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

Stephen the Martyr:

Forgiveness That Changed the Church

Stones fly through the air outside Jerusalem’s walls, yet the final words recorded are not cries of protest but prayers of surrender and forgiveness. Acts presents this moment without embellishment. Stephen, a leader in the early Jerusalem church, dies not by Roman decree but through the fury of a religious council convinced it is defending God’s honor.

Stephen’s story closes where it begins, with a life yielded fully to God’s purposes. Scripture never portrays him as seeking martyrdom or courting danger. His actions remain consistent from start to finish. He serves faithfully, speaks truthfully, and entrusts himself completely to God. When pressure mounts, his convictions do not harden into bitterness. Instead, they sharpen into clarity. What emerges in his final moments is not detached heroism, but faith steadily shaped by Scripture and the Spirit.

The Bible records no miracle that rescues Stephen from death. No angel intervenes. No reversal comes at the last moment. Instead, Scripture presents vision, prayer, and forgiveness. Stephen sees the Son of Man standing in authority. He commits his spirit to Jesus. He asks that God not count his executioners’ sin against them. Each action mirrors the gospel he proclaims. His internal motivation rests in trust in the risen Christ. The visible consequence is death. The lasting consequence is life multiplied through witness, scattering, and mission.

In the cultural setting of first-century Jerusalem, Stephen’s response defies expectation. Honor often demanded retaliation. Justice relied on public condemnation. Stephen chooses a different path, one already marked by Jesus. His forgiveness does not deny wrongdoing. It places judgment in God’s hands. His prayer names sin without surrendering hope. In doing so, Stephen becomes the first recorded follower of Christ to die as Christ died, not only in innocence, but in mercy.

Luke’s account leaves readers with a question rather than a conclusion. Stones fall. Stephen sleeps. The church scatters. Yet the gospel advances. The narrative invites reflection on what kind of faith endures when obedience leads not to deliverance, but to loss. Stephen’s life suggests that the power of the gospel is measured not by survival, but by faithfulness. When truth is spoken without compromise and forgiveness is extended without condition, even death becomes a testimony that cannot be silenced.

The story of Stephen gives us an example of courage. He showed his bravery by speaking the truth, even in the face of opposition and danger. Stephen was not afraid to preach about Jesus and face injustice, even though he knew it could cost him his life. His steadfastness in faith inspires us to be brave in our convictions, especially when we face challenges or persecution. In addition, Stephen shows us the value of forgiveness. Even while he was being stoned, he prayed for God to forgive his attackers. This demonstrates a heart full of love and compassion, following the example of Jesus. We learn from him that we must forgive, even those who harm us, trusting that God will bring justice.

Stephen reminds us of the importance of depending on the Holy Spirit. His wisdom and power came from a life filled with the Spirit, guided by God at every step. This encourages us to seek a life of prayer and devotion to God, trusting that He will help us face any situation.

SUNDAY SCHOOL NEXT WEEK

SUNDAY SCHOOL – August 16, 2026

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Saul of Tarsus, the Unlikely Apostle ~ Acts 22:3–15

Lesson Aims: After participating in this lesson,

each learner will be able to:

1. Retell Paul’s encounter with Jesus and call as Christ’s witness.

2. Compare the motivations for Paul’s zeal before and after encountering Jesus.

3. Compose his or her own story of meeting Jesus and

explain what personal weakness God has used for good.

Acts 22:3–9 3 “I am a Jew, born in Tarsus of Cilicia, but brought up in this city. I studied under Gamaliel and was thoroughly trained in the law of our ancestors. I was just as zealous for God as any of you are today. 4 I persecuted the followers of this Way to their death, arresting both men and women and throwing them into prison, 5 as the high priest and all the Council can themselves testify. I even obtained letters from them to their associates in Damascus, and went there to bring these people as prisoners to Jerusalem to be punished. 6 “About noon as I came near Damascus, suddenly a bright light from heaven flashed around me. 7 I fell to the ground and heard a voice say to me, ‘Saul! Saul! Why do you persecute me?’ 8 “‘Who are you, Lord?’ I asked. “ ‘I am Jesus of Nazareth, whom you are persecuting,’ he replied. 9 My companions saw the light, but they did not understand the voice of him who was speaking to me.

That’s One Way to Meet Jesus . . . Paul finds himself in the midst of an uproar in the temple of Jerusalem (Acts 21:27–32). It is exactly what God had revealed would happen, but Paul went to Jerusalem fully aware that it might mean his death (Acts 21:10–14). The crowd seizes him for supposedly preaching against the law and temple. The crowds drag Paul from the temple courts, shut the gates, and plan to kill him. Ironically, it is a Roman commander who arrives to stop the beating (Acts 21:32). As the soldiers prepare to take Paul to the barracks, Paul asks for the privilege to speak and to address his fellow Jews (Acts 21:39). Paul speaks to them in Aramaic, the common language of Judea. Hearing this, the crowd grows silent to hear his defense. Instead of giving a point-by-point denial of the charges, Paul builds rapport with his audience and wants them to understand his Jewish credentials: raised in Jerusalem, a student of one of the finest rabbis of the day, an expert in the law. Paul uses the word “zealous” to describe his devotion to God (Acts 22:3). It means that he was willing to go to whatever lengths were necessary to defend what is right. But that very tenacity and zeal is what led Paul to persecute followers of “this Way”—a nickname for followers of Jesus (v. 4). With permission from the high priest, Paul sent men and women to prison and sought their deaths. He was there, supervising the stoning of Stephen from last week’s lesson (Acts 7:58). All of this setup helps listeners understand what a change and a turnaround had happened. On the way to obtain more prisoners, Paul was confronted by a light that shone from heaven (Acts 22:6). What he heard next was the voice of Jesus—the very person he had opposed. Jesus spoke to him saying, “I am . . . whom you are persecuting” (Acts 22:8). To show that this message was for him, Paul’s companions on the road are able to see the light but can’t understand the voice (v. 9).

Acts 22:10-15 10 “‘What shall I do, Lord?’ I asked. “ ‘Get up,’ the Lord said, ‘and go into Damascus. There you will be told all that you have been assigned to do.’ 11 My companions led me by the hand into Damascus, because the brilliance of the light had blinded me. 12 “A man named Ananias came to see me. He was a devout observer of the law and highly respected by all the Jews living there. 13 He stood beside me and said, ‘Brother Saul, receive your sight!’ And at that very moment I was able to see him. 14 “Then he said: ‘The God of our ancestors has chosen you to know his will and to see the Righteous One and to hear words from his mouth. 15 You will be his witness to all people of what you have seen and heard.

Meeting Jesus Changes Everything Paul continues his testimony of meeting Jesus in verses 10–15. His humble question of “What shall I do, Lord?” marks a transformation from persecutor to disciple. The simple plea reveals the heart of true change through submission to Christ’s authority. Like Abraham before him, Paul will “go” in accordance with God’s plan and to a place that God directs him (compare Gen. 12:1). The Messiah whom Paul had been persecuting gives him directions to continue into Damascus (v. 10). But Jesus asks him to wait to receive word of what he shall do next. Paul had been operating with what might be called “blind zeal” for God’s reputation. Thus, the bright light from heaven had left him physically blind and dependent upon others to guide him (v. 11). As a reminder, since Paul is retelling this story from Acts 9, he is selecting critical details that demonstrate the validity of his message to Jewish listeners. Ananias, the man who came to him in Damascus, is “a devout observer of the law and highly respected by all the Jews living there” (v. 12). And it is by the power of “the God of our ancestors” that Paul will be commissioned (v. 14). Paul is undercutting the false accusation that his ministry would encourage people to ignore the law (see Acts 21:28). At the same time, Paul is describing why Jesus—whom he calls “the Righteous One” (v. 14; compare Isa. 53:11)—is the fulfillment of what Israel had longed to find. The Righteous One of Israel was able to call Paul to a new life and a new direction. What zeal for God had led him to oppose Jesus’ followers would give way to a courageous ministry as Jesus’ apostle. But back to Paul’s retelling. He remains physically blind in the city of Damascus when Ananias comes to him. From Acts 9:10–16, readers know that Ananias received a vision of his own from Jesus. When he arrived to greet Paul, Ananias addresses “Brother Saul,” which uses Paul’s Jewish name (v. 13). Paul says it is that moment that his sight was restored. For the first time, he is looking with eyes attuned to what he had been too blind to see. It is a fellow Jew and faithful follower of Jesus who welcomes Jesus’ newest witness. With a remarkable show of grace to a previous enemy, Ananias alludes to Paul’s new role as a witness for Jesus. Paul has been chosen to “know [God’s] will and to see the Righteous One and to hear words from his mouth” (v. 14). Paul’s testimony will be heard far and wide, as the good news of Jesus goes forth. No doubt, Paul hopes this message would grip the hearts of his current listeners.

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.