Announcement about next week's messages

I will have to be at the hospital early tomorrow morning with a parishioner as I was last Friday. So there will be no "Thought of the Day !! tomorrow.

On Thursday I will be traveling to Kansas City to The Church of the Resurrection for School of Congregational Development classes. This will last a week, which means that the Thoughts should come this Wednesday and then again next week sometime. Please keep me in your prayers as I travel over the next week.

In the love of Christ,
greg

Thought of the Day !!

I consider that our present sufferings are not worth comparing with the glory that will be revealed in us.
Romans 8:18

Paul was one who really knew what it was like to suffer. He'd been beaten, flogged, imprisoned and even stoned (and miraculously survived the stoning). So when he makes this statement, we hear it from one who's a pretty good authority on the subject of suffering.

We all suffer to varying degrees. Some of us are lucky enough to suffer relatively little while on this earth. We'll never know what it feels like to go to bed for the 2nd or 3rd day without food. We'll never know what it looks like to wake up in a war zone. We'll never have to try to go home to a place that has been destroyed by a natural disaster.

Some suffer more than others, but the fact is that we will all suffer. And this should not be taken lightly. I hate it when someone says, "I know how you feel" or "Well, everything will be better one day." In actuality nobody knows exactly how another person feels and even though things WILL be better one day when we get to Heaven, it's normally said because the one saying it doesn't know what else to say. And it doesn't change the fact that we're suffering in the here and now.

So what do we do. We realize that some sufferings can actually make us stronger. They are the lessons of life that we learn from. Some will break us down and make us more dependent upon the one who created us. And some will seemingly not have any purpose. Of course only God knows that for sure. But the key is to lean heavily on your Lord to help you through any situation and know that He often uses others to help you. And even though we don't just say that things will be better one day and leave it at that...the fact is that they really will be. For God has so much planned for you and me who love Him and believe in His Son.

So listen to Paul as he tells us that nothing compares to what is to come for you and me...not even our sufferings.

In the love of Christ,
greg

Question of the Day ??

Have you ever been in worship and felt led by the Holy Spirit to worship differently than others or than you've done in the past?

For example, if you're laid back and very traditional, have you ever lifted you hands or gone to the altar at a time when there was no altar call? Or if you're a free-spirited worshiper, have you ever felt led to just be silent and listen while everyone else is clapping and shouting?

Thought of the Day !!

David, wearing a linen ephod, danced before the LORD with all his might, while he and the entire house of Israel brought up the ark of the LORD with shouts and the sound of trumpets.

As the ark of the LORD was entering the City of David, Michal daughter of Saul watched from a window. And when she saw King David leaping and dancing before the LORD, she despised him in her heart.
2 Samuel 6:14-16 (NIV)

Oliver Wendell Holmes, Jr. had thoughts about going into the ministry before becoming a Supreme Court Justice. He said that he may have done so if certain preachers he knew hadn't looked and acted like undertakers.

Are we acting dead? Nobody wants to be a part of something that's dead. They want to be a part of something that's alive. If the Church is going to be alive, people must get excited about what we can do.

Michal didn't think what David did was proper. Many people today might not think expressing yourself during worship is proper. There is a difference, however, in not being reverent and showing joy. You are irreverent when what you show is fake.

Joy and excitement can be displayed in many ways – from shouting "Hallelujah, Amen!" to a subtle hand held in the air to a smiling tear filled face. There's no right or wrong way to express your excitement, as long as it's genuine and not being done to bring attention to yourself.

How about you? Are you excited about worshiping the Lord your God?

In the love of Christ,
greg

Thought of the Day !!

Ascribe to the Lord the glory due his name;
worship the Lord in the splendor of his holiness.
Psalm 29:2 (NIV)

Back in the 19th century there was a man who lived in Copenhagen named Soren Kierkegaard. Kierkegaard was a Danish philosopher who was concerned about the life of the Danish church. He wrote a discourse in which he asked the question of how we approach worship in 1843. But it still raises important issues for us today.

Kierkegaard said that most of the people had grown used to going to plays. For us today, we’d have to add going to movies as well.

We go in, take our seat and sit back to watch what happens. And we become the audience. What’s important is what happens on the stage, or on the big screen. We’re there to watch, to be entertained.

But what happens when we come to worship? We come in, and we take our seat. Then, according to Kierkegaard…too often…we sit back to watch what happens. We take our place and become the audience.

Sometimes we are invited to join in the singing or repeat some words. But there isn’t really a lot of difference. We’re the audience. And as such we watch what is happening up on stage, while being entertained. (If you don’t believe the part about being entertained, ask yourselves if you were visiting and heard a boring preacher, if you’d come back or not.)

Kierkegaard explained that in worship everything should be turned upside-down. This is because worship isn’t about us…or even for us. It's about and for God. We’re not the audience. In worship, God is the audience. He’s sitting in the seats, watching and listening to our worship.

But if God is the audience, who are the actors? Kierkegaard says that those who are in the congregation are the actors! Those on stage are the directors, not the entertainers. And together all in the church speak the lines, offer the praise and act out the parts.

It’s a radically different way of looking at worship. It means that you can’t just come and sit, because the most important stuff doesn’t take place up front at the pulpit or piano or choir loft! You can’t come and just watch. You’re invited, you’re encouraged, you’re required to participate, to be a part of worshipping God. And if you don’t, your lines won’t get said!

In the love of Christ,
greg

Question of the day ??

Who is reading the latest installment of Harry Potter (or has already read it)?


(I haven't got my copy yet so no hints please.)

Thought of the Day !!

And so we know and rely on the love God has for us. God is love. Whoever lives in love lives in God, and God in him.
1 John 4:16 (NIV)

How do you think the Apostle John came to the conclusion that God is love?

I figure, being with Jesus for so long and knowing him so well, John saw the love that Jesus embodied. He saw the love that Jesus had for his family...his friends...the children...the poor...the sick...the lame...the prostitutes...the tax collectors...and even his enemies. Jesus was the true living-breathing-walking definition of love. He spoke love. He taught about love. He showed love.

So if John were to do the math, he would come up with the simple algebraic formula that we all learned in high school math (if a = b and a = c then b = c also). In other words, if Jesus = love and if Jesus = God, then God must also = love.

The gist of this is simply that Jesus' life equated to love in every aspect of it. As Christians, we are supposed to have the desire to be like Christ. So the real question is what are our own lives equating?

In the love of Christ,
greg

Thought of the Day !!

If we say we have no sin, we are only fooling ourselves and refusing to accept the truth. But if we confess our sins to him, he is faithful and just to forgive us and cleanse us from every wrong.
1 John 1:8-9 (NLT)

Lets all try to be more honest with ourselves today and really look for where we're sinful. Maybe it would be good to meditate on this long and hard over the next couple days and bring what God shares with us to church Sunday morning or evening, praying for forgiveness and leaving the sins there. Just think about it. You might find out that it does you some good both inwardly and outwardly.

In the love of Christ,
greg

Question of the day ??

I'm listening to a Casting Crowns song entitled "Stained Glass Masquerade" on my MP3 player (thanks again Andy for your hand-me-downs). It has me thinking about all the people in church every week in America that are baptized "Christians" but are actually hiding behind a mask.

What are your thoughts? Do you think our churches are filled with people who really have no true relationship with Christ, or is this a pessimistic outlook?

How many of us are in church and are true Christians, but we can't believe it because of how we see ourselves...as terribly sinful people whom God could never really love?

How many are truly saved...baptized...and living the life God has called them to lead?

I love the way the song ends:

"Is there anyone that fails,
Is there anyone that falls?
Am I the only one in church today
feeling so small?"

Anyway, just a few things that were going through my head. Now I think I'll go take a shower and clean this nappy head. God bless.

Thought of the Day !!

As we know Jesus better, his divine power gives us everything we need for living a godly life.
2 Peter 1:3 (NLT)

Knowing Jesus better means growing in our relationship with him. We do that through finding out more about him and speaking to him constantly, while allowing him to speak back.

When we do this, His divine power (being used through God's Holy Spirit) enables us to do things we couldn't do before we grew in this relationship. For instance, before I had a strong relationship with Jesus, I was a follower. In high school I would do just about anything to be accepted by others, even if it was something bad. But now, I know I am accepted by my Lord and Savior and do not feel as though I have to do anything to be accepted by others. And this has led to me living a more godly life.

This is merely one example of how the divine power of God gives us everything we need for living a godly life. Jesus knows each and every one of us and sees where there are things in our lives that we can battle on our own, but will never win. For the temptation to do them is too strong. If we will only seek the help of our Savior, his divine power is enough to defeat whatever the devil throws at us. It may not be all at once, but as your relationship grows, so will your ability to fight sin.

In the love of Christ,
greg

* Don't forget - there won't be any messages the rest of this week. I will be out of town. May God bless you until we come back together next week.

Question of the day ??

How many of you use a lot of movie illustrations in your sermons? Or if you don't preach, the question goes for your pastor.

What about book illustrations?

What about what my preaching professor called canned illustrations, you know, things like the stories that are always emailed to everyone?

What about personal illustrations?

To sum it all up, where do the best illustrations come from?

Thought of the Day !!

This is real love. It is not that we loved God, but that he loved us and sent his Son as a sacrifice to take away our sins.
1 John 4:10 (NLT)

Giving up the most important thing in your life so that someone else can benefit from it is about the surest way that I can see of displaying "real love".

In the love of Christ,
greg

P.S. I want to go ahead and tell you that there will be no "Thought of the Day !!" emails Wed-Fri of this week. I will be out of town. Please keep me and my travels in your prayers.

Question of the day ??

The new Harry Potter movie is playing at the theaters and the newest and last book is due out very soon.

Who is glad it's almost over (as far as the book goes)?

Who's sad?

Who couldn't give a flip?

Has the series been a good thing...a dark force of evil...or nothing more than another popular book/movie series that has made a single mother richer than the Queen of England herself?

Thought of the Day !!

Do not be like the horse or the mule,

which have no understanding
but must be controlled by bit and bridle
or they will not come to you.

Many are the woes of the wicked,
but the LORD's unfailing love
surrounds the man who trusts in him.

Rejoice in the LORD and be glad, you righteous;
sing, all you who are upright in heart!
Psalm 32:9-11 (NIV)

First of all, we're told to not be like those who have no understanding. Our understanding of God's ways, His will for our lives and His plan of salvation for us can be found through reading our Bibles and praying to Him.

Secondly, David makes it clear that the wicked have many problems. Sometimes it may seem as though the worst people are the ones with all the luck or all the stuff. But what they don't have are the things that only God can give. Peace...Assurance...True Joy...Eternal Life.

Lastly, we find in verse 11 that we should rejoice. Now I don't feel like rejoicing all the time. Sometimes I get down. But even in my worst moments I can always know that God is with me and that He is not going to let anything come my way that will completely sink me. And that is some to rejoice about.

In the love of Christ,
greg

Question of the day ??

If you had your choice this weekend of the following, which would you choose?


1) Go see a minor league baseball game

2) Watch the new Harry Potter movie

3) Shop

4) Sleep

5) Stay home and cut the grass

Thought of the Day !!

I will instruct you and teach you in the way you should go;
I will counsel you and watch over you.
Psalm 32:8 (NIV)

When we pray, God will instruct and teach us. He will guide us. BUT, what good is this if we're not listening?

Don't let your prayers be monologues where you do all the talking and hang up the phone with an "Amen" while going about your business. A good prayer life is a dialogue with God. It's a conversation where we speak...but we also listen. Sometimes God will speak to us right then. And often times He will speak to us in His own time. So our lives have to be lived out in prayer. We must live a life of prayer, where we may not always be talking to God, but we're always listening.

God might speak to you through the reading and studying of your Bible. He might speak to you through other people like a pastor or friends or even complete strangers. He could also speak to you through an inner voice or gut feeling.

So the key is to be listening at all times. Then we can hear when God instructs and councils us.

In the love of Christ,
greg

Thought of the Day !!

Therefore let everyone who is godly pray to you
while you may be found;
surely when the mighty waters rise,
they will not reach him.

You are my hiding place;
you will protect me from trouble
and surround me with songs of deliverance.
Psalm 32:6-7 (NIV)

David wrote that when the mighty waters rise, "they will not reach him" (meaning them who are godly and pray). I think we need to look at this very closely and not read into this that we won't have any problems if we will only pray. Jesus talked a lot about taking up crosses and suffering. He never promised us a rose garden. But he did teach us that his yoke was bearable and that the world's is not.

So I like to think of this passage in this way. Those who are godly and pray won't be drowned by the waters. We'll still have pain and problems in our lives, but when we take our burdens to Jesus (God), we have a help that will continue to hold us up above the waters.

After a funeral last week a neighbor made a statement that was something like, "I just don't know how those people who don't know Jesus get through times like these." The waters can drown people who don't have a relationship with God through Jesus or even those who simply aren't in constant contact with their Lord and Savior through prayer.

Keep God first in your life. Pray continually to Him. And ask for His protection from the waters of this world that can drown you at times without that protection.

In the love of Christ,
greg

Question of the day ??

What difference have you made in this world?

(or put another way)

How would things be different if you were never born?

Thought of the Day !!

Then I acknowledged my sin to you and did not cover up my iniquity. I said, "I will confess my transgressions to the LORD "— and you forgave the guilt of my sin.
Psalm 32:5 (NIV)

They say that confession is good for the soul. And whoever they are, they're right. But in most cases I would presume that people are talking about a mental or emotional well-being. In other words, when we confess to one another, it can make us feel good.

But confession to God is good for the eternal soul as well. God knows what we've done. He doesn't need us to tell Him. But when we confess we take the first step of repentance and we humble ourselves before God.

Confession can be difficult. When we confess to another person we chance having that person see us differently...and possibly not in the way we would like. But when we confess to God, His perception of us as beloved children will never change.

So confess before God and God will forgive you when you do so with the right attitude of humility and repentance.

In the love of Christ,
greg

Thought of the Day !!

When I kept silent,
my bones wasted away
through my groaning all day long.

For day and night
your hand was heavy upon me;
my strength was sapped
as in the heat of summer.
Psalm 32:3-4 (NIV)

David says that when he kept silent these things happened. It's the same with us today. When we keep silent...when we neglect to speak to our Father...things start going downhill.

How many of us can understand the comparison of David's strength being sapped to the heat of summer? Down here in the South, we know what hot humid days can do to somebody. It can surely sap the strength right out of you if your out in them. I was even told the other day that part of my lack of energy of late could be caused by these hot days we've been having. My response was that I'd been inside most all the time. And my wife's response to me was "it doesn't matter".

The point is...when we keep silent, or don't have a good prayer life (what I call having a prayer drought), we become weak. It's then that the worst things can happen. It's then that our defenses are down. How often does David refer to God as his shield? When we don't talk to God regularly, our shield weakens and our strength is sapped.

Talk to God. Talk to Jesus. Spend time on your knees or in your room or in your car or wherever just talking to Him. You don't have to have eloquent words. God just want to hear from His children. Keep in constant contact with God and you'll be blessed for it.

In the love of Christ,
greg

Thought of the Day !!

Do for others what you would like them to do for you. This is a summary of all that is taught in the law and the prophets.

Matthew 7:12 (NLT)

Do for others what they did to you?

Do for others what you would like to do to them?

NO!!

Jesus says to do for them as you would like for them to do for you. Think about how others would act towards you in a perfect world. Then do your part in making the world more perfect by doing the same to them.

If we continue to try to get even or let our anger force the way we act towards others, then we're no better than those who treated us badly. What's more, we're awful reflections of the light of Christ.

But when we speak to others or treat them in a kind way, we just might make a difference in someone's life. It might be the person who calls us by mistake because he/she has dialed the wrong number. It could be the checker that was rude to us at the grocery store. It may be someone standing by that we never notice or meet.

What Jesus did...and what he wants us to do is to act Christ-like. Even though it was easier for Christ to actually be Christ-like than it is for us, He wants us to try. And when we do, we'll realize that our day is better. You actually feel better when you've been nice to people instead of treating them poorly. Why not give it a try today?

In the love of Christ,
greg

Thought of the Day !!

Those who know your name will trust in you, for you, LORD, have never forsaken those who seek you.

Psalms 9:10

Seek God in your life and He will be there in any circumstance. His promise is to never forsake you. So no matter how bad things seem to get, seek His face, His love, His peace, His encouragement, His strength...His grace in all places. He may speak to you in your innermost being or through something outside such as a friend or an occurrence. Just seek Him, for He's there for those who know His name and trust in Him.

In the love of Christ,
greg