Question of the day ??

Can you recount the moment when you were saved? Or did it just happen over time?

Thought of the Day !!

"Whenever the rainbow appears in the clouds, I will see it and remember the everlasting covenant between God and all living creatures of every kind on the earth."
Genesis 9:16

Just as the rainbow represents a covenant between God and all His creatures, our baptism represents the covenant between Him and us. When we were baptized, it was a outward sign of what we did or what was done for us by our parents or guardians. But baptism is not just about something we do. It's preceded by an inward grace. This is the grace of God that saves us. Every day we should remember our baptism and be thankful. And in doing so, we should remember the grace and the covenant that God gave us then and continues to give us each day.

In the love of Christ,
greg

Question of the day ??

What's the greatest movie of all time?

Thought of the Day !!

Let us consider how we may spur one another on toward love and good deeds.
Hebrews 10:24 (NIV)

Have you ever considered how you might "spur" another person towards love and doing good? We can do this partly by showing love to each other and being an example of one who does good deeds for others. Another way we can do this is by holding each other accountable. Let us spur each other on towards love by gently (and maybe not so gently at times depending on what the situation warrants) pointing out where love and forgiveness should be had.

But remember, if we're going to spur others, we must also be prepared to be spurred ourselves. Too often we can forget to do good or allow bitterness or anger to spur us on without even realizing it. It is in these times that we have to welcome those who may be gently (or not so gently) trying to point this out to us.

This is part of what Christ was saying when he commanded us to love one another as he loves us.

In the love of Christ,
greg

Question of the day ??

A priest, a rabbi and a Methodist minister go into a bar.... How would you finish this thought?

Thought of the Day !!

Shout with joy to the LORD, O earth!
Worship the LORD with gladness.
Come before him, singing with joy.
Acknowledge that the LORD is God!
He made us, and we are his.
We are his people, the sheep of his pasture.

Enter his gates with thanksgiving;
go into his courts with praise.
Give thanks to him and bless his name.
For the LORD is good.
His unfailing love continues forever,
and his faithfulness continues to
each generation.
Psalm 100

This is the text that I preached on a week from yesterday. The theme of Thanksgiving was last week. This week finds us beginning the Advent season, which is a season of preparation. Though I'm fairly sure that those who set up the American holiday of Thanksgiving didn't mean to make a transitional theme into Advent, they did a very good job of it.

As we prepare for Christmas with all the decorating and shopping and parties and such, let us be reminded to be thankful. When you're in that long line at Wal-Mart where only two of the fifty check-out lanes are open, be thankful. Instead of stewing, complaining, becoming anxious, or anything of that sort, be thankful that you have someone to buy for. Many people won't this year.

Instead of complaining about having to park back on the "North 40" at the mall, be thankful that you have the ability to walk.

Instead of getting mad at the outrageous costs of gasoline, be thankful that you have the money to pay for it.

Instead of being upset that your utilities cost so much, be thankful you are able to keep warm this winter. Many live on the streets or have had utilities cut off because they can't afford to pay the bill.

Be thankful this Christmas season as you find something good in all the things that may normally tick you off. Paul tells us that God works for good in all things for those who love God. If you love God, God will work good in your situation, no matter what it is.

So when you're delayed...when you're stuck in line...when your patience is wearing thin...be thankful for the blessings that God has given you. And take these times to pray a prayer of thanksgiving. I've noticed that it's hard to be upset when I'm giving thanks to God. Maybe you can find it the same when you do. Have a thankful Advent season as you happily prepare your hearts, minds and souls for Christmas.

In the love of Christ,
greg

Jerry

Good morning, afternoon or evening. We've been at our folks house this past week, which has proved to be a bittersweet one for sure. I've enjoyed good food and time with family. But at the same time I've received two pieces of very bad news. One of which led to my being an honorary paul-bearer at one of my best friend's funerals.

Jerry was a dear friend that I met in seminary. He was older than the rest of us and we all joked that he would be ordained and retired in the same year. He was supposed to be ordained next year with me. Though he may never be ordained on earth, his ordination comes in Heaven where I have to believe he's the same kind of person that he was on earth. You see, Jerry never met a person he didn't like or didn't try to make laugh.

As for me, I have been very lucky up until now. I've never had a friend to die. Jerry was the first. And I don't think I handled it well until the actual funeral.

I ask that as you read this, you lift up a prayer for a woman many of you will not know. Her name is Peggy Salley, the widow of Jerry Salley - friend - pastor - Mark Twain impersonater - and all around good guy.

See you later Jerry.

Question of the day ??

With the next installment in the Harry Potter movies out this week, and the widespread controversy over this topic, I would like to pose this question to you.

Is Harry Potter evil?

Thought of the Day !!

If anyone says, "I am living in the light," but hates a Christian brother or sister, that person is still living in darkness. Anyone who loves other Christians is living in the light and does not cause anyone to stumble. Anyone who hates a Christian brother or sister is living and walking in darkness. Such a person is lost, having been blinded by the darkness.
1 John 2:9-11 (NLT)

This chapter begins with John talking about the commandment of love. He explains that it has been around since the beginning. God commanded it. Jesus reminded people of it. And before he left, Christ also modeled it.

Love is the most important part of a relationship. And a relationship with Himself and each other is what God truly desires most from us. He was willing to go to some pretty extreme measures to show us this. He came to earth in the form of a baby, giving up the comforts of Heaven for the stench of a lowly stable. He walked this earth not as a king, but as a commoner. And then He suffered an agonizing death for us so that we could realize that there was a way out of our sinful lives...a way into the perfect loving relationship with Him.

Now hate is a pretty strong word. Every person who doesn't like another individual doesn't necessarily have hate. But not liking someone can often times come from unforgiveness, which is one of the surest stepping stones to hate. Jesus knew this when he said that if we don't forgive others then our Heavenly Father will not forgive us. He knew the danger of unforgiveness when he told Peter to forgive not seven times, but seventy times seven times.

So if you have unforgiveness in you today, look at it very closely. If it, or anything else, has led you to hate another person, realize that you are living outside the boundaries of God. If we hate, we are walking in darkness and are lost according to John. Don't let anger or unforgiveness control you and keep you out of the Kingdom of God. Let go of them. If we bring these burdens to Jesus, he will help us to rid ourselves of them. It may take time and patience, but that's something God has plenty of.

In the love of Christ,
greg

Question of the day ??

If you are a preacher, how do you decide on your text for each week? Do you use the lectionary? Why or why not?

Thought of the Day !!

My dear children, I am writing this to you so that you will not sin. But if you do sin, there is someone to plead for you before the Father. He is Jesus Christ, the one who pleases God completely. He is the sacrifice for our sins. He takes away not only our sins but the sins of the world.

And how can we be sure that we belong to him? By obeying his commandments. If someone says, "I belong to God," but doesn't obey God's commandments, that person is a liar and does not live in the truth. But those who obey God's word really do love him. That is the way to know whether or not we live in him. Those who say they live in God should live their lives as Christ did.
1 John 2:1-6 (NLT)

There's nothing I could say to add to this today except that I hope we will all read this passage over and over again and pay attention to what John is telling us.

In the love of Christ,
greg

Question of the day ??

Should Christians work on Sunday?

Thought of the Day !!

This is the message he has given us to announce to you: God is light and there is no darkness in him at all. So we are lying if we say we have fellowship with God but go on living in spiritual darkness. We are not living in the truth.
1 John 1:5-6 (NLT)

God is light. Ok, that's great. But what exactly does it mean? As I read this passage, it occurred to me that light is what makes it impossible for things to be hidden. Jesus said that he was the light but that people loved darkness. This is because people don't want what is hidden in them to be seen.

The truth is that God already sees, but often times we still try to hide our ugliness from him (and especially from each other). But if God is light, then who we are, what we've become and that which we want to ignore will be seen.

John is saying that people will claim to have fellowship with God while still living in spiritual darkness. I believe these are the ones who claim to be Christians while hiding something inside. I think that these are the ones who have deceit in their hearts or are trying hide their true intentions from God.

I can only imagine the number of people who look like a child of God, talk like a child of God and even do the acts of a child of God while all along doing everything for their own benefits. I'm reminded of the Pharisees who prayed in public so that they could be seen.

We can speak and act like Christians. We can claim to have fellowship with Jesus. But if we are spiritually dark, being filled with self instead of the Holy Spirit, then we are liars. And "we are not living in the truth".

In the love of Christ,
greg

Church Membership

Everybody in the blogosphere has talked about it, so why not me? I was reading Shane Raynor's latest post over on Wesley Blog about membership where he has pretty much come to the conclusion that we should do away with it. Now this seemed kind of extreme to me when I first thought about it, but I do think he has a point. And I do believe we have some problems with our membership philosophies.

Adam Hamilton, in his book Leading Beyond the Walls, describes two kinds of churches. There are those mainline churches who do their best to get the "numbers" up because it shows the higher ups that they are growing. As a matter of fact I've heard of a high pressure minister that came before me and tried to guilt people into joining. Another pastor that used to be down the road, but has since moved, still holds a grudge against this guy for trying to steal members away from his church.

And to be honest, we Methodist ministers are likely to think long and hard about the number of people who've joined or been baptized or are attending. This is because we've been told that this is how we are evaluated.

The other kind of church is one who, as Hamilton puts it, "see membership as a way of differentiating between the 'real Christians' and everyone else." (page 54) I've never been in one of these, but Hamilton claims that they make you go through extensive membership classes and distinguish between the members and non-members in every conceivable way.

So are we to become churches with no membership whatsoever, or ones who make you go through the ringer to get in? Or is there an inbetween. Well, as anyone who knows me can attest to, I believe the truth can almost always be found in the middle somewhere. I have a definite problem with the 1032 Judicial Council decision which allowed a pastor to keep a homosexual from joining his church. This is not because I believe homosexuality is not sinful, but that I believe that many adulterers, drunkards, and other unrepentantly sinful people join our churches everyday.

On the other hand, I believe that if we're going to join the church, it should mean something. We simply do not teach accountability and responsibility enough in our churches anymore. Or at least that's how I see it.

So what do we do? I believe first of all that our worship has to be open to everyone. Who are we to keep someone out of "GOD'S" House. Many think of the church as their own personal place of worship. But let's be very clear about whose it really is. Second, I believe that if someone wants to join, they should be able to. But if they want to become a member they need to know exactly what that entails. It means that they will belong to a family and will have to support that family and the ministries of their new home in a variety of ways. Along with this membership comes the love and fellowship of the other members who will be faithful to care for them. But this also means that as a member of this family, they will be responsible for doing the same.

People must understand that they, along with every other member, are sinners saved by God's grace. This also means that there is a need for their repentance. All these things, along with the history of the church and denomination can be taught in a couple classes. After which the person can join. They will come before the church and acknowledge their support for the church, and their names can be put on a pretty little certificate that they can place somewhere in their scrapbook.

And here it comes...Are you ready for this? Keep no more records of it. Yes, I said it. Do away with the roll. Man, I hope my bishop doesn't read this(ha ha). I don't believe there was a roll in the first church in Acts. And I don't think we need one now. I mean don't you think God already knows? And we can keep up with church growth by attendance (which is a much better record anyway).

But seeing as how I am a small speck in a mighty Church, I doubt my ideas will ever be taken seriously by the powers that be. So in the meantime I will keep doing what I'm told.

Question of the day ??

What's the best movie illustration you've ever heard in a sermon?

OR

What's the best movie illustration that could be used in a sermon?

Thought of the Day !!

Nothing outside a man can make him 'unclean' by going into him. Rather, it is what comes out of a man that makes him 'unclean.'
Mark 7:15

Man or woman...it doesn't matter. What he or she eats...it doesn't matter. What's on the inside...Now that's what matters. Filthy mouths that spew venom cannot come from a clean loving heart. There may be mistakes made with the mouth, for as James says,"...no man can tame the tongue. It is a restless evil, full of deadly poison." But when hateful things constantly come from this mouth, it means that the heart is filled with more selfishness and/or hate than love. On the other hand, a mouth that is constantly lifting people up means that the heart is filled with love. Which do you have?

In the love of Christ,
greg

Question of the day ??

What is your definition of sin?

Thought of the Day !!

But you must not forget, dear friends, that a day is like a thousand years to the Lord, and a thousand years is like a day. The Lord isn't really being slow about his promise to return, as some people think. No, he is being patient for your sake. He does not want anyone to perish, so he is giving more time for everyone to repent.
2 Peter 3:8-9 (NLT)

Our Father in Heaven is much more patient that we are. We see the injustices of the world and want justice served. People of all ages have had times of injustice. There have been times of war. There have been times of discrimination. There have been times of harsh rulers. And the rich always have seemed to get richer at the poor people's expense.

So what does God do about it? He waits. He is waiting patiently, not because He likes watching injustices go on all around us. But instead He waits patiently until all people are given every opportunity to change their ways and repent. So we may have to wait a little while longer for the glory of Heaven, but at the same time, the waiting will provide many more that same glorious end.


But the day of the Lord will come as unexpectedly as a thief. Then the heavens will pass away with a terrible noise, and everything in them will disappear in fire, and the earth and everything on it will be exposed to judgment. Since everything around us is going to melt away, what holy, godly lives you should be living!
2 Peter 3:10-11 (NLT)

Peter reminds us of what Jesus told him and the other disciples. We all must be prepared because no one knows when Jesus will come back. He will come to this world like a thief comes into a house at night. No one will be expecting him. So we must live our lives as if he were coming back today. We don't prepare for his return by trying to figure out when or how. We prepare by living "holy, godly lives" according to Peter.


And so, dear friends, while you are waiting for these things to happen, make every effort to live a pure and blameless life. And be at peace with God. And remember, the Lord is waiting so that people have time to be saved. This is just as our beloved brother Paul wrote to you with the wisdom God gave him.
2 Peter 3:14-15 (NLT)

Peter sums his message up here by reminding us yet again how to live while we wait on Jesus' return, which is being postponed long enough "so that people have time to be saved." Wouldn't it be great if we all were to remember this message about patience and living pure and blameless lives during the frantic and often frustrating times that come our way on a weekly basis? Even though we may fail from time to time, why don't we all give it a try?

In the love of Christ,
greg

Michelle's Test Results

Michelle (my wife) took the test below. Here's how she faired. A match made in Heaven!!

Evangelical Holiness/Wesleyan 100% Emergent/Postmodern 79% Reformed Evangelical 68% Roman Catholic 61% Neo orthodox 57% Charismatic/Pentecostal 54% Classical Liberal 50% Modern Liberal 29% Fundamentalist 21% What's your theological worldview? created with QuizFarm.com

What's your theological worldview?

I took this test for fun to see what it would say my theological worldview was. And it did a pretty good job I think. Try it out for yourself.




You scored as Evangelical Holiness/Wesleyan. You are an evangelical in the Wesleyan tradition. You believe that God's grace enables you to choose to believe in him, even though you yourself are totally depraved. The gift of the Holy Spirit gives you assurance of your salvation, and he also enables you to live the life of obedience to which God has called us. You are influenced heavly by John Wesley and the Methodists.

Evangelical Holiness/Wesleyan		96%
Emergent/Postmodern		71%
Charismatic/Pentecostal		64%
Neo orthodox		57%
Reformed Evangelical		57%
Roman Catholic		54%
Classical Liberal		39%
Fundamentalist		29%
Modern Liberal		29%

What's your theological worldview?
created with QuizFarm.com

Question of the day ??

What's your favorite sport?

Thought of the Day !!

Every day they continued to meet together in the temple courts. They broke bread in their homes and ate together with glad and sincere hearts, praising God and enjoying the favor of all the people. And the Lord added to their number daily those who were being saved.
Acts 2:46-47

This is the early Church. They came together daily. They ate together. They sincerely cared about each other. They praised God. And more and more, people came and were added to their number because they were seen to have something others didn't. Do others see in you something that they do not have? If so, what is it? Is it good or bad, love or hate, faithfulness or hypocrisy? Christians can either turn people on to Christ or turn them off to Christ by the words they say and the way they live their lives. Which have you been doing lately?

In the love of Christ,
greg

Going to the shrink

There will be no Thought or Question of the day for Wednesday. One of the requirements for ordination is that we have a psychological exam. I guess they want to see if we're crazy enough to be ministers before they ordain us. So tomorrow I will be in Hattiesburg ALL DAY!! Maybe the doc will cure me of my bed wetting. :)

Catch ya'll again on Thursday.

In the love of Christ,
greg

Question of the day ??

Where does Satan have the most control in this world of ours?

Thought of the Day !!

As we know Jesus better, his divine power gives us everything we need for living a godly life. He has called us to receive his own glory and goodness!
2 Peter 1:3 (NLT)

Have you ever felt like you just couldn't stop a sinful habit, or be nice to that certain hateful person, or be completely honest in a situation where others were not? Well Peter is telling us here that as we mature in our relationship with Jesus, his divine power will give us what we need to live a life that is more godly than before. Maturing as Christians comes through prayer and worship and the study of God's Word. As we do these things and mature as Christians, we will one day find out that those things we struggled with in the past are not things we struggle with anymore.

I graduated college in 1991 with a degree in transportation (actually it was called Marketing Logistics). This led to me becoming a truck broker for 8 years. It was not until the latter part of these years that I became a Christian. And becoming a Christian became a stumbling block for me at my job. This is because the people who trained me did not teach me very ethical practices. To be very blunt, they taught me how to lie. And the problem was that I had become very good at it.

The only way I can share this with you today is that my Lord and Savior, Christ Jesus, has forgiven me for all the times that I was not completely honest with trucking companies or their drivers. It is not something that I am proud of. But it is a part of my past sinful life that had to change for me to mature as a Christian.

Upon my conversion I did not completely change into this sinless person who went around praising God's name with every phone call I made from my office. I did not pray for drivers as I dispatched them. But I did start feeling something odd. It was a feeling of guilt. It was God's grace working through my conscience telling me what I was doing was wrong. But God didn't just tell me how bad I was and leave it at that. He slowly showed me how to form relationships with trucking companies and drivers so that I wouldn't have to lie anymore.

My point is the same as Peter's. As we come to know Jesus better, we will mature as Christians, and he will lead us to live more godly lives. This can only happen through his powerful love that doesn't abandon us because we are wretched people, but instead works through us to make us better than we could ever imagine.

May our God, who loves you more than anybody else does, bless you today and lead you to be a more mature Christian.

In the love of Christ,
greg

Question of the day ??

Who's the greatest Christian author of our time? Of all time?

Thought of the Day !!

"But what about you?" he asked. "Who do you say I am?" Peter answered, "You are the Christ."
Mark 8:29

Jesus had just finished asking his disciples who people thought he was. Then he directed the question at them, "Who do you say I am?" Peter answered correctly. His claim was true that Jesus was (and is) the Christ. But what does that mean? Or more importantly, what does that mean to you? Think about this question that Jesus posed to his disciples many years ago as if he were asking you today. What would your answer be to the question, "Who do you say I am?"

In the love of Christ,
greg

Question of the day ??

How can a truly loving God let bad things happen to His children?


(btw - I believe I came up with the "true" answer to our important theological question from yesterday. Check out my last comment to see if you agree.)

Thought of the Day !!

"Yes, [God] humbled you by letting you go hungry and then feeding you with manna, a food previously unknown to you and your ancestors. He did it to teach you that people need more than bread for their life; real life comes by feeding on every word of the LORD."
Deuteronomy 8:3 (NLT)

Each of us needs physical food to survive. God made us this way. But He also made us so that we could be filled completely with His Word. When we think about His Word, we typically think of Scripture. But let me suggest that His Word comes to us also by way of prayer. These are two ways that we come to know God and His will for us. And when we put them together, or when we prayerfully read our bibles, then we are being nourished by that which far outweighs any portion of food and water we can receive. For physical food provides strength for a short period, while spiritual nourishment lasts forever.

So immerse yourself in prayer and Scripture so that God can nourish you today.

In the love of Christ,
greg

Question of the day ??

What do you think Jesus' favorite color would be? And why?

Thought of the Day !!

'This is what the LORD Almighty says: 'Administer true justice; show mercy and compassion to one another. Do not oppress the widow or the fatherless, the alien or the poor. In your hearts do not think evil of each other.'
Zechariah 7:9-10 (NIV)

Read this passage over and over until it sticks. Then as you go about your day, ask yourself, "Am I being just, merciful and compassionate to all those I meet today?"

In the love of Christ,
greg

Question of the day ??

What's your favorite passage of Scripture?

Thought of the Day !!

Do you still think it's enough just to believe that there is one God? Well, even the demons believe this, and they tremble in terror! Fool! When will you ever learn that faith that does not result in good deeds is useless?
James 2:19-20 (NLT)

It's not that we have to do good deeds (or Christian acts) to be saved. There's not enough good acts in the world to make us worthy of what God is offering to us free of charge. Instead, to be saved we must have faith in God's Son Jesus, therefore making him our Lord and Savior. But when we do this, our good works will naturally follow. And if they don't, we need to question our faith. This is because true faith produces good deeds.

So set your faith in Christ as Lord and Savior and find yourself becoming a better person by the natural giving of yourself.

In the love of Christ,
greg

Breaking 1000

YES !!!

Went over 1,000 hits today. YEAH BABY!

I'm bad. I'm bad. (you can picture me with my arms going in a circular motion as I say this...of course you also have to picture me doing it with no rhythm whatsoever)

As Jon Stewart so regularly says..."I'm so white." :} ha ha!!



..............and now back to our regularly scheduled programming.

Question of the day ??

How many times a day do you say something that you wish you could take back?

Thought of the Day !!

Be careful! Watch out for attacks from the Devil, your great enemy. He prowls around like a roaring lion, looking for some victim to devour. Take a firm stand against him, and be strong in your faith. Remember that your Christian brothers and sisters all over the world are going through the same kind of suffering you are.
1 Peter 5:8-9

Even though the suffering that Peter was talking about here was the persecution of the new believers in the first century Church, I believe we can receive a comforting message as well as 21st century Christians. He first tells us that the devil is real. And that's something that we must come to terms with. Satan does not come in the form of what you may have seen dressed up last night begging for candy. He is not a red guy with a tail and a pitchfork like you see in the old cartoons. He is a spirit. And he is always lingering and "looking for some victim to devour".

His greatest weapon is temptation. And it is here that we can, oddly enough, find comfort. You see, the devil can tempt us Christians who are robed with the righteousness of Christ. But he can never make us do anything. The temptations may be so strong sometimes that we believe we were made to do something. But in reality, we all have the ability to choose. There will be times when we choose unwisely. But the great thing about Christ is that He's willing to forgive.

Peter reminds us too that we are not alone. If you are struggling with sin right now in your life, be it something big or some smaller things you just seem to continue to struggle with, know that you're not the only one. We are in this together. "Your Christian brothers and sisters all over the world are going through the same kind of suffering you are."

What makes this comforting is the fact that there are others out there that we can talk to and that can help. Find someone you trust and hold each other accountable in love. Help each other fight the temptations of the devil. When we do this, he hasn't got a chance.

In the love of Christ,
greg