Ken

Part of the transformation that comes to people who are “in Christ” is the active presence of the Holy Spirit in your life. This passage compares and contrasts life in the Spirit with life in the flesh – which is characterized by death and hostility towards God. When we live apart from the Spirit, it is impossible to please God because of our disobedience. To live in the Holy Spirit is to seek the things the Spirit desires.Watch more videos at the Mountainview YouTube channel. Need a Speaker or Presenter? Interested in having me speak for your church, conference, or organization? Follow this link to learn more. 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.

Most people want a life that is meaningful and fulfilling. This is especially true of Christians. Yet many people are frustrated in their Christian experience. Their spiritual life seems like a bunch of false starts and hard stops. Unfortunately, it often feels like a constant struggle - more burden than blessing. Here’s what I’ve observed over the years: The more we try to live the Christian life by our own power and effort, the more we fail at it. This only leads to self-condemnation, hopelessness, and exhaustion. A healthy Christian life cannot be lived apart from the control and influence of the Holy Spirit. Our passage for this month is Romans 8. It’s about how to move beyond a performance-based relationship with God to one that is guided by the Holy Spirit. The apostle Paul will describe two basic ways of looking at life. 5 Those who live according to the flesh…

This time of year brings a lot of introspection. Whenever one thing comes to an end and another begins, we have a natural tendency to evaluate and reevaluate. End of the year, end of month, end of a season. Many people will approach these first few weeks of 2019 in a well-intentioned but misguided way … trying to find or redefine themselves. As a Christian, your identity is not simply discovering who you are … but who you are in Christ. As a church, we are starting 2019 in one chapter of the Bible. If you can truly understand this one chapter, it will transform your year. That chapter is Romans 8 but to understand it, you need to back-up one chapter. In Romans 7, Paul is describing a common tension that characterizes both Christians and non-Christians. 15 I do not understand what I do. For what I want to do…

None of us grew up in a perfect household. Even the best of parents had arguments, disagreements, and tensions. Peace is not the absence of conflict; it is the assurance that God is in control of all things. True, lasting peace – the kind that transcends all understanding – is only available from God.Watch more videos at the Mountainview YouTube channel. Need a Speaker or Presenter? Interested in having me speak for your church, conference, or organization? Follow this link to learn more. 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.

When the angels announced birth of Jesus 2,000 years ago, they did so by promising this: “Peace on earth, goodwill toward men.” (Luke 2:14) I’m not one to argue with a sky full of angels, but for many of us we don’t experience all that much peace. We sing Christmas songs about peace and wonder if it’s just a fairy tale. We wonder if life isn’t more like Humpty Dumpty … Humpty Dumpty sat on a wall Humpty Dumpty had a great fall. All the king’s horses and all the king’s men Couldn’t put Humpty Dumpty together again. Deep down – most of us wish for a different ending. That doesn't always happen. From my vantage point, I see an uncertain world that doesn’t always have a happy ending. We don’t have to travel out of state or out of country to experience brokenness – all too often it happens too close…