Two teams from Gray Road were busy this summer serving fellow saints and learning about God’s work around the world. The first trip was to an orphanage that operates in conjunction with a local church in Belize, a small country in Central America that was formerly a British Colony. Pastor Smith is friends with a man involved in the ministry. The team included a number of teens and afforded them an opportunity to come alongside children without parents and an extended church community inland from the Atlantic/Caribbean coast. College freshman Jordan Tyra explained that the trip opened his eyes to a number of opportunities for service in missions, and how ordinary believers can make a differe
“Am I my brother’s keeper?” With that one question, Cain’s rebellion displayed how far sin could take men in one generation. Adam and Eve had rebelled against God, and the curse of sin entered into the world. Just a short time later, for the first time in human history, one man kills another man. This is what sin does. Sin drives man to love himself to care for himself while he ignores the needs and concerns of others. Cain’s dad did the same thing. When Adam recognized that he was guilty before God, the very first thing he did was blame his wife, Eve, for everything. This has been the human condition since sin entered into the world. God knew this was a major problem when He gave the
About 3,500 years ago, the following words were given to Moses by God: “…you shall love your neighbor as yourself: I am the Lord.” (Leviticus 19:18b) In the preceding verses, there is a quite a list of “shall nots”: you shall not steal; you shall not deal falsely; you shall not lie; you shall not oppress you neighbor or rob him; you shall not curse the deaf; you shall not put a stumbling block before the blind; you shall not be partial; you shall not slander; you shall not hate your brother; you shall not take vengeance. And then, at the end of the “shall nots” comes this incredible “shall”: you shall love your neighbor as yourself. So, from this text written 3,500 years ago we come to u
Many of the moral and ethical issues being bantered about in society today come down to the issue of authority. Who has the authority to define marriage? Who has the authority to assign gender? Who has the authority to tell a woman what she can and cannot do to the human being conceived in her womb? Who has the authority to tell me what is right and wrong? Good and evil? In 21st century America, the answer to questions like these is overwhelmingly consistent. Who is the final authority on morality and ethics? Me, myself, and I. I only answer to me. In the courtroom of my life. I am the lawmaker, judge, and jury. I am a law unto myself. This is called “individual autonomy.” The wo
If you come through Entrance One anytime between Sundays, it is pretty easy to think that nothing is going on. The pastors are hidden in their offices and a friendly, albeit quiet face greets you in the church office. But head about 70 meters to the west through Entrance Four, and you’ll quickly perceive the controlled chatter and hubbub of hundreds of school age children! You’ve now entered Gray Road Christian School. Gray Road Christian School’s stated mission is to “build strong minds and committed hearts.” Metaphorically, the teachers and staff of our school work 176 days a year as ditch diggers. Strange as it may seem, imagine a field that is hard and dry. No water penetrates. No fruit
As the city continues to diversify in terms of residents from around the world, one Gray Road member is a good model for us in how we can shine a light for Christ among the nations without even leaving our home. Norma Andrews will be mortified at any reference to her being a good example of a Christ-follower, but there’s no question about it. Her giving of time, effort and love to internationals through her ministry of teaching English as a Second Language, is a true outreach for the sake of the Gospel. Norma was a nurse for many years, most recently at Wishard Hospital. When she retired in 2011, she and her husband Greg took a course in teaching ESL over three weekends at Wheaton College in
It was five years ago when Susan Johnson and Liz Tyra were talking as they sat by the pool at Kevin and Polly Shingleton’s home. The discussion turned to the subject of adoption, and Susan said something that surprised Liz. “I still remember her saying, ‘You would make good adoptive family,’” Liz recalls now. “At the time. We were dealing with two, and I kind of gave her a look to say ‘Do not go there.’ “I had no idea what was coming.” She really didn’t. Neither did her husband Curt. First, God led the Tyras to become foster parents, and, after being approved by the state, they almost immediately were introduced to Tyler, their now three-year old son. Curt and Liz, along with their sons Jor
“Yes, I’m saved. When I was seven years old, my teacher told us to repeat this prayer if we wanted to go to heaven when we die. I knew I was a sinner and deserving of hell. I believed that Jesus died for my sins, and I asked Jesus to come into my heart, and then I was baptized by my pastor… No, I don’t go to church. No, I don’t read my Bible, but I know I’m saved because I prayed that prayer and was baptized.” Barna Research Group reports that three out of every five of our teens will walk away from the church after age 15. While many reasons are given for this, the Bible clearly teaches that one who is truly a child of God will be evidenced by these things: Desire to know and live the
The old hymn that my grandparents sang began with, “When the saved of earth shall gather over on the other shore, And the roll is called up yonder, I’ll be there.” The roll call imagined in this song would be from a perfect listing of the true followers of Christ. Contrast this roll with the membership roll of any local church, and you will find yourself confronted with some harsh realities. While the membership of a given church may be made up of many true believers, the reality of our experience and the testimony of Scripture is that unbelievers can slip into our fellowship unnoticed. Scripture is filled with warnings about this. These words from our Lord are one chilling example: “Not
The idea the Lord’s half-brother James led off his epistle with, is particularly counter-intuitive to our modern, Western mind set. “Count it all joy, my brothers, when you meet trials of various kinds, for you know that the testing of your faith produces steadfastness. And let steadfastness have its full effect, that you may be perfect and complete, lacking in nothing.” – James 1:2-4 It’s a familiar passage to people who have been in a Bible-teaching church, but it may seem just as odd, or a powerless cliché in the hearts of those who hear it from inside the church as to those on the outside. Think of it. The response to adversity and crises such as financial loss, broken relationship, loss
In his Gospel, Matthew records an incident in which Jesus confronts once again the religious hypocrisy of the Pharisees. The Pharisees have forsaken the commandment of God in favor of following the traditions of men (they are worldly) and Jesus is appalled. God has made it very clear in His Word that the people are to “Honor their father and mother.” Yet, the religious elite had begun to tell the people that what they would have given in provision for their parents should be given to God. For them, this was a source of pride. Jesus has a scathing response to their disobedience. “So for the sake of your tradition you have made void the word of God. You hypocrites! Well did Isaiah prophe
“At once all the prison doors flew open, and everyone’s chains came loose. The jailer woke up, and when he saw the prison doors open, he drew his sword and was about to kill himself because he thought the prisoners had escaped. But Paul shouted, “Don’t harm yourself! We are all here!” The jailer called for lights, rushed in and fell trembling before Paul and Silas. He then brought them out and asked, “Sirs, what must I do to be saved?” That question is still being asked today, some two thousand years later. In the case of the Philippian jailer, Paul and Silas were quick to respond. “”Believe in the Lord, Jesus Christ,” they said, “and you will be saved – you and your household”. Believe. Muc
Our Missions Emphasis took place in September. While deadlines for this issue were before the conference took place, as part of this issue’s focus on being a missional people, we wanted to give a quick overview on GRBC’s focus on global missions, both our call and our emphasis, as expressed by church leadership. This is not a comprehensive policy statement but hopefully an accurate reflection of the emphasis GRBC will be featuring as it moves forward. Why do Missions? All nations (“ethnos” or people groups) rebelled against God In the Abrahamic Covenant and elsewhere, God promises Abraham that all the families of the earth will be blessed through Abraham’s seed (Gen. 12:3, 18:18, 26:4) Chris
His name is Simeon Smith. If you attend Gray Road you probably have heard about him. Simeon is the son of Steve and Andrea Smith and the brother of Zeke and Malachi. The two-year old moved in July of this year from China to his new home. A number of people from GRBC helped contribute to pay the costs associated with Simeon’s adoption, but the more details you learn about the story, the more it is clear that the only hero of the tale is the one true God of the universe – the Father of our Lord, Jesus Christ. That fact became even clearer for Andrea not long after bringing Simeon home. She was listening to music in her bedroom, playing with her son, and a song came on that she had become fond
Gray Road Baptist Church exists to glorify God. One of the ways we seek to glorify God is by engaging the world with the gospel. What does this look like? Well, we engage through our missions giving. We engage on mission trips. We engage through community events like VBS and the Fall Festival. We engage as the gospel goes out from our pulpit on Sunday mornings. We even engage as we sing songs of the gospel as a congregation. In our singing, we “declare [God’s] glory among the nations, his marvelous works among the peoples!” (Ps. 96:3). However, there’s more to engaging the world with the gospel. More than all these wonderful, needed activities. Notice, all these are corporate activi
It’s a ministry that is both crucial to our Christian calling and so broadly defined that it can be hard to recognize at times, but GRBC’s work at Beech Grove Village apartment complex is a very good example of the church’s response to the Gospel call for intentional living in our community. By “intentional” we mean ordering the events and activities of your life, even where you live and work, in a purposeful way so as to be an ambassador for Jesus Christ. Pastors Toby, Steve and Chad were interested in the church being more involved in this kind of work and were contacted by an organization that focuses on improving social conditions in such facilities. After looking for an ideal and willin
Friday, June 26, 2015, was an historic day in the United States. In a 5-4 decision, our Supreme Court declared that homosexual men and women have the constitutional right to marry. It is important for Christians to think biblically in response to events such as these, and on Sunday, June 28, I listed 9 truths to remember at times like these. First and foremost, Jesus Christ is still Lord. God is still sovereign. History is not spinning out of control; it is still moving toward the end God has designed. No human authority has the last say on matters of morality. God does.In addition, the Church of the Lord Jesus Christ cannot be destroyed. She will suffer, but she won’t die. Jesus pro
Have you considered this question recently? What is the mission of the church? The answer to this question is essential to each person wishing to live a life that glorifies God. Paul warns Timothy, “no soldier gets entangled in civilian pursuits, since his aim is to please the one who enlisted him.” 2 Timothy 1:4 If you are a Christian today, you have been enlisted by the King of Kings to participate in the completion of a task. We must make sure that we are not getting entangled in things that distract us from the ultimate purpose for being enlisted. This is true of the individual and of the church as a whole. The mission of the church “is to go into the world and make disciples by d
