Good Morning Trinity,

I hope you all are having a wonderful week. I thought I would send you a scripture reading along with a devotion and our announcements just so you know I’m thinking about you. Here is your scripture reading.

Luke 6: 46 – 49

When Jesus spoke these words He was speaking to those who were no different than we are today. He said “But why do you call me Lord, Lord and not do the things which I say?” Why do we claim to follow the Lord or claim to be His disciples and yet not do the things that He says. We are all guilty of following our own path and excluding the Lord from our everyday life.

I think that with the distractions in our lives we tend to block out the help our Lord offers us. The distractions that make our lives hectic and regardless of age never seem to lessen their grip on us.

But our Lord knows us so well and He knows the craziness that we call our lives. He doesn’t throw His hands in the air giving up on His children who never seem to listen. He just tells us how to make this life better by saying if you will listen to me and obey, you will be as a house built on a solid foundation that no outside forces can touch.

In our Lords typical fashion He does not force Himself upon us, He simply says listen. In the craziness of your day have you stopped and listened to your Lord. “Be still and know that I am God.”

God Bless,

Pastor Dave

Announcements:

Wednesday – 12:00pm Bible Study in the Agape Room. Studying Galatians
6:00pm Family Night in the Annex. Great fun for the whole family
7:00pm Bible Study in the Agape Room. Studying Galatians

Thursday – 7:00pm Learning to Share Your Faith class in the Agape Room.

Sunday – 9:00am Sunday School for all ages. It’s a great way to start your day of worship. Come early and bring your friends

Sunday – 10:15am Worship – bring your friends they’re going to love it.

Sunday – Pot Luck Luncheon right after the service. You don’t have to take your friends out to lunch after bringing them to church. Just bring them to the Fellowship Hall and feed them for free. What a plan.

Reminder to the Men’s Group that it’s the men’s turn to set up and clean up at the Pot Luck.

Coming, Sunday, March 22 at noon – the Choir will be serving a ham dinner with all the trimmings, including beverage and dessert, for $10.00 per person. Tickets will be sold this Sunday; tickets will not be sold at the door so get your tickets early. Proceeds will go to Trinity’s general fund.

Good Morning Trinity,

I hope you are having a great week. Have you looked for the Lord’s blessings in your life this week? How has the Lord revealed Himself to you. Has it been through church or has He surprised you in the everyday happenings of your life. The Lord is not limited to a time or particular place to prove His glory to you through a blessing. Here is your scripture reading for the week.

Mark 9: 2 – 8

One can only imagine the scene that unfolded before John, James, and Peter. They had followed Jesus now for a time but this was something they had never experienced before. The glorified body of Jesus along with the addition of Moses and Elijah standing there in conversation with Jesus must have been an incredible experience, and one that the disciples had ever dreamed to be a part of.

In reading these verses I began to think about the song “I Can Only Imagine”. Where the writer of the song tries to describe what it would be like to meet the glorified Christ. “I can only imagine, what my eyes will see, when your face is before me, I can only imagine. Surrounded by Your glory, what will my heart feel. Will I dance for you Jesus or in awe of You be still. Will I stand in Your presence or to my knees will I fall. Will I sing hallelujah, will I be able to speak at all. I can only imagine.”

Maybe the writer of “I Can Only Imagine” had used Mark 9: 2 – 8 as an inspiration for this song. We can only imagine what it’ll be like to see the glorified Jesus. After all in realizing that the sight made Peter struggle for words and just blurt something out should open your eyes to the amazing sight of the glorified Christ. I don’t believe there is another place in scripture that tells of Peter being at a loss of words.

In our lives we tend to restrict the blessings God has for us because we just are not willing to step back and allow God to be God. We tend to put Him in a box because we don’t understand the vastness of God and we don’t understand the blessings He wants for us. But I want you to know that one day God’s glory will not be denied in our lives. When we come face to face with Him and we will know that all is right in this universe. What a glorious God we worship.

God Bless,

Pastor Dave

Announcements:

Wednesday – 12:00pm – Bible Study in the Agape Rm. – Study in Galatians
6:30pm – Family Night starts – get ready for this week’s Road Rally
7:00pm – Bible Study in the Agape Rm. – Study in Galatians

Sunday – 9:00am Sunday School for all ages – It’s a great way to start your day of worship

Sunday – 10:15 Worship begins in the sanctuary – bring a friend and introduce them to your church family

Sunday – Directly after the service there will be a Farewell Party for Phyllis Wallis in the Fellowship Hall. Come and wish her well as she will soon be heading north permanently. We’re going to miss you Phyl.

Next Thursday, March 12 there will be a 5 week class starting at 7:00pm in the Fellowship Hall. This class will help you learn to share your faith without fear. The last 2 weeks will be a Spiritual Gifts class. If you have never discovered your spiritual gift, you need to get involved with this class. 

Good Morning Trinity,

I pray you are all having a very blessed week. Remember to look to the Lord in all you do and say and may He be the Light unto your path. Here is your scripture reading for the week.

James 3: 1 – 12

I was reading the other day about the aircraft carrier USS Reagan. It was hard to imagine that a vessel of that size would even be able to float, and yet you realize that it is a vital part of our Navy. Here are some of the stats of this carrier that maybe you weren’t aware of. The USS Reagan has 2 rudders that are 29 x 22 ft. weighing in at 50 tons which by anyone’s standards are huge until you realize the size of the ship. The ship raises 20 stories above the water, is 1092 ft. long, with a flight deck that covers 4.5 acres. Just an amazing feat of human engineering and it is all controlled by those 2 little rudders. Sounds very much like us, though we are God’s children, are still controlled by the tongue.

I believe that James understood the power of this small member of our body. It’s not as if we all have not said things we wish we could take back. Things that have hurt others we never intended to hurt. But to put a positive light on this would be to remember that as a rudder steers a mighty ship so our tongue can also set our direction.

Who do you profess as the Lord of your life on Monday mornings? Do your words indicate to others your belief in Jesus Christ? Would others have no idea of your faith by the words that come from your mouth? Does your tongue indicate who is in control of your life?

God Bless,

Pastor Dave

Announcements:

Wednesday – 12:00pm Bible Study in the Agape Room – Studying the Epistle of Galatians
6:30pm Family Night in the Annex – Great time for the whole family
7:00pm Bible Study in the Agape Room – Studying the Epistle of Galatians

Sunday – 9:00am Sunday School for all ages – Great way to start your day of worship

Sunday – 10:15 Worship Service – Bring a friend and introduce them to Trinity Church

Good Morning Trinity,

Hope you all are having a wonderful week. How has God blessed you this week? Maybe you need to think of the events of this week as a blessing. Allow Him to show you His glory in the events of your life. He really is an awesome God. Here’s your scripture for the week.

1 Peter 2: 1 – 10

Many years ago I attended a training class at Trinity to learn and become certified to administer CPR if the need should ever arise. There was some classroom study in do’s and don’ts and why we do this and why we do that. Then came the hands on with the practice dummy so you could get the feel for how hard you had to press down when giving CPR. I know how I felt at the time and I’m sure the others in the class felt the same way in that we hoped this was something we would never have to use. It made you wonder how you would react if someone really needed CPR? Life is different than the classroom. Victims of heart attacks don’t climb up on tables so you have easy access to them to provide CPR. Reality is always different because no one seems to follow the rules to make what you’ve learned as easy as in the classroom.

Our Son Jamie when he was in Iraq, sent pictures via Facebook of one of their patrols through a neighborhood. We didn’t know where he was as far as the city. But as we looked at the pictures you could see the Iraqi people around the patrol. The men, women, and children around them made it appear like they could have been in any city in the U.S. but they weren’t. It was then that we realized that this is the reality of the situation our son was in. He had been trained for this, but this was real. It was dangerous and it was real.

Life itself is the reality. Life is where our faith is tested every day. Peter mentions in this scripture reading today about babes in faith. Verse one speaks about the change that has happened to us all when we lay to the side the person we used to be. Then the training begins as we become aware of God’s word and we begin as babes to grow into mature Christians. Some of us pay close attention to the training and some of us sleep through it. Some of us grow to be mature Christians while others never seem to get past the diaper stage. So it works out to this. Some of us are ready for the reality of life and some of us are not.

I wish this could be like my training for CPR and knowing that I probably would never have to use what I learned in class, but it isn’t. Life happens, reality is here, and you are going to be asked to draw on your faith in ways that maybe you never imagined. It won’t be in a classroom setting and it won’t be under perfect conditions. Life seldom is. Will you be able to draw on your faith in Jesus Christ? Do you know where to turn when the reality of life comes your way? Even if you slept through class you can always call on the Lord Jesus Christ and know that you never have to face this life alone. Praise the Lord.

God Bless,
Pastor Dave

Announcements:

Wednesday – 12:00pm Bible Study in the Agape Room in the Education Bldg. Studying Galatians
6:30pm Family Night in the Annex – Come and have a great time together as a family
7:00pm Bible Study in the Agape Room in the Education Bldg. Studying Galatians

Saturday – 9:00am Men’s Breakfast in the Fellowship Hall. Valentine’s Day Special – We are inviting the Ladies to be our guests for breakfast.

Sunday – 9:00am Sunday School for all ages – come and join us, it’s a great way to start your day of worship

Sunday – 10:15am Worship starts – bring your friends – don’t keep Trinity a secret from your friends

Sunday – Potluck Luncheon after the worship service in the Fellowship Hall. You and your friends can enjoy a great meal together.

Good Morning Trinity,

I hope you are having a wonderful week. Just think only 351 days to go until 2016, time really flies doesn’t it. So what are you going to do with those 351 days? Now that your thinking about this coming year I have scripture for you to read.

Philippians 3: 7 – 11

We need to take a moment and think about what Paul is saying here in verse 7. “But what things were gain to me, these things I have counted loss for Christ.” What you are reading about is someone who is speaking of a change in their life. Who they were, is not who they are now. This is not speaking of a trivial inconvenience like giving up chocolate for lent. This is a night to day time change in one’s life.

You can see Paul’s change when you read about him as Saul starting in Acts 7: 54 with the stoning of Stephen until he met the glorified Jesus on the road to Damascus in Acts chapter 9. Saul was a proud man with many accomplishments. He was an educated man, and a Pharisee’s Pharisee who was known for his zealousness for God. He lived for the law and was as he felt, God’s servant in hunting down those menacing Christians to keep them from spreading their lies about this Jesus as being the Messiah. He hated them and he hated Jesus but Saul was a good religious man and he held a prominent position is society.

So you see when Paul wrote about giving up what was gain to him for Christ, he was speaking of something special. But knowing Jesus is enough to make anyone lose their religion. Religion made Saul who he was and Jesus made Paul into someone that Saul’s friends and fellow Pharisees didn’t recognize. Don’t think for a moment that Saul’s conversion made life easy for him. I’m sure as far as life being easier, Saul would have been farther ahead rejecting Jesus in his life, but would his life have been better? Hardly, for Paul would later write in Philippians 1: 21 “For to me, to live is Christ, and to die is gain.”

Being a Christ follower is not always an easy path to take. It might be easy when you’re at church when you’re with likeminded believers, but you don’t live at church and you don’t work at church. You live in the outside world and that is where the rub begins. Are you trying to live the life of the old you (Saul) when you’re working or socializing with friends and at the same time trying to maintain the new you (Paul) in your life? That is really a very difficult task to keep up. You can’t live the old life and the new life and be what Christ Jesus would ask you to be. Take a moment and ask yourself this question. I know what Jesus has given me, what have I given to Him?

God Bless,

Pastor Dave

Announcements:

Wednesday – 12pm Bible Study in the Agape Room
6:30pm Family Night – Come join us in our new home in the Annex Building
7:00pm Bible Study in the Agape Room

Saturday – 9am Men’s Breakfast in the Fellowship Hall – Bring a friend and enjoy friendship, fellowship, and a free breakfast

Sunday – 9am Sunday School for all ages

Sunday – 10:15 Worship begins – Don’t forget to bring someone this week

Sunday – Potluck Luncheon in the Fellowship Hall right after the service – Great time to socialize with all those friends you are bringing with you on Sunday.

Good Morning Trinity,

A friend sent me an email that said “one of the most beautiful days in the world could be today…….. if you make it so.” Allow God to show you the beauty in your life. He put it there for you to see His glory. Here is your scripture reading for the week.

1 Thessalonians 4: 1 – 12

The other day our choir director Julie asked me if Shirley and I would like to be the narrators for the Easter cantata. You’ll notice she didn’t ask me to sing. That’s a good move on her part. I remember thinking at the time, “is it really time to start practicing for the Easter cantata?” The choir is a great example of what it takes to be good at something. You have to practice, practice, and then practice some more.

It seems that the longer you do something the better you should be at it. Your job for instance whether you are currently employed or retired should be an example of how over time you became or are becoming more proficient with your responsibilities. Don’t you with time learn how to make your job easier or learn what to look out for to keep you from having trouble? Practice makes perfect I believe is the phrase that we like to use when we try to describe what it takes to be good at something. All this is true of course except if you are speaking of my golf game and then all logic about practice goes out the window.

Let me ask you a question. Are you a better Christian today than you were maybe a year ago? Do you even think of your Christian life as something that can be improved on, or do you think of it as a onetime deal like grabbing the brass ring? What are your expectations for your life as a Christian? Do you even have any? How can you be better at something when you don’t even know what better is? What does God expect out of your life?

I think for this reason it is best to understand that Christianity is not a religion but a relationship. Can a religion be improved on? Who is going to improve it? Do you know any religions or denominations that are improving? But on the other hand your relationship with Jesus Christ is one that can be improved upon. Relationships can grow stronger, can be more meaningful, and be more personal. They can be more personal because it’s your choice not someone else’s. Your relationship with Jesus is a life style, not a onetime activity.

You may have never thought of this in this way before but, there is nothing in life that is truly worthwhile that doesn’t take effort or commitment on your part. So when it comes down to you relationship with Jesus Christ, practice, practice, practice. The benefits are eternal.

God Bless,

Pastor Dave

Announcements:

Wednesday – 12:00pm Bible Study in the Agape Room
6:30pm Family Night starts with games and singing
7:00 Evening Bible Study in the Annex Building

Sunday – 9:00am Sunday School for all ages

Sunday – 10:15 Worship begins – pick up a friend and bring them to church

Good Morning Trinity,

Are you feeling blessed this week? I pray that you know how much the Lord loves you and wants to be a part of your everyday life. Invite Him to be the Confidant in your life. Here is your devotion for the week and it’s author is unknown.

God Bless,

Pastor Dave

The story is told of how a wealthy man and his son loved to collect rare works of art. They had everything in their collection, from Picasso to Raphael. They would often sit together and admire the great works of art. When the Vietnam conflict broke out, the son went to war. He was very courageous and died in battle while rescuing another soldier. The father was notified and grieved deeply for his only son. About a month later, just before Christmas, there was a knock at the door. A young man stood at the door with a large package in his hands. He said, “Sir, you don’t know me, but I am the soldier for whom your son gave his life. He saved many lives that day, and he was carrying me to safety when a bullet struck him in the heart and he died instantly. He often talked about you, and your love for art.”

The young man held out his package. “I know this isn’t very much, I’m not really a great artist, but I think your son would have wanted you to have this.” The father opened the package. It was a portrait of his son, painted by the young man. He stared in awe at the way the soldier had captured the personality of his son in the painting. The father was so drawn to the eyes that his own eyes welled up with tears. He thanked the young man and offered to pay him for the picture. “Oh, no sir, I could never repay what your son did for me. It’s a gift.” The father hung the portrait over his mantle. Every time visitors came to his home he took them to see the portrait of his son before he showed them any of the great works of art he had collected.

The man died a few months later. Shortly thereafter, there was to be a great auction of his paintings. Many influential people gathered, excited over seeing the great paintings and having the opportunity to purchase one for their collection. On the platform sat the painting of the son. The auctioneer pounded his gavel. “We will start the bidding with this picture of the son. Who will bid for this picture?” There was silence. Then a voice in the back of the room shouted, “We want to see the famous paintings. Skip this one.” But the auctioneer persisted. “Will someone bid for this painting? Who will start the bidding? $100, $200?” Another voice shouted angrily. “We didn’t come to see this painting. We came to see the Van Goghs, the Rembrandts. Get on with the real bids!” But still the auctioneer continued. “The son! The son! Who’ll take the son?”

Finally, a voice came from the very back of the room. It was the longtime gardener of the man and his son. “I’ll give $10 for the painting.” Being a poor man, it was all he could afford. “We have $10, who will bid $20?” “Give it to him for $10. Let’s see the masters.” The crowd was becoming angry. They didn’t want the picture of the son. They wanted the more worthy investments for their collections. The auctioneer pounded the gavel. “Going once, going twice, SOLD for $10!” A man sitting on the second row shouted, “Now let’s get on with the collection.”

The auctioneer laid down his gavel. “I’m sorry, the auction is over.” “What about the paintings?” “I am sorry. When I was called to conduct this auction, I was told of a secret stipulation in the will. I was not allowed to reveal that stipulation until this time. Only the painting of the son would be auctioned. Whoever bought that painting would inherit the entire estate, including the paintings. The man who took the son gets everything!”

God gave His Son 2000 years ago to die on a cruel Cross. Much like the auctioneer, His message today is, “The Son, the Son, who’ll take the Son?” Because, you see, whoever takes the Son inherits everything! ¹

Announcements:

Wednesday – Bible Study in the Agape Rm @ 12pm
Dinner in the Fellowship Hall @ 5:30pm
Family Night starts @ 6:30 with games and music
Bible Study in the Annex @ 7pm

Saturday – Breakfast with Santa in the Fellowship Hall @ 9am. Great fun for the whole family. Come and have breakfast, make awesome
crafts, and have your picture taken with Santa.

Saturday – Cantata “Do You Hear What I Hear” @6pm in the Sanctuary. Invite your friends and neighbors.

Sunday – Cantata “Do You Hear What I Hear” @ 10:15 in the Sanctuary. If you didn’t bring your friends on Saturday night, try bringing them             on Sunday.

Sunday – Potluck Luncheon right after the service in the Fellowship Hall. Bring your friends.

January 4, 2015 – Trinity’s Annual Meeting – If you are a member of Trinity Church you need to be at this meeting.

Dear Trinity Members,

This is your second notice of the upcoming Membership Annual Meeting which will be held in the Fellowship Hall after the church service on January 4, 2015. Below is a very cool info-graphic put together by Susan Garrett that shows just how much we have accomplished as a church this year.

God Bless,

Good Morning Trinity,

I hope you are having an awesome week. Here is your weekly devotion which has an anonymous author. I hope you enjoy it.

God Bless You All,

Pastor Dave

The Maker of all human beings is recalling all units manufactured, regardless of make or year, due to the serious defect in the primary and central component of the heart. This is due to a malfunction in the original prototype unit code named Adam and Eve, resulting in the reproduction of the same defect in all subsequent units.

This defect has been technically termed “Subsequential Internal Non- Morality” or more commonly known as SIN, as it is primarily characterized by loss of moral judgment. Some other symptoms are:

• Loss of direction
• Foul vocal emissions
• Amnesia of origin
• Lack of peace and joy
• Selfish or violent behavior
• Depression or confusion in mental component
• Fearful

The manufacturer, who is neither liable or at fault for this defect, is providing factory authorized repair and service FREE of charge to correct the SIN defect. [The number to call in your area is F-A-I-T-H. Simply believe that Christ died for your sins, was buried and rose again, and your unit will be regenerated. No matter how big or small the SIN defect is, Christ will repair and replace it with]:

• Forgiveness
• Love
• Joy
• Peace
• Longsuffering
• Gentleness
• Goodness
• Faith
• Meekness
• Temperance

Please see operating manual HOLY BIBLE for further details on the use of these fixes. [See sections I Cor. 15:1-4; Eph. 1:7; and Gal. 5:16-26].

WARNING: Continuing to operate the human unit without correction voids the manufacturer’s warranty, exposing the owner to dangers and problems too numerous to list and will result in the human unit being permanently impounded. [For free emergency service before it’s too late: call upon the Lord Jesus Christ who loved us and gave Himself a ransom for our sins].

DANGER: The human units not receiving this recall action will have to be scrapped in the furnace.

This action was authorized by the Creator.

Announcements:

Wednesday – 12pm Bible Study in the Agape Rm.
5:30pm Dinner in the Fellowship Hall and it’s free
6:30pm Family Night starts with games and songs
7:00pm Evening Bible Study in the Annex

Good Morning Trinity,

I pray you are having a great week. I have a scripture reading for you when you get the time to relax and read. Remember, if you allow the fast pace of your life to control you it will take and give nothing in return. Well, except maybe stress headaches and a general worn out feeling. Give some of your time to the Lord. He is great at stress relief.

Genesis 32: 22 – 32

This scripture in Genesis tells of how Jacob took his two wives, his two female servants, and his eleven sons and crossed over the ford of Jabbok. He gave them the supplies they needed and when he had them safely situated he went back to his own camp to be alone. I guess with that many people around the tent it was difficult to get any alone time.

Jacob’s purpose in being alone was not just so he could have breathing room away from the hectic life of family. Jacob’s purpose was spiritual. If you read this scripture you will find that in Jacob’s alone time he was actually wrestling with God. Not figuratively but literally wrestling with God.

This is an awesome account of a time in the life of Jacob and the struggles that he endured. But it is not unlike our own. If you are like everyone else I know including myself, there have been times when you have struggled with the events in your life. Life has a way of piling on especially when you’re already down and that’s when we generally say this just isn’t fair. If you have said this before you should know that you are not alone in feeling this way and you should also know that you are right. Life is not fair. But do you remember anyone saying that is was? Some Christians have mistakenly thought that by their faith they would be spared the hard knocks of this life and that just hasn’t seemed to work out the way they expected.

We know of the promises of our Lord, the promise of an eternal home in His presence, but what about our life here and now. How do we get through the struggles of our day to day life. How do we get though demanding jobs, unhappy kids, demanding relatives, and bill collectors just to name a few? There is no simple answer, I can’t snap my finger and make it all go away, although I would if I could. It takes effort on your part to set aside a few minutes of your time each day to spend with your Lord. Open His word, spend a little time with Him in prayer and then start your day. You’ll be surprised what blessings and answers you’ll receive. I didn’t say it was easy, I’m just telling you it’s the answer to an extremely hectic life style. Be a Jacob, spend some alone time wrestling with the Lord. Philippians 4: 6 – 7

God Bless,

Pastor Dave

Announcements:

Remember time is running out to get your OCC shoe boxes filled and back to the church by November 23^rd

Sunday – The Joy Circle will have a Salad and Potato Bar Luncheon after the service.