Here is a video my recent sermon on Biblical Authority. Biblical Authority from Mountainview on Vimeo.
Read More
D. Martin Lloyd Jones (the man with many names), when describing the gospel, differentiated between news and advice. The gospel is good news; it is not good advice. Advice is when you receive suggestions about something that may or may not happen in the future. News, on the other hand, is a report about something that has happened and about which you can do nothing to change the outcome. The only thing you can do with is news is respond to it. When we proclaim the gospel as good news, we are not offering suggestions or advise about what to do; we are declaring what God has done -- and how people ought to respond to it. The death, burial, and resurrection of Jesus cannot be changed. There is nothing we can do to alter what happened 2,000 years ago. All we can do is respond to it. Perhaps…
Read More
In broad strokes, we can approach life with a generous spirit or choose to be stingy. This is about much more than just money, though it certainly includes how we budget and spend our money. A person with a generous spirit looks for ways to add value to people and situations. Generosity might mean allowing the mom with three kids to get in line in front of you. It may take the form of closing the laptop when a co-worker comes in the office, obviously in need of someone to talk to. A generous person sees a minor inconvenience as just that -- minor. People who approach life with a generous spirit are a joy to be around. People who choose to be stingy, well, they are not so fun to be around. Stingy people cling to more than just their money. A stingy spirit forgets to hold the door…
Read More
I have a friend who works at a local defense contractor. Theoretically, all the employees have every other Friday off. Theoretically. In reality, many of them find themselves working on their "off" Fridays. He calls this "chasing the unicorn." Unicorns, you might remember, are legendary animals -- resembling a horse with a horn on its head. Everyone has heard about them but no one has ever seen one. What unicorns are you chasing? Are you chasing a life that is one hundred percent trouble free? Are you chasing a career that is all about upward mobility? Are you chasing a husband that will be "Mr. Right"? Are you chasing the perfect child? Are you chasing a life like one in the movies? Are you chasing a God who responds to every prayer request like a cosmic ATM? The idea of a unicorn is cute and compelling. It's also not true.…
Read More
Groups are susceptible to downward spirals. Momentum can move in either a positive or negative direction. Thoughts feed off other thoughts. Feelings feed off other feelings. Attitudes are contagious. In a group setting, all it takes is one person to infect the others with a critical spirit. Negativity is like pollution: it's easier to notice when you're visiting from out-of-town than when you live with it everyday. When a team gets stuck in the loop of a downward spiral, it's often easier to continue the slide than to reverse it. So, how do you stop a downward spiral? Incrementally. If you find yourself in a downward spiral, introduce something positive to your routine. One slight, positive adjustment alters the course of a meeting or a day. If you don't like the direction you're going, steer a different direction. Instantly. There are times when a negative environment must be confronted head-on.…
Read More