Mendham Hills

God, where are you? It's a pretty common question. Live long enough and you'll find yourself asking it. Heck, even Jesus came to the point of saying, "My God, my God, why have you forsaken me?" Have you? I mean, if God is in control, why does my life so often seem out of control? Looking for what God is up to in your life? You may be only one moment away because it just so happens...

George Thorogood sang it, Jesus answered it. If love is a verb, if love is a command, then who do we love? Maybe you or a skeptical friend have had trouble rationalizing a God of love with a world full of hate. How am I supposed to love my enemies when I have trouble loving my spouse? Learning to love everybody, always - this Sunday at Mendham Hills.

"When I was a child, I spoke as a child, I understood as a child, I thought as a child; but when I became a man, I put away childish things." So said the apostle Paul. He grew up, he matured...but in regards to what? He was not speaking generally, but specifically. He grew up. He changed the way he spoke, understood, and thought about love. Most of us never do, though. When it comes to love, we still think and speak like children and wonder why our Barbie Dream House images wind up more like an Adam's Family haunted house. This week, we conclude our "Love Does" series, and here's a hint - Love Wins!

"...to love somebody." Great song, but an even deeper truth. Jesus said as much when he said, "A new command I give you: Love one another as I have loved you." Why is it that we spend so much time and effort on every other command, and so little on what would become known as the "great one?" Who taught you how to love? If you think it's just natural, think again. This weekend we launch our new series, "Love Does." You and I really don't know how to love somebody, and it's time we learn. A series that could transform and save every relationship you have begins this Sunday at Mendham Hills.

Always, not sometimes. Always, not once-in-a-while. Always, not occasionally. Always, not some day. Seems kind of repetitive, right? That's the point. For most of us, love is kind of like a dance - there's a back and forth to it. You give, I give. You take, I take. That is not the kind of love that is the singular command of Jesus. Nor is it the kind of love He has for you. What does love always, always, always, always do? Find out this Sunday at Mendham Hills.

I'm kind of an old school guy. Sure, I pay my bills online now, but I refuse to check the box asking me to "go paperless." I still want the bill to come in the mail. I want to hold it in my hand, review it, and then file it away. This way, at a moment's notice, I can simply go to my filing cabinet and be reminded of who I paid for what and when. My memory might fade, but my filing cabinet is there forever. Oh, yeah...I also want to do that with things that people have done or said that hurt, disappointed or angered me. I have filed them away and I can bring them back at a moment's notice. How about you? We have a singular command - to love. This is NOT what love does. Destroying the record of wrongs, this Sunday at Mendham Hills.

Jesus summed up all the Old Testament Laws and Prophets with two new commands: Love God and love others. One of His early followers, the Apostle Paul, went even further when he wrote, "The only thing that counts is faith expressing itself through love." For them, the command to love had nothing to do with a feeling. Jesus commanded an action, and then Jesus showed us how to love. This Sunday at Mendham Hills, we look at the dirty little word behind real love. Warning: You might not like it, but if you really want to know what love is, Jesus will show you.

Kickoff 2018 is here! Are you old enough to remember the classic and oft-repeated line that came over the public address system after every Elvis concert? That's right! "Ladies and gentlemen, Elvis has left the building." Elvis stole that line. It was God's first. He used it a long time ago. Yet, we keep forgetting that God is not in a box - God has left the building. Try as we might, He just won't stay put. This Kickoff Sunday, invite a friend along for the fun, food and message - church re-explained!

"Time rolls by the clock don't stop / I wish I had a few more drops of the good stuff, the good times / Oh, but they just keep on flying right on by like it ain't nothing / Wish I had me a pause button / Moments like those, Lord knows I'd hit it and give myself five more minutes." Found myself singing this song a lot this week as summer faded into fall and the kids went back to school. Time is going by so fast - I wish I could just pause it or at least slow it down. How about you? One day, my kids were young - and now, they are almost grown and gone! This week at Mendham Hills - how to buy yourself five more minutes (and how to spend them!).

This Sunday we wrap up our summer-long look at Jesus' directive to "pray this way." What if I told you the ending you know and love and sing of "The Lord's Prayer" isn't really the ending? Would it matter? Should it matter? The truth is Jesus actually ends His model prayer with a story about unlocking the power of prayer. Ever feel like you pray so much and see so little? The often-untold story of the Lord's Prayer...the story that doesn't end the way you think it does...this Sunday at Mendham Hills.

Life is complex. There are things that happen to us that can shatter our world. In the midst of our hurts and hurried lives, how can we stay focused and follow where Jesus leads? In our series on The Lord's Prayer, we reach a place where it is asked, "Lead us not into temptation, but deliver us from evil." So we are asking God to help us avoid some things, but where do we GO? The disciples followed Jesus up on a mountain where he told them the places that they are truly led. Join us Sunday at Mendham Hills to find out where Jesus wants to lead you and me.

As Blondie sings on their 1978 single, “One way, or another / I'm gonna find ya' / I'm gonna get ya', get ya', get ya'." What do you do when someone gets you? You get even. Eye for an eye, tooth for a tooth. We sing about it and watch movies about it. We love the taste of revenge. But Jesus teaches something quite different - almost unthinkable. Find out why prayer is at the heart of one of Jesus' most upside-down teachings, this Sunday at Mendham Hills.

Growing up, many of the arguments between my siblings and I were ended with one of my parents yelling out, "Enough is enough already!" Turns out that was some of the best advice I was ever given. In fact, in His model prayer, Jesus encourages us to pray for simply that - enough. There are real dangers attached to believing in a world of scarcity and praying for more. What happens when we believe in a world of abundance and begin to pray for just enough? "Give us this day our daily bread," Sunday at Mendham Hills.

If you have taken an international flight, you've seen the sign that says something like, "U.S. Border," and an immigration agent will ask to see your passport. If you're a citizen, they let you through with very little trouble. But if you are a foreigner, they might have a few questions about the nature of your visit. Airports are one of the places where the divisions between the various geographical areas that make up our world are the most visible. Jesus himself talked about a kingdom over which He is the King. Come out this Sunday to find out how His Kingdom looks different than what you might think, and how it affects the way you pray.

How would you rate your sense of direction? When you're driving, do you always seem to know where to go? Or do you get lost going one town over? Remember the days of before GPS, when you would have to stop and ask for directions? Those were the worst. Now, thanks to my iPhone, I'm never lost. I might not know where I am, but with a few words ("Siri get directions for...") I'll be all set and back on course. For many of us, we wish we had a GPS for life. At times, we find our lives heading in a completely different direction then what we thought. We find ourselves asking the question, "How did I get here and where I am going?" Join us this Sunday at MHCC as we look to a God who is always directing and guiding, even when we are lost and unsure of the path to take.

As Shakespeare's Juliet once posed, "What's in a name? That which we call a rose by any other name would smell as sweet." And that might be true, but make no mistake about it, names matter. Some recent research suggests that names can influence choice of profession, where we live, who we marry, the grades we earn, the stocks we invest in, whether we’re accepted to a school or are hired for a particular job, and the quality of our work. Maybe that's why Jesus prioritized a prayer about God's name. Have you lived your life wanting and hoping to make something of your name? Here's your chance - this Sunday at Mendham Hills.

At the beach this week with my five year old nephew, I noticed something he has said just about every day. When his older cousins were riding the waves, he would watch how they did it, how far they rode them, and then ask, "Can you teach me?" We were flying kites, making them dive towards the ground and soar back up, and again came the question, "Can you teach me?" He wanted to have the same fun and the same results we were having, and he knew doing it his way just wouldn't cut it. So, with child-like humility, he simply asked, "Can you teach me?" It was the same desire and humility that had an early follower of Jesus questioning Him about prayer. They saw how powerfully He did it, and the incredible results, and simply asked, "Can you teach me?" And He did. This summer, in very real and practical ways, along with some child-like humility, we will learn to pray like Jesus prayed. Pray This Way - a summer-long look at The Lord's Prayer.

What impact am I making with my life? Am I making any difference in this world? What is my legacy? Legacy is not something we look at too often. But if we did, would it make a difference in the way we live our lives? Building our legacy means to live intentionally, seeking to make the most of every opportunity. This Sunday, we look at the life of Esther and take away some powerful and practical lessons of how we can make the most of every opportunity in our world.

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.