Social distancing. Now that's a phrase that has catapulted into everyday conversations. In an effort to contain the spread of COVID-19, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) has asked people to gather in smaller and smaller groups while maintaining six feet of separation. Since the virus spreads from person-to-person, creating the appropriate distance reduces the likelihood of infection and slows the spread of transmission. People who have underlying medical conditions such as chronic lung disease or asthma, diabetes, or recent cancer treatments are most at-risk for developing serious complications from COVID-19. Social distancing is intended to create a safe environment for the most vulnerable among us. Medically-speaking it's an effective response to a new, unknown virus. A few days ago, I hosted a Facebook Live session to talk with people about how to remain steady under pressure. During the event, I was asked about how to handle the…
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When we lose something and can't find it, we generally replace it with something new. We live in a throw-away society. But how does God handle lost things? Or, more importantly, how does he handle lost people? Who have lost their way or lost hope? Thankfully … he doesn’t throw us away. Nor does he replace us with something new. Instead, he offers us the chance to be made new.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 helped start 2 for-profit tech companies Need a Speaker or Presenter? Interested in having me speak for your church, conference, or…
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In 2018, Uber released their annual Lost and Found Index of things left behind in their cars. Not surprisingly, the most common items were phones, wallets, and keys. They also found a flat-screen TV, a love letter from a boyfriend in jail, someone's tax returns, and a cat carrier. There was no word on whether the cat carrier was empty. While finding a love letter from an imprisoned boyfriend might be unusual and surprising, what isn't surprising is when Uber identified the most likely time period when someone might lose something: Between 10 pm and 2 am. When I was in high school, my father used to tell me, "Nothing good happens after midnight." In our modern American culture, when we lose something and can't find it, we generally replace it with something new. In fact, we might not even look all that hard to find it. We've been called…
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I’m not sure how many times I’ve missed the right answer because I was asking the wrong question. Even if you get the right answer to the wrong question - it's still the wrong question. Here's what I've learned: to make forward progress in any area of life (marriage, business, faith) requires us to ask the right questions. As you would imagine, people asked Jesus all kinds of questions. In fact, much of his teaching is not of the presorted, canned variety; it's in response to someone's question. In today’s passage, an expert in Jewish law asks Jesus a really good question: how can a person have a right relationship with God? The expert answers correctly. It boils down to two things: Love God and love your neighbor. Let’s pick up the story in Luke 10:28-29 … 28 “You have answered correctly,” Jesus replied. “Do this and you will live.”…
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In the game of life, everyone is a participant. No one is ever truly just an observer, a member of the studio audience. We will either play an active or passive role, but in both cases we are choosing to do something. Regardless if we are creating our day-to-day experiences or simply allowing them to happen, they are still happening. There are no bystanders in this life. Both action and inaction have consequences. Action-based results are easier to identify because we see the connection between cause and effect. When something works, we refine it and do it better. When it doesn't work, we can make adjustments or drop it altogether. But I believe it's harder to see the consequences of inaction, especially the long-term impact that inaction has on our inner wellbeing. I was recently rereading a story of Jesus, one that is familiar to many people -- at least…
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