Who do you know that is suffering, or what have you endured?...
“Why is graduation called commencement?” I remember learning that graduation sounds like a finish line, while commencement is a starting line. ...
While Florida is basically flat, still you may have traveled to hike in the mountains....
In this season of Christmas, I believe that an essential attitude or mindset is to be self-forgetful ...
“It is good to give thanks… to the LORD,” It’s noticeable in our culture that thanksgiving has gone horizontal....
I was asked recently, “Trinity is obviously growing, so what is your strategy for outreach?” And I believe the answer is three basic aspects of our culture. We want to know the Gospel. We believe we need the Gospel. And we seek to be related to people in our city who do not yet know Jesus....
Imagine a bottle about the size of your average water bottle in front of you, full of clear liquid. And you’re thirsty. So would you just pick it up and drink it? ...
In the wake of Hurricane Michael, residents on the panhandle are in dire need of aid. ...
We are in the midst of a lot of church planting highlights. We just commissioned our 6th daughter church, Grace Community in North Lakeland. They will launch publicly in just a couple of weeks. A...
Last week at the Mayor’s Annual Prayer Breakfast the keynote speaker told of a rare invitation he had to not only attend an NBA game, but to sit courtside. He marveled at the sense of privilege, at the amazing food (not hotdogs), and at the sense of immersion in the game....
Keep ReadingI realize few if any in our congregation have ever been involved in mining. But I want to make a point that may seem absurd – until I make the connection I’m trying to make. In mining, notice that it is not creating a valuable mineral (gold, diamonds, copper, etc.). ...
Keep Reading“Pruning leads to new growth.” That’s what my horticulturist neighbor once told me (with vigor). In pruning, you cut away what may be weak or fruitless but “It allows a plant to fill out with what is healthy.” ...
Keep ReadingSome of you may not know that for the 2 weeks prior to Easter, I was in Israel. It was the trip of a lifetime – with my son Tyler, my best friend Timo Strawbridge and about 20 other people from Trinity and our daughter churches....
Keep ReadingHave you ever thought something (an event, an outcome, a goal) was impossible? We humans live in the realm of our own experiences. And because our experiences are limited to our own singular life events and surroundings, there are many things that seem impossible to us....
Keep ReadingThe run-up to Easter is full of historic beliefs as we rehearse the centerpiece of our faith. In Luke’s Gospel, Jesus resolutely “set His face to go to Jerusalem.” And as He did so, He soberly foretold how He would suffer, be put to death but also be raised from the dead....
Keep ReadingThe first mention of violence in the Scriptures is not in Genesis 4, when Cain murdered his brother Abel. That is the first murder. But the first violence was in the prior chapter when Adam and Eve violated God’s good design. To do violence is “to damage or adversely affect.” It’s behavior involving physical force intended to hurt, damage, or kill someone or someth...
Keep ReadingWe have exciting news to share with you on our Grace Abounding Maintenance Campaign! Thanks to your continued generosity the renovations continue, and we are moving forward with the projects on our list....
Keep ReadingOne of our core values as a church is that we want to be outward-faced. It’s the biblical (and Gospel) practice of hospitality. This means that we want to work, think, speak and act as if outsiders are genuinely welcome with us. After all, if you see yourself as a Christian, how did all of us start? We were outsiders worthy of condemnation and death. But God welcomed us ...
Keep ReadingI’ve just returned from our denomination’s annual church planter training conference in Orlando. It was a privilege to go in the early years of Trinity’s existence, and now I go as a trainer....
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