Thought of the Day !!

Do not let sin control the way you live; do not give in to its lustful desires.  Do not let any part of your body become a tool of wickedness, to be used for sinning.  Instead, give yourselves completely to God since you have been given new life.  And use your whole body as a tool to do what is right for the glory of God.

                                                    Romans 6:12-13 (NLT)

We can go to church.  We can read our bibles.  We can be "good" people.  And yet sin can still control many aspects of our lives if we are not careful.  Think about the areas in your life where sin might possibly dominate.  It could be where there's unforgiveness, or where anger has controlled your actions, or where selfish desires take over, or where love does not rule. 

Maybe there is a different kind of sin that you're battling with.  Whatever the sinful areas of our lives are, may we learn how to escape these lives controlled by our own evil or selfish desires and live them completely for God. 

In the love of Christ,

greg

Thought of the Day !!

To the church of God that is in Corinth, to those sanctified in Christ Jesus, called to be saints together with all those who in every place call upon the name of our Lord Jesus Christ, both their Lord and ours: Grace to you and peace from God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ.

                                                    1 Corinthians 1:2-3 (ESV)

This is Paul's greeting in his 1st letter to the believers in Corinth.  I believe that it's important to note that he begins by addressing them as "the church of God that is in Corinth".  The church here does not refer to a building, but to the believers, those who have called "upon the name of our Lord Jesus Christ". 

We should also look at just whose this church is.  It is the church of God, not the church of the people or the church of Corinth.  It is the church of God. 

We, as the church much too often think of our local church building or ministry or grounds as our own.  As the members on the roll of any particular church we can claim that we own this building or fund etc., or that or are in charge of this or that program.

What we can far to often forget is that we are God's church, and therefore belong to Him.  We worship Him instead of a building or order of worship or pastor or particular saint of the church. 

Once we get our mind truly wrapped around the fact that all we own, all we are, and all we do is His and for Him, we will see this world in a much different light.

In the love of Christ,
greg

New Church Pastors

Go to this link to learn more about myself and the other three pastors working on our new multicultural church plant in Horn Lake, MS.

Article

Thought of the Day !!

All the believers were united in heart and mind. And they felt that what they owned was not their own, so they shared everything they had. The apostles testified powerfully to the resurrection of the Lord Jesus, and God's great blessing was upon them all. There were no needy people among them, because those who owned land or houses would sell them and bring the money to the apostles to give to those in need.
                                                                                Acts 4:32-35 (NLT)

This concept of sharing everything we have is foreign to us in America.  We’re capitalists.  We believe in working hard and being rewarded for that hard work.  We have a since that we EARN a living…that we MAKE money…or that we have what’s coming to us.  And so we look at money as the fruits of our labor…something we deserve to have. 

The first believers took a different view of their money and possessions.  These were gifts from God and therefore meant for the whole group.  And because of this, none of them went without.  None were in need. 

The law that guided them was what James calls “the royal law”; the law that Jesus stated was right up there with loving God with all our heart, soul and mind.  It’s the law that reads, “Love you neighbor as you love yourself.” 

         

These first believers didn’t give up their property because they were told to or out of duty or guilt.  They did so because they had given up everything for Jesus.  We see in the Gospels where a rich man comes to Jesus and asks how he could have eternal life.  Jesus’ answer was to obey the law.  The rich man claimed to have done just that.  So Jesus said for him to go sell everything he had and follow Jesus.  The rich man couldn’t let go of what he had and went home sad.  These early believers did what he could not do.  I believe they did what many of us today are still unwilling to do.  That is, give up everything for Jesus’ sake.

What's getting in the way of you're total submission to Christ?  What do you need to give up today?

In the love of Christ,

greg

TobyMac - Diverse City (Lyrics) - YouTube

Maybe this could be our new theme song!

TobyMac - Diverse City (Lyrics) - YouTube

Thought of the Day !!

"Come to me, all you who are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest."
                                                                Matthew 11:28 (NIV)

 

Jesus never promised to fix things so that this world would be problem-free.  As a matter of fact, he told us to take up our crosses and follow him.  Our crosses can get heavy sometimes though, can't they?  These crosses that we bear, or burdens, are not for us to carry alone though.  Christ is with you always.  He is there through the power of God's Holy Spirit.  He watches, encourages, reprimands and even sometimes carries you.  So when things are getting pretty hard to take and those burdens are getting heavy, go to Him.  He will give you rest.  And He will see you through anything. 

 

In the love of Christ,
greg

Strength in Diversity -- A Church for All People -- Last Saturday's Summer Festival

Strength in Diversity -- A Church for All People

Thought of the Day !!

The members of the council were amazed when they saw the boldness of Peter and John, for they could see that they were ordinary men with no special training in the Scriptures. They also recognized them as men who had been with Jesus.
                                                                   Acts 4:13 (NLT)
 
Peter and John had been healing and preaching in the Temple and had gotten themselves arrested by the religious rulers.  Once before the council, they spoke up boldly for Jesus, sharing all that the Holy Spirit led to say.
 
Of key importance in this passage is the fact that the religious leaders noticed how Peter and John were ordinary men.  They had no training in theology or public speaking.  They were Galileans…fishermen…not known as upper class or educated people.  But when they spoke about Jesus, their voices were clear and distinctive.  They spoke with the authority of experts on the subject.  And this all came from God’s Holy Spirit, just as Jesus had predicted beforehand.
 
Don't think that speaking the Truth of Jesus (sharing your faith, witnessing, telling others about Chris, etc.) is the duty and responsibility of pastors and missionaries alone.  This is something we're all called to do. 
 
Another thing that the leaders recognized was that these men had been with Jesus.  Do people recognize that you have been with Jesus?  Or do you blend in to the culture around you?
 
In the love of Christ,
greg

Thought of the Day !!

The LORD will work out his plans for my life -- for your faithful love, O LORD, endures forever. Don't abandon me, for you made me.
                                                                           Psalm 138:8 (NLT)

God does have a plan for each of us.  We have to make the choices in life.  But He still has a plan for us that is what would be not only best for us, but would bring us the most joy.

He goes to all this trouble to guide, nudge or point us in the right direction because of His faithfulness to us and that great amount of love He has for each and every one of His children. 

God's desire is for us to follow Him (through the ways of His Son and by the power of the Holy Spirit) so that we can be happy.  Be blest this week seeking your happiness in the Lord.

In the love of Christ,
greg

Thought of the Day !!

And all the believers met together in one place and shared everything they had. They sold their property and possessions and shared the money with those in need.         

                                                      Acts 2:44-45 (NLT)

After devoting themselves to the Apostles’ teaching, the first believers put into practice what they were learning.  They dedicated themselves to service taking seriously the teaching of Jesus where he taught to be great one must serve.

 

First of all they shared with each other so none of their own was in need.  As Christians we are supposed to be first responders when our Church family are in need.  Sometimes this need will be financial.  At other times it will be emotional.  Whether we’re called upon to help a grieving widow or train up a child or give to one who’s lost a job, it is imperative that we help each other when needs arrive.  

We are not to look within only, though.  Needs within the community of faith will arise, but even more so, it seems, are the needs outside our family.  The first believers did what was necessary to provide money for those in need outside their group as well.  After giving your tithe to your church, you might be called upon to support a mission trip, or buy food for a hungry person, or work in a soup kitchen, or volunteer as a mentor, etc. 
 

The key to this verse is that the believers gave so that those within their community didn’t go without, and then gave so that all those that they knew who were in need were taken care of as well.  Today this is a huge task, but one that we’re no less called to.  

In the love of Christ,
greg

Thought of the Day !!

For when your faith is tested, your endurance has a chance to grow.

                                                                James 1:3 (NIV)

 

Has your faith been tested lately?  Did you rejoice?  Probably not.  But remember that in Romans 5 Paul says that we rejoice in our sufferings because they bring about endurance, which brings about character, which in turn brings about hope (the hope we have in God). 

 

Ok so maybe we won't always rejoice when we suffer and/or our faith is tested.  But bear in mind that in ALL things God works for the good of those who love Him.  He allows our faith to be tested to make it stronger.  So keep the faith, therefore keeping the hope in God to see you through any testing in your lives.  God bless.

 

In the love of Christ,
greg

Thought of the Day !!

Therefore I, a prisoner for serving the Lord, beg you to lead a life worthy of your calling, for you have been called by God.

                                                Ephesians 4:1 (NLT)

Paul is literally begging here.  He could have suggested or told or even commanded, but instead he begged.  This is how important it is to him for us to understand this concept. 

We are called by the God of the universe.  Our first calling is into a relationship with Him through His Son Jesus.  When we accept this calling the Holy Spirit lives in us.  Think about it.  The God who understands every mathematical equation...the God who is more vast than every universe combined...the God who knows exactly how many pebbles of sand are on every beach...this God is also in you through the Holy Spirit.  No wonder Paul is begging.  He wants us to understand the magnitude of this calling so as not to take it for granted. 

How many of us at some time or another have taken our calling to have God live in us for granted?  I would guess we all have.  I know I have.  May we realize that He is with us, around us and in us at all times.  And may we live our lives worthy of that calling to be in a relationship with Him. 

In the love of Christ,
greg

Thought of the Day !!

All the believers devoted themselves to the apostles' teaching, and to fellowship, and to sharing in meals (including the Lord's Supper), and to prayer.

                                                            Acts 2:42 (NLT)

Fellowship was very important to the first believers.  The Greek word that has been translated "fellowship" means far more than just meeting together, eating, & having a good time. It means having a common bond and a closeness.  It’s a feeling of togetherness, of belonging to each other, of belonging to the family of God.

Our Church being in fellowship means that wherever we are, we’re a place where the lonely can find friends, the sinful can find understanding and forgiveness and the believers can find support from others who have the same kind of faith.

I read where the huge redwood trees in California are the largest living things on earth and the tallest trees in the world. Some of them are 300 feet high and more than 2,500 years old. You would think that trees that large would have a tremendous root system, reaching down hundreds of feet into the earth. But that isn’t the case. Redwoods have a very shallow root system. The roots of these trees are, however, intertwined, which keeps them from falling when storms come up.

That’s how God created us.  He created us to become intertwined in each other’s lives.  This is how we endure the storms of life.  It also means that we have others to celebrate with us when joy comes our way. 

In the love of Christ,
greg

Thought of the Day !!

All the believers devoted themselves to the apostles' teaching, and to fellowship, and to sharing in meals (including the Lord's Supper), and to prayer.

                                                            Acts 2:42 (NLT)
 

Jesus left us with what we call the Great Commission.  It comes from Matthew 28 and states that we are to go into the world, making disciples of all people and baptizing them and teaching them to obey the commands of Jesus.  The assumption here is that we must first have a profound understanding of what it means to be saved and to be a disciple. 

The first believers were hungry for God’s Word as it was taught to them by Peter and the other apostles.  They had such a burning desire to know Jesus that they dedicated (devoted) themselves to the apostles’ teachings. 

 

How about us today?  Do we have a great desire to learn about Christ so that we can make disciples of Christ, teaching them the ways of Jesus?  Do we have a hunger inside us drawing us closer and closer to Jesus through His Word as it was written in the Bible and as it’s still taught by God-called people of ministry?

Our Churches are doomed if we don’t become more dedicated to God’s will, found in His Word and taught by those He’s called to speak it prophetically.  Let us all become more devoted to learning about and growing closer to God through His Son Jesus.

In the love of Christ,

greg

Thought of the Day !!

And I know that nothing good lives in me, that is, in my sinful nature. I want to do what is right, but I can't. I want to do what is good, but I don't. I don't want to do what is wrong, but I do it anyway.

                                                                    Romans 7:18-19 (NLT)

Paul sure is baring his soul here.  Can anyone relate?  

Now I don't think that Paul means this to be taken literally that every time something came up he did the wrong thing.  I think he means that he struggled with certain things.  Maybe it was pride or arrogance or unforgiveness or whatever.  He saw himself as struggling with making the wrong decisions even though he deeply loved God's law and abiding by it.  He loved Christ and hated nothing more than letting Him down.  But at times he did just that.  Again, can anyone relate?

I like that he bares his soul here with us because it shows that if the great apostle struggled with and fell to sin that we are not doomed when we do.  He shows us that all of us struggle and that we can know that there is a way out.  He later writes in verse 25, "Thank God! The answer is in Jesus Christ our Lord."

You see, so many times when we struggle with sin, any sin, we will continue to try harder to fix it.  But this is trying to fix our situation by our own power.  The answer lies not in working harder, but working smarter.  It lies in getting closer to Jesus.

You may have a relationship with Jesus.  And you may be struggling mightily with something in your life.  Could your problem be grief or depression or pain?  Maybe it's a sin like addiction or gluttony or pornography or pride or sexual misconduct or lustful thoughts or gambling or being a bad parent or child or.... 

Instead of trying harder by your own power, deepen your relationship with your Savior who said that you could carry your burdens to Him.  He may take away your struggle.  He may lesson it.  No one knows but Him.  But what I do know is this.  He can do a much better job than we can in finding solutions for those things that we will struggle with. 

In the love of Christ,
greg

Thought of the Day !!

You are the light of the world.  A city on a hill cannot be hidden.  Neither do people light a lamp and put it under a bowl.  Instead they put it on its stand, and it gives light to everyone in the house.  In the same way, let your light shine before men, that they may see your good deeds and praise your Father in heaven. 

                                                        Matthew 5:14-16 (NIV)

 

Jesus told us that we would be the light of the world.  We are Christ's presence in a world darkened by Satan.  With this in mind we need to decide what to do.  Are we going to get excited about this Lord of ours that saved us from sin and death?  Are we going to claim the joy that only Christ can offer us?  Are we going to be a city on a hill that will be the envy of all nations so that they will want to be like us?  Or will we put our lamps under bowls for no one to see the light of Christ through us.  Remember, Christ has offered you a gift.  He has given you the gift of His light.  It can be like a bonfire that will blaze all night long, or it can be like a candle that loses all its oxygen and goes out because you placed a hard metal bowl over it.  The choice is yours. 

 

In the love of Christ,

greg

Thought of the Day !!

Dear friends, since God loved us that much, we surely ought to love each other.  No one has ever seen God.  But if we love each other, God lives in us, and his love has been brought to full expression through us.

                                                             1 John 4:11-12 (NLT)   

 

There has always been anger and hatred in our world.  It began with a jealous Cain and has grown from one murder to mass genocides. 

 

Anger and hate can even find its way into the Church.  I've seen people in our churches who've forgotten the purpose that God gave them.  Many of us have seen those who are more interested in control or running the church their way instead of God's way.  I've also seen preachers who've decided that they know better than God and feel like their church is their own private territory.  And in both of these scenarios, I've seen bickering, backbiting, gossip, anger and eventually hate.

 

As Christians we are called to be different from the world.  You'd expect to see this going on in a large corporation where all are competing to get ahead.  But our churches should be a place of peace that are set apart from the world. 

 

Of course the truth of the matter is that we Christians are still sinful human beings.  We cannot claim to be perfectly sinless.  But we can strive for it.  That might be where our problem lies.  Maybe we're not striving to live the perfect lives that Jesus would like us to do. 

We need to strive to be different...to be set apart from this world instead of conformed to it...to go on towards perfection.  And when I say go on towards perfection, I mean it as John Wesley did.  I mean that even though we will never be perfectly sinless people, we can strive for (and obtain) perfection in Christian love. 

 

When John wrote "since God loved us that much", he was talking about verse 9 that reads "God showed how much he loved us by sending his only Son into the world so that we might have eternal life through him."  So God loves us so much that He gave of Himself for us.  He was born into a cold world and died an even colder death.  And since He loved us this much, the least we can do is love each other.  It is only then that God will preside in us.  If we have hate for people who are different; people of different color, people that think differently, people in our churches, people who come from our own household, people in general, then we do not have God in us.  This is simply because God is love...and where hate presides, God does not.

Let us strive to be like Christ and and obtain perfect Christian love.  Break down those barriers that separate you and whomever.  Forgive a friend.  Shake the hand of a stranger who may look or act different from you.  Speak to someone you normally wouldn't.  Smile at anyone today.  Let us allow the love of Christ to show through us so that others will know that we are different...that we are set apart...that we are with God and He is with us. 

 

In the love of Christ,
greg

Thought of the Day !!

This is what the LORD says: "Stand at the crossroads and look; ask for the ancient paths, ask where the good way is, and walk in it, and you will find rest for your souls."
                                                                     Jeremiah 6:16 (NIV)

Crossroads are places where we have to make a decision.  There's an old tale about a legendary blues guitarist named Robert Johnson.  One night at midnight he went out to a particular crossroads in the Mississippi Delta.  It was there that he met the devil and made the decision to give up his soul in order to play the guitar better than anyone else. 

Johnson's legend is about a man who came to a crossroads and made a decision.  This decision was based on a deep desire that came from within to be able to play the guitar and have others want to see him perform.  At his crossroads, it was all about him.  But in the end, his shortsightedness lost him his eternal soul.

When we come to a crossroads in our own lives, what will guide our decision.  We can be tempted to make poor decisions that will affect our lives in tragic ways if we're not careful.  We can also seek the guidance of the one who already knows what's best for us. 

Never make hasty decisions that you might regret later.  Pray for guidance.  Expect God to help you find your way.  You can count on Him to be there.  He may not always lead you to the easiest decision or the one that you like the best, but He'll bring you to the one that's best for you. 

In the love of Christ,
greg

Thought of the Day !!

But now we are released from the law, having died to that which held us captive, so that we serve in the new way of the Spirit and not in the old way of the written code.

                                                    Romans 7:6 (ESV)

The law held people captive because it could only show where we were wrong.  It was never meant to be a tool of salvation. 

Paul states that we serve in a new way now.  We serve by way of the Spirit of God.  This means that if we've accepted this way through repentance of sins and faith in Jesus, then the Holy Spirit of God resides in us.  He is whom we serve now. 

He will show us the way, right from wrong, good from evil, ways to love neighbor etc.  And as we follow His leading we will find peace and joy that never could be found by simply following a set of rules.  So let us serve the Holy Spirit.  Allow Him to convict you, comfort you, bring you joy.

In the love of Christ,
greg

Thought of the Day !!

Peter's words pierced their hearts, and they said to him and to the other apostles, "Brothers, what should we do?"
                                              Acts 2:37 (NLT)

Peter had just finished preaching his first sermon where he shared with the people that they were responsible for the death of Jesus, who was the Messiah.  Their sins had been pointed out to them, which "pierced their hearts".  In essence Peter had awakened their consciences.

I fear that too many of our hearts have never been pierced.  People can claim Jesus, but never face up to their sinfulness.  But when sinners' eyes are opened it becomes painful for them.  Their sins can no longer be hidden or justified.  It's like a wound being exposed and alcohol poured over it.  It burns.  This burn, however, is the first step in healing.

Face your sin.  Seek God's forgiveness and help with your sin.  Repent of (or turn from) you sin.  Then the wounds of your soul will heal.

In the love of Christ,
greg