Faith Covenant Christian Church

11:00 a.m. Service

CALL TO WORSHIP

*INVOCATION

*CONGREGATIONAL HYMN

*RESPONSIVE READING

*PRAYER

SONG OF PRAISE AND WORSHIP

WELCOME / ANNOUNCEMENTS / FELLOWSHIP

OFFERTORY PRAYER AND OFFERING

*INTERCESSORY PRAYER

*PRAYER OF FAITH AND COMMITMENT

SPECIAL MUSIC

WORD OF GOD – Pastor Nokomis Yeldell, Jr.

*INVITATION TO SALVATION AND DISCIPLESHIP

[You may join Faith Covenant Christian Church by: Baptism, Christian Experience,

Re-Dedication, Transfer Letter, or Watch Care]

HOLY COMMUNION (1st Sunday Of Every Month)

BENEDICTION

The Heart of Return:

Embracing God's Compassion

"For if ye turn again unto the LORD, your brethren and your children shall find compassion before them that lead them captive, so that they shall come again into this land: for the LORD your God is gracious and merciful, and will not turn away his face from you, if ye return unto him."

- 2 Chronicles 30:9

2 Chronicles describes the reigns of the kings of Judah, emphasizing their faithfulness or lack thereof toward God. Chapter 30 describes the reign of King Hezekiah, a ruler dedicated to restoring true worship in Israel. The people had strayed, worshipping false gods and turning away from the covenant made with the Lord. The nation had fallen into disarray, oppression, and captivity. In this moment of despair, Hezekiah extends an invitation to the entire nation, calling them to return to God, to repent, and to participate in the Passover feast.

The phrase "if ye turn again unto the LORD" serves as a powerful reminder to all believers that God always welcomes us back with open arms. It signifies that no matter how far we have strayed from the path of righteousness, God’s grace is sufficient to cover our shortcomings. The act of returning to the Lord is not merely an option; it is an essential step towards healing and restoration. His invitation also emphasizes personal responsibility — our choice to turn back to Him is pivotal in experiencing His grace and mercy. God’s compassion is not limited merely to the individual; rather, it extends to our families and communities. Hezekiah's promise was that this return to God would not only affect the repentants themselves but also those around them — “your brethren and your children shall find compassion.” This implies that our decisions, particularly our spiritual decisions, have ripple effects that can lead others towards God's mercy.

When we return to God in our brokenness, He does not cast aside our past; instead, He transforms it. He is eager to show us grace, to forgive us, and to restore our fortunes in ways that we often cannot imagine. God seeks to revive our spirits and bring us back into fellowship with Him. Imagine the face of God turned toward you, looking you in the eyes with love, acceptance, and understanding! In our yearning for acceptance, we often forget that God’s eyes are always upon us, welcoming our return. Know that if we choose to turn back to Him, we will find a compassionate Savior waiting with arms wide open.

SUNDAY SCHOOL NEXT WEEK

SUNDAY SCHOOL – SEPTEMBER 21, 2025

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Hilkiah’s Discovery ~ 2 Chronicles 34:15-22, 26–27

Lesson Aims: After participating in this lesson,

each learner will be able to:

1. Identify what Hilkiah found.

2. Contrast King Josiah's reaction to hearing Scripture read

to that of his son King Jehoiakim in Jeremiah 36:20–26.

3. Make a plan to value the public and private reading of Scripture

in an effort to keep God's Word from being neglected.

2 Chron. 34:15–18 15 Hilkiah said to Shaphan the secretary, “I have found the Book of the Law in the temple of the Lord.” He gave it to Shaphan. 16 Then Shaphan took the book to the king and reported to him: “Your officials are doing everything that has been committed to them. 17 They have paid out the money that was in the temple of the Lord and have entrusted it to the supervisors and workers.” 18 Then Shaphan the secretary informed the king, “Hilkiah the priest has given me a book.” And Shaphan read from it in the presence of the king.

God’s Word Discovered Generations after Hezekiah, a new king is on a righteous campaign to restore Judah’s worship of the one, true God. Josiah does what is right in God’s eyes (2 Chron. 34:2–3). Josiah becomes king at only eight years old, and when he is sixteen, he begins to seek God. At twenty, he begins ridding Judah of the influence of foreign gods. This is all the more impressive because Josiah’s grandfather, Manasseh, did extraordinary evil in the sight of God, to the point that God says that Judah shall be delivered into exile (2 Kings 21:10– 15). King Amon, Josiah’s father, continued this heinous evil and refused to humble himself before the Lord. Then, Josiah becomes king at a young age because Amon’s officials conspire to assassinate him. On the heels of these terrible tragedies, Josiah heeds the messages of the prophets and turns his heart toward the Lord God of Israel. Josiah has the idols, alters, and Asherah poles taken down and the bones of false priests burned (2 Chron. 34:4–7). He seeks to repair God’s temple in Jerusalem, which has been neglected and filled with false worship once more. With money collected from Judah and the remnant of Israel, workers are paid to repair and restore the temple (2 Chron. 34:9–11). It is during this restoration that Hilkiah the priest finds a scroll, the “Book of the Law,” neglected somewhere in the temple. It is possible that the book had been stored near the walls or foundation of the temple, which is how it had become lost. Most historians agree that the “book” here contains part or all of Deuteronomy, since Josiah’s later reforms match what is written in Deuteronomy (which is Moses’ final sermon to God’s people entering Canaan). Shaphan, the temple secretary, takes the scroll to King Josiah and reports that work is proceeding as expected (v. 16). The money for the temple is being used for its restoration (v. 17). Apparently in the mind of Shaphan, the discovery of a scroll is trivial, almost an afterthought. He reports about it last and calls it simply “a book” (v. 18). Until Shaphan reads the text before the king, no one recognizes the significance of this discovery.

2 Chron. 34:19–22, 26–27 19 When the king heard the words of the Law, he tore his robes. 20 He gave these orders to Hilkiah, Ahikam son of Shaphan, Abdon son of Micah, Shaphan the secretary and Asaiah the king’s attendant: 21 “Go and inquire of the Lord for me and for the remnant in Israel and Judah about what is written in this book that has been found. Great is the Lord’s anger that is poured out on us because those who have gone before us have not kept the word of the Lord; they have not acted in accordance with all that is written in this book.” 22 Hilkiah and those the king had sent with him went to speak to the prophet Huldah, who was the wife of Shallum son of Tokhath, the son of Hasrah, keeper of the wardrobe. She lived in Jerusalem, in the New Quarter. 26 Tell the king of Judah, who sent you to inquire of the Lord, ‘This is what the Lord, the God of Israel, says concerning the words you heard: 27 Because your heart was responsive and you humbled yourself before God when you heard what he spoke against this place and its people, and because you humbled yourself before me and tore your robes and wept in my presence, I have heard you, declares the Lord.’”

Josiah’s Repentance Josiah hears the message of this scroll for the first time and responds with repentance. Tearing of robes signifies grief: he is cut to the core by the recognition that he and the people of Judah have not kept their side of the covenant. The book of Deuteronomy lays out God’s requirements for Israel, stipulations that a nation devoted to God must observe. They are to worship Him alone, reminding each generation that God is unlike any other (Deut. 6:4–9). They shall care for the foreigner, the widow, and the orphan (Deut. 10:18–19). They shall behave with justice in all their dealings, remembering that God was their merciful rescuer (Deut. 16:18–20). Imagine hearing some of these ideas from Moses’ sermon for the first time! The same document outlines blessings and curses, a way of success and a path to abject failure. Moses says, “I set before you today life and prosperity, death and destruction” (Deut. 30:15). But Josiah hears these words as a king whose nation has failed at nearly every turn. He attributes the division of the people and the destruction of the northern kingdom of Israel to this failure: “Great is the Lord’s anger that is poured out on us because those who have gone before us have not kept the word of the Lord” (2 Chron. 34:21). Josiah sends his staff to inquire with a prophet, to see what God has to say about their disobedience. They go to Huldah, a woman living in Jerusalem (2 Chron. 34:21). What they hear in response is extraordinary (v. 27). God is indeed angry with Judah, among other things, for the sins of Josiah’s father and grandfather. But because Josiah humbles himself before God’s Word and repents with sincere grief at Judah’s sin, God listens. God doesn’t remove the consequences or paper over the breach in the covenant relationship, but the Lord hears Josiah’s appeal, and that is enough.

About Us

OUR HISTORY

Faith Covenant Christian Church began on February 27, 2014 following a fellowship dinner for displaced former members of Crossroads Christian Church. Following that first meeting, we formed a Planning Committee and began meeting @ Best Western Hotel at Cedar Bluff. On May 7, 2014, we adopted the name Faith Covenant Christian Church, with our foundational verse being Jeremiah 50:5. On June 22, 2014 an invitation to membership was given by Rev A. David Baxter and 21 people united with Faith Covenant Christian Church. Women’s and Men’s Ministries began having regular meetings. In September 2014,

we began having Sunday School and Wednesday Night Bible Study.

In November, Youth Ministry began. By the end of 2014, 10 more people joined, three as new converts. We moved into our current space on April 1, 2015 and look forward to serving God faithfully. Following a yearlong pastor search, our pastor, Violet P. McRoy, was called on April 18, 2016. In March 2018, Pastor McRoy resigned as pastor, due to poor health and other personal issues. God quickly responded to our prayer-laden search and Pastor Nokomis Yeldell, Jr. was elected to the pastoral position on April 16, 2018. On Easter Sunday in 2025, we moved into a new sanctuary at 1021 Summer Wood Drive. In May, 2025, we will celebrated our 11th church anniversary and are looking onward, upward and forward to serving God faithfully.

OUR PASTOR

Nokomis Yeldell, Jr.

Pastor Yeldell was born in Mt Pleasant, Texas, the third of five children of Nokomis and Dollie Pearl Yeldell. His father, also a Pastor for over 60 years, was called to Memphis, TN, where Nokomis Jr. grew up. Following graduation Pastor Yeldell attended Southwestern Christian College. He then served four years in the United States Air Force. He then decided to move to Knoxville, TN to further his education. After serving in leadership capacities in various ministries at Foster Chapel Baptist Church, Pastor Yeldell was called into the ministry in 2010.

Faith Covenant Christian Church represents Pastor Yeldell’s third and prayerfully final pastorate.

WHAT WE BELIEVE

FAITH COVENANT Christian Church accepts the Holy Scriptures as the revealed will of God, the all-sufficient rule of faith and practice, and holds to the following foundational truths:

1. The One True God

GOD IS… He is the eternally existent and immutable Father, Creator of the Universe and everything therein. He is the Lord of heaven and earth, and in Him we move and have our being. He is Spirit, and His worshipers must worship Him in spirit and in truth. Our Triune God—Father, Son, and Holy Spirit—is One God in three distinct persons: one in essence and purpose and distinct in personality and function. He is omnipotent, omnipresent, and omniscient. He is the essence of love, goodness, faithfulness, kindness, mercy, grace, holiness, righteousness, and justice.

2. The Deity of the Lord Jesus Christ

Jesus Christ is the eternally existent Son of the living God, the fullness of the Godhead bodily, the image of the invisible God, and the firstborn of all creation. Through Him was made everything that is made—things in heaven and on earth, visible and invisible, whether thrones or powers or rulers or authorities; all things were created by Him and for Him. He is before all things, and in Him all things are held together.

He was born of a virgin, and lived a sinless life. God made Him who had no sin to be sin for us so that we might become the righteousness of God through His substitutionary death on the cross. He was resurrected bodily from the dead, and sits at the right hand of the Father making intercession for us.

3. The Work of the Holy Spirit

The Holy Spirit is the Counselor, the Spirit of Truth, who goes out from the Father and testifies about the Son. The Holy Spirit convicts the world of guilt in regards to sin and righteousness and judgment. He is given to all who believe, for Jesus will baptize with the Holy Spirit according to the promise of God the Father, who gives the Spirit without limit. The Holy Spirit lives with us and in us, bringing about the endowment of power for life and service, as well as the bestowment of the gifts and their uses in the work of the ministry. These gifts of the Holy Spirit, distributed according to His own will (Hebrews 2:4) include: prophecy, service, teaching, encouragement, contributing to the needs of others, leadership, mercy (Romans 12:6-8), message of wisdom, message of knowledge, faith, healing, miraculous powers, distinguishing between spirits (discernment), tongues, interpretation of tongues (1 Corinthians 12:7-11).

4. Salvation from the Penalty of Sin

By grace, through faith, we are saved from the penalty of sin. Mankind, though made in the image of God, has inherited through the first man, Adam, a sinful nature. By this nature, all mankind has sinned and fallen short of the glory of God, and thereby, was alienated from God; dead in transgressions—gratifying the cravings, desires, and thoughts of the sinful nature; following the ways of this world and of the ruler of the kingdom of the air; stirring up wrath against himself for the day of God’s wrath, when His righteous judgment will be revealed. But God did not appoint mankind to suffer wrath, but to receive salvation through our Lord Jesus Christ. Because of His great love for us, God, who is rich in mercy, made us alive with Christ even when we were dead in transgressions—and saved us by His grace through faith in Jesus Christ.

5. Salvation from the Power of Sin

By grace, through faith, we are saved from the power of sin. Having been crucified with Christ, we put to death the deeds of the body so that sin shall have no dominion over our mortal bodies. We have received the Spirit who is from God so that we may live by faith, understanding what God has freely given us to accomplish His purpose:

He has given us everything we need for life and godliness through our personal knowledge of Him as Savior and Lord.
He has given us His precious and magnificent promises by which we may participate in the divine nature and escape the corruption in the world caused by evil desires.
He has given us apostles, prophets, evangelists, pastors, and teachers to prepare God’s people for works of service, so that the body of Christ, His church, may be built up.
He has given to us the manifestation of the Spirit through spiritual gifts for the common good.
He has given us the ministry of reconciliation: that by word and deed we might aim to bring others into harmony with Him.

6. Salvation from the Presence of Sin

By grace, through faith, we are saved from the presence of sin, for the Lord Jesus died and rose again, and will Himself come down from heaven with a shout, with the voice of the archangel and with the trumpet call of God. The dead in Christ shall rise first, and we who are still alive and are left will be caught up together with them in the clouds to meet the Lord in the air. Then the end will come, when He hands over the kingdom to God the Father after he has destroyed all dominion, authority and power. For He must reign until He has put all His enemies under His feet. The last enemy to be destroyed is death. And there shall be a new heaven and a new earth, for the first heaven and the first earth will pass away. And we shall dwell with God in the Holy City, the New Jerusalem. We shall be His people, and God Himself will be with us and be our God. He will wipe every tear from our eyes. There will be no more death or mourning or crying or pain, for the old order of things will have passed away.

7. The Inspiration and Inerrancy of Scripture

God’s Word is TRUTH. The Holy Scriptures (both the Old and New Testament) is the inspired, inerrant, and infallible Word of God. We are saved from the penalty, power, and presence of sin by grace through faith that comes by hearing, and hearing by the Word of God, which testifies of Jesus Christ. By His Word, God has revealed Himself, His plan, His purpose, and His ways—so that we would come to Him to receive eternal life through faith in Jesus Christ our Lord.

OUR MINISTRIES

Faith Covenant Christian Church operates under a FIVE FOLD Ministry concept

I EXALTATION

Deacons- Bro. Reggie Lindsey

Holy Sacraments And Sacred Days – Sis. Earlenia Lindsey

Media- Sis. Tiaeshia Kelso, Bro. Anthony Lindsey

Music- Bro. Reggie Lindsey

Program – Sis. Earlenia Lindsey

Public Relations – Bro. Reggie Lindsey, Sis. Sabrina T. Wilson

Pulpit – Pastor Nokomis Yeldell, Jr.

Reconciliation – Ministerial Council

Ushers – Sis. Teresa Farmer

II ENABLING

Benevolence – Sis. Earlenia Lindsey

Food Pantry – Bro. Karl Townes

Hospitality – Sis. Teresa Farmer

Intercessory Prayer – Sis. Earlenia Lindsey

Missions – Sis. Earlenia Lindsey

III EDUCATION

Bible Study – Pastor Nokomis Yeldell, Jr.

Youth Church –

Sunday School – Bro. Reggie Lindsey

Supplemental Education And Training – Bro. Reggie Lindsey

Vacation Bible School –

IV EDIFICATION

Church-Wide Edification – Sis. Sabrina T. Wilson

Men’s Ministry – Bro. Karl Towns

Women’s Ministry (WICS) – Sis. Teresa Farmer

Youth – Sis. Earlenia Lindsey

V EQUIPPING

Administration – Sis. Sabrina T. Wilson

Finance – Sis. Teresa Farmer, Sis. Tiaeshia Kelso, Sis. Sabrina T. Wilson

Transportation – Bro. Karl Towns

Trustees – Bro. Karl Towns

Kitchen Ministry / Special Events – Sis. Teresa Farmer

Comfort And Care Ministry - Pastor Nokomis Yeldell, Jr.