By Lea Lockhart
Let’s face it, saying goodbye to a loved is very difficult. The pain is real and I’m learning that it’s ok to be sad. I’m learning that grief is normal and tears are not a sign of weakness. Jesus was anything but weak, and he wept when Lazarus died even knowing that he would be raised from the dead. He wept tears of compassion with Lazarus’ loved ones.
Continue reading Is This Evangelism?
The Gospel Of Consumerism
Warning: Consumerism is everywhere and growing. There is no getting away from it which is potentially harmful. Consumerism is like an invisible, powerful entity of its own, but it quietly infiltrates every aspect of our lives. Just look around. Sadly, as consumers, we have become desensitized to the effects of consumerism and its’ ploy of promoting our interests. We want more and more, yet we have so much.
Dear Wandering Heart:
You didn’t think it could happen to you, did ya? I don’t think anyone ever thinks that. But it does, and it did. Now stand back and take a good long look at yourself. Oh Wandering Heart, what happened? You have changed and not for the good. Look around, where are you? Are you now so blind that you can’t see that you are in great danger? Come back wandering heart; come back to the straight and narrow and quickly put your gaze back in focus.
This Sunday Trinity Community Church begins its series preaching through Galatians and James.
Galatians: Faith Alone
James: Faith That Is Not Alone
Below is a Galatians Primer of various quotes and thoughts to prepare our hearts for our study. Each paragraph and the various quotes can stand alone. Read them, consider them, and then read the letter to the Galatians in one sitting. This post is intended to stir your minds to begin thinking, Galatians. If you are not a part of Trinity and would like to follow along in our series you can do so here.
Let’s jump right in and consider some “isms” of our day in this first post of many on the gospel of “isms.”
The Gospel Of Meism
Though the gospel of Meism is subtle and deceptive, it is nonetheless very much alive in our hearts. I doubt any of us would come right out and proclaim it but Me sits on the throne of Meism. Meism’s savior is, well…Me, its god is Me, its hope for change is Me. Me is also the one who is to be submitted to, honored, adored, and obeyed.
Into His Arms! by Lea Lockhart
Have you ever watched those videos of soldiers coming home and surprising
their families? I love and hate those at the same time. The kids will open a very large wrapped box and out pops Dad. Or, Dad comes around the corner into his child’s classroom to surprise his little girl. She looks up in absolute shock and disbelief. Her hands cover her eyes to catch the tears as it sinks in. Then, without hesitation, like a bolt of lightning, she takes off 
running right into the arms of her father, who was waiting for her with outstretched arms. She buries her head in his neck pouring out a bucket of tears; tears of joy and love. It gets me over and over again. I’m always a bit envious of those children, having never had that with my earthly father.
Last month Trinity Community Church celebrated twenty-two years! Twenty-two years ago 35-40 people gathered in a hotel conference room to start a new church. We had no equipment (Well, we did have a coffee maker, and… I seem to remember a couple microphones.) Oh, we also had an abundance of idealism and ignorance.
Last week I had the extreme privilege of traveling with my friend Aron Osborne to Alphen aan den Rijn, Netherlands. Here is a brief report from my time away.
Over the past few weeks, I have been quietly and out loud saying; “The joy of the Lord is my strength.” Now, I know this can be a cliché’; something that is said religiously without any thought about what is being spoken. However, this is not the way I have rehearsed these eight words. Rather, I have meditated on them, considering the glory and the freedoms these brief words contain. Perhaps the best way I can describe it is, I feel as if I have chewed on these words the way one savors and enjoys a perfectly grilled juicy steak.
![Esther's Gospel: The God Who Is There by [Merwin, Tim]](https://i2.wp.com/images-na.ssl-images-amazon.com/images/I/51u-m7bM4DL.jpg?resize=229%2C344&ssl=1)
Esther’s Gospel is available on Amazon Kindle for .99 cents – sale ends today.
No one sets out to destroy one’s marriage! Nobody plans to sabotage marital bliss and couples never imagined on their wedding day that their undying love would one day come to a devastating and painful end! While couples don’t plan to one day divorce, sadly, we also often don’t plan to do what it takes to grow our marriage. Think of the next series of posts as my attempt to help us all think and plan and put in some effort to keep ourselves from sabotaging the most important human relationship you and I will ever have on this earth.
Continue reading Marriage Builder (Creation-Redemption-Eternity)
Jon Bloom, in his article, “Do You Pray Enough” for Desiring God writes:
Guilt is a terrible motivator for any behavior, except repentance. We cannot sustain ongoing spiritual disciplines, such as prayer, from a sense of guilt. That’s not what guilt is designed to achieve, and it’s why feeling bad over not praying enough will never turn us into men and women who “pray without ceasing”
How Is Your Urgency?: By Lea Lockhart
I was rereading a page in one of my old journals. It was an update of a time when Allen had been in the hospital for a few days, but the update wasn’t about Allen; it was actually an update about his hospital roommate at the time. His name was Tony and by his strong accent, we knew he was definitely from Jersey. He looked like a very weak old man, but despite the fact that Tony was very ill, with tubes running here and there, Allen and I got to know him pretty well over the three days.
If you have not already done so, snag your copy of Esther’s Gospel, The God Who Is There. If you are a Kindle user, there is a sale on the book that ends today!
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