Greg Long’s first memory of his childhood was when he gave his life to Christ. What followed has been an amazing career in which the Lord has used his talents to change the hearts and lives of people all over the world; and the best is yet to come.
At four years old, Greg gave his life to Christ and God began to mold him into the man he was created to be. He accepted Christ at a tent revival that his father preached at, and rededicated his life to Christ at a Dallas Holm concert at fourteen. I had the opportunity to sit down with Greg Long for an interview before an Avalon concert in Wilkesboro, NC and witnessed the heart of a man striving to serve God completely.

His Life

Greg has a solo career as well as being a member of Avalon, which keeps his schedule packed. But this guy has even greater responsibilities at home, as he and his wife Janna are the proud parents of 1 ½ year old, Lillian Long. Juggling so many large commitments would be overwhelming to many people, but Greg enjoys each aspect and finds the joy in each blessing that God has given him.

Q: Greg what does it mean to you to have a wife that is a strong Christian.

“I have never known any other way,� You are equally yoked, which is a pretty great thing. To have someone who you love and that you are committed to and for them to be committed to Christ is a prerequisite I believe. I think it is great part of life to have someone praying for you and what God wants for you, not just the materialistic things, but also the Godly things.�

Q: With all these things going on day to day, how do you relax?

“I am a Minnesota Vikings fan.� I have the NFL Sunday Ticket on the bus so I catch the Vikings games when they are on the road. I spent part of the day driving around the tour bus just trying to get a satellite signal to watch the Vikings play�. I also like to be outside; I enjoy playing tennis and flag football, and catching the occasional movie with my wife.

Many times, we wonder what it is like to live the life of a singer, travelling from city to city and standing in front of large audiences. Greg explained, “I love touring and I was fortunate because much of the touring was done with my wife, so I don’t leave my family. The hardest part of touring, he said was the “inconsistency of my schedule, but still touring is pretty much a joy for me.�

His Ministry

Greg is planning on a new solo album early in 2006. I could see the excitement in his face as he talked about the plans to start on this album as soon as the record deal was completed. He also talked about having many more solo concerts in 2006 and participating in the Women of Faith Tour with Avalon.

Q: What was the most difficult part of being a Christian man who is constantly in the spotlight?

“I think being in the spotlight, just like any pastor or anybody else, that some people look at us like we’re some spiritual giant up here because we sing Christian songs on the stage. We’re not. And I know that sometimes pastors get the same things sometimes, but we are just like “Hey, we’re just like you, only our job happens to be singing.� I try to be really honest with the audience. I let people know that I struggle with stuff. It is a really difficult thing to not come across like “Hey just because I’m up here, doesn’t mean I can breeze through my Christian life� like I am always on the mountaintop. That’s not the case. I try to be real with my audience and be a real person. This happens to be my job and I am grateful.�

Another fascinating part of any artist’s life is to hear where inspiration comes from for their work. Greg says that his inspiration can come from “anything.� His song, “Mercy Said No�, a song that was inspirational in my life as well as in his ministry, was inspired by a sermon. “In the Waiting� came from a period in his life where they waited for a surgery for his father, unsure if his father would live.

Q: What other things inspire your writing?

“Life itself is often an inspiration, reading, quietness. You can be inspired while you’re quiet, because you are listening to something that is not normal; things you couldn’t hear with the TV going or when you are in the car with the radio going…shut the radio off, turn the television off, put the book down…just be quiet sometimes and that can be inspiring.�

His Advice and Thoughts

Q: What is your favorite Bible verse and why do you like it?

“Romans 5:8. It says that God demonstrated His love for us in that we were yet sinners, Christ died for us. To remember that we are sinners. I’ve been raised in church and have been a Christian since I was a kid, and you can forget that you are a sinner. I think that nothing turns off a non-Christian more than a Christian who acts like he is better than they are. That somehow because I’ve got eternal life, I’ve been saved, that I am better than they are and that’s called self-righteousness and the Bible says that’s like a pile of filthy rags. Our own self-goodness can amount to nothing but a pile of filthy, stinky rags compared to the holiness of God. To remember that I was a sinner and Christ died for me and my only way of redemption, the only possible way, I couldn’t be good enough on my own or ever do enough good stuff or not do enough bad stuff, the only possible way that I could be redeemed was through the mercy of Christ. I am so glad that is available to us and that Jesus paid the price for us while we were still sinners.�

Q: Greg, what is the biggest issue facing Christian men in our world today?

“I think that if a person has an addictive personality, he could be addicted to a number of different things. It can be an alcohol issue, a drug issue, a lust issue, or a pride issue. Most of the things, the Bible tells us, come from pride, where I am worried about me, my own selfish desire.�

He talked about how to battle the problems that we face on a daily basis. Rather than giving me an opinion, Greg quoted the Scripture.

“How do we battle against it? I will hide Your word in my heart that I will not sin against you. We have to, in our relationship with Christ, build ourselves up in the faith. If we don’t build ourselves up in the faith, just like if we don’t build up our muscles, we will become weak. Hopefully we can learn the lessons as we grow, and not get to the depths of the lowest part we can ever go to, learn the lesson that I cannot do it on my own, I don’t have the strength, I have to build myself up in faith.�

His career has taken him too many different places and God has used Greg to have an impact on many lives, including the life of this writer. Greg’s ministry continues to grow as he prepares for a new solo album and the next phase with Avalon. Through the success, he stays grounded. He told me a story of his wife and daughter being gone for a couple of days and how he sat on the back of his bus listening to his daughter’s voice on his voicemail. He also told me how they specifically scheduled a time of devotion before concerts, to ensure that it was not overlooked or forgotten in the rush to perform. Greg sings not only as a job, but because he is devoted to a calling in life that comes from the Creator. He told me that “even when the record deals are over, I will still continue to do concerts, because that is what my calling is.� He has found his purpose in life and God is using him to change this world for the better.

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