Ken

The church I grew up in went through a major conflict over the topic of “social drinking.” Not social studies or social media. The question was if a Christian could have an occasional glass of wine or beer. It wasn't about getting drunk - that answer was obvious. Other churches drew the boundaries over whether a Christian could play cards, go to the movies, or wear shorts at a church-sponsored event. In fact, for one brief moment in 1991, I actually interviewed for a youth pastor position in Nashville. I was asked about my “policy” for letting kids wear shorts. I found out that my answer -- “Well, if it’s hot” – was the wrong answer! There are two truths every generation must face: Every generation thinks things are worse than used to be. Every generation has its own set of issues that it must wrestle with. In 1951, Richard…

Our next series starts this weekend and is called, “What Would Jesus Say to …?” What would Jesus say to Caitlyn Jenner, the next president, Planned Parenthood, Miley Cyrus, and Bill Gates and Mark Zuckerberg? If you live in South Denver, I hope you’ll join us for this five-part series that will explore what Jesus would say about the issues that dominate social media, the news, and conversations at work. Rather than avoid these topics, as the church is sometimes tempted to do, my goal is to provide you with a biblical framework so you can have an informed conversation with your kids, neighbors, or coworkers.

This year for Good Friday, Mountainview will be hosting the Littleton Church of Christ for a combined worship service. Both of our churches share a common heritage and tradition; we also share a common geographic as the Littleton church is located only about 10 minutes away from us. Having been born and raised in the Churches of Christ, I'm very appreciative for my brothers and sisters who worship in that tradition. Over the last six and a half years, I've also been blessed to get know various staff members from the Littleton Church -- people such as Colin Packer, the former senior minister, and current staff members such as Kent and Anne Marie Rogers and Jovan Barrington. Singers and musicians from both churches will share the stage. Teens from both youth groups will do a reading of Isaiah 53. Finally, Jovan and myself will be co-teaching, essentially letting the audience…

As we approach Easter Weekend, I'm passing along a great article from Thom Rainer about how we (regular churchgoers) can serve the new people who will attend. These are easy things that anyone can do -- but they are important to creating a warm and welcoming atmosphere. Here's to a great Easter! P.S. If you live in South Denver and are looking for a place to worship on Easter, Mountainview has four services to choose from: Saturday at 5:30, Sunday at 8:00, 9:30, and 11:00. Easter. It will be one of the highest attended days of the year for your church. It may be the highest. There will be some people you don’t know. Some of them are guests. Others are members who attend infrequently. You have an opportunity to make a gospel impression on these people with a few simple acts. Indeed, you have an opportunity to make an…

Have you ever noticed there are a variety of definitions of what it means to be successful? Miriam-Webster dictionary defines success this way: “The fact of getting or achieving wealth, respect, or fame.” By that definition, Chase Daniel (Eagles), Josh McCown (Browns), Marcus Mariota (Titans), Blake Bortles (Jaguars) are successful NFL quarterbacks. All will earn over $5 million 2016. By that same definition, Paris Hilton and Kim Kardashian are also successful. Politicians make up their own definitions as well. Only in politics can a candidate finish third or fourth in a primary and claim success. How would you define success? Since I believe you to be reasonable people, you would probably have a reasonable definition. Success might be reaching your goals or meeting expectations. Success might be having a healthy and happy family. Success might be learning from your mistakes and maturing. Most likely, your definition of success would include achieving some…