1 Thessalonians 5:17-18: "Pray without ceasing. In everything give thanks: for this is the will of God in Christ Jesus concerning you."
There are many people who spend a great deal of time wondering about the Will of God, but I can tell you with certainty that, without a doubt it is the will of God for us to pray and the will of God to give thanks in everything! The Word of God makes this very clear. I confess the first post on Thanksgiving was easy, the most difficult part was how to keep it concise! I could go on and on being thankful for the incredible blessings in my life. This one is more difficult though…I mean the difficulty of the verse above is that one word - “everything.” So I wanted to do an exercise of a few things I can be thankful for that, at first, I wasn’t.
• I am thankful for the times people disappointed or sinned against me: I mean what better way for us to be reminded that we are fallen men around fallen men? What better way can we glorify God than by overlooking an offense that can be overlooked, or by living out Matthew 18 in our relationships? What better way to practice being a Peace Maker?
• I am thankful that I have to apologize to my wife and boys often: Is there a better way to take them by the hand and lead them to the cross than acknowledging when I sin against them, and what that did to our Savior? It also teaches our boys the need to deal with sin in their lives before God, and in our fellowship with other believers.
• I am thankful Trinity is not a church for everyone: God has given us, as a body, some fantastic additions by letter and by salvation - He has also given us some needed subtractions. As we increase our devotion to the Word and our accountability to one another, that will draw some in and some out. Through all of this, we give thanks.
• I am thankful for anonymous letters: On November the 8th we saw that what Satan meant for evil, God meant for good! As you can read from previous posts in November, God fell on Trinity corporately as we repented for past and present sin. It lead to amazing restoration of relationships and caused our men to rise up to lead their church and families!
• I am thankful for some in the world who slander, hate and persecute: The Word of God says in Luke 6:26-- “Woe to you, when all men shall speak well of you! for so did their fathers to the false prophets.” When we are a people all men speak well of, we cease to be a church that Christ will speak well of.
• I am thankful for times when God moved in and turned my focus on Him: Times when looking for staff, when trying to sell a house, trying to buy a house, getting family settled in - times when I just feel stressed! I thank God for those times because those are the times I am reminded of how weak, frail, and self reliant I can be.
• I am thankful for Michele’s recent sickness: My sweet wife was as sick as she had been since we were in Seminary. The love Trinity showed to her and our family was nothing short of amazing. It is an understatement as to how the Lord used this negative situation to bless our family immensely. Thank you Trinity!
As I wrote this list I thought of several more, but I can tell you with confidence our God is faithful regardless of the situation - be it good, or bad. He IS good and DOES good ALL the time!
Tuesday, November 24, 2009
Monday, November 23, 2009
Thanksgiving...looking back
I would not have the space to list all the things I am thankful for in my life, and I am not going to bore you to death by listing everything from my health, to the thankfulness that I get to see my family on Thanksgiving! I know that there are all kinds of lists that each of us could make with regard to things we are thankful for, but I want to put two unique lists together this week (one in each blog). I know that many of the readers of this blog are families with children and understand how the “addition” of children to your life changes things…so, I want to take the time to write a short list of things I am thankful for – from the perspective of my life now, as an adult.
• I am thankful that, as a child, my parents made me go to church.
• I am thankful that I don’t recall a time that my Dad ever gave me a “talk” about commitment, and then allowed me to skip church to go to my team’s ball game.
• I am thankful that when I turned 18 there was no conversation about me now being “an adult” and that I could choose to be faithful to the things of God. (At 18 years of age I didn’t buy my own toothpaste and I still had accountability to my parents). Isn’t that a crazy thought????
• I am thankful that I was in a church that taught the Word of God and actually expected me to strive for holiness.
• I am thankful that I was saved at an early age and thereby was saved from many of the terrible effects of sin.
• I am thankful that Michele said “yes” when I asked her to be my wife.
• I am thankful that if I had a “redo” of the night she said “yes,” I would do it again in a minute.
• I am more thankful that if she had a “redo,” she “says” she would say yes again.
• I am thankful that the Lord saved my boys at an early age.
• I am thankful that I am not their best friend, but I get the honor of being their Dad.
• I am thankful for a wife who knows me and still loves me, boys who hear me preach on Sunday and will still listen to me with smiles (most times) as I teach in our family worship.
• I am thankful for Trinity - that I have the honor of being called their Pastor - and a church family who I love more each and every day.
• I am most thankful for a Savior who called me and keeps me even though He knows all about me. What wonderful grace!
Certainly I could go on, but as an adult looking back, these are some the greatest gifts in my life.
• I am thankful that, as a child, my parents made me go to church.
• I am thankful that I don’t recall a time that my Dad ever gave me a “talk” about commitment, and then allowed me to skip church to go to my team’s ball game.
• I am thankful that when I turned 18 there was no conversation about me now being “an adult” and that I could choose to be faithful to the things of God. (At 18 years of age I didn’t buy my own toothpaste and I still had accountability to my parents). Isn’t that a crazy thought????
• I am thankful that I was in a church that taught the Word of God and actually expected me to strive for holiness.
• I am thankful that I was saved at an early age and thereby was saved from many of the terrible effects of sin.
• I am thankful that Michele said “yes” when I asked her to be my wife.
• I am thankful that if I had a “redo” of the night she said “yes,” I would do it again in a minute.
• I am more thankful that if she had a “redo,” she “says” she would say yes again.
• I am thankful that the Lord saved my boys at an early age.
• I am thankful that I am not their best friend, but I get the honor of being their Dad.
• I am thankful for a wife who knows me and still loves me, boys who hear me preach on Sunday and will still listen to me with smiles (most times) as I teach in our family worship.
• I am thankful for Trinity - that I have the honor of being called their Pastor - and a church family who I love more each and every day.
• I am most thankful for a Savior who called me and keeps me even though He knows all about me. What wonderful grace!
Certainly I could go on, but as an adult looking back, these are some the greatest gifts in my life.
Friday, November 20, 2009
Say Hello To My Little Friend...
Many of you have shared with me how much The Peace Maker has meant to you. I believe it goes without saying how God has used it to impact our church, but I also wanted to take a moment and share with you a major impact it has made in my life. The Peace Maker has taken an enemy, something that no one could possibly like, and has allowed me to make it my friend. This friend is one I have rarely spoken about - a friend that at one time was a despised enemy by me, and to be honest, an enemy to most of the readers of this blog. He is often ugly, he doesn’t smell pleasant by any stretch of the imagination and he is older than anyone I know. I must confess I hear from him less and less by decisions I have made through the years, but many times when I see him I cringe! He pops up at the most inappropriate times and in fact, words things in a way that many times, they are far fetched at best, and often outright lies. When he speaks the truth, seldom does it drip with grace and love - most of the time it is with a desire to belittle or even hurt. This troll looking individual hung out with Moses, Jeremiah, Jesus, Paul, Martin Luther, Charles Spurgeon and I suppose, most any believer attempting to walk with God. Each handled him differently, but most of them handled him as a dear friend (but always keeping him in his rightful place). Christ spoke about this “little friend” that would be with His followers by saying in Luke 6:26 “Woe to you when all men speak well of you….” Or Charles Spurgeon said that every Pastor must have “One blind eye and one deaf ear.” Martin Luther would agree with the enemy as he hurled accusations against him. Paul had this friend follow him in most of the places he preached - in fact he would go before him to prepare the way! What made these men so strong in their faith and bold in their words was, in part, because of the friend called CRITICISM. Now, I must confess I limit his access; I do not read anonymous letters (they never make it to me), I block message boards and other sites because I can not stop the heathen from raging. But when something comes to me, I must recognize God’s sovereignty and see this little “troll” as a friend, or as an enemy. If I see him as an enemy, I will recoil, attack, become bitter and lose sleep. But if I see him as a friend, I will see him as someone who enables me to depend on the grace of God, who drives me to the cross of Christ. To one who embraces this visitor, whether he comes bearing truth or lies, it will cause him to learn more about God’s sovereignty. As a matter of fact, he can even use it to determine if he is going the right direction - for if the enemy hurls accusations, one must be doing something right. The truth is, we need this friend - I need this friend! For how many of us ever get a glimpse of suffering in America? How many of us are ever persecuted for truth? We will not be imprisoned at the present time - we will not be tortured, so how can I identify with Him and hold to the promise that we will suffer? How can I know if I love Him if the world is always cheering me on? Oh, as we are nearing an end to this incredible study of The Peacemaker, may God allow all of us to see this ugly little thing called criticism as a welcomed friend. If all men speak well of you, that my friend is when you should lose sleep!
Luke 6:22-23 Blessed are you when people hate you and when they exclude you and revile you and spurn your name as evil, on account of the Son of Man! Rejoice in that day, and leap for joy, for behold, your reward is great in heaven; for so their fathers did to the prophets .
Luke 6:22-23 Blessed are you when people hate you and when they exclude you and revile you and spurn your name as evil, on account of the Son of Man! Rejoice in that day, and leap for joy, for behold, your reward is great in heaven; for so their fathers did to the prophets .
Monday, November 16, 2009
Famous Repentance
Charles Spurgeon once said something like this…A man’s repentance should be more famous that his sin. It is my prayer that this will be true for Trinity Baptist Church. Per request of our deacons you will find the two letters written. While I know there were three written, the one we sent to Bro. Jim Butler is the same in its text as we sent to Bro. David Jett, simply because the same sin was committed against each man. We pray that this will encourage all of us to lead a life of repentance.
Letter #1 November 8, 2009
Dear Bro. David/Jim:
We hope this letter finds you doing well and the Lord blessing your ministry. We are rejoicing in what the Lord is doing in the midst of our fellowship here at Trinity. Some of the blessings we are experiencing today are no doubt due to the way the Lord worked through you and your ministry here as you labored among His flock. As of this time, we are in the midst of a study entitled The Peace Maker. As believers we understand that God has called each of us to glorify Him by being at peace with one another. It is for that reason we are writing this letter.
Throughout your ministry at Trinity, there were many who loved you and still have great love and admiration for you and the work that God did through you. However, we understand that, as we live in a fallen world with fallen people, there were those at Trinity that did not support and pray for you as God desires us to do for those He chose to lead us in His work. We know there were those who were divisive and chose to engage in the practice of sinful gossip. While we believe the majority appreciated and was thankful for your ministry, we also recognize that many did not follow Christ’s example by stepping up and squelching the sinful gossip and undercutting of our spiritual authority.
We are sorrowed and deeply regretful that we did not fulfill our responsibility as believers in doing what Christ wanted us to do. As a church body, we have appealed to our Father asking forgiveness, and we now appeal to you asking the same.
In short, we, as a body, stand guilty and, like the prophets of the nation of Israel would call out to God for restitution for their past sins, we stand today doing the same thing. It is our prayer that, as time passes, our heavenly Father will bring to mind the eternal difference you made in our fellowship and may God’s grace and favor turn again to us as we repent of our past sins against you and His Kingdom. May the Lord bless you and your family in the days ahead.
In Christ,
Trinity Baptist Church represented by:
Letter #2
November 8, 2009
Dear Trinity Baptist Church Members:
In Romans 12, Paul moves from theological to practical, giving guidelines for living as a redeemed people in a fallen world. We are to give ourselves to Christ as living sacrifices.
Romans 12:1-3: And so, dear brothers and sisters, I plead with you to give your bodies to GOD because of all He has done for you. Let them be a living sacrifice – the kind He will find acceptable. This is truly the way to worship Him. Don’t copy the behavior and customs of this world, but let GOD transform you into a new person by changing the way you think. Then you will learn to know GOD’S will for you, which is good and pleasing and perfect. Because of privilege and authority GOD has given me, I give each of you this warning: Don’t think you are better than you really are. Be honest in your evaluation of yourselves, measuring yourselves by the faith GOD has given us.
Your deacon body comes before you today with a heart of repentance and a request for forgiveness for present, as well as past sins, against our church and against the pastors GOD has placed here at Trinity. Our LORD has confirmed to us, time and time again, that He has chosen the man He wants to lead His church. In the past, we as a church and as deacons, have not always followed the heart or Word of GOD. We are selfish and self-serving causing discontent and division within our church body and against our pastors. For the health of our church and the continued blessing and anointing of our LORD, it is imperative that we stand united. We must realize we have fallen short in supporting our previous pastors and repent for these sins directly to them and to the LORD. We must also repent to Bro. Chad and beg his forgiveness for our shortcoming of limited support, spreading of sinful gossip, and undercutting of his spiritual authority.
A pastor is not perfect and will not always make decisions that are popular but GOD has confirmed to us that Bro. Chad is the pastor He placed here at Trinity. May our words and actions be as a “living sacrifice” as we move forward in the life of Trinity Baptist Church; that GOD will forgive us and continue to walk with us for many years to come.
In Christ,
The Deacon Body
Trinity Baptist Church
Letter #1 November 8, 2009
Dear Bro. David/Jim:
We hope this letter finds you doing well and the Lord blessing your ministry. We are rejoicing in what the Lord is doing in the midst of our fellowship here at Trinity. Some of the blessings we are experiencing today are no doubt due to the way the Lord worked through you and your ministry here as you labored among His flock. As of this time, we are in the midst of a study entitled The Peace Maker. As believers we understand that God has called each of us to glorify Him by being at peace with one another. It is for that reason we are writing this letter.
Throughout your ministry at Trinity, there were many who loved you and still have great love and admiration for you and the work that God did through you. However, we understand that, as we live in a fallen world with fallen people, there were those at Trinity that did not support and pray for you as God desires us to do for those He chose to lead us in His work. We know there were those who were divisive and chose to engage in the practice of sinful gossip. While we believe the majority appreciated and was thankful for your ministry, we also recognize that many did not follow Christ’s example by stepping up and squelching the sinful gossip and undercutting of our spiritual authority.
We are sorrowed and deeply regretful that we did not fulfill our responsibility as believers in doing what Christ wanted us to do. As a church body, we have appealed to our Father asking forgiveness, and we now appeal to you asking the same.
In short, we, as a body, stand guilty and, like the prophets of the nation of Israel would call out to God for restitution for their past sins, we stand today doing the same thing. It is our prayer that, as time passes, our heavenly Father will bring to mind the eternal difference you made in our fellowship and may God’s grace and favor turn again to us as we repent of our past sins against you and His Kingdom. May the Lord bless you and your family in the days ahead.
In Christ,
Trinity Baptist Church represented by:
Letter #2
November 8, 2009
Dear Trinity Baptist Church Members:
In Romans 12, Paul moves from theological to practical, giving guidelines for living as a redeemed people in a fallen world. We are to give ourselves to Christ as living sacrifices.
Romans 12:1-3: And so, dear brothers and sisters, I plead with you to give your bodies to GOD because of all He has done for you. Let them be a living sacrifice – the kind He will find acceptable. This is truly the way to worship Him. Don’t copy the behavior and customs of this world, but let GOD transform you into a new person by changing the way you think. Then you will learn to know GOD’S will for you, which is good and pleasing and perfect. Because of privilege and authority GOD has given me, I give each of you this warning: Don’t think you are better than you really are. Be honest in your evaluation of yourselves, measuring yourselves by the faith GOD has given us.
Your deacon body comes before you today with a heart of repentance and a request for forgiveness for present, as well as past sins, against our church and against the pastors GOD has placed here at Trinity. Our LORD has confirmed to us, time and time again, that He has chosen the man He wants to lead His church. In the past, we as a church and as deacons, have not always followed the heart or Word of GOD. We are selfish and self-serving causing discontent and division within our church body and against our pastors. For the health of our church and the continued blessing and anointing of our LORD, it is imperative that we stand united. We must realize we have fallen short in supporting our previous pastors and repent for these sins directly to them and to the LORD. We must also repent to Bro. Chad and beg his forgiveness for our shortcoming of limited support, spreading of sinful gossip, and undercutting of his spiritual authority.
A pastor is not perfect and will not always make decisions that are popular but GOD has confirmed to us that Bro. Chad is the pastor He placed here at Trinity. May our words and actions be as a “living sacrifice” as we move forward in the life of Trinity Baptist Church; that GOD will forgive us and continue to walk with us for many years to come.
In Christ,
The Deacon Body
Trinity Baptist Church
Friday, November 13, 2009
Still Amazed...
Several days after Sunday night, we are still getting e-mails and phone calls regarding what God began and is continuing to do within our fellowship at Trinity. The foundation that is being laid by conducting our life biblically is utterly amazing! If you recall, in the book of Joshua after God’s people crossed over the Jordan, they stacked stones up as a memorial of what God had done. We have been approached with several ideas of ways to do this with our church. Some of you have even discussed some things you have done as a family or as individuals to make this a “spiritual marker” in your life. The Jews did this quite often - they had many celebrations to teach their children great spiritual truths and, in truth it is something we do not do often enough as His people. In hopes of remedying that somewhat, we are going to have two specific “monuments” to recognize our repentance as His people.
First, we are going to take the three letters that were written by our deacons on behalf of our congregation, and make copies of them and the signatures, and frame them. We will probably put them up on the wall with the pictures of our previous pastors. I wish I could say I thought of this creative idea, but I didn’t. However, it serves as an opportunity for us to be reminded of our repentance as a body, and our commitment to being peacemakers for the glory of God. We have made a commitment and have drawn a line that we will Endeavor/Battle/War, as Paul said, to have peace. There will always be some who will not want that - but as for the majority at Trinity, we will serve and honor our Lord. Secondly, we will be providing personal mementos of this event by making copies of every passage of Scripture read, and the lyrics to the songs that took place in our service. We are doing this to allow us to keep them in our Bibles or notebooks, so we have reminders in front of us of what God has called us to do. In the next post I will have the letters our Deacons wrote to Bro. Jim, Bro. David and to the Church, posted as requested by our Deacons. To God be the glory - great deeds He has done! But also, to God be the glory great things He will do! I look forward to seeing you on Sunday!
First, we are going to take the three letters that were written by our deacons on behalf of our congregation, and make copies of them and the signatures, and frame them. We will probably put them up on the wall with the pictures of our previous pastors. I wish I could say I thought of this creative idea, but I didn’t. However, it serves as an opportunity for us to be reminded of our repentance as a body, and our commitment to being peacemakers for the glory of God. We have made a commitment and have drawn a line that we will Endeavor/Battle/War, as Paul said, to have peace. There will always be some who will not want that - but as for the majority at Trinity, we will serve and honor our Lord. Secondly, we will be providing personal mementos of this event by making copies of every passage of Scripture read, and the lyrics to the songs that took place in our service. We are doing this to allow us to keep them in our Bibles or notebooks, so we have reminders in front of us of what God has called us to do. In the next post I will have the letters our Deacons wrote to Bro. Jim, Bro. David and to the Church, posted as requested by our Deacons. To God be the glory - great deeds He has done! But also, to God be the glory great things He will do! I look forward to seeing you on Sunday!
Tuesday, November 10, 2009
An Amazing Service...
I had a phone call yesterday from a dear brother in our church that is retired from the ministry: he shared with me that at only one other time in his life, many years ago, had he seen God move in a service the way He moved in our service Sunday night! We had a wonderful attendance, but unfortunately we had some that could not make it. As I am sure you have all heard, our deacons wrote some very special letters that we will make available to you to sign, if you wish. And, as with every service, we will have it on DVD. The truth is however, that it was one of those services that you “just had to be there”. I thought I would take this opportunity to share with you some comments made about the service Sunday night that have been sent via facebook or e-mail:
I know for me that Sunday night a relationship was mended and the healing began! I have wanted this for so long but was not sure how or if this was possible. I will be forever changed by this service!
It was Amazing!!
Heart breaking, heart wrenching, heart changing.
God is really moving at Trinity! Tonight was an awesome beginning to the healing and seeking of forgiveness that we (especially me) need so much.
I was more humbled by your reading of the Word. Thank you for always going there first. =)
Amazed I get to be a part of this incredible body....overwhelmed by the Grace of God...
Definitely a mountaintop experience!
Jeremiah 15:16 "Your words were found, and I ate them, And Your word was to me the joy and rejoicing of my heart." I am praising the Lord this morning for His sweet, healing words to us last night.
Last night was truly AMAZING!! God's hand was all over Trinity last night, what a life changing and church changing experience!!
I pray that this is the beginning to an end....the end of division within our church body....the end to petty differences....the end to an era of "This is MY church" or "I have been going here for ?? years and I am not going to change"....the end to the level of gossip that takes place within and outside of the walls of Gods beautiful house....
Awsome- kinda like when the children of Israel saw the cloud of the glory of God in the temple...God was there tonight.
Closure:)
WOW, what a time of healing Sunday night, that was the most amazing church service that I’ve ever participated in!
Since Sunday night was so moving and it is obvious that everyone wants it to "live" with us for as long as possible, what do you think of creating a handout with all the scriptures printed out (the actual scriptures-not just references) with the lyrics to the songs in between. Seems like it would be a great reminder and a tool to just keep in our bibles and remind us of our commitment.
This was just a SMALL sample, and more general statements, I took quotes from. From the phone calls, to the meetings, God moved mightily! The truth is that I have had the honor of being in some wonderful churches with some wonderful Preachers…but I have never been in a service like what we experienced Sunday night. I shared with my boys as we spoke about it Sunday night, that they never need to take this for granted - they need to journal or do something in order to remember how God moved on this special night. Thank you Trinity, for receiving the Word of God! Make a commitment to not come down from the work of this wall even when the modern day Sanballat, Tobiah and Geshem show up…(or Moe, Larry and Curly… however you want to refer to them). Regardless, we are committed to do His work, to do it His way and we get to watch Heaven move down on our services.
To be continued….
I know for me that Sunday night a relationship was mended and the healing began! I have wanted this for so long but was not sure how or if this was possible. I will be forever changed by this service!
It was Amazing!!
Heart breaking, heart wrenching, heart changing.
God is really moving at Trinity! Tonight was an awesome beginning to the healing and seeking of forgiveness that we (especially me) need so much.
I was more humbled by your reading of the Word. Thank you for always going there first. =)
Amazed I get to be a part of this incredible body....overwhelmed by the Grace of God...
Definitely a mountaintop experience!
Jeremiah 15:16 "Your words were found, and I ate them, And Your word was to me the joy and rejoicing of my heart." I am praising the Lord this morning for His sweet, healing words to us last night.
Last night was truly AMAZING!! God's hand was all over Trinity last night, what a life changing and church changing experience!!
I pray that this is the beginning to an end....the end of division within our church body....the end to petty differences....the end to an era of "This is MY church" or "I have been going here for ?? years and I am not going to change"....the end to the level of gossip that takes place within and outside of the walls of Gods beautiful house....
Awsome- kinda like when the children of Israel saw the cloud of the glory of God in the temple...God was there tonight.
Closure:)
WOW, what a time of healing Sunday night, that was the most amazing church service that I’ve ever participated in!
Since Sunday night was so moving and it is obvious that everyone wants it to "live" with us for as long as possible, what do you think of creating a handout with all the scriptures printed out (the actual scriptures-not just references) with the lyrics to the songs in between. Seems like it would be a great reminder and a tool to just keep in our bibles and remind us of our commitment.
This was just a SMALL sample, and more general statements, I took quotes from. From the phone calls, to the meetings, God moved mightily! The truth is that I have had the honor of being in some wonderful churches with some wonderful Preachers…but I have never been in a service like what we experienced Sunday night. I shared with my boys as we spoke about it Sunday night, that they never need to take this for granted - they need to journal or do something in order to remember how God moved on this special night. Thank you Trinity, for receiving the Word of God! Make a commitment to not come down from the work of this wall even when the modern day Sanballat, Tobiah and Geshem show up…(or Moe, Larry and Curly… however you want to refer to them). Regardless, we are committed to do His work, to do it His way and we get to watch Heaven move down on our services.
To be continued….
Thursday, November 5, 2009
Tuesday, November 3, 2009
A Very Important Service...
I primarily use this blog to share with our Trinity Fellowship but also in hopes to communicate with other believers. I will usually post twice a week, however this week will be my only post because I want it up the entire week. Thursday I will only put up a reminder to be in prayer for this service:
November 8th could be service that will forever change our church! On a cold Sunday night in early December, almost a year ago now, we had around a thousand people show up on a Sunday EVENING and vote that they believed God wanted me to the Pastor of Trinity Baptist Church. I accepted that position believing God had a great work to do here in our fellowship. I believe one of the primary reasons God has allowed me to be your Pastor will be revealed during this service. For years to come, November 8th service will be viewed one of two ways: First, it could be viewed as a life altering moment for our fellowship where hearts were stirred and God fell mightily! Secondly, it could be viewed as an opportunity for God’s grace and power to fall upon Trinity – but we rejected what God wanted to do in our church. To be frank (as I suppose I always am), this will not be a service that we will leave without stirring or conviction - In fact, it will be an opportunity for us to turn to God or for Him to turn from us. In the year that I have been your Pastor, you know that I have never been one to build to a single moment…I am not a promoter - but I have been called to be a Preacher. I am not using hyperbole to gain a crowd that night and in fact, I really only want those who truly love Trinity and desire to be long term members of this family to come that night! I want you to know this is not going to be a surprise celebration; it is not going to be a giant party. This is going to be a time to do business with a HOLY God, a time to hold a mirror up to ourselves, and a time to make or break the future of Trinity. I find myself extremely hesitant to put so much emphasis on one service - but what will take place this night will not be a simple service, it will be the beginning of change! This is not the power of our work, but the power of His Word. I look forward to seeing you this Sunday evening!
November 8th could be service that will forever change our church! On a cold Sunday night in early December, almost a year ago now, we had around a thousand people show up on a Sunday EVENING and vote that they believed God wanted me to the Pastor of Trinity Baptist Church. I accepted that position believing God had a great work to do here in our fellowship. I believe one of the primary reasons God has allowed me to be your Pastor will be revealed during this service. For years to come, November 8th service will be viewed one of two ways: First, it could be viewed as a life altering moment for our fellowship where hearts were stirred and God fell mightily! Secondly, it could be viewed as an opportunity for God’s grace and power to fall upon Trinity – but we rejected what God wanted to do in our church. To be frank (as I suppose I always am), this will not be a service that we will leave without stirring or conviction - In fact, it will be an opportunity for us to turn to God or for Him to turn from us. In the year that I have been your Pastor, you know that I have never been one to build to a single moment…I am not a promoter - but I have been called to be a Preacher. I am not using hyperbole to gain a crowd that night and in fact, I really only want those who truly love Trinity and desire to be long term members of this family to come that night! I want you to know this is not going to be a surprise celebration; it is not going to be a giant party. This is going to be a time to do business with a HOLY God, a time to hold a mirror up to ourselves, and a time to make or break the future of Trinity. I find myself extremely hesitant to put so much emphasis on one service - but what will take place this night will not be a simple service, it will be the beginning of change! This is not the power of our work, but the power of His Word. I look forward to seeing you this Sunday evening!
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