Casting Crowns - "Does Anybody See Her"

Bet you can't watch this and have dry eyes afterwards!

Question of the Day ??

What's the greatest invention this world has ever seen?

* My answer would be Toilet Paper. Can you imagine a world without TP? Yuck! So what would you say? The Internet? The television? The gas engine? Oh come now, you can be more creative than that!

Thought of the Day !!

(Jesus says) "If you abide in me, and my words abide in you, ask for whatever you wish, and it will be done for you. My Father is glorified by this, that you bear much fruit and become my disciples."
John 15:7-8 (NRSV)

There are many out there, including several TV evangelists, who take this verse and others like it to form their own type of gospel. It’s where we are told that whatever we ask for will be given to us by God if we have enough faith (and so often if we send enough money). That would mean that many of us don’t have enough faith evidently.

But that is not what Jesus is telling his disciples here. First of all, we will get what we ask for if, and only if, we abide in Christ. If we abide in Christ, then we share his love and compassion and desire for God’s will to be done. This means that we’re not going to go out and claim a new car or house in the name of Jesus. Instead, our desires will be consistent with the will of God.

Part of producing fruit means thinking about God’s wishes instead of our own. I once read an article about the famed TV evangelist Jim Bakkar, who was imprisoned for fraud. According to this article he found out during his prison term that asking for money and all that came with it just brought about pain and a desire to have more.

During this time, and while old Tammy Faye was divorcing him, he reread the scriptures and saw what was truly important. He realized that was bearing fruit, not asking what we can gain, but what we can do for others. And after his release he started working with a street ministry.

Abiding in Christ means loving God and neighbor and having Christ guide and motivate us. It means loving one another as Christ loves us. It means inviting others into the relationship that we already have with our Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ. It means sharing the peace that Christ affords us with those that we come in contact with.

If we will abide in Christ and allow Him to abide in us, we will receive much more than we can ever imagine.

In the love of Christ,
greg

Question of the Day ??

You're probably familiar with the phrase "Heaven on Earth". If you were to say that something or some place was "Heaven on Earth", what or where would it be?

Thought of the Day !!

I am the true vine, and my Father is the gardener. He cuts off every branch that doesn't produce fruit, and he prunes the branches that do bear fruit so they will produce even more.
John 15:1-2 (NLT)

If you’re a gardener, you know how much work a garden can be. It takes time and effort. It takes making sure it’s watered when there’s been no rain. It means fertilizing. It means getting on your hands and knees and working in the dirt. It also means cutting off the old dead parts of your plants that produce no fruit or vegetables so that you can get more out of them.

Growing grapes, whether in Palestine or America is a tedious job. The vines have to be kept up daily. For the best results, the grapes cannot touch the ground, and the vines have to be pruned often.

Now the vine is the main stem that comes from the root. And there are branches that come off of it. Some will bear grapes and others will not. A knowledgeable vine grower will be able to tell these two apart and will cut off the ones that won’t produce. In doing this, the better branches will grow more and produce more because they don’t have to share their nutrients with the useless ones.

In our own lives there are dead useless branches coming out of our lives. They may be habits or lifestyles or hobbies or any of a number of things. These dead branches can be detrimental to our spiritual lives or to our Christian witness. What might be in your own life that needs to be pruned or cut out all together.

In the love of Christ,
greg

Question of the day ??

If God called you to be a modern day monk, living your life out in solitude, cut off from the rest of the world, what would you miss most?

Thought of the Day !!

"...The LORD does not look at the things man looks at. Man looks at the outward appearance, but the LORD looks at the heart."
1 Samuel 16:7 (NIV)

When God looks at your heart, what does He see?

In the love of Christ,
greg

Thought of the Day !!

Dear children, let us not love with words or tongue but with actions and in truth.
1 John 3:18

On one hand, words are very strong. The old saying "Sticks and stones may break my bones, but words will never hurt me" is simply not true. Words can be devastating. And once said, they can never be taken out of the memory of the person that they are said to even if all is forgiven.

On the other hand, however, words are weak when used to show love. That is, unless they're backed with actions. The letter of James tells us that faith without works is dead. I say the same goes with love. If one says these words to a spouse that he/she abuses in any way, then there is no love. If a friend says I love you sister/brother, but isn't willing to stand by the other in a time of need, there is no love. And the same is true in any case where love is spoken while not shown.

Francis of Assisi, who lived around the 12th century and began the Franciscan order of monks, would teach his order to preach the Gospel and when necessary use words. Francis knew that his monks could speak the Good News all they wanted, but if they didn't show it by the way they lived, they would never be effective. In the same way, you can tell others that you love them, but it won't mean a thing if you don't show them.

Let us continually show our love to each other and to God with our words, but also with our actions.

In the love of Christ,
greg

No, You didn't just vote for Beef !!!

We're sorry but you have to be saved before voting in this poll. Come to your knees first as you ask for forgiveness all you people who think brisket is really BBQ.

And send you money to Brogreg at

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God bless.

Thought of the Day !!

"My children, I will be with you only a little longer. You will look for me, and just as I told the Jews, so I tell you now: Where I am going, you cannot come.

"A new command I give you: Love one another. As I have loved you, so you must love one another. By this everyone will know that you are my disciples, if you love one another."
John 13:33-35 (TNIV)

Jesus tells the disciples that he must go away, and that where he is going, they cannot go. He had already told this to the Jews, which in the Gospel of John actually means the Jewish leaders. And now he is telling his followers.

This had to be hard to hear. Peter was probably not the only one thinking that he would follow Jesus to the death. Others were probably thinking “well, why not. Why can't we follow you?” For some it probably seemed as if they had followed for so long, that they wouldn’t know what to do if Jesus left them. They left their jobs, which were probably being done by someone else by now. Their lives had been left behind. Bridges may have been burned. Who knows? But the one thing that they knew was that they didn’t want Jesus to leave them.

This would’ve been a lump in your throat, gut wrenching time for these disciples. But in the midst of this time of anxiety and doubt, Jesus teaches. As so often was the case, Jesus taught them when they needed it the most.

Jesus had been glorified. He was going to be glorified on the cross. And he was leaving. What that left the followers with was each other. They were called to take up with each other right where Jesus would leave off. They were to love one another. And not only love each other, but more importantly, love each other as Jesus loved them. And others would know that they were true disciples of Jesus by their love for one another.

So our call today is to go out and love one another, just as Jesus has loved us. Jesus loved us so much that he was willing to go to the cross and give up his life for us. Now this call of love doesn’t mean that we’ll all become martyrs and die for our faith. It does mean, however that we’ll give up our own sense of ego (or our own self) and foster a sense of community, loving each other as we love ourselves. How we love, and show our love, is the sign of our faithfulness.

So Jesus is calling us this day to show our faithfulness by loving each other just as he has loved, is loving and will always continue to love us.

In the LOVE of Christ,
greg

Thought of the Day !!

Here is a thought from BibleLeague.org. I thought that they nailed it with this devotion so I figured I would pass it along today. May WE all take these words very seriously, especially in these days preceding our Easter celebration.


Amos 5:23 -- [God says,] "Away with your hymns of praise! They are only noise to my ears. I will not listen to your music, no matter how lovely it is. Instead, I want to see a mighty flood of justice, a river of righteous living that will never run dry." (NLT)

You may spend time trying to get your songs and prayers to sound right, but God will not accept your praise if your life isn't righteous and just. Spend time with Him; confess your sins; keep Him first. Then your praise will sound right, because it will be right. How does hypocrisy in your life affect other people?


In the love of Christ,
greg

The Disciple - Part 1 (Become the Disciple)

Let's take a five week journey with Bubba D as he becomes and lives his life as a disciple for Christ. In this first week, Bubba becomes a disciple. (Taken from my 5 week Lenten Sermon series entitled "The Disciple".)

Bubba D. was a good man long before he ever got saved. He would help anyone who needed help. And as a volunteer fireman, he got several chances to do just that.

As a matter of fact, he always thought himself a Christian. You see, he went to Sunday school as a kid and learned the Bible stories that all Christians are supposed to know.

He also went to church until the day he left his parents’ house. He had too. His parents made him. They would say “as long as you’re living under our roof you’re going to go to church.” And so he went. And he endured what he considered to be boring services that really had no meaning or purpose for him.

That’s what made him decide that he didn’t have to go to church to be a Christian. Like he would say, he could worship God anywhere.

But the truth of the matter was that he rarely thought about God…that is except when he needed something.

Now Bubba loved the night life in the city he moved to after college. He worked hard all week now that he was a paid fire fighter for the city fire department. And he enjoyed going out on the weekends. There were times when he might overdo it a little, but that was ok. He wasn’t hurting anyone else with his club hopping or his social agenda with the ladies.

But this got old after a while. He realized that he didn’t seem to be getting anywhere with his life. He wondered if he would one day wake up and realize that he had grown old without anyone there for him. And the realization set in that he was truly all alone without any real purpose. That was…until the day he met a kind older man named Parson at the local Starbucks.

They sat and talked so long that before Bubba realized it, the store was closing. Parson spoke of things like freedom and love and acceptance (things that Bubba was searching for). But they were mentioned in the same breath with Jesus and God and even church. This was not the church stuff that Bubba remembered from his youth.

And so it was that night after the coffee shop that Parson and Bubba wound up in the parking lot of Parson’s church that he pastored. It was there that Bubba broke down and tearfully accepted Jesus into his life.

He had thought himself a Christian because of all the good things he did. He was a good man who showed kindness to others. And he was a very zealous young man when it came to right and wrong. He didn’t let people get away with wronging others.

But that night he realized that being a good person wasn’t good enough. And it also wasn’t ever going to bring him a life filled with meaning and purpose. It was going to take something else. It was going to take Jesus.

That night in the parking lot of Parson's church Bubba D got saved. He received Christ into his heart by confessing him Lord and believing in him with his whole being. He realized that Jesus died for him to not only bring about forgiveness, but also purpose and meaning. Bubba became a Disciple.

Parson invited Bubba to come to church the next day and Bubba accepted. He couldn't believe that he was actually going to attend church again. But the experience was like nothing he remembered. He's welcomed with open arms by the members into a much more relaxed atmosphere of worship. And the sermon...well lets just say that he didn't come away thinking God was out to get him because he was a sinner. Parson didn't avoid telling his people like it was...but he also let it be known that God's grace was greater than all their sins put together.

Bubba went away feeling like a new man. And the next Sunday he got baptized and joined the church. It was then that he confessed Jesus as Lord openly and publicly.

At this point Bubba got excited. He wanted to tell everyone he saw about this experience of his. He does this at church and at work and even at the coffee house. And he starts spending more time helping out at church and less time out at the clubs.

Bubba becomes a disciple.

(Next week we'll see how Bubba is tempted to take the easy way out in "Temptation of the Disciple".)

The Disciple - Part 2 (Temptation of the Disciple)

Bubba is filled with the Holy Spirit and wants to share it with the world. He’s on fire for Jesus and wants to praise his God for freeing him and loving him. So his natural instincts tell him that he should tell everyone he knows about this new found secret and take them to worship where they can all join in and give their joyous praise together.

His first step is to tell everyone at the fire house where he works about Jesus and what this Savior has done for him. But when he starts sharing about his experience, he gets a mixed reaction. Some listen but eventually get bored, while others are, shall we say, less than enthusiastic. There are a few there that listen and long for the time that they felt that way, but that soon subsides as well. And complacency again takes over

After a while he realizes that the people he works with…his friends…are getting tired of all this Jesus stuff. He’s being left out of some of the conversations and not being asked to go out as much. And he’s beginning to get the feeling that he’s becoming the butt of many of the guys’ jokes.

There’s the temptation to conform at work. That would make his life much easier. And he would be more popular. Maybe the answer would be in just toning it down at work and being a “true Christian” in all the other places. That way he can have the best of both worlds.

Bubba still has his new church home that he can be his new self. Of course there is always the fact that he feels absolutely filled and sold out to Jesus and wants to shout it to the mountaintops. He loves the sermons and wants to say a hearty “Amen” to almost everything Parson says. He wants to sing out and tearfully receive God’s grace through the prayers. He’s about to burst at times.

BUT…. He also doesn’t want to be labeled as “different” or “fake”.

The congregation that he’s become a part of is a very loving, welcoming bunch. But they’re also more conservative and reverent…almost stoic. So Bubba is afraid of being perceived as an outcast if (right up there with those misbehaving children) if he shows his true excitement during church. The temptation is to be less enthusiastic about praising God so that he will fit in on Sunday mornings.

Bubba wants to get more and more involved. He joins the Men’s group, volunteers for everything available and even gets together with a small group of friends after Sunday evening service at the local Dairy Queen for a regular Sunday banana split and fellowship.

It’s here that he wants to glean from the more mature Christians. He’s like a sponge wanting to soak up all their wisdom.

It’s also here during these times that he learns all that’s wrong with different people in the church. He hears how one person shouldn’t be chair of this committee because 5 years ago she had a baby out of wedlock. He hears how it’s never been proven…but the group thinks this one kid may have homosexual tendencies. He hears how the pastor doesn’t preach on sin enough. And so on.

This group is good to him and to each other. They also help out in many of the church functions. So maybe it’s ok to gossip and judge others. Maybe it’s for the betterment of the church as a whole to talk about some of these things. And the temptation is to fall right in. That would be much easier than rocking the boat. And he was the newcomer to the faith.

Bubba is beginning to realize that these temptations are coming from outside and even inside the church. And with each temptation the devil speaks to him softly and tells him everything will be alright because at least he’s going to church now, and he’s better than he was before.

And so our new disciple is beginning to get confused because he thought once he became a Christian everything would be different.
Bubba decides to go to his new pastor and friend for guidance. He shares how he can relate to Parson’s preaching about how Jesus is to abide in him. And he feels that the Holy Spirit has taken up residence there. He’s excited about this…but at the same time confused.

He tells Parson about all the temptations to conform to other people and how it would be so much easier. And that’s when Parson shares with Bubba about the road less traveled. He tells him that the easy path is wide. But it leads to destruction. The narrow path that leads to eternal life is harder because less people travel it.

Bubba learned that the devil wasn’t worried about him before he accepted Christ into his life. But now…well…the devil is scared he’s lost another soul. That’s why he’s working overtime. But with maturity, Parson felt, Bubba would learn how to fend off the devil and his ways.

When asked how to receive this Christian maturity, Parson tells him to pray and read his Bible constantly. He said that the Word of God would help him to transform to God instead of conforming to this world.

He also taught Bubba to be who God wanted him to be…no matter what…not what others wanted him to be. The latter would bring him misery. The first would lead to joy.

Bubba knew that God had brought Parson into his life to help him change. And so he took Parson’s advice. He loved God and he showed that love for God…wherever he was.

And before he knew it people respected him for it. And his joy grew day by day as he was filled more and more with God’s Holy Spirit.

The Disciple - Part 3 (God Calls the Disciple)

Bubba has learned that to fight the temptations of the devil, he must allow the Holy Spirit to continually fill him as he prayerfully reads his Bible for transformation. And the more he reads, the stronger he becomes in his faith.

One particular passage has struck a chord with Bubba. He was reading Matthew 25 and the parable of the sheep and the goats. He hears Jesus tell him Christians feed the hungry and thirsty, clothe the naked, welcome the strangers and visit the sick and imprisoned.

He’s been doing this to some degree. He’s volunteered through his church to work in a soup kitchen once a month. It’s here that he also donates his old clothes. He welcomes all he sees with open arms. And he’s even been with Parson to the hospital a time or two.

But it’s the last one…the visiting people in prison…that he realizes he’s never done. And it’s not just that he gets a sense that he has a list here to do. He feels drawn to part of the passage for some reason.

At first he thinks it might be guilt for not ever doing anything with prisoners. But then he realizes that his God is not a god who keeps a tally sheet. And he wants to know why he can’t stop thinking about people in prison. His heart goes out to those because of another favorite passage of his that tells him that Jesus came for the sick. And who are more apt to be spiritually sick than those who have done something to put them in prison?

After a while Bubba sees Parson for advice, and Parson explains that is sounds like Bubba’s being called to some type of prison ministry. He goes on to say that when we find a sudden passion for ministry, often times it’s a calling from God.

But Bubba has a problem with this. Surely God wouldn’t call him for something this important. He’s new to the faith. Even though he’s been reading his bible, he’s really only gotten through the gospels and knows very little other than the bible stories he remembers from his childhood. He’s not a good speaker and wouldn’t know what to say to prisoners. And he couldn’t relate to their situation.

No…there’s no way God would ever think of calling him to any sort of prison ministry. His heart goes out to these people whom Bubba thinks are in desperate need of the love of Christ…but no way it’s supposed to be him. He’s just not worthy. Maybe later…but not now.

And so we see that Bubba is yet again confused.

But then Parson convinces Bubba that God calls whom he wants and not whom the world sees as worthy. If God is indeed calling Bubba to do some type of prison ministry, He will not only give him the gifts he needs, but he will provide a way for it to happen.

Parson also tells Bubba to pray about it and ask God to show him a sign.

Bubba takes Parson’s advice and prays about his situation. The next week an ex-con who started up a prison ministry comes by Parson’s office and asks if he can speak at his church, or have his church take up a donation to help his ministry.

Parson tells the guy about Bubba. And Bubba senses an answer to his prayers. He talks to the guy and volunteers his time. And he finds out that his life is truly changed (yet again) by accepting God’s calling to this ministry. It’s through this ministry that he finds fulfillment and joy

The Disciple - Part 4 (The Mistakes of the Disciple)

Last week we learned that God called Bubba to a prison ministry, and he’s enjoying his work for the Lord. He’s never felt so fulfilled in anything he’s done before.

Bubba’s also learned how to fight off the temptations of the devil. But he’s still not perfect of course. There’s temper flare up or ugly word here and there or some other thing that he knows is wrong. But he’s doing much better…with the help of the Holy Spirit.

Bubba hasn’t been going out on the town as much with the boys. But there are times he goes. Often times he’s the designated driver, and other times he has a couple beers. On this one particular time, however, they were celebrating an award that their firehouse had received. And he was the designated driver because he had had less to drink than all the rest. He wasn’t sloppy drunk, but he also wasn’t necessarily sober either.

He’d had enough for an officer to notice his swerving. And this led to his being pulled over, given a sobriety test and failing it. Bubba spent the weekend in jail and had his license revoked. The judge gave him a hardship license that would allow him to drive to work and to church…and that was it.

Bubba’s supposed to be at his parent’s house in the country about an hour away the following weekend for some sort of family get together. Some of his relatives are coming in and they’re supposed to grill some hamburgers and hot dogs.

As the week progresses, he searches for what to tell them, until he finally decides to lie and tell them his car is in the shop. His dad says, “That’s OK. I’ll come and pick you up. It’ll give us some quality time together.”

So now he’s not only been in jail for drinking and driving, he’s lied to his parents. And the guilt comes surging over him.

After the other relatives have gone home, Bubba just can’t stand it anymore. He has to unload or he figures he’ll just die. So he sits his mom and dad down and unloads the whole story on them. He tells them he knows he’s messed up and doesn’t expect them to forgive him. But they set him straight, reminding him that even though they’re disappointed in him, that they love him. And that they do forgive him.

Feeling much better, Bubba gets up the next day and goes to his old church with them. Somehow the news has traveled home and Mr. and Mrs. Holier than Thou has heard about the incident. And they get on their soapbox, quoting the scriptures about drunkenness and warning Bubba of his impending doom if he doesn’t repent soon. They even go as far as to give him phone number to a local rehab.

And the guilt comes back in full force. Of course his parents forgave him. They’re supposed to. But if folks in the church couldn’t forgive him, then could God? For that matter, he was beginning to see that he couldn’t forgive himself.

When he gets back to his home and job in the city, the guilt just continues to grow. And it’s this guilt that keeps him from going back to the church he now belongs to.

After Bubba misses a couple Sundays Parson, his pastor, calls him…but to no avail. Bubba’s screening his calls. So after another Sunday goes by without Bubba being at church, Parson takes it upon himself to make a house call.

When Parson confronts Bubba, Bubba confesses the whole thing, including the lying and the couple from his home church.

Parson shares with him that God’s love is similar to the love that his parents showed him. It’s a forgiving kind of love for those who will simply come back to Him.

So Bubba is convinced to come back to church on Sunday. It’s during the prayer request time that he asks to share something. He comes up and asks for prayers for him. And then he goes into his story.

When he’s finished, and as he was about to go back to his seat, at no one’s leading other than the Holy Spirit’s, the whole congregation rises and meets him up front. Each one hugs him. Parson prays for him. And Bubba is healed.

No matter what the mistake, Bubba realizes that his God is always watching for him to come home.

Thought of the Day !!

Enter through the narrow gate. For wide is the gate and broad is the road that leads to destruction, and many enter through it. But small is the gate and narrow the road that leads to life, and only a few find it.
Matthew 7:13-14

There are a lot of people in this world who believe that they can pick and choose a theology that's right for them. They go to church and decide which sermon is good based on if they liked the content or not. Many try out different religions to see which one is most appealing. Some are searching for the easiest, some for the most enjoyable that will allow them to keep doing the things that they want to do.

The truth is that broad is the road that leads to destruction and all these quick fix, prosperity gospel, self-serving idealogies and theologies lie on that path. I may not know all the answers, but one thing I can say is this. The narrow road that few find is only narrow because people are searching to satisfy themselves instead of their loving God who wants nothing more than to have a relationship with us and then bring us joy.

Search and you will find that true happiness is not found in self-seeking religions or bars or pill bottles or needles. These things only bring about short-lived satisfaction and leave you wanting more. Real everlasting joy comes by putting God first and using Jesus as our example. Once you experience the love of Christ, you will find the happiness that you've been longing for.

In the love of Christ,
greg

Thought / Question of the day !!

"No one can serve two masters. Either he will hate the one and love the other, or he will be devoted to the one and despise the other. You can not serve both God and Money."
Matthew 6:24

Money can be a lot of fun. Or it can control you. Which one has more control over your life -- God or Money?

In the love of Christ,
greg

Question of the Day ??

If the winning team of the NCAA Final Four was based not on score, but on the coolest team name, who would win?

Thought of the Day !!

And after the earthquake came a fire, but the LORD was not in the fire. And after the fire came a gentle whisper. When Elijah heard it, he pulled his cloak over his face and went out and stood at the mouth of the cave.
1 Kings 19:12-13 -- (NIV)

What are the distractions of your life? Is the telephone ringing? Are you pulled to the computer to check your email? Is the TV blaring or the kids yelling? Is work always on your mind?

We can become so distracted with life that we miss the gentle whisper of God. Be careful not only to make time for simply being quiet, but also to listen through the busyness of the day. God may not come to you in a burning bush. He may chose to come when you least expect it, whispering your name. So be ready...and listen.

In the love of Christ,
greg

Question of the Day ??

Taking away Jesus and the Wesleys (seeing as how many of us are Methodists here), who would you say is the theologian who made the deepest impact on your way of thinking?

Thought of the Day !!

Therefore no one will be declared righteous in his sight by observing the law’ rather, through the law we become conscious of sin.
Romans 3:20 (NIV)

It is because we know the law of God found in the Old Testament Scriptures that we are conscious of our sin. We cannot completely live up to the law, or be perfect by it. But that does not mean it is not useful for our building up and understanding.

Jesus came to fulfill the law, not to abolish it. He was the fulfillment of the ultimate law of God, which is His grace. So therefore Jesus did what none of us could do…live up to the law. This made him the perfect sacrifice for the sins of the world.

God never meant for the Law to be what made people righteous before Him. It was a starting point…something to show us where we were unrighteous. And our righteousness comes through the lack of faith in our abilities to be right before God and the faith in the ability of God’s Son to make us right with God.

In the love of Christ,
greg

Fantasy Baseball

We've got 5 teams lined up for Brogreg's Summer Spectacular fantasy baseball. We can go with 5, but 10 would be much better. Comon', who else is up for it? Don't worry about being a pro. I can guarantee you won't come in last. Andy Stoddard will probably only pick San Fransico Giants players, which means he's a shoe-in for last place.

Let's PLAY BALL!!!!!!


If you'd like to join in the fun, just leave your email in the comments or email me at brogreg30@yahoo.com. I'll send you an invite via email.

Note for John the Methodist:
NO, this has nothing to do with dungeons and dragons. But if you get a league up, I'll join.

GO BRAVES !!!!!

Thought of the Day !!

The Lord gave me a message. He said, "I knew you before I formed you in your mother's womb. Before you were born I set you apart and appointed you as my spokesman to the world."

"O Sovereign Lord," I said, "I can't speak for you! I'm too young!"
Jeremiah 1:4-6 (NLT)

When I was a kid, we used to ride our bikes all around the neighborhood in Covington, TN where my grandparents lived. At times we’d ride to other people’s houses looking for others to come out and play baseball or football. As we got a little older though, we found that it was quicker calling people when we wanted to get up a game. Of course that was before the invention of Call Waiting. And there were often times that we would get a busy signal.

Think about God’s calling to you in this same way. He calls each of us. Sometimes He finds us at home, but at other times He gets a busy signal…or maybe the answering machine. How frustrating that must be for God! Can you imagine how He feels when we're too busy for Him? Or how about when we make up excuses for not accepting?

Jeremiah claims that he’s too young. Who in their right mind would listen to a boy? Speaking for God requires a certain maturity that comes in part with age…or at least this is what Jeremiah must have been thinking. Our excuses may be that we're too young, too old, too busy, not equipped, etc.

It doesn’t matter how young or old we are. It doesn’t matter how well we speak or how eloquent we are. God’s calling isn’t governed by whether or not we’re capable. What matters is that if God calls us to something, He’ll give us what we need to accomplish His task.

Jeremiah didn’t think of himself as being worthy. But if God only called those who were worthy, who would He ever call?

Remember, you don’t have to be worthy. You just have to be willing. Are you ready for God to call you? Are you waiting and willing to pick up the phone when He does? Or are you screening your calls from God much like one might do a telemarketer or some other person they don't want to talk to?

In the love of Christ,
greg

Question of the day ??

Has anyone used the Irresistible Evangelism training kit in their church?

Thought of the Day !!

God began a good work in you, and I am sure he will continue it until it is finished when Jesus Christ comes again.
Philippians 1:6 (NCV)

Do you ever fill like a failure? Have you ever wondered why it is that you try to plant seeds for Jesus but never see any fruit? Do you think you ever make a difference for God?

Well, God created you, and He began a work in you. That makes us a work in progress, you might say. Sometimes we will see how this work plays out. Other times we won't. But know that if you allow God to do so, He will build and strengthen you, as well as calling you and seeing that you produce for Him.

In the love of Christ,
greg

Thought of the Day !!

You, therefore, have no excuse, you who pass judgment on someone else, for at whatever point you judge another, you are condemning yourself, because you who pass judgment do the same things. Now we know that God's judgment against those who do such things is based on truth. So when you, a mere human, pass judgment on them and yet do the same things, do you think you will escape God's judgment? Or do you show contempt for the riches of his kindness, forbearance and patience, not realizing that God's kindness is intended to lead you to repentance?
Romans 2:1-4 (TNIV)

God's desire is that we repent of our sin, not judge others of theirs.

In the love of Christ,
greg

FANTASY BASEBALL IS HERE!

You have been invited to join brogreg's Custom League in Yahoo! Sports Fantasy Baseball.

In order to join the league, follow the link above or go to Game Front Page, click the "Sign Up Now" or "Get Another Team" button and follow the links to "Join a Custom League". When prompted, enter the League ID# and password below.

League ID#: 183624
Password: brogreg

You will be sent a confirmation with further details once you have completed the registration process.

Note from brogreg:
I'm starting a fantasy baseball league open to all who would like to come in second place after me. Ha ha!!

Thought of the Day !!

Those who are stealing must stop stealing and start working. They should earn an honest living for themselves. Then they will have something to share with those who are poor.
Ephesians 4:28 (NCV)

I remember when I was younger and at my mamaw and papaw's house. I was playing out in the yard. I walked next door because something caught my eye. There in the dirt lay some matchbox/hot wheels sized cars. One in particular caught my eye. And I figured since it was out there in the dirt that nobody wanted it. So I looked around and asked if anybody cared if I took it. Seeing as how nobody was around, no answer to the negative came. So I picked it up, and even though nobody said I couldn't have it, I ran as fast as I could. ---- Yes, put the handcuffs on me. I was a ten-year old thief. I just wonder if the statute of limitations has run out yet?

Anyway, we get things by many different ways. We may be given them, earn them or maybe even come by them in a dishonest way. But the fact remains that we will have accumulated a lot of stuff over our lifetimes. Who thinks that they have now, or have had before more than what they needed? Yeah, me too. How many people think that they have shared enough with the poor? Yeah, me either.

In the love of Christ,
greg

Question of the Day ??

TODAY IS MY BIRTHDAY!

SO MY QUESTION OF THE DAY IS SIMPLY...


WHAT DID YOU GET ME?

Thought of the Day !!

Jesus, full of the Holy Spirit, returned from the Jordan and was led by the Spirit in the wilderness, where for forty days he was tempted by the devil. He ate nothing at all during those days, and when they were over, he was famished.
Luke 4:1-2 (NRSV)

We’ve all been there. Since Adam and Eve ate from that dreadful tree in the Garden, we’ve all been tempted. Even Jesus was tempted. He’d gone to the river and was baptized by John the Baptist, having the Holy Spirit come upon him then. After that the bible states that the same Spirit led him into the wilderness (desert – NIV) to go through temptation.
So when we are being tempted, we can know that Jesus even went through that and knows how we feel.

The temptation of Jesus by the devil was threefold. One was the temptation to turn a stone in to bread so that he could feed himself. One was the temptation to control the kingdoms of the world by worshiping the devil. And the last was to prove he was truly the Son of God by putting God to the test. (see Luke 4:3-13 for the rest of the story)

But all three of these can be seen as one major temptation for Jesus…one in which the devil would try continuously throughout his ministry to use against him. It was the temptation to take the easy way out over God’s way.

The devil tries his best to convince us all to do this very same thing. We fall into this temptation when we allow ourselves to conform to the world instead of being transformed by God's will for us. It may come as a temptation to do what's popular instead of what's right, or it may come as a temptation to settle or a temptation to become complacent in our faith.

All these things are much easier than doing what God wills us to do and being what God wills us to be. But God has our own best interests in mind. We may ought to remember that when we fall into the temptations of the devil that he has HIS own interests in mind...not ours.

Following God may not always be the easy way. But it sure is the best way.

In the love of Christ,
greg

Question of the Day ??

Who would join a fantasy baseball league if I started one up?


* WE WOULD NEED AT LEAST 8 OR SO TO MAKE IT INTERESTING

Thought of the Day !!

I am not ashamed of the gospel, because it is the power of God for the salvation of everyone who believes: first for the Jew, then for the Gentile.
Romans 1:16 (NIV)

How many of us are ashamed of the gospel, or the good news of Jesus Christ? Will we speak about this message openly at any time and any place (even when there are no church members around)?

Many of us go to church on Sunday and are comfortable being complacent Christians throughout the rest of the week. We don't deny Christ. But we also do nothing to promote Him.

Would you rather be a complacent Christian or an on fire Christian? One is easier. The other brings you and others closer to God.

In the love of Christ,
greg

BroGreg's March Madness Hoops

You have been invited to join BroGreg's March Madness College Hoops Tourney. Admission is free to all my blogger friends. And the prize is (of course) bragging rights.

Just click on the link below and use my ID# and password.

Group ID#: 22719
Password: brogreg

Start Here

Yahoo will send you a confirmation with further details once you have completed the registration process.

-- Tournament Pick'em Commissioner
http://tournament.fantasysports.yahoo.com/men

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

God, who calls you, is faithful; he will do this.
1 Thessalonians 5:24 (NLT)

God calls each and every one of us. He first calls us into a loving, self-giving relationship with Him through His Son Jesus. And then He calls us to what I call secondary callings. Some are called to preach. Others are called to be missionaries. Still others are called to care for others in various ways like being doctors, dependable workers, good stewards of other people's resources.

Some of our callings may be vocational like those called to be nurses or social workers. Other callings are short term like the calling placed upon one's heart to visit or pray for someone or stop and pick someone up on the side of the road.

No matter what we're called to do though, God will be faithful to us to help us live out these callings. He starts something special in our lives and helps us to complete whatever it is. What has God called you to do lately?

In the love of Christ,
greg

Thought of the Day !!

Are any of you suffering hardships? You should pray. Are any of you happy? You should sing praises.
James 5:13 (NLT)

James asks if we're suffering. If so, we should take these sufferings to God in prayer. Hand them over to Him. It ain't easy. I know as much as anybody how difficult it is to let go of some things. But if we can learn to be totally dependent upon God, it is possible.

James goes on to ask, "Are any of you happy?" Well...if you are...he says act like it. Actually, he says to "sing praises." How many of us get so excited about what Christ has done, is doing and will do for us that we can't help but sing?

As you go through your day, keep in mind that God is with you wherever you go. He isn't there to "keep you straight" sort of speak. He's there to lovingly encourage and help you through whatever comes your way. So when the victories come your way, don't forget to include him just as you did when you felt like defeat was almost upon you. He will be by your side through both.

In the love of Christ,
greg