I Wonder Part 1

I wonder...

1. Are we so focused on "doing" things for God, that we are not focused on our relationship with God?

2. Do we seek forgiveness because we are truly sorry for the sin in our lives and because we truly want a right relationship with God, or do we seek forgiveness because we are afraid of punishment that results from sin?

3. Do we truly trust God will all we have?

* You know, I used to worry all the time about small things. Truth be told, I still do. But, I have come to a recent realization. If I can trust God with my soul and its eternal destination, then surely I can trust Him with anything and everything that can and will come my way on this earth. Why should I worry about my life (which by the way isn't mine - Galatians 2:20) if God even cares about the Sparrow.

4. Do we truly believe that God is going to do what we ask Him to do?

5. Do we truly worship with our lives and let the Holy Spirit live in and through us?

6. Why do we find it so hard to forgive ourselves of things we have done, and worry that God won't forgive us either?

*Isn't that saying Christ's death wasn't good enough for us?*

7. Why do we spend more on insurance than on benevolence?

8. Are we really preaching the Gospel on a daily basis if there are almost 85,000 people who don't even attend church in Warren County alone?

9. Why do some of us think that if you are Christian you cannot be involved in politics and cannot be patriotic?

*Isn't God the Creator and Sustainer of this great country? Doesn't He want us to praise His handy-work and be involved in being good stewards of it? If we are supposed to submit to authority, then why can't we help choose those who are going to be the authority? Lastly, why would we support a non-Christian for any place in government? How is a non-Christian supposed to shepherd the Church and this country? GOD BLESS AMERICA*

10. Lastly, why do we read Scripture and ignore what it says?

You want the answer? Here it is... we are SINNERS! Praise the Lord for His everlasting forgiveness, grace, mercy, and love. Praise Jesus the Christ for laying down His life for us. I pray that we truly look into God's word on a daily basis and then look at our lives to see if they match up. May the Holy Spirit move in and through us. May we be non-contented people of faith simply waiting to arise for our King.

In, through, and because of Christ,

Gregg

Power

Power.

Something we all want.

So, I have now been serving in Beaverdam, VA for three weeks. I am now beginning my fourth week, but this week will be different. Today I headed up to Lynchburg, VA to be a camp staffer for the Southern Baptist Conservatives of Virginia's yearly camp. It is going to be on the campus of Liberty University. I am so pumped! I am going to be part of the missions track which is going to be going out into the surrounding community to proclaim boldly the name of Jesus! I am so excited. I just can't wait for the students to arrive on Monday.

Now, back to that big bold word at the top. Power. Is there righteous power? Yes. The way to get it? Prayer.

The first three weeks that I have been up here have been absolutely amazing and life changing. God has blessed me beyond measure, and He has taught me so much. He has brought me through so much. I can't believe that three weeks are already gone. Probably one of the coolest things about Beaverdam Baptist (the church I serve at) is that when you walk in, or even drive by, you Know God is there. I mean here is this church that is in the middle of a building campaign that is going to multiply there current space by over 100%! It is going to more than double it in size. But the thing is, it is in the middle of no where! People are willing to drive over and hour to come worship and serve there. I couldn't believe it when I heard this.

Another reason that I am so excited to be serving at Beaverdam is because God is so evident. I almost have to ask the question, what is the church not doing. It does everything! It houses its own food pantry, hosts angel food, hosts AA meetings, reaches out to college students, has its own paintball ministry, has its own amazing prayer room, and as an amazing staff! The church knows what its purpose is. They have there fair share of problems, but they know that God will see them through them. I can't believe how unbelievable united they are. United for one purpose, Christ. What in the world!? I am so fired up! I just want my life to be a shouting exclamation of the goodness of God. I can't stand the stagnation. We have to move forward! We cannot be luke warm any more. It is time to stand up and get moving! It is time to trust. It is time to PRAY! Prayer = Power.

The biggest thing I have been taught it is that without prayer we have a dead ministry. The staff prays every morning together. The deacons pray with their regions. The people pray with each other and for each other. They pray for the lost. They pray for the saved. They pray for the Church. Thank God for His goodness. He has blessed me.

May we pray.

Power.

Pray.

In, through, and because of Christ,

Gregg

"If my people, who are called by my name, will humble themselves and pray and seek my face and turn from their wicked ways, then will I hear from heaven and will forgive their sin and will heal their land."

2 Chronicles 7:14

Ready, Set, Go!

So... it seemed like it would never get here, but summer is finally here! I have finished my freshman year of college. I cannot believe it! I feel like it was just yesterday that I was moving my stuff into the dorm and getting ready for my first day of class, and here I am now with two semesters under my belt. All I have to say is, I am extremely blessed. This year went smoothly, and I can honestly say that I enjoyed it. I owe all of that to Him.

It has struck me that I never updated you on my plans for the summer. The last that I told you was that I had an option on hand. Now, that option is reality. To fill you in, I can now tell you that I will be spending 10 weeks in Beaver Dam, Virginia at Beaver Dam Baptist Church. I will be doing a youth internship under one of my mentors, Justin McClure. The least that I can say is to say that I am so excited! I will be living with Justin and Wendy and Brandon! I will be emphasizing in Discipleship, but I am so excited to just be a part of helping to build the youth ministry on His foundation.

With all of that being out in the open and set on the table, I feel like the time is quickly approaching. Today is Tuesday, May 26 and I will be leaving for Virginia on Saturday, May 30! Wow! It is so close, I can almost see the road ahead of me. But, my prayer is that these next few days will be filled with love, fun, and most of all Him. I feel like sometimes Satan throws so much at me to try to get to me to stumble, but I have been realizing that He (Christ) has and can bring me through any of it. One example is dad has been feeling really sick this week. So, I have been worrying about leaving, and how I am going to get up there, and what if he gets really sick when I am there, etc. BUT, Christ has definitely stepped in and come to the rescue again! He never fails. He has and continues to give me peace. I know He is in control and He is going to take care and provide.

I am so ready to see what HE is going to do in me, through me, and around me this summer. I am so ready for Him to just take me and use me. I know this is a BIG commitment and a huge effort, but as I said months ago, "Here am I Lord, send me." So, that is exactly what He is doing, and what I want Him to do. My prayer is that He will make this summer a life-changing experience. (Secret: I have never been away from home for 10 weeks.) I want this to be an amazing growing experience. I can't even begin to name all the things I want. I am thinking of all of the things. And now... it is just hitting me. He doesn't want me to make lists. I feel like He wants me to just be open and available. I don't want preconceived ideas and goals. I feel like that limits. I want what He wants.

So... looking onto the journey ahead, I am here saying that I am going to do my best to blog very regularly. I am so excited about the opportunity that God has provided. I pray that He would be glorified in all that I do and say. I pray that He would change me, He would use me, and that He would grow me. I pray that I find my place in His will rather than asking Him to tell me His will for me. I pray most of all that I would be Jesus Christ in the flesh. READY, SET, GO!

In, through, and because of Christ,

Gregg

Are you willing?

So, its been a long time since I have blogged. I have no idea why either. All I do know is that I have had this huge urge to blog the last few days and especially tonight. I think I just miss the writing.

You know, God is awesome. It seems like He requires so much, and he does, but the more and more you fall in love with Him, I am convinced that it becomes a desire to give to Him. I think it becomes a passion and urge that you want to give up more and serve more and just give it all to Him.

I think one of the biggest reasons that serving Christ and giving everything I am to God has really been in my brain a lot lately is because of my mentor Ron Wilson. I know some of you know him or have at least met him or heard him speak, but to me he is a mentor and even like a father. I just have to tell you how much I look up to him. So, he came to Eastwood when I was a sophomore in high school. He came in at a time in my life where I was almost apathetic spiritually. I loved Jesus, don't get me wrong, but I wasn't doing anything for Him. I wasn't living to worship. I was living for myself and that's it. So, Ron came to Eastwood and my world was turned upside down.

I don't know what it is, but I truly look up to him. He has constantly challenged me, I feel like he knows me. I feel like he can read me like a book and know what I am thinking. When he came, I was bitter about some things that had happened within our youth group beforehand, but once he took me into a Discipleship Group and got me to focus on the cross of Jesus, I feel like I let go of some of the bitterness I was holding onto and this allowed me to spiritually grow.

Its funny, because Ron is leaving now to follow his call to missions with his wife Keri and their kids, and I feel like I am learning more now that he is leaving than I ever have before. The reason I say this is because while he was my youth minister while I was in high school, he constantly preached obedience. He preached that we have to be willing to lay it all down for Christ. EVERYTHING! So, with his decision to go to the mission field, he has done something that words can't do. You know how they say actions speak louder than words. Well, they do. He and Keri are giving it all up! They are giving up comfort, a good home, a good life, good schooling for their kids, and good church, and good environment, and almost anything you can name to go to work for an organization known as Next WorldWide. They are not sure where they are going to live, where their kids are going to school, where they are going to go to church, and even how they are going to have money to live. He has to raise 100% of his support. All they know is that they are trusting God to provide.

By Ron giving up it all, he has practiced what he has preached all along. He showed me that he is a true Christ-like man. Not that I didn't think so before, but now when I think about a Godly man, I think about my mentor and his wife. (I consider her a mentor too.)

Not to put him on a pedestal, but I feel like this situation has made me take a long hard look at Jesus and Calvary. Jesus gave the ultimate. We often down-play what Jesus gave. We are so selfish that we can hardly give up a computer, or a cell-phone, or even 5 dollars to help out someone in need. BUT, Jesus gave not just possessions and comfort, but HIS LIFE! He died, for us. So, how in the world can I do anything but give all of me to Him. I think that in all of this God has been teaching me that I need to be willing to sacrifice all I have and I am for Him. Who knows the future, I might not ever be called to the foreign mission field like Ron and Keri, or maybe I will be, but all I know is I am going to do my best to give all of me to Christ. I am willing... are you?

for His name and His renown,

Gregg

Be Still

So, just after I said that I was enjoying this whole blog thing and had been doing it all week, I stopped.  Ask me why... idk! So, moving on, here I am again.  Again like the last times... I have all these thoughts swirling around in my brain.  I just want to get them out.  

These last few days have been so new to me.  Don't get me wrong, some parts of them have been fun, flattering, and cool, but at the same time, much of them have been hard to process.  From trying to work on my application for this summer, to going to class, to dealing with lots of personal life things, I have been thinking so many things.

I just can't figure out some things.  I can't figure out why some people would feel the way they do and think the way they do.  Why do I?  I guess that is a good question too.  Sometimes I just like to come back to my room and sit here.  Today, I came back and designed part of this program I am designing for the musical at my old high school.  I worked on it for like an hour and a half and just listened to some Jesus music.  You know, as weird as this is, this is kinda my happy place.  I love to design stuff, and I kinda feel like I was just sitting relaxing, and thinking... but not too hard.

You know, as I was thinking about this week on Sunday night, I decided something and set it as my facebook status.  I decided I was going to try to find God in everything.

So, here I am tonight.  I sit here with all of these thoughts, emotions, and new experiences on my plate.  Just a few seconds ago, God brought something into my head.  I was reminded of Psalm 46:10  

It says:

"Be still, and know that I am God;

I will be exalted among the nations,

I will be exalted in the earth."

Hmmm interesting.  I think that I am supposed to just sit and bask in God's presence.  Just like He says here in Psalms, I need to be still and know that HE is God.  No, I don't know why these things are happening.  Why some people seem like jerks, why some people need to quit worrying about me and know that I'm a big boy, and why sometimes I just need to quit thinking are all things that I can't explain.  But, you know... who cares!  I am trying to find God in this situation right now.  I believe He is telling me, be still and Know that He's God.  He will be exalted.  May I truly exalt Him!  I love Him. May He be my passion, my joy, my hope, my reason for living.  To God be the Glory.  May I be like Jesus.

Being Still and knowing I am redeemed crap and HE is King,

Gregg

Just Plain Thankful...

So again, I just look before this blank screen and have all of these swirling emotions and thoughts of what I want to say going through my head. It is funny because at first I really felt that I wasn't going to do this blog thing much, but now that I have done it several times I feel like I am beginning to enjoy it. It kinda is like an escape. I feel like I can be who I want to be and say whatever. I can say what I am truly thinking.

You know, even as I am sitting here typing what I am about to say... Satan is trying to prevent me from doing it. He is trying to throw me a curve ball to completely change the intent of this message. He wants me to not feel the way I do, and I REFUSE to let him have any power. God, give me the power over Satan. Remove him from where I am. Remove his power and influence. Help me to focus on Your face.

So, I originally started writing this blog to talk about thankfulness. And how, sitting in this moment and today, I just have been a sense of thankfulness. I have just been noticing so many small details of my life and how much I appreciate them and how blessed I am. Writing this blog, I am not sitting in the typical place that I usually am. I am usually sitting in the comfort of my own dorm room sitting in front of my laptop. However, this time, I am sitting in the office at the BCM. I was sitting here on facebook before doing some fun stuff, when I just got this urge to get these pressing feelings out. I am just plain thankful. That's what I just set my facebook status as. I was thinking how I know that not many things have gone "wrong" today. How I have had such a glorious day. You know, but then I got to thinking. No, not everything has gone "wrong" but I have had struggles. God just truly showed me yesterday that I do need to focus on Him and not put anything else above Him. I have been so guilty of that lately. But, today I have done my best to put God first.

As I am sitting here, I am enjoying listening to the "Tones of Joy" this amazing WKU choir that practices in the BCM on Thursday night. They are amazing. This has just added to how thankful I am. I am thankful that God blessed us with just amazingly different gifts. I am thankful that they can sing and I can sit here and enjoy it. I am also thankful for how much God let me work out my scedule after I fretted over a class that I should not have. God has just been amazingly apparent to me in the last few days and mostly just today. I love Him with all my heart. So to describe today... I am just plain thankful. Despite Satan and his attacks all day, now, and more to come later today, I am thankful for everything. Thank You, God. Thank you. That's is all I have to say. Despite struggles and trials, thank you. Again, Love me always, God. Thank you, thank you, thank you.

In and because of Jesus Christ,

Gregg

Selfish Living or Selfless Living?

So, I sit here looking at this blank empty space in which I can only begin to scratch the surface on something I want to talk about.  In recent days, and even weeks, God has been trying to give me a message. (not that He doesn't usually... but this is something big) However, me being the imperfect selfish human that I am, have not been listening.  Praise the Lord for Jesus and His forgiveness!

So, I just really feel like in several circumstances God has been really trying to shine through and show me His will; however, I have not been paying attention as well as ignoring Him.  As sad as that is... it is the truth.  I have been completely living with thoughts of what I want, what I want to accomplish, and MY plans.

HELLO!  I AM SO WRONG!  God, woke me up to this last night.  As I was prayerfully considering some possibilities of some stuff I have been dealing with in my personal life, I was just like God, this is ridiculous.  I have not been listening to You.  I prayed that He would use the Holy Spirit to show me what He wanted me to see.  After flipping through the concordance of my Bible for a while, I began getting frustrated.  I was like God, I want You, so show Yourself to Me.  You know what they say, "Be careful what you ask for."  Because man did he ever show Himself, and man did He step on my toes.  As I was sitting there discouraged... I looked over at my book shelf.  I saw my green book that my mom gave me for Christmas.  It is a copy of My Utmost for His Highest.  I have been trying to do the reading in it... however in past days it wasn't going so swell.  But, it is amazing how on a day to day basis it seems like whatever the text is... it usually fits... and it usually challenges me BIG time.  Well, yesterday's was no exception.

It's titled: Look Again and Think

After looking at the verse... I knew.  I knew I was in the presence of God.  

"Do not worry about your life... " Matthew 6:25

That's all He had to say.  I think my mouth hit the floor.  So, needless to say... I dived deep into the short devotional to see what God had in store.  Here is just a snippet of what the text contained... just a bit of what God told me.

"I say to you... do not worry about your life."  Our Lord says to be careful only about one thing - our relationship to HIM. But our common sense shouts loudly and says, "That is absurd, I must worry about my life" ... Jesus says you must not. Beware of allowing yourself to think that He says this while not understanding your circumstances.  Jesus Christ knows our circumstances better than we do, and He says we must not think about these things to the point where they become the primary concern of our life.  Whenever there are competing concerns in your life, be sure you always put your relationship to God first."

Again, I say I was floored.  I cried out to God for forgiveness.  I was like God, you know I haven't been living this way.  Help me to focus on the face of Jesus.  He is all I need.  

I always seem to do this.  I always seem to worry about circumstances.  God is bigger than circumstances.  Someone wise (my mom) once told me that worrying is calculating without God.  No matter the situation... whether it is about this or that or anything... none of it is worth an ounce of worry.  Jesus can take it away.  So, I prayed that God would take care of my worries that I had for today, and that I would not think about them and let them take priority over Him.  You know what?  God is faithful... He has truly shown Himself greatly to me today.  He allowed me to deal with the situation(s) very well.  I could have done none of it without HIM.... He is amazing.  I just can't wait for the day that I can physically and spiritually sit at the foot of the Great Throne and Praise HIM!  He is the WONDERFUL COUNSELOR and PROVIDER!  I am reminded of these lyrics, "Once I again I look upon the cross where He died, I am humbled my His mercy, and I'm broken inside.  Once again I pour out my life."

My I truly do that.  God has shown Himself to me.  He has also shown me a bit of His will and a little bit more of His Glory.  May all that I am be all His.  I am all His.  May I be selfless... not selfish.  God, continue to show me, You.  Continue to bring the praise upon Yourself.  May You be glorified.  Show me Your will.  May I follow it.  Love me as I know You do.

Gregg