Mendham Hills

Some of us spend our lives trying to be like someone else. Others of us spend our lives trying to be what someone else told us we should be. Still others wrestle years away trying to "find themselves." Most of us fade into our golden years with regret and wonder - who is the me I was meant to be? Discovering ourselves, this Sunday at Mendham Hills.

Influence - all of us have some and most of us want more. As adults, we fight for it, and as parents, we worry about it. Who are you intentionally influencing? Maybe a more interesting question is who are you unintentionally influencing and how? As we look back at our history, our shared nature, the question arises as to the impact of nurture and influence in our lives. Do I do what I do because t...

Yes, there were times, I'm sure you knew When I bit off more than I could chew But through it all, when there was doubt I ate it up and spit it out I faced it all and I stood tall And did it my way Frank Sinatra's iconic ballad roars, and our independent, 21st Century hearts soar as we join in the chorus. Yet, if we are honest, doing it "my way" sometimes leads to "my mess." Is there another way?...

This Super Bowl Sunday, the question begs answering again: Does defense really win championships, or is it all about offense? For many of us, life mimics football, offering us the same two choices regarding how we live. Some of us are hard-chargers, modern day warriors grabbing life by the horns. Others of us have been so beat up that it's much more about caution, safety and protection. Should lif...

I can remember one of my first toys being a Noah's Ark play set. Thousands of years post-flood, and Noah and his animals are as ubiquitous as ever. Most of us think we know the story; most of us don't. If we did, if we understood it, it's about the last story we would read at bedtime. The real story of Noah is one replete with death, destruction, family dysfunction, sexual innuendo, generational c...

The word "genesis" and the word "gene" or "genetic" are the same word. Everything in you is determined by your genetic code. So, too, is everything in history - it is merely a playing out of our shared genes, which are exposed so clearly in this book of origins. Ever feel like most of your life, you are just waiting for "the other shoe to drop," or that there is trouble lurking, waiting to pounce...

It's time to tackle the big questions - "Who am I? Why am I here?" In moments of personal reflection, have you ever wondered, "Why do I do what I do?" In moments of relational frustration, have you ever wondered, "Why does he/she do what they do?" During Origins, we will explore our shared beginnings, our humanistic tendencies, our familial issues, and our one communal great hope. It's a lot easie...

Almost everyone makes New Year's resolutions. As resolution, as commonly defined, is a firm decision to stop or start doing something. The problem is, for most of us, that decision turns out to not be all that firm. What if this year, we replace resolutions with a revolution - a literal overthrow and replacement of the "old you." Is that even possible? This New Year's Sunday at Mendham Hills, we w...

The prophet Isaiah foresaw the completed promise of God: "For unto us a child is born, unto us a son is given; and the government shall be upon his shoulder: and his name shall be called Wonderful Counsellor, The mighty God, The everlasting Father..." This newborn king would not merely be a reflection of your earthly father, but the revelation of a perfect father. This prophecy carries with it the...

He shall be called Wonderful Counselor, Mighty God...how mighty? One of the reasons Christmas hope has gone the way of tinsel is that we have lost our sense of awe and wonder! The Bible teaches that in response to what God was up to at Christmas, "even the angels stood amazed as they watched these events unfold." Has the story of Christmas lost its amazement factor for you? Perhaps it's time to st...

Remember Christmas the way it used to be? The lights, the garland, the hope? It seems that hope has gone the way of tinsel...something that used to be a part of Christmas, but today seems kind of outdated. Is it still possible for the reality of Christmas morning to meet the expectations of Christmas Eve? Join us as we launch a Christmas trip through the decades, exploring the promise of Christmas...

Nothing competes with God for our hearts like money. And perhaps no one thing breaks up families and shipwrecks lives more than money. The love of it really is the root of all kinds of evil. This Sunday, we conclude our series, "In God We Trust," with a look at ten biblical principles related to our stuff - five "thou shall" and five "thou shall not" commands related to our finances. Lessons on ma...

How do you measure your life? How do you define it's success? Is life to be measured on a happiness scale? Is it all about relationships or legacies? Jesus literally yelled out to people just like you and me, "Watch out! Be on your guard!" For what? Well, something that we get confused about regarding the purpose of our lives - something for which Jesus saved another exclamation, "You fools!" This...

“For where your treasure is, there will your heart be also." Our hearts follow our treasure, and Jesus wants your heart. So, it's incredibly important what we do with our treasure. In light of this foundational truth, the question needs to be asked: What's the plan for your treasure? Do you have one? How can you be sure you are serving God and not money? This Sunday at Mendham Hills, an incredibly...

“For where your treasure is, there will your heart be also." Our hearts follow our treasure, and Jesus wants your heart. So, it's incredibly important what we do with our treasure. In light of this foundational truth, the question needs to be asked: What's the plan for your treasure? Do you have one? How can you be sure you are serving God and not money? This Sunday at Mendham Hills, an incredibly...

“In God We Trust.” Really? For most of us, it’s more like, “In God We Wish,” or, “In God We Have a Backup Plan.” Have you ever noticed how easy it is to trust God with things you can’t control (where, really, you have no choice anyway…) or with the things that cost you little? Perhaps there is no greater irony than printing “In God We Trust” on our money because the truth is that our money is so o...

This Sunday, as we wrap up our series on God's great self-revelation statement, we get to the question you have all been asking: "What's up with the ending?" "He punishes the children and their children for the sin of the parents to the third and fourth generation." (Exodus 34:7) Yahweh is compassionate, gracious, and maintains love to thousands, but he punishes innocent children? Well, not exactl...

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 shou...

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 On...

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...

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 r...

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 t...

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 r...

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 d...

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...