Trinity Fremont

Have you ever been desperate? Desperate not from someone else’s doing, but because of your own. This is Samson in Judges Chapter 16. His unnatural strength from God led to a life of getting what he wanted, when he wanted it. Ultimately, Samson’s wanting of women that were not his wife led to his desperate situation. Which brings us back to our own desperation stories. Stories of desperation that lead us back to God - back to God to be restored in body and soul. Even in our sin, in our own mistakes, God will not leave us forsake us. His Spirit remains in us to help us in our weakness. “He intercedes for us with groanings too deep for words.” Intercedes and restores us with grace won for us on the cross. Yes, we too are too cry out to the Lord in our weakness and He will make us whole again. Judges 16:4-9; 15-22; 28-30

This week we see how gratitude isn’t just for the good days. In Philippians 1, Paul writes with joy and thanksgiving, not from comfort, but from prison. He shows us that joy isn’t about how life is going for us, but about how the Gospel keeps moving forward through us. We see that when we look through the eyes of the Spirit, even hardship becomes a place where Jesus is at work.

This week we kick off our new series, The Gratitude Challenge, by taking a closer look at something we usually overlook, our breath. In Genesis, God breathes life into dust. In Ezekiel’s vision, His breath turns dry bones into living people. And in John 20, Jesus breathes His Spirit into His followers.We’ll talk about how gratitude starts with things that we might overlook, like the everyday gifts God gives: air in our lungs and the Spirit that fills our hearts. Because what you look for is what you see.Join Pastor Gerber as we explore how learning to see and thank God for the “ordinary” things changes how we see everything.

All Saints Day. It can tug at your heart in a variety of ways. Our senses can quickly bring us back to one of our loved ones can’t they? It could be a smell, something we see, something we smell or something or something we hear and we instantly have a loved one in our minds and also in our hearts. All Saints Day is a time to remember them fondly, but it isn’t always easy. There is most certainly or was most certainly crying involved. Now there is waiting involved, waiting for Jesus to return on the Last Day, and there is hoping involved. Hope in our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ to restore all things including our loved ones to a new paradise where they(we) will walk in newness of life forever. Crying, Waiting and Hoping - What a process He has given us. Thanks be to God.

If you’ve ever had heart burn, you know it isn’t a burning that feels good. “Plop, plop, fiz, fiz. Oh what a relief it is. ” Or at least we hope. The heart burn that the two of the disciples felt as Jesus walked with them on the day he was resurrected was not a burning that needed relief. It was a burning from being in the presence of Jesus, the Word of God himself. Being in the presence of the Light of the World will do that to a person. But He is still present in many ways. That burning wasn’t reserved just for the disciples. As we are in the Word and the Word is in us, indeed that burning feeling the disciples had while Jesus revealed the scriptures to them isn’t going anywhere. It is here to stay.

This week in our Light of the World series, we move from being obviously transformed by the light to walking in it. Psalm 119 reminds us, “Your word is a lamp to my feet and a light to my path.” God’s Word doesn’t always show us the whole road ahead. It often only lights the next step. But we can walk with confidence because we know who the Light is: Jesus! That same Light still shines in our lives today, guiding our steps through His Word and Spirit. Join us as we explore what it means to walk in the light of Jesus, one step, one degree of glory, at a time.

In this story from Exodus 34, Israel is encamped at Mount Sinai while Moses has gone up the mountain to spend time with God. This is the time when Moses delivers to Israel the Ten Commandments, written by the finger of God. In this encounter with God, Moses receives more than the Law from God. When he comes down from Mount Sinai, his face is shining. The Hebrew word translated “shone” (qaran) can mean a radiance that beams out like sun rays. This is not a soft glow Moses generates. He is literally shining so brightly that it’s like beams of light are proceeding from his face. Ultimately, and somewhat unbelievably, Christians too are called to reflect God’s glory to the world. Paul alludes to this in 2 Corinthians 3:18, where believers are described as being transformed “from one degree of glory to another.” This reference to Moses’s shining face reminds all believers that this spiritual transformation begins with time spent in the presence of God. And it leads to people being so completely transformed that it’s like they’re illuminated. Are you illuminated by being transformed by Christ’s love for you? Is it obvious that Christ is in you? How do we go about going from one degree of glory to another?

This week we begin a new series, Light of the World, with the very first words of Scripture: “Let there be light.” In Genesis 1, God doesn’t just flip a switch so we can see what was already there, He speaks light into chaos and brings order where there was none. That same creative Word becomes flesh in Jesus, who steps into the brokenness and despair of our lives. On the cross and in the empty tomb, He makes us whole, tov, not just a little better, but complete in Him. Join us as we hear how the Light of the World still speaks into our chaos today.

It is one thing to “talk the talk.” It is another thing to “walk the walk.” The apostle Paul makes it very clear in his letter to the Ephesians that walking in the light of Jesus and bearing fruit for His Kingdom is not only a suggestion, it is indeed what Christians are to do - Bear fruit by walking as children of the light - Jesus. Two questions: 1) What are you reflecting in this world? 2) Who are you reflecting in this world?

At Trinity, we don’t just learn who we are in Jesus or love because He first loved us, we also Lead. In Ephesians 4, God equips His people so the whole body of Christ may grow. We lead by showing Jesus through our actions, by investing in God’s mission with the gifts He provides, and by telling others who Jesus is. This is our calling as His children, and this is our joy as His Church.

At Trinity, we learn who we are in Jesus so that His love flows through us. This week we focus on Love, because God loved us first, we are called to love others, forgive freely, and serve with joy. In 1 John 4, we hear that God’s love was made visible in Jesus. Now that love shines through us to our families, our church, our school, and our community.

Series: Learn. Love. Lead. Title: Learn. Trinity’s mission is clear: Learn. Love. Lead. Equipped to Reflect the Light of Jesus. It starts with the foundation - Learn. Before we can love or lead, we need to know who we are. In 2 Timothy 3, God’s Word is described as breathed out by Him, making us wise for salvation and equipping us for every good work. At Trinity, we learn by worshiping and praying in community, by studying God’s Word together, and by living out His will for our lives. This is our identity: we are children of God, loved and known by Jesus.

The powerful truth that Jesus is our Living Hope—a hope made alive through His resurrection. Because He lives, we are not only forgiven by mercy but welcomed into a lasting inheritance that can never fade.

He who was rich became poor for our sake. By Christ’s poverty we have become rich – rich in God’s grace. God gives. He gave his Son’s life. We receive – receive this gift of grace, undeserved forgiveness. We respond. What does that response look like for you – response to this inexpressible gift of grace? Are you a cheerful giver or a reluctant giver – giver of gifts that are not even ours?

Preaching In worship, God gives His living Word, read and preached. He speaks to form us, not just inform us. From 2 Timothy 3:16–4:2 we see Scripture as God-breathed and preaching commanded. Isaiah 55 promises His Word won’t return empty. Luke 24 centers it all on Christ crucified and risen. This message invites us to listen actively, take one simple step of obedience, and share what Jesus has done in us.

Prayer isn’t just something we do for God. It’s a gift God gives to us. In this message, we explore how prayer fits into the rhythm of worship, not as a private ritual, but as a shared response to God’s generosity. The early church was devoted to prayer. Jesus prays for us. The Spirit intercedes on our behalf. And now, we’re invited to join in, together.

What language does God speak to you through music? Hymns? The Lutheran Service Book’s liturgies? Contemporary songs? In them all, God is inviting us to “enjoy him.” C.S. Lewis said, “In commanding us to glorify Him, God is inviting us to enjoy Him.” Yes, enjoy Him through by making a joyful noise to the Rock of our Salvation. That’s Jesus. Worthy to be praised. “For the LORD is a great King above all gods. In His hand are the depths of the earth; the heights of the mountains are his also: The sea is His, for He made it, and his hands formed the the dry land. Oh come, let us worship and bow down; let us kneel before the LORD, our Maker! (Psalm 95)

Worship. What does that mean exactly? What IS worship? Is worship about me or about God or both? Most people would treat worship as praising God with affection and giving him the glory. BUT worship is so much more. Although those things can be part of worship, the CHIEF PART of worship is the LORD Jesus giving - giving gifts. Gifts like mercy, kindness, love, blood, forgiveness, promises, smiles and kingdom and His Spirit.

In this second chapter of our “If God Is For Us” series, we tackle Paul’s big question: “Who can separate us from the love of Christ?” We’ll explore how even good gifts—health, family, finances—can become barriers when we trust them more than the Giver. From Genesis to Malachi to Jesus Himself, we’ll see how God warns us against serving money and idols. But this isn’t just about what trips us up—it’s about the ultimate solution. We’ll unpack the promise that Christ’s death and resurrection cover every misplaced trust. And we’ll finish with a practical challenge: when fear or scarcity tempts you to cling, pause and declare, “Nothing can separate me from Your love,” then step out in a small act of generosity. Tune in and be reminded: God’s love is unbreakable—and it calls us to live freely, boldly, and generously.

We’ve all heard the words: “If God is for us, who can be against us?” But what happens when it doesn’t feel that way? When life is heavy, shame lingers, and doubt creeps in? In this first part of our two-week series, we trace the sweeping story of Romans 1–8, through guilt, grace, struggle, and hope, so that we can hear Paul’s bold question the way he meant it. This isn’t a cliché. It’s a promise. And the cross and empty tomb is the proof. God is for you. And that changes everything.