greg | bearss

How Do You Love Your City? This is the question we have been asking our church LakePointe. We’ve been talking about how to love the city we live in as a community of believers. The discussion has taken us to Matthew 25 . We realize something that changed our mindset. The fact that “we are the least of these,” and as “the least of these” we are to be out reaching to the “least of these” that are still out there! To understand put yourself in Jesus story as the “I” and put Jesus in as the “YOU.” Also, look at the physical needs that were met in the narrative and see how it plays out with these as spiritual needs: 35 “For I(insert your name) was (spiritually) hungry, and you(JESUS) fed me(the bread of life). I was (spiritually) thirsty, and you (JESUS)gave me a drink(from waters where I would never thirst again). I was a stranger(estranged, lost spiritually), and you(Jesus) invited me into your home(a relationship with Him, His church). 36 I was naked,(not clothed in righteous...

GOD’S POLITICS These are my thought's on politics originally from a guest post that I was asked to do for a leadership organization LCEF: I love politics! I hate politics!  Where do you fall in the previous two statements?  Are you worn out from all the mudslinging? Glad the commercials and debates are over? How are you feeling now, post-election?  What song are you singing?  Is it: “It’s the end of the world as we know it...”  or is it “Celebration time, come on, let’s celebrate!”?  Maybe a better question is: what are the people you find around you singing?   Something that has hit me like a ton of bricks is the truth from God’s word concerning politics.  God is concerned with our world, He’s not a distant once-was god but is an: everlasting, always will be, always has been, omnipresent, omniscient, omnipotent, all powerful, with us GOD!  As surprised as you or I may have been or not been, God wasn’t surprised at the election results.  It didn’t shock Him, and He isn’t ...

The aftermath of Easter means different things to different people. If you are a pastor then you are likely to be in the after-glow of what God did in your services and you saw new faces and plenty of old faces return. Maybe there were people that you were praying would come but didn’t. Maybe you set new attendance records or maybe it was just another Sunday. From what I have seen pastors are typically excited and a bit worn out at the same time after Holy Week and Easter celebrations. I know that many churches add extra services for more people to attend throughout Holy Week and Easter. If you are not a pastor it probably meant you had to hunt harder for a parking spot if you went to church or if you went out to eat you had longer lines at Crackle Barrel. Here's what I experienced: At LakePointe we had 5 worship opportunities adding 3 additional worship experiences than we normally would have. We were excited about the people that God would bring through the doors of La...

TOP 5 WAYS TO BE SURE YOU WON’T HAVE THE MARRIAGE OF YOUR DREAMS 1. Stop Communicating With Your Spouse! Talk about them not to them, and give them the silent treatment as much as possible! It’s best if you can yell something unrecognizable at them and storm out of the room. If you need help watch a five year old do it and be sure to be animated like them! 2. Stop Listening To Your Spouse! See #1 add, quit taking their call, and responding to their text message’s, un-friend them on FaceBook so they can’t see what you’re up to with your friends. Avoid being in the same room with them at all costs. 3. Always Assume The Worst About Your Spouse! Never give them the benefit of the doubt, stand under the motto “they are guilty until they can prove they innocent!” Be sure to second guess everything they say even if it sounds reasonable--watch old reruns of People’s Court or Judge Judy for more ammo accusatory phrases! 4. Focus On What Your Spouse Does Wrong. In fact k...

Do you have influence? In order to answer the question you must first look at the word defined: influence |ˈinfloŏəns| noun the capacity to have an effect on the character, development, or behavior of someone or something, or the effect itself : the influence of television violence | I was still under the influence of my parents | their friends are having a bad influence on them. • the power to shape policy or ensure favorable treatment from someone, esp. through status, contacts, or wealth : the institute has considerable influence with teachers. • a person or thing with such a capacity or power : Frank was a good influence on her. • archaic Physics electrical or magnetic induction. You do indeed have influence. The question is who are you influencing and how? If you are like me and have children you are influencing them for sure. Ever see your child do or say something you wished they hadn't only to realize they learned (were influenced) by you? I have heard it sa...

When was the last time you saw someone who was in need? What did they look like? What did they need? Where were they? What was the circumstance? Take a few minutes to capture the detail of what happened and your reaction... Now read the story in Matthew 25:31-40 . It’s obvious that Jesus is teaching the people about the “end times”, what it will be like when the King, Jesus himself, returns. As he describes how the people of the world will be separated into two groups: the blessed and the cursed, or the sheep and the goats, Jesus is also teaching us about obedient love. The first group of people Jesus describes are the ones “blessed by my Father in heaven”, or the sheep. They are about to receive their inheritance (heaven) that the Father has been preparing since the creation of the world. (imagine how crazy awesome that will be?) Then something interesting happens: Jesus begins to speak about the things that the “righteous ones” were doing with their lives--what their lives ...

John 8:32(ESV) and you will know the truth, and the truth will set you free.” I love this time of year, when we come together as a country to celebrate the gift our forefathers fought and paid for with their own life and blood--our American freedom. You will see people waving and high-fiving, sharing fireworks displays with neighbors and friends and united in a crowd of hundreds as they watch the public displays. There is a uniting that freedom has, it brings people together. I truly love fireworks and picnics and time out on the lake ,but my favorite 4th of July tradition is the Annual LakePointe on the Lake Worship Service & Baptism Bash! This is the fourth year we have held this event where we have a worship service out on the lake and invite the community to come and join us. This year we had free food for the community. We ended up feeding over 500 people BBQ and the trimmings and also raised money and support for a local charity, Stomp Out Hunger, by taking donati...