Author: Keith Trollinger

Are You Prepared to Take Immediate Action?

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Paul finishes his second letter to Timothy with one last challenge: I solemnly urge you in the presence of God and Christ Jesus, who will someday judge the living and the dead when he comes to set up his Kingdom: Preach the word of God. Be prepared, whether the time is favorable or not. Patiently correct, rebuke, and encourage your people with good teaching. For a time is coming when people will no longer listen to sound and wholesome teaching. They will follow their own desires and will look for teachers who will tell them whatever their itching ears want to hear. They will reject the truth and chase after myths. But you should keep a clear mind in every situation. Don’t be afraid of suffering for the Lord. Work at telling others the Good News, and fully carry out the ministry God has given you. – 2 Timothy 4:1-5 Be prepared! Recently, I have been spending time at the police station with Carrollton’s finest. A common phrase I hear come over their radio is, “Stand by.” In a …

Acting as the Church God Had In Mind

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On the day of Pentecost all the believers were meeting together in one place. Suddenly, there was a sound from heaven like the roaring of a mighty windstorm, and it filled the house where they were sitting. Then, what looked like flames or tongues of fire appeared and settled on each of them. And everyone present was filled with the Holy Spirit and began speaking in other languages, as the Holy Spirit gave them this ability. At that time there were devout Jews from every nation living in Jerusalem. When they heard the loud noise, everyone came running, and they were bewildered to hear their own languages being spoken by the believers. – Acts 2:1-6 This text in Acts was the very beginning of something supernatural; God’s design for the church took on its fullness that day in Jerusalem. Filled with the Holy Spirit, Peter and the others preached the gospel in the native languages of everyone present. It happened on the steps of the temple, then moved throughout all of Israel, Judea, and to the ends of …

Not Feeling It and Not Motivated

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I know a lot of times when we hear people talk about their “quiet times” it often feels as though it comes easily to them. But maybe for you, it’s a struggle. When you hear others talk about their Bible reading, maybe you find yourself experiencing guilt or shame because you are not in the Word enough and you lack the motivation motivated to get started. I read this paragraph in “Messy Spirituality” by Mike Yaconelli years ago and immediately felt normal in my walk with Christ. After 45 years of trying to follow Jesus, I keep losing him in the crowded busyness of my life. I know Jesus is there, somewhere, but it’s difficult to make Him out in the haze of everyday life. For as long as I can remember, I have wanted to be a godly person. Yet when I look at the yesterday’s of my life, what I see, mostly, is a broken, irregular path littered with mistakes and failure. I have had temporary successes and isolated moments of closeness to …

Silence Broken with a Message of Freedom for You

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These words meant everything. Zachariah was shaken, overwhelmed with fear when he saw the angel. But Gabriel said, “Don’t be afraid, Zachariah! God has heard your prayer. Your wife, Elizabeth, will give you a son… He will be a man with the spirit and power of Elijah. He will prepare the people for the coming of the Lord. He will turn the hearts of the fathers to their children, and he will cause those who are rebellious to accept the wisdom of the godly.” (Luke 1:13,17) Many of us know now what the Israelites did not know then. During this time, the Israelites were under the authority of the Roman Government. They were not a free nation. The goal of the Roman government was to suppress and destabilize the nation of Israel, sending it into obscurity. Rome had been responsible for the final destruction of the Temple and the burning down of Jerusalem.  The Israelites believed from the line of David, a Jewish Patriotic King would rise from the downfall of the Jews, lead a revolution to overthrow the …

Four Shrewd Money Principles For Peace

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Growing up, my mom was a high school teacher and my dad was an AT&T accountant. Not only was my mom going to make sure my grades were stellar, but my dad was also going to make sure my finances and spending habits were on point. I believe what I learned from my parents is why I never worry about money. Never! I want to share a few of those lessons with you and hope they help your wallet and worry as we enter into this holiday season. Don’t spend what you don’t have. I can’t tell you how many times I have walked back and forth, pacing isles with items in my arms, debating whether I can buy it or not. I do this often at Robinson’s Overstock. If you walk in there on a Friday and see me, chances are I am going through this routine. I talk myself out of purchases all the time. I walk around the store with arms full and then as I head to the check-out, I start putting things …

4 Practical Fundamentals for Parents of Millennials

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This past week at Southern Hills, Shannon finished the “Adulting” series talking about parenting. I would encourage you to listen if you missed it. It is solid teaching when it comes to parenting biblically. My takeaway: It is never too late to lead and disciple your child.  With that in mind, I’d like to share four fundamental practices to parents. 1. Know who your child is hanging out with and being influenced by.  It’s not just ok, it’s your job to look into the social media platforms of your own child and their friends. See what they are posting on Snapchat and Instagram. Get to know their friends on a personal level as well, and let them get to know you. Build a relationship with them. You never know what your relationship with your teenager’s friends may lead them not to do. I would encourage you to take it a step further and get to know the parents of your child’s friends as well. You don’t have to become best friends, but simply being in the …

You Can Remain Hopeful in the Storm

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When I first saw the Sea of Galilee, I was overwhelmed with excitement and joy. We checked into our hotel in Tiberius and I immediately put on my bathing suit, grabbed a towel, and ran down to the small shoreline. The water was pretty cold, but I just went for it and dove in. With mountains surrounding every side, I wondered how these waters could become so turbulent. I kid you not, just as I had the thought, a small wind came across the sea and what was smooth waters quickly became white caps. I considered swimming back to shore as I realized that it didn’t take much to create a turbulent scene. Often times this is how storms in our lives begin. Things seem to be really smooth when a little wind kicks up and stirs the water.  Before we know it we’re in the middle of a raging storm. It can be scary, especially when you are far from the shore. In Matthew 14:22-33, the disciples of Jesus are out on the Sea …

Surrendering My Heart to the Creator

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This upcoming Sunday, June 4 we will sing what I think is one of the most aggressive songs you could sing to God. It was written by David Crowder and the title is Here’s My Heart Lord.  More than a song, it’s a prayer: Here’s my heart Lord Here’s my heart Lord Here’s my heart Lord Speak what is true ‘Cause I am found, I am Yours I am loved, I’m made pure I have life, I can breathe I am healed, I am free ‘Cause You are strong, You are sure You are life, You endure You are good, always true You are light breaking through You are more than enough You are here, You are love You are hope, You are grace You’re all I have, You’re everything I just want to bust out singing this prayer to Abba Father! This song leads me to two Psalms written by David that have had incredible influence and impact in my life. The first is Psalm 51 where we find David’s prayer of repentance after being caught …

Do You Have the Hope to Endure the Heat?

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Often times when I preach, I come right out of the gates with the strong points. We don’t get a lot of time, so sometimes you just got to get to the point. This is definitely James approach in his book in the New Testament. Dear brothers and sisters, when troubles of any kind come your way, consider it an opportunity for great joy. For you know that when your faith is tested, your endurance has a chance to grow. So let it grow, for when your endurance is fully developed, you will be perfect and complete, needing nothing. James 1:2-4 In the first century, a silversmith would take raw silver and purify it by applying heat, turning the silver into a liquid.  The impurities would separate from the silver and rise to the top. Using a spoon, the silversmith would remove the impurities, or dross, from the top layer of the silver. A good silversmith would repeat this process many times over. When the silversmith could see his full reflection in the silver, he knew that …

Do You Really Know Jesus For Real?

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When I walk into a school, 99% of teenagers will tell me they believe in Jesus. I’ve learned there’s a stark difference between believing in Jesus and believing Jesus. Most people say they know who Jesus is, but do you really know Him? In Philippians, Paul writes, “I want to know Christ and experience the mighty power that raised him from the dead. I want to suffer with him, sharing in his death…” (Philippians 3:10) The power of this sentence is in the word know. It’s the Greek word gnoskis and Paul uses it to mean deep intimacy. Gnoskis describes the relationship that a husband has with his wife on the wedding night, the husband and the wife know each other in the most intimate way possible, becoming one. Paul is implying that he wants to know Jesus in the most intimate way that we can possibly know Him. Do you believe in Jesus or believe Jesus? The difference implies the weight of gnoskis. To believe in Jesus is easy, the historical evidence for His existence on this …