Church

Every now and then, we are blessed to have a conversation that changes the way we think -- leading to unforeseen changes down the road.  For me, one such conversation happened when I was in college. My roommate, Brad, and I were talking about the Great Commission (Matthew 28:18-20) and what it meant for us and for the church as a whole.  I'm not sure who came up with this great insight (so I'll give the credit to Brad), but here it is: God never commanded the world to go to church; he did, however, command the church to go to the world. Granted, scholars and others had known this for centuries.  But to two eighteen or nineteen year-olds, this was ground-breaking, earth-shattering news.  We didn't know it back then, but this was a call to be missional in how we lived and approached ministry. For Brad, this led him…

Today (Friday) is my normal day off and I decided to take a road trip to Sacred Heart Retreat Center in Sedalia.  Unfortunately, so did a high school group of about 50 loud teenagers.  I gave reading and contemplating the old college try but finally gave up. So, I packed up and did something I've not ever done before: I went to mass.  (I think I was in a reflective mood and a bit disappointed by my Sacred Heart experience).  I arrived in downtown Denver just as the noon mass was beginning.  The audience was an urban garden of people. Without a program, I followed the lead of an elderly Filipino lady to my right.  She knew what she was doing.  Or, everyone else was following her lead, too. After a homily and a few responsive readings, it was time for communion.  I took my spot in line and watched…

We do not need to manufacture great things for God; God is more than capable.  But here is the incredible part: God chooses to display his power within us.  As we make ourselves available to God, it is “his power at work within us.” This explains why we find ourselves serving in ways we never thought possible.  It is the reason why normal people do extraordinary things. Having spent fifteen years in California, I had the opportunity to watch people surf.  A good surfer is not deemed good because of her ability to manufacture the waves.  That’s impossible.  It is her ability to ride the right wave that makes surfing enjoyable. The same is true in your faith walk. Too often, we think it is our job to generate spiritual activity.  It’s not.  It’s our job to discern where God is moving and then align ourselves with his power. When…

This is the sermon I preached last weekend at the close of our Faith series. Obedient Faith from Mountainview on Vimeo.

I'm in a Wednesday morning Bible study with a group of leaders at our church.  We've been working our way through the book of Acts.  This morning we landed in Acts 19.  Tucked in verses 13-16 is a little story about a group of Jews who are trying to cast our demons in the name of Jesus.  It's not working. Finally, the evil spirit speaks up: "Jesus I know, and Paul I recognize, but who are you?"  That happens to be a great question to everyone trying to pass themselves off as something they are not. Then the demon-possessed man gives the seven sons of Sceva such a beating that they run off naked and bleeding (never a good combination).  Here's the result: "When this became known to the Jews and Greeks living in Ephesus, they were all seized with fear, and the name of the Lord Jesus was held…