A conversation during the pandemic about how God is [re]shaping His Church. What needs to stop, what needs to change, what needs to start – in order to be a healthy church that cares for one another and reaches those who are far from God.
I'd like to invite you to enjoy a significant moment in the life and history of Vista. During the services this Sunday, Nov 7th, we will prayerfully formalize and consecrate our financial commitments to the Frantz Rd Project, add it all up, and prepare for what's next! Online Commitment Card FAQ, etc.
Unexpected encouragement is always good, maybe I can pass some along to you! Keep praying, this is one of our most significant moments, a point we will most certainly look back on as pivotal in some way… Here are some links to Frantz Rd Project Info and Commitment Card for your convenience Vista Give Page […]
God is on the move in YOU and in OTHER Kingdom-minded leaders, partners and friends!
Responding to a few more questions and comments from the Frantz Rd Project Survey…good stuff…thanks for taking the time to let us know how you’re doing
The first of a few responses to the questions and comments you submitted through the 5626 Project Survey. And what I said, or meant to say in this episode regarding the size of an auditorium for something like our Christmas program is “Seven-hundred fifty TO a thousand seat auditorium…” Not, 750,000-seat auditorium! : )
Pray and listen…always. It’s the only way to ever be ready to follow God…
When you’re heart and/or the world around are in chaos, return to the disciplines of the Spirit, and remember that you’re not preparing for the battle, you’re doing it.
Paul, in Romans 5 places Hope at the culmination of a progression that goes like this: suffering, perseverance, character and then hope. Hope is the RESULT of something that goes on within a person?? We should talk about this…
All over the map, quite literally, in this podcast – updates regarding Kabul, Afghanistan… Dublin, OH… and Rome…
Adam and I, mostly Adam (b/c he was on another level today!) talk through some of the flags in life that (if we pay attention) can keep us in the presence & grace of God (if we let them).
Adam and I reflect on the Romans 62 sermon with regard to the animating power of God’s Spirit within the believer.
Tom, I heard you. But it’s so hard to comment on news headlines without inadvertently aligning (or misaligning) myself with some ideology, cause, or position! I took a stab. More importantly, here’s a Frantz Rd. building update and the 3rd of 5 basic challenges/expectations for the Vista family.
What a great day Sunday Aug 15th was! 524 Days after our last NW gathering, we [re]launched NW services, temporarily, at the Dublin Rec Center. One of the things we covered was expectations for one another going forward. I reiterate the first two in this podcast..
After 524 days the NW portion of the Vista congregation gathered for the first time…back in the Rec Ctr where it all started…almost 15 years ago. What a day! Over the nex t few podcasts, I’m going to repeat much of the content we shared. It’s important.
We’ve been hoping for a positive response regarding 5626 Frantz Rd…and we got one!
If some declares to trust Jesus, couldn’t we then simply welcome them and just trust Jesus to bring about their character? Or is it up to us to help straighten them out??
Adam facilitates today’s podcast. We talk about Bloomington, me (not my idea), and then get started on some of R9.
Adam and I finish our reflections on Romans 10 by discussing how an acceptance of God’s standard for righteousness can lead us right into self-denial (with regard to how far off from righteous we are)…
Adam and I wonder (aloud) if righteousness is a concept generally understood…let alone aspired to.
Adam and I continue to have fun with the Russo & Schoemaker “Overconfidence Quiz.” The quiz from their book, Decision Traps, illustrates part of past Sunday’s argument that we tend to be self-deception (ie., overconfidence) – which the Apostle Paul says keeps us from apprehending God’s righteousness.
We actually get to the test answers today…among other things.
Overconfidence is a problem for almost everybody, almost everywhere. In the weekend message regarding Romans 1o I mentioned a quiz that aims to prove it. It’s fun and eye-opening. In the weekend message we mentioned two things that keep us from the righteousness from God: The Performance Trap and Self-Deception. Essentially, when we fail to […]
It was a privilege and a pleasure to help our youngest move to Charlotte with his new bride of just 4 weeks. It included pulling a Uhaul through the Appalachians, cobbling together IKEA furniture, and discovering the charm of the South End. Oh, and I thought of something…
Continuing to draw from Romans 12, and into 11…to discover all that is available as a result of God and his unmerited mercy…
Adam and I barely get started on Romans 12. It’s a good start, but stay tuned…
What unifies the the people of God is the simple fact that we are who we are because of faith alone in Christ alone, that’s it. But we do have an obligation to call out misaligned and disobedient behaviors among us. That is to say, we are called to judge one another. That’s a profound […]
Like grace, faith alone is wonderful, but seems unreasonable. And won’t true unconditional grace and faith alone (not any particular behavior) be taken advantage of, even exploited? Yep. Let’s talk about it.
There’s just no way around it. The journey of faith requires humility at every turn…
Justin and I finish up our discussion with an uncomfortable discovery…
Pastor Justin and I continue our conversation and kick around the probability of widespread Christian unity…true, sincere, authentic unity
In the first of three segments Justin and I kick around a few points from Msg 15 (Rom 15), most notably the utter necessity of humility in any degree of real unity.
Adam and I wrap up our conversation out of Rom 16…being “established” in Christ. One way of putting it is, “Being established in Christ, is being okay, no matter what.” Are you?
The diverse inclusiveness of the gospel, particularly with regard to women, is groundbreaking…like an earthquake is groundbreaking. Not only was Paul on mission to breakdown national/entho boundaries with [re]gard to God’s people, but gender, economic, and any other characteristic formerly dreamed up to divide humanity…
This is the first 7min of 21min with Adam Heath [re]garding the 3/20/21 Sunday teaching in Romans 16:25-27. Contrary to what is often presumed, Paul wasn’t aiming at reaching individuals or at planting local churches, (although he most certainly did), but at establishing you (in the original language, the “you” here is plural) God’s one new […]
COVID restrictions are lifted, and as of May 30th Vista is gathering weekly! If gathering together to worship and encourage one another, I can guarantee you three things if you make it a point join together with your Vista family…
Gov. Dewine will lift COVID constraints, effective, Jun 2nd. Oh my, what a year. It’s been a wild and rough 16 months. Tragic, for many. But God… God has used the upheaval to deepen our faith, affirm His priorities, and alter us how He has seen fit. I couldn’t be more encouraged – let me […]
The best stuff in life takes time…lot’s of time. Towering trees, resplendent marriages…and other such things.
How well the pastoral staff equip the church to be the church may be the make or break issue over the next 10 years…
What’s happening this summer?? Well, we’re adding more weekly in-person services in the NC facility, organizing a few opportunities to connect with city partners, and in pursuit of some permanent space for services in the NW…
Zero-sum conflicts and a manipulative barrage of lies are part of a sophisticated strategy to divide people and consolidate power. As a people committed to living in the light, embracing truth, and valuing unity amidst great diversity, it’s imperative for Christians to see what’s going on and learn how to do something about it.
We’re in the midst of a 20-week ramp-up to a celebratory [re]launch of Vista. I thought it might be helpful and encouraging to talk through some of the changes that we’ve implemented and anticipate, in today’s podcast…a bit about worship. NASA Ingenuity flight celebration News of the Second flight of Ingenuity
Yesterday we started a 20-week ramp-up to a celebratory [re]launch of Vista. No, we aren’t changing our name to Vista 2.0! That’s just what we’re referring to the shifts and adaptations God has led – and is leading – us through over the past 18-months. I thought it might be helpful and encouraging to talk […]
Today we start a 20-week ramp-up to a celebratory launch of Vista 2.0 (no, we aren’t changing our name to that). That’s just what we’re referring to the shifts and adaptations God has led – and is leading – us through over the past 18-months. I thought it might be helpful and encouraging to talk […]
Just pulled the latest podcast down, to post this one. The former was fine…just some innocuous commentary on the Stand Your Ground law passed recently in Ohio. But the violence (which is becoming tragically frequent) found in the news this morning just wrecked my heart for those who are suffering…
This the LAST(!) segment on Emotional Intelligence. This installment includes some simple tools for improving empathy…that is, understanding and compassion for others. Empathy (others-awareness) is a necessary complement to self-awareness, and a critical component of overall Emotional Intelligence.
To be a Christian is to love others, to hold others interests and best as of greater value than your own. I would argue that you cannot do that without increasing emotional intelligence…and particular: Empathy.
Phase 3 of Self-awareness: Recognize your “problem patterns,” ie., where and how YOU make a mess but often don’t see it as your problem related to your low EIQ. (I mention Dunning-Krugger in this podcast, here’s some further study. Thanks Tom – for sharing this concept with me a few months back…this comes up in […]
In retrospect Good Friday is good, very good, but at the time…not so much. So why dwell on it? There’s good reason.
The first step within the Self-Awareness component of EIQ is identifying your distractions, and, of course, turtles.
Had a great conversation with about a dozen Vista folks, and a little bit more regarding Emotional Intelligence…
What do an Snickers Bar, Betty White, and Emotional Intelligence have in common? Isn’t it obvious?!?
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