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