Colossians 2:1-7: Rooted in Christ

TVCC Students,
We hope that you are all relaxing now that finals are finished! You did it! Great job! We love getting to worship the Lord with you every Wednesday. Last night we spent time in Colossians 2 being reminded of our identity in Christ. Here is a recap...

Colossians 1:13-20: Even though this was part of a previous message, it is crucial for us to go back to this section before moving on. This passage is so rich. It is good for us to remember constantly that life is about Christ. All things were created by Him and for Him. He holds everything together. He gets the glory in everything!

Colossians 2:1-2: Paul lets the church know that he has been struggling on their behalf. Letting them know this was not meant to discourage them but to let the church know how valuable they were to Paul and to Christ. We will fight and struggle for things that are valuable and important. Paul was seeking to encourage them by letting them know that they were valued and loved.

Q: Do you realize that you are so valuable to Christ and to His body? People are striving daily in prayer for you and working hard to make sure that you are led in the truth of the Lord! You are valuable!

2:2-3: While also reminding them that they were valuable, Paul also wanted to encourage them to have full assurance in Christ. He wanted to remind the church that their security was not in themselves and what they could accomplish- it was in Christ. Christ keeps us secure just like He did for them. Our salvation and sanctification do not depend on us but on Christ and what He did on our behalf. He secured for us an eternity with Him through His blood and NOTHING can take that away (Romans 8).

Q: Do you realize that if you have trusted in Jesus Christ as your Redeemer that you are forever secure in Him? No matter what may happen in this life, you are HIs. You will be spending eternity in His presence!

2:3: In Christ are hidden treasures of wisdom and knowledge. Again, all good things are in Christ. We are valuable because He is valuable. If we want to grow in eternal wisdom and knowledge, we must pursue Christ. "Wisdom" and "knowledge" that are apart from Christ will never last but if we seek to know Jesus, we will grow in the eternal knowledge and wisdom that are in Him.

Q: Are you seeking to grow in Christ? What does it look like for you to be growing in eternal wisdom and knowledge?

2:4-5: The people in Colosse had been discouraged by people telling them that they had to be good enough to earn Christ's favor. Paul encouraged them that what mattered was the stability of their faith in Christ. We cannot say it enough. Christ sustains us. Yes, we should pursue Him and seek to be disciplined in Him BUT NOT out of fear. We should pursue Christ because we LOVE Him and are thankful for our redemption. Just as in a marriage, service to one another should not come out of fear or duty but should flow from LOVE. The Lord wants us to seek Him because we enjoy our relationship with Him, not because we are fearful of Him leaving. He is staying! Nothing can separate a believer from the Lord!

Q: Do you find yourself doing "Christian" things more out of a sense of fear and duty or out of love? What motivates you to pursue Christ from love?

2:6: Paul encourages them to remember that the process of growing in Christ is just like our salvation- it is dependent on the mercy of God. Just as we received Christ by grace through faith, so we continue to walk by grace through faith! We cannot make ourselves into the image of Christ. We must be coming to Him daily asking for the grace and faith to be made more into His image. The gospel saves us. The gospel sanctifies us! It's all about Jesus!

Q: Do you find yourself trying to muster up fruits of the Spirit within your life without being fully dependent on Christ? Who are you trusting in to grow you.... your works or Jesus?

2:7: Paul uses a great life example to explain what our growth in Christ is like. He wanted the Colossian church to be "rooted" in Christ. Roots are so interesting. When things get difficult (when it gets to hot or too try), the roots of a tree grow deeper into the ground to find strength so that they can face difficult times in the future. The same is true for Christians. In both good times and bad, we should be seeking to be more rooted in Christ. Though this is by His grace, we should be seeking to know more of His character through things like reading the Word, prayer, worship, and fellowship and trust that He will grow us as we do these things. The more time we spend growing our relationship with Him, the more ready we will be for the adversities that life will bring us. Deep roots help us weather the storms of life and will help us live lives of thankful love towards the Lord.

Q: How are you seeking to be rooted in Christ?

Dear Students,
We love getting to see you all growing in Christ. It is our joy to worship with you and see the Lord growing all of us. We pray that you will meditate this week on what Christ has done on your behalf. He is our security. Let us seek to have "deeper" roots in Him by spending time in His presence. We love you and are praying for you!

With hope,
~Sonny and Casi

Announcements:
~Girls gingerbread house making night/sleepover is this Friday night at Haley Dills house. More information here.
~We can use volunteers to help with drop off and pick up of sacks for the food drive we are doing. We could use help today at 4 and on Saturday. Contact Brian to help: 281-733-9362
~Small groups this Sunday will be at our house (the Howards) at 7pm. Our address is 21731 Winsome Rose Court, Cypress.
~After this Sunday night, we will be taking a break from small groups and will resume after the New Year (January 5th)

Colossians 1:15-23: Jesus saves and sustains. It's all about Jesus!

TVCC Students,
As we continue to dive into the book of Colossians, it is so wonderful to be reminded of our status before God because of the work of Christ. Where we were unqualified, Jesus qualified us. While we were in the kingdom of darkness, Jesus transferred us to the kingdom of light. Jesus is our hope and salvation. Last night we took a closer look into the life and character of Jesus as described in Colossians 1:15-23. Here is a recap...

Colossians 1:15-23
~1:15: Jesus is the image of God's likeness. This word for "image" means "icon." When we want to know what the Father looks like, we need to look to Jesus. What was Jesus like? Who did He hang out with? How did He spend His time? What was important to Him? When we look into Jesus' life through the gospels and answer these questions we know more of the character of God as Jesus is the exact representation of the Father.

Q: When was the last time that you took an in depth look into the character of Christ as seen in the gospels? What things stick out to you about the life of Jesus and the things He values? Are there any changes that you feel called to make in your own life as you look at the life of Christ?

~1:15: Jesus is also the firstborn. All rights of the firstborn son are His and we are co-inheritors with Him through (Romans 8:17) His death and resurrection. In Christ, nothing can separate us from the love of the Father (Romans 8). What a great hope we have in Christ!!

Q: Do you realize your standing before the Father through the death of Christ on your behalf? How is your life different when you are meditating on your standing before the Lord? How is your life different when you are not meditating on your standing before the Lord?

~1:16: Before the world was, Jesus was. He was with the Father before the world began and the Father gave Him permission to create the world. How amazing that the creator of the world would come live amongst His creation and ultimately be killed by His creation in order to save them. Ultimately this act of Him coming to earth was to bring Him glory. Creation was brought about to bring Him glory. Our salvation brings Him glory!

Q: In what ways has your personal salvation story brought Him glory? Spend a little time meditating on the great ways He has shown you mercy and think about how those things have all happened to bring Him glory.

~1:17: All things hold together in Him. Without Jesus, the planets would not orbit correctly around the sun. Without Jesus, even the substance that makes up everything- the atom- would not stay together!

~1:18: Jesus is the head of the church. Animals will die if separated from their head. Without their head, animals will writhe around in a state of crazed confusion and quickly die. We must remember this truth when thinking about the church of God and how crucial it is for us to remain connected to the head, Jesus Christ. We must continually be checking ourselves to make sure that we are connected with the Head and that we are all heading in the same direction- the glory of the Lord!

Q: What does your life look like when you are "connected" with the Head, Jesus? What does your life look like when you aren't walking in "alignment" with Jesus? What encourages you to "stay connected" with Jesus?

~1:18: Jesus is the firstborn. All of the glory is His. It's all about Him and His glory.

Q: Are you living in such a way that Jesus is getting all of the glory that He deserves? Is your life pointing to Him? Are you seeking to know Him more?

~1:20: It was God's design that all things should be reconciled to Him through Jesus. The whole earth is under the condemnation and curse of sin. Christ is the only One that can restore everything to its rightful state before sin. He reconciled us to the Father through His death on the cross and He is coming back to make everything right once again.

~1:21: We were all alienated from the Father because of our sins (Isaiah 59). We are all separated from the Lord and we all from birth love darkness (John 3:19). Our only hope is the Cross and Jesus' death on our behalf. We cannot even come to believe in Jesus on our own. The Father must draw us to Him (John 6:44). Everything we are and have depends on the mercy of God through Jesus.

Q: Do you realize the grace that is yours through Christ? What does it look like for you to be living thankfully to the mercy of Christ on a daily basis?

~1:22: Jesus reconciled us. The perfect Lamb of God washed us clean in order to present us to the Father WITHOUT any blame! Wow! In Jesus, we are without blame and a charge cannot even be brought against us. There is now no condemnation for us that are in Christ (Romans 8). What a great truth to meditate on!

Q: Do you realize that nothing can separate you from the love of God through Jesus? Are you living your life like a child of the Lord most High? What does it look like for your to live as a co-inheritor in Christ?

~1:23: This section can seem a little scary as it says that we are His "if" we continue in the faith. We must look at this sentence in light of other Scriptures. There are many people who profess Christianity who are not truly His (Matthew 7 & 1 John 2:19). These people are either deceived or are trying to deceive others. The truth is that Christ does not know them and they do not know Him. Once a person comes to understand their complete insufficiency before the Lord and they trust that Jesus is their only hope- they are secure in the Lord. Nothing can separate a believer from the Lord. The Lord is the Author of our faith and He is also the Perfecter of our faith. We are secure in Jesus. He saves and He sustains.

Q: Do you realize that Jesus both saves and sustains you? We can do nothing on our own. Our hope is to live a life surrendered to Him knowing that He is the One who continually draws us closer to Him.

Dear Students,
We are always encouraged to be around you all and see that you are growing in your love towards the Lord and others. We pray that this week you will spend time meditating on His Word and on the grace that is yours in Christ. We love you guys! Let us walk in thankfulness this week!!

With hope,
~Sonny and Casi

Colossians 1:9-14: Joyful Obedience and Thankfulness

TVCC Students,
We love getting back in the routine of having Wednesday nights with you guys. It blesses us so much to get to worship with you guys. We are still hanging out in Colossians 1. It was so encouraging to be reminded last night of the joy that comes with obedience. Here is a recap...

Colossians 1:9-12
~1:9: Paul tells the Colossian church that he has been praying continually for them since he heard of the fruit of the gospel in their lives. The gospel was bearing fruit in the people- causing them to abound in love through the power of the Spirit and this encouraged Paul to pray steadfastly for them. Paul heard good things and was still moved to pray for them. We should not only be lifting up the body of Christ in prayer during difficult times but even in seasons that are peaceful and good. These are the seasons where Satan is really ready to attack. We must remember that Satan comes to kill, steal, and destroy (John 10:10). He is especially on the prowl to rob people of their nearness to the Lord.

Q: Are you diligently praying for others? What changes do you need to make in your prayer life this week?

~1:9: Paul also prays that the people would be "filled" with the Spirit. This word for "filled" is a word that implies being "controlled by." Sonny gave the example of children being "filled" or "controlled" sometimes by too much sugar. When you consume too much sugar- it controls you! In the same way, when we are filled with the Spirit and are continually spending time letting His Word flow into us, we will be controlled by the Spirit. This is what the Lord wants for us. Why? Paul tells us- SO THAT... we can walk in a way that pleases the Lord. The goal in life is to glorify Christ and us being controlled by the Spirit brings Him glory as we represent Him well.

Q: What would you say is controlling your life on a daily basis? Are you being controlled by your own selfish desires or are you being controlled by the Spirit? What are you "filling" yourself with on a daily basis... worldly things or heavenly things?

~1:10: Again we see that the gospel bears fruit. Christ did not just save us to prevent us from hell. He saved us so that we could be near to Him and represent Him well to this world. This is what brings us joy. John 15:1-11 describes this truth so well. Jesus wants us to abide with Him through obedience to His word, thus representing Him well. He tells us that as we do this our joy will be made full. Nearness to Jesus brings more joy than anything else in this world. Even when we are walking through the difficult storms of life, we can experience joy as we are near to Him through loving obedience and adoration of Christ.

Q: What does it look like for you to be abiding in Christ? Are you walking in the joy that comes through loving obedience to Christ?

~1:11: Paul encourages the Colossian church to be strengthened by the power of the Spirit in order to grow in steadfastness. Over and over we see that these things that the Lord wants for us are things that He must give us as we seek Him. Steadfastness comes from the Lord... the Author and Perfecter of faith. In order for us to have the fruits of the Spirit, we must be continually renewing our minds through His Word and spending time with the Lord. We must surrender to Him, confessing our weakness and inabilities to please Him on our own and let Him grow us.

Q: Are you consistently confessing your shortcomings to the Lord and asking Him to grow you into someone who is pleasing to Him?

~1:12: Paul reminds them that as we (believers) grow in the Lord we should be growing in our thankfulness to Him. His mercies towards His children are beyond measure and as we continually spend time with Him, we will see more and more of His lavish provisions towards us. How great a God do we serve that He would qualify us to share in His inheritance? We did not deserve to be with the Lord. He left heaven and took our penalty so that we could share in His lavish inheritance. Let us walk in thankfulness for His great mercy!

Q: Has your life been characterized lately by thankfulness or grumbling and complaining? What leads you to thankfulness?

~1:13: Paul ends this little segment reminding them of the redemption that is theirs through Christ. The word "redemption" means to "buy back." We were lost and without hope. Jesus came and "purchased" us with His precious life. This death on our behalf transferred us from the kingdom of darkness to the kingdom of light & life. What a glorious inheritance we now have through Jesus. Let us not let His sacrifice for us become common.

Q: Have you meditated lately on your redemption through the blood of Christ? Is this leading you to a selfless love of others? How does meditating on the gospel change your life on a daily basis?

Dear students,
As always we are so thankful for you all. We pray that this week the gospel would continue to bear fruit in your lives. We pray that you will spend time with the Lord, meditating on Him and that His Spirit would be producing heavenly fruit in your lives for the glory of Christ. We love you guys!

With hope,
~Sonny and Casi


Upcoming events:
*** Guys campout at the church land THIS Saturday (Nov 16-17) starting at 5pm.
***Ross King coming to Terra Verde starting this Sunday morning.

Colossians 1:1-6; The Gospel bears fruit...

TVCC Students,
Wow! It's great to be back! As you all know, we were on Sabbatical for the month of October. We will be sharing very soon some of the precious things the Lord taught us but one thing is for sure... we MISSED you all! We are so humbled to get to minister alongside you guys for the glory of Jesus.

With that said, we will be in the book of Colossians for the next couple if weeks. Last night was our first night to start this book and it was so encouraging to hear Paul's words to a sister church reminding them (and us) of our hope in Jesus and our calling as His gospel-bearers. Here is a recap...

Colossians 1:1-6
Paul was not the original "planter" of the church in Colossae. Colossae was planted because Paul had been obedient to the Lord in reproducing disciples of Christ and they had been obedient to do as they had seen Paul do. We are not called as believers to just be sponges of the truth of God but we are to soak in His truth and then spread it to those that the Lord puts in our lives.

Q: Are you someone who is "reproducing" Christ in you? Are you investing in at least one other person on a continual basis?

~1:1: When Paul is addressing the church at Colossae, he calls the believers their "saints" and "faithful" brethren. These are powerful words to describe people who are just like us and ofter fail to walk in faith. What Paul was doing was addressing them as the Lord sees them in Christ. In Christ we are righteous. When we come to trust in His atoning grace on our behalf, the righteousness of Christ is imputed to us and we are seen under the lens of the righteousness and faithfulness of Christ.

Q: Do you realize that in Christ you are seen as holy and righteous? There is nothing that you can do to separate yourself from the love of God that is in Christ. Though we often need to repent of our sinfulness, it no longer counts against us as Christ has nailed it to the cross. Are you wallowing in any sin this week or are you embracing the righteous standing that you have in Jesus? What does it look like for you to be walking in light of your righteousness in Christ?

~1:2: Paul speaks grace and peace over the Colossian church. As Sonny has been reminding us often- without Jesus grace and peace could not be extended to us. Before Christ, we were dead in our sins and without hope. God's wrath was heading towards us. Then Jesus came and was crucified on our behalf so that we could have peace with God through His gracious mercy.

Q: What does it look like for you to live a thankful life to the Lord on a daily basis for the grace and peace that is your through Christ? How does this affect your relationships and your outlook on daily life?

~1:3-4: Paul thanks God for the believers at Colossae for their faith and love. Notice that Paul does not thank the Colossian church for their faith and love. Paul recognizes that the faith and love of all believers is because God has worked that within them. On our own we do not seek God nor do anything that pleases Him. Christ in us spurs us on to love and good deeds. God is the Author and Perfecter of our faith. All glory and praise goes to Him.

Q: Sonny said last night, "A true understanding of the gospel banishes all pride." What does this mean in light of verses 3-4 of Colossians 1?

~1:4: Paul thanks God for the love that the Colossian church is reported to have. Understanding the gospel and the extravagant love that has been poured out on us in the death of Jesus leads us to love others with a selfless and powerful love. 1 John says that if we claim to love God and cannot love our brothers we are lying and not walking in truth. The gospel transforms us and creates love in us. Love is putting the needs of others before ourselves.

Q: Are you walking in love towards other believers? Do you have any bitterness or unforgiveness that you need to confess so that you can be walking in pure love of the brethren? What does it look like to have the gospel producing love in us?

~1:5: We can only love like Jesus did when we are continually remembering that this is not our eternal home. We must be living in light of the coming Kingdom of Christ. When we focus on this life and our own pleasures, we easy neglect living for things that are eternal. When we are focusing on the Kingdom, we are able to forgive as we have been forgiven and love selflessly knowing that our life has a bigger purpose than just the "here and now."

Q: What does it look like for you to live with an eternal mindset? How does this affect things in your daily life?

~1:6: The gospel is bearing fruit and increasing. It is powerful. The gospel is that Jesus Christ came from heaven to die on our behalf so that we could be reconciled to the Lord. As we grow in Him, we should be reproducing ourselves (really reproducing Christ in us) and thus do our part to expand the gospel. Paul did his part. Epaphras did his part. We are called to do our parts as we live thankful lives for the grace that was poured out on us in Jesus!

Q: What does it look like for you to play your part in spreading the gospel? How is the gospel bearing fruit in your life?

Dear Students,
Again, we are so thankful for you all and for the privilege it is to worship with you guys every Wednesday. We pray that this week you will meditate on the love of Christ that has been poured out on you and that that would motivate you to love others with a selfless and bold love. We encourage you to be in fellowship and community with other believers throughout the week. We love you guys!

With hope,
Sonny and Casi

Our October Sabbatical and Philippians 3: Jesus is Everything

TVCC Students,
Last night was our last night before Sonny and I take our Sabbatical for October. Please be praying for us that the Lord will use this time to refresh us in Him. Our hope for this time basically has 3 parts that we would love for you to be praying over when we are gone...

1. We hope to be able to gain a lot of encouragement from our meetings with other ministry leaders from around south Texas (and even some in California). We will be visiting other churches in Austin,  College Station, Katy and Tomball (and one in California =)) to see different methods of ministry and pray about any ideas that we feel might be useful in ministering more efficiently to the TVCC students.

2. We hope to be able to spend a lot of time as a family strengthening our family. Working in full time ministry is an absolutely incredible gift that we cherish and for which we prayed but at times it can be hard to be "off." It is good for us to take a step back during the Sabbatical to make sure that our little ones are getting ministered to and loved on, We also hope that this Sabbatical will be a refreshing time for our marriage as we spend time together in His Word and in prayer for our church and family.

3. Lastly (and most importantly) we hope to be able to rest in the Lord and meditate on His Word a lot. Believe it or not, it is sometimes easy for those in full time ministry lose sight of their first love, Jesus. We both have a reading list of encouraging books that we hope to read along with our time in the Word. We hope to really spend time diving into His Word and letting His Spirit draw us closer to Him.


We cannot thank you all enough for supporting us during this time. Please know that if we are unable to answer facebook messages or texts during this time, we are still praying for you all and are excited to start November fully refreshed. Please pray for us! If you have any encouragement from the Lord that you would like to share with us for our Sabbatical, we would love to hear from you (facebook is great and we also LOVE getting letters in the mail from you all).

With all of that said, we WILL be having our regular worship service every Wednesday led by Shane Mylius, Brian Smelek, and Nathan Ramirez. We will also be having our regular small groups every Sunday nights at the home of Jackie and Kevin Castrow. Here are some contact numbers for while we are away:

Brian Smelek (for questions regarding Wednesday worship service): 281-733-9362
Jackie Castrow (for questions regarding Sunday small groups): 281-507-5901
Kevin Castrow (for questions regarding small groups): 713-882-2088
Janet Fosdick (for questions regarding the youth fellowship event on Oct 12): 713-907-3740


Okay, sorry that that was so long. Last night we spent some time diving into Philippians 3. It was wonderful to be reminded of who Jesus is, what He has done for us, and what we have in store for us after death. Here is a recap...

Philippians 3:17-21

~3:17: Paul calls them brethren. Even though dealing with the body of Christ can be messy at times, we are still a family and are called to love and endure with one another. Paul understood that and loved the body with the steadfast love that he knew Christ loved him with.

Q: Are you someone who loves the body of Christ with a steadfast love or is your love for the body conditional? Are you able to love and forgive when you have been wronged? What encourages you to have a steadfast love for the body?

~3:17: Paul encourages them to join him in making much of Jesus. He encourages them to observe the character of other believers and follow that. Just as we have role models in the world that we like to model our talents after (like a great football player or even a businessperson we look up to) so also should we be looking for examples in the faith that we would like to imitate as they imitate Christ.

Q: Do you have people in the body of Christ that you are observing that you might gain wisdom from in hopes of following their example as they seek to follow Christ?

~3:18: Some that were once with Paul had fallen away and were now considered enemies of the Cross. Here are the 2 ways that Paul said made one an enemy of the Cross...

1). Thinking that the work of Christ isn't enough to justify someone before God makes one an enemy of the Cross. Jesus plus anything else is WRONG. We cannot add anything to the work of Christ on the Cross. He alone makes us blameless and acceptable to the Father.

2). Saying that Jesus' work on the Cross doesn't have enough power to transform lives makes one an enemy of the Cross. Jesus came so that we would have new life and be brought back to our perfect state before the fall. Though we will never be without sin in this life, Jesus came that we would continually be transformed by His Spirit into His image. To "accept" Jesus and then continue living without any changes from the Holy Spirit is not what Jesus wants for us.

Q: Have you been guilty of either of the above mindsets regarding the work of Christ on the Cross? If so, we encourage you to confess this false belief and return to the full hope that is offered in the death of Christ on your behalf.

~3:19: Those whose hope is not in Jesus have only eternal destruction in their future after this life. The hope of the believer can be seen in John 16:33. Jesus has overcome this world! Though we will have trouble here- Jesus has overcome for us and we are co-heirs in His victory! Praise God for this.

Q: Do you realize that this world really does offer tribulation and that the hope of the believer is not here? What encourages you to cling to this truth?

~3:20: We are waiting for the return of Jesus when He will take us to our new, eternal home free of all death, sin, and darkness! We can find much encouragement from Revelation 21 as we see the future that awaits those whose hope is fully in Christ. How amazing to be united with Him forever in a place not stained with sin and darkness!

Q: How often are you meditating on the hope that is yours in Christ? What does it look like for you to live believing that Jesus is coming back to take His children with him to their forever home?

~3:21: Only Jesus has the power to transform both in this life and once this life is over. He is transforming His children continually as they pursue Him here and He will also transform us for eternity when He returns for us. What a great hope we have in Him!! Thank you Jesus!

Q: Are you letting Jesus transform you on a continual basis through His word and Spirit? What does it look like for you to continually be changed by Him?

Dear Students,
We are always so encouraged to see you all pursuing the Lord and loving one another. We pray that this week you will be able to slow down and really let His word transform you as you meditate on it. We love you and are praying for you!

With hope,
~Sonny and Casi

Nehemiah 1: Loving as God loves

Dear TVCC Students,
We are finally beginning our fall study through the book of Nehemiah. It was so neat to see last night how much our summer study of Colossians was brought to life by the life of Nehemiah. Here is a recap from last night...

Nehemiah 1:
~Background: Before jumping into the text, we need to understand what state the Israelites were in during this time. The Israelites had been defeated by Assyria which had been taken over by the Babylonians and then the Persians. Nehemiah was the cupbearer to the king of Persia during the captivity of the Israelites. Because of their unfaithfulness and rebellion to the Lord, Israel was made slaves to these different kingdoms.

~1:1-3: Nehemiah is a living example of Colossians 3:12-13. Though he had every opportunity to forget about his fellow Israelites who were enslaved, he chose to be concerned with them and ask about their well-being. In being the king's cupbearer, Nehemiah was one of the most esteemed men in the kingdom and thus he is here demonstrating a "heart of compassion" with humility and kindness when he seeks to know the state of his fellow Israelites. Nehemiah was not so absorbed in his own affairs and life that he neglected his responsibility to the Lord and His people.

Q: In what ways are you living out Colossians 3:12-13 in your life? In what ways are you neglecting to live out Colossians 3:12-13?

~1:4: When Nehemiah heard about the spiritual and physical state of the Israelites, he was broken and began to weep and pray and fast. This is what it really looks like to live selflessly and "carry the burdens" of others (Colossians 3:12-13). The body of Christ ought to care so much for one another that we weep when others are in a dismal spiritual state and we rejoice when others are walking near to the Lord (1 Corinthians 12:26). The reason that Nehemiah asked was because he really cared.

Q: When was the last time that you checked on the spiritual wellbeing of a brother or sister in Christ?

~1:5-7: Nehemiah has a right view of God and of himself and the Israelites. In his prayer, he starts off with giving honor and praise to the Lord. He knows that the situation involving Israel's slavery due to disobedient and rebellious hearts is not something that he can change. Only the Lord can change rebellious hearts and turn them back to Him. Nehemiah knew this and sought God's mercy on the people. Nehemiah then goes on to confess his sins as well as the sins of the people. Just like the woman in Luke 7, Nehemiah knew God's love for him despite his failures and from that realization was able to love others with such a selfless love. He was humble and wanted change for himself and God's people.

Q: When was the last time that you pleaded with God to change the heart of someone you know? Do you often come to the Lord praising Him for His greatness while confessing your own shortcomings? How do your prayers differ from Nehemiah's? Why do you think that is?

~1:8-11: Nehemiah goes on to pray and "remind" God of His covenant with Israel. Nehemiah is quoting from Deuteronomy and the covenant God made with them. It was a covenant not based on the righteousness of Israel but on God's great mercy and grace (Deuteronomy 9). Israel would fail often but God's mercy would never fail. God's heart was always to have a relationship with His people and He would continue to pursue them so that they would come back to Him and enjoy Him. Nehemiah knew this and was appealing to God on behalf of God's character, asking Him to bring them back.

Q: What does it look like to live a life of thankfulness for God's grace? While we were yet sinners, Christ died for us. He loved us while we were unlovable and rebellious. What should our lives look like in response to His great love?

Dear students,
We are so thankful to see you all growing in your love for the Lord and devotion to the body of Christ. We have been so encouraged to see how many of you are having consistent community with one another- this is the best way to put into practice the things that we learn through our study of the Word. We need continual fellowship with the body of Christ. We are encouraged to see that in you all. We are praying for you this week that you would meditate on God's great love for you and from that you would love others. We love you!

With hope,
~Sonny and Casi

Philippians 1:1-10: Experiential Knowledge of God's love

TVCC Students,
This was our last week where we were not traveling through a specific book. Starting next week we will be in the book of Nehemiah for about 6 weeks. We know that this season of football and other extra-curricular activities makes it difficult for most of you all to get there by 7 but we are just thankful that you are making weekly corporate worship a priority in your busy lives. That is so encouraging to us! This week Sonny taught us from Philippians 1. Here is a recap...

Philippians 1:1-10

~1:1: Paul again prays, as he does in all of his epistles, that grace and peace would be extended to them. Sonny taught us last week about how wonderful it is that grace and peace could even be extended to us. While we were dead in our sins and deserving of all of God's wrath, Christ died for us and took the wrath we deserved. Only through Him can grace and peace be ours. How wonderful that we can experience eternal grace and peace.

Q: Have you been living this week in light of the fact that the wrath you deserved was taken by Jesus and that you can really live in the grace and peace of the Lord, not His judgement? In what ways have you been forgetting his grace and peace? In what ways can you grow in loving others with grace and peace as you have been loved?

~1:9:
a). Paul prays for this church that he was instrumental in starting. Why do people pray? We pray for many reasons but one of the biggest reasons people pray is when they realize that something is outside of their control. Such is the case with Paul here. He is praying for the people to grow in the Lord because he knows that this is an act of God- not something he is in control of. God causes the growth of believers (1 Corinthians 3).

Q: In what ways can your prayer life grow this week? Are you spending intentional time worshipping the Lord and asking Him to change things that are beyond your control (including your own growth and the spiritual growth of others)?

b). Paul prays that their love of the Lord would abound or grow. This love that Paul is talking about here is not the American kind of love that we are used to. This word is used in Romans 5:1-5 when Paul talks about a Spirit led love. The love that Paul is praying that the church would grow in is a love that is given by the Spirit and one that is directed towards the Lord and all things godly. Naturally we are all in a state of decay because of sin, even our love for the Lord can easily decay if it is not strengthened by the Spirit. Paul is praying that the church would be strengthened by the Spirit to grow in loving things that are eternal, godly, and heavenly.

Q: Has your focus this week been on things that are earthly or heavenly? What have you been loving this week- has it been things related to Jesus or things of the flesh that will one day be destroyed?

c). Paul prays that the churches love would abound leading to real knowledge and discernment. These two things are very intertwined. The real knowledge Paul is talking about here is something we have discussed before. It is not just head-knowledge but and experiential knowledge. Just like there is a difference between someone knowing all things about a flying manual and someone actually being a seasoned pilot with "experiential knowledge," so too there is a huge difference between just knowing a lot of Christian facts/lingo and having "experiential knowledge" of his love. When we spend time with Him on a consistent basis- reading His word and praying to Him- we will be able to grow in our experiential knowledge of Him and will thus have more Spirit-led discernment.

Q: Do you feel that you have lately been living with just "head knowledge" of Jesus or have you lately been growing in your "experiential knowledge" of the Lord as you intentionally pursue Him? What things do you feel encourage "experiential knowledge" of the Lord?

d). Paul prays that the church growing in experiential knowledge of the Lord so that they can approve things that please the Lord. This word for approve is a word similar to our word for appraise, meaning to give value to. Only when we are walking closely with the Lord and growing in our experiential knowledge of Him can we have a right mind to give appropriate value to things. Just as in Matthew 13:44 the man sold everything He had to buy the treasure that was hidden, so too we will be able to give up things that are temporary for things that are of great heavenly value when we are led by the Spirit. We will not be able to accurately appraise or approve things unless we are growing in our experiential knowledge of the Lord's goodness and grace.

Q: Do you feel that you have been living for heavenly things lately or for things that will one day fade? What encourages you to live for things that are eternal? What steps can you take this week to live for things that are lasting?

e). Paul prays that they would be sincere and blameless. This word for sincere is a word they used in reference to Egyptian pottery that involved the pottery being without cracks when held up to the light. As we grow in the Lord, we are molded more into the image of Christ and thus have less "cracks" in our lives. Though we will never be without sin in this life, we can grow and overcome sin as we are molded into His image by His grace. This is not something we can do on our own. The Spirit of the Lord must strengthen us and change us as we seek to be molded into the image of the Lord. It is good for us to be reminded that while we are saved without regards to our works, our lives will one day be presented before the Lord to see what things will merit eternal rewards in heaven (again- this has nothing to do with our salvation but with rewards in heaven). 1 Corinthians 3 remind us of this. Our lives will one day be tested to see if we lived for things that are fleshly and fading or heavenly and lasting. Only the things that are heavenly will lead to eternal rewards. Paul is praying that the church would live for heavenly things and be storing up lasting treasures in heaven.

Q: Again, we encourage you to evaluate your lives. Are you living for heavenly or earthly things? What things encourage you to live for lasting things?

Dear Students,
We pray that you will meditate this week on the grace and peace that are offered to you in Christ Jesus. We pray that as you spend time with the Lord, you would grow in your experiential knowledge of His love and be able to share that love with others. We love you guys!

With hope,
~Sonny and Casi

Jeremiah 3:12-14: Return to the Lord

TVCC Students,

Wow that rain storm yesterday was quite random! We are glad that so many of you were able to still make it out to worship with us last night. Last night we were able to dive in to Jeremiah 3 and see God's heart for the children of Israel and God's heart for us. Here is a recap...

~Jeremiah 3:12-14

~3:12: After all that Israel had done in their rebellion against the Lord, He still wanted them. They had literally made physical idols with their own hands committing adultery on the Lord, yet He still claimed them as His bride. He wanted them back. His heart is the same for us. Ephesians 4:22 encourages us to put off the old self with its evil practices and put on the new self given to us through Christ.

Q: In what ways are you living like adulterous Israel and worshipping things that you have created with your own hands (idols)? What steps are you going to take this week to return to the Lord and "put on" the new self (read Ephesians 4:22-23)?

~3:12: God is gracious! Even though His bride had been adulterous and had done nothing worthy of His love, He extended unconditional love to Israel based on HIS character, not their faithfulness. His grace brings glory to His name. Just like Israel, God's love for us is not based on our good deeds or even our pursuing Him. His love is based on His unconditional grace (Titus 3:5). There is nothing a believer could do to earn His love and nothing that believers can do to stop His love (Romans 8:31-39). Though we cannot earn His love, we can prevent our relationship with Him from growing to its fullest by choosing to pursue other things. This is why He continually calls His children to return to their pursuit of Him.

Q: In what ways do you find yourself sometimes trying to earn God's favor instead of soaking in the fact that you are fully His through the work of Christ?

~3:13: The one thing that God needed them to do in returning to Him was to acknowledge their iniquity. Returning and acknowledging iniquity go hand-in-hand. In order for someone to return to a place where they have come from, they must first acknowledge that they are going the wrong way. In Jeremiah 2 we see that Israel had committed 2 "evils"- they had 1. forsaken the Lord and 2. gone after other things. Before returning to Him, they needed to realize that this was wrong. Only the Lord is worthy of our full pursuit. Just like Israel, believers cannot fully know God's grace until we fully understand our personal guilt. We sinned against Christ and we deserved God's wrath. Christ paid the penalty for our sin so that we could be forgiven and return continually to Him without shame. 

Q: In what ways have you forsaken the Lord this past month and gone after other things that you thought would satisfy you? We encourage you to acknowledge that this was wrong and return to the Lord based on what Christ has done for you!

~3:14: God calls them His sons and His bride. Again, though they had walked away from Him and spurned His love, He remains faithful. This is true also with believers in Christ. Nothing can take us from the Father (John 10:28-29). We are His children through faith in Christ. For those that are really His, He has such great promises in store in the future. This life is not the eternal home for believers and God is calling us to remember that. Revelation 21 talks about the new home that Christ is preparing for His bride when He comes to get us. Let us live remembering that we are just "strangers and exiles" here in this world. This is not our home!

Q: After reading Revelation 21:1-6, are there any changes that you need to make in order to be living for heavenly things and not earthly things that will not endure?

Dear students,

We love you all very much and pray that this week has been encouraging. We pray that you will meditate this week on God's character- on His overwhelming and unconditional love for you that are in Christ. How amazing that we are completely secure in Him! Again, we love you and pray that you will grow in your intimacy with Christ this week as you let His word dwell in your hearts.

With hope,

~Sonny and Casi

Ephesians 3:14-21

Dear TVCC Students,
The fall school year is certainly upon us and it seems like so many of us are scrambling to get into our routine and get settled into this new season. With all of the craziness that comes with figuring out a new school year, it is always so wonderful to worship with you guys on Wednesday. We have not started our new book series yet but are just pausing to meditate on some truths from God's Word about us and our relationship to Him. Last night Sonny taught on Ephesians 3:14-21 about Paul's hope for the believers in Ephesus and how that applies to us. Here is a recap...

Ephesians 3:14-21

~3:14-15: Paul starts off this little section by again giving glory and preference to the Father. He understood and wanted the Ephesian church to understand that He was asking God for things on their behalf. Paul was continually submitting his life to the Lord, whatever the cost may be. He is the One that sustains every breath we take and as believers we do well to follow in Paul's footsteps and continually praise Him through lives of devotion.

Q: In what ways has your life shown that either you do or do not recognize the Lord's authority in your life?

~3:16: Paul prays and asks that the Lord would grant them spiritual strength. Paul is teaching here a very powerful truth: the Lord grants us spiritual strength and knowledge of His power. Romans 9:16 and many others teach us that God is not only the Author but He is the Perfecter of our faith. He saved us and He sanctifies us. Paul also prays that they would be strengthened with power. This word power is the same Greek word that we get the word dynamite from. Just as dynamite can completely destroy things, so too the Spirit (through Christ) is the power that overcomes and changes the darkness and sin within us. We do not have the ability to change ourselves permanently by our own power.

Q: Are you coming to the Spirit consistently to be continually molded into Christ's image or are you relying on yourself to change your "ungodly" behaviors?

~3:1-17-18: Paul reminds the believers that being strengthened by the Spirit has a purpose... that Christ would dwell in our hearts. This is the goal- not that we would be morally acceptable to the world around us- but that Christ may dwell within our hearts. Dwelling is different than just visiting. Christ wants to "dwell" or make His home in our hearts and "loves." God is the giver of every good thing and His hope is that we would recognize that and walk in thankfulness and awe of His sweet mercies as we see His grace in the things that we love.

Q: Is Christ residing with you? Do you see the great things in your life and worship Him for those things?

~3:19: Paul hopes that they would know the love of Christ that surpasses understanding. The word used for know here is one that involves not just "head knowledge" but "experiential knowledge." He is hoping for the Ephesian believers that they would not just have head knowledge about the love of Christ but experiential knowledge. The more we press into Him through the power of the Spirit and let Him dwell within us, the more we will have experiential knowledge of Christ's love which surpasses understanding.

Q: Do you have experiential knowledge of the love of Christ or just head knowledge? Explain...

~3:19: Paul also prays that they would be filled up with the fullness of God. Colossians 3:12-17 expands on this truth. Paul's hope for believers is that the Word of Christ would so saturate us and our lives that Jesus overflows from us into the lives of others.

Q: Are you saturated in the Word of Christ or in something else? What from you "overflows" into the lives of others?

~3:20-21: All of this is to praise His goodness and for His glory. It brings the Lord much glory when our lives are transformed by the power of His Spirit.

Dear students,
We pray that this week you will spend time letting the Word of Christ dwell in your hearts. Meditate on His Word and ask the Lord to continually be changing your through the power of the Spirit. We are praying for you this week. We love you and are so thankful to worship with you.

With hope,
~Sonny and Casi

Galatians 1:1-5

TVCC Students,
As always, we love getting to worship with you. It was such a blessing to us to have Tristan come and lead us in worship. Since we are still wrapping up the summer craziness, we have not yet started the book that we will be going through in the fall. Sonny taught us this week from the book of Galatians, reminding us of our high calling given to us through Jesus. Here is a recap...

Galatians 1:1-5

~1:1: Paul was called an apostle. An apostle is one sent on a mission. Paul was on a mission to declare to the world the grace and peace offered through Jesus Christ. Our mission is the same... as seen in Matthew 28:19- we are called to make disciples in His name through His power (as He is with us till the end of the age).

~1:1:Paul also states that he is an apostle through Jesus Christ and God who raised Him. His apostleship was not of himself but he was sent by the Creator of the universe who raised Christ and set us free. Knowing who sent Paul (and who sends us) gives power and authority to his message (and our message). We all must remember who is sending us on this great commission and ultimately who gives us the power/strength to declare this message.

Q: Do you realize the great mission that you have been called to as a believer in Jesus Christ? This life is not our own (1 Corinthians 6:19-20). We are called to be his "apostles" in the sense that we are on a mission to declare to the world the grace and peace offered through the blood of Jesus.

Q: In what ways do you feel the Spirit calling you to readjust the course of your life, either on a large scale or small one, that you might be a more productive ambassador for Him?

~1:3: Paul asks that grace and peace be theirs through Jesus Christ. What a different message we have in Christ than Israel did before Christ had come. When we look back at the book of Jeremiah, we can clearly see that we are just as guilty as they were of doing the following things that led to God's fierce anger...

-Jeremiah 1:13:
1. The Israelites had forsaken the Lord. We have forsaken the Lord.
2. The Israelites offered sacrifices to other gods. We have offered sacrifices to other gods.
3. The Israelites worshipped the work of their own hands. We have worshipped the work of our own hands.

-In the book of Jeremiah the outcome of this horrible rebellion against the Lord was His judgement. Though we are just like Israel in our rebellion of the Lord, there is a huge difference. We are now offered GRACE and PEACE but not just because God just decided to offer us this. Our sin deserved punishment just like Israel's. Christ took our punishment. Isaiah 53 goes through this in detail. Our punishment fell on Him. Through Him we are offered GRACE and PEACE!

Q: Do you realize the grace and peace that you have been offered in Christ Jesus? Do you realize the wrath that you deserve for you sins and that Christ took that wrath so that you could be offered grace and peace?

~1:4-5: Jesus paid for our forgiveness with His life. He rescued us from this present evil age. This world will be done away with (2 Peter) and then real life will begin for believers as we are reunited with the Lord! To God be the glory for this great truth!

Dear students,
We pray that this week you will remember the grace and peace that is yours through Jesus Christ. Let this grace and peace spur you on to love and good deeds. We pray that you will spend time meditating on the Word of God and that you will let Him continually speak to you through the Word, prayer, and fellowship with other believers. We love you all and are so thankful to get to worship with you every week.

With hope,
~Sonny and Casi

Titus 2:11-14: The Gospel...

TVCC Students,
It was such a blessing to get to worship and study God's Word with you tonight. We got to take an in-depth look at Titus 2:11-14 and unveil how much the Gospel actually does. It was encouraging to be reminded that the Gospel's work does not just end with our salvation but is the continuing force that is chiseling us into the image that the Lord desires so that we might bring Him glory. Here is a recap...

Titus 2:11-14
~Titus 2:11: The grace of God brings salvation. What is this grace of God? Titus 3:4-5 reminds us that the kindness of God (grace) is the fact that Jesus came to bring us salvation- The Gospel given to us is the grace of God- Jesus came and died for us, not because of our good works but because of His great mercy. Jesus is everything. Jesus is the Grace of God. Jesus is the Kindness of God. Jesus is our freedom. Jesus is salvation.

Q: Do you live your life in such a way that you are declaring to the world that Jesus is everything? When people look at your life, what/who would they say that you live for?

~Titus 2:12: The Gospel instructs us. This word for "instructs" is the same word often used for being in training or something/someone being "shaped" for something else. Just as an ice sculptor takes a block of unshaped ice and makes something beautiful out of it, so too Jesus wants to take us and shape and chisel us into someone who reflects His glory. The gospel is what does this. Remembering that we are loved and that Christ died on our behalf while we were yet in our sins... this is the power that can take us from being hard blocks of ice and making us beautiful works of the Lord.

Q: How have you seen the Lord shaping you lately? Remember that those that the Lord loves He shapes and disciplines (Hebrews 12). If you are not being changed by His gospel continually, we encourage you to check your faith to see if it is genuine or see if there is any sin that is keeping you from being sanctified by Him. He longs for you to believe His gospel and return to Him. Also remember that sometimes this process is not easy but it is what's best for us. The Lord is the Master Artist and He knows exactly what chiseling needs to be done so that we can display His glory.

~Titus 2:12-13: The Gospel also teaches us to deny ungodliness and worldliness and live sensibly in this present age. The word "deny" used here is the same word that was used to describe the denial of Jesus by the Jews- the denial that had Him murdered to the cross. The Gospel calls us to deny with the utmost intensity things that are contrary to the nature of God. After denying these things, we are called to live sensibly. We know how to live sensibly by living under the truth of God's Word remembering that Jesus is coming again soon to take us to our real home for eternity with Him. Nothing else will lead us to living sensibly though the world will promise daily that it's ways are right.

Q: Are you letting the Gospel lead you to denial of ungodliness or are you living the way the world tells you to live? Are you letting God's Word shape your life and your thoughts? Are you living sensibly- keeping your focus on eternal things and not living for the pleasures of this world? What changes do you feel the Lord calling you to make so that the Gospel can be shaping you more on a daily basis?

~Titus 2:14: Christ redeemed us from the penalty of our sins through His death on the Cross. This was just the beginning. He not only redeems (salvation) but is continuing to purify us during our time on earth (sanctification) that we might be more like Him. We need to be reminding each other often that the Gospel did not stop its work on us when we believed but that it is daily working on us.

Q: In what ways are you letting the Gospel change you daily?

~Titus 2:14: He redeemed us for Himself for a purpose- that we might live in such a way that He is glorified. We were saved for a purpose. Ephesians 2:10 reminds us that we were created to do good works for His glory. Our lives tell others who He is- that He is the Great Savior who redeemed His children. Even when we struggle and fail, He is continually calling us to return to the Gospel, believe what He has done on our behalf and live lives of thankfulness to His sweet mercies that are poured out on us everyday.

Dear students,
We pray that you will continually mediate on the fact that while we were yet sinners, Christ died for us. He knows that we fail continually and stands daily ready to forgive and shape us into His image. We pray that you will let His Word shape and encourage you this week and that you will have sweet times of fellowship with Him and with the body of Christ. We love you and are praying for you!

With hope,
~Sonny and Casi

Augustine of Hippo stated this truth...

"You have made us for yourself, O Lord, and our hearts are restless until they rest in you."

Ephesians 1:15-23: Praying for One Another

TVCC Students,

Wow! Summer is coming quickly to an end. As you may know, we have spent the month of July going through different passages on prayer and then praying as a group on Wednesday nights for the both the students and the student ministry of TVCC as we prepare to start the 2013-2014 school year. It has been encouraging to hear your prayers for one another and to see your hearts set on bringing glory to Jesus through your lives. Sonny taught this week from Ephesians 1:15-23 in hopes of encouraging us in remembering the purpose and goal of corporate prayer. Here is a recap...

~Ephesians 1:15-16: Paul prays often for his friends. This might sound small but it isn't. It is so easy in our world to get so busy that we forget to stop, be still, and pray! If we really love our friends and family, we will make it a priority to be daily lifting them up in prayer. Remember that love is an action not a feeling!

Q: Do you spend time daily praying for your family and friends? If not, we encourage you to try to spend at least ten minutes a day in prayer for those that Lord brings to your mind to pray for. It will be so refreshing to your spirit, your walk with the Lord, and your friendships.

~Ephesians 1:17: Paul realizes that it is the Lord that gives wisdom and revelation. We have nothing that we did not receive from the Lord and it will be a great benefit to pray continually that the Lord will give us more wisdom to honor His name.

~Ephesians 1:18-21: Paul prays for 3 things for the body of Christ that they would know the...

1. Hope of His calling (vs 18). Paul is praying that they would remember that it is God who called them and He is the One that sustains them. He is encouraging them to hold to their security in Christ and not fall back into a works-based faith. (Romans 11:29; Titus 3:5; Galatians 3:3)

Q: Are you resting in the peace that God is the One who has called you and He is the One that sustains your faith? We pray that you will meditate on that truth and let it bring comfort to you this week.

2. Riches of the glory of the inheritance of the saints (vs 18). Romans 8 gives a great picture of this. Those who are led by the Spirit of God (through Jesus) are sons of God and are eternally secure in that position. What a great honor! Paul is praying that they would remember their sonship in Christ- that they are co-heirs with Christ and have an eternal inheritance that is secure and wonderful beyond comprehension (1 Peter 1). When we remember our inheritance in Christ, it will encourage us to behave in a way that brings Him honor and glory. Knowing your position in the family of God will help you live differently than the world.

Q: Have you been living your life remembering that you are a child of the King of Creation through faith in Jesus Christ? If you were to live your life in this way, what are some changes that you think might take place in your daily life?

3. Surpassing greatness of His power toward those who believe (vs 19-21). Paul is again reminding them that as God has chosen them, He has the power (this word for power is the same word that we get our English word: dynamite) to protect our salvation. Though life may throw us many "curve balls" and we will often have seasons that are difficult to bare, we can rest assured that our ETERNAL home is being preserved by the Creator of the world whose power is incomprehensible. Knowing this truth helps us to persevere through trials. Romans 8:31-37 brings even more light on this subject. If the Lord is for us, who can really be against us!? Nothing can separate us from the love of God in Christ. His power is our security and our peace.

Q: Does the power of God to secure your salvation bring you peace and lead you to living a life of thankfulness to Him? When people see you, do they see someone whose heart is devoted to living a life of thankfulness to Christ?

Dear students,

We love you all very much and are praying Ephesians 1:15-23 for you this week. We pray also that you will reach out to others and love as you have been loved by the Lord. Remember that everyday your are given opportunities within your families, schools, and extra- curricular activities to show others the glory of Christ by the way that you serve and love others. We encourage you to spend time daily in undistracted prayer this week by yourself and with the body of Christ. Again, we love you and are praying for a great year! 

With hope,

~Sonny and Casi 

Matthew 6:7-13: The Lord's Prayer

TVCC Students,

Summer seems to be flying by! We cannot believe that we are already in the middle of July! Last night we went through and unpacked the Lord's prayer recorded in Matthew. It was so powerful to intensely study this prayer of our Lord and meditate on the truths that Jesus is teaching us in this passage. Here is a recap...

~Matthew 6:9: Jesus is giving us an example of how to pray. Who better to learn from than the One who came from the Father and is now back with the Father? 

*The first line that Jesus gives us to pray starts with "Our Father." What are the implications that come with addressing the Lord of Glory as "Our Father?"

1. As our Father, we have direct access to God. Just as a child can have his father's attention at almost any moment because of the immeasurable love that the father has for the child, so we, too, have complete access to our heavenly Father. We are His children through faith in the blood of Jesus. He wants what is best for us and is always available to listen to our hearts as any loving father would be. He wants us to come to Him as His children and pour out our hearts to Him continually.

Q: What is your relationship with the Lord like? Do you have a great Father/child relationship with Him where you converse often with Him- sharing your heart with Him? If not, we encourage you to spend undistracted time with Him in prayer- pouring out your heart to Him because He cares for you!

2. As our Father, we also at times receive the discipline that we need from the Lord. Any loving Father disciplines His children because He cares for them and wants what is best for them (Hebrews 12). The same is true of the Lord. While He does earnestly desire that we pour out our hearts and requests to Him, He will at times tell us "No" and even discipline us for our own good and for His glory. We must remember that just as parents have more wisdom and insight than their children and are thus called to make decisions that will keep their children and family safe, so too the Lord IS WISDOM and does everything to draw us close to Him and let His name be magnified. Let us trust in His Fatherly leadership in our lives.

Q: Do you trust the Lord as your Father to lead your life? Are you continually asking for Him to lead you and discipline you that you would grow in His image and continually be glorifying to Him?

*After Jesus uses the phrase "Our Father," He continues with the phrase, "who is in heaven." This phrase may seem small and insignificant but there is so much behind it. This phrase is to remind believers that this earth is not their home and we are not yet fully united with the Lord who is in heaven. Our home is with our Father in heaven... this place is just temporary... one that we are enduring until we are united with Him for eternity.

Q: Have you actually been living lately like this place is your eternal home or have you been living with heaven in mind, knowing that we are just here for a short time and will be with Him in heaven forever? What changes do you need to make in your life to live with a more eternal mindset?

*Next Jesus uses the amazing phrase "hallowed be Your name." This was how Jesus lived. This is how we are called to live. Jesus came to do the Father's will and to trust Him fully in what He called Jesus to do. Life here is not about making a name for ourselves but we are called to follow the example of Jesus and serve others for the glory of the Father (Philippians 2).

Q: Are you living in such a way that you are trying to make your name great or are you living in a way that says that you want the Lord's name to be exalted? What changes do you feel the Lord calling you to make that His name might be more glorified in your life?

~Matthew 6:10: Jesus continues with "Your kingdom come, Your will be done." This is similar to the phrase before it but reminds us that it is not our own will that we are to be concerned with, Just as a father has more wisdom than his children, so our Father has more wisdom than us and knows what is best for His glory and our good. Even if at times He calls us to be uncomfortable or more, we must trust that His will is best and He does everything to bring about the glory of His kingdom.

Q: In what areas of your life are you trying to force your will and not the Lord's? We encourage you to have a time of prayer where you surrender again your whole life to the will of the Lord knowing that His will is best.

~Matthew 6:11: Jesus encourages us to ask the Lord for daily bread. This, too, is such a loaded phrase. It reminds us of a few things. We get hungry and cannot sustain ourselves. Without the grace of God we cannot even draw breath into our own lungs. It is God's grace that sustains us all. Without the Lord we are miserable, wretched, poor, blind and naked (Revelation 3). We need to continually remember that He sustains us daily. He is not just the beginning of our salvation but He is the One who brings to completion the work that He begins in us (Philippians 1).

Q: Are you coming to the Lord to be filled daily or are you trying to sustain yourself on what the world has to offer? What does it look like for you to come daily to the Lord and find your sustenance in Him?

~Matthew 6:12: Next Jesus calls us to ask forgiveness from the Lord and encourages us to be a forgiving people. He knew that we would fail to fully live the lives that the Lord was calling us to live and wants to remind us here that we can continually come to the Father and receive forgiveness as our right standing with the Lord is based on the work of Christ- not us! Praise Jesus for that!! We will fail but we are seen as righteous in the eyes of the Father because of the work of Christ on the cross on our behalf. We are called in Philippians to forget what lies behind and press on. Confess our shortcomings to the Father and then walk in His forgiveness!

Q: Are you burdened with guilt or are you walking in the forgiveness of Christ? What things in your life are you letting keep your burdened with guilt? We encourage you to repent of those shortcomings and failures and then walk in complete forgiveness that is yours through Christ! 

Q: How are you doing at forgiving others as you have been forgiven? Do you have any unforgiveness in your life that you need to repent of? We encourage you to be at peace with others as far as it depends on you.

~Matthew 6:13: Lastly Jesus encourages us to ask that we not be led into temptation but delivered from evil. Jesus knew that this world is full of temptation and evil. We need to be continually delivered by the Lord. Again, the Lord does not just save us and leave us to fend for ourselves. Our deliverance by Him is a continual one. We need to continually be communicating with our Lord and trusting Him to lead us.

Q: Are you continually asking the Lord to lead you away from sin and temptation? Are you asking the Lord to lead you in ways that will encourage your sanctification and His glory? We encourage you to make this a continual prayer. He is our Rescuer! We need Him continually! 

Dear students,

The theme of this whole prayer is one of surrender and trust. Do we believe that God's way is best? Do we fully trust the Lord with our lives? What changes do we need to make that show that we genuinely trust that He is our perfect Father that knows what is best for our good and His glory? A.W. Tozer says that the safest place we can be is a place where we have entrusted everything to Him. This is so true. let us hold nothing back this week but continually be offering up our lives to Him. We love you and are praying for you, that you would enjoy intimacy with Lord as this is His desire for you.

With hope,

Sonny and Casi

Revelation 3: Laodicean Church

Dear TVCC Students,
Again we know that summertime is quite unpredictable and chaotic with cheer and football camps, vacations and mission trips. Through all of that it is refreshing to be able to have our consistent Life service where we can worship with you guys and study God's Word. Since we have not jumped into a new book yet, we are taking a few weeks to just hear what the Lord might have for all of us. Last night we were in Revelation 3 because in many ways our American Church looks very similar to this lukewarm church that is being disciplined by the Lord. Here is a recap from last night...

~Revelation 3:14-16: Laodicea was being called out for being lukewarm- neither hot nor cold- when it came to their faith. They were "fence riders" and this was not okay with Jesus. In order to show His displeasure with this He let them know that being lukewarm made Him want to throw up. God cannot stand apathy- and this is what the Laodicean church was guilty of.

Q: When you look at your life and your faith- would you say that your faith is hot, cold or lukewarm? If it is not "hot," what are some changes that you feel the Lord calling you to make so that it will be?

~3:16: What does it look like for our faith to be lukewarm? 2 Timothy 3:1 states that in the last times (which many believe are now) people (even in the church) will be lovers of themselves. They will have a form of godliness but deny its power. A lukewarm "Christian" is someone who knows all of the right answers about Christianity and Jesus but still lives a self-serving life void of the power of God. There is no evidence in this person's life of the Spirit of God coming to change them- they just have memorized a bunch of facts that they hold on to thinking they can be saved by knowledge alone. God did not come for us just to know a bunch of bible verses. He came to give us NEW LIFE- to change us through His Son and Spirit.

Q: Do you see evidence of the Holy Spirit changing your life or do you look exactly the same now as you did before confessing Christianity? We ask that you really evaluate your life to see if your faith is genuine or if you are just clinging to a bunch of facts hoping it will be enough.

~3:17: Lukewarm people do not think they need anything. The city of Laodicea was known for their finances, fashion, and medicine. They thought they had it all together and they did not acknowledge a need for the Lord. God calls them out on this. Though they thought they had everything figured out, they were really wretched, miserable, poor, blind and naked (the exact opposite of how they viewed themselves).

Q: What are some areas in your life that you think you have "all together?" Do you realize on a daily basis that everything good in you is from Him and that He is really the one that holds all things together? We know that pride comes before the fall and we ask that you check your life to see if there are any areas in your life where pride has crept in. Confess that and repent this week, acknowledging again that He is the one who sustains and grows us.

~3:18: God calls the Laodicean church to come back to Him and buy from Him gold refined by fire so that they would really be rich. What does this mean? In Isaiah 55:1-5 God tells His people what this looks like. We are to come and buy from Him without money because HE has already paid the price. 1 Corinthians 6:20 says that we were bought with a price and should thus glorify God with our bodies. Christ already paid for us to have eternal riches- an inheritance with Him that is imperishable (1 Peter 1) and will not fade away. Our call is to come to Jesus and accept His payment on our behalf and thus be "clothed, rich, and actually see."

Q: Do you realize that Christ paid the penalty for your rebellion so that you could be redeemed from your spiritual blindness, nakedness, and poverty? Are you coming to Him to be filled or trying to fill yourself through worldly means that will never satisfy? We pray that you will see the emptiness of trying to satisfy yourself with anything other than Jesus.

~3:19: Just as God is calling the Laodicean church to repent and return- He is calling us. Here He is calling them to experience genuine salvation- to realize their complete depravity and come to the Lord to have complete restoration through the work of Christ on the Cross. We have nothing. He has everything.

Q: Have you ever really come to grips with your complete depravity and the holiness of the Lord? Do you realize that you were "miserable, poor, blind, and naked" with Christ's blood being the only "cure"? We pray that you will spend time meditating on the Work of Christ on your behalf and that you will walk in thankfulness this week for His salvation.

~3:21: Jesus ends His talk with this church by reminding them that those who overcome will be able to sit with Him on His throne. At first this might discourage us because very few of us would think of ourselves as over-comers, but looking at 1 John 5:4 we see what it means to be an overcomer: being born of God! Our faith in the Cross is what overcomes. Christ overcame through His death and resurrection and we share in that through belief that His death was on our behalf! We are overcomers through Him!

Dear students,
We are so thankful to get to worship with you every Wednesday. We pray that you will mediate on Psalm 51 this week- thanking the Lord that we have been washed by Him and asking Him to restore to us the joy of our salvation!! Praise God for what He has done! We love you all and are praying for you this week.

With hope,
Sonny and Casi

Acts 17:16-28 Paul's Gospel Presentation

TVCC Students,

Wow! Summer is flying by so fast. We know that summer can be a little bit chaotic with vacations and other things that throw normalcy out the window. With all of the summer madness it is so nice to come on Wednesday and worship with you all. We say this often but we are so encouraged to see you all growing in faith and love. Getting to worship with you all is such a blessing to us. Last night we were able to study Acts 17 and Paul's defense of the gospel in Athens. Here are the highlights...

~Acts 17:16: Paul's spirit was provoked when he saw the city of Athens given over to idolatry. When Paul saw false theology and people living for and worshipping things that were lifeless, he had to do something about it. It was not okay with him to sit by idly and let others live for something that would lead to their eternal suffering. Love is demonstrated when we speak the truth.

Q: Is your spirit provoked when you see people worshipping things that are false or do you just sit back and let others continue in their false worship knowing that Christ died so that they could be brought back into a relationship with the Father? If you have found yourself being okay with the idolatry of others, we pray that you will confess that and ask the Lord to give you a spirit that longs to see others know and worship Him.

~Acts 17:22: Paul knew the culture of the city that he was sharing the gospel with. He knew their past and the plague that had been checked by the "unknown god." He used their current and past situations to point them to Jesus.

Q: Are you someone who listens and gains information before speaking? Listening to someone's life-story before sharing the gospel with them might be a great help in finding where they are and showing them that Christ came to fill their emptiness.

~Acts 17:24: Here Paul is revealing the falsities in their worship. They ignorantly worshipped many gods and were pretty much full pantheists (everything is god). Paul here states that their worship is empty and there is a Creator who isn't contained by anything humans can make. He is above and beyond all of our human comprehension and ingenuity. Psalm 139 reminds us of this truth. God is everywhere and creation is declaring His power and glory. We cannot escape His presence and we cannot confine Him. Our only appropriate response is to humbly worship Him!!

Q: Do you try to fit God into a mold that you have made for him (not only physical but even ideological)? Are you letting yourself be transformed by His word on a daily basis? We must realize that God's Word needs to continually be shaping our view of Him or we will (even unknowingly) let the culture lead us to worship false gods that we have made in our own image.

~Acts 17:25: God doesn't need anything. Our worship does not define Him or sustain Him. It is good for us to remember that He was and is wholly complete without us. We are the ones that need Him. He created us and we are His through belief in the death of Jesus on our behalf. We belong to Him and our lives should be lived in such a way that we trust Him to do with us what seems best to Him. Everything good in our lives is by His grace and we do well to trust Him with our who lives.

Q: Do you realize that all that you have is really the Lord's? Are you continually striving to be at a place of complete surrender to Him where you fully trust Him to do what is best for you and His glory? What things are you trying to hold back from Him? We pray that you will repent of trying to keep things safe apart from Him and return to a place of quiet surrender.

"Everything is safe which we commit to Him, and nothing is really safe which is not so committed."

~A.W. Tozer from Pursuit of God

~Acts 17:27: God does everything in our lives so that we would seek Him like a bride ready to meet her bridegroom. God sent His Son so that we could be brought back to Him. His goal is for us to be intimate with Him through His Son. He wants us to realize that He is the pot of gold at the end of the rainbow!! He is the goal, the treasure, and our hearts will find rest only when they are resting in Him!

Q: Are you walking in an intimate relationship with the Lord where you are conversing with Him daily (through prayer) and listening to Him speak back to you (through prayer and His Word)? Know today that Jesus died so that you could have an intimate relationship with the Father. This is the goal!

Dear students,

We are praying for you all this week. We pray that the Lord would reveal any idols that you have been serving either consciously or unconsciously. We pray that you would repent of any idolatry and return to an close relationship with the Lord of heaven and earth. We love you all and pray that you will diligently pursue God this week.

With hope,

~Sonny and Casi