Walking the ridge line
While Florida is basically flat, still you may have traveled to hike in the mountains....
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The tricky question of innovation
Innovation implies change, and we’re the denomination who’s characterized by faithfulness. For instance, the PCUSA (out of which the PCA formed in 1972-73) changed from our long-held commitments to the Bible. That is a kind of change that is bad....
What is your climate - your norms vs. your exceptions?
Likely you’ve seen the recent reports of snow in Los Angeles. There was even a measurable snowfall in Tampa in January of 1977… But a snowy winter is not the climate in L.A. or Tampa. Catch the vital distinction between an event and a climate — the difference between an exception and a norm. I want to ask you to assess your norms, exceptions, climate, and events. With your words, attitudes, interactions, and attention, what is your norm? And what is your exception?...
What do you believe is really happening at church?
What do you think is really happening at church? What do you believe goes on, not just visibly, but invisibly because of God’s Almighty power and working? Trusting Jesus for His work of redemption in my own heart and in the hearts of others, what would it look like to raise our gaze to look for God to work? Even at church?...
What do we mean by the Means of Grace?
What would you do if your favorite teenager grew reluctant to bathe? Can you imagine the dialogue? “I’m fine. I feel fine....
Culture eats strategy for lunch
“Culture eats strategy for lunch” — Peter Drucker (1909-2005). As a pioneering management consultant, educator, and author, Drucker was convinced that no matter how great your strategy is, a plan will fail without a company (or organizational) culture that encourages people to implement it....
I want to invite you to church - in person
This may seem odd or needless, but I want to invite you to church this Sunday. I believe it’s needful because the practice of attending an in-person worship service is dramatically in decline. After the COVID pandemic, national percentages of church attendance have plunged. ...
The dominoes of Christmas giving
I do not know when you’ve seen it, but somewhere you likely have. A line of dominoes stacked on end start to tumble, and one domino hits another, and there’s no going back …...
What does it mean to be called?
What does it mean to be called? If your mom or dad called you to dinner when you were a kid, a person called out your name. And (hopefully) you responded. Or with your most recent phone call — likely you have caller ID, and again a person hoped to make contact with you for some reason....
What do you think of the Church - really?
First, why does the Church have a surpassing Value? The Church of Jesus is not a thing. The Church is a single term of all of the people Jesus has redeemed, past, present and future, and its value (their value?) is marked by His willingness to shed His blood to rescue each and every one of us. ...
We have seen this forecast before
Training to become a pilot (in what seems like another lifetime ago) I was quickly taught that you cannot control what is outside the cockpit. You can only prepare on how you could respond. Metaphorically it has proven to be an outstanding life lesson if you substitute “your heart” for “cockpit.”...
An almost unknown state of mind
In this season of Christmas, I believe that an essential attitude or mindset is to be self-forgetful ...
Keep ReadingGive thanks to the LORD
“It is good to give thanks… to the LORD,” It’s noticeable in our culture that thanksgiving has gone horizontal....
Keep ReadingTrinity's strategy for outreach
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....
Keep ReadingWhat is in your bottle?
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? ...
Keep ReadingHurricane Michael Relief Effort
In the wake of Hurricane Michael, residents on the panhandle are in dire need of aid. ...
Keep ReadingFAQ's about church planting
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...
Keep ReadingRenew Polk Gathering, Sunday night at Trinity
This Sunday is “Renew Polk” Sunday!...
Keep ReadingHurricane Florence Relief
Once again, we are confronted with the news of another disastrous situation in North Carolina, and we, as a church will do our best to reach out with the love and compassion of Jesus Christ....
Keep ReadingSchool is about to start, but learning never ceases …
School resumes soon! For some of you, it’s next week, and for those with the longest wait, it’s still only about 10 days. While our culture has set the expectation that school is this “place” where learning happens, I’d like to offer that school is only one of the places where we can learn....
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