Mendham Hills

We leave. Things get tough, touchy, boring, dry, or someone does something or says something that offends us and we bolt. We are outta here! We leave jobs, cities, churches, friendships and marriages. We just cut ties and move on. Yahweh, He is different. Yahweh, He stays. You see, Yahweh has a deal with you - a covenant, a promise. It's probably not what you think, but there is one thing you should know: He will suffer any hardship and pay any price to keep it. This Sunday at Mendham Hills, we discover a God "abounding in love and faithfulness," a God who keeps His promises, a God who never leaves.

God is love (at least according to the Bible). We love this attribute of God - we lean into it, we celebrate it, we highlight it to our friends. Yet, what do we do with all those stories and scriptures about His anger or His wrath? Is an angry God compatible with a loving God? If God is angry, what does that mean for me? What makes Him angry? Do I? This God - who insists we call Him Yahweh, the One who is compassionate, gracious, and abounding in love - also reveals Himself as one who, although slow to it, gets angry. Understanding a God slow to anger - this Sunday at Mendham Hills.

We all know someone like this - no matter how good the situation is, how well things have worked out, or how many blessings they have, they still feel cheated. Their baseline or default emotion is anger and they are always upset about something. Yet, most of us also know someone who, no matter the challenge, the hardship or the curse, remain happy and optimistic. Their default emotion is joy. Have you ever paused in life to reflect on your own baseline emotion? How you ever wondered about God's? What is God's default feeling and position towards you, and if you really understood that and believed it, what could that change in your life? Your destiny? Yahweh, the compassionate and gracious God, this Sunday at Mendham Hills.

So, God has a name and it is not God, it is Yahweh. That's what He wanted to be called. Why? Practically, what does it mean for how we relate to Him? For example, when I pray, does it really matter? Is God's mind made up already, or can it be changed? Is God unchanging or not? If He is unchanging, why would it matter if I pray? If He can be changed, well then, how should I pray? Once we begin to realize that God has a name and a person-hood, it sure does raise a lot of questions. Come get some answers - this Sunday at Mendham Hills.

Yahweh makes some pretty stunning claims. He refers to Himself as The Creator God, The Everlasting God and The All-Knowing God. Yet, perhaps the boldest and most startling claim is the He is "El Elyon" - The God Most High. He is The God above all the other gods. Other gods? Are there other, lesser gods? Yahweh says He is jealous over you, so are there others vying for your affections? What would that mean? How much could that explain? Starting to wonder if everything you see is not all that there is? There is an eternal battle raging, and your heart is the prize. Yahweh amongst the gods - this Sunday at Mendham Hills.

So, God has a name and it is not God, it is Yahweh. That's what He wanted to be called. Why? Practically, what does it mean for how we relate to Him? For example, when I pray, does it really matter? Is God's mind made up already, or can it be changed? Is God unchanging or not? If He is unchanging, why would it matter if I pray? If He can be changed, well then, how should I pray? Once we begin to realize that God has a name and a person-hood, it sure does raise a lot of questions. Come get some answers - this Sunday at Mendham Hills.

Did you know God has a name - and it's not God? Does it matter that God has a name and why should anyone care? What if in revealing His name, He also revealed who He is, who is God? While the vast majority of people still believe in God, this "God" is often just a projection of their own values, morals, and ideas. The current state and history of our world attests to that danger. Together, let's discover what God has said about himself - who He says He is. His true identity and character are both far different and far better than we could ever imagine.

What a "Welcome Back" we have on tap at Mendham Hills this Sunday - it's Kickoff 2017! Come hungry for food, friends and fun, with all kinds of new surprises in store for the coming church year. This is truly a Sunday you can't afford to miss! We launch into a new season of ministry together with an introspective and inspirational look at ourselves. Who are we as a people, a community, and why do we do what we do? What's our point, our purpose, our plan? It's the perfect week to invite a friend as each and every ministry will be on display, and together we focus on squad goals for a new church year. Come and find your place!

It seems that there is an ever-increasing amount of violence in our world. Watching the news, you see the consequences of hate, bigotry and greed. So what do we do when presented with unspeakable evil and violence? Are we always called to "turn the other cheek?" Is there ever a time to stand up? To stand against? Are we allowed to express our frustration and anger? Are we allowed to ask God to eradicate evil and those propagating violence? We wrap up our summer series, David & Bono, with a look at a Psalm that is so honest and raw, it leaves us wondering - "Am I allowed to say that?"

The data is in and it is indisputable: we are a people under stress like never before. According to a recent Bloomberg article, we just broke the American Psychological Association’s all-time stress record. Money, work, the economy, and now a political environment like no other have all conspired to put us on edge. You couple these factors with the natural fears of man, including the greatest fears of all – sickness and death – and we become a people in search of some relief. Yet, the places we seek to find it often lead to dead ends, addictions, disappointments, or worse. This Sunday, David, Bono, and the Psalms teach on fear…and its relief.