Church

Scott Ginsberg is most famous for wearing a name tag that reads "Hello, My Name is Scott" around the clock ... and has done so for years.  His blog is a good read.  In a recent blog post, he discussed a few things he has learned from wearing a name tag: 1. Stop proving yourself and start expressing yourself. This is a hard and humbling shift to make in your behavior. Took me about five years. And looking back, I now realize there are a few steps that can be taken by anyone to do so: FIRST: Stop proclaiming and start displaying. Create avenues for others to experience your unique talents. SECOND: Stop demanding your rights and start deploying your gifts. An attitude of entitlement doesn’t look good on anyone. THIRD: Stop trying to be somebody. Befriend who you already are. It’s a lot less work. Ultimately, these practices will…

Here is part three of last weekend's message.  You can listen to the message by clicking here. 3.  Break the connection between money and success. There is something about money that makes us feel successful.   We feel more important in a new car than we did in our old clunker.  Four bedrooms are better than three and five are better than four. Men, we're particularly susceptible to this line of thinking.  We measure our success (or significance) by job titles, income levels, benefits packages, and 401k's. In God's economy, things work differently.  Jesus defined eternal success not by how much you have but how much you give.  When he taught his followers about greatness, he said the greatest of all would be a servant.  Instead of climbing the ladder of upward mobility, Jesus challenges us to descend the ladder of humility. In the end, God isn’t interested in your money…

Here's the second part of my weekend message on distorted views of money. 2.  Break the connection between money and happiness. How many times have we thought to ourselves, "I'd be happy if I had _____" (and you can fill in the blank)?  Typically, the blank gets filled in with the latest iPod or a new car or a house with more square footage.   We think if we had more money we would be happier people. King Solomon was the wealthiest  man of his generation.  Any fellow who can support over 700 wives in addition to 300 concubines must have a few bucks.  If any man could have afforded to be happy, it was Solomon. Yet in the book of Ecclesiastes we find a man in search of happiness and failing to find it.  The book is littered with phrases like ""Meaningless! Meaningless!"  says the Teacher.  "Utterly meaningless!  Everything is…

I first heard about Tom's Shoes several years ago and was impressed with the concept of merging social good with business.  When you buy a pair of Tom's Shoes, they will send a free pair to a child in need.  It's a great concept called One for One.  Here's how they describe it: TOMS Shoes was founded on a simple premise: With every pair you purchase, TOMS will give a pair of new shoes to a child in need. One for One. Using the purchasing power of individuals to benefit the greater good is what we're all about ... Why Shoes? Most children in developing countries grow up barefoot. Whether at play, doing chores or just getting around, these children are at risk. Walking is often the primary mode of transportation in developing countries. Children can walk for miles to get food, water, shelter and medical help. Wearing shoes literally…

This past weekend I spoke at Mountainview about how we develop distorted views of money and wealth.  To return to a healthy, Christ-centered perspective on money we have to break three common connections.  I'll be sharing them here on the blog. 1.  Break the connection between money and security. We have this idea that we'll be secure when we reach a certain income level or savings amount.  We talk about "financial independence" and think that reaching a certain dollar amount is the key to stability and safety.  Unfortunately, the target we have in mind never stays static because the cost of living goes up, newer and bigger toys are invented. The irony is this: Thinking we need more stuff to be secure makes God unnecessary. The truth is: Wealth is fleeting and God is not.  King Solomon once wrote these words: "Cast but a glance at riches, and they are…