The Central Lubbock Church is a congregation of the churches of Christ. We are an urban ministry in the heart of Lubbock, Texas - a city of 220,000 people. This ministry was planted in an area of town that has one of the highest crime rates in the city. It is a part of the city that has been neglected or forgotten by most of the citizens of Lubbock but, not by our Lord Jesus. This ministry was intentionally planted here for the purpose of establishing a stronghold for Jesus in the midst of a community that was controlled by the forces of hell. God continues to use this ministry to kick in the gates of hell and rescue His people from the domain of darkness. This community needed the compassion and ministry of the Lord through His church. Consequently, we are eager to accomplish His will at this place. Gerald Paul Jackson is the Evangelist for the Central Lubbock Church of Christ and the Executive Director for the Inside Out Ministries. He has been married to Marsha for twenty-nine years. She is a graduate of Texas Tech University and is employed by a local firm as an Interior Designer. They have three children; Scott, Leslie, and Brian. Scott is married to Kelly and they have twins, Ashten and Maili. Leslie is a student at Lubbock Christian University. Brian is a student at Shallowater High School School. Gerald is a graduate of the Sunset International Bible Institute of Lubbock, Texas. He has a Bachelor of Arts from Lubbock Christian University. He is a native of Lubbock, and a graduate of Dunbar High School. He is a veteran of the United States Air Force where he met his wife, Marsha (a.k.a. Pepsi), who also is a veteran of the United States Air Force. The couple was married September 14, 1977 in Biggleswade, England Gerald has been in the ministry since 1980. He has preached at three congregations in Lubbock; Parkway Drive Church of Christ, 20th and Birch Church of Christ, and Central Lubbock Church of Christ. He also preached in Los Angeles, California at the West Adams Church of Christ. Hobbies and leisure: furniture making, gardening, tennis, and weightlifting. To navigate the site either click on the corner of the page or click on the navigation links above. To get in touch with GPJ Ministries please fill out the form to the right. Our mailing address is:
GPJ Ministries
P.O. Box 5496
Lubbock, TX 79408 Thank you, your comments have been successfully sent. If your email requires response someone will try and be in touch with you soon, otherwise we appreciate your comments and your interest in GPJ Ministries. We have two ways for you to purchase Gerald's book; buy a hard copy of the book that will be shipped to you by clicking on the "buy the book" button, or buy a PDF version of the book that will be emailed to you by clicking the "download pdf" button. "I found this book to be a treasure chest of all the rich experiences of life. There is a story that touches everyone. Read and be enriched, inspired, and encouraged. Larry D. Brooks Community Baptist Church content=Blog

Flip-flops on the Freeway

“Officer I’ve got to get to the other side of the freeway.” This appeared to be the argument this fella was trying to make while attempting to cross the freeway. This spectacle caught my attention as I was driving toward this scene on the freeway. The man was dressed in shorts and flip-flops and that’s all. He had apparently just gotten his drink on prior to attempting to cross the freeway. He was already sun-burned and the day was getting hotter. But you had to appreciate his desire to have his way in this matter—however foolish.

He didn’t seem to be buying the cop’s argument about the danger of dodging cars on the freeway or even how unsafe it was to try to run in flip-flops. Can’t you see him losing a flip-flop and darting back through traffic to get it—side-stepping a big-rig while directing traffic to go around? The cop was also pointing at the sidewalk a hundred yards away that would allow the man safe passage under the freeway. But that appeared to be too much of an inconvenience.

Then there was the possible argument the cop could have always used “Get off of the freeway or go to jail.” But I had passed the scene at this point. It was clear this fella was letting the alcohol do the talking for him. He was determined to have his way regardless of every good reason for him not to have it. And I’m sure that all of his reasoning made sense to him and only him.

There are tons of good reasons not to attempt crossing the freeway in flip-flops. The ones the officer appeared to be making to this man should have been more than sufficient. I wish I could have watched how this incident played out. Did this guy risk jail rather than give up his bid to cross in spite of all the danger? Did he listen to reason and choose the safe route for crossing? I don’t know. But what I do know is that I deal with people like this all of the time.

There are those people who would argue against all sound reason in order to get their way. Truth be known, they will intentionally avoid, ignore or dismiss those people who will give them good information just so they can have their way. I frequently find this to be the case with people who are prone to dive into bad relationships. People will do whatever they can to have a relationship, which every thinking person on the planet realizes is not good for them. But, they will insist on having that relationship. They argue against all sound wisdom in order to have what they want. They oughta write that down somewhere. “He who separates himself seeks his own desire, He quarrels against all sound wisdom” (Proverbs 18:1).

Consider what the Bible says. A person removes himself or herself from anyone or anything that would give them good information which would enable them to make an intelligent decision. “He separates himself.” They find a way to avoid the very people they should listen to. You’ve got to ask, “Why would they want to do that?” Again the Bible answers, because he “…seeks his own desire.” They don’t want what’s best for them. They want what feels good to them—however temporary and however costly.

In order to get what they want, they have to dismiss all sound wisdom. They must discredit or discount the wisdom that they know is available for them to make a good decision. So they quarrel against all sound wisdom. They don’t just dismiss one or two good arguments. They dismiss all sound wisdom. In doing so, they remove any possibility of succeeding in their attempt to get anything beneficial. The word “sound,” means efficient wisdom, abiding success, helpful insight. If you choose not to use this kind of information can you expect to succeed? The answer is emphatically no. Now let me ask you, “Do you think the decision the person who is avoiding sound wisdom will be a good one? It certainly is not likely.

Well what to do about these folk? It has been my experience to let them have their way. You can offer sound wisdom to them in order for them to know that it is available. But they will reject it. I recommend doing as the Lord does. If you insist on having it your way, the Lord will remove His protection from you and let you have what you want (Romans 1:24-32). The final result is death.

Lord, please continue to protect us from ourselves. We know not what we do. I ask in Jesus’ name, Amen.