Forget church, go to work

Whether us Mark Driscoll or Perry Ward, or Darrin Patrick all my strong male pastors are being fired. Whether too much to drink, or being too domineering, or as released with Darrin

"The Journey cited a range of ongoing sinful behaviors over the past few years including manipulation, domineering, lack of biblical community, and “a history of building his identity through ministry and media platforms.”"

I have struggled with feeling a call into the ministry. I have been to seminary on 2 separate occasions. Currently on sabbatical.

I know who I am. I know God loves me. I also know I could never fit the mold with a 100
judging eyes on me.

I truly believe if we were allowed too we would judge all the 12 apostles unworthy to lead.

So where do guys like us belong. Not in modern Christianity, we know we won't make it. So if church isn't the place where we grow and thrive then where. Where do normal messed up guys work out there faith.

We do it at work I suppose. Where flaws are overlooked, dealt with, and excepted because there is an overall purpose that needs to be accomplished. Where men find value and where effort is rewarded. Where there isn't a church discipline session if you hit your hand and say a 4 letter word. The workplace may be the last place you would expect to work out your faith.

Remember though it was where David found relationship, where Jesus found all of his disciples. All on the job........

Fed up with church? I get that. Start listening for God at work. You may be surprised what you hear in a place where no religious person is watching you. Where you can be you and you can focus on just hearing God.

What, as the Christian Church, we need.............

As I have devotion this morning a thought process was started. Generosity may be our biggest need in church today but we seem to make church about worship styles. At least we do in the circles I socialize in and people from school discuss it a lot. Do we need lasers and smog machines? Should we dance and shout? A lot of people focus on King David and his dancing before the ark. We like to use this as a focal point or to make a declaration of one worship style over another. But this is one thing he did, he also poorly planned the move of the ark. Stopped after a man died. Grew angry with God. Committed adultery and murder, united the kingdom, gathered supplies to build a temple. We never focus on just those events. We can no more make David only about his one recorded dance than we can Peter only about his denial of Jesus (and Peter did that 3 times). 

We always talk about looking like an Acts or 1st century church. There was a commitment to one another. A brotherhood, generosity, sharing of material possessions. Please don't judge people based on your personal convictions. Don't make the act of being superior spiritually about your actions or how you worship. I cannot find where one or the other makes you right or wrong. We should instead focus on generosity and taking care of one another. It does no good to have any one boast in a particular worship style while needy people are outside the church. Please be generous to someone today.

Kirk Franklin, Kanye, and Yeezus

I don't normally involve current events in my posts but there is a trend I think we need to be aware of.

The trend is celebrity pastors and worship leaders willing to accept whatever to court the association of famous people. The message is one of grace translated to grant permission for everyone to do what they want to. This is not grace. Grace reveals how we have failed, the amount of God's love for us, and produces a desire to live everyday more holy than the last.

Twice now I have read as Kirk Franklin (see post below) attempts to use the grace montage to shame Christians for not supporting his celebrity partner. He is attempting to lend authenticity to Kanye's album of which he is a contributor. The same Kanye that claimed to be god, toured under a recent album titled Yeezus, and had a actor portray Jesus as a mocked prop during the tour. His album contains songs like "black skinhead" and "I Am a God". Notice the mocking of "I Am", the name by which God calls himself.

I love Kanye and pray for a true grace to fall on and in him. To Kirk Franklin I would say shaming Christians for financial gains is not going to help that occur.

You can love and support a person without promoting blasphemy. You would not tell a rapist that you will hold the camera for them or help them continue to hurt others. We confuse love and support in truth with tolerance and acceptance of sin. They are not the same thing. The new trend is then to allow our tolerance to become assistance. Then we are guilty of not only the sin but becoming a stumbling block where we should be a beacon.

The world needs the truth, not acceptance.


Kirk Franklin Facebook Post



- MZG

The new Hellfire and Brimstone

So I have several churches and groups I follow by podcast. I spend a minimum of 3.5 hours a day in my car so this is how I am able to stay plugged in during the week. Several of these churches have revivals going on. Traveling revivalists or evangelists have come in to speak for a period of time. Over the first few days of listening to some of these I would find myself grinding my teeth. Stressed out would best way to describe the way I felt after listening. At first I thought perhaps I just had a critical spirit. However as I prayed I began to realize some things. I then decided to listen to a Sunday morning service from another group. I then turned on a podcast from a mega church so many of these evangelists would criticize. It's a big church with multiple campuses and a coffee bar, so it would be an easy target for those who bash the "American Sunday Morning Church". What I found a was wonderful sermon full of scriptural revelation. It was about Jesus, not about other churches. I felt a jump inside my spirit. I began to realize somethings.

The new revivalist/ evangelist scares church members by telling them they need more than Sunday morning Christianity. What they have now isn't enough! It also bashes other churches as not meeting enough or being spiritual enough. This is no different than the hell fire and brimstone guys who led to people thinking they need to be saved every alter call years ago. It is a tactic that creates a false response. People respond based off fear they will disappoint God or go to hell.

But Jesus says, do not be afraid, just believe. (Mark 5:36)

I am not saying Sunday morning is ALL you need. But showing up five times a week and calling extra services isn't going to do any good without belief and relationship. Fear is not the way to spread the gospel. Instead of worrying about what every church is doing wrong or how much better we are than someone else, how about we spend some time telling the world about Jesus. What the church looks like or how they do church is not as critical as why they do church. If church is all about Jesus it's really hard to have an unimportant or uninspired service. Had I walked into the last 2 revival meetings I listened to as a nonbeliever it would have made me want to walk away saying "if church people don't like each other why do I want to be one". We are often too critical of other churches or groups. We are arrogant sometimes in thinking relationship should look the same in everyone. In the same regards churches will not look the same either. Daniel did not look like David. Abraham did not look or act like Moses, Peter, or Paul. But all followed God. The reading of the scriptures and temple built in Nehemiah didn't look like the sermon on the mount in the New Testament. These are all examples of difference with same intent. All had an intended path. All point to Jesus and his redemption of man.

I hope we will learn that we should use opportunity for speaking to share about Jesus, not to promote ourselves as better than other believers. When we tell people about Jesus and they trust in him, then we must trust him to lead the people down the path he has for them.

As for me, from now on when a speaker begins to put down another group of believers. I simply delete the podcast and quit listening!





- MZG

I am getting a divorce because we have sex too often, said no one ever.

Note: I have delayed writing and posting this because I know it will be controversial.

Many of you know me and know that I am a seminary student but I also I am a full time manufacturing worker. I work in a production factory; I supervise, train, develop, and direct a bunch of men. Some of whom can be pretty rough sometimes. It is not an environment for sensitive ears or people who get their feelings hurt. I consider this a blessing as I believe the world needs more bivocational ministers. Being a seminary student and a licensed minister I get the more than occasional question. It is often easier to ask me than their own minister (if they even have one). It usually starts out like’ “you’re a minister….. Or you are in seminary so you would know……” Since I work with mostly men a lot of those questions regard women, specifically wives.

The fact that divorce is so common in the church today concerns me, it concerns me personally as I have been divorced and I understand all the wounds that can be created by it. I understand there is no such thing as an innocent party. I also understand we need to begin to change how common it is in our churches and in the world.

The number one topic that always comes up is sex. Every time a guy comes to me regarding his marriage it has to do with sex. Not always directly but it always leads back to sex. Let me throw some of the more common out there.

• I know I shouldn’t look at porn but my wife won’t even touch me since our kid was born or since her mother moved in. (or any other life change)
• I haven’t done anything or cheated yet but it’s just nice that someone wants to talk to me and actually listen without fussing. I mean I remember when it used to be that way at home.
• I know I shouldn’t look at other women but my wife doesn’t want my attention, so what does it hurt to look.

Now before anyone starts to say that they always are pushing blame on the wife, yes they are. Just like every wife blames the husband. Truth is both are to blame most of the time. I tell the men about their responsibilities (anyone that has ever been to a men’s meeting with me knows this). When I talk to a couple I will offer information regarding both roles. Today however I want to share with you all something I have noticed in all these instances. For whatever the reason at the time, in every case, the couple has stopped having sex. The devil attempts to pervert the God intended role of sex before marriage, why would we think that he does not work to pervert it by trying to stop it after marriage.

I understand there is more to a relationship than sex, however intimacy is key in every relationship, and sex is an intimate component of marriage. I would like to review several passages of scripture and reflect on them just from the idea of sex inside of marriage.

Genesis 2:18

The Lord God said, "It is not good for the man to be alone. I will make a helper suitable for him."

When a man or women is left alone by their mate then they are more susceptible to lust, and all the things that come with it. They can include such things as emotional cheating, physical cheating, porn, lustful romance novels or movies, etc.

Ephesians 5:31

"For this reason a man will leave his father and mother and be united to his wife, and the two will become one flesh."

It is hard to become as one flesh if you ignore each other sexually. Period. Physical distance will lead to relational distance, and later to actual separation. You cannot be united if you are separated in anyway.

1 Corinthians 7:4

The wife does not have authority over her own body but yields it to her husband. In the same way, the husband does not have authority over his own body but yields it to his wife.

Like it or not when you said I do you turned over yourself, fully yielded to the other person. This means in all things. It means if your spouse doesn’t agree with something you want to do you need to stop and rethink the thing. There needs to be discussion and agreement on all things. I hear people all the time say, my (wife or husband) doesn’t like it but I am going to do it anyway. That will never be a good thing, and cannot exist inside of a biblical relationship. The same is true with sex, men and women use sex as a tool to punish or reward each other. This is not right, and not biblical.

1 Corinthians 7:3

The husband should fulfill his marital duty to his wife, and likewise the wife to her husband.

This verse includes sex; with the expectation that the other person not have sex with anyone else but their spouse there is the counter expectation that each partner will have sex with each other. I have never met a person in the process of a divorce say I don’t know how this happened we were having sex every day. Have you? I have heard “I cannot believe they would sleep with so and so”. The other person usually responds with “what do you care you weren’t sleeping with me so what do you care if someone else wants me”…….. and so one and so forth.

Read the following passage from the message bible.

1 Corinthians 7:3-6The Message (MSG)

2-6 Certainly—but only within a certain context. It’s good for a man to have a wife, and for a woman to have a husband. Sexual drives are strong, but marriage is strong enough to contain them and provide for a balanced and fulfilling sexual life in a world of sexual disorder. The marriage bed must be a place of mutuality—the husband seeking to satisfy his wife, the wife seeking to satisfy her husband. Marriage is not a place to “stand up for your rights.” Marriage is a decision to serve the other, whether in bed or out. Abstaining from sex is permissible for a period of time if you both agree to it, and if it’s for the purposes of prayer and fasting—but only for such times. Then come back together again. Satan has an ingenious way of tempting us when we least expect it. I’m not, understand, commanding these periods of abstinence—only providing my best counsel if you should choose them.

Satan has a way of tempting us when we least expect it. If you have a marriage partner I would urge you to remove the sexual temptation that often rears itself in a sexless marriage. If you can figure out how to restore intimacy you will be surprised what that will fix.

It is my prayer that this will help someone.

I know you make it to every service but....

I have noticed a trend among people I associate with over the last few months. I think it seems to happen as New Years comes around. Perhaps it is seasonal. I am going to list below several statements I hear during this time. Hang in there. I am going somewhere with this.

1- I am on "such and such" bible reading plan. You should do it too if you want the things of God in 2016.

2- We didn't see you at the extra services we are having. We're in revival, we have a fresh wind, time to set aside things to be there every time instead of just a few times. It hurts me to see people who aren't willing to give it all up for God and only coming sometimes. Hope you can free yourself up soon.

3- I am doing "such and such" fast, you aren't ?? I am going after God and fasting is how I am kicking it off or this is how our church is kicking it off corporately.

These are prime examples of the "Jesus Juke". They are examples of trying to shame others to show you are better than them. A backhanded comment designed to show their level of spirituality but also attack the individual. What it truly reveals is the sayer doesn't love people or trust God as we should. If you love people you never want to shame them and if you trust God you know he will develop his children based on his plan.

Not everyone is the same and not everyone is being tasked for the same things by God. My response to the following could have been. (And almost was)

1- I am not on structured reading plan. But that doesn't imply that I don't read and study my bible. I am working the devotional routine that has provided years of stability in me.

2- God provided me with a grant for school and a job to support my family. Stewarding his gifts means I cannot always be at every service. God knows I am tending his gifts and he is proud of me. I don't have to be at every service because my relationship with God is not about attendance it is about love and stewardship of his presence and gifts.

3- God has impressed on me to fast before, but never as a new year event. I also have never done it at the prompting of someone else. I have never felt convicted that this was wrong or an inaccurate way to fast.

Instead I decided that response could be seen as my very own attempt to do the same thing to them. My own Jesus Juke. So I decided to be quiet and not speak. So you ask, why the post. Why be quiet and then tell the world........

........Because in this I learned something that I feel God wants me to share. In my silence I have realized that as we do life we develop relationships with people that are in our circles, some Christian and some not. Of those believers some are vocal and some are quiet. Some burn hot and fall away. Some are constant. I begun to watch those Christians around me who were quiet. Who didn't feel the need to Jesus Juke people and maintained there responsibilities. Who preferred to be devoted in silence, causing no offense in the body of believers and who set a example that would make non Christians take notice. As I noticed them I noticed maturity. I began to desire that which they had reached. That level of "in Him" that gave peace and order.

Just as Jesus would often shy away from the crowds and noise to the wilderness, I am trying to do the same. Jesus left his disciples and focused on waiting for the woman by the well, I am focusing on who crosses my path in the day to day of the path God has me on. I think we need less people caught up in hypes and fads and more people caught up in quiet simple devotion. I hear a lot about mass harvests of souls, and I am all for it. But knowing how things multiply if we all shared Christ and disciples one person there would be more added than any service will provide. If we all got quiet long enough to see the one person God had placed in front of us. Oh how the world would change. What if the mass harvest is meant to happen on at a time by each of us getting quiet with one person, not loud with many?

I hope what God has impressed on me will help someone else.







- MZG

Do you even know where that comes from? Is it in the bible?

How many people have ever used or heard the term "shekinah" in referring to God glory or presence? Most people probably don't realize this Hebrew used after the fact by Jewish Rabi's in Rabbinical writing. The word does not appear in scripture. I had this discussion with someone earlier today and it got me thinking. Don't believe all you hear without understanding and discernment! Is it wrong to use the term, I suppose that appears on intent, as descriptive term its okay, but to represent as a scriptural thing........ that is an issue. There are many other examples

Is there anything directly wrong with prayer beads, well it all depends on intent and who you pray to as to whether they are sinful to use. We just have to realize and use them based on personal conviction and not pass them off as scriptural.  What about church lore? St Theresa of Avila is quoted as saying that Jesus appeared first to his mother Mary and had to stay with her for some time to comfort her after the resurrection. These are traditional teachings but cannot be confirmed based on scripture, we need to practice discernment.  We need to be aware terms like trinity, divinity, rapture, incarnation. These are descriptive words assigned by scholars to represent events or ideas laid out in scripture, but they do not appear in the bible. It is important that we teach scripture, understand scripture, and know the difference between scripture and doctrinal things that man as described. 

Imagine telling a Pentecostal that term shekinah glory is not in the bible, or a Baptist that the Jesus or the disciples never used the word trinity….. What reaction would you get? Perhaps you should pull a Catholic aside and tell them there rosary comes from a pagan religion. How would that go……?

I am not by any means saying that there is anything wrong with these terms, teachings, or actions. I am however concerned how many teach them as being in the bible, and how many people do not realize there origins. If we are to use these terms we need to be able to explain and defend them. We need to know why we use these. We must have the knowledge needed, to answer the nonbeliever when asked questions, it is a part of our jobs as Christians to be able to tell others about Jesus.

If you were Jesus would you smile?

This morning's service came from the following passage. 

Mark 2:1-5 - After a few days, Jesus returned to Capernaum, and word got around that he was back home. A crowd gathered, jamming the entrance so no one could get in or out. He was teaching the Word. They brought a paraplegic to him, carried by four men. When they weren't able to get in because of the crowd, they removed part of the roof and lowered the paraplegic on his stretcher. Impressed by their bold belief, Jesus said to the paraplegic, "Son, I forgive your sins." 

The message was a sound one. I encourage anyone who wants to look it up on iTunes, simply search City Revival Church. It will come up. 

The thought I had does not have to do with the message preached. I found myself thinking, thinking about Jesus. As many of you know I have been focusing on what men can learn using Jesus as their role model. That has led me to desiring to be more like Jesus. I have recently begun to think of what he would be thinking or I should say based on what we know of his actions and character what he could have been thinking. I am not willing to presume that I would know what my Lord thinks. 

Let’s pretend for a moment we are Jesus in this passage. You are sitting in a house probably filled with some people who are curious about you, some of your traveling companions are in the room with you (maybe their family, come to see who has stolen them away from their careers), and some religious leaders looking to question it all. Suddenly you see some dust fall heavily from above. You hear a noise on the roof. You perhaps hear yelling; after all it wasn't their roof they were destroying. The religious men are asking some question they think they already know the answer to, when you see the first bit of light break thru. You see them now. Men! Regular men! They have two things, you can feel it. They have love for the man that is crippled and faith you can heal him. They know as you know his body is just part of the problem. His condition has left many scars and emotional issues. His anger with God has led him to sin by lashing out in anger and despair. You feel his pain. These men didn't come for a lecture. They came, they would not be stopped, simply to get the one they care about into your presence. You stand up slowly as the man begins to be lowered. You look up and lock eyes with the men lowering the cripple, one at a time you look into their faces. You see they know. They know you are the one they have waited on. You don't have to prove it. They already know. All they want is there friend to know. 

How pleased you are. In a minute the religious ones will accuse you of blasphemy. But for the moment you see 4 men who know you can fix all things. They know you and you them. You know all you will go through will be worth it, because there are men like these out there. These men that have found faith that people and buildings cannot stop, faith that moves out of love for another, you smile.

I think Jesus smiled. 

Oh how I want faith that will make Jesus smile. 

Headed for a beat down

Acts 19:15New International Version (NIV)

One day the evil spirit answered them, “Jesus I know, and Paul I know about, but who are you?”

As the story goes some religious people tried to use the name of Jesus, as Paul was doing to cast out demons. The demons called them on it. Showing them they had no authority. They got beat down, stripped naked, and run off.

One mistake left them naked and bloody.

They tried to use Jesus. They tried to get the authority in name and knowledge only. See, they knew the name but not the Savior. They new off him but did not have relationship. Power comes from not only know of Jesus but knowing him and him knowing you. Relationship.

Without it life will beat you down and leave you to run off in shame.






- MZG

A Baptist church too noisy??

See article here

While this seems a little extreme to me ........ It did get me thinking........I would ask why churches think they have to be as loud as possible. If it's about worship use voices not pumped up sound systems. More than once I have had to carry my son out. Churches have earplugs. Kids lay in floor with earplugs at one church we attend. I work in a factory and it's not as loud as most churches I have been in lately.

Damon Thompson says a Bentley isn't a sign of blessing because God doesn't bless a person of God in the same way a drug dealer can claim success. In other words we should not measure ourselves against the worlds standards. By the same thought pattern I say a church should not attempt to emulate the world to create worship. It's not a rock concert.

I wonder if this church had lost the big speakers and just raised their voices if this story would not have had a different ending.

Just my thoughts....




- MZG

Sometimes a meal is more than a meal!

           As I walk thru what it means to be a man, by looking at the life of Jesus, I feel the next topic to talk about is food. For those of you that know me, you know that I am a plump fellow, and that most of my activities involve food. It goes back to the fact that as a child we always had meals together and it was often be the only times we were together. My father has been feeding people my whole life. I cannot count the number of times our family of five swelled to ten plus after church as my father took us to eat. To this day when we meet him it is often over a meal and he always grabs the check. I used to argue with him about that, but have come to realize it is his way of still taking care of me even though I am grown. He allows the funds he saves his boys by paying to be used for other needs. It is his way of helping us out.

Imagine my surprise when I realized this was something Jesus did too. In John 6:1-14 or Matthew 14:13-21, Jesus fed a large group of people. There are people who argue the numbers but we will say it was a lot of people. They had come to hear him speak and they had come unprepared. Jesus met the needs of the people by feeding them. Let’s remove all symbolism and all the churchy stuff. 

Jesus had a chance to speak to people, they needed to hear, but if he didn’t feed them, he would have to send them away to find food as they were unprepared to stay. As men we need to learn from this, as Christians we need to learn from this. Not everyone has the means and abilities to do all the things and take advantage of all opportunities. Church camp is great but for the family that a meal is too costly, then camp is not an option. What if we could alleviate that one small blessing at a time? When we see a need and we have the means to we help fill that need we should. It does not have to be some great big thing. Sometimes it can simply be buy a meal for a family God has laid on your heart. Like my father when you feed someone you free those funds up for other uses and you get the joy of fellowship and a meal. Nothing is more New Testament Church than that: Acts 2:46 “Every day they continued to meet together in the temple courts. They broke bread in their homes and ate together with glad and sincere hearts”

Real men of God will feed others out of love; this is a lesson from the life of Jesus.

Who is your role model?

As a man this is struggle that I often ask myself. Should I be like the guy in an action movie, a star athlete, a famous musician? Should I emulate my Dad or one of my brothers? In the book of 1^st Corinthians 11:1 Paul tells the people to follow his example as he follows the example of Christ. Some would say then we should emulate Paul. But I think Paul meant has he follows Christ example, so should we follow Christ’s example.

I have been looking into the life of Jesus and reviewing it as a man, asking myself what examples or traits Jesus exhibited that every man should strive to have. I know we should all strive to be like Christ but then something hit me, as men we have a unique example. If I am a woman and want to live more like Christ I must look at his actions and translate them to my role as a woman. If I am a man then I simply need to see what I can learn from these actions. (This is where all the women can say he had to keep it simple for the men) With this in mind I have been studying what Jesus did that was “man stuff”. Things that reflected how a human man should behave.

The first thing I chose to focus on may actually shock some people. It tends to go against what we think a man should be.

                John 11:35, “Jesus wept.”

Jesus as God delayed going to see Lazarus so that the miracle could occur. Upon arrival the man in Jesus wept at the loss of his friend. This has always struck me as odd because he knew that he was going to raise him from the dead, so why did he weep.

Empathy, the ability to feel the pain of those around him, to feel their hurt of the loved ones left behind, to know the suffering of Lazarus as he died. All of these things were not lost on Jesus. In his action of weeping others said “look how he loved him”. Our empathy for others shows our heart. Empathy is the ability to understand and share the feelings of another. So as men we need to be able to understand and share the feelings of others. This allows us to show our love for others and thru that the love of Christ for others.

As men we must weep for others.

I am definitely the 3rd string

I had a lady today tell me I couldn't be a pastor because my past disqualified me.

I started to point out perhaps she misread the scripture. Perhaps she imagined that Jesus could save me but not use me, that was just to much for Him to handle. Perhaps her southern baptist up bringing has placed doctrinal teaching in her mindset that aren't scriptural. I started to ask her if she would like to beat me with her KJV 1611 and set things right.

Instead I just smiled and thanked her for her opinion.

I admit I may be the third string. But if God wants me to in the game then 3 things I am sure of:

1) the first and second string players decided they weren't going in. So if your mad I get to play talk to them.

2) if your in the stands you are a spectator and don't really get to judge my qualifications.

3) the coach (God) said I was perfect thanks to his Son. His opinion is all that really matters.

Just saying.





- MZG

Fake smiles will steal your Joy

The more I read and listen to from Joel Osteen the more I realize he is a successful self help sociologist. He will make you feel better about being you. The danger with that is there will be a lot of good people feeling good about themselves in hell. I use him as an example but there are many pastors doing the same thing.

The truth is.......

.......It is your fault. Not your parents, ex, job, or circumstances. You are the sinner. There is no other answer. No other person or thing to blame. Nothing you will ever do can better this situation. Jesus died to save your soul. He did not die to make you rich, more successful, happier at work, give you a different spouse, or better behaved kids. Sometimes those things come but a dedicated life will often end up like the disciples, beaten, jailed, and killed.

Don't put your hopes in a man with plastic surgery and a fake smile who tells you to be happy. Put it in a God who became man and died to give you eternity and joy! Joy comes from knowing the love of a father that overcomes all your sin.




- MZG

Are you trapped in a blessing?

This morning I am sipping grits from a Styrofoam cup (make them runny and you don’t need a spoon) on break in the factory where I work. This morning is a struggle as I am torn between being thankful and needing change. I am at work this morning but I feel I should be with my wife and child preparing to head to church. I understand that in this day and time jobs are blessings. I have been on mine for 13 years and have seen plenty of blessing and promotions. I am grateful for what I have, please do not misunderstand. Over the years things change and requirements and expectations change. More time is required to meet expectations. I am concerned about the things that are lost or given up to allow for this additional commitment of time. Things like time with family, involvement in church, school (seminary). My wife can attest to the fact whether it’s trying to get the grass cut in the evenings or just trying to relax on the couch there is the phone calls and the emails that never get caught up. Everyone who strives to do their best will eventually let what they do consume them to some point, and some areas of employment are more demanding of time.

One of my favorite preachers is Damon Thompson, he teaches about how Egypt was salvation for Israel when Israel an infant nation, but they stayed to long, what was salvation became bondage. What may be a current blessing or was a blessing can hold a person back from what they are presently intended to be or do.

 I also think back to what Jesus said to rich young ruler in Mark 10:21,

Jesus looked him hard in the eye—and loved him! He said, “There’s one thing left: Go sell whatever you own and give it to the poor. All your wealth will then be heavenly wealth. And come follow me.”

I am afraid that I am failing to follow him. I am at the point where it seems to be able to change the pattern of where I am, I would need to sale everything and leave to start over. How does one balance that with the need to care for a family?

I feel that I am allowing the wrong thing to consume me and I do not know how to right the ship.

I write this not to seek sympathy or answers but so that others who may feel this way know that they are not alone. The struggle is real……………….

Ramblings of a tired Dad!

So here are some things I have been thinking of lately. No right or wrong. Just what's been on my mind.

I often find it difficult to balance time at work with time with family. My job keeps me away a lot. I see others who have more time. Then I see those who choose not to give 100 percent because they want more time at home. I wish my Dad had been home more. I worry my son will say the same thing one day. But I also look at all the people with there hands out not willing to work to take care of their kids and family and I know I will never be one of those. My father instilled to strong a work ethic in me because I saw it in him. If I choose not to give 100 percent my son would see me more, but he would develop the same work ethic that gave me that time. He would be set up for failure. I have resolved myself to make moments count and teach him hard work. My hard work and time away will mean his mother raised him not a daycare. If I work hard he will never know a time without a parent with him. That is time well spent. One day when he looks around at all the people who have accepted mediocrity he will be proud to know he got his work ethic from his dad. He will be a success because he will work hard, pray daily, and know that even tired we have to take time to read our bibles.




- MZG

Vacation, transgender, and Christian principles

So I am spending some time on vacation with the family. Which leads to the baby needing to eat in. So while the wife does that I am contemplating life sitting in the front seat of the jeep.

Today's hot topic Transgender. Ever where you turn. Transgender is the new "shock and awe" media topic having replaced homosexuals as the new "it" topic. There is a lot of talk out there about the need for Christians to love and support these people because Jesus would. These people like to state all sin is equal.

Let's discuss both of those.

Jesus excepts everyone just like they are. He did this throughout the New Testament. He did this with the woman caught in adultery. I chose this story because people like to use this to say don't "cast the first stone". Jesus also however told the lady to go and leave her sinful lifestyle. He was not mean. He was loving. He also confronted her sin and instructed her to no longer continue in it.





So we can say to the transgender person we love you. We want the best for you. Jesus loves you. However we will not accept or celebrate your life of sin just as we do not do that for anyone else living in sin.

All sins are not equal. We see this in the Old Testament with the kings of Israel. When we create a lifestyle that accepts sins as trivial then it becomes a big deal. Knowing we are wrong but continuing to live that way angers God differently than our random daily sins.




It is wrong for us as Christians to accept sinful lifestyles as trivial. This includes transgenders. That however does not mean it allows for any form of hate and harmful speech. That's the difference, that's love.




- MZG

Do you hurt others for God??

1st Samuel 22:17

The king ordered his henchmen, "Surround and kill the priests of GOD!

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Saul knew that God had plans for David. He knew that he was going to lose his kingdom to David. The very throne that God had given him. In his desire to kill David he also gave orders to kill other men of God.

Sometimes we destroy our own roles that God gave us. Just as Saul did with his by disobeying God. We then attempt to hold on to what God called us to, under our own power. When we do this we often sacrifice other men and women of God in order to maintain our position.

When God sees fit to replace you, either for failures or for growth. Allow this to occur with humility. Humble people God can restore and use. People who only want the position will lead to their own demise.




- MZG

The language barrier

Charlotte North Carolina, much like many growing cities has seen an influx of different cultures. That influx of culture brings additional languages. There is a need for churches to be able to minister to these individuals. There was a time when we must go abroad in order to need a foreign language in order to witness to people of a different culture. This is no longer the case. I advise all churches that I work with to have at least one greeter that speaks Spanish, one person in their children's ministry that speaks Spanish, and to provide audio dubbed over videos in Spanish. The reason for this is that Hispanic populations are the fastest-growing demographic in North America. There are a group of adults with limited language skills who have children that must translate for them. This often leads to parents either dropping off their children or not wanting the children to leave them in case they need the language skills. We can alleviate that as churches if we provide someone who speaks their primary language. I understand we will never be able to provide a translator for every language however if we understand the area in which the church is placed and we understand the demographics of that area, then there should be no reason we cannot actively engage persons in that community in whatever form of communication is most vital and effective.

We often speak of language as a cultural verbal communication. I believe that there are overlooked languages that the church must learn to speak. These are the languages of technology and action.  The younger generation uses technology as their primary communication tool, they will sit in a room and text one another. They communicate with their friends through updating statuses. The church must learn to communicate with these individuals in this culture. The other language the church must learn to speak is that of action. The church must be actively involved in the culture in which it is placed. If it is not, then any communication it makes with the persons of the community will fall on deaf ears. 

Language and communication are critical for the church to grow not only in the area that I am in but in other areas around the country. This should be a topic of discussion for any church. This should be a topic of discussion for any person in ministry.