Pastor John shares the Christmas Eve homily as we reflect on the mystery of God becoming man, entering our mess. 

As we prepare for time with family and celebrations, sometimes we get too caught up in getting everything 'right'!  God invites us to value People over Perfection and wants us to accept his grace for ourselves, as well as offer grace and love to others.  We are an imperfect church, gathered around God's table. 

Kathy Hershman shares today how the Lord gave Mary a blessing and she was willing to step into who God had called her to be and what he had called her to do.  God has blessed you too and invites you to step into the calling he has for your life!

Today, John the Baptist tells us to repent and prepare the way for the coming Messiah!  During the season of Advent, the church longs for Christ's first and second coming, and we prepare for the day that he comes back and makes all things right!  Are you preparing?  Do you long for his presence?

Our Conference Superintendent, Todd Chancey joins us today and shares a message of Christ's light shining into our darkness.

This Sunday is Christ the King Sunday, which challenges us to consider: What does it mean for Jesus to be our King?  Pastor John also teaches us a bit about the Christian calendar and how Christians through history have used it to show that they live by a different time, in a different kingdom.

Today, we tackle one of Jesus' difficult teachings: loving our enemies.  Yet Jesus seems to think this is not just for the 'mature', but for all who seek to follow him, as he suggests doing otherwise would make us just like the pagans and sinners.  Jesus seeks to transform us so that we would naturally love even those who would hate and harm us. 

Today, we cover Jesus' teaching on turning the other cheek, giving to others who ask, and going the extra mile. This is vital to the way of Jesus, and yet so many Christians dub the ideas as non-practical.  If we want to be disciples of Jesus, we need to take this teaching seriously and not let others claim our loyalty or shape our character. 

Join us today as we discuss Jesus' teaching on marriage and divorce.  As Christians, we are called to give our all to having a lasting and good marriage.  We need a better vision of singleness, of marriage, and of general friendship and community if we are to lower the divorce rate in our world.

Jesus warns us that he requires us not only not to commit adultery, but not to even look at another person with lust in our hearts. Today, we explore more broadly a Christian Perspective on sex before we dive into his teaching.  Jesus calls us to holiness in all areas of our lives.

Today, Jesus addresses the issues of anger and contempt in disciples' lives.  He tells us that anger is not ok, and that contempt is not accepted in his Kingdom. He challenges us to take responsibility for our anger and not let it rule us, but also to take responsibility in our relationships, to not let anger reign in them, even if it is the other person's anger.  He tells us we need to practice working out our issues!  As disciples, we need to practice this in a world poisoned with anger and contempt.  Will we offer the world a different way? The way of love; the way of Jesus. 

Today, we conclude our sermon series on our Mission statement by discussing the call of Christ to love others.  This is not only the most important commandment, but Jesus says loving God and others actually summarizes the whole law.  If we get love, we get it all.

God calls us to be holy as He is holy, but do we have a proper understanding of that call?  Do we understand the freedom and joy that is included in the life of holiness?  Join us today as we make a case for the goodness and availability of a holy life.  

What does it mean for us to trust God? Is it simply saying that we believe that God exists and asking for forgiveness?  The New Testament authors point to Abraham as our example, a man who trusted God and stepped out in that faith over and over again. 

Join us as we begin our Fall Mission series by discussing what it means for us to connect with Jesus and connect others to Him. 

Jesus says he has not come to abolish the law, but to fulfill it, but what does that mean?  And what is the righteousness that surpasses that of the Pharisees and teachers of the law?  Join us as we dig into these questions concerning Jesus' teaching in Matthew 5:17-20.

Today we have a 2-part sermon as Pastor John introduces the "Sermon on the Mount" in part 1, and shares thoughts on the Beatitudes in part 2.  Are you ready to trust Jesus and put his way of life into practice?

Today, we discuss the importance of what it means to be a disciple of Jesus: someone who organizes their whole life around 1. Being with Jesus, 2. Becoming like Jesus, and 3. Doing as he did and calls us to. Today, Pastor John shares his journey of discipleship to Jesus through this lens.

Today we discuss the parable of the Pharisee and the Tax collector.  Have you done great things 'for' God in your life?  Have you done terrible things in your life?  All need Christ, all are invited to humble themselves and repent.

This Sunday, we discuss the Sacrament we call Communion, The Lord's Supper or Eucharist.  Pastor John shares a little bit on the history and differing views on what happens when we receive this means of grace and shares why we practice it weekly at Trinity. 

We all face trials, pain and hardship in life.  Our God is not a God who is far away from all that, but one who is with us in the midst of this.  James 1 tells us to consider it joy when we face these hardships, yet it is not easy to do this.  If we do, we can allow God to shape us more into the loving, kind and generous people He wants us to be.  If we choose to turn to Him in our suffering, He can make good out of everything.

The digital world can eat up young and old alike, shaping them in ways they did not intend to be shaped.  Thus, the disciple of Jesus in today's world needs to think deeply about their engagement with screens.  Today, we advocate for temperance in this area of life, encouraging us to take Paul's command to fill our minds with good things, not earthly things, seriously. 

Quote from Ed Stetzer: "The biggest problem in American Evangelicalism today is that people are more discipled by their social media stream or cable news network of choice than they are by Jesus." 

Paul says we can build a church with wood, hay, straw or gold, silver and precious stones.  One is burned up when fire comes, another is purified.  What are we building Trinity with and are we trusting in the patient work of God in us?  Today Pastor John shares our values, the building blocks of what we think God wants us to hold onto at Trinity. 

Today David Shaffer shares insights on the importance of Fathers representing Christ to their children and families.  Godly Fathers love their families and lead them closer to Jesus.

Today we celebrate Pentecost, the coming of the Holy Spirit and the birth of the church.  Do we have a real experience of God through His Spirit, and do we let him shape us in the ways he wants to?