Growin' Up Gregory

I saw a quote earlier this month that said "I used to think that being a child at Christmas was the best thing ever.  Now I know it's having children at Christmas."  Brittnee and I are just now starting to get to see Thomas's excitement at Christmas time.  He loves looking at, and playing with, the tree even though that's a "no-no".  He has learned this year that Santa Clause says "ho ho ho" which is fun to hear him say as well.  As Christians, we know the true meaning of Christmas and I hope that we are all taking time during this season to reflect on the gift God gave us in Jesus.  But there is something special about seeing our children and loved ones open presents with such excitement and awe on Christmas morning.  Fortunately for us, our gifts aren't limited to just that one day of the year, we have been given gifts that last a lifetime in Christ.  So let's see what God left for us under the Christmas tree in Romans 5:1-11. The f...

During his time on earth, Jesus spent much time developing the faith of his disciples.  He did this so they would be prepared for what he had called them to do.  Jesus would often use his teachings and the scripture but some of his instruction was done through demonstration.  These guys had a front row seat as He healed the sick, cast out demons, fed thousands, and calmed the sea.  Just like us, the disciples faith at times was small and weak, but Jesus never gave up on them.  He questioned them when they did not exhibit the faith they should but also complimented them when they showed strength.  They would be tasked with the same thing we are today, to go and make  disciples.  Without faith, they would have failed and so would we.  Strengthening our faith is essential to our Christian life.  There are two primary ways that we can strengthen our faith.  The first is studying scripture, the holy inspired Word of God, which tells us...

I was listening to a sermon the other night and heard a quote from the evangelist preaching saying "Circumstances are like a mattress, when you lie on top it's nice and comfy.  But if you lie underneath you'll suffocate."  How true a statement. "I know how to be brought low, and I know how to be abound.  In any and every circumstance, I have learned the secret of facing plenty and hunger, abundance and need.  I can do all things through him who strengthens me." - Philippians 4:12-13 Paul knew how to deal with any circumstance he faced. He was able to get by with only enough food and clothing to survive.  He also knew how to handle have plenty while still being reliant on God.  Paul then penned one of the most quoted and inspiring verses in the Bible from prison of all places.  How are you facing your circumstances today?  Are you facing them with the strength of God and rising to the top of them or are you letting them cause y...

"This is love: not that we have loved God, but that he loved us and sent his Son as an atoning sacrifice for our sins." - 1 John 4:10 God desires a personal relationship with us, but our sinfulness made that seem impossible. God is a just God and our sin debt had to be satisfied. The death of someone without sin was required as payment and throughout the course of history there was only one who qualified, Jesus. God acquired the most expensive Christmas present ever, the price tag on it was the death of his Son.      God has done what was needed for us to have a fellowship and relationship with Him.  If you haven't experienced that relationship do so during this Christmas season.  Realize that we have all sinned and that Jesus is the way to salvation with God the Father.  Receive the greatest gift ever for Christmas this year, God's un-ending, un-paralleled love.   #GiveGodGlory #Love #Faith

Dictionary.com has named "Identity" as its 2015 Word of the Year due to the stories of Jenner not knowing if it's a male or female, Miley Cyrus's sexual attraction, and Rachel Dolezal who was born white but considers herself black.  It is a sad day in our country and in our world when we find our identity in things such as these.  So let me try to place a biblical perspective on identity and address the issues that Dictionary.com feels define our identity. First up is Jenner and gender identity.  In Genesis 1:27, God's Word says "So God created man in his own image, in the image of God he created him; male and female he created them."  First book, first chapter, the genders of mankind are laid out there for us.  God created men and women as equal partners in this world in his image.  It is by divine design that we are physically diverse and can multiply and reproduce.  Neither sex could reproduce without the other which demonstrates our interdependen...

How many of you have watched a football game on TV?  Isn't it awesome how when it's a competitive game we get all into it and start rooting for our favorite team, or for the underdog.  And then there's a bad play or blown call and we start screaming at the TV and maybe even throwing a remote control or whatever else is closest to us.  We get so excited when our team wins that we may even jump and down in the living room.  But how much more exciting when we are able to attend the game?  To be inside the stadium, to see the players, to hear the band and the roar of the crowd when a big play happens?  It's so much better to be there isn't it! That's the experience that we miss out on sometimes when we see a need and feel a call of God to help with something but we simply donate a few dollars instead of actually getting involved.  Now don't get me wrong, giving is good, and needed.  But just like watching the game on TV, being there a...

The next time someone cuts you off traffic, has an attitude, or just does you wrong for no good reason and you decide that you will give them what they deserve, or even take the "Christian" route and ask God to give them what they deserve so you don't have to get your hands dirty; think about this, what if God gave us what we deserve? "Then Peter came up and said to him, 'Lord, how often will my brother sin against me, and I forgive him?  As many as seven times?'  Jesus said to him, 'I do not say to you seven times, but seventy-seven times." - Matthew 18:21-22 "For judgment is without mercy to one who has shown no mercy.  Mercy triumphs over judgment." - James 2:13 Life is not fair, people do not get what they deserve.  And I thank you for that.  Because without your grace and mercy I would be a sinner with no way of avoiding hell. Lord, thank you for your mercy.  It's so easy for us to be willing to receive it from you but yet ...

Each week our study of Experiencing God has 5 days of study and then a review section for our weekly meetings to discuss any questions we may have had come up during our studies.  I had this thought at the time and it has become more impactful for me since then. Day 4 was titled "You Come to Know God".  It was only a one page devotion for the day with no response section or summary statements like we typically have.  As I first glanced I thought this was kind of an "off" day that meant I could do my God duty quick and get on to something else for the day.  The focus of the lesson was to go through a list of names, titles, and descriptions of God and list ones that we have come to know Him by through our experience.  It then asked us to spend an extended time in prayer for that day since we had less book time. Day 5 was titled "Questions and Answers" and addressed the questions below: - Why does God seem to work so slowly in my life? - Why doesn't...

I was asked to share with the children during group time at AWANA this week so figured I would share here as well, plus it helps me with preparing for that.  And with Thanksgiving coming up, guess what the topic is, thankfulness. When do we give thanks?  Most often we give thanks and bless our food before meals.  We say thank you when someone gives us a present.  And we may say thank you when someone holds a door open or does something nice for us.  But God wants us to give thanks all the time.  "Give thank in all circumstances; for this is God's will for you in Christ Jesus" - 1 Thessalonians 5:18.  It is God's will for us to always be thankful, not just during November, so we should always be grateful for the things that we have. How do we show thanks?  We can say 'thank you', Or give them a card of gift, or even do a favor for them.  We need have an attitude of thankful when we do everything though.  "And whatever you do, whe...

"Without faith it is impossible to please God, because anyone who comes to him must believe that he exists and the he rewards those who earnestly seek him." - Hebrews 11:6 Wow, powerful right from the start.  Without faith it is impossible to please God.  You cannot walk with him, you cannot please him if you don't place your faith and trust in him.  To come to him, we must believe that he exists.  We are not to believe in some supernatural being like a fairy tale creature, but in the one true God of the scripture.  Not believing in God is essentially calling him a liar. While believing in God, we must also believe that he rewards men's faith if we are truly seeking after him.  Those who seek him are rewarded with both GRACE - receiving something that we do not deserve in form of eternal salvation; and MERCY - not getting what we do deserve, being fully punished for our sins. We must keep the rewards we receive here on earth in perspective...

"You are the light of the world.  A city set on a hill cannot be hidden.  Nor do people light a lamp and put it under a basket, but on a stand, and it gives light to all in the house.  In the same way, let your light shine before others, so that they may see your good works and give glory to your Father who is in heaven." - Matthew 5:14-16 We are described here as being light.  We have to remember though that we are not the source of the light but that we are the reflectors of the light, and that Jesus Christ is the light of the world (John 8:12).  We as his followers are the ones who are in the light cannot be hidden.  Light is put up and out in places to be seen, it's not stuffed back in the box so people don't know that it exists.  Then v.16 gets real on us.  "Let your light shine."  Live your life, the daily things you do, in such a godly way that the people around you cannot help but see the awesome saving power o...

In this verse, Jesus is responding to Jewish hostility of his claims of being equal to God.  This is why he says "very truly" or in some translations "truly truly".  But he does not back down and he tells the people emphatically that his actions were in perfect alignment with the Father's will, thereby showing that he is equal to the Father since he does the same things the Father does. Jesus is telling the people that he never did work independently, he always followed God's will in his activities.  Shouldn't we be doing the same?  If Jesus turned to God for guidance, why aren't we listening to His voice to see where He is inviting us to join Him? This verse can be applied to parenting as well.  Thomas is only 15 months old but he already copies me and Brittnee by doing what he sees us doing.  Are you raising your children to do things that exhibit love, joy peace, forbearance, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, and se...

I've been a little hesitant to post much about Veterans Day because when I consider the sacrifice they made for our freedom, saying "thank you" seems so insignificant.  I mean I've never actually put my life on the line for people I know, much less for people I don't know, and some of whom don't even respect the very thing soldiers stand for.  How can I say thank you on a beautiful day downtown on Main Street and feel like I did something good for you?  When you spent years away from your family in foreign lands in real life or death situations?  Am I even worthy of telling you thank you and not doing more to honor the sacrifice you made for me and my family?  I cannot begin to say thank you enough for your sacrifice of so many aspects of your life; your time, your family presence, your finances, and too many more to name.   I remember it being instilled in me from an early age just how great the United States of America was and having a sense of ...

I have been blessed in life far more than I deserve. And I'm not talking about money, house, or anything like that. I mean with my family, my friends, my church, and health just to name a few. Sometimes I take things for granted but when I take a minute and really look around and while going through the prayer requests we've had at church it's obivous that the Lord has looked out for me thus far in my life. My world may come crashing down tomorrow, next week, or next year .  But I am thankful for what he has provided for me and blessed me with thru today. "Outward appearances of success do not always indicate faith, and outward appearances of failure do not always reflect a lack of faith. A faithful servant is one who does what his Master tells him, whatever the outcome may be." - Blackaby (Experiencing God) "And all these, though commended through their faith, did not receive what was promised, since God had provided something better for us...

I'm pretty sure that all Christians want to hear what God is saying to them.  But in order to hear God, we must belong to Him.  While that sounds like such a simple thing for us to say, does our daily walk show it?  Are we acting like Christians in how we treat each other, talk to each other, and handle difficult situations?  Or are we acting like the world, those who don't belong? If you're having trouble hearing God, get closer to Him.  Don't you hate it when someone is trying to tell you something and you're in different rooms of the house.  I know it's easier for me to hear Britt when we're in the same room together and I'm focused on her and not something else, like the computer of TV.  The same principle applies to hearing God.  You've got to be in relationship with Him and the closer you are, the better you will be able to hear.

This verse is absolutely loaded and on point with experiencing God!  By knowing Jesus' commands and following him, we show our love for him.  As we love him, the Father will love us and Jesus will love us too!  And then he will reveal himself and his will to us. Too see Jesus, we have to love him.  The most open sign of our love for him is to obey his word.  Our obedience to him leads to so much more blessing by receiving his love and being able to see him.  Do you want to see God at work in your life?  Start with obedience and watch his love flow from there.

When Jesus was asked what the greatest commandment was by the Pharisees He was being tested.  But He did not back down.  He responded by telling them that the greatest commandment is to love our Lord with our all.  One thing I took away from the verse this week is that Jesus told us to love with all that we are, not with all that we have.  He didn't command us to love with our land, money, and riches; but our heart, soul, and mind.  We have to be sold out to loving God as he commands our all, not just part of us.  He wants us to love Him fully so that by doing so we can glorify Him. God gave us Ten Commandments to live by, why don't we focus at least on following the greatest one and let God's love flow from there.

This verse seemed even more appropriate after the tragic amounts of loss caused by the floods around our state over the past week and still to come.  Some people have literally had their modern day chariots and horses washed away.  Homes, business, and possessions are damaged, ruined, or gone.  Without a belief in a God that can save us, where do you turn during such tragedies?  Be sure that your trust and faith is placed in the only one that will never let you down and always be there for you, God our Father.

I think we all often ask ourselves what God's plan is for our lives.  If not, then you should be, but that's another topic.  I think we tend to spend a lot of time waiting around to see a miraculous sign from God that we should do something when it's quite the opposite.  God reveals His plans to us through the Bible, prayer, circumstances, and church.  This verse tells us that our passions and desires are God given.  If you have a desire or a dream to do something, big or small, and it can be confirmed by the Word and through prayer then go for it!  God's revelation is an invitation for you to join Him.  So whether you've been dreaming of something big, have a passion to jump out and try something new, or just feel lost in the forest, go to God in prayer then search the scriptures, you will find your answer.  And once you do, lean on Him and go for it!

Each week during our Experiencing God study we are memorizing one verse.  The first week's verse is pictured above.  I want to really look into it and see how it applies to my life and possibly yours. Jesus is talking here as He tells us that He is the vine.  For plants, that is the source of their nutrients and their lifeline.  Just as the vines of a plant sustain the branches, the same is true for us.  Our ability to live and thrive comes from the vine, our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ.  In the study, Blackaby writes, "Real Christianity is not merely a religion; it is a relationship with a Person."  The remaining, or abiding in some translations, means to stay around.  And for you to stay you must already be at your destination.  In this case, in order to remain in Christ, we must have already accepted salvation. The fruits that we bear are the fruits of the spirit; love, joy, peace, forbearance, kindness, goodness, faithfulnes...

Our pastor has started the Experiencing God Bible Study at our church on Monday nights and though I'm only two days into it, I can see the potential that this study has.  I plan to share the most meaningful points form each day or week as I'm able here.  In our walk with the Lord, do we typically ask Him his will by saying What, When, How, Where, Who, and What will the outcome be?  Or do we trust Him enough to say "You go with me, tell me what to do one step at a time, I will do it"?  I have to be honest here and say that I fall into that first category more often than not.  As Brittnee and I put our house up for sale and make plans for the future about where to live, what size house to have, careers, and the things we want to do for Thomas (and other children if we decide), I've found myself asking God what's the outcome, what will the end be?  And in asking that I realize the weaknesses and gaps in my question.  I'm actually saying to God that if...

"For my life is spent with sorry, and my years with sighing; my strength fails because of my iniquity; and my bones waste away.  Because of all my adversaries I have become a reproach, especially to my neighbors, and an object of dread to my acquaintances; those who see me in the street flee from me." - Psalm 31:10-11 What powerful words here from David.  His life has become consumed with sorrow to the point that he feels his body is physically failing him.  On top of that, his friends and family have deserted him as well.  When pain and sorrow are so severe they begin to impact you physically it's not an easy situation to handle.  I remember clearly the day my grandmother passed.  There were honestly times when people came by to talk that day and we would be standing and I had to sit down because I felt all my strength leaving me.  I never felt as emotionally drained and worn down as I did that night.  Fortunately, I didn't have to deal with ...

Someone shared a devotion by Oswald Chambers this week that talked about how we all typically imagine that we would be able to handle any major crisis that could come up in our lives.  But the truth of the matter is that a major crisis only reveals what we are made of, it does not make us into something.  The phrase Chamber used was "If God gives the call, of course I will rise to the occasion."  Well it's not quite that simple.  How can you rise to the occasion if you're not prepared for the moment?  The greatest athletes don't just show up on game day.  Sometimes we see names we've never heard of come out and make big plays but I can assure you that it is not those guys' first time on the field.  They have put in years of training and practice to prepare for a shot at making a play or making a team.  The same is true in our Christian walk.  If we're not putting in time on the practice field, which may be your desk, a study, the dining ...

I try to live my life in such a way that people see that I have good life that has been blessed by God.  Yes, at times I'm stressed and when I get so many things going on at once, and that often shows but it's just tough to be pulled in multiple directions and not have some wear and tear from it.  The Bible does not teach us that our lives as a Christian will be easy, quite the contrary.  So when we are faced with trials and junk in our lives, how do we deal with it?  1 Peter 4:12-19 gives us a guide on how to handle hard times. 1.  We should expect persecution.  V. 12 tells us "do not be surprised at the fiery trial".  We cannot live our lives in fear every moment but we are being warned that at times bad things will happen in life.  We won't always have the answers but we need to be preparing ourselves daily for potential attack because we don't know when it's coming.  That is done through Bible study and prayer. 2.  We should...

Many of you may know the children's song "I Have Decided to Follow Jesus."  If not, it has a couple lines that read "I have decided to follow Jesus, no turning back, no turning back."  And if you'd like to listen to the song the link is below (I think): https://youtu.be/S8jvfdDtoqY In 1 Kings 19:19-21 we read the story of Elisha being called to follow Elijah.  When Elisha received the call he fully committed himself to following.  After having a farewell banquet, or modern day going away party, he slaughtered his oxen, burned his yokes, and plowing equipment.  Elisha made it nearly impossible for himself to turn back as he gave up his previous life and occupation of farming by destroying all those things to follow the call.  This was his public commitment that he was going to follow the prophet Elijah. I think sometimes we take the commitment to follow Jesus lightly and think that just saying it will sound good to others and make us feel better about o...

"Behold, I stand at the door and knock.  If anyone hears my voice and opens the door, I will come in to him and eat with him, and he with me." - Revelation 3:20 Isn't it awesome that Jesus just knocks on the door.  He could have come in with a bang making a grand entrance kicking the door in.  Or He could have simply walked straight thru the door as a spirit.  But instead He knocks, giving us the option to invite Him in. Have you invited Jesus into your life?  If you haven't, consider doing so today.  You don't have to, it is a choice.  But the benefits of accepting Him as Lord and Savior are so amazing that I assure you, you will never regret it.

Yesterday morning's message from Pastor Robert Chapman was inspiring, challenging, and extra enlightening for me since it was from a passage that I've studied and spoken on myself before.  After following up on last week's sermon about what it means to be a disciple; following Christ, being changed by Christ, and being committed to the mission of Christ, we began to look at what a mature disciple of Jesus Christ looks like. The scripture passage comes from Philippians 3:15-21, and Paul tells us in the first verse that he is talking to mature believers here, aka church people, who already have a working knowledge of who Christ is. 1)  We are maturing in Christ as we live up to what we have (v.16).  It's not always about knowing more and more, it's about living up to what we already know.  "Hold true" here refers to the believers walking in line and behaving as they should.  And their spirituality should continue to progress based on the same pr...

More and more now days people are reacting with anger and hate toward Christians who share Christ with them.  I'm sure there are a multitude of reasons for that people don't want to hear the gospel message proclaimed but as Christians we cannot let that deter us from pursuing God's mission, which is spreading His message.  However, we must work towards that objective and earn the right to share Christ with people if we want them to truly listen and hear.  So how do we earn that right?  The simplest way of doing this is by showing Christ's love for people by our actions.  For instance, if a coworker or classmate gets sick or injured and you visit them at home or in the hospital, that will show them love.  Or if you remember someone's birthday, and that's not even hard with Facebook reminding us everyday.  Or here's a tough one, if you hurt someone and you are strong enough to go to them and apologize.  When someone can see that we as Christians a...

No Monday Morning Preacher this week since we were out of town this weekend but I did read a good devotion over the weekend, especially considering the amount of traffic we dealt with. We often question God when something goes wrong and tragedy strikes.  But why don't we thank Him more for all the times He protects us?  We are quick to give Him the blame for the bad in our lives but never want to give Him the credit for the things that go right.  Every day people get up, go to work, school, gyms, stores, any number of places and return home safely to their families.  All the while, not knowing how many time God has protected us from harm during the day.  But it only takes one bad thing to happen and we begin to ask "Where are you God?"  "O Lord, you are my God; I will exalt you; I will praise your name, for you have done wonderful things, plans formed of old, faithful and sure." - Isaiah 25:1 I'm certain that everything in my life, both good and bad...

As you read the passage listed above, work through the progression of ideas that Paul gives us below: A person calls on whom they "believe". They believe when they "hear". They hear when someone "preaches". And someone preaches when they are "called". This progression shows how nations come to know and share the knowledge of God. After that quick glimpse at God's plan for a non-believer to hear the Word, let's work backwards through it to see how a believer in  Christ should respond. V.15 - God's plan involves sending his servants, "unless they are sent."  When we accept Christ and follow him, we are signing up for whatever his plans are for our life.  He sends us out to tell others about him. V.15 - Still in v.15 we see that God's servants preach the gospel.  Everyone is not called to become a preacher in full time ministry but we are all called to go and proclaim the gospel.  Just because you don't sta...

We didn't have a traditional service Sunday morning at Tabernacle so this week so I don't have notes, just my memory of the story and scripture with a little input from what I've read.  We were having a breakfast with more casual dress, upbeat music, and laid back atmosphere of fellowship to celebrate reaching a milestone in paying down our debt as a church.  It was a really fun time and I hope that everyone enjoyed the time to relax and just enjoy God's presence as much as I did. That being said, we were fortunate enough to hear a devotional from Sam White.  The text he used is found in James 1:22-25.  He started it off with a story of three guys who were out deer hunting, a doctor, a lawyer, and a preacher.  Well as they were preparing to head into the woods for their hunt, out of nowhere steps a huge trophy buck.  All three men pull their guns up and fire in the buck's direction at the same time.  And as luck would have it, it must have been ...

As media and the government try to redefine things in our world like marriage and gender, we as Christians much search God's Word to see what it says on such topics.  This is necessary for multiple reasons: 1.  1 Peter 3:15 tells us to "always be prepared to make a defense to anyone who asks you for a reason for the hope that it is in you; yet do it with gentleness and respect." 2.  Our eyes, minds, and hearts are being flooded with pictures, images, and sounds promoting sinful things of the earth and the only way to keep ourselves pure is to guard our heart with vigilance, Proverbs 4:23.  An excellent analogy of this that I've heard is that what's in the well comes up in the bucket, we must pray to keep our hearts pure. 3.  We have to stand up for our beliefs.  Matthew 5:14-16 tells us that we are the light of the world, and that we are to let our lights shine.  Well if the world isn't dark then our lights wouldn't shine very brightly.  G...

As we begin the study of Joshua 2, God is fulfilling his promise to the Israelites as they continue the process of overtaking the promised land.  The first city they approach is Jericho which is about 8-10 acres in size and provides a good starting point for their invasion.  The main character of our focus today is Rahab, a harlot (prostitute) of the day.  As we go thru this story, think about the people we come across in our lives who may be Rahab's of today, drunkards, drug addicts, prostitutes, and other sinners. This passage with Rahab shows us four points of saving faith. 1.  Saving Faith is initiated by God's grace.  V.1 tells us that Rahab was a prostitute, someone that many of us would not show grace to if we crossed paths with today.  V.15 informs us that her house was built into the  city wall.  This was convenient for the spies, but indicated that while Rahab may have been "popular", people wanted her kept at a distance.  ...

We have made it halfway through our Summer Light Small Group Bible study on Radical by David Platt and I must admit it has been very enlightening and eye opening.  Today's devotional has us imagine a scene in parts of the world that are unfamiliar to many of us here in America.  You're putting on dark clothes and a hood and heading to secretive place at night.  You then pile into a small room with 60 people in it of all ages sitting on the floor or small uncomfortable stools.  But they all have their Bible in their laps as they try to study it from the one dangling light bulb in the room.  They have no special music, no cushioned seats, no heat/AC.  It's just the people and God's Word....and it's enough. Whoa!  How radical would that be to see in a church here in the USA?  How many of us if we visited a church that had no music, no band, no cushioned pews, no AC, or the other comforts we have become so used to would come back to that church?...

This week Pastor Robert continued our walk thru Joshua as he is taking over command of the Israelites after the passing of Moses in the desert.  These verses show us how God calls us to follow him through faith, and the components of a Godly plan. He started with v.10 this week but I want to refer back to v.9 for a little better understanding.  V.9 ends with "For the Lord you God is with you wherever you go."  V.10 states "And Joshua commands the officers of the people."  We can see here that Joshua has received his instructions from God.  And then, upon hearing God's plan he immediately commands the people.  There was a promptness to the plan he had for them.  As parents, we teach our children to obey us immediately.  When we tell them to stop, we want them to stop right then instead of running out into the road; or to stop before touching a hot stove or grill.  The same holds true if we command them to go to their room, thi...