Steps for Raising Hopefulness

TCC • January 7, 2021

It’s a great time to begin new routines with these two practices I want to share today. Imagine what this year could contain if you were to have the goal of knowing God better as your one desire. I know that if you’re like me, you’re thinking, “What about all the other things I want to accomplish or change? What do I do about those goals?”

Well, what I’m about to say is probably the best thing you could hear as we begin 2021. Here it is: Make reading your Bible and praying your top priorities in 2021 and watch what happens. You’ll find that you reach the rest of your goals much easier, OR, they may just change as you get closer to God and realize that knowing Him better satisfied the longing in your soul more than reaching any other goal could.

Sunday, we began 2021 with an encouragement to read the Bible daily and pray a specific prayer to God each day for the entire year. Why Bible reading you ask? I read this week that those who are frequent Bible readers rated themselves more hopeful than irregular readers did. On a scale of 1 to 100, with 100 being the most hopeful, those who reported reading their Bibles multiple times per week scored a 75 compared to those who said they only read their Bible 3-4 times per year, who scored a 42. The study indicated that engagement with the Bible along with others lifted the scores higher than any other contributing factors.

That means that reading your Bible and engaging with others to talk about what you read is key to hopefulness and human flourishing. And people didn’t have to physically be together to see these results. They were similar for those who engaged with their church online. This is important information for us to reflect and act on. Pastor Mark and Laura Bauer have been hard at work to help those who desire to be connected in a Community Group find one that fits their needs. Bible engagement and reflection happen in these groups. Make sure to contact Laura to find a group for you.

We printed a bookmark with a Bible reading plan but because we’re not meeting in person right now, there are three ways to get it. One, stop by the church office. Two, email or call and ask us to mail one to you. Three, look at the Bible Reading Plans we have on our website.

That brings us to the second practice that I believe will help raise your hopefulness attitude this year: daily prayer. On Sunday, I outlined our 2021 Church Prayer: Be Stronger Through Prayer. If you missed the message, please make a point of watching it soon. I gave the reason for the prayer and instructions for how to make it meaningful.

We print a Church Prayer bookmark each year as well. You can follow the same steps above if you want to get a physical card or you can look online and follow along. If you want, you can come get some exercise and walk around our church parking lot. We have prayer stations with a prayer on each station. What a great way to exercise physically and spiritually.

Reading the Bible and praying helps me persevere and keep my eyes on Jesus. Can you imagine what your life could be like if you engaged with God each day for a year? Can you even begin to dream of how you might be different? I believe that if we make it our goal to engage in these two practices in 2021, they will help us keep our eyes focused on Jesus. When we do that, we’ll find that we experience more of His peace, mercy, and grace no matter what the next year may bring. I hope you will join me in this challenge for the upcoming year. Our website has clear guidelines to help you engage in these two practices with your church family in 2021.

On Sunday, we continue our Walking the Way of Wisdom series. This week, we’ll take a look at what Proverbs has to say about Wisdom and DECISIONS. What a great way to begin the new year because I’m sure it will be packed with decisions that will require more wisdom than we have. We’ll learn how to look to God’s Word to help us make wise decisions.

During this time when we can’t meet in person, please make sure to stay engaged online. Let me encourage you to keep your Sunday rhythms by watching the service live at either 9:00 or 11:00am. I believe that will help you stay disciplined as we walk this road of COVID restrictions together and will help our church family feel your nearness and encouragement as we continue to “gather” in His name.

If you like, you can watch the current service or any archived service on demand any time you want right from our website or APP. Here’s an idea: When you’re watching online, please invite your friends to join you. If you haven’t downloaded the TCC APP, just go to the APP store and search for TCC GRASS VALLEY and download it today. You can watch the service right from your device.

Joyfully living everyday life on mission in intimacy with Jesus and others,

P.S. I just watched the news as our United States Capitol was overrun by zealots who are choosing to make a violent public statement about their disapproval of the results of the political process in our nation. Let’s pray for God’s will to be done and for a supernatural overflowing of His Holy Spirit that will bring healing in our land.

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A Message to the Watchmen + Sunday Morning Resources

By TCC • October 23, 2026

Think about the people whose lives intersect with yours: your family, friends, neighbors, coworkers, even people you encounter in the ordinary rhythms of life. Some of them may be walking through difficult circumstances, wrestling with questions about faith, or quietly drifting away from God. What if God has placed you in their lives for a reason? What if you have a responsibility toward them that goes beyond simply being a good friend, neighbor, or coworker? This weekend, as we continue through Acts, we’ll listen in on Paul’s emotional farewell to some people he had poured years of his life into. His words are deeply personal, surprisingly challenging, and raise some important questions about the responsibility we have toward the people God has placed in our lives. I believe this is a message every follower of Jesus needs to hear, and I hope you’ll join us! Church Work Day | Saturday, 9:00am–noon Our Fall Family Festival is just around the corner, and we’re getting ready to welcome thousands of our neighbors! We could use your help sprucing up the church property this Saturday from 9:00am to noon. Bring a pair of work gloves and a willingness to pitch in. Whether you can help for an hour or the whole morning, we’d love to have you join us! Here are some helpful resources to get you ready for the weekend: Message Notes and Study Guide Weekly Spotify Playlist Children's Ministry Student Ministry See you Sunday,

In ________ We Trust + Sunday Morning Resources

By TCC • October 16, 2026

We all want a little security in life. We work hard, save what we can, plan for the future, and do our best to protect the things that matter most to us. And there’s nothing wrong with any of that. But have you ever stopped to consider just how much of your peace depends on things going according to plan? It’s easy to say we trust God when life is comfortable. But what happens when something we depend on becomes uncertain, or when following Jesus threatens something we’ve worked hard to build? This Sunday, as we continue through Acts 19, we’ll encounter some people who were forced to wrestle with that very question. And I suspect their story will challenge us to examine our own hearts as well. Here are some helpful resources to get you ready for the weekend: Message Notes and Study Guide Weekly Spotify Playlist Children's Ministry Student Ministry See you Sunday,

Why Trying Harder Isn’t Working + Sunday Morning Resources

By TCC • October 9, 2026

Have you ever found yourself frustrated because, no matter how hard you try, you keep falling into the same old patterns? Maybe you’ve made promises to yourself, set new goals, or even asked God to help you change, only to find yourself right back where you started. What if the problem isn’t that you’re not trying hard enough? This weekend, as we continue our journey through Acts, we’ll discover something about the Christian life that’s easy to overlook, but makes all the difference. And if you’ve ever wondered why lasting change seems so difficult, I think you’ll find this passage particularly relevant. Here are some helpful resources to get you ready for the weekend: Message Notes and Study Guide Weekly Spotify Playlist Children's Ministry Student Ministry See you Sunday,

Working Through Discouragement + Sunday Morning Resources

By TCC • October 2, 2026

Paul always seems almost superhuman. He gets beaten, threatened, run out of town, and somehow just keeps going. But when he arrives in Corinth in Acts 18, we get a glimpse of something we don’t often associate with Paul: fear and discouragement. After everything he’s been through, it appears even Paul may be wondering how much more he has in him. Then Jesus meets him in the middle of that discouragement and gives him a promise that gives Paul the encouragement he needs to keep going. This weekend, we’ll look at what Jesus says to Paul in that moment, and why that same promise still matters when we’re tired, discouraged, or unsure we have much left in the tank. I hope you’ll join us Here are some helpful resources to get you ready for the weekend: Message Notes and Study Guide Weekly Spotify Playlist Children's Ministry Student Ministry See you Sunday,

Contempt or Compassion? + Sunday Morning Resources

By TCC • September 25, 2026

This weekend, as we continue our journey through Acts, Paul steps into a city filled with competing ideas, misplaced worship and people searching for something more. Sound familiar? What stands out isn’t just what Paul says, but how he responds to people whose beliefs deeply trouble him. He doesn’t mock them, avoid them, or write them off. He moves toward them with compassion, listens carefully, finds common ground, and points them toward Jesus. That raises a challenging question for us: When we see people looking for hope in all the wrong places, does our conviction move us toward them or tempt us to look down on them? Paul shows us how to hold firmly to truth without losing compassion for the people we’re trying to reach. I’m looking forward to unpacking that together this weekend. Drive-Thru Food Drive — Today, 8:00–10:30am Today we have a simple opportunity to help combat hunger right here in Nevada County. Bring non-perishable food to the church anytime between 8:00 and 10:30am for our Drive-Thru Food Drive. Find more information here . Missed One Church, One Mission? Last week, churches from across Nevada County gathered to worship, pray and consider what God can do when His Church serves together. If you weren’t able to join us, you can watch the gathering here . Here are some helpful resources to get you ready for the weekend: Message Notes and Study Guide Weekly Spotify Playlist Children's Ministry Student Ministry See you Sunday,

Are You Listening? + Sunday Morning Resources

By TCC • September 18, 2026

This weekend we’re continuing through Acts 16, where Paul, Silas and Timothy discover that following the Holy Spirit doesn’t always mean going where you planned to go. The Spirit speaks in different ways, and sometimes what He says isn’t what we expected or wanted to hear. So how do we learn to recognize His voice? How do we discern what He’s saying? And when He speaks, how do we respond in the way of Jesus rather than simply reacting out of our flesh? That’s where we’re headed this weekend. I hope you’ll join us! One Church, One Mission — Tonight at 6:30pm @ First Baptist Church, Grass Valley I hope you’ll join me and our brothers and sisters from across Nevada County tonight for One Church, One Mission . This will be an opportunity for us to dream about what God can do in and through His Church when we stop competing against one another and start uniting around our shared faith and calling. I’m excited to get to be a part of this, and I hope you’ll join us tonight at 6:30pm at First Baptist Church in Grass Valley . I’d love to see you there! Here are some helpful resources to get you ready for the weekend: Message Notes and Study Guide Weekly Spotify Playlist Children's Ministry Student Ministry See you Sunday,

What Does Following Jesus Cost? + Sunday Morning Resources

By TCC • September 11, 2026

Last week, we were reminded that Jesus is enough. You don’t have to earn God’s love, prove yourself worthy, or clean yourself up in order to belong. This truth brings incredible freedom. But freedom in Christ doesn’t mean we can simply do whatever we want. Jesus set us free so that we can follow Him, and sometimes following Him costs us things we value. Eventually, following Jesus will collide with something we don’t want to surrender. This weekend, as we continue through Acts, we’ll wrestle with a question every believer has to answer for themselves: How far am I willing to follow Jesus when obedience becomes costly? Here are some helpful resources to get you ready for the weekend: Message Notes and Study Guide Weekly Spotify Playlist Children's Ministry Student Ministry See you Sunday,

Is Jesus Really Enough? + Sunday Morning Resources

By TCC • September 4, 2026

Last Sunday, we gathered as a church family for our All-Church Picnic and had the privilege of celebrating 68 brothers and sisters as they went public with their faith through baptism! Sixty-eight stories. Sixty-eight eternities forever changed. Sixty-eight people declaring that they belong to Jesus. I’m still smiling thinking about it. And in a beautiful way, that celebration sets us up perfectly for where we’re headed this Sunday, where we’ll grapple with the question: Is Jesus really enough? Most of us know the right answer. Of course He is! But if we’re not careful, we can unintentionally add things to our faith that God never intended. The early church grappled with this exact question in Acts 15, and the answer they arrived at was wonderfully simple and incredibly freeing. Here are some helpful resources to get you ready for the weekend: Message Notes and Study Guide Weekly Spotify Playlist Children's Ministry Student Ministry See you Sunday,

Mixing Gods and Missing God + Sunday Morning Resources

By TCC • August 28, 2026

This Sunday, in Acts 14, we’ll meet a crowd that sees God do something incredible... and totally misunderstands what they’re seeing. But before we sit in judgment, the truth is we’re not that different. We all come to Jesus with ideas about what will make us happy, secure, and whole. The danger is that instead of allowing Jesus to challenge those beliefs, we simply try to fit Him inside them. But Jesus didn’t come to play a supporting role in the story we’re already writing. He came to be Lord of our lives. This Sunday, we’ll wrestle with a simple question: Am I allowing Jesus to be Lord of every part of my life? Also, remember that this Sunday afternoon is our annual All-Church Picnic & Baptisms ! Join us at Pioneer Park beginning at 4:00pm for food, games, and time together, followed by baptisms at 7:00pm . Our cooking team will be grilling up the main course free of charge. We just ask you to bring a side or dessert to share . It’s going to be a great Sunday together. See you there! Learn more and sign up. Here are some helpful resources to get you ready for the weekend: Message Notes and Study Guide Weekly Spotify Playlist Children's Ministry Student Ministry See you Sunday,