Question of the Day ??

Should church members be held accountable for both personal spiritual growth and committment to the Church in some way on a yearly basis?

If so, should membership be taken away if they are not taking both seriously?

And finally, how would this be done?

Thought of the Day !!

Come, let us sing for joy to the Lord; let us shout aloud to the Rock of our salvation. Let us come before him with thanksgiving and extol him with music and song.
Psalm 95:1-2

Let's not forget to give thanks to God today. If things are well with your life and your soul, sing for joy. If things are not so good with your life, find something good to give thanks for. And for all who believe in Jesus, give thanks for salvation. For no matter how good or bad things may be in this world, the best is yet to come.

In the love of Christ,
greg

World Communion Sunday

This Sunday is World Communion Sunday. And even though many won't participate or even know that is what Sunday is, a great number of us all around the world will participate in Holy Communion, Eucharist, Lord's Supper etc. I looked up the word Communion and it comes from the Latin for mutual participation.

Think about this. Sunday we will mutually participate in taking Christ into our bodies (those who do partake of the Eucharist).

Some of us will be extremely liberal, some extremely conservative and some moderates.

Some will be high church, others low church.

Some will believe in the virgin birth. Some may not.

Some will be Charismatic. Some will not.

Some will be pro-life. Some will be pro-choice.

Some will believe homosexuality to be not only a sin, but a top the list of worst ones. Others will believe that this is not a sin at all.

Some will be hurting, while others are joyful.

Some will be drinking from the same cup or using the form of intinction, while others will be using shot glasses.

Some will use wine and others will use grape juice.

There will be people of different colors, nationalities, worship styles, socio-economic status, and so on. But there are at least two things we will all have in common. One is that we are all sinners in need of God's grace. And the other is that each of us who take it seriously will come because we have a desire to have Jesus. Amen.

Question of the Day ??

When a Jehovah's Witness or Morman comes to your door, what should you do?

Thought of the Day !!

Now let me remind you, dear brothers and sisters, of the Good News I preached to you before. You welcomed it then and still do now, for your faith is built on this wonderful message. And it is this Good News that saves you if you firmly believe it.
1 Corinthians 15:1-2 (NLT)

We all love Good news. It may be the host of a banquet that says “Mr. Hazelrig, you just won the door prize and it’s a new car. It may be the daughter and son-in-law who come in and say “Guess what Mom & Dad, we’re pregnant. Your gonna be grandparents.” It may be the letter that you open that announces that you made it into the college you have been dreaming about all your life. It may be the doctor who cheerfully tells you that the tests are back and everything looks fine.

Yes, we all love good news. And that’s what Paul had been spreading. His was the good news that “Christ died for our sins in accordance with the scriptures, and that he was buried, and that he was raised on the third day.” And then he appeared to many as proof of this resurrection.

If Jesus had merely died and was buried, the process wouldn’t be complete. We wouldn’t have a risen Savior who had defeated death for us. But instead we would have had a man...a great man maybe...but still a man.

But the Good News is that our Savior is for real. People may try to disprove Him. Some my claim He was nothing other than a prophet. Others will claim that the miracles, including the resurrection, never actually occurred. But those with true faith will not be bent...will not be persuaded otherwise.

Let us remember Jesus this day as a friend, a king, a brother, our Lord and especially our Savior. And then let us continually give him thanks for this Good News the rest of this day.

In the love of Christ,
greg

Thought of the Day !! / Question of the Day ??

They would sell their possessions and goods and distribute the proceeds to all, as any had need.
Acts 2:45

This passage is about the Early Church and how they responded to the needs of each other. In reading this passage on a sheet that I had to fill out for my annual Charge Conference (UMC meeting), the following principle was given along with the scripture reading. It said "Healthy churches connect in ministry through service and mission within and beyond the Body of Christ."

Think about your own church (wherever it may be and whatever denomination it may be). Is your congregation responding to the needs around them through faithful servanthood and mission?

In what ways does your congregation practice hospitality?

Does your congregation place a high value on loving others, even those unlike themselves?

Ponder these questions today and celebrate the answers that are pleasing to God. Or think about how you can affect change if the answers are not what God would like to hear.

In the love of Christ,
greg

Question of the Day ??

Do you believe in the doctrine of "once saved, always saved"?

How would you back up your answer?

Thought of the Day !!

"You know that in this world kings are tyrants, and officials lord it over the people beneath them. But among you it should be different. Whoever wants to be a leader among you must be your servant, and whoever wants to be first must become your slave. For even I, the Son of Man, came here not to be served but to serve others, and to give my life as a ransom for many."
Matthew 20:25-28 (NLT)

If there were ever anyone who deserved to be served, it was Jesus. But that's not why he left his throne in Heaven. Jesus came to serve. He didn't come into this world to be waited on, having all his needs met. He came to meet our needs instead.

This world, along with the devil's help, has brought about class systems where depending on how wealthy you are or what color your skin is or where you were born or whom you came from, you might be powerful or you might be needy. Many places in this world do not have an in between. Here in America, we do. It's called middle class. But even in middle class, there can be see areas where people have more power than others.

True power comes only from God. And God's view of power is very different than that of the world. If we have someone working for us, they better do the job right. Why? Because that's what we're paying for. Or that's what we deserve.

But Jesus said that we must learn less about lording over people and more about serving them. That's what Jesus did. That's what we must do as well. Think about where you may have lorded any type of authority over someone in the past. Jesus wants us to change so that we see everyone as equals, just as deserving of our service as we are of theirs.

In the love of Christ,
greg

Sermon (September 24)

A “Me” Attitude Comes from the Wrong Kind of Wisdom
James 3:13-18

I. James 3:13
Bragging takes away our right to be rewarded for a good deed. Jesus taught to store up for yourself treasures in Heaven instead of down here on Earth. When we brag, we receive recognition, which becomes our reward. And God has no use for the good deed anymore. James is telling us then that if we do the good we’re called to do, we are to seek God’s approval instead of the world's. Then we’re wise.

II. James 3:14-16
I knew of an instance once where a person had selfish ambitions of running the church the way he wanted to do it. He fought the pastor and tried to drive a wedge between him and others by getting others on his side. Luckily for that church, he didn’t wield enough power to turn the congregation against the pastor. But he did divide it into two very distinct camps.

There was another situation in my home church where some of the people selfishly thought that since they’d been there when the church building was built, that it should always be their church (even though they were landlocked and couldn’t grow or reach out). These people caused a split as well.

Luckily, both congregations are stronger now that they’ve gone through these ordeals. It just goes to show that God can work in any situation.

In both instances the majority of the people at the churches decided to seek out and adhere to God’s wisdom for them instead of their own selfish ambitions.

This is what James is trying to get across to us here…that we’re to always seek out God’s wisdom over our own.

I guess you could say that that’s what makes us…wise.

III. James 3:17-4:3
James defines two types of wisdom in our reading today…worldly wisdom (where we’re consumed by self) and Godly wisdom; pure, peace loving, gentle at all times, and willing to yield to others (or just the opposite of worldly wisdom).
One of these two will motivate our actions.

IV. Worldly Wisdom
Let’s look at worldly wisdom first. According to James, it consists of jealousy and selfish ambition. It’s what causes arguments and fights between people. And it’s from the devil.
You know what I’ve noticed in the church meetings that I’ve been a part of when people have gotten upset? Most of the people weren’t upset because we weren’t doing enough for Christ. They typically get upset because they don’t get their way.

Me, Me, Me. It’s all about me. Right? I mean if I don’t get my way, I’ll pick up my toys and go home. That’s what it was like when I was a child. I remember how childish my friends and I could be. Getting upset just meant that we picked up our toys and went home.
Worldly wisdom is all about us. It’s focused solely on what we think is right and how we feel things ought to be done.

We use this when:
• We’ve been stuck in traffic for a long time and refuse to let others over because it would mean us having to wait longer.
• Or we get to that parking spot just before someone else and gun it so they can’t get “our” space.
• We use this worldly (me,me,me) wisdom when we ???
• We preachers do it when we pad our attendance numbers that we present before the conference.
• Anytime you’ve said, done or even thought about something that would help you out at somebody else’s expense, you’ve used worldly wisdom.

But when we choose to give this up for the wisdom of God, something happens. (Pause) We change. We turn into something new. We become better people.

(Story)
As the story goes, it was Easter Sunday and the kid that came into Trinity Church was new in town, living in the dorm of the local college. Trinity was a very high church that prided themselves on their liturgy and proper way of going about worshiping God.

The first problem was that he was dressed in the normal way that a college age kid would dress…while going to school (shorts and sandals).

The second problem was that he was late, which meant that all the pews were taken and that he was supposed to be seated in the back. Not knowing this, he went down front and sat in the floor in front of the first pew where he’d be able to see. And as he did, the place got silent and all eyes were placed upon him.

Mr. Wellington, an 85 year old patriarch of the church noticed this from his pew towards the back. He got up and slowly made his way down front.

As he did this, some just sat and stared, waiting to see how ugly it’d get. Others turned to their neighbor and made comments like, “The boy’s gonna get it now.” And all eyes were down front when Mr. Wellington stood over the boy who sat on the floor.

As the boy looked up (and the old man looked down) everyone held their breath.

It was then that Mr. Wellington turned to the congregation and shocked them, saying, “You know, it’s been a long time since someone of this age has entered our sanctuary. Maybe it’s because we don’t understand them. Maybe it’s because we expect them to be like us. I noticed, as I’m sure this young man did, that everybody has been staring at him. I’m sure many of us have sized him up and decided that he doesn’t fit the proper mold for Trinity Church. But you know what? It’s not about us today. It’s about him…and everyone like him.”

With that he was helped down to the floor by the young man. And Trinity Church was never the same again.

V. Godly Wisdom
If worldly wisdom divides us and brings about disorder, then Godly wisdom unites and brings order out of chaos. (Not conformity, but order.)

This is because worldly wisdom is all about me and Godly wisdom is all about the other person. When we think about others, putting them before ourselves, we grow in “true life-giving” wisdom.

For true wisdom comes from the teachings of Jesus to love God and neighbor…to be last instead of first…to serve instead of expecting to be served…to wash another’s feet instead of waiting for ours needs to be met…to give up anything that is more important to us than God.

Once this happens, what we come to realize is that instead of our hearts revolving around ourselves, Christ becomes the center. We become better people. And ironically…we feel better about ourselves, making our lives better than when we used the worldly wisdom of me, me, me.

When we don’t think about ourselves, we feel better.
When we don’t put ourselves first, we live better.

If we will allow Christ to abide in us, He will make His home in us. The longer he abides, the more like Him we will become. The more like him we become, the more wise we will be.

Does Christ abide in you? Ask yourself what motivates you. Be honest now.
Do you always have to have your way?
Do you only do things that will bring you glory?
Do you get angry when you do not receive recognition for what you’ve done?

Or can you be at peace just knowing that God’s will is being done in everything you do?

Question of the Day ??

What kind of fruit tree was it that Eve plucked the fruit from in the Garden of Eden?

Thought of the Day !!

But let all who take refuge in you be glad; let them ever sing for joy. Spread your protection over them, that those who love your name may rejoice in you.
Psalm 5:11

When things are getting hard to handle in life, we can take our refuge in Jesus. He told us to bring our burdens to him, and the Psalmist tells us that when we take refuge in our God we can be made glad. I wish I could say that whenever a personal crisis comes up that you could take the burden to Jesus and he would snap his fingers and the pain would go away. But on the other hand I guess I'm not glad. You see, God knows better than me. And even though that's what I would like, He takes care of me in a different way.

You can spoil children by giving him or her everything they want and taking everything bad out of their lives. But what kind of person will that child grow up to be. No...God knows what's best for us, and He doesn't allow anything to come our way that we cannot handle. So we are taught to bring our burdens to Him and take refuge in Him and He will hold us up when we can't stand on our own two feet. He will carry us when we don't want to walk any further. He makes us stronger for allowing us to struggle through the hard situations of our lives, all the while walking right next to us. And He makes us better children for it. Thanks be to God. Amen.

In the love of Christ,
greg

Sorry

Hey there. My internet has been out all week at the office and this is where my group listing for my emailed "Thought of the Days !!" is. Since I wasn't emailing them, I didn't post anything. I should be back to normal (whatever that is) tomorrow.

In the love of Christ,
greg

Thought of the Day !!

Take delight in the LORD, and he will give you your heart's desires.
Psalm 37:4

If we delight ourselves in the Lord, then the desires of our hearts will change. Has the desires of your heart changed since you became a Christian? Are they the same today as they were when you first accepted Christ?

In the love of Christ,
greg

You've not been forgotten

I haven't forgotten to do my daily posts. My internet is down at the office and that's when I do my daily devotionals. I hope they will have it up and running today. Please Please Please !!!!!!!

Question of the Day ??

If you could send a petition to General Conference in 2008, what would it be?

Thought of the Day !!

There will be no more "Thought of the Days" this week for I will be out of town until Saturday.

Yet we hear that some of you are living idle lives, refusing to work and wasting time meddling in other people's business.
2 Thessalonians 3:11 (NLT)

It's much easier to complain about what's wrong, be it at work, church, home, or wherever, than it is to help fix it. Let us be a part of the solution to poor work situations, dead churches or poor home lives...not a part of the cause. Lets not complain about situations. Lets use the love that Christ teaches to try and work them out.

How many times already this week have you complained? How much time will you now devote to finding ways to better situations you can have a little control over or getting away from those you can do nothing about?


In the love of Christ,
greg

Newsboys meet Veggie Tales

Question of the Day ??

When is it ok to lie (fib, tell a non-truth)?

Thought of the Day !!

Right away a woman who had heard about him came and fell at his feet. Her little girl was possessed by an evil spirit, and she begged him to cast out the demon from her daughter.

Since she was a Gentile, born in Syrian Phoenicia, Jesus told her, "First I should feed the children—my own family, the Jews. It isn't right to take food from the children and throw it to the dogs."

She replied, "That's true, Lord, but even the dogs under the table are allowed to eat the scraps from the children's plates."

"Good answer!" he said. "Now go home, for the demon has left your daughter." And when she arrived home, she found her little girl lying quietly in bed, and the demon was gone.
Mark 7:25-30

This is a tough text to grapple with. It seems as though Jesus doesn't want to help this woman simply because she's a Gentile. And this just isn't the Jesus that we've come to believe in.

The woman is a mother who's coming on behalf of her demon possessed child. She displays faith by coming and also by the fact that she's a woman and a Gentile approaching a Jew. It takes great faith to step out like this. But evidently she believes the risk of rejection is worth it.

Jesus responds to her request for a healing with what we might only describe as surprising words. He tells her that what he has to give (at least for now, or first) is for his family, the Jews. But why? Has he decided to take sides or become prejudiced to outsiders all of a sudden?

No. I believe that he's testing her. Oh he's not testing to see if she has enough faith or not, for the Bible makes it clear that Jesus knows the hearts of people. I think he's allowing her to see that she can pass the test.

And her response? An "A+", for she stands up for herself. But she does so with persistence and humbleness (not declaring that she is just as deserving as anyone else).

Often times we need to see that our faith can pass the test. We need to be given a chance to win (or get an A+). Maybe that's why we go through some of the things we go through. Maybe it's to strengthen us and build character in the process. I don't believe that every single thing in this life is a test from God. But there are times when we just need something to push us to use what Jesus teaches us through the acting out or our faith.

In the love of Christ,
greg

Thought of the Day !!

Why am I discouraged? Why so sad? I will put my hope in God! I will praise him again -- my Savior and my God!
Psalms 42:11 (NLT)

We all have things that get us down from time to time. And it is our Heavenly Father that understands far more than anyone else. Put your hope in Him. Go to Him in prayer and ask Him to bring you out of the muck. And then trust Him to do it.

In the love of Christ,
greg

Last Week's Sermon on UNITY

The Toolbox Convention

Ephesians 4:1-6


I. Read Ephesians 4:1-6

II. The Toolbox Convention
The tools in the Master Carpenter’s tool belt decided to have a convention one day. All the tools had gathered together and at the end of the day they were going to vote for tool of the year. Seeing as how there weren’t many tools in the belt, all their names were submitted as nominations.

After a lot of discussion among the tools, some were complaining that the hammer’s name should be withdrawn. Though it’s true that he normally drives his point home very well, he had bent a few nails out of shape. And we all know that when you get bent out of shape, you’re just not worth anything. He’s also been known to beat things to death.

In his defense, the hammer claimed that some things were just too important not to forcefully drive home. And as to bending some nails…well, he figured if it hadn’t been him, something else would’ve gotten them all bent out of shape. So what’s the difference?

Then he decided that he’d withdraw his nomination, but if he was going to do that, then the screwdriver should withdraw hers as well. His reasoning was that all she ever did was go round and round in circles, never really getting anything accomplished.

The hurt screwdriver pointed out that she brought things together. Admittedly…sometimes…maybe things got stripped out and wouldn’t hold any longer. But surely she did more good than harm.

“And anyway, if my name is gonna be taken out, then you got to also take out the Sandpaper’s name too. He may smooth out some rough edges, but you know, he can also be pretty pushy in the process. And I don’t know if having a decent finished project is really worth it if you’re being pushy in the process.”

The sandpaper was incensed. He said, “At least I’m not like the Level. She claims that she keeps us from going downhill, but I say she’s just being judgmental…judging whether things are really straight or not.”

Mrs. Level bit back, “If you’re gonna take my name out, you got to take out the Tape Measure’s name too. Don’t get me started on how he measures things up to his own standards.”

With that the Tape Measure angrily attacked the plum line, saying that she may make straight lines, but that she didn’t allow any room for error. It had to be perfectly straight or not done at all.

The plum line was not there to defend herself. And so when it was time to vote for tool of the year, there were no nominations left to be had. And all the tools just sat in silence…angry at each other…and not caring about the dumb old award anymore.

Then the Master Carpenter came in and put on his tool belt. Noticing that all his tools looked upset, he inquired about the problem. After being told about the award and how all the nominations were withdrawn, he told them to look at the chair they’d finished the day before.

Then he asked them, “Would this chair be able to hold up if it were not for the hammer’s nailing it together?” They all agreed that if it were not for the hammer, the chair wouldn’t stay together.

The Master Carpenter continued by asking what they would’ve done without the screwdriver to fasten the metal braces…or the sandpaper to make sure no one got splinters…or the level to make sure no one fell off the chair…or the tape measure to make sure the chair’s legs were all the same length. Then they all agreed that each one was needed.

Of course that still left out the plum line. But when they brought up this point, the Master’s response was that she was away being used to build a house for the chair to live in.

And all the tools learned a great lesson that day. They learned that though none of them were perfect, all of them were needed by the Master Carpenter to complete his task.

III. Unity
How many of us expect others to be perfect, all the while forgetting just how flawed we are?

Jesus teaches us about judging others in his Sermon on the Mount found in Matthew 7. He tells us to be careful of finding the speck in someone else’s eye when we have a log in our own.

We must realize that we are all in this together as Christians…as the Church. Part of what is killing the Church today is the fact that we often times forget that we’re all on the same team and that we all have the same goal in mind.

Don’t let petty things divide us. Many things seem big, but in reality they’re just plain small. Maybe your feelings got hurt. Maybe you were shone up. Maybe you were disagreed with. Maybe you didn’t get your way. Maybe you lost the argument.

Does anyone remember how many times Jesus told Peter to forgive? (7 x 70)
Did he say to wait for a formal apology? (No)

Unity doesn’t mean we will all be clones of one another, thinking just alike. But it does mean that we stick together no matter what.

If you ask me, that’s kind of the definition of family. We may not always like each other – but we still love each other.

Paul wrote about this unity of ours in verses 4-6. (Read)

• There is one body
Christ is the head and the Church is the body. There’s an essential oneness that has to be in the Church for it to function with the head. It’s not the belief about this doctrine or that one. It’s not when or how to be baptized or who can take communion. It’s the belief in and love of…Christ. That is what’s essential for the Church to function in this world.

• There is one Spirit
The Greek word used for spirit is the same as the one used for breath. Think about it this way. If the body has no breath, it has no life. So in essence, if the body of Christ (the Church) has no Spirit, it has no life either. We must live by the leading of the Holy Spirit to sustain life in the Church. And we must do it together.

• There is one hope in our calling
If I’ve said it once, I’ve said it a million times. It doesn’t matter whether you’re Methodist, Baptist, Church of Christ, or what. We’ve all got the same goal in mind and the same leader. As long as that’s true, we’ll all make it to Heaven.

• There is one Lord
This is important. You see this has to be at the center of our faith. Jesus Christ is Lord is the closest saying that the early Church had to a creed. They celebrated Easter (or the Resurrection) every week and they believed that because of this Resurrection of Christ, that he was Lord of their lives. He was the one who ruled them and they obeyed out of love and not out of fear of the consequences.

• There is one faith
Paul didn’t mean that there was one way of believing, but that there was one deep sense of commitment. People who really believe in something will be committed to it.

• There is one baptism
There may be different ways of being baptized, but there is only one covenant between us and God.

• One God and Father of All
Paul writes that God is our Father…that He’s over all…through all…and in all. He’s not the creator of one group or another, but of all. This makes ALL of us, even the heathens, Muslims, pagans, atheists, communists and thieves…His children.

So…the question is…. Can we see past our differences and work together for Christ? Methodists and Baptists…Democrat and Republican…liberal and conservative…black and white…rich and poor…can we all come together, putting aside our differences and share the love of Christ with each other…& together with the world…as only Christians are called to do?

Let me share with you the lyrics of a song as I close. You might possibly know it. It’s called They’ll Know We Are Christians by Our Love.


They'll Know We Are Christians By Our Love - Carolyn Arends
From the album Seize The Day & Other Stories

We are one in the Spirit, we are one in the Lord
We are one in the Spirit, we are one in the Lord
And we pray that all unity may one day be restored
And they'll know we are Christians by our love, by our love
They will know we are Christians by our love

We will work with each other, we will work side by side
We will work with each other, we will work side by side
And we'll guard each one's dignity and save each one's pride
And they'll know we are Christians by our love, by our love
They will know we are Christians by our love

We will walk with each other, we will walk hand in hand
We will walk with each other, we will walk hand in hand
And together we'll spread the news that God is in our land
And they'll know we are Christians by our love, by our love
They will know we are Christians by our love

Love is patient, love is kind
Never boasts, not full of pride
Always hopes, always trusts
The evidence of Christ in us

What about us? Do people know we are Christians by our love and unity? Or does the way we live and speak about and treat each other make them wonder?

Question of the Day ??

* See yesterday's Question

Thought of the Day !!

Think of ways to encourage one another to outbursts of love and good deeds. And let us not neglect our meeting together, as some people do, but encourage and warn each other, especially now that the day of his coming back again is drawing near.
Hebrews 10:24-25 (NLT)

The devil teaches us how to put others down. But God tells us to encourage one another instead.

The devil wants us to neglect each other so that we feel all alone, having to face each and every problem alone. But God wants us to join together in community and encourage each other as well as holding each other accountable in love.

Who will we listen to?

In the love of Christ,
greg

Question of the Day ??

The question as been asked on DannyG's blog. And Mark Winter has given his form of an answer on his blog. And it just wouldn't be right if we couldn't argue about it here, seeing as I've been a part of the great theological debate on these other two blogs. I am ashamed that we can't all get along, but when "they're" wrong, "they" are just plain wrong.

So I ask the question in two parts. What makes up real BBQ? Pork or Beef? and Where is the best BBQ found?

In the immortal words of Mr. Winter over on his sadly misinformed blog "Can I get a witness"...from the Memphis Pig folks????????

Thought of the Day !!

But you will receive power when the Holy Spirit comes on you; and you will be my witnesses in Jerusalem, and in all Judea and Samaria, and to the ends of the earth."
Acts 1:8 (TNIV)

Even today we can receive the power that comes from the Holy Spirit. This was not meant just for those disciples that Jesus left here to continue his ministry on earth. For just as they were meant to be ministers to the world, so are we.

Jerusalem...Judea...Samaria...to the ends of the earth. This was where they were supposed to be witnesses. And so it is the same with us. Let us boldly be witnesses for Christ in our own towns (Jerusalem), in the general area where we live (Judea), in the places that we are not comfortable (Samaria), and to wherever we might travel (the ends of the earth).

In the Great Commission Jesus tells the disciples to go and make disciples, baptizing and teaching them. And he ended that Commission with words of encouragement. He said that he would be with them always, even until the end of the age.

Let these words of encouragement engulf you as you go and witness to a world that needs Christ desperately. Know that the Holy Spirit is your power as well as being Jesus with you as well. You are never alone when you share Christ with people. Jesus is always there with you. And to be quite honest, he was there before you even showed up.

Let us all be witnesses in some way today for Christ. Show his love. Be his hands and feet. Let his light shine forth from us.

In the love of Christ,
greg

Question of the Day ??

What did you do over your long weekend?

Thought of the Day !!

If I give everything I own to the poor and even go to the stake to be burned as a martyr, but I don't love, I've gotten nowhere. So, no matter what I say, what I believe, and what I do, I'm bankrupt without love.

Love never gives up.
Love cares more for others than for self.
Love doesn't want what it doesn't have.
Love doesn't strut,
Doesn't have a swelled head,
Doesn't force itself on others,
Isn't always "me first,"
Doesn't fly off the handle,
Doesn't keep score of the sins of others,
Doesn't revel when others grovel,
Takes pleasure in the flowering of truth,
Puts up with anything,
Trusts God always,
Always looks for the best,
Never looks back,
But keeps going to the end.
1 Corinthians 13:3-7 (The Message)

Love takes pleasure in the flowering of truth
You know, sometimes the truth can hurt. Sometimes it exposes us. But true Christian love can only flourish in truth. It will simply die away when we lie to ourselves or to others.

Love puts up with anything
All I have to do is look at my wife and see what she puts up with sometimes.

Love trusts God always
For this is where the gift of love originates.

Love always looks for the best
I am a believer in the fact that you can find something good in anything or any situation. What about you? Are you always pointing out the negative things about someone or something or some situation? Or do you look for the best?

Love never looks back, but keeps going to the end
This is very similar to the first thing that Christlike love displays. Love never gives up. It keeps going to the end, and it does not look back to see where we have failed. You see, with the love of Christ, every day is a new day to try again. So begin each day by asking yourself, “What can I do for someone else today to show my love”, instead of thinking about how you failed at love yesterday.

In the love of Christ,
greg

Question of the Day ??

What's the most humbling experience you've ever had?

Thought of the Day !!

If I give everything I own to the poor and even go to the stake to be burned as a martyr, but I don't love, I've gotten nowhere. So, no matter what I say, what I believe, and what I do, I'm bankrupt without love.

Love never gives up.
Love cares more for others than for self.
Love doesn't want what it doesn't have.
Love doesn't strut,
Doesn't have a swelled head,
Doesn't force itself on others,
Isn't always "me first,"
Doesn't fly off the handle,
Doesn't keep score of the sins of others,
Doesn't revel when others grovel,
Takes pleasure in the flowering of truth,
Puts up with anything,
Trusts God always,
Always looks for the best,
Never looks back,
But keeps going to the end.
1 Corinthians 13:3-7 (The Message)

Love isn’t always “me first”
Look at God. He gave up his place of honor and glory to become human. He eventually suffered and gave up his human life because he cared so much for others. He definitely put others first.

Love doesn’t fly off the handle
William Barclay probably put it best when he said, “When we lose our tempers, we lose everything.”

Love doesn’t keep score of the sins of others
"How many times do I forgive?" asks Peter....The answer...."more times than you can count"....says Jesus.

There’s a story I pulled off the internet one day that tells of two friends walking through the desert. During some point in their journey they had an argument and one friend slapped the other in the face. The one who got slapped was hurt, but without saying anything, he wrote in the sand: “TODAY MY BEST FRIEND SLAPPED ME IN THE FACE.”

They kept on walking until thy found an oasis, where they decided to take a bath. The one who had been slapped got stuck in quicksand and began to sink. The friend saved him. And afterwards, he wrote on a stone: “TODAY MY BEST FRIEND SAVED MY LIFE.”

The friend asked him. “After I hurt you, you wrote in the sand, and now you write on a stone. Why?

The other replied, “When someone hurts us we should write it down in sand where winds of forgiveness can erase it. But when someone does something good for us, we must engrave it in stone where no wind can ever erase it.

If we truly are expected to display the love of Christ, we must start with forgiving as Christ did. Otherwise, we not only cannot love, but Jesus said that we cannot be forgiven either.

Love doesn’t revel when others grovel
True Christian love wouldn’t be caught dead in a situation where others had to grovel at its feet.

May we love each other deeply today as Christians are meant to love.

In the love of Christ,
greg