Founded In Truth Fellowship

10/23/2026

Live tomorrow at 11 AM: https://www.youtube.com/live/LXL3pPg6arw

Join us this Saturday, October 24, at 11 AM for in-person services and the live stream, or come early at 10 AM for a light breakfast and fellowship. We meet at 1689 Springsteen Rd, Rock Hill, SC. Plan your visit: https://foundedintruth.com/visit/

Walk through the Egyptian gallery of almost any museum and you'll notice how many statues are missing their noses. A lot of that damage was done on purpose. In Egypt a statue was brought to life by a ceremony that opened its mouth, its ears and its nose, and breaking the nose "killed" it, because the spirit inside could no longer breathe.

Genesis 2:7 says God breathed the breath of life into the first human's nostrils. James says, "With the tongue we bless our Lord and Father, and with it we curse people who are made in God's likeness." This week in the Image Bearer series we ask whether you can do both with the same mouth. We'll walk through James 3, Matthew 5, Proverbs 17 and Mark 7, where Yeshua opens the ears and loosens the tongue of a man who couldn't hear or speak.

Part 11 of the Image Bearer series.

Catch up on the series:
The Roman Triumph and the Cross (Part 10): https://www.youtube.com/live/b5yRKMzmnlY
Can You See God's Face (Part 9): https://www.youtube.com/live/Vz1x23AQInw
The Other Genesis (Part 8): https://foundedintruth.com/bible-teachings/the-other-genesis/
The Mark of the Beast (Part 7): https://foundedintruth.com/bible-teachings/the-mark-of-the-beast/
The Garden Grows (Part 6): https://foundedintruth.com/bible-teachings/the-garden-grows/
You Become What You Worship (Part 5): https://foundedintruth.com/bible-teachings/you-become-what-you-worship/
The Image in Ruins (Part 4): https://foundedintruth.com/bible-teachings/the-image-in-ruins/
The Skull Crusher (Part 3): https://foundedintruth.com/bible-teachings/the-skull-crusher-in-the-bible/
The whole series: https://foundedintruth.com/series/image-bearer/

Go deeper (sources behind this message):
The Letter of James, Scot McKnight: https://www.amazon.com/dp/080282627X?tag=fitresources-20
The Image of God in the Garden of Eden, Catherine McDowell: https://www.amazon.com/dp/1575063484?tag=fitresources-20
Commentary on the New Testament Use of the Old Testament, G. K. Beale and D. A. Carson: https://www.amazon.com/dp/0801026938?tag=fitresources-20
Why Are the Noses Broken on Egyptian Statues? Edward Bleiberg: https://hyperallergic.com/why-are-the-noses-broken-on-egyptian-statues/
As an Amazon Associate, Founded in Truth earns from qualifying purchases.

More teachings: https://foundedintruth.com/bible-teaching-library/
What is Torah? https://foundedintruth.com/what-is-torah/
This week's Torah portion: https://foundedintruth.com/torah-portion/
Give: https://foundedintruth.com/give/
Podcast: https://foundedintruth.podbean.com/
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/foundedintruth/
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/foundedintruth

Founded in Truth Fellowship is a Sabbath-keeping, Torah-honoring church in Rock Hill, South Carolina, following Yeshua. Scripture quotations are from the Christian Standard Bible (CSB).

Join us this Saturday, October 24, at 11 AM for in-person services ...

10/16/2026

Join us this Saturday, October 17, at 11 AM for in-person services and the live stream, or come early at 10 AM for a light breakfast and fellowship. We meet at 1689 Springsteen Rd, Rock Hill, SC. Plan your visit: https://foundedintruth.com/visit/

In 167 BC, Rome gave a general the biggest day a Roman could ever have: a three-day parade through the city, riding in a gilded chariot in a purple robe, up the hill to the temple of Jupiter, dressed for one day like a god. Two hundred years later, a few hundred Roman soldiers put a purple robe and a crown on a beaten Jewish man and knelt in front of him as a joke.

This week in the Image Bearer series we ask two questions that sound like the same question but aren't. What does it look like when a human being tries to be God? And what does it look like when God becomes a human being? We'll walk through Genesis 3, Philippians 2, Mark 15, John 19 and Isaiah 45, and find out why Paul's letter to a Roman colony reads like a triumph run backwards.

Part 10 of 11. The series finale, "The Breath Comes Back," is October 24.

Catch up on the series:
The Other Genesis (Part 8): https://foundedintruth.comr-genesis/
In 167 BC, Rome gave a general the biggest day a Roman could ever have: a three-day parade through the city, riding in a gilded chariot in a purple
robe, up the hill to the t for one day like a god.Two hundred years later, a few hundred Roman soldiers put a purple robe and a crown on a beaten Jewish man and knelt in front of him as a joke.

This week in the Image Bearer series we ask two questions that sound like the same question but aren't. What does it look like when a human being tries to be God? And what does it look like when God becomes a human being? We'll walk
through Genesis 3, Philippand Isaiah 45, and find out why Paul's letter to a Roman colony reads like a triumph run backwards.

Part 10 of 11. The series finale, "The Breath Comes Back," is October 24.

Catch up on the series:
The Other Genesis (Part 8)https://foundedintruth.com/bible-teachings/the-other-genesis/
The Mark of the Beast (Parhttps://foundedintruth.com/bible-teachings/the-mark-of-the-beast/
The Garden Grows (Part 6):https://foundedintruth.com/bible-teachings/the-garden-grows/
You Become What You Worship (Part 5):
https://foundedintruth.comme-what-you-worship/
The Image in Ruins (Part 4): https://foundedintruth.com/bible-teachings/the-image-in-ruins/
The Skull Crusher (Part 3): https://foundedintruth.com/bible-teachings/the-skull-crusher-in-the-bible/

Recommended resources (what shaped this message):
Mary Beard, The Roman Triumph (Harvard University Press, 2007): the best single book on what a triumph actually was, and what we don't know.
Richard Bauckham, Jesus and the God of Israel (Eerdmans, 2008): the "God Crucified" chapter on Philippians 2 and Isaiah 45.
Plutarch, Life of Aemilius Paullus, chapters 32 to 36: the parade of 167 BC, free online at LacusCurtius.

More teachings: https://fos/
What is Torah? https://fouorah/
This week's Torah portion: https://foundedintruth.com/torah-portion/
Give: https://foundedintru
Podcast: https://foundedin
Instagram: https://www.ins/
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/foundedintruth
Founded in Truth Fellowship is a Sabbath-keeping, Torah-honoring church in Rock Hill, South Carolina, following Yeshua. Scripture quotations are from the Christian Standard Bible (CSB).


https://youtube.com/live/b5yRKMzmnlY?feature=share

Join us this Saturday, October 17, at 11 AM for in-person services ...

10/10/2026

Join us at Founded in Truth Fellowship this Saturday, October 10th at 11:00am EST as we return to the Image Bearer series with Part 9: The Face - What God Looks Like.

God told Moses, “You cannot see my face, for humans cannot see me and live.” And yet Scripture is filled with people longing to see His face.
Adam hides from it. Moses asks to see it. Aaron blesses Israel with it. Elijah covers his own face when God passes by. Then, centuries later, Moses and Elijah stand together on another mountain—and the face of Yeshua shines like the sun.

So what does God actually look like?
From the ancient paintings of Dura-Europos to Sinai, the Transfiguration, the cross, and Paul’s declaration that the glory of God is revealed “in the face of Jesus Christ,” this message follows one question through the biblical story:
Can anyone see the face of God and live?
The answer changes the picture of God we carry with us.

Hashtags:


Keywords:
The Face sermon, What God Looks Like, Image Bearer series, Matthew Vander Els, Founded in Truth Fellowship, face of God, Exodus 33, Moses sees God, Transfiguration, Matthew 17, Moses and Elijah, Dura-Europos, image of God, Numbers 6 blessing, Aaronic blessing, 2 Corinthians 4:6, face of Jesus Christ, Colossians 1:15, Yeshua, Messianic teaching, biblical theology

Join us at Founded in Truth Fellowship this Saturday, October 10th,...

09/18/2026

Join us at Founded in Truth Fellowship this Saturday, September 19th, for a special Yom Kippur message: Why is God Still Here?

Most of us think of the Day of Atonement as the day Israel was forgiven. But Leviticus 16 presents a fascinating picture: the high priest spends the day cleansing God’s house.
Why?

Because Israel’s sin was real, it accumulated, and somehow God continued dwelling in the middle of it. Yom Kippur reveals the extraordinary lengths a holy God goes to in order to remain with His people.
From the tabernacle, to the departure of God’s glory in Ezekiel, to the moment John declares that the Word became flesh and “dwelt among us,” this message follows one question through Scripture:
Why is God still here?

The answer at the heart of Yom Kippur is remarkably simple.
He stayed.

**el

Join us at Founded in Truth Fellowship this Saturday, September 19t...

09/12/2026

Join us for our Yom Teruah service live!

Join us at Founded in Truth Fellowship this Saturday, September 12t...

09/12/2026

Join us at Founded in Truth Fellowship this Saturday, September 12th, for a special Yom Teruah message: Somebody Make a Noise - A Memorial of a Shout.

Yom Teruah is called zikhron teruah in Leviticus - a memorial of a shout. But what does it mean for God to “remember” His people?

From Israel’s groaning in Egypt to Hannah’s silent prayer, Romans 8, and the prayers of the saints rising before God in Revelation, Scripture reveals something powerful: God does not require polished words or impressive volume to hear His people.

Sometimes you have a shout. Sometimes all you have is a groan.
When God remembers, God moves.
Join us as we explore the meaning of Yom Teruah, remembrance, prayer, and the God who hears—even when nobody else can.

Keywords: Yom Teruah, Feast of Trumpets, Rosh Hashanah, Yom Teruah sermon, teruah, zikaron, shofar, biblical feasts, appointed times, Hannah prayer, Romans 8, Revelation 8, Matthew Vander Els, Founded in Truth Fellowship, Messianic teaching, Yeshua

Join us at Founded in Truth Fellowship this Saturday, September 12t...

08/29/2026

Join us at Founded in Truth Fellowship this Saturday, August 29th, for the conclusion of our Image Bearer series: The Other Genesis - The Oldest Lie About You.

This week’s message takes us back more than 2,500 years, into the streets of ancient Babylon.

Imagine being a Judean child growing up in exile. Your parents tell you about YHWH, the God who defeated Egypt, rescued slaves, and dwelt in Jerusalem. But when you walk outside, Jerusalem is six hundred miles away and its temple is rubble. Babylon is magnificent. Marduk’s temple is standing. His priests are worshiping. His king is ruling.

So eventually you ask the question:

Did their god beat ours?

Babylon had an answer. It was written into its creation story, the Enuma Elish. Marduk defeats the chaos monster Tiamat, establishes the cosmos, becomes king, and humanity is created to carry the workload of the gods so that heaven can rest.

Then Israel tells another story.

“In the beginning God created the heavens and the earth.”

No divine war. No frightened gods. No cosmic rival capable of threatening YHWH. The sun and moon are reduced to lights. The sea monsters are creatures God simply makes. Humanity is not created as disposable labor but crowned as the tselem, the image of God.

And then comes perhaps the most radical contrast of all.

Humanity is created on day six.

Their first full day alive is Shabbat.

Before they build anything. Before they accomplish anything. Before they prove their usefulness, God gives them rest.

Babylon says you exist so heaven can rest.

Genesis says God rested first and invited you into it.

And when Yeshua enters the story, the contrast becomes even sharper. The King does what Babylonian gods could scarcely imagine: He serves. He kneels. He washes feet. He gives his life. And to everyone exhausted from carrying the old Babylonian story, he says:

“Come to me, all of you who are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest.”

Maybe Babylon’s oldest lie never disappeared. Maybe we simply gave it new names.

Your value is your productivity.
Your worth is what you accomplish.
Rest comes when the work is finished.

Genesis tells another story.
You are not what you produce. You are the image of God.
The work will never all be finished.
Put the brick down.

Resources behind this message:

J. Richard Middleton — The Liberating Image
John Walton — Ancient Near Eastern Thought and the Old Testament
Stephanie Dalley — Myths from Mesopotamia
Alexander Heidel — The Babylonian Genesis
Jon Levenson — Creation and the Persistence of Evil
BibleProject — Chaos Dragon
Enuma Elish
Atrahasis

08/22/2026

Join us live at 11:00am!

Join us at Founded in Truth Fellowship this Saturday, August 22nd, ...

08/22/2026

Join us at Founded in Truth Fellowship this Saturday, August 22nd, for worship at 11:00 a.m. EST. Come early for fellowship and a light breakfast beginning at 10:00 a.m.

This week, our Image Bearer series continues with “The Name You Wear: The Mark of the Beast and the Name on Your Forehead.”

What is the mark of the beast?

For generations, Revelation 13 has fueled speculation about barcodes, microchips, technology, vaccines, and hidden marks. But what if John’s first readers already knew exactly what a mark on the hand or forehead meant? What if the mark of the beast is not the Bible introducing a strange new idea, but the beast counterfeiting a mark God had already placed on His people?

Long before Revelation, Israel was commanded to bear the name of YHWH among the nations. The high priest wore “Holy to the LORD” engraved like a seal on his forehead. Israel bound God’s words as a sign on the hand and forehead. God placed His name upon His people because they belonged to Him and represented Him.

Then Revelation introduces another name.

A beast rises from the sea wearing blasphemous names. Another beast appears looking like a lamb but speaking like a dragon. It creates an image, gives that image breath, directs the world’s worship toward empire, and places the beast’s name on the right hand and forehead.

The imagery is not accidental.

The mark of the beast is a counterfeit seal.

In this teaching, we’ll explore the ancient world of slave marks and royal seals, the command to bear God’s name at Sinai, the high priest’s forehead medallion, Deuteronomy’s signs on the hand and forehead, the beasts of Revelation 13, emperor worship in Rome, the number 666, and the striking contrast John creates between those who bear the beast’s name and those who bear the name of the Lamb and His Father.

We’ll also confront one of Revelation’s most uncomfortable warnings: the beast does not always look like a beast. Sometimes it looks like a lamb and speaks like a dragon. Religious language can be used to redirect worship toward political power, empire, nation, and state while convincing worshipers that their allegiance still belongs entirely to God.

From Rome’s imperial religion to the German Christian movement of the 1930s to modern attempts to merge the language of Scripture with national power, the question remains the same:

Whose name are you wearing?

Revelation does not ultimately present humanity as divided between marked people and unmarked people. It presents two foreheads, two names, two allegiances, and two objects of worship.

“Then I looked, and there was the Lamb, standing on Mount Zion, and with him were 144,000 who had his name and his Father’s name written on their foreheads.”
— Revelation 14:1

And on the final page of Scripture:

“They will see his face, and his name will be on their foreheads.”
— Revelation 22:4

The mark of the beast cannot be understood until we see the mark it is trying to counterfeit.

Everybody wears a name.

Join us as we trace that name from Sinai to Zion, from the seal of the high priest to the mark of the beast, and finally to the redeemed standing before the throne with the name they were always created to bear written across their foreheads.

08/15/2026

Shabbat shalom! Join us live!

Join us at Founded in Truth Fellowship this Saturday, August 15th, ...