Thank you for joining us!
We hope these readings, prayers, songs, sermon notes + quotes are beneficial to you this week. See you next Sunday at 9 or 11 am, 10 am on TVC Online or anytime!
Sermon Notes for October 25, 2026
Acts 20:1-16
The Edge of Expectation
Pastor Matt Pierson
“A Christian congregation is a group of people who decide, together, to pay attention.”
Eugene Peterson, On Living Well: Brief Reflections on Wisdom for Walking in the Way of Jesus
1. Traveling Companions are a Gift from God
Paul’s Traveling Companions
- Sopater – Berea (Romans 16:21)
- Aristarchus – Thessalonica (Acts 19, Col 4:10)
- Secundus – Thessalonica (Acts 20)
- Gaius – Derbe (Acts 19)
- Timothy – Lystra (Numerous)
- Tychicus – Ephesus (Eph 6:21, Col 4:7, 2 Cor 8:16-24, Titus 3:12, 2 Tim 4:12)
- Trophimus – Asia (Acts 21:29, 2 Cor 8:16-24, 2 Tim 4:20)
- Titus – Achaia (Numerous)
- Luke – Antioch/Philippi (Numerous)
“The fruits of mission…became the agents of mission.”
John Stott, The Message of Acts
“When God set about His great project of world redemption in the wake of Genesis 12, He chose to do so not by whisking individuals off up to heaven, but by calling into existence a community of blessing.”
Christopher J.H. Wright, The Mission of God’s People: A Biblical Theology of the Church’s Mission
2. The Sovereign God Goes Before Us
“I know not the way God leads me, but well do I know my Guide.”
Martin Luther
“Our God will go before us
And guide us by His presence
What confidence this promise is
We will never walk alone.”
Matt Boswell, Keith Getty, and Matt Papa, Our God Will Go Before Us
3. Living on the Edge of Expectation
“The word Christian means different things to different people. To one person it means a stiff, uptight, inflexible way of life, colorless and unbending. To another it means a risky, surprise-filled venture, lived on tiptoe at the edge of expectation.”
Eugene Peterson, Traveling Light
“Live in a constant state of expectancy, and leave room for God to come in as He decides.”
—Oswald Chambers, My Utmost for His Highest
“We can rejoice in God’s sovereignty, for He is both mighty and gentle, the Shepherd seeking to bring in the lost and accomplish His mission.”
Alistair Begg, Sovereign Lord, Gentle Shepherd
Songs, Readings & Prayer for October 25, 2026
Songs
“I Stand Amazed (How Marvelous)“ by Charles Hutchinson Gabriel
“O For A Thousand Tongues To Sing“ by Charles Wesley
“Take My Life And Let It Be“ by Frances Ridley Havergal
“Revive Us Again“ by John Jenkins Husband, and William Paton MacKay
“Doxology” by Thomas Ken and Louis Bourgeois
All songs are used with permission. CCLI License no. 2003690
Looking for our Hymns of the Week or resources to worship anytime? We’ve curated a playlist of hymns TVC Worship has led on our YouTube Channel!
Call To Worship
Give Thanks to The Lord
Leader: Oh give thanks to the Lord; call upon His name; Make known His deeds among the peoples!
Women: Sing to Him, sing praises to Him; Tell of all His wondrous works!
Leader: Glory in His holy name; Let the hearts of those who seek the Lord rejoice!
Men: Seek the Lord and His strength; Seek His presence continually!
Leader: Remember the wondrous works that He has done, His miracles and the judgments He has uttered.
Women: O offspring of Israel His servant, Children of Jacob, His chosen ones!
All: Oh give thanks to the Lord, for He is good; For His steadfast love endures forever!
Confession of Faith
Treasuring God’s Word
Psalm 103:11
Leader: What does the Psalmist mean when he says, “For as high as the heavens are above the earth, so great is His lovingkindness toward those who fear Him?”
People: God’s steadfast, unconditional, faithful love reaches farther than the incalculable distance of the cosmos. As vast as the created universe is, God’s love for us in Christ Jesus is greater still. Grace without merit, mercy beyond measure, love that will never fail. We need not live in dread or be afraid of God; rather, we can fully trust, worship, and give our lives to the One who gave His life for us.
Classic Prayer
John Wycliffe
Lord, give us grace to hold righteousness in all things that we may lead a clean and blessed life and prudently flee evil and that we may understand the treacherous and deceitful falseness of the devil. Make us mild, peaceable, courteous, and temperate. And make us steadfast and strong. Also, Lord, give Thou to us that we may be quiet in words and speak what is edifying.
*Lightly edited for public reading
TVC Prayer Ministry
TVC Ministry: Administration & Operations
Vocation: Small business owners & independent contractors
Missions Partner: Nashville Rescue Mission
Praying for the Persecuted Church: Algeria
Join Our Prayer Team
Do you have a heart for prayer or a desire to lift others before the Lord? Sign up for our weekly prayer email, and you’ll receive trusted prayer requests from within our church family, our community, and around the world. At TVC, we believe it is a privilege to carry one another’s concerns to our Heavenly Father. Join us as we pray faithfully and walk with one another.
Discussion Questions for October 25, 2026
- Who are your traveling companions in life? What do they do for you, and what do you do for them?
- As Martin Luther wrote, “I know not the way God leads me, but well do I know my Guide.” In what areas of your life are you needing to trust God? Where do you need help from others?
- Can you become an agent of mission for God? How?
- Per Oswald Chambers, “Live in a constant state of expectancy, and leave room for God to come in as He decides.” Do you have an expectancy that God will largely act in your life or the life of others? Where has God surprised you, or what are you in need of hope for?
Upcoming Events
Missions Highlight
Nashville Rescue Mission
In 1954 Nashville Rescue Mission opened its doors to provide food, clothing, and shelter to men experiencing homelessness in the Nashville community. In 1968...