A Thick Presence

This past Sunday, my wife and I visited a small church in Broad Ripple called, Olive Branch Community Church. Pastor Phil Jackson, his wife, father and sister and brother-in-law are leading a group of believers to follow Jesus. Both Lori and I came away with the same impression of this tiny band of brothers and sisters....God was smiling down upon their efforts. In America, if it isn't big and busting it must be busted so for pastors leading these small groups of people, it can be disheartening and discouraging at times when we don't "measure up" on the outside to the world's vision of success. For Lori and I, it was refreshing to be in a fellowship that didn't have a product to offer or a dazzling display of worship. As I told Pastor Phil, there is no other reason to be there for those people except Jesus. No programs to buy into, no great talent to entertain, no cool technology, only a thick presence of the risen Christ. Olive Branch Community Church is doing a good thing. There is plenty of warm smiles and greetings in the name of the Lord, more children than adults, more authenticity than consumerism. It's a place I believe people could meet Jesus, a place where you could go and be loved, be encouraged and come alive in Christ. Pastor Phil, if you ever read this, forgive me for not praying for you. I know what you are doing has not and is not easy but I believe it is what God wants you to do, in the place He needs you to do it. Count on my prayers and friendship from now on. During your service, this vs. came to my mind in Zeph 3:17, "The Lord your God is in your midst, a mighty one who will save; he will rejoice over you with gladness; he will quiet you by his love; he will exult over you with loud singing." He is singing over you today, press on, be faithful, there are no small acts of love in the Kingdom of God! Blessings, Pastor Greg

Time To Rest & Remember

Our family is on vacation this week and next. I love what I do and even the pace that I do it but I also know how that pace can wear out people around me. Resting isn't easy for me. I like to be busy with my time. My son Garrett and I recently had a conversation about taking a break from work. He had a challenging school year and was wanting to relax his mind over the summer. One things I want him to learn from me is to work hard on whatever it is he is doing, so I gave him a pretty good lecture on how life doesn't give you breaks and he couldn't just waste his summer on Facebk. Yesterday, Garrett brought the subject back up, along with Gen 2:2-3 about God resting from His work. We had a great discussion about Sabbath and resting unto the Lord. Garrett reminded me of the importance God places on resting and I was overjoyed at the way he was applying scripture to his life. That's the kind of strength I want to see growing in him as he grows into a man. So thanks to my son, I'm trying to rest unto the Lord during our vacation. I need to return refreshed both spiritually and physically.

I'm also taking this time to remember what the Lord has done over the past two years of my life. LSCC has some interesting times in front of us. We're going to need to have an abundance of faith to see how God will move our new church forward. That faith begins by remembering how He shed grace on us in the past. As the leader of this body, I want to have the most faith. I want to believe more than anybody that God is going to move a mountain for us. So I am remembering while I'm resting, lifting up my Ebenezers to remind me that my God loves me, has forgiven me, called me, heard me, answered me and everything is going to be all right. Thank you God for using Garrett to speak your truth to me, thank you Garrett for being bold enough to confront your pastor Dad with the bible, it is causing me to remember, just what I needed to do.

Great Moments

This past weekend was one of the highlights of my life. My wife Lori and I took part in the graduation ceremony for our oldest daughter Casey Elizabeth. By the grace of God, we have homeschooled her from Kindergarten and now she is off too college in the fall. What amazes me so is that all the while she was growing up, people reminded me that time would go fast. Knowing that I tried not to let days go by without noticing. I knew the time was going to go fast so I tried to slow it down and it still went by fast! I remember just like it was yesterday that Casey and I were walking hand-in-hand as I helped her walk for the first time, now it was just yesterday that she made a graduation speech and is on to the next stage of life.

I could not have asked God for a better daughter. I'm excited to begin to share her with the world and see how God will use her to bring Himself glory. I'm also in awe of my wife. She has been a teacher now for 13 years, doing multiple grades at the same time. I was able to teach two of my kids this past year on Monday's. It sure takes so much patience and focus and vision on the bigger picture to persevere everyday, especially with a two year old dashing in and out and the phone ringing and chores needing done.

I want to tell you, time flies! The days go slow but the years go fast (somebody said). Cherish your moments, your family, every stage of life. There is something to get out of every day not just get through. What is it God could be trying to say, teach, show you at this moment? For me it's Ps 126:3, "The LORD has done great things for us, and we are filled with joy." Blessings, Pastor Greg