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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 August 30, 2026
Acts 16:1-15
What Is God Up To? – Part 1
Pastor Tommy Bailey
“Aslan,” said Lucy, “you’re bigger.”
“That is because you are older, little one,” answered he.
“Not because you are?”
“I am not. But every year you grow, you will find me bigger.”
C.S. Lewis, Prince Caspian
1. The Multifaceted Guidance of God
“We praise God for what He provides, and we should. But how often do we praise God for what He prevents? For the first billion years in heaven we’re going to praise Him for what He prevented.”
Robert Smith Jr
The Guidance of God (vv. 6-10)
- Directing
- Correcting
2. The Surprising Provision of God
“I hope in the Lord Jesus to send Timothy to you soon, so that I too may be cheered by news of you. For I have no one like him, who will be genuinely concerned for your welfare.”
Philippians 2:19–20
Three Kinds of Godly Relationships
- Paul – Ahead of You
- Barnabas – Beside You
- Timothy – Behind You
The Surprising Provision of God
- Timothy (vv. 1-4)
- Luke (v. 10)
- Lydia (v. 14)
“[God] is constantly flinging gifts at you faster than you can catch them…What gifts has God flung at you lately? What gifts is he flinging at you right now? Have you been too busy…to notice them or ask where they came from?”
Bobby Jamieson, Everything Is Never Enough
3. The Saving Power of God
“God is God. Because He is God, He is worthy of my trust and obedience. I will find rest nowhere but in His holy will, a will that is unspeakably beyond my largest notions of what He is up to.”
Elisabeth Elliot
Songs, Readings & Prayer for August 30, 2026
Songs
“A Mighty Fortress Is Our God“ by Martin Luther
“All Hail The Power Of Jesus Name“ by Oliver Holden, Edward Perronet, and John Rippon
“Holy Spirit, Living Breath of God“ by Keith Getty and Stuart Townend
“Our God Will Go Before Us“ by Keith Getty, Matt Boswell, and Matt Papa
“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
Come, Let Us Worship
Come, let us worship God the Father, the Maker of heaven and earth!
Let us worship Jesus Christ, the resurrected King of Kings and Lord of Lords!
Let us worship the Holy Spirit, the promised Comforter and Counselor!
All glory and praise be to the One true God, now and forevermore, amen!
Confession of Faith
Treasuring God’s Word – Psalm 86:5
“For You, Lord, are good, and ready to forgive, and abundant in lovingkindness to all who call upon You.”
Leader: What does the Psalmist mean when he says, “For You, Lord, are good”?
People: God is perfectly just and perfectly righteous, the very definition of goodness. “God is light, and in Him is no darkness at all.”
Leader: What does the Psalmist mean when he says, “Ready to forgive, and abundant in lovingkindness to all who call upon You”?People: God’s desire is to be reconciled to all things on earth or in heaven, making peace through the blood of Christ shed on the cross, wanting all people to come to repentance. Therefore, He is eager and ready to forgive our sins and cleanse us from all unrighteousness.
Classic Prayer
Dimitri of Rostov
Open, O doors and bolts of my heart, that Christ the King of Glory may enter!
Enter, O my Light, and enlighten my darkness;
Enter, O my Life, and resurrect my deadness;
Enter, O my Physician, and heal my wounds;
Enter, Divine Fire, and burn up the thorns of my sins;
Ignite my inward parts and my heart with the flame of Thy love;
Enter, O my King, and destroy in me the kingdom of sin;
Sit on the throne of my heart and reign in me alone,
O Thou, my King and Lord.
TVC Prayer Ministry
TVC Ministry: Home Groups
Vocation: Supply Chain
Mission Highlight: Freedom’s Promise
Praying for the Persecuted Church: United Arab Emirates
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Discussion Questions for August 30, 2026
- How can we grow and mature as believers so that God might be “bigger” for us?
- Paul was warned in a vision where not to go. How often do you thank God for what He prevents? Why should we trust God even when He seems unpredictable?
- God wants us to make good decisions. When we don’t get a special vision or revelation from the Lord, what can we do to avoid becoming paralyzed?
- If we are struggling with discontentment, we can start by praising God for what He has already given. Do you tend to forget the gift of God’s provision of godly men and women in your life?
- Do you have a “Paul, Barnabas, and Timothy” in your life? (Spiritually supportive relationships with believers who are ahead of us, beside us, and behind us)
- During Paul’s time, God was on the move, spreading the gospel across the known world. What is the evidence that God is still “on the move” today?
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