Church

                  Are you living a life on mission? One of my favorite scenes in the Blues Brothers is when Jake and Elwood start getting the band back to together.  When asked why, the answer is simple: "We're on a mission from God." What if more Christ-followers felt like they were on a mission from God?  We tend to equate a "life on mission" with being a missionary -- more specifically, a person who uproots themselves and travels to a foreign land. In reality, every believer is a missionary.  Every Christ-follower has a mission: to make Christ known. Wherever we go, we take Jesus with us.  That means if you are an accountant, you are also a missionary to those in the cubicles around you.  Be the best accountant you can be in order to bring honor and glory to God.  Earn as…

When John , who was in prison, heard about the deeds of the Messiah, he sent his disciples to ask him, "Are you the one who is to come, or should we expect someone else?"  Jesus replied, "Go back and report to John what you hear and see: The blind receive sight, the lame walk, those who have leprosy are cleansed, the deaf hear, the dead are raised, and the good news is proclaimed to the poor" (Matthew 11:2-5). John the Baptist is asking Jesus an important question: is Jesus the promised Messiah? Rather than respond by pointing to fulfilled prophecies, Jesus tells John to look around.  There are people who once were blind who now can see.  There are people paralyzed since birth who now can walk.  Don't forgot the lepers and the deaf and the dead.  Miracle after miracle points to Jesus being the Messiah. But we might…

"Come, O come, Emmanuel ..." One of the earliest books (outside of the Bible) to influence my spiritual development was Max Lucado's "God Came Near."  For me, it was God in technicolor.  It captured beautifully the meaning of "Emmanuel" -- God with us. When Jesus arrived in Bethlehem, God was in the manger.  He was not a pillar of fire; he was a baby wrapped in swaddling clothes.  His presence filled the barn. When Jesus interacted with the outcasts of society, God was with them. When Jesus gave sight to the blind, God was there. In our moments of uncertainty or loneliness or grief, we call out to a Savior who is Emmanuel still -- God with us. One word with so much significance.  One word with so much hope.

This past week I spent a few hours in Lakewood at the Bear Valley Church.  They hosted a new Denver church planting network called "Breakthrough Leaders."  The question is this: how can we work together to impact our region for Christ?  It's an important question because one church or one denomination cannot reach everybody. Church history, including the modern chapters, has been plagued by a turf mentality.  We see our friends and neighbors as fish within our fishing pond -- and no one else should fish there.  It doesn't matter that most churches aren't catching many fish. A better analogy might be to see our friends and neighbors as prisoners in a spiritual war.  Does it matter who sets the captive free? Is it acceptable to allow people to remain captives? I sat next to Reg Cox, the minister of the Lakewood Church of Christ.  I grew up in the…