Growin' Up Gregory

I'm not a doctor...but I do share a bed with a former medical assistant so that counts for something right?  Bad dad joke, sorry.  But for real, I don't know how serious we should be taking all the news and hype around COVID-19 aka the Coronavirus.  That being said, here are my thoughts and opinions based on the current outbreak and medical situation in my community. First, I wanted to keep from commenting too much on this publicly.  If it gets bad and people die, I look like a jerk who needed to be more compassionate.  If it's not bad and we cancel events and people stop living their life out of fear over something that doesn't materialize, we all look silly - and miss days, weeks, months, and for some, seasons that we'll never get back. Our church, like many, has recently asked the question, "Should we have services?  Abbreviated services?  Online services?  Just one? etc."  I didn't plan this verse for my daily devotional: "And let u...

We all have a desire for justice.  We like to see justice served to criminals, for good people to receive their rewards, and we often wish for fair outcomes in our dealings.  But what happens when life's not fair, when bad things happen to good people (or good things thigs to bad people) and no one is giving us any answers? We all love the stories where great injustices or crimes are committed and all wrongs are made right and those who were powerless come out top.  But life doesn't always work out that way.  Far too often, the 'good guy' doesn't win and the 'bad guys' continue to prevail and advance.  What do we do then? We stand up. "Injustice is the unfair treatment of others - especially those in a weaker position - and we have all experienced it in one form or another.  We've been on the receiving end of injustice, and sadly, we also have inflicted injustice on other."  Injustice may be seen in many forms - racism, sexism, religious ...

Celebrity endorsements pretty much dominate advertising today.  Some athletes even make as much money (if not more) from their endorsement deals at they do from their performance contracts.  But what real connection is there between a professional QB and the socks we can buy?  Or a star basketball player and the deodorant you or I use?  Not much. However, when a friend tells us about something they used that was a good deal, a great product, or fantastic service, it carries a little more weight and gets our attention. As true as this statement is for clothing, credit cards, or even shampoo, it is infinitely more true of our faith that we have in Jesus Christ.  You can tell people books to read or popular pastors to listen to that can help convince them or strengthen their faith.  But ultimately, their choice will most often come down to how they've seen it lived out in your life, not some distant stranger's. In Acts 26, the Bible gives us one example ...

Reading the instructions - it's not what most men are known for.  It's also not what I expected to take over my prayers this week.  Our opening question for this week's Sunday school lesson is, "When have you really needed clear instructions?"  Over the past 6 days, my answer has gone from needing the specifics I need from my wife when caring for our children her way (she's the way better parent of us by the way) to truly asking God for specifics about upcoming opportunities in my life. Look, prayer works.  Forgive me for not earlier sharing this observation - "When I pray, things just go smoother."  Try it.  Maybe things actually work themselves out better.  Or maybe I just have a greater sense of peace because I'm more in line with God.  Either way, I'll take it.  Back to my original point. Like the writer of the lesson, I am not the most 'handy' or 'craftsman' inclined guy in the room.  If you laid a pile of wood, metal...

I don't know if anyone else has ever had a car where your tires weren't properly aligned.  But if you have, you probably noticed that the car had a tendency to veer off course without constant attention to the steering wheel to make necessary adjustments.  You also likely noticed that even if you forced the car to take the path you had chosen, the misalignment of those tires caused extra, and often uneven, wear and tear on your vehicle's tires.  I'll be honest, I didn't notice that part until after it happened when the problem got expensive and time consuming in having to buy new tires and pull away from other duties to stop and have them replaced. But how often in our lives, do we spends weeks, months, or even years living in our will instead of God's?  We decide where we want to go to college.  We decide who we want to marry.  We decide what career path we want to take.  We decide what house to buy.  We make these major decisions without ...

Who all remembers the Facebook status, "It's Complicated?"  Man, I used to rock that status during my single days.  It could be used to show someone that you at least considered them more than a friend but weren't quite ready to make things FB official.  And it kept doors open to other relationships because they knew you weren't completely happy where you were. But there comes a point in life where we get tired of complicated relationships - dating, friends, and work included.  Often if we can simplify these important relationships, we are able to find more happiness and inner peace. Paul gives us seven quick-hitting points in 1 Thessalonians 4:3-12 to help us simplify our relationships, and subsequently, our lives.  You're smart people so you can look the verses up, I won't belabor this by writing them again here.  "For this is God's will, your sanctification" (v3).  Honestly, if we got a good understanding of sanctification, we could...

So apparently the other night, President Trump hosted the national champion Clemson Tiger football team for dinner the White House.  Typically, these type stores make the local headlines, fill a few newspapers and die a day or two later.  But not this one, oh no.  Here we are days later with it still spreading across both mainstream and social media.  Why? Is everyone upset that he served fast food instead of steak?  Are you mad he left out Zaxbys, Chic Fil A, Taco Bell, or your favorite fast food place? Maybe you're a republican who think it was awesome for him to open up his home and do the best he could with minimal staff?  Or perhaps you're a democrat who thinks it was insulting to feed national champions (though still college kids) fast food? Or maybe you're a Gamecock or Alabama fan who's just upset that the Tigers are the national champions and wish they'd all starve!?! Allow me to state the obvious.  This is not about fast food.  I...

So many of use things on a daily basis and trust them to function properly even though we are completely clueless about how they work.  I know very little about internal combustion engines, but I trust my car to crank and drive me to town every day.  I know even less about amps, volts, and watts of electricity, but I know that if I flip the switch my lights should turn on.  And I don't understand how wireless technology and data is communicated, but I trust that if I send a text out that it will make to wherever in the world it is intended to go.  When the angel came to Mary, she likely didn't fully understand what was about to take place in her life either, but she trusted. Read Luke 1:26 - 38 Trust God's Grace and Presence By choosing Mary to be Jesus' mother, God had bestowed His grace on her.  Sometimes we certainly feel like our calling or purpose in life is nowhere near as significant as Mary's.  And sadly, it isn't since the Savior is alre...

Have you ever found yourself in a situation where what seemed like a complete coincidence had actually been carefully planned out ahead of time?  Maybe it was a set-up by friends with someone they wanted you to date, maybe it was a surprise party or celebration, maybe even a coach getting a technical foul that would inspire his team to play harder, or maybe you found yourself the victim of being "punked."  Sometimes the coincidences we think we see in life aren't coincidences at all, they are a part of God's larger plan for His world and our life. Christmas, and Jesus' birth, is certainly no different.  This was far from an unplanned pregnancy.  Christ's birth had been foretold many years before.  One scientist actually calculated the odds of 8 prophecies of Jesus being fulfilled in one person at being 1 in 100 quadrillion.  We literally have better odds of winning the lottery (1 in 175 million) multiple times than that Jesus Christ would have fulfilled t...

If you've been following along, you've seen what authentic joy is and the foundation that it comes from.  But what does it look like in our everyday lives?  How do we live our lives in such a way that others can't help but see our joy and faith? Read 1 Thessalonians 1:7-10 True authentic joy is infectious.  People can spot someone who has true passion, true care, and true desire to be doing what they're doing.  This goes from the girl waiting on you at the fast food restaurant to the boy bagging your groceries.  If they are joyful in what they're doing, you can tell it because real joy is set apart. True joy does not ebb and flow with the environment around us.  It doesn't matter if your team won, your new car got a dent in it, or your favorite show got cancelled.  True joy goes beyond the trivial things that make us "happy" to the point that we are joyful in what God has given us - nothing else is needed.  The people in Thessalonica saw t...

So Facebook wants to know, "What's on your mind, John?"  Well, I'll tell you if you feel like listening... Right now my mind is wondering what the real problem is.  You see, everyone is either upset right now with Nike or Papa Johns, Kaepernick or Trump, the NFL or that their team will end up left out of the playoffs at end of the college football regular season (okay it's a little early for that one).  But the real problem isn't pizza or shoes, it's not the former QB or the current President, and it's not the leagues that develop and display some of the greatest athletes in our country. The real problem is a lack of love and the presence of hate.  It's not about if you play sports, like pizza, wear a suit and tie, or can throw a football.  It's about if you respect the people around you.  It's about if people are treated fairly in this country. The Preamble to the Constitution of the United States reads like so: "We the People ...

Happy Father's Day to all of the amazing dads, daddies, fathers, and as Thomas says sometimes, "diddy" out there.  I hope that we all are planning something today to show our dads how much we love them and how much they mean to us (this includes your Grandpa, Uncle, Brother, or Mom is they were also your Dad too).  Go eat a meal with them, sit and talk a little while, buy them a gift or a card.  Just do something to let them know you're thinking about them and what they mean to you, especially today. I don't know that my Dad and I talk more now than we used to, but it seems like it sometimes because I actually listen more.  I've learned that he really does know a good bit about work, family, business, and just life in general (unlike the way I thought I knew everything during my high school years).  So as part of my gift to him and others, here are a few things I've learned from my Dad. 1.  We make choices everyday - what to wear, what to eat, etc. but...

This topic has been in my studies and on my mind for several weeks now.  I talked about it on Mother's Day at church with a friend who was party to some of the stories I could tell (don't worry I won't call you out here lol), had the pleasure of teaching it in Sunday School and even sharing with our older crowd at a Wednesday Night Prayer Meeting. It's a story that many of us have lived, admittedly or not, proudly or not, but nevertheless we have lived it.  It's a story of transformation and renewal.  If you ask people who know me about the 2018 John Gregory, they will likely tell you many good things.  I have a successful career, a happy family, well educated, kind, polite, and serve in various roles in an effort to give back to my community. But that wasn't always me.  Yes, I was one of the "good" kids in high school, college, and even shortly thereafter to some extent.  I never committed any major crimes and stayed out of trouble for the ...

I recently did something that I never thought would happen...or at least not any time soon.  I cut my workout days back from 5 days per week to 4.  Now I know for some people who aren't as into working out as I am, that doesn't sound like a big deal.  But excluding vacations and days to rest before races, I have honestly worked out at 5AM (or earlier) almost every weekday since February 2010.  My fitness and training was, and probably still is, an addiction.  And I honestly wasn't sure how I would handle not training that one day of the week.  I assumed that I would be sluggish, that it would mean I was lazy, and that I would instantly get weaker and fatter.  But none of that happened.  Actually, I feel more refreshed throughout the entire week and haven't noticed any drastic changes in my strength or size so far.   For someone who had always lived by the mantra that the more effort and work you put in, the more results you will get ...

I read a good article this morning titled, "Why Pray if God is in Control?" There were several good points but the closing line sums it up.  Michael Horton once said, "People ask me, 'Why pray if God is sovereign?' I respond, 'Why pray if He isn't?'" Sometimes we neglect prayer feeling like it won't do much, won't give us the answers we need, or we won't see the results we desire.  But we need to remember that prayer does change things.  It's an active tool calling out to the Creator.  Prayer may not always change what God has determined to happen, but it will strengthen our faith in Him, and that's always a good thing. I meet with someone most Thursdays to pray.  I've gotten there before in the midst of a stressful day and a million things going on.  But I can't tell you how much those few minutes of quiet time, of tuning out all the junk of the world help me weekly to focus on prayin...

To my Son and Daughter , I can make you go to school, But I can't make you get an education. I can make you go to practice, But I can't make you an all-star. I can make you go to church, But I can't make you go to heaven. I can teach you how to be an adult, But I can't make you a real man/woman. You see, I can do my best to teach you everything I know, to show you everything you will need to know, and to give you all the opportunity you will ever need to be successful. But there comes a point as you get older that you have to begin use the things your Mother and I give you. You have to choose to study, choose to work hard, choose to accept Christ, choose to mature. We made you a human being, You must choose to become the individual God has called you to be. (1 Corinthians 7:17)

While reading tonight, I came across a couple interesting facts. Fact #1: 81% of Americans say they are concerned about the declining moral behavior in our nation. (LifeWayResearch.com) Fact #2: 34% of Americans say religion is "largely old-fashioned and out of date." That's up from 7% in 1957. (Gallup.com) Now I'm no rocket scientist, but I think I can take a shot in the dark at solving this predicament. Maybe the problems in this world aren't the fault of the President (past or present), Congress, guns, drugs, or any one thing. Maybe the problem is that as a nation we have lost our moral compass.  We have allowed God to be taken out of nearly everything, and then we wonder why morality is on the decline.  Have you ever taken a lamp from a room and then complained to the lamp for allowing the room to be dark?  It's not the lamp's fault that YOU removed it.   Are we as Christians the perfect role models? Heck no, that...

My generation has seen some of the most dramatic advances in technology, information, communication, medicine, and more over the past 20 years or so.  One would think that with all the changes we have seen in these areas that there would be a significant change in the behavior of people as well.  And while some may say that there has been a lot of change, a letter written around A.D. 55 actually suggests otherwise. Paul wrote a letter to the Corinthian church around this time to address multiple issues going on in the church.  Keep that in mind - this letter was not written to the secular world, politicians, criminals, or non-believers, it was addressed to the church a/k/a the "good people."  But the world today is eerily similar to these Corinthians.  Lawsuits and litigation amongst believers (and non-believers) is high as it was in those days.  And sexual immorality which was celebrated back then even in the temple is glorified by main-stream media toda...

I'm not the president.  I'm not even actually in politics.  And I'm not quite 35 years old which puts me in the generation called Millennials.  And I would like to share with you what I perceive to be the true state of our country right now on three major issues.  Yes, there are more issues but I'll start by attempting to tackle these three first. Gun Control As a young man living in this country, where do I stand on gun control?  I believe that some households need three guns.  You need a handgun/pistol for personal protection to carry or have hidden in your home, a rifle for big game hunting (i.e. deer), and you need a shotgun for small game hunting (i.e. rabbits, birds, turkey etc.).  Does any one NEED an AR-15?  Honestly, I believe that if you feel like you need, not want, an AR-15 in your closet that your life or your neighborhood is a bit too dangerous for me.  Now with that being said, can you WANT an AR-15?  Absolutely.  ...

There are moments in our lives that we can never forget.  They may be good or bad - a first kiss, our wedding day, birth of a child, death of a close friend or family member, a terminal diagnosis, graduations, or tragedies like 9/11.  Some of these moments are just etched in our brains never to be forgotten.  And there are other seemingly small moments that that didn't seem significant at the time but after years of reflection we realize the impact that a kind word or even a negative comment made on us.  It's easy for us to tell the stories of our proudest and most memorable accomplishments.  But what if one of the most important things we ever did is hard to remember? I heard a sermon a few weeks ago about knowing your moment of salvation, remembering the exact moment that your whole entire world changed and Jesus came into your heart.  Some people shared detailed stories of the place, the day, the time, even the weather.  The preacher talked about ...