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

This Week's Message

Date: June 29, 2025

Preacher: Pastor Nokomis Yeldell, Jr.

Sermon: What Godly Love Looks Like

Scripture: Luke 7: 36-50

36 When one of the Pharisees invited Jesus to have dinner with him, he went to the Pharisee’s house and reclined at the table. 37 A woman in that town who lived a sinful life learned that Jesus was eating at the Pharisee’s house, so she came there with an alabaster jar of perfume. 38 As she stood behind him at his feet weeping, she began to wet his feet with her tears. Then she wiped them with her hair, kissed them and poured perfume on them. 39 When the Pharisee who had invited him saw this, he said to himself, “If this man were a prophet, he would know who is touching him and what kind of woman she is—that she is a sinner.” 40 Jesus answered him, “Simon, I have something to tell you.” “Tell me, teacher,” he said. 41 “Two people owed money to a certain moneylender. One owed him five hundred denarii, and the other fifty. 42 Neither of them had the money to pay him back, so he forgave the debts of both. Now which of them will love him more?” 43 Simon replied, “I suppose the one who had the bigger debt forgiven.” “You have judged correctly,” Jesus said. 44 Then he turned toward the woman and said to Simon, “Do you see this woman? I came into your house. You did not give me any water for my feet, but she wet my feet with her tears and wiped them with her hair. 45 You did not give me a kiss, but this woman, from the time I entered, has not stopped kissing my feet. 46 You did not put oil on my head, but she has poured perfume on my feet. 47 Therefore, I tell you, her many sins have been forgiven—as her great love has shown. But whoever has been forgiven little loves little.” 48 Then Jesus said to her, “Your sins are forgiven.” 49 The other guests began to say among themselves, “Who is this who even forgives sins?” 50 Jesus said to the woman, “Your faith has saved you; go in peace.”

JESUS IS OUR

CLOSEST FRIEND

Jesus was with his closest group of friends, the twelve disciples. It was their last meal together, their last supper. Jesus knew he was going to die the next day, and his disciples sensed it as well. During the past three years, Jesus and his disciples had become very good friends, walking together, talking together, fishing together, sailing together, hanging out together. Jesus was not only their Master, Lord and King, but Jesus had become their good friend, someone they could trust, someone they could count on, someone who would not put them down. During this last meal together with his very best friends, Jesus then spoke these words to his very best friends:

No greater love has a person than this: than they are willing to lay down their life for their friends. Now, you are my friends, if you do what I command you, to love one another. You didn’t chose me, but I chose you. I chose you to be my disciples and friends. I don’t call you servants because a servant doesn’t know what his master is doing, but I call you friends because you know what the master is thinking and doing. You know the inside of the master’s head and heart. You are my friends. (John 15:12-17)

God knows us inside out, and still likes and loves us.

Recall the great old hymn “What a friend we have in Jesus”. Jesus is our greatest friend. To think of Jesus as a friend is to allow God to come down to our size, so we can understand who God is. But a good friend not only listens; a good friend also talks back. A good friend does not only go, Hmm, like some professional and silent counsellor.

Finally, after all that listening, a good friend talks with you. They share with you what they think and feel. They tell you their perspective, and this is good, a sign of a true friendship. Good friendship means that a friend is willing to honestly share their thoughts and feelings with you. God also has a way of speaking to us in our needs. Christ, our good friend, always talks with us. The other thing about good friends is that they know you really well, and they still like you. They do understand and accept you warts and all. And so it is with God, our best friend. God knows us inside out, the darkest sides of our personalities, and God still likes and loves us.

SUNDAY SCHOOL NEXT WEEK

SUNDAY SCHOOL – JULY 06, 2025

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The Boy Jesus in the Temple ~ Luke 2:41-52

After participating in this lesson, each learner will be able to:

1. List key features of Passover observances.

2. Compare and contrast expectations of a typical 12-year-old

boy of the time with this account from Jesus' youth.

3. Write a note to a young person to encourage that person

in his or her spiritual journey.

The Search for the Missing Jesus

Luke 2:41–47 NIV 41 Every year Jesus’ parents went to Jerusalem for the Festival of the Passover. 42 When he was twelve years old, they went up to the festival, according to the custom. 43 After the festival was over, while his parents were returning home, the boy Jesus stayed behind in Jerusalem, but they were unaware of it. 44 Thinking he was in their company, they traveled on for a day. Then they began looking for him among their relatives and friends. 45 When they did not find him, they went back to Jerusalem to look for him. 46 After three days they found him in the temple courts, sitting among the teachers, listening to them and asking them questions. 47 Everyone who heard him was amazed at his understanding and his answers.

Regular attendance of the temple for major Jewish festivals is mandated by the Law (Ex. 23:17; Deut. 16:16). But it is commendable that Mary and Joseph make the long trip “every year” (Luke 2:41). They must journey from Nazareth all the way down to Jerusalem—a distance of about seventy miles—to celebrate the Passover. This particular festival came on an important year: “[Jesus] was twelve years old” (v. 42). That makes Jesus near an age of accountability, when a child is becoming responsible for his or her actions. Thus it is surprising that, when time to return home, “the boy Jesus [stays] behind in Jerusalem” without His parents’ knowledge (v. 43). It is not surprising that Mary and Joseph are unaware. They are traveling with a large group of “relatives and friends” (v. 44). In this context, a large family can share the responsibility of looking after one another. At twelve years old, Jesus is capable of taking care of Himself among relatives. Only after a long day of travel do Mary and Joseph “[begin] looking for him” (v. 44); and subsequently, they have to turn around and go back to Jerusalem. The short description skips over the day of travel back to the city. As with any parent, the anxiety at losing a child might mean a sleepless night. What they knew about Jesus, they did not fully understand (Luke 1:32–33, 35). Mary and Joseph spend three days searching for Jesus (v. 46). That probably counts one day going away from Jerusalem, one day traveling back, and another whole day looking for Him, in and around the city. Their anxiety no doubt increases with every hour, before they finally find him in the courts of the temple, “sitting among the teachers, listening to them and asking them questions” (v. 46). In those days, the temple area contained three courts where the rabbis would come to teach. They would ask questions and debate the meaning of Scripture. It is possible that some of the most famous rabbis were in Jerusalem for Passover and speaking with the young Jesus. Even these learned and respected men are “amazed at his understanding and his answers” (v. 47). As a boy raised in the rural territory of Galilee, Jesus is not expected to have any formal education. But Jesus is no ordinary boy, and this is not the only occasion when he will astonish teachers and crowds (Matt. 7:28; 22:22; Luke 4:22–32). From Jesus’ perspective, He isn’t lost at all. He is in discussion and study. Who better to interpret the written Word of God than the living “Word of God,” the Son of God in the flesh (John 1:1–3)?

Jesus Responds to His Parents

Luke 2:48–52 NIV 48 When his parents saw him, they were astonished. His mother said to him, “Son, why have you treated us like this? Your father and I have been anxiously searching for you.” 49 “Why were you searching for me?” he asked. “Didn’t you know I had to be in my Father’s house?” 50 But they did not understand what he was saying to them. 51 Then he went down to Nazareth with them and was obedient to them. But his mother treasured all these things in her heart. 52 And Jesus grew in wisdom and stature, and in favor with God and man.

When they see Jesus’ ease in talking among the teachers of Israel, Mary and Joseph feel “astonished” (v. 48). They are understandably upset that Jesus has stayed behind. Mary is the first to ask the obvious question, “Why?” Jesus responds to his parents in a way that is both compassionate and confident: “Why were you searching for me? . . . Didn’t you know I had to be in my Father’s house?” (v. 49). Although Jesus would later predict the destruction of the temple (Luke 21:5–6), the temple remains the “house” of God (2 Chron. 7:1–5). Readers of the Gospel should stop and wonder what the word “Father” means when Jesus says it. Scripture speaks of God as a father figure to Israel and as a father to Israel’s kings (Ex. 4:22–23; Deut. 1:31; 2 Sam. 7:14; 1 Chron. 17:13). But Jesus appears to mean something more. His way of describing God is more personal. And even Mary and Joseph do not understand what He might mean (v. 50). Nonetheless, Jesus is submissive to His parents and “obedient to them” (Luke 2:51). As the text says, Mary would remember this incident vividly—not only the anxiety of losing her son, but also His curious words to them in the temple. She would remember the faces of the Jewish teachers who were gathered and listening intently to the boy. By treasuring this memory in her heart, Mary’s witness would shape the way that Jesus’ story is told (Luke 2:51). Later, His mother would come to understand His words in a new way, especially after Jesus ascends to the Father in heaven (Acts 1:14). The next years of Jesus’ life are summarized with a single sentence: “And Jesus grew in wisdom and stature, and in favor with God and man” (Luke 3:52). Although Jesus would be known to the world as the son of Joseph (Luke 3:23), one day the whole world would be astonished by Him and the unexpected fulfillment of God’s redemptive plan.

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.