Gilbert, Author at Gilbert Thurston

Happy Birthday Abe!

February 16, 2009 by Gilbert Leave a Comment

Saw this quote from Lincoln earlier today and thought I’d pass it along…

“If I were to try to read, much less answer, all the attacks made on me, this shop might as well be closed for any other business. I do the very best I know how- the very best I can; and I mean to keep doing so until the end. If the end brings me out all right, what’s said against me won’t amount to anything. If the end brings me out wrong, ten angels swearing I was right would make no difference.”

Wow Abe, should have been a pastor. Here are a few thoughts that I try to apply and perhaps you can get smething out of it as well.

You will be critisized. If you’re not, you’re not pushing hard enough. Lincoln came to accept this but didn’t allow it to steal his passion.
He didn’t try to answer all his critics. I believe one of the schemes of the devil is to get us to do this. While we’re “arguing” with someone (whose mind we probably won’t change anyway), it is keeping us from doing what we are called to do.
He kept a great perspective. Lincoln said he was doing the very best he knew how. When it comes to criticism, as long as you know that you are doing what God has direcetd you to do and it in know way contradicts scripture, then keep doing what you’re doing. You wouldn’t believe some of the attacks we get at United, but I know that we’re doing what God has directed us to do, so I try to keep positive as you should as well when critisized.
He realized time would tell. Lincoln acknowledged that over time either he or his critics would be proven wrong, so there was no use wasting valuable time now arguing about it. It sort of reminds me of the story found in Acts 5:17-42. Jesus put it this way, “By their fruit you will know them”. Fruit doesn’t spring up over night, so you have to give it time.

One last thing to keep in mind. Not all criticism is bad…sometimes God is using it to get your attention. So always consider the source of the criticism (I’m much more likely to listen to my spouse than a complete stranger) and take at least a few seconds in your devotional time to ask God if there any truth to what is being said. If yes, change it…if no, move on and forget about it.

Inside Today’s Experiences

February 15, 2009 by Gilbert Leave a Comment

Had a great day today!

4 more people gave their lives to Christ!

I was really tired this morning…I had a call this morning at 1am saying I needed to come ot the hosptial because one of our members was about to die.

I went in and she did indeed pass away…please pray for the family of Belvia Chambers.

In any case, I was pumped for today and Brian and the team did a great job setting up the message with the song Undignified.

Sort of weird having two different Experiences in order to get everyone over to the baptism service.

9:15 had another record crowd…great job 9:15 in inviting new people in.

10:45 you guys better get busy inviting, or 9:15 is going to pass you by.

Awesome being able to baptism 14 people in front of such a huge crowd in the sanctuary.

Had to be a quick change artist today to keep chanigng clothes back and forth.

At 10:45 we had some friends in from out of town…all of them had heard of what we were doing but hadn’t yet experienced it for themselves…I think they liked it! :)

We all went out to eat at Red Robin…my 4th time there in the past week…Red Robin mmmmmm.

Time for a nap…have a great week!

Friday Thoughts

February 13, 2009 by Gilbert Leave a Comment

Turns out that not only did I lose a lot of sleep on Wednesday night, but we lost a bunch of our shutters as well.

Late Thursday morning I started finding them and kept chasing after them for quite a distance.

By the time I had collected them all, I had 7-8 under my arms, but I had to walk into the wind.

I might as well have been an airplane…for every 3 steps forward, I got blown back 2.

Now I’ve got to file insurance claims and all that good stuff…great…like I don’t have anything else to do.

Speaking of airplanes, I was a bit shaken up by the crash this morning in Buffalo.

I have flown into that airport at least 8-10 times, sometimes under icy conditions like they had today.

I’m quite thankful that in the hundreds of flights I’ve been on, only 1 ever had some sort of emergency.

Speaking of emergencies…attention guys reading this blog…tomorrow is Valentine’s Day…if you don’t want to be killed, make sure you’re doing something nice for your sweetie.

Had a great time speaking last night at the prison…about a dozen guys showed up and I shared with them the message from the Pursuit series on Overcoming Adversity. They really got into it and 2 guys got saved!

Ok…one final shout out asking you to please, please, please, invite someone to come with you this weekend. I believe this is going to be a very freeing message for so many and lives can truly be changed.

Also don’t forget that at 10am we will be doing baptisms in the sanctuary…this means the 9:15 United will be dismissed early and those that normally come at 10:45 should show up early.

Random Thoughts on a Thursday

February 12, 2009 by Gilbert Leave a Comment

Anyone else have trouble sleeping last night with all the high winds blowing through?

To put things into perspective…my mom when I was a kid could vacuum my room in the morning and I’d still be sound asleep.

So last night to be woken up by the winds making the house shake was rare for me.

Lisa and I kept moving to various rooms to find one that was quietier.

Finally I just put ear plugs in and went right off to sleep.

It’s 10:15 and she’s still in bed…don’t think she was so lucky.

The last few days have been great having Lamont in town to speak with us each night.

He’s the real deal and we were blessed to be able to have him here.

He asked me to call him last night at midnight to make sure he was still awake on his drive back home.

He sounded alert and was within 2 hours of seeing his “mother-in-laws favorite daughter”.

You know how almost all famous actors want to be singers and singers want to be in the movies? Well it’s like that sometimes for us as pastors…

I love Lamont’s style and quite honestly I’m jealous of it, but God keeps reminding me that He created me in a unique way and I just need to be the best Gilbert I can be…

So don’t expect this week as we wrap-up our Pursuit series to hear how Benaiah was big, bad, bold and brave. Or how in the midst of our situation he is an inspiration for our continuation.

Actually, I’m really excited about this final message in the series…invite someone to come with you as we’ll discover what it means to say Jesus came to free the fool that lives inside of you.

And we’ve got a free gift for everyone this week that I think you’ll find sort of cool.

No this isn’t Oprah…you’re not getting a car…sorry.

I’m speaking at the prison tonight so please be praying for that…I’m going to share with them some of Benaiah’s story and how we can never allow what’s wrong with us to keep us from worshipping what’s right with God.

I got quite a few more e-mails yesterday with potential questions for the “You Asked For It” series.

Remember if you have a question that you’ve always wondered about and you’d like to hear me preach a message on it, send them to me at gilbert@unitedworshipexperience.org. Or we’ll be collecting them again this week on inserts if you wish to remain anonymous. From there we will collect the top 8 or so then have you vote on which 4 make the final cut.

3 Marriage Books

February 10, 2009 by Gilbert Leave a Comment

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!