Trinity Lutheran Church Blog

Thanksgiving is a special opportunity to express our gratitude to God for His provision and blessing throughout the year.

Are there any needs in your life that have not yet been met? Maybe after months of looking for a job, you are still unemployed. Maybe you are facing a lingering health issue that is still unresolved.

Maybe you have offered up your prayer to God asking Him to meet your need and you are still waiting for an answer. Doesn’t the Bible say, “God will supply all your needs?” (Philippians 4:19)

Yes, He will, but it will be “according to His riches in glory in Christ Jesus.” The background of this promise reveals that His resources come to us as a result of our faith relationship with Christ. Psalm 84:11 tells us that “No good thing does He withhold from those who walk uprightly.” This means that your heart is bent toward the Lord and you want to please Him.

Of course He will not support a lifestyle not in step with His word and will because it is not in your best interest and will not bring glory to Him.

God does want you to come to Him in time of need and ask Him to supply what you lack. Asking Him for help shows that your attitude is one of humble dependence and not prideful self-reliance.

When you come to God in need, your motives must be pure. James 4:3 says, “You ask and do not receive, because you ask with wrong motives, so that you may spend it on your pleasure.”

Our requests should always be in accordance with the Father’s will. (1 John 5:14-15) God not only knows what you need; He also knows when to give it. He always knows the best time to grant your petitions. Isaiah 64:4 says that God “acts in behalf of the one who waits for Him.” You need to be patient!

You need to realize that God’s way of meeting your needs may not be what you envisioned or hoped.

You must keep your eyes on the Lord, not on your needs. Matthew 6:33 gives you the proper focus, “But seek first His kingdom and His righteousness, and all these things will be added to you.”

Our top priority in life is spiritual in nature, our relationship to Christ. If your main concern is what you need, then you are not seeking the kingdom of God. Don’t reverse this divine order by trying to use God to get what you desire.

Instead, place all your requests under His authority, acknowledging His right to give to you, or not.  Remember, your greatest need is to develop godly character, a selfless attitude, a renewed mind, and a surrendered will.  That’s what you should be seeking and asking the Lord to produce in you.

This Thanksgiving season carve out some time to thank God for His special blessings in your life. For example, even though He may not have given financial prosperity, He might have produced trust and contentment within you. Instead of healing you physically, perhaps He taught you that His grace is sufficient in your weakness. And through loneliness, maybe He gave you the comfort of a closer relationship with Him. By focusing on the Lord’s spiritual provisions, you will gain a new understanding of His ways, and your gratitude will overflow.

“Give thanks to the Lord, for He is good; His love endures forever.” (Psalm 107:1)

“Enter His gates with thanksgiving and His courts with praise;” here at Trinity on Thanksgiving Eve, Wednesday, November 24th, at Noon & 7:00 p.m. to “give thanks to Him and praise His name. For the Lord is good and His love endures forever.” (Psalm 100: 4, 5)

Always in His Grip,

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Tidbits from …

40 Days of Community

All of the small groups are well underway with their service projects, and I personally can’t wait to see them in action! It’s inspiring and encouraging to see so many people within our congregation and community coming together, finding a need, and coming up with creative methods to help solve those needs. God’s blessings to you all as you put these plans into action the next few weeks!  Remember, you don’t have to be involved in 40 Days of Community, or even a member of Trinity to serve others’ needs. You just have to have the heart for serving God’s people!

Jingle Bells, Jingle….WHAT?!  It can’t POSSIBLY be that time of year yet, right?  WRONG! We are already planning and preparing Trinity’s Christmas Pageant! We are less than TEN SUNDAYS AWAY from this event! If you wish to get involved, there are many areas to volunteer your time and/or skills! The Christmas Pageant will be on Sunday, December 19th so MARK YOUR CALENDARS! Children participating will most likely have a Saturday practice or two on the 11th and 18th, so you may want to pencil those in as well for the time being.

Monthly Challenge: “Check your neighbors’ feet.” As mentioned in my 40 Days section, it’s very inspiring to see so many causes and individuals being helped and served in our community. But does this happen often enough? Why is it that when it comes up once in a while we rally together and help in quick bursts of serving energy, then it seems to disappear eventually? Sure the holidays are a great time to help out our fellow man, but what about the rest of the year?

This month I challenge you to have a serving heart in your daily lives, not just at church, or just for a campaign that lasts 40 days. Do you see someone at work, school, the gym, a stranger at the train station, that has an apparent need? Is there something you can do to help them out? Do they just need an ear that will listen to them, or a shoulder they can cry on?

Remember, Jesus himself did not come to be served, but to serve. He got down on the floor and washed his disciples’ feet. Are we willing to be Christ-like and do that for our brothers and sisters at the drop of a hat, expecting nothing in return? With God’s help, we can transform our serving hearts. Blessings to you as you take on this challenge!

Something to ponder: If we are here to help others, what exactly are “the others” here for?

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You may have heard about the 40 Days of Community campaign that is underway. It is a journey of deepening God’s purposes in community within our church and serving the community around us. We are being asked to make increasing levels of spiritual commitment throughout the 40 days of community. Each small group is targeting an outreach project in the community. Each outreach project is a demonstration of faith active in love. We are learning to tell our story of how God has worked in our lives so that we can willingly and easily share the hope we have in Christ with those who don’t know Him as their Lord and Savior. The campaign is surely a spiritual workout that will enable us to strengthen our individual faith. We will celebrate the conclusion of our journey on Reformation Sunday with the challenge to continue to live out God’s purposes in community beyond the campaign.

Are you generous? The Bible tells us, “A generous man will prosper; he who refreshes others will himself be refreshed.” (Proverbs 1:25)

You can have every blessing God has for you but not through focusing on yourself, drowning in your own misery or worrying about how others treat you.  Think about the impact you can have if you look for opportunities to be generous to others everywhere you go.

If you embrace generosity and give of yourself every day, you will make the lives of those around you better. You will be blessed more than the person who is receiving the blessing.

God loves a cheerful giver. Check yourself to see if you need an attitude adjustment.

Every one of us needs to deliberately declare war on selfishness. Jesus went about doing good for others and we should, too. So many people need to know that someone cares.

Here’s your challenge: Spread the love of God by being generous. It could be through simple, deliberate acts of kindness or sharing your monetary resources. Trust God to lead you in practical, loving ways … with JOY!

Are you willing to share your time, compassion, prayers and attention with someone who needs it? Do you give not only your money, but other resources – including yourself – to others who need a helping hand? How are you sharing your talents, gifts and abilities with others?

We must be willing to give ourselves as a sacrifice. Decide to live a life of loving generosity and then watch what God does IN you and THROUGH you.  The best way to survive a financial crisis is to be generous. The Biblical perspective of finances is to keep on giving, especially during challenging financial times.

You can reach out to bless others in your family, your neighborhood, our church, at your job … anywhere and at any time. As we obey God and help others, He will meet all of our needs and bless us.

Don’t be fearful about tomorrow. Instead, do whatever you can to live in righteousness, peace, joy and generosity, and trust God for the rest. Proverbs 28:27 says, “He who gives to the poor will not want …” That’s the power of generosity!

Stay in His Grip!

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What in the world are WE here for?

That’s the question we’ll be exploring and answering over the six weeks of September 19th – October 31st. Through worship, small group study, and mission/service outreach, we will answer that question and realize that we are all part of God’s grand purpose in being the channels of His love. These 40 days will prove to be most important for you individually and for us collectively as a congregation if we are to maximize our faith commitment and walk in God’s will for us. To make that a reality to the fullest possibility, we need the highest level of participation. That means having the highest number of us in worship and small groups throughout the 40 days. The benefits will bear much fruit in your personal spiritual journey and our congregational growth as community of believers serving others in His Name. I invite you to sign up at the 40 Days of Community center in the narthex at church. Join us in this adventure of faith, and then help us reach out into our community.

Our Sunday School Rally Day begins on the 12th. Sign your kids up now. Let’s keep them growing in God’s Word. On the 12th they will meet their teacher and join in a morning of exciting activities beginning at 9:15 am. After the 2nd service, there will be an ice cream social and balloon release!

Let’s all get into God’s Word … “continue in what you have learned and have become convinced of, because you know those from whom you learned it, and how from infancy you have known the holy Scriptures, which are able to make you wise for salvation through faith in Christ Jesus.” (2 Timothy 3:14, 15)

In the grip of His grace,

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When it comes to our children, we spare no expense in time or money to get them involved in activities that we think will give them an edge in life. This is good if we keep things balanced. Just like eating, we need to make sure that our kids learn how to eat a balanced diet and not just gorge on junk food that will ultimately harm their health in the long run. The foundation that is laid in childhood is the foundation upon which their life will be built, one year at a time.  If it is solid and firm, then the life they build upon that foundation will most likely be solid. A poor foundation will not hold up as the years pass and will eventually crumble and collapse.

In the mixture of providing a well-rounded, healthy, and balanced foundation, a spiritual or faith aspect must be present. It must start early and remain constant as the child grows and matures.

A 5-year- old girl was sitting on her mother’s lap, enjoying a time of quiet conversation. Her mother prayed with her child, read her Bible stories each evening, and took her to worship services frequently – so it wasn’t surprising when the girl asked, “Mom, does God live in your heart?”

The mother smiled and nodded.

Wanting to find out more, the girl asked, “Can I listen?” Her mother laughed as the daughter placed her head against her chest. Suddenly the little girl’s eyes widened, and she jerked her head away.

“Did you hear anything?” the mother asked.

“I did!” the daughter exclaimed. “God was making coffee!”

Observant parents soon understand that a child, like an adult, is a spiritual being. Every child has the capacity for a personal relationship with Him. A child can learn to see life through spiritual eyes and apply truth to his or her beliefs and choices. The earlier this foundation is laid, the more likely the child is to thrive during adulthood.

A strong spiritual foundation is essential for healthy children, families and society. Children who have a healthy spiritual foundation grow up knowing they are loved by their Creator, who has endowed them with unique gifts, talents and abilities.

When children have a personal connection with God and know what the Bible says about them, they are better equipped to accurately assess their abilities and live life to the fullest. In contrast, the failure to establish a healthy spiritual foundation can be a recipe for disaster. A child who hasn’t been shown how to have a personal relationship with God is at a huge disadvantage. He will struggle to figure out life and his place in it. Such a child may not realize how special each person is to the Creator and may fail to develop a healthy respect for all human life.

According to psychologist Andrew Weaver, spiritual and cultural experience is linked to children’s behavior and development. He concludes that a spiritual foundation helps to buffer children from the poisons of culture. Religious belief among children has many healthy outcomes, including reduced suicide attempts, less depression, better response to trauma and less substance abuse.

A healthy spiritual foundation in the life of a child is paramount to their growth and development.

At Trinity, we want to partner with you to provide some of the spiritual building blocks for laying the firm foundation of faith for your child. TLC Preschool, Trinity’s Sunday School, Confirmation classes, youth Bible study, Vacation Bible School, and a Kids worship time are some of the venues available to assist you, as parents, in nurturing spiritually healthy kids. We are also planning to provide special speaker forums to give you the tools you need as godly parents.

Have a great rest of the summer.

In His Grip,

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July marks the beginning of the 2nd half of 2010. How are you doing with those New Year resolutions? It’s okay to press the restart button and give it a second whirl. Second chances are always welcomed. God is the God of second chances. He never gives up on you and me. He has a plan and purpose for each of us to accomplish. We need to stay connected to His Word in order to know and do His will. Christ needs to be on the throne of our hearts. If He isn’t reigning in our hearts, then you and I are practicing idolatry with self or pride is ruling in our hearts. “You shall have no other gods before Me.” God calls us to confess, repent, and receive forgiveness of sin, restoration, and healing. It is God’s desire that we be led by the Spirit. It is God’s desire that we live by the Spirit.  It is God’s desire that we exhibit the fruit of the Spirit: love; joy; peace; patience; kindness; goodness; faithfulness; gentleness and self-control. It’s never too late to start again. God is giving you and me a second chance. Isn’t His grace amazing?

As we pause to celebrate our nation’s birthday on July 4th, let’s give thanks to God for all the blessings He has poured out upon our country. May we not ignore, legislate nor judicially remove God from the pages of our nation’s past, present, or future.

In the words of the Psalm (33: 12ff): “Blessed is the nation whose God is the Lord, the people He chose for His inheritance. From heaven the Lord looks down and sees all mankind; from His dwelling place He watches all who live on earth – He who forms the hearts of all, who considers everything they do. … The eyes of the Lord are on those who fear Him, on those whose hope is in His unfailing love, to deliver them from death and keep them alive in famine. We wait in hope for the Lord; He is our help and our shield. In Him our hearts rejoice, for we trust in His holy name. May Your unfailing love rest upon us, O Lord, even as we put our hope in You.”

Don’t take a vacation from God. He is worth your worship … “Sing joyfully to the Lord, you righteous; it is fitting for the upright to praise Him.” (Psalm 33:1) “Praise the Lord, all you nations; extol Him, all you peoples.” (Psalm 117:1) “Shout for joy to the Lord, all the earth. Worship the Lord with gladness; come before Him with joyful songs. Know that the Lord is God. … Enter His gates with thanksgiving and His courts with praise; give thanks to Him and praise His name.” (Psalm 10:1, 2, 3a, 4)

Always in His Grip,

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Sue Hansen, our TLC Director, has officially retired (see letter under Voters Minutes). She has been a teacher and then director (wearing many other hats down through the years) serving the children of our community for 18 years.

It’s hard to imagine TLC without Sue at the helm! Her husband Rich has sold his business and they plan to live on a boat and travel. We wish them God’s blessing and thank Sue for all she has done over the years. We are planning to celebrate Sue’s ministry on the 27th of June at the 9:30 am worship service followed by a luncheon and program.

It will be difficult to fill Sue’s shoes, but the TLC Board has begun the search for a new director. Sue plans to be around over the summer to help out in any way possible. Our great teaching staff remains in place and
enrollment for next season is almost at capacity.

Sue, you’ve left a wonderful legacy! THANK YOU! Our love and prayers go with you.

Always in His Grip,

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Summer Worship times begin Memorial Day Weekend: Saturday, 5:30 pm (same); Sunday, 8:00 am (same); and 9:30 am (different – 1 hour earlier).  These times will go through Labor Day Weekend.

Vacation Bible School will be the week of June 14-18 (Monday – Friday, 9:00-11:30 am) for children entering kindergarten through those entering 6th grade.  This year’s theme is titled Hero Headquarters where kids join forces with God! With God’s power at work, you, too, can be heroes right where you are!  Dave and Jodi Van Kley will once again be with us. We need volunteers to help make this an exciting experience. Don’t forget to bring a friend. Details will be on our website along with a registration form. Members, we need your help to support this vital children’s ministry. We will once again be taking an afterservice door offering and will also supply special VBS 2010 envelopes for donations.

Please call the church office to sign up for our next AIC – Adult Information Class. There will be 7 two hour sessions of what Lutheran Christians believe, teach, and confess. There is no charge or obligation. If you are interested in becoming a Lutheran and a communicant member of Trinity congregation, or if you are already a member and just want to brush up on the detail of the faith, this class is for you. First class is scheduled for Tuesday, May 25th at 6:30 – 8:30 pm.

The Lord has truly blessed each and every one of us in many ways. He still expects us to trust in His daily provision for all our needs. With that trust, He invites us to test His generosity by responding to His graciousness with the weekly offering of our first fruits. We are not giving to a budget, but to the Lord. Remember, God loves a cheerful giver (“Each man should give what he has decided in his heart to give, not reluctantly or under compulsion, for God loves a cheerful giver.” 2 Cor. 9:7).

When we give, it is not because of a command, but rather it’s a test of our love … knowing the grace of our Lord Jesus Christ, that though He was rich, yet for your sake He became poor, so that you through His poverty might become rich. (2 Cor. 8:8, 9)

Please accept God’s challenge to increase your weekly offering. See it as an opportunity to stretch your faith and open the windows of heaven that the Lord might bless you.

Mothers, we acknowledge you on the 9th of May as that special person who does far more than we could ever think or imagine. Thanks for all you do! Your work is so important: “She is clothed with strength and dignity; she can laugh at the days to come. She speaks with wisdom, and faithful instruction is on her tongue. She watches over the affairs of her household and does not eat the bread of idleness. Her children arise and call her blessed; her husband also, and he praises her: ‘many women do noble things, but you surpass them all.’ Charm is deceptive, and beauty is fleeting; but a woman who fears the Lord is to be praised.” (Proverbs 31: 25-30)

Always in His Grip,

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“For you know that it was not with perishable things such as silver or gold that you were redeemed from the empty way of life handed down to you from your forefathers, but with the precious blood of Christ, a lamb without blemish or defect. He was chosen before the creation of the world, but was revealed in these last times for your sake.”

– 1 Peter 1: 18-20

Holy Week is before us. The mission trail that began at the manger is winding down to the cross. His name shall be Jesus for He shall save His people from their sins. His mission is nearing completion. The cross is where Jesus shed His blood to cleanse us from our sins. The shedding of blood is essential to the Christian faith – without a sacrifice, no one can have a relationship with God.  For that reason, the Lord wove the story of death, renewal, and reconciliation like a red thread from Genesis to Revelation. The Mission of Salvation was accomplished on Good Friday.

Through the cross, the Lord powerfully revealed His character. First, we see His unconditional love in dying for those who sinned against Him. Second, His righteousness is apparent – only the perfect sacrifice of His own blood could satisfy the penalty for sin. Third, He shows His faithfulness by redeeming us at so great a cost. And fourth, Jesus demonstrates power by conquering sin and death.

In addition to all this, the cross exposed and disarmed Satan (Col. 2:15), who no longer has authority over believers. The Holy Spirit is there to strengthen us, God’s children, and guide us to victory.

“Through Him you believe in God, who raised Him from the dead and glorified Him, and so your faith and hope are in God.” (V.21)

Jesus tell us, “Because I live, you also will live.” John 14:19b

Alleluia! Alleluia! He is risen indeed! Alleluia!

Always in His Grip,

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What if …?
What if everyone showed up weekly for worship?
What if each one brought someone to worship with them?
What if every child came to Sunday school class weekly?
What if each child brought a friend to Sunday school?
What if Bible classes were maxed out weekly?
What if each one brought a friend to Bible class?
What if each person daily prayed faithfully?
What if each person forgave another person who sinned again them?
What if each person loved one another … even one’s enemy?
What if every family gave 10% of their income to the Lord?
What if everyone told someone what Jesus meant to them?
What if each one befriended a neighbor on the block?
What if each one adopted an annual mission project?
What if each one did a weekly mission activity?
What if …?
What if Jesus had not been born in the flesh?
What if Jesus had not agreed to do the Father’s will?
What if Jesus had not died on the cross for your sin?
What if Jesus had not been raised from the dead?
What if “God so loved the world that He gave His One and Only Son, that whosoever believes in Him should not perish, but have life everlasting”?

Always in His Grip,

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