Covenant Life Church

Last week, we started a two-part message about the spirit of python. That was the spirit that enabled the woman in Acts 16:16-19 to be a profitable fortune teller. The message was called “Caught and Crushed” because that’s how pythons kill other animals. They lie in wait and strike quickly, catching the prey with their curved fangs. Once the prey is caught, the python coils around it, cutting off respiration and circulation. This week’s message is a bit of a prequel. We’re going to pick up where we left off and keep walking back to the root. This message is rated PG-middle school because we’re going to talk about mature and sensitive subjects, but at the same time, we hope you listen to it because it might just be what sets you free from the guilt, shame, and stigma that’s been smothering you. This message is called Broken and Baited.

In Acts 16:16-19, Paul and his ministry team were walking to prayer in the city of Philippi, and a slave girl followed them and shouted that they were men of God. This went on and on until Paul turned around and put a stop to it because he discerned that it was sourced in demonic interference instead of divine revelation. The Bible says that she had a spirit of divination that gave her the ability to tell fortunes, and the Greek word that is translated “divination” is where we get our word “python.” Pythons kill their prey with a two-pronged attack. First, they catch you; then, they crush you. This week’s message is called Caught and Crushed.

Between the 25th anniversary of 9/11 and the loss of two members of our church, this has been a difficult week for many. It’s easy to believe that bad things only happen to sinners, but the truth is that bad things happen to good people every day. Jesus said as much in Matthew 7:24-27. In this passage, He contrasts the difference between what happens to those who follow Him and what happens to those who don’t, but do you know what they had in common? The storm came for both of them. You can be the chief of sinners or the chief of saints, but the rain is going to fall, the wind is going to blow, and the floods are going to come against both houses. Being a follower of Jesus does not mean you won’t face any tragedies or that your life will be perfect. Jesus said that the distinction between the two is not whether or not the storm comes but the foundation on which you build your house. The houses look the same in the sunshine, but the difference gets really clear when the storm rolls in. Editor’s Note: The 2026 at the end of this sermon title is meant to differentiate this message from one with the same title from July 2025, which is available here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MauCAmjgSS0.

Labor Day was started to honor the hard work and contributions of the American workforce. God’s been honoring hard work since the beginning. Everything you see is a result of God’s work. Genesis 2:1-2 tells us that creation was the work of God and that He rested after six days of working. He didn’t rest because He was tired; He rested because He had finished the job. The fact that God did work and gave work to Adam means that work is honorable. God stopped after the sixth day, but there is more work to do. We love because God loves. We give because God gives. We forgive because God forgives. What should be our response to the fact that God is a worker? We should work! This week’s message is called In Honor of Work.

This week, we are welcoming kids of all ages into “big church” with us for CL Family Day — a special service we have every fifth Sunday to give our Next Gen volunteers a break and allow parents and children to worship God together. Plus, now that our young people are back in school, it’s the perfect time to dive into a message called Kingdom Math. Together, we’ll look at three pairs of mathematical formulas to help us see how our thoughts and actions should be inverted by the Gospel, and at the end, Jordan Weathers, communications director at Covenant Life, will share some practical things we can do as families this week to grow closer to God and make a greater impact on the lives of others.