Good Afternoon Trinity,

 

I pray you are all having a wonderful God filled week. I have been looking for the responses to our community service and I am just amazed at your willingness to reach out and help. There is so much to do and so many areas to cover. We have provided missions for you to get involved in but I am finding that many of you are already involved and making a difference in your chosen ministries. Our goal of 7000 hours will not be an easy goal to achieve but with the responses we have received so far I know we will reach it and surpass it. If you haven’t decided where you want to serve, keep praying about it and the Lord will make His desires known in your life. Now imagine what Trinity and this community will look like next year at this time with all our goals being realized. We serve an exciting God who wants us to show our excitement for Him every day. Remember 70 for Christ, 700 visitors, 7000 hrs. to our community. Here is your scripture reading for the week.

 

Luke 7: 36 – 50

 

There was a custom of the Jews in the day that Jesus walked this earth that when a guest came to your home he was provided with water to wash their feet. In the case of a host with a position in society (a Pharisee) a servant would be provided to wash the feet of the guest. It was a sign of respect and courtesy for those who came to your home. If you remember Jesus in John 13: 1 – 17 didn’t just provide water for His disciples to wash their own feet in the upper room, but took on the role of servant and washed the feet of His followers. Simon the Pharisee provided neither for the Guest he had asked to come to his home to eat. Remember, Simon is the religious one.

 

Now as scripture describes her, “a woman in the city who was a sinner” came to Simon’s house when she heard that Jesus was to be there. She stood at His feet behind Him weeping, and she began to wash His feet with her tears and wiped them with the hair on her head. She kissed His feet and anointed them with a fragrant oil she had brought. What a precious scene this must have been to watch this woman give of her heart and soul to Jesus. Remember, she is the sinner.

 

You could not have found two individuals who were more different in their positions in life. Simon was in a position of prominence, well dressed, well educated, and to top it off religious. Someone you would most likely trust, admire, and want for a neighbor. The sinful woman, (how would you like to be known this way), doesn’t have much going for her as far as the world is concerned. You can only imagine why they considered her to be sinful. She not the type you would trust, or admire, or want as a neighbor. She’s probably not well dressed, educated, and definitely not religious. In fact they probably wouldn’t want her to step foot in the Temple or today in the church.

 

Aren’t you relieved that God doesn’t care about you social status? Aren’t you happy He doesn’t look at us the way we look at each other? We may be good at fooling each other but we can’t fool the Lord. Everyone thought the Pharisee was religious and because he was religious he knew the things of God. He had everyone including himself fooled about his relationship with God except his dinner Guest. I guess he didn’t realize he had invited God to dinner. I think our young lady knew and because of the sin in her life she could do nothing more than weep and worship Jesus when she came into His presence.

 

Where you’ve been, what you’ve done, is not of great importance. But who you are today and where you are going is vital. The Lord doesn’t care for the religious haughty heart, but for the repentant heart. He knows who we really are.

 

God Bless,

Pastor Dave

 

Announcements:

 

Saturday – Ladies remember if you signed up for the Ladies retreat here at Trinity the doors open at 9AM and the retreat starts at 9:30 in the Fellowship Hall

 

Sunday – Sunday School 9am and Worship at 10: 15. Don’t forget to bring a friend or family member. 700 visitors