lawtontrinity.com

Dear Reader, 

A room-service waiter at a Marriott hotel learned that the sister of a guest had just died. The waiter, named Charles, bought a sympathy card, had hotel staff members sign it, and gave it to the distraught guest with a piece of hot apple pie.

“Mr. Marriott,” the guest later wrote to the president of Marriott Hotels, “I’ll never meet you. And I don’t need to meet you. Because I met Charles. I know what you stand for. I want to assure you that as long as I live, I will stay at your hotels. And I will tell my friends to stay at your hotels.”

And so it is that we should strive to live such lives that people who don’t know our Lord will want to pledge themselves to Him because they have seen the love of Christ emerging from our own lives. The only difference in the above story is that instead of the guest writing, “I don’t need to meet you, because I met Charles,” people should be saying to the Lord Jesus, “I want to meet You, because I have met_________ (your name).”

Oh, to live in such a way.

Because He Lives,

Pastor Grubbs

PASTOR’S MONDAY MOMENT

In 2008, Heather Dorniden was a celebrated runner for the University of Minnesota. She was leading the pack during the final heat of the 600-meter race in the Big Ten Indoor Track Championship. There were about 200 meters of the race to go when Dorniden tripped, landing hard on her face.

But instead of quitting, she jumped back onto her feet and began sprinting around the track, rapidly gaining speed. “It was a home meet, so my whole team, my parents and fans gave me so much energy.” She later said. “I heard the announcer say, ‘watch out for Dorniden’ I thought, yes, watch out for Dorniden.”

Incredibly, she managed to fly past all of her competitors and, to everyone’s surprise, crossed the finish line in first place. On a 2009 University website post she said, “That last 50 meters, I hit a gear that I never knew I had.”

Failure isn’t final with the Father. “A righteous man falls seven times but rises up again” (Proverbs 24:16). For all who have slipped, stumbled, fallen, or failed, victory may still be achieved. For those who quickly resume their journey of faith, they too may discover “a gear like they’ve never known.”

The finish line can’t be crossed from the ground. Therefore, Heaven is cheering on the overcomers who by God’s grace just cannot stay down.

Have a blessed week.

Pastor

Do you ever find yourself standing before your personal Everest, staring at an obstacle that feels impossible to overcome?

In these moments—when we feel utterly helpless—Jesus’ words in Mark 10:27 become our lifeline:
“With man this is impossible, but not with God.”

This isn’t just a feel-good slogan; it’s a shift in perspective. While the world glorifies self-reliance, Jesus calls us to see our limitations as opportunities for His power to shine.

The promise isn’t that our problems vanish, but that God steps in when we reach the end of ourselves. It’s about letting go and allowing the Master Craftsman to turn our obstacles into opportunities.

Remember, the same God who created the universe isn’t intimidated by your impossible. What feels like a dead end is the beginning of His work.

Today, face your mountain not with fear, but with anticipation—because it’s the stage for God’s next miracle.