The Local Christendom Podcast with Aaron Ventura

The Holy Trinity Pt. 3 – Faith Seeking Understanding Sunday, June 15th, 2025 Christ Covenant Church – Centralia, WA Deuteronomy 29:29

Father, we thank you for the mystery of our salvation, the mystery of who You are as Father, Son, and Holy Spirit. As we seek now to understand just a small fragment of that mystery by studying the Scriptures, we ask for light to dispel the darkness of ignorance and sin. For we believe what t...

The Holy Trinity Pt. 2 – Filioque Sunday, June 8th, 2025 Christ Covenant Church – Centralia, WA John 20:19–23

Father, we thank you for the Lord Jesus who has power to forgive sins. And we thank you on this Pentecost Sunday for the Holy Spirit, who was given to the apostles and their successors so that the church today may bind and loose, remit and retain, as ministers of Christ on earth. We ask for your blessing now as we a...

CKA Graduation 2025 Friday, June 6th, 2025 Christ Covenant Church – Centralia, WA Proverbs 25:28

Father, we thank you for the end of one chapter, and the beginning of another, and as these two graduates, these two young men, go forth into the world we ask you to protect them, to preserve them, and to prosper them in every way. We ask for your blessing upon the ministry of Your Word now, and we ask it in Jesus’ name, Amen.

The Holy Trinity Pt. 1 – Trinity Within Me Sunday, June 1st, 2025 Christ Covenant Church – Centralia, WA John 14:15–17

O God, we thank you for fashioning us in your image, and that through reflection upon your image within us, we may come to understand in some very partial and imperfect way who you are as Father, Son, and Holy Spirit. And so as we undertake this task now, of faith seeking understanding, give us light and li...

The Divine Liturgy Pt. 7 – Tongues & Interpretation Sunday, May 25th, 2025 Christ Covenant Church – Centralia, WA 1 Corinthians 14:1-40

O Holy Father we ask that you would now cleanse our tongues and lips from every impurity. Remove far from us vanity and lies, that we might become valiant for the truth on earth. We ask this in Jesus’ name, Amen.

For the last two weeks we have been studying the topic of Ch...

The Divine Liturgy Pt. 6 – Prophets & Prophecy Sunday, May 18th, 2025 Christ Covenant Church – Centralia, WA 1 Corinthians 14:1-40

Father, we ask now that by the preaching of Your Word, we may grow up together in maturity, thoroughly equipped for every good work. We ask for Your Holy Spirit to enlighten the eyes of our understanding, and we ask this in Jesus’ name, Amen.

Last week we considered the gift of...

The Divine Liturgy Pt. 5 – Charismatic Grace Sunday, May 11th, 2025 Christ Covenant Church – Centralia, WA 1 Corinthians 12:1–31

O Father, we praise You for Your Son, and for His mystical body into which we have been baptized. We praise you because Your church is fearfully and wonderfully made, marvelous are thy works, and that our soul knows very well. Remove from us now all sin and ignorance, grant to us knowledge and vir...

The Divine Liturgy Pt. 4 – A Theology of Singing Sunday, April 20th, 2025 Christ Covenant Church – Centralia, WA Colossians 3:16

O Father, we thank You for the new life you have given us in Christ. Teach us to put off the old man with his sinful ways and put on the new, as elect of God, holy and beloved. We ask for your merciful Spirit to be among us now, in Jesus’ name, Amen.

Every Lord’s Day we sing ten song...

The Death of Divine Absence Friday, April 18th, 2025 Christ Covenant Church – Centralia, WA

Galatians 2:20 I am crucified with Christ: nevertheless I live; yet not I, but Christ liveth in me: and the life which I now live in the flesh I live by the faith of the Son of God, who loved me, and gave himself for me.

Father, we thank for you Good Friday, for this day of special remembrance of Christ’s passion, and the innumerab...

The Divine Liturgy Pt. 3 – Liturgy as Love Story Sunday, April 13th, 2025 Christ Covenant Church – Centralia, WA Song of Solomon 1:15–2:4

BRIDEGROOM: 15Behold, thou art fair, my love; behold, thou art fair; Thou hast doves’ eyes.

BRIDE: 16Behold, thou art fair, my beloved, yea, pleasant: Also our bed is green. 17The beams of our house are cedar, And our rafters of fir. 1I am the rose of Sharon, And the lily of the valleys.

BRIDEGR...

The Divine Liturgy Pt. 2 – Living Sacrifice Sunday, April 6th, 2025 Christ Covenant Church – Centralia, WA Romans 11:34–12:3

Father, we thank you for the measure and diversity of your gifts, through which the church is built up and perfected. Teach us now by Your Holy Spirit, to offer ourselves as living sacrifices, holy and acceptable in your sight. In Jesus’ name, Amen.

Imagine for a moment that you are an a...

The Divine Liturgy Pt. 1 – What is Worship? Sunday, March 16th, 2025 Christ Covenant Church – Centralia, WA Psalm 29

Make your voice O Lord to resound within our souls, that having our hearts tested and pierced by Your Holy Word, we may be found altogether pleasing in your sight. Give now, what only you can give, light and life, salvation and peace. We ask this in Jesus’ name, Amen.

Consider for a moment two m...

Holy War Sunday, March 16th, 2025 Christ Covenant Church – Centralia, WA Esther 9:1–10:3

Father, we thank you that through Christ Jesus, your Word to us is peace. For as the angels sang to the shepherds on the night of Jesus’ birth, “Glory to God in the highest, And on earth peace, Good will toward men.” Please show to us again, as we conclude this book of Esther, your perfect peace and good will which you desire for all me...

The King’s Jealousy Sunday, March 9th, 2025 Christ Covenant Church – Centralia, WA Esther 7:1–8:17

Father, we thank you for your inscrutable wisdom, and that by your wisdom, you work for our good all things, including the evil actions and intentions of the forces of darkness. Please help us to trace in our own lives, and to know in our souls, that you are that God who is fore us and not against us. We ask for this all in Je...

A Sleepless Night Sunday, March 2nd, 2025 Christ Covenant Church – Centralia, WA

Esther 6:1–14 On that night could not the king sleep, and he commanded to bring the book of records of the chronicles; and they were read before the king. And it was found written, that Mordecai had told of Bigthana and Teresh, two of the king’s chamberlains, the keepers of the door, who sought to lay hand on the king Ahasuerus. And the king said, Wha...

The King’s Favor Sunday, February 23rd, 2025 Christ Covenant Church – Centralia, WA

Esther 5:1-14 Now it came to pass on the third day, that Esther put on her royal apparel, and stood in the inner court of the king’s house, over against the king’s house: and the king sat upon his royal throne in the royal house, over against the gate of the house. And it was so, when the king saw Esther the queen standing in the court, that she ob...

If I Perish, I Perish Sunday, February 9th, 2025 Christ Covenant Church – Centralia, WA

Esther 4:1-17 When Mordecai perceived all that was done, Mordecai rent his clothes, and put on sackcloth with ashes, and went out into the midst of the city, and cried with a loud and a bitter cry; And came even before the king’s gate: for none might enter into the king’s gate clothed with sackcloth. And in every province, whithersoever the kin...

Haman’s Lot Sunday, February 2nd, 2025 Christ Covenant Church – Centralia, WA

Esther 3:7-15 In the first month, that is, the month Nisan, in the twelfth year of king Ahasuerus, they cast Pur, that is, the lot, before Haman from day to day, and from month to month, to the twelfth month, that is, the month Adar. And Haman said unto king Ahasuerus, There is a certain people scattered abroad and dispersed among the people in all the p...

To Bow or Not To Bow Sunday, January 26th, 2025 Christ Covenant Church – Centralia, WA

Esther 3:1–6 1After these things did king Ahasuerus promote Haman the son of Hammedatha the Agagite, and advanced him, and set his seat above all the princes that were with him. 2And all the king’s servants, that were in the king’s gate, bowed, and reverenced Haman: for the king had so commanded concerning him. But Mordecai bowed not, nor did hi...