Thought of the Day !!

Do to others whatever you would like them to do to you. This is the essence of all that is taught in the law and the prophets.
Matthew 7:12 (NLT)

I have a pet peeve. It's when people don't think of others.

I hate it when someone needs to move over a lane in traffic and no one will allow them to. I hate it when someone decides to take over the conversation and not let the other person have a word. I hate it when someone working at a cash register speaks more to friends than the person being waited on. On the other hand, I hate it when a person being waited on is rude to the cashier. I hate it when people think it's okay to share their problems with you, but when you do the same they act like it's no big deal because their problems are worse. I hate it when people expect you to drop everything when they need you, but they're always busy when you need them. I hate it when people feel that they have the right to get mad at you, but that if you get mad at them, it's the end of the world. I hate it when somebody talks to everyone in the room, but neglects that one person that no one else seems to be talking to.

I have a pet peeve. It's when people think of themselves, but not of others. I also have an even bigger pet peeve. It's when I'm the one not thinking about others. We are all called to live by the Golden Rule of doing unto others as we would have them do unto us. But do we forget that at times and treat others the way we think that they should be treated or in a negative way because of whatever mood we're in?

My pet peeve is when we think of ourselves, but don't think of others. What about you?

In the love of Christ,
greg

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 cares more for others than for self
Love means giving of ourselves as well as giving up stuff such as our time or our possessions for others.

Love doesn't want what it doesn't have
True love means being happy for others when they earn something. It means not being envious.

Love doesn't strut
Can you truly show love when you are showing off how good you are?

Love doesn't have a swelled head
Love means not thinking ourselves better than others. We display the love of Christ when we welcome anyone into our churches, our homes, or our lives without paying attention to their looks, their lifestyles or their past.

During a worship service while I was at seminary, a student spoke about how he had visited a prison a few times. He felt that the person he was going to see needed to be brought Christ. And this is understandable. And it is true. But what this person also said was that he never realized that he would meet Christ in the one he visited. You see, it doesn't matter what color someone is, where someone has been, who they have married or are dating....we need to always look for Christ in whomever we come in contact with. And if we have a swelled head, thinking we are better than them, we cannot do that.

Love doesn't force itself on others
Love is not something that someone can be forced to have. You cannot hold a gun to someone's head and say love me or die. The other may claim to love you, but what kind of love would it be. Instead, we must learn some of the by products of love like politeness, kindness and patience. These will help us to love as Christ loves us.

In the love of Christ,
greg

Thought of the Day !!

Martha said to Jesus, "Lord, if only you had been here, my brother would not have died. But even now I know that God will give you whatever you ask."

Jesus told her, "Your brother will rise again."

"Yes," Martha said, "he will rise when everyone else rises, at the last day."
John 11:21-24 (NLT)

We see here that Martha believed in the resurrection of the dead at some appointed time in the future. We also see that she believes in Jesus and that God will give him anything he asks for. But it seems that the hopelessness that comes with death has clouded the belief that this could ever include anything that would help her brother now. It never occurs to her to ask for Jesus to bring her brother back from the dead. She'd seen him heal and cast out evil spirits, but never anything like that.

We can often times be like Martha here. We believe Jesus can do anything…that is…except something miraculous for us. And though we claim a belief in miracles, we don’t always expect them to happen in our midst. Maybe it's because we've never witnessed them. We've heard about miracles like instant healing and God doing something unbelievably awesome in people's presence. But maybe it was never when we were around, so we assume it just happens to other people.

We believe that the sunrise and sunsets are miracles of God and that the birth of a child is a miracle. But we’ve gotten use to seeing these. We've seen doctors say that they don't know how a boy or girl survived the operation or that they didn't expect someone to heal as well as they did and call these miracles. But could it be that we don’t really believe that God will supernaturally heal someone without the help of a doctor? Could it be that we believe God could fill our sanctuary next week, but we don't necessarily believe He will? Could it be that we dumb down our prayers and don’t pray for the spectacular…just in case it won’t happen?

This week ask God to help you believe. Then pray for miracles...expecting them to happen. Maybe they won't happen right away or in the way you ask. But maybe they will. Expect that God is listening and waiting for us to simply ask with true faith, to seek His will, and to glorify Him with that same faith.

In the love of Christ,
greg

Thought of the Day !!

The LORD reigns forever; he has established his throne for judgment. He will judge the world in righteousness; he will govern the peoples with justice. The LORD is a refuge for the oppressed, a stronghold in times of trouble. Those who know your name will trust in you, for you, LORD, have never forsaken those who seek you.
Psalm 9:7-10 (NIV)

Seek the Lord Jesus in every aspect of your life, for He will not forsake you, just as His Father never forsake Him.

In the love of Christ,
greg

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

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 (NIV)

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

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 !!

But since you excel in everything - in faith, in speech, in knowledge, in complete earnestness and in the love we have kindled in you - see that you also excel in this grace of giving.
2 Corinthians 8:7 (TNIV)

Have you ever seen the church sign that read, “Give God what is right, not what is left”? The truth is, God doesn’t want our leftovers. He doesn’t want us to serve Him only when we feel we can make the time. He doesn’t want the leftover money in our checking account after all the bills are paid.

In the Old Testament it was called “first fruits”. God expected His children to show their trust in Him by giving up the best of what they had instead of the leftovers.

Our God is Holy. He gave us life, and He can take it away at any time He chooses. He gives us forgiveness and second chances. He is mighty, yet cares for the weak. He deserves excellence. The Corinthians excelled in some areas, but Paul was asking them not to settle for excelling in just some areas. We should strive to excel in all areas when it comes to our Holy God.

Some might say, “But something is better than nothing.” And so they throw a few dollars in the offering plate even though they just came in to a lot of money. Or they come on most Sunday mornings claiming that they attend this or that church.

Is something really better than nothing? NO. If you’re not willing to give God the best of what you got…then don’t give anything at all. If you're not willing to give Him what He deserves, then it's an insult to give a pittance.

Look at it from a human point of view. When invited to dinner, would you be happy with the scraps that are left over from your host? Well God’s no different. Jesus said, “Deny yourselves and take up your crosses and follow me” not “take all you can fill your bags with and come on.”

Excellence means giving God what He deserves. It means giving Him what's right, not what's left. I means giving our full selves.

In the love of Christ,
greg

Thought of the Day !!

** NOTE** There will be no Thought of the Day's for the next couple of days because I will be at a continuing ed class. I'm sure that I will be either posting on Facebook or Tweeting on Twitter. So you can keep up there if you wish. - greg


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

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

Thought of the Day !!

Eight years ago today I was in seminary. We always took a break in the middle of our three hour classes. During the break I went to the lounge and saw that everyone was quiet and staring at the television. As I got closer I learned why. The first tower had just been hit, and my classmates were all in shock at seeing such a horrible sight.

You might very well have heard the Alan Jackson song "Where Were You When the World Stopped Turning." I will post a link to a YouTube sight for you to hear it. Every time I do, I remember vividly that September morning. I remember my first thoughts were simply, "O my gosh". I remember calling my wife and calling my mother. I just had to speak to loved ones to make sure they were okay. I had to reach out to my congregation too. I called the Baptist pastor from across the street and invited him to take part in a prayer vigil that night.

Today, think about where you were and what you felt that day. Pray for those who lost loved ones. Pray for our country and pray for peace. And then thank God for those you have close to you.

In the love of Christ,
greg

In memory of those who died 9/11/01

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lusvtAWOPqc&feature=fvw

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

Thought of the Day !!

"Meaningless! Meaningless!" says the Teacher. "Utterly meaningless! Everything is meaningless."
Ecclesiastes 1:2 (NIV)

I wonder how many in our culture today would say the same thing. Could it be that so many in our own communities are dealing with depression because they feel like their lives are meaningless?

Solomon is the man who has long been credited with writing the book of Ecclesiastes, though many scholars today would disagree. But if it was Solomon, let's remember that he was a man who had it all…a king of kings…known as the wisest man to live…having all the worldly pleasures. But still he saw life as meaningless.

In the Life Application Study Bible there is an illustration about a chocolate Easter bunny. Maybe you've taken a bite into one at Easter only to find that it was hollow. On the outside everything looks great. The chocolate tastes good. It's inviting. But soon you notice that it’s empty on the inside.

Many people feel that way today. Even Solomon felt that way as he searched for meaning in the things of this world that he could gain or accomplish. If people try to fill this emptiness with worldly pleasures or hard work or anything else other than God, then they will fail at finding meaning. For it's only through our relationship with God and serving Him that we can find true meaning. This is what we were created for. And this is the conclusion that Solomon came to at the end of Ecclesiastes when he wrote

"Now all has been heard; here is the conclusion of the matter: Fear God and keep his commandments, for this is the whole duty of man." (Ecclesiastes 12:13 NIV)

This is where Solomon found his meaning. And it's where we can as well.

In the love of Christ,
greg

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

Thought of the Day !!

I can never escape from your Spirit!
I can never get away from your presence!
If I go up to heaven, you are there;
if I go down to the grave, you are there.
If I ride the wings of the morning,
if I dwell by the farthest oceans,
even there your hand will guide me,
and your strength will support me.
Psalm 139:7-10 (NLT)

We could look to any of a number of Psalms that praise God. But this portion of Psalm 139 shows partly why we praise Him. He is always there for us.

Over the past week, I've been down in my back. But my God has been there encouraging me and telling me not to feel guilty when I needed to rest my back instead of work. When I preached last week I felt like a did a terrible job, but from a few of the reactions to the sermon, I see how God was with me and worked in spite of me. And in the weeks leading up to this one, there have been times when I felt good about what was going on here at my church. And God celebrated with me.

I say all this because I want you to understand that God is not just a God of big stuff. He's ever with us in the little things as well. Let's rejoice that no matter where we go, God will be with us, celebrating, consoling, pushing and sometimes even straightening us out.

Take time out today to thank God for simply being in your presence and loving you enough to allow you to remain in His.

In the love of Christ,
greg

Thought of the Day !!

Dear brothers and sisters, honor those who are your leaders in the Lord's work. They work hard among you and give you spiritual guidance.
1 Thessalonians 5:12 (NLT)

While it might be true that not all are called to be pastors, missionaries, or to have specific roles of leadership in the church (teacher, deacon, lay leader, etc.). It is also true that all of us are spiritual leaders. We will all lead someone. It might be a child that looks up to you. It could be a new Christian that sees you as someone who's attended church all your life. It might even be someone outside the church that is trying to determine if Christianity if for them or not. Whether we like it or not we will lead by our words, our actions…our lives.

The question is, will we lead in the ways of Christ or the ways of the world. Paul writes to the Corinthian church, “Follow my example, as I follow the example of Christ”. As we follow the example of Christ, we will lead people in the right direction. If we follow the example of the world, we will lead in the wrong direction.

In which direction will you lead people today?

In the love of Christ,
greg

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

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