As I mentioned in an earlier post, I was blessed to have a month-long study break back in June. I loaded up my Kindle with more books than I could read in one month and ended up tackling seven. While all seven were good reads, there were two that were the most impactful -- Life of the Beloved by Henri Nouwen and The Emotionally Healthy Leader by Peter Scazzaro. I would recommend both of these books to any Christ-follower -- and especially to Christian leaders. Beginning with this post, I want to share a few reflections from Nouwen's book (it's the shortest and most accessible of the two). When it comes to spiritual formation, identity is important. How do you see yourself? How does God see you? How are those two perceptions similar? Different? Nouwen uses four simple words to help us understand our identity as beloved children of God.…
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Everybody talks. Perhaps a better way to put it would be like this: faith speaks … differently. James goes into an extended section about the power of the tongue to bring life or death. Not only have we experienced this truth from the mouths of others, but we have said words of life or death to others as well.Watch more videos at the Mountainview YouTube channel. Need a Speaker or Presenter? Interested in having me speak for your church, conference, or organization? Follow this link to learn more. 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.
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Because we walk by faith and not by sight, there will be times when we are called to do something that doesn’t fully make sense – or we might not see the end of the road. Rahab was willing to risk her own safety and security in order to help the Jewish spies. If we follow God faithfully, it will also involve risk. Not risky behavior, but stepping outside of our comfort zone in order to be obedient.Watch more videos at the Mountainview YouTube channel. Need a Speaker or Presenter? Interested in having me speak for your church, conference, or organization? Follow this link to learn more. 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.
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All three of my regular readers probably noticed that my blog went dark during the month of June. Not that unusual, since I'm often in the dark on many days (and many topics). For the rest of you who weren't paying attention, let me explain why. In 2014, when our elders approached me about assuming the senior pastor role at Mountainview, they asked me what I needed to be most effective. One of my first responses was to have extended time off to rest, reflect, and get prepared for the next season of life and ministry. Well, that finally happened last month. In the interim, we had a staff member return to being a college professor and did an extensive remodel of our facility. Once the remodel was finished, I set my sights on a study break. What is a study break? Let me start by answering what a study…
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Faith and sacrifice are interconnected. By placing faith in Jesus, we are “sacrificing” our trust in our own wisdom. Thus, one of the best ways we show evidence of our faith is by our sacrificial living. For Abraham, it meant the willingness to sacrifice his son. If we follow God faithfully, it will inevitably involve sacrifice.Watch more videos at the Mountainview YouTube channel. Need a Speaker or Presenter? Interested in having me speak for your church, conference, or organization? Follow this link to learn more. 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.
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