Joy In Trials

This week we concluded our Living a Legacy series. Suffering, trouble, and affliction are part of living in this world marked by sin. Finding joy in the midst of suffering, however, is a concept that is foreign in our culture. Even within Christian circles we end up not sure what this looks like. We know we are supposed to be filled with joy, so we put on a happy face while our hearts are hurting and pretend that everything is okay. We end up attempting to fake out others or maybe even try to fake out ourselves. We have the mistaken idea that we can’t allow other people to know our fear, disappointment, anger, or hurt because after all, if we love Jesus we are supposed to be filled with joy.

God uses adversity from external circumstances to shape us to look more like Jesus. This is one of the reasons that beginning with humility before God is so important. If we start with recognizing who God is and willingly submit ourselves under his authority, we are then able to embrace God’s process for spiritual formation. When we realize that we don’t have to prove ourselves to him, we can honestly open ourselves up to be transformed at the very core of who we are. This requires us to be people who find our joy in Christ, being now people who are at peace with God.

Legacy Principles #4: Live with joy in trials.

Ask these types of questions:

What is joy? How can we know that God really loves us? What kind of freedom do we have because God has given us the Holy Spirit? What kind of disappointments, hurts, frustrations, or problems are you suffering from right now? How does approaching our adversity knowing we are at peace with God and he has our best interest at heart encourage us to rejoice while still experiencing discomfort or even pain?

Or any others you find in The Journey Daily Guide.

Memorize this verse:

“Therefore, since we have been justified by faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ.” ~ Romans 5:1, ESV

Read and discuss these passages:

Romans 5:1-5

Ephesians 1:11-14

May God bless you as you embraced his love for you through the Holy Spirit’s presence. 

Loving Others

Last week we learned that the purpose for all people is to love God the most. We also learned that loving God through a personal and intimate relationship with Jesus is inseparable from loving other people. This week we learned how we are supposed to love other people with God's love. Loving Jesus deeply is going to directly impact the people I love.  Loving Jesus deeply is also going to directly impact the people I can’t stand.

Jesus directly links loving God to loving other people. Leviticus 19:9-18 is a portion of the Law that focuses on how the children of Israel were to interact with one another. This portion of the law reveals God’s heart for his children interacting in loving relationship. Loving people like Jesus is at the heart of all of God’s loving instruction to us as people who love him. If we are going to Live a Legacy, we must love others like Jesus.

Legacy Principle #3: Love others like Jesus.

Ask these types of questions:

How does loving God affect our love for other people? Who is our “neighbor”? What does it mean to walk by the Holy Spirit? What are the indications that we are living life under our own power? What are the indications of a Spirit empowered life?

Or any others you find in The Journey Daily Guide.

Memorize this verse:

For the whole law is fulfilled in one word: “You shall love your neighbor as yourself.”

~ Galatians 5:14, ESV

Read and discuss these passages:

Galatians 5:13-15

Galatians 5:16-24

Romans 8:1-11

Luke 10:25-37

We demonstrate our love for our children and others that we influence by having frequent and simple conversations about Jesus. It may be uncomfortable and awkward at first, but the more you invest in your relationship with Jesus the easier it will get.

May God bless you as you choose to listen to the Holy Spirit as he empowers you to love God and love other people like Jesus.

Elder Nominations

The time has come once again for elder nominations as a church family. I want to take a few moments of your time to present the role of elder in the local church and the process we use in adding elders to our leadership team.

Trinity Church is an elder led local church. The congregation must approve each elder by a congregational vote during our annual meeting each year at the end of August. Each elders term is three years and they may serve two consecutive terms. The elder chairman is an exception, his term is for one year and he may serve four consecutive terms. As leaders we believe it is good to have a rotation of new men as part of our elder team and yet still recognize the value of having consistency in leadership. We believe this system provides for both.

The qualifications for elder in the local church are addressed in both 1 Timothy 3:1-7 and Titus 1:5-9.  These descriptions go to the character of the individual who assumes the role of elder in the local church. Biblical qualifications have less to do with age, and more to do with Christ-like character. The role of elders in the New Testament is focused on oversight, leadership within the church and movingthe church in the mission of Jesus. At Trinity Church, we ask our elders to provide direction and oversight while entrusting ministry teams to accomplish the tasks of ministry. It is the elders who hold one another, the staff, and ministry teams accountable and focused in helping our church head in a unified direction of making disciples.

The name, “elder” itself can sometimes be misleading. In our culture, in order to be considered an “elderly” person one must be well advanced in years (for lack of a more politically correct way to say it). The New Testament uses multiple terms, “pastors” or “bishops” or “overseers” to indicate the role and function of elders in the local church. As you look to people you know to nominate think more of character than age.

One new thing that we have implemented over the last year is inviting a prospective elder to sit with our board. This experience has proven to be a valuable process for both the elder team and the individual observing the board. Due to the value added in this process, our plan for this next ministry year is to invite up to two potential elders to sit with the board for a year before asking them to become elders.

You can click here if you would like to view our current elder team or contact any of them. We look forward to answering any questions you may have about our elder team, the elder selection process, or anything else you might be wondering about. 

Loving God

This week we learned our second of four legacy principles we should apply to our lives and teach those we influence if we desire to Live a Legacy for God’s glory. We talk a lot about loving God as a church family. We do so because Jesus says that loving God and loving people are the most important aspects of everything God has commanded. That makes them pretty important.

As followers of Christ we are supposed to invest our lives in growing in depth of love for God and others. It seems so simple, yet this is exactly where spiritual depth is found. We can know all kinds of biblical facts, teach great lessons, share our prophetic gifting, and pray fancy prayers, even in King James English, but without love it is all meaningless (1 Cor. 13:1-3). Therefore, if we are going to Live a Legacy for God’s glory we must allow God to transform our humility into a great love for Christ.

Legacy Principle #2: Love God the most.

Ask these types of questions:

What is biblical love?  How does biblical love differ from worldly love?  How can we demonstrate that we love God? What are some things we need to cut out of our lives because we do love God? What are some things that we need to add to our lives because we love God? What does it mean to be controlled by the love of Christ?

Or any others you find in The Journey Daily Guide.

Memorize this verse:

...you shall love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all you soul and with all your mind and with all your strength.

~ Mark 12:30, ESV

Read and discuss these passages:

Mark 12:28-34

2 Corinthians 5:11-21

Remember to keep it simple and frequent, applying the Moses model for spiritual growth. It is likely that you will get tired and frustrated as you attempt to lead those you love toward loving Jesus deeply. Pray and seek the leading of Jesus instead of trusting your method. As you get tired and frustrated keep asking and seeking, so that you and those you love might be transformed by the love of Christ.

May God bless you as you choose to grow deeper in your love for him in your life this week.