True story: while driving through Kansas on I-70 West, we passed a billboard that read: “If you die tonight, where will you spend eternity?” My answer … hopefully not in Kansas.
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One of the most life-shaping questions you’ll ever ask yourself is this: “What do I really believe God is like?” If I believe God is a … Slumbering grandfather … then I’ll see what I can get away with. Harsh Judge … then I’ll live in fear of him. Warm Fuzzy … then my sin may not bother me that much because he will love me anyway. However, if I believe God has earned the right to be honored, that will shape the way I live.
Giving is an outward expression of what is going on inside of you. For Christ-followers who have been touched and redeemed by the grace of God, giving to others is simply an outflowing of that grace. It is a recognition that we who have freely received must freely give.
This past weekend I spoke on spiritual growth at Mountainview (catch the podcast here) as part of our “The Passionate Life of MRS GREN” series. I spent most of the teaching time debunking common spiritual growth myths. Myth number one: Spiritual growth just happens. You don’t have to do anything, it just happens. While that might be nice, it’s not true. It would also be nice if simply walking in the vicinity of the gym would make my muscles pop out. I’d settle for having to walk within the shadow of the gym. The truth is: spiritual growth begins with a choice. In Philippians 2:12-13 Paul praises the Philippian church for being obedient both in his presence and absence. But he doesn’t take it for granted that they will always be faithful. That’s why he encourages them to continue to be obedient. Even as we mature, it still takes a…
The following is a paragraph from “How do we encourage busy people to volunteer.” A year or so ago we borrowed an idea from Fellowship Church, got creative with our own label, and now host periodic “VolunTOUR” opportunities. Guests and members can tour the campus, getting a “behind the scenes” view of the many “first serve” volunteer roles at Granger. We’ve seen the best results with this strategy. It won’t be our last though. I’m sure it’ll change again.