Gilbert Thurston

Random Thoughts About Life, Ministry and Whatever Else Happens to be on my Mind

  • About
  • About

Archives for February 2009

3 Marriage Books

February 10, 2009 by Gilbert Leave a Comment

Marriage Books copy

With Valentine’s Day coming up here are 3 marriage resources you may want to consider…

I Do Again:
With their professional success and adorable twin daughters, Jeff and Cheryl Scruggs looked like the perfect couple. But their polished facade concealed a widening chasm between two people unable to connect on an intimate, soul-deep level. After years of frustration, Cheryl’s desire for emotional fulfillment led to an affair and, finally, divorce. Yet, incredibly, seven years later, Jeff and Cheryl once again stood at the altar, promising to “love, honor, and cherish” one another. A new and vibrant love had risen out of the ashes of this family’s pain. I Do Again details the fascinating real-life story of a couple whose relationship seemed shattered beyond all hope until a spiritual awakening led them to reconsider their definitions of “happily ever after.” A riveting account of the power of prayer and redemption, this remarkable book offers renewed hope for even the most troubled marriages—and reveals why the rewards of restoration are well worth the wait.

 

Love As A Way Of Life Devotional:
In his book Love As a Way of Life, best-selling author Gary Chapman shows readers how to cultivate a new lifestyle built around the seven characteristics of authentic love. Now in a companion devotional, he provides ninety inspirational readings to help Christians consistently live out the characteristics of love in every relationship. Each devotional entry showcases biblical truths that guide a life of love, offering fresh insight and practical guidance in how to make love a lasting habit. Over the course of three months, readers will learn to follow God’s lead as they practice the characteristics of a loving person: kindness, patience, forgiveness, courtesy, humility, generosity, and honesty.

 

For Couples Only Box Set:
Since their debut, these revolutionary guides have sold well over a million copies, been translated into fifteen languages, and sparked much fascinating water-cooler conversation around the country. Now together in the For Couples Only boxed set, these books provide the perfect resource to help you understand what you never knew about the woman or man in your life. Each volume is based on input from more than a thousand members of the opposite sex—including an unprecedented nationwide survey and hundreds of personal interviews. This innovative approach yields candid and surprising answers about everything you don’t “get” about your significant other—even what that person deeply wishes you knew. It also produces simple but groundbreaking awareness of how you can best love and support the one who is most important to you. So whether you are newly dating or have been married fifty years, get ready to know each other in a whole new way. The adventure is just beginning!

Filed Under: Book Reviews Tagged With: dating, For Couples Only Box Set, Gary Chapman, I Do Again, Jeff & Cheryl Scruggs, love, Love As A Way of Life Devotional, marriage, relationships, Valentine's Day

Wow…Holy Cow…You’ve Got to Come Now

February 9, 2009 by Gilbert Leave a Comment

Last night Lamont Monford gave an awesome sermon on temptation.  The title for this post is in honor of him because like all good Baptist preachers he’s very fond of alliteration for the illustration of his communication.

Seriously if you missed it, you missed one heck of a message.  Do whatever it takes to make sure you show up tonight through Wednesday at 7PM to hear him…you won’t regret it.

In the meantime, here are a few notes that I took last night…these can’t possibly give you the full effect of hearing it live though…Lamont is very funny and will make you laugh as you’re getting hit right between the eyes by God’s Spirit…again do whatever it takes to come hear him.

  • Live spelled backwards is evil.  When you live you’re life backwards from God’s design it is evil.
  • In Matthew chapter 3 we read about the celebration, confirmation and affirmation of Jesus by God the Father.
  • In Matthew 4 we are told that Jesus was led by the Spirit out into the desert to be tempted by Satan.
  • This could have led to frustration because it would appear that there is collaboration between the Spirit and the devil.
  • We often feel he same things in our lives but…
  • The devil brings temptation to destroy us.  The Spirit allows temptation to develop us.  The devil bring temptation to kill you…the Spirit allows it to give you true life.  The devil brings temptation to get you to look inward….the Spirit allows so you’ll look upward.  The devil brings temptation to get you to quit…the Spirit allows to convince you to keep going.
  • The devil tempted Jesus in 3 ways by trying to get him to…be selfish, do the spectacular and to be subversive.
  • The devil doesn’t waster his bullets so he’ll shoot you in an area that he thinks will destroy you.
  • Temptation requires both desirability and availability. 
  • We get in trouble when we try to please “them” instead of “him”.
  • Just because you can do something doesn’t mean you should.
  • You don’t have to ask for what you already own.
  • Don’t wait to fast and pray until you are in trouble.  Build up a reserve to draw from in bad times.
  • The devil constantly dangles a carrot in front of you to try to get you o ruin the real meal that God has already prepared for you.
  • The devil will always try to get you to deviate from God’s design.

Filed Under: General Tagged With: alliteration, Baptist, communication, fasting, Jesus, Lamont Monford, prayer, satan, temptation

Inside Today’s Experiences

February 8, 2009 by Gilbert Leave a Comment

  • As promised in today’s message, here are the Fasting Guidelines to help you in this spiritual discipline.
  • Another great day!
  • New attendance record!
  • It was great having the opportunity to briefly interview Lamont Monford at the start of each Experience.
  • Come on out each night starting tonight through Wednesday, at 7PM to hear him speak.
  • Wow…unbelivable that we had him on the “anniversary” of his mother’s murder.
  • God is doing some awesome things all around us including I know of at least 3 people that just annoucned pregnancies and a couple told me this morning that they got engaged last night!
  • Thought today was one of the better days we’ve had as far as each Experience being equally exciting.
  • Lots of days there is an obvious “better” one…but today I thought everything went great and the energy was equally high in both.
  • I know fasting is not a popular subject to talk on, but I felt good that I had delivered what God wanted people to hear…what they do with it is now between them and God.
  • I was so excited to annoucne the series that is coming up in mid-March called “You Asked For It”. 
  • In case you missed it, we are going to take your questions and develop a series around what you want to know.
  • So if you’ve ever thought, “I wonder what the Bible has to say about ___________?  Or if you’ve thought, “Is it ok for a Christian to ________?  Let us know!
  • My e-mail address is gilbert@unitedworshipexperience.org. Trust me no question is too weird or strange so let me hear from you!
  • Got to get going, we’re taking Lamont out to The Orchards for lunch…mmmmm…can’t wait.

Filed Under: Inside Today's Experience's, Pursuit, Sermon Series Tagged With: fasting, gilbert thurston, Lamont Monford, Orchards Restaurant, Pursuit series, spiritual disciplines, United Worship Experience, You Asked For It

Random Friday Thoughts

February 6, 2009 by Gilbert Leave a Comment

  • For a supposed day off…I’m certainly doing a lot of work.  :(
  • No one’s fault but my own though.
  • Technology is both a blessing and a curse.
  • Been having a chance recently to catch-up with some old friends…nice to re-make some connections and be reminded of great memories.
  • I’m getting excited about this weekend…the topic is one you don’t hear a lot about in churches, but is something Jesus assumed that we’d all do.
  • Don’t know that it will be the most downloaded message ever, but my job is to preach the Word…what you do with it from that point is between you and God.
  • I’m also getting excited about some of our up-coming series.
  • This weekend you will find out about one that’s coming in a few months and I think you’re going to be stoked!
  • Have a feeling it will be our most popular series ever…
  • Got you wondering now don’t I…you’ll have to show up this weekend to find out what it is.
  • CAYA (our young adult ministry) is having dinner tonight at the Mill’s house.  Always great to eat some of Kim’s home-cooking and I understand that Cindy Long (of Cindy’s Sweets fame) is providing her apple pie.
  • If you want to know what food will taste like in heaven, have any of her desserts…however the apple pie is my favorite…might just have to start with that to make sure I get a piece.
  • Finished up my reading through the New Testament in 30 days at the beginning of the week. 
  • I was officially 2 days behind, but as the old saying goes, “It’s better to get the Bible all the way through you than for you to get all the way through the Bible”.
  • Now I still believe that we need to read the bible cover-to-cover (after all it’s hard to say you believe in something if you’ve never read it) but rushing through reading just for the sake of saying you’ve done it is never a good thing.
  • I’d rather you read one verse per day and apply it to your life than read a few chapters everyday and forget about it the moment you sit your bible down.
  • Speaking of reading, I’m almost done reading Tribes by Seth Godin.
  • He talks about how all great movements and organziations start with someone challenging the staus quo and saying hey there has to be a better way to do this than just the way it’s always been done.
  • Hmmm…sound like anyone you know?
  • Ok, things seem to have settled down a bit…off to enjoy my day off…the big question is what do I do…read, play a game, take a nap, run some errands…

Filed Under: Random Thoughts Tagged With: apple pie, caya, Cindy Long, day off, Jesus, Kim Mills, New Testament, Seth Godin, technology, Tribes

6 Habits of Highly Defective People

February 3, 2009 by Gilbert Leave a Comment

One of the best books I ever read was The 7 Habits of Highly Effective People.  John Maxwell has come up with the opposite…the 6 Habits of Highly Defective People…enjoy.

• They have a losing attitude: People generally get whatever they expect out of life. Expect the worst, and that’s what you’ll get.

• They quit growing. People are what they are, and they are where they are because of what has gone into their minds.

• They have no game plan for life. As William Feather, author of The Business of Life says, “There are two kinds of failures: Those who thought and never did, and those who did and never thought.”

• They are unwilling to change. Some people would rather cling to what they have rather than embrace what might be better because they are afraid of getting something worse.

• They fail in relationships with others. People who cannot get along with others will never get ahead in life.

• They are not willing to pay the price for success. The road to success is uphill all the way. Anyone who wants to accomplish much must sacrifice

Filed Under: Growth Tagged With: 7 Habits of Highly Effective People, attitude, change, failure, Growth, John Maxwell, relationships, sacrifice, Steven Covey, success, William Feather

  • « Previous Page
  • 1
  • 2
  • 3
  • 4
  • Next Page »

Recent Posts

  • Things I’m Thankful For (2018 Edition)
  • Things I’m Thankful For (2017 edition)
  • Annual Things I’m Thankful For (2016 Edition)
  • The Power of Mini Habits
  • Annual Things I’m Thankful For (2015 Edition)

Archives

  • November 2018
  • November 2017
  • November 2016
  • January 2016
  • November 2015
  • November 2014
  • August 2014
  • March 2014
  • February 2014
  • January 2014
  • December 2013
  • November 2013
  • July 2013
  • November 2012
  • July 2012
  • March 2012
  • February 2012
  • January 2012
  • December 2011
  • November 2011
  • October 2011
  • September 2011
  • August 2011
  • July 2011
  • June 2011
  • May 2011
  • April 2011
  • March 2011
  • February 2011
  • January 2011
  • December 2010
  • November 2010
  • October 2010
  • September 2010
  • August 2010
  • July 2010
  • June 2010
  • May 2010
  • April 2010
  • March 2010
  • February 2010
  • January 2010
  • December 2009
  • November 2009
  • October 2009
  • September 2009
  • August 2009
  • July 2009
  • June 2009
  • May 2009
  • April 2009
  • March 2009
  • February 2009
  • January 2009
  • December 2008
  • November 2008
  • October 2008
  • September 2008
  • August 2008
  • July 2008
  • June 2008
  • May 2008
  • April 2008
  • March 2008
  • February 2008
  • January 2008
  • December 2007
  • November 2007
  • October 2007
  • About

Meta

  • Log in
  • Entries feed
  • Comments feed
  • WordPress.org

Copyright © 2026 · Genesis Sample on Genesis Framework · WordPress · Log in