Growin' Up Gregory

I think pretty much everyone will agree that our country is in a mess on many levels.  We have some good things going on, but we have some issues that need addressing and improving as well.  So how did we get here?  Let's see. When it came to having the Ten Commandments posted in schools and government buildings, the media and government wanted God out. When it comes to abortion, the government and media want God out of that decision. When it comes to sexuality, both homo and multi-partner (both are sins), the government says it's okay and the media and TV glorify it. When it comes to refugees, the government and media now ask the question, "How can Christians say that this is okay?" Well, we haven't.  But we didn't say the other things you said were okay either.  The Bible tells us to take care of the poor, the needy, the lonely, those less fortunate than us.  But let me give you a scenario:  If a stranger shows up at your home needing food and a

This is a continuation from a devotional (Hebrews 2:1-4) in A.W. Tozer's, "Experiencing the Presence of God." Manmade Error - The message needs to be palatable The curse of many things today is that everything has to be funny in order to be popular.  You've got to be able to crack a smile, have a slight chuckle, or put an LOL after a text in order for things to get noticed and still be nice sometimes.  But there wasn't anything funny about God sending his Son away from his heavenly home to be born of a virgin, nothing funny about his persecution and crucifixion.  There was nothing funny about the judgment and resurrection.  This next point really got me because I like to make studying the Bible more enjoyable and have fun in church.  But flippancy and fun have no place when we consider the things of God.  I believe that we take ourselves too seriously worrying about what to wear to church and where we sit, and don't take seriously enough the things of Go

This devotional came from A.W. Tozer's, "Experiencing the Presence of God" which is a book of his that really digs into Hebrews.  This one is based on Hebrews 2:1-4, very powerful verses. As human beings, we have an innate desire within us to come into the presence of something, or someone, bigger than us.  You can trace this back for years through all generations, ethnicities, and nationalities.  People have always found something or someone to worship, sometimes even themselves.  As Christians, we should be constantly seeking the presence of our savior, the Savior, God.  But often times that seems difficult so let's look at some things that get in our way. Manmade Error - All religions lead to God Some men believe that all religions are good to varying degrees.  People have their reasons for believing what they believe, but we also are sometimes too willing to believe that others are at least partially right.  This can lead people to ponder that if other reli

I'm sure that most people have heard the song, "Holy Spirit."  The youth at TBC sang it on Youth Sunday when Bryan Good preached and you could tell then that God was present.  The lyrics to the chorus are here: Holy Spirit, You are welcome here, Come flood this place and fill the atmosphere. Your glory, God, is what our hearts long for, To be overcome by Your presence, Lord. I may end up answering my own question by the end of this post, but right now I'm wondering this; What does it really mean to say to the Holy Spirit that he is welcome? I can't help but feel like this is a subtle alarm to the church that this is even necessary.  Before thinking I don't want the Holy Spirit involved in worship services, let me explain.  As we get closer to finishing our house, I don't plan on telling Brittnee and Thomas that they are welcome to come in.  My parents don't have to be told they're welcome, even some of my closest friends and family don'

There is a company with a long, proud history of being one of the best brands on the market.  This company has been in business for over 200 years and is one of the best in the world.  Yes, it's had its share of ups and downs but overall is the cream of the crop.  However, the company's CEO is stepping aside to pursue other goals.  In order to keep things flowing smoothly, the board of directors meet and begin searching for a new CEO.  They spend months and months reviewing resumes and searching for the best candidate.  Finally, the majority agrees on the choice and their selection is made.  They have chosen a CEO different from ones they've had previously, who has some flaws in his past, and his own way of doing things.  However, he does have a successful business background.  After his selection, he begins to get more familiar with the company and prepares for his first day of work.  He shows up on Monday morning, like many of us starting a new job, excited and raring

I read a devotion yesterday with this title by Charles Stanley that really made me think.  The scripture he used is James 1:2-4; "Count it all joy, my brothers, when you meet trials of various kinds, for you know that the testing of your faith produces steadfastness.  And let steadfastness have its full effect, that you may be perfect and complete and lack nothing." This passage of scripture has been read, taught, explained, and used many times for people facing trials in their life.  But how does it apply to our daily life when we aren't facing major difficulties?  I want to look at it from the same perspective I did my new year's goals; intellectually, physically, spiritually, and socially. Intellectually:  If we were never given tests (school word for trial), how would we know what we have accomplished?  If we aren't measuring our minds periodically, then we have no way of knowing if we are becoming smarter, staying the same, or losing intelligence.  As muc

How many of us from Union were greatly disappointed yesterday when we didn't receive the amount of snow that had been promised to us days and hours earlier?  I know I was.  Weather forecasters had been promising us several inches of snow for days.  But as we woke up Saturday morning we had cold rain and finally a dusting of snow.  We got to play with Thomas a little while in it and enjoyed seeing everything semi-covered in white, but that only lasted a few hours.  The snow stopped falling and as it warmed up slightly what was there melted away as quickly as it had arrived.  It was disappointing after all the promises. How often have we been that snow forecast?  How many times have you heard a powerful sermon on Sunday morning and vowed to yourself and to God to become a better person?  Feeling inspired by the message, we've left telling ourselves; "God, I'm going to stop (insert bad activity)," and "God, I'm going to start (insert good activity)." 

I most likely won't pause to update my goals weekly but since it's snowy enough to be a traffic issue but not snowy enough to sled in yet, I have a few minutes this morning.  Plus everyone's New Year's resolutions are still hot and fresh right now too. Wisdom - Intellectual Goals:  Book #1 for the year is finished.  A.W. Tozer's "Experiencing the Presence of God - Teachings from the Book of Hebrews."  I had started it in December but it still counts for 2017.  This book is so good that I may use it for some writings and lessons though as it really showed me the depth of Hebrews and Tozer's wisdom. Stature - Physical Goals:  Week 1 back in the gym to start the year was a pretty good one.  Don Raye got back in there, Andrew even talked about coming to the Y (never gonna happen but it's a start lol), and there weren't too many resolutionists invading the Y at 5AM.  We did some weighing and maxing too.  I was pleased with some results but need

What's IT to you?  This could be, and actually is, a very open ended question.  But the "it" can be anything, a hobby, a relationship, a job, or any number of things.  Think of something, some activity, or someone that means a lot to you.  You're only thinking this to yourself so be honest here, what are the few things in your life that no matter what are going to get done?  The activities, peoples, or things you've thought of likely fall into one of three categories. First, is what I call a chore, or a checklist, kind of thing.  It's something that we do because we have to or feel that we need to in order to be considered a "good person."  It's the mopping floor or cleaning toilets type feel for these activities.  They have to be done but it's not really your most favorite thing to do.  Second, is what I call a hobby or interest.  It's something that you actually like and enjoy doing.  It may or may not be productive, but you still w

Set attainable goals, not easy ones.  Focus on these four areas and have a goal or two for each one that you want to accomplish.  Write it down and check on your status of it every 2-3 months during the year and keep an eye on how things are going for you.  My areas of focus come from Luke 2:52 - "And Jesus increased in wisdom and in stature and favor with God and man." Wisdom - Intellectual Goals This is a tough one to come up with at times.  I like to have something that is measurable other than just saying to be "better" at something.  I want to read at least 12 books this year.  Wow, for me that number seems high but I have already read a few lately (no, they don't count) and I can see that I do retain more information from reading than I thought I did.  From an intellectually financial aspect of things, I honestly just want to survive 2017.  With the completion of our house scheduled for mid to late February, buying stuff for it, adjusting to that