In Jr. High, one of my best friends developed a (thankfully temporary) pain in his knees because of how rapidly he was growing. And in a similar manner, our congregation has grown so rapidly since COVID that our “bones” need to catch up. ...
In a new book released last week, The Age of Grievance, American journalist Frank Bruni has offered an insightful examination of the ways in which grievance has come to define our culture (especially in politics, on both the right and left). Bruni documents how more and more of us are keeping a record of slights or pulling out the tape measure on our perceived misfortunes and blaming others for it. As Bruni would say, “The blame game has become the country’s most popular sport and victimhood its most fashionable garb.”...
First, I have to admit that the entire world of modern telecommunications still amazes me. I actually know why we say, “Hang up the phone!” because I grew up when a phone was attached by a cord to the wall, and to end a call, you had to “hang it” back up where it always stayed....
If you ever played hide-and-seek, did you ever really love being the one who was doing the seeking? I hated it. First, it meant that I had been caught first in the prior round when I had been hiding (so it felt like I had failed). Second, I always had a sinking feeling of dread, wondering inwardly, “What if I can’t find anyone?”...
Think about how you are the same, no matter what your age, as the day you were born. Just as an acorn grows from being a large nut to a sprig to a 200-year-old mammoth of a tree, you have gone from being an embryo to a fetus to a newborn baby to a toddler to whatever you are today....
The right tool fits the job. You wouldn’t try to drive in a nail with a tape measure. Even if you tried to do that, failed, and then complained, “This tape measure is no good!”...
If you’re reading this, my guess is that you are not a kid. So, I also suspect you understand basic anatomy and sexuality. ...
We asked, and you answered — thank you! Last month, our leaders asked me to communicate to you that we were behind on giving for 2023, and your response has been encouraging....
For many of you, you may not even know what a sabbatical is. Traditionally, it derived from the world of university professors who were granted a period of paid leave for study or travel. ...
Over the last few years, we’ve weathered COVID-19, profound social and political tensions, and behind it all, there has been a steady shift in what sexuality even is — let alone what is now considered sexually appropriate....
If you dig at the very essence of what’s regarded as heroic, you will surely see elements of courage, risk, generosity and a willingness to readily sacrifice even one’s own life in the protection or rescue of others. ...
It works like this: whatever you’re thinking about or arguing about, someone reduces the options to only two. “Either it’s _______ OR it’s ________.” And admittedly, there are many instances where the discussion really can be reduced to only one of two options — like pregnancy, citizenship, or having a pulse. Either you are or are not; you do or do not....
Jesus said: “I tell you, on the day of judgment people will give account for every careless word they speak, for by your words you will be justified, and by your words you will be condemned.” (Matthew 12:36-37) Chilling and sobering words. So accordingly, how do you view words? And how do you use them?...
What does it mean to live with sexual integrity? THIS calls for real faith. And courage....
In my last few emails, I have been working out ways in which we can establish credibility before a watching world, especially as trusting Jesus and His Word is increasingly viewed with suspicion if not open ridicule. I believe an important distinctive we’re called to is to live out our present while we’re hopefully anchored in eternity....
If many of our core convictions as Christians are openly questioned, if not ridiculed, how can we establish a credible lifestyle of courage?...
I want to continue my discussion of what would capture the attention and respect of a watching world and help them want to hear what we have to say about our beliefs in Jesus. If building relationships is now one of our primary tasks as Christians, how can we back up this work by establishing a credible lifestyle of kindness?...
Recently I wrote about how I believe the paradigm for ministry is changing. As Christians are no longer a majority in our culture, we need to work as the early church did when it was a minority....
What is it like to try and find the right person for a job? You can envision talent or competencies combined with passion or experience. But there’s the limiting factor of who you can find. But weigh this scenario with one critical new addition — what if someone commits to helping you not just find but actually cultivate the right person for that need?...
Surely you’ve heard the expression, “The more things change, the more they stay the same.” As I continue to think about (what I’ve referred to as) innovation, it’s ironic that the “new ideas” or innovations I’ve alluded to are not new at all in history. They’re just new to our culture or generation....
As I continue to work out the needs for the church to adjust to our contemporary audience, it’s from assessing how our cultural assumptions have changed in the last few decades. We’d be blind to not recognize our profound loss of influence and the resulting challenge that now face us....
If you read my email last week, this is a sort of part two to a clumsy start. I said that in content, we want to remain faithful, and in strategies, we want to be as creative as we possibly can be as long as we remain true to God’s Word. And don’t forget the Apostle Paul’s courage and creativity described in 1 Corinthians 9 to “become all things to all people, that by all means [he] might save some.” If you were apprehensive about my suggestions to innovate, maybe it will help if I start with the places or beliefs and behaviors that should not change....
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....
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 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 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” — 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....
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. ...
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? 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....
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. ...
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.”...
Many years ago, an older pastor, Dick Kaufmann, spent time with me, helping me grasp Grace. Counterintuitive does not even begin to capture my experience. Many of our natural instincts are put totally out of sorts by the LORD’s ways, especially our motivations for performance and earning. ...
What is the earliest motivation you can recall in your life? When can you remember being really motivated (or deeply frustrated if you had failed) toward a goal or an outcome?...
In our first year as a church plant, we went for training at a sister church plant that was several years ahead of us in its ministry....
After being assigned to teach the book of Romans to illiterate monks in his monastery, Martin discovered the Gospel of Grace by faith alone. What reverberated from this work of God in his heart has literally transformed all of Western history and much of the known world....
In what seems like another lifetime, I trained to be a private pilot. I loved every chance to be in a cockpit....
Whether it is an unpleasant anniversary of a Capital riot, or a virus that just won’t go away, or profound uncertainty overall, how is your new year starting?...
In school, I was never a fan of having to do book reports. The reading I never minded, but the effort to summarize what I read was always an enormous struggle. Now I’ve grown appreciative of a helpful summary – which is all I want to do for you today....
If you’re anything like me, then all too often, I need to be reminded that God is in the business of answering our prayers....
Almost everyone is now aware of the recent surge in COVID infections, courtesy of the Delta variant. As Trinity’s demographic is younger than many churches, last year we saw very few COVID infections relative to other Lakeland congregations....
How do you typically respond when something doesn’t work out?...
In case you’re unfamiliar with recent events, Tom Brady helped lead the Tampa Bay Buccaneers to one of the most unexpected Super Bowl victories ever....
I wanted to send a quick reminder of two things for this Sunday morning....
No one needs to be told that almost everywhere, there’s unpredictability. We all know chaos abounds right now. And I do not want Trinity to be part of that chaos....
You likely know that the Continental divide, a ridgeline in the American West, divides where rainfall (or snowmelt) ends up....
In getting a basic physical evaluation, no medical professional asks you one question. They ask you dozens of questions....
The New Oxford Dictionary defines microcosm as: “a community, place, or situation regarded as encapsulating in miniature the characteristic qualities or features of something much larger.”...
A professor in a Speech Class that gave us this simple axiom: “Anxiety begets anxiety, and calm begets calm.” You’ve likely experienced it. ...
I wanted to send a brief email with a few reminders for tomorrow and going forward....
I have a specialized weeding tool and last week I just couldn’t find it. But I wasn’t worried, because I was pretty sure I knew where to look....
Obviously, our country is divided. Many will see this as a surprising new concern, and some will see this as a long-standing cancer. ...
Our elders met last night to vote and approve our plans for resuming corporate worship in person on June 7. ...
“Others can. You can’t.” I bet I heard that 100 times from my parents when I was growing up....
I ran across this very helpful article. And rather than summarize, or just quote portions, I thought it best to simply include the entire thing. ...
What do you do when your distinctive identity (for centuries even) gets stripped away? ...
Discussions of the current Coronavirus are getting as partisan as were discussions of the economy or other matters from just a few months ago, B.C. (Before COVID-19)...
It’s not every day that I get to be in a conference call with a senator, but I was invited into call yesterday with Florida Senator, Marco Rubio....
When the Communists won control of China in 1949, many pastors were jailed or executed, and many churches were closed....
Given the rising concerns surrounding the coronavirus pandemic, I thought it would be helpful to write a short note to communicate how we intend to respond and also to offer some encouragement....
What is the most un-talkable subject you can think of? It’s not sex, because people talk (at least with me) about their sex lives and thoughts all the time. And conversations ...
After the Louisiana Purchase had been secured with France, President Thomas Jefferson commissioned Lewis & Clark to explore and map the newly acquired territory....
Recently a friend commented to me, “It’s hard that you get fired if you don’t talk about Jesus at your job while most people at worship could get fired if they talk about Jesus at theirs.”...
I read last week that our United States Congress is seen as one of our most dysfunctional institutions, so it probably doesn’t help that our annual General Assembly (G.A.) functions like the Congress of our denomination. ...
Why do we rest? From the beginning, we are given a pattern of the goodness of work, balanced with the goodness of rest. ...
In 2001, Julie and I bought our house. A home we could afford that was big enough for our 4 kids also meant that it needed to be fixed up. ...
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...
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....
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....
Have you ever wondered why we make such a big deal about community?...
Some of you already know, but in case you don’t, our Student Ministry camp – Citizens Mission Camp – ended early due to illness. Citizens Mission Camp pulled together over 80 students from Trinity and our daughter churches. Part of their work was to serve 2 of our daughter churches by providing Vacation Bible School in Mulberry and Highland City. ...
As Trinity’s Worship Director, It is my heart and ultimately, my job, to lead us in worship. Not just Sunday mornings, but throughout the week. ...
How good is your vocabulary? As you mature, hopefully your word bank is filling. But regardless of how many words know, you use them to connect with other people! I want to suggest that learning songs is like building your vocabulary....
Have you ever had cookies or cake that tasted a little off and you wondered, “Did they leave something out?” Most people have, so what are we leaving out?...
Most of us have learned the importance of a good partner. Whether it’s a partner on a project, a partner in a business venture or a partner in marriage, having the right support can make all the difference in both the enjoyment of the flight and the ability to arrive at the correct destination. ...
Let’s talk stats. At Trinity, there are about 450 communing members and regular attenders. Then in addition there are 260 kids under 18 (that’s non-communing members and the children of regular attenders). This means that just over a third of the people of this church are under the age of 18, and it also means then that we need more volunteers than the average church....
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....
I 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.). ...
“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.” ...
Some 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....
Have 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....
The 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....
The 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 something. Satan sought to do all of that (as Jesus would later describe in John 8, “He was a murderer from the beginning”). And so our first parents started an entire history of human violation....
We 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....
One 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 in Jesus (see Luke 15:1-2)....
I’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....
In today’s Bible reading, in 2 Samuel 23, King David thinks out loud as it were in the middle of a fight with the Philistines. He longingly said, “Oh that someone would give me water to drink from the well of Bethlehem.” So being the LORD’s Anointed, and being surrounded by loyal warriors, three of them broke through the Philistine lines and (of all things!) drew water from that well and (presumably fighting their way back to David) give him the water he craved so much. ...
Last weekend we spent an evening with our daughter and granddaughter churches, united in singing and in celebrating what God has done and continues to do by His spirit and through His people in Polk County. It was an amazing time of fellowship and worshipping together with one voice lifted to our Maker. ...
Back in 1992, I was preparing for ordination. A family friend (who knew little about church) asked a genuine question, “Why do you have to go through all this?” And by “all this” he was referring to 5 distinct exams, written and oral, the papers I had to turn in; and the final process of being examined first by a committee (for a total of about 4 hours) and then standing before our entire presbytery where they play piñata and you’re the piñata and they don’t wear blindfolds… They get to ask you anything. (Within an exam of about half an hour, I got asked to outline the Book of Numbers)....
From Buffy the Vampire Slayer, to Harry Potter, to The Hunger Games, there is a common theme that even the lowliest, most average person (even a teenager) can actually be part of a much larger story. What if the humblest person is actually in an epic battle of good and evil with the fate of the world in the balance?...
You’ve likely seen a set of Russian nesting dolls, where a set of little wooden dolls all stack into the next size up until the entire set fits into the largest one. (They even have a cameo appearance in Toy Story…)....
I was a silent, un-noticed witness to an all-too-familiar exchange between parent and child downtown. While a mother ordered food, and her elementary-aged child fiddled with a smart-phone, the little girl pierced the silence with the burning lament, “Mommy, I’m bored!” ...
Maybe you recall getting your first job. Maybe you’re a parent. Perhaps you’ve bought a house. Can you recall the feeling of when a BIG milestone went from being a dream to a reality?...
Years ago after traveling to Montreal, Canada I returned home with some Canadian change still in my pocket (remember change?). The surprise came when I went to a vending machine....
We are committed to being trustworthy in however we work. When we started Trinity 20 years ago we knew that one critical aspect of this would be how we handle all financial matters....
"It is good to give thanks to the LORD…" Psalm 92:1. As we make the run to Thanksgiving, I wanted to encourage you to think about a few things....
It’s the most wonderful time of the year! I’ve been waiting a year to say that. We are so excited to celebrate Advent 2017 with all of you. ...
We’ve just now celebrated the 500th anniversary of the Protestant Reformation with a core belief in Scriptural authority....
News headlines repeat almost daily the same themes ...
Last Friday I tried to explain how being Presbyterian helps us to live accountably....
Have you ever felt uneasy when an organization (especially one with lots of resources or power) had most or all of its power concentrated in just one person? ...
While many of you know, some of you may not have heard that Luke Wolfe, our Director of Community Groups...
Current headlines about tax cuts have triggered timeworn diatribes about what “should” be done....
First, I have a wonderful announcement and then I have a request....
In 1996, Trinity was planted with the hope of becoming a church that would plant churches and those churches would plant churches and so on. ...
Have you ever overheard someone complimenting your spouse or children? Just hearing someone speak about your loved ones can cause anxiety, but that can give way to immense relief or joy when you overhear good things being said....
I pray that you are beginning to recover from hurricane Irma. For those of you without power, I am so sorry. ...
As we all recover from Hurricane Irma, please continue to pray for those impacted by the storm....
In light of weather updates this morning, we are canceling our worship service Sunday morning, the 10th....
As we all prepare and watch the forecast for Irma, please pray with us for those impacted by the storm....
It’s labeled “Back-To-School” but really it’s just 18 songs loaded with gospel truth to get you going and ready to tackle what lies ahead in your day, no matter your stage of life....
On the evening of December 11, we held a vision meeting to explain to the Trinity family the specifics of our call to plant a church in our network. The meeting was very encouraging! We outlined our inward call to plant a church, the process of evaluating that call with leadership both at Trinity and in our denomination, the need in the Mulberry area, and the vision for planting a gospel-centered church there. We’re calling this mission Greater Hope....
When the LORD led His people, Israel, across the wilderness and finally into the Promised Land, He ended a series of conspicuous miracles with one more big one. He miraculously stopped the flow of the River Jordan so that they could walk across on dry land. If you think about it, that would be an amazing sight to witness! ...
Thinking about our culture at Trinity – what qualities has Jesus built into us as His family – what has marked us off as unique? There are many, but I want you to think about two:...
I remember vividly the lady who (along with my parents) helped lead me to Christ – Nellie Hatch. Her life had dramatically changed with her own conversion about a decade prior to mine. What stood out was how truly good she was. She was energetic (at 70 years of age, jumping rope daily), kind, warm, genuine, powerfully honest, profoundly wise, and above all things joyful!...
It has been 20 amazing years!! I do not know where you were or what your life looked like the first week of January, 1997, but ours was about to be turned upside down with the goodness of God’s call on our lives....
As Christmas can be full of gifts it is easy to think of these primarily in terms of things – clothes, tools, art, music, or even cash. But how naturally do you think of a person as a gift?...
As we all prepare for the Christmas holiday and anticipate spending time with family and friends, and for many of us receive a much needed break from the daily grind, this can be a great time of the year to step back from our regular routine and reflect on 2016. What have you seen God do in your life this past year? How has God used the circumstances and people in your life to help you grow in your faith in Him? What do you need God to help you with (physically, spiritually, emotionally…etc) for you to be successful in the coming year?...
The New Oxford Dictionary defines microcosm as: “a community, place, or situation regarded as encapsulating in miniature the characteristic qualities or features of something much larger.”...
Keep ReadingA professor in a Speech Class that gave us this simple axiom: “Anxiety begets anxiety, and calm begets calm.” You’ve likely experienced it. ...
Keep ReadingI wanted to send a brief email with a few reminders for tomorrow and going forward....
Keep Reading