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: September 06, 2026

Preacher: Pastor Nokomis Yeldell, Jr.

Sermon: God, The Healer Of The Blind

Scripture: Joshua 9: 1-9

1 Now when all the kings west of the Jordan heard about these things—the kings in the hill country, in the western foothills, and along the entire coast of the Mediterranean Sea as far as Lebanon (the kings of the Hittites, Amorites, Canaanites, Perizzites, Hivites and Jebusites)— 2 they came together to wage war against Joshua and Israel. 3 However, when the people of Gibeon heard what Joshua had done to Jericho and Ai, 4 they resorted to a ruse: They went as a delegation whose donkeys were loaded with worn-out sacks and old wineskins, cracked and mended. 5 They put worn and patched sandals on their feet and wore old clothes. All the bread of their food supply was dry and moldy. 6 Then they went to Joshua in the camp at Gilgal and said to him and the Israelites, “We have come from a distant country; make a treaty with us.” 7 The Israelites said to the Hivites, “But perhaps you live near us, so how can we make a treaty with you?” 8 “We are your servants,” they said to Joshua. But Joshua asked, “Who are you and where do you come from?” 9 They answered: “Your servants have come from a very distant country because of the fame of the Lord your God. For we have heard reports of him: all that he did in Egypt,

BE STRONG AND CORAGEOUS

“Have I not commanded you? Be strong and courageous. Do not be frightened, and do not be dismayed, for the Lord your God is with you wherever you go." Joshua 1:9

Autumn unfolds slowly with leaves that transition from varying shades of green to yellow to gold to brown. Leaves flutter to the ground as the wind blows. If summer brought enough moisture, the leaves look like yellow jewels on a green velvet background.

Our lives reflect seasons. We have seasons of growth and seasons of dormancy. Winds and storms blow through our lives with varying degrees of ferocity. I revel in perfect fall days when the sky stays blue, clouds scud along the horizon, and the breeze cools my sun-warmed cheeks. All is perfect except for one thing. The pirate bugs. These tiny black insects flock to exposed skin, and their bite feels bigger than their size warrants. Like fall with its wonder and its painful pirate bugs, life holds pain and wonder. At times wonder exceeds pain, and other times pain overtakes wonder. We can wander through the wreckage of unmet hopes and dreams, or we can fail to enjoy the blessings because we’re on the lookout for the next big bad thing that is going to happen. However, in both cases, we can walk by faith.

Joshua and the Israelites were on the cusp of entering the long-awaited promised land. Out of all the Israelites, it was Joshua and Caleb who had first-hand knowledge of the wonderfulness of the Promised Land. Long ago, they were two of the ten spies sent to scope out the land. Because the other eight spread fear and doubt, the Israelites wandered in the desert for forty years. The same task awaited them now as it did then. Conquer and take the land. The book of Joshua opens with God commissioning and reassuring Joshua. His task is to be strong and courageous, to remember God’s word and obey. God doesn’t say that it will be easy or that they won’t have troubles. Instead, God promises Joshua his presence.

When our lives feel like a hurricane swept through, it’s easy to fall prey to the idea that God has abandoned us. When we face an enemy—whether it’s a person or a diagnosis, or our own self-sabotage—we can remember God’s words to Joshua. Be strong and courageous: The Hebrew word for strong and courageous expresses the strength of various phenomena, such as the severity of famine, storms, and humans overpowering one another like David and Goliath, Amnon and Tamar, and Samson’s last act of supernatural strength. Moses urged Joshua to be strong. God bid Joshua to be strong—don’t give up, give in, or run away—and then Joshua encouraged his people in the same way. In Joshua 1, we read how God instructed Joshua not to turn from God’s ways. He was to meditate on it day and night—to let God’s word fill his mind and thoughts. When storms come our way, it’s easy to let their fierceness distract us. But, when we choose to make God’s word our guiding authority for our beliefs and actions, we can recognize and respond to God’s presence in every area of our lives. Unknowns abound. Unanswered prayers and times of waiting are opportunities for us to know and obey God’s word and believe that he is with us.

SUNDAY SCHOOL NEXT WEEK

SUNDAY SCHOOL – September 13, 2026

____________________________

Israel Remembers God's Deeds ~ Joshua 4:14-24

Lesson Aims After participating in this lesson,

each learner will be able to:

1. Describe Joshua's act of remembrance at Gilgal.

2. Compare the Israelites' crossing of the Jordan River

to their crossing of the Red Sea (Exodus 14).

3. Make a plan to remember God's acts of faithfulness.

Joshua 4:14-18 14 That day the Lord exalted Joshua in the sight of all Israel; and they stood in awe of him all the days of his life, just as they had stood in awe of Moses. 15 Then the LORD said to Joshua, 16 "Command the priests carrying the ark of the covenant law to come up out of the Jordan." 17 So Joshua commanded the priests, "Come up out of the Jordan." 18 And the priests came up out of the river carrying the ark of the covenant of the LORD. No sooner had they set their feet on the dry ground than the waters of the Jordan returned to their place and ran at flood stage as before.

The Lord Directs Joshua Our reading picks up just as crowds of people have crossed the Jordan, since God created a dry path for them. Crossing the Jordan River marks a pivotal moment in Joshua’s leadership. It is the first of many responsibilities he assumes as Israel’s leader as appointed by God. He wants to guide the people to receive the promises of the covenant and the bountiful goodness in the land. But before they can even enter the land, they need to remember that it is God’s presence who goes before them. On this day, the Lord exalts Joshua before the whole of Israel, thus fulfilling His earlier promise (see 3:7). God’s exaltation is not about individual fame; but it publicly confirms that God is with Joshua, just as He had been with Moses. This affirmation mirrors Moses’ own experience after crossing the Red Sea, when the people feared the Lord and trusted Him and Moses. Like the leader before, Joshua’s authority relies on God, who works through him. The Israelites stand “in awe” of Joshua, meaning they revere and respect him (4:14). They followed his instructions to the letter, and everything happened as he had said. The ark of the covenant had been carried into the flooded river first, and the waters piled up from flowing downstream (see 3:13). Just try to imagine the feeling of walking past a deluge of water being held at bay by God’s hand! Following the Lord’s instructions and remembering these mighty deeds will be central to their life in Canaan, where success is directly tied to faithful observance of the covenant expectations. Verses 15–18 complete the miracle, since the waters continue to wait until the priests are completely clear. The priests begin to clear the river at Joshua’s signal, and God’s control over nature is shown again by restoration of the river’s rushing flow at the instant the last foot is clear (v. 18). This miraculous crossing has a theological message: entering the land happens only with God’s help.

Joshua 4:19-24 19 On the tenth day of the first month the people went up from the Jordan and camped at Gilgal on the eastern border of Jericho. 20 And Joshua set up at Gilgal the twelve stones they had taken out of the Jordan. 21 He said to the Israelites, "In the future when your descendants ask their parents, What do these stones mean? 22 tell them, Israel crossed the Jordan on dry ground.? 23 For the Lord your God dried up the Jordan before you until you had crossed over. The Lord your God did to the Jordan what he had done to the Red Sea when he dried it up before us until we had crossed over. 24 He did this so that all the peoples of the earth might know that the hand of the Lord is powerful and so that you might always fear the Lord your God."

Twelve Memorial Stones After coming up from the Jordan, the people camp in Gilgal, located on the eastern border of Jericho (Josh. 4:19). Until this point, the narrative has not clarified the timing of the crossing of the Jordan, other than stating that the Jordan is flooding, which would be in the spring. Only now does the text clarify that the Israelites come out of the Jordan on the tenth day of the first month. This is the month of Nisan, the time of Passover. Once again, the author is drawing a close connection between the events of Exodus and the crossing of the Jordan. Twelve stones that had been gathered from the Jordan are set up in Gilgal. One day, the Israelites will be asked by their children and grandchildren, “What do these stones mean?” And in response, the parents will share the story of when Israel crossed the Jordan on dry land, even during the flood season. Thus the stones are a memorial for future generations, a reminder of what God has done for them. In drying up the waters, God reveals that He alone has power over all—not only over Israel’s enemies, but over creation itself. As Joshua instructs the people on these stones of remembrance, he makes a direct comparison between the crossing of the Jordan River and that of the Red Sea. God has once again performed an amazing act of power. For a moment, think about what it must have been like for this generation to have been raised in the wilderness, hearing all about an escape from Egypt when God’s mighty hand had overcome pursuing chariots. For the next generation, this sign at crossing the Jordan inspires them to have greater confidence. Perhaps where their parents had grumbled and showed ingratitude, they would set a new pattern of faithfulness before God. And now as word of Israel’s crossing spreads, more people come to know the power of the Lord. God has been building a name for Himself among the people, including those who are not Israelites. As for the Israelites, they are to look upon these remembrance stones to see firsthand evidence of God’s power. They hope to walk before God in faithfulness, keeping the blessings of covenant before their eyes.

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.