When it comes to life’s challenges, it’s better to fight with God and not against God. In the battle between good and evil, Paul reminds us that we wrestle with forces that live beyond what we can see, hear, touch, taste, or smell. We wrestle with influences that oppose the good that God wants to accomplish in our lives. We wrestle with powers that seek our demise. The devil has schemes. A scheme is an elaborate and systematic plan of action. It is not a one-time temptation but a comprehensive plan. Ever caught yourself asking, “Why did I do that?” Maybe you weren’t aware that you have an opponent who is constantly diagramming plays against you. A healthy and growing spiritual life is similar to a healthy and growing physical life. You know that to stay healthy requires developing healthy habits and routines. There are certain things you can’t do…
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Not long ago, a leader in another church asked me a question about how to handle a situation in his church. They are in the process of relocating to a new location and have been raising money for the new building. The question concerned how much information to divulge to the congregation regarding the sale of their current property. In an expected twist, they were able to sell it for more than expected and without the use of a broker. They had raised money for the location based on the expected income from the sale -- not the unexpected bonus. In an act of generosity, the board wanted to make a financial gift to the purchasing church - one that is smaller and reaches a growing community of immigrants. My response: you can never go wrong with being honest and transparent. It's one thing if you are transparent with people…
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Healthy Christ-followers pay attention to how they are living life. A life of love is one that imitates the sacrificial nature of God. When Jesus gets in your life, then your standard changes from “how should I handle this?” to “how would Jesus handle this?” Developing Christ-centered ethics isn’t simply a matter of not doing certain things; it’s also a matter of cultivating new ways of doing things. We are constantly seeking to close the gap between what we believe and how we behave. Why? Integrity lies in the gap between. The closer a person’s behaviors are to their beliefs, the greater the integrity that person has. When the gap is stretched to the point where one side cannot see the other, integrity is weakened, if not lost altogether.Watch more videos at the Mountainview YouTube channel. Looking for a Speaking Coach? The most successful people are not always the smartest…
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Christ-followers wear a new set of clothes. As part of the conversion process, we are being transformed into the image of Jesus. What begins at baptism continues throughout the rest of our life. At baptism, we are “clothed in Christ” as Galatians 3:27 tell us: “for all of you who were baptized into Christ have clothed yourselves with Christ.” Our new wardrobe consists of the virtues and values of Jesus.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 helped start 2 for-profit tech companies Need a Speaker or Presenter? Interested in having me speak for your church, conference, or…
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"And I pray that you, being rooted and established in love, 18 may have power, together with all the Lord’s holy people, to grasp how wide and long and high and deep is the love of Christ, 19 and to know this love that surpasses knowledge — that you may be filled to the measure of all the fullness of God." - Ephesians 3:17-19 What is most important to God? It's to know we are loved by him and that we are loving towards others. To be rooted and established in God’s love means we are drawing from God what we need to live on and live for. When we lived in Northern California, we didn’t live too far from the redwood and sequoia trees. These amazing trees can grow as high as 300 feet with a diameter that may exceed 20 feet. In some cases, they can for 1-2-3…
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