Share the Truth

Review of T4G

I’ve been researching this spiritual workout for a long time. In the past six-ten months, it has really intensified as I began to pull together this ‘workout’ plan. This plan has six elements and this post today is on the final element. Before we get to witnessing, let me just list the other elements. My workout plan, which I now call T4G, starts with Bible study. Daily prayer is the second element and tied very closely to the Bible study. Our daily discipline should also include Praising God. We don’t have to do this all alone, so fellowship with other believers is also an element. We are to ‘do good works’ on a daily basis in obedience to His Word. This brings us to witnessing on a daily basis.

Preliminary Notes

Just out of curiosity I checked on a definition of ‘witness’. A witness is one who testifies or gives evidence. Now in the early church, many witnesses who were retelling what they knew of Jesus Christ were killed. 

I did read a great reminder by Dr. Charles Stanley. He said that we are responsible for sharing the truth, not the converting of individuals.

Our Actions Speak Volumes

John Wesley said it well, “Do all the good you can, by all the means you can, in all the ways you can, in all the places you can, at all the times you can, to all the people you can, as long as ever you can.” Our previous workout element was to DO GOOD WORKS. When our faith drives our desire to do those good works, it speaks loudly!! When our faith drives those good works, we will articulate that faith in our everyday language. It will be seen in how we speak to others, how we respond to challenges, and how we deal with opportunities!

Say So! Speak Up for Christ!

When Jesus was at a festival in John chapter 7,  the Jewish leaders were looking for Him. There was a lot of chit chat about Him, both good and bad. However, fear stifled many because they were afraid! They would now speak up for Jesus of Nazareth. We are told, even in the Old Testament, that we are to proclaim God’s message and that people will listen. When Jonah finally entered the city of Nineveh and delivered God’s message, indeed the people listened. (Read Jonah 3:4-9) Do you have the enthusiasm to speak up for Christ? Do you hesitate? Campus Minister Ryan Spurrier, from the Wesley Campus Ministry at UNC, reminded me recently that “God goes before us. He is just waiting for us to take the next steps.” I’ve referred to it before, but one of my favorite songs right now is “Say So!” The lyrics talk about how we have a purpose - to be the salt and the light of the world! “Let the redeemed of the Lord SAY SO!”

Peter and John were questioned by the rulers and elders of the Jewish people after preaching about Jesus. They were told not to speak to anyone in Jesus’ name ever again. Their response was clear and simple - “We cannot stop telling about everything we have seen and heard.”

Don’t be afraid, be bold! Be a witness for Christ!

Pass on the Faith

Paul instructed Timothy about teaching the truths he’s learned from him. We too are to pass along the Good News to others! 

Final Thoughts

I want to urge you to NOT think of witnessing as ‘just standing on the corner preaching’ or ‘going door to door’. Witnessing is so much more and I hope you can think of being a witness as an everyday discipline and part of your spiritual workout! Pray about those individuals who God may place in your path each day. Pray that your eyes will be open to those opportunities. Work on your attitude so that you are willing to have spiritual conversations no matter where you are. Be the salt and the light of the world!

Find my podcast at https://chaplaingray.podbean.com/. You'll find my other episodes focusing on spiritual workouts there as well. A new series of episodes are coming this summer called “Rooted Principles”.

Thanks for reading this post. I would greatly appreciate you sharing a link to the post with your friends and your network. Feel free to comment below as well.

"His faithful love endures forever."

Until next time...

Chaplain Gray

Do Good Works

As you know, I believe that we should approach our spiritual health by ‘working out’ on a daily basis. Most of these elements of this workout have been covered in previous blog posts. Those elements are: Bible study, prayer, praising Him, and fellowship with other believers. So DOING GOOD WORKS is the fifth element of this workout.

We are instructed that we are not saved by good works. We should also understand however, that as a result of our salvation, we will want to perform acts of service. 

As a young man, I participated in the Boy Scouts of America. One of the core values of the BSA is to “recognize the needs of others and take action accordingly.”  When I was a young Scout, I was taught to ‘do a good turn daily.’ I believe this stuck with me as I began to grow. As a student at Presbyterian College, I was influenced by  the college motto “Dum Vivimus Servimus” which translates “While we live we serve.”

As an adult, I joined a local Rotary Club. I learned that the principal motto of the club is “Service Above Self.” I’m told that leaders within the club consider that this motto “best conveys the philosophy of unselfish volunteer service.”

I would have to agree that we are not saved just so we might enter the Kingdom of Christ (our own benefit). We are to serve Christ and build up the church. We are to put the knowledge of God into action by helping others!

In Jesus’ Sermon on the Mount, He gives us these words (Matt 5:13-16): “You are the salt of the earth; but if the salt loses its flavor, how shall it be seasoned? It is then good for nothing but to be thrown out and trampled underfoot by men.

You are the light of the world. A city that is set on a hill cannot be hidden. Nor do they light a lamp and put it under a basket, but on a lampstand, and it gives light to all who are in the house. Let your light so shine before men, that they may see your good works and glorify your Father in heaven.” This is our marching orders to do these good works intentionally!

We can’t just wait for opportunities to do a good turn. Yes, when those opportunities present themselves we need to respond in an appropriate way. Christ told us to “Let your light so shine…” We need to invest ourselves in others. In the physical fitness industry personal trainers carefully map out their clients' exercises. They take the time to put together a precise plan and then they help their client execute that plan. I want to put together a similar plan to do acts of service each day. By examining my plans for any given day, I can potentially see an opportunity to serve others. I can also pray and ask the Holy Spirit to show me those opportunities that God may have put in my path. 

If I am really committed to doing good works on a daily basis, I believe I will see multiple ways in which I can serve. I caution myself though. I don’t want to ‘keep score’. It’s not about how many acts of service I accomplish. It's about my attitude of ‘doing the act of service’.

Paul tells us (1 Corinthians 15:58) “So, my dear brothers and sisters, be strong and immovable. Always work enthusiastically for the Lord, for you know that nothing you do for the Lord is ever useless.”

In summary, here are a few tips:

- Examine your plans for each day; look for opportunities to serve; execute your plan!

- Pray that the Holy Spirit shows you what opportunities God has put in your path.

- Don't keep score - just do it!

Find my podcast at https://chaplaingray.podbean.com/. You'll find my other episodes focusing on spiritual workouts there as well.

Thanks for reading this post. I would greatly appreciate you sharing a link to the post with your friends and your network. Feel free to comment below as well.

"His faithful love endures forever."

Until next time...

Chaplain Gray

Fellowship Workout

One of the four staples of the New Testament Church was fellowship. These new believers devoted themselves to fellowship, so it was a high priority. True fellowship in this sense is being together for spiritual purposes. (Acts 2:42-47).

Believers would share needs, pray, discuss the Word and edify one another. In this case ‘edify’ refers to actively contributing to a person’s spiritual betterment. So, when was the last time you were fellowshipping with other believers?

With that in mind, we can agree that fellowship strengthens your faith in God and Christ.

Chaplain Gray and Chaplain Dennis

 If we are going to strengthen our relationship with God and other Christians we have to go about it with a plan.  

Now, most churches create a menu of opportunities that you can take advantage of. If we are placing a high priority on fellowship then we’ll take a close look at that menu and carefully plan out how and where we’ll share our walk with Christ with other believers from our own church. 

Another way we can have fellowship with believers is certainly through today’s technology. We can connect with believers by phone, social media, and the internet. If you don’t have a good Bible app on your phone, check out “YouVersion - the Bible App”. Bible Hub is another good app for your phone. These resources can help you connect with other believers.

New friends at YMCA Chaplains Retreat

I think of organizations that foster these relationships through their fellowship opportunities. FCA is a great place for students on school campuses. F3 is a relatively new organization that promotes fellowship for these purposes!

These examples above are ‘horizontal’ in that they are with other believers. We also need to be in fellowship with Christ, a ‘vertical’ relationship. We do that through the Word, prayer and the abiding life.

Fellowship is all about relationships. Margaret Thatcher said, “Plan your work for today and every day, then work your plan.” I think this applies to our daily workout and including elements such as fellowship!

In summary, find fellowship:

• Through your church (small groups, fellowship meals, etc)
• Find other Christians and connect by phone or social media if that fits for you
• Be in fellowship with Christ through reading the Word, through prayer and the abiding life.

Be sure and listen in to my podcast episode "Daily Fellowship". Find that podcast at https://chaplaingray.podbean.com/. You'll find other episodes focusing on a spiritual workout there as well.

Thanks for reading this post. I would greatly appreciate you sharing a link to the post with your friends and your network.

"His faithful love endures forever."

Until next time...

Chaplain Gray

Chaplain Gray

Adoration and Praise

So, how do you feel about praising God every day? You can’t deny that we as believers are expected to daily show adoration and praise for our Sovereign King.

In Isaiah 43:7 we are told that we are created with the purpose of GLORIFYING HIM. Even Christ told us in His model prayer to begin with adoration of the Father. We are to testify to all of God’s faithfulness and mighty works. Let’s face it, we should start and end our prayers with praise.

The more we know of the Lord, the more we should desire to praise Him. The songbook of the Bible, also known as Psalms, gives us many examples of praise. One of the many Hebrew words for praise is ‘tehillah’. This means to sing praises to the Lord. Psalm 22:3 says that the Lord is the one who Israel praises! Music is an important part of praising God. As you can see in Colossians 3:16, singing praise was one way early Christians would educate others. They had the Old Testament but nothing of the New Testament in writing at this point. For the purposes of a daily workout, you can listen to hymns, or sing songs of praise yourself. Why not find some praise and worship music to include on your ‘playlist’? Use that as you go to work, as you relax or even as you exercise your body!

“Hallelujah” is a word recognized around the world. “Hallel” means to boast or to brag on in a big way! “Jah” is a short form of the name for God. So you could say that this word is an extreme outburst of excitement about God. If you are feeling it, just take Psalm 150 and read through it, increasing your excitement with each verse!

Another Hebrew word for praise is ‘Yodah”. This is a gesture of throwing out one’s arms in celebration or confession. How does praise include confession? This extension of our arms indicates a need for God. We desire to be free from the burdens of sin. So our praise is in the knowledge that we are on this side of heaven. We are joyful! We are right with God! So daily, express your praise using posture with a song! If you are uncomfortable in the corporate setting of worship then do it when you are alone.

What does praise do? When we praise the King of Kings it takes our mind off of our problems and focuses on Him. Praise presses us to think more about God’s character as well as appreciating who He is. Finally, we are preparing our hearts - to receive God’s love and the power of His Holy Spirit.

David proclaimed in Psalm 145:1-2 that he would praise God every day! Pastor and author Bob Hostetler developed his own “praise program” for the 31 days of the calendar. Each day he focused on an attribute of God (Wonderful Counselor, Mighty God, Everlasting Father, Prince of Peace, etc.) You can develop Scripture-based sentences that acknowledge these attributes as you Praise Him! If you are going to praise Him daily, develop your own ‘praise program’. It may begin as a habit, but it will grow into a deep desire as you know Him more intimately!

I read a Newspring Church devotional recently that said “Because God is great in all things, we can praise Him in all ways. There is no limit to how, when, or where we can praise God.”

In summary:
Start and end your prayers with praise.

You can listen to hymns or sing songs of praise yourself.

You can express your praise using posture with songs or in your prayers!

Develop your own praise program and watch it become a deep desire to constantly praise Him.


One of my favorite praise songs is “Holy is the Lord God Almighty.” The Brooklyn Tabernacle Choir sings it in a very powerful way. I love this expression of praise: Holy is the Lord God Almighty, The Earth is Filled with Your Glory!!!

I praise and adore you, Lord, as the Holy One of Israel. You are my Redeemer, the God of all the earth!

Can you make praising God a daily part of your spiritual workout?

I invite you to listen in to my podcast "Praise Him" with Music Minister John McFadden. We talk about making praise part of our everyday spiritual workout. You can find the podcast on iTunes (Apple Podcasts) and Podbean. Here's a link: https://apple.co/2uq6AFP.


Thanks for reading this post. I would greatly appreciate you sharing a link to the post with your friends and your network.


"His faithful love endures forever."


Until next time...




Chaplain Gray

Privilege of Prayer

Have you ever thought about a 'spiritual workout'? We all know about physical workouts, even if we aren't actively engaged in them! But shouldn't we have a plan on how we keep up with a daily spiritual routine? Over the next few posts, I will be presenting a Basic Spiritual Workout. 

Let us Pray
The Reverend Billy Graham stated, “He has given you His Word, and the priceless privilege of prayer and worship.” We should be very grateful because in many parts of the world we’d be forbidden to pray. Yet, we sometimes don’t take it seriously. We regulate prayer to be used “in case of emergency”.

Author Kathryn Shirey reminds us that “Prayer is our conversation with God.” Yes, we are told to pray and Jesus even gave us a model prayer. So, why do we make it so hard to pray? Too busy? Blah, Blah. Prayer should be a daily spiritual workout. It will empower our soul!

Erik Raymond explained about prayer. “The sweetness of communion with God in prayer should never be assumed but actively treasured and protected. We are, after all, speaking with our Father who adopted us, our Savior who bought us, and the Holy Spirit who seals and indwells us.” He goes on to say “Prayer also has a unique power. To neglect our spiritual health is to neglect our spiritual power. It is like slashing our tires on our car or draining our phone batteries before we leave for work. Prayer is essential to Christian living, so we must diligently keep a close watch on ourselves.”

Use Various Methods 
Different prayer methods will help you sustain your prayer life. Changes in a method will invigorate and reenergize your prayers.

There are a few prayer methods I’d like to mention. Dick Eastman developed a structured hour in prayer. It has 12 elements and you devote 5 minutes to each. It starts and ends in praise! Another popular method is using the acronym ACTS. This helps us remember several prayer basics: adoration, confession, thanksgiving, and supplication. You can pray through all those elements when you pray or focus on one at a time. I also like the idea of praying the Psalms. One Psalm a day! What a wonderful way to commune with the Most High! Prayer walking can be a great form of intercessory prayer. You can physically walk, or even virtually take a walk. 

Here are a few strategies to mention that will help you in your prayer workout. Keep a journal of your prayer requests and answers to prayer! When you are alone, praying out loud occasionally will help you stay focused. Also triggers, like an emergency vehicle going by, can alert you to an opportunity for prayer. 

Working out in prayer Recap:
I may be alone or with others. My style and method will vary, sometimes according to if I am alone or not.

I may be very brief or devote a significant amount of time, in structured prayer.

I am subject to the sudden urge to pray. There are triggers that should draw me to prayer and the Holy Spirit may even move me to a time of prayer.

There are numerous postures appropriate for prayer. I may be on my knees or bowing in a pew, but when my “heart” is seeking to commune with my King, I will yield to Him in my own way!

When I keep a list of requests it helps me focus. When I mark them or note they’ve been answered it GLORIFIES HIM.


Lastly...

We know that Jesus had a significant prayer life.

Before daybreak the next morning, Jesus got up and went out to an isolated place to pray. 
Mark 1:35

I consider prayer part of my daily spiritual workout. Do you?

Be sure and check out my new Podcast - "Training for Godliness". You can find it on Apple Podcast, Google Play or Podbean. This link will take you there! Please download and listen in. There are 4 episodes already and more to come.


Until next time...

"His faithful love endures forever."


Chaplain Gray

Completing the Spiritual Fitness Checkup

This is the second part of a Spiritual Fitness Checkup. Its similar to a medical checkup you would have when you go to a physician. There are some indicators that a doctor looks at and gets some feedback on your physical well-being. We hope you can get some feedback, although you are really doing a self-assessment. We are dealing with spiritual matters. In the first part, we looked at our mouth, our ears or hearing and our reflexes. There is a scoresheet designed for this self-assessment and I encourage you to rate yourself as we continue with several more indicators. Plus, on the scoresheet, you have a place to write some action steps for the next few months to help you move toward goals that would improve your self-rating.

Part 1 - Spiritual Checkup Establishes a Baseline

Spiritual Fitness Scoresheet

Next on our list of indicators is pressure. Just like high blood pressure is the silent killer, worldly pressures can be the silent killers of our spiritual beings. Financial pressures, job security, and even your own peers can bring about this worldly pressure. Paul tells us in Romans 12:2 “Don't copy the behavior and customs of this world, but let God transform you into a new person by changing the way you think. Then you will learn to know God's will for you, which is good and pleasing and perfect.” God’s Word tells us over and over again that we have no need to worry! God will never leave us. Are you really out of shape here? Or are you pretty fit? Rate yourself on your scoresheet.

Some further reading: Psalm 55:22, Matthew 11:29-30

Proverbs 4:23 (NLT) says “Guard your heart above all else, for it determines the course of your life.” We need to be fully aware of our ‘spiritual hearts’. The heart is one of the most important organs of our physical beings. It’s also critical to the spiritual being. Therefore, we must be aware of the dangers of a hardening heart. Pastor Rick Warren says “The most important antidote for spiritual heart disease is giving. When we give, our hearts grow bigger.” Conversely, the hardening of the heart is a gradual process, not something happening overnight. Some characteristics are insensitivity to what the Lord says (unbelief), justification of sinful conduct, an absence of private devotion and little interest in spiritual matters. Don’t ignore your spiritual heart.

Finally, its time to examine our Spiritual Diet. Physical beings require certain vitamins and nutrients. We need to ask ourselves if we are feeding our spirit the nutrition it requires. Sunday morning isn’t enough. 

“Trust in the LORD with all your heart; do not depend on your own understanding. Seek his will in all you do, and he will show you which path to take. Don’t be impressed with your own wisdom. Instead, fear the LORD and turn away from evil. Then you will have healing for your body and strength for your bones.” Proverbs 3:5-8 (NLT)

Daily devotions are perhaps the most important part of your spiritual diet. Make the time for them and draw close to the Lord!

So, how did you do? Be diligent and don’t neglect your spiritual being.

Well, if you used the scoresheet, you must have some thoughts about how you can change your ‘scores’. Over the next months, you can work on some indicators or all of them. 

The purpose of this check-up is to establish a baseline. My invitation to you is to have an intentional effort to improve your level of spiritual fitness. GROW in your walk with Christ. It doesn’t matter if you are new in your walk with Him or if you are still maturing. You want to continue to grow! 

I am currently working on the development of a basic spiritual workout. I hope its something that serves as a daily plan for your spiritual fitness.

I invite you to check out our new podcast. You can find it by clicking this link: https://chaplaingray.podbean.com/

Until next time...

"His faithful love endures forever."

Chaplain Gray 

An Introduction to "Spiritual Fitness"

For a long time, I’ve felt like there is a compelling reason why being fit ‘spiritually’ is important to our well-being. Throughout my entire adult life, I’ve seen an equilateral triangle that represents the development of spirit, mind, and body. Too often, the spirit side is ignored or certainly not given an equal place in our priorities.

While we are to treat our bodies as a temple of the Lord, we have to remember that being spiritually fit has ‘eternal’ implications. In 1 Timothy 4:8,  “Physical training is good, but training for godliness is much better, promising benefits in this life and in the life to come.” 

So for a number of years I’ve had a devotional that focuses on how we might approach a ‘spiritual check-up.’ This led me to search out the idea of a spiritual fitness workout. Many writers have focused on the spiritual disciplines it takes to lead a life of discipleship, following our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ. Military branches have paid attention to the spiritual fitness of their forces as they realize the importance of a well-balanced person. Pastors preach messages based on Timothy’s training for godliness. 

Having worked in the YMCA for my career, I saw year after year how members would start new fitness programs and routines using the latest fads, equipment and even special clothing! For many, however, they can’t sustain a routine. Life gets busy and interferes with our best intentions. It’s like that too for many Christ followers as they make a resolution to read the Bible more faithfully in the coming year, go to church more often and serve others!

What if there was a way for us to train for godliness that we could sustain and even ‘advance’ to another level and remain motivated? If we had a way to measure our level of fitness and identify where we need to focus some effort in order to maintain ourselves, perhaps we could continue to strengthen our spiritual well-being.

I believe that if one can get started on a basic spiritual fitness program and establish good habits in doing so, then he/she can sustain their workouts. I further believe that there is a natural step to an advanced training program that will continue to challenge and help one grow more and more in his walk with the Lord. 

This is a work in progress so I will present the Basic Workout program and the Spiritual Check-Up first. Then I’ll present what I believe is an Advanced Workout.


Until next time...

"His faithful love endures forever."


Chaplain Gray