John Steinbeck’s Of Mice and Men is a powerful depiction of the human need for a hope and a future.
Sermons, Articles, and Book Reviews for the Church
Trent Casto Posts
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The Unquenchable Flame is a powerful reminder of the beauty and truth of the gospel message that was reignited during the Reformation. It’s a flame that still burns today, and it’s one we must never allow to be quenched.
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I wish I had discovered this book sooner.
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Whether it’s the news, social media, or talk radio, we have developed a habit of immersing ourselves in a constant stream of information, much of which is designed to provoke a reaction—often one of fear, anger, or outrage. But there is another way to live.
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In Slow Productivity, Cal Newport offers a compelling alternative to the frenetic pace of modern work.
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Seeing the effects of my habits and rhythm of life over the course of years is what has me so excited about Justin Whitmel Earley’s book, “The Common Rule: Habits of Purpose for an Age of Distraction.”
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Looking for a book recommendation? Check out these books I read in 2023.
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Introduction I don’t know about you, but sometimes the most difficult thing for me to focus on during this season of the year is the actual reason for the season. Between children wrapping up school for the semester, fall sports coming to an end, travel to visit family, normal church…
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On this Independence Day, I invite you to join me in considering the largely unknown verses of The Star Spangled Banner.
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No one has done more to shape my understanding of the good news of the gospel than Tim Keller.
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A succinct and savory introduction to the breadth of Christ’s person and work.
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Some of us go through our days asking how we can be effective and make a difference. Others of us are drifting through life. But still others are dead-set on wasting their life. If that is you, here are three simple tips to get you there faster.
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Here is my reason to rejoice today despite intimate knowledge of my own failures: by the one man’s obedience the many will be made righteous.
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The new year is a perfect time to shake things up and try something new with your spouse.
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Moby Dick Questions? These are the Most Frequently Asked Questions about Moby Dick without readily available answers, Conveniently Answered in One Place!
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Want to prioritize your relationship in 2023? Here are a few ideas to get you started.
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If strengthening your marriage is on your list of resolutions for 2023, here are a few ideas to get you started.
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At its core, “A Christmas Carol” is a story about redemption and the transformative power of love and kindness.
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In light of today’s jury decision, it is no wonder the families of the Parkland victims feel as though the justice system failed them.
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Like many parents, we are learning to navigate the reality of raising a teenager in the smart phone age.
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On your next date, try out these questions to connect and cultivate a deeper level of intimacy.
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With everything at our fingertips, anytime, anywhere, it’s easy to get distracted by the vast amount of information and entertainment online. Even more challenging is the fact that we are up against apps and websites that are scientifically engineered to keep us hooked. While we’re constantly checking our emails and notifications…
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One of the lesser-known ministries of Covenant Church is called the “Covenant Pulpit.” Many in our church know that we print the sermon each week and make it available to those who attend. But a lesser-known fact is that we also mail copies of these sermons to prisons across Florida.…
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On Saturday, in the snowy West Virginia soil, we laid Rev. M. Jack Bohman to rest. He died suddenly Sunday evening at 77. His last day was a good day, and like so many Sundays before that: he preached twice, enjoyed lunch with his wife Cindy, made a visit to…
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18 fun and engaging questions for couples to ask on their anniversary!
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If you’re looking for a new resource in 2022 to guide your quiet times with the Lord, I highly recommend “Be Thou My Vision.”
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Who could be happier than the mother of a son like Jesus?
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…whatever our reasons for not evangelizing the Jewish people, when we do not do so we are acting contrary to scriptural example and teaching.
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For years I have heard people I respect speak high praise of Marilynne Robinson. For years I have thought I should read one of her novels. And this summer, I finally did. Gilead was published in 2004 and went on to win the Pulitzer Prize. Set in the small town…
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Like many people, I first encountered Eugene Peterson through “The Message”; that tremendous effort to translate the entire Bible into the American vernacular. While I appreciated aspects of that translation (and I certainly appreciate the effort involved), I didn’t personally care much for the experience of reading it. But what…
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I like to get things done. So do you. But there are a million distractions that stand in the way of the accomplishment of our goals. Those with the strength of will to resist those distractions are getting the most done. Those without the strength of will, are watching them…
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“Only he that is alone can live in the fellowship. Only in the fellowship do we learn to be rightly alone and only in aloneness do we learn to live rightly in the fellowship.” Dietrich Bonhoeffer, Life Together, trans. John W. Doberstein, 1st ed. (New York: Harper, 1954), 77–78. In…
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The following is a continuation of the sermon I preached on Sunday March 28 entitled, “Lust.”
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With Jesus, tomorrow doesn’t have to be the same as today. The patterns of the past don’t have to be the patterns of the future.
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When I focus on the character flaws of others, I become increasingly proud and blind to my own sins.
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Jesus did not die on the cross to establish a church who is a prop for the State.
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O Thou whose love to man was proven in the passion and death of Jesus Christ our Lord, let the power of His cross be with me today.
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This Sunday, we will be receiving a very large group of new members into the Covenant family and performing two adult baptisms by immersion during the 11:15AM worship service. Receiving new members into the church is nothing new for us, but baptizing by immersion during the worship service certainly is.[i] For…
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The story it tells of two young Jewish men and their fathers is interesting, enlightening, and it touched my heart.
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Do the proportions of your preaching texts reflect the proportions of the Bible?
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If you haven’t watched the video of George Floyd being executed in the streets of Minneapolis, you should. Even if it’s hard, even if it makes you sick. Because frankly, we all need to be sick over what happened on that street in the sight of God and a growing…
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Your fears have something important to teach you, and I suggest you listen to them. “Listen to your fears?” This sounds contrary to the advice we expect to hear when we’re fearful. “Ignore your fears” or “face your fears” are much more commonly accepted approaches to vanquishing the fears hiding…
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I have never written poetry and I read very little of it. Both of these statements will be self-evident soon enough. 🙂 Nevertheless, my kids have been composing poems so I thought I would try my hand. Here goes! Composed: March 25-May 15, 2020 I wrote and tweaked this over…
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Squirrels are cute little creatures. Growing up in West Virginia, squirrel hunting is often a gateway into the harvesting of other larger creatures such as deer, turkey, or black bears. I no longer hunt and I don’t know this for a fact, but I suspect the reason we start with…
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“I’m so busy!” It’s one of the most common phrases in the English language, and it’s a true statement for most of us. But under the surface of that statement, we are also signaling our importance, our work ethic, our commitment to hustle, our unavailability to help with whatever someone…
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“Beware of the leaven of the Pharisees, which is hypocrisy. Nothing is covered up that will not be revealed, or hidden that will not be known. Therefore whatever you have said in the dark shall be heard in the light, and what you have whispered in private rooms shall be…
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(If you’re looking for more Moby Dick answers, check out my post: “All Your Moby Dick Questions Answered!”) Stories of self-destruction abound. I recently told a biblical one in an eight-part sermon series on Samson earlier this year at Covenant Church. But tucked away in one brief little chapter in…
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Fluency in Biblical Hebrew is a worthy goal for any student of the Bible, but especially for those who are called to preach or teach it vocationally. I’ve been studying Hebrew for approximately 13 years now and I can say that I’ve found Hebrew much more difficult to attain reading…
If you feel unworthy of God’s love and salvation, that is precisely why Jesus came! He specializes in radically transforming the least deserving. The Gospel is founded on this shocking truth: while we were still sinners, Christ died for us. He came to rescue the lost. His grace is freely…
God’s grace motivates our good works, not the other way around. When we have tasted His undeserved favor, we are compelled to live for Him out of gratitude, not from guilt or even primarily from duty. We obey not to earn something from God, but because we have already been…
We are not saved by good works, but we are saved for good works. Our salvation is all of grace from beginning to end. But this free gift changes us and bears fruit in a new way of living. Grace reigns in our hearts so that righteousness reigns in our…
To receive the gift of salvation, we must come to God with empty hands of faith. This means recognizing our complete inability to save ourselves by good works or religious deeds. It means confessing we have nothing to offer the Lord that could earn His favor. Faith is laying aside…