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Emily Bailey

September 10, 2023

Songs:

“Come, People of the Risen King” by Keith Getty, Kristyn Getty & Stuart Townend
© 2007 Thankyou Music
Used by Permission. CCLI License #2003690

“Revive Us Again” by John Jenkins Husband & William Paton MacKay
Public Domain
Used by Permission. CCLI License #2003690

“Take My Life and Let it Be” by Frances Ridley Havergal
Public Domain
Used by Permission. CCLI License #2003690

“King Forevermore (God the Uncreated One)” by Aaron Keyes & Pete James
© 2016 Getty Music, Thankyou Music and remaining portion is unaffiliated
Used by Permission. CCLI License #2003690

“Doxology” by Thomas Ken & Louis Bourgeois
Public Domain
Used by Permission. CCLI License #2003690

Call To Worship: There is None Like You

There is none like You among the gods, O Lord, Nor are there any works like Yours. All the nations You have made shall come And worship before You, O Lord, And shall glorify Your name. For You are great and do wondrous things; You alone are God. Teach us Your ways, O Lord, That we may walk in Your truth; Unite our hearts to fear Your name. We give thanks to You, O Lord our God, with our whole hearts, And we will glorify Your name forever!

Classic Prayer: The Lord’s Prayer

Our Father, who art in heaven, hallowed be thy name; thy kingdom come, thy will be done on earth as it is in heaven. Give us this day our daily bread, and forgive us our trespasses, as we forgive those who trespass against us; and lead us not into temptation, but deliver us from evil. For thine is the kingdom, and the power, and the glory, forever and ever. Amen.

Click here to receive TVC’s weekly prayer email.

Creed: Faithful Father

LEADER:  What do you believe when you say, “I believe in God the Father almighty, creator of heaven and earth?”

PEOPLE:  That the eternal Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who out of nothing created heaven and earth and all that is in them, still upholds and governs them by His eternal counsel and providence.  In Him I trust so completely as to have no doubt that He will provide me with all things necessary for body and soul, and will also turn to my good whatever adversity He sends me in this life. He is able to do so as almighty God, and willing also as a faithful Father. 

Source: Heidelberg Catechism, Question 26

Everybody Wants to Rule the World

Pastor Jim Thomas

1 & 2 Kings: The King of Redemption History

Benefits of studying redemption history in the Bible

  • Origin:  Where did we come from? What are our “roots”?
  • Identity formation:  Who and what are we?
  • Where are we?
  • Lessons from the past bring wisdom for the present and guidance for the future. “Thy Word is a lamp unto my feet and a light unto my path.” – Psalm 119:105
  • Who is God? How can sinful human beings be reconciled with God?

Outline of 1 & 2 Kings

  • 1 Kings 1-11:  The Wisdom and the Folly of King Solomon
  • 1 Kings 12-16:  Kingdoms in Chaos 
  • 1 Kings 17 – 2 Kings 13:  Elijah and Elisha
  • 2 Kings 14-17:  Decline of Israel in the North
  • 2 Kings 18-25:  Decline of Judah in the South

1 Kings 1

In 1 Kings 1 we see…

  1. the frailty and decline of King David.
  2. the indentured beauty of Abishag.
  3. the opportunistic ambitions of Adonijah.
  4. the prophetic faithfulness of Nathan and Bathsheba.
  5. the inconspicuous providence of YHWH.

Discussion Questions

  • What are the benefits of studying redemption history? How can the ancient books of 1 & 2 Kings still be applicable to us today?
  • When Adonijah made his grab for the throne, prophets and priests were conspicuously absent in the group he gathered around himself. Who makes up your inner circle? Do you include people who keep you accountable to God and to each other (which can be uncomfortable at times), or have we only chosen to allow people in who always tell us what we want to hear? 
  • David acted immediately to appoint his son Solomon to the throne. Do we have this same sense of urgency when it comes to listening to and acting on God’s directives in our lives? Why or why not? If not, what are ways that we can become more attentive, urgent and clued-in on what God wants from us today? 
  • In 1 Kings 1, the prophet Nathan and Solomon’s mother, Bathsheba, showed prophetic persistence and alertness to the plans and purposes of God. How can we follow their example in our unique place in space/time history, in the days of the already/not yet kingdom?

What role might Christ be calling you to play in the ongoing story of redemption history? 

“The typical temptation of the young is lust; of the middle-aged, ambition; and of the elderly, bitterness. Actually, all three drives are similar and related:  ambition is a refined lust, bitterness a disappointed one.”  
– Frederick Dale Bruner

“All that we call human history — money, poverty, ambition, war, prostitution, classes, empires, slavery — is the long terrible story of man trying to find something other than God which will make him happy.” 
– C.S. Lewis, Mere Christianity

“Everybody has to live for something. Whatever that something is becomes ‘Lord of your life,’ whether you think of it that way or not. Jesus is the only Lord who, if you receive Him, will fulfill you completely, and, if you fail Him, will forgive you eternally.” 
– Timothy Keller, The Reason for God

September 3, 2023

Songs:

“Psalm 150 (Praise the Lord)” by Matt Boswell & Matt Papa
© 2020 Getty Music Hymns and Songs, Getty Music Publishing, Love Your Enemies Publishing, and Messenger Hymns
Used by Permission. CCLI License #2003690

“Come, Thou Almighty King” by Felice de Giardini, Tommy Bailey, Sarah Gehri, Nathan Mickle & Tom Yarbrough
© 2021 Getty Music Publishing
Used by Permission. CCLI License #2003690

“O Praise the Name (Anástasis)” by Benjamin Hastings, Dean Ussher & Marty Sampson
© 2015 Hillsong Music Publishing
Used by Permission. CCLI License #2003690

“God of Every Grace” by Keith Getty, Kristyn Getty, Matt Boswell & Bryan Fowler
© 2023 Getty Music Publishing, Messenger Hymns, Be Essential Songs & BryanFowlerSongs
Used by Permission. CCLI License #2003690

“Hallelujah, What a Savior” by Philip Paul Bliss
Additional lyrics by Tommy Bailey
Public Domain
Used by Permission. CCLI License #2003690

“Doxology” by Thomas Ken & Louis Bourgeois
Public Domain
Used by Permission. CCLI License #2003690

Call To Worship: The Apostles Creed

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: Charles H. Spurgeon

We would offer a prayer to Thee for those who are quite strange to the work of the Spirit of God…who have lived as if there were no God. Open their eyes that they may see God even though that sight should make them tremble… O! let none of us live without our God and Father. Take away the heart of stone, take away the frivolities, the levity, the giddiness of our youth, and give us in downright earnest to seek true happiness where alone it can be found, in reconciliation to God, and in conformity to His will.

Lord, save the careless, and the sinful… The unholy and unjust men, the dishonest and false, renew them in their lives…May we believe God fully. May we never waiver, resting in the great surety and high Priest of the New Covenant. May we feel the peace of God which passeth all understanding. For his name’s sake.

Click here to receive TVC’s weekly prayer email.

Confession of Sin 

Most merciful God, we confess that we have sinned against You this day in thought, word, and deed; by what we have done, and by what we have left undone.

We have not loved You with our whole hearts; we have not loved our neighbors as ourselves.We are truly sorry and we humbly repent.

For the sake of Your Son Jesus Christ, have mercy on us and forgive us, that we may delight in Your will and walk in Your ways to the glory of Your Name.

Grant to Your people pardon and peace, that in Your great mercy we may be forgiven all our sins and serve You with a quiet and contrite heart. In the name of our Lord Jesus Christ, amen.

Pursuing the Wisdom & the Ways of God

Pastor Tommy Bailey

Proverbs 2

Wisdom is the Spirit-led art of faithful living in relation to God, His word and His world. 

“With these two phrases, verse 5 encompasses the two classic Old Testament terms for true religion — the poles of awe and intimacy.”
– Derek Kidner, Proverbs: An Introduction and Commentary

Levels of Listening:

  1. Passive listening (1:22)
  2. Selective listening (18:1-2)
  3. Attentive listening (2:2)
  4. Desperate listening (2:3)

Three postures of one who pursues the wisdom and ways of God:

1. Active Listening to the Source of Wisdom (2:1-6)

“A Christian congregation is a group of people who decide, together, to pay attention.”
– Eugene Peterson, On Living Well

2. Walking in the Protection of Wisdom (2:7-11) 

“Acquire wisdom! Acquire understanding! Do not forget nor turn away from the words of my mouth.”
– Proverbs 4:5

“The beginning of wisdom is: Acquire wisdom; And with all your acquiring, get understanding.”
– Proverbs 4:7

“How much better it is to get wisdom than gold!” 
– Proverbs 16:16

“He who gets wisdom loves his own soul…” 
– Proverbs 19:8

“Buy truth, and do not sell it, Get wisdom and instruction and understanding.”  
– Proverbs 23:23

3. Pursuing the God of All Wisdom (5-6)

“We pursue God because, and only because, He has first put an urge within us that spurs us to the pursuit… The impulse to pursue God originates with God, but the outworking of that impulse is our following hard after Him…”
– A.W. Tozer, The Pursuit of God

Discussion Questions

  1. Proverbs 2 opens with a list of conditional statements beginning with “if”; what are some of these specific things we can do to make ourselves open to knowing God’s wisdom?
  2. How can you guard against being influenced by twisted & flattering words – or false wisdom from perverse sources?
  3. If God is the ultimate source of wisdom, how should this impact our approach to seeking knowledge (whether through advice, education, or experience) in various aspects of life?

“Oh, the depth of the riches and wisdom and knowledge of God!”
– Romans 11:33

“…For God is in heaven and you are on the earth; therefore let your words be few.”
– Ecclesiastes 5:2

“ …Christ, in whom are hidden all the treasures of wisdom and knowledge.”
– Colossians 2:2–3

August 27, 2023

Songs:

“Come, Christians, Join to Sing” by Christian Henry Bateman
Public Domain
Used by Permission. CCLI License #2003690

“I Am Not My Own” by Skye Peterson, Ben Shive, Bryan Fowler & Tom Anderson
© 2023 Getty Music Publishing, Getty Music Hymns and Songs, Junkbox Music, RELWOF, So Essential Tunes, Tom Anderson
Used by Permission. CCLI License #2003690

“His Mercy is More” by Matt Boswell & Matt Papa
© 2018 Getty Music
Used by Permission. CCLI License #2003690

“God of Every Grace” by Keith Getty, Kristyn Getty, Matt Boswell & Bryan Fowler
© 2023 Getty Music Publishing, Messenger Hymns, Be Essential Songs & BryanFowlerSongs
Used by Permission. CCLI License #2003690

“Be Thou My Vision” by Mary Byrne & Eleanor Henrietta Hull
Public Domain
Used by Permission. CCLI License #2003690

“Doxology” by Thomas Ken & Louis Bourgeois
Public Domain
Used by Permission. CCLI License #2003690

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!

Classic Prayer: John Chrysostom

Remember, O Lord, this city wherein we dwell and every other city and country, and all the faithful who dwell in them. Remember, O Lord, all who travel by land or water, all that labor under sickness or struggle. Remember, O Lord, those in Your church who bring forth good fruit, are…faithful in service. Grant unto us all Thy mercy and loving-kindness, and grant that we may with one mouth and one heart praise and glorify Thy great and glorious name, Father, Son, and Holy Spirit, now, henceforth, and forever.

Click here to receive TVC’s weekly prayer email.

Creed: Jesus, Who is Worthy

LEADER:  Why do we call Jesus our Lord? 
PEOPLE:  Because He has ransomed us, body and soul, from all our sins, not with silver or gold but with His precious blood, and has freed us from all the power of the devil to make us His own possession.

LEADER:  What does God grant in our new life in Christ? 
PEOPLE:  God grants us reconciliation with Him, forgiveness of our sins, union with Him in Christ, adoption into His family, citizenship in His kingdom, new life in the Holy Spirit and the promise of eternal life. 

ALL:  “Worthy is the Lamb who was slain, to receive power and wealth and wisdom and might and honor and glory and blessing!” 

Sources:  Heidelberg Catechism, Question 34; ACNA, Question 15; Revelation 5:12

August 20, 2023

Songs:

“Grace Greater than Our Sin ” words and music by Julia H. Johnston
Public Domain
Used by Permission. CCLI License #2003690

“Christ Our Hope in Life and Death” by Keith Getty, Matt Boswell, Jordan Kauflin, Matt Merker & Matt Papa
© 2020 Getty Music, Messenger Hymns, Matthew Merker Music, Jordan Kauflin Music & Love Your Enemies
Used by Permission. CCLI License #2003690

“Yet Not I, But Through Christ in Me” by Jonny Robinson, Michael Farren & Rich Thompson
© 2018 CityAlight Music and Remaining portion is unaffiliated
Used by Permission. CCLI License #2003690

“Jesus, What a Friend for Sinners” by John Wilbur Chapman, Rowland Hugh Prichard, and Matthew S. Smith
Public Domain
Used by Permission. CCLI License #2003690

“Doxology” by Thomas Ken & Louis Bourgeois
Public Domain
Used by Permission. CCLI License #2003690

Call To Worship: Steady Dependence 

Compose our spirits to a quiet and steady dependence on Your good providence, that we may not be anxious for anything, but by prayer and supplication, with thanksgiving, still make known our requests to You, our God.

Help us to pray always and not faint; in everything to give thanks, and offer up the sacrifice of praise continually; to rejoice in hope of Your glory; to possess our souls in patience; and to learn in whatsoever state we are, there to be content. Through Jesus Christ, our Lord. Amen!

Classic Prayer: Isaac Ambrose

There is an excellence in knowing you, Lord Jesus, above all other knowledge in the world. There is nothing more pleasing and comfortable, more animating and enlivening. You are the sun and centre of all divine truth. Only you are the whole of our happiness: the sun to enlighten us, the physician to heal us, the wall of fire to defend us, the friend to comfort us, the pearl to enrich us, the ark to support us. You are the rock to sustain us under the heaviest pressures; as a hiding place from the wind, as a covert from the tempest, as rivers of water in a dry place, and as the shadow in a weary land. Only you are the ladder between earth and heaven, the Mediator between God and man. All other things are vanities, but you are real, solid, substantial, excellent, glorious. All other things are temporary, but you are an enduring substance. All other things are thorns and vex our spirits, but you are full of joy and comfort, altogether lovely. Oh, may your melting love WIN my heart to you, and wean me off all other things!

Click here to receive TVC’s weekly prayer email.

Asking for a Friend 

Ryan Motta

Proverbs: The Wisdom and the Ways of God

“Then the Lord God said, ‘it is not good that man should be alone.’” 
– Genesis 2:18a

“In a biblical framework, therefore, friendship is not the consolation prize for those who fail to gain romantic love. Like marriage and like parenthood, it is another way in which God manifests an aspect of His love for us.” 
– Rebecca McLaughlin

“You are made in the image of the God of exuberant love. You are most like God, and you are most truly human when you want friendship. Your unmet longings for friendship are not evidence of a deficiency; they are signs of your dignity. God made you for friendship.” 
– Drew Hunter, Made for Friendship

“There is no book, even in classical literature, which so exalts the idea of friendship, and is so anxious to have it truly valued, and carefully kept.” 
– Kent Hughes

Discussion Questions

  1. When you hear statistics indicating that 12% of Americans report having “no friends”, or that in 2021 the average person reported spending 3.5 hours/week doing things with friends … do you find these numbers surprising? Concerning?
  2. What would it look like for you, this week, to introduce some vulnerability to a relationship with someone who’s already a good friend?
  3. What risks to “deep friendships” do you see in your life, that might work to make friends difficult to find or nurture? What are some specific things you can to do mitigate these risk factors
  4. During this coming week, what can you do to remind yourself to look for opportunities to express friendship to others, by reflecting the love from our relational Lord & Savior?

Friendship looks like…

  • Vulnerability
  • Honesty
  • Advice
  • Physical presence

“A friend loves at all times, and a brother is born for adversity.”
– Proverbs 17:17

“There is no safe investment. To love at all is to be vulnerable. Love anything, and your heart will certainly be wrung and possibly broken. If you want to make sure of keeping it intact, you must give your heart to no one, not even to an animal. Wrap it carefully round with hobbies and little luxuries; avoid all entanglements; lock it up safe in the casket or coffin of your selfishness. But in that casket — safe, dark, motionless, airless — it will change. It will not be broken; it will become unbreakable, impenetrable, irredeemable. The alternative to tragedy, or at least to the risk of tragedy, is damnation. The only place outside of heaven where you can be perfectly safe from all the dangers and perturbations of love is hell.”  
– C.S. Lewis

“Faithful are the wounds of a friend; profuse are the kisses of an enemy.”
– Proverbs 27:6

“Oil and perfume make the heart glad, and the sweetness of a friend comes from his earnest counsel.”
– Proverbs 27:9

“Do not forsake your friend and your father’s friend, and do not go to your brother’s house in the day of your calamity. Better is a neighbor who is near than a brother who is far away.”
– Proverbs 27:10

The Proverbs reveal…

  • a good friend is hard to find.
  • our friendships can be surface-level.
  • that our friendships have a strong influence.
  • we may seek isolation.

“Many a man proclaims his own steadfast love, but a faithful man who can find?”
– Proverbs 20:6

“A man of many companions may come to ruin, but there is a friend who sticks closer than a brother.”
– Proverbs 18:24

“Make no friendship with a man given to anger, nor go with a wrathful man, lest you learn his ways and entangle yourself in a snare.”
– Proverbs 22:24-25

“Whoever isolates himself seeks his own desire; he breaks out against all sound judgment.”
– Proverbs 18:1   

“He who would be happy here [Earth] must have friends; and he who would be happy hereafter, must, above all things, find a friend in the world to come, in the person of God.” 
– Charles Spurgeon

“This is my commandment, that you love one another as I have loved you. Greater love has no one than this, that someone lay down his life for his friends.” 
– John 15:12-13

“These familiar words are more profound than we may realize. On the eve of His death, Jesus wanted His disciples to know that the cross was not only the great demonstration of love but also a cosmic act of friendship. He said, ‘greater love has no one than this, that someone lay down his life for his friends.’ The cross was history’s most heroic act of friendship.” 
– Drew Hunter

August 13, 2023

Songs:

“Praise to the Lord the Almighty” by Joachim Neander & Catherine Winkworth
Public Domain
Used by Permission. CCLI License #2003690

“The Lord Almighty Reigns” by Keith Getty, Kristyn Getty, Matt Boswell & Matt Papa
© 2022 Getty Music Hymns and Songs, Getty Music Publishing, Love Your Enemies Publishing, and Messenger Hymns
Used by Permission. CCLI License #2003690

“I Need Thee Every Hour” by Annie Sherwood Hawks & Robert Lowry
Public Domain
Used by Permission. CCLI License #2003690

“Our God Will Go Before Us” by Keith Getty, Matt Boswell & Matt Papa
© 2023 Getty Music Hymns and Songs, Getty Music Publishing, Love Your Enemies Publishing, and Messenger Hymns
Used by Permission. CCLI License #2003690

“Doxology” by Thomas Ken & Louis Bourgeois
Public Domain
Used by Permission. CCLI License #2003690

Call To Worship: Lord of All Our Days 

O God, You are Lord of all our days and all our nights.
Every star in heaven answers Your call 
and offers their joyful obedience.
As we come to worship You today,
stir our hearts to respond to You in like manner.

As we end one week and begin another
grant us the peace of knowing we belong to You.
Open our eyes to see the security of Your sovereignty
and the wonders of Your love.

To Your care we commend our souls.
To Your will we bow our own.
To Your grace we happily surrender, 
receiving from You what we have not deserved.

Now we raise our glad hallelujahs!
Now we offer You all glory and praise!
O Creator God, be blessed to receive our most grateful thanksgivings.
Let every heart shout it aloud, Amen! Amen!

Classic Prayer: Thomas Watson

O God, you are our God: our strong tower, our fountain of living water, our Father, a Father of mercies, an everlasting Father in heaven. O God, you are our God, by your grace planted in us, and by the pledge of your Spirit. May he stamp the imprint of holiness in our hearts; embroidering and bespangling our souls, making them glorious within. May he, by his magnetic virtue, draw our hearts to you: our paradise of delight and our chief treasure!  May our hearts be so chained to you that nothing else can enchant us or draw us from you. Though our flesh be on earth, may our hearts be in heaven. When you say to our souls, “You are mine,” may our souls answer: “Lord, we are yours; all I have is at your service; my head shall be yours to study you; my tongue shall be yours to praise you.  O God, you are our God…

Click here to receive TVC’s weekly prayer email.

Creed: How Can We Glorify God?

LEADER:   How and why did God create us?
PEOPLE:  God created us male and female in His own image to glorify Him.

LEADER:  How can we glorify God?
PEOPLE:  By loving Him and by obeying His commands and law.

LEADER:  What does the law of God require? 
PEOPLE:  That we love God with all our heart, soul, mind and strength, and love our neighbors as ourselves. 

SOURCE:  New City Catechism, Questions 4, 6 & 7

Wisdom That Moves Us

Kevin Rudd

Proverbs: The Wisdom and the Ways of God

Two of the Biggest Questions:

  • What does God most want you to know about Himself? 
  • How will He tell you?

Proverbs and the Language of God

“The fear of the LORD is the beginning of wisdom, and the knowledge of the Holy One is understanding.” 
– Proverbs 9:10

“The words of Agur the son of Jakeh, the oracle. The man declares to Ithiel, to Ithiel and Ucal: Surely I am more stupid than any man, And I do not have the understanding of a man. Neither have I learned wisdom, Nor do I have the knowledge of the Holy One. Who has ascended into heaven and descended? Who has gathered the wind in His fists? Who has wrapped the waters in His garment? Who has established all the ends of the earth? What is His name or His son’s name? Surely you know! Every word of God is tested; He is a shield to those who take refuge in Him.”
– ‭‭Proverbs‬ ‭30‬:‭1‬-‭5‬, ‭NASB 1995

God’s Language is Perfectly Wise

  • It is prophetic
  • It is poetic
  • It is personal

ָיַדע yada’ – to know

Discussion Questions

  • What do you think God most wants us to know about Him?
  • Have you ever felt similar to Agur, when he expresses frustration related to his ability to know & understand God?
  • What can we do to best be open to God’s revelation in our lives?

“Your word is completely pure, Therefore your servant loves it.” 
– Psalm 119:140

“The Word became flesh and dwelt among us.”
– John 1:14

“No one has ever seen God. The one and only Son, who is Himself God and is at the Father’s side — He has revealed Him.”
– John 1:18, CSB

“To those who are called, both Jews and Greeks, Christ is the power of God and the wisdom of God.”
– 1 Corinthians 1:24

“I want their hearts to be encouraged and joined together in love, so that they may have all the riches of complete understanding and have the knowledge of God’s mystery  — Christ. In Him are hidden all the treasures of wisdom and knowledge.”
– ‭‭Colossians‬ ‭2‬:‭2‬-‭3‬, ‭CSB‬‬

Join a Group!

Forming community in smaller groups is essential for a church of our size. We offer multiple mid-week group options for men and women, as well as a variety of home groups throughout the middle Tennessee area and online. We invite you to join a group this fall and continue to grow roots at TVC. Find more info at thevillagechapel.com/groups.

July 30, 2023

Songs:

“Come Behold the Wondrous Mystery” by Matt Papa, Matt Boswell & Michael Bleeker
© 2012 Dayspring Music, Bleecker Publishing & Centricity Music Publishing
Used by Permission. CCLI License #2003690

“Anchor of Hope” by Brown Bannister & Ellie Holcomb
© 2011 Banistuci Music
Used by Permission. CCLI License #2003690

“Hallelujah, What a Savior” by Philip Paul Bliss
Additional lyrics by Tommy Bailey
Public Domain
Used by Permission. CCLI License #2003690

“Take My Life and Let it Be” by Frances Ridley Havergal & John W. Peterson
© 1971 John W. Peterson Music Company
Used by Permission. CCLI License #2003690

“Doxology” by Thomas Ken & Louis Bourgeois
Public Domain
Used by Permission. CCLI License #2003690

Call To Worship: Now and Forevermore

MEN:  The love of God has been poured into our hearts through the Holy Spirit who has been given to us.
WOMEN:  We dwell in Him and He in us.
MEN:  Give thanks to the Lord and call upon His name! Make known His deeds among the peoples.
WOMEN:  We will sing to Him, sing praises to Him, and speak of all His marvelous works.
ALL:  All praise to the Father, Son and Holy Spirit; to whom all honor and glory be now and forevermore.  Amen!

Prayer: Soren Kierkegaard

Father in Heaven! You have loved us first, help us never to forget that You are love so that this sure conviction might triumph in our hearts over the seduction of the world, over the inquietude of the soul, over the anxiety for the future, over the fright of the past, over the distress of the moment. But grant also that this conviction might discipline our soul so that our heart might remain faithful and sincere in the love which we bear to all those whom You have commanded us to love as we love ourselves. You have loved us first, O God, alas! We speak of it in terms of history as if You have only loved us first but a single time, rather than that without ceasing You have loved us first many times and every day and our whole life through. When we wake up in the morning and turn our soul toward You – You are the first-You have loved us, first. If I rise at dawn and at the same second turn my soul toward You in prayer, You are there ahead of me. You have loved me first. When I withdraw from the distractions of the day and turn my soul toward You, You are there first, and thus forever. You have loved us more than first and only once. 

Click here to receive TVC’s weekly prayer email.

Creed:  This is Our Faith

LEADER:  Do you believe and trust in God the Father, source of all being and life, the one for whom we exist?
ALL:  We believe and trust in Him.

LEADER:  Do you believe and trust in God the Son, who took our human nature, died for us and rose again?
ALL:  We believe and trust in Him.

LEADER:  Do you believe and trust in God the Holy Spirit, who gives life to the people of God, and makes Christ known in the world?
ALL:  We believe and trust in Him.

LEADER:  This is the faith of the Church.
ALL:  We believe and trust in one God, Father, Son and Holy Spirit.  Amen.

Source: Adapted from the Athanasian Creed

Listen to Understand, Speak to Serve

Pastor Matt Pierson

Proverbs: The Wisdom and the Ways of God

“Know this, my beloved brothers: let every person be quick to hear, slow to speak, slow to anger; for the anger of man does not produce the righteousness of God.”
– James 1:19-20

Proverbs 16:21-32

  1. How do you speak to God?
  2. How do you speak to others?
  3. How do you speak to yourself?

 “What God is going after through this book is change deep inside our hearts. His wisdom sinks in as we mull over these Biblical proverbs slowly and thoughtfully. We need multiple exposures over time. This book is not a quick fix. It is ancient wisdom from long human experience endorsed by God himself. If we’ll pay close attention, God will graciously make us into profound people.”
– Ray Ortlund, Proverbs: Wisdom that Works

“And if anyone does not stumble in what he says, he is a perfect man, able also to bridle his whole body. If we put bits into the mouths of horses so that they obey us, we guide their whole bodies as well… So also the tongue is a small member, yet it boasts of great things. How great a forest is set ablaze by such a small fire!…no human being can tame the tongue…With it we bless our Lord and Father, and with it we curse people who are made in the likeness of God. From the same mouth come blessing and cursing. My brothers, these things ought not to be so…”
– James 3:2-11 

“One of the significant problems of modern society is our careless handling and tossing about of words. How do we begin to cultivate civility in a communication climate immersed in vitriol? To start, we must remind ourselves of the ability of our words to deeply confirm or disconfirm another. As Christian communicators, we must particularly embrace how seriously God takes human language.”
– Tim Muehlhoff

Discussion Questions

  • Gods wisdom seeks heart transformation, not behavior modification. How do these things differ?
  • Why do you believe that we are all so eager to speak in our culture today? What would it look like for us to listen more and speak less?
  • Verse 21 links wisdom with discernment. What is discernment and how is it linked to wisdom?
  • Gods word is clear in how NOT to use our Words…Rashly, Deceitfully, Boastfully, or Manipulatively. Which one of these made you squirm? Confess this to the Lord and ask for more recognition of this in your life.
  • God WANTS us to use our words…Gently, Sparingly, Thoughtfully, and Truthfully. Who comes to mind when you hear these words?
  • Humor and sarcasm are word-cousins. What is the difference? How can one be life-giving and one be hurtful?

How does God NOT want us to use our words?

  • Rashly  (18:6-7, 29:20)
  • Deceitfully  (4:24, 12:22)
  • Boastfully  (25:14, 27:1-2)
  • Manipulatively  (20:19, 29:5)

How does God WANT us to use our words?

  • Gently  (15:1, 12:25)
  • Sparingly  (17:27-28, 21:23)
  • Thoughtfully  (25:11, 27:6)
  • Truthfully  (16:13, 31:8-9)

3 reasons to use words wisely

  1. Our words have authority 
  2. Our words require accountability
  3. Our words articulate eternity

“Kind words do not cost much. Yet they accomplish much.”
– Blaise Pascal

“The tongue has the power of life and death.”
– Proverbs 18:21

“Words are like eggs dropped from great heights; you can no more call them back than ignore the mess they leave when they fall.”
– Jodi Picoult, Salem Falls

“I tell you, on the day of judgment people will give account for every careless word they speak.”
– Matthew 12:36

“I would go to the deeps a hundred times to cheer a downcast spirit. It is good for me to have been afflicted, that I might know how to speak a word in season to one that is weary.”
– Charles Spurgeon 

“Let no corrupting talk come out of your mouths, but only such as is good for building up, as fits the occasion, that it may give grace to those who hear.”
– Ephesians 4:29

“If you were a hundred times worse than you are, your sins would be no match for His mercy.”
– Timothy Keller

“To be a Christian is to be a person who cares about words. We care about definitions and implications. Our aim is not to be contentious or obstreperous. Our aim is to be true and to speak in a way that strengthens the truth. We care about words because words communicate ideas and ideas have consequences. We pay attention to language because God has revealed Himself through it. Words matter to God. They should matter to us.”
– Kevin DeYoung

The Fear of the LORD

Pastor Jim Thomas

Three goals for today:

  1. Introduce the book of Proverbs
  2. Identify the central theme of Proverbs
  3. Show how the wisdom of God finds its ultimate expression in the person and work of Jesus

Proverbs: The Wisdom and the Ways of God

  • Genre: wisdom literature
  • Structure and contents
    • 31 chapters
    • 915 verses or sayings
    • 15,043 words
  • Authorship and date

Proverb = Hebrew: mashal

Proverbs will often teach by comparing and contrasting things:

  • Right and Wrong
  • Wisdom and Folly
  • Righteousness and Wickedness
  • Discipline and Recklessness
  • Better and Best
  • Diligence and Laziness
  • Honesty and Falsehood
  • Humility and Pride
  • Confidence and Fear
  • Instruction and Impulse
  • Friends and Foes

Questions We Ask

  • What should we value in life? 
  • What kind of people turn out to be faithful friends and what does it mean to be a good friend?
  • What’s the wisest way to manage money, time, and other resources?
  • What’s the wisest way to discipline children?
  • What should we do with our anger and hurt feelings?
  • How should we manage our desires for things like food, sex, and power?
  • What’s the wisest way to express ourselves when using words?
  • What does wisdom have to say about the more notorious sins: lying, drunkenness, greed, anger, and pride?
  • Can wisdom help us avoid temptation, trials, conflict or calamity?
  • Can wisdom help me get a better night’s sleep?

“All the wisdom of this world is but a tiny raft upon which we must set sail when we leave this earth. If only there was a firmer foundation upon which to sail, perhaps some divine word.” 
– Socrates (469-399 B.C.)

Proverbs 1:1-7

  • The Significance of Wisdom
  • The Source of Wisdom
  • The Secret of Wisdom

“The wisdom of God does not stand aloof, as if she were too good for us. She graciously moves toward us, into our real world where we live and struggle day by day. She offers us her very best, if we will only listen. With the overwhelming flood of information and opinion in our times, much of it a mixture of spin, sound bites, and trivialities, it is a relief to turn back to the Bible. It is a relief to slow down and pay close attention to deep insights that have stood the test of time.” 
– Ray Ortlund, Proverbs: Wisdom that Works

“The fear of the Lord is the beginning of knowledge; Fools despise wisdom and instruction.”
– Proverbs 1:7

“The greatness of God rouses fear within us, but His goodness encourages us not to be afraid of Him. To fear and not be afraid – that is the paradox of faith.” 
– A.W. Tozer, The Knowledge of the Holy

“In God you come up against something which is in every respect immeasurably superior to yourself. Unless you know God as that – and, therefore, know yourself as nothing in comparison – you do not know God at all. A proud man is always looking down on things and people; and, of course, as long as you are looking down, you cannot see something that is above you.” 
– C.S. Lewis, Mere Christianity

The Significance of Wisdom

  • Instruction
  • Understanding
  • Wise behavior
  • Prudence
  • Knowledge and discretion
  • Increased learning

Discussion Questions

  1.  When you think of fearing the Lord, do you think of trembling in terror or regarding with awe and wonder? Or both? Why?
  2. In Mere Christianity, CS Lewis states that the proud take a posture of looking down on others. How can pride keep us from God’s wisdom?
  3.  James 1:5 encourages us to ask God for wisdom and He will give generously. Where else are we tempted to look for wisdom? Why?
  4. Pastor Jim references a Bible teacher who said that if you have stood before God and never trembled, “it may not be the Lord you’re standing before.” What does this mean? Do you agree? How might God’s wisdom help us view Him more accurately?

 – When you think of fearing the Lord, do you think of trembling in terror or regarding with awe and wonder? Or both? Why?

 – In Mere Christianity, CS Lewis states that the proud take a posture of looking down on others. How can pride keep us from God’s wisdom?

 – James 1:5 encourages us to ask God for wisdom and He will give generously. Where else are we tempted to look for wisdom? Why?

 – Pastor Jim references a Bible teacher who said that if you have stood before God and never trembled, “it may not be the Lord you’re standing before.” What does this mean? Do you agree? How might God’s wisdom help us view Him more accurately?

“Wisdom is the power to see and the inclination to choose the best and highest goal, together with the surest means of attaining it.” 
– J.I. Packer, Knowing God

“Because they hated knowledge And did not choose the fear of the LORD.”
– Proverbs 1:29 

“Then you will discern the fear of the LORD And discover the knowledge of God.”
– Proverbs 2:5 

“The fear of the LORD is to hate evil; Pride and arrogance and the evil way And the perverted mouth, I hate.”
– Proverbs 8:13  

“The fear of the LORD is the beginning of wisdom, And the knowledge of the Holy One is understanding.”
– Proverbs 9:10  

“The fear of the LORD prolongs life, But the years of the wicked will be shortened.”
– Proverbs 10:27  

“In the fear of the LORD there is strong confidence, And his children will have refuge.”
– Proverbs 14:26

“The fear of the LORD is a fountain of life, That one may avoid the snares of death.”
– Proverbs 14:27 

“Better is a little with the fear of the LORD Than great treasure and turmoil with it.”
– Proverbs 15:16

“The fear of the LORD is the instruction for wisdom, And before honor comes humility.”
– Proverbs 15:33 

“By lovingkindness and truth iniquity is atoned for, And by the fear of the LORD one keeps away from evil.”
– Proverbs 16:6 

“The fear of the LORD leads to life, So that one may sleep satisfied, untouched by evil.”
– Proverbs 19:23  

“The reward of humility and the fear of the LORD Are riches, honor and life.”
– Proverbs 22:4  

“Do not let your heart envy sinners, But live in the fear of the LORD always.”
– Proverbs 23:17 

“For the LORD gives wisdom; from His mouth come knowledge and understanding.”

– Proverbs 2:6

“But if any of you lacks wisdom, let him ask of God, who gives to all generously and without reproach, and it will be given to him.”  
– James 1:5  

How does the wisdom of God find its ultimate expression in the person and work of Jesus?

“But by His doing you are in Christ Jesus, who became to us wisdom from God, and righteousness and sanctification, and redemption, so that, just as it is written, ‘LET HIM WHO BOASTS, BOAST IN THE LORD.’”
– 1 Corinthians 1:30-31

“…that their hearts may be encouraged, having been knit together in love, and attaining to all the wealth that comes from the full assurance of understanding, resulting in a true knowledge of God’s mystery, that is, Christ Himself, in whom are hidden all the treasures of wisdom and knowledge.”
– Colossians 2:2-3

“When the right fear of the Lord takes possession of our hearts, we are both lost in amazement and struck by awe, even terror, for we discover that God, since the beginning of time, has not hated or threatened you and me, but has loved and chosen us.” 
– Karl Barth, Deliverance to the Captives

“When we look at the cross we see the justice, love, wisdom and power of God.  It is not easy to decide which is the most luminously revealed, whether the justice of God in judging sin, or the love of God in bearing the judgment in our place, or the wisdom of God in perfectly combining the two, or the power of God in saving those who believe… The cross assures us that this God is the reality within, behind and beyond the universe.” 
– John Stott, The Cross of Christ

July 23, 2023

Songs:

“Leaning on the Everlasting Arms” by Elisha Hoffman & Anthony Showalter
Public Domain
Used by Permission. CCLI License #2003690

“O For a Thousand Tongues to Sing” by Charles Wesley
Public Domain
Used by Permission. CCLI License #2003690

“Our God Will Go Before Us” by Keith Getty, Matt Boswell & Matt Papa
© 2023 Getty Music Hymns and Songs, Getty Music Publishing, Love Your Enemies Publishing, and Messenger Hymns
Used by Permission. CCLI License #2003690

“Our Great God” by Fernando Ortega & Mac Powell
© 2002 New Spring, Word Music & Dejamesolo Music
Used by Permission. CCLI License #2003690

“Doxology” by Thomas Ken & Louis Bourgeois
Public Domain
Used by Permission. CCLI License #2003690

Call To Worship: Make a Joyful Noise

LEADER: Make a joyful noise to the Lord, all the earth! Serve the Lord with gladness!  Come into His presence with singing!
PEOPLE: I will praise the Lord as long as I live I will sing praises to my God while I have my being.
LEADER: Believers in Christ, bless the Lord; Let all that is within you bless his holy name!
PEOPLE: My soul magnifies the Lord, and my spirit rejoices in God my Savior!
ALL: Oh, give thanks to the Lord, for He is good, for His steadfast love endures forever! Amen!

Prayer: Thomas Lye

Lord God, you and you alone should be the sole object of our trust. May there be but one string to the bow of our faith: that is you, our Lord. May we not rest in anything other than you. Forgive us when we trust in our heads, for our own understanding is an unsafe place to lean. Forgive us when we trust in our hearts, for they are so deceitful and wicked. Forgive us when we trust in our vigor, for our hands will soon hang down and faint. Forgive us when we trust in any excellences, for the best of us in our best state is altogether vanity. Forgive us when we trust in riches, for riches are fair-faced nothings, taking flight like birds. Forgive us when we trust in human allies, for they prove not to be staffs but broken reeds. But on this the arm of trust may safely lean: your almighty arm and power; and your infinite goodness, mercy, and bounty.

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Creed:  The Glory of God and Everlasting Life

LEADER:  How can we glorify God?
PEOPLE:  We glorify God by enjoying Him, loving Him, trusting Him, and by obeying His will, commands, and law.

LEADER:  What is idolatry?
PEOPLE:  Idolatry is trusting in created things rather than the Creator for our hope and happiness, significance and security.

LEADER:  What hope does everlasting life hold for us?
PEOPLE:  It reminds us that this present fallen world is not all there is; soon we will live with and enjoy God forever in the new city, in the new heaven and the new earth, where we will be fully and forever freed from all sin and will inhabit renewed, resurrection bodies in a renewed, restored creation.

Source: New City Catechism, Questions 6, 17 & 52

No Greater Joy than This…

Pastor Jim Thomas

There is a God and He wants us to rejoice in the knowledge of His love for us, expressed vividly in the person and work of Jesus Christ.  God also wants us to share His love with one another.

“The unexamined life is not worth living.” 

– Socrates

Three categories of evidence for authentic, saving faith:

  1. The theological test:  do we believe Jesus Christ is the Son of God?
  2. The moral test:  are we growing in personal holiness?
  3. The social test:  are we increasing in our love for one another?  (v. 5-8)

3 John

  1. What is your greatest joy? (v. 4)
  2. What does faithfulness look like in your life? (v. 5) 
  3. What are you doing for the sake of the Name? (v. 7)
  4. Who/what are you imitating? (v. 11)

Discussion Questions

  1. In all of his letters, John reminds us again and again that we can KNOW the love of God for us.  Do you ever struggle at times to believe this?  Have these studies of John 1-3 helped you believe the truth of God’s love more? 
  2. “The unexamined life is not worth living”- Socrates 
    How does one go about examining their life?  How is this different for a believer in Christ?
  3. Jim described Diotrephes as “addicted to ambition and autonomy.” How do we personally counter this temptation?
  4. God wants to stir you up to greater faithfulness and keep you from being satisfied with simply being warmed and affirmed. Where are you being stirred?

“One ship drives east and another drives west
With the selfsame winds that blow;
Tis the set of the sails and not the gales
Which tells us the way to go.” 
– Ella Wheeler Wilcox

“When we begin to live for God and follow His will, we find that we are actually becoming who we were meant to be, realizing our original design. We are a sailboat finally being put out into deep water. Someone may object that freedom should be doing what we really want to do. The Christian offer, however, includes this. It is not merely complying with the proper regulations of our creator; it also consists of a new, growing, inward passion to love and know our redeemer.”
– Tim Keller, Making Sense of God

“Authentic Christianity is not a safe, smug, cozy, selfish, escapist little religion… It is an explosive, centrifugal force, which pulls us out from our narrow self-centeredness and flings us into God’s world to witness and to serve.” 
– John Stott

“Our high and privileged calling is to do the will of God in the power of God for the glory of God.” 
– J.I. Packer, Rediscovering Holiness

“Our imitation of God in this life… must be an imitation of God incarnate; our model is the Jesus, not only of Calvary, but of the workshop, the roads, the crowds, the clamorous demands and surly oppositions, the lack of all peace and privacy, the interruptions. For this…is the Divine life operating under human conditions.” 
– C.S. Lewis, The Four Loves

“The challenge to us now is how much are we really prepared to let Jesus Christ change us. Is it to be my will or His? On this will depend the ultimate verdict, whether we prove to be frauds or followers. Who is at the center of our lives? Is it ‘self’ with its longing to be first, to be number one? Or is it Christ, enabling us to keep faithful and to continue walking in the truth? There is still no issue with greater or more far-reaching implications for the church or for the Christian.”  
– David Jackman

July 16, 2023

Songs:

“Psalm 150 (Praise the Lord)” by Matt Boswell & Matt Papa
© 2020 Getty Music Hymns and Songs, Getty Music Publishing, Love Your Enemies Publishing, and Messenger Hymns
Used by Permission. CCLI License #2003690

“Rock of Ages” by Thomas Hastings & Augustus Montague Toplady 
Public Domain.
Used by Permission. CCLI License #2003690

“As the Deer” by Martin Nystrom
© Maranatha Praise. 
Used by Permission. CCLI License #2003690

“Ancient of Days” by Jonny Robinson, Rich Thompson, Michael Farren, & Jesse Reeves
© 2018 CityAlight Music, Farren Love And War Publishing, Integrity’s Alleluia! Music, BEC WorshipWriterWrong
Used by Permission. CCLI License #2003690

“Doxology” by Thomas Ken & Louis Bourgeois
Public Domain
Used by Permission. CCLI License #2003690

Call To Worship: To God be the Glory

Leader: To our God and Father be glory forever and ever!
People: My soul magnifies the Lord, And my spirit rejoices in God my Savior.
Leader: To the King of the ages, immortal, invisible, The only God, Be honor and glory forever and ever.
People: I will praise the Lord as long as I live; I will sing praises to my God While I have my being.
All: To our God and Father be glory forever and ever! Amen!

Prayer: Gregory of Nazianzus

The stars dance for you, Lord, and planets shine for you, announcing your wisdom.Your lights sing to the glorious Trinity.Here below, we too are your glory. We exist to sing your praises, Light of the world.Immortal One, glory’s highest, you took on mortal flesh so you could put an end to our grief.We live for you, and our songs arise for you. We will be silent, or sing, at your will. May we do your bidding either way. May we say what is right, and nothing else. With your guidance, let us see the pearl in the mud, the gold in the sand, the rose in the thorny thicket.Let us hear what is pure in the noise of life.

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July 9, 2023

Songs:

“How Great Thou Art” by Stuart Wesley Keene Hine
© 1949 & 1953 Manna Music, Inc., Stuart Hine Trust
Used by Permission. CCLI License #2003690

“I Stand Amazed (How Marvelous)” by Charles Hutchinson Gabriel
Public Domain
Used by Permission. CCLI License #2003690

“How Deep the Father’s Love for Us” by Stuart Townend
© 1995 Thankyou Music
Used by Permission. CCLI License #2003690

“My Savior’s Love (What Tongue Could Tell)” by Matt Boswell, Matt Papa & Keith Getty
© 2019 Getty Music Publishing, Messenger Hymns,
Getty Music Hymns and Songs, Love Your Enemies Publishing
Used by Permission. CCLI License #2003690

“Doxology” by Thomas Ken & Louis Bourgeois
Public Domain
Used by Permission. CCLI License #2003690

Call To Worship: Let Us Go to the House of the Lord

Leader: I was glad when they said to me, Let us go to the house of the Lord!
People: Praise the Lord! For it is good to sing praises to our God!
Leader: Great is our Lord, and abundant in power; His understanding is beyond measure.
People: Blessed is he whose hope is in the Lord, Who made heaven and earth, the sea, and all that is in them.
Leader: The Lord will reign forever, your God, O Zion, to all generations.
All: Let everything that has breath praise the Lord! Praise the Lord!

Prayer: The Gelasian Sacramentary

O God of unchangeable power and eternal light, look favorably on your whole Church, which is a wonderful and sacred mystery. In your eternal foreknowledge, you peacefully do your saving work for humanity. Let the whole world know that things that were cast down are being raised up, and things that had grown old are being made new, and all things are being restored by him in whom they have their beginning, Jesus Christ our Lord.

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Creed: What is Grace?

Leader: What is grace?
People: Grace is God’s undeserved gift of his love, mercy, and help, which he freely offers to us who, because of our sin, deserve only condemnation.

Leader: For what purpose does God give you grace?
People: God gives me grace in Christ for the forgiveness of my sins, redemption from sin’s power, healing of sin’s effects, and growth in holiness, to my final transformation into the likeness of Christ.

Leader: Can you earn God’s grace?
People: No. God gives his grace freely and enables me to receive it. Everything I do for God should be in response to his love and grace made known in Christ, for “while we were still sinners, Christ died for us,” and “we love because he first loved us.”

Source: ACNA, Questions 109, 110, 111; Romans 5:8; 1 John 4:19

Walking Steadily in Truth and Love

Pastor Tommy Bailey

2 John

Approximate timeline of the Apostle John’s ministry:

  • John begins to follow Jesus (30 AD)
  • Death, resurrection and ascension of Jesus (33 AD)
  • Destruction of Jerusalem temple (70 AD)
  • John writes his Gospel (85-95 AD)
  • John writes his letters (85-95 AD)
  • John writes Revelation (95-96 AD)

“Perhaps the notion of heavenly mercy seems abstract, but what if that mercy became something we could see, hear and touch? That is what happened in the incarnation.”
– Dane Ortlund, Gentle and Lowly

“God has designed and equipped the Christian life for perseverance that reaches beyond our own benefits… Our faithfulness isn’t just for us. It announces to the world that Jesus is worth every drop of our devotion.”
– Glenna Marshall, Everyday Faithfulness

“We do not hate, nor do we affirm. We cannot hate, because of God’s word. And we cannot affirm, because of God’s word. We have to be prepared to say that we are unprepared to rewrite the Bible in order to accommodate a society that needs the Bible and that needs the Jesus who is the focus of the Bible.”
– Alistair Begg

“A tree falls the way it leans. 
Be careful which way you lean.”
– Dr. Seuss, The Lorax

How do we walk steadily in truth and love?

  1. Wonder (v. 2-4)
  2. Watchfulness (v. 8-9)
  3. Withness (v. 1, 5, 9, 12-13)

Discussion Questions

  • God loves you.  Are you at a place today where you need to hear the basic truths of the Gospel again…perhaps because you are wobbling slightly?  Are you willing to admit this to the Lord and receive afresh His Grace, His Mercy, His Peace?
  • How are you demonstrating your steady walk with the Lord to those you love most?
  • How can you protect yourself or your family from deceivers?
  • We need to be reminded daily of God’s Wonder…how can you do this?  
  • See again the Dr Seuss quote from The Lorax: How does this idea illustrate the importance of watchfulness? In what practical ways, can you “be careful which way you lean?”

“Satisfy us in the morning with Your steadfast love, that we may rejoice and be glad all our days.”
– Psalm 90:14 (ESV)

“To know oneself is above all to know what one lacks. It is to measure oneself against the Truth and not the other way around.”
– Christopher Watkin, Biblical Critical Theory 

“Thus says the LORD:  ‘Stand by the roads, and look, and ask for the ancient paths, where the good way is; and walk in it, and find rest for your souls.’”
– Jeremiah 6:16 (ESV)

Earnestly Contending for the Faith

Pastor Matt Pierson

Jude

The Faith Once Given

Overview:

  • Literary Genre
  • Author & Date
  • Recipients
  • Purpose

“Parts of the Christian church today seem ideationally vacuous, with little or no confessional content to their faith. They tend also to be places where manifold forms of immorality are permitted and even celebrated. In such a context, we are to contend for the faith without being contentious over tertiary matters. In such an environment, we are to embrace and embody the moral implications of the gospel. In such a time, we are to rescue those who are blown about by false teaching and who get flustered over what they should actually believe. To keep ourselves in God’s love we must keep the faith, and keep ourselves from being seduced by bad characters masquerading as teachers.”
– N.T. Wright & Michael F. Bird, The New Testament in its World

  1. Jude reminds us that false teachers, scoffers and willing unbelievers exist in every age and culture.
  2. Jude exhorts us to understand the difference between a nominal faith and an authentic faith.
  3. Jude explains to us how to persevere in an authentic faith.
  4. Jude calls us to extend the healing, helping hand of mercy – not the angry, closed fist of self-righteousness.

“The themes that emerge from that ancient milieu are surprisingly familiar and linger with us today as the church seeks to live out its faith in a postmodern world, which has lost all sense of absolutes and embraces hedonism in the extreme.”
– Gene Green, Jude and 2 Peter

“Gradually, though no one remembers exactly how it happened, the unthinkable becomes tolerable. And then acceptable. And then legal. And then applaudable.”
– Joni Eareckson Tada

12 Characteristics of Nominal Faith

  • crept in unnoticed 
  • ungodly persons
  • turn the grace of God into sensuality
  • deny our only Master and Lord, Jesus Christ
  • revile the things which they don’t understand
  • grumblers
  • following their own sinful desires
  • speak arrogantly 
  • show favoritism to gain advantage
  • scoffers
  • cause divisions
  • worldly-minded
  • devoid of the Spirit

Discussion Questions

  1. When seeking to discern between the two, what are some of the key differences we can look for between authentic & merely nominal faith?
  2. What are some practical things we can do to support and nurture a robust faith?
  3. How should we balance between standing strong against false teaching while still showing mercy to those who doubt?

“Left to oneself, one could easily slide away from ‘the faith once given’ into a phantom called ‘my religion.’”
– C.S. Lewis, Letters to Malcolm: Chiefly on Prayer

“It costs something to be a true Christian. Let that never be forgotten. To be a mere nominal Christian, and go to church, is cheap and easy work. But to hear Christ’s voice, and follow Christ, and believe in Christ, and confess Christ, requires much self-denial. It will cost us our sins, and our self-righteousness, and our ease, and our worldliness. All – all must be given up.”
– J.C. Ryle

“The kind of spiritual life and disciplines needed to sustain the Christian life are quiet, repetitive and ordinary. I often want to skip the boring, daily stuff to get to the thrill of an edgy faith. But it’s in the dailiness of the Christian faith – the making the bed, the doing the dishes, the praying for our enemies, the reading the Bible, the quiet, the small – that God’s transformation takes root and grows.”
– Tish Harrison Warren

“True faith rests on the character of God and asks no further proof than the moral perfections of the One who cannot lie.”
– A.W. Tozer

“There is only one being who can satisfy the last aching abyss of the human heart, and that is the Lord Jesus Christ.”
– Oswald Chambers

“Only as we drink down the kindness of the heart of Christ will we leave in our wake, everywhere we go, the aroma of heaven, and die one day having startled the world with glimpses of a divine kindness too great to be boxed in by what we deserve.”
– Dane Ortlund, Gentle and Lowly: The Heart of Christ for Sinners and Sufferers

“He has asked us to be signposts of the world that will someday be, even as we live all day long in the world that is.”
– Steve Garber

“Be watchful, stand firm in the faith, act like men, be strong. Let all that you do be done in love.”
– 1 Corinthians 16:13-14

July 2, 2023

Songs:

“Holy, Holy, Holy” by John Bacchus Dykes, Reginald Heber
Public Domain
Used by Permission. CCLI License #2003690

“Almost Home” by Lauren Papa, Matt Boswell & Matt Papa
© 2021 Getty Music Hymns and Songs, Getty Music Publishing, Love Your Enemies Publishing, and Messenger Hymns
Used by Permission. CCLI License #2003690

“We Will Feast in the House of Zion” words and music by Sandra McCracken
© 2015 Drink Your Tea Music and joshmooreownsthismusic
Used by Permission. CCLI License #2003690

“He Will Hold Me Fast” by Ada Ruth Habershon & Matthew Merker
© 2013 Merker, Matthew
Used by Permission. CCLI License #2003690

“Hymn of Heaven” by Bill Johnson, Brian Johnson, Chris Davenport & Phil Wickham
© 2020 Phil Wickham Music, Simply Global Songs, Sing My Songs, and Remaining portion is unaffiliated
Used by Permission. CCLI License #2003690

“Doxology” by Thomas Ken & Louis Bourgeois
Public Domain
Used by Permission. CCLI License #2003690

Call To Worship: Bless the Lord

Leader: Bless the Lord at all times; let his praise continually be in your mouth.
People: My tongue shall tell of your righteousness and of your praise all the day long.
Leader: Oh, magnify the Lord with me, and let us exalt his name together!
People: We will tell to the coming generation the glorious deeds of the Lord, and his might, and the wonders that he has done.
All: You are great, O Lord God. For there is none like you, and there is no God besides you!

Prayer: John Baillie

O Holy Spirit of God, visit now this soul of mine, and tarry within it until eventide. Inspire all my thoughts.Pervade all my imaginations. Suggest all my decisions. Lodge in my will’s most inward citadel and order all my doings. Be with me in my silence and in my speech, in my haste and in my leisure, in company and in solitude, in the freshness of the morning and in the weariness of the evening; and give me grace at all times to rejoice in thy mysterious companionship.

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Creed: The Apostles’ Creed

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.

Summer Choir

We are excited to announce that on Sunday, August 13 our two morning services will be led in worship by the TVC Choir, directed by Dr. John Neal. It’s been several years since we’ve had a summer choir, and we would love for you to be a part of it! Please email [email protected] for more info.

Rehearsal dates:
Sunday, July 30 at 5:30 pm in the Family Room
Sunday, August 6 at 5:30 pm in the Family Room
Wednesday, August 9th at 6:30 pm in the Chapel

Worship service:
Sunday, August 13 at the 9 & 11 am service

If you’re a parent who’s interested in joining the TVC Choir but are in need of childcare during rehearsals, please let us know at [email protected].

Email us to sign up!

The Glory of His Grace

Pastor Jim Thomas

Ephesians

  • Chapters 1-3
    • Beliefs
    • Doctrine
    • Indicatives
    • Wealth in Christ 
    • What Christ has done
  • Chapters 4-6
    • Behavior 
    • Practice
    • Imperatives 
    • Walk in Christ
    • Our responses
  • “In Christ” appears 13 times
  • “In Him” appears 8 times
  • Chapter 1 has 10-12 of these occurrences

Strong Trinitarian Focus

  • Father – choosing and calling (v. 3-6)
  • Son – saving and redeeming (v. 7-12)
  • Spirit – sanctifying and sealing (v. 13-14)

Ephesians 1:1-14

In Christ, God has…

  • Blessed us (v. 3)
  • Chosen us (v. 4)
  • Predestined us (v. 5) 
  • Adopted us (v. 5)
  • Graced us (v. 6)
  • Redeemed us (v. 7)
  • Revealed His will to us (v. 9)
  • Granted us an eternal inheritance (v. 11) 
  • Sealed us in Christ with the HS (v. 13)

“In Christ” – Christ is the source and focus of victory:

  • His Cross accomplished victory
  • His Resurrection confirmed victory 
  • His Ascension perpetuates victory

Discussion Questions

  1. What does Ephesians 1 teach us about being “in Christ?”
  2. What do we learn about God and what do we learn about ourselves from Ephesians 1?
  3. What does Paul’s prayer reveal about his concerns and hopes for believers?
  4. How might the truths from Ephesians 1 transform us? How might believing these truths change the way we think, the way we behave or, the way we treat others?

“Divine illumination and human thought belong together. All our thinking is unproductive without the Spirit of truth; yet his enlightenment is not intended to save us the trouble of using our minds. It is precisely as we ponder what God has done in Christ that the Spirit will open our eyes to grasp its implications.”
– John Stott, The Message of Ephesians

“The grace of God in Christ provides us with a new identity, a heavenly one; it follows that this — and not our natural identity — determines everything we do. Our identity, our citizenship, is heavenly.”
– Sinclair Ferguson, Worthy: Living in Light of the Gospel

“Abide in Me says Jesus. Cling to Me. Stick fast to Me. Live the life of close and intimate communion with Me. Get nearer to Me. Roll every burden on Me. Cast your whole weight on Me. Never let go your hold on Me for a moment. Be, as it were, rooted and planted in Me. Do this and I will never fail you. I will ever abide in you.”
– J.C. Ryle

June 25, 2023

Songs:

“To God Be the Glory” by Fanny Jane Crosby
Public Domain CCLI# 2003690

“O Praise the Name (Anástasis)” by Benjamin Hastings, Dean Ussher & Marty Sampson
© 2015 Hillsong Music Publishing
Used by Permission. CCLI License #2003690

“There is a Redeemer” by Melody Green
© 1982 Birdwing Music; BMG Songs, Inc.; Ears To Hear; and Birdwing Music
Used by Permission. CCLI License #2003690

“Christ Be in My Waking” by Simon Brading & Stuart Townend
© 2011 Thankyou Music
Used by Permission. CCLI License #2003690

“Doxology” by Thomas Ken & Louis Bourgeois
Public Domain
Used by Permission. CCLI License #2003690

Call To Worship: We Bless You, God of All Mercies

ALL: We bless you, God of all mercies, for our creation, preservation, and all the blessings of this life;
WOMEN: We praise you for your boundless love revealed to us in your son, our Lord, Jesus Christ; for the means of grace and for the hope of glory.
MEN: Give us such an awareness of your mercies, that with truly thankful hearts we may show forth your praise,
WOMEN: Not only with our lips but in our lives, by giving up ourselves to your service, and by walking before you in holiness and righteousness all our days;
ALL: Through Jesus Christ our Redeemer, to whom, with you and the Holy Spirit,be all honor and glory now and forever. Amen! Amen! Amen!

Prayer: Anslem, 11th Century Bishop of Canterbury

O God, Thou art life, wisdom, truth, bounty, and blessedness, the Eternal, the only true Good!  My God and my Lord, Thou art my hope and my hearts joy. I confess, with thanksgiving that Thou hast made me in Thine image, that I may direct all my thoughts to Thee, and love Thee. Lord, make me to know Thee aright, that I may more and more love, and enjoy, and possess Thee. And since, in the life here below, I cannot fully attain this blessedness, let it at least grow in me day by day, until it all be fulfilled at last in the life to come. Here be the knowledge of Thee increased, and there let it be perfected. Here let my love to Thee grow, and there let it ripen; that my joy being here great in hope, may there in fruition be made perfect.

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Creed: The Providence of God

Leader: What do you understand by the providence of God?
People: Providence is the almighty and ever present power of God by which God upholds, as with his hand, heaven and earth and all creatures, and so rules them that: leaf and blade, rain and drought, fruitful and lean years, food and drink, health and sickness, prosperity and poverty—all things, in fact, come to us not by chance but by his fatherly hand.
Leader: How does the knowledge of God’s creation and providence help us?
People: We can be patient in adversity, thankful in prosperity, and for the future we can have good confidence in our faithful God and Father that no creature will separate us from his love…

Heidelberg Catechism, questions 27 & 28

What Can We Really Know?

Jim Thomas, Senior Pastor

The Letters of John: That You May Know…

The Message of 1 John: 
God wants you to rejoice in the knowledge of His love for you, which has been displayed vividly in the person and work of Jesus Christ. And God wants us to share His love with one another.

“Certainty and humility do not exclude one another. If God’s revealed purpose is not only that we should hear, believe and live, but also that we should know, presumptuousness lies in doubting His word, not in trusting it.”
– John Stott, The Letters of John

Three categories of evidence for authentic, saving faith:

  1. The theological test: Do we believe Jesus Christ is the Son of God?
  2. The moral test: Are we practicing righteousness?
  3. The social test: Do we love others?

1 John 5:13-21

  • We can know that believers in Jesus Christ have eternal life. (v. 13) 
  • We can know that if we ask anything according to God’s will, He hears us. (v. 14)
  • We can know that we have the requests we have asked from Him, in His name. (v. 15)
  • We can trust that God is eager to forgive stumbling sinners, but will allow belligerent unbelievers to have the eternal autonomy they have demanded. (v. 16-17)
  • We can know that no one who has truly been born of God indulges habitual sin, and even if they stumble, they are held fast by Christ Himself. (v. 18)
  • We can know we belong to God, not to the evil one or this world system. (v. 19)
  • We can know that Jesus, the Son of God, has come, has revealed Himself to us and offers us eternal life in Him. (v. 20)
  • We can know that we need to remain on guard against worshiping anything that is not God. (v. 21)

What are some distinctive characteristics of having a saving faith in Christ? 

  1. Its object and confidence are Christ Himself. (v. 13) 
  2. It is nurtured through engagement in prayer. (v. 14-15) 
  3. It is wholly dependent on God’s grace and mercy. (v. 16-18)
  4. It inspires our confidence in Christ and directs our worship to the living God. (v. 19-21)

Discussion Questions

  1. In our study of 1 John, we’ve identified three evidentiary tests for authentic, saving faith: theological, moral & social. Which of these tests do you find to be the most difficult? Do you think any one of the three is more important than the other two?
  2. How does believing differ from knowing?
  3. Of the eight truths we can know identified in 1 John 5:13-21, which are most important to you? Do you sometimes find any of the eight difficult to believe or to know?
  4. How are you doing at guarding your heart from idols?
  5. Who in your life are you praying for to know Christ?

“Idolatry is always the reason we ever do anything wrong. Why do we ever lie, or fail to love or keep promises to live unselfishly? Of course, the general answer is ‘because we are weak and sinful,’ but the specific answer is always that there is something besides Jesus Christ that you feel you must have to be happy, something that is more important to your heart than God, something that is spinning out a delusional field and enslaving the heart through inordinate desires. So the secret to change is always to identify the idols of the heart.” 
– Tim Keller

“Nothing provokes the world’s opposition more than the gospel of Jesus Christ. For it emphasizes such unpalatable doctrines as the gravity of human sin and guilt, the reality of God’s wrath and judgment, the impossibility of self-salvation, the necessity of the cross, the freeness of eternal life and the dangers of eternal death. These truths undermine human pride and arouse human opposition.”
– John Stott, What Christ Thinks of the Church

“The person who is deluded always speaks about how ‘nice’ they were. The person who enjoys the full assurance of eternal salvation knows only we were sinners but we were saved by the grace of God in Jesus Christ. False assurance always speaks about what we have done. Real assurance always speaks about what Christ has done for us, and by His grace, what Christ has done in us.” 
– Sinclair Ferguson

What Can We Really Know?

God wants us to rejoice in the knowledge of His love for us, expressed vividly in the person and work of Jesus Christ.  And God wants us to share His love with one another.

June 18, 2023

Songs:

“On Christ The Solid Rock” by William Batchelder Bradbury, Edward Mote
Public Domain CCLI# 2003690

“Praise to the Lord the Almighty” by Joachim Neander & Catherine Winkworth
Public Domain CCLI# 2003690

“My Heart is Filled with Thankfulness” by Stuart Townend and Keith Getty
CCLI# 2003690

“The Lord is My Salvation” by Keith Getty, Kristyn Getty, Nathan Nockles& Jonas Myrin
© 2016 Getty Music Publishing & Sweater Weather Music
Used by Permission. CCLI License #2003690

“Doxology” by Thomas Ken & Louis Bourgeois
Public Domain
Used by Permission. CCLI License #2003690

Call To Worship: Psalm 100

Shout for joy to the LORD, all the earth. Worship the LORD with gladness; Come before Him with joyful songs. Know that the LORD is God. It is He who made us, and we are His; We are His people, the sheep of His pasture. Enter His gates with thanksgiving and His courts with praise; Give thanks to Him and praise His name. For the LORD is good and His love endures forever; His faithfulness continues through all generations.

Prayer: William Barclay

Eternal God, grant that we may count it a day wasted when we do not learn something new, and when we are not a little further on on the way to goodness and to Thee. Help us to try to do our work better every day. Help us to try to add something to our store of knowledge every day. Help us to try to know some one better every day. Grant unto us each day to learn more of self-mastery and self control. Grant unto us each day better to rule our temper and our tongue. Grant unto us each day to leave our faults farther behind and to grow 
more nearly into the likeness of our Lord. So grant that at the end of this day, and at the end of every day, we may be nearer to Thee than when the day began: through Jesus Christ our Lord.

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Can I Get a Witness?

Matt Pierson, Associate Pastor

The Letters of John: That You May Know…

The Message of 1 John: 
God wants you to rejoice in the knowledge of His love for you, which has been displayed vividly in the person and work of Jesus Christ. And God wants us to share His love with one another.

The Spiral Staircase of the Christian Life

“As soon as John has defined the core belief that Jesus is the Christ as the means by which the new birth is brought about, he immediately moves into the inevitable expression and proof of faith’s existence and genuineness, love for God and for His children…. faith that does not lead to love is meaningless. Love that is not based on faith is powerless.”
– David Jackman, The Bible Speaks Today

Three categories of evidence for authentic, saving faith:

  1. The theological test: Do we believe Jesus Christ is the Son of God?
  2. The moral test: Are we practicing righteousness?
  3. The social test: Do we love others?

1 John 5:1-12

  1. Faith in the Son as the way to life
    • Being born of God results in belief in Jesus
    • Love of God results in love for God’s children and love of God’s commandments
    • Belief in Jesus results in faith which overcomes the world
  2. Faith receives the testimony of God
    • The Spirit testifies because the Spirit is the truth
    • The Spirit, the water and the blood all testify
    • Believers have this testimony in themselves 
    • God testifies regarding His Son and eternal life

God’s Witness:

“God is known by nature in His works, and by doctrine in His revealed word.”
– Galileo Galilei 

God’s Witness in Scripture:

  • “Let us make man in our image, after our likeness.”
    – Genesis 1:26
  • “The heavens declare the glory of God, and the sky above proclaims His handiwork.”
    – Psalm 19:1
  • “Behold the Lamb of God, who takes away the sin of the world!”
    – John 1:29
  • “This is my beloved Son, with whom I am well pleased.”
    – Matthew 3:16
  • “He is the radiance of the glory of God and the exact imprint of His nature, and He upholds the universe by the word of His power.” 
    – Hebrews 1:3
  • “But these are written so that you may believe that Jesus is the Christ, the Son of God, and that by believing you may have life in His name.”
    – John 20:31

Discussion Questions

  1. Compare & contrast the two viewpoints regarding whether being reborn is a cause of our faith or the result of it. What do you think are the strongest arguments in support of each?
  2. What are some of your favorite ways God has revealed Himself to us through nature?
  3. Similarly, what do you think are some of His most important revelations to us through scripture?
  4. Could you default less to “Get off my lawn” and more toward “Grace and peace to you”?
  5. How can you rely more fully on His witness, through nature and His word, to love Him and His children?
  6. What are some good examples of when the Church has properly demonstrated the love of God to the world?

Our Witness:

  • “The message of our gospel witness and public engagement cannot be, ‘You kids get off of our lawn!’”
    – Russell Moore 
  • “The times when the church has been most relevant in its witness is when believers countered the world by lifting something more beautiful in its place.”
    – Trevin Wax
  • “We draw people to Christ not by loudly discrediting what they believe, by telling them how wrong they are and how right we are, but by showing them a light that is so lovely that they want with all their hearts to know the source of it.”
    – Madeleine L’Engle, Walking on Water: Reflections on Faith & Art

“And this is the testimony, that God gave us eternal life, and this life is in His Son.”
– 1 John 5:11

June 11, 2023

Songs:

“’Tis So Sweet To Trust In Jesus” by William J. Kirkpatrick, John Andrew Schreiner & Louisa R. Stead
© 2003 John Andrew Schreiner Music
Used by Permission. CCLI License #2003690

“Come, Thou Almighty King” by Felice de Giardini, Tommy Bailey, Sarah Gehri, Nathan Mickle & Tom Yarbrough
© 2021 Getty Music Publishing
Used by Permission. CCLI License #2003690

“Our God Will Go Before Us” by Keith Getty, Matt Boswell & Matt Papa
© 2023 Getty Music Hymns and Songs, Getty Music Publishing, Love Your Enemies Publishing, and Messenger Hymns
Used by Permission. CCLI License #2003690

“He Is” by David Crowder, Hank Bentley & Jeff Pardo
© 2021 Capitol CMG Amplifier, Capitol CMG Genesis, Every Square Inch, Inot Music, Jeff Pardo Designee, and sixsteps Music
Used by Permission. CCLI License #2003690

“Doxology” by Thomas Ken & Louis Bourgeois
Public Domain
Used by Permission. CCLI License #2003690

Call To Worship: Who is like you, O Lord?

Leader: The word of the Lord is upright, And all his work is done in faithfulness.
People: He loves righteousness and justice; The earth is full of the steadfast love of the Lord.
Leader: Who is like you, O Lord, Majestic in holiness, Awesome in glorious deeds, doing wonders?
People: You will return in power and glory, To set all things right, And to make all things new!
Leader: Who is like you, O Lord, Majestic in holiness, Awesome in glorious deeds?
All: Hallelujah! For the Lord our God The Almighty reigns!

Prayer: Johann Arndt

Ah, Lord, to whom all hearts are open, You can pilot the ship of my soul far better than I can. Do not let me be carried hither and thither by wandering thoughts, but, forgetting all else, let me see and hear You alone. Renew my spirit; kindle in me Your light, that it may shine within me, and my heart may burn in love and adoration for You. Let Your Holy Spirit dwell in me continually, and make me Your temple and sanctuary. Fill me with Your love and light and life, with devout and heavenly thoughts, with comfort and strength, with joy and peace.

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Creed: What is our only hope?

Leader: What is your only comfort in life and death?
People: That I am not my own, but belong- body and soul, in life and in death-to my faithful Savior, Jesus Christ.
Leader: What is the chief end of man?
People: Man’s chief end is to glorify God, and to enjoy him forever.
Leader: What rule has God given to direct us how we may glorify and enjoy him?
People: The Word of God, which is contained in the Scriptures of the Old and New Testaments, is the only rule to direct us how we may glorify and enjoy him.

Source: Heidelberg Catechism, Question 1; Westminster Shorter Catechism, Questions 1,2

June 4, 2023

Songs:

“On Jordan’s Stormy Banks” by Samuel Stennett & Christopher Miner
© 1997 Getty Music Hymns and Songs
Used by Permission. CCLI License #2003690

“Revive Us Again” by John Jenkins Husband & William Paton MacKay
Public Domain
Used by Permission. CCLI License #2003690

“Goodness of God” by Ed Cash & Jenn Johnson
© 2018 Alletrop Music
Used by Permission. CCLI License #2003690

“Our God Will Go Before Us” by Keith Getty, Matt Boswell & Matt Papa
© 2023 Getty Music Hymns and Songs, Getty Music Publishing, Love Your Enemies Publishing, and Messenger Hymns
Used by Permission. CCLI License #2003690

“And Can It Be” by Thomas Campbell, Dan Galbraith & Charles Wesley
Public Domain
Used by Permission. CCLI License #2003690

“Doxology” by Thomas Ken & Louis Bourgeois
Public Domain
Used by Permission. CCLI License #2003690

Call To Worship: At the Cross

Most merciful God, thank you for sending to us your Son, Jesus. We remember this day his redeeming death, that we might stand forgiven at the cross. Thank you for sending to us your Son, Jesus, to whom we belong, in life and in death. He bore our infirmities and carried our sorrows. Most holy God, thank you for sending to us your Son, Jesus, who became sin for us and suffered the punishment due to us, that we might stand forgiven at the cross. In the name of our Lord Jesus, amen.

Prayer: Theodore the Studite

O Lord, who didst give to Thine Apostles peace, shed down upon us all Thy holy calm; gather together with Thy hand all those who are scattered, and bring them like sheep into the fold of They holy Church, through Jesus Christ our Lord.Strengthen and confirm me, O Lord, by Thy Cross, on the rock of faith, that my mind be not shaken by the attacks of the enemy. For Thou alone art holy. Thou knowest, O Lord, how many and great are my sins, Thou knowest how often I sin, from day to day, from hour to hour, in the things I do and the things I leave undone. No more, O Lord, no more, O Lord my God, will I provoke Thee; no more shall my desire be for anything but Thee, for Thou alone art truly lovable. And if again I offend in anything, I humbly beseech Thee of Thy mercy to grant me strength to find favor again in Thy sight and to live in a manner more pleasing to Thee. 

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Confession of Sin

Most merciful God, we confess that we have sinned against You this day, in thought, word, and deed; by what we have done, and by what we have left undone. We have not loved You with our whole hearts; we have not loved our neighbors as ourselves. We are truly sorry and we humbly repent. For the sake of Your Son Jesus Christ, have mercy on us and forgive us, that we may delight in Your will, and walk in Your ways, to the glory of Your Name. Grant to Your people pardon and peace, that in Your great mercy, we may be forgiven all our sins, and serve You with a quiet and contrite heart. In the name of our Lord Jesus Christ, amen.

God is Love: Why it Matters

Jim Thomas, Senior Pastor

The Letters of John: That You May Know…

The Message of 1 John: 
God wants you to rejoice in the knowledge of His love for you, which has been displayed vividly in the person and work of Jesus Christ. And God wants us to share His love with one another.

Three categories of evidence for authentic, saving faith:

  1. The theological test: Do we believe Jesus Christ is the Son of God?
  2. The moral test: Are we practicing righteousness?
  3. The social test: Do we love others?

1 John 4:7-21

  • The Bible speaks of the love of God, love for God, and the love we are to have for one another. 
  • The Bible spends precious little time on the subject of loving self.
  • Since God is the ultimate source of love and Christ, the ultimate expression of God’s love, as Christ lives in us more and more, we draw on the love of God more and more. 
  • God’s love is not selfish and cheap. God’s love is selfless and deep. God’s love is not self-seeking, never volatile, capricious or moody. God’s love is consistent, steadfast and His love endures forever! 

What do we learn about love from 1 John 4:7-21?

  1. Love exhorted flows from the love sourced in God and manifested by our new life in Christ. v7
  2. Love originated with and has reached its pinnacle in the person and work of Jesus Christ. v10
  3. Love’s absence reveals a lack of the knowledge of God v8
  4. Love made manifest in us was the Incarnation of Christ, when Jesus came on a life-saving rescue mission for us v9
  5. Loving one another becomes the duty (“ought”) of those who have received the love of God v11
  6. Loving one another is a primary evidence of authentic saving faith. v12-16
  7. The perfect love of Christ casts out all fear. v17-18
  8. Being loved by God sets us free to love one another. v19
  9. Agape is a command for Christians but only a feeling and/or behavior modification for unbelievers. v20-21 

For Bible believing Christians ‘love’ is not ‘luv’. “Luv” is merely a consumer love, a pretend love, a because love, an if love. Agape love is an unconditional love.

Discussion Questions

  • John returns to the topic of love again in this passage. How does the Agape love referenced here differ from other types of love?
  • One of the tests of authentic faith is “do we love others?” – can you point to evidence of this love in your life? (v. 8, 20)
  • Are you afraid of something right now?  How can you better rely on the “the perfect love of Christ”? (v.17-18)
  • Today’s passage & sermon make it clear that Agape love is a command (v. 21), not a suggested feeling. What can you do later today & throughout the coming week to better follow this command?

“The only way you will ever be able to withstand the hatred of the world is if you are immersed in the love of God. The only way you will ever be able to live without the approval of others is if you are assured of God’s approval of you in Christ. The only way you can stand against the world when everyone is jeering you is when you know God is there, cheering you on, calling you His beloved child. Unless we are overcome by the love of God, we will be overcome by the fear of man.”
– Trevin Wax

A contrast of two ways we can think about love:

  1. Apart from God, this world system trains us towards: self-centeredness, self-assertion, self-conceit, self-indulgence, self-pleasing, self-seeking, self-pity, self-sensitiveness, self-defense, self-sufficiency, self-consciousness, self-righteousness, self-obsession, self-absorption, self-serving, self-glorying (and learning how the love of self is the greatest love of all!)
  2. The Gospel of Jesus teaches us towards:  “Deny yourself, take up your cross and follow Me.” This is unconditional, self-sacrificing, Christ-glorifying, others-benefiting love.

“‘Beloved if God so loved us, we ought also to love one another’. Never separate these two things; they belong together.”
– Martyn Lloyd-Jones, Life in Christ: Studies in 1 John

“We can’t hear God’s love being spoken to us without at the same time looking into the faces of our neighbors, whom God also loves and commands us to love. When we come to worship, we are not isolated individuals, but a family of God. We come to worship not just to see and hear but to pray and praise God with one another.”
– Eugene Peterson, The Pastor

“When you teach a child writing, you hold its hand while it forms the letters: that is, it forms the letters because you are forming them. We love and reason because God loves and reasons and holds our hand while we do it.”
– C. S. Lewis, Mere Christianity

“The more we love, and the more unlikely people we love, the more we resemble God — who, after all, loves ornery creatures like us.”
– Philip Yancey, Vanishing Grace Study Guide: Whatever Happened to the Good News? 

May 28, 2023

Songs:

“May The Peoples Praise You” by David Zimmer, Ed Cash, Keith Getty, Kristyn Getty & Stuart Townend
© 2016 Alletrop Music, Getty Music Publishing & Townend Songs
Used by Permission. CCLI License #2003690

“Psalm 150 (Praise the Lord)” by Matt Boswell & Matt Papa
© 2020 Getty Music Hymns and Songs, Getty Music Publishing, Love Your Enemies Publishing, and Messenger Hymns
Used by Permission. CCLI License #2003690

“Jesus, Firm Foundation” by Bryan Brown, Jason Ingram & Tony Wood
© 2012 worshiptogether.com songs, All Essential Music, Open Hands Music, So Essential Tunes, Songs from Exit 71
Used by Permission. CCLI License #2003690

“Christ the Sure and Steady Anchor” by Matthew Boswell & Matthew Papa
© 2014 Getty Music Publishing, Getty Music Songs LLC, Messenger Hymns and Love Your Enemies Publishing
Used by Permission. CCLI License #2003690

“Doxology” by Thomas Ken & Louis Bourgeois
Public Domain
Used by Permission. CCLI License #2003690

Call To Worship: Eternal Father  

Eternal Father, God of my soul, let my first thought be of You today. Let my first impulse be to worship You. Let my first speech be in praise of Your holy name. Let my first action be to bow my heart, mind and soul before You. I thank You for Your perfect wisdom and goodness. I thank You for Your steadfast love. I thank You for Your Holy Spirit, who fills my heart with faith and hope. 

O God, You have been my refuge in times past; be now my refuge today in every circumstance. Be my guide through all that is dark and doubtful. Be my guard against all that threatens my spirit’s  welfare. Be my strength in times of testing. Gladden my heart with Your peace, that I may sing of my redeemer, Jesus Christ, the Lord. Amen! 

Prayer: Various VFW Chaplains

Father, today we honor our veterans, worthy men and women who gave their best when called upon to serve and protect their country. For each and every veteran who died serving our country through the years, we thank you for their sacrifice. Help us to honor them with gratitude. Almighty God, Lord of Hosts, we call out to you as the One who is sovereign over all. Watch over and protect our nation’s military families. Sustain them with your everlasting arms. Provide them with peace and surround them with love, especially those who mourn the absence of a loved one. Be with our nation’s leaders as well, and all those who make decisions for our military. Give them wisdom and discernment in everything they do. Father God, we long for the day when swords will be beaten into plowshares and spears into pruning hooks. We long for your peace, for your shalom. Until that day, we ask your protection for all those who serve in our armed forces, and their families who so faithfully stand beside them.

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Creed: The Holy Spirit

LEADER:  Who is the Holy Spirit?
PEOPLE:  God the Holy Spirit is the third person in the one being of the Holy Trinity, coequal and coeternal with God the Father and God the Son, and equally worthy of our honor and worship.

LEADER:  What are the particular ministries of the Holy Spirit?
PEOPLE:  The Holy Spirit imparts life to every living thing in creation, reveals God’s Word to His people, and calls sinners to a new life of faith in the saving and life-giving work of Jesus. The Holy Spirit unites Christians to Jesus, indwelling them, convicting them of sin, giving them spiritual gifts, and bearing spiritual fruit in their lives.

LEADER:  Why does the Holy Spirit give such gifts?
PEOPLE:  The Holy Spirit equips and empowers believers with gifts for service in the worship of Jesus Christ, for the building up of His Church, and for witness and mission to the world.

Source: ACNA Catechism, Questions 84, 86 & 87

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