Would you be willing to give your life to save another person? This is the question Wesley Autrey asked himself as he watched a young New York stranger fall between the subway tracks in front of an approaching train.
Harlem native Wesley Autrey, a 50-year-old construction worker and Navy veteran was waiting for a subway with his two young daughters. Nearby, a man collapsed, his body convulsing due to a seizure. Autrey and two women rushed to help as the man appeared to regain his composure. Cameron Hollopeter, 20, managed to get up, but then stumbled to the platform edge and fell to the tracks, between the two rails. The headlights of the No.1 train appeared. “I had to make a split decision,” Autrey said. So he made one, and leapt.
As the train approached, Mr. Autrey lay on Mr. Hollopeter, his heart pounding, pressing him down in a space roughly a foot deep. The train’s brakes screeched, but it could not stop in time. Five cars rolled overhead before the train stopped, the cars passing inches from his head, smudging his blue knit cap with grease. Mr. Autrey heard onlookers’ screams. “We’re O.K. down here,” he yelled, “but I’ve got two daughters up there. Let them know their father’s O.K.” He heard cries of wonder, and applause.
In the weeks following his heroic act, Autrey has been the focus of massive media attention. Along with multiple television appearances, he was even recognized by President Bush during his State of the Union address last week. Autrey was surprised by the attention drawn to his unselfish act. In a very humble demeanor he told the press, “I don’t feel like I did something spectacular; I just saw someone who needed help. I don't think I did anything heroic. I just saved a life. I don't call myself a hero because the real heroes are overseas dying for you and me.”
Ecclesiastes 4:9-10 reminds us that each of us is vulnerable to falling, “Two are better than one, because they have a good return for their work: If one falls down, his friend can help him up. But pity the man who falls and has no one to help him up!” Our fall may be a financial fall, a moral fall, a health fall or a marriage fall. Regardless of the fall, we need to have men around us who can help us get back on our feet.
Perhaps you don’t have someone out there watching your back. This is what Men’s Ministry is all about. The teaching, food and fellowship are great, but the ultimate goal is building meaningful relationships with other men. These relationships are sometimes awkward and difficult for men, but in the end they can make all the difference.
Shoulder to Shoulder,
Gregg
Friday, January 26, 2007
Wednesday, January 17, 2007
Do It Again Lord!
New York City businessman Jeremiah Lanphier and six other men knelt in prayer during their lunchtime. Lanphier was concerned about the lack of spiritual interest in his city and nation. The United States was in spiritual, political, and economic decline. Many people were disillusioned with spiritual things because of preachers who had repeatedly predicted the end of the world in the 1840's. Agitation over slavery was breeding political unrest, and civil war seemed near. He knew they needed revival and prayer was the key. He had rented a hall on Fulton Street and advertised for men to come and pray on their lunch breaks. He was discouraged when only six showed up, but was reminded that Christ promised to be present when only two or three gathered in His name. They agreed to meet again next week.
The third week of the prayer meetings, forty participated and they asked for daily meetings. Within six months 10,000 people were gathering daily for prayer in New York City alone. Other cities experienced a renewed interest in prayer, too. In Chicago, the Metropolitan Theater was filled every day with 2000 praying people. In Louisville, several thousand came to the Masonic Temple for prayer each morning. 2,000 assembled for daily prayer in Cleveland and St. Louis churches were filled for months at a time. In many places tents were set up for prayer.
In 1858 the New York Tribune devoted an entire issue to news of the revival. News of the revival traveled west by telegraph. Lay people, not church leaders, led the meetings. Prayer, rather than preaching, was the main focus. The meetings themselves were informal -- any person might pray, speak, lead in a song, or give a word of testimony, with a five minute limit placed on each speaker.
Thus the small prayer meeting of Jeremy Lanphier led to the Third Great Awakening. Many of the thousands who died in the Civil War came to faith in Christ during the Prayer Revival. This was the first revival beginning in America with a worldwide impact. The revival spread to Ireland, Scotland, Wales, England, Europe, South Africa, India, Australia, and the Pacific islands.
This week our church is preparing for a revival conference and I am asking our men to lead the way. Will you take some time to pray and fast over the next four days as we prepare for Sunday? Will you lead out and bring your family to each of the conference sessions? Let us ask God to do it again, and let it start with us.
Shoulder to Shoulder,
Gregg
The third week of the prayer meetings, forty participated and they asked for daily meetings. Within six months 10,000 people were gathering daily for prayer in New York City alone. Other cities experienced a renewed interest in prayer, too. In Chicago, the Metropolitan Theater was filled every day with 2000 praying people. In Louisville, several thousand came to the Masonic Temple for prayer each morning. 2,000 assembled for daily prayer in Cleveland and St. Louis churches were filled for months at a time. In many places tents were set up for prayer.
In 1858 the New York Tribune devoted an entire issue to news of the revival. News of the revival traveled west by telegraph. Lay people, not church leaders, led the meetings. Prayer, rather than preaching, was the main focus. The meetings themselves were informal -- any person might pray, speak, lead in a song, or give a word of testimony, with a five minute limit placed on each speaker.
Thus the small prayer meeting of Jeremy Lanphier led to the Third Great Awakening. Many of the thousands who died in the Civil War came to faith in Christ during the Prayer Revival. This was the first revival beginning in America with a worldwide impact. The revival spread to Ireland, Scotland, Wales, England, Europe, South Africa, India, Australia, and the Pacific islands.
This week our church is preparing for a revival conference and I am asking our men to lead the way. Will you take some time to pray and fast over the next four days as we prepare for Sunday? Will you lead out and bring your family to each of the conference sessions? Let us ask God to do it again, and let it start with us.
Shoulder to Shoulder,
Gregg
Thursday, December 14, 2006
The Christmas Miracle
In his book, Silent Night: The Story of the World War I Christmas Truce, Stanley Weintraub tells the true story of one of the most amazing events to occur during wartime. In 1914, the armies of Europe had become bogged down in a new and horrible type of warfare, called trench warfare. Over hundreds of miles, millions of men lived in trenches, trading fire with enemy soldiers as close as sixty yards away. During the first months of the war, the fighting had been fierce, causing hundreds of thousands of casualties.
On Christmas Eve, a group of German soldiers placed some candles on small trees and set them on the edge of their trench. One German soldier began to sing the familiar German carol, Silent Night. Soldiers on the British side responded by singing other carols. Hand made signs offering a truce began to appear up and down the line. Soon men began to venture out into “no man’s land” to greet each other and exchange gifts of chocolate cake, cognac, postcards, newspapers, and tobacco.
It was also a time to bury the dead who up to this point had been unreachable in “no man’s land.” At one point, soldiers from both sides stood around a fresh grave and quoted the 23rd Psalm together. As Christmas day dawned, the truce began to spread up and down the lines. At one point a British soldier pulled out a soccer ball and the Germans proceeded to beat the British in a pick-up soccer game.
Unfortunately the truce was short lived. Within days the war was back with all of its ferocity and violence. Though three more Christmas’s would come and go, there would be no more truces. By the time the war ended in November of 1918, 8 million would die and another 21 million would be wounded.
A relatively unknown Scottish poet Frederick Niven, writing about the event in his poem, A Carol from Flanders, summed up the sentiments of millions in his day and ours:
O ye who read this truthful rime
From Flanders, kneel and say:
God speed the time when every day
Shall be as Christmas Day.
My friend, in the midst of the frustration and business of life, may the Lord grant you a peaceful and restful Christmas, surrounded by family and friends. May the joy of Christ and the hope of the gospel be yours in abundance.
Shoulder to Shoulder,
Gregg
On Christmas Eve, a group of German soldiers placed some candles on small trees and set them on the edge of their trench. One German soldier began to sing the familiar German carol, Silent Night. Soldiers on the British side responded by singing other carols. Hand made signs offering a truce began to appear up and down the line. Soon men began to venture out into “no man’s land” to greet each other and exchange gifts of chocolate cake, cognac, postcards, newspapers, and tobacco.
It was also a time to bury the dead who up to this point had been unreachable in “no man’s land.” At one point, soldiers from both sides stood around a fresh grave and quoted the 23rd Psalm together. As Christmas day dawned, the truce began to spread up and down the lines. At one point a British soldier pulled out a soccer ball and the Germans proceeded to beat the British in a pick-up soccer game.
Unfortunately the truce was short lived. Within days the war was back with all of its ferocity and violence. Though three more Christmas’s would come and go, there would be no more truces. By the time the war ended in November of 1918, 8 million would die and another 21 million would be wounded.
A relatively unknown Scottish poet Frederick Niven, writing about the event in his poem, A Carol from Flanders, summed up the sentiments of millions in his day and ours:
O ye who read this truthful rime
From Flanders, kneel and say:
God speed the time when every day
Shall be as Christmas Day.
My friend, in the midst of the frustration and business of life, may the Lord grant you a peaceful and restful Christmas, surrounded by family and friends. May the joy of Christ and the hope of the gospel be yours in abundance.
Shoulder to Shoulder,
Gregg
Friday, December 08, 2006
Dangerous Shortcuts
On November 18, 35 year old James Kim and his family left their San Francisco home for a Thanksgiving holiday trip to visit relatives in Portland, Oregon. On the trip home, they planned to take a shortcut over the little traveled Bear Camp Road through the rugged Oregon mountain wilderness near Rogue River. During the night, they began to encounter heavy snow. Soon their 2005 Saab wagon was stuck and they huddled together for warmth, thinking someone would find them in the morning, but no one came.
For three days they ran the car heater to stay warm and ate what little food they had with them. When the gas ran out they burned all the tires, even the spare, to stay warm. With no more heat and food running out, Kim decided he would leave the vehicle and look for help. He said he would return in five hours, but was gone for two days. On the second day, the vehicle was spotted by a search helicopter and Kim’s wife and his two daughters were rescued. Kim’s body was found about a mile from the vehicle. Gauging by his tracks, he had walked about ten miles in a circle before succumbing to hypothermia.
Speaking with reporters after Kim’s body was found, Terri Stone, an innkeeper at the lodge in Gold Beach, where the Kims were to have stayed the night of Nov. 25, said the Bear Camp Road is shown on some Internet road-direction sites as the best way to get to the coast from Grants Pass, but she advises against it. "It looks like the shortest distance, but it is very, very treacherous," she said.
Sometimes we are tempted to take moral shortcuts in the course of our lives. God’s word warns us, “There is a way that seems right to a man, but its end is the way of death.” Lured by the promise of easy, painless success, men often compromise biblical standards and ignore the internal moral GPS God has given us – our conscience. Paul reminded the Corinthians, “For our boasting is this: the testimony of our conscience that we conducted ourselves in the world in simplicity and godly sincerity, not with fleshly wisdom but by the grace of God, and more abundantly toward you.”
Sadly, we are not the only ones who suffer when we make a wrong moral choice, our families suffer as well. My brother in Christ, today you may be facing a severe temptation to compromise what you know is right, in order to get ahead. May God give you the grace and courage to do the right thing, to make the right choice, regardless of the sacrifice and inconvenience. Your family and friends are watching and counting on you to make the right decision.
Shoulder to Shoulder,
Gregg
For three days they ran the car heater to stay warm and ate what little food they had with them. When the gas ran out they burned all the tires, even the spare, to stay warm. With no more heat and food running out, Kim decided he would leave the vehicle and look for help. He said he would return in five hours, but was gone for two days. On the second day, the vehicle was spotted by a search helicopter and Kim’s wife and his two daughters were rescued. Kim’s body was found about a mile from the vehicle. Gauging by his tracks, he had walked about ten miles in a circle before succumbing to hypothermia.
Speaking with reporters after Kim’s body was found, Terri Stone, an innkeeper at the lodge in Gold Beach, where the Kims were to have stayed the night of Nov. 25, said the Bear Camp Road is shown on some Internet road-direction sites as the best way to get to the coast from Grants Pass, but she advises against it. "It looks like the shortest distance, but it is very, very treacherous," she said.
Sometimes we are tempted to take moral shortcuts in the course of our lives. God’s word warns us, “There is a way that seems right to a man, but its end is the way of death.” Lured by the promise of easy, painless success, men often compromise biblical standards and ignore the internal moral GPS God has given us – our conscience. Paul reminded the Corinthians, “For our boasting is this: the testimony of our conscience that we conducted ourselves in the world in simplicity and godly sincerity, not with fleshly wisdom but by the grace of God, and more abundantly toward you.”
Sadly, we are not the only ones who suffer when we make a wrong moral choice, our families suffer as well. My brother in Christ, today you may be facing a severe temptation to compromise what you know is right, in order to get ahead. May God give you the grace and courage to do the right thing, to make the right choice, regardless of the sacrifice and inconvenience. Your family and friends are watching and counting on you to make the right decision.
Shoulder to Shoulder,
Gregg
Thursday, November 30, 2006
The Legacy of Joseph
This Friday, December 1, the movie The Nativity opens in theaters around the nation. Several months ago I had the opportunity to attend a special preview of the movie. I want to highly recommend it to you. It is inspiring, entertaining and most importantly, true to the biblical narrative. One of the things I most enjoyed was the portrayal of Joseph as a man of faith, courage and compassion
In the third chapter of the Gospel of Luke we read “When He began His ministry, Jesus Himself was about thirty years of age, being supposedly the son of Joseph …” Even though Joseph was not Christ’s natural father, he certainly was a significant father figure during Christ’s formative years. Amazingly, we know very little about this man who along with Mary had the greatest influence on the physical, emotional and spiritual development of the Son of God.
Joseph is described as a humble, very ordinary man. Though he was a descendent of the great King David, he was one of the common people. He was said to be a carpenter (Matthew 13:55). The word actually describes any common laborer who worked with wood or stone. His offering as described in Luke 2:24 was the humble offering of doves, rather than the more expensive lamb.
In Matthew 1:19 we find an insight into why God chose this humble, ordinary man to raise his son, “And Joseph her husband, being a righteous man …” What is a “righteous man”? A righteous man is simply one who is right with God and right with others. He has accepted God’s “gift of righteousness” (Romans 5:17), allowing him to experience the forgiveness of sin and acceptance into God’s family.
When facing moral decisions, he consistently tries to do the right thing (1 John 3:7). In his relationship with others, He deliberately chooses to live according to God's commands, treating others as he himself would want to be treated. In Proverbs 20:7, God promises a special blessing for the righteous man, “The righteous man leads a blameless life; blessed are his children after him.”
Like me, you may identify with a common, ordinary person like Joseph. We do not possess great gifts or achieve significant notoriety. We like to fly under the radar most of the time. It excites me to think that God uses ordinary people to accomplish extraordinary things. It gratifies me to believe that a righteous man can leave an incredible legacy to his children and grandchildren. May the Lord grant us the grace to be righteous men!
Shoulder to shoulder,
Gregg
In the third chapter of the Gospel of Luke we read “When He began His ministry, Jesus Himself was about thirty years of age, being supposedly the son of Joseph …” Even though Joseph was not Christ’s natural father, he certainly was a significant father figure during Christ’s formative years. Amazingly, we know very little about this man who along with Mary had the greatest influence on the physical, emotional and spiritual development of the Son of God.
Joseph is described as a humble, very ordinary man. Though he was a descendent of the great King David, he was one of the common people. He was said to be a carpenter (Matthew 13:55). The word actually describes any common laborer who worked with wood or stone. His offering as described in Luke 2:24 was the humble offering of doves, rather than the more expensive lamb.
In Matthew 1:19 we find an insight into why God chose this humble, ordinary man to raise his son, “And Joseph her husband, being a righteous man …” What is a “righteous man”? A righteous man is simply one who is right with God and right with others. He has accepted God’s “gift of righteousness” (Romans 5:17), allowing him to experience the forgiveness of sin and acceptance into God’s family.
When facing moral decisions, he consistently tries to do the right thing (1 John 3:7). In his relationship with others, He deliberately chooses to live according to God's commands, treating others as he himself would want to be treated. In Proverbs 20:7, God promises a special blessing for the righteous man, “The righteous man leads a blameless life; blessed are his children after him.”
Like me, you may identify with a common, ordinary person like Joseph. We do not possess great gifts or achieve significant notoriety. We like to fly under the radar most of the time. It excites me to think that God uses ordinary people to accomplish extraordinary things. It gratifies me to believe that a righteous man can leave an incredible legacy to his children and grandchildren. May the Lord grant us the grace to be righteous men!
Shoulder to shoulder,
Gregg
Friday, November 17, 2006
A Day in the Life of President Lincoln
For years I have admired President Abraham Lincoln. After reading several biographies of his life, I have a collection of some of my favorite
The American Civil War took a heavy toll on the emotional and physical health of President Lincoln. Besides the many meetings with his cabinet and the military regarding the logistics of funding and fighting the war,
The scripture commands us to “Give thanks to the Lord, for He is good!” Often we rush into the presence of God to ask for help or to meet a need, which He encourages us to do. How often do we come to Him just to say “thanks.” We teach and expect our children to say “thank you” when they receive a gift. Perhaps we should model a thankful heart for them as well.
Dear brother in Christ, in this season of Thanksgiving, I encourage you to lead your family to experience the true meaning of Thanksgiving. One of our family traditions as we sit down to Thanksgiving Dinner is to give each family member an opportunity to share what he or she is thankful for. As for me, I am thankful for so many things, including you and the privilege or serving as your pastor.
Shoulder to Shoulder,
Gregg
Thursday, November 09, 2006
A Coach After God's Own Heart
Last Monday night, October 30, thousands of Ohio State football fans packed an arena on the Ohio State campus. They came from all over the state of Ohio, some driving up to 90 minutes to attend what was being called “The Main Event”. They did not come to cheer on their #1 ranked team or to heap accolades on Coach Jim Tressel and his star players. Instead, they came to hear the coach and several players give God the glory for their successes.
"Once you understand that God is behind everything, it gives you strength," wide receiver Roy Hall told the crowd. Coach Tressel said he wanted to step away from his role of coach and speak "as a child of God." He told the crowd that in 1969 he attended a high school sports summer camp where retired New York Yankees second baseman Bobby Richardson asked him, "If the game of life ended tonight, would you be a winner?"
Senior Joe Penton echoed those comments. "We would feel so bad talking about our relationship with Christ tonight, without giving you an opportunity to enter into that very same relationship, Penton says, "When Jesus Christ, God in human flesh, died on that cross, he took on the penalty for our sin. Because he paid it, we can have a relationship with Him. We can know Him personally. We can have the promise of eternal life -- living forever with God."
How exciting to see Coach Tressel and his team using their notoriety to honor Christ and to influence people to believe in Him. Think what might happen if every Christian would use his or her influence to bring attention to Christ and the gospel of grace.
1 Corinthians 10:31 reminds us, “So whether you eat or drink or whatever you do, do it all for the glory of God.” My friend, you were made to do one primary thing – to bring glory to God. That is your greatest purpose and highest calling. If even the most mundane things like eating and drinking, can be used to glorify God, think how more effective it would be to use your gifts, talents, strengths and resources to honor Christ. Today, may God be blessed and glorified in all we say and do.
Shoulder to shoulder,
Gregg
"Once you understand that God is behind everything, it gives you strength," wide receiver Roy Hall told the crowd. Coach Tressel said he wanted to step away from his role of coach and speak "as a child of God." He told the crowd that in 1969 he attended a high school sports summer camp where retired New York Yankees second baseman Bobby Richardson asked him, "If the game of life ended tonight, would you be a winner?"
Senior Joe Penton echoed those comments. "We would feel so bad talking about our relationship with Christ tonight, without giving you an opportunity to enter into that very same relationship, Penton says, "When Jesus Christ, God in human flesh, died on that cross, he took on the penalty for our sin. Because he paid it, we can have a relationship with Him. We can know Him personally. We can have the promise of eternal life -- living forever with God."
How exciting to see Coach Tressel and his team using their notoriety to honor Christ and to influence people to believe in Him. Think what might happen if every Christian would use his or her influence to bring attention to Christ and the gospel of grace.
1 Corinthians 10:31 reminds us, “So whether you eat or drink or whatever you do, do it all for the glory of God.” My friend, you were made to do one primary thing – to bring glory to God. That is your greatest purpose and highest calling. If even the most mundane things like eating and drinking, can be used to glorify God, think how more effective it would be to use your gifts, talents, strengths and resources to honor Christ. Today, may God be blessed and glorified in all we say and do.
Shoulder to shoulder,
Gregg
Thursday, November 02, 2006
God’s Faith Hall of Fame
He was affectionately known in the world of sports as “Lord Byron.” John Byron Nelson was born Feb. 4, 1912, on the family farm in Waxahachie , Texas , and started in golf in 1922 as a caddie at Glen Garden Country Club in Fort Worth Roanoke
After graduating from high school, Nelson got a job as a file clerk in the accounting office of theForth Worth and Denver Railroad and played golf in his spare time. He lost his job during the Great Depression but found work in 1931 with a bankers’ magazine.
The same year, he entered his first tournament, the National Amateur inChicago
“The Streak” as it came to be called, was Nelson’s incredible achievement of winning 11 tournaments in a row in 1945. He went on to win 18 tournaments in 1945, also a record for a calendar year. He captured 31 of 54 tournaments in 1944-45, and won a total of 52 events, including five majors. Nelson was voted AP Male Athlete of the Year in 1944 and 1945. He was elected to the PGA Hall of Fame in 1953 and to the World Golf Hall of Fame in 1974. Players today say it is doubtful that anyone will match or beat the record of 11 tournament wins in a row.
When asked how he wanted to be remembered. Nelson often responded, “I think the thing people will always talk about me is my degree of consistency on the golf course, winning money in 113 tournaments, but I want to be remembered as a good man and a Christian man. That’s all that really matters.”
Nelson was an active member at the Richland Hills Church of Christ and proudly stated that he
was a Christian, churchgoing man who “didn’t smoke, drink or carouse or hang with girls who do.” PGA Tour chaplain Larry Moody, who knew Nelson well, commented, “Byron was a great man and a great golfer, but most importantly he was a great follower of Jesus Christ. He wasn’t pushy, but he would never hesitate to tell you if somebody said he was great that it was because of who Jesus Christ was in him.”
God also has a Hall of Fame. Hebrews chapter 11 is sometimes referred to as “God’s Faith Hall of Fame.” Here we are told that Moses chose to be remembered for his faith, rather than for worldly fame, “By faith Moses, when he had grown up, refused to be known as the son of Pharaoh's daughter. He regarded disgrace for the sake of Christ as of greater value than the treasures of Egypt, because he was looking ahead to his reward.”
My friend, I hope you will follow Moses’ and Byron’s example and live your life with an eye on eternity. I encourage you to pursue fame in God’s kingdom so that you may also leave behind a living legacy of faith in Christ.
Shoulder to shoulder,
Gregg
After graduating from high school, Nelson got a job as a file clerk in the accounting office of the
The same year, he entered his first tournament, the National Amateur in
“The Streak” as it came to be called, was Nelson’s incredible achievement of winning 11 tournaments in a row in 1945. He went on to win 18 tournaments in 1945, also a record for a calendar year. He captured 31 of 54 tournaments in 1944-45, and won a total of 52 events, including five majors. Nelson was voted AP Male Athlete of the Year in 1944 and 1945. He was elected to the PGA Hall of Fame in 1953 and to the World Golf Hall of Fame in 1974. Players today say it is doubtful that anyone will match or beat the record of 11 tournament wins in a row.
When asked how he wanted to be remembered. Nelson often responded, “I think the thing people will always talk about me is my degree of consistency on the golf course, winning money in 113 tournaments, but I want to be remembered as a good man and a Christian man. That’s all that really matters.”
Nelson was an active member at the Richland Hills Church of Christ and proudly stated that he
was a Christian, churchgoing man who “didn’t smoke, drink or carouse or hang with girls who do.” PGA Tour chaplain Larry Moody, who knew Nelson well, commented, “Byron was a great man and a great golfer, but most importantly he was a great follower of Jesus Christ. He wasn’t pushy, but he would never hesitate to tell you if somebody said he was great that it was because of who Jesus Christ was in him.”God also has a Hall of Fame. Hebrews chapter 11 is sometimes referred to as “God’s Faith Hall of Fame.” Here we are told that Moses chose to be remembered for his faith, rather than for worldly fame, “By faith Moses, when he had grown up, refused to be known as the son of Pharaoh's daughter. He regarded disgrace for the sake of Christ as of greater value than the treasures of Egypt, because he was looking ahead to his reward.”
My friend, I hope you will follow Moses’ and Byron’s example and live your life with an eye on eternity. I encourage you to pursue fame in God’s kingdom so that you may also leave behind a living legacy of faith in Christ.
Shoulder to shoulder,
Gregg
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