John 12:1-11: Response to Lazarus' resurrection

Dear TVCC Students,

It is always such a joy to worship with you all on Wednesday evening. It encourages us so much to see you intimately worshipping Jesus. Last night Sonny taught on John 12 and delivered to us some great nuggets of truth to dwell on. Here is a recap...

John 12:1-3: Mary, Martha and Lazarus are all worshipping Jesus in these passages but are worshipping Him in different ways. Sometimes the Lord wants us to glorify Him by serving others, sometimes He wants us to just recline with Him and listen, and sometimes He wants us to literally give something costly to Him as an act of worship. 

Q: Do you spend time worshipping Jesus in different ways? There are so many ways to show Jesus that He is our hearts greatest desire. How have you shown Him that this week? In what way of worship do you feel closest with Jesus (He created us all differently so it can be different for us all)?

John 12:3: Mary anoints Jesus with perfume that was about a years salary. That would be like us giving Jesus in worship something around $50,000. Mary was showing Jesus in a physical way that He is worth more to her than even a year's salary.

Q: Are you willing to give to the Lord anything He would ask of you as an act of worship? Is He really more important to you than anything in this life?

John 12:3 Mary anointing Jesus with her hair was an act of vulnerable and intimate worship. In those days only a husband saw the wife's hair. Mary was showing Jesus in a physical way that she was fully His. The Lord already knew her fully and she was just responding in a way that demonstrated that her heart was fully His.

Q: Are you living a life of complete honesty and vulnerability with the Lord or are you trying to hide areas of your life from Him? Remember that He already knows you fully but desires for you to realize this and live in complete intimacy with Him.

John 12:4-6: Judas responds with disgust at Mary's worship of Jesus. Judas had always been with Jesus for the wrong reasons and again he is angry because he would not benefit from this situation. Though Judas was always around Jesus and "heavenly" things, his heart was always hard and he was continually trying to do what was best for himself, not the kingdom of God.

Q: Are you like Judas? What are your motives for doing "Christian" things ( ie. going to church or serving others)? Are you genuinely trying to honor Jesus in all that you do or are you trying to make a name for yourself? Just as with Judas, one day ALL of our motives will be exposed. We encourage you to check your motives now and ask for forgiveness from the Lord where your motives have been wrong (and help from the Spirit to love Jesus with pure motives).

John 12:7-8: Jesus responds by saying that Mary was doing the best thing with her time and money. She gave herself fully to the Lord and He was pleased with her. We need to continually be seeking to know from the Lord how He would have us worship Him and then act accordingly. He wants our all and that looks different for each of us.

Q: What does it look like for you to give your all to loving Jesus? Are you doing that?

John 12:9-11: The crowd was so fickle. After this event some went to follow Jesus and some sided with the Pharisees in wanting Jesus dead. Following the crowd is never a good place to be. Sometimes the crowds were shouting "Hosanna!" to Jesus and then shortly later were shouting "CRucify!" If we are just "following" Jesus because others around us are, we will never fully know intimacy with Him. We must have a PERSONAL relationship with Him where we are willing to love Him even if the crowd does not.

Q: Are you easily swayed by the crowds or is your faith rooted in the Lord? Are you willing to "go against the crowd" if the Lord calls you to?

Dear students,
We pray that last night was encouraging to your souls and that you were able to engage with the Lord through worship and teaching. We pray that you will meditate on John 12 this week and ask the Lord to change any parts of your life that He desires to change that you may walk with him in a vulnerable and intimate way. We love you and are praying for you!

WIth hope,
Sonny and Casi

John 11: Jesus raises Lazarus

TVCC Students,

It was so great to worship with you guys again last night. We hope that you had a wonderful Thanksgiving and enjoyed time with family and friends. Last night Sonny taught on Jesus raising Lazarus from the dead. It was encouraging to be reminded that Jesus is the Resurrection and the Life. Nothing is more important than intimacy with Him. Here are a few highlights to meditate on.

~John 11:1-6: When Jesus heard that Lazarus was ill, He stayed 2 days longer in his current city instead of rushing to Lazarus. Jesus knew what was in store for Lazarus and had bigger plans than just healing Him. We have to remember that the Lord's timing is not always what we envisioned. God's glory should be our highest aim and in this case, healing Lazarus' sickness immediately was not best for God's glory.

Q: How are you doing at trusting in the Father's timing for things? Are you content to say "not my will but Your's, Lord" or are your constantly trying to control things? Remember that His ways are higher than ours and we find our rest in trusting Him.

~John 11:7-15: The disciples get a little frustrated with Jesus for wanting to go near Jerusalem where people are waiting to kill Him. When confronted with that, Jesus reminds them that His time is appointed to Him by the Father and He has a certain plan that He must accomplish. No one can thwart the plans of God and Jesus knew that fully. He was confident that it was not His time to die but in obedience He must go to raise Lazarus. Eventually He would be led to die but that too was all in the Father's Sovereign plan and in His perfect timing.

Q: Do you trust God's plan for your life? It might not be a glorious plan in the world's eyes but every child of the Lord is called to bring glory to the Lord by their life. How are you doing at remembering that on a day to day basis? We do not know when we will be called home to the Lord and it is good for us to remember that each day we are called to reflect His glory to the world.

~John 11:16: Though Thomas is often called "doubting Thomas," he shows great faith and courage in this passage when he acknowledges that he is ready to die with Jesus. All great people of faith have both courageous moments and "doubtful" ones.

Q: Have you felt yourself being courageous in the faith lately or doubtful? Remember that the Lord is calling us to be strong and courageous and live for Him. Our lives are not our own and we should be willing to lay them down for Him. This might mean forsaking things such as our popularity or even getting rid of damaging relationships if the Lord calls us to do this. He has to be the things we LOVE most. How are you doing at living a life that is completely surrendered to Him?

~John 11:17: Jesus made sure that Lazarus was in the tomb for four days so that no one would be able to explain away the miracle that was about to happen.

~John 11:18-27: Jesus tells Martha (who ran out to meet Him regarding her brother) that He is the Resurrection and Life. Jesus is EVERYTHING. 

Q: Do our lives say that we believe that JESUS IS LIFE or do our lives say that we believe something else (girlfriend/football/soccer/school/money) is life?

~John 11:28-35: Jesus came to where Lazarus was and became angry that the sting of death had come upon His friend (his spirit was troubled to the point of tears). Jesus came to ultimately defeat death and Lazarus was just a small glimpse of what was to come. Jesus is LIFE!

~John 11:36-44: Jesus called for the tomb to be opened though it had been four days since Lazarus' death. He shouts to Lazarus... "Lazarus... OUTSIDE NOW!!" What an incredibly bold command. How powerful. Jesus shows the people that He is more powerful than death! Lazarus is returned to his family  completely- all to bring glory to God!

Q: Have you trusted that Jesus is LIFE!? Do realize the sting of death that we all deserve as we are born sinners? Have you trusted in the death and resurrection and LIFE of Jesus on your behalf?

Q: If you are a follower of Jesus, do you realize, like Lazarus, that both good and bad things in your life are all opportunities for the glory of God to be displayed? How do you respond to the difficult times in your life- do you ask the Lord to give you strength to bring Him glory even when your  life is difficult?

Dear students,

We love you so much and pray that you are able to meditate on the story of Lazarus and how his death and new life brought glory to Jesus- The RESURRECTION and LIFE. We pray that you will meditate on the Word of God this week and spend time with Him in prayer. Remember that He desires intimacy with His children and wants to use our lives to declare His glory. Again, we love you and are praying for you.

With hope,

Sonny and Casi

John 8:31-36: Jesus is the Truth

TVCC Students,
Last night Sonny took us through the verses John 8:31-36 where Jesus is talking with some Pharisees who thought they had achieved righteousness through following their religious system. Here are some points to think on this week...

~John 8:31: Jesus tells them that if they abide in His Word, they are truly His disciples. Believing in Jesus is not just an acknowledgement of true facts about Him... it is a life lived in faith where one follows hard after Jesus in both good seasons and bad. The Pharisees had the "appearance" of godliness by they denied the power and freedom that Christ was really offering... they did not really have a relationship with the Father. In Matthew 13, the parable of the sower gives 4 different accounts of those who hear the Word of God and how they respond. The only response to the Word that is "life giving" is the person who heard the Word and yielded a crop. We bear fruit for the Lord by believing in Him and abiding in His Word (Jesus is the Word made flesh- John 1).

Q: Do you have a superficial religion that is all appearances or do you have an intimate relationship with the Savior who was crucified on your behalf so that you might have righteousness in Him? Please check your hearts this week to see if YOU have really trusted in the gospel- not just acknowledged facts about Jesus. He desires intimacy with His children.

~John 8:32: Jesus said that by abiding in His Word they would know the truth and find freedom in that truth. Jesus is the Word (John 1) and the Truth (John 14:6). By coming to Him and asking for His gospel to be our souls's hope- we can have eternal life. Remember that when we come to Him with a broken and contrite heart, He will hear and respond (Psalm 51:17)

Q: Are you walking in the freedom and new life that Christ offers? Have you ever come to Him in humility with a broken and contrite heart knowing that you deserve His wrath and that Christ has taken your penalty on the Cross? We encourage you to do this. If you have already received the gift of eternal life in Christ, we encourage you to spend some time in thankful meditation of the sweet mercies that the Lord has shown you.

~John 8:33-36: The Pharisees again tell Jesus that their religion is what is giving them good standing with God. Jesus reminds them that we are all sinners and that no good works/religion that we try to do will give us right standing with God (Isaiah 64:6). What we need to have right standing with God is the righteousness of the Perfect One (Jesus) who stood in our place to take our sins so that we could be declared righteous. Let us not trust in religion or good works but in the work of Christ done on our behalf.

Q: What are you trusting in to give you right standing with the Father? If it's anything other than Jesus- it will fail. Come to Him and He will give you rest (Matthew 11:28).

Dear students,
We are so thankful to get to worship with you. We pray that you will continue to pursue Jesus through time in His word, prayer and worship. We are praying for you. We pray that you will walk in the freedom that Christ offers through His blood. We love you!

With hope,
Sonny and Casi

John 8:12: Jesus is God

Dear TVCC Students,

I can't believe how fast this fall season is going! It's almost November! This Wednesday Sonny taught on John 8:12. It was great to just camp out in one verse and unlock all of the truth in Jesus' declaration...

"I am the Light of the world. He who follows me shall not walk in darkness, but have the light of life." ~John 8:12

Here are a few key points to consider this week...

~When Jesus says "I am," He is using an expression that the Pharisees knew very well. "I AM" was the name that the Lord gave to Himself in Exodus 3 when He called Moses to lead the Israelites out of slavery. Jesus is again telling the people that He is the Lord- the One who takes us out of slavery into eternal freedom!

Q: Have you been walking in the freedom that Jesus, the I AM, offers you through His blood? He is your Deliverer from the slavery of sin and death. In Him, we are able to walk in righteousness and have a relationship with the Father. Let us meditate on that this week and walk in thankfulness that the I AM became flesh to redeem us!

~In the same phrase, Jesus tells them that He is the Light of the world. The Pharisees would have known this phrase well too and knew that Jesus was telling them that He was the Messiah. In Isaiah 60:19, it is prophesied that there would be a time when the world would not need a light to shine because the Lord would be their light. Jesus is telling the people that He is the Lord- the righteous One that reveals the glory of the Father.

~Psalm 119:105 states that the Word of the Lord is a light unto our path and a lamp unto our feet. Jesus is the Word made flesh (John 1) and He came to light the way for us- to lead us to intimacy with the Father through His death and resurrection on our behalf. 

Q: Have you been walking in the light of Christ or have you been walking in the darkness of the world. Christ wants us to come to Him to see the righteousness and light of the Father. To do this, we need to be spending time with Him daily- reading His Word and spending time in prayer and worship. Have you been doing this on a consistant basis? Know that the Lord wants this for you.

~Jesus tells the crowd that in following Him they would not walk in darkness. Following Jesus is not always an easy thing. Jesus tells us in Mark 8 that if anyone wishes to follow Jesus they must deny themselves and take up their cross. The cross was the symbol of death. Jesus is saying that those wanting to follow Him must count themselves as dead to things of this world. Our life should be completely in Him.  Following Jesus calls us to count everything as loss compared to the passing greatness of knowing Jesus or Lord (Philippians 3). Whatever the cost, we must follow with complete surrender, knowing that He is worth it. 

Q: Are you a follower of Jesus? Do you look to Him to find your life? Your truth? Are there things in your life that you have not completely surrendered to Him? 

Dear students,

We are so thankful for the opportunity to worship with you on Wednesdays. We pray that you will walk with Jesus, your I AM and Light, this week. We pray that you will continue to come to Him to lead you in righteousness that you may have intimacy with the Father through Him. We are praying for you this week. Meditate daily on Him and His sacrifice for you. Please know that we are available to meet with you to talk and pray if you want. We also love getting to have time with you guys and gals Sunday nights at small groups so we can know how to pray for you and encourage you. We love you!

With hope,

~Sonny and Casi

John 8:1-11: God's grace on sinners

TVCC Students,
We are continuing our study of the book of John and last night we studies the Pharisees and their response to the woman caught in adultery. Here is a recap...

John 8:1-5; Jesus was up early to teach the crowds about the kingdom of God. All believers are called to be ready at all times to share the good news of the gospel with others (2 Timothy 4). The Pharisees came out to Jesus in order to test Him. Their goal in life was to prove Jesus wrong and expose the shortcomings of others to make themselves feel better about their unrighteousness. Because the Pharisees did not really know the Lord and His mercy through Jesus, they lived lives aimed at exposing the sin of others. They did not see their own need for the forgiveness of the Lord.

Q: Are we continually spending time with the Lord and growing in our relationship with Him? Are we bold and ready at all times to share the gospel with others? Are we like the Pharisees who had a very superficial religion that preyed on the faults of others or do we realize that we have all fallen short (Romans 3:23) and are in need of the mercy of Jesus?

John 8:6-8: They bring her the woman caught in adultery in order to see if Jesus would condemn her. Jesus points out to them that they all have sinned (Romans 3:23) and the one without sin can throw the first stone. We all have fallen short and need not try to make ourselves feel better about our sin by pointing out someone else's sin that seems "worse" in our eyes.

Q: Are you someone who always points out the faults of others or do you, having been loved much by Jesus, seek to encourage and strengthen the body of Christ and bring the gospel to those that are perishing?

John 8:9-11: Starting with the oldest, the Pharisees left when Jesus helped them see that they, too, were sinners. Jesus tells the woman that He does not condemn her either. Jesus came so that we might have eternal life, not condemnation (John 3:17). Christ came in the flesh to do what the law required because we could not (Romans 8:3). In Him we have righteousness and forgiveness of sins. With the knowledge of this, let us "go and sin no more" as we continue to pursue righteousness!

Q: Do you realize the forgiveness offered in Christ? There is now no condemnation for those that are believers in Him and nothing can separate us from His love once we have come to know Him (Romans 8). We encourage you to see if your faith is genuine and if so, to walk in the grace that was given to you at the cross.

Dear students,
We love you and are praying for you this week. We pray that you will walk in humility and love others as you have been loved. We encourage you to spend time reading the Word of God and praying to the Savior. Please know that we would love to know more about how we can be praying for you- that is why we have small groups on Sunday nights. Know that we want to be here to encourage you. We love you!

With hope,
~Sonny and Casi

John 7:1-13: God's timing

TVCC Students,
We are continuing along in our study of John. This week, Sonny taught on John 7. Here is a recap...

~John 7:1-3: Jesus brothers wanted Him to go up to the feast to show Himself off to people. They were missing the point that Jesus is the fulfillment of the feast. Everything in Jewish history points to Jesus as the Messiah and they didn't understand this. In looking forward to the feast, they were missing the fact that God was among them. We do this so often today... with Christmas and so many other things. We turn days that were originally set up to glorify Christ into days that are about nothing and leave us empty.

Q: Coming into this holiday season... Thanksgiving and Christmas... we ask you to evaluate the meaning of these times... are you walking in thankfulness for the sweet things the Lord has done for you? Are you continually thankful for the birth of the Savior that has given you eternal life? Let's not get wrapped up in the fluff that our culture has associated with these dates but let us use them as times to grow with our families and the Lord.

~John 7: 4-5: Jesus' brothers are telling Him to go up to the feast. At this point, even His own half brothers do not believe in Him. They knew that He was different but they didn't trust Him as the Messiah. Just being around the things of Jesus does not make you a believer- a true believer has faith that He is God and His death and resurrection payed the penalty for our sins so we could have a relationship with Him.

Q: Are you someone who is just around the things of God but really do not have a relationship with Him? Are you "riding" on the faith of your parents or community or is your faith your own? Please evaluate your faith this week to see if it is genuine or if you are like the brothers of Jesus in this passage.

~John 7:6-7: Jesus' life brought conviction to people. He was/is the righteousness of God and thus people who were around Him were convicted by their sin. His life exposed the evil deeds of others and led them to Him as the Savior. People could not be around Jesus and not be affected.

Q: Are you someone who demonstrates the glory of God in the way you live? When people are around you, is your life pointing them to Christ? Are people okay living in open sin around you or do you take a stand for what is holy and honorable?

~John 7:8: Jesus tells His brothers that His time had not yet come. Jesus was fully submitted to the will of the Father and would not go up to the feast until He was led by the Father to do that. He was in constant communion with the Father.

Q: If Jesus was in constant communion with the Father and this led to Him doing everything in the Father's perfect timing, how much more should we be in constant communion with the Father to know His perfect timing for our lives? Are you spending time daily with the Lord to be near to Him and discern His will for you? Are there any areas that you are not being led by the Lord in? We ask you to evaluate these areas and bring them back into submission to the Father.

~John 7:9-12: The people were waiting for Jesus but the crowd was torn as to who Jesus is. This is still true today. CS Lewis brings to light the fact that there are one of 3 ways we can view Jesus after reading the things He proclaimed... either He was/is a Liar, a Lunatic, or the LORD. Jesus claimed to be the Bread of eternal Life... not just a good moral teacher. He claimed to be the Son of God. We must deal with His claims and not be like the fickle crowd in this passage. He is the LORD!

Q: Who do you say that Jesus is? Do you look at His claims and His life and worship Him as the Lord? We pray that you will read through the gospels and be encouraged to see that He is our Messiah, our Sin-taker and Lord.

~John 7:13: The people would not speak openly about Jesus because they feared the rulers/popular people. Fear and self preservation kept them from loving Jesus openly.

Q: Do you live out your faith even though it is not culturally acceptable to be a person who believes in One way of salvation or are you scared of what the world will think of you? Are you bold in your faith or are you living in fear of the popular crowd?

Dear students,
We love you all very much and pray that you are continuing to grow in your faith and your intimacy with the Lord. We pray that you will spend so much time with the Lord this week, evaluating your relationship with Him and seeing areas that He wants to grow you in. We are so thankful to get to worship with you all. Please know that Sunday nights are available for you to come and be encouraged and held accountable to the things we discuss on Wednesday nights. We all need fellowship and accountability and we want to help provide that for you. Again we love you and are praying for you!

With hope,
~Sonny and Casi

John 6:25-59: The Bread of Life

TVCC Students,
We are back in the normal swing of things. Summer is over and school is back. We love being able to worship with you on Wednesdays. We are still trucking through the book of John. Here are some highlights from the last 2 weeks:

~John 6:26-28: Jesus rebukes the people for seeing Him for just physical fulfillment. They were missing the point- Jesus is LIFE ETERNAL not just a quick fix to an earthly problem. Sonny gave the illustration of Asher in Hobby Lobby- how Sonny wanted to take him to the best part of the store but he was too distracted with the lesser things. We are like this with Jesus on a MUCH larger scale. He wants to give us eternal fulfillment and so often we just want to have peace in this life (which is quickly fading).

Q: Do you just come to Jesus for earthly, temporary fulfillment or do you believe and live in the reality that He is your eternal fulfillment- your everything? Look at your life... are you daily spending time with Him and enjoying His presence or do your just start to pursue Him when things here are not going your way?

~John 6:35: Jesus says that those who come to Him will never hunger. Jesus offers us complete satisfaction. We are complete when we come to Him and nothing else can satisfy. So often though, we do not live in this reality- we are still trying to seek fulfillment in other earthly things. We need to return to Him and cease to hunger and thirst for worldly things.

Q: Are you finding your fulfillment completely in Christ or are you still trying to find satisfaction in the things of this world? Look at your life... what do you spend most of your time doing? Are you carrying out your daily life with the goal of pleasing the Lord in the things you do or are you living life to satisfy yourself?

~John 6:39 & 6:29: We are eternally secure if our true belief is in the One who was sent on our behalf. The "work" of God is that we believe in Jesus and when we do, we are promised eternity with Him.

~John 6:44: When we come to Jesus it is only because the Father has given us the grace to do so. All of us were spiritually dead before the Father put in us the desire to seek Jesus (Ephesians 1-2).

~John 6:48-59: Jesus again calls Himself the bread of life. To receive this eternal life from Him, we must "eat" of Him. This starts with the Father awakening us to our hunger for eternal things. If we are partaking of the bread of life (genuine believers), we have trusted in the death of Christ on our behalf and will be continually coming to Him for fulfillment. We will realize our hunger for His sustenance and come to Him often to be filled. A genuine believer does not just say one time "i believe" and then continue to live a life without Him. Genuine believers long for His presence, His sustaining "bread."

Q: Again, look at your life. Do you hunger for Jesus? If not- ask the Father to grant that you would hunger for Him so that you can eat from the Bread of Life and receive His salvation. If you are a believer and realize that you are not longing for Him anymore, check your life to see if you have been trying to be filled with things that will never satisfy. Come back to Him and ask for the Spirit to renew your hunger for the true Bread.

Dear students,
We love you all so much and love seeing your growing desire for the Lord. We are so honored to do life with you all. We pray that you will continue to "feast" on Jesus and that you will enjoy time with HIm daily. We encourage you to spend time in His Word and in prayer daily- seeking to walk in His presence throughout the day. We love you and are praying for you this week!

WIth hope,
Sonny and Casi

John 5: Stirring of the Waters

Dear TVCC Students,
It's already been a crazy summer! The time seems to be rushing by! Camp is in ONE week and we are very excited to see what the Lord will have for us this year. Last night Sonny taught on John 5 and the "stirring of the waters." Here is a recap...

John 5: 4: This verse was not in the original text. According to cultural tradition, it was believed that if you went down to this certain pool and were the first to get it when the water moved, you would be healed. People that went here were most likely desperate for healing and most had probably spent all of their money on doctors and other things to try to make them well. This place was full of desperate people and Jesus goes there to extend grace to one suffering man.

5:6: Jesus asked him if he wanted to be made well. Some people have been in a place of despair for so long that it becomes the norm and they no longer wish to be made well (Sonny gave the example of some of the homeless people that we have talked to in the past who were fine with being homeless and did not want help).

- We all are in a similar situation to this man spiritually. We are born into sin and are by nature spiritually blind, naked, poor and full of shame (Revelation 3). We need to understand how wretched we are and know that only Jesus can make us whole.

-Q:When He comes to us with the Cross as our cure and asks us "Do you wish to be made well?"- how do we answer Him? Are we comfortable with our sin or do we see our depravity and desire the wholeness that only He can give?

5:9: Jesus heals the blind man. The man exercises his faith by rising to walk. Belief leads to action. He did not just say "Yes, Jesus, I believe you." He picked up his pallet and walked. Faith led to a life change. The same is true for those that are spiritually healed by Jesus. When we come to really know Jesus and His freedom, our lives will be lived differently.

-Q: Does the way that you live accurately reflect the faith that you proclaim? Faith and works go hand in hand. Genuine faith produces a Christ- seeking life (James 2).

5:10: The Pharisees get mad at Jesus for healing someone on the Sabbath. They totally missed the point of the Sabbath. The Lord had made the Sabbath to be time where the people rested and enjoyed intimacy with Him. The Pharisees took this good day that the Lord created and turned it into a day of legalism where people would compete as to who was more spiritual. They totally missed out on the intimacy that the Lord wanted with them in exchange for being good rule-keepers. We are often like that as American Christians. We often become good, moral people who are good at looking spiritual but are deeply lacking when it comes to intimacy with Jesus. Jesus died so that we could have intimacy with the Father, not just be good rule keepers.

-Q: Are you just a good rule-keeper or do you really have an intimate relationship with the Lord where you spend time with Him daily learning from His word and sharing your soul with Him?

Dear students,
We pray this week that you will spend time enjoying the freedom you have in Christ and that you will experience the healing that only He can give. We pray that you will spend time with Him daily and grow in intimacy with Him. We love you.

With hope,
Sonny and Casi

John 3:23-30: John's Message

Dear TVCC Students,
Last night we spent time diving in to the message that John the Baptist preached. There were some very vivid illustrations given to help make this Word sink in and makes sense. Here is a recap...

John 3:22-30

~John 3:23- 26: Jesus and John are both ministering to the people at the same time. John knew that he was not the Christ but that his mission from the Lord was to point others to the Messiah. Even after Jesus started His ministry, John continued to minister and to point people to the Lord. It wasn't about making much of John and his ministry but about people coming to know their Savior.

Q: Do we view life the way John did? Are we always trying to make a name for us our "OUR" ministry or do we simply point people to the Savior who alone can satisfy their souls?

~John's message can be seen clearly in Luke 3:1-18. Here are a few things to notice about John's ministry...

1. The crowds came out to hear John's teaching (Luke 3:9). John was not begging people to come and hear him. They had heard of his message and they came out to hear more... and he spoke the truth, not what people wanted to hear.

2. John didn't promise physical blessings in this life to those that would believe his message; He preached a message that would profit the people eternally- the people needed to have faith in the Lamb of God who had come to take away the sins of the world! True belief would cause them to "bear fruit in keeping with repentance." Genuine faith produces fruit and that fruit requires cultivation and exercise; It does not come easily (garden illustration).

     -In talking about bearing fruit we must always remember that Jesus did everything in regards to our salvation when He died on the Cross. Our salvation was finished and perfected on the cross... BUT we were saved to do good works to the glory of God (Ephesians 2:8-10). Our good works point people to the Lord.

Q: Is your faith genuine? Do you see any spiritual fruit in your life? This could like the fruits of the Spirit (Galatians 5:22-23) at work in your life or it could be people that you have poured your life in to for the sake of the Kingdom of God. Either way, real faith will produce fruit. If you do not have any fruit of the Spirit in your life, we encourage you to see if you really have trusted in the Lamb of God (Jesus) to give you new life.

     -In talking about bearing fruit we must also remember HOW we are to bear fruit. In order to bear fruit we must abide in the Lord (John 15). We must spend time with Him daily- meditating on His word and praying to Him. Our salvation is the just the start. Once we have trusted in the Lord, God wants us to bear fruit for His name. This is not easy! The world is full of "bugs" and "weeds" that are trying to prevent us from bearing fruit. We must fight those things by abiding in the Lord.

~John 3:28: John knew that he was not the bridegroom but simply a friend of the Bridegroom who had come to claim His bride. Jesus has come so that we could have a personal relationship with Him. This relationship requires time and dedication but is all satisfying and full of joy!

~John 3:30: John's heart was that Jesus would increase and John would decrease. His life was revolved around making much of the Lord!

Q: Is your life like John's? Can you really say that your life is revolved around making less of your name and more of the name of Jesus?

Dear students,
We are so thankful to get to worship with you all. We pray that this week you would spend much time meditating on the Lord and His Word. We pray that you will continue to abide in Him so that you might bear fruit that would bring glory to His name. May all of us decrease this week and Jesus increase! We love you all!

With hope,
Sonny and Casi

John 3: Bronze Serpent points to Jesus

Dear TVCC Students,
We are continuing our study on the book of John. It was refreshing last night to revisit the story of the Bronze serpent in Numbers 21 and see how it pointed us to the death and resurrection of Jesus on our behalf. Here is a recap...

John 3:9-21

~Nicodemus was a Pharisee (religious leader) who thought that by keeping the law He could gain right standing with the Lord. He failed to see that the purpose of the law was to reveal the sinfulness of man and the need for the Savior.

~John 3:13: Jesus tells Nicodemus that because He has been with the Father, He is able to explain the things of God. Jesus was with the Father before creation and His words teach us about all things- the Father, the law, mankind, the Kingdom of Heaven, salvation...

~John 3:14: Jesus leads Nicodemus back to Numbers 21. The people had spoken against Moses and the Lord, not liking the provision that God was giving them. They refused to be satisfied with God's provision and became discontent and grumbling. God sent serpents to show His judgement but provided a way of salvation through the bronze serpent that He had Moses lift up. God made a substitute to stand in the place of the sinners and those who looked to it in faith would not die. This whole event was to point us to Jesus....

    -Romans 8:3: Jesus became sin on our behalf so that we could become righteous through His sacrifice for our sin. We deserve the wrath of God but Christ took it for us... the wrath of God was even more horrific than the extreme torture that the Romans physically inflicted on Jesus. When we look to/have faith in His sacrifice for us, we are able to escape the eternal death that we deserve for our rebellion.

~John 3:16: We are saved through the Son that God sent to die in our place. We are not saved by any of our own righteousness but through Christ alone and for His glory (Titus 3:4-5). The eternal life that we are given in Christ is not just the promise of sinless paradise after this physical life is over. Eternal life is being intimate with the Father (John 17). Christ died so that we could know the Father as a husband knows his bride.

Q: Do you have an intimate relationship with the Father through Christ? Do you long to be with the Lord? Check your heart. Are you someone who just knows the right answers or do you really have a growing relationship with the Lord where He knows you and you know Him?

~John 3:18-21: The verdict for all mankind has been guilty since the garden. We are born in sin and under condemnation. Christ offers freedom from our condemnation but if we reject that, we remain condemned and God's wrath still awaits us.

~John 3:19: We all love darkness and prefer to be ignorant of the truth. The god that we serve is ourselves. Our culture has glorified "Me" and we serve that unless our eyes are opened to the truth by the Spirit of the Lord. Job 22:14 reveals that the heart of man doesn't want God. We want to worship ourselves. Though our hearts are dark we can say with Paul in 2 Corinthians 9:15- thanks be to God for His indescribable gift of salvation! We are totally undeserving of His gift and yet He still extends to us grace through the blood of Jesus!

Dear students,
We cannot express to you the importance of this wonderful message. We all deserve the wrath of God but Christ has taken it for us. Please take time to think about your life and your heart. Do you really understand your sinfulness and that you deserve the wrath of God. Do you believe with your whole heart that Jesus died in your place and are you walking in an intimate relationship with the Father through trusting in the sacrifice of Jesus? We love you all very much and want you to experience the relationship with the Father that is offered through Jesus. Spend time in His Word this week and in prayer with Him and ask Him to draw you close to Him. It is the absoute best thing you can do!

With hope,
Sonny and Casi

John 3:1-8: Nicodemus

Dear TVCC Students,
Last night we went over  John 3:1-8, where Jesus teaches Nicodemus about being born again of the Spirit. Here is a recap...

~John 3:1: Though Nicodemus was a religious leader, He knew that Jesus had something different. He came to Jesus because he knew he did not have it all figured out and he wanted to know the truth. He came to Jesus- the Truth, for answers.

Q: Do you come to Jesus for the truth or do you let the world shape your beliefs? If the Word of God is not daily teaching you the truth of the Lord, you will be letting the world teach you its ways and lead you away from the Lord.

~John 3:3-7: Jesus tells Nicodemus that he must be born again. Nicodemus, as a religious leader, was under the impression that just following the law (living right) would make him right with the Lord. Jesus is telling him that keeping the law will not bring him to God but being "born again" (read Ezekiel 36). Those that believe that Jesus is the Christ are born of God (1 John 5) but genuine belief/trust is not just acknowledging that facts are so (even the demons believe- James 2:19). Genuine belief changes the way you live!

Q: Have you been born again? Do you believe that Jesus is the Christ, the Messiah, YOUR Sin-taker? Look at your life. Does it match what you say you believe? Your life reveals what you believe.

~John 3:8: Being born again is not something that we can muster on our own- it is an act of the Spirit working within us (Romans 9:16). God is the one who has mercy on us to grant us being born again and lead us in a relationship with Him. If you see that you do not know the Lord, come to Him and ask for Him to grant you to be born again. Only He can give eternal life!

Dear students,
We are so glad to have been able to worship with you last night. It is refreshing to see you guys faithfully coming to worship and hear the Word. We pray that you will spend time meditating on His word this week and that you will enjoy being in His presence. We love you. Remember that He who began a good work in you will bring it to completion (Philippians 1:6). Trust in Him to continue to grow and sanctify you.

With hope,
Sonny and Casi

John 2:13-25

Dear TVCC Students,
Last night we studied John 2:13-25. We are so thankful to be able to worship with you all every Wednesday. Here is a recap...

~John 2:14-16: The people were using the Lord to advance their personal gain. People would travel a long way to come to the feast to offer sacrifices to the Lord and the local leaders took advantage of that and exploited the people. They pretended to be caring about the Lord's name but were really acting to advance their own riches.

Q: Are our motives pure when we come to worship or are we coming to advance our own name? What motivates you to come to church and do "Christian" things? If Christ's glory is not your motivation, you are missing the heart of God.

~John 2:18: Instead of responding in humility when they were confronted with their sins, the leaders that Jesus was calling out changed the subject, asking "What sign do you give to show your authority?" Basically they were asking, "Who are you to call us out on our sin?"

Q: How do you respond when people call you out on sin or when the Lord brings to light false motives in your life? Do you respond in humility or in pride?

~John 2:19-22: Jesus responds with the gospel... He would be destroyed (as would the Old way of doing things) and be rebuilt (ushering in a New/Perfect way to have everlasting communion with the Father). Jesus is the Way to the Father. He is our complete sacrifice and because of Him, we no longer have to offer temporary sacrifices to atone temporarily for sin.

Q: Have you trusted completely in the death and resurrection of Christ on your behalf or are you still trying to earn your way to the Lord by your own "sacrifices?" Christ has done it all! Trust in Him completely!

~John 2:23-25: Jesus saw that the people "believed" but still did not trust Himself to them. He knew that their "belief" was not genuine but was basically in the hype of the moment (they would eventually want Him crucified).

Q: Do you have a belief in Jesus that is genuine or do you just agree with the truths of Christianity to have acceptance from friends/parents/the community? Only Jesus knows your heart. When you die, Jesus will not ask if your parents thought you were a Christian... He will look at your heart to see if you truly believed. What do you really believe/trust in?

Dear students,
We love you all very much. We pray that you will again see that Jesus is not concerned with outward appearances of godliness but He wants pure hearts that worship Him in private and in public. We pray that you will evaluate your lives this week to make sure that you are living a genuine life. Spend time meditating on His Word this week. Again, we love you...

With Hope,
Sonny and Casi

John 2: The Wedding

Dear TVCC Students,
This week we went through the wedding of Cana. It is always refreshing to study this first miracle of our Savior. Here is a recap:

John 2: 1-12: The Wedding at Cana

~John 2:1
-John refers to Mary as "The Mother of Jesus" throughout the book of John. Her identity is found completely in her relationship to Jesus. Our identity should also be found completely in our relationship to Jesus knowing that in Him we have our true identity.

Q: What do you find your identity in? Are you constantly seeking to make a name for yourself or are you fully content in who you are in the Lord? Is it enough for you to be validated by the Lord or are you seeking the approval of man?

~John 2:3
-In Mary's conversation with Jesus it is implied that she expected Jesus to perform a miracle for her. Jesus let Mary know quickly that He was God (and in control) and not here just for immediate needs. His plans are higher than ours and while we should let our requests be made known to Him, we must come with humility and accept His timing and plans.

Q: What are some areas in your life that you have trouble trusting the Lord with. Maybe you want Him to answer now and need patience and grace to trust His will and timing? Remember Isaiah 55:8 that His ways are higher than ours.

~John 2:5
-Mary humbled herself at Jesus' response and submitted herself to whatever He would decide believing that He knew best. Jesus' response to a humble and submitted woman was to take care of her needs. Sometimes the BEST thing for us is for Jesus NOT to give us what we want until we are fully submitted to Him and come to Him with a humble heart.

Q: Are there any areas of your life where you are not fully submitted to the Lord? Have there been things in your life where you know God has said no at first so that He can bring you back to a place of surrender to Him?

We pray that this week you will be brought back to a place of surrender with the Lord knowing that His timing is best and His plans really are for His glory and our good. Let your requests be made known to Him but trust in His Fatherly love for you. We love you all very much!

With hope,
~Sonny and Casi

John 1:35-41

TVCC Students,

We have been really enjoying going through the book of John with you guys. It has been refreshing and encouraging. Here are the notes from when Sonny taught John 1:35-41.

~John 1:35

- "the next day" John was still pointing others to Jesus. Walking with the Lord is not just a once-a-week thing that you can turn on or off. John's life pointed to Jesus everyday. He lived a life of consistency that revolved around making much of Jesus. (see John 3:30)

Q: Are you someone who acts one way at church and one way around your friends? If so, evaluate your faith to see if it is genuine. Genuine faith means that we (though we still struggle) are consistently pursuing Jesus.

~John 1:37

-John's disciples heard him teaching about Jesus. They left John to pursue Jesus. Sometimes we have to leave things that might be "good" to pursue what is "best."

Q: Who are you following? Are you really seeking Jesus with all that you have or are you settling for things that are "good" and "moral?" Only Jesus will fully satisfy!

~John 1:38-39

-Jesus noticed them following and He turned to acknowledge them. He notices our smallest desires to follow Him and responds.

-His invitation is the same for us as it was for them... "Come and see." He wants us to spend time with Him because it is best for US. Come away and be with Him. Spend time reading His Word and in prayer and worship. He has so much that He wants to show us!

~John 1:41
-After just staying with Jesus for that one night, Andrew was ready to tell others that he had found the Messiah (especially his family). The more time we spend with Jesus, the more natural it will be when we share His truth with others. People love to talk about things that they value. If we value Jesus, we will share His gospel with others.

Q: Are we really engaging God and sharing Him with others? How much are we talking about the greatness of our Savior and His work in our lives? This reveals how much of our life is spent engaging Him.

Dear Students,
We pray that you will "come and see" the greatness of our Savior this week. We pray that you will spend time with Him in His Word, letting Him speak to you and learning about His character. We pray that as you spend time with Him that He would provide opportunities for you to share His greatness with others. We love you all!

~Sonny and Casi

John 1: 19-29

Dear TVCC Students,

We are so thankful to those of you that were able to make it on Wednesday. It continues to be our joy to go through the book of John with you all. Though I (Casi) was not able to make it, here are a few highlights Sonny wanted to pass on to help you remember John 1...

John 1:19-29

*John 1:19

~Remember that John and Jesus were cousins. John had been around Jesus for much of his life and still was able to walk in humility, knowing that Jesus was the Christ, not him. John's humility is astounding.

Q: How do you live your life? Are you someone who recognizes how wonderful Jesus is and lives your life to point to Him or are you someone who's life ambition is to make yourself look as great as you can?

*John 1:23

~Even when people were questioning John about who he was, he took no glory. He knew that he was here for one purpose, to point others to Jesus. Even though he was a great man, he saw himself as nothing more than a VOICE that was declaring Jesus as the Lamb of God (Sin- taker).

~A voice is something that can be used for either good or bad. Voices can be scary, deceitful, seductive or encouraging, loving and peaceful.

Q: What kind of VOICE are you? Does what you say (and how you live- John had both) point others to the Lamb of God? Do you use your voice to bring others up or tear them down? We can never know exactly how powerful the tongue/voice is (see James 3)!

Students, we are praying for you this week that you will spend time meditating on the Lamb of God. We pray that you will spend time each day in worship, prayer and reading of His Word. We pray that you would think intently about your life and purpose and rely on the Spirit to help you make any changes that He desires. Remember that focusing on the wonders of the Lord will help you think less of yourself. He must become greater and we must become less (John 3:30). We love you all!!

Love,

Sonny and Casi

John 1:14-18 God with us

Dear TVCC Students,

We are so thankful for those that were able to join us last night. Going through the book of John with you all has been so encouraging for us. Here is last night's recap...

John 1:14-18

John 1:14

~The Word became flesh; Jesus, who was outside of creation, became one of us and "dwelt" with us.

~The word "dwelt" was the same word for "tabernacle." Jesus came to "tabernacle" or "dwell" with us and reveal the glory of the Father to us.

~God's heart is to be with His creation. We see this all throughout the bible; He longs to be with us as a husband longs to be with his wife. He made the ultimate sacrifice to do this when becoming one of us.

~Even after Jesus had gone back to the Father, God sent the Holy Spirit to dwell among His children so that He would be with us! Amazing!

Q: How do you react knowing that the Lord has done so much to be with us? Have you rejected His coming in Jesus or have you received Jesus? Do you recognize God's heart to "dwell" with us continually? How does that affect your daily life?

John 1:15

~John, who was so near to Jesus (his cousin), came to testify about the greatness of Jesus. He was so close to Jesus and thus was able to see and recognize His greatness.

~Remember: "the power of the gravity depends on the proximity" (Ross King). The more we spend time with Jesus, the more of His glory we will see and He will "dwell" with us more intimately.

John 1:16

~John's message was this: You are sinful BUT the Sin-taker is HERE!

~When he says that in His fullness we have received "grace upon grace" this actually means that we have received grace "for" grace. We are so lost and depraved (Ephesians 2) that we need grace to even receive His grace!

~Ezekiel 16:6 is a good depiction of where we were before the Lord. All of us were helplessly dying until He came to rescue us through His blood.

~The law was "given" in the Old Testament but could not be kept thus grace and truth were "realized" and given in fullest measure in Jesus. It is finished. Our righteousness rests completely in the work of Jesus.

John 1:18

~Jesus has "explained" or "declared" the Father. When Jesus came, He was the exact representation of the glory of the Father.

~ Colossians 1:15 says that He is the image of the Father. We were made by Him and for Him! This means that we were not made to exalt ourselves and be the next Superstar but that we were made to be a worshipper of Him.

~If we do not realize that we were made to be a worshipper of Him, we will spend our lives chasing "shadows" (things that we think will satisfy us but will always leave us empty). Only in Jesus will we be fully satisfied because we were made for Him!

Q: Are you a worshipper of Jesus or someone that is trying to be the next Superstar? Are you trying to live your life to make much of Jesus or much of yourself? You cannot do both!!

Students, we are so thankful for you. We are thankful to see so many of you pursuing Jesus with your lives. It is an honor to be a part of that. We pray that you will spend time letting Jesus "tabernacle" with you this week. We ask that you set aside time with Him daily and let Him teach you through His word and through worship and prayer. We love you all!

~Sonny and Casi

John 1: Life and Light

Dear TVCC Students,

We are officially finished with Hebrews and on to the book of John! We are so blessed to be able to worship with you all every Wednesday. I know things always get hectic in this season after Spring Break, but hang in there! Here is a recap from last night...

*John 1:1-3

~Before there was ANYTHING created, Jesus was with the Father

~Hebrews 13:8: Jesus is the same yesterday, today and forever. He is outside of time and we can trust Him completely with today as well as our future.

~Just as words are used to describe things, so Jesus is the Word of God. He is the perfect "description" of who the Father is (Hebrews 1:3)

*John 1:4

~Jesus came to solve the 2 problems of humanity- 1. death and 2. darkness; Jesus is LIFE and LIGHT.

*John 1:5

~The darkness did not "comprehend" (overtake) the light. There is a spiritual battle going on- darkness vs. light; Jesus came as the Light and the darkness could not overtake Him. Jesus is victorious!!

*John 1:6

~John the Baptist was not the light and knew it. He knew his purpose- that he was here to proclaim the coming of the Light. We would do well to follow the example of John and submit all of our pleasures and desires to the Lord and trust that what He does in our lives will be used to proclaim His glory.

Q: How often do we live as though we are the center of the universe and get agitated when things do not go exactly as we plan? Do you live as though Jesus is everything and your life is constantly pointing others to Him or do you live as though YOU are te center of the universe and everyone should bend to your wishes and desires?

John 3:30

"He must become greater; I must become less" (NIV)

*John 1:11

~Jesus came to His own, to His creation that He had spoken into existence and they (we) didn't receive Him and even wanted Him dead. All of mankind is born into the sin of Adam- born with an evil heart that is rebellious towards the Lord and wants nothing to do with Him...

~Genesis 9: Every intent of man's heart is evil from his youth...

~Jeremiah 17:9: The heart is wicked and deceitful above all things...

~Ephesians 2: We are all children of wrath

~Romans 3:10: None are righteous

~All of this is to remind us that we ALL have initially rejected Christ... not until He extends grace to receive His gift of salvation are we able to receive His gift and thus become born again.

*John 1:12

~Those who receive the gift of God and believe (or take refuge) in His Name (in who He is- our Lord and Savior) become children of God. Wow! Praise Him for taking us from darkness to light!

~We can do 2 things with the coming of Jesus...

1. We can reject Him and continue to take refuge in ourselves (which leads to an eternity in hell)

or

2. We can receive His gift of salvation, taking refuge ONLY in Him and what He did on the cross for us (leading to eternal life)

We encourage you all this week to evaluate your lives. Are you taking refuge in Jesus or are you trying to be your own refuge? Are you continually walking in thankfulness for the coming of Jesus and His death on your behalf? He came to bring us back into a right relationship with the Father. What thankfulness should we have for that!! We love you all so much and pray that you will spend time worshipping Him throughout the week. We hope you can make it to our house on Sunday night to encourage and strengthen each other in our pursuits of Christ. Again, we love you!!

~Sonny and Casi

Hebrews 13: Christian Living

Dear TVCC Students,

We are so glad that you were able to make it on Wednesday. It was a wonderful night of worship and hearing the Word of God. Here is a recap from Hebrews 13...

~Hebrews 13:1: Brotherly Love

~Romans 12:9-16; We are called as believers to "give preference to one another in honor." Our lives should be devoted to building others UP for the sake of Christ, not tearing them down.

Q: How are you doing at building others up? Do you think more about yourself or about others and how you can encourage them? How do you act in sports and other competitions- do you build others up or tear them down with your attitude and words?

~Hebrews 13:2: Hospitality

~ We are called to live in a way that the world can see that we are different. When we show hospitality and help those in need- we represent Christ well...

~Matthew 25:31-46: Whatever we have done to the "least of these" we have done to Christ.

Q: How are you doing at showing hospitality to others? When a new student comes to your school, how do you treat them? Does your attitude towards those "less important" lead others to see the love of Jesus?

~Hebrews 13:3: Prisoners and Mistreated

~We should not join in the scolding of those believers that are mistreated but should build them up and sympathize with them as we are one body in Christ.

Q: When you see other Christians that are being mistreated or shunned, how do you react? Do you stand up for them or join in with those that are mistreating them?

~Hebrews 13:4: Marriage Bed Pure

~Christians are called to hold marriage in honor. This means that we do ALL we can to make sure that we stay pure. Keep the opposite sex out of your room (it contains your BED and we are called to keep that pure for marriage). We need to trust our PARENTS and leaders to help us protect our purity (remember that your parents LOVE you and want the best for you!!). Ask your parents to help you set up good boundaries so that when you are weak and being tempted, you will have a good protection system around you.

Q: How are you doing at protecting your purity? Do you have good boundaries set up so that you will not fall when tempted? How do you respond to your parents when they try to offer wisdom and protection?

~Hebrews 13:5: Contentment

~We are called as Christians to be free from the love of money and stuff!! This can be so hard with our world CONSTANTLY trying to get us to believe that "stuff" with satisfy. Do not believe the lie.

~Proverbs 23:4-5: riches can leave at any time; do not trust in them

Q: Do you love "stuff" or Jesus? Is your heart loving money or other things or does your heart love Jesus? (remember that what you think about reveals what you love)

~Hebrews 13:6-9: Jesus

~All of these previous things can only be done when we are focusing on Jesus. We can only love others when we are in love with Jesus. We can only reject the offers of the world when we realize that we have eternal riches in the Lord. Only Jesus will never leave or forsake us. He is our constant, the only trustworthy One.

Q: Are you daily walking in the love of Jesus? Do you recognize the wrath that He took in your place and are you seeking to live a life of thankfulness in response to that wonderful love?

We love you all so much. We pray that this passage in Hebrews will be such an encouragement to you to grow in your love for Jesus and others. We pray that you will remember the cross this week- where Jesus showed you the ultimate example of humility, selflessness and love. We pray that you will spend time meditating on His Word and worshipping Him this week. We love you!

~Sonny and Casi

Wednesday night worship songs:

1. Awaken Me (Jesus Culture)

2. You Never Let Go (Matt Redman)

3. Story of Grace (Will Reagan)

4. Worthy of Affection (Shane and Shane)

5. Help Me Find My Own Flame (Will Reagan)

6. The Answer (Shane and Shane)

7. Future Version (Shane and Shane)

Hebrews 12: Leaving Tracks

Dear TVCC Students,

We are always blessed to worship with you guys on Wednesday nights. We hope that every Wednesday encourages your faith and strengthens your intimacy with the Lord. Here is a recap from last night...

Hebrews 12:12-17

vs 12:

~ The verses leading up to this verse were talking about the discipline of the Lord and how we should respond well to it. The implication here is that once we have been discipline, we are called as believers to strengthen and heal others.

~There are times when each of us will be the weak ones he is talking about here and we will need others in the body of Christ to strengthen us. The body of Christ should be building each other up constantly so that when each of us are weak, we can be strengthened.

~One thing we MUST remember that is so clearly seen in this passage is that the Christian life is not one of passive laziness. How we all live makes a difference in the lives of others. Our lives are meant to lead others to know Jesus. The Christian faith is active- us pursuing Jesus and diligently loving and strengthening others.

Q: Is your Christian faith ACTIVE? Are you diligently pursuing Jesus with all of your strength? Can others see that you are pursuing Him?

vs 13:

~ "put out of joint"- this phrase means "pulled out of socket" or "dislocated." The writer is calling us here to make straight paths (with our lives) so that the (faith of the) weaker people will not "pulled out of socket."

~Again we see that the way we live matters. When it says that we are to make "straight paths" that was a terms used for wagon tracks. People would see the wagon tracks in the dirt and know which way they should be going to get to the next city.

~It should be this way with our lives of faith. People should be able to look at our lives and be led to seeing the glory of Jesus. Are lives DO leave tracks but are we leading others to Jesus or to the world?

Q: Where are the "wagon tracks" of YOUR life leading others? THE WAY YOU LIVE DOES MATTER!

vs. 14

~ When the writer says "pursue peace" it was a very active statement. He was telling them to basically chase down peace. Run after it. Don't just sit around hoping things get better. Be active and make it happen. Matthew 5:23 says that we should leave a worship service to reconcile with our brothers if we know that there is discord between us and them.

~Be active in pursuing peace with others in the body of Christ. Do not let disunity or bitterness be present in your group of believers or in your family (as much as YOU can help it). Satan would love to use that to divide your group and family so that you are ineffective for the kingdom of the Lord.

~He also calls us to pursue sanctification. Sanctification is a term that means becoming more like Christ. We are to actively pursue becoming more like Christ. We cannot just sit back and hope that we become more godly. We must be diligent to pursue Him and He will change us as we are with Him more and more. The Christian life is not passive; It is ACTIVE!

~One way to make sure that we are active in our pursuing Christ is to talk about and write down goals we have for our walks with God. Share them with other believers that you trust and ask them to help you achieve them.

Q: What does your walk with Jesus look like? Is it passive or active? Are you really pursuing Him?

vs. 15:

~ "see to it" is a phrase that means "watch out." He is calling us to "watch out" that no one falls short of God's grace by how we live. Again, the writer is encouraging us that we have an active role in the faith of others. We are called to encourage others and to make sure that our lives represent Christ well.

~It is not good enough just to be moral. We all know that this "bible belt" area is known for its cultural moralism. This is not what Jesus is calling us to. So many of you have been raised in the Christian faith. That is WONDERFUL... BUT just because your parents are believers or because you go to church does not mean your are a believer. Jesus wants us to love Him with all of our hearts, souls, minds and strength. He does not want us to be just good rule followers.

Q: Are you someone who is just a "good kid" or are you really living a life that shows that you intimately LOVE Jesus with all that you are? Are you just a cultural Christian or a lover of Jesus?

vs. 16:

~We are given the example of Esau to show us what not to do. Esau was so shortsighted that he sold all that he was to inherit from his father for ONE meal.

~We can be so much like Esau when we trade the riches that Jesus has to offer us for the momentary pleasures of sin. Let us not be this way! Let us realize the greatness of the Kingdom that we are a part of and live for eternal pleasures, not fleeting ones that are experienced shortly here.

We love you all very much. It is an honor to do ministry with you guys. We pray that this week you will meditate on Jesus- spending so much time with Him so see His glory. We pray that your lives will leave good "wagon tracks" and that when others see you, they will be led to Jesus! We love you!

~Sonny and Casi

Hebrews 12:3-10: Discipline

Dear TVCC Students,

We hope that you all were able to join us last night. It was wonderful to be reminded of God's discipline and how He wants us to handle it. Here is a recap from...

Hebrews 12:3-10

~Hebrews 12:3-4:

~We are called to be striving against sin. The battle against sin is just that- a battle. We must realize this and act accordingly. We cannot just hope that sin will disappear, we must strive against it!

~Read 1 Peter 5:8-11: We must be on the alert knowing that the enemy is prowling around trying to devour us. For this short life we must "alert" and aware of the battle around us.

Q: Are you aware of the battle going on around you- that satan is prowling around you trying to devour your faith? Are you living in a way that shows that you are "alert" and "aware" of this? What does that type of living look like?

~Hebrews 12:5-6:

~You are going to be disciplined by the Lord if you are really His. Just as a good father disciplines his children for their good, so the Father disciples His children for their good and His glory.

~There are 3 types of discipline:

1. corrective: seen in 2 Samuel 12 when David is corrected by the Lord for his sin with Bathsheba. He had sinned and was corrected in hope that he would not do that sin again.

2. preventative: seen in 2 Corinthians 12 when Paul was given a thorn in the flesh so that he would not fall into the sin of pride. He had not fallen into the sin yet but God was disciplining him so that he would not fall into sin.

3. educational: seen in Job 42 when Job was interacting with God. For Job, he had not sinned but God let him go through a very difficult time so that Job could learn more about God's holiness. Sometimes the Lord has us go through this educational discipline so we can learn more about His glory and so that we can become more like Him.

Q: Have you ever experienced God's disciple? Have you experienced it lately? Know that if you are God's child through the blood of Christ, He will discipline you. If you have not experienced His discipline, we encourage you to evaluate your life to see if you are really His child through faith in Christ.

Q: How have you responded lately to God's discipline? What has He taught you lately about His holiness and how He wants to grow you?

~Hebrews 12:7-8

~Remember that God disciplines us because He loves us and wants what is best for us eternally.

~Do not regard lightly His discipline and do not faint when you realize that you are being disciplined. Hang in there. Meditate on what He wants you to learn from that discipline. Embrace the discipline because it leads to the "peaceful fruit of righteousness."

~Hebrews 12:10

~The point of discipline is that we would share in His holiness. John 15:9 talks about Jesus' hope for us is that we would share in His joy through obedience and love. The discipline of the Lord should lead us to obedience and love of God.

We love you all very much and hope that you are continuing to spend time with the Lord daily. We encourage you to spend lots of time in His Word this week. Ask Him to grow you to make you more like Him and teach your more about His holiness. This is eternal life- that we would know Him! We are praying for you this week. We love you!!

~Sonny & Casi

Worship songs from last night:

1. Shine by David Crowder Band

2. Empty Me by Jeremy Camp

3. Ful Attention by Jeremy Riddle

4. The Glory of it All by Passion

5. One Thing Remains by Antioch Norman

6. Jesus Paid it All by Matt Redman

7. Christ is Risen by Shane and Shane

8. Yearn by Shane and Shane

6.

Hebrews 12:1-2

Dear TVCC Students,

We are continually thankful to get to worship with you all on Wednesday evenings. We pray that the Word that was shared with you last night will be producing fruit in your lives (as well as ours) this week.

Highlights from last night...

Hebrews 12:1

~"witnesses" are people that testify (with their lives) to the greatness of God. The cloud of witness that surround us are people from the past who were faithful to the Lord with their lives; we can look to them as an example of faithfulness

~let us look at others of faith and imitate their faith. This cloud of witnesses that Hebrews is speaking of were all from the Old Testament. They had not even had Christ come yet and they still lived such powerful lives. How much more revelation of God do we have with Christ coming and the New Testament being written (and even more faithful witnesses to look to).

~Q: How are you living? Does your life imitate the faith of those faithful witnesses that have gone before us or does your life look like those who are living for the pleasures of this life only?

~"lay aside every encumbrance"- no relationship is worth it if pulls you away from Christ. Remember that "bad company corrupts good character (1 Corinthians 15:33)." You WILL be like the people that you hang around with. They WILL rub off on you. You will talk like the people you hang out with. You will act like the people you hang out with. You will think like the people you hang out with!

~Q: Who are you hanging out with? Are they people that are encouraging your intimacy with Christ or are they an "encumbrance" that you need to remove so that you can run the race of faith?

~Trust God with your friendships. Get rid of any friendships that are damaging your run with Jesus!

~"run with endurance"- this is not easy and it takes practice. Just like those who are marathon runners practice A LOT, so should we be "practicing" or working on our faith. When we are growing in our faith and gradually getting better at obeying Jesus and saying no to the world, we are developing the endurance that He wants us to have.

~Remember that we are not running against each other in this race but with each other. We should be encouraging each other in the race as we run against satan, sin, our flesh and the corruption in the world.

~Q: How are you doing in the race of faith? Have you been encouraging to others who are also running with you? How can you being doing better?

Hebrews 12:2

~"fixing our eyes on Jesus" is what will help us in this race. 2 Corinthians 3:18 says that we will grow as we behold His glory; we will be transformed into His image as we behold Him.

~know that we ARE being transformed- either to the image of Christ or to the image of the world. We constantly have things trying to shape and mold us into the image of this world. If we are not fighting against those things by beholding Christ through His Word, prayer, worship, etc, we will end up looking just like this world.

~Q: How are you spending your time? Are you "beholding the Lord" daily so that you will continually become more like Him? If not, what changes need to take place in how you spend your time?

~John 17 says that Christ was to be glorified after He had suffered. Our joy is to bring Jesus glory as we are connected to Him as His brothers and sisters. When He gets glory- we get to share in that eternally.

Philippains 4:8

Finally,brethren, whatever is true, whatever is honorable, whatever is right, whateveris pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is of good repute, if there is any excellence and if anything worthy of praise, dwell on these things.

~Remember that this life is our teaching time to learn about our God! Eternally speaking, it is very short. Let us make the most of the time that we are given here to learn about the glory of our Savior!

We love you all very much and pray that you will run with Jesus this week. Throw off everything that hinders you and run with Him. Spend time meditating on His glory and you will be continually transformed into His image. We hope you can all make it to the joint small group on Sunday night that is meeting at our house. Again, we love you!!

~Sonny and Casi