In ten days we're launching a new spiritual formation initiative at Mountainview called E4U. It's an approach to spiritual formation and adult education built around four tracks: Equip: Understanding God and His Word. Encounter: Developing personal spiritual growth habits. Elevate: Applying God’s direction in your life. Engage: Using your unique SHAPE in ministry to God and others. While not unique to Mountainview, they represent four parts of life that are vital to health and growth as a Christ-follower. We need to have a solid grasp on who God is and what his Word says. Without that, we're pretty much making things up as we go along. Our EQUIP track is designed to help believers know the Bible better and to understand the truth it contains. To move from a newborn in Christ to a mature follower, we also need to develop healthy spiritual habits. Our ENCOUNTER track will teach habits…
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I'm passing along a cool web app called "Pray for Your Block." For techies, it utilizes the Google Maps API to help people place flags on blocks of streets where they will pray on a regular basis. Check it out: www.pray4yourblock.org
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A few days ago I had a great conversation with a young man who is seeking after God. He's in that wonderful spot where God has been working in his life -- and he knows it. He knows he needs to make decisions which will carry consequences for all parts of his life ... work, relationships, family. So we talked about windows. As I grow older, I have become a believer in windows of opportunity -- those seasons of life when God opens a new door of learning and growth for us. They may come in the form of an introduction to a person whom God has placed in our life for a reason. A window of opportunity may be a challenge to tackle a new problem or a transition at work. Slumps and struggles can be a window of opportunity, too, if we press in and press on to…
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Individually or as a group, one of the most powerful things we can do is create momentum (moh-men-tuhm). In physics, momentum is defined as the mass of an object multiplied by velocity. In simpler terms, it's the tendency of a moving object to continue moving. You know when you have momentum ... and you know when you don't. As individuals, we may sense a loss of momentum when our work becomes dull or our energy level dips low. A lack of motivation is also a symptom of waning momentum. When we're gaining momentum, external forces of motivation aren't necessary -- we get up earlier, we work longer, we play harder. Not because we're told to but because we want to. In a group setting, momentum gives birth to excitement and new ideas. There is an air of expectancy in the culture. Employees come to work expecting to have a good…
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A few weeks ago I spoke at Mountainview on the topic, "Casting Nets or Casting Stones" (listen to the podcast). The basic idea was this: you can be a person who uses your influence to cast a net, helping draw people closer to God. Or, you can be a person that is quick to cast a stone of judgment towards those who are disconnected from God. At the end of the message, I asked the crowd at all four services to look around at the empty chairs. These chairs represent the people who live in your neighborhood, work in your office, or the kids you pass in the hallway at school. These chairs are families who are on the brink of exploding, single moms wrestling with enormous challenges, or young adults contemplating suicide. Then I asked them to fast-forward to the last Sunday of 2010. Imagine no empty chairs. Imagine…
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