Have you ever second-guessed yourself? Second-guessed God? Most of us have had a time when we've made a decision ... began living the decision ... and came to a point where we wondered if we made the right decision. In some ways, it may be natural. As finite beings with limited access to knowledge of the future, we make decisions (hopefully) based upon the best available information at hand. In so doing, we recognize our limitations and choose to live with a less than perfect knowledge of what may or may not happen. Second-guessing may be natural and, at times, helpful. If it means we pause to clarify where we are -- contrasted with where we hoped we would be -- then it can be helpful. It may lead to a mid-course correction or lane change. In fact, it may be another way God guides and directs us. At other…
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"I waited patiently for the LORD; he turned to me and heard my cry. He lifted me out of the slimy pit, out of the mud and mire; he set my feet on a rock and gave me a firm place to stand" (Psalm 40:1-2). Mud and mire. While playing in the mud was fun as children, most of us have spent our adult lives trying to avoid it. And not just the dirt mixed with water type of mud. Verbal mud. Emotional mud. Habits. Behaviors. Messy relationships. Toxic environments. Ironically, apart from mud-slinging (where someone else throws mud at you), I have to assume responsibility for generating a good amount of the mud that has entered my life. I make poor choices or get sloppy with words. I am a maker of mud. Not only has God offered rescue from the mud, but he can lift us out of…
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I'm passing along the story I used this past weekend to illustrate how God uses his people to lead others to Him. How will the church be lighted? Several centuries ago in a mountain village in Europe, a wealthy nobleman wondered what legacy he should leave to his townspeople. He made a good decision. He decided to build them a church. No one was permitted to see the plans or the inside of the church until it was finished. At its grand opening, the people gathered and marveled at the beauty of the new church. Everything had been thought of and included. It was a masterpiece. But then someone said, "Wait a minute! Where are the lamps? It is really quite dark in here. How will the church be lighted?" The nobleman pointed to some brackets in the walls, and then he gave each family a lamp, which they were…
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Would you follow your local supermarket's meat department on Facebook or Twitter?
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We're launching a new adult discipleship initiative at Mountainview called E4University. We'll have four tracks of spiritual formation to choose from. Encounter: Developing personal spiritual growth habits. Elevate: Applying God’s direction in your life. Equip: Understanding God and His Word. Engage: Using your unique SHAPE in ministry to God and others. Simply put, we want you to know God better and to love Him more passionately. E4U is a new learning environment for adults and teens designed to help you grow in your understanding of God and His Word. Based on four spiritual formation themes, E4U offers entry-level classes for new believers as well as more topics for those who wish to dive deeper.
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