Church

I love great titles (and subtitles, for that matter).  Blogger Scott Ginsberg comes up with some of the best blog post titles.  Here are a few samples: 8 Ways to be More Sought-After Than The Jonas Brothers at a Middle School Sleepover Now You Can Become as Trusted as Oprah without Resorting to Brainwashing or Jedi Mind Tricks 8 Ways to become More Buyable than a Bottle of Viagra at a Boca Raton Bingo Hall

I once read something Jim Sheppard wrote about how our money goes to three basic places: giving, saving, and living.  We either give it away, save it away, or spend it away. When it comes to stewardship, the order of these three are very important: "A tithe of everything from the land, whether grain from the soil or fruit from the trees, belongs to the LORD; it is holy to the LORD" (Leviticus 29:30). God is clear that he wants us to be generous first.  The concept of the "tithe" is that the first ten percent of all we have belongs to God.  Before we offer the service of our hands, God desires the giving of our heart. After giving should come saving.  Why?  Because if we don't save, we'll spend it all on living!  Many Americans, including American Christians, find it difficult to save because the impulse to buy…

Wolfgang Dircks was dead for five years before anyone knew it. He was divorced, a former toolsmith, and disabled.  Other residents in his Hamburg neighborhood knew nothing of the reclusive 43-year-old man.  Many had never even seen him.  Dircks’ landlord went to his apartment after the bank account from which his rent and bills were paid ran dry. Dircks was in front of the television with the lights on his Christmas tree flashing beside him.  More precisely, his skeleton was in the chair — with his TV listings open on his lap to the page for December 5, 1993.

Last, but not least, the class I'll be teaching in our next E4U session. Equip Track:  Philippians Teacher: Ken Hensley Course Description: Just about everybody wants to find true happiness -- but life guarantees emotional ups and downs.  In the book of Philippians, which is actually a letter that Paul wrote while in prison, the key words are "joy" and "rejoice".  Paul knew the secret of inner joy that doesn't fade when things go wrong.  Come share in understanding what true joy looks like, and how to keep it alive during life's trials. Teacher Bio: Ken is the Pastor of Spiritual Formation at Mountainview.  He came to Highlands Ranch after starting a new church in San Diego.  He and his wife, Tonya, have been privileged to serve churches in San Diego, San Francisco, and Atlanta.  The Hensley family includes two daughters — Hannah and Hope — as well as two…

This class will be great for parents of teenagers. Engage Track:  Age of Opportunity (Parenting Through the Teen Years) Teacher: Bill Provo Course Description: Are you hoping to merely survive your teenager?  This class will look at the heart issues affecting families during the often chaotic adolescent years.  Gain assurance of God's provision for parenting success and discover ways to seize the countless opportunities to deepen communication, learn, and grow with your teens. Teacher Bio: Bill has ministered to teens and their families for twenty-five years as a public school teacher, soccer and track coach, Young Life director, and pastor to High School students at Whittier Hills Baptist Church in Whittier, CA.  He and his wife, Debby, live in Highlands Ranch and have two children. Cost: $20 Register online.