David and Goliath, by Malcolm Gladwell

October 25, 2013 By Josh Daffern

David and Goliath: Underdogs, Misfits, and the Art of Battling Giants is another triumph from acclaimed author Malcolm Gladwell. (I’ve reviewed his other book Tipping Point here). Starting perhaps with the iconic underdog story of our generation: David vs. Goliath, Gladwell begins to challenge our assumptions and force us to look at challenging situations from a different perspective. For instance, in the classical biblical story, David is the outright underdog when he faces the giant Goliath, a mighty warrior over... Read more

Why Adult Sunday School Can Hurt the Church

October 23, 2013 By Josh Daffern

Now, before you start throwing rocks the size and shape of your LifeWay quarterly, hear me out. Having grown up in churches with Sunday School, and now pastoring a church that doesn’t have a traditional Sunday School, I feel I can write this post openly and honestly. Hear me: every church needs to have some type of small group ministry. Community happens in circles, not rows. But the most common form of small groups, adult Sunday School, can actually be... Read more

One Ministry Every Church Should Have

October 21, 2013 By Josh Daffern

Yesterday at Mt Vernon I received a comment from a first time guest that I hear at least once or twice a month. Speaking with a new guest about their experience so far at church, this gentlemen commented on how much he was impressed with our Host Team (up to recently referred to as our Welcome Team). To paraphrase him, “I am really impressed with all the greeters you have outside. Being greeted five or six times before I ever... Read more

Three Words in Dealing with Negative Media Influences

October 18, 2013 By Josh Daffern

Negative media influences ranks as one of the top ten issues that Christian families deal with according to LifeWay research. Why is this issue so important? “You are the salt of the earth. But if the salt loses its saltiness, how can it be made salty again? It is no longer good for anything, except to be thrown out and trampled underfoot.” Matthew 5:13 Satan’s strategy with negative media influences is to get the salt to lose its saltiness. If he can’t... Read more

How Do You Respond to Our Anti-Christian Culture?

October 16, 2013 By Josh Daffern

I don’t have to spend that much time trying to make the case that we live in a society that is becoming increasingly hostile to Christianity. You can look back decades ago when prayer was taken out of public schools. You can look as recently as last week when a school in Ohio was forced to pay a fine of $95,000 and take down a portrait of Jesus that had been hanging since 1947 after being sued by the ACLU.... Read more

Good God, Lousy World & Me, by Holly Burkhalter

October 14, 2013 By Josh Daffern

Holly Burkhalter’s unusual journey to faith is a refreshing reminder that God is always at work in our world. Growing up in a religious household, Holly moved away from faith as an adult and for years had nothing but judgment for the evangelical community. Her arrival in DC coincided with the rise of Falwell’s ‘Moral Majority,’ and it left a bitter taste in her mouth. Yet at the same time, she was at the front lines of social justice, advocating... Read more

How to Keep Your Kids From Becoming 'Punk' Kids

October 11, 2013 By Josh Daffern

We all know those kids: the ‘punk’ kids. The ones who throw a tantrum in the grocery store. The ones who have an unnecessary meltdown on the ball field. The ones who act at least five years younger than their age. The ones to completely disrespect their parents in public. The ‘punk’ kids. Lack of discipline in families is all around us. What contributes to it? You can’t discount the sin nature inside of them, creating a gravitational pull towards... Read more

A New Way to Look at Discipline

October 9, 2013 By Josh Daffern

This week in my sermon series “Picture Perfect Family,” we looked at the thorny issue of lack of discipline in the house. Investigating scripture, I talked about three new ways we should look at discipline in the house: Discipline is more than just punishment; it’s love. We think discipline is mere punishment, with no redeeming value. The Bible begs to differ. My son, do not despise the Lord’s discipline, and do not resent his rebuke, because the Lord disciplines those he loves, as... Read more

Mark Junkins Funeral Message

October 7, 2013 By Josh Daffern

Yesterday I had the heart-breaking privilege at preaching Mark Junkin’s funeral. He was an incredible man who left a lasting legacy with his family, his church, and throughout the world. You can watch the archived funeral service at www.mtvchurch.tv. Here is the text of the message I shared: Mark Junkins Funeral Message Today we’re here to celebrate the life of Mark Junkins. As you’ve already heard, he was a son, a brother, a husband, and a father. His influence extended... Read more

Finding the Balance Between Work and Family

October 4, 2013 By Josh Daffern

If I asked you how much you value your family, you would answer me in terms of feelings and emotions. “I love them.” “I would do anything for them.” “I would throw myself in front of a bus for them.” But from your family’s perspective, the chief indicator of value isn’t measured in feelings, but in time. How much time do you give them? Your job works the same way. Your value is measured in time spent there, not feelings... Read more