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: July 13, 2025

Preacher: Pastor Nokomis Yeldell, Jr.

Sermon: Sowing The Seeds Of Jesus

Scripture: Matthew 13: 1-23

1 That same day Jesus went out of the house and sat by the lake. 2 Such large crowds gathered around him that he got into a boat and sat in it, while all the people stood on the shore. 3 Then he told them many things in parables, saying: “A farmer went out to sow his seed. 4 As he was scattering the seed, some fell along the path, and the birds came and ate it up. 5 Some fell on rocky places, where it did not have much soil. It sprang up quickly, because the soil was shallow. 6 But when the sun came up, the plants were scorched, and they withered because they had no root. 7 Other seed fell among thorns, which grew up and choked the plants. 8 Still other seed fell on good soil, where it produced a crop—a hundred, sixty or thirty times what was sown. 9 Whoever has ears, let them hear.” 10 The disciples came to him and asked, “Why do you speak to the people in parables?” 11 He replied, “Because the knowledge of the secrets of the kingdom of heaven has been given to you, but not to them. 12 Whoever has will be given more, and they will have an abundance. Whoever does not have, even what they have will be taken from them. 13 This is why I speak to them in parables: “Though seeing, they do not see; though hearing, they do not hear or understand. 14 In them is fulfilled the prophecy of Isaiah: “‘You will be ever hearing but never understanding; you will be ever seeing but never perceiving.15 For this people’s heart has become calloused; they hardly hear with their ears, and they have closed their eyes. Otherwise They might see with their eyes, hear with their ears, understand with their hearts and turn, and I would heal them.’ 16 But blessed are your eyes because they see, and your ears because they hear. 17 For truly I tell you, many prophets and righteous people longed to see what you see but did not see it, and to hear what you hear but did not hear it. 18 “Listen then to what the parable of the sower means: 19 When anyone hears the message about the Kingdom and does not understand it, the evil one comes and snatches away what was sown in their heart. This is the seed sown along the path. 20 The seed falling on rocky ground refers to someone who hears the word and at once receives it with joy. 21 But since they have no root, they last only a short time. When trouble or persecution comes because of the word, they quickly fall away. 22 The seed falling among the thorns refers to someone who hears the word, but the worries of this life and the deceitfulness of wealth choke the word, making it unfruitful. 23 But the seed falling on good soil refers to someone who hears the word and understands it. This is the one who produces a crop, yielding a hundred, sixty or thirty times what was sown.”

JESUS IS LORD

OF THE SABBATH

Jesus said in Mark 2:27-28 “The Sabbath was made to meet the needs of people, and not people to meet the requirements of the Sabbath. So the Son of Man is Lord, even over the Sabbath!” Jesus was saying, “I’m Lord over it, because I created it!” He is going to be the one who makes all the rules, if there are any. The OT Sabbath, like all of the OT ceremonies pointed to something more wonderful. The Bible says that the Sabbath God gave to His people was a shadow that pointed toward the Lord Jesus Christ.

Look at Colossians 2:16-17, “Therefore do not let anyone judge you by what you eat or drink, or with regard to a religious festival, a New Moon celebration or a Sabbath day. These are a shadow of the things that were to come; the reality, however, is found in Christ.” What does the Bible mean by a shadow? A shadow has no reality; the reality is what makes the shadow. For example, if a light were behind me casting my shadow upon a wall and my wife and children came up to the shadow and began to talk to it and try to hug it, they are only trying to grasp my shadow, not me. The shadow is not me. Have you ever seen a dog chasing the shadow of a bird flying overhead? That’s an illustration of people who are still trying to keep the Old Testament covenant Sabbath. They are chasing shadows, while the reality, “the body” of the whole matter, is passing them by. The reality is Jesus. The Old Testament covenant Sabbath is only the shadow on the ground that points to the reality above, to Christ. That is what happened to the Pharisees. The Old Testament Sabbath was a picture of Jesus and pointed to Jesus. It was a shadow of things that were to come. Jesus is the Lord of the Sabbath and He is the fulfillment and reality of it.

When you read the Bible or listen to a sermon its’ about hearing from Jesus. When you sing a worship and praise song it’s not about singing, it’s about worshipping Jesus. When you tithe or give an offering, it’s not about paying the church’s bills, it’s about honoring Jesus with your wealth. He is to be the focus. In the Old Testament the Sabbath was about a specific day, but in the New Testament is about a specific person. In the OT it was about resting from work, in the NT it is about resting in Christ. In the OT it was about rules to follow, but in the NT is about a relationship with Jesus that brings spiritual rest and spiritual freedom.

SUNDAY SCHOOL NEXT WEEK

SUNDAY SCHOOL – JULY 20, 2025

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Cleansing the Temple ~ John 2:13-25

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

1. Identify Jesus' reason for "cleansing" the temple.

2. Explain the relationship between being "zealous" and being "jealous."

3. Make a plan to cleanse himself or herself of one unholy practice, considering that his or her body is God's new covenant temple (see 1 Corinthians 3:16-17 in lesson 10).

Jesus Cleanses the Temple

John 2:13–17 NIV 13 When it was almost time for the Jewish Passover, Jesus went up to Jerusalem. 14 In the temple courts he found people selling cattle, sheep and doves, and others sitting at tables exchanging money. 15 So he made a whip out of cords, and drove all from the temple courts, both sheep and cattle; he scattered the coins of the money changers and overturned their tables. 16 To those who sold doves he said, “Get these out of here! Stop turning my Father’s house into a market!” 17 His disciples remembered that it is written: “Zeal for your house will consume me.

As is customary for Jews during Passover, Jesus travels to Jerusalem to celebrate the feast (v. 13). This is the first of three, possibly four, Passovers that Jesus is recorded as celebrating (John 5:1; 6:4; 11:55). Jesus enters the temple courts, where He finds money changers and people selling cattle, sheep, and doves. The temple courts are the outermost part of the temple complex. For travelers who come from long distances, it is more convenient to purchase an animal on site, rather than transport one. And if a person wishes to bring financial offerings, only one kind of coin is allowed in the temple. Thus money changers do business in the temple courtyards and offer “acceptable” coins (those with a high silver content), which they will gladly exchange—at exorbitant transaction rates. Ironically, these “acceptable” coins feature pagan images, which offend many Jews, since God permits no graven image of Himself (Ex. 20:4). The priesthood who run the temple of the first century is widely seen as corrupt, but powerful. They seem to be enriching themselves by allowing this commerce. Using a whip of cords, Jesus drives everyone out, along with their animals. He scatters the money changers’ coins and flips their tables (v. 15). He commands the people selling doves to leave. Doves are a sacrifice used especially by people who cannot afford larger animals (Lev. 5:7; 12:8). They have made His Father’s house a marketplace (v. 16). The Court of the Gentiles, the only part of the temple where Gentiles are permitted to pray, has become a chaotic marketplace. Verse 17 reveals the disciples’ reaction, though it is not clear whether they have this reaction immediately or much later. The disciples think of the words of David, when he cries out to God while facing hostile enemies. David shows incredible courage and commitment to God’s temple: “Zeal for your house will consume me” (Ps. 69:9). Like David before Him, Jesus is passionate for God’s glory, and He risks a controversy by calling attention to a problem.

Jesus Speaks about His Body

John 2:18–25 NIV 18 The Jews then responded to him, “What sign can you show us to prove your authority to do all this?” 19 Jesus answered them, “Destroy this temple, and I will raise it again in three days.” 20 They replied, “It has taken forty-six years to build this temple, and you are going to raise it in three days?” 21 But the temple he had spoken of was his body. 22 After he was raised from the dead, his disciples recalled what he had said. Then they believed the scripture and the words that Jesus had spoken. 23 Now while he was in Jerusalem at the Passover Festival, many people saw the signs he was performing and believed in his name. 24 But Jesus would not entrust himself to them, for he knew all people. 25 He did not need any testimony about mankind, for he knew what was in each person.

The Jewish leaders (in this case, probably the authorities of the temple priesthood) ask Jesus for a sign to prove His authority from God. This request comes from a place of skepticism. They are demanding that He justify himself on their terms, and Jesus never complies with these types of demands. Since His authority comes from God, He gives a sign that they do not expect or understand. He says he will raise (or rebuild) it in three days (v. 19). The questioners think Jesus is saying He would like to rebuild a new physical temple. At this point, the temple has been undergoing reconstruction for 46 years (v. 20). We know that the work went on long after Jesus’ ministry. According to the Jewish historian Josephus, the temple work began around 20 BC and continued until AD 64. From the perspective of the temple authorities, this is not a building project that can be completed in three days. Verse 21 gives the narrator’s explanation, something for readers to understand when the listeners do not. As Jesus speaks about a temple, He is actually talking about His body. Readers of the Gospel know that Jesus is God, who took on flesh to dwell among His people (1:14). The purpose of a temple has always been to welcome the presence of God and to offer sacrifices. But now, Jesus’ resurrection body can serve as a replacement temple, since meeting Jesus also means encountering God (1:18; 14:6). Through Jesus, it is no longer necessary to worship God in a particular place (see also 4:21–23). According to John, not even Jesus’ disciples understand what His words could mean (v. 22). After Jesus’ death and resurrection, they come to understand more. The disciples will then “believe the scripture” and the words that Jesus has taught (v. 22). It is only after Jesus’ resurrection that His closest friends realize the surprising way that God has fulfilled a redemptive plan. The text ends by saying what Jesus continues to do during the Passover. The people are able to witness Jesus doing many miraculous signs—which John does not describe—and many respond with faith. But there remains an element of uncertainty. The faith of the crowds does not lead Jesus to affirm their trust, since He has knowledge about the hidden motives of each person (vv. 24–25). Jesus will continue to say and do things that display the heart of God, but His message will challenge the comfortable.

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.