April 22, 2020

Good Morning Everyone,

 

I hope you’ve had a great night’s sleep and are ready to go this morning and make a difference in the community for Jesus Christ. Sometimes we feel like saying ‘Well what difference can I make for Jesus in the community? I just don’t know what to do.” Well, here’s what you need to know on this beautiful morning. You don’t need to have the “plan”, you just need to have the willingness to give Jesus the day and to be humble enough to follow His lead. So take the pressure off, it’s His day not yours, follow Him. Here is your scripture and devotion for the week.

 

 Our Incomparable Companion                                  By Charles Stanley

John 14:16-18

Most of us don’t like being alone for extended periods of time. In fact, we are not designed to live in isolation. Even at the very beginning, God said, “It is not good for the man to be alone” (Gen. 2:18). But sometimes situations in life leave us separated from others. Or perhaps we simply feel lonely, even though we live with our mate or family. But whatever your situation may be, if you are a believer, you’re never alone.

Knowing His followers could feel abandoned after His crucifixion and ascension, Jesus promised to send them a Helper who would never leave them–the Spirit of truth. The same One who came to them at Pentecost still abides within every believer. He has been sent to walk alongside us as our comforter, enabler, and guide.

The Holy Spirit, unlike human companions, is perfectly adequate to meet our every need. Since He knows us intimately, He can comfort us in pain and loss when no one else can. Anytime we find ourselves in a quandary, He knows exactly what we ought to do. Since the future is laid bare before His eyes, He’s aware of all the details that concern us. What’s more, He promises to guide us each step of the way, calming our fears and overcoming our inadequacies.

Because we were created for God, only through His Spirit are we made complete. He is the ultimate solution to man’s aloneness: He’s always available and will never forsake or forget you. When others let you down, the Comforter is present to lift you up with the reminder that you’re not alone.

Announcements:

Tuesday – 6pm a new online bible study. Watch lesson 5 of 1 Peter with Kyle Idleman on RightNow Media and then join us for our bible study on Tuesday starting at 6PM. Go to Trinity’s Facebook page and click on the link for Zoom bible study

Wednesday – 6:30pm Also this week, Pastor Justin will be having Family Night on Zoom

Sunday – 9:00am  Come and join us for our Drive-In Church. Park behind the Fellowship hall in the new parking spaces. There will be a platform set up with speakers and we’ll be ready to go. We also have an FM transmitter 88.7 for those who want to roll up their windows and run the air conditioning. You have to be there to pick up the radio station. Please stay in your vehicles. No cheating.

Sunday – 10:30am We will have the our online service on Facebook. You can watch this on demand any time after 10:30am which means you can take in the Drive-In service and then go home to watch the expanded service



April 8, 2020

 

Good Morning Trinity,

 

Psalm 91

 

I pray you are doing well and spending your time at home wisely. Take your new found time of staying home and put it to good use. Form some new habits that will pass the time. I can’t watch hockey (I really think the Bolts were going to put it all together this year) and who knows when baseball ( our Rays) will start again. Watching games when you know the outcome somehow loses it’s appeal. So now I definitely have more time to read and it really is a blessing. I’m finishing a great book by Nik Ripkin called “The Insanity of God.” If you’re into missions or even if you want to see what other Christians throughout the world are doing through the persecution they face daily, you need to read it. It will leave you in awe of the incredible power of God.

 

How are you doing with your daily devotions? Are you spending more time with the Lord, or are you rushing through it because that’s what you always did? Gotta be somewhere so I have to get through this devotion. Except there’s nowhere you have to be. Sometimes old habits are hard to break. You could do a scripture reading and devotion twice a day. Once in the morning and again in the evening before bed. Just a suggestion. I’ll promise you this, God will bless you for the time you spend with Him.

 

Read today’s scripture. Pay particular attention to verse 4. “He will cover you with his feathers, and under his wings you will find refuge; his faithfulness will be your shield and rampart.” This doesn’t mean that you pay no attention to the warnings of the day. But what it does mean is that you are secure in Him. Regardless of what happens with this virus or anything else this world throws at you. Your salvation and your eternity are secure in Him. His wing will cover you, protect you and no one can pry you from His grip.

 

It was great seeing many of you at our drive-in service this past Sunday. Even if it was just through the windshield and the best we could do was to give you all a virtual hug. I hope more of you will come out on Easter Sunday to see the service. It’ll be at 9 am which gives you time to get home to watch our expanded service at 10:30 am or at anytime you want to watch it during the day. Just go to Trinity’s Facebook page or our website.

 

Please remember that although this Easter will be different than any Easter we have experienced before. Our Jesus is still risen, He sit’s at the right hand of God the Father and will return again one day for His church. Halleluiah praise God.

 

God Bless You All

Pastor Dave

Announcements:

Tuesday – 6pm a new online bible study. Watch lesson 4 of 1 Peter with Kyle Idleman on RightNow Media and then join us for our bible study on Tuesday starting at 6PM. Go to Trinity’s Facebook page and click on the link for Zoom bible study

Wednesday – 6:30pm Also this week, Pastor Justin will be having Family Night on Zoom


Thursday
 – 4:00pm We are at Zephyrhills park to help feed folks who are less fortunate than we are. 

Sunday – 9:00am  We are starting a Drive-In Church. Park on the west side of the Sanctuary facing the church. There will be a platform set up with speakers and we’ll be ready to go. Please stay in your vehicles. No cheating.

Sunday – 10:30am We will have the our online service on Facebook. You can watch this on demand any time after 10:30amwhich means you can take in the Drive-In service and then go home to watch the expanded service

 

   
 
   
 

Announcements:

 

Tuesday – 2pm a new online bible study from Pastor Dave.  The study will cover 1 Peter and is available to watch on RightNowMedia HERE.  If you don’t have a RightNow Media account please send your email address to Pastor Dave or Pastor Justin and they will send you a code to create a free account. Then join us Tuesdays at 2pm for a live discussion of this week’s study lead by Pastor Dave on Facebook LIVE

Wednesday – Also this week, Pastor Justin will be holding the first Camp Crave Parent’s meeting live on Wednesday at 7pm on ZOOM.  To join in download the ZOOM video conference app on your smart phone or tablet and ask Pastor Justin for the link to join the meeting. 


Thursday
– 4:00pm We are at Zephyrhills park to help feed folks who are less fortunate than we are.

Sunday – 10:30 Join us for our Sunday Service on Facebook



August 16, 2017

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 you 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 ships rises 20 stories above the water, is 1092 ft. long, and the fight deck that covers 4.5 acres. Just an amazing feat of human engineering and it is all controlled by 2 little rudders. Very much as who we are as 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 – 6:30pm Family Night starts again after a long busy summer. Come and join us.


Thursday
 – 3:45pm We meet at Zephyrhills Park at the east side pavilion to feed the hungry at 4:00pm – come help us

Saturday – 9:00am Men’s Breakfast in the Fellowship Hall – Good food and great fellowship

Sunday – 8:30am Trinity’s Traditional Service – Come and enjoy great traditional worship – bring your friends

Sunday – 9:00am Sunday School for those attending the Contemporary Service

Sunday – 9:00am Sunday School for Kids and Youth

Sunday – 9:45am Sunday School for those who attended the Traditional Service

Sunday – 10:30am Trinity’s Contemporary Service – Come and enjoy great contemporary worship – bring a friend 



August 9, 2017

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:


Sunday – 8:30am Trinity’s Traditional Service – Come and enjoy great traditional worship – bring your friends


Sunday – 9:00am Sunday School for those attending the Contemporary Service


Sunday – 9:00am Sunday School for Kids and Youth


Sunday – 9:45am Sunday School for those who attended the Traditional Service


Sunday – 10:30am Trinity’s Contemporary Service – Come and enjoy great contemporary worship – bring a friend 



July 5, 2017

Good Morning Trinity,

 

I hope you are having a blessed week. A week that is so awesome you can’t wait to tell someone how the Lord has blessed you. When you have great things happening in your life do you take time to give thanks for them? Are your eyes open to the blessings the Lord is bringing your way. What an incredibly awesome God we serve. Here is your scripture reading for the week.

 

Mark 9: 2 – 8

 

Can you for a moment stop and think about what it must have been like to be one of those 3 disciples that day. To be led to that high mountain by Jesus and to watch Him be transfigured before them. What a glorious sight that must have been. If having the opportunity to walk with Jesus and be in His presence up to that point wasn’t enough to change their lives, seeing Him transfigured before their eyes must have been.

 

Why them? Why did Jesus choose Peter, James, and John for this experience? Was it because they were part of His inner circle of friends? Did Jesus feel that out of His 12 disciples these 3 were the most trust worthy and wouldn’t run out and tell all what they had witnessed? Or did Jesus feel that Peter, James, and John were the ones whose eyes were open to see the real glory of God?

 

I don’t believe that any of us are truly ready to see the real glory of God because I don’t think we can honestly even imagine what it would be like. But here is a thought for you. What are your expectations of Jesus Christ in your life? Do you have no expectations of His power in your life? If you don’t have any expectations then you can’t be disappointed then if a situation doesn’t work out the way you figured it should. “I didn’t expect Him to help me with this problem anyway.”

 

Peter, James, and John had no idea what Jesus had in store for them on top of that mountain. But their eyes were open to the possibilities of what Jesus could do in their lives and He did not disappoint them. Are your eyes open to what Jesus has planned for you? Are your expectations high? I can promise you this my friends, He will not disappoint.

 

God Bless,

Pastor Dave


Announcements:


Sunday – 8:30am Trinity’s Traditional Service – Come and enjoy great traditional worship – bring your friends


Sunday – 9:00am Sunday School for those attending the Contemporary Service


Sunday – 9:00am Sunday School for Kids and Youth


Sunday – 9:45am Sunday School for those who attended the Traditional Service


Sunday – 10:30am Trinity’s Contemporary Service – Come and enjoy great contemporary worship – bring a friend 



May 24, 2017

Good Morning Trinity,

 

I pray you are all having a wonderful week. It’s obvious that the summer season is on its way. One of the signs of the coming season is the arrival of afternoon storms which will soon come and can pack quite a punch. I’m always amused that when we have a beautiful day and we have so many, we refer to them as a chamber of commerce day. But when the storms roll in and the lightning strikes, we refer to that as an act of God. Here is your scripture reading and devotion for the week.

 

Revelation 2: 2 – 4

 

In January 1984 we decided to move from Western New York and the cold weather to Florida and the sunny south. The decision to move south was an easy decision to make because we wouldn’t have to put up with the winter weather of the frozen north. The decision was also a difficult one because we were going to be leaving family and many friends behind. Many of these friends were as important to us as family because the relationships had been cultivated over many years and many situations.

 

I remember all the get-togethers we had before we left and the many times I heard someone say, “you’ll be back.” I guess after 33 years our friends have decided that the move did work out and we aren’t moving back. Not only are we not moving back but over these 33 years there have been changes to our lives, not only for Shirley and I but also for the friends we left behind. Time and distance have made it difficult to share our lives as we used to do with them. It seems kind of harsh to say but, we have all moved on. We stay in touch but things are not what they used to be because we don’t share as often as we did when we lived in the same area.

 

They say absence makes the heart grow fonder. When in reality, because of a busy life and new people around them, regardless of what the romantic says, it makes the memory grow weaker. It’s tough to keep a relationship alive when time is not spent together. When interests are not shared both parties can move in different directions and the closeness once enjoyed can be lost.

 

Today’s reading from Revelation is about the church at Ephesus who has left its first love. They are a church who does all the right things such as laboring for the cause of Christ, which would include much community outreach. They see evil and are not afraid to call it like it is. On the outside they appear to be the church that everyone including themselves expect it to be. But Jesus sees something different in them because where we see the surface, He sees the heart.

 

Who the Church of Ephesus wanted to be, overshadowed the true reason or purpose. They had left their true love and had been all about the work and nothing about the relationship. The mission came between the church and the relationship the church had with the Lord. Absence does not make the heart grow fonder where the Lord is concerned. The relationship we have with the Lord has to be first in our lives and be the driving force in our work for the community. Don’t let your relationship with Christ Jesus become like one with a friend of the past. Keep it fresh, keep it strong, keep it daily.

 

God Bless,

Pastor Dave


Announcements:


Wednesday – 6:30pm Family Night Season Finale in the Annex. Great fun for everyone.

Thursday – 9:00 – 12 noon VBS workday – Please, please if you can help with coloring, painting, cutting out crafts it would be appreciated – meeting in the education building


Saturday – 9:00am VBS Meeting at Pastor Dave and Shirley’s house – 32659 Coldwater Creek Loop, Wesley Chapel


Sunday – 8:30am Trinity’s Traditional Service – Come and enjoy great traditional worship – bring your friends


Sunday – 9:00am Sunday School for those attending the Contemporary Service


Sunday – 9:00am Sunday School for Kids and Youth


Sunday – 9:45am Sunday School for those who attended the Traditional Service


Sunday – 10:30am Trinity’s Contemporary Service – Come and enjoy great contemporary worship – bring a friend 


Office closed Monday for Memorial Day



May 3, 2017

Good Morning Trinity,

 

I hope you all are having a great day and a wonderful God filled week. This last Sunday I spoke of the times when we are enduring troubles in our lives. For those who know us well enough and are aware of our faith in Jesus this is a time when our lives are examined by others. They really just want to see how we handle the tough times. It’s easy to be a Christian when everything is great and we have no worries but it isn’t the ease of life that gives us our strength in Christ. Sometimes we can’t see God’s hand in our lives until He’s the only one reaching to help us. Here is your scripture reading for the week.

 

Mark 4: 35 – 41

 

Have you ever had a nightmare as a child? This wasn’t something that I experienced often as a child but I do remember having a nightmare or two. And as scary as they could be I remember that when I woke there was security down the hall from my room. Mom and dad were in the next room and after a bad dream there was no better or safer place to be than climbing into their bed.

 

One of the characteristics of the Sea of Galilee is that the winds coming off the hills around it can kick up a wind storm in no time at all. The disciples, most of whom were sea worthy fishermen were used to the conditions the sea could bring. So this must have been quite a storm to worry these experienced men. How rough did it have to get for them to look elsewhere for the answers to their troubles.

 

Do you have a nightmare going on in your life or do you feel like your life is full of one storm after another? How long will you hold on before looking for the help you need? Is there a point where your abilities and experience make asking the Lord for help unnecessary? Don’t worry Lord I got this. Do you wait until life is out of control and your boat is taking on water before asking Him for help? Why?

 

In Matthew 28: 20 Jesus says “I am with you always.” Jesus means exactly what He is saying. In other words there isn’t a nightmare nor a storm you can go through alone unless that’s what you want to do. You can ignore Him, push Him to the side, or step in front of Him if that’s what you so desire. But why? You have free will, He won’t force His way into your business, but why would you want it that way?

 

When we as Christians speak of our faith in Jesus Christ, we speak of a relationship that covers every aspect of our lives. Not one of convenience, but one that is eternal. One you can be sure of regardless of the circumstances in your life.

 

God Bless,

Pastor Dave



April 26, 2017

Good Morning Trinity,
 

I pray you are having a blessed week. Give thanks to the Lord for the good and the not so good. He will lead you through all circumstances. Here is your scripture reading and devotion for the week.  

 
Judges 7: 1 – 25

 
There is a statement that has been used by many in trying to explain why God has called them into a certain situation. Whether it would be a calling to pastor or to the mission field or ministering to the needy or a friend. The statement is this, “God doesn’t call the qualified, He qualifies the call.” In other words if God wants to show the world His power, He will do so through the weakest individual by human standards. If a message needs to be delivered to Pharaoh, He will use one who stutters to speak His words such as Moses.

 
This is exactly what God did when He chose Gideon to lead Israel against the Midianites army. Gideon in his own words was the least of his father’s house and his father’s clan was the least in Manasseh. When we realize our weakness, then we are able to see His strength. The Lord doesn’t choose us to glorify ourselves but chooses us to show His power and glory.

 
What is it we remember most about Gideon? Do we remember him as the great warrior, defeating an obviously superior army with just 300 men? No, he is remembered for something much more important than being a warrior. Gideon is remembered for his trust and faith in God that defeated all odds.

 
Do you have the trust and faith in God to be all He will ask you to be? Open your heart to the possibilities He will place before you. He is an awesome God to serve.

 
God Bless,

Pastor Dave



April 12, 2017

I hope and pray you are all having a blessed week. I know our lives can get pretty hectic and busy, but don’t forget to praise the Lord for the many blessings in your life. That means you will have to stop for a moment and consider the blessings He has placed before you. If you don’t stop and consider Him you could really miss something special. Here is your scripture reading for the week.

 

Luke 22: 39 – 46

 

One can only imagine the agony that Jesus must have been experiencing at the moment He went to the Mount of Olives to pray. Even with His disciples by His side, Jesus’ desire was only for the One He could truly pour His heart out to. Jesus was about to take those final steps to the cross to become as John the Baptist stated in John 1: 29 “The Lamb of God who takes away the sin of the world.” Jesus was about to take on the sins of a fallen world and who could He come to at such a moment?

 

“Father, if it is Your will, take this cup away from Me; nevertheless not My will, but Yours be done.” Words spoken that for even the briefest of moments shows the humanity of Jesus. And in the humanity of Jesus there was only One that He could come to when the weight of a moment became too much to bear. Jesus brought the weight of that moment to God the Father and in His agony Jesus prayed more earnestly. It says then in verse 43 that there was an answer to Jesus’ prayer and that an angel was sent from heaven to strengthen Him in His hour of need.

 

Take this cup from Me; nevertheless not my will, but Yours be done. That is not a prayer that we would normally make in the face of an agonizing situation. We would normally ask to be delivered from something that we would much rather not have to go through. Make it go away, please. When we pray that God’s will be done in our lives, do we really mean it? Is it alright for God’s will to be done in our lives as long as it doesn’t inconvenience us? Are we more of a people who think our plans must be God’s plans because our plans are what we want to do and God wouldn’t want us to do something that might cause us discomfort? I’m sure our comfort after all is what’s most important to God.

 

Do we treat God as a blessing dispenser for our lives, or are we truly concerned for His will to be done through us? Do we use Him to help us dodge the trials of life, or do we look to Him to strengthen us through them? Do we expect God to be all about us, or are we all about God? Maybe there are just some things we are supposed to go through. Will your faith be strengthened by them? You do have a choice.

 

God Bless,

Pastor Dave

Announcements:

Wednesday

– 11:30am Serendipity Seniors Luncheon in the Fellowship Hall. Great food and even greater fun

Wednesday

– 6:30pm Family Night in the Annex. Great fun for everyone so come and worship with us.

Saturday

– 9:00am Men’s Breakfast in the Fellowship Hall. Good food with a side of great fellowship.

Sunday

 
– Celebrate EASTER at Trinity as we worship our resurrected King!  Traditional service begins at 8:30 AM and Contemporary service begins at 10:30 AM


April 5, 2017

I pray you all are having a great week. Let me take a moment to tell you something that has been on my heart today. Thank you for being a part of the Trinity family. You are appreciated and prayed for. We have so much to be thankful for. The Lord has been so good to us and I was thinking how special it is when we can get together as a family on Sundays and worship Him together. Here is a scripture reading for you to enjoy today. 

Romans 12: 1 – 2

When you read this passage that Paul has written and see the way he begins the 1st verse you can hear the pleading in his words. “I beseech you” to me says that Paul is appealing to our will. That God calls us to make a choice in the way we live for Him. A conscious choice that we make every day.

There is a battle that is fought every day and you and I are right in the middle of it. You may think that you are able to stand on the sidelines and not be a participant in this battle. But sooner or later you find yourself having to get involved because without your consent you’ve been dragged right into the middle of it. 

What are the spoils for the victor of this battle? You are the prize believe it or not and the battle is over your spiritual mind. On one side, the world strives to convince you to conform to the ways of the world. On the other side a renewing or transforming  of your mind through Christ Jesus. The choice is yours to make and every day the battle is on.

Remember there is victory in Jesus. 

God Bless,

Pastor Dave

 

Announcements:

Wednesday – 6:30pm Family Night in the Annex – come and join us for a great time of worship  


Sunday – 8:30am Trinity’s Traditional Service – Come and enjoy great traditional worship – bring your friends


Sunday – 9:00am Sunday School for those attending the Contemporary Service


Sunday – 9:00am Sunday School for Kids and Youth


Sunday – 10:00am Sunday School for those who attended the Traditional Service


Sunday – 10:30am Trinity’s Contemporary Service – Come and enjoy great contemporary worship – bring a friend