Contrary to what we might think, the Christmas story did not begin in Bethlehem or even when the angel Gabriel appeared to Mary. The Christmas story – God coming from heaven to earth – has existed in the heart of God since the very beginning. This message kicks off our Christmas series by reminding us that Jesus (the Word) was “with God in the beginning” – and his arrival was not a spur-of-the-moment decision by God to save his people. The Christmas story is part of a larger story – the overarching story of God’s redemptive plan. To truly understand the importance of Christmas, we must place it within this larger story.Watch more videos at the Mountainview YouTube channel. Looking for a Speaking Coach? The most successful people are not always the smartest people. But they have one thing in common: they communicate well. I'd love to help you become…
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Science backs up what God already knew: Generous people are happier people. Stingy people live with a constant strain and stress, trying to hold on to what really doesn’t belong to them anyway. We believe that being generous is not only good for you, but also what God expects from us. To really change the world will require generous people.Watch more videos at the Mountainview YouTube channel. Looking for a Speaking Coach? The most successful people are not always the smartest people. But they have one thing in common: they communicate well. I'd love to help you become a better communicator. Click here. Professor at Warner University church planter with Stadia former former president, Church Planters of the Rockies masters in business administration (mba) helped start 2 for-profit tech companies Need a Speaker or Presenter? Interested in having me speak for your church, conference, or organization? Follow this link to…
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Unfortunately, many Christians believe in the idea of stewardship but behave like they are owners. A steward is someone who has been entrusted with the care and management of someone else’s possessions. The biblical view of finances is not that we are owners, but stewards. As a steward I will have to give an account of how I managed God’s resources. This fundamental distinction is critical to living a life of faith.Watch more videos at the Mountainview YouTube channel. Looking for a Speaking Coach? The most successful people are not always the smartest people. But they have one thing in common: they communicate well. I'd love to help you become a better communicator. Click here. Professor at Warner University church planter with Stadia former former president, Church Planters of the Rockies masters in business administration (mba) helped start 2 for-profit tech companies Need a Speaker or Presenter? Interested in having…
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In terms of finances, I wish I would have learned the lesson of compound interest when I was twenty-five years old. But, as with many things, it's better to learn the lesson later than not at all. Compound interest is when the interest earned on an investment is added back to the principal balance. This results in a larger balance, which then earns more interest. Here's an example from Forbes Magazine: "Let’s say you have $1,000 in a savings account that earns 5% in annual interest. In year one, you’d earn $50, giving you a new balance of $1,050. In year two, you would earn 5% on the larger balance of $1,050, which is $52.50—giving you a new balance of $1,102.50 at the end of year two." As the article goes on to point out, "The more frequently interest is compounded, the more rapidly your principal balance grows." Good leaders…
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For some crazy reason, leaders in other organizations will contact me for advice. I usually chalk it up to desperation or having exhausted all other options. My price is pretty reasonable - it's the price of a cup of coffee. Since I've been leading organizations for over thirty years, one of the topics they often want to discuss is organizational change. What to change? How to change? Should they even change at all? To quote Farmer's Insurance, "I know a thing or two, because I've seen a thing or two." Often it is church leaders who want to sit down and talk. They love their church and want to see it succeed. In many cases, it's a volunteer who has devoted years of time, energy, and dollars to the cause. The last thing they want to see is their church decline, or even close down. Sometimes it is a pastor…
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