At Mountainview, we recently started preaching our way through the book of Ecclesiastes. At first glance, you might think it would be a downer ... everything is meaningless, everything is vanity. OK, it can be a bit of downer -- but perhaps only because it strikes a bit close to home. I recently covered this passage: 9 So I became great and surpassed all who were before me in Jerusalem. Also my wisdom remained with me. 10 And whatever my eyes desired I did not keep from them. I kept my heart from no pleasure, for my heart found pleasure in all my toil, and this was my reward for all my toil. 11 Then I considered all that my hands had done and the toil I had expended in doing it, and behold, all was vanity and a striving after wind, and there was nothing to be gained under the…
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While at my nephew's wedding reception, I had the chance to visit with one of my older brothers about the church we both grew up in. Theologically, we have both moved past where some of those good folks might be comfortable. It's not that we deny the virgin birth of Jesus or his bodily resurrection -- we haven't moved that far and never will. We still uphold the Bible as the inspired, authorative Word of God. We still believe Jesus is the Christ and no one comes to the Father except through him. We love the church. We believe in missions. Honestly, from the larger Christian perspective, we haven't moved all that far. But I know my heritage and I know many of the churches I once worshiped in would be hesitant to hire me as their preacher (which, when you think about, might not be a bad hesitancy!). There was…
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My oldest daughter, Hannah, and I recently spent a few days in Nashville visiting colleges. Yes, it's hard to believe in one year she will be off to college ... somewhere. So, we're doing the college tour routine: Schedule a visit, sit through a presentation, and take a walking tour. In Nashville, we had the opportunity to tour three schools: Lipscomb, Belmont, and Vanderbilt. Also known as pricey, pricier, and priciest. While I had grown up in the same church tradition as Lipscomb, I had never actually visited the campus until this week. I was pleasantly surprised by the campus (though I'm not exactly sure why I was surprised that it would have a nice campus). On the walking tour, I even passed an old acquaintance -- Keith Lancaster, of Acappella fame. Hannah was given a free t-shirt (swag!) at the end and so we picked up a t-shirt for Hope…
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Typically, the only time Facebook makes me cry is when someone posts something so outrageously funny that it brings me to tears. Or, it's so insanely stupid that I cry tears of sorrow ... for myself and whoever should have had more sense than to post that picture or goofy update. Not so yesterday. After a long -- but good -- elders meeting at which we discussed the mission and vision of our church, I slumped on the couch and fired up Facebook. Three or four updates down on the page was one I did not expect. It made me cry. Still does even right now. A good friend of ours from San Diego died of brain cancer. Tonya and I first met Mike and Rita Osbourne when Tonya began teaching at the same school as Rita. Mike was an elder in a sister congregation and we had several opportunities…
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One of my older brothers had a 1972 MGB that had sheet metal welded in the floor board because the bottom had rusted out. Then again, this was the same car that started using a screwdriver. The gas gauge didn't work either. I loved that car! From the sidewalk, it looked like a nice car. But if it hadn't been for a local welder, the big hole in the floor would have made it impractical -- if not dangerous -- to drive. That's how corrosion works. It ruins what otherwise looks nice and it's often the most dangerous when it is hidden. Have you ever noticed how corrosive pride can be? Left unchecked, pride begins to corrode away a person's character. In order to maintain an image, pride might lead a person to fudge a little about the facts. Then fudge a little more. Before long, the corrosive nature of pride…
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