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

God’s Unexpected, Unlikely Left-Handed Deliverer

In the book of Judges, we witness a recurring cycle of sin, oppression, repentance, and deliverance. The verse Judges 3:15 states, "But when the children of Israel cried unto the LORD, the LORD raised them up a deliverer, Ehud the son of Gera, a Benjamite, a man lefthanded: and by him the children of Israel sent a present unto Eglon the king of Moab." This passage serves as a powerful reminder of God’s faithfulness and the ways He can redeem and restore us, often in unexpected ways.

The narrative leading to this moment is one filled with turmoil for the people of Israel. They had fallen into the hands of their enemies due to their disobedience and abandonment of God’s commandments. The Moabites, under King Eglon, had subjected Israel to oppression. It is in their desperation that the Israelites cried out to the Lord, seeking His divine intervention. This cry for help is a significant turning point, a recognition of their helpless state and the need for a Savior. God’s response to their cry is both timely and profound. He raised up a deliverer; a divine act. God is always attentive to the pleas of His people, and He responds in His perfect timing. The deliverer, Ehud, is an intriguing choice. He is described specifically as "a man left-handed." In biblical times, being left-handed was unusual and often regarded as suspicious, untrustworthy, unintelligent, even demonic. It might suggest that Ehud was underestimated or overlooked. God often works through the unexpected, the overlooked, and the seemingly insignificant. This speaks volumes to us as believers. We live in a world that often glorifies strength, power, and conventional capabilities, yet God frequently utilizes those who do not fit the standard mold. His ways, as Isaiah 55:8-9 reminds us, are not our ways, and His thoughts are not our thoughts. This reality gives hope to those of us who feel inadequate or unqualified. God can use our unique traits and even our perceived weaknesses to accomplish His purposes.

Ehud’s deliverance of Israel is a striking illustration of God’s sovereignty and His ability to bring triumph through unconventional means. After offering a tribute to Eglon, Ehud cleverly seizes the opportunity to deliver a message of freedom. It is his obedience and clever strategy, combined with divine strength, that Ehud becomes a catalyst for liberation. This reminds us of the importance of being in tune with God’s voice and guidance in critical moments. It encourages us to act in faith, even when we do not see the complete picture. Moreover, the act of crying out to the Lord in our times of distress is vital. Expressing our dependence on God paves the way for His deliverance. When we recognize our limitations and call on His power, we open ourselves to His rescuing hand. Jeremiah 33:3 promises us, "Call unto me, and I will answer thee, and show thee great and mighty things, which thou knowest not." God desires a relationship with us that includes both our praises and our pleas. When we approach Him honestly, He promises to respond.

Judges 3:15 carries an immense message through the story of Ehud. It reminds us to rely on God as our ultimate deliverer. Regardless of our circumstances or insecurities, He uses those who are willing and available. Let us not underestimate the power of our cries. When we seek the Lord earnestly, we may witness His miraculous workings and unexpected deliverance.

SUNDAY SCHOOL NEXT WEEK

SUNDAY SCHOOL – October 25, 2026

____________________________

A Lack of Instruction ~ Judges 17:1-6; 18:18-19, 27

AIM FOR CHANGE:

RECOUNT the story of Micah and his mother;

REFLECT on the impact of misplaced worship; and

PRAY for God’s guidance in your life.

The Beginning of Idolatry in Israel (Judges 17:1-6, NRSV) 1There was a man in the hill country of Ephraim whose name was Micah. 2He said to his mother, "The eleven hundred pieces of silver that were taken from you, about which you uttered a curse, and even spoke it in my hearing,—that silver is in my possession; I took it; but now I will return it to you." And his mother said, "May my son be blessed by the LORD!" 3Then he returned the eleven hundred pieces of silver to his mother; and his mother said, "I consecrate the silver to the LORD from my hand for my son, to make an idol of cast metal." 4So when he returned the money to his mother, his mother took two hundred pieces of silver, and gave it to the silversmith, who made it into an idol of cast metal; and it was in the house of Micah. 5This man Micah had a shrine, and he made an ephod and teraphim, and installed one of his sons, who became his priest. 6 In those days there was no king in Israel; all the people did what was right in their own eyes.

The name Micah means “Who is like Yahweh?” and stands in sharp contrast to the idolatry that soon dominates his household. His account opens a closing section of Judges that exposes Israel’s spiritual collapse: private religion replaced obedience to God’s revealed commands, and individuals shaped worship according to personal desire. Micah’s household becomes a small but revealing picture of the wider nation, where “everyone did what was right in his own eyes” rather than submitting to the Lord. Micah’s confession takes place within the household, where his theft had violated both family trust and covenant responsibility. In Israel, a son was accountable before God for his conduct toward his parents, and the disorder in this home reflects the wider spiritual disorder of the period of the judges. Wealth that might have been used in faithful service to the LORD would soon become connected with idolatry. Micah had heard his mother’s words and feared the consequences of retaining what he had stolen. His return of the money exposes his guilt, but it does not yet reveal genuine repentance before God. Micah openly admits that he himself stole the silver. The confession brings the hidden sin into the open, yet the family’s response will show how far Israel had drifted from God’s revealed commands concerning theft, restitution, and worship. His mother withdraws the threat of the curse and invokes the LORD’s blessing upon Micah. The household speaks of the LORD while preparing objects of forbidden worship, illustrating the religious confusion that prevailed when everyone did what was right in his own eyes. In an age when Israel lacked faithful national leadership, personal gain, fear, and false worship often governed the people. Micah’s mother invokes the LORD’s name and claims to consecrate the silver for her son, yet her intended use openly contradicts God’s covenant commands. Dedication to the LORD required obedience to His revealed will, not religious activity shaped by personal preference. Her words reveal the syncretism of the period, in which Israelites attempted to combine devotion to the LORD with practices borrowed from idolatry. The planned images violate the second commandment and repeat the pattern seen in Israel’s worship of the golden calf (Exodus 32:4). What Micah’s mother presents as an offering to the LORD becomes material for rebellion against Him. The silver is returned to Micah so that the household can establish its own unauthorized shrine. The private worship center that follows becomes part of the wider corruption described in Judges: “Everyone did what was right in his own eyes” (Judges 17:6). Micah’s idolatry will later influence the tribe of Dan, contributing to a rival center of worship and further separating Israel from the worship God commanded. Micah established a private sanctuary in the hill country of Ephraim, despite the Lord’s appointed place of worship at the tabernacle in Shiloh. His household religion combined the name of the LORD with practices God had forbidden. The disorder of Micah’s shrine reflects the wider spiritual collapse of the Judges period, when Israel lacked faithful leadership and did what was right in its own eyes. Micah fashioned an object associated with legitimate priestly service and the seeking of God’s direction. The ephod belonged within the worship God had established through Aaron and his sons, not within a private shrine controlled by an Ephraimite household. Micah sought the appearance of devotion while disregarding the order God had commanded. Micah appointed his own son to a role reserved for the descendants of Aaron, whom God had set apart for priestly ministry. No family authority or personal desire could confer that office. Micah’s actions anticipated later unauthorized worship in the northern kingdom, where Jeroboam also established rival shrines and appointed priests outside God’s command. Personal preference replaced submission to God’s revealed commands. Micah’s homemade shrine, his unauthorized priesthood, and the Levite’s willingness to serve for payment display the corruption that followed. Israel had been warned not to follow whatever seemed right to each person, but to worship the Lord according to His instruction (Deuteronomy 12:8). What appeared acceptable to individuals brought idolatry, injustice, and ruin, confirming that a way that seems right to man may lead to death (Proverbs 14:12).

The Folly of These Danites! Judges 18:18-19 (NRSV) 18When the men went into Micah's house and took the idol of cast metal, the ephod, and the teraphim, the priest said to them, "What are you doing?" 19They said to him, "Keep quiet! Put your hand over your mouth, and come with us, and be to us a father and a priest. Is it better for you to be priest to the house of one person, or to be priest to a tribe and clan in Israel?"

The Danite spies and their armed companions returned to the house in the hill country of Ephraim where they had earlier received lodging and favorable guidance from Micah’s Levite. Micah’s private shrine represented the religious disorder of the age, when Israel had abandoned the unity of worship God required at His sanctuary. The Danites seized the carved image that Micah had made for worship, openly treating an object of idolatry as a prize to be carried into their new settlement. Israel’s command against carved images had been clear from Sinai, yet Micah had established a shrine around what God had forbidden. The ephod was associated with priestly service and seeking divine direction, but Micah had appropriated it for unauthorized worship. Its removal shows that the Danites desired not merely territory but their own religious system, fashioned according to convenience rather than God’s word. The household idols, or teraphim, belonged to practices of divination and false worship common among surrounding peoples. Their presence in an Israelite home reveals how deeply covenant unfaithfulness had entered ordinary life. The metal image had been made from silver dedicated by Micah’s mother, yet the gift offered in the Lord’s name had been turned toward idolatry. The Danites carried away the entire collection of cultic objects, establishing their conquest on spiritual rebellion. Micah’s Levite protested as the Danites removed the objects connected with his position and livelihood. His question exposed the theft, but he would soon accept the Danites’ offer to become priest for a larger tribe, showing that personal advancement had displaced faithful service to God. The Danites silenced the Levite with the force of armed men who had already taken Micah’s idols. Their contempt for a Levite serving as a priest reveals how far Israel had departed from the worship and order God had established. The command required silence and submission. Rather than seeking the Lord or honoring the Levite’s calling, the Danites treated religious service as something they could seize and redirect for their own purposes. “Father” describes a spiritual guide and honored religious leader. The Danites wanted a priest to legitimize their migration and provide direction, yet they carried stolen images and established worship apart from the Lord’s appointed sanctuary. Micah’s household shrine had already corrupted the Levite’s calling by making priesthood a private arrangement supported by personal payment. The Levite had accepted a position that ignored God’s commands concerning worship. The offer appealed to the Levite’s ambition, security, and influence. He chose greater status over faithfulness to God, and his willing participation helped establish the idolatry that would remain among the Danites for generations.

The Danites Settle in Laish (Judges 18:27, NRSV) 27The Danites, having taken what Micah had made, and the priest who belonged to him, came to Laish, to a people quiet and unsuspecting, put them to the sword, and burned down the city.

The Danites’ actions in taking the religious artifacts and the Levite priest from Micah’s household reflects the spiritual confusion and idolatry prevalent in Israel during the time of the Judges, a period marked by the repeated cycle of sin, oppression, repentance, and deliverance. The taking of idols and a priest highlights the the lack of true worship of Yahweh, as the Danites sought to establish their own religious practices rather than adhering to the covenantal laws given to Israel. Laish, later known as Dan, was located in the northernmost part of Israel. Laish was a prosperous and isolated city, which made it an attractive target for the Danites. The journey to Laish signifies the tribe of Dan’s search for a permanent inheritance, as they had not yet secured their allotted territory. The description of the people of Laish as “quiet and unsuspecting” indicates their peaceful nature and lack of preparedness for an attack. This reflects the moral decline in Israel, where the Danites, rather than seeking God’s guidance, chose to exploit the vulnerability of others for their gain. The peacefulness of Laish contrasts with the aggressive actions of the Danites, highlighting the ethical and spiritual decay during this period. The violent conquest of Laish by the Danites is a stark reminder of the lawlessness and brutality that characterized the era of the Judges. This act of aggression was not sanctioned by God, as the Danites acted out of self-interest rather than divine command. The use of swords signifies the physical force and warfare that were common in territorial expansions during ancient times. The destruction removed the former inhabitants and allowed the Danites to rebuild and occupy the site. Yet Dan’s new beginning rested on disobedience, and the stolen idol remained among them for generations. Religious corruption and moral violence often advanced together during the days when everyone did what was right in his own 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.