Jesus spent three years training and mentoring his disciples. These three years culminated in his death and resurrection. As he was preparing for his ascension back to heaven, he gave his apostles this charge: But you will receive power when the Holy Spirit comes on you; and you will be my witnesses in Jerusalem, and in all Judea and Samaria, and to the ends of the earth. – Acts 1:8 We still live in an Acts 1:8 world, only we’re not in a Jerusalem neighborhood and Pueblo isn’t quite the same as Samaria (although it's really close). Our Jerusalem is where we live. For Mountainview, that means South Denver. It’s communities like Highlands Ranch, Littleton, Centennial, Lone Tree, Parker, Castle Pines, and Roxborough. For you, it’s your neighborhood. Our Judea and Samaria are those regions close to home but more than a five-minute drive. For Mountainview, that would be Denver…
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I believe the Bible teaches that sex is a gift from God to be enjoyed within the boundaries of marriage. Now, I’m not naïve. I know that viewpoint doesn’t sit well with many people. When it comes to standards of morality, we live in a culture that says, “Hey, you Christians, you need to change.” Let me share a quote with you and see if you can guess who said it. The person speaking is criticizing the person who tries to establish sexual boundaries … “He is at variance not only with the license of what our age allows, but also from the customs and concessions of our ancestors. When indeed was this not done? When did anyone ever find fault with it? When was such permission denied? When was it that which is now lawful was not lawful?” Was that ... Cicero (died in 43 BC)? Sigmund Freud (died in…
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Two things matter the most in real estate: location and timing. We lived in San Diego during the housing bubble of the late 2000's. Prices went down as fast as they had gone up. If you had bought at the wrong time, the results could have been devastating. As a result of the bubble breaking, a flood of foreclosures came on the market. Real estate agents began organizing "foreclosure" tours, renting buses and driving 10-15 investors around. Criminal minds found ways to scam the system. Entire cul de sacs were left vacant with perhaps one house still occupied. When a house goes into foreclosure, it's much more than just a financial matter. It's about memories of dinners and games and birthday parties. It might have been the living room where a child took their first steps. The walls held more than pictures; they held stories. The same is true when…
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For the first five years of being a pastor, I didn’t teach or preach about money. Looking back, there were several reasons: I was in my early 20’s making approximately $18,000/year and didn’t have much experience making or managing money. Another reason was fear. Every church growth book I read said the same thing: people won’t attend a church that talks about money. Then I noticed something: that line of thinking hadn’t stopped people from watching CNBC or reading the Wall Street Journal. It wasn’t that people were disinterested in the topic of money. But they didn’t want to attend a church that was ONLY interested in money. Specifically – THEIR money! Fortunately, my understanding of stewardship has matured over the years. We teach generosity at Mountainview not because we want something FROM you – we want something FOR you. This is true if you are a follower of Jesus…
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