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

PRAYER OF COMMITMENT

Dear God, I know that I am a sinner. I want to turn from my sins, and I ask for Your forgiveness. I believe that Jesus Christ is Your Son. I believe He died for my sins and that You raised Him to life. I want Him to come into my heart and to take control of my life. I want to trust Jesus as my Savior and follow Him as my Lord from this day forward.

In Jesus’ Name, amen.

[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

This Week's Message

Date: October 11, 2026

Preacher: Pastor Nokomis Yeldell, Jr.

Sermon: There Are Consequences For Our Sin

Scripture: Jonah 1: 1-3

1 The word of the Lord came to Jonah son of Amittai: 2 “Go to the great city of Nineveh and preach against it, because its wickedness has come up before me.” 3 But Jonah ran away from the Lord and headed for Tarshish. He went down to Joppa, where he found a ship bound for that port. After paying the fare, he went aboard and sailed for Tarshish to flee from the Lord.

LIVING A FAITHFUL LIFE

In our postmodern world, many are now claiming that there are many different gods, and they all offer the same thing. They do not worship the one true God and are leading many astray. Others claim belief in one God, but it is in the wrong God. This problem was not just a problem that Joshua and the Israelites faced but is a problem we all face.

Should we just let others live their lifestyles and live our own way? Joshua is speaking to the entire nation of Israel. He is not worried about being offensive, but He is concerned about glorifying God and saving His people. He tells them that they are wrong for serving false gods. He does not let the idea of a false tolerance creep in and say that it is all right for them to live the way they want to as long as they let them live the way he wants to.

We may not think that this affects us. We do not serve Allah or Buddha. We claim that the only God that we serve is the Christian God, but is this so? Do we serve other gods that do not at first appear to be gods? The truth is that we often serve security, wealth, or our bank accounts. These things do not appear to be gods, which is why it is so easy to give into them. Satan has had a facelift for our times, so he is harder to recognize - but just as deadly. Even if we don’t follow other false gods, we must be careful that we do not make these worldly things into gods. When we do, others will learn that God is something that we only do on Sundays and Wednesdays.

The idols that we need to remove from our lives are anything that we prioritize or worship above God. These idols can take many forms, such as material possessions, status, relationships, or even our own desires and ambitions. When we place these things above God, we are turning away from His commandments and choosing to serve something other than Him. We must also identify and remove anything that hinders our relationship with God, just as Joshua warned the Israelites to rid themselves of the idols that were among them. We are making a conscious decision to commit ourselves fully to God by removing these idols from our lives. We are acknowledging His authority and sovereignty over us, and recognizing that He alone deserves our worship and devotion. We affirm our commitment to serve God alone as we strive to remove idols from our lives. We demonstrate our love and devotion to God by putting Him first in all things and casting aside anything that threatens to draw us away from Him. We are faced with the same decision as Joshua when he called the Israelites to choose whom they would serve. We should be diligent in recognizing and removing any idols from our lives, so that we may wholeheartedly serve and worship the Lord our God.

Just as we commit wholeheartedly to our work and family, let us also choose to serve the Lord with passion and dedication. Let’s leave behind distractions and prioritize our faith above all else. Our created purpose is to serve Christ. Are you ready to make the decision today to serve the Lord wholeheartedly?

SUNDAY SCHOOL NEXT WEEK

SUNDAY SCHOOL – October 18, 2026

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An Unlikely Deliverer ~ Judges 3:15–23, 30

AIM FOR CHANGE:

IDENTIFY the unexpected sources of help God provides;

REFLECT on how God has helped us in times of trouble; and

THANK God that we can use His strength in times of trouble.

Judges 3:15–18 15 Again the Israelites cried out to the Lord, and he gave them a deliverer—Ehud, a left-handed man, the son of Gera the Benjamite. The Israelites sent him with tribute to Eglon king of Moab. 16 Now Ehud had made a double-edged sword about a cubit long, which he strapped to his right thigh under his clothing. 17 He presented the tribute to Eglon king of Moab, who was a very fat man. 18 After Ehud had presented the tribute, he sent on their way those who had carried it.

All in the Details A good book or movie often has lots of details that may seem meaningless at first but end up crucial to the plot. The account of Ehud and Eglon in Judges 3 is exactly that kind of story. The narrative gives lots of details that are later used by God to bring about the rescue of His people. At this point in Judges, the Israelites have failed to drive out all other inhabitants of the land of Canaan. Consequently, they begin intermarrying with them and worshiping their gods (Judg. 3:5–6). God allows them to be subjugated by an enemy until they cry out and ask for help. First, God raises up Othniel who delivers them (Judg. 3:7–11). But the pattern repeats. The Israelites do evil again before the Lord, who allows Eglon, king of Moab, to subjugate the Israelites. For eighteen years, Eglon rules over them (Judg. 3:14). The Israelites, burdened with their sin and the weight of their oppression, likely wanted God to answer their prayer for help immediately. But He didn’t raise up a deliverer for eighteen years. Eventually, God raises up Ehud from the tribe of Benjamin to deliver the Israelites. His job doesn’t seem to be one of deliverance at first. He is chosen to bring a tribute to King Eglon (v. 15). As part of the oppression they experienced, the Israelites had to pay taxes and bring gifts to Eglon. Ehud is simply a delivery man with the degrading task of bringing Israel’s treasures to the person oppressing them. The text explains that Ehud had a double-edged sword, likely about eighteen inches long and just the right size to be strapped to his right thigh without poking past the knee. Its size is an important detail, since Ehud is left-handed (v. 15). The text doesn’t explain why this is relevant, but the idea we are supposed to understand is that weapons are normally strapped to the opposite side—where they would be carefully checked and removed by attendant guards. Since Ehud uses the opposite hand, his concealed weapon goes unnoticed. Another detail shows up in verse 17—Ehud brings the tribute to Eglon. The exact tribute is not listed, but it could have been a combination of money, goods, food, and crops—perhaps contributing to the detail that King Eglon had grown to be a very fat man. His subjugation of the Israelites meant that Eglon could eat well, while conquered people would not be so lucky. The next detail comes when Ehud sends away those who carried the tribute (v. 18). This lets the reader know two things: the tribute was large enough to be carried by several people, and now Ehud is separated from his larger group of allies. He is on his own. This sets the stage for the rest of the story, in which it becomes clear that God had orchestrated all of these details to deliver His people from oppression.

Judges 3:19–23, 30 19 But on reaching the stone images near Gilgal he himself went back to Eglon and said, “Your Majesty, I have a secret message for you.” The king said to his attendants, “Leave us!” And they all left. 20 Ehud then approached him while he was sitting alone in the upper room of his palace and said, “I have a message from God for you.” As the king rose from his seat, 21 Ehud reached with his left hand, drew the sword from his right thigh and plunged it into the king’s belly. 22 Even the handle sank in after the blade, and his bowels discharged. Ehud did not pull the sword out, and the fat closed in over it. 23 Then Ehud went out to the porch; he shut the doors of the upper room behind him and locked them. . . . 30 That day Moab was made subject to Israel, and the land had peace for eighty years.

Israel’s Deliverance Have you ever gotten in the car, pulled out of the garage to run an errand, and realized that you left your phone or wallet in the house? Or maybe you were halfway to work before realizing you forgot to turn off the stove. This is the sense the text gives in verse 19, when Ehud has already left and had almost reached Gilgal on his way back home (likely across the Jordan River), but then he abruptly turns around and goes back to King Eglon again. The reader, however, is meant to remember the previous details: (1) Ehud had sent those who accompanied him away, (2) he has a secret sword strapped to his right thigh, and (3) he has delivered rich tribute and seemed content to leave. But Ehud returns to King Eglon and says that he has a secret message (literally in Hebrew, “a word” or “a thing” for him). Eglon seems eager to hear whatever Ehud has to say and immediately sends away all of his attendants. Ehud does have something from God, but it is not the message Eglon is expecting or wanting (v. 20). The detail of the sword being on Ehud’s right thigh means that no one thought he had a weapon on him, especially not an eighteen-inch dagger. Ehud sinks the sword, handle and all, into the large belly of King Eglon and then leaves, locking the door behind him (vv. 22–23). The “message” from God to King Eglon brought the downfall of the one oppressing God’s people, starting a chain of events that will give them back their freedom. In verses 24–29, Ehud escapes after the king’s attendants assume he’s using the bathroom. Ehud returns home and summons the Israelite tribes to assemble against Moab, and the tables are turned. The Israelites experience peace for eighty years (v. 30). The narrative of Judges 3 paints a vivid picture of a dramatic rescue, including irony as the servant who brings tribute to Israel’s oppressor turns out to be an unlikely hero and the one to lead God’s people to freedom. A day that began as shameful for Israel turns into a humiliation for Moab. Together, all the details of the narrative show that God had a plan from the beginning. His intentions may not always be obvious in the moment (for instance, raising up a warrior who used the opposite hand). But God works through the details to bring rescue and to end a long era of oppression.

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, ten more people joined, three as new converts. We moved to 1027 Summer Wood Drive on April 1, 2015. Following a yearlong pastor search, Violet P. McRoy, was called as pastor 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 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. On May 03, 2026, we celebrated our 12th 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.