February 11, 2015

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.



January 14, 2015

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.



January 7, 2015

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



December 10, 2014

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.



Special Announcement: Annual Membership 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,

Pastor Dave  & Pastor Justin
2014 Infographic


December 3, 2014

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



November 5, 2014

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 23rd

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



Special Announcement 10-29-14

TRINITY CHURCH of WESLEY CHAPEL, INC.

33425 SR 54

Wesley Chapel, FL 33543

(813) 788-2898

 

FIRST NOTICE – ANNUAL MEETING

OF

TRINITY CHURCH OF WESLEY CHAPEL, INC.

 

To:      The Membership of Trinity Church

 

From:  The Board of Directors

 

Let it be known to the entire membership that the Fifth Annual Meeting of Trinity Church of Wesley Chapel, Inc. will be:

 

                        Date:              Sunday – January 4, 2015

 

              Location:       Fellowship Hall

                                           Trinity Church of Wesley Chapel

                                                     33425 S.R. 54

                                                     Wesley Chapel, FL 33543

 

                        Time:       Meeting will begin directly following the Worship Service

 

The notice will be posted in the Church Bulletin for the next 3 weeks.  It will be available on the church’s website.

 

Any questions – contact Joanna at the Administrative Office at 788-2898 or any member of the current Board of Directors:  Duane Milk, Steve Beaver, Glen Turney, or Dennis Shuey.



October 29, 2014

Good Morning Trinity,

 

I hope and pray you are having a blessed week. Please read the following scripture when your day allows the time.

 

1 Corinthians 2: 6 – 16

 

Have you ever heard someone say that we are creatures of habit? I know that I am. For more years than I care to remember my habit was to get up in the morning, grab a cup of coffee, gather the paper off the front lawn and read about the world around me. This was not done in a careless or carefree order. It had to be sports, world, and local news, in that order with maybe the funnies thrown in at the end if the mood struck. Occasionally I would attempt to retrieve my paper only to find that it wasn’t on my front lawn which would automatically raise my suspicions of a, heaven forbid, fill in for the regular paper delivery person who didn’t know me or there was a newspaper thief in the neighborhood. At any rate, my routine had been broken and I wasn’t able to get my morning news fix like I was used to doing.

 

People used to say that we lived on an information highway. I think that when that term became popular people thought of a highway as a two lane road. I no longer get a newspaper unless it’s for the coupons. Printed news is yesterday’s news and why waste your time on yesterday’s news when you have the capability of receiving the world’s news the second it happens. We generally know of natural disasters or conflicts throughout the globe within seconds of the occurrence.

 

The point of this message though, is not so much the speed of our information as much as it is the amount of the information we receive. You could say and you would be correct in doing so that we are bombarded by information every single day. The media we receive is at a rate that we could never have imagined. Much of what we receive is good and helpful but there is so much that is not good.

 

It’s not going to surprise anyone when I say that the world is changing. Some of us don’t even recognize the world we live in. Morality is at an all-time low. What would have been seen as sinful in the past is now considered acceptable and if you don’t accept the change, you are just out of step or a hate monger. Is there any wonder why the bible is considered to be an old unusable book that has no relevance in today’s world. Today’s scripture is about spiritual wisdom. It was written almost two thousand years ago by the apostle Paul but it is as relevant today as it was back when he wrote it to the Corinthians. Pay particular attention to verse 14 and that will explain much of the rejection of the scriptures in today’s world

 

Each of us has the responsibility to be in God’s word on a daily basis. Think of it as a way to counteract much of what you read and hear today.

 

God Bless,

Pastor Dave

 

Announcements:

Friday – Trunk or Treat at Trinity from 6 – 8pm. Bounce houses, games and candy. If you would like to open your trunk and hand out candy
or would just like to come and help please be at the church by 5:30.

Sunday – Sign-up in the narthex this week for the Joy Circle’s Salad & Potato Bar Luncheon which will be held here at Trinity on November 9
right after the service. Great food for only $7.00



October 22, 2014

Good Morning Trinity,

 

I hope and pray you’re having a very God filled blessed week. Read this scripture when you have time today.

 

2 Corinthians 4: 7 – 18

 

Do you remember how you felt the day you accepted Christ as your Savior. It may have been many years ago but most people still remember the feeling of that day. Something happened inside, something that many of us can’t describe but yet we know there was a change. The change as it was made us different individuals. We looked at this world with new eyes and a new consciousness. I didn’t say that you or I completely understood what was happening to us, but we knew that there was a change going on inside us. I hope you’re pausing right now and thinking back to that special day that the Lord set aside for you. That’s how precious you are to Him.

 

Paul in verse 7 referred to us as earthen vessels. You can call it whatever you want, an earthen vessel, or a clay pot, maybe a ceramic statue, it really doesn’t matter. The idea though is to realize just how fragile we are as human beings. I remember our youngest son at 2 years old launching a ceramic statue of ours across the living room and it broke into more pieces than we could put back together. What made that statue so fragile was the emptiness inside the statue. There was nothing there to absorb the shock of being thrown across the room. Our lives are a lot like that ceramic statue and things can happen to us that are completely out of our control leaving us just like that statue.

 

Understand that what God has given us inside is a treasure. What He has given us will not keep us from going through trials and tribulations. But what He has given us is something that can give us strength to endure what life throws at us. What He gives us will help us absorb the shock of this life. We may be pressed from either side but we will not be crushed. What God gives us will bring us through to the other side.

 

God Bless,

Pastor Dave

 

Announcements:

 

Wednesday – 12 noon Bible Study in the Agape Room
5:30 Dinner in the Fellowship Hall
6:30 Family Night starts with games and worship
7:00 Bible Study in the Annex

 

Friday – Trinity’s Fabulous Famous Fish Fry – Starts at 4pm and runs through 7pm. Fried fish, baked fish, or chicken patties
with french fries or baked potato, coleslaw, macaroni salad, dessert and beverage for $7.00. Immediate family of 4
or more $20.00. It’s a good deal folks.

 

Sunday – Sunday School 9am, classes for all  ages.

 

Sunday – Worship starts at 10:15