Gary Grant

Someone once said to me that I was a Sunday Centric leader, and that I led a Sunday Centric church. Well, at first I wondered where this person was coming from, especially since they were also a church leader in the Salvation Army. Let me tell you though I am very excited about Sunday church. Last Sunday in our morning service, God did something with my heart, which I have never experienced before. I was praying for our congregation and watching them as I prayed for them. As I prayed I was overwhelmed with love and compassion, I could see more than just them, I could sense their lives, the hidden burdens, the hidden pain and worry, I think God allowed me to see them for a brief instance, as He saw them all the time. I was overcome with emotion and it changed my praying and what I feel about our wonderful church. This Sunday coming excites me hugely...we're trying something very different and having a theme service in the evening, with dress ups and the works... why should

its a fire of discontent... a burning desire for the things of God.. a pentecost fire to fall on  my head.. a refining fire to burn away all traces of sin. I preached this sermon yesterday which sprang out of Daniel 3 for me .. where  3 men were placed into a fire to be destroyed...they were tied up and bound...but the only thing that got burned was the ropes that held them. a well known bible story, but a story we need to hear again today.. we all, at times, are bound up, by ropes of evil intent...sinful choices, even made by others ...and sometimes by ourselves, and God comes to us, to free us, and be among us. read Daniel 3 for yourself. please don't try this at home, we had a fireman present to oversee the fire we burned inside our church... it was a great illustration of what God does inside us, but remember this, and remember it well... the fire will go out if you don't tend to it, fuel it along. the spiritual fire inside us is fueled by our prayer li

One of my friends passed away this week. when I read the post on his Facebook page, I was in unbelief at first, in fact I still am struggling to comprehend it. he had made plans to be in our church this Sunday , I was expecting to have lunch with him and catch up. and now.....       NO. life dishes up some interesting stuff at times. I find myself bewildered by some things that go on around me. The choices that people make and the decisions that people act out upon without any courtesy or respect towards others.  I think our world has become an interesting place, it could be that I am just getting old, and some of my values that I was grounded in have seemingly just been thrown out the window. what ever happened to old fashioned respect ? courtesy ?  I think its vital that you live by the values that you have decided that are right for your life. I don't always get it right either, I try, but sometimes I just fail. It's then that I hope that the value of grace is e

It's a good thing to be stretched in ministry, and in life. It's great excercise for your mind. I currently am aware that I personally am being stretched. God promises never to take us beyond our ability to cope... I believe that. I also believe that when He stretches us, we are in a process of being further equipped and developed and empowered. Currently my personal ministry is being stretched, things added, tasks becoming wider with a wider influence, and some of these will be used(no doubt) as a Kingdom advancing resource for me, and in me and through me. There is also an awareness that now, as I allow myself to be used in such ways,that there is in fact no turning back.... Busier...less time for mucking around....an urgent need to guard my personal space....and marriage...and the church that I Pastor is just going to get even more active. It's all good though. I asked for this. It means saying no sometimes. And yes at other times. But choosing carefully w

I am sitting in my lounge room just reflecting on the past 24 hours or so...it's Sunday arvo and I am getting ready soon for our night service at Salvos 3064 church... This morning and yesterday we sat through a beautiful time of ministry with Geoff. Wonderful. Insightful. Affirming. Blessed. I loved his stories, and honesty, and how he seemed relaxed amongst us. Which caused me to relax. As he sang The Power of Your Love, I felt something wash over me...through me, around me... It caused me to be unable to sing...as tears welled in my eyes. For those present...the insight about Barabbas... Amazing. And then of course the pooey nappy analogy, where God as our father holds us, embraces us,hugs us, even though we, as babies, smell to high heavens... Grace. Thank you Geoff for coming to us, to bless us and minister to us..I am hoping Craigieburn will never be the same again....(sorry to pinch the line). By the way, the personal chats in the car to and from the air

You can easily get confused as to what is your main business as a busy salvo officer. I know what it really is... But with RSA, running a church, preaching, admin, management,facilities issues, And other stuff... If you are not careful, you can forget the main business...which for me is seeing people get connected to Jesus and then grow closer to Him. I would rather be busy in that business than anything else. One lady gave her heart to Jesus in our church last Sunday, converted from Budhism to Jesus..and yet we were so busy it could easily just be another thing, yet... YET.... That is the single most important thing... Isn't it ? Salvation and discipleship... The recipe for church success. I pray for many more of both.... The other stuff, has to be done, and I seriously believe it can all happen at once....but the spiritual stuff is always more important than the admin. Jesus called me to this. And I am glad I said yes.