When he prayed it, it rocked his world and the world around him. When you and I pray it, it opens the floodgates of God’s…
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Pastoral remarks from the biblical standpoint of PEACE to help us navigate the storm. This past weekend in Mountain's series called FULL OF IT we…
MoreIt is not the way the world was created. And is not the way the world will one day be. Stunned. Horrified. Grief-stricken. Livid. Afraid.…
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On Valentine’s Day in fifth grade I rode my bike to Hunt Drug, bought a box of chocolates, and delivered them to Cheryl England’s doorstep. I…
MoreDear family in Christ, Today the jury for the Derek Chauvin trial in Minneapolis begins deliberations, after which a verdict will be announced. This provides…
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The words I chose in my original post could easily leave the impression that I was broad brushing every person in attendance at the protest…
MoreJust down the road in DC, protestors stormed the capitol today in what played out as a kind of insurrection. The Vice President was evacuated,…
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We have lived in the 20th and 21st centuries, and pretty much everyone agrees, we are living in difficult, troubled times. There is plenty of…
MoreI am glad for MLK Jr. Day because I welcome the voice of God speaking to me on serious matters close to the heart of…
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There is a French journalist named Alphonse Karr, known all over Europe in the 19th century, whose passion was gardening. His life philosophy came down…
MoreWe live in a culture that is really bad at confession. If you admit any culpability someone might sue your pants off. Look the other…
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They used to serve green “shamrock shakes” at McDonalds on Broadway. That was about the best thing about St. Patrick’s Day as far as I…
MoreToday is Ash Wednesday, the beginning of a period of 40 days (not counting Sundays) where believers have for centuries focused on their relationship with…
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Faith-based Optimism When I came to Mountain 21 years ago, during the interview process I was asked for a philosophy of ministry. I don’t remember…
MoreAre we there yet? Kids have been asking this question since families pushed across the country in covered wagons. Every parent knows the answer: "No,…
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You have likely heard about the resignation of Bill Hybels as Lead Pastor of Willow Creek Community Church in Chicago. There are allegations of inappropriate…
MoreBig Announcement! Help me send some kids to College! I’m climbing Mt. Kilimanjaro this August to help bright students from the slums of Nairobi, Kenya…
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Saint Patrick’s Day is upon us. Some think of three-leafed clovers or leprechauns dancing. I used to run the Shamrock 5K in downtown Baltimore. People…
MoreWe began a message series at Mountain this weekend called THE JESUS QUESTION. I used to think Jesus was the guy with all the answers.…
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At the heart of the Christmas Story, there is a birth. Every birth signals a new beginning. But this birth opened up new worlds not…
MoreMay I confess something? I have not been very thankful lately. In fact, I've been so focused on getting stuff done, mindful of various obstacles…
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O Lord, penetrate those murky corners where we hide memories and tendencies we don't care to look at, which we will not dig up and…
MoreHi friends, "Here is the world. Beautiful and terrible things will happen. Don't be afraid." That quote by Frederick Buechner helps me imagine Jesus introducing…
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In 1934, a pastor from Georgia made a trip to the Holy Land, and then on to Berlin, Germany to attend a ministry conference. While…
MoreWhile our country is divided in many ways, after Vegas we find ourselves united in common shock and sadness. God’s people are uniting all over…
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Our country has been deeply divided between red and blue, black and white, kneelers and standers. The tragedy in Las Vegas has united us in…
MoreKarla and I are among those who dropped off a kid at college this August. This one was our last. The proverbial nest is empty…
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If you want to see your life with Jesus deepen and focus, you have a tremendous opportunity before you right now. Ash Wednesday is an…
MoreToday is a major Christian holiday that most of us know nothing about. It’s called the Feast of the Epiphany. You maybe recognize that word…
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We’re a couple weeks from Christmas, and in the thick of what most people feel is a hectic holiday maze. The parties and pace, anxiety…
MoreYou know that sensation you get when you’re out and about right after Thanksgiving, and you realize the music you hear playing is Christmas music?…
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The answer to this question will determine the depth of your joy and the intensity of your gratitude this Thanksgiving: What more do you need…
MoreBy now nearly everyone should be sick and tired, weary and worn from the political slashing and bashing in the aftermath of the election. If…
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Many Puerto Ricans have fled their home island because of its sinking economy and nasty crime rate. Almost half a million of them have come…
MoreWhen it comes to New Year’s Resolutions there are several approaches. There are the out-of-touch-with-reality optimists who make hugely confident statements about what they really…
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The world was stuck like a clock at midnight. Then Jesus came! But imagine what would the world would be like if Jesus never came.…
MoreWhen chaos broke out in the streets after Freddie Gray last March, it shined a light on ugly problems in our world, in our city…
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My slightly older sister Cathy had a birthday recently. She turned old. But she went sea kayaking on the weekend in Palos Verdes off the coast of…
MoreSunday, September 27 is a Super Blood Moon! And it’s creating quite a stir. Walk outside and you will see a total eclipse of the moon.…
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If you want to strengthen your friendship with God, here’s an idea: Try journaling. Last weekend as part of our SCHOOLED series at Mountain I talked…
MoreI think it was Chuck Swindoll who said walking his daughter down the aisle and leaving her there is like holding your priceless Stradivarius violin…
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Two lists. List one: Hate. Anger. Violence. Fear. Distrust. Disgust. Harshness. Ignorance. Retaliation. List two: Love. Joy. Peace. Patience. Kindness. Goodness. Gentleness. Faithfulness. Self-control. Each…
MoreIn 192 countries around the world people will celebrate Earth Day on April 22. Since 1970, it’s been a day to think about protecting the…
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Today is Ash Wednesday. It has come abruptly it seems to me, inviting us all into a special season of spiritual awareness and growth. Before…
MoreIn previous posts I talk about various aspects of the film (which you can access here and here and here) . Now I want to…
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In my first post on Fifty Shades of Grey I talked about several reasons why a lot of people hate this film. In my second post…
MoreIn my first post on the hugely popular book and film I mentioned a bunch of reasons why a lot of people hate this movie. But…
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When a friend asked that question today, I didn’t know quite what to say. Not because I don’t have some thoughts about the crazy popular…
MoreJim Tune used to operate a stock brokerage firm. Then Jesus turned over his money tables and called him into ministry. For the last nineteen…
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Thanksgiving doesn't spring naturally from every heart. It has to be coaxed. But with proper encouragement, it will poke out its head from where it…
More“Hey Dad! They were just talking about Mountain on the radio!” My daughter Ellie told me. Jack Larkin, afternoon radio personality for Shine FM in…
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October 31 is not so much about pumpkins and costume parties and overdosing on those annoyingly tiny candy bars (do they keep making them smaller…
MoreI visited London and all I got was all amped up about the church Come up the stairs and out onto the street from London’s…
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“Why do you do that?” The guy who asked me that question was a Brit. We were standing in “queue” together at the airport in…
MoreAbout a year ago my brother and sister-in-law made a bold move. God nudged their hearts open wide, and into the opening he put a…
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Here are two more gems that essentially stem from theologian Jurgen Moltmann’s Theology of Play: Play relativizes our ‘over-seriousness’ toward life, filling us with a…
MoreHere are a couple more ideas which largely stem from Jurgen Moltmann’s Theology of Play: Play is a celebration of life lived to the fullest. …
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The seminal theological work on play is Jurgen Moltmann’s A Theology of Play. It’s a dense tome. So with some help from Ben Witherington III,…
MoreSome people seem to think play needs some super special occasion to justify it. It doesn’t. Celebration is something that can certainly come because something…
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The words “play” and “important” don’t seem like they go together. But I think they do. Playing is important. I know that sounds funny coming…
MoreI received this note on a half-shredded piece of paper, scrawled so as to be almost illegible: To tell the weather, go to your back…
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Rapper Lil Wayne had some time on his hands when he was in prison a while ago. Rolling Stone magazine asked him what he found…
MoreThis past weekend we were talking about being unashamed. Being BOLD is part of what you saw in Jesus, Paul, Peter, the early church. Are…
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We’ve come to the season when we are reminded to ready our lives for Jesus. Resurrection is on its way, with the hope and joy…
MoreA super highlight of 2013 was when my daughter Ellie and I visited her sponsored child. Her name is Evelyn, she lives in Ecuador, and…
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A guest post today by John Frye, from the Shepherd’s Nook: The Joyful King of Riffraff When Princess of Wales, Diana, gave birth to…
MoreNelson Mandela has died. He was 95. This is a man who stood up to say that the law of the land was just plain…
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“Give thanks in all circumstances, for this is God’s will for you in Christ Jesus.” 1 Thessalonians 5:18 I love Thanksgiving. I cherish our traditions: the…
MoreMoses was a big-time Bible guy, used by God for big-time things. Based on what his mother did to him when he was a baby,…
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I’ve written a few songs. You’ve never heard them on the radio. But I sang them for Karla a couple times. They were my attempts…
MoreSeven or eight years ago I stumbled into a circle of friends that God has used to change my life. At a pastor’s conference we…
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Before the verdict for the George Zimmerman trial was announced, we all knew that regardless of the outcome, many people would be upset. Angry. Hurt.…
MoreMany in Turkana believe there is a God, but that he got bored and left. Now they wonder if they are left to fend for…
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In the corner of the screen on my iPhone is a tiny indicator telling me what percentage of battery life remains. Last night as I…
MoreThis is probably the most important invitation you will receive this summer. But first, here are some real quotes from real people. Do you relate to…
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Imagine a kind spiritual director you trust and respect looking you in the eye and gently inquiring, “How is it with your soul?” How would you…
MoreSo what do you get someone who is graduating from High School? Hmmm, something they need, something they want, but would probably never ask for.…
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The lease is signed on the property in Edgewood which will soon be the home of the EPICENTER where Mountain’s newest campus will meet. Luke…
MoreAs a kid, I barely took notice when the rich baritone voice of George Beverly Shea boomed through my Grandparents’ living room. But that’s where…
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I’ve got a nasty case of tennis elbow that intermittently hurts like the dickens. The last few days it has felt like an acetylene torch…
MoreHow Jackie Robinson Saved My Life Guest Blogger: Vince Antonucci I grew up in a verbally abusive home. My father’s violent tirades were like heart-seeking…
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One thing I love about Mountain Christian Church is that it is a church that totally gets the “AND.” The AND is a mature understanding…
MoreOn the phone with my parents this week I learned they've been extra busy. It’s been very cold there, like way below zero. It’s so cold you…
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The word EPIPHANY comes from a verb that means “to appear.” When something is made manifest, comes into appearance, or shows up – it’s an…
MoreWell congrats, Ravensites. A hard fought win. A great year. A storybook finish for Ray Lewis. A real team effort. And only a little defensive…
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I was in Orlando last week for some meetings with Christian Standard magazine. I serve as a contributing editor and we gather there to plan, propose,…
MoreA beleaguered general called his troops together and announced, “We have good news and bad news. The bad news is, we are completely surrounded. The…
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This prayer expresses well what we need to say to God as we embark on a new year. If you want the calendar flip to…
MoreAs we move into the New Year, before you set your resolutions, this is a great time to hear from God. We are all in…
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On the one hand, the Mayans reminded us the end of the calendar year is no big deal. The page flips and a new year…
MoreOkay folks, if you’re one of those who is freaked out about a cataclysmic cosmos-ending event tomorrow, let me offer a not-very-pastor-like reality check. Despite…
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At bedtime last night, I flopped down and snuggled up with my daughter on her bed. We talked about the Sandy Hook Elementary tragedy. She…
MoreMy heart is sick. The children and adults who were killed this morning in Connecticut are victims in the worst school shooting in American history.…
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In the message from December 1-2, I tried to remind us that God has a habit of choosing and working through people we might typically…
MoreLast night Karla and I went with friends to experience an amazing concert by Andrew Peterson. If you’re not familiar with him, I highly encourage…
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This past weekend I shared a concept from Michael Novak that a lot of people found really helpful. If you’re interested in being the real…
MoreRecently Karla and I were with some friends and someone asked, “What are your Thanksgiving traditions?” Great question. The most important thing we do is…
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The coolest people I know have gratitude in them. My mom is like that. You see it in the way she treats the paper boy…
MoreHello friends, In the now-familiar story of the "Good Samaritan" we see that even those who are attempting to be faithful to God in their…
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About half the people in America are yelling “Four More Years!” - and the other half are just yelling. Some are pumping their fists in…
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