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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 September 20, 2026
Acts 17:16-34
God is Not Far From You
Pastor Matt Pierson
“Athens then had more that was splendid in architecture, more that was brilliant in science, and more that was beautiful in the arts, than any other city of the world; perhaps more than all the rest of the world united. Yet there is no account that the mind of Paul was filled with admiration; there is no record that he spent his time in examining the works of art; there is no evidence that he forgot his high purpose in an idle and useless contemplation of temples and statuary. His was a Christian mind; and he contemplated all this with a Christian heart.”
Albert Barnes, Notes on the New Testament
Acts 17 Reminds Us:
1. We all worship something
“Every idol demonstrated the Athenians’ hunger for God, but it also testified to their spiritual emptiness.”
R. Kent Hughes, Acts: The Church Afire
“We are not so blatant as to carve idols out of wood and stone. Rather, we carve them out of our passions and desires, subtly moving away from finding our hope, security, and purpose in God alone. These subtle idols of the heart can live alongside a seemingly decent Christian life…Idols mostly don’t look like idols—they look more like legitimate passion and pursuits…not wrong in themselves. The problem is they have assumed a wrongful place in our lives.”
Murray Capill, The Heart is the Target
2. History is going somewhere
“He will judge the world in righteousness, and the peoples in his faithfulness.”
Psalm 96:13
“It is a great comfort to know that our judge will be none other than our Savior.”
John Stott
3. God is not distant
“For by him all things were created, in heaven and on earth, visible and invisible, whether thrones or dominions or rulers or authorities—all things were created through him and for him. And he is before all things, and in him all things hold together.”
Colossians 1:16-17
“All my knowledge of him depends on his sustained initiative in knowing me.”
J.I. Packer, Knowing God
Songs, Readings & Prayer for September 20, 2026
Songs
“Psalm 150 (Praise The Lord)“ by Matt Boswell and Matt Papa
“Rejoice“ by Keith Getty, Kristyn Getty, Ben Shive, Skye Peterson and Bryan Fowler
“Holy Forever“ by Brian Johnson, Chris Tomlin, Jason Ingram, Jenn Johnson, and Phil Wickham
“King Forevermore (God The Uncreated One)“ by Aaron Keyes and Pete James
“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
Congregational Prayer
Lord, fill our hearts with reverence for You. Make us hunger for Your Word and passionately desire to walk in Your ways. Forgive us our sins, for they are many. Give us a greater glimpse of Your glory as we offer You this praise and worship.
We thank You for the way You have rescued us over and over, through many difficult things. Come now and help us in this: to place our trust, hope, and confidence in You. May Your name be honored in our conduct. May Your kingdom be made visible in our relationships. May Your will be done in our hearts and minds.
This we pray in the Name above all names, Jesus Christ, to Whom belongs all glory, forever and ever, amen!
Confession of Faith
New City Catechism
Part 2: Christ, Redemption, Grace. Q 31
Leader: What do we believe by true faith?
People: Everything taught to us in the Gospel.The Apostles’ Creed expresses what we believe in these words:
We believe in God, the Father Almighty, Maker of heaven and earth, and in Jesus Christ, His only Son, our Lord: Who was conceived of the Holy Spirit, born of the Virgin Mary, suffered under Pontius Pilate, was crucified, died, and was buried. He descended into hell. The third day He arose again from the dead. He ascended into heaven and sits at the right hand of God the Father Almighty, from there He shall come to judge the living and the dead. I believe in the Holy Spirit, the holy universal church, the communion of saints, the forgiveness of sins, the resurrection of the body, and life everlasting. Amen.
Classic Prayer
Jane Austen
To your goodness we commend ourselves this week, beseeching Thy protection of us through its darkness and dangers. We are helpless and dependent; graciously preserve us. For all whom we love and value, for every friend and connection, we equally pray; however divided and far asunder, we know that we are alike before Thee, and under Thine eye. May we be equally united in Thy faith and fear, in fervent devotion towards Thee, and in Thy merciful protection this week. Pardon, O Lord, the imperfections of these our prayers, and accept them through the mediation of our blessed Savior.
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Discussion Questions for September 20, 2026
- As we read about Athens, we learn that it was indisputably the intellectual and cultural apex of the ancient world – the height of human achievement. In our world today, as we take in the beauty of the arts, scientific breakthroughs, new discoveries, and the ingenuity of human accomplishment, how do we (like Paul) contemplate it all with a Christian heart that is firmly fixed on the Creator of all things?
- We learned last week that Paul’s missional pattern included proclaiming the truths of the gospel and persuading people to repent and believe in response. In today’s passage, we see that Paul was ready to meet his audience right where they were and to share the gospel in a way that was relevant to them. In this coming week, how can we build bridges with our non-believing neighbors in the context of their lives? Are we willing to faithfully share the gospel with them while leaving the results up to God? What might this look like? What can we learn from Paul about how to live this out?
- We all worship something. This week, can we carefully contemplate our hearts to identify what we are worshipping? How are our priorities aligned, or misaligned? Are there any areas where we are edging God out and placing other things (even good things) as the main thing? Can we commit together to ask for God’s help in identifying places where idols are forming, and in tearing down what has already been built in the idol-making factory of our hearts?
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