What happened to Jesus on Wednesday of Holy Week?

what happened ON wednesday?

Today is Wednesday.

Jesus spent the day teaching in the temple—Luke 21:37-38.

But while he was teaching & minding his own business, the religious leaders were secretly plotting to kill him—Matthew 26:3-5, Mark 14:1-2, & Luke 22:1-2.

The video above helps explain why they wanted to kill him.

WHY DID THEY WANT TO KILL HIM?

Jesus was a threat to the religious leaders of his day. He challenged their traditions & claimed to be the Messiah. He claimed to be God, which would be blasphemy if it were not true.

And they wanted to kill him.

Notice: It is not the “bad people” who plot to kill Jesus. It is not the prostitutes & tax collectors. It is the “good people,” the religious people.

If there is one thing we can learn from what happened to Jesus on Wednesday of Holy Week, it is: We must not become the “good people” who are religious but are not following Jesus.

Mexico Mission Trip Interesting Meeting—this Sunday, March 28!

Over the past several years, we have prayed for & partnered with Rancho 3M Orphanage in Guadelupe, Mexico.

Each summer many youth & adults throughout our family of churches make trips to Rancho 3M to work on various projects & build friendships with the children. This summer, many groups are unable to go because of the Coronavirus.

However, we believe the Lord has opened up an opportunity for us to safely go & serve Rancho 3M this summer.

BUT WE NEED YOU!

We would love to take a group of 18-20 adults & youth. If that’s you, you should plan on attending the meeting. We think you’ll be excited.

What if you are not good with kids? Well, you may actually be perfect for the team this year! Many of the things we have been asked to help with this year are construction projects of all shapes & sizes!

If you are interested, plan to attend the meeting:

This Sunday, March 28

12:30pm

On the porch at Ramble Creek

Continuing Our 2021 Bible Reading Plan

It’s so kind of the Lord to have left us with his Word—this 66 volume collection of works, written by more than 35 authors, over the span of around 1500 years. It is the inspired, infallible Word of God.

We trust that the reading plan we’ve been doing is a blessing to your soul. Daily Bible reading is such a powerful habit to cultivate.

Just because we’ve already started, don’t feel like you’ve missed out. You can jump in at any time. Download the second quarter’s reading (April, May, & June) below.

Brinner is This Sunday evening!

It’s brinner time again!

Our high schoolers know what this means. The rest of us can only dream of filing our bellies with syrupy goodness, but high schoolers get ready to eat!

Here’s a few details:

• WHEN: This Sunday, March 28 at 6:00pm

• WHERE: The Alexander’s home

• WHY: Pancakes… for dinner!

What the heck is "Holy Week"?

Have you ever noticed how much the gospels slow down as they approach Jesus’ death & resurrection? 

The gospels begin with Jesus’ birth. (Except Mark which begins much more quickly!) They then march along, gaining speed. Jesus makes repeated stops. He calls disciples. He preaches constantly. He heals blind, deaf, paralyzed, demon-possessed people. At every stop. He can hardly rest.

This pace continues & gains steam. 

But, as he enters Jerusalem, everything slows down dramatically. Much as a train slows as it approaches its destination, so the gospels slow down as Jesus reaches his destination, death on a cross.

Consider this. In the gospel of Matthew—of 28 total chapters—eight are devoted to the final week of Jesus’ ministry.

This week has historically been called “holy week.” It is simply a designation used to capture all that happened in the final days & week of Jesus’ ministry. It begins with Jesus’ triumphant entry into Jerusalem and ends with his resurrection day.

This is what the gospel slow down to consider.

And so should we. 

With celebrating Easter on April 4, I want to encourage you to take a few moments individually or as a family to consider this important week and its all-too-important climax in Jesus’ death and resurrection.

A FEW SUGGESTIONS

Read through the gospel accounts of each day of Holy Week. I find this chart very helpful. It organizes all that occurred each day of Holy Week, beginning with the day before his triumphant entry into Jerusalem on the Sunday before Easter. Take a few minutes to talk through this as a family each day.

Watch these brief video of about the final days of Jesus. I love learning from the smart guys! These videos are concise interviews with some of the world’s best scholars to go along with readings for each day of Holy Week.

Sunday, March 29, AD 33

Monday, March 30, AD 33

Tuesday, March 31, AD 33

Wednesday, April 1, AD 33

Thursday, April 2, AD 33

Friday, April 3, AD 33

Saturday, April 4, AD 33

Sunday, April 5, AD 33

Rejoice in the wonderful truths of the gospel. To name a few:

• We are reconciled to God—Ephesians 2:11-22

• We are forgiven of our sins, as the debt has been cancelled—Colossians 2:14, Isaiah 53:6

• We are counted righteous in Christ—2 Corinthians 5:21, Romans 3:23-26

• We are adopted as sons and daughters—Romans 8:15-17, Gal 4:4-7

• We are born again, becoming new creations in Christ—John 3, 2 Corinthians 5:17

• We are kept in the love of God, which nothing can disrupt—Romans 8:28-39, Jude 1

• We are look to the hope of heaven—Romans 8:24-25, 1 Peter 1:3-5

JOIN US FOR THESE Holy Week SERVICES

Holy Week Communion Service

WHAT: An service of songs, Scripture, & the Lord’s Supper.

WHEN: Thursday, April 1 from 7:00pm-8:00pm

WHERE: Ramble Creek

Easter Sunday Service

Early Service—9:00am

Coffee & Snacks—10:00am

Service—10:30am

Do You Shabbat?

‘Shabbat’ is the Hebrew word behind Sabbath. It literally means, "rest" or "cessation".

Sunday’s message from Pastor Walt is all about how Jesus came to not to follow the rules of religion or men, but to restore broken sinners. The context is the Pharisee’s argument with Jesus about the Sabbath day in Mark 2.

Walt briefly encouraged us to take a day of rest each week, to disconnect and refocus.

And yesterday our Spring picnic was a great time of doing just that, connecting relationally.

Below are Pastor Walt’s notes. If you would like to listen to the sermon you can click here or subscribe to our podcast, wherever you listen to podcasts. Search Trinity Grace Church Athens.

Or you can watch the entire service on our YouTube page here.

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MAIN POINT: No—Jesus did not come to follow the rules of religion but to rescue & restore broken sinners.

1. The Accusation of the Pharisees.

“[This form of] legalism insists on conformity to manmade religious rules and requirements, which are often unspoken but are nevertheless very real. To use a more common expression, it requires conformity to the ‘do’s and don’ts’ of our particular Christian circle.” Jerry Bridges

“[There are] a class of people who have come to be known as “controllers.” These are people who are not willing to let you live your life before God as you believe He is leading you. They have all the issues buttoned down and have cast-iron opinions about all of them. These people only know black and white. There are no gray areas to them. They insist you live your Christian life according to their rules and their opinions. If you insist on being free to live as God wants you to live, they will try to intimidate you and manipulate you one way or another. Their primary weapons are “guilt trips,” rejection, or gossip. These people must be resisted.” Jerry Bridges

“Because this people draw near with their mouth and honor me with their lips, while their hearts are far from me, and their fear of me is a commandment taught by men.” Isaiah 29:13

2. The Defense of Jesus.

I do not love the Sabbath

The soapsuds and the starch

The troops of solemn people

Who to salvation march.

—Robert Graves

“So the church should of course urge and teach faithful sabbath keeping. But it should not be done positively. First, leave room for rest. The programs of the church should not fill every little nook and cranny of the day. And the worship should be the kind of worship the saints look forward to all week. For the remainder of the day, the teaching should emphasize that this is a day for joy, gladness, hot food, good wine, fellowship with friends, singing psalms, reading books, and reciting poetry. In the time left over, arrange the couch so it is near a window in the middle of your loveliest sun puddle. And take a nap.” Douglas Wilson

“I am trying here to prevent anyone saying the really foolish thing that people often say about Him: ‘I’m ready to accept Jesus as a great moral teacher, but I don’t accept his claim to be God.’ That is the one thing we must not say. A man who was merely a man and said the sort of things that Jesus said would not be a great moral teacher. He would either be a lunatic—on the level with the man who says he is a poached egg—or else he would be the Devil of Hell. You must make your choice. Either this man was, and is, the Son of God, or else a madman or something worse.” C.S. Lewis

Come to me, all who labor and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest. Take my yoke upon you, and learn from me, for I am gentle and lowly in heart, and you will find rest for your souls. Matthew 11:28-29

3. The Drama with the Man with a Withered Hand.

“There on the cross is displayed the glory, the wisdom, the righteousness, the love, the justice, and the power of God (1 Cor 1:18-31). And none of it looks anything like what you’d expect. Would you ever have thought a man dying on a cross was the definition of love? Yet this is how we know what love is (1 Jn 3:16). Would you ever have you looked at the miscarriage of justice that was his trial and imagined that there, above all, is displayed the perfect justice of God? Yet God did it to demonstrate his justice (Rom 3:26). Would you ever have dreamed that the Almighty would make the definitive display of his power there, nailed to a cross between common criminals? There seems to be nothing powerful about that man in the throes of death. Yet, hanging there, he is crushing the head of the Serpent, tying up the strong man, driving out the prince of this world, destroying death, putting the spiritual powers to open shame and triumphing over them. On the cross we see true, pure power, used as it should be: to bless.” Michael Reeves

Should we call it…Senior Saints? Or The Arthritics?

I’ve learned that life is like a roll of toilet paper. The closer it gets to the end, the faster it goes. Andy Rooney

What should we call the group of over 50, empty nesters at our church… Senior Saints? Over the Hill Club? The Arthritics?

Just kidding!

Our church is blessed to have many folks who are empty nesters & in a different season of life than the younger families with children.

Isolation from the pandemic has taken a toll on the health of many of us. We simply aren’t meant to live our lives alone.

So, this Friday our 50 & over adults will be gathering at Buddy & Judy Luster’s home to share a meal & to fellowship. This will be a great opportunity to develop solid relationships and share the joys & struggles of life in community. It’s certain to be a great time!

• WHAT: Dinner & Fellowship

• WHO: Anyone 50 years of age and older

• WHEN: Friday, March 26 — 6:30PM

• WHERE: Buddy & Judy Luster home (2131 Breckenridge St. Athens)

• WHAT ELSE: We will be having pizza, no need to bring anything.

• Please call or text Buddy if you plan on attending — 42three-76two-544three

Remember that video we tried to play on Sunday?

Last Sunday we tried to show you a video about a church plant in Parramatta, Australia. Unfortunately, we had some difficulties. As promised, that video is posted here on our blog.

SO WHY SHOULD YOU CARE ABOUT A CHURCH PLANT IN AUSTRALIA?

The Great Commission invites us to send our very best to reach communities with little to no gospel presence. This is why we plant churches.

The biblical pattern of missions has always focused church planting—not merely preaching the gospel but planting a church where the gospel can be lived out.

In addition, we were once a very young church plant, & we had people all over the world praying for our success, fruitfulness, & well-being. Let us pass the blessing forward.

So, watch the video from our brothers and sisters in a small church in Australia, be encouraged that the gospel is going forth on that continent, & pray for them to multiply & be fruitful!

Keeping Up with Trinity Grace.

There are a lot of downsides to social media.

But, social media is incredibly powerful for helping us connect with one another & stay up to date with one another in a way that enhances our real relationships with one another.

That is why we are on social media.

We want to keep you in the loop with testimonies of God’s grace, opportunities to gather in prayer, events that are happening, & point you to people who deserve to be honored. You can even listen to the Spotify playlist & worship with the songs we sing each Sunday.

So if you’re on social media, follow us below & say hello!

BLOG • INSTAGRAM • FACEBOOK • SPOTIFY

The Marrow Controversy.

Last Sunday, I briefly mentioned a conflict in Scotland in the 1700s about the doctrine of repentance & who the gospel is for. 

THE AUCHTERARDER CREED

Auchterarder is a small town in southern Scotland, which for our purposes was the location of an important controversy in the early 1700s. 

In those days, there was much discussion about who the gospel is for in the church of Scotland. Is the gospel only for those who have repented and turned from their sins? Or, is it for those who have not yet repented and turned from their sins? Should the gospel be preached freely and to everyone? Or, should it only be preached to those who show signs of being elect?

These discussions came to head during an ordination exam of William Craig in 1717 in which he was asked to affirm or deny the following statement:

“It is not sound and orthodox to teach that we must forsake sin in order to our coming to Christ.” The Auchterarder Creed

Mr. Craig denied the statement, claiming that we must forsake sin in order to our coming to Christ.

This statement went on to be known as the Auchterarder Creed and was condemned by the General Assembly of the Church of Scotland as an “unsound and detestable doctrine.”

This judgment split the Church of Scotland into two groups: “Marrow Men” and “Neonomians.” The Marrow Men, which included Thomas Boston, Ralph Erskine, Ebenezer Erskine, and others, affirmed the creed, while the Neonomians denied it. 

WHAT IS UNDERNEATH THIS CREED?

The creed it admittedly a bit clunky and could be worded better, but the root question underneath the creed is vital.

The root question this creed seeks to answer is: How freely should the gospel be preached?

Must a person repent into order to receive the gospel? Must a person turn from their sins in order to believe in the gospel? Must a person show signs of believing in order to receive the gospel?

The Marrow Men argued that the gospel should be freely preached for the following reasons:

A person does not need to repent in order to receive the gospel. 

If a person does need to repent in order to receive the gospel, then repentance becomes a condition and a good work that makes a person worthy of receiving the gospel. But faith and works are gifts of God (Eph. 2:8-9)! To affirm repentance as a condition of receiving the gospel introduces legalism, which is seeking to gain acceptance by God through my obedience to God. 

Moreover, a person cannot repent before receiving the gospel, because repentance is the fruit of believing the gospel and being born again by the Spirit. Repentance is a fruit of regeneration, not a root of acceptance before God.

Therefore, the gospel should be offered freely without the condition of repentance or any other condition to anyone and everyone. 

WHY DOES THIS CREED MATTER FOR US?

As we saw in our passage from last Sunday, the main reason the Pharisees were angry with Jesus is because he ate with tax collectors and sinners before they repented.

Tax collectors and sinners were those who were unclean, unholy, and unwelcome into the synagogue, yet Jesus goes to eat with them!

This angered the Pharisees because they were self-righteous. They believed they were “well” and didn’t think they needed a doctor. They believed they were “righteous” and didn’t think they needed a Savior. They were legalists—they believed they were accepted by God through their careful obedience to God. So, when Jesus welcomed and ate with sinners before they repented, they got angry.

This creed matters, because it warns us to avoid the same danger of self-righteousness & legalism.

Let us remember that God has saved us by grace. The only thing we contributed to our salvation is, Martin Luther famously said, our sin.

We were saved by grace through faith, and our faith is a free gift of God! We have no reason to boast and no reason to think we are better than anyone else!

Let us remember this grace when we find sinners in need of grace. If we fail to remember that God has saved us by grace, we will begin to believe we were saved because we repented and are good people.

And we will have a hard time with sinners, those who have not placed their trust in Jesus. With people who do not fear God and do not obey his commands. With people who have no regard for how they wrong us. With people who celebrate what we hate.

The reason we often have a hard time with sinners is not because they are bad; it is because we think we are good.

Just like the older brother in the Parable of the Prodigal Son,

Sinclair Ferguson warns, “Until grace and God himself masters a man, that grace will never flow out to other people. He will become Jonah under his tree with a heart shut up against sinners in need of grace because he thinks of God in conditional terms.”

Let us remember this grace when we find Christians in need of grace. Jesus said, the world will know who Christians are, because of their love for one another.

Yet, love is not usually the best word for describing the way Christians relate to one another. A better word is probably comparison or criticism.

Once we receive grace, we often treat others who have received grace according to their performance. If they are kind to us, we are kind back. If they are hospitable to us, we are hospitable back. If they are loving to us, we are loving back.

But, that’s not grace.

Let us rather:

• outdo one another in showing honor (Rom. 12:10), refusing to give in criticism and critical judgment

• think the best of one another (Phil. 4:8), pondering what is true, honorable, just, pure, lovely, commendable, excellent, and worthy of praise.

• speak the best of one another (Eph. 4:30), refusing to share or participate in any gossip or slander of one another but choosing to build others up when they aren’t around.

• encourage one another (Eph. 4:29), using our words to give grace to one another.

• forgive one another (Eph. 4:32), choosing to focus on how freely we have been forgiven so that we can forgive others freely.

• and there’s so much more!

MORE ON THE MARROW CONTROVErsy

If you are interested in the Marrow Controversy, I would encourage you to check out the resources below.

These two are some of my favorite books of all time.

The Whole Christ, by Sinclair Ferguson

The Marrow of Modern Divinity, by Edward Fisher

Sunday Recap: Feasting

Well, we sprang-forward. And as promised we feasted.

Of course, we feasted on donuts to infuse our bodies with sugar for our drowsy eyes.

But as Walt mentioned yesterday, we feasted in fellowship. We spent time together, worshiping God, listening to his word, and rejoicing over the truth that our Lord can save anyone–even us! It was a feast.

Click here to listen to his full sermon, or you can watch the entire service on YouTube.

Below are Walt’s Scriptures and quotes from the message.

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SermOn outline

Main point: The way to God is always & only Jesus.

1. Jesus saves the unsavable.

God shows his love for us in that while we were still sinners, Christ died for us. Romans 5:8

But to all who did receive him, who believed in his name, he gave the right to become children of God, who were born, not of blood nor of the will of the flesh nor of the will of man, but of God. John 1:12-13

“How does John understand the relationship between our act of believing and God’s act of begetting? . . . Does the new birth bring about faith, or does faith bring about new birth? The answer is clear. The whole burden of these verses is to deny (“not . . . nor . . . nor”) that human causes can bring about a child of God. Not human, but God. God’s begetting, not man’s believing, is decisive in bringing about the new birth.” John Piper

2. Jesus loves the unlovable.

“It would be difficult to overestimate the importance of table fellowship for the cultures of the Mediterranean basin in the first century of our era. Mealtimes were far more than occasions for individuals to consume nourishment. Being welcomed at a table for the purpose of eating food with another person had become a ceremony richly symbolic of friendship, intimacy, & unity.” Scott Bartchy

“The generous representation of destitute people and outcasts in the Gospels reflects the way in which Jesus seems not only to have attracted such people, in search of healing or forgiveness and acceptance, but also deliberately to have sought them out. It was part of his understanding of his mission to pay attention to those whom most people brushed aside or scored. It was to them especially that the kingdom of God belonged.” Richard Bauckham

My song is love unknown, my Savior’s love to me

Love to the loveless shown, that they might lovely be

Oh who am I that for my sake

My Lord should take frail flesh and die?

Samuel Crossman

3. Jesus ushers in the unbelievable.

On this mountain the Lord of hosts will make for all peoples a feast of rich food, a feast of well-aged wine, of rich food full of marrow, of aged wine well refined. And he will swallow up on this mountain the covering that is cast over all peoples, the veil that is spread over all nations. He will swallow up death forever; and the Lord God will wipe away tears from all faces, and the reproach of his people he will take away from all the earth, for the Lord has spoken. Isaiah 25:6-8

discussion questions

Spring Forward + Donuts!

It's that time of the year again for warmer weather, blooming flowers, & allergies. Yes…this Sunday we SPRING forward one hour!

To reduce your drowsiness (& to prepare your heart to worship Jesus?), we will have sugar-laden, gluten-filled donuts for all who are awake & ready on Sunday morning!

Forgive ≠ Forget. It is so much better.

This past Sunday, Pastor Walt preached about forgiveness. And there are few things harder.

TWO WORDS FOR FORGIVENESS

There are two words for forgiveness in the NT. 

The first word is charizomai. The Greek word for grace is charis. This word comes from the same root (as you can probably tell) and is often translated forgive. It means to treat someone graciously and generously, not according to what they deserve. 

Ephesians 4:32 uses this word: “Be kind to one another, tenderhearted, forgiving one another, as God in Christ forgave you.” 

We are commanded to treat others as Jesus has treated us. 

Imagine if we all treated everyone in our lives with the same never-bringing-anything-back-up, never-holding-anything-back kindness that Jesus has shown us. The world would be a very different place!

The second word is aphiemi. It means to send away, release, or set free. It occurred three times in our passage from last Sunday (vs. 5,7,9,10). In fact, it has occurred numerous times already in the Gospel of Mark to refer to things left behind—Simon and Andrew’s nets (1:18), James and John’s father (1:20), Simon’s mother-in-law’s fever (1:31). 

But, in Mark 2, Jesus tells the paralytic to leave behind and send away his sin. 

This word associates the need for forgiveness with debt. Jesus taught us how to ask forgiveness by using this word: “forgive us our debts, as we forgive our debts.” Literally, this verse could be translated: “release us from our debt of sin to you, as we have released others from their debt of sin to us.”

However, this word implies that we forgive by releasing others of the wrongs done against us without retaliating, just as God has done with us through Jesus.  

FORGIVE ≠ FORGET

If forgive means either to treat others graciously or to release others from their debts to us, forgiving does not mean forgetting. 

It means something harder & better. 

Isaiah 43:25 says, “I, I am he who blots out your transgressions for my own sake, and I will not remember your sins.”

What does it mean that God will not remember our sins?

We know it does not mean that he cannot recall them anymore. God knows everything. If he forgot anything, he would not be God. Rather, God is speaking in this way to make an important point to us. 

This verse uses a literary device called anthropomorphism, a way of attributing human characteristics to God for the purpose of making a point.

Just as we choose to not remember the sins of others we’ve forgiven, by refusing to harbor them and refusing to bring them back up, God chooses to do the same thing with us. God chooses not to harbor our sins or bring them back up to condemn us after we have been forgiven. 

But, how could God just forgive? How could he just choose not to bring back up our sins to condemn us?

This is where it gets even better. 

Before the coming of Jesus, God was patient. He didn’t retaliate, or at least not as much as he should have. He withheld his judgment for sin in divine forbearance (Rom. 3:25). But, in the substitutionary death of Jesus, God poured out the punishment—the wrath of God—for all of our sins upon Jesus (Rom. 5:9). And if he has punished Jesus, then he will not return to ever punish us. 

In the court of law, you cannot be tried for same crime twice. To do so would be double jeopardy. In the same way, God will not try us and condemn us for our many sins because of the full payment secured through the substitutionary death of Jesus in our place! 

Therefore, when God forgives us, he doesn’t forget our sins. He looks to the finished work of Christ and chooses not to hold our sins against us ever again.

SO HOW DO I FORGIVE?

We forgive by imitating God. 

The same motivation is behind both of these words for forgiveness. We are commanded to treat others as Jesus has treated us. We are commanded to give people grace, as we have received grace from God. We are commanded to release people from their debts, as we have been released from our debts by God.

But, in order to do this, we imitate God by absorbing the wrong done against us. By letting it go. By burying it. By not bringing it back up.

And letting the person who offended you go free.

If you try to forgive in this way, you’ll realize it is incredibly painful:

One author captures the pain of true forgiveness by saying, 

“I asked a few people if they’d ever forgiven anyone and what it felt like. They gave me answers so pious I know they’d never done it. . . . Forgiveness is a brutal mathematical transaction done with fully engaged faculties. It’s my pain instead of yours. I eat the debt. I absorb the misery I wanted to dish out on you, and you go scot-free.” Andreé Seu Peterson

It’s hard. 

But, if you try to forgive in this way, you’ll realize it is so much better.

To whom much is given, much is required. May God help us. 

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“Let all bitterness and wrath and anger and clamor and slander be put away from you, along with all malice. Be kind to one another, tenderhearted, forgiving one another, as God in Christ forgave you.”

EPHESIANS 4:31-32

Sunday Recap: Community & Forgiveness

Sundays are our favorite day of the week! And yesterday was no different.

Two things really stand out. Dana gave a powerful testimony on community & we began the next chapter in the Gospel of Mark!

Dana’s testimony reminded us of the huge benefit of community—of relationships where you can know & be known. Living in community is not always easy, so it is so helpful for Dana to lift our gaze & help us cherish the church family God has given to us.

And Pastor Walt preached through the first 12 verses of Mark 2. This is the story of the paralytic man who was let down on a mat right in front of Jesus. Ultimately Jesus addresses the man’s sinfulness & his need for forgiveness, in doing showing himself to be God.

Interesting enough, it is the faith of his friends—community!—that is decisive for his encounter with Jesus.

Dana’s testimony & Walt’s notes are below.

If you want to watch the entire service, you can click here to view the recorded livestream on YouTube.

And, if you want to listen to the sermon, you can click here or listen on our podcast channel.

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DANA TUMLIN’S TESTIMONY

The dictionary definition of Community is the feeling of fellowship as a result of sharing common attitudes, interests and goals. 

That sounds alright but my definition has nothing to do with FEELINGS. To me community is the opportunity to deepen my relationship with Christ alongside believers who He has placed in my path. 

In 2011 Kevin and I made the decision to make Chattanooga our church home. We found a church where the message always applied and our children would be well cared for during the service. We faithfully attended that church for 8 years. In 2019 we were invited to be a part of an exciting opportunity to plant a new church in Chattanooga. A church where we would actively serve the local community. While the idea of being the hands and feet of Jesus for the people of Chattanooga excited me, something didn’t feel right. We began to realize He was tugging at our hearts to find a church in Athens. 

In December 2019 Kevin and I decided it was time to start visiting churches in Athens. Because we already had numerous friends who attended Trinity Grace church we decided it would be a great place to start. Here’s the exciting part, we never felt the need to visit anywhere else. 

You see, there are women amongst us here today who have been part of my life for many, many years. They are women who I have always admired. They are women who have consistently demonstrated their love for Christ in the way they speak about their husbands, raise their children and in the way they interact with other people. They are humble. They are gentle. They openly show their love for Jesus. I need to surround myself with women like this! I am incredibly grateful for each and everyone of them. 

When I look back on the last 10 years I am in awe of the obvious path God had us on. Here at Trinity Grace community is not a feeling. It is a way of life. Community is the opportunity to develop and nurture infectious hunger for Jesus.

Don’t get me wrong. It’s not always easy and all smiles. But, living in community with these friends has helped us and helped me walk through the hard moments and filled us with hope for the future.

This community has been a blessing to me & our family. And I pray that, as we press forward, we keep our focus on Christ and deepening our relationship with Him alongside each other.

–Dana Tumlin

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Main point: There is no forgiveness of sins except through the blood of Jesus Christ.

1. Your greatest problem is your sin.

“Suffering hurts more, but sin is more serious. Suffering will not last, but sin has consequences that reach into eternity.” Ed Welch

2. Your sin is against God.

The Lord, the Lord, a God merciful and gracious, slow to anger, and abounding in steadfast love and faithfulness, keeping steadfast love for thousands, forgiving iniquity and transgression and sin. Exodus 34:6-7

I, I am he who blots out your transgressions for my own sake, and I will not remember your sins. Isaiah 43:25

Against you, you only, have I sinned and done what is evil in your sight, so that you may be justified in your words and blameless in your judgment. Psalm 51:4

3. Only God can forgive your sin through Jesus.

“I saw in the night visions, and behold, with the clouds of heaven there came one like a son of man, and he came to the Ancient of Days and was presented before him. And to him was given dominion and glory and a kingdom, that all peoples, nations, and languages should serve him; his dominion is an everlasting dominion, which shall not pass away, and his kingdom one that shall not be destroyed.” Daniel 7:13-14

He ran thus till he came at a place somewhat ascending, and upon that place stood a Cross, and a little below, in the bottom, a [tomb]. So I saw in my dream, that just as Christian came up with the Cross, his Burden loosed from off his shoulders, and fell from off his back, and began to tumble, and so continued to do, till it came to the mouth of the [tomb], where it fell in, and I saw it no more.

Then was Christian glad and lightsome, and said with a merry heart, He has given me rest by His sorrow, and life by His death. Then he stood still a while to look and wonder; for it was very surprising to him, that the sight of the Cross should thus ease him of his Burden. He looked therefore, and looked again, even till the springs that were in his head sent the waters down his cheeks. John Bunyan

“Why, this is mine,” saith Christ; “this agreement I made with my Father, that I should come, and take thy sins, and bear them away: they are my lot. Give my thy burden, give me all they sins. Thou knowest not what to do with them; I know how to dispose of them well enough, so that God shall be glorified and thy soul delivered.” John Owen

In him we have redemption through his blood, the forgiveness of our trespasses, according to the riches of his grace. Ephesians 1:7

Men's Prayer Night—Wednesday, March 10.

“PRAYER IS REBELLION AGAINST THE STATUS QUO.”

Author David Wells once said, “Prayer is rebellion against the status quo.”

The church often falls into the status quo—doing the same things because it’s the same things we’ve always done. But, prayer calls on God to interrupt our status quo & intervene to revive, refresh, & restore. Prayer calls on God to do what only he can do. And it is actually but status quo.

That’s why we are starting a monthly Men’s Prayer Night. To gather together, get low, & rebel against the status quo. It’ll include a few moments of singing, a short exhortation, & time for prayer in groups.

We hope you carve out time for this evening each month.

ALL THE DETAILS ARE BELOW

• WHAT: Men’s Prayer Night

• WHO: All the men & young men of the church & whoever else that wants to come.

• WHEN: Wednesday, March 10 :: 7:00-8:15pm

• WHERE: Room behind White Street Market (3 West College St.)

Band on the Run: How to Play the Right Things for the Right Reasons.

If you haven’t noticed, church music has drastically changed over the past twenty to thirty years. Church music used to be led primarily with organs & pianos, but now most church music is led with guitars, keyboards, synthesizers, &—thankfully—drums.

With so many changes, how should church music & worship look & sound? What should guide how we play & what we sing?

BAND ON THE RUN

Last Saturday, all the musicians of Trinity Grace—along with a few friends in the community—gathered with Bob Kauflin to consider how to play the right things for the right reasons.

It was a very helpful & practical morning.

Unfortunately, we failed to record what Bob shared. Whoops!

However, below is a link to a PDF of the outline & to a previous recording of Bob teaching this outline.

We made into the Daily Post Athenian!

We made it into the Daily Post Athenian!

In last Friday’s paper, about halfway down the leftmost column of the article above, they mention our church as working with Helping Hands.

We have arrived!

In all seriousness, it is nice to be reminded of the good work Helping Hands is doing in our community & the privilege to partner with them last month. Thanks again to the deacons for arranging it & all who were able to serve!

Sunday Recap: A Song of Deliverance.

Bob & Julie Kauflin came to visit us this past weekend & it was very encouraging!

Bob preached from Psalm 40 & reminded us that God’s faithfulness to deliver us from trials in the past enables us to confidently praise him through trials in the present.

OVERVIEW OF THE SERMON

Psalm 40 helps us praise God in the midst of present trials.

Bob’s sermon followed three points:

1. Deliverance remembered (verses 1-5).

2. Deliverance responded to (verses 6-10).

3. Deliverance anticipated (verse 11-17).

This psalm helps us to see that God promises to abundantly multiply his thoughts & good plans for us. But God’s good plans may not include worldly success or ease. And God’s good plans involve our heartfelt obedience.

Nevertheless, God’s good plans are good & will bring us mercy. No circumstance—not even our sin—can restrain his mercy. And unlike David, we can look back to the cross, where we see Jesus’ delight to do God’s will & our assurance of an ultimate, future deliverance.

As pastor Christopher Ash has said, “We praise, not because the present is easy but because the future is glorious.”

DISCUSSION QUESTIONS

Below are a few discussion questions for you to ponder & for us to discuss at Community Group this week:

1. Read Psalm 40 out loud.

2. Verses 1-5 describe a past deliverance. What happened? What was David’s response?

3. In explaining verse 5, Bob said, “God’s wondrous deeds are not random acts of kindness.” Rather, God’s wondrous deeds are the unfolding of innumerable thoughts & plans he has to bless his people, much like a father or mother is with their child. How would we walk differently if we remembered the purposeful plan of our good Father behind each of them?

4. The next section describes how David responded to this deliverance with his will (6-8) & his lips of praise (9-10).

5. When have you been prone to move from problem to problem without responding with praise to God’s deliverance in your life? Have you ever been convicted of “lazy lips”?

6. The final section describes how David anticipated a future deliverance, not only from a trial but from the consequences of his own sin. Do you ever feel like the Lord’s can’t deliver you because you’re the one to blame?

7. Hebrews 10:5-7 quotes Psalm 40 and applies it to Jesus. In what ways is the meaning of the psalm significantly changed by reading it in light of the person and work of Jesus?

You can listen to the full sermon by clicking here.

"The Lord so lovingly cared for us"

A couple of weeks ago, Jonathan and Elizabeth Hill shared their story. In the midst of deep sorrow and loss, they realized that God was taking care of them.

While wading through the grief of the loss of their first child, Esther, the Lord connected them with Trinity Grace. And the Lord has been at work since then, including blessing them with their now one-year-old daughter Ruth!

A few weeks ago, just after Ruth’s first birthday, the Hills shared this painful yet wonderful testimony of the Lord’s grace.

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Valentine’s Day, 2018, we found out that we were expecting our first child. We were, of course, thrilled and terrified. We found out pretty quickly that our firstborn would be a girl, and we named her Esther “Essie” Lamb Hill. Her name was a prayer for her life - that she would be fearless in pursuing God’s plan for her. It was also intended to be an encouragement to her - that even when she can’t actively see God at work in her life, He is still sovereign and good. That June, I accepted a band director position in Cleveland, so we left our jobs in Alabama and moved up here.

On August 8, after 7 months of pregnancy, I knew something was wrong. She wasn’t moving. It was Jonathan’s first day at his new job. We went to the ER and the nurses could not find her heartbeat. An ultrasound showed a perfectly normal looking little babe, but no life. At that point, everything seemed to go incredibly fast and also incredibly slow. We called our families, they drove up. The nurses and doctors discovered that I was very sick, just with very few visible symptoms. I was put on medicine and induced and 48 hours later, Essie’s body was delivered. I wasn’t capable of holding her - physically or emotionally, but Jonathan did. The nurses were incredibly compassionate. I will never forget the way those ladies ministered to us in that sorrowful and sacred place. During those 48 hours between hearing my darkest fears confirmed and delivering our first baby, my husband read the same scripture to me, I don’t know how many times. It was 2 Corinthians, chapter 5. In that passage, Paul talks about how to be away from the body is to be with the Lord, and that was the hope we clung to in that time - that our Essie was away from her body, but she was with the Lord. After she was delivered, I remember being alone for a few minutes, I think for the first time since we had come to the hospital, and singing to myself, and to God, the hymn, “My Jesus, I love thee.” “I'll love thee in life, I will love thee in death, and praise thee as long as thou lendest me breath, and say when the deathdew lies cold on my brow: If ever I loved thee, my Jesus, 'tis now.”

The way that the Lord so lovingly cared for us during that time, and the season of grief that followed still amazes us. It was through our loss, that God connected us with Trinity Grace. And that was and continues to be an immense blessing. Our church family cared for us so deeply - they saw our grief and they didn’t turn away, even though it was so uncomfortable to witness. They told us truths that were hard to hear, but ended up bringing comfort and assurance in the goodness of God in all circumstances. Trinity Grace did not let us slink off to hide in our sorrow, they drew us out, told their children about our child, spoke about her as if it was normal, and made us a part of their families. God has been so kind to us, ministering to us Himself, and through His Church. When we miscarried, it was like TGC redoubled their efforts to serve us.

Then, in September of 2019, when we announced our pregnancy with Ruth, it was like we were carried by each of you. She was loved and celebrated, even when I couldn’t let myself get excited. Loving and challenging words directed my eyes to God’s sovereign goodness, regardless of the outcome of this pregnancy. And when Rue was born on February 10, 2020, it was incredible to witness the joy that our church family felt - we could tell that they held this pregnancy, this child, in their hearts like their own.

A very wise woman told me when I had empty arms to cherish this season of sorrow, because someday I wouldn’t have that particular seat at the Cross anymore. I didn’t have very charitable thoughts towards her at the moment she said those words, but their meaning soaked in. Now, praise be to God, I do not have empty arms! And I look back and cherish that season that God gave us. I don’t cherish it for the loss of our very, very loved first baby, but for the gain of the assurance that God does indeed work all things for the good of those who love him and are called according to his purpose and that even in times of intense suffering, God is still sovereign and He is still good.

On behalf of Ruth and as a sincere thank you for your genuine friendship, care, love, and prayers for us and Esther and Ruth, we want to give you a cupcake to celebrate Ruth’s first birthday this past week! They will be on the table on your way out! To God be the glory.

Bob Kauflin Will Be Here Next Weekend!

We are excited to welcome Bob Kauflin to Athens next weekend!

Bob is a very talented worship leader, songwriter, author, pastor, & more. But far more than that, he is a godly man who love the Lord & loves the church.

Join us on Sunday, February 28 at Ramble Creek Vineyards!

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In addition, we are hosting a gathering with Bob for those who are interested in music & worship.

This is open to anyone who is interested in music (NOT just those on the worship team!). And feel free to bring a friend along!

• WHAT: Playing the right things for the right reasons in worship.

• WHEN: Saturday, February 26 – 10:00am - 12Noon

• WHERE: Finch home: 1514 County Road 700, Athens, TN