For better or worse, much of my early childhood theology was shaped by Vacation Bible School songs – and not all of them were created equal. Deep and wide, deep and wide, there’s a fountain flowing deep and wide Father Abraham had seven sons, seven sons had Father Abraham The wise man built his house upon the rock I still like that one … especially when the foolish man's house goes splat! Unfortunately, some of the cutest songs taught the worst theology. Take this one for example: Here's the church and there's the steeple. Open the door and see all the people. The church has never been a building. It's always been a community of people committed to following Jesus. 42 They devoted themselves to the apostles’ teaching and to fellowship, to the breaking of bread and to prayer. 43 Everyone was filled with awe at the many wonders and…
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What happens when you surrender your life to Jesus? Most often, we think of our sins being forgiven and receiving a fresh start in life. These results are absolutely true. But is there more happening? Yes – you are also giving him control. At that moment, Jesus becomes not just your Savior but also your Lord. At the moment of surrender, you're giving the Holy Spirit permission to begin the process of transforming how you think, act, and react. 1 Therefore if you have any encouragement from being united with Christ, if any comfort from his love, if any common sharing in the Spirit, if any tenderness and compassion, 2 then make my joy complete by being like-minded, having the same love, being one in spirit and of one mind. 3 Do nothing out of selfish ambition or vain conceit. Rather, in humility value others above yourselves, 4 not looking…
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In his book Outliers, Malcolm Gladwell writes about the “10,000-hour rule” and how people who become successful in their fields spend countless hours practicing. We often talk about “practice makes perfect” – but that’s only true if we’re practicing the right things! In Philippians 4, Paul commands us to “put into practice” the right thoughts and attitudes. When practiced consistently over time, these thoughts and attitudes become God-honoring habits.Watch more videos at the Mountainview YouTube channel. Looking for a Speaking Coach? The most successful people are not always the smartest people. But they have one thing in common: they communicate well. I'd love to help you become a better communicator. Click here. Professor at Warner University church planter with Stadia former former president, Church Planters of the Rockies masters in business administration (mba) helped start 2 for-profit tech companies Need a Speaker or Presenter? Interested in having me speak for…
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How many of you want more peace? As we survey what is happening around us, the obvious answer from rational people would be a definite yes! But what is peace? When I was younger, I thought peace was the absence of trouble. Back then, a peaceful day meant that things went smoothly and people were nice to me. But as you grow older, what do you realize? There’s always going to be troubles, struggles, and challenges. If peace means the absence of all these things, you will never have peace. In the Bible, peace is described as wholeness, blessing, and fulfillment. When an ancient Jew said to you, “peace be with you” they weren’t saying, “I hope people are nice to you today.” They were really saying … “May God’s help and strength and favor be with you.” As we see in Philippians 4, the key to experiencing peace is…
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In 1964, the Minnesota Vikings were playing the San Francisco 49’ers when Vikings defensive lineman Jim Marshall recovered a fumble. Unfortunately for Marshall, the cameras captured the entire play. As you might imagine, defensive linemen aren't accustomed to handling the football. He scooped it up, tucked it under his arm, and began running ... the wrong way! Only when a 49'er hugged him in the end zone did Marshall recognize what had happened. The only person who didn’t realize Jim Marshall was running the wrong way was Jim Marshall. In Philippians 3, the Apostle Paul admits that for a big chunk of his life, he had been running wrong way. Ever felt like that yourself? The good news of the gospel is that God can set us on a different path. What is that path? As Paul discovered and then taught, our ultimate pursuit in life is to know Christ…
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