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