Do You Hear What I Hear?

Sunday night , we did an Old Fashion 5th Sunday Night Sing. Great crowd and great blessing. As I opened in prayer I thought I heard something, and then I heard it again. It was true! Someone was calling out my name, but they weren't saying, Brother Greg or Pastor. It was getting louder and louder. I could hear people snickering , trying to muffle it as I prayed on. It was a sound that was even sweeter to my ears. The voice and the tone began to sound quite familiar. it was coming from a special guest that I didn't know was there. It was coming from the lips of a nearly two year old blond headed boy seated toward the back with his family.

The word he was shouting out carries great weight and responsibility. It is a term that means someone is counting on you, and that regardless of circumstances, love still wins.

When I said Amen, I asked our folks to great each other and everyone go give my grandson Aiden a big welcome hug.

The word which he spoke over and over.............Papaw! I loved it! One of those moments you cherish. What a joy and a blessing to be part of a family that has such a loving church family.

COURAGEOUS will be Contagious

Well the excitement has built toward this week as Sherwood Pictures releases the much anticipated motion picture, COURAGEOUS. Having previewed it twice, I believe God is going to use this film maybe in a greater way than He has already shown with Fireproof. Every man who sees it will be challenged and convicted about our roles as fathers and husbands.

I am grateful for Michael Catt and the vision the Lord has given Sherwood Baptist Church to take the gospel to Hollywood. COURAGEOUS stands shoulder to should with the best the film industry has to offer in terms of quality, effects, acting, and overall production. As you will see, it touches every emotion we have.

The one thing that a movie like this one offers that others can't is the fact that we can't change ourselves, and that a personal relationship with Christ is the answer for your life.

We are looking forward to having most of the Theatre packed this Saturday at 10:15 A.M. for the first showing of the day. If you are not able to go with us, make sure you go see it. You will never be the same.

We pray God's blessing on the opening of COURAGEOUS the movie. Check it out!
www.courageousthemovie.com

911 Remembered

This Sunday, 9/11 is the tenth Anniversary of a day we will never forget. As special services are prepared to remember those who lost their lives and the families that were destroyed, our minds are still flooded with pictures of the ash covered people wandering helplessly on the streets of NYC as well as the heroic effort of the first responders and chaplains who gave tirelessly to help people in need.

As I saw the following announced on the news recently, it is hard to fathom the thinking of excluding those who represent the God we clung to and cried out to on that day and the God we still need every second of the day.

Richard Land writes from the SBC Ethics and Religious Liberty Commission,

"Perhaps you saw or heard it on the news, that New York City Mayor Mike Bloomberg’s decision not to include chaplains and religious leaders at the 10th anniversary of 9/11 commemoration service, despite his acclaimed support of religious freedom and tolerance:

It is interesting to contrast the 10th anniversary of the attack on the World Trade Center’s Twin Towers with the day of the attack. Chaplains and religious leaders were welcomed, and some were martyred, as they sought to minister their faith to the victims of the attack. On that day, political correctness didn’t matter. It was overwhelmed by the crushing reality of the tragedy of 9/11, and people turned, as they always do, to solace from the realm of the spiritual.

“I understand that first responders were also not invited to the 10th anniversary event, unless they happened to be relatives of victims. Once again, on the original 9/11 attack, first responders were not excluded. I suspect that if, God forbid, there is another attack of similar severity in New York, neither religious leaders nor first responders will be excluded, but welcomed at the scene."

Reading My Obituary

Wednesday I will attend the funeral of a boyhood friend, and ironically, a friend with the same name as mine. Only difference is that he was Greg O. Jackson and I am Greg F. Jackson. We used to have some fun with people mixing us up or confusing the conversation. The biggest mix up came when we both went to the same oral surgeon to have wisdom teeth taken out. I only had three and Greg O. went to his appointment before me and they only took three of his four teeth out. He had to go back. I was laying back in the chair and noticed my x ray had Greg O. on it. We caught it in a nick of time.
I wonder if anyone will see the obit and immediately think it is me who has passed. The difference in the second sentence of this blog is he was and I am. It was very eerie reading the obituary with my name on it. The good news is that Greg O. is not a was. He is at this moment in the presence of the Lord with a son and his dad. He is more alive than he has ever been.
Do you realize you are writing your obituary right now with your life. Make it count for Christ!

Back to the Beach!

One thing that I am grateful for is the memory of family vacations. The expectation and excitement was over the top as we prepared to go south, and many of those trips going over to Myrtle Beach.

Now as a Papaw, we are traveling with our family, and grandson. He has no clue what is in store, but one thing I pray for. That he will enjoy it as much as we did growing up. That he will enjoy it as much as his dad did when he was a little boy.

So as I prepare, here is the last checklist for Mamaw and Papaw:

Family

Bible

Money

50 spf Coppertone

Golf clubs

Beach tools

Money

Good Shades and Hat

Boat Load of Fun

GPS

Money!

Time with your family: Priceless!

Reflections from the 2011 S.B.C. in Phoenix

It has been a week since returning from this year's Southern Baptist Convention and Pastor's Conference in Phoenix. I am very encouraged in regards to our Convention and the focus on planting churches and taking the gospel to the nations.

New IMB President Tom Elliff was right when he said that the whole convention had led to a commitment to get involved in touching one of the 3800 unengaged people groups that have yet to hear the gospel of Christ.

It is always good to be reaquainted with preacher friends from all over the country. One hi light was meeting the cast of Courageous coming out September 30. It is going to be huge.

As in the past few years, the dress code was very casual with President Bryant Wright sporting a golf shirt through the entire convention. He did a fine job of handling the business, and used appropriate humor to lighten any tenseness.

One thing I appreciated was that some of the speakers did wear suit and tie, just as they always have. That is where I wish to make a point. Let's just be who we are and not think we have to fit in someone else's mold. If we are casual on Sunday morning in our home church amen. If we are in a suit amen. Just be who you are in Christ.

In regards to the Pastor's Conference I was blessed tremendously. The music was spirit led and each preacher I heard spoke to my heart. With somewhere around 200,000.00 coming in through the offering , not to cover expenses, but to have a Bible translated into two languages who have never had the Bible is wonderful.

One bit of sorrow I have is that for many years us older pastors have prayed that young preachers would attend. When Vance Pitman scheduled the speakers this year it seemed he became a target for many and there seemed to be a great assault by some of us seasoned preachers. I pray as I get older, that criticism and sarcasm will not be weapons I use to hurt another brother in Christ.

While attendance was down, probably due to the economy and the location, there were more young preachers there with their wives and family. If the next generation is going to lead, we need to support them and encourage them as they do so. The next generation, like you and me, who are preaching the Bible and the Gospel of Christ. That is what I heard from each of the men invited to preach.

I am grateful to pastor a S.B.C. church and one that is growing to have a heart for the nations.
This year's convention has fueled that flame.

Across the Street

It is hard to believe that we are now in June. The rainy spring shot us into 90 degree humid weather. Summer is upon us ready or not.

I used to have some crazy thought that if I were ever a pastor, I could schedule vacation whenever I wanted and have pick of the prime weeks. The truth is, that during the summer, it becomes one of the busiest periods of the year in the life of the local church. Camps, Mission Trips, VBS. There are plenty of places to serve this summer. These are exciting times to be part of the First Family with the privilege of serving in a wonderful community like Camden.

If the Lord wills, we are excited to take our first beach vacation later in the summer with the entire family, grand son and all. I remember those beach vacations as a boy and they are things I hope our family continues to repeat. Our kids were blessed to go on trips with my parents and I hope we can do it as our family grows.

One memory I have is the fact they we normally stayed across the street from the beach. We could see the ocean, but were just across the street. There were reasons that I now realize such as cost, and that my parents were loyal to clean places that had good managers. You could count on it being as advertised.

As we serve this summer by doing things here and going to other places, let us be sure that we go across the street in our neighborhoods and streets and share the hope of Christ with those closest to us, even across the street!

Until He comes...we will go!