Msg: A Great Time...to Clear the Clutter

With the snow finally leaving and the beginning of Spring finally here, I can't help but think about summer. I remember enjoying the carnival as a kid every summer, but the one place I avoided most was the "fun house." You remember, all those funny mirrors and the maze at the end? I hate being lost and not having a true sense of reality. I also hate being surrounded by clutter, because it blocks me from seeing life for what it really is. A lot of stuff just gets in the way. It's a lot like being stuck in the fun house.

Jesus encountered people all the time who needed to deal with the clutter in their lives. He had a great way of telling stories that helped people see what their world was really like around them, and what mattered most. Listen to the latest message in our series on time and see a couple of ways that all of us have been hampered by some clutter that may be blocking our most vital relationships. And remember, help is just a prayer away.

Msg: A Great Time...to Keep Your Promises

Jesus had an impressive way of taking the familiar and giving new meaning in ways that left His audience pondering anew what they thought they had always known. The sermon on the mount is full of examples. Several times, Jesus said, "You have heard it was said to the people long ago..." and then takes the familiar and makes it fresh. I wish I was better at that. Then again, I might not depend upon Him so much if I did.

This morning we looked at one of those times where Jesus got His hearers to think about the way they make promises or oaths or vows. It seems very fitting for us in a day when talk is cheap and words are said with no true meaning behind them. Please give this a listen and see if it makes you think about the commitments you have made to God and others and how you are doing at keeping up your promises.

Msg: A Great Time...to Stop Wasting

Many people spend a lot of time wondering what time it is. A better question is, "What are you doing with your time?" Your time is really your life. This morning we started a new series about time and how we spend it. We began by going back to where we started the year and posed the question, "What is the wise thing for me to do?" This time, we looked at a few verses from Ephesians 5 again and discovered some time management principles God wants us to consider. If you will take the next 30 minutes to listen to this message, it just might change your life.

Msg: Business Unusual - Cheaters

Today we concluded our series on Business Unusual at Northland. Actually, today was a good transition into our next series on time as well.

As we think about time, we realize there is never enough of it to get everything done that we want to. Trying to balance the needs at home and the wants of the marketplace means we end up cheating somewhere because we just can't get it all done. The question is, who gets cheated - your family or the marketplace? Today we looked at the sad reality that most of the time we cheat at home and ask God to fill in the gaps there while we are gone more and more to work. Is that the way God wants us to live? Listen in and see if today becomes a defining point in your life and what Scriptures have to tell us about making the tough choices about handling business unusual.

After the message, I shared a bit more about the transitions that have been taking place at Northland as we begin today with our new Sr. Leadership Team. Click here to listen.