Over the weekend we loaded up the van and did a whirlwind tour of Kansas, Oklahoma, and Arkansas. While Oklahoma was fascinating, Kansas had to be the most exciting landscape we saw during the five days we were on the road. While I regret not being able to see the 37-inch donkey advertised just east of Hays, Kansas, I'm sure I'll have another occasion to spend quality time in Kansas. We traveled to Petit Jean, Arkansas, to celebrate Tonya's grandma's 90th birthday. Nearly everyone on her side of the family was there -- aunts, uncles, nieces, nephews, cousins, and me. We rented cabins and spent the days eating our way from cabin to cabin. Brisket at cousin Ricky's won my heart. Nothing quite says love like a good piece of brisket. Although I was battling an eye infection, it was good to spend time with Tonya's two brothers and her…
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We're launching a new adult discipleship initiative at Mountainview called E4University. We'll have four tracks of spiritual formation to choose from. Encounter: Developing personal spiritual growth habits. Elevate: Applying God’s direction in your life. Equip: Understanding God and His Word. Engage: Using your unique SHAPE in ministry to God and others. Simply put, we want you to know God better and to love Him more passionately. E4U is a new learning environment for adults and teens designed to help you grow in your understanding of God and His Word. Based on four spiritual formation themes, E4U offers entry-level classes for new believers as well as more topics for those who wish to dive deeper.
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After Christmas I will be preaching a two-part series at Mountainview called "Under New Management." The basic premise is this: When you invite Jesus into your life, be careful. When he takes up residence, he likes to change things around. The first message will be "Closed for Remodeling," picking up on this idea that salvation and transformation go hand-in-hand. God loves us as we are ... but has no intention of leaving us there. The second message will be "Casting Nets or Casting Stones." This is the one I'm currently ruminating (!) over. As Christ-followers, we can choose to be a person who casts stones -- like those in John 8:1-11. To those who felt "holier than thou" Jesus offered this challenge: ""If any one of you is without sin, let him be the first to throw a stone at her." Too many Christ-followers are stone throwers. It's easy for…
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True story: while driving through Kansas on I-70 West, we passed a billboard that read: "If you die tonight, where will you spend eternity?" My answer ... hopefully not in Kansas.
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Today is our 19th wedding anniversary and Tonya and I will be celebrating by driving through parts of Oklahoma and Kansas. I would say she has put up with me for nineteen years but the truth is ... it's closer to twenty-one when you factor in the dating years. It has been an amazing time and yet ... I'm still amazed that she grew up as the daughter of a pastor and still married one any way. I'm still amazed at how kind and gentle she is with everybody. I'm still amazed at how she loves to study her Bible, alone and with other women. I'm still amazed at her love of singing. I'm still amazed at how she is raising our two daughters to be godly young women. I'm still amazed at the sacrifices she makes to live off a "pastor's" salary. I'm still amazed at how she gives…
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