Hebrews 11: Moses

Dear TVCC Students,
We hope that you all are having a great fall and getting ready for spending time with your families over the holidays. We are continually thankful to walk alongside of you as we all seek to pursue the Lord and learn from the book of Hebrews. Last night Sonny walked us through an overview of the life of Moses from Hebrews 11 and highlighted how Moses was able to forsake the pleasures offered by this world because he was focused on eternal things, namely Christ. Here is a recap...

Hebrews 11: Moses

~11:23: By faith Moses was hidden by his parents. Moses’ parents knew that their son was special in the eyes of God and by faith they disobeyed pharaoh in order to obey the Lord. There are times when God will call people to disobey the government in order for them to obey the Lord. 

~Acts 5 is an example of a time when the disciples had to chose between obeying the Lord or the government.  Peter and the other apostles obeyed the Lord rather than man. When the government interferes with obedience to the Lord, our obedience should be to the Lord. There will be times when it will be difficult for us to obey the Lord because there is a spiritual war going on (Ephesians 6:12)! We must remember that all who desire to live godly in Christ Jesus will be persecuted (2 Timothy 3:12)!

Q: Read through Ephesians 6. How does this relate to Moses and what does it teach us about how we are to go about fighting the spiritual battle that is around us?

~11:24-26:  Moses was raised in the house of pharaoh and was eventually offered one of the most prestigious positions in the world. Moses knew the Lord and all of the eternal satisfaction offered by walking with Him and chose to obey God rather than obtain the passing pleasures of sin. Sin does offer us pleasure BUT sin is evil and fleeting and destructive! Moses knew that he could have temporal fulfillment by taking the pleasures offered by Egypt OR he could exercise self control and by faith follow the Lord. The pleasures that sin offers can never satisfy and they always have consequences! In His right hand are pleasures forevermore (Psalm 16). The Lord offers eternal and lasting satisfaction and when we see Him for who He really is, all other temporal pleasures pale in comparison to what He has to offer (Philippians 3).

Q: Read Philippians 3. What temporal satisfaction has the world been offering you lately to tempt you to forsake intimacy with the Lord? How are you fighting that temptation? Remember that we must be walking in the Spirit to overcome sin. He is our source of strength against the temptations of this world...

~Again, Moses was offered the most prestigious position on the planet but he forsook that pleasure and position because he knew that what the Lord had to offer was better! When we look at the life of Moses, we see that his life reflected his faith. Our lives reflect our faith. Moses saw the Lord and His worth and realized that nothing would compare to the joy that was his when he enjoyed the presence of the Lord. Moses could forsake what the world offered because he was looking ahead to the eternal reward in Christ. If we want to continue to walk with the Lord and walk in victory against sin, we must follow the example of Moses by keeping our eyes focused on the eternal reward that is ours in Christ. This world and its pleasures are passing away but intimacy with the Lord Jesus is offered to us on a daily basis and that will never be taken from us. In Matthew 6:19-20, Jesus reminds us about this exact issue. Let us store up treasures that will endure to eternity, not fade away with this world.

Q: Read Matthew 6:19-20. In order for us to store up treasures that are eternal, we must be spending time in the presence of the Lord and growing in our understanding of His greatness. How often are you meditating on the Lord? By meditating on His Word and enjoying His presence, we will have more clear vision to forsake what the world is offering. We need time with Him! We will fail if we try to defeat sin by just sheer willpower. Like Moses, we must defeat sin by looking towards the Lord and what He is offering! We must fix our eyes on what is greater. What has lately been preventing you from enjoying time with the Lord and what changes do you feel Him calling you to make so that you can spend time with Him on a daily basis?

Dear students,

We are so thankful for each one of you. We pray that you will continue to grow in your relationships with the Lord. If we look ahead in the book of Hebrews (Hebrews 13:12), we see that as Jesus suffered for us, we will be called to suffer in this life for His namesake. This suffering though, is short lived and is nothing compared with the eternal joys that we will partake of as children of the Lord through Christ. We pray that you will experience real joy in the presence of Christ this week as you meditate on His Word. We love you all and are so thankful for you!

With hope,

~Sonny and Casi

Hebrews 11: Abraham with Isaac

Dear TVCC Students,

It is always so refreshing to worship with each of you and see the Lord working in your lives. Last night we walked through a different aspect of Abraham's life as it pertained to his love for his son, Isaac. Here is a recap...

Hebrews 11

~“You alone can rescue... You alone can save... You alone can lift us from the grave...” What a great and powerful song. This is how Abraham lived. This is how we are to live. We can see by looking into the life of Abraham that he trusted in the Lord for provision in this life and he hoped in the Lord for eternal fulfillment. When the Lord asked of Abraham the most costly thing, the life of his son, Abraham believed that the Lord's way would ultimately turn out for the best. It is crucial for us to learn from the life of Abraham. God's redemption of us is not for this life only. If we have hope in Christ in this life only, we are to be most pitied (1 Corinthians 15:19). We are hoping in Christ for an eternal kingdom. This eternal hope in Christ should help make the trials of this life seem much more manageable since we know that this is not our eternal home. This is a temporary place with trials and hardship. The real home of believers is the eternal home the Lord is preparing for those that are His children through faith in Jesus.

Q: Have you been experiencing trials lately that have seemed to consume your thoughts? In what ways are you turning those trials over to the Lord knowing that this life is not what we are supposed to be living for? 

~Hebrews 11:13- “all these died in faith...” Their lives made it clear that they are seeking the heavenly country that the Lord is preparing for those that love Him. As much as an earthly father delights in giving gifts to his children, our eternal Father delights so much more in preparing an everlasting city for His children through faith in Christ. 

Q: Have you meditated lately on the fact that the Lord is going ahead of His children to prepare an everlasting city for you if you are His through faith in Christ? How does this truth change the weight of the trials that you go through?

~Hebrews 11: 17-19: Abraham & Isaac

~Genesis 15- God promised (15:5) to make from him many descendants. God promised to give Him children and continued to give Abraham more promises as Abraham continued to walk in obedient faith. Abraham was faithful with little and was given even more. God wants great things for His children and always has more to bless His children with (these may be spiritual blessings or physical blessings). He is the Creator of heaven and earth! What a great Father we serve!

Q: Have you been taking the time to see what the Lord is wanting to do with your life? Have you been in the habit of daily surrendering yourself to the Lord? When He has asked hard things of you, have you been walking in obedience or like Jonah, have you run the opposite way?

~Genesis 22- God tested Abraham by asking Abraham to give up his only son. God wanted all of Abrahams love and to make sure nothing rivaled that love. God often does this with us as well. Sometimes the Lord will take things from us or prevent us from getting certain things because He wants to make sure that our love for Him is not being given to something lesser that will never satisfy us fully. Only the Lord can fully satisfy us!

Q: Is there anything in your life that you might love more than the Lord? What does it look like for you to have Christ as your first love? Are there any changes that you feel the Lord calling you to so that you are not walking in idolatry?

~Genesis 22:3: Abraham rose early in the morning to obey the Lord in giving up his son Isaac. Obeying the Lord was more important than anything else, even Isaac. Nothing is as important as loving the Lord. God always replaces things that He calls us away from with something better (whether it be something we can see or even just a more intimate relationship with Him). We might not always understand in the moment what the Lord is doing when He calls us away from certain things but we can be sure that His ways are best for our good and His glory. Following the Lord is often difficult and uncomfortable but it is so worth it. 

Q: There are times when the Lord will call us to do ‘crazy’ things, but ultimately walking in obedience will be the most satisfying. Is the Lord calling you to give up anything? How often are you dedicating your days to the Lord FIRST thing in the morning?

Dear students,

We are so thankful to see you all week after week coming to enjoy fellowship with the Lord and with other believers. As we said earlier, it is so encouraging to see the Lord working in your lives. We pray that this week you will meditate on the life of Abraham and how he didn't even withhold his most precious son from the Lord. His whole life was surrendered to the Lord and that turned out to be the absolute best thing for Abraham. Absolute surrender is the BEST thing for us as well. Let us this week fully surrender our lives to the Lord and take any steps necessary to make sure that our love for Him is not in competition with anything else in this world. We love you all and are praying for you!

~With hope,

Sonny and Casi

Hebrews 11: Sarah

TVCC Students,
We hope you are having a wonderful week enjoying this rainy weather! We love getting to worship with you all. Last night we continued diving into Hebrews 11 and looked at the life of Sarah. Her life is such an encouragement because when we look at her life, it is easy to see that the Lord lavishes His love on imperfect people who often struggle with a lack of faith. How great to know that God cares for those that sometimes fail. What choice does He have? Though Hebrews 11 hails Sarah as a woman who had faith and believed in the Lord, the account of her life in Genesis shows a much fuller account of her life and how she battled with unbelief and even laughed at the Lord! Here is a recap...

Hebrews 11:  Sarah

~Hebrews 11:11-16: This section teaches us that God is not ashamed to be called the God of these women and men because they are His through faith! It was not their perfect works or sacrifices that made Him proud to be their God, it was because they were His through faith. Once we are His children there is NO condemnation for us (Romans 8:1). We are HIS and He is proud of us.

Q: Romans 8:17 teaches us that we are heirs of God through Christ. Christ takes us from the spiritual state of a helpless orphan and brings us into the most unfathomable inheritance of His through His death and resurrection on our behalf. Do you realize what you have been taken from and what you have been taken TO through Christ? What does it look like to live in light of the wonderful inheritance that is yours through Christ?

~11:11-13: Even Sarah is mentioned in the "Hall of Faith." When we look at Genesis 16 we see that Sarah was far from perfect. Sarah encouraged her husband to disobey the Lord out of fear and impatience. Sarah got tired of waiting on the Lord and decided to make her own plan. She was a regular woman who had genuine fears and doubts. Eventually she came to see that the Lord was trustworthy and would fulfill His promises. Her overall faith in the Lord made her pleasing in His sight. 

~The life of Sarah is seen in Genesis 17: 1-8; 15-18; 18:1-15. Sarah definitely struggled with trusting in the Lord and in His plans for her and Abraham. Sarah laughed at the Lord and she was still put in the book of faith. God has a heart for those who sometimes struggle. He delights in taking those that are weak and showing them His glorious power. Even though she struggled, she had faith! She knew that the Lord had been faithful to her husband and she decided to follow Abraham in trusting the Lord and following Him. She didn’t argue (that we know of) with her husband following the Lord when God called Him to be uprooted from their comforts. 

It's encouraging also to see that her husband played such a significant part in her faith. We must remember that the best testimony we have is to those around us. Our families are our first ministry. Abraham and Sarah encouraged each other with their faith. Know that people will look at your life and see a representation of the Lord. We bare testimony to the goodness of the Lord even though we mess up!

Q: Who are you around on a daily basis? In what ways are you representing the Lord well? What areas do you feel the Lord calling you to improve in how you represent Him? (by His Spirit's power)

~ In order for Abraham and Sarah to trust the Lord, they needed to trust in His Words and cling to those truths. The same is true for us. They knew His promises from His mouth and we must follow in their footsteps to lead lives of faith. Psalm 19: 7 is a great psalm reminding us of the power of the Word of God.  The way that we can know the Lord and know how to represent Him well is by knowing and meditating on His Word. His word tells us who He is! The law of the Lord (His Word) is what makes us wise and gives us counsel to pass on to others. His Word is sweeter than honey and in keeping them is great reward. The Word of God transforms us. God’s WORD created everything and can change us- even the smallest things in our lives that we think are insignificant. 

Q: Have you been meditating on the Word lately?

~Hebrews 11:13-16: We have a mission to do here but this is NOT our home. It is so easy for us to put all of our "eggs" in baskets here, making names for ourselves here but treasures in this life will NOT last! Why would we spend our energy making a name for ourselves here? This does not make sense! Let us live as these people did in Hebrews 11, not for this life but for the everlasting city!

Q: What does it look like for us to be “investing” in eternal things, in the everlasting kingdom? What does it look like for us to be “investing” in this life which is going to be destroyed? Which kingdom have you been investing in lately? How?

Dear students,

We hope that this look into the life of Sarah was encouraging to you all. We all have seasons of doubt where it's difficult to believe in the Words of the Lord. Let us remember that His Word is true and let us spend time meditating on it that we might be transformed continually by it. We are praying for you this week. We pray that you will have sweet times with Jesus and that your faith in Him would be strengthened. We pray that you will invest in heavenly things and not seek treasures that will one day fade away. We love you all!

With hope,

~Sonny and Casi

Hebrews 11: Abraham

Dear TVCC Students,

We hope that you are enjoying the great fall weather and getting to spend some time enjoying the creation of the Lord. We love getting to worship with you all and dive into the Word together! This week we studied the life of Abraham who was an ordinary man who lived a life of faith in the Lord. Here is a recap...

Hebrews 11:8 Abraham

11:8: Abraham was called... then he obeyed. He was a real person who had a real job who was called by the real God to follow Him into an unknown land. His call from God was very challenging. Abram obeyed. Abraham was not super righteous or heroic. He was an ordinary man whom God set His love on. Abraham listened to the Lord who was reaching down to Him. The Lord is reaching down to us through His Son. Christ died to bring us to God.

Q: Are you someone who is seeking to listen to the Lord by reading His Word or have you hardened your heart to His calling to know Him? 

~Genesis 15: THe Lord blesses Abraham because of his belief in the Lord. Belief led to action for Abraham as well. He followed the Lord because he believed the Lord. The Lord tells Abraham not to fear because the Lord is his shield and the LORD is Abraham’s great reward. Jesus inherits everything and Jesus is our prize! Abraham had to leave all of the comforts of his life in order to be able to fully trust in the Lord and let the Lord be his great reward.

Q: What does it look like for you to enjoy Jesus as your great reward, Has He recently called you to leave anything, or change anything in your life? Have you listened? Do you believe that He is your great reward?

~Genesis 15:2:  What did Abraham do to become righteous? He believed God. Belief was what made him righteous. Abram then wanted to know who he was going to pass on the great reward to since he had no heirs. The Lord comforts Abram and promises him an heir that would one day lead to the Messiah. 

~Hebrews 11: God called Abraham away so that he could really experience the Lord as His great reward. When the Lord calls believers, He makes them a NEW CREATION (2 Corinthians 5:17). The old has gone and He is making all things new!! He wants us to believe Him and from that belief, follow Him!

~Hebrews 11:9: Abraham lived as an alien in the land he was called to. 1 Peter 2:11 reminds us that  believers, as aliens in this world, are to abstain from fleshly lusts which wage war against their soul. We are in a spiritual war. The enemy is real and he is out to destroy our faith and keep us from enjoying the presence of the Lord. Aliens are offensive by their nature and not welcome in the land that that isn't their home. We are aliens in this world. We are outsiders and the world will not embrace us. We need to be aware of this battle so that it does not destroy our souls. All who desire to live godly in Christ will be persecuted!

Q: Read 2 Corinthians 5:21 with 2 Timothy 3:12. Have you experienced any sort of rejection from the world? How do you deal with that rejection/ persecution in light of the truth that you are son or daughter of the Lord of Creation through faith in the death and resurrection of Christ?

Dear students,

We are so thankful to get to worship alongside of you every week. We pray that you would enjoy sweet times in the presence of Jesus this week. Remember... He is our great reward. Nothing else will satisfy us fully and eternally than being in right relations with the Lord God through Jesus, Let us walk with Him this week and obey Him out of a heart of love and thankfulness. We love you!

With hope,

~Sonny & Casi

Hebrews 11: Noah

Dear TVCC Students,
We hope you are enjoying the fall weather these days! We are so encouraged to see you all coming out on Wednesday evenings to worship and divide the Word of God. It has been such a blessing to go through Hebrews along with you all and see all that the Lord wants to share with us through His Word. Last night we studied the life of Noah from Hebrews 11 and Genesis 6. Here is a recap...

Before jumping into the story of Noah, we must remember Hebrews 11:1.  Faith is the assurance of things hoped for and the conviction of things unseen. Faith is unique in that it cannot literally be seen (as in someone "holding" faith) but it can be "seen" in the way one lives. The people he was writing to thought that works (following the law) were what made them righteous but it was faith all along. Works reveal faith. What really pleased the Lord under the law was those that obeyed the law out of a heart of faith and love towards Him (remember Abel and how his faith led to him giving sacrifices to the Lord). Faith has attributes that we can identify through our lives. 

Recap from Hebrews 11:1-6:

~Abel worshipped God through faith and offered to God a sacrifice because he loved the Lord. Worship filled sacrifice flowed from a heart of love. (Romans 12:2). 

~Enoch walked with the Lord and God took him! Again, this is what the Lord wants for us- for us to walk with the Lord daily.

Hebrews 11:7: Noah believed the Lord and his life revealed his belief through him building the ark and entering into the ark. Faith led to action!

~Genesis 6:5-22: Noah walked with God as Enoch did. The things that the Lord was asking of Noah were things that were not in Noah’s daily "vocabulary" (he lived in the desert and had probably not even heard of a flood). Yet Noah obeyed. It took over 100 years for him to build this ark. Noah's faith had led him to set his heart to obey God and he followed through with it. 

Q: Have there been things in your life that have not totally made sense to you that you have been asked to obey? How did you respond to His calling? What did you learn from that situation?

~Genesis 6:11: Why did the Lord not just completely destroy the human race? God had made a covenant with Adam and Eve that through their descendants a Savior would come. The Lord’s faithfulness was what kept the Lord from completely destroying the whole earth. God had made a promise and He went to elaborate measures to keep His word. He still goes to elaborate measures to keep His promises. Let us find those promises in His Word and cling to them because He who promised is faithful!! 

Q: Read Philippians 1:6. The Lord will complete what He has began . Read Romans 8:1. There is no condemnation for those that are in Christ! Let us cling to these promises of God. What promises of the Lord have you seen lately that we can cling to?

~Genesis 6:18: God called Noah to enter the ark after he had built it. God had seen Noah’s works which revealed his faith. Noah believed God and his life showed that belief. He spent years building the ark and then continued to act in faith as he boarded the ark and prepared for the flood.

~Genesis 7:16: God closed the door behind the ark, not Noah. Other people could have responded to the Lord’s warning of the coming flood but no one else wanted to come. Then the Lord closed the door! From this we can see that the Lord is patient and not quick to anger. It would have taken around 100 years for Noah to build the ark, giving people time to hear of the Lord's coming wrath and respond in faith.

~2 Peter 3:10-16: Just as in the days of Noah, The Day of the Lord is coming. We are told that it will come like a thief in the night and that we must be ready. Since these things are coming, how ought we to live? Each day that we live is another day of the Lord’s patience where He is waiting to destroy this world until all of His children have come to faith in Him. We are called to be His ambassadors (2 Corinthians 5:20) and warn people of His wrath that is coming. 

Q: Read Revelation 21. Are we sharing His truth with others that they might escape that wrath? What changes do you feel the Lord calling you to since you know that the day of the Lord is coming soon? Remember that we are called to be displaying His name to those around us.

~James 2:14: From the life of Noah we can see some great truths. What use is it if someone says that he has faith but has no works? Faith without works is dead! If Noah would have just said he believed and did not obey- would he have been saved? Actions reveal faith! Faith without works is DEAD and will not save. Yes, faith is what saves but faith is not just a mental exercise. Faith is expressed through action. 

Q: If people just looked at how you live, not what you say, would they say that you are living for an eternal kingdom or for this life only?

~Genesis 9: It is also encouraging for us to remember that even though Noah had great faith in the Lord, he still struggled. He did not always behave righteously. We all still struggle (which is why Paul says that he has not already obtained perfection- Philippians 3:12) with acting foolishly at times but the Lord still calls us righteous once and for all if we have faith in the blood of Christ on our behalf. Jesus saves us! Let us live lives of faith knowing His great love for us!

Q: Think about a few ways that you have acted in rebellion to the Lord in the past month. Now, think about the FACT that if you have trusted in Christ there is NO condemnation for you because Christ took the condemnation that you deserved. How does this make you feel? What changes do you feel the Lord calling you to make so that you do not return to that rebellion?

Dear students,

We are always so encouraged to see what the Lord is doing in your lives. We love seeing how you all love one another and strive together for the glory of the Lord. We pray that this week you would believe in the Lord Jesus and that His ways are better. We hope that your lives will shout to this world that Jesus is Lord and that we are living for an eternal kingdom that will never be shaken. We love you all. Remember the life of Noah this week. Faith led to action! Let us follow his example in this.

With hope,

~Sonny and Casi 

Hebrews 11: Enoch

Dear TVCC Students,
Last night was so encouraging! We were able to witness Spencer getting baptized and able to dive more into Hebrews 11. As always, our hearts are so encouraged to worship the Lord with you all and see you soaking up the truths in His Word. Sonny spent time looking into the life of Enoch last night. Here is a recap...

Hebrews 11: Hall of Faith. People listed in Hebrews 11 were by no means perfect but were those who trusted the Lord and lived lives of faith despite their shortcomings.

~11:1-4: Men of old gained approval by their faith, not by their works! Works reveal faith but faith is what makes one righteous before the Lord. Remember though that once we have faith in Christ, we are called to have our lives be living sacrifices (Romans 12).  Pouring out your life for Him is the most wonderful thing that you can do- it is ETERNAL. Again, works do NOT save you but after you have received grace to believe in Christ, works will follow (Ephesians 2:8-10)

Q: Read Ephesians 2:8-10 and James 2:14-26. Do you see the correlation between works and faith? Genuine faith will have works following it. Belief will have an effect on your life. If someone looked JUST at your life, not at what you SAID, would they see someone who is living a life of faith in Christ? Are there any changes you feel the Lord calling you to in order to have your life aligned with His desires for you?

~1:5-6: Enoch was taken up. Enoch did not taste death. Wow... Let that sink in! Genesis 5:21-24. Enoch walked with God and “was not” for God took Him! "Walking with God" is what the Lord wants for us just as He did for Enoch. This is what Jesus died for (1 Peter 3:18). Even though we are completely undeserving of "walking" with Him, He still desires this for us. If we look at 2 Corinthians 6:14 we see that we are not to be bound together with unbelievers. Believers and unbelievers are different beings and it is dangerous for us to surround ourselves with those that are not like minded. How wonderful for us that even though we are so different from the Lord, He still wants us to walk with Him. There is such a great chasm between us and the Lord; He bridged that gap through Christ so that we could “walk” with Him. 

Q: Read 1 Peter 3:18. What does it look like for you to "walk" with the Lord on a daily basis? Others noticed that Enoch walked with the Lord by the way that He lived. Who in your life have you seen "walking with the Lord?" The Word tells us to imitate the FAITH of those that encourage us (Hebrews 13:7). What things do you think contribute to their "walk" with the Lord that can be emulated in the lives of others? 

~2 Peter 1:3-10: He has granted to us all we need for life and godliness just as He did with Enoch. The Lord has made a way for us to be partakers of the divine nature through the death and resurrection of Christ so that we can now relate to Him. He has restored what was lost.

Q: Which of the things listed in 1 Peter 1:3-10 do you feel that the Lord wants you to work on (by His power)? What steps do you want to take to grow in that area this week?

~1 Corinthians 6:9-11: The unrighteous will not inherit the kingdom of God. All of us were unrighteous before our redemption in Christ (Romans 3). The Lord has made us righteous in Christ. We have been washed by the blood of Christ and are now different. Because we are now washed, let us live differently. Let us press into the Lord. Let us walk with Him out of love as Enoch did. Walking with Him involves us listening to the Lord and speaking to Him. Enjoy time with Him! As long as we are still taking in breath, we still have an opportunity to walk with the Lord!

Q: Have you been walking with the Lord this week? What has that looked like? In what areas do you feel the Lord calling you to change so that your walk with Him will be more intimate?

~Romans 3: How was Enoch pleasing to the Lord? He was not justified by his works. That was not even possible. Enoch was justified by his faith just as we are justified by faith. Faith in the work of Christ is what makes us righteous before the Lord. Without faith it is impossible to please God! We must believe that He is God and that He has made us clean through Jesus. Our works will follow genuine faith.

Q: Are you believing in the Lord Jesus this week? Have you spent time in His Word this week knowing that He who began a good work in you is faithful to complete it?

Dear Students,

We pray that this week you will follow the example of Enoch and genuinely walk with the Lord. We pray that you will listen to Him as you read His Word and gain insight into His heart. We pray that you will speak to Him in prayer and pour out your hearts continually to Him as you would your best friend. Remember that He is in control of everything- both the good and the bad. Everything that happens is an opportunity for us to grow in our relationship with the Lord and for us to show others His power through us who believe. We love you all!

With hope,

~Sonny and Casi 

Hebrews 11:1-4

TVCC Students,
It has been so wonderful to dive into the book of Hebrews with you all and see the redemption that is ours in Christ. This Wednesday we took a look at the beginning of Hebrews 11, the "hall of faith." Here is a recap...

Hebrews 11:1-4

-11:1-2: The word “faith” is referenced 6 times before Hebrews 11 but is referenced 18 times in the next 2 chapters after this. All of Hebrews was building up to this point: the Savior would come to offer complete freedom from the bondage brought by sin and that freedom would be accomplished through faith. Faith is the assurance of things hoped for, the conviction of things unseen. Faith is not just believing that God exists but that He is capable of doing what He says He will do. Faith is an action!

Q: Is the "faith" you claim to have in Christ just "faith" that He exists or do you really believe/trust that His Word is true and that He will accomplish His plans? If people looked at your life, not just what you say, would they see a life of faith in you? Why do you think so?

-11:3: God invented time. He is the Author of everything and is continually holding it all together... perfectly. Nothing happens that is outside of His complete control. God is worthy of placing our trust in because He holds everything in His hands (Psalm 104). Again, His Word holds everything together and we have access to this Word! Jesus is the Word of God (John 1). Let us draw near to the Lord through Christ who made peace between us and the Lord (Hebrews 10:19)! There is nothing better for us than for us to draw near to Him as He has cleansed us. As stated earlier, genuine faith leads to action (James). Let’s look back at our calling that comes from faith...

-Hebrews 10:19-24: These are the actions that come from the faith genuine believers have in Christ. This is the call of God for those that are the Lord’s through Christ.

1. Draw Near to Him.
2. Hold fast to the confession of your hope in Christ
3. Do not forsake assembling together with other believers and consider how to stir others to love and good works.

Q: Read Hebrews 10:19. Do you spend time realizing that the Lord who created light and planets is the same God who wants to have an intimate relationship with you through Jesus Christ!? Which of the previous three "works of faith" do you feel that you need the most work on (by the power of the Spirit)?

-11:4: Cain and Abel: Go back to Genesis 4 to see this situation. Cain’s offering was not accepted by the Lord. Cain believed in the existence of God but wanted to compromise with the Lord. He was not accepted! The Lord has a specific plan for how we are able to approach Him. We have access to the Lord through Christ alone (Acts 4:12). After trusting in Christ, the Lord wants our lives to be living sacrifices to Him- for us to trust in Him completely and walk in joyful obedience to Him. He will not accept anything less. We fail often but thanks be to God that we walk by grace! Christ in us is our righteousness! The Spirit continues to sanctify us as we seek to grow in Him.

Q: Is your life being lived more like Cain or Abel? Are you trying to come to God on your own terms or are you continually seeking to submit your life to the Lord and His desires- trusting in Christ completely for your salvation and sanctification?

Dear Students,

As always, we are praying for you and we love getting to see you all grow in Christ and in your love for one another. We pray that this week your faith in Christ would be lived out in a powerful way and that all of our lives would bring glory to King Jesus. We encourage you to read through some of the Psalms (especially Psalm 19 and 104) and meditate on the fact that the God of creation wants an intimate relationship with you. We love you guys and gals!!

With hope,

~Sonny and Casi 

Hebrews 10: Law fulfilled in Christ

TVCC Students,

As always we are so blessed to worship with you all on Wednesday evenings. It is so refreshing to us to worship with you all.  This past Wednesday Sonny taught us about how Christ fulfilling the law would have turned the lives of these early Hebrews completely upside down. Belief in Jesus would have cost them so much and there is much we can learn from them and the letter written to them. Here is a recap...

Hebrews 10

-10:26-27: As we said last week, this letter was written to a Jewish crowd (the Hebrews) that were coming out of the system of the law. They were rule followers who often found their identity in being rule keepers. The fact is (the author points out), is that the Lord is coming against sinners and the law could not/cannot completely eradicate sin completely.  This is a terrifying thing. Go back to verse 18... now that Christ has come, there no longer remains a sacrifice under the old law that will offer cleansing. Jesus has paid the price in full. The old system has been done away with-  one cannot earn righteousness on their own. Trying to find righteousness apart from Christ leads only to God's wrath as sin would still remain. We need Jesus alone!

Q: What are you really trusting in to get you to heaven? Are you depending on your own "goodness" or are you really trusting in Jesus' life, death, and resurrection? Read Isaiah 64:6. How does this verse relate to Hebrews 10?

-10:26-31: When we see how much we deserve His wrath, we really should appreciate so much more His incredible kindness through Christ. Only Jesus can save! We are under grace now and the old, incomplete law has been done away with. We are forgiven in Christ!

Q: When was the last time you spent a little while meditating and being thankful for the forgiveness that you have in Christ?

-10:32- 34: When these Hebrew people came to Christ, it cost them so much. The old system of the law had been their whole life and they had to lose and give that up in order to gain Christ. For some of them it meant isolation from family, the loss of jobs, or even physical persecution. Through everything though, a true believer will agree with Paul in Philippians 3- nothing compares to knowing Jesus. Knowing Jesus is so worth it BUT it is difficult! Christ changes your whole life!

Q: Read 2 Timothy 3:12. What are your thoughts on this verse in light of Hebrews 10? How does this correspond with your life and what the Lord is calling believers to?

-10:32-34: The prize that Christ offers is so much better than anything the law could offer. If we look ahead to Hebrews 12:26 we see the kingdom that we are offered through Christ is an everlasting one. This is seen throughout the whole scriptures. This life here is just a small speck in light of eternity. When we realize this, we can endure hardships. This life is just a vapor. It is just the beginning of eternity! Remember this!! The author of Hebrews was calling believers to be living for the kingdom that will last forever. Our calling in Christ has not changed!

Q: Read 1 Peter 1. How does this relate to Hebrews 10? How are you personally doing at remembering that this life is fading fast and that we should be living for eternity? What changes do you feel the Lord calling you to make in light of the truths of Hebrews 10 and 1 Peter 1?

-10:35-38: God’s righteous ones will live by faith! This is not something that we can muster up on our own or even sustain on our own. Faith is a gift from the Lord (Ephesians 2:8-9). We must continually be depending on the Lord to sustain our faith and make us pleasing to Him. Again, we must also understand that we are inheriting an everlasting kingdom and this life is not what we should be living for. We should not care about the things of this life because this really isn’t LIFE. Let us endure this life with complete dependance on His Spirit which lives in us through faith. This life changes so rapidly let us live for what really matters by the power of the Spirit.  Let us invest in the people around us and call them to something higher- to Jesus! The song of the believer should continually be... For us to live is Christ and to die is gain (Philippians 1:21).

Q: What does it look like on a daily basis to be depending on the Spirit to sustain your faith? What changes do you feel the Lord calling you to make in light of Hebrews 10 and Philippians 1:21?

-10:39: Since we have confidence through Jesus, let us draw near with assurance. Jesus has made us righteous. We are so faithless and needy but He is faithful! Again, we must remember that we cannot sustain our faith- Jesus sustains us through the Spirit. He saves us and He brings our faith to completion! 

Q: Read 1 Thessalonians 5:24. What life implications does this verse have in light of Hebrews 10?

Q: The day is drawing near when this life will be done.  How ought we to live in light of that truth and our calling in Christ?

Dear Students,

We think and pray for you so often. We are praying that this week you will be depending continually on the Spirit to sustain and grow your faith. We pray that both the good and bad times will draw you closer to Lord. We love you all and pray that you will be enjoying your Savior this week.

With hope,

~Sonny and Casi

Hebrews 10

TVCC Students,
We love getting to worship with each of you on Wednesday evenings. It refreshes out hearts to see you engaging the Lord and spending time encouraging each other. Last night Sonny went through Hebrews 10 and how the offering of Christ was complete and gives us access to the Lord with confidence. Here is a recap...

Hebrews 10

10:1-11- Jesus offered Himself and then sat down. Where the sacrificial system failed to perfect people, Jesus came to the rescue. His offering was complete and final. He offered Himself once and this offering cleansed completely and forever all who believe in Him!

Q: Have you ever sat down and contemplated the reality that Jesus took YOUR place on the cross? Not just that He died for the sins of the world but that He was sacrificed for YOU personally? How should this affect the way you view the One who sacrificed Himself for YOU?

~10:1-13- During the time that this book was written two worlds were colliding. There were those who were holding fast to the Jewish law (sacrificial system needed to approach God and avoid his wrath) and the NEW covenant.  Jesus brought this New Covenant when He came as a sinless man who died in our place. Because He was sinless and completely filled the law, He could take our sin on His body so that we could become the righteousness of God in Him.

Q: Read 2 Corinthians 5:21. What life implications should this have for us when we live DAILY in light of this reality? No sacrificial system is needed anymore. Jesus gives us access to the LORD who spun the galaxies into existence.

~10:14: Jesus’ blood was so rich, powerful and EFFECTIVE!! It paid for the sin of mankind forever. Sonny spoke about the liquid drug that was given to His grandfather that healed his heart for a time. He was given a powerful drug that was effective. Again... Jesus’ blood was rich, powerful and EFFECTIVE!!The sacrificial system just appeased the wrath of God for a time but Jesus was OFFERED once and for ALL and then SAT DOWN... it is FINISHED!!

Q: Read John 19:30. Are there any changes that you feel the Lord calling you to make to live a more thankful lives in light of this verse and the knowledge that Jesus gave His blood so that we could be righteous?

~10:14-16: Jesus has perfected those who are being sanctified.  Jesus makes us perfect positionally and then His Spirit works on us daily in order for us to mirror Him more each day (sanctification). We are children of the Lord through Christ (nothing can change that) and are being made to look more like Him through His spirit.

Q: In what ways have you seen the Spirit working in you this week? ****If you cannot think of anything, we encourage you to really think about your relationship with the Lord. When we have a relationship with someone, there WILL BE things we can call to mind regarding that relationship. If there is nothing that we can think of that is "happening" in the relationship, maybe we are deceived in thinking that we are actually in a relationship.

~10:14-16: The new covenant is supposed to do so much more than just make us begrudgingly follow the rules of the Lord. Jesus died to change our hearts to where we will long for Him and obey Him out of a love for Him. He creates in us a longing for Him. His Spirit is within us constantly drawing us to Him.

Q: In what ways have you felt His Spirit drawing you to Him this week? If you haven't felt Him drawing you this week, are there any things in your life that are maybe preventing you from being able to hear Him? We encourage you to remove any hindrances that are keeping you from the Lord.

~10:17-18: Our sins are remembered no more in Christ. Wow. This is the NEW COVENANT through Christ. Complete forgiveness!! Blessed is the man whose sins are forgiven (Psalm 32:1)!!! Praise Jesus!! This should cause an extreme amount of love to flow from us. Yes there are earthly consequences that might come because of our sins but God is not against us once we have become His in Christ. Yes, He does discipline us (as any good Father does... Hebrews 12) but this does not change His love for us. There is no offering that we have to give to cleanse us- Jesus cleansed us!

Q: What has your attitude towards Christ been like lately? Read Psalm 32:1. What should your attitude look like in light of this verse and the forgiveness that is yours through the blood of Jesus?

~10:19: In Christ, we have confidence and have a great High Priest who intercedes for us. Knowing that Jesus stands between us and the wrath of God, let us...

1. Draw near to the Lord God of heaven and earth! God wants us to draw near to Him through the blood of Jesus with confidence!! Our lives matter to the Lord and He wants to be involved in our daily lives! We do not need to shrink away from Him in shame. All of our sins are forgiven. Period.

2. Hold fast to the confession of our hope...  Jesus' life, death, & resurrection on our behalf. This is our hope. Philippians 3 calls us to put no confidence in the flesh. If anyone could put confidence in the flesh, Paul (the author of Philippians) could. He knew that was not his call in Christ. His whole confidence (after he was spiritually wrecked by the Lord in Acts 9) was in Christ. Our salvation and sanctification does not depend on us but on God who has mercy (Romans 9). Let us hold fast to Jesus! Plead for His mercy to continually be on us and to make us more like Him. We are the faithless ones but He is faithful. He will never disappoint. Let us remember this and hold fast to Him.

3. Stimulate one another to love and good deeds. We were saved by grace for a purpose- to declare His glory to this world and to accomplish the good works that He has prepared for us (Ephesians 2:10). Our DAILY lives should be leading others to Christ. Let us encourage one another to meet together to push each other to Christ. Encourage each other to the finish line!

Q: Which of the previous three bullet points "hits home" the hardest with you? Are there any areas of your life that you feel the Spirit calling you to change as you think about these three truths?

Dear Students,

We are so thankful for each one of you. So often we speak of how grateful we are to be a part of the work that the Lord is doing in your lives. You all encourage us so much. We pray that this week you will think often on the forgiveness that is yours in Jesus. He paid the penalty for our sins so that we could enjoy a relationship with the Father without fear or shame. What a great salvation we have in Christ! We pray that you will enjoy the sweetness of the presence of the Lord this week. We love you!

With hope,

~Sonny and Casi

Hebrews 9: Jesus Completes the Sacrificial System...

Dear TVCC Students,
It has been so great to worship with you all lately. With all of the craziness of us adding little Pax to our family, it's so encouraging to come see you guys on Wednesday engaging the Lord and enjoying fellowship with one another. We have moved from Deuteronomy back into the book of Hebrews. Last night, Sonny taught us through Hebrews 9. Here is a recap...

Hebrews 9

~9:1-10: The sacrificial system revealed the huge separation between man and the Lord. God had set up commandments for His children to obey and had set up the sacrificial system as a means of temporary atonement for them if they did not obey. There were so many rules and regulations in that system and it was ultimately incomplete. This is why Christ came!

a) If we look back at Hebrews 1:1-3, we see that Jesus was (and is) the exact representation of the Father and as such was the only person whose death could completely atone for the sins of mankind as He was the only who fully obeyed the law.

b) All of the aspects of the Sacrificial System point us to Jesus. Here are just a few examples...
     1) the Lampstand was placed inside the Tabernacle... John 9 shows us that Jesus is the light!
     2) the Sacred bread was also inside the Tabernacle...  John 6 shows us that Jesus is the bread of life!

Q: Take a minute to think about how Jesus is the BREAD of life and how He is the LIGHT of the world. Why do you think the Lord uses these words to describe Himself? How should these truths about who Jesus is affect our daily lives as believers? Do you think there are any changes the Lord wants you to make in your life as you have meditated on these aspects of who Jesus is?

~9:11-12: Jesus came to offer complete and eternal redemption for mankind. The sacrificial system could only cleanse a person temporarily and they would have to come back regularly to offer even more sacrifices for ongoing sins. There was even a day set up (Yom Kippur) for all unintentional and unknown sins! Jesus came ONCE and FOR ALL!  He set aside His glory in heaven (Acts 17), came down as a humble servant to die in our place, and went back to glory after He was resurrected from the dead- completing our redemption!

Q: What does it look like for you to make time in your life to daily meditate on the redemption that Christ purchased for us?

~9:11-12 (and verse 8): When we look back at Matthew 27:45, we see that after Jesus died, the veil to the temple was torn from TOP to BOTTOM! The Lord was showing that the separation between Him and man had been mended ONCE and FOR ALL. Those who trust in Jesus' death and resurrection on their behalf do not have to try and atone for their own sins (which cannot even be done). Christ completed our atonement! By trusting in Christ, a believer has the promise of eternal redemption. Nothing can then separate the believer from the Lord! Believers were purchased by Christ and are sealed forever by His blood!

~9:13-14: The blood of Jesus didn't just rescue us from the failings of the sacrificial system, it went into the depths of each believer to cleanse their consciences. Sin causes people to have their consciences seared, thus preventing them from enjoying an intimate relationship with the Lord. We saw that in Adam and Eve after they had first sinned and went to hide from the Lord. The blood of Jesus cleanses that guilt that prevents man from enjoying the Lord.

Q: 1 John calls us to confess our sins to the Lord in order to have a cleansed conscience (our salvation is a free gift but unconfessed sin still weighs us down and prevents us from enjoying intimacy with the Lord just as the unconfessed sin of a child to his parent doesn't change their status as a child but prevents them from enjoying an unhindered relationship with their parents). Take a minute and think if there is any unconfessed sin in your life that is keeping you from walking in peace and joy in the Lord. Confess that sin and thank the Lord Jesus for being crucified so that you could be freed.

~9:13-14: The restoration that Jesus brings has a purpose. Not only does it grant us eternal life and cleanse our consciences but it gives us the freedom to serve the Lord without fear. The main job of God's people has always been to represent Him to the world. While under the burden of sin, this was impossible. Jesus redeems us, restores our relationship with the Lord, and then calls us to represent Him to the world. We have been saved and He has prepared work for us to do to showcase His incredible glory! We see this all over the Scripture. 1 Corinthians 6:12 reminds us that we are the temple if the Holy Spirit and we are called to glorify the Lord in our body.

Q: Please read 1 Corinthians 6:18-20. What implications to these verses have for the everyday life of the believer? What changes do you feel the Lord calling in order for your life to live out these verses well?

Dear students,
We cannot tell you how thankful we are for each one of you. We pray often for you- that you would be walking in the freedom and joy of the Lord and that you would each be witnessing Him moving in your lives. We pray this week that you will meditate on how Christ came to fulfill the sacrificial system that couldn't offer freedom for God's people. We pray that you will walk in thankfulness to Christ and live this week to display His glory to this world. We love you!

With hope,
~Sonny and Casi

Deuteronomy 4:23-40: That It May Go Well With You.

Dear TVCC Students,
We are continually thankful to be able to worship with you all every Wednesday. We know that summertime makes it difficult for a lot of you to come on a consistent basis but we are still going to keep pushing through our study of Deuteronomy for those that are able to come. This past Wednesday, we focused on another warning that Moses was giving to the people of Israel before they headed into the promised land. Here is a recap...

Deuteronomy 4:23-40

~4:23-24: Moses had just recounted how his own disobedience to the Lord had led to his discipline and thus him not being able to enter the promised land. He then calls Israel to watch themselves to make sure that they are not ensnared by the worship of any idols as the Lord is a consuming fire, a jealous God. The Lord wants complete devotion. He would not allow Israel to worship Him along with a multitude of other false gods. If they started to do this, He would certainly discipline them FOR THEIR GOOD.

~The same is true for us. We cannot serve the Lord and be "bowing down" to other gods (Matthew 6:24). If we start to do this, we, as His children, will certainly be disciplined by Him (Hebrews 12) FOR OUR GOOD. It is not good for the Lord to let us engage in false worship without Him trying to bring us back. Just as with Israel, the Lord wants our full devotion. He wants us to love Him with all of our heart, soul, mind, and strength (Luke 10:27).

Q: We do not necessarily struggle with actually bowing down to idols but we certainly do "bow down" in a spiritual sense and give lesser things our love and devotion. What are some things that you struggle with worshipping other than the Lord Jesus? In what ways have you felt His discipline when you start to worship those things?

~4:25-28: After Moses finished warning Israel with sternness not to forsake the Lord, he adds a refreshing clause... "but when you do..." Though Moses knew that it was in Israel's best interest to have an undivided heart towards the Lord that had chosen them and led them out of slavery, he was by no means naive to the hearts and inclinations of mankind. Israel would rebel and serve false gods. This next section is an account of what would happen to Israel when they rebelled. They would succumb to worship of false gods and they would be scattered and perish from the land the Lord gave them. Israel's blessing for walking in obedience was getting to possess and enjoy the land that the Lord gave them. When they would rebel, the Lord would bring physical calamity upon them in order to bring them to repentance so that He could restore them.

~For us in Christ, our blessing is to enjoy the presence of Christ. When we start to worship false gods, we are not able to enjoy intimacy with Him. Yes, we are still His children just as Israel was still His chosen nation, but He will not allow us to walk intimately with Him while engaging in worship of something other than Himself. We are His children through Christ (1 Peter 2:9). We are called to be a people that proclaim His excellencies with our mouths and lives. When we cease to do this, we can be assured that He will allow distance to exist between us and Him in order to show us that false gods offer no real satisfaction. Just as the Lord told Israel in Judges 10 to let their false gods try and save them, the Lord will often remove His nearness so that we can see that false gods are empty. Yes, satan can deceive us into thinking that worshipping something other than the Lord will be beneficial and fulfilling but we will eventually see that all of satan's lures and promises just lead to death.

Q: Have you recently felt the presence of the Lord removed from you because you have been lured to worship gods that are false? What have you done when you noticed distance between you and the Lord?

~4:29-30: The next part of the cycle that Israel would be led into because of their sin would be returning to the Lord. This was the Lord's hope in their discipline. The cycle would involve them turning to other gods, being disciplined by the Lord, and them finally repenting and returning after seeing how empty and destitute other gods left them. Only the Lord God would satisfy, protect, and offer full peace and joy. They would return to the Lord with their whole heart just as He desired. He wouldn't settle for anything less than their full and undivided devotion.

~The same is true for us in Christ. We are often led by our sinful inclinations into a cycle of sin and rebellion. We start to worship lesser gods, are distanced from the presence of the Lord, find ourselves empty in our pursuit of worthless things, and return to the Lord broken yet ready to give Him our whole selves again knowing that He alone can satisfy! The Lord will not allow lukewarm worship (Revelation 3). He wants all of us and will give us all of Himself through the Spirit (He has already given us His whole life in Christ dying on the cross on our behalf but He gives the Spirit to His children through faith).

Q: When was the last time you experienced genuine repentance for worshipping false gods and experienced the sweet presence of Jesus as He forgave and restored you?

~4:31: The Lord is gracious and compassionate! Though we saw earlier that He is a jealous God and a consuming fire- His character does not end there. He is also full of grace and compassion to those that humbly come to Him (Psalm 51:17). His heart has always been to have His children near to Him through faith and to have them walking with Him with their whole hearts. This is His desire. When Israel repented, He was ready to forgive and restore them. The same is true for us. When we recognize our rebellion and return to Him, He overwhelms us with His presence. Christ has already paid for our sins and given us access to the Father. When we repent of false worship, He stands ready to forgive and accept us based on the work of Jesus on our behalf!

~4:32-35: Our God is so different from all other gods. History has proven time and time again that He alone is God. He alone satisfies. He alone can deliver from the power of sin and death just as He alone could deliver Israel!

~4:35-38: The Lord drew Israel to Himself. He chose that small and insignificant people to be His children; To represent His glory to the whole world. The same is true for us. The Lord chose His people through Christ Jesus. John 6:44 makes it clear that we did not chose Him. We were called by Him to receive grace through faith in Christ and now we are His children- called to proclaim His glory to the whole world. He has promised us a lasting kingdom that will never fail (1 Peter 1). We are called to live thankful lives as we live in light of all that the Lord has done to bring us to Himself and save us from the wrath that we deserved.

Q: How are you living in light of what Christ has done to purchase you? What changes do you feel the Lord calling you to make so that you can represent Him well and live thankfully?

~4:39: There is NO OTHER GOD like the Lord our God! Only the Lord satisfies. All other false gods will leave us empty and wretched!

~4:40: Moses was calling Israel to meditate on these truths. The Lord alone is God. He alone satisfies. Because this is true- walk with Him in obedience. Obey Him out of love not obligation. It was for their good that they obey Him. It is for OUR GOOD that we obey Him out of love.


Dear Students,
We love you all and hope that this summer has been a time for you to really devote yourself to the Word of God and to knowing your Savior more through His Word, worship, and fellowship. We pray that the rest of the summer would be so fruitful for you and that you would be "watching yourselves" to make sure that you are not lured away to worshipping lesser things that will never satisfy. We are praying for you this week!

With hope.
~Sonny and Casi

Deuteronomy 4: 1-24: Watch Yourselves Carefully!

TVCC Students,
Well, we made it home from camp and are now in full swing of summer. Last night Sonny took us through Deuteronomy 4 and the implications of this passage are so relevant to where we are as believers in Jesus. The Lord was warning the people through Moses to be on the alert and "watch" themselves so that they would not be led away from pure devotion to the Lord. What a great reminder for each of us. Here is a recap from last night:

Deuteronomy 4:1-24

~4:1-8: God was giving the commands to Israel so that they would live and be able to take possession of the land that He was wanting to give them. Just as with Israel, God's ways are for our good and His glory. He is the perfect Father, always wanting the best for His children. At times, we, in our finite wisdom, might not understand why He calls us away from certain things, but we must trust that His ways are higher than ours (Isaiah 55:8-9) and that He really does know what is best for us. Verses 1-8 are reminders to Israel of the faithfulness of the Lord and serve to remind them that seeking the Lord is the wisest thing they can do. Satan would use other nations to try and steer them away from the Lord, but nothing would satisfy them and keep them safe unless the Lord was behind it. The same is true for us. Satan tries to use things of this world to deter us from wholehearted devotion to the Lord but nothing other than presence of Christ will satisfy us fully and completely!

Q: Do you notice the ploys of satan to distract you from following the Lord wholeheartedly? What specifically does he use in your life to try and keep you from enjoying the presence of Jesus?

~4:9: After reminding Israel of how wonderful their life is by having a God so near to them, the Lord calls them to action. He calls them to give heed to themselves and keep their souls diligently! He calls them to remember what their eyes have seen and to not let those things depart from their heart. There is such a correlation (for both Israel and us today) between what eyes see and what the heart is led to love and be devoted to. If our eyes are continually focused on the Lord and His greatness, it is much easier for our hearts to stay in worship of Him. When our eyes are constantly on things of the world and the things that satan promises will offer satisfaction, it is so easy for our hearts to turn to those empty things to find fulfillment. God is calling Israel to remember how easy it was for them to be led astray from devotion to Him. The call is the same for us today. Ephesians 5:15-21 calls us believers in Christ to be careful how we walk! God has always been wanting His children to watch themselves carefully to make sure that they are not being led astray!

Q: What have your eyes been focusing on lately? What has your heart been led to worship and meditate on lately? What helps you to keep your heart focused on the Lord? What deters you from steadfast worship of Him?

~4:10-11: God calls Israel to remember the day that He chose them and was calling them to follow Him into the promised land. The same is true for us who believe in Christ. We are called to remember how we were all miserable, wretched, poor, blind, and naked (Rev. 3) and He saved us. We were dead in our trespasses and sins and He made us alive (Eph. 2:5). Our salvation was His doing. By His grace we have been healed. Let us remember this constantly and let this truth lead us to living thankful lives for the Lord, our Redeemer!

Q: Have you pondered lately where you were before Christ came to redeem you? Have you spent time thanking Him lately for His choosing of you?

~4:12-14: After the Lord chose to make a great nation out of Israel, He gave them His Word (ten commandments) that they might know Him and please Him. His Word was supposed to draw them nearer to Him. His Word reveals His heart and character. The same is true for us. The Lord has given us His Word in human form, in Jesus, and when we look to Him, we see the glory of the One who chose us and gave us life. Through the bible, we see who Jesus was/is and we can see what pleases the Lord. Philippians 3 reminds us that the best thing for us is to pursue and know Christ. One of the best ways to do this is through meditation on the Scriptures and asking the Lord to reveal Himself to us through His written word. This will help keep us from being trapped by the schemes of satan.

Q: What does it look like for you to pursue Christ on a daily basis? When you look at your daily life, do you see someone who is diligently pursuing the Lord or is something else captivating your heart?

~4:15-19: After reminding them of His Word given to them, the Lord calls Israel to be careful to not be led astray to worship the empty things that surrounding nations were prone to worship. We will do well to heed this call. So many things are vying for our worship and devotion: money, sex, materialism, pride, success, etc. We have a plethora of idols that are worshipped in our country today and while some of those things are not inherently bad, if we seek to find our complete fulfillment and satisfaction in them, we will be left empty and disappointed. Only Jesus will truly satisfy us. In His presence is fullness of joy (Psalm 16). The things He gives us to enjoy should lead us to worship Him not be objects of worship themselves.

Q: Have you been worshipping the Lord or things lately? What does it look like for you to worship idols in your own life?

~4:20- Just as Israel was the chosen nation of the Lord, so we are His chosen people through faith in the blood of Christ on our behalf. 1 Peter 2:9 is such a precious passage for us to meditate on and for us to cling to when we are faced with temptations. We are His. We have a calling. Our lives are supposed to proclaim the excellencies of Him who has called us out of darkness and into His marvelous light!! Life is not aimless or purposeless!

Q: Is your life proclaiming His excellencies? What does it look like for your life to proclaim His excellencies? Are there any changes that you feel called to make so that your life can declare His glory?

~4:21-24: The last part in this section is a THIRD reminder for Israel to watch themselves carefully! How quick they were to forget the redemption of the Lord from the slavery of Egypt. How quick we are to forget our redemption from the wrath coming against us because of our rebellious nature! Let us remember His redemption and be led to live lives of thankful worship to the Savior who endured the wrath of God on our behalf so that we could have eternal life!!

Q: Have you meditated lately on what Christ went through for you? What does it look like for you to "watch yourself" and make sure that you are walking in a manner that is pleasing to the Lord?

Dear Students,
We are so thankful for each of you. We love getting to worship Jesus with you on Wednesday evenings and to hear what the Lord is doing in your lives throughout the week. We are excited to go through Passion and Purity with you all on Sunday nights for the rest of the summer. We are praying for you this week- that you would watch yourselves closely and walk near to the Lord through the power of His Spirit. We pray that you will spend time meditating on Him and His greatness and will thus ready to fight off the schemes of the enemy. We love you all!

With hope,
~Sonny and Casi

Deuteronomy 4: God so near!

TVCC Students,
Camp is coming so soon! We are so excited to get to spend a week with you all- growing in our relationships with Jesus and with each other. This past week Sonny taught on Deuteronomy 4. Here is a recap...

Deuteronomy 4
~God was making Israel into a great nation by being near to them and giving them victory. What would set Israel apart was having a God that was near to them whereas other nations just had foreign gods that were made by the hands of man and could offer no real victory or hope. The Lord wants us to experience the same nearness as Israel did. Believers in Jesus are offered intimacy with the Lord of the Universe! Jesus came so that we can live forever and embrace the fullness of life now (which we experience in His presence) and eternally. He came so that we could be near to the Lord. Our sins had separated us from intimacy with the Father and Jesus brought us back! Life in Jesus is abundant and full.
Q: Do you realize the nearness that the Lord offers to you through Christ? What hinders you on a daily basis from fully embracing the nearness that He is offering you? Are those hindrances really worth it in the long run?

~Just as the Lord gave Israel commands in Deuteronomy that were for their good, so He continues to give us commands for our good. We may not see exactly why He tells us to do certain things, but we must trust that as the perfect Father, He wants our good and His glory. Satan comes to offer counterfeit joy that only leads to emptiness in the end. Jesus often commands us to do certain things because He wants to show us in the future that His ways are better.
Q: What is one instance in your life where you have seen satan offering you counterfeit joy? Were you lured in or did you reject his offer? How did this turn out in the end? What are some things that the Lord is calling you to now that might seem uncomfortable or difficult that you are having to trust are for your good and His glory?

~Just as in Deuteronomy the Lord would show other nations His greatness by them seeing how near He was to Israel, He wants the world to look at us and see how near He is to believers in Jesus. Our God desires to be intimately involved in every detail of our lives. God wants to hear from us as a good Father does. He came so that we would have a relationship with Him, not just so that we could be saved from hell.
Q: Are you involving the Lord in both the small and the big things going on in your life? Are you "practicing the presence" of Jesus everyday by trying to have continual communion with Him throughout the day? If not, what changes do you think you should make in order to have a more intimate relationship with Him?

~Acts 1:8- Jesus has called us His own just as the Lord had called Israel His own in the Old Testament. Though we are weak and unable to do anything good on our own, He has chosen us to empower us with the gospel so that we can magnify His name. We have been called to be God's witnesses today just as Israel was called to be His witnesses in the Old Testament. Our lives are supposed to declare His glory to the world by seeing that we value Him and His Way above everything, even if it requires our own lives. Even when we have times of failure, the world should be able to see us and see how great the Lord is by how we repent and cling to His grace in Christ Jesus and how we continue to trust Him through both good and bad times.
Q: Do you feel that you have been representing the Lord well lately, even if it's through having a repentant heart? In what ways do you think you could represent the Lord better to the world (by His grace and Spirit)?

Dear Students,
We love you all so much! It is a continual blessing to be able to worship with you every week and see your devotion to the Lord Jesus. We pray that you are starting off the summer well and using this time wisely. We are praying for you this week that you would meditate on His Word and continue to draw nearer to Him everyday.

With Hope,
~Sonny and Casi

Deuteronomy 3: Trusting the Lord & Overcoming Enemies Together

TVCC Students,
We hope you all are doing well as the end of the school year is approaching. Last night Sonny taught through Deuteronomy 3 and it was such a great message to get us ready for summer. Here is a recap:

Deuteronomy 3:
~3:1-2: The first thing that is mentioned in this section is how Og, King of Bashan, came out to meet the Israelites in battle after they had just defeated Sihon king of Heshbon. It's important that we notice two things here.

a)  Og, king of Bashan, was a giant. This was no little enemy to the Israelites. According to verse 11, Og's bed was around 13 feet long, from which we can assume that Og himself was at least 10 feet tall. In the battles that Israel waged to gain their promised land, victory was only possible with the help of the Lord. Again we see that Israel needed the Lord's help or victory would not be possible. In the same way, the enemies that we now fight spiritually are ones that must be submitted fully to the Lord. We cannot rely on ourselves. 1 Corinthians 10:13 is a great example of this. When we are tempted beyond what we think we can bear, He provides a way out. The Lord was the Victor for Israel and the Lord is the Victor for us. Life is learning to trust Him and obey!

Q: What struggles have you faced lately that seemed just too big for you to overcome on your own? Remember that when we are weak, He is strong. We encourage you to memorize  2 Corinthians 12:9 this week and commit all of your struggles and temptations to Him for He is your Victory!

b) Og and his men "went out" to meet Israel. We can see with Israel that there are times where the Lord calls them to be on the offensive and take land that He is calling them to take, and sometimes they are on the defensive end where they are struggling against an enemy that has chosen to come against them. The same is true for us in our walk with the Lord. There are times when the Lord reveals things that we need to overtake or destroy in an offensive sort of manner and then there are times where we are just walking with Him and a temptation or trial almost literally attacks us and we must be ready to fight against this sort of darkness. Walking with Jesus is not just a casual walk in the park. As long as we are alive on this earth, we are in a spiritual battle against Satan and all the forces of spiritual darkness.

Just as the Lord told Israel not to fear but to trust in Him, the Lord calls us in 1 Peter 5 to humbly submit to the Lord and be on the alert as our adversary is seeking someone to devour. We are called to be ready for "defense" so to speak. We cannot just put our faith on cruise control and hope everything turns out ok. We will be spiritually destroyed if we do this! It is also apparent in 1 Peter that this life will contain suffering and after we have gone through this life of suffering, we will be exalted by the Lord as our faithful trust and obedience in Him yields eternal rewards.

Q: What does it look like for you to be "on the alert" in your daily life? What are some ways that we can resist satan in order that he would flee after he has placed temptations before us? Do you feel like you have been "on the alert" lately or has your walk with the Lord been more passive?

~3:8: Israel had come a long way from the way they had acted in fear in Deuteronomy 1:28 and 2:36. What had changed? The enemies had not gotten smaller... Israel had not grown in size. The change was in their faith!!! This new generation had a faith that led them to follow, trust, and obey the Lord. Genuine faith leads to lives of obedience and thus lives where the Lord leads us in victory! We must remember though- that He fights for us! He has overcome the world (John 16:33)! Our victory is always in Him!

Q: What are some practical ways that we can strengthen our faith?

~3:18-22: We see in this last section that all of Israel participated in the battle. Even after some of them had gained their promised land they continued to fight alongside one another. Victory in the Lord is not an individual thing now just as it was not an individual thing for Israel. We are now called the "body of Christ" and we must fight against darkness together! We need one another! In both Hebrews 10 and Ephesians 5 we see that we are called to fight alongside each other and encourage each other in the faith just as Israel continued to fight alongside one another.

Q: In what ways are you fighting alongside your fellow believers? Are there any changes that you feel the Lord calling you to in order to play a more proactive role in the body of Christ overcoming darkness?

Dear students,
We are so thankful for each of you and pray that you will continue to encourage one another in the faith. Remember that you cannot do this alone. We fight against darkness as a body through the power of the Spirit. We are praying for you this week. We encourage you to also read through John 17 and see the Lord's desire for you- that you would be one as He and the Father are one!

With hope,
~Sonny and Casi

Deuteronomy 2: Remember the Lord's Victories & Faithfulness

TVCC Students,
We love getting to worship with you all every week and are really looking forward to worshipping with you all at Camp Mitchell!! This week Sonny taught on Deuteronomy 2 and how getting to the best things that the Lord has for us almost always requires the most effort but is always worth it!! Here is a recap:

Deuteronomy 2:
~2:1-3: The Lord had the Israelites circle Mount Sinai many times before entering the land to remind them of HIs power when He had given Moses the 10 Commandments. He also wanted to remind them of His ability to overcome their enemies for them. It was not just them fighting these giants. The Lord would be their victory. The same is true for us in the New Testament. The Lord often bring us to places where He wants us to recall His previous victories and power, through His Son Jesus, in order to strengthen us for future battles.

Q: What are some victories (events) that you have experienced (either firsthand or through someone else) that have showcased the power of the Lord? We encourage you to recall and meditate on these former victories when you are facing trials and temptations. How does meditating on these past victories affect your daily life?

~2:4-23: The Lord walks the Israelites through the land that He promised to give to Esau (and God had been fully faithful to that promise). This land had also been occupied by giants before the Lord led Esau to victory and through God's power, Esau was able to overcome the giants and enjoy the great land the Lord had given him. God was walking them through a showcase of His faithfulness to others in order to remind them of His faithfulness to His Word.

Q: Who are the people in your life that you can look to to see God's faithfulness? God puts others in our lives who have lived faithfully to the Lord Jesus and been blessed by Him (He has allowed them to enjoy the sweetness of His presence and the peace and joy that comes through nearness to Him) in order to remind us of the sweet blessings we can enjoy by fighting for obedience to Him.

~2:23-37: God commands His people to begin to occupy their land. There was more than just a mental ascent involved in taking and enjoying the land. God was calling them to action. They were called to go in and fight- trusting that the Lord would work through and with them to bring deliverance. In the same way, God calls us to fight for righteousness. This is not always easy but just as with Israel, it is ALWAYS worth it. As we continue to fight for righteousness in our own lives, we will continue to experience more of the sweet presence of the Lord which is our spiritual "promised land."

Q: What are some ways that God has called you to "fight for righteousness" in your own life? Are there any verses that could be used as "armor" for the battles that you will be fighting? Read through Ephesians 6 which talks about the armor of God. What changes do you think the Lord might be calling you to make in order to fight for righteousness more effectively? Remember that His is our victory and we are fighting as we trust in the power of His Spirit which is within us (John 14- the Spirit is our Helper).

Dear Students,
We think of you all often and pray that the Lord will continue to grant you both small and large victories as you fight, by the power of His Spirit, against the world and the darkness within it. We pray that you will see His faithfulness on a continual basis and that you will continue to enjoy the sweetness of His presence. We love you all and are continually encouraged by your faith.

With Hope,
~Sonny & Casi

Deuteronomy 1:26-42: Bitterness of Sin... Freedom in the Lord!

TVCC Students,
It was so great to see so many of you out last night having fellowship before service and engaging with the Lord during worship and teaching. We are continually humbled to be a part of your journeys with the Lord. Last night we finished up Deuteronomy 1 as Moses took the newest generation on a quick trip down "memory lane" one more time to remind them of the consequences their parents had experienced because of disobedience. Here is a recap:

Deuteronomy 1: 26-42: When we look at the nation of Israel as a whole, we see a picture of how the Lord deals with us on an individual basis throughout our lifetimes. Just as Israel as a nation would have seasons of rebellion due to unbelief, discipline from the Lord in order to bring them back to the Lord, and restoration after the Lord had led them to repentance, so we too have seasons individually of rebellion, discipline, and restoration as the Lord uses this life to refine us and mold us as His children through faith in Christ. For Israel, the promised land represented nearness to God and being established in His presence through walking in faithful obedience. For us, we are offered a spiritual promised land. When we choose to walk in faithful obedience to the Lord, we experience a nearness to Him, a security, peace, and joy that nothing else can compare to.

~1:26-32: As we saw last week, Israel had been enslaved to the Egyptians and were basically an entire nation with nothing. When the Lord called them to leave Egypt they did not have weapons to fight against their enemies. They were completely without defense against the enemies that they were supposed to overtake when possessing the promised land. The Lord was to be the Victory. He was going to defeat their enemies by His power so that He would get the glory, not them (Exodus 14:14). The same is true for us on a spiritual level. We were all slaves to sin, without hope of releasing ourselves (Romans 6). We were dead in our sins without hope of life again (Colossians 2 & Ephesians 2). We had no hope and needed the Lord to completely rescue us from the slavery and death that we were in. Our freedom and life is completely His doing through the death and resurrection of Christ on our behalf so that in all things, He gets the glory (1 Peter 4:11)! Christ is our Victory!!

Q: Do you realize how desperate you were apart from Christ? You were dead in your sins and He made you alive. He accomplished your salvation for His glory and your good. What does it look like for you to live thankfully for this completely undeserved, amazing gift of life and freedom that He has given you through His death and resurrection?

~1:33-35: As Moses explains the life of the past generation that had died in the wilderness, we see something so similar to our own lives. Despite all that the Lord had done for that generation by taking them from Egypt through the Red Sea, leading them by a cloud by day and fire by night... despite all of this, Israel still thought that the Lord was against them! They kept saying to Moses that they thought the Lord had taken them from Egypt just to have them destroyed! We are so similar in a spiritual way. The Lord frees us from our bondage to sin and offers us His presence though at times it might require that we make some changes to the way we are living in order to enjoy His presence unhindered. We grumble and complain, thinking that He his commands are just out to destroy us and that He doesn't want us to enjoy life. How narrow-minded we can be. His commands are not burdensome (1 John 5:3). They are for our good and for His glory! His ways are higher than ours and though we might not always understand why He is calling us to certain things that may be uncomfortable and hard, we must learn to trust Him and obey.

Q: What is an area of life where you have felt like the Lord was trying to "ruin" your life by calling you to do something hard or uncomfortable? Are you still in that situation now or has He allowed you to see, looking back, that this really was for your good and His glory? We encourage you to meditate on Isaiah 55 (especially 8-9) and remember that His ways are higher than ours!

~1:36-40: Moses calls the new generation to see that the old generation had not been able to enter the promised land because of their disobedience. The Lord had allowed the nation of Israel as a whole to see that sin lead to bitterness and death (wandering aimlessly in the desert without seeing the promised land). Jeremiah 2:17 shows us that it is bitter for us to forsake the Lord. Just as God let Israel feel the bitter sting of sin, so He will often let His children (those who are in Christ) feel the bitterness sting of sin in order to bring them to repentance and trust in Him. The Lord disciplines His children just as a great father disciplines his children (Hebrews 12).

Q: In what areas of your life have you felt that the Lord was letting you feel the bitter sting of sin in order to bring you to repentance and to a more trusting and intimate relationship with Him once you saw that His ways were better?

~1:41-46: In wrapping up his lesson to the new generation, Moses reminds the new generation that Israel had tried unsuccessfully to defeat their enemies apart from the help of the Lord. Once Israel had disobeyed and been called to wander in the desert, they tried to have delayed obedience apart from the Lord's help. This was a disaster. They were defeated and completely discouraged. The same is true for us spiritually. We must remember continually that just as the Lord redeemed us through His power, He sanctifies us through His power. We do not have enough willpower to walk with Him and obey Him apart from His Spirit. We are saved by grace through faith and we are sanctified by grace through faith! We cannot just muster up enough energy to obey His commands on our own. To overcome this world and our sin, it is completely necessary that we continue to behold Him. We must continually see that pursuing Him is better and that His Spirit leads us in victory. This happens as we meditate on His Word and on who He is. 2 Corinthians 3:18 says that we are changed as we behold Him. He is worth pursuing.

Q: What does it look like for you to genuinely trust in the Lord on a daily basis to help you overcome the spiritual enemies that you encounter? What does your life look like when you try to muster up obedience and good works on your own, apart from the Spirit of Christ?

Dear Students,
It is an honor and joy to walk through Deuteronomy with you all and see the great things that the Lord wanted for Israel and the great things that He has in store for us spiritually as we seek to follow and trust Him. It is so important that we learn from Israel that it is empty and bitter for us to walk in sin. Jesus is better! Only Jesus satisfies!! Just as Israel's weapon against their enemies was trusting in the Lord physically to defeat other armies, our weapon against the spiritual battles that we fight is to trust in the Lord. Ephesians 6 tells us what the armor of God is. The Sword of the Spirit (which is the Word of God) is one of our greatest defenses. We pray that this week you will have sweet and intimate times with the Lord and that He will continue to refine you, showing you that His way is better. We pray that you will enjoy intimacy with Him and that you will continue to overcome the dark areas in your life as you walk in His Spirit and are conformed to His image through meditation on His Word. We love you all!

With hope,
~Sonny and Casi