The Mighty Macs

We watched a wonderful movie tonight called The Mighty Macs.  It is a movie about a small failing Catholic women's college, now called Immaculata University, in the '70's that went on to win the first women's college national basketball championship in 1973, led by coach Kathy Rush.  When Kathy Rush first came in, the college basketball team was solely intended as an physical outlet to keep women chaste.  This obviously didn't make for much winning but coach Rush had a different plan for the team.

She wanted to win and she wanted the girls to believe they could win.  Through the guidance of Coach Rush and a nun at the school the girls learned to work as a team and believe in themselves.  They learned that their coach believed in them and they also learned to be passionate about something.  Many of the women in that championship team went on to be successful in not just basketball but life.

There is a moment towards the end of the movie where coach Rush is giving a pep talk before the championship game.  You recited 1 Corinthians 9:24 to the girls as motivation for them to fight for victory. As I told you, they went on to win the game, which was a great feat considering they had lost to the very same team by 42 points weeks prior.


 1 Corinthians 9:24-27 says, 

²⁴ Do you not know that in a race all the runners run, but only one gets the prize? Run in such a way as to get the prize. ²⁵ Everyone who competes in the games goes into strict training. They do it to get a crown that will not last, but we do it to get a crown that will last forever. ²⁶ Therefore I do not run like someone running aimlessly; I do not fight like a boxer beating the air. ²⁷ No, I strike a blow to my body and make it my slave so that after I have preached to others, I myself will not be disqualified for the prize.

Fighting for the truth of the gospel and the truth of the Bible is not politically correct these days.  We are told by the world that we are to be tolerant of all religions as truth.  We are told that it is arrogant to believe that Christianity could be the only truth and way to heaven.  Many churches today have unfortunately succumb to these lies from the world.

Tonight, I encourage you to fight the good fight and run the race.  The crown you will receive for enduring in truth to the end is as Paul say, "a crown that will last forever."  Do not let the world silence the truth of the gospel.  Do not let the world keep you from living a bold life for Christ.  Do not let the world discourage you from running the race.  Find strength in Jesus and trust the truth of His words saying, "I am the way, and the truth, and the life.  No one comes to the father except through me." John 14:6.

Blessings,

Greg

Will You Endure?

Matthew 24:3-14 says, 

³ As he sat on the Mount of Olives, the disciples came to him privately, saying, “Tell us, when will these things be, and what will be the sign of yourcoming and of the end of the age?” ⁴ And Jesus answered them, “See that no one leads you astray. ⁵ For many will come in my name, saying, ‘I am the Christ,’ and they will lead many astray. ⁶ And you will hear of wars and rumors of wars. See that you are not alarmed, for this must take place, but the end is not yet. ⁷ For nation will rise against nation, and kingdom against kingdom, and there will be famines and earthquakes in various places. ⁸ All these are but the beginning of the birth pains.

 ⁹ “Then they will deliver you up to tribulation and put you to death, and you will be hated by all nations for my name's sake. ¹⁰ And then many will fall away^[a] and betray one another and hate one another. ¹¹ And many false prophets will arise and lead many astray. ¹² And because lawlessness will be increased, the love of many will grow cold. ¹³  But the one who endures to the end will be saved. ¹⁴ And this gospel of the kingdom will be proclaimed throughout the whole world as a testimony to all nations, and then the end will come.

I don't know about you but this passage gives me chills.  As I watch and read the news daily, I can see our world becoming more and more like what Jesus describes here.  I don't know if I will see the coming of Jesus.  I don't know if I will experience any of the suffering mentioned here either.  What I do know is that this passage is clear that a close and real relationship with Jesus is necessary to endure to the end.

Where is your heart tonight?  Do you have a love and relationship with Jesus that could take you through times like prophesied in this passage?  If not, I hope you will spend time to know Jesus and truly fall in love with Him tonight.

Blessings,

Greg

Not Just Another Ordinary Day

Everyday I come home for lunch and the first thing that I do is let my dog, Leah, out to use the restroom.  The thing is that she doesn't just use the time to go to the restroom, she also uses it to enjoy the great outdoors.  The older my dog gets the more sentimental she seems to get about her time outside.  I typically have plenty of time to make my lunch, watch the news, and relax while she is out there.

During her time outside, she walks the full perimeter of the yard sniffing intently as she does.  She makes sure to stop at each corner of our back yard and gaze past our invisible property line to the activity of the neighbors around us.  If there happens to be snow outside, my dog takes particular delight in rooting around in the snow and smelling the new smells that only seem to exist in the snow.  If it is a sunny warm day, Leah will sit and drink it the beauty of the day.  My dog truly knows how to maximize her time outside.  She knows how to appreciate the moment and milk it for all it is worth.  I can tell when she returns back inside that she is happy.

In the world we live in today, especially our western culture, we tend to pass over so many opportunities to enjoy the moment.  Our lives are filled with errands, shows, devices, jobs, family, church, and a thousand more things.  We are just to busy to stop and appreciate the beauty around us.

Have you ever been in such a rush that you completely missed the joy of a sunrise in your pursuit of your destination?  Do you ever take the time to truly drink in the beauty of a sky filled with beautiful pillowy clouds gently floating by.  Have you ever just stopped to drink in the warmth of the sun, enjoyed the patter of the rain, or watched the amazing transformation caused by a snow shower.

There is so much life around us that we completely over look each day.  So many blessings the Lord has given to us that we are to busy to receive.  I hope tonight you would take the time to drink in the vastness of the stars above.  Tomorrow morning, take the time to watch the cotton candy colors dance across the sky as the sun rises to give us a new day.  As you take the time to enjoy these things, remember your Creator who gives us the awesome moments daily.  "Worthy are you, our Lord and God, to receive glory and honor and power, for you created all things, and by your will they existed and were created." Revelation 4:11

Blessings,

Greg

Easy Yet Extreme Changes

Original room

Beautiful floor hiding underneath

There goes the border

I've never painted a ceiling

Ceiling done.  Now onto the walls and so much more ;)

Whats in a change?  This week change has been prevalent on my mind.  I have constant change at work as I get to do a whole plethora of new tasks and adventures daily.  My wife is growing our boy in her belly and I am seeing the wonderful changes involved with pregnancy.  This weekend my wife and I decided, on a whim, to do an extreme makeover on our bedroom.  Also, my life and walk with Christ is constantly changing and growing daily.


With change, sometimes we experience heartbreak.  Other times, we experience inexpressible joy and peace.  You never know what you are going to get with change.  Most of the time you will not know the outcome of change until you, well, change.  Some people are mortified of any type of change, while other people can't imagine a life without change.  Isn't interesting how wonderfully different each of us is.


The main reason that change has been on my heart in the past few days is our extreme makeover of the bedroom.  First off, I have never attempted such an ambitious project.  Second, I did not expect I would be doing so much work this weekend!  Third, I am anxious with anticipation to see the finished product of our labor.  Our extreme makeover has involved ripping up the carpet to expose exquisite wood flooring underneath, mopping said floor, preparing the room for painting, picking the colors, and executing a well orchestrated color palette involving both the walls and ceiling.


I have to say that this adventure has involved many new challenges and yet it has been exciting.  It is so amazing that such simple changes as removing the carpet and applying a new coat of paint can transform a plain room into a restful retreat.  As Christians, we too can make significant changes in our life with small changes in our heart.  Following Jesus wholeheartedly is both the easiest and most significant change we can make in our life.  Though the world tries to convince you that following Jesus is a difficult choice, it truly is as easy as allowing Him to enter your heart.  See the truth is that Jesus does the change in you.  You only have to let Him in.


In the Bible it says in Revelation 3:20, "Behold, I stand at the door and knock. If anyone hears my voice and opens the door, I will come in to him and eat with him, and he with me."  When we open the door to our hearts and allow Jesus to come in He begins to transform our lives.  Matthew 11:27-30 says, "All things have been handed over to me by my Father, and no one knows the Son except the Father, and no one knows the Father except the Son and anyone to whom the Son chooses to reveal him.  Come to me, all who labor and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest.  Take my yoke upon you, and learn from me, for I am gentle and lowly in heart, and you will find rest for your souls.  For my yoke is easy, and my burden is light."  Through such a simple change, Jesus will come in, forgive your sin, teach you his ways, and give you rest for your soul in Him.  If you have never accepted Jesus as you Savior, I hope today would be the day.  


I am always here to pray for you.  I would love to answer any questions you have.  I would be glad to share more scriptures about who Jesus is and how He can change your life.  For those who already know Him as Savior, I hope you will continue to check the door of your heart to make sure you have not closed any part of it to Jesus today.  Remember walking in Jesus will result in constant change and growth.  You wouldn't want to miss out on the extreme makeover He is doing in your heart.


Blessings,


Greg  

Lies of the Devil

One day last summer my best friend and I, while sitting in the cafeteria of the IUPUI campus, wrote this list of what we believe to be the biggest lies from the devil men are deceived by.

1) That we don't have an escape from temptation and sin.  (1 Corinthians 10:13)
2) That we don't have to fight to stay pure and keep from sinning.  (Ephesians 6:12 )
3) That we should not have to endure trials to build character and mature.  (James 1:12)
4) That we are only hurting ourselves when we fall prey to sin.  (Courageous Website offers great resources addressing this lie)
5) That being free from sin as a Christian is easy.  (1 Corinthians 9:24)
6) That if we aren't instantly sinless, we are a failure or without Jesus. (Justification and Sanctification)
7) That pornography doesn't hurt anyone and is not wrong. (Philippians 4:8, Matthew 5:28, 1 Corinthians 6:18-20)

Whenever I struggle in my daily walk, I look back at these lies to center myself in the truth of Jesus.  I would love to hear input from each of you on what you think of these lies.  If you agree with them or disagree.  Also I would love to know if you have other lies from the devil you have identified to help strengthen your walk and keep you aligned in the narrow way of Jesus.

I think of Pilgrims progress as an example of the importance of identifying and avoiding the Devil's and world's lies.  Whenever Christian took his eyes off of the road he was to travel, usually it was because he was lured off the road by a deception.  Many times the consequences of being led astray had high costs for Christian and his travelers.  I leave you with Proverbs 4:23, "Above all else, guard your heart, 
   for everything you do flows from it."

Blessings,

Greg

Rising Star

Today was a wonderful day!  I led chapel at my job this week and had a wonderful time playing praise and worship for them.  I love nothing more than singing to my Savior while leading worship for others.  There is such a blessing in being able to use a gift God has given me to bless other souls.  I am so thankful for the opportunity to play and the ability that God has given me to play.

On this Valentines Day, I was so grateful to be able to express my love for both my Savior and my wife.  I can't believe my wife and I have been married for seven years.  I truly can't imagine spending my life with anyone else.  God has blessed me immeasurably through the love and support of my wife.  In speaking of my wife, I would like to tell you about a new blog she started this week, which I think is wonderful.  The name of her new blog is called Seeking the Secret.

I hope you will check it out and tell your friends about it also.  My wife's writing ability far exceeds my own and I am so proud that she is using her writing gift in this new blog.  I have been humbled by the reception of my own blog and know the Lord will bless my wife's blog too.  I am so thankful for the support of each of you.

Blessings,

Greg

Heart Fences

Do you ever find that you have put up fences between you and Jesus?  Each time a fence, wall, or barrier is built between you and Jesus, you block Him from being able to shine His light fully into your heart.  Just as you see the unmelted snow in the picture I took this morning, so also we all tend to have sin in our heart we have blocked Jesus from being able to cleanse and renew.

God is fully able to access and cleanse all areas of your heart with or without your permission (Psalm 139) but He seeks a "Humble and contrite heart" before He will enter.  Revelation 3:20 says, "Behold, I stand at the door and knock. If anyone hears my voice and opens the door, I will come in to him and eat with him, and he with me."  These are Jesus' words to us.  The barriers that keep us from God are not His but our own.  He wants to come in and transform your heart to purity and salvation in Him.  He wants give you your best life in Him.  By best life, I mean the life that most honors Him and his kingdom.  As you begin to know Him more, you will realize that this truly is your best life over the millions of dollars and no care in the world desires that many hope for to solve all their worldly problems.    


The strong holds and fences that we have placed in our hearts, oftentimes, are there because we believe that our life is better with them than without them.  We believe that if God had control of this area or that area of our heart that we would not have as fulfilling a life.  We hold on to so many things that are of man because we struggle to believe that the ways of God in those areas could bring us more joy.  


Take the time tonight, to examine your heart and identify the areas of your heart you have closed to God.  Humble yourself by admitting to God why you are afraid to allow Him to take these areas.  Then finally, take a leap of faith by removing those barriers and allowing God to show you that the Joy He brings is greater than any joy you have ever experienced from the world.  Our God is so wonderful and completely sufficient for us.  Our fullest joy and peace is found solely in His leadership of our lives. (Psalm 145)  But don't take my word for it, find out for yourself by giving God a chance to show you His love and desire for you.  


Blessings,


Greg