This is the author's second collection of poems that reflect his observations, experiences, and feelings about faith, family, love, and life.

Life is a series of decisions, a cascade of choices culminating in what becomes our life; the proverbial bed which we have made and now must lie in. I have often said to my congregations, "Your life is the sum total of your choices up to this very moment." If I am correct, there are a couple of sobering thoughts that jump out directly in our faces. First, if my life is indeed the sum total of my choices, that means that the life that I now live is entirely my own doing. The second thought that jumps out at us is if life is the sum total of my choices, then I have the capacity to change my...

Though our Creator has made us to soar above life's circumstances, enabling us to have a perspective that engenders success, contentment, and joy, so many of us are content to hover near the ground and merely get by, accepting the status quo as our lot in life. This collection of tidbits of wisdom and wit is intended to encourage you and help you to soar high. Originally serving as posts on Facebook and Twitter, I call these little statements Gregisms. They are merely my opinions, thoughts, feelings, convictions, perceptions, and hopes. Most are brief, though there is the occasional wordy...

I truly believe with great conviction that the Bible teaches that Christians of all dispensations should avoid using alcohol as a beverage. Before you judge this conclusion, read the book. I only ask that you come to the topic with an open mind, as I did. You may be surprised what God will do in your heart if you trust totally in what He has to say. While I will take a strong and unambiguous stand in this book against alcoholic beverages in all forms, I want to make it perfectly clear that I write from love and concern, not from self-righteousness and arrogance. I truly believe that this is a...

One of the preacher's most difficult tasks is to bring new and refreshing ideas to the topic of Christmas, year after year, season after season. While the age-old story of the Nativity of Christ never gets old, our familiarity with it can often cause us to miss the point, having become desensitized by its repetition. Using the Gospels, several popular Christmas movies, and Charles Dickens' "A Christmas Carol," this collection of sermons and outlines provides the busy pastor with new material to communicate and ageless message.

The ecclesiastical landscape has changed drastically since I first wrote this booklet in 1998. While the Christian popular culture still idolizes celebrity pastors, and throngs of people are enamored by the neon lights of the megachurch, the typical pastor on the front lines of ministry no longer holds the esteem of the general population like he once did. Add to this shift in attitude the fact that a growing number of pastors are bi-vocational, working a "secular" job in addition to leading a church, it is no wonder that today's pastor is stretched beyond reason, often resulting in burnout,...

The first ten years of the GracePointe journey has been an exciting and interesting ride, even if spotted with the occasional tragedy or setback. As with any adventurous journey, there have been obstacles and roadblocks, mountains and valleys, detours and stretches of construction, but through it all we have accomplished what many new churches don't; we have made it to our tenth year And that is exactly what this book is about; a brief history of our brief history. I have devoted the lion's share of this story to the first five years, as those were our formative years, taking us from infancy...