Growing in Christ. - Page 4 of 5 - The Blog of Pastor Matt Craig Morris

Sunday Rewind for June 26: Can I Trust the Bible?

Have a Question? We all have questions, big God questions. Throughout the summer at Christ United Methodist Church in Gastonia, NC, we’re asking some big questions! Here is our Sunday Rewind for June 26, 2016. We ask the big question, “Can I trust the Bible?” The Bible stands alone on the best seller list in human history. With over 100 million copies sold or given away every year, no published work compares in quantity . Printed in over 2200 language world wide, no literary work can rival its reach. Written over a period of roughly 1500 years, few volumes match is historical breath. Composed by 40 different authors, ranging from kings to prophets to paupers, few works offer its diversity. No book has been printed[…]

Sunday Rewind for June 12: Who is Jesus, Really?

Have a Question? We all have questions, big God questions. Throughout the summer at Christ United Methodist Church in Gastonia, NC, we’re asking some big questions! Here is our Sunday Rewind for June 12, 2016. We ask the big question, “Who is Jesus, Really?” “Daddy!” Long and loud, drawing out each vowel, this 3AM cry catapults me from sleep. Up and out, I answer the call of one of my children. The dog can bark, and I sleep. You could probably burglarize my home, and I’d sleep soundly. My child calls my name and I instantly respond. I know them. They trust me. They call me. I go. I am their daddy. I answer to lots of names. I’m “Hubby” to my bride. I’m[…]

Sunday Rewind for June 5, 2016: I Have a Question

Have a Question? We all have questions, big God questions. Throughout the summer at Christ United Methodist Church in Gastonia, NC, we’re asking some big questions! Here is our Sunday Rewind for June 5, 2016. We ask the big question, “How can a loving God send people to hell?” O.J. Simpson still makes headlines. Think what you will about the various trials that followed, twenty years ago we were all shocked at the jarring headlines. Mr. Simpson was a beloved sports figure, commentator, and actor. His smile made you believe him, trust him, as he pitched Hertz rentals or gave his viewpoint about teams and players. America loved O.J.. Then everything changed. We all have a question about O.J. Simpson now. Its easy to talk[…]

Getting God’s Best – From the “Expect The Expected” Series

You get what you pay for. Every purchase is a balance of our budget versus quality. If I had an unlimited budget, I would buy the very best quality every time. If I could afford it, I would eat at the Capital Grill every day. If I could afford it, I would drive a Rolls Royce. If I could afford it, my wife would shop at Nordstroms. Quality is undeniable. Unfortunately, my budget is also undeniable. So I eat at home, a reasonable restaurant, or maybe at the Capital Grille on a very, very special occasion (Hopefully when someone else is paying!) I drive a used car or an inexpensive newer car. And my favorite clothing store is any clearance rack in the outlet[…]

Do I Give God Space to Move?

We give space to those we love. Leaving my house is not easy. A ritual began about a year ago transforming simple good-byes into a five minute “lovefest”. It started simple enough. My wife and I make a point of kissing good bye every time I walk out the door. What can I say, I guess we really love showing we love each other. Watching this ritual, my daughter decided she wanted some loving. No matter what she is doing, she must stop and get her hug and kiss bye-bye. Now my son needs the same. If I happen to leave before my children wake or get their love, they burst into tears because I’m gone. I’ve been chased down in my driveway by half-naked,[…]

5 First Date Tips: Give the Best to the Guest

The saying goes, “You never get a second chance to make a first impression.” Here’s a simple statement that will go a long way to ensuring a great first impression: Give the Best to the Guest! Every situation is an opportunity to either serve you or someone else. A first date often makes or breaks any potential relationship. First dates reveal a lot about the other person and their intentions. First dates often determine whether there are second or third dates. I’d like to say I always brought my “A” game on a first date…but because this is public reading, I’m sure there are more than a few people who might disagree. How do I know? Well, they didn’t give me a second date! Someone[…]

Simply Great: Earning the Right

No one cares what I know until they know that I care. If you want a great relationship, a great company, or a great church, it all begins by earning the right to share. I once rode a mechanical bull…once and hopefully never again! The mechanical monstrosity had me on the ground in less than a second. I pulled my groin muscle so bad I could barely walk for three days. Without any experience and admittedly little athletic prowess, what made me climb on that beast in the first place? I was earning the right to share. Now one of my very best friends, Darren was a high school senior whom I first met at McDonalds. I was a 22 year old Young Life volunteer. […]

Simply Great: A Child-Proof Church

I got some great kids. Can I brag a minute? My daughter went for her 5 year old check up. They tested her up and down. The doctor was amazed at her verbal communication skills. She tested well above average. Yep…that’s my preachers kid! She’s a talker! I love that my little girl is excelling. She does great in school. I think the sky is the limit for what she could do with her life. I don’t want her to waste any potential. I want her to be simply great! Is it “Unchristian” to want to be great? Greatness sounds so prideful and arrogant. The problem isn’t seeking greatness but our expectations of how we get there. If greatness is a position reached by climbing[…]

Experiencing Grace – BELONGING

We all want it. Every person who ever walked this earth desires experiencing Grace. I promise you that’s a true statement. Sure, we want fairness and justice. We crave love and hope. Happiness is high on everyone’s list too. I’d take a new car if it was given to me. But above all, we want to experience grace. We don’t know we want it, well, because we don’t really know what Grace is. We’ve got all these words and desires…but we don’t know how they fit together. We just moved into a great new house. I don’t like moving. Its hard work. Its exhausting work. Packing and unpacking, dismantling and rebuilding, it takes forever. You got to start with priorities. The first thing that[…]

Sunday Rewind: Happily Ever After… Love Leads

Even when I’m right, sometimes I’m wrong. We’ve been remodeling our home for the past month. So near the end, I can’t express how eager and ready I was to move my family in. We’d been staying with my wife’s family. They are incredibly generous and great hosts…but it is never as comfortable as your own place. Our kitchen appliances had been ordered a month out and were scheduled for delivery the day we planned to move in. As the delivery truck pulled into the drive-way, I could see the light at the end of the remodeling tunnel. As the rear doors opened to the delivery truck, our stove was no where in sight. Somehow, during the past month, our stove was backordered and no[…]