Trinity Missionary Church Podcast

Do you ever feel like you are wandering through life without a purpose or direction? Maybe you feel like you have charted a course for your life, but it feels empty and void like you lack meaning. Jesus came to give us a life that exceeds all expectation (John 10:10) and wants to give us purpose today. That is why Jesus uttered two simple words, "Follow Me," to those who wanted to be His disciples. "Follow me" is not a complicated phrase, but Jesus knew that following Him was no easy task. In fact, throughout Scripture it seems as though Jesus was trying to dissuade people from following Him. At the very least, He wanted people to think through the ramifications of what following Him really meant. Matthew 7:21-23 says Jesus told those who wanted to follow Him that it would cost them everything! That same statement is true today- to follow Jesus it will cost you everything. Are you willing to make that commitment? Join us this week as we count the cost of following Jesus!

Sin- doing what is wrong in God's eyes- actions, thoughts and attitudes that push us further away from God and others. Sin is an ugly word that we often do not want to use or even think about, but is very much a reality today. Our world us full of sin, and oftentimes we are caught right in the midst of it. Fortunately, Jesus conquered sin and death with His ultimate sacrifice on the cross and His resurrection three days later. Through confession of sin and the Holy Spirit's help, we can overcome the grip of sin in our lives. Before we can have victory over sin, we must first recognize sin as a problem and stop viewing it in such a casual manner. This morning, Pastor Steve leads us to the book of Joel and challenges us to confront our casual attitude with sin. God is not bashful about calling His people to a high standard. Thankfully, God gives us His Holy Spirit, His Word and His people to help us along the way. Join us as we confront our casual view of sin.

Ponder this statement for a moment: "If you don't see it before you see it, you will never see it." This might sound like a phrase from a Dr. Seuss book, but is quite profound when you read it through the lens of faith. The Hebrew writer wrote that "Faith is being sure of what we hope for and certain of what we do not see" (Hebrews 11:1). This hope is not a fairy tale hope that the prince will come and rescue the princess before it is too late. It is not a hope that believes we will discover buried treasure where "X" marks the spot. Our hope, the hope we cling to every day in this dark world, is a certainty of who God is, says and does. The lepers we read about in 2 Kings 7:1-12 discovered the power of hope. It was apparent that the residents of Samaria had no hope (including our lepers). As these lepers assessed their situation, they decided there were two options. First, they could stay where they are, give up and simply die. Second, they could go to the enemy camp and hope someone takes pity on t

Moses is one of the most well known characters in the Bible. His story is full of both high and low points, which allows us to identify with Moses. We feel a connection to Moses' humanity as he struggles with God's call to be the Israel's leader in their exodus. We feel his pain when Moses deals with complaints and concerns from the masses as they journey through the desert. Can you imagine the pain and disappointment Moses felt when God led him to the top of Mt. Nebo to look at the land God was giving to Israel- the land Moses had spent over 40 years leading Israel to, the land God would not allow Moses to enter due to his disobedience? We identify with Moses' predicament ( found in Deuteronomy 34:1-12) and might even rename Mt. Nebo "Mt. Consequence." You could get mad at God, and call Him unfair and even cruel to what He did to Moses on Mt. Nebo, but the consequence had nothing to do with God's love (or lack of love), but had everything to do with Moses' disobedience. This history lesson would be s

This time of year- Independence Day- we hear so many patriotic songs that cause our great nation to stand a little taller and puff out our chests a little more. We hear songs like "The Star Spangled Banner," "God Bless the USA," and "God Bless America." But, have you ever stopped for a minute to ask yourself, "Why should God bless the USA?" The United States of America is not a covenant nation like Israel. We really do not "deserve" God's blessing because of anything we have done. While there is no doubt that we need God's blessing (every nation shares this need), but under what conditions does God bless anyone? 2 Chronicles 7:14 speaks very clearly about the type of people God blesses. God says if My people will humble themselves, pray, seek My face and turn from their wicked ways, THEN I will hear from heaven and heal their land. All throughout Israel's history we see times of blessing and times of discipline. The blessings came when Israel followed God's commands and were obedient to His will. Th

Have you ever played the "comparison game?" You know the game - My car/home/family/job/education/(fill in the blank) is better than yours. We all have a tendency to look around and compare ourselves to someone else. The problem is, there is no win in comparison. Looking back at his life as a mature man, King Solomon wrote about the "comparison game" in Ecclesiastes 4:1-8. To paraphrase King Solomon, he said, "I have tried it all, and I have come to the conclusion that it is all meaningless. In fact, "stuff," and the pursuit of "the stuff" this world says is so important is like chasing after the wind." As a matter of fact, King Solomon wrote about "chasing the wind" at least five different times in Ecclesiastes 1-3 before he wrote about it again in chapter four. Obviously, Solomon was trying to make a point, and his words challenge us to focus on perspective and priority in leading a fulfilling life. Instead of everyone else, where should we look to see how we are doing? We should look first to God

This Father's Day, we finish our study entitled "Families on the Edge" with a fitting topic: FEELINGS. To most men "feelings" is a naughty word! We struggle with understanding our feelings, how to deal with our feelings, and how to deal with the feelings of others. Let's be honest, most human beings (not just men) wrestle with feelings. Even Darth Vader, in the Star Wars series, challenged his son, Luke Skywalker to search his feelings to find the truth. But, is truth found in our feelings? Could the reason our families are on the edge be that we rely too much on our "feelings" to guide our decisions? We were created by God with emotions and feelings, so instead of dismissing our feelings, we should learn how to understand them. Thankfully, we do not have to rely on our emotions to guide us every day. Jesus gave us the Comforter, Helper and Advocate, the Holy Spirit, to guide us so we don't have to walk in our own strength. In our primary text for this message, Paul challenges us in Galatians 5:16-2

Statistics say that eight out of ten (8 of 10) kids will distance themselves from the church by the time they are 20 years old. That is a staggering number, and is the focus of much concern for parents and churches alike! Why is there such an exodus of teens abandoning the church and their faith? Those of us who are parents know, kids do not come with instruction manuals, but the Bible has lots to say about how parents are to raise their children. Most people feel that their job as a parent is to help their kids get a great education, excel in music and sports, find a great job and the perfect mate. God says that the job of a parent is to show their kids what it means to truly love the Lord and serve Him wholeheartedly. Biblical parenting should propel instead of prevent our kids to love God and love others (the Greatest Commandment and the Golden Rule). Parenting is tough, and definitely not for cowards. Listening to this message will not make you "Superparents," but God gave us some great parenting

When a lawyer came to Jesus to ask about the Greatest Commandment, he really was looking for a loophole. He wanted a way to catch Jesus making one law more important than another. He wanted an excuse to follow some and ignore others. It seems like we have not changed much in the last 2000 years, because we are still looking for loopholes! Jesus knew what this lawyer was attempting, so He highlighted the most important law- Love the Lord with all of our heart, soul, mind and strength. And, Jesus said, the second most important law is directly related to the first: Love your neighbor as yourself. These are not new commands, and on the surface, we all nod our heads when we hear them. BUT, how would our families be different if we truly loved God with everything we have? Our love would be radically changed because of Jesus Christ. I can love my family correctly, because of my love for God. My financial struggles become manageable when I love God with everything. Why? Because my focus is in the right p

In our third week of the message series, "Families on the Edge," Pastor Steve poses the question, "Why do we make decisions that put our families on the edge?" Often times we know what we do will cause pain and strife, but we can't seem to stop the cycle of making those harmful decisions. Pastor Steve called it "Generational Families on the Edge" and it is destructive to our families. Are we destined to make poor choices, or can we break the cycle? Genesis 49 is the historical record of Israel (previously known as Jacob) calling each of his children in to bless them at the end of his life. What Israel called a "blessing" really sounded like a curse to his boys. As disparaging as Israel sounded to his boys (and he spoke the painful truth about his boys) there is a glimmer of hope as we read about the Levites in Exodus 32:1-29. They changed their "family secret" (see Genesis 34) and their questionable past from a curse to a blessing. They answered Moses' challenge when he asked, "Who is on the Lord's si

Have you ever felt like you are stuck on "the treadmill of life" where you follow the same routine day after day? You wake up, go to work, come home, go to bed, and the next day you do it all over again. We live in a society that literally is "Working for the Weekend." But, this was never God's design for life! Jesus said in John 10:10, "I have come to give you abundant life" which means life beyond expectation. In our text for this morning's message, Deuteronomy 2:1-3, we find the nation of Israel wandering in the desert after the Lord freed them from the slavery and bondage in Egypt. In Deuteronomy 2:3 the Lord says, "You have made your way around this hill country long enough; now turn north." Israel was wandering around the desert doing the "Same Ol, Same Ol" and God finally intervened and gave them direction. Often our families are not much different than Israel. We are like a dog chasing its tail, doing the "Same Ol, Same Ol" every day hoping our families will grow and become stronger. God wa

Love- it is a word with which we are all very familiar. As we begin our family series for 2017, entitled, "Families On The Edge," we begin by discussing a "New Command" Jesus shared in John 13:34. Jesus said, "A new commandment I give you, that you love one another; just as I have loved you, you are to also love one another." It was at this moment when Jesus changed the word "Love" from a noun to a verb. See, it is one thing to "fall in love," anyone with a pulse can fall in love. But, it is a very different thing to "stay in love." Staying in love requires a plan, and quite frankly, it is hard work to stay in love. God gave us the roadmap to stay in love through the Apostle Paul in Philippians 2:3-5, where Paul tells us to treat others as more important than ourselves, be interested in things that are important to others and work together as we look to Christ. These are seemingly straightforward instructions that take daily sacrifice and intentionality on our part to stay in love. But, the reward of

Today's message comes from what might be the most famous Psalm in Scripture- Psalm 23. It begins, "The Lord is my Shepherd . . ." and is heard at funerals, cross-stitched on wall hangings, found in artwork and even on coffee cups. Above all else, this is a Psalm of confidence in The Shepherd- Jesus Christ. The question is, "Who is your shepherd." We all have a shepherd: it may be our family, our job, our bank account, our friends, but make no mistake- you have a shepherd. The second question is, "Is your shepherd EVERYTHING listed in Psalm 23?" Psalm 23 says the Shepherd "makes me, leads me, restores me, guides me, walks along side me, provides for me, blesses me and gives me extra." Does your shepherd do all these things? If the answer is, "No.," then you need a new shepherd. You need The Shepherd in your life. Join us this week as we dive deeper into Psalm 23 and examine The Shepherd.

All throughout the history of mankind there have been battles. The Bible tells us of wars fought over territory and land. We read about the "holy wars" like the Crusades and the fight over ideology. From history books, and through eyewitness accounts of the brave men and women who were there, we hear about wars like World War 2, Korea, Vietnam and the more recent wars fought in Iraq and Afghanistan (and to all of the brave men and women we say thank you for our freedom)! Beyond the battles of war, we know there are battles we face every day. Sometimes we battle with our children over bed time, curfew and the friends with whom they associate. There are battles in marriage, at work, and with extended family. Sufficed to say, we are surrounded by "battles." Sometimes the battle seems so fierce and hopeless that we want to give up. In the middle of our battles, I am reminded of King Jehoshaphat whose story is found in 2 Chronicles 17-20. In his most bleak hour, King Jehoshaphat does not succumb to the b

The song says, "The B-I-B-L-E. Yes, that's the Book for me. I stand alone on the Word of God. The B-I-B-L-E. BIBLE!" Many of us probably remember singing that song growing up in the church. Such a simple tune with incredibly profound words! In the midst of a society where there are people attempting to discredit the Bible, where the lead news story is "The March for Science" and the hundreds of thousands that gathered around the world in the name of "science and reason," the Bible is under attack. Even in the midst of the attacks on the Bible, God's Word will not be silenced! King David wrote in Psalm 19:7-8 (our main text for this message), "The Law of the Lord is perfect, reviving the soul. The statutes of the Lord are trustworthy, making wise the simple. The precepts of the Lord are right, giving joy to the heart. The commands of the Lord are radiant, giving light to the eyes." The Word of the Lord will never be silenced, and serves as a testimony to God's "unshakeableness." Does your life se

As we celebrate the Resurrection of Jesus Christ, this Easter Sunday, we are reminded of one humbling fact: We have no power to resurrect anything. But, aren't you glad we serve the only God who has the power of resurrection? This week, our primary scripture is Luke 24:13-49 where we find two men walking to Emmaus. As you will remember, these two men were discussing the whirlwind of events that had occurred in Jerusalem over the weekend. When suddenly these men are met by a stranger who seems to be oblivious to the fact that Jesus, the "supposed" Messiah, had been murdered, buried and Whose body was now missing. Can you even imagine the disappointment, confusion and questions these men had? Note their reaction once they realize the stranger who met them on the road was the very Jesus they were discussing earlier! The point of this story, in fact, the point of Easter, is that Jesus can change your life! Jesus, alone, has power over death. And, through His death and resurrection, we can have eternal li

How many times have you made plans to do something, but also made alternate plans just in case the first plan does not work? We are taught that it is prudent to plan for all possibilities. The amazing thing is that God never made a "plan B" to reconcile the world to Himself. From the beginning of time, God knew we would sin and cause a separation between Creator and created. The Apostle John wrote in Revelation 13:8 that Jesus was the, "Lamb that was slain from the creation of the world." I am so thankful that Jesus came to "seek and save that which was lost" (Luke 19:10). I am humbled that He took the beating, bruising, mocking and breaking for my sins (Isaiah 53). And most importantly, I am glad that "by His stripes we are healed" (Isaiah 53) and today we can enjoy new life in Him (2 Corinthians 5:17). In our text for this morning's message, John 12:20-36, the question is asked, "Who is this Son of Man?” Hopefully, we can answer as Peter did when Jesus asked him a similar question, "Who do you say

What does the cross mean to you? This is the question we have been asking for the past four weeks as we have continued our journey to the cross. From our text, 1 Corinthians 15:1-3, the Apostle Paul challenges us to do several things. First, we are to stand on the Gospel of Jesus Christ. We have the best news in the world to share, and the message is that we can have new life today free of sin and shame. Why would we not want to share this message? The second challenge from Paul is to "keep the main thing, the main thing." It is a catchy phrase, to be sure, but what should be our "main thing" as followers of Christ? Paul writes in verse 3, "For I delivered to you as of first importance what I also received: that Christ died for our sins in accordance with the Scriptures." The answer to the question of the "main thing" is the cross! Pastor Steve said, "A crossless Christianity, is no Christianity at all!" Join us as we learn how to stand on the main thing!

Have you ever been "blindsided?" I don't necessarily mean in a vehicle, but in life. Have you ever had an instance where you simply didn't see what was up ahead, and were caught completely off guard? It is easy for us to look to our circumstances and complain about how difficult a situation is, or how unfair things seem. Instead of looking to our circumstances, we should be looking to the cross of Jesus as our reference point. Only when we look to the cross, can we truly gain the perspective we need to navigate this life. As we examine the cross from John 14:28-31, we see that the people alive at the time of the writing of the New Testament saw the cross as a prophetic occurrence foretold in the Old Testament. Through the writings of the prophets like Isaiah, Jeremiah and Micah, people heard of a Messiah who would one day establish His Kingdom on earth. Unfortunately, many in Jesus' day missed the Messiah. But today, we have the advantage of seeing the cross through a historical lens, and can be parti

There is great power in the cross. That statement says it all. The hymn writer, Eliza Edmunds Hewitt, wrote it beautifully in the lyrics to the great hymn "My Faith Has Found a Resting Place." She wrote, "I need no other argument, I need no other plea. It is enough that Jesus died, and that He died for me." How would our lives be different if we lived as though we truly believe those words? Or maybe we could take the words of the Apostle Paul, when he wrote in 1 Corinthians 1:18, "For the word of the cross is folly to those who are perishing, but to us who are being saved, it is the power of God." Incredible words, from a man who understood the power of the Cross first hand. The Apostle Paul met face-to-face with the Creator of the universe on the road to Damascus, and was FOREVER CHANGED because of his encounter with Jesus. To those who know Christ, the cross has a different meaning. They grow to love the cross, and begin to understand that it is the very power of God. The cross existed for one pu