one that we can handle and we can have mastery over.

But now, O God, help us cast aside our false notions and let us find forgiveness with you. Overlook our evil caricatures and let your Spirit reform our perverted thoughts. Give us grace to know you and to adore that for which we naturally have an aversion.

Above all, let your glory reign over us and purity dwell in us. For this we ask in the strong Name of Jesus, Amen.

Energies Exhausted in Worship

2010-01-31T18:10:00.000-05:00

God,

We come to worship you. And we pray that all that might hinder us from doing so might be cast off. Let the restraints of sin be removed, and the distractions of worldly cares be quieted. May it be that our minds turn solely to you and your glory. Moreover, we pray that all our energies might be exhausted in this holy hour. For our souls glory in your Lordship and rejoice in your tender care.

Yet, even as our mental and physical powers are drained, may we yet be revived—renewed in the Spirit of our God.

Father, may it be that we find our Sabbath rest in the work of worship. May our spiritual labors today bring forth a harvest of righteousness. That as we drink the spiritual milk of your word we would see our souls invigorated anew.

Lord, we pray that not one moment of this hour would be wasted. For we long to gain new life, new knowledge, new reasons to adore you.

So Father, as we draw near the temple on high, we ask that you might spread your wings over us. Shelter us in your divine care, and spread your redeeming love upon us. For we ask it in the Name of our dear Redeemer and Friend, Jesus Christ. Amen.

Great Whiners

2010-01-31T18:06:00.000-05:00

Almighty King and precious Redeemer,

Your hand has been outstretched to do us good. Yet we have not been obedient to your word. We have not returned kindness for the favor you have shown us, or warmed to the way of the Lord.

Like the Israelites of old, we have grumbled against you. Like them we have become experts in complaining. For we have grieved your all wise providence and expressed contempt when you made our bellies full.

Have you not given us what we did not deserve? Yet we said it was not enough. Then, when you allotted us an even greater portion of the good things in life, we gave you no thanks, nor honored the Source of our blessing.

Father, our ways have been the ways of sinners. And we confess before you that we ought to be stripped of all that we have.

But we pray that one thing would not be taken away from us, and that is your grace and mercy. Let your unfailing love be ours, and let it be ours in abundance. And should you you take away all our possessions, we pray that you would take our sin away with it.

Should you grant that we continue with these gifts, we pray that they would not become a curse to us or used against us in any way. Rather we pray, with ever such boldness, that you would give us one thing more: that is, that you would give us a spirit by which we may enjoy and use these gifts properly. That we would have a heart that looks to you, rather to what you have bestowed.

Lord, in all these things we look to our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ and we hold fast to his mediation. For there and there alone do we find our courage to come to you even now. And we pray that the wounds of our great High Priest would intercede for us even now before you.

For we ask this in His strong Name.

God be Praised for Giving Us Seats of Honor

2010-01-05T09:35:00.001-05:00

We extol you, O Lord of the Universe, and praise your infinite name. You spoke an all things were made. You commanded, and it was done. How admirable is your work, O Lord. How great is your power.

We cast ourselves before you, we who are nothing before you. We despise what we are and we despise what we have become. We are soiled and not fit to sit upon the doorsteps of heaven. For the depths of our unworthiness we can never plumb, the extent of our sins we can never measure.

But you bow down to us and look upon us with great delight. You condescend to us and lift our heads. You shower us with gifts of life and bestow upon us nothing but steadfast love. You open the door of your dwelling and you invite us to come and take seats of honor.

O most sweet and merciful God, your hospitality only increases the praises that you are due. The welcome you give us exceeds what we deserve.

So let now our hearts be put in a right frame, may they evoke the reverence that only angels can rightly give.

Confessing the Sin of an Irreligious Mind

2010-01-05T09:33:00.001-05:00

Why do you regard such worms, O God? Why do you offer yourself to wretches like us who are ever so profane?

Lord, you are of such infinite glory, but we are vile and filled with all sort so error. With our mouths we spew forth blasphemies; with our eyes look contemptibly upon your children; with our feet we run into evil. Our hearts are bereft of praise and our thanksgiving is withheld from you who deserve eternity’s worship.

Does this not reveal the temperature of our hearts? Is not our inward man as colder than this frigid winter’s day?

Father, we confess that our lives are bent on evil and we have not given you the honor that you deserve. And we pray that you might pardon our irreligious nature and forgive us for seeking anything and everything but you.

Give us each this day a personal revival. Warm us by your grace and kindle a new zeal within us. Give us the assurance of your divine love and let us be cleansed of our sin. For this we ask in Jesus’ strong name.

To Feed Ravenously at the Table of Our Lord

2010-01-05T09:32:00.000-05:00

Behold, I come to you, Lord, that I may prosper by Your gift and be delighted at Your holy banquet, which you, O God, in Your sweetness have prepared for Your poor. Behold, all that I can or ought to desire is in You. You are my salvation and my redemption, my hope and strength, my honor and glory.

Here at this table we gather in order to be fattened by your outstretched hand. And we pray that you would now feed us with this heavenly food. We come to this table with great joy and eager expectation, for we know that this is the only food that will really sustain our bodies, for its nutrients are spiritual in nature and its enrichment profits our souls.

Let us feed upon our Lord Jesus to the satisfaction of our inner cravings. Let us indulge ourselves in your mercy and ravenously partake of the love which is in Christ our Mediator. God, here at this table, make us voracious gluttons who devour you grace greedily. And when we arise from this great feast, let us be ever so filled with spiritual joy and fattened by the good tidings that only Your Spirit can impart.

Breaking Free of Our Earthy Orientation

2009-10-25T14:09:00.000-05:00

Almighty God,

We long for a taste of you this morning. A sip of your holy presence. For we are earthy creatures, people who are fixated on earthly things. Our minds cannot be drawn upward because our fascinations are too much involved with earthly things. But if you reveal yourself we shall see that which is more delightful. When you show yourself to be more desirous our current infatuations will lose their luster. Our souls will find that you are more lovely and more satisfying.

Pull back the shades that hang over our eyes and give us a glimpse of your splendor. Let us inwardly see that nothing in this vast creation can compare to you and all should be counted as nothing for you.

Lord, our souls long for more than what we have. Our fixation on transitory things has left us thirsting. Yet we cannot ascend higher than our hearts will let us. So let your grace come to us this morning. Like the rising of the sun at dawn come to us, and may we see that there is something more glorious and much more worthy of our affection.

Your Word Endures

2009-10-11T14:15:00.000-05:00

The grass may whither and the flower may fade, but your word will never pass away. Not one jot or tittle will be erased or abolished. They are more firm than the mountains. They shall persist from age to age because you O God endure forever, and your faithfulness persists from generation to generation.

We gather today to hear that word. In it our hearts delight. We long for it as for food, even more than bread for the body. It is more precious than rubies and more desirable than abundant riches. It is our wealth. It is our health. Your voice is our hearts content.

So we ask that you might fill these walls with the echo of your Spirit. May it be that when we leave this place we may say, “The Lord has been in our midst. He has spoken directly to us.” God, we pray that we may have the same reaction as those souls who after speaking with Jesus said, “Did our hearts not burn within us?” May we feel that stirring in our own souls.

Give us O God, a taste of your goodness and be filled with your love. Grant us the privilege today to sit at your feet and be fed with the meat of your word.

Loveless

2009-10-11T14:13:00.000-05:00

Grant us your grace, O most merciful Lord, that it may be well with us. We are loveless people, and our hearts are cold. Does not our lack of obedience prove our hearts do not yearn for you. Our failures only evidence how low our desire for you is.

This is our failure God. Not so much that we have broken your commands in so many ways, but that our hearts have not sought you or clung to you. We have not placed you at the foremost object of our affection.

But we pray O God that you would forgive our deadness and cure the numbness of our hearts. Fill our hearts with your Spirit and breath your love into us, that we might be resurrected with love.

Lord, let your will be ours and let us always follow you. We pray that you might become our chief desire and our highest priority. May serving you be our delight and walking in your ways be no longer laborious, but the sweetest thing to us.

God, so much do we have to confess, but the source of it all is our lovelessness. We do pray that all might be pardoned and that Christ’s sacrifice might be sufficient to cover it. Moreover we pray that we might be bound by your grace to hold on to you and cherish you.

Prayer for Paralytic Souls

2009-09-22T10:04:00.001-05:00

Cause us to rise up this morning, O God.

We do not have it in and of ourselves to rise from our beds, let alone attain to the level of spirituality that this service of worship requires. Without you we are dead. Without you we can do nothing. So we pray now that you would descend upon us and stir up our hearts. Awaken our souls by your grace. Make our spirits to be lively and ready to dance in your presence.

Give us grace that we might repent. Make us attentive so that we might grow. Above all, let our lips be loosed that we might praise you. May our ears be opened that we might hear you. And let us glorify and enjoy you as you would have us.

Brought To Our Knees

2009-09-22T10:02:00.000-05:00

We bow low, O God, for we are sinners in need of your grace. We feel it at every level. When we look into your law, it speaks to us. It tells us we are condemned before you. Our consciences are continually pricked by your Spirit and the conviction of guilt weighs heavily upon us day after day. Were that enough, the devil whispers in our ear and reminds us of our many sins. He accuses us unrelentingly and terrorizes us with our offenses.

We are brought to our knees before you. We come to you with nothing but our weakness and wretchedness, and we beg you for your mercy and grace. There is no other place that we can run. Only to Jesus do we fly.

For He is our only hope. Our only consolation is the promise of salvation and the cross of our dear Lord. We thank you that you sent him to die in our place, and we pray that you would continue your good work within us. Continue to deliver us from our sins. Let not only the books be cleared, but save us from ongoing sin. Cause the corruptions that still entangle us be crucified with Christ and let new obedience blossom in its place.

We pray that we might become the righteousness of God and that good works might characterize our lives. We pray that our love would increase and our holiness would abound to the glory of your name. May it be that we receive a hearty portion of your grace so that we might live upright lives before you.

God on High

2009-09-13T15:08:00.002-05:00

You are the great one, O God. Worthy are you to receive our praises. You ruleth on High with a mighty arm, ready to save. Your eye watches your congregation. You guard them with love and strength. You disperse your enemies and bring them down to the dust. But those who look to you are safe. They live and do not die. They awake to the morning’s light and take joy in the work of their hands.

We adore you today because you have been our God. We gather together to unite our hearts in praise. And we ask that you would give us the grace to worship you in spirit and truth. Let us mimic the angels as they fall before you. Let us offer the sacrifices of reverence and contrition.

We are your servants O God, and we call upon your name. Let your glory now be exalted and your being manifested among us.

A Prayer for the Grace of Devotion

2009-09-13T15:05:00.001-05:00

Today's confession of sin comes from Thomas a Kempis' work, The Imitation of Christ.

O Lord, my God,

You are all my good. And who am I that I should dare to speak to you? I am your poorest and meanest servant, a vile worm, much more poor and contemptible than I know or dare to say. Yet remember me, Lord, because I am nothing, I have nothing, and can do nothing.

You alone are good, just and holy. You can do all things, you give all things you fill all things: only the sinner do you leave empty-handed. Remember your tender mercies and fill my heart with your grace, you who will not allow your works to be in vain.

How can I bear this life of misery unless you comfort me with your mercy and grace? Do not turn your face from me. Do not delay your visitation. Do not withdraw your consolation, lest in your sight my sould become as desert land.

Teach me, Lord, to do your will. Teach me to live worthily and humbly in your sight, for you are my wisdom who know me truly, and who knew me even before the world was made and before I was born into it.

Draw Us In

2009-09-06T13:17:00.000-05:00

Draw us in, O God. Draw us into the holy place. The place where you dwell. The place where our souls find rest, peace, and renewal. We want to come to the place where most men would not dare to venture, for fear of death. For there we find our life and our heart’s longing.

Draw us away from this world, away from sin, and away from the grasp of the devil. May we taste of your sweetness today. May we be exposed to the radiation of holiness. May we be intoxicated with your love. And may our souls be stirred up to serve you again.

We desire something different this morning, something otherworldly, something divine. We don’t want a formalistic religion. We want something experiential. We want to abide by your rituals, but we do not want to be ritualistic. But that will only occur if you reveal yourself to us here. Our hearts will only be stirred if you come to us and touch our hearts.

So extend your hand now. Let your Spirit pick us up into rapturous dreams so that we can see your face.

Pilgrim's Progress to be Studied

2009-08-25T10:10:00.002-05:00

In the 18th century two books could be found in most English households, the Bible and John Bunyan’s Pilgrim’s Progress. Bunyan’s work is considered one of the most significant books of history because it captures so succinctly the life of a Christian in story form. As Ravi Zacharias says,

"Few books besides the Bible have been translated, printed, and read as often as The Pilgrim's Progress. John Bunyan's classic allegory of Christian, the Pilgrim, on his perilous journey to the Celestial City has touched hearts and minds for more than three hundred years-and still the demand continues. Introduce a new generation to this memorable story, filled with memorable characters- Evangelist, Charity, Hypocrisy, Goodwill, Obstinate, and Mr. Worldly Wiseman.

Each one offers a unique insight into the Christian life--its joys and trials, its opportunities and struggles. You'll discover The Pilgrim's Progress to be both challenging and entertaining. Over the centuries countless souls have been transformed by John Bunyan's timeless and brilliant Pilgrim's Progress--in my estimation, one of the greatest works ever penned."

This Sunday evening (6:30) CRF will begin an in-depth study of this devotional classic. Each class will consist of reading an excerpt and discussing the truths captured in it.

One Little Word Shall Fell Him

2009-08-09T07:40:00.002-05:00

Not even the devil himself can prevail over you. Even he must do your bidding and submit to your will. He is as a leashed dog. Though his schemes may devastate and his power on earth increase, it is only because you allow him his day. But in the end, he shall be vanquished. One little word shall fell him!

We praise you for the greatness and the power of your word. And we ask that this day we might have our fill of it. We ask that your voice would resound in our midst, that you would speak from your holy hill.

Grant that we might glory in you today and trust in your unfailing truth. Let our words be few, but yours be multiplied. Let our mouths be closed, but our ears attentive to the murmurs that have a heavenly origin.

Thank-you for granting us to be here today, that we might be your audience. And we praise you before hand for what you will do in our midst.

Christ Our Hope

2009-08-09T07:38:00.001-05:00

Our Father in heaven,

Your law has no flaw in it. But by it we see that we abound with defects. And with every passing moment we add to these offenses.

It is because of our faults that we come to you though. We know that our only hope is in you and your unending love for us. Our greatest treasures are the wounds that Christ himself bears.

We pray O God that your eyes would not be cast upon us. But instead would Christ be substituted in our place. Would that our filth and vile acts be hid from your sight and the beauty of his holiness and the purity of his merits be the only thing that you see when you gaze our way.

Thank-you for providing for us the way of salvation. And we pray that our souls might be comforted with the assurance of your forgiveness and love. We pray that our hearts would fully rest in the abounding measure of your favor and the infinite perfection of Christ’s sacrifice.

Be praised in us O God, and allow your Spirit to have his full work.

For this we ask in Jesus’ name, Amen.

Holy and Awesome

2009-08-02T06:43:00.001-05:00

Though there are many things about you we cannot understand, we can’t help but marvel at you. The mystery of your being may confound us. But the majesty of your being astounds us and leads us to praise.

You are so very different from us. No one can match your greatness, for you are beyond the highest mountains. Lofty is your might and in you all power is to be found.

So also is the beauty of your character. Perfection marks your ways. There is no wrong to be found in you. Even the angels, in all their purity, even they cannot bear to lift their eyes to you.

But like them, we stand in awe of you, and we bring you our hearts today. We wish to devote ourselves to you again and remember that you are our God. We want to renew our covenant with you and worship you in holiness.

So we ask that we might be drawn into your presence. Come near to us and encompass us in your love. Allow us to taste again the sweetness of your presence.

For we ask this in the rich name of Christ our Lord,

Seeking God's Voice

2009-07-07T11:20:00.000-05:00

This is our prayer, O God: That you might speak to us and proclaim to us your name. You have said that if we ask anything in the name of Jesus, we will receive it. You have commanded us to ask, seek and knock. And you promised that we when we ask, we shall receive. When we seek we shall find. When we knock the door will be opened.

So we come to you with simple the faith that you will honor your own word. And we pray that your voice might be heard among us today. What we want is that our hearts would hear that still small voice.

Dear Father, give us light from heaven. Pour out wisdom and knowledge. Endow us with the fear of you and fill us with the spirit of prophecy.

To that end, cause all that may distract us to be quieted. And may our hearts settle upon you. May all the things that clutter our minds be at rest and may we have undivided hearts in this time.

Speak Lord, and we will listen. Glorify yourself among us and let there be praise.

Despising God's Word

2009-07-07T11:18:00.000-05:00

Gracious God,

We too are among that sorry number. We recognize that your anger may be kindled against us. For we too have despised your word.

Do we not show it by the way we treat it? We may listen to it from week to week. But how often do we really hear it? And how even more rare is the occasion that we heed it! Lord, we show our low esteem for it in that we do not cherish it for the rich treasure that it is. If it were to us the vast mine of wealth that it is, we would not let one nugget slip away. We would lock every utterance in the chambers of our hearts. Every jot of Scripture would be bound upon our heads and hands and hearts. But this has not been so.

God we are sorry for the times we have not listened your word or given it the reverence that it deserves. And we pray that you would pardon us for having treated it with such contempt. And we pray that the Spirit of Truth would not be taken from us. But instead we pray that he would come to us all the more powerfully and give us that high opinion of your law. And may he not just help us to admire it and attend upon it with the utmost diligence, but may he help us to walk in it and to obey it wholeheartedly.

We know that our offenses are great in this matter. But we know that your grace is great too. And this is why we come to you, for we know that the blood of Jesus is able to cover all our sins.

Praise from Zion's People

2009-06-28T15:44:00.000-05:00

Thank-you, O God, for giving us a portion in Zion. For bringing us into that holy fellowship and numbering us among the saints in heaven.

And as we come to that holy haven this morning, we acknowledge that we have none but thee. The world’s treasures are as lasting as day lilies, here today but withering and gone before morning. But you satisfy to eternity’s end. You are an ever flowing fountain of goodness and beauty.

How happy we are because of you. How blessed we have become through you. Our lives are continually refreshed by your pity. Your grace enlivens our souls with each passing moment. Our hearts are given peace; our hands are given prosperity.

Our lips shall praise you forevermore. Our banners shall be lifted to you with gladness. Until all are gathered as one and your people drawn from their dispersions, we shall sing to you.

Breaking the Whole of the Law

2009-06-28T15:43:00.000-05:00

Gracious and holy God,

What a perfect web is your law. Each precept rests in another. They are like the many ligaments that make up a single joint. Each relies on the other and every one finds its beginning in you.

Yet this law gives us reason to quake. It stands over and against us because of our sins. We transgress at one part, and we find ourselves condemned at every point.

But our faults are always profuse and are accompanied by several other aggregations. One sin is as a bomb. Its shrapnel causes many wounds and offenses.

How awful is our state, O God. How terrible is our frame. Though you have made us a little lower than the angels and crowned us with glory and honor, we have made ourselves beastly in our character and robed in all kinds of rubbish.

Humbled by the greatness of our sin, we come to you today. And we pray that you would look on our poor state with pity. We pray that you would lift us up out of the mire of our sins and set us again in grace. Remove the guilt that hovers over our heads and the stains that are so deeply woven into our flesh.

Let us find ourselves resting in the sweetness of Christ’s mediation and enjoying the fruits that do flow from it.

For it is in Jesus’ name only do we pray.

The Sting of Shame and Conviction

2009-06-21T07:35:00.001-05:00

Our Lord,

Each of us here today bears not just the guilt of our sin, but also its shame. We know all too well our failings and shortcomings, and its heaviness bears us down. Deep within our spirits we feel the pains of conviction. O how we lament our weakness and sinful propensities. We despise how incredibly corrupt our flesh is. Lord, our souls ache because we quickly offend you and so easily trespass your holy law.

Lord, it is maddening. We fall prey to sin and it pounces upon us long before we have time to think about fending off the temptation. And then the pains of grief, frustration and sorrow berate us. They linger over our hearts as dark clouds. Perhaps Lord, Satan’s greatest victory over us is not so much getting us to stumble into sin, but in making us to languish in it.

This is why we look to you, O God. For you are the only cure for our miserable condition. You yourself have said that a broken spirit dies up the bones. And you are the only one who can mend a broken spirit. Only you can cleanse us from the guilt of our sins and strengthen us against the power of sin. Only you can stabilize us and remove the piercing agony of conviction in our breast.

O God, we pray that you might wash away our sins and fix our minds upon the grace of the gospel. Let us rest in the cross of our dear Lord and find joy in his precious blood. And may we be freed from the restlessness we now experience and sense an all surpassing, supernatural peace that only you can afford.

Rejoicing in God

2009-06-14T07:19:00.001-05:00

Blessed God,

We do rejoice in you. We rejoice because you created us by your might, you purchased us with your Son, you sealed us with you Spirit. Now there is kept for us in heaven an inheritance that will never perish, spoil or fade. We confess that you are that portion allotted to us. Gladness now fills our souls because we have this whole day to savor you and the benefits you have secured for us through Christ’s mediation.

Let us therefore praise you with a joyous heart. Let us glory in the congregation of your delight. And grant that we might know the assurance of your love today, that we are your people, your treasured possession, created to be a holy nation and a kingdom of priests. Though we were once not a people, you have gathered us under the name of our dear Lord and Savoir to declare your praises throughout the world.

Let it be so this day. May this room be filled with adoration as we delight ourselves in you and experience your delight in us.

For we ask this in the Name of our great Savior, Amen.

Outward Religion

2009-06-14T07:18:00.000-05:00

O God,

You know how prone we are to cleanse the outside of the cup. We know the destiny of the good Pharisee. Yet we pride ourselves on how clean and moral we are in comparison to others. We even congratulate ourselves our outward piety. But such is wickedness and iniquity, for our true goal has not been the honor of your name. Rather we have been self consumed and we have sought by our ethical theatrics the applause of men.

O, what do we see when we open the cavity of our chest? Is it not rank putrefaction? Does not the evil that resides there compare to an aged tomb? Father we confess that these hearts of ours are still so filled with dead men’s bones. We acknowledge that this is the only place in the world where death is active, and ever so lively.

Father, we know that you find it even more foul than we do; for you see it as it is and its odor rises before you day and night. It is for this reason we seek your favor. We want you to forgive us, O God. Forgive us for using religion as a means of gaining recognition and concerning ourselves so much with externals only. And forgive us for being so deluded and failing to recognize the real (the pitiful!) state of our souls.

Lord, we want you to eliminate Pharisaical spirit and we want you to reign in us. But all we can do now is fall upon Christ and beg you for that which we do not deserve. Cleanse us from this mask of religiosity, and give us hearts that do manifest true godliness from the heart.

The Glory Due Him

2009-06-07T06:18:00.001-05:00

God Almighty,

What a pleasure it is to praise you, O God. What a joy it is to declare the glory of the Lord. For this we were created and for this reason we gather together.

Yet, how can we attribute to you the sum of what you deserve? No man has that capacity to sing the full measure of your praise. Even if our voices were amplified a thousand decibels over, it would not achieve a fraction of your worth. If all the starry host could speak and every grain of sand could cry out, still it would not be enough. Even eternity will not provide enough time to exhaust the riches of your greatness.

You are too wonderful, O God. Your glory exceeds the pomp of kings and your majesty is above that of the earth’s treasures.

But no matter how meager our worship may be this morning, though it be but a small portion of what you are due, we pray that you would find delight in it. Though we give what may only be counted as an offering of poor peasants, we pray that you would take great pleasure in it. And so be moved to lay your tender affection on us and affirm your love to us again.

For we ask this in the strong Name of Jesus, Amen.

Anomolies in Creation

2009-06-07T06:16:00.001-05:00

God,

We come to you again this morning, frustrated with our selves, and recognizing that you are frustrated with us.

We are so peculiar in comparison to all the rest of your creation. The birds sweetly sing your praises from morning to night. The heavens resound with an eternal chorus, never ceasing to declare the glory of God. All around us there is a loud crescendo of worship all the day long.

But we suffer from the paralysis of sin. Our hearts limp along at best. When we compare ourselves to the rocks that lie motionless on the ground and are trampled on by our feet, we recognize that they do a better job of paying homage to you than we do.

We admit before you Lord, that it is not our nature to honor you. Even when our souls are primed and our affections are ignited in the worship you, it is like a storm that quickly passes. The embers cool so rapidly and our enthusiasm fades away so quickly.

Lord, we know that a cool breeze in August lasts much longer than our zeal for the worship of your name. And we are greatly sorry for this. We are grieved by our own sluggishness, for we know that you are deserving of all our affection.

And we pray for your pardoning grace in this matter. We thank you that there is Jesus. We thank you that his love was undying and his passion was never tempered. We thank you moreover that this was for us and for our salvation. So we look not to our ourselves, but only to what he merited by his virtuous life. And we pray that our sins would be consumed in his perfect sacrifice.

For it is in His name we pray. Amen.

Christ and the Future: End Times Study at CRF

2009-05-27T11:23:00.003-05:00

Starting June 14 CRF will begin a new Sunday evening series on the end times. The basis of the study will flow from Cornelis Venema's latest book Christ and the Future.

Some of the topics will include how the future is now, the state of man between death and the resurrection, and the various millennial views.

Those curious or confused about future matters are invited to attend. Study time is 6:30 pm.

Calvin Study Forming

2009-05-27T11:11:00.007-05:00

What's on your summer reading list? How about John Calvin's magnum opus, The Institutes of the Christian Religion? Calvin's Institutes has been acclaimed as one of the most influential books of all time. Since 2009 marks Calvin's 500th birthday, it is a great time to dabble in its richness.

A study group is forming to discuss select portions of the Institutes. Plans are to meet each Friday at 1:30 p.m in the Circle at Grace Brethren Church. Sessions will start June 5th and run through the summer months.

Texts can be obtained on a loan basis if so desired. Contact Matt Timmons at covenantofgrace1@msn.com or 419-289-2552.

Your Children Gather for Worship

2009-05-24T08:36:00.003-05:00

Almighty and Awesome God,

How sweet it is to be your child. What a privilege it is to be drawn into your presence. You have passed over many others, but you have set your love upon us. Why this is so, we cannot fathom for there is nothing desirable about us.

But it is because of your steadfast mercy that we may stand here today as one body. As we gather in this great assembly we confess our love for you. You are our chief desires and we come to admire and adore you.

And as we draw near we pray that you might remind us that we are your children and you are our Father. We humbly pray that you might affirm your everlasting love for us and remind us of your faithfulness to us. Confirm to our weak and weary hearts that you shall never let us go.

Gracious God, come and descend upon us. Lead us in the way everlasting and stir us up to praise.

The Sin of Levity

2009-05-24T08:34:00.001-05:00

Almighty Father,

What use would it be to hide our sins from you? You see through us as through glass. Nothing is hidden from you. Even the night is as day to you.

So we admit before you that our sins are many and diverse. Our souls are full of deadness and pump out the sewage of evil in an ever flowing stream. But what wicked people we are! What should make us grieve is all too frequently comical to us. We make light of it as if our sin were no matter at all. We laugh and joke at it to mask its wickedness and pardon it in our own eyes.

Father, forgive us for making our sins out to be petty matters. Forgive us poking fun at it and pretending that foolishness is fun. Moreover, Father, we pray that you would instill in us the right feelings toward our sin. We humbly ask that you would give us a holy hatred for our sin. Let us grieve and bewail it. Allow us to see every transgression as vile as you do, and let us be deeply wounded when we offend the honor of your name.

And even now, as we sense how dreadful a thing it is to make our sins objects of amusement, let us rest in the pure blood of our dear Savior. His death shows us how horrid sin really is, and to him we fly—knowing that there we might find full deliverance.

In His Name we pray, Amen.

Our Life is in God

2009-05-16T13:58:00.001-05:00

Truly we see the work of your hand in the creation around us, O God. Trees have brought forth their leaves and the grass has sprung up. Were you to hold back your arm, the world would shrivel and dry up. Man and beast would languish and our bones would perish.

But each day you display your love. You tend to the needs of creation, you water the land and it produces. You supply food for the cattle, and you bless the toil of our hands.

Indeed, our life is in you. You are the source of our existence and the fountain of goodness.
So our souls bless you. We rejoice in God Almighty, and adore you for your daily grace.
Thank you for ministering to us each day. Thank you for sustaining us and making life to abound.

And let it be that we do minister unto you today. May we perform our service of worship by laying our hearts before you. Accept the offerings of our lips and our sacrifice of praise.

Putrid Springs

2009-05-16T13:57:00.001-05:00

God,

As we enter into your majestic presence, we acknowledge our frame. Who are we to ascend the holy mountain? We are small and vile, filled with all sorts of evil. We are like putrefied springs who pour forth all kinds of corruption. You see our inward state, you know that our hearts are clogged with sin and our lives have left a streak of black everywhere we have gone.

God we confess that we are poor sinners. And we are ashamed to think how the scales of judgment do tip because the mass of sin continues to grow hour by hour.

But this is why we fly to you. For you sent your one and only Son into the world to save sinners. And we do look to you for his redeeming grace. We pray that you might not look upon us as we are, but look upon us in Christ. Look upon the wounds of your Son, and let them not be without their worth.

We do pray that you would have compassion upon us and let the merits of our dear Savior abound to us. For this we ask in Jesus’ Name.

A Summer in Calvin's Institutes

2009-05-16T11:55:00.002-05:00

What's on your summer reading list? How about John Calvin's magnum opus, The Institutes of the Christian Religion? Calvin's Institutes has been acclaimed as one of the most influential books of all time. Since 2009 marks Calvin's 500th birthday, it is a great time to dabble in its richness.

A study group is forming to discuss select portions of the Institutes. Plans are to begin the first week of June and run through the summer months. There is no hurry to make it through. We're just going to take our time to mosey through Book 3, which is the section dealing with the prayer and Christian life.

Texts can be obtained on a loan basis if so desired. Contact Matt Timmons at covenantofgrace1@msn.com or 419-289-2552 to inquire more or express interest.

Text can also be found on the web here or purchased here.

Thy Kingdom Come

2009-05-08T12:29:00.001-05:00

God Above,

That is what we long to see. We long to see your reign extend throughout the earth. We long to see throngs of people praising your name and calling upon you with joy.

So we pray that your kingdom would come, O God. Let your Spirit descend and spread through all the earth. May Christ, our Exalted King, be victorious in the hearts of men, women and children all over the world. May legions of souls be subdued by your strong arm of grace, and brought out of the kingdom of darkness and into the kingdom of light.

But even in this hour, we pray that your heavenly rule would be mightily manifested among us. We pray that we might enter into the courtroom of the Most High. We ask that we might meet with the One who is robed in majesty and power. We desire to worship the One who has crushed the head of the Serpent and loosened death’s grip.

God, enter into us and confirm us your grace, comfort us with your love, and build us up in the faith. Stir us and strengthen us that we might go forth to do your will.

The Shame of Being Ashamed of God

2009-05-08T12:27:00.001-05:00

Our Father,

When we look into this Law, we recognize what we deserve. Here we find a perfect standard of love and devotion to you. But O, how terribly we have failed.

How you have not been our God. We have not walked in your ways or sought your guidance. We have rebelled and resisted, turned aside and turned away.

But even in our brighter moments we recognize that we have still failed you. We confess that we have so often been ashamed of you and afraid to vouch for you. Instead of being bold as lions, we have so often been reluctant in sharing the gospel, cowardly in our testimony and weak in our overall profession among men.

We recognize that we deserve to be shunned for having fear men more than God. But we pray that you would not deny us when you bring forth your kingdom. We pray that you would overlook our weakness and pardon all our transgressions.

Moreover we pray that you would crucify within us anything that hinders our profession of you. We know that we are not supposed to have a spirit of timidity, and so we pray that you would take it away. And fill us with a spirit of boldness and give us the courage to execute our duties without fear.

Let us be zealous for your honor, and may it be that the only real fear we have is the fear of offending you.

Amen.

He Is What He Is

2009-05-01T10:59:00.000-05:00

Because you are who you are, we worship you. And we bow ourselves before you in humble supplication. Our prayer is that we might arise from this miserable planet and ascend to the temple above. We pray that we might be taken up to the highest heavens and enter the gates of your dwelling. We desire to have contact with you this day, that we might give tribute to the God incomparable, and the King who rules over kings.

Who has all life, glory and goodness but you? Who alone is all sufficient, and the source of our being? Who else dwells in inexpressible light and fills the world with his glory.

All creation flourishes because of your kindness. We become merry and laugh because of your unfailing love. You’ve demonstrated patience, you’ve given grace. You’ve caused the sun to rise again.

So we arise to set our faces toward you. We cast off the world’s affairs and we come with high expectations of encountering our Divine Master. We come to you and seek your wisdom this day. So bless us in your grace today.

Our Word is Sand

2009-05-01T10:58:00.000-05:00

True and Faithful God,

You stand by your word through a thousand generations. You waver not from your decrees. And this is why we come to you, humbly seeking your favor and grace.

We have heard of your threats, and we have seen how they were fulfilled with great thoroughness. And we recognize that we are liable to all the curses that are laid out in Scripture for having offended you.

But we know you also to be one who holds out mercy and promises steadfast love. You look with pity upon the penitent and you lift up those who humble themselves before you.

And this is what we wish to do. We place ourselves in a vulnerable position. We come to you with all our sins exposed, confessing our need of your mercy and acknowledging our miserable offenses.

We admit that our word has not held the integrity that it should. In making agreements we have not always been true. Our yes has not always been pure and our no has not always been no. Instead, to our dishonor, our word has often been as firm as sand.

Yes, Father, though faithfulness is not a virtue well practiced by us, we know that it is perfect in you. And you will by no means cast out those who come to you with greif and sorrow in their hearts.

We pray that our offenses would be laid upon the cross. That they would be cast as far from you as the east is from the west. And in their place we ask that a better fruit would be grown. Make us more loyal, trustworthy and sincere. And may our walk be honoring to the profession that we have made.

Fearful Attractiveness of God's Holiness

2009-04-28T08:47:00.001-05:00

O God,

Like the angels, we bow before you in humble address. For we cannot gaze upon you and live. Your holiness makes you attractive. Our hearts leap at the mentioning of your perfect way and your transcendent being. But yet, our eyes cannot bear the sight. Our frame trembles to even think of entering your presence.

But lo, O God. We desire it. We long to be drawn by your hand into it. And we pray that we might partake of it.

So we call upon your name. We pray that your Spirit might minister to us and assist us as we enter into the holy of holies this hour. We praise you that through Christ our Savior we do have access to you this morning. And we pray that it would be effective for our greater sanctification.

But more than that, we pray that we might give to you the worship that is your due.

God Sees Us Looking Elsewhere

2009-04-28T08:45:00.001-05:00

God, you see through us. You see the very depths of us. Every thought is laid bear before you. Every action is recorded in heaven. Every motive is not hidden from you.

But we come before you because there is the promise of forgiveness with you. Though you see all, you will blot out the transgressions of those who come to you in faith.

Indeed our sin is that we have taken our eyes off of you. We have been distracted by many things and by many affairs. And we have failed to remember your Almighty arm, your sweet provision, and everlasting love.

Thus we have wasted ourselves and our time with worries. We could have rested in you, but instead we have gone the way of the heathen.

Lord, we acknowledge our foolishness before you and we pray that you would acknowledge it no longer. Forgive us and make us clean.

Covenant Fellows to Examine Respectable Sins

2009-03-24T08:38:00.005-05:00

After having considered what would be profitable for the Covenant Fellows (the men's group at CRF), I have settled on Jerry Bridges' book Respectable Sins. Bridges books are always highly recommended as they contain deep theology in simple terms (as a matter of fact the CRF ladies are currently studying Bridges book on the Fruit of the Spirit).

Respectable Sins certianly looks to be a probing study as the book addresses the more "acceptable" sins such as discontent, judgmentalism, and envy.

Feel free to join us Tuesday nights at 6:00 at my house (1010 Chestnut St.) whether or not you have a book. Or contact me for more information.

Great Multitude

2009-03-23T11:04:00.002-05:00

Praise is due you, O God. For you are drawing unto yourself a people of every tribe, tongue and nation. And we who are gathered here today are only a sample of the myriads who have been appointed to salvation. Indeed, who can number the legions who have gone before us. Who can tell how many will come after us? And who can count them that now populate the earth?

But this thread binds us all, that you have ordained praise from our lips. And we unite our voices today for that very purpose: to exalt you as our God, to worship you as our Savior divine.

We praise the Father, for you have ordained us to inherit everlasting life. We praise the Son, for he has purchased us with his own blood. We praise the Spirit, for he is the guarantee of our inheritance until we gain possession of it. Blessed is our God, and blessed be his Name.

Broken Fellowship

2009-03-23T11:02:00.000-05:00

Almighty God,

We have just confessed our common faith. We have voiced the fact that we are united in serving the true and living God. But we wish to confess how we have all failed to live up to that confession. We admit that we have acted foolishly and broken the bond of peace that is to exist among us.

Father, we are sorry for the times that we have majored in minors and have pitted ourselves against one another. Such is so unbecoming of those who belong to the household of faith. And we wish to ask your forgiveness for the times when we have failed to be gracious and forgiving.

We thank you that you are more gracious than we are, that you do not hold us to the same standard we hold others. And we pray that you would fill us with your Spirit, that we might become more like you. That in being united to Christ we would be more united to one another. That in tasting of the love of God we would be more apt to show the love, and strengthened to relish the communion of saints.

A Confession of Sin for the Ministers of Great Lakes Presbytery

2009-03-17T07:32:00.001-05:00

O God,

Do hear our cry, and look down from your holy height with compassion for we are poor sinners, humbled low and to the dust.

We confess to you that all too frequently we have had sleepy souls. We have been dull to the things of God and deadened to your holy ordinances. And we pray that you would forgive us or this. And we pray that you would pardon us for having conducted drowsy ministries.

O how we have lacked the fervency that is expected of us as watchmen. We have been like the disciples in the garden. We have failed to be diligent in prayer and earnestness in presenting our supplications.

Much to our shame we must also confess that this lethargy has also invaded your pulpit. Time after time we have moved our mouths to speak words, but we have not let ourselves be moved by your word. We know you can use passionless preaching—because you are God and your Word is guided by your Spirit—but that does not take away the offensiveness of our inattentiveness and the scarcity of our zeal.

But we acknowledge this sin before you, and we pray that you would cover it and all the others that accompany it. We pray that we might know the sure salvation that is in Christ, and the full pardon that comes through his blood. I pray that you might indeed impress it upon our hearts that we might be more apt to pass it on to our fellow sinners. Give us o God, a fresh taste of your grace, that we might go forth and declare it aboard. Renew our hearts and give us a holy fanaticism that burns ever so keenly.

To Our King

2009-03-05T11:03:00.000-05:00

God almighty,

Blessed is your Name, O God. Blessed be the Lord our God. Kings of earth bow down to you, and their kingdoms cannot compare. For you stretched out the heavens in the span of your hand and your dominion reaches from end to end.

And we gather together in this hour acknowledging that you are our God and that our citizenship is with you in heaven. We wish to proclaim our love for you and how happy we are to be under your good rule.

Most of all we bring out tribute to you. We bring our praise to honor you and render you that which you are due. So let your name be exalted and let your fame be spread from shore to shore.

2009-03-05T11:00:00.000-05:00

Most Gracious God,

You are a Saving God, unlike any other. We thank you that you reach down and restore the fortunes of your people.

And we wish to humble ourselves before you and admit our need for Christ’s atonement and your unfailing grace. Many have been our sins, and few have been our acts of righteousness. Yet even those, our good deeds, have been sordid and polluted with all sorts of impure motives.
We admit that we do not deserve to be your children. Neither do we deserve to have access to you now. You would be just if you bolted the doors to your throne room and banned us from this place of worship.

It is amazing to us that you permit us to participate in these holy ordinances. For we are like children who play with diamonds, not knowing their true value and not giving them the regard they deserve.

But you are the God of all grace, and the one who overlooks a multitude of sins. We praise you that you call us to draw near to you. And we do that now, that we might obtain the mercy we need and forgiveness for our lack of reverence.

Moreover, we come to you to ask that you would purge our hearts of all idolatrous acts. Let us not be complacent and presume upon your goodness. But let us put off the sin that so easily entangles and run with endurance the race set before us.

And O God, we look unto Jesus, for he is the author and the perfecter of our faith. He who is now seated at your right hand is our only consolation here in this world and our only hope before your judgment seat.

Though the Nations Rage

2009-02-28T08:11:00.001-05:00

Nations have raged against you, O God. Kingdoms have risen. But the God who is in the heavens laughs. You hold them in derision. You throw them into confusion and cast them down like castles of sand. Their pitiful ploys fall to pieces and you make them to fall into the very snares they have laid.

O God, for you there shall be praise. For your kingdom cannot be broken. Though myriads upon myriads may assail her, your strong arm protects her. And we have dwelt secure in you. We praise you for being our help. We thank you that you have been our shield and buckler.

And God we wish to quite ourselves before you. To be still and know that you are God; the one who will be exalted above all nations. So Father we pray that your presence might be known among us. We ask that nothing would disturb our meditation, but that our minds might be saturated with holy thoughts; thoughts of you and your greatness.

Teach us today. Be our Counselor and Friend. Speak to our hearts and let us know that the Lord of Hosts is on our side.

A Famine of Hearing the Word

2009-02-28T08:05:00.000-05:00

Lord,

What a terrible punishment that would be—to have your word taken from us. To see the wells of wisdom dried up and to have a famine of truth. Surely our bones would wither and our souls would waste away. For your word is the word of life.

Yet are we not ever in danger of facing this curse of curses? Have we not so often acted like the Israelites? Haven’t we treated the Sabbath in much the same way? Here is a day when we could drink deeply from the cisterns of your Word and be instructed in the way of godliness. But we have wasted these days away and longed for it to be over so that we could go about our worldly pursuits.

Here too we have Bibles in our laps, and the freedom to study their contents. But O how we have failed to tend to them as we ought and find the fear of the Lord. Yes, we have too often neglected this sweet fountain of knowledge and chosen instead a diet of frivolous entertainments.

Father, you have been gracious to give us the Scriptures and many godly teachers. But we fear that these good gifts might be lifted from us. We pray that you would not let this devastation come to pass. We pray that we would find mercy with you. That you would enlighten our eyes and make your word to dwell in us richly. Revive us again, O Lord. And renew us in the fear of you.

Safety in God

2009-02-17T08:54:00.001-05:00

Almighty God,

Sweet have been our days because of you. Though legions of demons have surrounded us and blackness encompassed us all around, we have feared no ill. Your hand has protected us. Your angels have been our guardians. Your name has been our strong salvation and sure deliverance.

We praise you for the works that you have done and for the victories you have wrought. And we thank you for gathering us together now. And we pray that we might be reminded here of your sovereign care. How we are as chicks, nestled under your wing, safely hid from all our enemies.

We pray also that we might be strengthened for the battle ahead. That in this time of worship you would minister to us, and refresh us with your grace and renewed us in our commitment to live for Christ.

God, your servants have gathered before you, be not absent from our midst or silently lurking among us. But encourage us with your mighty presence and the testimony of your Word.

Denial of God

2009-02-17T08:53:00.001-05:00

Our Lord and our God,

Lord as we come to you this morning we confess that we have not been as faithful to you as we ought. And we are sorry for those times when we have denied you, be it by our explicit speech or our cowering silence. Forgive us Lord, for not having the boldness to stand up and to stand out. Forgive us for having feared man more you, and for fearing those whose are set on evil rather than good.

Father, we know that what we have done is evil, and that you have every right to deny us your pardon. But we pray that you would not deny yourself. For you have given the blood of your Son for sinners such as us and you have promised salvation to all who turn to you in faith.

And we pray that your Spirit would not be denied us either. But that you would cause Him to fill our hearts and strengthen us against any form of apostasy. Lord, you know how weak we are. And we pray that you might strengthen us in our testimony and give us the courage of the martyrs.

For this we ask in Jesus’ name.

Thus Says the Lord: A Study of the OT Prophets

2009-02-09T10:22:00.000-05:00

Covenant Reformed Fellowship will be diving into a new study in our evening services. The class will be entitled "Thus Says the Lord," and will consist of an overview of the prophetic books of the Bible.

Though these books make up a significant portion of the Bible, they are often neglected and rarely understood. Most of those who are designated "mature Christians" cannot even name a half of the 12 minor prophets. Yet their message of judgment and promise is just as contemporary today as it was over 2500 years ago. To be sure, we have much to benefit from as these servants of God bring the word of the Lord.

2009-02-09T09:26:00.000-05:00

O Lord our God,

You are high above all gods. You are very great. You perform what you decree in heaven and on earth. The wind and the seas obey you. Therefore you are to be exalted. Your praise is to be proclaimed.

And this is what we wish to do this day. You have called us to be your servants, to be a holy nation and a kingdom of priests. And we cannot help but bless your glorious name.

We thank you that you have chosen us to be your dwelling place. We praise you that you would so condescend to abide in such humble vessels. And we pray that our hearts would be made fit for you. O Father, We ask that through this service of worship would be endowed with greater knowledge and drawn into deeper holiness. We pray that this hour would be used to make us more suitable places to abide.

O Father, turn us away from the things of this earth and lift our eyes toward your holy face in heaven. For we ask this in Jesus Name.

2009-02-09T09:24:00.001-05:00

O Father,

We know that this word (Amos 5:16-22) accuses us. How often have our sacrifices been brought with our hands, but not with our hearts. We have come into the house of God to present our praises, but it has only been to mount up greater iniquity.

Lord, we know that you do not delight in Sunday Christians. We know that you do not accept the worship of those who pervert justice and do not uphold righteousness. But such only provoke you and bring upon themselves great wrath in the day of the Lord.

We know that we are not free from such guilt. For we have not listened to the voice of the needy, and we have shut our ears to the commandments of love. We have loved our beds of ease and have allowed the weak to be trampled so that we could partake of our pleasure.
Forgive us, O God, for not letting justice roll down like water and letting righteous flow like stream. And pardon us for so perverting your worship with such guilt upon our hands.

We ask O Father, that you would give us the grace too, to refrain from iniquity and combat the evils of our day. We pray that you would give us the zeal so that the day of the Lord would not be darkness and gloom. We pray that we would heed the call to stand, and be strengthened for the fight. We desire that that the day of the Lord would be for us a day of light and a day of joy, a day of happiness and glee as we see our Lord and Savior appear.

Confidence of Children

2009-02-01T21:19:00.001-05:00

With confidence we do draw nigh, O God. For you are the God who saves to the uttermost. You have spared not your Son on our behalf. But you delivered him over to the grave so that we might be pardoned of our sins.

Moreover you have poured out your Spirit, into our hearts, so that by it we might cry out Abba, Father. And we do now approach you with the firm confidence that we will not be rejected. We come knowing that will be pitied, protected and provided for, for we are sons of the living God.

How sweet it is to have access to you, O God. What a privilege it is to be able to draw near as a child would to his father.

And we pray O Father, that you would hear the lisping of your children this morning. Hear us as we exalt you. Though our utterances are crude and though our mouths fail to attain to a level of honor which is appropriate for you, would you be pleased to accept the praises we bring.

And would that you so fill our minds this morning. May it be that there would be no room for any other thoughts or cares. But may all that which would distract us from your sweet presence be pushed out because you have come upon us.

Flirting with Sin

2009-02-01T21:18:00.000-05:00

How your Law does condemn us, O God. For we have not only transgressed each of these commands, but we have transgressed each one many times and in many ways.

Indeed we are professionals when it comes to sin. We embrace virtually every occasion for it and we wickedly devise ways to provoke others to do the same. For this we know that we deserve to be cruelly treated. We and our children and our children’s children are liable to all of the curses that are recorded in your holy Word.

But we come to you and ask for your pardoning grace. Forgive us for dabbling in the brooks of iniquity. Lord, too many times we have flirted with evil and entertained thoughts of wickedness. We should have cast the unworthy thing far from our minds. But we have too often given the devil that foothold by welcoming the notion, despite knowing how foul it was. And this has only lead to further misdeeds. We have only let ourselves become hardened in sin and furthered our hell bent progression.

But we cry out to you because we know that you can break this downward spiral. We look to you for mercy and pray that the cords of this degeneration would be broken.

We do thank you for the cross of your dear Son. We praise you that you did send him forth to break the power of sin that does reign within us. And we pray that you would give us the strength to live as becomes a Christian. Help us to fight against temptation and to flee even the appearance of sin. Let us despise not just the sin itself, but would that we abhor even the path that leads to it.

God we know that only you possess the remedy for our sin. And we pray that you would indeed apply the balm of Christ to us now.

Our Deepest Longing

2009-01-25T06:00:00.000-05:00

We sing to you, O God, and lift up our voices. For our hearts long for you. As a deer pants for streams of water, so we thirst for you.

This morning we claim you again as our own. You are not just a god—being one among many. You are not simply the God. But you are our God, glorious and good.

And our petition this morning is that you would claim us, as we have claimed you; that you would take us to be yours again and set your affection upon us; tat you would have pity on us and abide with us.

O God, you are our chief pleasure. You are the satisfaction of our hearts. And we pray that we might have our fill of you today and rest securely under your wing.

For we ask this in the name that is sweeter than any other, the name of Jesus. Amen.

Our Lack of Self-Control

2009-01-22T12:38:00.005-05:00

Almighty God,

We thank you that you are slow to become angry and not hasty in pouring out your wrath. We acknowledge that this is far beyond what we deserve. When we ought to have been wiped from the face of the earth, you showed yourself to be one that does not delight in the death of the wicked. You continually give us ample opportunity to confess our sins and turn from them. You urge us to come to you and be restored by your grace.

Truly we are debtors to your mercy. And what great debtors we are. For we have so little rule over our spirits. We cannot even pride ourselves in being good sport for the Devil, for he finds us easy prey. Not only do we yield to his temptations without resistance, but our ungovernable lusts seek his devilish delights.

But O that you would slay the fiendish cravings of our heart, that we might see our passions subdued and our hearts strengthened against all forms of enticement. O Father, we wish to be more inclined to godliness and more fit to fight against the foolish allurements of this world.

But we do not have it within us. So we come to you and ask that our souls would be your conquest. We pray that you would overrule our desires and place within us a spirit of fear and trembling. We pray that you would develop within us a great distaste for sin and a new yearning for what is good, noble, what is excellent and pure.

God give us cleansing, deep and thorough. We do thank you for the gospel promise and the claim to heaven we have in Christ. For he is our righteousness and he holds the keys to life. But we pray earnestly that your Spirit would have his full work in us. That we might ripen in that sweet fruit of self control and permit us to live more honorably to our God and Savior.

Psalm 108:1-3

2009-01-05T13:13:00.004-05:00

My heart is fixed, O God; I'll sing; my psalms I'll raise.
My soul shall sing; awake O harp! At dawn I'll wake to praise.

I will give thanks to Thee among the peoples, Lord.
Among the nations of the world to Thee I'll psalms accord.

Yes, God, we will give thanks to you among the peoples. We will raise our songs of praise to you amidst our brethren; amidst the nations we will exalt you as Lord. For your love is as vast as the heavens above us. Your mercy is as deep as the oceans below. Your faithfulness is more steadfast than the mountains and rocks of earth.

And we pray that your glory would be advance. That today, in this hour your might receive us again into your presence, and accept the praises we bring. We pray too that our voices would resound with melodies of adoration. We pray that the unison of our voices would match the harmony of our hearts. Lord, would even that the tones of our lips might resonate beyond these walls—touching those who still do dwell in the darkness of their sins.

Yet, whatever may occur beyond us, we pray that this room would be wholly devoted unto you. That our souls might be taken up to heaven, that we might meet with you and be sanctified by your Spirit.

Facination with the Lesser

2009-01-05T13:12:00.000-05:00

Gracious God,

How we stand in need of your mercy and grace. Every minute we need you. For not a moment goes by where we do not defiled ourselves in sin. Even the few moments we have been united together—ever since we were called to worship you—we have let our minds wander to carnal things. This just shows our fascination with the world and its cares.

Why is it our hearts chase after lesser things? This we cannot even fathom. For what could be more desirable than you? What is more satisfying? What could ever bring more happiness and consolation?

This indeed is a great mystery to us, O God. But what is more, it is a great sin. And we confess it to you now and do pray that you would mend our hearts from this incurable disease. Let our hearts be fettered that they might always meditate upon your kindness. Let our roaming minds be stilled and stayed upon Jehovah.

Holy Jealousy

2008-12-28T13:53:00.000-05:00

Almighty God,

Come O God, come. Come to us and anoint us with your good Spirit. You have promised that you will draw near to those who draw near to you. You will exalt him whose heart is humble. You will do whatever we ask when we petition you in your name.

So hear our prayer today: Let us abide in your presence. Let us find a home at your side and a place at your feet.

O how we envy the angels, for they stand before you night and day. We are jealous of those saints who have passed from this earth and do now worship you in heaven. For they gaze upon your holiness and bask in your infinite splendor.

But though we cannot have the fullness of what they have, we pray that we might be able to partake of a portion of it. We pray that your presence would still be manifested among us. O that we might taste of the heavenly kingdom and worship you in the power of your grace.

For this we pray in Jesus' name. Amen.

Confessing our Conformity

2008-12-28T13:50:00.001-05:00

Dear God,

As we come before you we recognize that we are unsuited for your presence. We are defiled with sin and stand in need of a cleansing that only you can give.

You have every right to chase us away—to run us out of your good presence like Adam before us. Indeed, if we were cast out into the outer darkness, you would be justified in your actions.

But we know that you accept the one whose heart is penitent and you show mercy to the brokenhearted. He who has nothing you make rich, and you eye is ever on the poor in spirit.

And as we turn to you now we pray that you might pardon us for looking so much like the world: for taking their views, for following their idols, for imitating their ways and embracing their pride. Too often we have been the world’s twin, rather than its greatest enemy.

Do cleanse us from this filth and lift us out of this mire. We pray that you would give us instead a zeal to pursue your law; to be conformed to the image of your Son; to mimic the angels in heaven. No longer do we wish to be a friend of the world, but instead we desire to be a threat to it.

Dear God, let us be holy, even as you are holy. Amen

New Study on the Church

2008-12-09T14:39:00.001-05:00

What do you know about the Church? If you are like most people, not much.

That is why CRF is embarking on a new study on the doctrine of the church (otherwise known as ecclesiology) in its Sunday evening study (6:30 p.m.).

It has been said that "Protestant theology has concerned itself largely with salvation truth to the neglect of the doctrine of the church." Indeed this is true. Many can speak of Jesus, but most do not know a thing about what Jesus says regarding his bride.

Moreover, it is important in a day when the church is governed more by pragmatism and personal affinities than by God's Word that we turn to the Bible to find out what the church should be and do.

The study will begin by looking at the attributes of the church, which are outlined in the Nicene Creed: I believe in one, holy, catholic and apostolic church. Then we will consider other pertinent topics, such as the marks of of a true and false church, the mission of the church, church government and sacraments.

All along the way we'll be diving into contemporary issues such as the ecumenical movement, the church growth movement, and the issue of social action. Practical questions (such as, when is it right to leave a church? what is my role as a member of a local church? and do para-church ministries have biblical authorization?) will also be addressed throughout.

Faith Lessons for CRF's Tuesday Night Men's Group

2008-12-09T14:00:00.000-05:00

The men of CRF have begun what looks to be a great series of videos from Ray VanderLaan and his Faith Lessons series. In the Dust of the Rabbi is the title of the videos we will be watching each Tuesday night at 6:00. If these videos are anything like the earlier ones from the Faith Lessons series, then they are sure to be excellent.

Reformation Day Celebration

2008-10-26T13:09:00.002-05:00

This Friday (Oct 31st) is Reformation Day! We'll be celebrating by wathing the movie Luther. You are most welcome to come and join us. Just let me know. Don't forget to read your 95 Theses too in honor of our great heritage.

2008-10-26T13:05:00.001-05:00

Mighty God,

What debt of love we do owe you. How can we repay? You have loved us with a matchless love. You have poured out mercy upon mercy. Torrents of grace have come down and we have been swallowed up by a deluge of love.

Yet you were not satisfied with that. You would not be content with a mere reconciliation. You would not stop until our hearts had been fully subdued and we made your children. This being so you have hounded us and hunted us. You have sought us and saved us.

So we stand here today as princes—heirs of eternity. We look to inherit a rich treasure, a great kingdom, a life of constant pleasure and happiness.

And so we call upon your Name, that name that is above all names, and ask that you might meet with us here. And continue to affirm your love for us. Bind us to yourself with that matchless devotion. For there is no one like you. There is no one who can even begin to imitate the bounty of your affection.

2008-10-26T13:03:00.000-05:00

God of all grace,

You have set us in this world to be salt and light. You called us to be separate from the world and a witness to the world. But we acknowledge that we have failed this holy calling.

Despite having received from you blessing upon blessing, we have grumbled and complained. We have despaired and doubted. Our faces have not reflected the joy that ought to characterize those who have been sanctified by your grace. And our lives have been filled with corruption.
We acknowledge the fact that we are defiled with the stain of sin. And we pray that you would forgive us for continuing to go back to wallow in the cesspool of our sin.

We ask that you would purge from us the iniquity that still litters our hearts. We ask, O God, that you would renovate these barren temples. Make them suitable for your divine presence. Clear away all that is vile. Melt away our longings for unrighteousness. Make us strong against temptation and shield us from evil.

We thank you for Jesus, and the promise of the gospel. We thank you that he did suffer and die upon the cross to bear the penalty of our sin.

And now, Father, we ask that you could cause our souls cleave to you and you alone. We pray that we might be testimonies to the Spirit’s work. That we might be your epistles to this world, having the gospel of grace written on our hearts. That others might find grace with you through us. Make it so, for Jesus sake.

2008-10-04T08:33:00.000-05:00

Our King and Our God,

To you we come this day wishing we had a thousand tongues to sing your praise. Even then it would not be sufficient to voice what we owe you. Neither then would we be able to express how glorious you are.

Your majesty is radiant. You are robed with honor. Yet we are limited creatures, we are but worms in comparison to your greatness. But we come as you have commanded. We shrink not back from our duty of worship. No, we come with glad hearts and jubilant spirits. For you are our all in all. We live because of you. We breath in this air because you have permitted us this simple grace.

And as we come to draw near to you, we pray that you would draw near to us. Come to us and abide with us. Make your dwelling place within us. Renew your love to us and shine your face upon us we pray. In Jesus’ Name, Amen.

2008-10-04T08:31:00.001-05:00

Our God and Savior,

We realize that we have broken covenant with you and have transgressed your law. We have not been humble enough to walk with you. We have not delighted ourselves in you. When you called us out of the storm of sin, we refused to come. We were more content to wallow in our iniquity and enjoy the pleasures of the flesh.

You have called us to walk in your way, to enjoy peace of conscience, and to find the bounty of eternal happiness. But we have not listened to your voice, nor heeded the beckoning of your Spirit.

But we turn to you now with grief in our hearts and sorrow for our sins. We are pained that we have left our first love and sought our own way. We cannot even explain why we were tempted to find our fulfilment in anything else. For you are the chief good and man’s supreme pleasure.

So, O God, we pray that you would not turn us away. As we turn to you we pray that you would turn again to us. Be gracious to us and forgive us. Mend us and restore us. Fill us and renew us with your grace. For we long to walk with you in newness of life. We long for the day when these chains of sin will be broken and ask that it would be this day that the remnants of sin would be continually splintered and put away forever.

Holy, Holy, Holy

2008-09-22T06:49:00.001-05:00

Holy God,

We praise your name! We exalt you because you are infinite in holy perfection. Moreover, you are holy in that you transcend this creation and far surpass all that has been made by the power of your word. Even the angels in their burning light must fall down and cover their faces when in your presence.

As we come into your presence we do wish to rejoice that you have made us fit for your presence. We thank you that through the blood of your Son we have been justified. We give you praise for the outpouring of your Spirit, who has washed us and sanctified us so that we can stand before you and worship you today as the angels in heaven.

Moreover we thank you that we might be ones whom you have called to be holy. We do ask that you would come to us during this time of worship and stir our hearts up to that end. We pray that we might leave here with faces burning like Moses. We pray that our hearts might be set aflame with holy desires. We pray that in this time, as we are exposed to your majestic splendor, sin might be burnt like chaff and purged from our souls forever more.

We Can Do Nothing

2008-09-22T06:48:00.000-05:00

Dearest Lord,

You are the God who dwells in heaven, and we are the people who have erred and gone astray. Your law declares your holiness. It convicts us of our evil and condemns us for it. Yet we come to you, poor sinners that we are, and seek your pardon.

We can by no means cover our guilt or make up for our offenses. No amount of offerings can take away your anger and no amount of charity could outweigh our evil. Even if we were to have the power to cease from our iniquity at this very hour, we know that we would still owe a debt beyond our ability to repay.

So as we come to you all we can do is throw ourselves upon your mercy, and look to the blood of your Son, our Savior. IN him we find one who is sufficient to pay our debt. In him we find our only hope of heaven and means of salvation.

So we pray that you would pardon our iniquity and fill us with a holy fear of you. Let us be ever thankful for your grace and sanctified by it. Let your spirit dwell within us continually and let him have his purifying work.

2008-09-14T14:41:00.000-05:00

Almighty God,

You are the king and head of the church. You indeed have secured for us life forevermore. In you we have a mighty fortress. Through you we have a great inheritance. With you we have all confidence—be it against foe, fiend, and death alike.

Therefore we unite together to sing forth your praise. We come to you, our great God—three in one--to pledge our allegiance to you again, to renew our vows, to forsake our sins, to find grace and pardon, direction and teaching.

We pray that your glory would be sounded forth. We pray that the earth beneath us might be shaken and your presence known among us. We pray that your will would be revealed to us and your worship would be kept from all corruption.

Above all we pray that we would worship you both inwardly and outwardly. We pray that our worship would not be formalized or external only. We pray that our hearts would be renewed, our minds transformed. We pray that our souls would be dedicated to you, presented as a pleasing offering. For this is the one to whom you will look: he who is humble and contrite in spirit and trembles at your word. Bless to us this spirit, that you might be blessed above all things.

2008-09-14T14:40:00.000-05:00

Most Merciful and Saving God,

We come to you as the one who delivers sinners from their affliction, the one who saves those who are caught in the mire of sin. We know you to be a compassionate God, forgiving iniquity, transgression and sin. But we also know that you are most just and terrible in your judgments. You hate all sin and you will by no means clear the guilty.

Were we without hope of forgiveness we would be in great despair. But we know that your dear Son did bleed and die upon the cross. His flesh was torn and his body was crushed on behalf of sinners like us. And we do fly now to you with the hope of receiving salvation through his life, death and resurection. We do pray that you would accept his sufferings on our behalf and hold not against us the penalty of our sins.

We pray that you might raise us up with Christ that we might walk in the newness of life. Restore to us a heart of flesh and lead us in the way everlasting. And let not the death of Christ be in vain. But let all the merits that he did accrue in this perfect life be credited to our account. For this we ask in Jesus’ name.

Gladness in Your Presence

2008-03-16T07:16:00.000-05:00

Almighty God,

We enter your gates this morning with thanksgiving; we come into your courts with praise. For you are good and your steadfast love endures for ever. Your faithfulness persists to all generations.

You, O Lord, are God, you have made us. You tend to our needs as a shepherd tends to his sheep. You hear our cries. You wipe away our tears. You protect us from our enemies and fill us with goodness. You make us to dwell in board places. Therefore we come into your presence this morning with singing. In gladness we offer our service of worship to you.

And we ask O God that you would come down to us. May a pathway be opened into our hearts, and may your Spirit abide there forever. Even this day we pray that you would make us to ponder our ways. May we come to understand and the way that is blameless. We desire that our minds might be transformed and begin to align more fully with Christ our Lord.

Above all let us witness your majesty and be awed by your radiance. Give us a glimpse of your glory and let us leave this place changed by the experience of your divinity.

With Thee There is Forgiveness

2008-03-16T07:13:00.003-05:00

Gracious and Compassionate God,

You know how we have struggled with our sins this week. We come here today having lost many battles. We struggled and we strained, but we have failed to be victorious over sin and temptation.

By your grace we have made some ground. As a baby makes headway in learning to crawl, so too we have come some distance. But you know how small our progress has been. The devil has attacked us again and again. Our flesh has burned with passion, and the world has lured us away from the way of righteousness.

This is why we come to you this morning. We know that you will complete the work of grace that you have begun in us. You do nothing halfway. We expect that on the day of Christ’s return we shall experience the fullness of our salvation. But until that time we need your forgiveness and grace to sustain us day by day.

And we have the confidence that there is forgiveness with you, even for the chief of sinners. You forgave the sin of Adam. You covered the sins of our forefathers: Abraham, Issac, Jacob and David. You did not turn your back on the Israelites when they sought after other gods. You forgave them when they cried out to you and you exalted yourself as the God of compassion.

So too we look to you for the same covenant faithfulness. Forgive us of our lawless deeds and let the blood of our dear Savior purge them away. We ask that your Spirit would burn away our transgressions and that new life and obedience would appear in their place. Give us courage to perform your will, give us power to stand up against the siege of Satan, and let our footsteps be lead far from the realm of evil. Protect us and save us by your righteous, omnipotent arm, for we are weak and pitiful creatures, prone to sin and lusting after evil.

Listen to Sermons

2008-03-15T21:34:00.004-05:00

If you would like to listen to Pastor Timmons' sermons you can do so by clicking here. You will find a list of sermons to choose from. Let me know if you have problems, I would like to make sure it is fixed.

Prayer of Adoration and Invocation

2008-02-11T20:55:00.000-05:00

Almighty God,

You are the King of kings and the God of gods. To you all nations bow in submission. Kings prostrate themselves before you and authorities derive their power from you.And we who are gathered here today have gathered as one body to lift our praise to you. As crowds would gather to give laud and adoration to a conquering warrior we come to cast our praise to you, our Mighty King.

We acknowledge your sovereign power and bow our hearts in your presence. Moreover we humbly ask that you would descend upon us today. We beseech your favor, that you might draw us into deeper fellowship. We pray that we might be made to walk in the Spirit and not according to the flesh. We desire that we might be exposed to your holiness so that we might walk away radiating with holiness ourselves. As Moses came down from the mountain radiating with the glory of your presence, we desire to meet with you and become like you in righteousness, wisdom, and grace.

What we ask is that this time might be a time of worship and a time of transformation; a time of praise and a time of conversion; a time of reverence and a time of repentance. For this we ask in Jesus Name.

Prayer of Repentance and Renewal

2008-02-11T20:53:00.000-05:00

Holy God,

If we would deny the fact that we are sinners, we would be denying what is most evident to all. We would be fools if we tried to cover our iniquity, for it would be like trying to cover the sand on the sea shore.

Lord, we cannot escape the guilt. We cannot escape the shame. And so we come to you that we might obtain mercy. For we know that you are a God of mercy. You are full of compassion and will not turn away those who humbly and honestly turn from their sins.

Lord, that which we are ashamed of, we are sorrowful for. And we pray that you might do with our sins what we cannot: Cover them and cast them far away from us. Do not count them against us, but throw them upon Jesus and let his blood be a tide that washes them away.

We ask also that you would create in us a spirit of righteousness. Give us the holy characteristics that are becoming of those who profess your Name. We ask that your Spirit might come into us and break down our critical spirits. May it be that we love our neighbor rather than despise them. Make us to magnify their gifts rather than their imperfections. May we desire what is worthy and beautiful in them rather than envy and laud that which wicked and damnable. Help us to rejoice in their virtues mimic their merits and be silent regarding what is undesirable.

We pray that we might be made to honor Christ in this way—by being people who dwell on that which is worthy of praise and devoted to what is good.

Our Cheif Desire

2008-02-02T20:43:00.000-05:00

God of Gods,

You are beyond all comprehension. Your ways are higher than our ways. Your thoughts are higher than our thoughts. We know that we are unable to grasp the enormity of your being. For thinking about you is like trying to mine the depths of the oceans. But we gather together today to spend our energy in such holy contemplations. We gather in order to delight ourselves in your presence and to stand in awe of your infinite majesty.

And it is to you, the great I Am, that we come this morning. We have longed for you through this week. Our hearts have panted in thirst for you. Indeed, our inward man has yearned for the renewal of your Spirit.

So we ask that you would come and meet with us today. Come and refresh us with new life and give us a taste of what eternity will be like.

Lord, we desire one thing this morning: and it is you. And we desire that a flame of devotion might be ignited within our souls so that we might fear you and worship you aright. And we have the confidence that this will be done, for we ask this in the Name of our Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ.

Our Lack of Passion

2008-02-02T20:42:00.000-05:00

Gracious God,

In looking at your law we find that you are a God who requires the utmost devotion. We understand that you take no pleasure in sin, but desire us to love you with all our heart, mind and strength.

But we acknowledge that we lack the proper devotion. We confess that our hearts are often so lethargic. Instead of having blood that boils over with passion, our hearts are like tepid waters. Our souls are as quiet as a winter night.

While we recognize your lordship and acknowledge your gracious dealings with us, we still fail to possess a passionate spirit and adoring affection for you. This we admit is a wretched thing. It is utterly deplorable.

You have never ceased to love us. Your have never ceased to shower us with affection. You have protected us, pleased us, and pursued us. You have given us nourishment for body and soul, not to mention your law, your promises, and your one and only Son.

Indeed, in view of such things, our deadness is despicable and deserves to be punished. We know that such a demeanor is not only unlawful, but it is unworthy of you. Therefore we come before you and ask that you would forgive us for it. And we beseech you for grace to overcome this lukewarmness. We pray that you might kindle a fire within our hearts and fan it into a roaring blaze. May we not put you off, but seek to abide ever in the presence of your face.

From All Eternity

2008-01-20T08:17:00.000-05:00

Most holy and gracious God,

All that transpires in time comes as a result of your foreordination. Whatsoever comes to pass today was written before ages began. You planned every moment and devised each of the works of man.

In eternity you set forth this day. From of old you ordained that this would be the day that your praises would be raised and your word declared. You decreed the prayers and songs, and even the thoughts of our minds were prepared in advance by you.

Thus we stand in awe of your transcendence and we are overwhelmed by your unchangeable plans. We admit that we cannot understand it all. While we may try to inquire about its intricacies, we are met with inexpressible mysteries. But what mystifies us, is altogether plain to you.

As this book of history is written ,and even while this day unfolds, we wish to be counted as righteous in your eyes. We desire that our hearts and minds might be yours and yours alone. We do ask that all things might be ordered to your glory today. We pray that we, like all the creatures of the earth, may conform to the counsel of your will and render you the praise that you deserve.We pray that this day we would demonstrate before the world that our God reigns. For this we ask in the powerful name of our Lord Jesus Christ. Amen.

Hallowed be Thy Name

2007-12-16T06:45:00.000-05:00

Oh, Yes. We will have church today.

I will reiterate our weather policy for those of you who may not know: If you feel your life or safety are in danger, don't come. But If God opens the way to you, come and worship. I will be there no matter what.

Great is the Lord and most worthy of praise;

He is to be feared above all gods.

All the gods of the nations are idols,

but the Lord made the heavens.

Psalm 96:4-5

2007-12-10T17:00:00.000-05:00

Eternal God,

You are exalted over all nations and your glory is above the heavens. No other god compares to you and no one can begin to speak of your Excellency. Your greatness extends from generation to generation and your majesty cannot be broken.This day we gather together to acknowledge you as our King. We lift our voices to praise our God who is enthroned on high.

We thank you that you have not remained at a distance. We praise you for stooping to inquire as to our well being and to bring us aid in times of need.You have raised us from the dust and you have lifted us our of our misery. You have given us joy and seated us with princes. We who were outcasts, you have made royalty. Truly you are most gracious, most kind, and most worthy of praise.

For this reason we seek your favor this morning. We ask that you would descend upon us again. Send forth your Spirit into this place and bring us into your holy presence. Let not one second of this time be wasted on frivolous thoughts or unnecessary worries. But let us be enraptured with our God this morning and may we dwell in the shelter of your wing.

2007-12-10T16:49:00.000-05:00

Almighty God,

We know that you are a God who will not put up with men forever. You have suffered long with sinners. You have overlooked a multitude of sins. But we know that you will one day break forth into this world and bring justice to your land. For this reason we bow before you as unworthy servants. We know that we have done wrong and we have not ceased to profane your name. But we come to you, poor and wretched sinners that we are, and beg for your mercy.

Lord, you have given each one of us responsibilities. You have committed to our care many things: money, children, time, and talents. You have given us a hearty portion of good things in this life. But all these things we have squandered. We have not used them in a way that is pleasing to you. Nor have we exercised proper care in our various duties. The examples that we have been poor and our leadership has been full of defects. When we should have been as tender as a shepherd, we have been stern and cruel. When we should have been liberal and openhanded, we have been miserly and calloused.

But you haven not been this way with us. You have time and again been gentle, generous, and gracious. The loving-kindness that you have expressed towards us has only made our sins all the more obvious and all the more wicked.

So we come to you, wishing to confess and forsake these sins. We seek you for pardon and pray that you might not be angry with us. Instead of casting us out into the outer darkness, we pray that you might discipline us in love. We ask that you would isolate these sins and remove them, as well as the many others that do infect our souls. We pray that we might find in their place those graces and virtues that were found in our Dear Savior, Jesus Christ. May we be filled with his undying love and faithfulness.

For we ask this in his precious name. Amen.

2007-11-17T18:29:00.000-05:00

Great and glorious Redeemer,

O how we have sinned against you. O how we have multiplied our transgressions again and again. We have heaped up our sins and have not ceased to offend you. So little have been our advancements and so many have been our backslidings.

Father, we prove day after day that we are born of our father Adam. The enticement of sin overcomes us and our hearts race after wicked things. So we bow before you to seek you again for your favor. Time after time we have set an ungodly example to those around us. Our words have led our children into sin and our actions have caused the ungodly to blaspheme. Instead of modeling righteousness and showing what is honorable, we have dishonored our God by our careless living.

Indeed we have taken your name in vain. But we look to you, that we might be rid of these sins and the others that plague our lives. We wish to gain victory over our sinful thoughts and gain a new inward zeal for what is good. So we plead with you today to look not upon us as our sins deserve. But let the blood of our dear Savior cover us. May our sins be thrown upon his cross, and may we live a new life by the power of your Spirit. Make us more watchful in life and continue to develop within us a zeal for what is most pleasing to you.

2007-11-17T18:28:00.000-05:00

Almighty God,

You are the maker of heaven and earth. All things were created By you and by you we are sustained. This day we gather as your humble people to acknowledge our utter dependence upon you. You are from everlasting to everlasting and have no need of anything in any of your creation. But we are needy people. We are like babes who rely upon their mothers at every moment.

Since we know that we are but dust and shall one day come from the ground from which we were formed, we look to you with the eyes of faith. We wish this day to worship you and embrace again the everlasting life that you do give through your Son. May you be pleased to dwell with us and shine down upon us in this time. And may your grace be poured out from heaven to draw us further into obedience and faith.

A Prayer for Entering Morning Worship

2007-10-29T17:32:00.000-05:00

Almighty God, Father, Son and Holy Spirit,

Just as you called the sun to rise today, you have called us out of our slumber. By your grace you caused us to arise with life and breath anew. Moreover you have awakened our souls that we might enjoy eternal life.

Now, having been brought into this assembly by your good hand, we look to our God—We look to the head and defender of his church, in order to offer you our praises and to set apart this day to the One who has created all things and redeemed us by his only Begotten Son.

We acknowledge you as our King and know that it is in your hand to do make great and to bring low. By your Spirit hearts are hardened or broken. And we ask that this time of worship would be showered with your mercies. May your word this day not fall on dull ears, but we pray that the door of our hearts would be opened wide that we might receive it like the good soil receives the seed. May our minds be sharp and our souls be like traps so that no good thing may escape us.

Above all may we enjoy you today. May we remember again our God who has forgiven our sins, secured for us an eternal inheritance, and made us to reign with him in this world.

Today's Invocation

2007-10-07T12:10:00.000-05:00

Almighty God,

We come before you this morning because you are the King of kings and the Lord of Lords. You are the only wise God, Father, Son and Holy Spirit, the one who lives and reigns. We acknowledge that you are unlike any other, for you are infinite in being and perfection. And you have all life, glory and goodness in and of yourself. For this reason we assemble here today. We desire renew our vows to you and set you apart as Lord in our hearts.

As we call upon your name, we ask that you would condescend to us. Would that you would come down from your lofty dwelling place above and fill this place with your Spirit. May we enjoy sweet communion with you and worship you this day and this hour. We pray that you might be pleased to lift our heads and anoint our hearts with your redeeming love and cause us to pay homage to our Jehovah God.

Confession of Sin

2007-10-07T12:09:00.000-05:00

Almighty God,

As we approach you this morning we come to you as we are, with all of our sins.

We do not hide the fact that we have transgressed and offended your infinite holiness. Indeed we admit that we have been weak to battle temptation and slow to fulfill our duty before you. We have not paid honor to your name, nor taken it upon ourselves with sober recognition. We acknowledge the raging of our hearts and how we lust and yearn for ignoble things.

To our harm we pant after what is evil and we indulge in what can only be called folly. Each of us has strayed, and each of us has strayed in our own way. But we acknowledge also that we have sins that are common to us all. Moreover we have sinned corporately. Each of us has contributed to the wrath that is justly due to our house, community, and church.

But we pray that you might not look upon us in your displeasure. We cry out to you and we run to the cross of our dear Savior Jesus Christ. And on Calvary’s hilltop we cry out for mercy, begging that our sins not be held against us. Forgive us our many debts and turn our hearts toward you again. Let these misdeeds and our many others that we have committed time after time be crucified with Christ and put to death once and for all. Cause righteousness to come to life and let what is in accord with justice be fulfilled among us.

For this we ask in Jesus strong Name. Amen

The Failure of Foresight

2007-07-29T15:18:00.000-05:00

Our Father in Heaven,

In calling us to be Christians you called us to be light in the midst of darkness, and blessings in the midst of misery. But we have not lived up to this calling, nor adequately sought to fulfill it.

That is why we bow before you this morning, because we need to be forgiven for our lack of forethought. We are people who most frequently live by our whims and passions, and we fail to consider the future and how we might do good.

In this regard, our greatest offense has been against you. You have never ceased to think about us, and it is to our shame that we have not ceased for even a moment to devise ways to please you. We have not honored you because we have not properly prepared our hearts for worship or calculated when we could set aside time for special prayer, personal devotions, and much needed adoration and thanksgiving.

But we have sinned not only against heaven, but against our peers here on earth. Instead of carefully studying how we might be of benefit to our neighbors, we have been much consumed with ourselves and our own gain.

We beg you for pardon because the plans we have made have only revolved around our own desires and personal satisfaction. We have forgotten your past acts of love and have not remembered your great acts of redemption. You moved mightily in order to deliver us in our times of need. But you deeds have been like mighty storms of rain: they came with much power and made us stand in awe, but with their passing they were quickly forgotten. Indeed they were eclipsed by unrelenting selfishness and lust.

Forgive us, Lord, for failing to have a preemptive love. And give us hearts that truly esteem you. Turn us to yourself, and let our soul’s be fixed upon you. May all of our intentions and longings be focused upon the one who has loved us and given his life for us.

For this we ask in Jesus’ name, Amen.

A Prayer of Confession for the Fourth of July

2007-07-08T14:53:00.000-05:00

Almighty and Compassionate God,

As we come before you this morning we give you praise for the freedoms that we as a nation enjoy. You have granted us life and liberty. Because of your loving-kindness we have the freedom to own property and pursue our personal welfare.

You have been gracious to us, for we know that we deserve not one good thing. We know that if you dealt with us as our sins deserve all these things would be stripped from us and we should be cast immediately into hell.

But we thank you for looking upon us so kindly. And we thank you for causing our forefathers to implement laws that were in accord with true justice and wisdom. We give you praise that our nation was founded on the principles of truth and the freedom that is found in your Law.

And this morning we look to you for your continued mercy and grace. For we know that we as a nation have not lived in accord with Christ. Like the Israelites long ago who strayed from the faith. We too have become a nation that does what is right in our own eyes.

Your patience has been great, but we know that you will only suffer so long with sinners. So we plead with you again to have mercy upon us. We ask that you would restore our fortunes. Give us a fresh outpouring of your Spirit. Like days of old where revival and renewal graced our lands, let us be drawn back to our God. Let us not glory in wickedness or lewdness, but let us glory in Christ. Let us not set ourselves up as lords, but may we as a united people acknowledge the Triune God alone as the Supreme Head and King of our state.

Since we have sought our independence from you, we know that we deserve to live eternally without you. We know that we deserve to have the freedoms we enjoy be used against us for our downfall. But we beseech you this morning for your favor. Do not give us justice, but make us a people who love justice. Do not take away our lives, but make us a people who treasure life. Grant us liberty, but bind our hearts to you. For this we ask in Jesus Name. Amen.

Squandered Blessings

2007-04-29T14:30:00.000-05:00

Almighty Father,

As we come before you this morning we recognize that we are sinners. And we know that we deserve to be stripped of all that we have and thrown into hell. Yet you have seen fit to give us life and breath. Moreover you have lavished upon us good things.

And we confess that we have mishandled these things and corrupted ourselves. We have loved the blessing and not the Blesser. We have coveted earthly goods and sought to attain them through wicked means. We have lusted and lied, cheated stolen. Neither have we looked out for the good of our neighbor. Instead we have wronged them and hurt them as we have grasped after temporal things.

You would be perfectly just if you would cut us off from the face of the earth and condemn us for all eternity. And this is why we seek you out. We come to you knowing that nothing we would offer you would satisfy you. Indeed we come naked and barren, putting our hope in nothing but the righteousness of your Son. We humbly ask that you would forgive us for our sins.

And we beseech you to cleanse us from our idolatrous heart. Lord, we ask that you would purge from us those unrighteous lusts & cravings. Give us a spirit of moderation and a heart that does not lurch after goods. Indeed we pray that we would be people who acknowledge the source of our life and diligently adhere to the righteous means of receiving our sustenance. We ask that you would temper our desires so that we might be content with what you give us, liberal in our giving, and hospitable towards others.

For this we ask in Jesus’ name, Amen.

Directions to Worship

2007-04-20T20:30:00.000-05:00

CRF will temporarily be meeting in the basement of Armstrong Accounting, which is located at 1236 Claremont Ave and is beside the National City Bank. (Click here for a map and driving directions.)

Parking is provided behind the building and you may enter through the basement door located to the left of the main double doors. Please note that there is no access through the main double doors. Also be aware that the basement entrance is somewhat hidden. A quick glance might overlook it.