Trinity Community Church - Sermons Archive

Continuing In Christ, Derrick Overholt opens Ephesians 4:17–24 with a striking picture: the story of Hetty Green, a woman of immense wealth who chose to live like she had nothing. It becomes a mirror for the soul—why live like you're spiritually poor when Christ has given you everything? New Clothes calls us to stop dragging yesterday's mindset into today's faith and to walk out of what Paul calls “the futility of the mind”—a life that looks busy but stays empty.Derrick slows down in the text and makes it practical. He shows how Paul diagnoses the inner life: darkened understanding, alienation from God, and a calloused heart that keeps circling back to the same habits. He cautions against chasing “purpose” in Ephesians 4–6 without first embracing the identity of Ephesians 1–3. Purpose flows out of who we are In Christ, not out of self-improvement or moral striving.A key turning point is the difference between learning about Jesus and learning Jesus. Drawing from the Greek idea of manthano, Derrick explains that biblical learning reshapes the student. This isn't trivia for the brain; it's transformation by the Spirit. He shares clear, real-life “consequence learning” moments—like finally grasping how debt works or coming to see the weight of life-and-death issues—that mark true repentance and a new direction. The Holy Spirit brings conviction, opens our eyes, and empowers change so that truth moves from theory to obedience.From there, Derrick unpacks Paul's clothing metaphor: put off the old self and put on the new. In the ancient world clothing was precious and only discarded when it was beyond repair. So it is with the old life—we don't scrub it cleaner with moralism; we discard it. In Christ, we receive a new self “created after the likeness of God in true righteousness and holiness,” like the prodigal clothed with a robe and welcomed home by grace.With a vivid light-and-darkness illustration, Derrick challenges the idea of keeping a “small” hidden corner while claiming to walk in the light. He confronts the modern false gospel that makes peace with compromise and reminds us that real life in the Spirit bears real fruit—repentance, kindness, love, and generosity—rooted in good soil. If you're fasting, praying, or simply hungry for renewal, let this message help you name the old clothes and throw them away for good. Watch and invite a friend who's ready to stop living like they have nothing and start living fully In Christ.We are Trinity Community Church in Knoxville, Tennessee.Subscribe to our Podcast & YouTube channel to find past sermons, classes, interviews, and more!Find us on Facebook & Instagram

In “Why Prayer And Fasting,” Pastors Tyler Lynde and Ebenezer Asiamah go straight to Jesus' words in Matthew 6 to answer a question many of us feel but rarely voice: why build prayer and fasting into everyday life? Tyler begins with the purpose behind it all—God created us for fellowship, not mere belief—and names one of our deepest challenges: distraction. A calendar can be full and a soul still be empty. From Jesus' repeated “when you pray” and “when you fast,” Tyler underscores that these aren't occasional religious stunts but normal rhythms for people who want real intimacy with the Father in the secret place. Prayer is not performance; it's a two-way, ongoing conversation with a Father who already knows our needs. Ebenezer offers a clear definition of biblical fasting—voluntarily abstaining from food for a set time for spiritual purposes—and shows why it must be joined to prayer or it's just dieting. He captures the heart with a simple line: we do not fast to get God's attention; we fast to get our attention on God. From there he lays out the spiritual benefits found across Scripture: fasting helps set our attention on God (Psalm 42; Matthew 5:6), resets disordered affections (Job 23:12), cultivates humility that fuels revival (2 Chronicles 7:14; Joel 2), and brings clarity and direction in weighty decisions (Acts 9; Proverbs 19:14). You'll hear biblical and personal stories about guidance, protection on difficult journeys (Ezra 8), and circumstances God has shifted as His people sought Him, all while emphasizing that fasting aligns us to God's will rather than manipulating outcomes.The message also highlights spiritual freedom. Tyler and Ebenezer revisit Jesus' teaching that some resistance only breaks through prayer and fasting (Mark 9:29), offering hope for those facing anxiety, oppression, addiction, and persistent battles. They look to Jesus as our example in the wilderness (Matthew 4), reminding us that we live not by bread alone but by every word from God's mouth.Practical help runs throughout: choose a sacrificial fast that costs something, schedule time with God during normal meal windows, consider laying down media and noise, approach food wisely (avoid turning “one meal a day” into indulgence), taper in rather than binge beforehand, and consult a medical professional when needed. Tyler closes with an invitation into a focused 21-day season with intentional prayer gatherings and a simple planning framework so the fast is purposeful, not vague.If you're longing for renewed intimacy, clearer direction, a reset of what you love most, and real spiritual power, lean in and begin.We are Trinity Community Church in Knoxville, Tennessee.Subscribe to our Podcast & YouTube channel to find past sermons, classes, interviews, and more!Find us on Facebook & Instagram

One day you'll stand before Jesus and give an account of what you did with what He gave you. The question isn't whether that day is coming — it's whether you'll be ready for it.In this final session of the Foundations class, Pastor Mark Medley brings the series to a practical and personal close by talking about stewardship — the understanding that because we've been bought with a price, everything we have belongs to God, and we're called to manage it well for His glory and the good of others.Pastor Mark walks through five areas of stewardship that touch every part of life. First, your time — drawing from Psalm 90 and the prayer "teach us to number our days," he shows how getting your days right is the key to getting your life right, and how understanding your season is connected to knowing God's will. Second, your talent — your unique combination of spiritual gifts, personality, experiences, and calling that no one else on earth shares. Third, your treasure — with an honest look at generosity, tithing, and the difference between living with the tight fists of an orphan and the open hands of a son or daughter who trusts their Father. Fourth, your temple — your physical body, and why taking care of it through proper nutrition, rest, and movement is a matter of stewardship, not vanity. And finally, your story — because your testimony doesn't require a theology degree. It just requires three things: this is who I was, this is who I am, and Jesus is the difference.The session ends with a simple challenge: open your heart, open your ears, and open your mouth. You have something to give that no one else can.This is part of the Foundations class at Trinity Community Church, taught by Pastor Kelly Kinder and Pastor Mark Medley.We are Trinity Community Church in Knoxville, Tennessee.Subscribe to our Podcast & YouTube channel to find past sermons, classes, interviews, and more!Find us on Facebook & Instagram

Here's a truth that can be hard to accept: you cannot live the Christian life alone. Faith in Christ is personal, but it was never meant to be private.In this session, Pastor Kelly Kinder explains why fellowship with other believers isn't optional — it's essential to how God designed the Christian life to work. The faith that connects us to Christ also connects us to one another, and the New Testament uses rich metaphors to describe what that looks like: the church as a field, a building, a body, a bride, a family, a house, and a temple. Each picture reveals something different about how believers are meant to function together.Pastor Kelly gives special attention to the metaphor of the body, drawing from Romans 12 and 1 Corinthians 12 to show that every member is necessary, every member is unique, and every member has gifts that the rest of the body needs. He walks through seven spiritual gifts — prophecy, serving, teaching, exhortation, giving, leadership, and mercy — and challenges listeners to use what God has given them rather than comparing themselves to others or trying to go it alone. The phrase "one another" appears more than fifty times in the New Testament, and Pastor Kelly makes the case that those commands can only be lived out when we're in real, consistent relationship with other believers — especially in smaller group settings.The session closes with an honest acknowledgment: it would be easier to follow God without having to deal with other people. But a community of believers learning to love each other in the power of the gospel brings more glory to God than any one person could on their own.This is part of the Foundations class at Trinity Community Church, taught by Pastor Kelly Kinder and Pastor Mark Medley.We are Trinity Community Church in Knoxville, Tennessee.Subscribe to our Podcast & YouTube channel to find past sermons, classes, interviews, and more!Find us on Facebook & Instagram

Why does the church baptize people? And what's really happening when we take the bread and the cup together? These aren't just religious traditions — they're practices that Jesus Himself commanded and established for the life of His church.In this session, Pastor Kelly Kinder walks through the meaning and significance of two foundational practices in the Christian faith: water baptism and the Lord's Supper. Starting with the Great Commission in Matthew 28, he explains that both are acts of obedience that carry deep spiritual meaning — not as rituals that save us, but as powerful expressions of what God has already done inside us.Baptism, Pastor Kelly explains, is an outward picture of an inward reality. Like a wedding ring doesn't make you married but declares that you are, baptism doesn't produce the new birth — it proclaims it. Going under the water pictures death and burial with Christ; coming up out of the water pictures resurrection into new life. That's why Scripture points to baptism by immersion, and why watching someone get baptized is one of the most encouraging moments in the life of a church.The Lord's Supper, instituted by Jesus on the night before His crucifixion, is an invitation to remember His sacrifice and to be spiritually nourished by Him. It's a covenant meal — what the early church called a love feast — and it's meant to be received with seriousness, self-examination, and an awareness of the community of believers around us.This is part of the Foundations class at Trinity Community Church, taught by Pastor Kelly Kinder and Pastor Mark Medley.We are Trinity Community Church in Knoxville, Tennessee.Subscribe to our Podcast & YouTube channel to find past sermons, classes, interviews, and more!Find us on Facebook & Instagram

If Jesus saved you from the penalty of sin, why does sin still seem to have power in your life? That's the question at the heart of this session — and the answer changed everything for Pastor Mark Medley.Drawing from his own story of coming to faith out of a life of drugs, broken relationships, and bondage, Pastor Mark shares how some chains broke immediately when he met Jesus, while others held on. It wasn't until a mentor challenged him to memorize all of Romans chapter 6 that the truth began to sink in: the work of Jesus on the cross didn't just deal with the penalty of sin — it broke the power of sin over his life too.This session walks through Romans chapters 5 through 8, tracing Paul's argument from justification and grace all the way to freedom and life in the Spirit. You'll encounter Paul's repeated phrase "how much more" — the idea that wherever sin reached, the grace of God reached further. You'll hear the raw honesty of Romans 7, where Paul describes the inner war of wanting to do right but doing wrong. And you'll arrive at the triumphant declaration of Romans 8: there is now no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus.Pastor Mark ties it all together with a vivid illustration — just as the law of aerodynamic lift overcomes the law of gravity and gets a 747 off the ground, the law of the Spirit of life in Christ Jesus overcomes the law of sin and death. You don't have to stay pulled down. There's a greater law at work.This is part of the Foundations class at Trinity Community Church, taught by Pastor Kelly Kinder and Pastor Mark Medley.We are Trinity Community Church in Knoxville, Tennessee.Subscribe to our Podcast & YouTube channel to find past sermons, classes, interviews, and more!Find us on Facebook & Instagram

Prayer isn't a religious obligation — it's an invitation. An invitation to the throne of grace, into relationship with your Father, and into the very heart and mission of God.In this session, Pastor Mark Medley builds on the previous lesson about the Word of God by showing how Scripture and prayer are deeply linked. He starts with a powerful idea: to pray is to change. Real prayer reorders our loves and priorities, and it's impossible to genuinely encounter God without being transformed by it. Through a story about visiting an African village chief — where access required an invitation, a gift, and an intermediary — Pastor Mark illustrates what makes Christian prayer so remarkable. God has already opened the door. Jesus is our intermediary. And we're told to come boldly.The session walks through several dimensions of prayer: the prayer of consecration and submission, the prayer of faith, the prayer of agreement with other believers, praying in the Spirit for personal edification, the prayer of supplication in spiritual warfare, and the prayer that replaces anxiety with peace. Along the way, Pastor Mark addresses the honest questions — why don't we pray more, why prayers sometimes seem unanswered, and how prayer is something we learn over time rather than master overnight.The session closes with a live demonstration of praying the Scriptures, turning Paul's prayer from Ephesians into a prayer over everyone listening — showing just how simple and powerful it is to let God's Word give us the words to speak back to Him.This is part of the Foundations class at Trinity Community Church, taught by Pastor Kelly Kinder and Pastor Mark Medley.We are Trinity Community Church in Knoxville, Tennessee.Subscribe to our Podcast & YouTube channel to find past sermons, classes, interviews, and more!Find us on Facebook & Instagram

The Bible isn't just another book — it's the very breath of God. But do we treat it that way?In this session, Pastor Kelly Kinder explores what makes the Bible unlike anything else ever written and why it matters for your daily life. Starting with the Bible's own claim about itself in 2 Timothy 3:16, he walks through four things Scripture is designed to do: show us the path, point out where we've gone wrong, put us back on track, and train us in how to live it out.From there, the session covers three foundational truths about the Word of God. First, it's accurate — perfect and sure, reliable enough that even secular scholars affirm its remarkable preservation across thousands of years. Pastor Kelly shares a memorable illustration about a man and a barometer that drives home what happens when we ignore what God's Word is telling us. Second, the Bible has the power to produce new life — it's the seed through which we are born again. And third, it's the daily nourishment we need to grow. Just as the Israelites needed fresh manna every day in the wilderness, we need fresh engagement with Scripture to stay spiritually healthy and mature.This session is a challenge and an encouragement to stop depending on others to feed you spiritually and to take personal responsibility for getting into the Word of God — through reading, study, memorization, and meditation.This is part of the Foundations class at Trinity Community Church, taught by Pastor Kelly Kinder and Pastor Mark Medley.We are Trinity Community Church in Knoxville, Tennessee.Subscribe to our Podcast & YouTube channel to find past sermons, classes, interviews, and more!Find us on Facebook & Instagram

When Jesus told His disciples He was leaving, they were terrified. But He told them something unexpected — it was actually better that He go away. Because when He left, He would send the Helper, the Holy Spirit, who would be with all of them, all the time.In this session, Pastor Mark Medley explores who the Holy Spirit is and what He actively does in the life of a believer. Through a vivid story of being stranded alone in Istanbul with no guide, no language, and no plan, Pastor Mark paints a picture of exactly why we need the Holy Spirit — and how good it is to have Him.You'll learn how the Spirit guides us into truth in a confusing world, helps us in prayer when we don't know what to say, comforts us in grief, convicts us of sin while always offering a way out, and leads us into the very thing we were created for — glorifying God. Pastor Mark also draws an important distinction between condemnation and conviction, and why knowing the difference can change how you relate to God every day.The session closes with a powerful survey of the Spirit's active work throughout Scripture — from regeneration to gifting to freedom — showing that a life lived with the Holy Spirit isn't the exception. It's normal Christianity.This is part of the Foundations class at Trinity Community Church, taught by Pastor Kelly Kinder and Pastor Mark Medley.We are Trinity Community Church in Knoxville, Tennessee.Subscribe to our Podcast & YouTube channel to find past sermons, classes, interviews, and more!Find us on Facebook & Instagram

We're not just friends of God — we're friends of God because of Jesus. But what exactly did He accomplish, and why does it matter for your everyday life?In this session, Pastor Mark Medley takes a deep look at the work of Jesus on the cross and unpacks the richness of what it means for us. This isn't just about getting to heaven someday — it reaches into every part of how we live right now. Through Scripture, Pastor Mark walks through the major things Jesus has done on our behalf: He regenerated us, bringing us from death to life. He justified us, declaring us not guilty before the righteous Judge of heaven. He exchanged His righteousness for our sin. He redeemed us, buying us back from slavery. He reconciled us, turning enemies into friends. He satisfied the wrath of God in our place. He adopted us into His family. He is sanctifying us day by day. And one day, He will glorify us completely.Along the way, Pastor Mark shares a memorable story from a village in Ghana that puts the gospel in sharp focus — God doesn't want your goat. He's already provided a Lamb.If you've ever felt like your faith was just a doorway you walked through, this session will show you that the gospel isn't just the entry point — it's the entire way.This is part of the Foundations class at Trinity Community Church, taught by Pastor Kelly Kinder and Pastor Mark Medley.We are Trinity Community Church in Knoxville, Tennessee.Subscribe to our Podcast & YouTube channel to find past sermons, classes, interviews, and more!Find us on Facebook & Instagram

If the first most important question you could ever ask is "What is God like?" then the second is just as crucial: "What does God think about me?"In this session, Pastor Kelly Kinder explores the three ways we tend to see ourselves — through the eyes of others, through our own subjective lens, and through the eyes of God — and why only one of those perspectives reflects reality. What God thinks about you outweighs every opinion and every self-doubt you've ever carried.From there, the session walks through four truths that form the foundation of our relationship with God: we are sinners who have missed the mark, we are deeply loved by God even in that condition, we can be fully forgiven through the work of Jesus on the cross, and — perhaps most remarkably — we are invited into friendship with God Himself. Along the way, Pastor Kelly shares a powerful story that illustrates the kind of love God has for us, and offers an opportunity to respond personally to the gospel.This isn't just theology to agree with — it's an invitation to make it personal. If you've never explored what God really thinks about you, this session is a great place to start.This is part of the Foundations class at Trinity Community Church, taught by Pastor Kelly Kinder and Pastor Mark Medley.We are Trinity Community Church in Knoxville, Tennessee.Subscribe to our Podcast & YouTube channel to find past sermons, classes, interviews, and more!Find us on Facebook & Instagram

What is God like? It's one of the two most important questions anyone could ever ask — and it's where our Foundations journey begins.In this session, Pastor Kelly Kinder walks through how God reveals Himself to us through both creation and His Word, and why knowing God personally — not just knowing about Him — is the foundation for everything else in the Christian life.You'll explore the essential nature of God — His self-existence, eternality, holiness, and the mystery of the Trinity — as well as the qualities of His character that He invites us to reflect: His goodness, love, mercy, truthfulness, and justice. These aren't just theological concepts. They're the bedrock truths that shape how we see God, ourselves, and the world around us.Whether you're just beginning to explore faith or looking to go deeper in your understanding, this session will give you a solid starting point for knowing the God who wants to be known.This is part of the Foundations class at Trinity Community Church, taught by Pastor Kelly Kinder and Pastor Mark Medley.We are Trinity Community Church in Knoxville, Tennessee.Subscribe to our Podcast & YouTube channel to find past sermons, classes, interviews, and more!Find us on Facebook & Instagram

Mark Medley opens with a stamped passport and a proud grandparent moment, then invites us into a living room–sized masterclass on Ephesians 4. Continuing the In Christ series, he traces Paul's movement from identity to formation: chapters 1–3 anchor us in Christ by grace, and chapters 4–6 call us to grow up into Christ together. Through a tender adoption story, Mark shows how the gavel has already fallen—our status is secure—yet daily life now teaches the habits, hopes, and responsibilities of beloved children. Some of us, he says, need to “bang the gavel” over our past and live from our new family name.From there, Mark shows the surprising generosity of Jesus who doesn't just save; he equips the church with people—apostles, prophets, evangelists, pastors, and teachers—so a community can reach the measure of the stature of the fullness of Christ. He unpacks how each gift expresses a facet of Jesus: apostles build relational authority that fathers communities; prophets keep the horizon clear and recalibrate drift; evangelists push our love outside the room; pastors gather and guard a safe fold; teachers ignite hunger for Scripture and fight error. The endgame is not celebrity leaders but an equipped people.“Equip,” Mark notes, is katartismos—mend what's broken, frame what's rising, and train for the race ahead. The church is a clinic, a construction site, and a gym. Ministry spills into homes, schools, jobs, and neighborhoods. Using the body metaphor, he pictures how every joint supplies: when one part hurts, the whole body rushes to heal; when one part grows, strength spreads. Stability replaces confusion as we speak truth in love and bring timely rhema words that fit the moment. Leaders and parents alike learn to love people from here to there, not force them to arrive overnight.Names matter, Mark reminds us, pointing to Paul's greetings in Romans 16 and the call in Romans 12 to use our differing gifts for one another. He shares a local story of how discerning gifts, passions, abilities, and experiences through a FIT class birthed a focused care team for the sick and homebound—ordinary faithfulness that quietly changes the whole.If you're longing for steady footing and a clear path to mature love, join Mark Medley as he helps us move from being in Christ to growing up into Christ—together, until every part works properly and the body builds itself up in love.We are Trinity Community Church in Knoxville, Tennessee.Subscribe to our Podcast & YouTube channel to find past sermons, classes, interviews, and more!Find us on Facebook & Instagram

What if church felt less like a spectator event and more like a training camp? In Christ continues as Neil Silverberg opens Ephesians 4:7–12 and shows how the ascended Jesus gives people as gifts—apostles, prophets, evangelists, shepherds, and teachers—to equip every believer for real ministry. Unity doesn't erase difference; it thrives on it. Grace meets diversity, and the church matures, stabilizes, and moves with purpose.Neil lingers on the often-overlooked power of the ascension. Drawing from Psalm 68 and Psalm 110 and Peter's words in Acts 2:33, he frames Jesus as the triumphant King who ascended and then distributed gifts to his people. He clarifies Paul's “descent/ascent” parenthesis, not as a post-cross torment but as the movement from incarnation and humiliation to exaltation, so that Christ might fill all things. This keeps the conversation grounded: leadership is not self-invented expertise; it is a stewardship derived from the risen Lord.From there he unpacks the fivefold ministry as Jesus' design for growth, not a leadership ladder. Apostles lay and extend healthy foundations. Prophets bring a present word that is weighed, not worshiped. Evangelists make the gospel plain and stir a heart for the lost. Shepherds care as a team—plural elders who lead by teaching. Teachers ground us in truth. The aim is equipping, not dependence, so that people become apostolic in mission, prophetic in discernment, evangelistic in witness, pastoral in care, and rooted in teaching.“Pastors As Equippers” challenges common models that keep congregations passive and leaders exhausted. Neil contrasts three philosophies of ministry—the museum curator, the short-order cook, and the wise master builder—and urges leaders to move from needs triage to blueprint-building on Christ and the written word. Echoing Elton Trueblood, he insists the ministry belongs to all who share Christ's life, while pastors exist to help them practice it. And with R. Paul Stevens, he reminds leaders that true equipping points people to depend on the Head, not on human personalities.Neil also explores the rich meaning of equipping (katartismos): mending what is torn, establishing firm foundations, and training like athletes who actually enter the race. The outcome is a therapeutic, formational, and sending church—where disciples heal, are formed on Christ and Scripture, and are released into mission. Watch and share with your team or small group, and let's build a church that looks like Jesus—united, diverse, and equipped.We are Trinity Community Church in Knoxville, Tennessee.Subscribe to our Podcast & YouTube channel to find past sermons, classes, interviews, and more!Find us on Facebook & Instagram

In this message from the In Christ series, Tyler Lynde opens Ephesians 4:1–6 and calls our church to be One on Purpose. Division is cheap and everywhere; unity, he says, is a grace gift from God that we are eager to maintain. Building from identity to purpose, Tyler urges us to “walk worthy of the calling” with humility, gentleness, patience, and enduring love, refusing to let clashing personalities, secondary doctrines, or cultural tribes outrank our eternal bond in Jesus.Tyler traces a biblical peace pattern that makes unity possible in real life. First, peace with God through the gospel (Romans 5:1): we acknowledge our need, repent, believe on the Lord Jesus, and live a transformed life by grace. Then, the peace of God that steadies us when circumstances shake (Philippians 4:7). Tyler shares how, during a hospital crisis, God's presence filled the room with a peace nurses could feel—an embodied picture of Christ's calm that guards hearts and minds. Finally, the Spirit grows the fruit of peace in us (Galatians 5:22–23), reshaping tone, timing, and responses in conflict. Without peace with God, no other peace can hold; with it, we can practice a new reflex in our homes, teams, and church family.To keep unity substantive—not sentimental—Tyler anchors us in seven essentials Paul gives: one body, one Spirit, one hope, one Lord, one faith, one baptism, one God and Father of all. These pillars define the nonnegotiables of historic Christianity and supply a shared center when opinions multiply. Around them we practice wise freedom on non-essentials and stubborn love in all things, living the ancient wisdom: in essentials, unity; in non-essentials, liberty; in all things, charity. Practically, Tyler invites us to de-escalate with grace, ask whether a concern is eternal or preferential, speak truth seasoned with kindness, take grievances to people not about them, resist caricatures and party-line proxies, confess quickly, forgive fully, and keep a seat at the table even when differences remain. He names the enemy's strategy to splinter the church and stall the gospel—and shows how the cross levels us all.Tyler closes by praying Jesus' John 17 prayer over our church, asking that our oneness would tell the truth about him to a watching world. Watch and share this message with a friend who needs hope for hard relationships, and let's keep the main things main as we walk in the bond of peace.We are Trinity Community Church in Knoxville, Tennessee.Subscribe to our Podcast & YouTube channel to find past sermons, classes, interviews, and more!Find us on Facebook & Instagram

In The Believer's Identity, part of the In Christ series, Kelly Kinder returns to Ephesians to help you bridge who you are with how you live. He frames the message with a simple picture: imagine a scale with your calling in Christ on one side and your daily conduct on the other. The goal isn't to grind harder but to let your behavior rise to match your calling. Kelly shows how Ephesians moves from identity (chapters 1–3) to lifestyle (chapters 4–6), and he urges you to “walk in a manner worthy of the calling” from Ephesians 4:1–3.Kelly reminds you that spiritual amnesia—forgetting who you are in Christ—wrecks confidence and relationships. But when you remember you've been crucified with Christ, hidden with Christ, and made alive by faith, you can love and serve without fear of rejection or the need for constant validation. Drawing from John 13, Kelly points to Jesus, who, knowing exactly who he was, took the lowest place and washed his disciples' feet. Identity fuels purpose.From there, Kelly unpacks the “worthy walk” through four graces that turn belief into behavior. Humility isn't groveling; it's sober self-assessment that lifts others. With a lighthearted nod to Muhammad Ali's airplane quip, Kelly contrasts self-promotion with Christlike lowliness that lets the work speak louder than our words. Gentleness isn't weakness; it's strength under control—the kind of measured presence that won't break a bruised reed or snuff a smoldering wick. Patience stretches your fuse, trusting God's timing in a hurry-sick world; Kelly even laughs at his own battles with red lights and long checkout lines to show how formation often happens in life's “long line.” Enduring love bears with people to the end, echoing Jesus' love on the night he washed feet—yes, even Judas's.These graces are not abstractions; they work in real life. Kelly retells David's restraint with Shimei to illustrate entrusting your case to the just Judge rather than retaliating. Then he gets practical: soften your tone, wait a beat before reacting, choose to serve unseen, and stay present when you'd rather withdraw. Unity isn't something we manufacture; the Spirit already formed it. Our call is to maintain it in the bond of peace by walking this path together.If you're ready to realign your walk with your calling and rebuild trust where it's thin, watch and share this message—and consider which grace you'll practice this week.We are Trinity Community Church in Knoxville, Tennessee.Subscribe to our Podcast & YouTube channel to find past sermons, classes, interviews, and more!Find us on Facebook & Instagram

In Go For Me, Tyler Lynde closes the Discipleship Matters journey by showing why a church prepared for crisis is a church shaped by discipleship. He revisits Jesus' four-step path—come and see, follow me, be with me, go for me—and then stays with the final step that turns conviction into movement. Opening Mark 16:15-20 like a field manual, Tyler makes the call clear: we are commanded to go into all the world, and we are never sent alone.Tyler clarifies the message we carry. The gospel isn't our moral performance or church brand; it's the finished work of Jesus: Christ died for our sins, was buried, and rose on the third day (1 Corinthians 15:1-4). That good news is God's power for salvation (Romans 1:16). The only right response is repent and believe (Mark 1:15), and baptism becomes the public witness that we belong to Jesus. He urges us to talk to people, not at them, to pray that God opens blind eyes, and to rest in the freeing truth that we don't save anyone—God does.From message to power, Tyler shows how the risen Jesus still “works with” His people. Ordinary believers can ask to pray, confront darkness with Christ's authority, lay hands on the sick, and expect God to confirm His word. This isn't a pastor-only lane or a call to spectacle; it's the normal Christian life empowered by the Holy Spirit (Acts 1:8). The safest place to be is on mission with God—not because risk disappears, but because His presence accompanies obedience.He also names four barriers that dim our light: the comfort of community that turns inward, fear amplified by constant panic, love of the shadows that splits Sunday faith from weekday life, and hatred of those in darkness that forgets our own rescue. The gospel answers each: remember the Father's sending love (John 3:16), resist fear with discernment and prayer, repent of compromise, and practice enemy-love.Finally, Tyler gives a simple on-ramp: small circles. Invite one, ask them to invite one, keep it to three. Read Mark one chapter a week, write a short prayer, note one insight and one application, swap questions, hop on a 20-minute weekly call, and gather monthly in person—then reproduce. Write your name on the lobby boards—discipling, being discipled, ready to start—and join the church family on February 8 to pray for fresh boldness. Going doesn't require a passport, only obedience. If you're ready to trade spectatorship for multiplication, press play and take your next step.We are Trinity Community Church in Knoxville, Tennessee.Subscribe to our Podcast & YouTube channel to find past sermons, classes, interviews, and more!Find us on Facebook & Instagram

What if the one command Jesus made unmistakable is the one we've quietly sidelined? In Be With Me, part of the Discipleship Matters series, Kelly Kinder asks that unsettling question and leads us back to the heartbeat of the Great Commission: as you are going, make disciples—not by adding more church activity, but by staying close to Jesus so his life flows through ours.Working from Mark 3, Kelly traces Jesus' simple rhythm—come and see, follow me, be with me, go for me—and shows why “be with me” is the engine of transformation. Jesus didn't merely select twelve; he made twelve, forming something new through a relationship of proximity and purpose. Kelly highlights Jesus' circles of influence—the crowds, the seventy-two, the twelve, the three—and the deeper access and change that come as we move closer to him. The result is what Acts 4:13 describes: ordinary people recognized as those who had been with Jesus.Two pictures anchor the message. First, the yoke: take my yoke upon you and learn from me. Kelly reframes the yoke as life beside a stronger, trained companion. Yoked to Christ, we unlearn un-Christlike reflexes, grow faith over fear, practice agape love, bear fruit that lasts, and learn daily self-denial. Second, the vine: remain in me. Abiding becomes staying—holding firm to our identity (he is the vine, we are branches, the Father is the gardener), practicing consistency when teachings are hard, embracing dependency because apart from him we can do nothing, and trusting sufficiency as Jesus meets needs with leftovers that feed even the servers.Kelly then puts handles on the vision with a “small circle” plan you can start this week. Invite one person, ask them to invite one more, and journey as three through the Gospel of Mark for sixteen weeks. Read one chapter a week, pray directly from the text, capture one insight and one concrete application, meet briefly to share and pray, gather monthly around a table to deepen trust, and multiply at the end. It's lightweight, Scripture-first, and built to reproduce—shifting us from consuming content to transferring life.If you've tried everything else, try what Jesus actually asked us to do. Watch this message, ask Jesus for your “one,” and begin a circle that keeps you close to him and carries his life to others. In a world of noise and drift, being with Jesus is still how ordinary people become catalysts for extraordinary change.We are Trinity Community Church in Knoxville, Tennessee.Subscribe to our Podcast & YouTube channel to find past sermons, classes, interviews, and more!Find us on Facebook & Instagram

In Discipleship Matters, Tyler Lynde continues with Follow Me by naming a reality we all feel: crisis isn't an if but a when. The answer isn't panic; it's formation. Tyler frames the year with a simple conviction—sharpened Christians are best equipped for crisis—and then walks us through Jesus' four-stage path of discipleship: come and see, follow me, be with me, go for me. He highlights the hinge, “Follow me,” where spectators become imitators who carry Jesus' heart into everyday places that need it most.Drawing from Matthew 4:18–22, Tyler shows how Jesus' invitation is an invitation to imitation. “Follow me, and I will make you fishers of men” redefines success around serving. Mark 10:45 anchors the new definition of greatness: even the Son of Man came not to be served, but to serve. Tyler asks, “How's your serve game?” and paints a practical picture of servants who step into gaps at work, at home, and in the city—people about whom others say, “They'll do anything for anyone.”From there he presses into character. John 14 reminds us that Jesus reveals the Father; disciples reveal Jesus. Tyler invites honest self-examination: if those you're discipling shadowed you for a week, what would they learn to imitate—patience, integrity, repentance? He normalizes the Spirit's refining work: over time motives, tone, and thought patterns come under grace, and repentance becomes a rhythm. Authentic character, lived with appropriate transparency, is credible evangelism in a skeptical world.Tyler keeps Jesus' heart for the lost at the center. Luke 19 and Luke 4 frame a life moved by compassion—seeking, saving, setting free. Instead of treating outreach as a program, he calls us to notice real names in our contacts, neighbors on our street, co-workers who ask for prayer, and to move toward them. And he keeps the target clear: multiplication, not addition. With Paul's pattern—“Imitate me as I imitate Christ,” “entrust to faithful people who will teach others also”—Tyler offers a doable rhythm: think big, start small, go deep. One person, one meal, one prayer at a time.A moving testimony ties it all together. A dad simply said, “Invite Nick to Bible study,” then kept showing up for breakfasts. God used ordinary presence to rewrite a life. Tyler closes with clear next steps: dare to be a disciple, take stock of your relationships, pray, invite in, teach to obey, and release to multiply. Watch to be equipped with courage and practical steps to follow Jesus and help someone else do the same this week.We are Trinity Community Church in Knoxville, Tennessee.Subscribe to our Podcast & YouTube channel to find past sermons, classes, interviews, and more!Find us on Facebook & Instagram

Neil Silverberg opens the new year and the Discipleship Matters series by reframing the Great Commission around its true engine: make. He explains that Jesus' command is not primarily about travel but about intentional, relational disciple making in the normal flow of life—workplaces, classrooms, neighborhoods, and homes. Drawing from John's unique record of Jesus' first year, Neil unpacks the simple yet profound invitation “come and see,” showing how discipleship begins with presence. Two seekers asked where Jesus was staying; Jesus answered with an invitation into his life. That pattern—finding, inviting, staying—becomes the seedbed of transformation.Neil traces how John highlights seven “signs” that point beyond the moment to the Messiah, building belief and anchoring disciples in the identity of Jesus. Signs aren't ends in themselves; they are road markers to the person and glory of Christ. From there, he explains why Jesus moved away from the crowds to shape a few: internalization and multiplication. Values and practices take root through proximity and honest relationships; then they spread as those formed by Jesus form others. With vivid clarity, Neil contrasts addition and multiplication—one decision a day looks impressive, but two grounded disciples who each disciple two more eventually outpace addition and produce depth that lasts.A moving story brings it home: Neil recounts a friend named Gordon who discipled two men. Years later, Gordon was flown across the country to meet dozens who had come to faith and growth through multiple generations of those two initial relationships. This is the quiet power of spiritual offspring that keeps reproducing long after the first meeting is over.Neil also lays out four stages in Jesus' pathway—come and see, follow me, be with me, and go and make—that offer a clear map for growth. To make it practical, he offers six steps: dare to be a disciple yourself, assess your current relationships, pray about whom to invest in, invite them into your life, teach them to follow Jesus in everyday habits, and equip them to multiply from the start. Expect a gentle push out of comfort zones and into the harvest where you already live and work. If you're ready to replace programs with presence and crowds with a few who will change many, this message will help you begin. Who will you invite to “come and see” this week?We are Trinity Community Church in Knoxville, Tennessee.Subscribe to our Podcast & YouTube channel to find past sermons, classes, interviews, and more!Find us on Facebook & Instagram

Mark Medley opens Psalm 105 and invites us to practice gratitude so we can remember and retell God's works among us. He frames the morning as “stones of remembrance,” rehearsing how the Lord formed belonging, deepened growth, and multiplied service in 2025—and how those simple steps will shape the year ahead.Under Belong, Mark celebrates the fruit of a team-led pastoral model that equips the saints and makes space for many voices. Average attendance rose by more than 80 people each week. Thirty-eight new partners (17 families) completed the New Partners track. More than 15 babies were dedicated, and nine people were baptized. Community Groups ranged from apologetics, traditional skills, and business cohorts to support groups and “Dinners for 8,” while house-church style gatherings carried fellowship through the year. Trinity Christian Academy surged to 242 Friday co‑op students (104 families), added 45 high schoolers in Thursday core classes, and now connects 133 families across TCA's ministries. Midweek equipping and a growing rhythm of Triads point to where we're headed next.Under Grow, Mark highlights Scripture at the center. The church moved through Nehemiah, the Sermon on the Mount, and Ephesians 1–3, with 127 people in a chronological Bible plan. Twenty-one days of corporate prayer and fasting pressed roots deeper into God. Leadership pipelines—Trinity Ministry Apprenticeship and the Timothy Team—multiplied emerging teachers and mentors. Marriage and parenting equipping, FIT classes, and young mothers' discipleship helped homes become disciple-making hubs.Under Serve, presence turned belief into action. Seven Serve Day projects mobilized 80 volunteers across parks, schools, assisted living, and downtown outreach. A providential building purchase provided long‑term stability and room for a sanctuary build‑out. Justice and mercy advanced through protecting human life initiatives, Street Hope, Hope Resource Center, and a thriving prison ministry. ROTC cadets found discipleship, meals, and mentors through weekly rhythms on campus. Partnerships with Empower School and Farm and Compassion Coalition deepened local impact.Globally, our people touched five continents. Two Cuba trips trained leaders and helped purchase a house‑church property now hosting forty-plus people. In Tanzania, the Maasai community grew in discipleship and development as the Victoria Watoto School surpassed 150 students. Partners in France and Poland discipled young professionals and united churches, while next‑gen missionaries served in South Korea, Poland, Thailand, and Honduras. Sent Ones extended reach through Siberian Missions, the Ezra Project, and Thrive Ministries, including new translations and grief-care resources in Ukrainian and Russian.Looking to 2026, Mark calls us to grow deeper to know Christ and make Him known. Imagine your next step—belong, grow, or serve—and join the story.We are Trinity Community Church in Knoxville, Tennessee.Subscribe to our Podcast & YouTube channel to find past sermons, classes, interviews, and more!Find us on Facebook & Instagram

In See God, part of the Expecting series, Tyler Lynde walks slowly through Luke 2:8–20 and invites you to recover a fresh vision of Jesus. He begins on a quiet hillside with ordinary shepherds doing ordinary work, because worship often starts in the middle of everyday life—on the night shift, at the table, in the carpool line. Into that routine, a burst of glory breaks through. Tyler reflects on the awe the shepherds felt, the kind of healthy fear that is not dread but reverence—the doorway to deep joy.Tyler unpacks why the angel announces three titles—Savior, Christ, and Lord—and why we still need all three. Savior means rescue from sin and wrath, the exchange described in 2 Corinthians 5:21. Christ means the anointed One, carrying heaven's authority to proclaim good news, set captives free, and heal the broken as in Luke 4:18–19. Lord means God in the flesh, sovereign over all, the One before whom every knee will bow. Worship isn't a vague spirituality; it centers on Jesus.He then lingers with the angels' song: Glory to God in the highest, and on earth peace. The order matters—glory up, then peace down. When we lift our eyes and magnify God, we find what Romans 5:1 promises: peace with God through Jesus, which opens the way to the peace of God in daily life. The manger points to the cross; the Lamb of God does what Old Testament sacrifices could only foreshadow.The shepherds' response becomes a roadmap for renewal: hear, hurry, behold, and tell. They go with haste, find Jesus as promised, and spread the word so others can wonder too. Tyler shares a moving moment from early ministry when a young girl on the autism spectrum whispered, “Jesus, I see you,” and an entire room shifted from irritation to adoration—an unforgettable reminder that God loves to reveal himself to the overlooked.If your worship has felt thin, Tyler offers a simple reset: create quiet, receive the word, go toward Jesus in prayer and community, and share what you've seen. Join the heavenly chorus of Revelation 5 and let glory rise so peace can descend—in your home, neighborhood, and church. Expect to see God again. If this message encouraged you, consider subscribing, sharing it with a friend who needs hope, and leaving a review to help others find it.We are Trinity Community Church in Knoxville, Tennessee.Subscribe to our Podcast & YouTube channel to find past sermons, classes, interviews, and more!Find us on Facebook & Instagram

In the Christmas series Expecting, Tyler Lynde shares a message titled “Feel God,” inviting you to move beyond getting through songs and into a real encounter with God that changes what you carry. Tracing Mary's journey in Luke 1, Tyler shows how worship follows a holy progression: revelation leads to response, and response deepens relationship. Mary's first feeling is fear at Gabriel's greeting, and Tyler reminds us from Hebrews 12:28–29 that a healthy fear of the Lord—reverence and awe for a consuming fire—isn't a relic but a necessity. Her second feeling is uncertainty—How will this be?—met by a precise promise of presence: the Holy Spirit will overshadow you. Tyler ties this overshadowing to the cloud of glory in 2 Chronicles 5, where worship fills the house until the priests cannot stand, showing that God's nearness doesn't merely inform; it transforms.From there, Tyler unpacks the P.R.I.M.E. rhythm—prepare, repent, invest, minister to God, enter in quickly—so worship becomes a weeklong posture rather than a Sunday-only habit. He encourages starting the conversation with God before you enter the room so you arrive already aligned, not waiting on the third song to wake your heart. Sincerity matters more than volume. Some respond to God's presence with quiet peace, warmth, and prayer; others with tears, laughter, kneeling, raised hands, shouts, or even dance. Scripture makes space for both. What matters is the great exchange: heaviness for hope, anxiety for awe, confusion for clarity.When Mary visits Elizabeth, John leaps in the womb and faith is confirmed—nothing is impossible with God. Mary's third feeling becomes faith—Let it be to me according to your word—and her fourth is joy, bursting into the Magnificat: My soul magnifies the Lord. Tyler highlights three anchors in her song for modern worshipers: humility that God exalts, holiness that restores wonder, and mercy that spans generations. Christmas hope points beyond the manger to the cross, where cost and joy meet, and resurrection has the final word.If you've been longing for worship that feels honest, reverent, and alive, Tyler's message will help you enter in quickly—whether you're in the car or in the pew—with a heart ready for the great exchange. Watch or listen and let Mary's revelation, response, and relationship become your rhythm this week.We are Trinity Community Church in Knoxville, Tennessee.Subscribe to our Podcast & YouTube channel to find past sermons, classes, interviews, and more!Find us on Facebook & Instagram

In Song Of Simeon, part two of the Expecting series, Mark Medley opens Luke 2:21–35 and shows why one elderly worshiper could hear God in a long silence, recognize the Messiah at first sight, and die satisfied. When Simeon lifts the infant Jesus and sings of a salvation prepared “in the presence of all peoples,” he also names the tension at the center of worship: this child will be a cornerstone for some and a stumbling stone for others. Mark frames that paradox honestly—Jesus is a sure foundation to those who trust him and an offense to those who resist his way.Mark traces Simeon's life of devotion—righteous, Spirit-led, grounded in Scripture—and honors Anna, the prophetess whose perseverance kept her near the presence of God. Their quiet faithfulness far from the spotlight is a template for us: corporate worship overflows with strength when private worship has already done its deep work. Simeon didn't come to the temple to “get” the Spirit; he came in the Spirit. That posture still opens doors.The message also names a thief of worship: offense. Unmet expectations, confusing seasons, and delayed promises can cool our praise. Mark walks through the story of the Canaanite woman in Matthew 15 to show what persistent faith looks like when faced with a hard word—she climbs over the stumbling stone and finds mercy on the other side. God is not cruel; he is revealing what rules our hearts so he can heal it.To help us bring a true sacrifice of praise, Mark offers a simple framework he calls PRIME. Prepare throughout the week so Sunday isn't culture shock. Repent quickly, standing in the cleansing of 1 John 1:9, so accusation can't mute your voice. Invest your whole self—voice, body, attention, encouragement, even your broken heart. Minister to God by fixing your attention on Jesus and starving audience distraction. Enter in quickly from the first note; don't wait for your favorite song.Mark closes with the deepest contrast of all: Lucifer grasping upward—“I will ascend”—and Jesus pouring himself out in humility to death on a cross. That is the heartbeat of Christmas and the reason heaven exalts the Lamb. We don't bring sacrifices to earn acceptance; we bring them because we are already accepted in Christ. If you're ready to move from spectator to participant and guard your praise from distraction and offense, watch and step in with courage and joy.We are Trinity Community Church in Knoxville, Tennessee.Subscribe to our Podcast & YouTube channel to find past sermons, classes, interviews, and more!Find us on Facebook & Instagram

What if the name of your city, your home, your inner life could be rewritten with one promise: The Lord is there? In this closing session of our Names of God study, we step into Ezekiel's world—exile, rubble, and everything in between—to discover why Jehovah Shammah still lands like hope for people navigating wilderness seasons of their own.We trace Ezekiel's startling prophetic sign-acts and sweeping visions: the chariot-throne where God's glory lifts from a corrupted temple, the valley where dry bones rattle back into living community, and the new sanctuary from which a river flows outward, deepening and healing the land as it goes. These scenes expose the sobering reason God's presence once departed—idols dragged into holy courts—and they reveal the fierce mercy that follows: restoration, renewal, and a people shaped again by grace. This isn't dusty ancient history; it's a blueprint for understanding how God rebuilds what exile and idolatry have broken.Then comes the turn that reframes everything. Paul declares that we are now the temple of the living God. His presence is not confined behind curtains or limited to geography; it indwells ordinary people who welcome the Spirit. Together we explore what that means for daily choices, how to identify the subtle idols that quietly occupy the heart, and how to live as carriers of a river that brings life to dry places. From Daniel in the lions' den to Stephen before the council, from the upper room to your morning commute, Jehovah Shammah means you are not abandoned, not unseen, and not powerless.Throughout the session, we work through practical reflection prompts and cross-Scripture connections designed to help you host God's presence with integrity, repentance, and joy. The promise that “the Lord is there” becomes not just a title for a future city but a present-tense reality for believers learning to walk with God in the ordinary and the overwhelming.If you've felt spiritually displaced, stuck in a long night, or unsure where God has gone in the middle of your own story, this teaching invites you to pay attention again—to the God who restores, who returns, and who dwells with His people. Come see what it means to bear the name Jehovah Shammah over your life, your home, and your community.We are Trinity Community Church in Knoxville, Tennessee.Subscribe to our Podcast & YouTube channel to find past sermons, classes, interviews, and more!Find us on Facebook & Instagram

Advent isn't just about counting down; it's about cultivating expectancy. In this first message of the Expecting series, Mark Medley opens Luke 1:57–80 and lingers with Zechariah, the aging priest whose silenced voice is restored in a rush of praise and prophecy. Mark shows how God remembers the prayers we forget, and how worship becomes the space where His covenant faithfulness turns personal. Zechariah blesses the God of Israel for visiting and redeeming His people—and then, mid-song, hears a Spirit-given word over his newborn son: “And you, child…” Praise turns prophetic, and purpose is unveiled.Mark frames worship with a simple, weighty pattern: revelation, response, and relationship. God, in mercy, discloses Himself; we respond with heart, mind, body, and voice; and that response reshapes our lives with Him. The size of our worship mirrors the size of our view of God. That's why pondering His attributes—holiness, mercy, wisdom, sovereignty—matters. Steeping in Scripture through the week makes Sunday sing; truth inside us resonates with truth we declare. Worship, Mark insists, is not about what I like—it's about who I love.Drawing a thread through Scripture, Mark connects Paul's call to sing “psalms, hymns, and spiritual songs” (Ephesians 5:18–19; Colossians 3:16) with the pattern in Exodus 15. Israel celebrates what God has done, moves into adoration to God, and then declares what God will do—a Spirit-led word that never contradicts the Bible. The same dynamic appears in Zechariah's song. We sing about God, we sing to God, and then, filled with the Word and the Spirit, we receive from God. Zephaniah 3:17 reminds us that He is a singing God; as we lift our voices, He rejoices over us with singing.Along the way, Mark offers practical ways to lean in during Advent: choose one attribute each week and saturate your mind with Scripture; expect your worship to move from celebration to intimacy to timely, biblically faithful encouragement. Parents can expect God to speak about their children. All of us can expect Him to give hope, correction, and direction as we gather at home and in church. If you're at a low point, take courage—Zechariah's silence ended in a song that shaped history. Emmanuel means God with us, and worship helps us notice.If this message helps you reframe Advent, share it with a friend and stay with us for the rest of Expecting. What is God inviting you to expect from Him this week?We are Trinity Community Church in Knoxville, Tennessee.Subscribe to our Podcast & YouTube channel to find past sermons, classes, interviews, and more!Find us on Facebook & Instagram

Neil Silverberg continues the In Christ series by taking us into Paul's soaring prayer in Ephesians 3:14–21. Rather than asking God to change circumstances first, Neil shows how Paul prays people into the truth—beginning with the Father, aiming at the inner life, and expecting the Spirit to work from the inside out. What if our first prayer was for power in the inner being, for Christ to truly make a home in us, for roots that go down into love, and for nothing less than the fullness of God?Walking phrase by phrase, Neil traces Paul's four cascading requests. First is inner strength—real resilience that holds when the outer self is wasting away. Second is faith that welcomes Jesus into every “room” of life, not as a guest but as the owner with the keys. Drawing on the beloved picture from My Heart—Christ's Home, he invites us to let Christ rearrange the mind's library, the appetites' dining room, the living room of friendships, and even the closet of secrets. Third comes being rooted and grounded in love—not striving to love God more, but receiving strength to grasp the breadth and length and height and depth of Christ's love with all the saints. Neil weaves in a memorable window from church history—the Puritans' “kisses of God”—to illustrate how doctrine is meant to be felt as well as understood. Finally, Paul asks that we be filled with all the fullness of God, a Spirit-given saturation that displaces self-rule with holy desire and satisfaction in God.The message crescendos with Paul's doxology: God is able to do far more abundantly than all we ask or think, and he does it according to the power at work within us. Neil anchors this in God's sovereignty, omnipotence, and glory, and shows how Scripture lifts our expectations—from the Red Sea to the storm on Galilee. Along the way, he calls us to kneel before the Father, invite Christ's lordship over our thoughts and appetites, lean into the church to comprehend love together, and worship with confidence that God's power is not a force we wield but a Person who lovingly rules us.If your prayers have grown small or tired, let this teaching in the In Christ series expand your frame. Listen, let the words wash over you, and then try praying Ephesians 3:14–21 over someone you love this week.We are Trinity Community Church in Knoxville, Tennessee.Subscribe to our Podcast & YouTube channel to find past sermons, classes, interviews, and more!Find us on Facebook & Instagram

When leaders fracture and communities lose their way, the question becomes painfully simple: where can we find a righteousness that actually holds? In this session, we open Jeremiah 23 and trace a golden thread through Israel's story—Abraham's faith, Moses' covenant, David's throne—until it resolves in a name that reorders everything: Jehovah Tsidkenu, “The Lord Our Righteousness.”We walk through Jeremiah's sharp indictment of failed shepherds and his tender promise to a scattered people. His prophetic rhythm—commands to do justice, warnings about covenant drift, and assurances of future restoration—builds toward the coming of a Righteous Branch who will reign with wisdom. That promise is not abstract; it points directly to a person. In Jesus, justice and mercy meet without compromise. The New Testament's language of justification brings this home: our sin imputed to Christ, Christ's righteousness imputed to us, and peace with God established as our new, unshakeable standing. From that standing grows a transformed life—one that seeks the good of the vulnerable, speaks truth in a world of tempting idols, and holds hope even when kingdoms tremble.This session also brings the theme down to street level. If you're anxious about the world your children are growing up in, worn down by constant outrage, or numb from the headlines, Jeremiah's hope reaches into that exhaustion. The Good Shepherd doesn't just comfort; He clothes His people in a righteousness they could never earn. That gift frees us to repent without fear, act justly without despair, and rest in the faithfulness of a King whose rule isn't shaken by human failure.“The Lord Our Righteousness” is more than a title—it is a shelter for weary hearts, a summons to integrity, and a steady joy for those who trust in the One who makes sinners whole and fractured communities new again.We are Trinity Community Church in Knoxville, Tennessee.Subscribe to our Podcast & YouTube channel to find past sermons, classes, interviews, and more!Find us on Facebook & Instagram

What if God's call on your life is closer than you think—and what if He's already given you the power to live it? In this In Christ message, Scott Wiens walks through Ephesians 3:1–13 and traces two gracious steps God took with Paul—and still takes with us today: commissioning and empowering. Scott opens with a memorable story about a former coworker named Steve, whose steady kindness and quiet faith helped steer him back to Jesus. That picture becomes the frame for the day: God doesn't just call pastors and missionaries; He gives every believer a “commission of grace.”Scott shows how Paul owned his specific call to preach to the Gentiles, then turns the question toward us. Beyond titles and platforms, what are we owning? The commission of grace is the mandate given to all Christians to reflect the power of the gospel in everyday life—at a checkout line, in a cubicle, at the dinner table. It's not performance; it's a new nature that shines through habits, speech, and choices. Drawing from Romans 12:1–2, Scott challenges halfway Christianity and calls us to present our whole selves to God. When belief and behavior align, people see a sermon rather than just hear one.From there, the message gets practical: three simple ways to carry this commission. Live a holy life that matches your confession. Serve, because Jesus defined greatness with a towel over His arm and His eyes on “the least of these.” And share your testimony. Many will argue with a verse; few can dismiss a changed life. Scott urges us to be ready with gracious words (1 Peter 3:15; Colossians 4:5–6) and a renewed life (Ephesians 4:20–24) that makes the gospel plausible.Then comes the hope we all need: when God commissions, He empowers. Paul ministered “by the working of God's power” (Ephesians 3:7). The promised Spirit gives a new heart (Ezekiel 36:26–27), brings life to mortal bodies (Romans 8:11), and pours out grace richly (Titus 3:5–6). This is not self-help. It's the living Christ at work within us, breaking chains and reshaping desires so our light isn't hidden under a basket but lifted for others to find the way home.Scott closes with an urgent invitation to walk in the light (1 John 1:5–7): confess what's holding you back, ask for prayer, and begin again. Grace commissions you. The Spirit empowers you. Someone nearby needs your light. If you're ready to be all in, this message will help you take your next step.We are Trinity Community Church in Knoxville, Tennessee.Subscribe to our Podcast & YouTube channel to find past sermons, classes, interviews, and more!Find us on Facebook & Instagram

Holiness isn't a self-help project; it's a relationship sustained by God's own power. In this session, we explore what it means for the Lord to be our Sanctifier, tracing the theme from Exodus and Leviticus all the way to the clarity of 1 Thessalonians 4, Romans 12, and Hebrews 10. Throughout Scripture, sanctification carries a twofold reality: God sets us apart in Christ once for all, and then He continually makes us holy by the Spirit's ongoing work—reshaping our desires, our habits, and the hopes that steer our lives.Matthew leads us into honest territory where sanctification becomes deeply practical—sexual integrity, pride, lust, dishonesty, and the way our bodies themselves are treated as places of worship rather than shame. We explore how surrender becomes the doorway to real transformation, how renewing the mind rewires our reflexes over time, and how Christ's finished work secures our identity even while we continue growing. The biblical paradox that we are “perfected” while “being sanctified” frees us from condemnation and fuels a steady, hopeful pursuit of obedience.We also look at tangible ways to cooperate with God's grace: presenting every part of life to Him as an offering, beginning each day clothed in the armor of God, and using tools like journaling to trace the quiet, faithful progress the Spirit produces in us—progress we might otherwise overlook. Sanctification becomes less about pressure and more about partnership with the God who delights to finish what He starts.This session invites you to run your race with courage, to finish well, and to rest in the faithfulness of the One who began the good work in you and has promised to bring it to completion. Come discover the freedom, hope, and steady maturity that flow from knowing the Lord as the God who sanctifies His people.We are Trinity Community Church in Knoxville, Tennessee.Subscribe to our Podcast & YouTube channel to find past sermons, classes, interviews, and more!Find us on Facebook & Instagram

What if the deepest divides in your world aren't political or cultural, but spiritual—and what if they're already defeated? In Built Together, part of the In Christ series, Mark Medley walks through Ephesians 2:13–22 to show how the gospel doesn't just reconcile us to God; it kills the hostility between us. He traces Paul's two-word pivot—“but now”—from the bleak reality of alienation to the bright certainty of peace in Christ. From a literal stone barrier in the Jerusalem temple to the stony barriers in our hearts, Mark reveals how pride, law-keeping, and long habits of suspicion separated Jews and Gentiles—and how the cross fulfilled the law, tore down the wall, and created one new humanity.Mark makes the theology tangible. He describes the Temple inscription that warned outsiders under threat of death and then points to the deeper boundary of the “law of commandments” that became a badge of superiority. Against that backdrop, he declares Paul's good news: Jesus himself is our peace. By his shed blood we're brought near to God; by his broken body we are made one. Communion becomes more than a ritual; it's common union, a table where the ground is level and no one stands taller than grace. With Christ as the cornerstone, the church rises as a living temple—fellow citizens, members of God's household, being fitted together into a dwelling place for God by the Spirit.He also names today's termites—prejudice hiding in polite language, curated feeds that inflame contempt, snap judgments we baptize as wisdom. Laws and force can't fix what is wrong in us; we need new hearts. Mark calls us to be born again into a different way of seeing, to invite the Spirit to search and free us. He offers practical steps for clearing the ground in our hearts: remember who you were and who you are now in Christ; confess prejudice as sin; starve the inputs that reward outrage; sit at diverse tables and listen long enough to love; honor the image of God in those you've counted as opponents; speak peace where your world trades in poison.Unity isn't a slogan. It's a miracle secured at Calvary and stewarded with humility, repentance, and hope. If you're hungry for a wider table and a stronger foundation, Mark's message will help you live as a citizen of a kingdom that overrules every wall. Share it with someone who needs the courage to make peace.We are Trinity Community Church in Knoxville, Tennessee.Subscribe to our Podcast & YouTube channel to find past sermons, classes, interviews, and more!Find us on Facebook & Instagram

Peace that holds under fire doesn't come from quiet rooms or perfect plans—it comes from knowing the Lord as Jehovah Shalom. In this session, we begin with a deeply personal story about ministry to weary pastors and the phrase that shaped it: “nothing missing, nothing broken.” From there, we explore the profound Hebrew meaning of shalom—wholeness, completeness, reconciliation, and being fully paid for—and how that truth can reframe our fears, restore our work, and deepen our worship.We trace this revelation through Gideon's story in Judges 6, watching God meet a trembling man in weakness and ignite a soaked offering as a sign of strength. Gideon's altar, built in response, bears the name Jehovah Shalom—The Lord is Peace—proclaiming that peace isn't the absence of fear but the presence of God in the middle of it. From there, we turn to Psalm 4, where David models how to pray with confidence even when surrounded by opposition, ending with a bedrock declaration: “In peace I will both lie down and sleep.” Isaiah 26:3 amplifies the same truth, repeating “shalom, shalom”—perfect peace for those whose minds are steadfast because they trust in Him.This study doesn't ignore the tension—we admit that we are not perfect, that our peace often feels fragile. But shalom isn't brittle because it rests in the One who is. Jesus, the Prince of Peace, embodies a wholeness that cannot fracture. His peace is not a fragile calm to be protected, but a living presence to be received.Together, we name the common fractures that threaten shalom: deception that distorts truth, division that erodes unity, misplaced worship that drains purpose, accusation that stirs fear, and disorder that disturbs creation's balance. Each of these tactics seeks to splinter what God made whole. The biblical response is not frantic striving, but alignment—realigning our lives with the character of God through honest confession, faithful community, and daily obedience that cultivates quiet strength.Throughout this teaching, Rob shares stories of faith and restoration that show how shalom takes root in ordinary lives—how steady hearts can emerge in seasons of chaos, how reconciliation restores broken relationships, and how prayer and trust can anchor us in storms that would otherwise undo us.If your peace has felt thin, this session offers biblical grounding, practical insight, and lived experience to help you stand in a wholeness that holds. Come explore how the God of peace doesn't just calm circumstances—He makes you whole in the midst of them. Fix your mind on Jehovah Shalom, the Lord who restores what's missing, heals what's broken, and breathes peace that cannot be stolen.We are Trinity Community Church in Knoxville, Tennessee.Subscribe to our Podcast & YouTube channel to find past sermons, classes, interviews, and more!Find us on Facebook & Instagram

In “Made New,” part of the In Christ series, Tyler Lynde opens Ephesians 2:10–13 and traces the journey from “far off” to “brought near.” He celebrates signs of spiritual hunger in our day, yet he presses beyond headlines to the heart of true renewal. Drawing on Jonathan Edwards, Tyler names the marks of a God-breathed awakening: deep conviction of sin, genuine repentance, a growing love for Jesus, and lives aligned with Scripture. That kind of grace doesn't just stir a moment; it reshapes a life.Tyler lingers over Paul's claim that we are God's workmanship—His poema—created in Christ Jesus for good works prepared beforehand. Grace comes first, then works follow. Saved by grace through faith, not by works; yet grace produces obedience and the fruit of the Spirit. This newness is not private inspiration but public transformation: peace that steadies us in trial, kindness that softens neighborhoods, integrity that changes workplaces, and mercy that meets needs in our city. A church alive doesn't outsource love; it lives it.He also highlights the first command in Ephesians: remember. Remember being separated from Christ, alienated from God's people, strangers to the covenants, without hope and without God. Remembering keeps humility fresh and gratitude loud. Then comes the hinge of history—“But now in Christ Jesus…”—and the distance closes. Not by hustle or religion, but by the blood of Christ. Jesus bridges the divide we could never cross, makes enemies family, and seats believers with Him so they can walk in the works already on their path.With pastoral clarity, Tyler urges both comfort and action: if you feel far, Christ draws near; if you've been in church for years, don't forget what you were saved from; if you're asking what to do next, begin with prayer, worship, remembering, and simple obedience. Good works are not the ground of salvation, but its consequence and evidence—fruit that remains across generations.This message offers a clear map for anyone longing for renewal: receive grace, remember your rescue, and walk as a living poem of God's craftsmanship. Watch and be encouraged to let revival begin where pride ends—at the cross—and to let personal renewal become public witness for the good of your family, your neighborhood, and your city.We are Trinity Community Church in Knoxville, Tennessee.Subscribe to our Podcast & YouTube channel to find past sermons, classes, interviews, and more!Find us on Facebook & Instagram

What if the God who spoke galaxies into being is also the One who leads you beside still waters? In this session, we follow that thread from the burning bush to Psalm 23, tracing how Yahweh—the I AM—reveals Himself as our Shepherd: powerful enough to part seas, yet tender enough to calm skittish hearts. Along the way, we also explore why some translations use “Jehovah” while others use “Yahweh,” and how both reveal the same self-existent, covenant-keeping God who makes Himself known not only in grandeur but in gentle guidance.We linger with David's poetry and let the imagery reshape how we think about God's care. Green pastures are not symbols of ease but of recovery—places God intentionally leads us to restore what's weary. Still waters are not random pools but crafted spaces of safety where anxious hearts can finally rest. The valley of the shadow of death does not signal God's absence; it declares that His nearness becomes most precious in the dark. Even the rod and staff—so often misunderstood—are not instruments of punishment but tools of protection and rescue: the rod defending against what stalks us, the staff pulling us back when we've wandered too far.We unpack the richness of anointing as an act of welcome, consecration, and healing—evidence that God's hospitality extends even into hardship. The image of the overflowing cup reminds us that grace is not rationed in scarcity but poured out in abundance by a generous King who delights to fill every empty place.As the psalm unfolds, we see how it ultimately points to Jesus—the Good Shepherd who lays down His life for His sheep and fulfills God's covenant promise: “I am with you always.” That assurance transforms worry into worship, reorders our steps when we stray, and anchors our hope in a future where goodness and mercy will pursue us all the days of our lives.This teaching invites you to exchange a brittle, distant view of God for a living picture of His nearness and care. He is both Yahweh—the eternal “I AM”—and Rohi, the Shepherd who knows your name, guards your path, and restores your soul.If you've ever felt like faith has grown thin, or wondered if God's attention has turned elsewhere, this session will steady your heart. The Almighty who names every star is the same Lord who walks beside you through every valley and leads you home at last. Come ready to rest, to listen, and to rediscover the Shepherd whose voice still calls His people by name.We are Trinity Community Church in Knoxville, Tennessee.Subscribe to our Podcast & YouTube channel to find past sermons, classes, interviews, and more!Find us on Facebook & Instagram

What if the greatest power you'll ever know is already under the hood—and you've barely touched the accelerator? In this message from the In Christ series, Kelly Kinder opens Ephesians 2:1–9 and ties it back to Paul's prayer in chapter 1, where the “immeasurable greatness” of God's power is moving toward those who believe. With a vivid before-and-after, Kelly shows how Scripture describes life apart from Jesus—dead in sins, enslaved by the world's values, the devil's schemes, and the flesh's cravings, and under God's just wrath. It's not an indictment of a few; it's the Bible's sober diagnosis of all of us. That clarity makes the hinge of the passage land with holy force: But God—rich in mercy, great in love, abundant in grace.From there, Kelly traces three realities that flow from union with Christ: made alive, raised, and seated with him. Being made alive means new birth and new affections—the Spirit indwells, your human spirit is renewed, and you become alive to God and his people. Being raised points to growth in wisdom and discernment; through the Spirit, believers access Christ as the wisdom of God. Being seated speaks to shared authority; no longer victims of old patterns, we learn to say no to sin and yes to God's call, reigning in life through Jesus.Kelly presses this power into everyday experience. Strength often shows up in weakness and obedience—Paul “toiled with all his energy” as God worked mightily within him. Sometimes grace looks ordinary but timely, like a providential connection that meets a need at just the right moment. Other times it's dramatic, as when someone leaves a former identity to follow Jesus. In every case, grace is not merely pardon; it is power for transformation. Scripture, prayer, fellowship, and simple steps of obedience become the channels where resurrection life flows, and submission to God unlocks authority for the believer.Why does God do this? Because it is who he is: merciful, loving, gracious, and kind. And because he intends to showcase the immeasurable riches of his grace in the coming ages. Salvation is by grace through faith—God's gift, not our achievement—so there's no boasting, only trust. If you feel numb or stuck, the path is the same: admit your need, believe in Christ's saving work, and confess him as Lord. Where do you need resurrection power today? Watch and be encouraged to move from theory to experience—from death to life in Christ.We are Trinity Community Church in Knoxville, Tennessee.Subscribe to our Podcast & YouTube channel to find past sermons, classes, interviews, and more!Find us on Facebook & Instagram

What if your life could run on the quiet power of being wanted? In this message, Brian Durfee walks through Ephesians 1 to show how God reframes our identity from the ground up, moving us from an orphan mindset to the settled confidence of sons and daughters who live “before Him”—face to face with the Father—every hour of the day.We begin by separating the method of sonship from its source. The gospel is the method—Jesus dies and rises so we can receive life. The source is the Father's heart—He chose us in Christ before the foundation of the world. Together we unpack the language and the stakes: “every spiritual blessing” is not distant theology but a present-tense reality flowing from union with the exalted Christ. “Holy” means set apart for God—belonging before behaving. “Blameless” means unblemished integrity—purity within that relationship. And “before Him” paints the intimate picture: the Father lifting His child eye to eye, delighting, steadying, and sending with love.From there, the message turns to ordinary life. Sonship changes Monday morning more than it changes your someday; it resets the first truth about you before email, expectations, and memory of mistakes. When we stumble, we run to the Father, not from Him, trusting the grace that forgives and the presence that restores. We learn to carry the family name into work, parenting, and friendships so others catch a glimpse of the Father's patience, courage, and mercy through us. And we remember that this isn't a solo journey—we live as brothers and sisters in His kingdom now, practicing nearness to God in the middle of busy schedules and real struggles.For anyone weary of earning their place or bracing for rejection, this message is an invitation to live from a deeper center: chosen, loved, holy, blameless, and always before His face.We are Trinity Community Church in Knoxville, Tennessee.Subscribe to our Podcast & YouTube channel to find past sermons, classes, interviews, and more!Find us on Facebook & Instagram

In Raised and Seated, part of the In Christ series, Tyler Lynde opens Ephesians 1:15–23 and invites you to trade frantic self-management for a truer posture in Jesus. Tyler traces Paul's breathtaking sweep: God raised Christ, God seated Him at the Father's right hand, and God gave Him as head over all things to the Church. From that foundation, Tyler shows how union with Christ reshapes identity and daily practice: if Jesus is raised and reigning, then in Him we can stand, sit, and serve from a different center.Walking through Paul's prayer, Tyler urges us to keep asking God for a fresh work of the Spirit—wisdom, revelation, enlightened hearts, real hope, responsiveness to God's call, a true sense of our rich inheritance, lived experience of God's power, and a clearer vision of Christ Himself. These are not abstract ideals but a framework for formation. When the same Spirit who raised Jesus dwells in us, repentance becomes possible, courage begins to grow, and hope stops sounding like wishful thinking.Tyler speaks honestly about anxiety, depression, and the weariness many carry. Without dismissing medical or situational factors, he calls us to anchor our perspective in Christ's supremacy. Diagnoses, divisions, and threats have names; Jesus' name is higher. Believing this doesn't minimize pain—it aligns our hearts with reality and steadies our speech, posture, and prayers.The message centers on resurrection and enthronement. Jesus rose never to die again; that matters because the Spirit who raised Him lives in believers (Romans 8:11). Jesus is seated far above every rule, authority, power, and dominion (Ephesians 1; Philippians 2), and all things are under His feet. In Him, we are seated with Christ in the heavenly places—a present spiritual reality that fuels humble confidence. From this seat we approach the throne of grace, make braver choices, and carry a quieter peace into noisy spaces.Tyler also emphasizes that Jesus is head of the Church, His living body—not a brand or product but an organism joined to its Lord. Joined to Christ, we manifest His fullness through ordinary faithfulness: mutual care, honest correction, generous service, and resilient love that make the gospel visible. If you're tired of living like you're losing when Jesus already won, this message will help you realign your mindset, renew your habits, and remember your place in His story. Watch and share with someone who needs courage today.We are Trinity Community Church in Knoxville, Tennessee.Subscribe to our Podcast & YouTube channel to find past sermons, classes, interviews, and more!Find us on Facebook & Instagram

A single name can steady a shaken heart. In this session, we journey through Exodus 17 to explore Jehovah Nisi—“The Lord is my banner”—and discover why that ancient name still reshapes how we face exhaustion, conflict, and the long work of becoming a people set apart. The story begins with thirst and quarreling, moves through water flowing from the rock, and climaxes on a hillside where Moses prays, Joshua fights, and Aaron and Hur hold up weary hands. Out of that moment of dependence and unity, God reveals a lasting truth: victory grows where intercession, action, and shared strength meet.We unpack what a banner represented for Israel—identity, allegiance, and a rallying point—and how the Lord Himself becomes that covering for His people. In the wilderness, each tribe gathered beneath its banner; today, believers rally under the cross of Christ, marked not by symbols of war but by sacrificial love. Under God's flag, we don't just survive—we unite, serve, and stand together. The battle with Amalek also points us forward to a greater hill, where Jesus stretched out His arms and turned the tide against sin and death. That cross-shaped banner remains our signal of hope, calling us to pray as if outcomes depend on God, to work as if our obedience matters, and to lean on one another when our strength falters.Throughout the teaching, we look closely at what it means to live “under the banner.” We examine the balance between prayer and action—how to lead with intercession without neglecting responsibility, how to fight faithfully without pride, and how to be the friend who quietly supports others when their arms are tired. We see how the Lord forms His people through shared battles, transforming individual weakness into communal strength.The session closes by widening the lens to Isaiah 11, where the nations rally to a righteous King and lasting peace remakes the world. From Moses's hillside to Calvary's hill to the coming Kingdom, the story of Jehovah Nisi reminds us that God's presence is our banner, His love our covering, and His victory our inheritance.If you're in a season of uncertainty, weary from battle, or longing to remember who you are and whose you are, this teaching is a call to lift your eyes to the Lord who leads you. Stand under His banner, find strength in His people, and take heart—He has not only claimed the battlefield but secured the victory.We are Trinity Community Church in Knoxville, Tennessee.Subscribe to our Podcast & YouTube channel to find past sermons, classes, interviews, and more!Find us on Facebook & Instagram

How do you love your people when words feel thin and life is loud? Mark Medley answers by taking us back to Paul's prayer in Ephesians 1 and showing how intercession becomes the most practical form of love. He begins with a raw, hopeful testimony of wandering and return from Ben Smith, then opens the Scriptures to build a simple, sturdy way to pray that anyone can use. This message continues the In Christ series and grounds prayer where Paul does: “For this reason.” Because God has already chosen, redeemed, sealed, and seated us in Christ, prayer is not striving to get His attention; it is partnership with His willingness. That reframes persistence—“I keep asking”—from pressure to participation. And it sets the tone: thanksgiving first. Before we request anything, we give thanks for our people and for the grace already at work in them.Mark then teaches the posture of prayer Paul models: to the Father, in the name of Jesus, by the empowering help of the Spirit. Relationship gives boldness, the name of Jesus gives authority, and the Spirit supplies wisdom beyond our understanding. When words run out, the Spirit helps our weakness with groans too deep for words; when we can't see the path, He prays according to the will of God. Parents carry unique spiritual authority for their children, friends bear one another's burdens, and churches can shepherd on their knees.From there, Mark borrows Paul's language and gives seven clear requests to pray over your people: that God would work at the level of the spirit; give wisdom; grant revelation so the eyes of the heart are enlightened; restore living hope; make His calling loud and clear; open our eyes to the riches of our inheritance; and reveal the power at work in believers—the same power that raised Jesus from the dead. Isaiah 61 becomes a living prayer map: good news to the poor, healing for the brokenhearted, liberty for captives, comfort for mourners, and beauty in place of ashes.Along the way, Mark names a quiet thief of our age: the algorithm. It pastors attention, shapes emotions, and drains hope. The answer isn't shame; it's a better diet. Curate your inputs, root yourself in Scripture, and let worship interrupt worry. The message ends where Paul ends—seeing Jesus as He is: risen, enthroned, and near. When people truly see Him, everything else takes its proper size. Watch, take notes, and try the seven-point prayer tonight for those you love. Share this with someone who needs courage to keep asking.We are Trinity Community Church in Knoxville, Tennessee.Subscribe to our Podcast & YouTube channel to find past sermons, classes, interviews, and more!Find us on Facebook & Instagram

Bitter water turned sweet isn't just an ancient story—it's a map for modern hearts carrying pain. In this powerful session, we explore Jehovah Rapha, the God who heals, and what healing looks like when cures delay, when diagnoses sting, and when faith must endure through the night. From Exodus 15's bitter waters of Marah to the cross that reframes every wound, we trace how God's ways—not only His acts—teach us to pray, to persist, and to find our identity beyond our symptoms.We walk through four portraits of faith that reveal the many faces of healing. The centurion models authority under authority: “Just say the word,” and a distant servant is restored. Hezekiah turns his face to the wall and receives fifteen more years, showing how lament, memory, and bold appeal meet mercy. A Gentile mother absorbs silence and offense without turning away, answering “Yes, Lord” and reaching for crumbs that become a feast of grace. A tormented boy is set free when Jesus rebukes an unclean spirit, and the disciples learn that some breakthroughs require both prayer and fasting. Along the way, we wrestle honestly with resistance to healing—how sin can harden us, how suffering can serve God's glory, and how not every struggle is a verdict against us.Eben also shares lived stories—from Ghanaian villages with no clinics to a prison chapel filled with men asking for prayer—where the Word becomes medicine and community becomes a lifeline. Each story shows that God's healing power is not limited by circumstance, geography, or time.Whether your battle is physical, emotional, or spiritual, this teaching invites you to keep asking, keep hoping, and refuse offense. Open your Bible, steady your heart, and bring your need to the God whose very name is Healer. Come discover what it means to encounter Jehovah Rapha—the One who restores, renews, and redeems every broken place.We are Trinity Community Church in Knoxville, Tennessee.Subscribe to our Podcast & YouTube channel to find past sermons, classes, interviews, and more!Find us on Facebook & Instagram

How do you love your people when words feel thin and life is loud? Mark Medley answers by taking us back to Paul's prayer in Ephesians 1 and showing how intercession becomes the most practical form of love. He begins with a raw, hopeful testimony of wandering and return from Ben Smith, then opens the Scriptures to build a simple, sturdy way to pray that anyone can use. This message continues the In Christ series and grounds prayer where Paul does: “For this reason.” Because God has already chosen, redeemed, sealed, and seated us in Christ, prayer is not striving to get His attention; it is partnership with His willingness. That reframes persistence—“I keep asking”—from pressure to participation. And it sets the tone: thanksgiving first. Before we request anything, we give thanks for our people and for the grace already at work in them.Mark then teaches the posture of prayer Paul models: to the Father, in the name of Jesus, by the empowering help of the Spirit. Relationship gives boldness, the name of Jesus gives authority, and the Spirit supplies wisdom beyond our understanding. When words run out, the Spirit helps our weakness with groans too deep for words; when we can't see the path, He prays according to the will of God. Parents carry unique spiritual authority for their children, friends bear one another's burdens, and churches can shepherd on their knees.From there, Mark borrows Paul's language and gives seven clear requests to pray over your people: that God would work at the level of the spirit; give wisdom; grant revelation so the eyes of the heart are enlightened; restore living hope; make His calling loud and clear; open our eyes to the riches of our inheritance; and reveal the power at work in believers—the same power that raised Jesus from the dead. Isaiah 61 becomes a living prayer map: good news to the poor, healing for the brokenhearted, liberty for captives, comfort for mourners, and beauty in place of ashes.Along the way, Mark names a quiet thief of our age: the algorithm. It pastors attention, shapes emotions, and drains hope. The answer isn't shame; it's a better diet. Curate your inputs, root yourself in Scripture, and let worship interrupt worry. The message ends where Paul ends—seeing Jesus as He is: risen, enthroned, and near. When people truly see Him, everything else takes its proper size. Watch, take notes, and try the seven-point prayer tonight for those you love. Share this with someone who needs courage to keep asking.We are Trinity Community Church in Knoxville, Tennessee.Subscribe to our Podcast & YouTube channel to find past sermons, classes, interviews, and more!Find us on Facebook & Instagram

What if provision starts with presence, not paychecks? In this powerful opening session of our new series on the revealed names of God, we begin with Jehovah Jireh and explore a deeper, more personal picture of how God provides—often in ways that look like peace under pressure, courage to wait, unexpected helpers, and a table set right in the presence of our enemies.Through both Scripture and lived experience, Patty Clemons shares vulnerable and faith-filled stories that reveal God's hand in the everyday: Abraham's surrender on Mount Moriah, a family business derailed by dementia, a lawsuit that turned into rescue, a tornado that leveled a home but left lives untouched, a stolen wedding ring returned years later, and a cashier in tears who met God between grocery aisles.Across each of these moments runs a powerful truth: surrender unlocks supply. When we lay down what we love—status, plans, grudges, or even good dreams—God meets us with more of Himself. That's the true meaning of provision. This session explores how offense can block God's flow of blessing, why joy can thrive even when circumstances don't, and how God often provides through His people in small, timely acts that carry eternal impact.You'll hear how prayer persisted until an entire family turned to faith, how quiet trust grows when God feels silent, and how prisons and nursing homes are witnessing a fresh move of the Spirit among those the world forgets.If you're weary, between jobs, or carrying a private ache, this teaching offers practical hope rooted in Scripture and authentic stories of God's faithfulness. Come rethink what provision really means—not just as material supply, but as peace, guidance, community, and the courage to say “yes” to God's leading. Take the next step: surrender what you've been gripping, invite God to use you, and watch what He brings from the thicket.We are Trinity Community Church in Knoxville, Tennessee.Subscribe to our Podcast & YouTube channel to find past sermons, classes, interviews, and more!Find us on Facebook & Instagram

In The Power of Unity, part of the In Christ series, Scott Wiens opens Ephesians 1:9-12 to show that the “mystery” God revealed in Jesus is bigger than individual salvation—it is God's plan to unite all things in Christ, things in heaven and on earth. Scott traces Paul's language to Romans 16:25 and Galatians 4:4 to explain that this mystery, set in motion at “the fullness of time,” was never in jeopardy. Christ's redemptive work was the Father's sovereign purpose from the beginning, and through it we gain not only forgiveness and an inheritance, but a shared identity as one body.Scott presses into Paul's consistent use of we, us, and our in Ephesians to expose a modern contradiction: claiming to follow Christ while rejecting His church. He acknowledges the reality of church hurt and the imperfection of God's people, yet he warns how the enemy exploits offense and unrealistic expectations to isolate believers. Using John 13:35 and Romans 12:5, he shows that our love for one another is the visible proof of discipleship and that we are many members, yet one body in Christ.From there, Scott offers three compelling reasons God calls every believer into meaningful connection with the church. First, true fellowship: the family of God celebrates, grieves, serves, shares, learns, and encourages together (Ephesians 4:1-3). Second, accountability: contrary to modern sentiment, accountability is freedom. Secrets thrive on shame and the whispers of the enemy, but confession and prayer—James 5:16; Proverbs 28:13—break the grip of sin and open the door to mercy and healing (Ephesians 4:25). Third, spiritual growth: apart from the body, stagnation and spiritual vulnerability set in, but together we grasp “with all the saints” the vastness of Christ's love and are filled with the fullness of God (Ephesians 3:14-19).Scott's most piercing analogy makes the point plain: saying “I love Jesus but don't need the church” is like saying “I love marriage but don't want to be with my spouse.” As the world grows darker and “the Day” draws near, Hebrews 10:24-25 calls us to meet together, to stir one another up to love and good works, and to encourage one another all the more.If you're ready to trade isolation for the joy, freedom, and growth of being united in Christ with His people, watch and be strengthened.We are Trinity Community Church in Knoxville, Tennessee.Subscribe to our Podcast & YouTube channel to find past sermons, classes, interviews, and more!Find us on Facebook & Instagram

Kelly Kinder opens Ephesians 1:7–8 to show that redemption is not an abstract doctrine but a present reality that changes everything. Continuing the In Christ series, he unpacks Paul's words: “In Him we have redemption through His blood, the forgiveness of our trespasses, according to the riches of His grace.” Kelly explains that “we have” literally reads “we are having,” meaning redemption isn't merely a future hope—it is our ongoing possession right now.With clear, memorable language, Kelly defines biblical redemption as deliverance by the payment of a price. He traces its rich storyline across Scripture and highlights two key New Testament terms: agorazo (to buy out of the marketplace) and lutroo/apolutrosis (to pay a price to free someone from bondage). A striking West African picture—“God took our heads out”—captures the drama of Christ removing the iron collar of slavery. This costly freedom was bought not with silver or gold, but with “the precious blood of Christ” (1 Peter 1:18–19).Kelly then shows how redemption secures complete forgiveness: God removes our sins as far as east is from west, casts them into the depths of the sea, and remembers them no more. This is not forgiveness dispensed by an eyedropper; it flows “according to the riches of His grace, which He lavished upon us.” Like Niagara Falls, God's grace thunders with superabundance, drowning out accusation and shame. Along with forgiveness, redemption brings “all wisdom and insight” (Eph. 1:8), a Spirit-given discernment that helps believers navigate life (1 Cor. 2:10; Col. 2:3; 1 Cor. 1:30).Moving from blessing to application, Kelly confronts the identity lies that keep many Christians living beneath their inheritance—feelings of worthlessness, rejection, and “not-enough-ism.” In Christ, there is no condemnation (Rom. 8:1); divine favor is restored—God is for us (Rom. 8:31–32); guilt is removed and consciences are cleansed; punishment fell on Jesus, though the Father lovingly disciplines His children; and real joy is possible because we are completely accepted. Through union with Christ we are complete (Col. 2:10), and His divine power has already granted everything we need for life and godliness (2 Peter 1:3).If you're ready to exchange accusation for assurance, and striving for settled joy, Kelly Kinder invites you to live in the grace of redemption today. Watch and take hold of what is already yours In Christ: freedom, forgiveness, wisdom, and the confident identity of one who has been bought at the highest price.We are Trinity Community Church in Knoxville, Tennessee.Subscribe to our Podcast & YouTube channel to find past sermons, classes, interviews, and more!Find us on Facebook & Instagram

What if your entire view of God shifted from seeing Him as a distant benefactor to knowing Him as your Father? In Chosen for Adoption, part of the In Christ series, Pastor Derrick Overholt shares a deeply personal journey that led him to rediscover one of Scripture's most life-changing truths. After decades of faithfully serving God, he realized he had been relating to Him like a good boss—present, generous, and trustworthy, but still far away. Then Ephesians 1:3–6 broke through: in Christ, we have been predestined for adoption. Not hired. Not tolerated. Adopted.Derrick opens with a powerful picture of how adoption changes everything through the story of Steve Jobs, then turns to the biblical word for adoption—huiothesia, “placing as a son.” He explains how this single word would have landed on both Jewish and Roman ears with the full weight of covenant and legal standing. From there, he traces the thread from Genesis to Revelation: we were uniquely made in God's image “to be like us,” crafted for family relationship, not merely created for service. Jesus confirms the same reality—teaching us to say “Abba,” calling us brothers and sisters, and giving us His own Spirit. Adoption means a new name, a new home, and a full inheritance as co-heirs with Christ.This message presses into identity before activity. At Jesus' baptism, the Father's voice declared, “This is my Son, whom I love; with Him I am well pleased,” before a single miracle was performed. In the same way, our identity in Christ is settled before our performance ever begins. Derrick also shows how the enemy always attacks identity first—“If you are the Son of God…”—because confusion there keeps us from living in our authority, freedom, and purpose.Along the way, Derrick invites you to visualize the Father's face: is He frowning or beaming with joy? If we see disappointment, we may still be living like orphans. The good news is that in Christ we are welcomed into God's household, indwelt by the same Spirit that raised Jesus from the dead, and invited to grow into the family resemblance. We live holy not to earn a place at the table, but because we already belong there.Listen and let this truth move from your head to your heart: you are chosen, loved, and adopted—fully and forever—in Christ.We are Trinity Community Church in Knoxville, Tennessee.Subscribe to our Podcast & YouTube channel to find past sermons, classes, interviews, and more!Find us on Facebook & Instagram

In Introduction, the first message of the In Christ series, Tyler Lynde opens Ephesians with a clear aim: before we talk about what followers of Jesus should do, we need to know who we already are. Working through Ephesians 1:1–2, Tyler shows how Paul begins not with commands but with identity—rooted in the finished work of Jesus. Many of us readily affirm that Christ is in us through the Holy Spirit, but Tyler highlights the equally essential truth that we are in Christ. These two realities form the early church's vision of “union with Christ.” Christ in us is like the engine of the boat—power for transformation. Us in Christ is like the anchor—stability, security, and a new identity that doesn't rise and fall with our performance.Tyler traces Paul's authority and calling “by the will of God” from Acts 9, reminding us that the gospel is God's initiative from start to finish. He then looks at the recipients: “the saints” and “the faithful in Christ Jesus.” “Saints” isn't a title earned by heroic deeds, but a positional reality—set apart by God through Christ. “Faithful” here means believing ones—those who have placed their trust in Jesus' perfect life, atoning death, and victorious resurrection. This identity grounds our daily obedience rather than being the reward for it.From there, Tyler unpacks Paul's greeting: “Grace to you and peace.” Grace, is God's ability in us to do what we cannot do in our own strength—the ongoing power of Christ in us. Peace, resonating with shalom, is the settled rest we experience because we are in Christ—an anchor that holds in changing circumstances. Even Paul's warm phrase “God our Father” carries assurance: the high and holy God is personally near to His children.Along the way, Tyler notes that Paul uses “in Christ” 164 times across his letters and over 30 times in Ephesians, underscoring how central this is to understanding salvation. He also frames the series journey: first, identity (Ephesians 1–3), then purpose (Ephesians 4–6). The church at Ephesus, whom Paul loved deeply (see Acts 20), received this circular letter to be shared widely—truth that still forms us today.If you're weary of striving, this message invites you to rest in what Christ has already secured. You were crucified with Him, buried with Him, raised with Him, and seated with Him. Listen and begin living not for God's approval, but from it.We are Trinity Community Church in Knoxville, Tennessee.Subscribe to our Podcast & YouTube channel to find past sermons, classes, interviews, and more!Find us on Facebook & Instagram

What does it look like to build a faith that outlasts you? In The God of Generations, Tyler Lynde opens Titus 2:1-8 and shows how God's plan for cultural transformation is forged not in grand gestures but in ordinary lives that look like Jesus at home, at work, and in the neighborhood. Drawing from Paul's instructions to Titus—sent into a Crete as broken as any modern city—Tyler urges older men and women to live with dignity, reverence, and self-control, creating a living pattern that younger believers can imitate. Integrity, he says, is the unwavering determination in the heart to do the right thing for the right reasons, and self-control is a Spirit-given fruit the next generation desperately needs to see.Tyler roots this call in God's very nature. God reveals Himself across generations—from the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit to His name as the God of Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob. Abraham reflects the Father as progenitor of many nations; Isaac prefigures Christ in his “almost” sacrifice, where the Lord provides the ram in Genesis 22; and Jacob's wrestling and limp picture the Spirit's transforming work that breaks us to make us whole. This is more than history; it's a map for discipleship, reminding us that Jesus not only removes sin but also teaches us how to live holy, Spirit-led lives.The message lands tenderly for parents and grandparents wondering how to shepherd children in confusing times. God has not left you to do this alone. Sometimes the most powerful parenting move is a sincere apology that models humility and grace. And if you don't have biological children, you still have a crucial part in God's generational plan by investing in spiritual sons and daughters through mentoring and discipleship. Later years are not a retreat from impact; they can be the most fruitful season to pour wisdom into hungry hearts.Tyler invites the whole church to embrace Psalm 145:4—let each generation tell its children about God's mighty acts—and to see spiritual generations as every bit as vital as natural ones. Imagine a community where older believers embody holiness and younger believers imitate that life with joy. That's how regions change. Will you build a faith that outlasts you? Watch or listen and be equipped to live like Jesus for the sake of generations to come.We are Trinity Community Church in Knoxville, Tennessee.Subscribe to our Podcast & YouTube channel to find past sermons, classes, interviews, and more!Find us on Facebook & Instagram

As Red Letters concludes, Pastor Scott Wines sets Jesus' wise and foolish builders beside a modern image from Hurricane Michael: a single house left standing because it was anchored far beyond code, on pilings driven deep into the sand. Scott shows that the difference in Matthew 7:24–27 isn't the weather but the foundation. He lays three stones for a storm-ready life: Christ as cornerstone, Scripture and sound doctrine to keep us from being tossed by every wind, and an abiding relationship with the Triune God through prayer and the Spirit. Trials intend opposite ends—Satan schemes to destroy, but the Father uses suffering to produce endurance, character, and hope. Scott resists “upper story” relativism and calls us to the objective truth of God's Word shaping everyday obedience. Because this is the final week of Red Letters, he gathers the series' themes into Jesus' closing charge: hear His words and do them. The life fastened to the Rock will stand when rains fall, floods rise, and winds beat against it.We are Trinity Community Church in Knoxville, Tennessee.Subscribe to our Podcast & YouTube channel to find past sermons, classes, interviews, and more!Find us on Facebook & Instagram

"The Cure for Deception" brings us to Jesus' sober warning in Matthew 7:15-23, and Pastor Kelly Kinder will not let it drift past our ears. Kelly shows how false teachers often arrive in convincing costumes, and why Jesus' test is simple and searching: examine fruit over time in doctrine, character, and impact. He traces the enemy's ancient playbook from Eden—twisting God's words, denying His truthfulness, questioning His character, and baiting our desires—and shows how the same moves animate modern counterfeits, even under religious branding. The most unsettling part is not the wolves but the possibility of being false followers who say “Lord, Lord” while remaining unknown by Christ. Kelly calls us to honest self-examination: are we doing the Father's will because we are united to the Son, or are we performing for approval? The cure for deception is Jesus Himself. As we know Him truly, love His truth, and obey His Word in the power of the Spirit, real fruit grows and counterfeit hopes wither. This message pairs vigilance with hope and urges us to guard the gospel for our children and our neighbors by clinging to Christ and conforming our lives to Scripture.We are Trinity Community Church in Knoxville, Tennessee.Subscribe to our Podcast & YouTube channel to find past sermons, classes, interviews, and more!Find us on Facebook & Instagram

In this final session of our Beatitudes study, Matthew Atchley teaches from Matthew 5:10—“Blessed are those who are persecuted for righteousness' sake, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven.” Jesus speaks this in the present tense, promising that the kingdom belongs now to those who endure persecution for His sake. This session draws together the whole Sermon on the Mount, showing how each Beatitude serves as a key to the kingdom of heaven—planted like mustard seeds that come to life through the work of the Holy Spirit.Matthew reminds us that Jesus wasn't calling His followers to become better rule-keepers but to examine the state of their hearts. Our identity is not in our own righteousness but in the righteousness of Christ living in us. Persecution comes when the fragrance of Jesus is present in our lives. Without it, the world has no reason to push back. But with it, the believer shines with a different identity—one that cannot be hidden.Through his own testimony of being struck while witnessing on Cumberland Avenue as a new believer, Matthew illustrates that persecution is not just hardship or trial—it is the cost of bearing Christ's name. He shares recent experiences of opposition faced in prison ministry, where the spread of the gospel has stirred resistance from authorities. These real-life examples point us back to the words of Jesus: persecution is inevitable for those who follow Him.The session also connects the nine Beatitudes of Matthew 5 with the nine fruits of the Spirit in Galatians 5, showing how the Spirit equips believers to live out the character Jesus describes. From Stephen's bold witness in Acts to the promises in Revelation 2, we see that persecution has always been part of the church's story. Yet in every instance, God's peace and glory shine through the suffering of His people.As Matthew emphasizes, the Beatitudes are not just lofty sayings but treasures that reveal who we are as children of God. They call us to embrace our identity, surrender to the Spirit's work, and prepare to stand firm in a world where persecution is certain. This concluding session challenges us to move beyond religious routine and to be ready to display the fragrance of Christ—whether in daily life or in the face of opposition—knowing that the kingdom of heaven belongs to those who endure for His name.We are Trinity Community Church in Knoxville, Tennessee.Subscribe to our Podcast & YouTube channel to find past sermons, classes, interviews, and more!Find us on Facebook & Instagram

In this week's sermon in our "Red Letters" series, Pastor Tyler Lynde brings us to Jesus' stark finale in the Sermon on the Mount: two gates, two roads, two ends. Tyler begins with the Golden Rule, not as polite restraint but as proactive love that mirrors the Father's generosity and fulfills the law from the heart. Then he follows Jesus into the decisive choice. The wide gate and easy road feel natural because self sits at the center, yet they end in ruin and, ultimately, separation from God. The narrow gate and hard road demand repentance, daily cross-bearing, and obedience, yet they lead to real life now and eternal life to come. Tyler anchors the hope of this path in Christ Himself. Jesus is both the gate and the way; no one reaches the Father apart from Him. And we do not walk alone. The Spirit indwells believers as Helper and Guide, giving peace in trouble and power for obedience so that love of neighbor becomes possible. This message refuses sentimentality and despair: it is honest about hell and radiant about grace. Choose the road that keeps company with Christ and practices the Golden Rule as a family resemblance, and you will find that the narrow way, though steep, is the best way to live.We are Trinity Community Church in Knoxville, Tennessee.Subscribe to our Podcast & YouTube channel to find past sermons, classes, interviews, and more!Find us on Facebook & Instagram