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Justice & Mercy International

Justice & Mercy International (JMI) exists to create Gospel-centered, sustainable life change for the poor, the orphaned, and the forgotten people of the world. From the Amazon Jungle to Eastern Europe, their work is Gospel-centered and locally implemented through their indigenous staff on the ground. In Moldova, they prioritize caring for vulnerable children and teens who are at risk of human trafficking. In the Amazon, 80% of the population has never heard the Gospel. Through training and equipping Jungle Pastors, they help Gospel transformation happen in one of the most remote and untouched places in the world. For more information, visit: https://justiceandmercy.org/.

I’ve Seen Fire, and I’ve Seen Rain

1 & 2 Kings: The King of Redemption History

Pastor Matt Pierson

1 Kings 18

“I am the Lord your God, who brought you out of the land of Egypt, out of the house of slavery. You shall have no other gods before me.”
Exodus 20: 2-3

  1. Who is the real God?

“God is the one who satisfies the passion for justice, the longing for spirituality, the hunger for relationship, the yearning for beauty. And God, the true God, is the God we see in Jesus of Nazareth, Israel’s Messiah, the world’s true Lord.”
N.T. Wright

  1. Who is the real God?
  2. Who is your God?

“If we believe that God wants us happy above all else, rather than acknowledging that our role is to serve God, we wrongly believe that God exists to serve us. God becomes a means to our end: happiness.”
Craig Groeschel, The Christian Atheist: Believing in God but Living As If He Doesn’t Exist

“If you’re falling off a cliff, strong faith in a weak branch is fatally inferior to weak faith in a strong branch. Salvation is not finally based on the strength of your faith, but on the object of your faith.”
Tim Keller

  1. Who is the real God?
  2. Who is your God? 
  3. What does faithful waiting and serving look like?

“The Bible never tells us that there is only one kind of faithful servant. Elijah’s ministry is more public and confrontational; Obadiah works quietly in a behind-the-scenes fashion and yet is faithful in the sphere where God placed him. Faithfulness is not so dull that it only comes in one flavor.”
Dale Ralph Davis, 1 Kings: The Wisdom and the Folly

Discussion Questions

  • Who is the real God?
  • Who is your God? 
  • How does your belief in God affect the way in which you live?
  • Is there an area of drought in your life, where you have been or are being called to wait on God’s timing?
  • What does faithful waiting and serving look like?

“Answer me, O Lord, answer me, that this people may know that you, O Lord, are God, and that you have turned their hearts back.”
1 Kings 18:37

“My hope lives not because I am not a sinner, but because I am a sinner for whom Christ died; my trust is not that I am holy, but that being unholy, HE is my righteousness. My faith rests not upon what I am or shall be or feel or know, but in what Christ is, in what He has done, and in what He is now doing for me. Hallelujah!”
Charles Spurgeon, Morning by Morning

February 18, 2024

Songs:

“Grace Greater Than Our Sin” by Julia H. Johnston

“Anchor Of Hope” by Brown Bannister and Ellie Holcomb

“Great Is Thy Faithfulness” by Thomas Obediah Chisholm and William Marion Runyan

“Lord I Need You” by Daniel Carson, Matt Maher, Christy Nockels, Jesse Reeves, and Kristian

“Doxology” by Thomas Ken & Louis Bourgeois 

All songs are 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!

Classic Prayer: Valley of Vision

LORD, high and holy, meek and lowly, thou hast brought me to the valley of vision, where I live in the depths but see thee in the heights; hemmed in by mountains of sin I behold thy glory. Let me learn by paradox that the way down is the way up, that to be low is to be high, that the broken heart is the healed heart, that the contrite spirit is the rejoicing spirit, that the repenting soul is the victorious soul, that to have nothing is to possess all, that to bear the cross is to wear the crown, that to give is to receive, that the valley is the place of vision.

Lord, in the daytime stars can be seen from deepest wells, and the deeper the wells the brighter thy stars shine; Let me find thy light in my darkness, thy life in my death, thy joy in my sorrow, thy grace in my sin, thy riches in my poverty thy glory in my valley.

Click here to receive TVC’s weekly prayer email.

Confession: 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. 

Heidelberg Catechism, Question 26

Miles McKee Ministries

Miles McKee Ministries objective is to teach and lead tribal pastors in India and Africa. They provide materials for pastors and have weekly Bible studies with them. Recently, TVC’s support has helped provide books, Bibles, transportation (bikes or motorcycles) to tribal pastors so that they can go further geographically from village to village with the Good News of Jesus. Miles McKee Ministries also has an orphanage in India where they raise the children in the knowledge of the finished work of Jesus and where the children are educated, cared for, and given a home.
 
Shadreck in Malawi receives the motorbike provided by Miles McKee Ministries. 

Find out more about the missions we support here.

February 11, 2024

Songs:

“His Mercy Is More” by Matt Boswell and Matt Papa

“Revive Us Again” by John Jenkins Husband and William Paton MacKay

“Psalm 23 (Surely Goodness, Surely Mercy)” by Shane Barnard

“Speak O Lord” by Keith Getty and Stuart Townend

“Doxology” by Thomas Ken & Louis Bourgeois

All songs are 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!

Classic Prayer: Thomas a Kempis 

Grant to me, O Lord, to know what I ought to know, to love what I ought to love, to praise what delights You most, to value what is precious in Your sight, to hate what is offensive to You. Do not suffer me to judge according to the sight of my eyes nor to pass sentence according to the hearing of ignorant men; but to discern with true judgment between things visible and spiritual and above all things to inquire what is the good pleasure of Your will.

Click here to receive TVC’s weekly prayer email.

Confession: 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. For all creatures are so completely in his hand that without his will they can neither move nor be moved. 

Heidelberg Catechism, Questions 27, 28

Room in the Inn

Room In The Inn began in the winter of 1985, when their Founding Director, Father Charles Strobel, opened the doors of his parish to individuals seeking sanctuary in the church parking lot. This simple act of kindness marked the beginning of Room In The Inn. In December 1986, four congregations committed to sheltering people experiencing homeless through March 1987. By the end of that winter, 31 congregations had joined. Now, they have nearly 200 congregations from a wide variety of traditions and over 7,000 volunteers who shelter almost 1,500 men and women from November 1 through March 31 each season.
 
Room in the Inn’s mission is to provide programs that emphasize human development and recovery through education, self-help, and work, centered in community and long-term support for those who call the streets of Nashville home.
 
TVC has been a partner with Room in the Inn for many years, serving on Super Bowl Sunday. TVCers prepare food for the evening meal, volunteers host the guests for dinner and the game and then provide a safe night’s rest and breakfast in the morning. We invite you to pray for these Nashville neighbors and for our volunteers as they serve on Sunday, February 11. For more information, visit: https://www.roomintheinn.org/mission-history-values

Find out more about the missions we support here.

Who is Your God?

1 & 2 Kings: The King of Redemption History

Pastor Jim Thomas

1 Kings 17

Old Testament Prophets after Divided Kingdom:

  •  Elijah – Israel, 9th century BCE
  •  Elisha – Israel, 9th century BCE
  • Jonah – Nineveh, 8th century BCE
  •  Isaiah – Judah, 8th century BCE
  •  Hosea – Israel, 8th century BCE
  •  Micah – Judah/Israel, 8th century BCE
  •  Amos – Judah/Israel, 8th century BCE
  •  Zephaniah – Judah, 7th century BCE
  •  Jeremiah – Judah, 7th-6th century BCE
  •  Habakkuk – Judah, 7th-6th century BCE
  •  Obadiah – Edom?, 6th century
  •  Ezekiel – Babylon, 6th-5th century BCE
  •  Daniel – Babylon, 6th-5th century BCE

The name Elijah means “Yahweh is my God”

YHWH is:

  • The God who speaks
  • The God who guides
  • The God who hears
  • The God who provides

“What comes into our minds when we think about God is the most important thing about us.”

A. W. Tozer, The Knowledge of the Holy

Who is your God?

“In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. He was in the beginning with God. All things came into being through Him, and apart from Him nothing came into being that has come into being. In Him was life, and the life was the Light of men.”
John 1:1-4

  • Am I listening for the word of the LORD? 
  • Am I following the word of the LORD? 
  • Am I obeying the word of the LORD?
  • Am I speaking the word of the LORD? 

Discussion Questions

  1. Referencing the four questions from the sermon “Am I listening for, following, obeying and speaking the word of the LORD?”—which of these are you currently doing best, and which should you work on to improve?
  2. Compare and contrast times in your life where you’ve felt “sent away to the wilderness”—perhaps in preparation versus. being in the middle of the action and story. Were the periods of isolation and rest beneficial to prepare you for the other times? Where are you today?
  3. Ponder Tozer’s statement that “What comes into our minds when we think about God is the most important thing about us.”  Share what comes into your mind—and if/how you’d like to adjust this.

“Even while Israel rejects God, he continues to work beyond her borders with unexpected people in unexpected places in completely unexpected and unprecedented ways.”
J. Gary Millar, ESV Expository Commentary

“Only if your God can say things that outrage you and make you struggle (as in a real friendship or marriage!) will you know that you have gotten hold of a real God and not a figment of your own imagination. So an authoritative Bible is not the enemy of a personal relationship with God. It is the precondition for it.”

Timothy Keller, The Reason for God

“Scripture is far more than a collection of ancient documents in which the words of God are preserved. It is not a kind of museum in which God’s Word is exhibited behind glass like a relic or fossil. On the contrary, it is a living word to living people from the living God, a contemporary message for the contemporary world.” 
John Stott

February 4, 2024

Songs:

“Crown Him With Many Crowns” by Sir George J. Elvey, Matthew Bridges, Godfrey Thring
arr. Bailey, Mickle

“Yet Not I But Through Christ In Me” by Jonny Robinson, Michael Farren, and Rich Thompson

“Goodness of God” by Ed Cash and Jenn Johnson

“There Is A Hope” by Mark Edwards and Stuart Townend

“O Praise The Name” by Benjamin Hastings, Dean Ussher, and Marty Sampson

“Doxology” by Thomas Ken & Louis Bourgeois

All songs are 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.

Classic Prayer: John Baillie

O Thou most wise, most great, most holy, in wisdom and power and tender mercy. Thou didst create us in Thine own image. Thou hast given us this life to live, and appointed our lot, determined the bounds of our habitation.Thou hast surrounded us with gracious and beneficent influences, Thou hast written Thy law within our hearts’, most secret chamber, and art now waiting to meet and speak with us, freely offering Thy fellowship. Let us enjoy this open road to peace of mind and approach Thy presence humbly and reverently… and leave behind all fretfulness, all hesitancy in surrendering our wills to Thine. For In Thy will, is peace. In Thy love is rest! In Thy service, joy. Thou art all that we desire. Whom have we in heaven but Thee?

Click here to receive TVC’s weekly prayer email.

Confession

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.

Truth AND Consequences 

1 & 2 Kings: The King of Redemption History

Pastor Jim Thomas

1 Kings 15 & 16

Judah

Rehoboam
Abijam aka Abijah 
Asa
Jehoshaphat

Israel

Jeroboam
Nadab
Baasha
Elah
Zimri
Omri/Tibni
Ahab

1. God is the only one capable of defining good and evil righteously. 

Nebula 7293: “Eye of God”

“The relativism which is not willing to speak about truth but only about ‘what is true for me’ is an evasion of the serious business of living. It is the mark of a tragic loss of nerve in our contemporary culture. It is a preliminary symptom of death.” 
Leslie Newbigin, The Gospel in a Pluralist Society

2. There will always be consequences from the spiritual legacy we hand down.

“God has given us this relentless catalogue of human stupidity and failure so that we can comprehend just how big of a mess we are in. God wants us to be so attuned to the rhythms of evil that when we are just going with the flow, sinning effortlessly, when we are ungrateful and stupid, and act like we are immortal, building a legacy which cannot last, ignoring God, all kinds of warning bells will go off in our heads and we run to Christ.”
J. Gary Millar, ESV Expository Commentary

“When God gives human beings responsibility he means it. The choices we make, not only individually but as a species, are choices whose consequences God, alarmingly, allows us to explore. He will warn us; he will give us opportunities to repent and change course; but if we choose idolatry we must expect our humanness, bit by bit to dissolve.” 

N. T. Wright

3. Even in the trajectory of a deepening darkness, God ensures that He has a lamp that shines forth His glory and grace. 

“But for David’s sake the LORD his God gave him a lamp in Jerusalem, to raise up his son after him and to establish Jerusalem; because David did what was right in the sight of the LORD, and had not turned aside from anything that He commanded him all the days of his life, except in the case of Uriah the Hittite.”
1 Kings 15:4-5

Discussion Questions

  1. Why do you think this series of historical stories was included in the Bible? If we believe that “all scripture is inspired by God & profitable for teaching …” (2 Timothy 3:16), what can we learn from this passage?
  2. Is there an example from your life where you repeated Asa’s mistake of forging ahead without even consulting God or looking to Him for wisdom in your decision process? How did that turn out?
  3. What spiritual legacy are you leaving? Is there someone to whom you are actually the best version of a Christian they know? What can you do, this week, to improve the likely consequences of that legacy?

“Why don’t the kingdom and people of God vanish into the mists of history? Because God will not permit it. He has decided that his kingdom will come. Grace is not only greater but more stubborn than our sins.”

Dale Ralph Davis, 1 Kings: The Wisdom and the Folly

“As long as we think the next election might eliminate crime and establish justice or another scientific breakthrough might save the environment or another pay raise might push us over the edge of anxiety into a life of tranquility, we are not likely to risk the arduous uncertainties of the life of faith.”
Eugene Peterson, A Long Obedience in the Same Direction

The Next Door

The Next Door Recovery is one-of-a-kind in its approach to walking alongside women struggling with addiction through their inpatient, outpatient, and aftercare services. They are one of the only organizations in the southeast providing a full continuum of affordable, gender-specific treatment for women in a faith-based environment and that offers priority in admissions to pregnant women. The Next Door Recovery uses a treatment model that integrates 12 step recovery, faith, and evidence-based practices to address the needs of the whole woman – mind, body, and spirit. Their staff are highly trained in their respective areas, surrounding a woman with a team of experts who are equipped to meet her unique needs.

Financial support from The Village Chapel goes directly to funding the cost of addiction treatment that is not covered by insurance, and TVC has also had amazing volunteers serve women directly at The Next Door Recovery! Most recently, a group of The Village Chapel women led an art activity group and brought all kinds of amazing supplies for our clients to decorate pumpkins. This was such a sweet activity right before Halloween and we all had a blast!

The Next Door has opportunities for both groups and individuals to walk alongside their women in a volunteer role. Some opportunities for volunteering include serving meals, leading an activity, serving in their clothing closet, or leading a time of prayer. If you are interested in volunteering, you can reach out to Megan at [email protected].

Find out more about the missions we support here.

Timeless Truth

Join us for a new podcast season beginning April 15. Over the next season on Timeless Truth with Pastor Jim Thomas, we will walk through the Sermon on the Mount. Subscribe on YouTube or your favorite podcasting platform so you won’t miss a day!

Listen now!

Honoring Graduates

Graduations are just around the corner, and we would love to honor TVC graduates at our worship services on Sunday, May 12. We invite those graduating from high school, college or graduate school to submit information and a photo by May 5 so that we can celebrate your hard work!

Submit a photo by 5/5!

Pancake Fundraiser

On Youth Sunday, May 19, along with serving and helping lead the services, TVC Youth will host a pancake breakfast fundraiser to support the upcoming Youth Summer Retreat. After both worship services, pancakes will be available on The Plaza. Please make plans to have breakfast or brunch at TVC and support our youth!

Watershed

Join us for Watershed, a NEW adult Sunday school class open to any age and stage of life! We will meet in the Parlor at 9:30 am and alternate teaching topics and books of the Bible. Starting Sunday, April 7, we’ll do an overview study of 2 Kings.

January 28, 2024

Songs:

“On Christ the Solid Rock” by William Batchelder Bradbury, Edward Mote

“Our Great God” by Fernando Ortega and Mac Powel

“Jesus, Firm Foundation” by George Keith, R. Keen

“Jesus What A Friend For Sinners” by John Wilbur Chapman, Rowland Hugh Prichard, and Matthew S. Smith

“Doxology” by Thomas Ken & Louis Bourgeois

All songs are used by Permission. CCLI License #2003690

Call To Worship: Eternal God

Eternal God, you set Jesus Christ to rule over all things and made us servants in your kingdom. By your Spirit empower us to love the unloved and to minister to all in need. Then at the last bring us into your eternal kingdom, where we may worship and adore you and be welcomed into your everlasting joy. We offer this prayer through Jesus Christ, our Lord, who lives and reigns with you in the unity of the Holy Spirit, one God, forever and ever. Amen.

Classic Prayer: Evelyn Underhill

O Lord Jesus Christ! Most blessed Lord! in whom is no variable-ness, neither the shadow of turning, whose stillness is around and within us, the repose in the recollection of whose presence is joy and refreshment, enfold us in this ineffable peace, which is Your own unchanging will. Still our irritation. Soothe our restlessnes, say to our hearts ‘Peace be still’. Brood over us, within us, be our perfect peace, so that outwardly we may reflect the inner stillness of our souls, and that we may bear change, anxiety, distractions, strains, disappointments, temptations and suffering and still be found confidently and peacefully in Your heart, O Jesus, enfolded in Your loving care. Let us, in true quietness, fulfill the thing which is set before us. Be it even so, dear Lord. 

Click here to receive TVC’s weekly prayer email.

Interfaith Dental

Interfaith Dental is a volunteer-driven nonprofit agency that helps vulnerable populations achieve and sustain a healthy smile. The ministry offers a program giving oral health services to those experiencing low-incomes with no insurance. The mission is fulfilled in lives transformed, improvements in employability, improved sense of well-being, health outcomes, decreased emergency room visits, and chronic disease improvement. TVC ensures that patients in need receive the care they desperately need by supporting the mission through financial support and advocacy. Interfaith Dental helps ensure people can smile and thrive to live their God-given potential! The largest volunteer need is clinicians: dentists, dental hygienists, and dental assistants provide care in their clinics. Non-clinical volunteers are needed for patient intake, administrative needs, and special event support. For more information, visit: https://interfaithdental.com. To find out how you can volunteer, email [email protected].
 

Find out more about the missions we support here.

Winter Weather Update

Due to heavy ice on the neighborhood roads directly surrounding our church and parking lot, in addition to the sub-freezing temperatures over the weekend, we did not gather on Sunday, January 21, for our morning services. We invite you and your household to join Pastor Jim in a short Bible study from the Gospel of Mark, the latest episode of our Timeless Truth podcast. We look forward to seeing you in the Chapel this Wednesday for Biblical Thinking! Please email with any questions!

WATCH HERE
NOTES + QUOTES

Opportunities to Connect

The Lies We Tell Ourselves

1 & 2 Kings: The King of Redemption History

Ryan Motta

1 Kings 14

Sin convinces us…

1. That We Can Hide (14:1-4)

“When we confess our sins, He is faithful and just to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness”
1 John 1:9

“Therefore, confess your sins to one another and pray for one another, that you may be healed.”
James 5:16

“Recalling and confessing our sin is like taking out the garbage: once is not enough.”

Cornelius Plantinga, Not the Way It’s Supposed To Be

Sin convinces us…

1. That We Can Hide (14:1-4)
2. That it only affects us (14:6-18)

“Whoever heeds instruction is on the path to life, but he who rejects reproof leads others astray.”
Proverbs 10:17 

Sin convinces us…

1. That We Can Hide (14:1-4)
2. That it only affects us (14:6-18)
3. That we should look like the world. (14:24)

“If we give up essential truths of the Christian faith in order to be culturally relevant, we make ourselves eternally irrelevant.”

Trevin Wax

Sin convinces us…

1. That We Can Hide (14:1-4)
2. That it only affects us (14:6-18)
3. That we should look like the world. (14:24)
4. That the problem isn’t as bad as it seems (14:25-31)

Discussion Questions

  • What are some of the lies we tell ourselves in order to justify our sin?
  • Sin convinces me that it only affects me. How is this false? Even if I indulge in what I think is a “secret sin,” how does that sin affect the people around me?
  • After Shishak stole the shields of gold the Solomon made (v.26), Rehoboam makes shields of bronze to keep up appearances. What are some ways we ”keep up appearances” when being faced with the consequences of our sin?
  • 1 Kings 14 is a dark chapter. How can we keep from slipping into despair as we read such things? How does the truth of the gospel renew our hope and restore our “shalom?”

“God hates sin not just because it violates his law but, more substantively, because it violates shalom, because it breaks the peace, because it interferes with the way things are supposed to be.”

Cornelius Plantinga, Not the Way It’s Supposed To Be

“For the wages of sin is death…” 
Romans 6:23 

“For the wages of sin is death but the gift of God is eternal life” 
Romans 6:23 

Langham Partnership

Like their founder, John Stott, Langham Partnership believes that all churches deserve a well-trained pastor. That’s why they train preachers across Latin America, Africa, Asia, and the Middle East—where 80% lack formal Bible training. Since 1969, Langham Partnership has become a global movement that Tim Keller has called a “game changer.” Today, because of God’s grace and faithful partners who share our heart for the global church, our ministry serves in 130+ nations worldwide—training grassroots pastors (Langham Preaching Program), providing evangelical books and supporting indigenous biblical publishers and authors (Langham Literature Program), and providing Ph.D. scholarships for emerging theological leaders (Langham Scholars Program).

TVC has partnered with Langham in a two-year initiative to provide needed literature to pastors and leaders in French-speaking West Africa. In addition to the money given specifically to the Francophone literature project, TVC’s ongoing support and prayers helped Langham hold 360 preaching training seminars last year, equipping 10,500+ pastors and lay leaders in 81 countries, and support 98 students from 46 Majority World countries pursuing theological studies, including 21 new scholars.

For more information, visit: https://langham.org/

The Word of the LORD 

1 & 2 Kings: The King of Redemption History

Pastor Jim Thomas

1 Kings 13

“The entire story remains bizarre to the end.” 
Robert Alter, The Hebrew Bible: A Translation with Commentary

Four questions we ask when studying any Bible passage:

  1. What does God reveal about Himself in this passage?
  2. What vulnerabilities and sinful tendencies of humanity are exposed?
  3. How is the Gospel reflected in this passage?
  4. What faith response does this passage call for?

“Why is it that when we talk to God we’re said to be praying, but when God talks to us we’re schizophrenic?”

Lily Tomlin

The man of God from Judah, King Jeroboam of Israel, and the old prophet from Bethel… each one of them:

  1. Heard the word of the LORD
  2. Failed to trust and obey the word of the LORD
  3. Illustrate our need for a radical transformation of the disposition of our hearts and minds towards the word of the LORD
  4. Remind us to turn from worshiping at the altar of autonomy, advantage and innovation, and return to seeking, trusting and obeying the word of the LORD.

The man of God from Judah obeyed at first, but then strayed from and disobeyed the word of the LORD
Old prophet from Bethel misrepresented the word of the Lord
Jeroboam rejected and ignored the word of the Lord

Jeroboam made 4 big mistakes:

  1. processed inwardly & outwardly but not upwardly 
  2. preferred convenience to obedience re: worship 
  3. indulged in idolatry and led others to do the same 
  4. cheapened and weakened the infrastructure of ministry

How should we respond to the word of the LORD?
We believe in a God who speaks but we will not be able to discern the word of the LORD if we have already made up our minds about what we want him to say.

Discussion Questions

  1. Religion on our own terms… Has your religion become more about you than about the God of the Bible? What are some examples of  “creating your own religion” in today’s world?
  2. Do you prioritize convenience or obedience? Why is obedience so important to God?
  3. One prophet of the Lord was led astray by another prophet of the Lord. How do we protect ourselves from those that would lead us astray, even misguided fellow believers?
  4. How are you still learning and growing in your allegiance to the word of the Lord? Would those who know you say that humility is a part of your Christian walk? 
  5. “…we will not be able to discern the word of the Lord if we have already decided what we want Him to say.” Then how DO we discern the word of the Lord?

“My conscience is captive to the Word of God. I cannot and I will not recant anything, for to go against conscience is neither right nor safe. Here I stand.” 

Martin Luther

“If you would follow on to know the Lord, come at once to the open Bible expecting it to speak to you. Do not come with the notion that it is a thing which you may push around at your convenience. It is more than a thing; it is a voice, a word, the very Word of the living God.” 
A. W. Tozer, The Pursuit of God

“For at no time since the Reformation have Christians as a body been so unsure, tentative, and confused as to what they should believe and do. The outside observer sees us as staggering from gimmick to gimmick and stunt to stunt like a drunk in the fog. Preaching is hazy, heads are muddled, and hearts fret. Why is this? We blame the external pressures of our world, but this is like Eve blaming the serpent. The real trouble is that for two generations or more our churches have suffered from a famine of hearing the Word of the Lord.” 
J. I. Packer

“The greatest single secret of spiritual development lies in personal, humble, believing, obedient response to the Word of God. It is as God speaks to us through his Word that his warnings can bring us to conviction of sin, his promises to assurance of forgiveness, and his commands to amendment of life. We live and grow by his Word.” 
John Stott

January 14, 2024

Songs:

“All Hail the Power of Jesus’ Name” by Oliver Holden, Edward Perronet, and John Rippon

“A Mighty Fortress” by Martin Luther

“My Jesus I Love Thee” by William R. Featherston and Adoniram Judson Gordon

“Our God Will Go Before Us” by Keith Getty, Matt Boswell, and Matt Papa

“Doxology” by Thomas Ken & Louis Bourgeois

All songs are 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: Thomas Aquinas 

What shall we say, oh God, of your unspeakable generosity? When we flee from you, you recall us. When we return to you, you receive us. When we waiver, you uphold us. Negligent you stir us anew… When we repent you receive us and do not remember our sin. For all this, how shall we praise you? We give you thanks for the abundance of your goodness, begging that you will ever increase in us your grace, and that what you have increased you will preserve.

Click here to receive TVC’s weekly prayer email.

Confession of Faith: What does God require of us?

Leader: What is the duty that God requires of mankind? 
People: The duty which God requires of mankind is obedience to his revealed will. 
Leader: What did God first reveal to mankind as the rule of their obedience? 
People: The rule that God first revealed to mankind for obedience was the moral law, given in summary form in the Ten Commandments.
Leader: What is the summary of the Ten Commandments? 
People: The summary of the ten commandments is to love the Lord our God with all our heart, with all our soul, with all our strength, and with all our mind, and to love our neighbor as ourselves. 

Source: Westminster Shorter Catechism in modern English, questions 39-42

The Joseph School

The Joseph School is dedicated to providing quality education to underprivileged children in Haiti, empowering them with the knowledge and skills they need to break the cycle of poverty. Our students focus on academic excellence, character development and community impact. We strive to equip students with the tools necessary for success in their personal and professional lives while in a safe and nurturing environment. Through collaborative partnerships and innovative teaching methods, The Joseph School seeks to instill lifelong learners and empower the students to become future leaders and change-makers in their communities.

When sponsoring a student at The Joseph School, your money has the chance to create a long-lasting impact on students’ lives and their community. Your support empowers the students, transforms lives, and contributes to the long-term development of Haiti. Your contribution provides a safe environment for the students to learn, grow, and be themselves without the worry of danger that is present in many parts of their lives. Students are given clean drinking water and healthy meals to ensure that they can focus on education. When you sponsor a student, they are given the opportunity to fully engage in them. This gives them a sense of purpose, and self-worth empowering them to become major contributors in their society.

We are in need of volunteers to help with our quarterly mailings. This volunteer opportunity would consist of one 2-3 hour commitment every quarter. Please reach out to Ellen Johnson at [email protected] if you are available to volunteer. For more information, visit https://www.thejosephschool.org/.

Find out more about the missions we support here.

January 7, 2024

Songs:

“Psalm 150 (Praise the Lord)” by Matt Boswell & Matt Papa

“I Stand Amazed (How Marvelous)” by Charles Hutchinson Gabriel

“King Forevermore (God The Uncreated One)” by Aaron Keyes & Pete James

“Jesus Paid It All” by by Elvina Mabel Hall

“Holy Holy Holy” by by John Bacchus Dykes and Reginald Heber

“Doxology” by Thomas Ken & Louis Bourgeois

All songs are 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.

Classic Prayer: Thomas Cranmer

Eternal Father, you have given us your only-begotten Son who took our nature upon himself, and you revealed him to us at his baptism in the River Jordan. Grant that we, who have been born again of water and the Holy Spirit, and been made your children by adoption and grace, may daily be renewed by your Holy Spirit, through Jesus Christ, our Savior, who is alive with you, in the unity of the Holy Spirit, one God, now and for ever.

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.

Be Careful Which Way You Lean

1 & 2 Kings: The King of Redemption History

Pastor Tommy Bailey

1 Kings 12

Structure of 1 Kings:

  • 1 Kings 1-11 – The United Kingdom
    • King David (chs. 1-2)
    • King Solomon (chs. 2-11)
  • 1 Kings 12-22 – The Divided Kingdom
    • Northern Kingdom (Israel)
    • Southern Kingdom (Judah)

“A tree falls the way it leans. Be careful which way you lean.”

The Lorax

Key figures in 1 Kings 12:

  • Solomon
    • Recently passed away (11:43)
  • Rehoboam
    • Solomon’s son and successor (12:1)
    • Becomes ruler of the Southern Kingdom: Judah (12:17)
  • Jeroboam I
    • De facto leader of the northern tribes at the time of Rehoboam’s coronation (12:3)
    • Becomes ruler of the Northern Kingdom: Israel (12:20)

“Behold, I am about to tear the kingdom from the hand of Solomon and will give you ten tribes…because they have forsaken me and worshiped Ashtoreth the goddess of the Sidonians, Chemosh the god of Moab, and Milcom the god of the Ammonites, and they have not walked in my ways…”
1 Kings 11:31, 33

“And if you will listen to all that I command you, and will walk in my ways…I will be with you and will build you a sure house, as I built for David, and I will give Israel to you. And I will afflict the offspring of David because of this, but not forever.”
1 King 11:38–39

“Contrary to our fears, human stupidity is not running loose but is on the leash of God’s sovereignty.”

Dale Ralph Davis

Questions to consider from 1 Kings 12:

  1. Where am I looking for wisdom?

Questions to consider from 1 Kings 12:

  1. Where am I looking for wisdom?
  2. What am I trusting in for security?

“The deeper I understand myself and my Savior, the more I realize how weak I am, how patient He is, and how utterly dependent upon Him I am for everything.” 

Brian Hedges, Watchfulness

“For I am sure that neither death nor life, nor angels nor rulers, nor things present nor things to come, nor powers, nor height nor depth, nor anything else in all creation, will be able to separate us from the love of God in Christ Jesus our Lord.”
Romans 8:38–39

Questions to consider from 1 Kings 12:

  1. Where am I looking for wisdom?
  2. What am I trusting in for security?
  3. What is my current trajectory?

Discussion Questions

  1. Regardless of your age/stage, we know our days are numbered.  How are you thinking about finishing well? More stuff, more accolades, more comfort, or more faithful service as God’s servant?
  2. Dale Ralph Davis reminds us,“….human stupidity is not on the loose, but on the leash of God’s sovereignty.” How can you rest in this Biblical truth as we begin 2024?
  3. We all struggle with a desire to control and direct our own lives. Have you ever felt, as Luther said,  your life curling in on itself? What is the solution?
  4. Pastor Tommy said, “our anxieties show where we put our security.” What are you anxious about? Where does that show you are putting your security?
  5. One definition of sin is “man substituting himself for God,” as Jeroboam did. Can you identify any self-made idols or religious practices in your own life?

“My faith rests not upon what I am or shall be or feel or know, but in what Christ is, in what He has done, and in what He is now doing for me. Hallelujah!”

Charles Haddon Spurgeon

“Therefore, since we are surrounded by so great a cloud of witnesses, let us also lay aside every weight, and sin which clings so closely, and let us run with endurance the race that is set before us, looking to Jesus, the founder and perfecter of our faith, who for the joy that was set before him endured the cross, despising the shame, and is seated at the right hand of the throne of God.”
Hebrews 12:1–2

Additional Resources

TVC Kids: Family Lunch

Everyone eats lunch—let’s build community with other families in the church over Sunday Lunch! We will gather in The Living Room, Pavilion and Playground following the 11 am service on scheduled Sundays. Please RSVP to bring a side and dessert to share and we will provide the main dish.

2024 Schedule

  • April 21
  • June 30
  • August 25
  • October 6

International Justice Mission

International Justice Mission is a global organization that protects people in poverty from violence. They partner with local authorities in 31 program offices in 16 countries to combat trafficking and slavery, violence against women and children and police abuse of power. IJM’s mission is to protect people in poverty from violence by rescuing victims, bringing criminals to justice, restoring survivors to safety and strength, and helping local law enforcement build a safe future that lasts.
IJM is a team of lawyers, social workers, investigators, community activists and other professionals inspired by God’s call to love all people and to seek justice. We serve all people, without regard to religion or any other factor, and seek to work alongside all people of goodwill. Our services are never, under any circumstances, conditioned upon religious profession, nor do our programs include religious proselytization.
IJM’s staff members are Christians from a variety of traditions who are inspired by God’s call to love all people and to seek justice for those who are oppressed. We find strength and encouragement in sharing a spiritual life together. For more information, visit: https://www.ijm.org/

 

Find out more about the missions we support here.

Home Groups

Home Groups are an essential way to cultivate discipleship, nurture connection and maintain fellowship with others at TVC. We are not meant to walk the Christian life alone. For many, the care that happens in Home Groups makes the difference between isolation and belonging, hope and despair. We welcome and encourage you to plug in and find a group where you can know and be known!
Find a home group today!

Meet & Connect

Are you new to TVC and ready to plug in? We look forward to meeting and connecting with you on Sunday, May 12, after service in the TVC Offices on the first floor, just below the chapel . This 15-20 minute time will make it easy for you to meet some of our staff and find ways to connect to the community at TVC. Questions? Email us at [email protected].

Youth Summer Retreat

TVC Youth, grades 6-12, join us for a Summer Retreat June 20-23 at Hideaway Retreat in Bryson City, North Carolina. We look forward to building community as we worship and study the Word together. Activities include hiking, rafting, floating, and a day at Dollywood. The cost per student is $250, and space is limited, so RSVP soon!

Sign Up Here!
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