Mendham Hills

As we conclude our series on Jesus's invitation to follow, we look at the power of godly leaders. Who is the leader of your pack...the one who sets the direction, pace, and destination? With a nod towards fathers, we examine the power of parents - specifically dads when it comes to the direction of future generations. In many ways, the direction Dad takes is the directions kids follow. If you follow often, so will they, and potentially generations to come. This Sunday, it's Fathers' Day and decision day at Mendham Hills. Who will you follow and who will you lead?

One of the followers of Jesus, a disciple named Thomas, asked Him a pretty big question - one that anyone following someone would want to know. "Lord, we don't know where you are going, so how can we know the way?" It's a pretty common question, maybe humanity's most asked: "How do you get to heaven?" And when it comes to questions like this, they inevitably lead to more questions like, "Have I been good enough? Have I done enough? Have I given enough to get there? Are there many paths and ways to heaven? Do all roads lead to the same place?" This Sunday, as we look at the call of Jesus to follow, we discover how to get there from here.

Follow - Follow by Sunday Podcast

This Memorial Day weekend, we wrap up our Attitude Adjustment series with a look at what happens when our attitudes go unchecked and unchanged. Narcissism is the place where all bad attitudes eventually lead. Paul, an apostle of Jesus, told his "son in the faith," Timothy, "There will be terrible times in the last days. People will be lovers of themselves." In a culture hyper-focused on ME, how do we take our eyes - our thoughts - off of ourselves long enough to really love another? This Sunday at Mendham Hills, it turns out it really is not all about you.

As the great philosopher Taylor Swift sang, "Haters gonna hate, hate, hate, hate, hate." That's just what they do. Unfortunately, there is just a little bit of "hater" in all of us. We have a propensity towards critical spirits and judgmental attitudes. Why do we judge so quickly and harshly? We are commanded to have the attitude of Jesus and He has a pretty famous saying about judging. Does that mean we don't judge anything or anyone...ever? This Sunday, we take the logs out of our own eyes and the splinters out of others', as we adjust our judgmental attitudes.

This Mothers' Day Sunday, we take a pause from our attitude adjusting to focus on the women in our lives. Jesus, in His earthly ministry, championed the cause and value of women like no other. In fact, I would argue that in many ways, our culture is now just catching up. Yet, is it possible that in correcting one societal ill, we have created another? Jesus said, "Come ...all who labor and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest. Take my yoke upon you...and you will find rest for your souls." Wouldn't it be wonderful if we fully applied this truth to the women in our lives amidst what has become a culture replete with unrealistic expectations, allowing them some rest for their souls? Destroying the myth of "Superwoman," this Mothers' Day at Mendham Hills.

Have you ever tried to use a fancy word and have it backfire? I have. It was pretty embarrassing. I thought I knew what it meant, but I was awkwardly and painfully wrong. In fact, I hurt someone's feelings and left some "carnage in my wake" all because I though I knew something I didn't. Turns out, the older I get, the more aware I am of my propensity to think I know things that I really don't, and carnage results. I just thought I knew how to love God, love my wife, or parent my kids. Turns out, I didn't know as much as I thought. My attitude was, "I knew it all." Turns out, I didn't and I don't. So, how do I learn...change? This week at Mendham Hills, we embrace a bit of ignorance and learn what it means to be imitators. Oh, and a surprise guests helps me. You don't want to miss this!

Christianity remains the dominant religion in our country with about 75% of people polled identifying themselves as adherents. I would counter that there appears to be a more dominant faith amongst us. The religion of our day, which almost all of us seem to be following at one level or another, is cynicism. Cynicism is, in many ways, the complete opposite of faith or belief. It crushes hope and fuels apathy, distrust, depression and disdain. If everyone has an agenda or an ulterior motive, who can I trust? Is there anything or anyone I can actually believe in? Why am I so cynical? Conquering the sin of cynicism – this Sunday at Mendham Hills.

All of us, in one way or another, are in need of an attitude adjustment - but where do we begin? How about with the worst kind of attitude? The one attitude that all of us share, the one we hate in others but refuse to see in ourselves. There is no attitude that makes one more unpopular, and the more we have it ourselves, the more we dislike it in others. It is, as C.S. Lewis wrote, "the chief cause of misery in every nation and every family since the world began and leads to every other vice." Yeah, lets start with changing that one - this Sunday at Mendham Hills.

Christmas mornings last a lot longer now that my kids are older. When they were young, it seemed like a month's worth of preparation was over in half a minute. They tore into the presents, barely looking at what they had unwrapped before casting it aside and picking up the next. No reflection, no appreciation, just pure consumption. It was like they felt entitled to all those things and when the last package was opened, it was not done with an "attitude of gratitude," but through tears because there wasn't more. Can you imagine? Blessing after blessing, gift after gift, and yet, they were miserable. Good thing we grow out of that...or do we? Maybe we need a change in attitude.