Deep Thoughts by Gman

What were you like in the 90s?

From Deep Thoughts by Gman on Wednesday, April 29, 2026 @ 8:07 AM PST
in the "Blog" Category.
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Charlie "Mr.G" Brown

From Deep Thoughts by Gman on Wednesday, December 17, 2025 @ 7:43 AM PST
in the "Blog" Category.
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Pat Barrett - I've Got A Fire (Official Music Video)

From Deep Thoughts by Gman on Friday, October 24, 2025 @ 9:09 AM PST
in the "Blog" Category.
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Live for Christ

From Deep Thoughts by Gman on Monday, October 20, 2025 @ 7:55 AM PST
in the "Blog" Category.
Philippians 1:21 "For me to live is Christ, to die is Gain." He died for me, I'll live for Him. Here are some practical ways to do so: 1. **Live for Jesus Every Day**Make it your daily prayer to ask God to help you live for Christ. Whether you're at work, at home, or with friends, ask Jesus to be your reason for everything you do. 2. **Refocus Your Motivations**Take a moment to think about what drives you. Ask God to help you shift your heart so that Jesus becomes your main motivation. 3. **Share the Good News**Look for opportunities to tell others about Jesus. Whether it's inviting someone to church, sharing your testimony, or simply showing kindness, let your life point others to Christ. 4. **Prepare Your Heart for Both Living and Dying**Remember that living for Jesus means being ready to face whatever comes, including death. Pray for courage and trust that, as Paul said, "to die is gain." Live with confidence that Jesus is with you always. 5. **Honor Christ in Your Actions**Think about how you can honor Jesus in your daily life-by being honest, loving others, forgiving, and serving. Small acts of kindness can make a big difference. 6. **Support and Encourage Others**Get involved in supporting others-whether through teaching, giving, or simply being a friend. Help build a community that lives for Christ and encourages one another to stay faithful. 7. **Make a Personal Commitment**Consider making a pledge to live for Jesus: "He died for me, I'll live for Him." Write it down or say it aloud as a reminder of your commitment. Remember, living and dying for Christ is the greatest purpose you can have. Let's ask God to help us live boldly and faithfully for His glory. http://feeds.feedburner.com/blogspot/ZioO

Some Reminders

From Deep Thoughts by Gman on Wednesday, October 8, 2025 @ 8:34 AM PST
in the "Blog" Category.
Growth is Not a Mystery, It's a choice. Church Bulletin/ newsletter can be donation repellent. Member focused means mission stalled. Tradition is not a strategy. (Habits may be holding you back) Pastor, be the Face. Contacts create Growth. Follow Up or Fade out. No Revival Service. Services need clarity, courage, consistent follow through. Growth isn't a magic trick. It's Leadership. Action. http://feeds.feedburner.com/blogspot/ZioO

Pray for the Squirrels and Acorns

From Deep Thoughts by Gman on Friday, September 19, 2025 @ 7:45 AM PST
in the "Blog" Category.
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Things that will make your day go better

From Deep Thoughts by Gman on Monday, August 18, 2025 @ 6:24 PM PST
in the "Blog" Category.
Things that will make your day go better 1. Pray 2. Go to bed on time. 3. Get up on time so you can start the day unrushed. 4. Say No to projects that won't fit into your time schedule, or that will compromise your mental health. 5. Delegate tasks to capable others. 6. Simplify and unclutter your life. 7. Less is more. (Although one is often not enough, two are often too many.) 8. Allow extra time to do things and to get to places. 9. Pace yourself. Spread out big changes and difficult projects over time; don't lump the hard things all together. 10. 10, Take one day at a time. 11. Separate worries from concerns. If a situation is a concern, find out what God would have you do and let go of the anxiety. If you can't do anything about a situation, forget it. 12. Live within your budget; don't use credit cards for ordinary purchases. 13. Have backups; an extra car key in your wallet, an extra house key buried in the garden, extra stamps, etc. 14. KM.S. (Keep Mouth Shut). This single piece of advice can prevent an enormous amount of trouble. 15. Do something for the kid in you everyday. 16 . 16. Carry a Bible with you to read while waiting in line. 17. Get enough rest. 18. Eat right. 19. Get organized so everything has its place. 20. Listen to a tape while driving that can help improve your quality of life. 21. Write down thoughts and inspirations. 22. Every day, find time to be alone. 23. Having problems? Talk to God on the spot. Try to nip small problems in the bud. Don't wait until it's time to go to bed to try and pray. 24. 24. Make friends with Godly people. 25 25. Keep a folder of favorite scriptures on hand. 26. Remember that the shortest bridge between despair and hope is often a good "Thank you Jesus." 27. 27.Laugh. 28. 28. Laugh some more! 29. Take your work seriously, but not yourself at all. 30. Develop a forgiving attitude (most people are doing the best they can). http://feeds.feedburner.com/blogspot/ZioO

Healthy Church?

From Deep Thoughts by Gman on Wednesday, June 25, 2025 @ 12:54 PM PST
in the "Blog" Category.
Getting ready to start a new sermon series. Hoping to blog more about it. http://feeds.feedburner.com/blogspot/ZioO

What Most Surprised Me About Christians When I Became One | Rosaria Butt...

From Deep Thoughts by Gman on Tuesday, June 17, 2025 @ 12:34 PM PST
in the "Blog" Category.
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Drawings of Mr.G

From Deep Thoughts by Gman on Monday, June 2, 2025 @ 1:24 PM PST
in the "Blog" Category.
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My Work Priorities

From Deep Thoughts by Gman on Monday, April 7, 2025 @ 7:30 AM PST
in the "Blog" Category.
Sermon Study and Preparation Bible study and Preparation Monthly Newsletter Article Leading and Preparing Worship Service/ Wednesday night study Work on developing a discipleship pathway Development of Social Media Presence Connecting with Community. Do not Take on Other Responsibilities. (I saw this seems good but thoughts?) http://feeds.feedburner.com/blogspot/ZioO

The Power of Example

From Deep Thoughts by Gman on Friday, January 10, 2025 @ 12:20 PM PST
in the "Blog" Category.
The Power of Example A preacher closed his sermon with an earnest Gospel appeal. Among the many who responded was a woman of wealth and social distinction. She asked per mission to speak a few words to the audience. "I want you to know," she said, "just why I came forward tonight. It was not because of any word spoken by the preach er. I stand here because of the influence of a little woman who "He who best knows the world will love it least." - Balzac sits before me. Her fingers are rough with toil. The hard work of many years has stooped her low. She is just a poor, obscure washerwoman who has served in my home for many years. I have never known her to be impatient, speak an unkind word, or do a dishonorable deed. I know of countless little acts of unselfish love that adorn her life. Shame faced, let me say that I have openly sneered at her faith, and laughed at her fidelity to God. Yet, when my little girl was taken away, it was this woman who caused me to look beyond the grave and shed my first tears of hope. The sweet magnetism of her life has led me to Christ. I covet the thing that has made her life so beautiful." At the request of the preacher, the little woman was led forward, her eyes streaming with glad tears, and such a shining face as one seldom sees on this earth. "Let me introduce you," said the preacher, "to the real preacher of the evening," and the audience arose in silent, though not tearless, respect. Oh, ye obscure toilers of the world, ye patient "doers of the Word," think not that no one sees. I say unto you that a great cloud of witnesses will rise up on that great day, and call you blessed. http://feeds.feedburner.com/blogspot/ZioO

The next chapter for the Church

From Deep Thoughts by Gman on Friday, November 15, 2024 @ 8:44 AM PST
in the "Blog" Category.
The Next Chapter for the Church. r Saw this Article in the KYOWVA Evangelistic Association: newsletter earlier this year, I made a few editorial clippings but the overall message is we need to Prayer for the Church and have lots of work to do. Enjoy. The American church is facing a series1of challenges regarding its future. 80% of churches pre- covid, could be in the category of subtracting or suryiving. Those in the subtracting category are those who are experiencing a numerical decline. Those in the surviving category are those who have currently reached a state of plateau. Neither growing nor declining. For the first time in the that Gallup has tracked American religious membership, more adults in the United States do not attend church than attend church. In the book the Great De-churching, author Jim Davis reveals, "More people have left the church in the last twenty-five years than all the new people who became Christians from the First Great Awakening, Second Great Awakening, and Billy Graham crusades combined." Many of those declining congregations are made up of an aging congregation who are growing weary and who also have some uncertainty about the future of their local expression of the Kingdom of God. We are seeing churches close at a rate unlike anything we have seen in America. According to Lifeway Research, in 2019 approximately 3,000 Protestant churches were started in US, but 4,500 Protestant churches closed. Just five years prior, in 2014, the same Lifeway study found that 3,700 churches had closed and 4,000 had opened. Another challenge that must be considered is a diminished pool of those who preach the Word It is not uncommon for churches to face a ministerial search that lasts more than a year. Focusing on keeping the people you have and not reaching those who are lost. This type of thinking also confuses what it means to be faithful. Faithfulness is defined as keeping the lights on and the door open instead of being on a mission to reach those who are outside of a relationship with Christ. Faithfulness should be defined as being the best stewards of God's resources. The changes that are facing us today require us to be very intentional about our solutions. It is also time for congregations to consider what is possible if they were to unite their resources with like-minded congregations. Church mergers have always been a challenge, but examples are available to give us hope for the future. In the event that a church makes the painful decision to no longer I operate. The best solution is to what to do with the resource to make the most Kingdom Impact. That's Kingdom thinking even in death of a congregation. http://feeds.feedburner.com/blogspot/ZioO

WWJHMD? What Would Jesus Have Me Do?

From Deep Thoughts by Gman on Friday, November 15, 2024 @ 8:37 AM PST
in the "Blog" Category.
"The steadfast love of the LORD never ceases. His mercies never come to an end. They are new every morning! Great is thy faithfulness. The LORD is my portion, says my soul; therefore I will hope in Him." Lamentations 3:22-24. A fourth grader celebrating his birthday while on crutches, so he couldn't carry the cupcakes into school without help. His mother asked her sixth grade son to help his brother carry them in. "I could," he said, "but I'd prefer not to." Spotting a teaching moment, her husband asked, "What would Jesus do?" The boy answered, "Jesus would heal him so he could carry his own cupcakes." Sometimes I think the whole WWJD (What would Jesus Do) question should be translated to What Would Jesus Have Me Do? This has been a question we've been tackling on Wednesday nights with our Intentional Churches study. Looking at from the Street to the Seat perspective of changed lives for Christ. I quote this phase of being Jesus' hands and feet. And it becomes more than a question but about impact in our community for Christ. May we continue to focus on Him. http://feeds.feedburner.com/blogspot/ZioO

Guidelines to Discussion

From Deep Thoughts by Gman on Thursday, October 10, 2024 @ 9:19 AM PST
in the "Blog" Category.
I've used the following guidelines for our Small Group Discussion on our study with Intentional Churches and looking at our own church its good and bad. 1. Criticism is Good. A way to look at one's self and improve. 2. Critic the policy, not the person. Personal attacks are not helpful. Politics needs to learn this value. 3. Revisit the past, don't live in it. We like to think the past was the greatest thing and to relive the "Golden Years." The problem is the past is behind us and we have to strive for the future. 4. Remember the Golden Rule. Treat others as you'd like to be treated. In discussion and heated debate, respect goes a long ways. Others you might add? http://feeds.feedburner.com/blogspot/ZioO