Lord Help Jesus.....

Those words come from one of my Dad's favorite songs. I miss him so much. I listened to his recorded voice today. I wish he could see how far God has brought me being a pastor. I can't wait to get to heaven and see him again.
The Lord is directing me to do a sermon series on the Beatitudes. I am excited and began doing some studying for the intro sermon this coming Sunday. I would apprecitate your prayers. Love and hugs to all.
Pastor Jeffy G.

Hello Again!

Sorry about not updating you all sooner. I have to get in the habit of updating weekly at least. This week has been less busy for me than last week (put in 56+ hours). Got to meet with several people this week and one of them does not attend my church, his name is Chuck. He was a blessing to talk to and has a fantastic testimony of God's deliverance in his life. We are getting together again next week. God continues to bring people across my path from different walks of life and experiences. I truly love being a pastor. Lord, I give you this day. May I love you with all that I am and love others right where they are. Amen. Have a great day my friends. Love and Hugs to ALL! Pastor Jeffy G.

Final Class Memories

Sorry, I did not stay up with my entries that week. The class was amazing and worth the week stay in Westerville. The Preston Family took me in for the week and it was great hanging out with them. Terri came down on Saturday and we had dinner with friends from Westerville at the Der Dutchman in Plain City. The food was amazing. I preached at Westerville on Sunday and gave them an update on Youngstown. The Lord really moved in the service there. We immediately left for Nashville after service (and a quick lunch with the Carpenter's). We finally got back to Youngstown on Tuesday evening on the 17th. The rest of the week was slammed, getting caught up with church work. The Lord gave me a message from my week of class on the subject of Worship. I used Isaiah 6 as the main text. The Spirit of the Lord really moved in the service and we had one person come forward to pray at the altar. Worship is so much more than what we do on Sunday, it needs to become part of our everyday life. Keep me in your prayers. I have to make some big decisions soon. Love you all, Pastor Jeffy G.

Late Day 2 Entry of the Final Class

Sorry for the delay. Got home late last night and was so tired. Did not sleep well Monday night and went straight to bed last night. Sleep better last night. Last night was an amazing class on communication. We did an exercise that was fun and would like to use it at a latter time at my church. You start out writing a sentence like "The boy followed the dog into the house." Then you fold it and pass it to the person to the right and they have to draw a picture based on your sentence and then they fold it over and pass it to the right and that person has to write a sentence based on the picture. Then they fold and pass it on, so forth and so on until you get your paper back. It is amazing how people interpret what others communicate through writing and drawing. Great example to keep in mind as a pastor when communicating with others and receiving communication from others. Alright, I will check in with you all tonight after class. Blessings to all. Pastor Jeffy G.

Day 1 of the Final Class

Awesome class tonight. We have a class of seven and everyone had great input tonight. The class is called "Communicating Christ Cross Culturally." We talked about the root Greek word for Communication, very interesting. We had a great devotion from Pastor Mark (our great teacher) on the subject of Worship. Worship is not about us, it is our focus on God. It is a celebration about who God is and what He has done for us. We looked at Revelation 7:9-12 and Ephesians 5:19, please read these and allow the Holy Spirit to teach you through His God's Word. Got to get to bed and get rested for tomorrow. Pray for me as I pray for you. Pastor Jeffy G.

Radical Faith

I have been thinking heavily about Faith and how important it is in our walk with Christ. It really has to be part of everything we do and say as followers of Christ. Sometimes we only use our faith when we get in trouble but it should be exercised 24/7. Hebrews 11 lays the foundation rich in history but listen to those around you who have great stories of faith and be encouraged today. Pastor Jeffy G.

Feeling Tired

Wow, this has been a long week so far. Still trying to get a routine going that fits all I need to get done. Let me tell you, there is a lot more in the life of a pastor than just preaching. That is probably 10% of the job. But every time, the Lord re-assures me that I am right where he wants me to be. I have been called to Love God with all that I am and to Love and Serve others. Be Blessed Today! In the Awesome Love of Christ, Pastor Jeffy G.

4,3,2,1......Here I come World...Pastor Jeffy G.

I am in my first year as a senior pastor. I began this journey on June 20th, 2010. I thought it would be cool to track this first year, the ups and the downs of ministry life. We are in Youngstown, Ohio and adjusting to a new community and learning to get around. We are loving the people and they are loving us. Stay tuned for more thoughts and feelings from Pastor Jeffy G.