At some point in life, everyone will face a difficulty. It might be an illness, unemployment, or the break-up of a family. This raises an important question: How do we rise above difficult circumstances? It might surprise you, but researchers who study resilient people agree with Jesus: We must have something larger than our circumstances that we are living for. That’s the premise behind our passage in Philippians 1. The Apostle Paul is writing to a church he helped start – and he’s writing from prison. He’s literally chained to a Roman soldier! He might be in prison but that hasn’t changed his perspective. How is that possible?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…
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Growth in the natural world is all about looking forward. A sapling becomes a large oak tree by growing slowly over time. An infant grows into a child, who eventually becomes an adult. Hope works in the same way – it looks forward. When a person has hope, they can imagine a better future. It is hope that allows you to look past your present circumstances and see through faith a better future. Without hope, a person feels stuck. A spiritually vibrant life is the result of faith-filled anticipation.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…
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Having worked in the people business for nearly 30 years, I've come to believe that shame is one of most destructive forces in our culture. Unlike godly sorrow, which is based on truth, shame is based on lies. Guilt is believing you did a bad thing. Shame is when you believe you are a bad person. Believing this lie then leads to all sorts of faulty thinking: I’m a failure I’m not important I’m unlovable I have seen shame drive a 14-year-old girl to an eating disorder because she didn't like how she looked. I've also seen shame keep middle-aged men from relationships for fear of self-disclosure. I believe there is only one permanent, lasting solution: The death, burial, and resurrection of Jesus. Only the gospel can remove our shame and restore our proper identity as children of God. My freshman year of college, I signed up for a class…
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Jesus promises he will never leave or forsake his followers. Cigna Health surveyed 10,000 people ages 18 and older. 61% reported feeling lonely. Among 18-22-year-olds, the number jumped to 79%. The survey was released in January of 2020 – before COVID-19 and three months of having to stay at home. We had an epidemic of loneliness before the pandemic arrived. But loneliness isn’t a modern problem; it’s a human problem.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…
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It is human nature to want to be in control. If you think about it, does anyone really like to be out of control! Those are the people we avoid. Everything is fine until we land on something we can’t control. Even then … if it’s only one thing, we can usually muddle our way through it. But what if it’s not one thing but two or three or ten? What if they all happen at same time? Making matters worse, our anxieties are increased in a culture where we have information overload. We live with 24-7 news cycles and social media feeds that never sleep. Then we begin to wonder … What will the future look like? When will things be normal again? Is this the new normal? It’s OK to be uncertain about the future. But we have to be careful that our reasonable uncertainties don’t grow into…
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