Growin' Up Gregory

"The Very Hungry Caterpillar" is one of the most read all-time classic children's books.  I don't really know this to be a fact...but it has lasted since I was a child until now reading it my children.  So with that being the case, I'd say that it is.  While our kids seem to enjoy the book, does it hold deeper life lessons that we can take away from it? If you recall the story, there was a caterpillar who had a hunger that could never be satisfied.  He crawled around eating anything he could find.  He ate healthy fruits like apples, pears, and strawberries.  But he also ate junk like cake, ice cream, and pie.  In his attempt to fulfill his desire, he was consuming everything in sight.  Many of us have gone through similar stages where we pursued the next girl, the next drink, the next high, or the next big deal.  But often, we found that it wasn't fulfilling and we still chased on to the "next" again. But one day, that all changed for the...

Holy Defined What do you think of when you hear the word holy? For me, when I hear 'holy' I tend to think of being very quiet, almost solemn, and to be honest, kind of boring.  But holy is actually better defined as 'set apart.'  It means that something or someone is on a whole different level.  You wouldn't compare the Kansas City Chiefs to a stinger football team.  The only thing they have in common is that they play on the same size field, they don't even use the same ball. The same is true with God.  When we say that God is holy, we need to be sure that we're not just saying it because we've heard it before.  We need to remember that He is on a different level from us in power, wisdom, and oh boy especially grace. Think about it - when God, the Creator, made the world, He didn't even have to gather materials for it.  He literally spoke it into existence.  For comparison, have you ever cooked a meal that you didn't search the pantry or ...

We saw that the first three of the Ten Commandments centered on our view and relationship with God.  In His fourth commandment, He gives us instruction that has been preached, debated, practiced, and discussed for centuries. 4.  "Remember the Sabbath day, to keep it holy.  Six days you shall labor, and do all your work, but the seventh day is a Sabbath to the Lord your God.  On it you shall not do any work, you, or your son, or your daughter, your male servant, or your female servant." - Ex 20:8-10 God established the rhythm of life at creation by working the first six days and then resting on the seventh.  No, God did not need to rest, but He rested in order to show us that is necessary for both functionality and enjoyment.  This day of rest also serves as a reminder for both the people of Israel and for us that we are not sustained by our works, but by the mighty hand of God. The question is often asked, 'Is the Sabbath still a command that God expec...

We have all probably wondered what it would be like to be able to live a life doing anything we wanted with no rules and no consequences.  But the fact of the matter is that the rules and laws that we live under are actually there to protect us, not restrict us from enjoying life.  While they may rule out some things, they actually can lead us to much better.  As we look at the Ten Commandments (Exodus 20:1-17), we will see that rules are good.  And God's rules don't just tell us what to do and not to do, they reveal to us who He is, his character, and they should shape our actions and our worship. In the first couple verses (Ex 20:1-2), God reminds the people of who He is and what He's done for them.  The law was never intended to establish a relationship with God.  God prefaced his law by reminding the people of what He had done for them and showing us that who God is serves as the motivation to follow the law.  And the people of Israel would need ...