Trusting His Plan + Sunday Morning Resources

TCC • April 2, 2021

It’s EASTER WEEK, and I’m so excited to be with you and celebrate the greatest event in history. Jesus rose from the dead! He is risen! He is risen indeed! Jesus came to Earth on a mission to save us from our sin and lead us into a relationship with the Father. As Kim and I shared through our weekly video, this mission ended in the cruelty of the cross as Jesus was crucified for us.

Today on Good Friday, let’s not miss this opportunity to reflect on His death on the cross on our behalf. Holy week began with Palm Sunday, when Jesus was coronated as King of the Jews by the Jewish people – the same people who just days later were calling for His crucifixion. Jesus knew abject rejection, complete injustice, and cruel pain, and all of that was for us.

As Kim and I shared, the most moving of Jesus’ words from the cross were the final ones where in hopeful anticipation of renewed intimacy with God, He said, “Father, into Your hands I commit My Spirit.” Wow, that is so moving to me. He is expressing ultimate confidence in God’s faithful relationship with Him.

I’ve been using that phrase as a breath prayer this week to help me relate to Jesus and to help with some anxiety I’ve been feeling. This COVID logjam has left me susceptible to moments when I wonder just where God is and what He’s up to. In fact, I told someone early this week that it’s like my shocks are broken, and every bump I hit jars my entire system. But when I turn to God using this phrase as my breath prayer, He helps me trust in His plan, and each bump seems to have less impact on me.

The way breath prayers work is to engage your body and focus on a particular Bible verse or phrase. In this case, as I breathe in, I say, “Into Your hands.” I then hold that breath for a few seconds to focus on the One to whom I am saying these words. As I breathe out, I say, “I commit my spirit.” I could also say, “I commit my health, or resources, or future, or children, or marriage, or work.” I think you get the idea. This can help us grow in peace as we move into this season of Easter and beyond.

Easter is just two days away! We’re going to have four identical services so you can invite your friends to attend in person with you or gather online with you. You will be able to make sure we can have plenty of space by choosing to attend at 6:00pm on Saturday or at 8:00am on Sunday. That will allow us to have plenty of room for everyone. Of course, if that is not possible, we will look forward to seeing you at 9:30 or 11:00am as we celebrate Easter together.

Our Children’s Ministry team has adapted and creatively changed the annual Easter Egg Hunt into an Easter Egg Scavenger Hunt. Families will go on an adventure by car to various locations around our community where they will snap a photo, collect candy, and meet some of our Ministry Partners. They will then race to the church and celebrate victory by having a picnic. You can bring your own lunch or buy a Domino’s cheese pizza for $5. Join us on the lawn for live music and games. Make sure to check out the website for all the details. Helpful hint: You can come by the church and pick up your Easter Egg Scavenger Hunt map and instructions so you can be ready to launch out from your home. If you can’t make it by, stop by the church after 8:00am, and the team of friendly volunteers will get you started.

On Sunday, we’re going to take a different approach to Easter. I know some of you are saying, “Ron, don’t mess with Easter. Just give us the straight story.” Well, I want you to know that this message came out of some deep angst – I might even call it despair – I was feeling a couple of months ago. I was wondering just what God was going to do as we begin to rebuild after all that has happened during this COVID logjam.

It was during one of those dark moments that God gave me a word from Isaiah 43. I found the hope in that chapter to be so impactful for me, and it’s all about the expectation we have of our future home – HEAVEN – and how God wants us to live our lives in complete trust that He is in control. But more than that, He has promised to rebuild a new thing out of the ruins of the old. I hope you’ll encourage your friends to join us in person or watch the service online.

Here are the links you’ll need to be fully prepared for Sunday’s Service:

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

New Paragraph

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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,

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By TCC • October 16, 2026

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By TCC • October 9, 2026

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By TCC • October 2, 2026

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Contempt or Compassion? + Sunday Morning Resources

By TCC • September 25, 2026

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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,

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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,

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By TCC • September 4, 2026

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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,