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<title><![CDATA[Lakeview Worship Weekly Teaching]]></title>
<link><![CDATA[http://www.lakeviewworship.com/teaching]]></link>
<description><![CDATA[Great Worship Teaching]]></description>
<image>
<url><![CDATA[http://www.lakeviewchurch.org/events/images/kyle.gif]]></url>
<title><![CDATA[Lakeview Worship]]></title>
<link><![CDATA[http://www.lakeviewworship.com]]></link>
</image>
<item>
<title><![CDATA[Prayer Part 1: Life of Worship Series ]]></title>
<description><![CDATA[Our pastor, Ron Bontrager, has a passion for developing a culture of prayer in our church. For the next two weeks, we wanted to share some of his practical points, as seen through the Lord's Prayer, that might help you grow in the worship that is your daily life. Prayer is an integral, yet often confused and misunderstood part of a worshipper's daily walk. We hope this simple model might shed some light on it.

Part 1: Praise 
"Our Father in heaven, may Your Name be honored."
Praise is the first protocol of heaven. Psalms 100:4 says "Enter his gates with thanksgiving; go into his courts with praise." Our approach to the Father is critical. Hearts full of gratitude and lives lived out in Thanksgiving will spill over into continuous praise. Don’t save your praise for the Sunday morning gathering. Make it the theme of your daily existence.]]></description>
<link><![CDATA[http://www.lakeviewworship.com/teaching/teaching_article.php?id=190&author=2]]></link>
<author><![CDATA[Lakeview Worship]]></author>
<pubDate><![CDATA[2008-10-01]]></pubDate>
<category><![CDATA[Worship]]></category>
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<item>
<title><![CDATA[Zoom Out]]></title>
<description><![CDATA[Technology today is amazing (and more than a little addictive). My cell phone now not only gives me access to human-to-human dialog, but also opens the floodgate for the latest news, stock quotes, sports stories, scores & stats, Facebook friend connections, and one of my buddy Nathan’s most favorite inventions: maps (he has issues you should ask him about sometime). Driving maps, satellite maps, weather maps. Maps that show direction, time zones, topography, even impending weather.

One of the greatest features of these online map applications is a little function called “zoom.” With the click of a button, I can move my view from the perspective of a geosynchronous satellite hovering 1,200 miles above the earth’s service right down to Google’s street view, nearly making out the details of each brick on my house (try it - it’s kinda creepy, and the subject of a few pending lawsuits).]]></description>
<link><![CDATA[http://www.lakeviewworship.com/teaching/teaching_article.php?id=189&author=1]]></link>
<author><![CDATA[Lakeview Worship]]></author>
<pubDate><![CDATA[2008-09-17]]></pubDate>
<category><![CDATA[Worship]]></category>
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<item>
<title><![CDATA[Messing With My Identity]]></title>
<description><![CDATA[In the summer of 2000 I went through one of the hardest 3 month periods of my life. To make a long story short, I was a young businessman with a great job, the beginnings of a beautiful family, and a cut and dry, picture perfect future ahead of me. Text book. That is, until God stole my water colors and started painting His own picture of my life (don’t you just love when He does that?).

For three solid months God did a complete DNA transplant in my spirit. It started slowly but became a complete tidal wave of fear, anger, nausea, delirium, sleeplessness, and countless other emotions that often cause you to stare at the over the counter med shelf at the local pharmacy. You see, God wasn’t playing fair (and really, is it ever a fair fight with the Creator of the universe?). He was changing the way I saw myself and it was painful. He was messing with my identity.]]></description>
<link><![CDATA[http://www.lakeviewworship.com/teaching/teaching_article.php?id=188&author=1]]></link>
<author><![CDATA[Lakeview Worship]]></author>
<pubDate><![CDATA[2008-09-03]]></pubDate>
<category><![CDATA[Worship]]></category>
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<item>
<title><![CDATA[A Stirring That Persists]]></title>
<description><![CDATA[Doesn’t matter your age, your gender, your race or your station in life. Chances are you’ve got it…and some of you have got it bad. I should know. I’m wrecked with it.

For the last few days, our family rules regarding television viewing have been chucked out the window. NBC’s coverage of the Olympics has us glued to the set, nervously eating popcorn and cheering for whoever is representing the red, white and blue. I would imagine the Beijing spectacular has captured your attention too, as names like Michael Phelps, Usain Bolt and Shawn Johnson enter our vernacular for the next few months. These athletes not only provide high drama and unity in their perspective countries but they also give all of us a chance to expand the horizon of possibilities as we join in their pursuit of being an Olympic champion.]]></description>
<link><![CDATA[http://www.lakeviewworship.com/teaching/teaching_article.php?id=187&author=2]]></link>
<author><![CDATA[Lakeview Worship]]></author>
<pubDate><![CDATA[2008-08-20]]></pubDate>
<category><![CDATA[Worship]]></category>
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<item>
<title><![CDATA[Becoming]]></title>
<description><![CDATA[School started today – the laziness and freedom of summer regretfully giving way to evenings of homework and defined schedules. It’s a blessing and a curse for parents and kids alike, but this morning came whether we were ready for it or not. A surprise to my wife and me, apparently our 6 year old was not.

All summer we’ve been anticipating the start of first grade. Her older sister had so bravely led the way (a stunning, young fourth grader now) and today marked the day of Anna’s first step into el-ed adulthood (OK…you gotta think like a 6 year old). She was up early, dawning her new purple polo shirt and khaki shorts, packing her brand new pencil box and crayons into a never-before-used backpack (that matched her shirt and shoes, of course), and joyfully bounding into the backseat of the mini-van for our inaugural drive to school.
]]></description>
<link><![CDATA[http://www.lakeviewworship.com/teaching/teaching_article.php?id=186&author=1]]></link>
<author><![CDATA[Lakeview Worship]]></author>
<pubDate><![CDATA[2008-08-13]]></pubDate>
<category><![CDATA[Worship]]></category>
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<title><![CDATA[Inexpressible Joy ]]></title>
<description><![CDATA[My wife and I can have a weird sense of humor. All of our kids were pretty colicky when they were babies, so it was normal for us to always be looking for some way to quiet them down, especially if we were out in public. One night when we were out for dinner my daughter just wouldn’t stop crying. The bottle didn’t work, the pacifier didn’t work, so my wife spotted a plateful of lemon wedges and thought she’d give it a try. It worked. And to this day it’s not abnormal to see any of my 3 children sucking on lemons around a restaurant table.

Do you know any people who go through life like they’re sucking on a plateful of lemons (figuratively speaking now, of course)?]]></description>
<link><![CDATA[http://www.lakeviewworship.com/teaching/teaching_article.php?id=185&author=1]]></link>
<author><![CDATA[Lakeview Worship]]></author>
<pubDate><![CDATA[2008-08-06]]></pubDate>
<category><![CDATA[Worship]]></category>
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<title><![CDATA[What Is That To You?]]></title>
<description><![CDATA[We recently ran into an old friend and his family while vacationing in Hilton Head, South Carolina. This guy is 6 or 7 years older than me, and someone I always looked up to musically when we were younger. Life has been good to him over the last 15 years as he successfully broke into the Chicago music scene as a composer and arranger for television commercials. He now owns an 8,000 square foot studio in a downtown high-rise, as well as a smaller facility in California, and has become a big player in an ultra-cool industry.

As I spent time listening to him discuss his growing business, I felt something begin to burn inside of me. It was that entrepreneurial flame tickling my insides, filling my mind with wild visions and thoughts of pursuits beyond the realms of ministry - business ventures, creative companies, leveraging ideas or relationships to pursue more profit or security in this life. In all honesty I began to think, “hey, I could do this, too! What’s this guy got that I don’t have?” I entertained those thoughts for a few days as we enjoyed the sunshine and sandy beaches.]]></description>
<link><![CDATA[http://www.lakeviewworship.com/teaching/teaching_article.php?id=184&author=1]]></link>
<author><![CDATA[Lakeview Worship]]></author>
<pubDate><![CDATA[2008-07-23]]></pubDate>
<category><![CDATA[Worship]]></category>
</item>
<item>
<title><![CDATA[Peek-A-Boo Logic]]></title>
<description><![CDATA[I’m in my church office. Again.

Now, don’t get me wrong, it’s a really nice office. It’s spacious and roomy with purposeful decorations all around. There are millions of books, a couple of couches, soft lighting, a corner TV and my incredibly functional and oh so cool, custom-made standup desk (thanks John). Here’s the deal though: it could all go away; it’s the windows that I so desperately need.

When I made the decision to leave corporate America and pursue this nagging feeling that God wanted my life invested in the local church, an incredible excitement arose in my heart. “Finally!” I thought. “Here’s my chance to do the real work of the ministry! I’m gonna impact lives, mix it up with the people and change the world by reaching out to the lost. Yeah!” Yeah. Honestly, if it wasn’t for my windows, I’d often forget the lost even existed.]]></description>
<link><![CDATA[http://www.lakeviewworship.com/teaching/teaching_article.php?id=183&author=2]]></link>
<author><![CDATA[Lakeview Worship]]></author>
<pubDate><![CDATA[2008-07-09]]></pubDate>
<category><![CDATA[Worship]]></category>
</item>
<item>
<title><![CDATA[See Beyond]]></title>
<description><![CDATA[A few weeks ago I had the opportunity to play golf with the head principal of Ben Davis High School. Not only is BD one of the largest high schools in Indiana, it is also my alma mater (purple and white class of ’92 baby!). Ben Davis is a quality institution and really a hub of life and culture on the west side of Indianapolis, just a few short miles from where I sit in my church office this morning. So as much as I wanted to make the day just about golf, the spiritual leader in me had to utilize the opportunity to explore the mind of this man who daily interacts with thousands of students that represent the families of this community.

“What is the biggest challenge you see for our city through the lives of your students?” I asked. The dialog didn’t last long but it was amazingly insightful.]]></description>
<link><![CDATA[http://www.lakeviewworship.com/teaching/teaching_article.php?id=182&author=1]]></link>
<author><![CDATA[Lakeview Worship]]></author>
<pubDate><![CDATA[2008-07-02]]></pubDate>
<category><![CDATA[Worship]]></category>
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<title><![CDATA[Embracing the Inevitable]]></title>
<description><![CDATA[Here’s the deal: you and I are gonna die.

Yeah I know.  Probably not the greatest opener for a newsletter devoted to worship.  I’m supposed to be talking about music and team building and songwriting and all that good stuff, but this is what’s on my heart.  For now, if you’re still with me, let your thoughts wander to the physical end of your life for just a moment.  Granted, no one on earth knows exactly when that is but the event is inevitable.  Outside of Enoch and Elijah and unless you and I, as born-again believers are part of the Day that Jesus described as “two men will be in the field; one will be taken and the other left,” (Mat 24:40) everyone who has ever stepped foot on this planet has either tasted death (there has been an end to their physical body) or will taste it soon.  Whew!  Long fragmented sentence to say yes, we’re gonna physically die.  The clock is always ticking…]]></description>
<link><![CDATA[http://www.lakeviewworship.com/teaching/teaching_article.php?id=181&author=2]]></link>
<author><![CDATA[Lakeview Worship]]></author>
<pubDate><![CDATA[2008-06-25]]></pubDate>
<category><![CDATA[Worship]]></category>
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<item>
<title><![CDATA[Jackhammer]]></title>
<description><![CDATA[All over the city of Indianapolis, our Department of Transportation is busy improving roads, filling potholes and constructing new ways to meet our ever increasing demand for vehicular transportation. Even at $4 a gallon. 

Around 1959, the dream of a beltway around Indianapolis became a reality as I-465 grew outta the farmlands of central Indiana. For the next eleven years, a 53 mile loop was constructed according to the current and near-future needs of this growing metropolis. The crews utilized technologies and resources common to that era and designed on/off ramps to serve the people of a future suburbia. I-465 has served it purpose well and been a major means of convenience for those from the city and those just passing through the Heartland.]]></description>
<link><![CDATA[http://www.lakeviewworship.com/teaching/teaching_article.php?id=180&author=2]]></link>
<author><![CDATA[Lakeview Worship]]></author>
<pubDate><![CDATA[2008-06-04]]></pubDate>
<category><![CDATA[Worship]]></category>
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<title><![CDATA[Molasses Swamp ]]></title>
<description><![CDATA[Have you ever had one of those days where everything seems to be happening in slow motion? I don’t know about you, but there are days where I seem to be doing everything with efficient intentionality, and then other days when I look at the clock and say “how did it get so late already?” Today was one of the latter.

I woke up earlier than normal but somehow still left the house 20 minutes late. My typical Wednesday commute, which takes me to the gym before heading into the office, was full of abnormal traffic volume. And when I finally arrived at the fitness center and prepared to step onto the treadmill (a full 40 minutes later than expected) I was again delayed by a pair of iPod headphones that had somehow found themselves in an unbelievably tangled mess. It was like someone had dipped my day into a giant jar of molasses. I just couldn’t seem to get going. Slooooowww motion.]]></description>
<link><![CDATA[http://www.lakeviewworship.com/teaching/teaching_article.php?id=179&author=1]]></link>
<author><![CDATA[Lakeview Worship]]></author>
<pubDate><![CDATA[2008-05-28]]></pubDate>
<category><![CDATA[Worship]]></category>
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<item>
<title><![CDATA[Politics as Usual?]]></title>
<description><![CDATA[It’s election season. What, you didn’t realize that? Am I the only one whose television watching and web surfing is constantly interrupted by promises of lower taxes, an end to the Iraq war, plummeting gas prices, a full-ride college education for all 3 of my kids, and free pony rides for everyone, if I’ll just pull a certain lever? (of course, I’m just kidding about the lower taxes). If it was only that easy. As a worshipper of God, how should I think about the plethora of decisions that come my way every election cycle? Which lever should I pull?

Growing up in a white, middle-class, Midwestern, community as a third generation Evangelical Christian, my political bent was shaped pretty early on whether I liked it or not. You can probably guess which side of the aisle I naturally migrated towards without me even saying it (hint: think elephant). Only recently did I wake up and realize Jesus isn’t a white, middle-class Republican. Who knew?]]></description>
<link><![CDATA[http://www.lakeviewworship.com/teaching/teaching_article.php?id=178&author=1]]></link>
<author><![CDATA[Lakeview Worship]]></author>
<pubDate><![CDATA[2008-05-13]]></pubDate>
<category><![CDATA[Worship]]></category>
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<title><![CDATA[A Lost Art?]]></title>
<description><![CDATA[I was browsing through an atlas the other day and….what? You mean you don’t take the occasional atlas and sit down with a steaming cup of joe and just pour over the remarkable maps, photos, illustrations and wealth of accompanying information? What?! Man, aren’t you weird! Anyway, a friend got me this really cool Bible Atlas over Christmas that was just screaming to be read. So I put down the 50x38 full color, antique wall map, (another gift) picked up this larger than my lap periodical, and began to immerse myself in it.]]></description>
<link><![CDATA[http://www.lakeviewworship.com/teaching/teaching_article.php?id=177&author=2]]></link>
<author><![CDATA[Lakeview Worship]]></author>
<pubDate><![CDATA[2008-05-07]]></pubDate>
<category><![CDATA[Worship]]></category>
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<item>
<title><![CDATA[Last Resort]]></title>
<description><![CDATA[It was about 8 years ago at this time that I was approaching one of the toughest stretches of my predictably stable, overtly healthy, one-could-say sheltered and protected existence. I was working for my dad at a not-for-profit, missions-focused corporation and was absolutely loving life. My wife and I had the first of our now three beautiful children, a house in the suburbs, two cars, a dog, and our entire future planned from that moment all the way until the day we would qualify to begin drawing down on our 401(k). There would be family vacations, little league ball games, amassing of wealth, and one day a condo in Florida with grandkids to spoil. It all made so much sense. A Hallmark greeting card. The American dream. But apparently not exactly what God had been dreaming about.]]></description>
<link><![CDATA[http://www.lakeviewworship.com/teaching/teaching_article.php?id=176&author=1]]></link>
<author><![CDATA[Lakeview Worship]]></author>
<pubDate><![CDATA[2008-04-30]]></pubDate>
<category><![CDATA[Worship]]></category>
</item>
<item>
<title><![CDATA[Everything-itis]]></title>
<description><![CDATA[It was an all out assault on my senses.

Last weekend my wife and I attended the annual home schooling convention in beautiful downtown Indianapolis. (Don’t worry. I won’t use this particular newsletter to discuss any of my ideas concerning our rapidly declining educational syst-…whoops. Sorry. Where was I?) We’ve been doing this for a couple of years and were a part of over 5000 people that made up the most amazing human smorgasbord of home educators this side of the Mississippi. Families of 13 in descending height with matching shirts and Dockers? Check. Despondent dads and desperate moms? Check. Buns and jumpers? Check. Every color, every nationality, every size, every hygienic philosophy…really, if it was human, it was represented in one location in central Indiana. But that’s not what assaulted my senses.]]></description>
<link><![CDATA[http://www.lakeviewworship.com/teaching/teaching_article.php?id=175&author=2]]></link>
<author><![CDATA[Lakeview Worship]]></author>
<pubDate><![CDATA[2008-04-23]]></pubDate>
<category><![CDATA[Worship]]></category>
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<item>
<title><![CDATA[Culture Clash]]></title>
<description><![CDATA[Last Thursday night I found myself standing on the stage of “The Tonight Show with Jay Leno.” No, I wasn’t a guest (for some reason Keanu Reeves got precedent over me, go figure). My wife and I were in LA to attend a marriage conference and for a few extra days of rest and relaxation, so we wrote in for tickets a few months back because we’ve always been fans of the historic, late-night show (which, coincidentally, is taped at 4pm in the afternoon...who knew?).  Leno comes out about 15 minutes before the taping begins to warm up the crowd, part of which includes a little Q&A. For those of you who don’t know my wife, she’s not real shy (and drop-dead gorgeous if I do say so myself), so when Jay probed the crowd for questions she quickly caught his attention. ]]></description>
<link><![CDATA[http://www.lakeviewworship.com/teaching/teaching_article.php?id=174&author=1]]></link>
<author><![CDATA[Lakeview Worship]]></author>
<pubDate><![CDATA[2008-04-16]]></pubDate>
<category><![CDATA[Worship]]></category>
</item>
<item>
<title><![CDATA[Lessons From The Farm]]></title>
<description><![CDATA[Mmmmooooooo!

Ever worked on a farm? No? Me neither. From a distance it looks kinda interesting. Sounds almost romantically relaxing at times, I must admit. Fresh country air, flapjacks and maple syrup, a porch swing and a cool glass of lemonade with Uncle Leroy playing the harmonica as the sun goes down. Ahh yes. That would be the life.

Well, for those of you that have actually worked a farm, especially an animal farm, you know us city slickers have got a pretty distorted view of what really goes on. Romantically relaxing? Yeah right! A true animal farmer is looking for production.]]></description>
<link><![CDATA[http://www.lakeviewworship.com/teaching/teaching_article.php?id=173&author=2]]></link>
<author><![CDATA[Lakeview Worship]]></author>
<pubDate><![CDATA[2008-04-09]]></pubDate>
<category><![CDATA[Worship]]></category>
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<item>
<title><![CDATA[iPod Perspective]]></title>
<description><![CDATA[I have three great kids – two girls and a little boy who regularly challenge me as to what it really means to love and to live. I’ve been trying to spend more intentional time with each of them in recent years, especially my daughters because they’re getting a little older (9 and 6 as I type this today). I’m learning that, as intentional as we may try to be, the best moments of life may happen when we’re least expecting it.

Whenever we go out on one of our "dates" my girls love to take my iPod. We have a blast listening to all different kinds of music as we travel to our destination – rock, country, latin (ok, ok…I have a Ricky Martin album...I confess), folk, pop, gospel, jazz, classical, you name it. Our drives have become full of conversations about music.]]></description>
<link><![CDATA[http://www.lakeviewworship.com/teaching/teaching_article.php?id=172&author=1]]></link>
<author><![CDATA[Lakeview Worship]]></author>
<pubDate><![CDATA[2008-04-02]]></pubDate>
<category><![CDATA[Worship]]></category>
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<item>
<title><![CDATA[Customer Service?]]></title>
<description><![CDATA[I love to be served. Really. There’s nothing better than saving up some money and heading out to a nice restaurant for a night out on the town. It’s great. Someone walks me to my seat, takes direct orders according to my appetite, then brings me exactly what I’ve asked for and even cleans up the mess afterward. What a deal! In exchange for a few hard-earned dollars, I can be treated like a king (assuming you picked a nicer place than McDonald’s).

You know you love it too! How about staying in a hotel? You can leave your bed just as it was when you climbed out of it, throw your used bath towels on the floor, miss the trash can with a dirty tissue, and come back after lunch to find everything cleaned up, reset, and ready to destroy all over again. Customer service is a wonderful thing!]]></description>
<link><![CDATA[http://www.lakeviewworship.com/teaching/teaching_article.php?id=171&author=1]]></link>
<author><![CDATA[Lakeview Worship]]></author>
<pubDate><![CDATA[2008-03-26]]></pubDate>
<category><![CDATA[Worship]]></category>
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<item>
<title><![CDATA[Marginalized People]]></title>
<description><![CDATA[Marginalize [ mahr-juh-nl-ahyz ] - To relegate or confine to a lower or outer limit or edge, as of social standing. This is a word I have been hearing for years in church circles. It flies around like a wild turkey in the farmyard two days before Thanksgiving. Church people love to point out marginalization. It’s one of our favorite hobbies.

The youth feel marginalized because they don’t have their own space in the church facility. The moms feel marginalized because they ask crying infants to leave the sanctuary. The traditionalists feel marginalized because they didn’t sing any hymns in the service this weekend. The contemporaries feel marginalized because they didn’t include enough pop culture references in the sermon (while somehow, at the same time, the purists feel marginalized because there weren’t enough Scripture references). ]]></description>
<link><![CDATA[http://www.lakeviewworship.com/teaching/teaching_article.php?id=170&author=1]]></link>
<author><![CDATA[Lakeview Worship]]></author>
<pubDate><![CDATA[2008-03-12]]></pubDate>
<category><![CDATA[Worship]]></category>
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<item>
<title><![CDATA[Pursue]]></title>
<description><![CDATA[I have a confession to make: I’m relationally lazy. Yep. Beginning, developing, and keeping great relationships is hard work, and sometimes…ok, a lot of the time…I just flat out quit. I don’t mean to. It’s just natural in my DNA. I’m human (and a male at that). After all, there’s a ballgame to watch, a song to write, kids’ homework to be done, and reruns of House on my DVR. Relationship development? Yeah…it can wait.

My beautiful wife just returned from a 10 day trip to Swaziland, Africa. Her trip and her experiences will very likely unfold in future blogs and newsletters, but it’s what we began to uncover about each other and our relationship while she was gone that has both of us very excited. For a week and a half, the only real means of communication we had was email.]]></description>
<link><![CDATA[http://www.lakeviewworship.com/teaching/teaching_article.php?id=169&author=1]]></link>
<author><![CDATA[Lakeview Worship]]></author>
<pubDate><![CDATA[2008-02-27]]></pubDate>
<category><![CDATA[Worship]]></category>
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<item>
<title><![CDATA[What Did Jesus Say?]]></title>
<description><![CDATA[WWJD. What would Jesus do? If you've run in church circles for any length of time...say, the last three hours or so...you've heard this phrase used over and over. You've probably even thought, "Well He wouldn't do that!" as a vehicle proudly displaying that sticker happens to cut in front of you. Whatever thoughts that phrase might conjure up in your head, dismiss them for the moment and let me throw out a different acronym:

WDJS. Hmmm...that's it right there. That's where I currently find myself. Chewing on that question until it hurts...until I get an answer...until God gives me a clear...what's that? Oh, sorry. I haven't even told you what it stands for. Well, here it is: What did Jesus say?]]></description>
<link><![CDATA[http://www.lakeviewworship.com/teaching/teaching_article.php?id=168&author=2]]></link>
<author><![CDATA[Lakeview Worship]]></author>
<pubDate><![CDATA[2008-02-20]]></pubDate>
<category><![CDATA[Worship]]></category>
</item>
<item>
<title><![CDATA[Please, Take a Shower!]]></title>
<description><![CDATA[Warning! The following article contains strong and decisive language. Reader discretion is advised.

I’m planning to step on some toes today (including my own), so if you’re wearing sandals, open-toed pumps, or just like running around barefoot, you may want to close this email and read it later, when your mental and spiritual footwear is securely strapped on. OK…you ready?

You are so selfish! I mean it. You reek of “give me more, do it my way, what’s in it for me, that bothers me, it’s not the way I like it, if only they understood my feelings, nobody cares about me, it’s too hot, it’s too cold, it’s too loud, it’s too far, if I were in charge…blah, blah, blah, blah, blah, blah.” You need a shower to clean off that stench. It’s terribly offensive!]]></description>
<link><![CDATA[http://www.lakeviewworship.com/teaching/teaching_article.php?id=167&author=1]]></link>
<author><![CDATA[Lakeview Worship]]></author>
<pubDate><![CDATA[2008-02-13]]></pubDate>
<category><![CDATA[Worship]]></category>
</item>
<item>
<title><![CDATA[Psychology for Dogs]]></title>
<description><![CDATA[Last week, my wife and I hired a psychologist for our dog. Really. I’m not kidding. He came under the guise of a dog trainer, but after 4 ½ hours of intense education in how dogs think and relate to both humans and each other, it was obvious we were in the company of a dog shrink. The Super Nanny for canines. Only in America.

Want to know the saddest thing? I think I may have learned more about leadership from this guy than from all the seminars and books I’ve read on the subject over the years. His philosophy was simple: leaders always lead. ]]></description>
<link><![CDATA[http://www.lakeviewworship.com/teaching/teaching_article.php?id=166&author=1]]></link>
<author><![CDATA[Lakeview Worship]]></author>
<pubDate><![CDATA[2008-02-06]]></pubDate>
<category><![CDATA[Worship]]></category>
</item>
<item>
<title><![CDATA[The Journey ]]></title>
<description><![CDATA[In an effort to, lower healthcare costs, shrink waistlines and expand life expectancy, our church office is having a “Biggest Loser” contest. Modeled after the NBC reality series, which “challenges and encourages overweight contestants to shed pounds in a safe and recommended manner through comprehensive diet and exercise,” willing church office participants have embarked on a potentially life altering journey and a bit of cash if they can become the “Biggest Loser.” Of course we’re all waiting to see who will win (or lose in this case) but in order to accurately determine the end, there had to be a beginning.]]></description>
<link><![CDATA[http://www.lakeviewworship.com/teaching/teaching_article.php?id=165&author=2]]></link>
<author><![CDATA[Lakeview Worship]]></author>
<pubDate><![CDATA[2008-01-23]]></pubDate>
<category><![CDATA[Worship]]></category>
</item>
<item>
<title><![CDATA[Vision and Vacuum Cleaners]]></title>
<description><![CDATA[My wife and I love to entertain people in our home. It’s become harder and harder to do as regularly as we like because, well…shall we say the reality of three small children makes keeping the house fit for company a real challenge! We can spend hours cleaning the family room only to moments later find it strewn with dirty clothes, video games, half-drawn Crayola masterpieces, puppy-chewed baby doll parts, an open bag of potato chips, a self-removed diaper (ew!), and on a really good day some type of toxic-cleaning solution in a puddle on the carpet. If you’re laughing it’s only because you’ve been there and are probably imagining your own encounters with permanent marker murals on a newly painted wall.]]></description>
<link><![CDATA[http://www.lakeviewworship.com/teaching/teaching_article.php?id=164&author=1]]></link>
<author><![CDATA[Lakeview Worship]]></author>
<pubDate><![CDATA[2008-01-16]]></pubDate>
<category><![CDATA[Worship]]></category>
</item>
<item>
<title><![CDATA[Hope]]></title>
<description><![CDATA[I saw it flash in his eyes for just a second and then it was gone. He shivered, sipped the hot chocolate from the cup warming his cold hands and went on talking. This was shaping up to be an interesting Sunday.

Earlier that morning he had about given me a heart attack. A steady drizzle had moved in over our section of the world and the front parking lot of the church was cold, dark and deserted. I was walking across the empty lot completely absorbed in my own thoughts anticipating a few uninterrupted moments in prayer with my Creator. I love that time of day, hours before the dawn when the city is fast asleep. Except for the occasional motorist and the distant wail of a siren, all is quiet and peaceful. No phones, no emails, no people. Ahhh…]]></description>
<link><![CDATA[http://www.lakeviewworship.com/teaching/teaching_article.php?id=163&author=2]]></link>
<author><![CDATA[Lakeview Worship]]></author>
<pubDate><![CDATA[2008-01-09]]></pubDate>
<category><![CDATA[Worship]]></category>
</item>
<item>
<title><![CDATA[The Prayer of a Worshipper]]></title>
<description><![CDATA[God, today my worship wants to go in many different directions. My sinful heart wants to ascribe worth to the things that please me and appeal to my lower nature. I know it's not about me, but I just can't seem to move past the selfishness that so easily invades my heart. Unless Your Spirit is in me, there is no hope for me to live beyond myself, to give out of who I am, or to be any more than just my own humanity.

So today, Lord, I need You to pour into me, to saturate me like a wet sponge with the glory of Your presence, until there is nothing left of my innate desires and motivations. All I want is to please You...to make Your heart smile. Your Word says that we can know Your thoughts because You have given us Your Spirit, so today I pray that Your desires would overcome my own. ]]></description>
<link><![CDATA[http://www.lakeviewworship.com/teaching/teaching_article.php?id=162&author=1]]></link>
<author><![CDATA[Lakeview Worship]]></author>
<pubDate><![CDATA[2008-01-02]]></pubDate>
<category><![CDATA[Worship]]></category>
</item>
<item>
<title><![CDATA[The Power Equation]]></title>
<description><![CDATA[Have you ever wondered why an NFL team with great players can perennially lose more than half its games? (I’m sorry ladies, all of life is a football analogy). You see these puzzles all around the league each year. Teams stacked with great individual players, in great cities, with late summer hopes of a Super Bowl run, embarrassing themselves week after week throughout the regular season. They tiptoe around greatness but can never seem to get it locked in for a championship run.

Life can paint a similar picture. Over the past few months we’ve been talking in great depth about believing, about harnessing the power of Christ, about dreaming, imagining, and unfolding the God-possibilities that lie dormant inside of each one of us.]]></description>
<link><![CDATA[http://www.lakeviewworship.com/teaching/teaching_article.php?id=161&author=1]]></link>
<author><![CDATA[Lakeview Worship]]></author>
<pubDate><![CDATA[2007-12-19]]></pubDate>
<category><![CDATA[Worship]]></category>
</item>
<item>
<title><![CDATA[Imagine]]></title>
<description><![CDATA[My kids have been struggling lately.

Like glucosamine levels after a holiday meal, the Christmas “Magic Meter” is dropping to dangerously low levels and I’m at a bit of a loss as to what to do! You see, my kids are at the age where logic is starting to move into minds once occupied by limitless imagination. The concept of a fat, jolly man in red suit sliding down their chimney and eating cookies has aroused more than one or two questions this holiday season. A) We don’t have a chimney and B) isn’t that breaking and entering? Hmmm…what to do?

I’m sure those of you with grown children remember the dilemma and could probably offer some wonderful insight. You might tell me it’s no big deal or they’ll get over it or it crushed your child and they haven’t spoken to you since. Whatever the case, some of the magic gets lost as we get older and I’m not sure it’s a good thing.]]></description>
<link><![CDATA[http://www.lakeviewworship.com/teaching/teaching_article.php?id=160&author=2]]></link>
<author><![CDATA[Lakeview Worship]]></author>
<pubDate><![CDATA[2007-12-12]]></pubDate>
<category><![CDATA[Worship]]></category>
</item>
<item>
<title><![CDATA[100 Years From Now]]></title>
<description><![CDATA[I found myself in my daughter’s kindergarten classroom a few weeks ago for a school program. Those classrooms just make you smile…the elf-sized chairs and desks, the bright phonics lessons pasted all over the walls, the petite coat hangers and jackets all aligned in neat little rows. I found myself perusing the colorful educational displays while we waited for the convocation to begin when I noticed a very small little frame sitting on top of a filing cabinet. It contained a two sentence quote from Dr. Forest E. Witcraft that many of you may already be familiar with, but like many things I just happen to observe in life it got me thinking:

“One hundred years from now it will not matter what kind of car I drove, what kind of house I lived in, how much money I had in my bank account, nor what my clothes looked like. But one hundred years from now the world may be a little better because I was important in the life of a child.”
~Dr. Forest E. Witcraft]]></description>
<link><![CDATA[http://www.lakeviewworship.com/teaching/teaching_article.php?id=159&author=1]]></link>
<author><![CDATA[Lakeview Worship]]></author>
<pubDate><![CDATA[2007-12-05]]></pubDate>
<category><![CDATA[Worship]]></category>
</item>
<item>
<title><![CDATA[Alarming]]></title>
<description><![CDATA[Let’s play the rewind game!

Go back with me to this morning, right before you woke up. I know, it’s a blissful place; a scene so serene you could rewind and pause there all day…warm, fuzzy blankets, flannel pj’s and visions of sugar plums dancing in your head…mmmm…hey, are you yawning?

Alright...you there? Great. Now you’ve just reached the state of alert consciousness either via blood-curdling alarm, child’s foot in your ear, the smell of freshly brewed coffee or you’re just one of those weird people whose eyes pop open at the same time everyday. Whatever the case, it’s now time to make the first major decision of the day.  Think back with me: Did you a) go forward? b) stay the same? or c) revert back to the state you were in before waking? That small decision may say a lot about who you are and how you approach life. Musicians, this one may hurt.]]></description>
<link><![CDATA[http://www.lakeviewworship.com/teaching/teaching_article.php?id=158&author=2]]></link>
<author><![CDATA[Lakeview Worship]]></author>
<pubDate><![CDATA[2007-11-28]]></pubDate>
<category><![CDATA[Worship]]></category>
</item>
<item>
<title><![CDATA[Messing With My Identity]]></title>
<description><![CDATA[In the summer of 2000 I went through one of the hardest 3 month periods of my life. To make a long story short, I was a young businessman with a great job, the beginnings of a beautiful family, and a cut and dry, picture perfect future ahead of me. Text book. That is, until God stole my water colors and started painting His own picture of my life (don’t you just love when He does that?).

For three solid months God did a complete DNA transplant in my spirit. It started slowly but became a complete tidal wave of fear, anger, nausea, delirium, sleeplessness, and countless other emotions that often cause you to stare at the over the counter med shelf at the local pharmacy. You see, God wasn’t playing fair (and really, is it ever a fair fight with the Creator of the universe?).]]></description>
<link><![CDATA[http://www.lakeviewworship.com/teaching/teaching_article.php?id=157&author=1]]></link>
<author><![CDATA[Lakeview Worship]]></author>
<pubDate><![CDATA[2007-11-21]]></pubDate>
<category><![CDATA[Worship]]></category>
</item>
<item>
<title><![CDATA[Status Quo]]></title>
<description><![CDATA[I looked up status quo the other day just to make sure I wasn’t. Nuts! I am. Status quo, that is.Well sort of. Depends on the context in which you are speaking. The phrase status quo means “an existing state of affairs.” So if you’re questioning my present person, I am a human being, born of specific parents, I live at a certain address and am, at present, typing this and slightly balding in the process.However, a great problem arises when I think of status quo as it pertains to the context of the future.  You see, I can actually allow the success/failure of the past or the success/failure of the present to paint me into a status quo box for the future. I know, I know…very confusing, right? ]]></description>
<link><![CDATA[http://www.lakeviewworship.com/teaching/teaching_article.php?id=156&author=2]]></link>
<author><![CDATA[Lakeview Worship]]></author>
<pubDate><![CDATA[2007-11-14]]></pubDate>
<category><![CDATA[Worship]]></category>
</item>
<item>
<title><![CDATA[Release the Unseen]]></title>
<description><![CDATA[When we manage, we control what exists. When we lead, we release what has yet to be uncovered. That phrase has been rattling around in my head for months now. As a guy who has been placed in charge of a large and growing creative department at a local church, it’s a challenge that won’t leave. And it’s a challenge I hope I can get you to share. How do we release the unseen? It starts by first looking inward.

When you look in the mirror, what do you see? I really mean it. What stares back at you? Think about it for a minute. Do you see a world changer or just the status quo?  Do you see a champion primed to conquer new ground for the Kingdom, or are you satisfied with just allowing life to happen all around you?]]></description>
<link><![CDATA[http://www.lakeviewworship.com/teaching/teaching_article.php?id=155&author=1]]></link>
<author><![CDATA[Lakeview Worship]]></author>
<pubDate><![CDATA[2007-11-07]]></pubDate>
<category><![CDATA[Worship]]></category>
</item>
<item>
<title><![CDATA[False Ceilings ]]></title>
<description><![CDATA[Stop reading this now and look up!

No, no, no…not ahead. Strain neck and look UP. (Seriously, I’ll wait….ladee, ladee, lad...Oh, you’re back. Cool.)

Ok, now for those of you who actually tilted your head back and looked up, what did you see? If you’re not outside, chances are you saw the same thing I did. Yup, a good old fashioned ceiling. Very nice. Ever wonder if it’s real?

Ask any office or home building specialist and they’ll tell you ceilings can be a tricky little boogers. They’re often unsightly, difficult to clean and a constant source of heat and energy loss. So what’s a fellow to do?]]></description>
<link><![CDATA[http://www.lakeviewworship.com/teaching/teaching_article.php?id=154&author=2]]></link>
<author><![CDATA[Lakeview Worship]]></author>
<pubDate><![CDATA[2007-10-31]]></pubDate>
<category><![CDATA[Worship]]></category>
</item>
<item>
<title><![CDATA[Partly Cloudy Skies with a Chance of Rain]]></title>
<description><![CDATA[Eeyore, a character in the book series Winnie-the-Pooh by A.A. Milne, is a pessimistic, gloomy, old, depressed, gray stuffed donkey who is a friend of Winnie-the-Pooh. Despite all these wonderful characteristics, Eeyore is a very intelligent animal. However, he keeps most of his knowledge to himself. That's why he is very quiet most of the time and a bit depressed. Sound like anybody you know?

Really? Well how close does it come to describing you? Yeah, I know. Ouch, stop poking you there?]]></description>
<link><![CDATA[http://www.lakeviewworship.com/teaching/teaching_article.php?id=153&author=2]]></link>
<author><![CDATA[Lakeview Worship]]></author>
<pubDate><![CDATA[2007-10-10]]></pubDate>
<category><![CDATA[Worship]]></category>
</item>
<item>
<title><![CDATA[Inexpressible Joy]]></title>
<description><![CDATA[My wife and I can have a weird sense of humor. All of our kids were pretty colicky when they were babies, so it was normal for us to always be looking for some way to quiet them down, especially if we were out in public. One night when we were out for dinner my daughter just wouldn’t stop crying. The bottle didn’t work, the pacifier didn’t work, so my wife spotted a plateful of lemon wedges and thought she’d give it a try. It worked. And to this day it’s not abnormal to see any of my 3 children sucking on lemons around a restaurant table.  Do you know any people who go through life like they’re sucking on a plateful of lemons (figuratively speaking now, of course)?]]></description>
<link><![CDATA[http://www.lakeviewworship.com/teaching/teaching_article.php?id=151&author=1]]></link>
<author><![CDATA[Lakeview Worship]]></author>
<pubDate><![CDATA[2007-09-26]]></pubDate>
<category><![CDATA[Worship]]></category>
</item>
<item>
<title><![CDATA[Replicate]]></title>
<description><![CDATA[I’m going to let you in on a little secret.  Sometimes this newsletter is therapy for me.  Not a “lay down on the couch and tell me about your childhood” kind of therapy, but more of an online accountability partner.  You see, some of the ideas we share with you here are still in their genesis.  I wish I could proclaim from the mountaintops, “I have arrived!”  But, well…it’s just not true.  Like all of you, I’m still working out my salvation (and my ministry) with fear and trembling.  So there.  Confession’s good for the soul.  Let’s move on.

God has continued dealing with me about the issue of replication.  ]]></description>
<link><![CDATA[http://www.lakeviewworship.com/teaching/teaching_article.php?id=150&author=1]]></link>
<author><![CDATA[Lakeview Worship]]></author>
<pubDate><![CDATA[2007-09-19]]></pubDate>
<category><![CDATA[Worship]]></category>
</item>
<item>
<title><![CDATA[The Space Between ]]></title>
<description><![CDATA[Recently I was having a bit of a misunderstanding with my wife.

“Duh”…I can hear most of you saying. For some married folk, confusing conversations with a spouse are the norm; only a rare glimpse of understanding between the sexes would drive you to write a newsletter! Now, don’t get me wrong. My wife and I have our share of miscommunication (most of it is my personal inability to attentively listen and/or my insufficiency when sharing implicit details about the happenings of a day…good one, eh?...I feel like I should cite a marriage book here:) In all seriousness, God has blessed our lives together, drawn us incredibly close and we have sacrificed in order to hear AND understand each other. So again, normally we communicate really well.]]></description>
<link><![CDATA[http://www.lakeviewworship.com/teaching/teaching_article.php?id=149&author=2]]></link>
<author><![CDATA[Lakeview Worship]]></author>
<pubDate><![CDATA[2007-09-13]]></pubDate>
<category><![CDATA[Worship]]></category>
</item>
<item>
<title><![CDATA[Grateful Inconvenience]]></title>
<description><![CDATA[I just spent a week in Estes Park, Colorado, a place where the terrain couldn’t be any less like my native Indiana. The elevation of the beautiful YMCA campground where we stayed is over 8,000 feet (for comparison, my hometown of Indy sits between 700-900 feet) and that was before doing any climbing. Even this homebody became a mountain man in that environment. You just couldn’t stay indoors (despite the bear warnings).

Nathan and I had the honor of attending two Integrity training seminars and were blessed to spend some extended time with many of the Integrity staff, songwriters, and worship leaders that many of you would know by name. It was such an honor. But it was a late night ride into town with two of the behind-the-scene production guys that has permanently etched its way into my memory. Isn’t it just like God to teach us something when we’re least expecting it? I still have so much to learn about living my worship.]]></description>
<link><![CDATA[http://www.lakeviewworship.com/teaching/teaching_article.php?id=148&author=1]]></link>
<author><![CDATA[Lakeview Worship]]></author>
<pubDate><![CDATA[2007-09-05]]></pubDate>
<category><![CDATA[Worship]]></category>
</item>
<item>
<title><![CDATA[Beyond Regime Change]]></title>
<description><![CDATA[We love sports analogies here at Lakeview, so if you have no idea what it means to rough the passer or split the uprights, or if your only concept of a “hail Mary” comes from your days in Catholic school, the next few minutes of your life may make absolutely no sense.  For that I apologize.  But really, can’t all of life be connected to sports in some fashion?  Just do your best to stay with me here.  Much of the sporting world has been watching the story of Green Bay Packers’ quarterback Brett Favre, one of football’s all-time greatest quarterbacks and resident “gun-slinger” of the NFL quarterback fraternity.  Here's the debate. Should he retire with his Super Bowl ring, countless MVP trophies, and consecutive games played streak, or should he keep trudging ahead on a fledgling team that seems to be getting worse instead of better?]]></description>
<link><![CDATA[http://www.lakeviewworship.com/teaching/teaching_article.php?id=147&author=1]]></link>
<author><![CDATA[Lakeview Worship]]></author>
<pubDate><![CDATA[2007-08-29]]></pubDate>
<category><![CDATA[Worship]]></category>
</item>
<item>
<title><![CDATA[Death and Life]]></title>
<description><![CDATA[On a recent hot and lazy Saturday afternoon, I plopped down in our big oversized lounge chair, propped my feet on the ottoman, grabbed the TV remote and began flipping through the channels while I waited for sleep to overtake me (don’t you love a good afternoon nap on a day off?). Like most guys, I was changing the stations at warp speed (there’s never anything good on TV, but most guys think if they keep flipping the channels they might strike gold…kind of like finding that one pair of socks in your drawer that don’t have holes in them).]]></description>
<link><![CDATA[http://www.lakeviewworship.com/teaching/teaching_article.php?id=146&author=1]]></link>
<author><![CDATA[Lakeview Worship]]></author>
<pubDate><![CDATA[2007-08-16]]></pubDate>
<category><![CDATA[Worship]]></category>
</item>
<item>
<title><![CDATA[Here We Go Again ]]></title>
<description><![CDATA[Obedience is a strange companion.  The funny thing about obedience is that once you do it, there it is again staring you dead in the face.  “Will you choose me again?  Will you, huh?  Will you?”  Talk about a journey and not a destination.

Why all this talk of obedience lately?  Isn’t this a worship-related e-newsletter?  Yep, it is.  And nothing could be more foundational to worship than obedience (see 1 Sam. 15:22).  Worship is not a 20-minute corporate experience saved for 11 o’clock on a Sunday morning.  It’s birthed in the fires of daily life, and it begins and ends with the choices we make to submit our thoughts, our paradigms, and in turn our decisions and outcomes to the will of the Father.  That is worship, pure and simple.  No getting around it.  (Sorry, my flesh hates it too).]]></description>
<link><![CDATA[http://www.lakeviewworship.com/teaching/teaching_article.php?id=145&author=1]]></link>
<author><![CDATA[Lakeview Worship]]></author>
<pubDate><![CDATA[2007-08-01]]></pubDate>
<category><![CDATA[Worship]]></category>
</item>
<item>
<title><![CDATA[Experiencing Or Encountering? ]]></title>
<description><![CDATA[My baby left for church camp this week and wow, has it been rough.  On me.

At 9 years-old he’s probably more mature and has a better head on his shoulders than I did after college.  He just gets it.  He understands secrets of the Kingdom, recognizes the allure of the world, and can put both of those things together to make sense outta life.  At least as much sense as life makes to a kid who still trips over his own feet.  Sure he gets a little tongue tied trying to process all of the information in his little brain and he hasn’t quite mastered the art of passing quietly by his younger sister in the hallway but hey, being the oldest has its privileges.  Picking on your younger siblings is one of them.  Ask my brothers.]]></description>
<link><![CDATA[http://www.lakeviewworship.com/teaching/teaching_article.php?id=144&author=2]]></link>
<author><![CDATA[Lakeview Worship]]></author>
<pubDate><![CDATA[2007-07-25]]></pubDate>
<category><![CDATA[Worship]]></category>
</item>
<item>
<title><![CDATA[My Epitaph]]></title>
<description><![CDATA[I think I know what I want on my tombstone.  Yeah, I know it’s a morbid thought.  Perhaps it’s because I’m just a day away from my 33rd birthday.  That is, according to history, the assumed age of Jesus when they decided to kill Him.  I’m more hopeful that it’s just because I’m solidifying maturing beliefs as to what’s really important in this life.  So here it is, what I want to be known for, the summation of the years of my life (kids…write this down so you’ll have it in 50 years):  “Find out what God wants and then do it.”

What?  You were hoping for something punchier, more inspirational, worthy of its own 2-day seminar or 30 minute infomercial?  Sorry.]]></description>
<link><![CDATA[http://www.lakeviewworship.com/teaching/teaching_article.php?id=143&author=1]]></link>
<author><![CDATA[Lakeview Worship]]></author>
<pubDate><![CDATA[2007-07-18]]></pubDate>
<category><![CDATA[Worship]]></category>
</item>
<item>
<title><![CDATA[Powder Keg of Potential]]></title>
<description><![CDATA[When I was 11, I knew everything. Really. 

Parents and teachers were a pitiful lot (both of my parents are teachers; double whammy), bedtimes were a ridiculous attempt to harness my active self, and anything you told me was usually met with an “oh yeah, I knew that.” Before you get all envious of me, realize that being the smartest child on the planet certainly had its downside. I mean think of the great intellectual stamina it took to simply endure all of the annoying people who were less gifted than me! And the physical toll? Oh, you have no idea! You can only roll your eyes so many times before you develop a medical condition.]]></description>
<link><![CDATA[http://www.lakeviewworship.com/teaching/teaching_article.php?id=142&author=1]]></link>
<author><![CDATA[Lakeview Worship]]></author>
<pubDate><![CDATA[2007-07-11]]></pubDate>
<category><![CDATA[Worship]]></category>
</item>
<item>
<title><![CDATA[What Is That To You?]]></title>
<description><![CDATA[We recently ran into an old friend and his family while vacationing in Hilton Head, South Carolina.  This guy is 6 or 7 years older than me, and someone I always looked up to musically when we were younger.  Life has been good to him over the last 15 years as he successfully broke into the Chicago music scene as a composer and arranger for television commercials.  He now owns an 8,000 square foot studio in a downtown high-rise, as well as a smaller facility in California, and has become a big player in an ultra-cool industry.

As I spent time listening to him discuss his growing business, I felt something begin to burn inside of me.  It was that entrepreneurial flame tickling my insides, filling my mind with wild visions and thoughts of pursuits beyond the realms of ministry...]]></description>
<link><![CDATA[http://www.lakeviewworship.com/teaching/teaching_article.php?id=141&author=1]]></link>
<author><![CDATA[Lakeview Worship]]></author>
<pubDate><![CDATA[2007-07-04]]></pubDate>
<category><![CDATA[Worship]]></category>
</item>
<item>
<title><![CDATA[Faithfulness in the House]]></title>
<description><![CDATA[Hindsight is an interesting psychological phenomenon. Even the definition displays itself with a sense of mocking cruelty. Here it is:

Hindsight: (n) understanding an event after it has occurred

Deep, isn’t it? Gheez. Thanks a lot. How about a little help with understanding the event before it happens? I’d even take some clarity during the doggone thing. But after? That just seems at times, well, a bit sadistic. That is unless you actually glean something from it.]]></description>
<link><![CDATA[http://www.lakeviewworship.com/teaching/teaching_article.php?id=140&author=2]]></link>
<author><![CDATA[Lakeview Worship]]></author>
<pubDate><![CDATA[2007-06-20]]></pubDate>
<category><![CDATA[Worship]]></category>
</item>
<item>
<title><![CDATA[Lessons from Lawn Care]]></title>
<description><![CDATA[I’m definitely not a botanist.  Walking through the gardening section of our local Menard’s doesn’t cause my heart to palpitate with anticipation, nor do the flowers scream out, “buy me, buy me!  You look like you know what you’re doing!”  Mostly, I just end up having flashbacks of standing on a giant pile of mulch that some guy dumped in my driveway and then expected me to spend 3 days cleaning up.  The nerve!

But while I’m definitely not a natural when it comes to agriculture, I do enjoy a nice looking yard.  I love to mow grass.  Call it a strange juxtaposition in my normal indoor nature, but there is nothing like firing up the old Honda mower and heading out for an hour with my iPod, making perfectly straight, crisscross patterns in my little, hard-earned portion of God’s green earth.]]></description>
<link><![CDATA[http://www.lakeviewworship.com/teaching/teaching_article.php?id=139&author=1]]></link>
<author><![CDATA[Lakeview Worship]]></author>
<pubDate><![CDATA[2007-06-13]]></pubDate>
<category><![CDATA[Worship]]></category>
</item>
<item>
<title><![CDATA[Daily Worship: Good Fruit]]></title>
<description><![CDATA[Robby Bradford, a close friend of the ministry and missionary to The Netherlands, made a statement a few years ago that really struck a chord in my spirit. He said, (and I'm paraphrasing), "God loves the beautiful leaves on the tree; the beautiful fruit. But His area of main concern is the root system underneath."

I remember thinking at the time, "Hey, I thought all God cared about was the fruit! Isn't that how you gauge ministry effectiveness?" Well, I'm sure most of you are a step ahead of me and are already nodding your head at the obvious. For those of us that might need it spelled out though...here goes.]]></description>
<link><![CDATA[http://www.lakeviewworship.com/teaching/teaching_article.php?id=138&author=2]]></link>
<author><![CDATA[Lakeview Worship]]></author>
<pubDate><![CDATA[2007-06-06]]></pubDate>
<category><![CDATA[Worship]]></category>
</item>
<item>
<title><![CDATA[Weariness]]></title>
<description><![CDATA[Sometimes its right out there in the open, and other times it just sneaks up on you with quiet, little footsteps. But no matter how it comes, weariness can…well…just wear you out. If there’s one thing I’ve learned about life and ministry, it’s that it has its moments of soaring heights and plunging depths. There are days I feel I can climb the highest mountains and other days I struggle just to get off the couch. These seasonal adjustments are normal, but it’s good to know the signposts.]]></description>
<link><![CDATA[http://www.lakeviewworship.com/teaching/teaching_article.php?id=137&author=1]]></link>
<author><![CDATA[Lakeview Worship]]></author>
<pubDate><![CDATA[2007-05-30]]></pubDate>
<category><![CDATA[Worship]]></category>
</item>
<item>
<title><![CDATA[Simple Worship]]></title>
<description><![CDATA[This article was originally published on December 13, 2006, but the thought was rekindled this morning while listening to a podcast by apologist Ravi Zacharias. He shared a grave concern that somewhere during the 1970's or 80's, the church started allowing music to become the all-encompassing definition of worship. And while music is assuredly an incredibly important component, even I as a passionate musician know that worship must go much deeper than a melody or chord progression. I pray these words challenge you to take it so much further.

As I look back over the archives of Lakeview Worship newsletters, I find a lot of teaching about the lifestyle of worship.  We’ve spent a lot of time processing what it really means to be a worshipper, and although I know we have yet to even scratch the surface, there are some eternal truths that have at least attempted to emerge into the culture Lakeview Church.]]></description>
<link><![CDATA[http://www.lakeviewworship.com/teaching/teaching_article.php?id=136&author=1]]></link>
<author><![CDATA[Lakeview Worship]]></author>
<pubDate><![CDATA[2007-05-23]]></pubDate>
<category><![CDATA[Worship]]></category>
</item>
<item>
<title><![CDATA[Take My Place]]></title>
<description><![CDATA[“Just a little bit higher, Dad.”

I repositioned myself under the easy weight of my five-year-old as his bare feet dug into my shoulders.  “That’s good Dad.  I can…whoa! Cool!  Dad, there’s a ton of stuff up here!”

Ladders are useful and necessary at times but nothing beats a small child when it comes to cleaning gutters.  All three of my children have experienced the joys of discovery as I scoop ‘em up on my shoulders and we systematically walk the house; throwing down wiffle balls that clog the downspouts, half-naked GI Joes that have somewhat melted in the hot sun and yes, the occasional dead bird. (please don’t tell my wife that one; you know with the bird flu and all)  It’s fun, presents a bit of danger and serves a useful purpose.  I should start a business.]]></description>
<link><![CDATA[http://www.lakeviewworship.com/teaching/teaching_article.php?id=135&author=1]]></link>
<author><![CDATA[Lakeview Worship]]></author>
<pubDate><![CDATA[2007-05-09]]></pubDate>
<category><![CDATA[Worship]]></category>
</item>
<item>
<title><![CDATA[Revelation]]></title>
<description><![CDATA[Revelation is a scary word. It's usually associated with that Biblical book we avoid like the plague…a book full of allegory and apocalyptic images that we prefer to leave to that preacher on the TV with the funny hair. But Divine revelation is imperative for a daily life of worship. 

Revelation means “a dramatic disclosure of something not previously known or realized.” A new insight. Illumination. The pages of the Bible haven’t changed. The words are the same as they have been since the day the Holy Spirit inspired them. But God’s Word is alive. It breathes with fresh understanding. Wisdom for specific issues we face and must understand. And that is what we must lock into.]]></description>
<link><![CDATA[http://www.lakeviewworship.com/teaching/teaching_article.php?id=134&author=1]]></link>
<author><![CDATA[Lakeview Worship]]></author>
<pubDate><![CDATA[2007-05-02]]></pubDate>
<category><![CDATA[Worship]]></category>
</item>
<item>
<title><![CDATA[What Holds You Back? (Part 2)]]></title>
<description><![CDATA[In an effort to build healthy worship teams that will lead healthy churches, we’ve got to ask tough questions: What are you thinking?

Whether you’re aware of it or not, thinking is something you do everyday. There…you just did it. And there….you just did it again! The question I would ask my youngest son if he were running down the street in his Batman underwear, wool stocking cap and swim goggles would not be, “WERE you thinking?” but rather “WHAT were you thinking?” I would take for granted that his little four-year old brain is always spinning thoughts of whimsy. I would never ask if the thought process were happening; I would however question the basis for such thought.]]></description>
<link><![CDATA[http://www.lakeviewworship.com/teaching/teaching_article.php?id=133&author=2]]></link>
<author><![CDATA[Lakeview Worship]]></author>
<pubDate><![CDATA[2007-04-25]]></pubDate>
<category><![CDATA[Worship]]></category>
</item>
<item>
<title><![CDATA[A Little Perspective ]]></title>
<description><![CDATA[I find myself reflective today.  Our church just opened a brand new 63,000 square foot addition, and this past weekend was the Grand Opening Celebration.  Our leadership teams, both paid staff and volunteer, have been absolutely killing themselves to get everything ready.  It was worth it.

But it left me with one sobering realization:  serving in God’s Kingdom can be absolutely exhausting!  The mental, emotional, and physical energy that it often takes to make God’s House all it should be can push us to the brink.  Sometimes this is caused by poor systems or organization, sometimes by our own internal drive and ambition, but the reality of it all is that sometimes serving God is just flat out hard work!]]></description>
<link><![CDATA[http://www.lakeviewworship.com/teaching/teaching_article.php?id=132&author=1]]></link>
<author><![CDATA[Lakeview Worship]]></author>
<pubDate><![CDATA[2007-04-18]]></pubDate>
<category><![CDATA[Worship]]></category>
</item>
<item>
<title><![CDATA[What Holds You Back?]]></title>
<description><![CDATA[I want to look at why people may feel held back in life. Rarely do I come across a person who genuinely excited about their position in life and ready to live in the fullness of God’s plan. Oh, they’re out there; it’s just few and far between. Why is that?

I mean when it comes down to it, what keeps you from becoming the person you want to be? Better yet, what keeps you from being the person God designed you to be? I have a feeling the answer may be as close as your brain. What holds you back? Is it simply a matter of the way you think?]]></description>
<link><![CDATA[http://www.lakeviewworship.com/teaching/teaching_article.php?id=131&author=2]]></link>
<author><![CDATA[Lakeview Worship]]></author>
<pubDate><![CDATA[2007-04-11]]></pubDate>
<category><![CDATA[Worship]]></category>
</item>
<item>
<title><![CDATA[Don’t Believe the Hype]]></title>
<description><![CDATA[For those of you who are a part of our team, attend our church, or have ever visited Lakeview before, you’re probably well aware of one thing: we’re a pretty passionate bunch of people. Our Pastor lovingly teases us that worship at Lakeview is comparable to drinking from a fire hydrant. Perhaps we should come with a warning label or at least consider asking those in attendance to sign a waiver before entering the auditorium.

I am joking…(sort of).]]></description>
<link><![CDATA[http://www.lakeviewworship.com/teaching/teaching_article.php?id=130&author=1]]></link>
<author><![CDATA[Lakeview Worship]]></author>
<pubDate><![CDATA[2007-04-04]]></pubDate>
<category><![CDATA[Worship]]></category>
</item>
<item>
<title><![CDATA[Casts, Slings, and Leaky Roofs ]]></title>
<description><![CDATA[Now I’m no Sherlock Holmes but I would imagine our dog smelled the squirrel moments before he saw it, thus leading to a rather calculated and premeditated decision to pursue the furry rodent without regards to the effects that it might have on my daughter.  Then again, maybe he was just being a dog.  

Ok, so allowing my 7 year-old to tie the dog to her scooter and go racing down the road wasn’t the greatest parenting decision of all time but hey, getting the dog in the first place doesn’t rank near the top either.  And besides, she was having a blast!  Until that dumb squirrel.  The doctor says the cast should come off of her arm in about 3-4 weeks.  It’s red.  I signed it.]]></description>
<link><![CDATA[http://www.lakeviewworship.com/teaching/teaching_article.php?id=129&author=2]]></link>
<author><![CDATA[Lakeview Worship]]></author>
<pubDate><![CDATA[2007-03-28]]></pubDate>
<category><![CDATA[Worship]]></category>
</item>
<item>
<title><![CDATA[One Less or One More?]]></title>
<description><![CDATA[Right there on Unilateral Seated Row Machine #5, I had a defining moment.

Let me back up a tad.  I’ve been a financial member of different gyms on and off for the last 5 years or so.  Oh, you to, eh?  That means I paid money to walk nowhere, look at the clock, meander here and there lifting various objects, look at the clock again, shower and go to work.  Seasonal spurts of rigorous lifting would occur until I got hurt, bored or decided the bed was too warm.  That, my friends, is a very accurate summation of my previous gym experience.  Rather shameful and well, not real productive.]]></description>
<link><![CDATA[http://www.lakeviewworship.com/teaching/teaching_article.php?id=128&author=2]]></link>
<author><![CDATA[Lakeview Worship]]></author>
<pubDate><![CDATA[2007-03-21]]></pubDate>
<category><![CDATA[Worship]]></category>
</item>
<item>
<title><![CDATA[The Big H]]></title>
<description><![CDATA[Spring is in the air!

It’s been unseasonably warm here in the great state of Indiana and as I surveyed our little plot of land, I realized how much work needed to be done before the full onset of spring.  Mulch beds need to be cleaned out, my lawn needs to be dethatched and over seeded, fence could use a fresh coat of stain, various limbs need to be picked up and I gotta till a new spot for the garden.  Time to enlist some help.  Those of you with children realize that when they hit a certain age they become well, quite useful.]]></description>
<link><![CDATA[http://www.lakeviewworship.com/teaching/teaching_article.php?id=127&author=1]]></link>
<author><![CDATA[Lakeview Worship]]></author>
<pubDate><![CDATA[2007-03-14]]></pubDate>
<category><![CDATA[Worship]]></category>
</item>
<item>
<title><![CDATA[Mundane Inspiration]]></title>
<description><![CDATA[Just a few short days ago our church put on an enormous event.  It was an all-hands-on-deck, blow the doors off the hinges, add extra seats, call in the reinforcements kind of celebration.  We had the honor of hosting a worship encounter and live album recording and it was a blast!  Six months of planning and six weeks of intensive rehearsals led to an amazing night in the House of God.  All pistons were firing, and I believe God was pleased with the corporate offering of worship given His Name.

But now that the experience has come and gone, the sound system is back to normal levels, the lighting rigs are disassembled and back at the rental-house, and the team has been given a week off to rest, I’m beginning to once again feel the reality of an eternal truth.]]></description>
<link><![CDATA[http://www.lakeviewworship.com/teaching/teaching_article.php?id=126&author=1]]></link>
<author><![CDATA[Lakeview Worship]]></author>
<pubDate><![CDATA[2007-03-07]]></pubDate>
<category><![CDATA[Worship]]></category>
</item>
<item>
<title><![CDATA[Fame]]></title>
<description><![CDATA[“Fame! I’m gonna live forever. Baby, remember my name…”

Oh yeah! That’s good stuff right there. Back when music was music, right? Ol' Irene Cara singin' her little heart out in the early eighties as Coco Hernandez in the movie “Fame.” What? Just now remembered who she was? Hmmm…Wonder what she’s doing now?

Ok…before you go e-mailing me, I’ve checked it out for you. She’s experiencing life in what industry folks call “The Sixteenth Minute.” It’s life AFTER your 15 minutes of fame are up. Irene’s got a new look, new sound, new band (Hot Carmel) and is basically reinventing herself after years of well, no fame. I bet most of you don’t really remember her name. Fame….it doesn’t live forever.]]></description>
<link><![CDATA[http://www.lakeviewworship.com/teaching/teaching_article.php?id=125&author=2]]></link>
<author><![CDATA[Lakeview Worship]]></author>
<pubDate><![CDATA[2007-02-21]]></pubDate>
<category><![CDATA[Worship]]></category>
</item>
<item>
<title><![CDATA[When We Unite]]></title>
<description><![CDATA[I keep hearing that phrase in my head (yes, at times I do hear voices).  When we unite.  When we unite.  When we unite.  It’s not a revolutionary phrase, but I really do believe it has the potential to spark a revolution.

But what does it really mean to unite?  ]]></description>
<link><![CDATA[http://www.lakeviewworship.com/teaching/teaching_article.php?id=124&author=1]]></link>
<author><![CDATA[Lakeview Worship]]></author>
<pubDate><![CDATA[2007-02-14]]></pubDate>
<category><![CDATA[Worship]]></category>
</item>
<item>
<title><![CDATA[M.V.P.]]></title>
<description><![CDATA[Alright folks!  There is no “I” in team….But there is a “me!”

Seriously.  Like if you separate, transpose and drop a few letters, it spells “me.”  You can also pull out “tame” and “mate” and a plethora of other words that folks that are into that kind of thing are probably doing right now (stop!) but the point of this thought is there is a “me” in team and it would do us all a world of good to remember it.  (Wow…that was one run on sentence that even the Apostle Paul woulda been proud of)]]></description>
<link><![CDATA[http://www.lakeviewworship.com/teaching/teaching_article.php?id=123&author=2]]></link>
<author><![CDATA[Lakeview Worship]]></author>
<pubDate><![CDATA[2007-02-07]]></pubDate>
<category><![CDATA[Worship]]></category>
</item>
<item>
<title><![CDATA[Oblivious]]></title>
<description><![CDATA[My dog died today. We had to put her to sleep as her little body was beginning to succumb to an extreme and fatal case of diabetes. It was much more emotional than I expected it to be, and although I can think of many people going through much more dire circumstances today, I’m learning something about perspective that I think is worth sharing. ]]></description>
<link><![CDATA[http://www.lakeviewworship.com/teaching/teaching_article.php?id=122&author=1]]></link>
<author><![CDATA[Lakeview Worship]]></author>
<pubDate><![CDATA[2007-01-31]]></pubDate>
<category><![CDATA[Worship]]></category>
</item>
<item>
<title><![CDATA[Life, Worship, and Colts' Football]]></title>
<description><![CDATA[I live in Indianapolis and I’m a huge football fan, so what else is there possibly to write about this week than that incredible, history-making, all-time great, forever to be shown on classic NFL Films TV specials and discussed in the realm of sporting folklore until Jesus returns Colts-Patriots AFC Championship game on Sunday night?  In case you live in a cave (or just hate football…for shame!), the Colts won 38-34 on an incredible come-from-behind drive with just two minutes left in the game, giving our deserving city it’s breakthrough to a championship.

So what does this have to do with worship?]]></description>
<link><![CDATA[http://www.lakeviewworship.com/teaching/teaching_article.php?id=121&author=1]]></link>
<author><![CDATA[Lakeview Worship]]></author>
<pubDate><![CDATA[2007-01-24]]></pubDate>
<category><![CDATA[Worship]]></category>
</item>
<item>
<title><![CDATA[Embracing the Inevitable]]></title>
<description><![CDATA[Here’s the deal: you and I are gonna die.

Yeah I know.  Probably not the greatest opener for a newsletter devoted to worship.  I’m supposed to be talking about music and team building and songwriting and all that good stuff, but this is what’s on my heart.  For now, if you’re still with me, let your thoughts wander to the physical end of your life for just a moment.  Granted, no one on earth knows exactly when that is but the event is inevitable.]]></description>
<link><![CDATA[http://www.lakeviewworship.com/teaching/teaching_article.php?id=120&author=2]]></link>
<author><![CDATA[Lakeview Worship]]></author>
<pubDate><![CDATA[2007-01-17]]></pubDate>
<category><![CDATA[Worship]]></category>
</item>
<item>
<title><![CDATA[Who Are You? ]]></title>
<description><![CDATA[The New Year is always a great time for introspection.  I don’t know of one person who isn’t re-evaluating something…family, finances, health…it’s all on the table to be sifted through with a fine-tooth comb.  Whether we have the wherewithal to actually make the changes, at least for the long term, remains to be seen.  But our hearts are definitely open to the challenge of stepping up to new levels.

This time of year always gets me thinking about who I am.  As funny as it sounds, I don’t think a lot of us always know ourselves very well. ]]></description>
<link><![CDATA[http://www.lakeviewworship.com/teaching/teaching_article.php?id=119&author=1]]></link>
<author><![CDATA[Lakeview Worship]]></author>
<pubDate><![CDATA[2007-01-10]]></pubDate>
<category><![CDATA[Worship]]></category>
</item>
<item>
<title><![CDATA[The Pen is Mightier Than The Sword ]]></title>
<description><![CDATA[I’ve got a number of little trinkets in my office.  Look around, chances are you do too.  Some probably need massive explanation others speak for themselves but in my world, all hold significant spiritual value.  There’s a map of Israel that reminds me to pray for the peace of Jerusalem.  There are pictures of my wife and children to remind me of who I am on and off the platform, and that the legacy I leave for them is dependent on decisions I make today.]]></description>
<link><![CDATA[http://www.lakeviewworship.com/teaching/teaching_article.php?id=118&author=2]]></link>
<author><![CDATA[Lakeview Worship]]></author>
<pubDate><![CDATA[2007-01-03]]></pubDate>
<category><![CDATA[Worship]]></category>
</item>
<item>
<title><![CDATA[Simple Worship]]></title>
<description><![CDATA[As I look back over the archives of Lakeview Worship newsletters, I find a lot of teaching about the lifestyle of worship. We’ve spent a lot of time processing what it really means to be a worshipper, and although I know we have yet to even scratch the surface, there are some eternal truths that have at least attempted to emerge into the culture Lakeview Church.]]></description>
<link><![CDATA[http://www.lakeviewworship.com/teaching/teaching_article.php?id=117&author=1]]></link>
<author><![CDATA[Lakeview Worship]]></author>
<pubDate><![CDATA[2006-12-13]]></pubDate>
<category><![CDATA[Worship]]></category>
</item>
<item>
<title><![CDATA[What are You Saying? ]]></title>
<description><![CDATA[Last weekend, right smack dab in the middle of leading worship for one of our services, I realized something was terribly, horribly wrong.  In the mid-chorus of the first song, I did a quick self diagnostic.  (By the way, that’s always a good place to start.  Saves a bunch of search time) No, for once it wasn’t me.  Whew!  I glanced around the platform at our worship team.  Hmmm…not there either.  Interesting….wonder what’s up?  I’m still working on the whole discernment thing but I have learned enough to know when something is outta whack and today something was definitely goofy.  Ok, Lord what is it?]]></description>
<link><![CDATA[http://www.lakeviewworship.com/teaching/teaching_article.php?id=116&author=2]]></link>
<author><![CDATA[Lakeview Worship]]></author>
<pubDate><![CDATA[2006-12-05]]></pubDate>
<category><![CDATA[Worship]]></category>
</item>
<item>
<title><![CDATA[Life or Death Worship ]]></title>
<description><![CDATA[My 92-year-old grandmother died this week.  In fact, as I type this, I’m at 20-some-thousand feet on my way to McAllen, TX for the funeral.  My grandma Helga (yes Helga…she was Swedish through and through!) has been quite sick for some time (as I suppose is to be expected at that age) and for the past few years has been immobile and recently completely unable to communicate or care for herself in any way.  Her passing was a relief and something we’ve prayed for, although with guilt at times.  But I still noticed a slew of different emotions when the phone call came early Saturday morning that she was finally home with Jesus.]]></description>
<link><![CDATA[http://www.lakeviewworship.com/teaching/teaching_article.php?id=115&author=1]]></link>
<author><![CDATA[Lakeview Worship]]></author>
<pubDate><![CDATA[2006-11-29]]></pubDate>
<category><![CDATA[Worship]]></category>
</item>
<item>
<title><![CDATA[What's My Motivation?]]></title>
<description><![CDATA[This article was originally published on August 31, 2005.  

Have you ever noticed how easy it is for good, healthy, right thinking to become skewed and distorted? Our flesh can so easily overtake our spirit, and God-fearing thoughts can quickly give way to selfish motivation. One day, our sole purpose is to use our gifts and talents to glorify God, and somehow the next day our focus becomes self-promotion and preservation. It can happen without our conscious awareness, and it’s why we must daily surrender our hearts completely to the purposes of God. As with just about everything, the issue seems to be magnified in the lives of creative people. Even within the church setting, worship leaders and team members can easily become enamored with their gifts and their platform rather than just loving their Creator. The platform can actually become our desire rather than just a means to accomplishing our true goal: pointing people to Christ.
]]></description>
<link><![CDATA[http://www.lakeviewworship.com/teaching/teaching_article.php?id=114&author=1]]></link>
<author><![CDATA[Lakeview Worship]]></author>
<pubDate><![CDATA[2006-11-15]]></pubDate>
<category><![CDATA[Worship]]></category>
</item>
<item>
<title><![CDATA[Return to the King ]]></title>
<description><![CDATA[Man, it’s been a tough week.

I know many of you, burdened by the allegations, implications and revelations that came out over the weekend concerning Ted Haggard can probably identify with the above statement.  The “whys” and “whens” plus all of the ugly “hows” will probably surface at some point in the not so distant future.  When they do, and they will, we’ll probably experience another myriad of emotions ranging from anger to love and every feeling in-between.

But I want to challenge you, the reader, for just a brief moment.  Let’s refocus the searchlight that has hovered over Pastor Ted, New Life Church and Colorado Springs and swing it around to someone a little closer to home…yourself.
]]></description>
<link><![CDATA[http://www.lakeviewworship.com/teaching/teaching_article.php?id=113&author=2]]></link>
<author><![CDATA[Lakeview Worship]]></author>
<pubDate><![CDATA[2006-11-08]]></pubDate>
<category><![CDATA[Worship]]></category>
</item>
<item>
<title><![CDATA[Your Spiritual Job Description]]></title>
<description><![CDATA[I’m slowly becoming a podcast junkie. I love these little technological marvels that, if used wisely, can go a long way to keeping your mind sharp while you’re driving your car, mowing your grass, or running on the treadmill. It’s like downloading a continuing education…and most of them are FREE!

Last week, as I was listening to the latest Focus on the Family release, I heard Dr. James Dobson make an interesting statement. As he was setting up the speaker (from a previously recorded live message), he kept referring to the exuberance of the audience that could be heard as the man delivered his message. I mean, it was more than obvious that this group was really hearing everything this guy was saying. They were into it and the speaker was feeding on the energy they were giving off. “Great speeches are made by grade audiences,” Dr. Dobson said. 

That caught my attention. ]]></description>
<link><![CDATA[http://www.lakeviewworship.com/teaching/teaching_article.php?id=112&author=1]]></link>
<author><![CDATA[Lakeview Worship]]></author>
<pubDate><![CDATA[2006-11-01]]></pubDate>
<category><![CDATA[Worship]]></category>
</item>
<item>
<title><![CDATA[Time For A Change ]]></title>
<description><![CDATA[I found it and I used it.  Not long ago, I pulled up in the driveway of our home and BLANG! my cell phone rang.  Not unusual; that’s what it does, but for some reason I just sat and stared at it for a moment.  It had been a long day at work and I had just spent my short commute home on three different calls trying to wisely make three separate decisions.  Now home, I just wanted to kiss my wife, play with my kids and collapse on the couch.  Oh well.  I answered the call as I parked the car in the garage. 

BLANG! It rang again as we were setting the table and then BZZ! BZZ! two text messages hit within seconds of each other as we sat down to dinner.  As we were eating, I distinctly remember asking my youngest how his day was when BLANG! it rang again.  “That’s it!” I cried.  “Bring me that phone!”]]></description>
<link><![CDATA[http://www.lakeviewworship.com/teaching/teaching_article.php?id=111&author=2]]></link>
<author><![CDATA[Lakeview Worship]]></author>
<pubDate><![CDATA[2006-10-25]]></pubDate>
<category><![CDATA[Worship]]></category>
</item>
<item>
<title><![CDATA[Mirrors or Windows?]]></title>
<description><![CDATA[Our executive pastor, Dave Delp, shared a thought with the staff this week during one of our meetings.  It got me thinking.  We have all been reading a book called THE BREAKOUT CHURCH that focuses on attitudes and approaches that lead to church growth, and one of the chapters in this book refers to what the author calls Level 5 leadership.  One of the characteristics of this type of leader is that he doesn’t care about personal accolades, only that the end objective gets accomplished.

David threw that challenge to our staff as we closed our meeting, encouraging us to be the kind of leaders that look out the window at who we can impact, rather than in the mirror at what we can gain personally from our position.

I can’t help but think about worship parallels (hey, it’s what I do).]]></description>
<link><![CDATA[http://www.lakeviewworship.com/teaching/teaching_article.php?id=110&author=1]]></link>
<author><![CDATA[Lakeview Worship]]></author>
<pubDate><![CDATA[2006-10-18]]></pubDate>
<category><![CDATA[Worship]]></category>
</item>
<item>
<title><![CDATA[The Low Road Up]]></title>
<description><![CDATA[When was the last time I humbled myself?  By that I mean intentionally went out of my way to humble myself before another human being?  Not because it was going to feel good, but because it was right?  What about you?  It’s not an easy thing to do which is probably the reason most of us avoid it at all costs.  Pride?  That’s easy.  Part of why God actually “resists” it, “mocks” it.  (Proverbs 3:34; James 4:6)  Nothing like having the Maker of the universe resisting you.  No, humility is a whole different way of life. But with it comes an abundance of much needed grace. 

For all of us in the Worship and Creative Ministries arm of our churches, I think it would do us some good to remember that we’re in MINISTRY first.  That mindset will cause you to do some things differently.  You’re not a platform performer and this isn’t a show.]]></description>
<link><![CDATA[http://www.lakeviewworship.com/teaching/teaching_article.php?id=109&author=2]]></link>
<author><![CDATA[Lakeview Worship]]></author>
<pubDate><![CDATA[2006-10-11]]></pubDate>
<category><![CDATA[Worship]]></category>
</item>
<item>
<title><![CDATA[Trust Me ]]></title>
<description><![CDATA[TRUST [truhst] (n) - reliance on the integrity, strength, ability, surety, etc., of a person or thing; confidence.

Such a simple definition.  Such a difficult application.  It’s funny, no matter how long I have been serving the Lord or how many times I’ve experienced His undeserved faithfulness, it’s in my nature to wonder if He’ll do it again next time.  

For instance, I’ve seen how tithing 10% blesses the other 90%, but some days I wonder if I can really afford to write that check.  I’ve seen God miraculously heal people of cancer, but I question His willingness to help me with even simple health issues.  I’ve experienced the power of prayer to change the course of another human life, but some days I doubt that my intercession will actually make a difference.  Yep…I’m human.  And it’s not human nature to trust, no matter how good and faithful God has been in the past.]]></description>
<link><![CDATA[http://www.lakeviewworship.com/teaching/teaching_article.php?id=108&author=1]]></link>
<author><![CDATA[Lakeview Worship]]></author>
<pubDate><![CDATA[2006-10-04]]></pubDate>
<category><![CDATA[Worship]]></category>
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<title><![CDATA[Is it You? ]]></title>
<description><![CDATA[Do you smell something?

No, no…it’s not a forgetting of the antiperspirant or an Indian buffet coming back to haunt you in the late afternoon. It’s a different kind of smell. One that lingers, permeates, and if not dealt with will negatively influence you in a myriad of ways. It’s the stench of death and it may be closer than you think.

I’ve been steeped in the book of Joshua lately, really digging in, finding once again that God’s Word is always living and active and ready to cut me to the quick when necessary. God’s Word is like that; even when you’ve read a passage 8 billion times, revelation will come to the hungry, the desperate. And the secrets of God are reserved for those who fear Him. Well, I’m starving and shaking in my Skechers while a stench is starting to hit my nostrils. Leadership and life will do that to ya, you know… ]]></description>
<link><![CDATA[http://www.lakeviewworship.com/teaching/teaching_article.php?id=107&author=2]]></link>
<author><![CDATA[Lakeview Worship]]></author>
<pubDate><![CDATA[2006-09-27]]></pubDate>
<category><![CDATA[Worship]]></category>
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<title><![CDATA[Beyond Regime Change ]]></title>
<description><![CDATA[We love sports analogies here at Lakeview, so if you have no idea what it means to rough the passer or split the uprights, or if your only concept of a “hail Mary” comes from your days in Catholic school, the next few minutes of your life may make absolutely no sense.  For that I apologize.  But really, can’t all of life be connected to sports in some fashion?  Just do your best to stay with me here. 

Much of the sporting world has been watching the story of Green Bay Packers’ quarterback Brett Favre, one of football’s all-time greatest quarterbacks and resident “gun-slinger” of the NFL quarterback fraternity.  Here's the debate. Should he retire with his Super Bowl ring, countless MVP trophies, and consecutive games played streak, or should he keep trudging ahead on a fledgling team that seems to be getting worse instead of better?]]></description>
<link><![CDATA[http://www.lakeviewworship.com/teaching/teaching_article.php?id=106&author=1]]></link>
<author><![CDATA[Lakeview Worship]]></author>
<pubDate><![CDATA[2006-09-19]]></pubDate>
<category><![CDATA[Worship]]></category>
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<title><![CDATA[Swatting Flies]]></title>
<description><![CDATA[I’m getting old.

No really.  Need examples?  Ok, let’s see…my hair, which used to sway magnificently in the breeze, sorta like Fabio on a Venetian gondola, is…well…random, to say the least.  Even with the highlights, I ain’t foolin' anybody.  And speaking of body, an evening of Wrestlemania with my three kids on the living room floor equals a bit of difficulty getting outta bed in the morning.  Back in the day, I could jump my Team Murray bicycle off any local construction site, land amidst rocks and lumber, (now without my bike mind you); bleed for an hour and not have the slightest ache come morning.  Now I groan cause my five-year-old jumped on me.  What’s up with that?]]></description>
<link><![CDATA[http://www.lakeviewworship.com/teaching/teaching_article.php?id=105&author=2]]></link>
<author><![CDATA[Lakeview Worship]]></author>
<pubDate><![CDATA[2006-09-13]]></pubDate>
<category><![CDATA[Worship]]></category>
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<title><![CDATA[Believe]]></title>
<description><![CDATA[One of the greatest loves of my life is also one of my greatest frustrations.  You see, I’m a NFL football fan.  Worse yet, I’m an Indianapolis Colts fan…a characteristic common to people who love to root for bridesmaids and other of life's runners up.  We have more talent on any one team than has been seen in a generation, yet we just can’t seem to win the big game when it really matters.  Funny enough, our team slogan is “Believe,” and somehow I just can’t help but jump back on the bandwagon as the new season kicks off each September.  I’m sure I’ll spend most Sunday afternoons planted in front of a TV screen or in the stadium itself, making a total idiot of myself over my beloved Colts.  One day…one glorious day…they’ll give me what I want.  A Super Bowl Championship.  Just believe, right?]]></description>
<link><![CDATA[http://www.lakeviewworship.com/teaching/teaching_article.php?id=104&author=1]]></link>
<author><![CDATA[Lakeview Worship]]></author>
<pubDate><![CDATA[2006-09-06]]></pubDate>
<category><![CDATA[Worship]]></category>
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<title><![CDATA[Say Something...Anything!]]></title>
<description><![CDATA[I looked out of the rain-streaked window toward the fast approaching treetops and mentally tried to keep from hyperventilating.  “Breath easy big fella, pilots do this all the time,” I unconvincingly reminded myself.  Hard to be the macho husband and lovingly hold your wife’s hand while your small and large intestines are about to jump outta your mouth.  “Jesus loves me this I know…”   Man, I hate airplane landings.  How in the world can you possibly relax when you’re hurtling through space at mach speeds in a giant metal bus?  I mean really…have ya looked at a plane lately?  They ain’t supposed to be up in the sky!  Yeah I know, it’s all engineering and whatnot but I can’t get my mini-van up in the air and that’s engineered, isn’t it?  Well? ]]></description>
<link><![CDATA[http://www.lakeviewworship.com/teaching/teaching_article.php?id=103&author=2]]></link>
<author><![CDATA[Lakeview Worship]]></author>
<pubDate><![CDATA[2006-08-30]]></pubDate>
<category><![CDATA[Worship]]></category>
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<title><![CDATA[Reality Worship]]></title>
<description><![CDATA[The “reality talent show” has become the emerging (or re-emerging) phenomenon in American television today.  American Idol, The One, Rock Star, America’s Got Talent, So You Think You Can Dance, Dancing with the Stars, Skating with the Stars (does that one really count?), Celebrity Duets, You’re The One…and that’s just a internet search of Primetime Network Television.  I’m sure there is a plethora on cable as well!  I must admit, I like a lot of these shows (except the ice skating one…please).  I don’t want to, but there’s just something appealing about seeing people grasp at the dream of super-stardom.  Those of you who are rolling your eyes in disdain just aren’t being honest with yourselves.  You like it, too…admit it!  The first step to healing is acknowledging you have a problem.]]></description>
<link><![CDATA[http://www.lakeviewworship.com/teaching/teaching_article.php?id=102&author=1]]></link>
<author><![CDATA[Lakeview Worship]]></author>
<pubDate><![CDATA[2006-08-23]]></pubDate>
<category><![CDATA[Worship]]></category>
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<title><![CDATA[Waiting to Worship ]]></title>
<description><![CDATA[The American psyche is woven with impatience.  Simply put:  we hate to wait.  Just think about it.  Credit card debt is at an all time high because we purchase the stuff we want before we have the resources to buy it.  Amusement park lines are now filled with TV screens and other distractions because we hate to stand in line with nothing to do.  Not only do I have a cell phone, but it also sends and receives email just in case that person needs a response from me right away.  We wait no more, and if we do, we’re at least properly entertained.]]></description>
<link><![CDATA[http://www.lakeviewworship.com/teaching/teaching_article.php?id=101&author=1]]></link>
<author><![CDATA[Lakeview Worship]]></author>
<pubDate><![CDATA[2006-08-16]]></pubDate>
<category><![CDATA[Worship]]></category>
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<title><![CDATA[Shattered]]></title>
<description><![CDATA[“Good grief, LaGrange, don’t cut yourself on that.  I wanna go eat tacos not make a run to the emergency room.”  I hunkered down and laughed out loud at my cohort.  I laughed partly because I was just thinking about the prospect of accidentally severing a major artery amongst all this glass; but mostly because Erik looked like a complete goof in the construction hard hat proudly resting a top his melon.  I’m sure mine didn’t look much better but after what seemed like 27 straight hours of meetings, we needed a mental break before we started home.  What better way to rejuvenate than to take a peek at the future? ]]></description>
<link><![CDATA[http://www.lakeviewworship.com/teaching/teaching_article.php?id=100&author=2]]></link>
<author><![CDATA[Lakeview Worship]]></author>
<pubDate><![CDATA[2006-08-09]]></pubDate>
<category><![CDATA[Worship]]></category>
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<item>
<title><![CDATA[Worship, Genies, & Fairy Godmothers]]></title>
<description><![CDATA[I have a confession to make.  This is hard now…I’m a grown man with a wife and three kids.  I have a ministry to lead.  On some days people actually respect me.  I can’t just go around sharing my inmost secrets with everybody, you know?  I have to maintain some semblance of togetherness.  But here goes nothing…brace yourselves…I often cry while watching reruns of “Little House on the Prairie.”  There, I said it.  I feel so much better.  I do have a soft side and sometimes it just finds its way to the surface.  ]]></description>
<link><![CDATA[http://www.lakeviewworship.com/teaching/teaching_article.php?id=99&author=1]]></link>
<author><![CDATA[Lakeview Worship]]></author>
<pubDate><![CDATA[2006-08-02]]></pubDate>
<category><![CDATA[Worship]]></category>
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<item>
<title><![CDATA[You Are What You Eat]]></title>
<description><![CDATA[Recently, my family and I found ourselves in a buffet-style restaurant and it got me thinking. My wife and I are not particularly fond of "gorge-a-thon" type dining but nonetheless we and the folks who invited us were seated close to the mile and a half long line of food and told we could serve ourselves when ready. Oh yeah, and did we want buttery dinner rolls as well. Suuurrre....I know, I know you're thinking "Gee Nathan, thanks....What's this got to do with worship anyway?"  I'm glad you asked.]]></description>
<link><![CDATA[http://www.lakeviewworship.com/teaching/teaching_article.php?id=98&author=2]]></link>
<author><![CDATA[Lakeview Worship]]></author>
<pubDate><![CDATA[2006-07-26]]></pubDate>
<category><![CDATA[Worship]]></category>
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<title><![CDATA[Nothing Compares]]></title>
<description><![CDATA[Comparison will kill you.  How do I know?  Because it makes an attempt on my life every day.  You know what I’m talking about.  Those thoughts that haunt you.  “I’m not as good as that guy…so and so would never think that thought I just had…I need to be more like that person to be successful.”  No matter how confident and self-assured we are, deep in the recesses of our being we all compare ourselves to other people.  And sometimes, maybe a lot of the time, it eats at us from the inside out.]]></description>
<link><![CDATA[http://www.lakeviewworship.com/teaching/teaching_article.php?id=97&author=1]]></link>
<author><![CDATA[Lakeview Worship]]></author>
<pubDate><![CDATA[2006-07-19]]></pubDate>
<category><![CDATA[Worship]]></category>
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<title><![CDATA[Take My Place ]]></title>
<description><![CDATA[Ladders are useful and necessary at times but nothing beats a small child when it comes to cleaning gutters.  All three of my children have experienced the joys of discovery as I scoop ‘em up on my shoulders and we systematically walk the house; throwing down wiffle balls that clog the downspouts, half-naked GI Joes that have somewhat melted in the hot sun and yes, the occasional dead bird. (please don’t tell my wife that one; you know with the bird flu and all)  It’s fun, presents a bit of danger and serves a useful purpose.  I should start a business.]]></description>
<link><![CDATA[http://www.lakeviewworship.com/teaching/teaching_article.php?id=96&author=2]]></link>
<author><![CDATA[Lakeview Worship]]></author>
<pubDate><![CDATA[2006-07-12]]></pubDate>
<category><![CDATA[Worship]]></category>
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<title><![CDATA[Old Lessons from the Old Course]]></title>
<description><![CDATA[As I sit typing, I find myself in a place that might make many of you jealous, especially if you’re into that “royal and ancient” game of golf.  I’m in St. Andrews Scotland at the Old Course Hotel, and tomorrow I get the fine pleasure of playing the most hallowed golf course on planet earth (its famed 17th fairway which runs just to the right of where I currently sit with my laptop computer).  I’m here with my dad for a little father-son trip to the birthplace of golf (and a world missions fundraiser), and I’m in awe not only of the history that is all around me, but also the seemingly unrelenting blessings that God so undeservedly pours into my life.]]></description>
<link><![CDATA[http://www.lakeviewworship.com/teaching/teaching_article.php?id=95&author=1]]></link>
<author><![CDATA[Lakeview Worship]]></author>
<pubDate><![CDATA[2006-07-05]]></pubDate>
<category><![CDATA[Worship]]></category>
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<title><![CDATA[Oh The Nostalgia]]></title>
<description><![CDATA[My wife and I decided that last night was going to be a “watch-goofy-home-movies-of- our-very-odd-family” night.  After loud cheering from our kids and “Gee Pop, you’re the greatest” we fired up the blender for some killer milkshakes, melted butter for the popcorn and sat down with our three little ones for over three and a half hours of LaGrange family fun.  It was a riot!  The TV screen was filled with images of diapers and high chairs, a Dad that apparently had a large ball of some sort living in his stomach and three nude babies’ standing on a toy box singing worship songs at the top of their lungs.  We laughed until our sides hurt...]]></description>
<link><![CDATA[http://www.lakeviewworship.com/teaching/teaching_article.php?id=94&author=2]]></link>
<author><![CDATA[Lakeview Worship]]></author>
<pubDate><![CDATA[2006-06-28]]></pubDate>
<category><![CDATA[Worship]]></category>
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<title><![CDATA[Pain]]></title>
<description><![CDATA[Pain. Even the word itself strikes fear in the hearts of men and women everywhere.  Sure we like to wear shirts that boast “No Pain, No Gain” but we don’t really mean it.  Unless you’re some confused, sadistic madman,, pain is not a welcome guest.  So how come it keeps showing up at the doorstep? Recently I’ve been down with a re-occurring hip/back problem.  It’s a long story and I won’t bore you with the details but I’ve seen every specialist and it still flares up at the most unexpected moment.  When it does, I’m down. And not just physically.]]></description>
<link><![CDATA[http://www.lakeviewworship.com/teaching/teaching_article.php?id=93&author=2]]></link>
<author><![CDATA[Lakeview Worship]]></author>
<pubDate><![CDATA[2006-06-21]]></pubDate>
<category><![CDATA[Worship]]></category>
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<title><![CDATA[Lessons from Across the Pond]]></title>
<description><![CDATA[This is my first day back in the office following an 10-day excursion to the Netherlands with an incredible team of 49 servants. The last week and a half have been a whirlwind of worship concerts and training seminars throughout Holland (a country, by the way, in which God is truly beginning to move), and although I was cognizant of the amazing things going on around me, I was really unable to even begin processing what God was speaking to my heart…until now.]]></description>
<link><![CDATA[http://www.lakeviewworship.com/teaching/teaching_article.php?id=92&author=1]]></link>
<author><![CDATA[Lakeview Worship]]></author>
<pubDate><![CDATA[2006-06-14]]></pubDate>
<category><![CDATA[Worship]]></category>
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<title><![CDATA[Skipping Stones ]]></title>
<description><![CDATA[“Over here,” I yell, “these rocks are perfect!”

You, sensing that I might be a geologist in my spare time, bound gleefully toward the sound of my voice. Upon arrival, you find I am hunched over examining the flat stones that lie half buried close to the river bank. It’s summertime and you and I are down on the family farm; captivated by the warm August breeze, the fresh country air and the way that the river bends gently to the south at this particular point. Here, where the river is at its widest, we stand side by side, lazily skipping stones across the calm surface of the water. Ahhh, such bliss…]]></description>
<link><![CDATA[http://www.lakeviewworship.com/teaching/teaching_article.php?id=91&author=2]]></link>
<author><![CDATA[Lakeview Worship]]></author>
<pubDate><![CDATA[2006-06-07]]></pubDate>
<category><![CDATA[Worship]]></category>
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<title><![CDATA[One King...One Kingdom ]]></title>
<description><![CDATA[Imagine for a moment that you and I live in the same place. 

It’s a gargantuan city; a kingdom really, simply mind-boggling in size and scope. Acre after acre of land rolls gently in every direction; an unimaginable expanse of earth and sky. Lush, green grass and towering trees sway softly in the breeze as animals dart about in an endless game of tag. Architecturally fantastic buildings and warm, cozy homes dot the landscape as far as the eye can see. ]]></description>
<link><![CDATA[http://www.lakeviewworship.com/teaching/teaching_article.php?id=90&author=2]]></link>
<author><![CDATA[Lakeview Worship]]></author>
<pubDate><![CDATA[2006-05-31]]></pubDate>
<category><![CDATA[Worship]]></category>
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<title><![CDATA[A Smorgasbord of Humanity ]]></title>
<description><![CDATA[Open your eyes and take a good look around you. What do you see? If you’re in an office there are probably people in the cubicle next to you or down the hall. If you’re in ministry there has to be people somewhere to actually qualify as ministry. If you’re at home, maybe a family member is close by or in another room. And if you’re in school, you should probably stop reading this and pay attention to the teacher that’s looking right at you!]]></description>
<link><![CDATA[http://www.lakeviewworship.com/teaching/teaching_article.php?id=89&author=2]]></link>
<author><![CDATA[Lakeview Worship]]></author>
<pubDate><![CDATA[2006-05-17]]></pubDate>
<category><![CDATA[Worship]]></category>
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<title><![CDATA[Changing Mindsets ]]></title>
<description><![CDATA[Change is hard. Even for worshippers.  Yeah, I know…I’m sure that’s a huge revelation to all of you. “Wow, I’m glad I signed up for this e-newsletter. I could’ve figured this stuff out on my own.” Well, sometimes awakenings are subtle, and in all honesty I’m just a pretty simple guy. Sometimes it takes me awhile to open up my eyes to these things.  So yes…change is hard. Even simple, practical changes can be difficult. One of those visited me this week...]]></description>
<link><![CDATA[http://www.lakeviewworship.com/teaching/teaching_article.php?id=88&author=1]]></link>
<author><![CDATA[Lakeview Worship]]></author>
<pubDate><![CDATA[2006-05-10]]></pubDate>
<category><![CDATA[Worship]]></category>
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<title><![CDATA[Paint Me a Picture ]]></title>
<description><![CDATA[“Ok class. Here’s your assignment. (groans, wailings, gnashing of teeth) Oh, come on. It’ll be fun! Here’s the deal: take out a blank sheet of paper and a number two pencil. Got it? Good. Now draw me a picture of Jesus. That’s right draw me a picture of Jesus and when you’re finished put your pencil down.”  (Sound of ticking clock and Jeopardy music)
]]></description>
<link><![CDATA[http://www.lakeviewworship.com/teaching/teaching_article.php?id=87&author=2]]></link>
<author><![CDATA[Lakeview Worship]]></author>
<pubDate><![CDATA[2006-05-03]]></pubDate>
<category><![CDATA[Worship]]></category>
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<title><![CDATA[Don’t Believe the Hype]]></title>
<description><![CDATA[For those of you who are a part of our team, attend our church, or have ever visited Lakeview before, you’re probably well aware of one thing: we’re a pretty passionate bunch of people. Our Pastor lovingly teases us that worship at Lakeview is comparable to drinking from a fire hydrant. Perhaps we should come with a warning label or at least consider asking those in attendance to sign a waiver before entering the auditorium.  I am joking…(sort of).]]></description>
<link><![CDATA[http://www.lakeviewworship.com/teaching/teaching_article.php?id=86&author=1]]></link>
<author><![CDATA[Lakeview Worship]]></author>
<pubDate><![CDATA[2006-04-26]]></pubDate>
<category><![CDATA[Worship]]></category>
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<title><![CDATA[Yard Work]]></title>
<description><![CDATA[“Back to the depths you came from, you mocking yellow weed of the evil one! Be gone you grass of crab! Arise, oh beautiful lush carpet of deep green!”  I was thoroughly enjoying myself. It had been a rather draining day at church and I just needed a moment of peace and mindless activity; something that didn’t involve people, discouraging emails or ringing phones. Weeding and feeding our almost three quarters of an acre was exactly what I needed. The rhythmic click-click-click of the lawn spreader soothed my troubled nerves and the carnage that awaited the little yellow weeds that started appearing last week…well, it was strangely satisfying. Look down, follow the tracks, turn. Click-click-click. Just me and my lawn. Click-click-click. Wonderful. Peaceful.]]></description>
<link><![CDATA[http://www.lakeviewworship.com/teaching/teaching_article.php?id=85&author=2]]></link>
<author><![CDATA[Lakeview Worship]]></author>
<pubDate><![CDATA[2006-04-19]]></pubDate>
<category><![CDATA[Worship]]></category>
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<title><![CDATA[Kingdom Building is Hard Work]]></title>
<description><![CDATA[My back patio used to face the most picturesque field. A typical summer evening would include tiki torches, barbeque and plenty of mosquito repellent, as our family sat soaking in the beautiful view. The broken down fence line contained a number of interesting sights. There was the old abandoned farmhouse, its sagging porch sitting at a rather amusing angle; an old barn that in its heyday boasted of livestock and the latest farm equipment, now reduced to a bat haven and the dwelling of whatever four-legged creature happened to wonder in for the night. And filling our the scene were acre after acre of corn stalks swaying in the breeze, colored with amazing hues of pink, orange and gold as the last rays of the sun spread out across the Indiana farmland. Ahh…it was peaceful and serene.  No more.]]></description>
<link><![CDATA[http://www.lakeviewworship.com/teaching/teaching_article.php?id=84&author=2]]></link>
<author><![CDATA[Lakeview Worship]]></author>
<pubDate><![CDATA[2006-04-12]]></pubDate>
<category><![CDATA[Worship]]></category>
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<title><![CDATA[The Power of the Arts ]]></title>
<description><![CDATA[I’ve always been an advocate of cautiously keeping up with what’s happening in the world of popular music. While the Bible commands us not to be taken in by the things of the world, the simple reality is that to influence the culture the church had better know what is driving the culture. So I found myself standing in the lobby of this super-sized music mecca ready to see what the culture would throw my way.]]></description>
<link><![CDATA[http://www.lakeviewworship.com/teaching/teaching_article.php?id=83&author=1]]></link>
<author><![CDATA[Lakeview Worship]]></author>
<pubDate><![CDATA[2006-04-05]]></pubDate>
<category><![CDATA[Worship]]></category>
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<title><![CDATA[Worshippers Stop to Ask Directions]]></title>
<description><![CDATA[I spun him around until I was almost certain he would throw up.  Now, now…don’t get me wrong here. It’s not that my wife and I get a kick outta seeing little kids toss their cookies. However it is one of a myriad of potentially funny things that can happen in a classic game of Pin The Tail On The Donkey, done LaGrange style. Yes, people with little kids still play that game, and no, the child didn’t throw up.]]></description>
<link><![CDATA[http://www.lakeviewworship.com/teaching/teaching_article.php?id=82&author=2]]></link>
<author><![CDATA[Lakeview Worship]]></author>
<pubDate><![CDATA[2006-03-29]]></pubDate>
<category><![CDATA[Worship]]></category>
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<title><![CDATA[A Life of Worship Impacts Eternity ]]></title>
<description><![CDATA[I loved playing with dominoes as a kid. My friends and I would spend hours setting up elaborate patterns all over the hardwood floor in my mom's kitchen. Somehow, all that work was worth the few seconds of glory that came with the tipping of the first piece. The thought still appeals to my childhood nature. Dominoes were a blast. One simple move would set off a chain reaction of events that no one could stop. As always...I seem to find a principle tied to worship. Humor me, I'm a music pastor. ]]></description>
<link><![CDATA[http://www.lakeviewworship.com/teaching/teaching_article.php?id=81&author=1]]></link>
<author><![CDATA[Lakeview Worship]]></author>
<pubDate><![CDATA[2006-03-22]]></pubDate>
<category><![CDATA[Worship]]></category>
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<item>
<title><![CDATA[Know It All ]]></title>
<description><![CDATA[After years of tireless research and countless hours poring through the latest books, tapes and DVD’s, I’m starting to figure something out. My expensive education, keen instincts and worldly wisdom have led to a rather astonishing revelation: I really don’t have a clue about what I’m doing.  Shocker, eh? I can hear some of you readers now, “Hey I thought you Lakeview guys were supposed to be teaching us something?]]></description>
<link><![CDATA[http://www.lakeviewworship.com/teaching/teaching_article.php?id=80&author=2]]></link>
<author><![CDATA[Lakeview Worship]]></author>
<pubDate><![CDATA[2006-03-15]]></pubDate>
<category><![CDATA[Worship]]></category>
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<item>
<title><![CDATA[Want More Out of Life?]]></title>
<description><![CDATA[There has always been a lot of talk in corporate America about a “glass ceiling,” a term that refers to an invisible cap, most often put on women and minorities in the work place, keeping them from achieving the same levels of success afforded to others. For instance, a woman VP in a large corporation may make $10,000 less than a man with the exact same portfolio and responsibilities. She works just as hard, but earns less.  There is a definitive spiritual principal here, too. 
]]></description>
<link><![CDATA[http://www.lakeviewworship.com/teaching/teaching_article.php?id=79&author=1]]></link>
<author><![CDATA[Lakeview Worship]]></author>
<pubDate><![CDATA[2006-03-08]]></pubDate>
<category><![CDATA[Worship]]></category>
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<item>
<title><![CDATA[I Gotta Be Me]]></title>
<description><![CDATA[I don’t know how he got through but he did.  We live in a day and age of are technological breakthroughs. Caller ID, one of the miraculous advancements in my lifetime (sure these “miraculous” advancements pale in comparison to the five loaves and two fish but are noteworthy nonetheless) have made it virtually impossible for most of us to be caught off guard by a person on the other end of the line.]]></description>
<link><![CDATA[http://www.lakeviewworship.com/teaching/teaching_article.php?id=78&author=2]]></link>
<author><![CDATA[Lakeview Worship]]></author>
<pubDate><![CDATA[2006-03-01]]></pubDate>
<category><![CDATA[Worship]]></category>
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<item>
<title><![CDATA[HotSync Your Life of Worship]]></title>
<description><![CDATA[God taught me an interesting lesson through my PDA this last week. (For those of you who are technologically illiterate, that would be my Sprint Treo all-in-one cell phone / email / text messaging / calendar / task list  internet / journal / calculator / video game / personal addiction…I’m seeking counseling). My PDA is my life when I’m on the go, and it keeps my daily tasks and agenda in order and in sync with my laptop computer so I don’t miss appointments or forget to do important things (with me, that can happen so easily…what can I say? I’m a musician).]]></description>
<link><![CDATA[http://www.lakeviewworship.com/teaching/teaching_article.php?id=77&author=1]]></link>
<author><![CDATA[Lakeview Worship]]></author>
<pubDate><![CDATA[2006-02-22]]></pubDate>
<category><![CDATA[Worship]]></category>
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<item>
<title><![CDATA[You Can Take It With You]]></title>
<description><![CDATA[Well, there’s another great mystery solved. Super. I know, I know. It’s sad isn’t it? We’re just sucking the word “wonder” right outta the vernacular. I doubt the next generation of little kids will even know what the word means. I can hear them crying now, “Oh kind sir, please tell us about the good old days when we had to ‘guess’ at things.” For shame. For shame.
]]></description>
<link><![CDATA[http://www.lakeviewworship.com/teaching/teaching_article.php?id=76&author=2]]></link>
<author><![CDATA[Lakeview Worship]]></author>
<pubDate><![CDATA[2006-02-15]]></pubDate>
<category><![CDATA[Worship]]></category>
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<item>
<title><![CDATA[It Was a Very Good Year]]></title>
<description><![CDATA[1981 was a phenomenal year in time.  Well…uhhh…sort of.  How about a quick refresher course just to jog your memory:]]></description>
<link><![CDATA[http://www.lakeviewworship.com/teaching/teaching_article.php?id=75&author=2]]></link>
<author><![CDATA[Lakeview Worship]]></author>
<pubDate><![CDATA[2006-02-08]]></pubDate>
<category><![CDATA[Worship]]></category>
</item>
<item>
<title><![CDATA[Worship & Emotionalism]]></title>
<description><![CDATA[Humanity tends to drift towards a complete overload of emotional exuberance, or a complete shunning of any type of feeling whatsoever when it comes to God. It’s as if we pull into two camps…those insisting that God is solely an intellectual pursuit, and those who don’t feel they’ve been with God unless their heart-rate reaches anaerobic levels.]]></description>
<link><![CDATA[http://www.lakeviewworship.com/teaching/teaching_article.php?id=74&author=1]]></link>
<author><![CDATA[Lakeview Worship]]></author>
<pubDate><![CDATA[2006-02-01]]></pubDate>
<category><![CDATA[Worship]]></category>
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<item>
<title><![CDATA[Prone to Wander]]></title>
<description><![CDATA[I love God’s Word. This letter was inspired by the fascinating story of Balaam. (Numbers 22) Like so many of the people in our churches, Balaam had amazing giftings but it took a donkey and an angel stopping him in the road to warn him that his “path was a reckless one before the Lord.”]]></description>
<link><![CDATA[http://www.lakeviewworship.com/teaching/teaching_article.php?id=73&author=2]]></link>
<author><![CDATA[Lakeview Worship]]></author>
<pubDate><![CDATA[2006-01-25]]></pubDate>
<category><![CDATA[Worship]]></category>
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<item>
<title><![CDATA[A Purpose Greater Than Football]]></title>
<description><![CDATA[It’s another tough week to be an Indiana sports fan. Yes, our beloved Colts have once again fallen victim to the curse of the Hoosier state… complete and total disappointment when it comes to trying to win a championship.]]></description>
<link><![CDATA[http://www.lakeviewworship.com/teaching/teaching_article.php?id=72&author=1]]></link>
<author><![CDATA[Lakeview Worship]]></author>
<pubDate><![CDATA[2006-01-18]]></pubDate>
<category><![CDATA[Worship]]></category>
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<item>
<title><![CDATA[Planning Is Creative]]></title>
<description><![CDATA[I have a confession. I am a music pastor who loves to plan! How can that be? Don’t most creative guys shun a calendar, prioritized task list, or goal setting software for their PC? Maybe. But not me. ]]></description>
<link><![CDATA[http://www.lakeviewworship.com/teaching/teaching_article.php?id=71&author=1]]></link>
<author><![CDATA[Lakeview Worship]]></author>
<pubDate><![CDATA[2006-01-11]]></pubDate>
<category><![CDATA[Worship]]></category>
</item>
<item>
<title><![CDATA[A Lost Art? – The Church and Artistic Expression]]></title>
<description><![CDATA[Will the artistic expressions dug up help archeologists conclude that YOUR church was a vibrant community of imaginative dreamers that honored God by flourishing in the gifts and abilities He gave them?  Or will they find cold, lifeless buildings full of artifacts that simply couldn’t have been shining Jesus, the true light of the world? ]]></description>
<link><![CDATA[http://www.lakeviewworship.com/teaching/teaching_article.php?id=69&author=2]]></link>
<author><![CDATA[Lakeview Worship]]></author>
<pubDate><![CDATA[2006-01-04]]></pubDate>
<category><![CDATA[Worship]]></category>
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<item>
<title><![CDATA[The Power of Willful Submission]]></title>
<description><![CDATA[Have you ever wondered why so many of today’s cults and false religions seem to "live their worship" so much better than the one true Church?]]></description>
<link><![CDATA[http://www.lakeviewworship.com/teaching/teaching_article.php?id=68&author=1]]></link>
<author><![CDATA[Lakeview Worship]]></author>
<pubDate><![CDATA[2005-12-21]]></pubDate>
<category><![CDATA[Worship]]></category>
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<item>
<title><![CDATA[What Holds You Back – Part 2]]></title>
<description><![CDATA[In an effort to build healthy worship teams that will lead healthy churches, we’ve got to ask tough questions: What are you thinking?]]></description>
<link><![CDATA[http://www.lakeviewworship.com/teaching/teaching_article.php?id=67&author=2]]></link>
<author><![CDATA[Lakeview Worship]]></author>
<pubDate><![CDATA[2005-12-14]]></pubDate>
<category><![CDATA[Worship]]></category>
</item>
<item>
<title><![CDATA[What Holds You Back?]]></title>
<description><![CDATA[For the next two weeks, I want to look at why people may feel held back in life. Rarely do I come across a person who genuinely excited about their position in life and ready to live in the fullness of God’s plan. ]]></description>
<link><![CDATA[http://www.lakeviewworship.com/teaching/teaching_article.php?id=66&author=2]]></link>
<author><![CDATA[Lakeview Worship]]></author>
<pubDate><![CDATA[2005-12-07]]></pubDate>
<category><![CDATA[Worship]]></category>
</item>
<item>
<title><![CDATA[Worship the Way You Live]]></title>
<description><![CDATA[“We pray the way we live.” Or even further, “We worship the way we live.”  How does a statement like that make you feel? ]]></description>
<link><![CDATA[http://www.lakeviewworship.com/teaching/teaching_article.php?id=65&author=2]]></link>
<author><![CDATA[Lakeview Worship]]></author>
<pubDate><![CDATA[2005-11-30]]></pubDate>
<category><![CDATA[Worship]]></category>
</item>
<item>
<title><![CDATA[Kingdom People – The Template for a Life of Worship]]></title>
<description><![CDATA[Everything in our lives is done through a template…a picture deep in our minds that affects everything we think, say, and do. We rarely function outside of this template, and when anyone or anything comes along that challenges that internal reality, our world can become very chaotic.]]></description>
<link><![CDATA[http://www.lakeviewworship.com/teaching/teaching_article.php?id=64&author=1]]></link>
<author><![CDATA[Lakeview Worship]]></author>
<pubDate><![CDATA[2005-11-16]]></pubDate>
<category><![CDATA[Worship]]></category>
</item>
<item>
<title><![CDATA[Deliberate Worship]]></title>
<description><![CDATA[Have you ever stopped to think about how many aimless things you do in life completely void of thought or intentionality? For instance, I never really stop to contemplate how I brush my teeth (although after my last dental appointment, perhaps I should) even though I do it at least twice every day.]]></description>
<link><![CDATA[http://www.lakeviewworship.com/teaching/teaching_article.php?id=63&author=1]]></link>
<author><![CDATA[Lakeview Worship]]></author>
<pubDate><![CDATA[2005-11-03]]></pubDate>
<category><![CDATA[Worship]]></category>
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<item>
<title><![CDATA[Lessons from the Farm]]></title>
<description><![CDATA[Mmmmooooooo…Ever worked on a farm? No? Me neither. From a distance it looks kinda interesting. Sounds almost romantically relaxing at times, I must admit. ]]></description>
<link><![CDATA[http://www.lakeviewworship.com/teaching/teaching_article.php?id=62&author=2]]></link>
<author><![CDATA[Lakeview Worship]]></author>
<pubDate><![CDATA[2005-10-26]]></pubDate>
<category><![CDATA[Worship]]></category>
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<item>
<title><![CDATA[Life of Worship Series – Prayer (Continued)]]></title>
<description><![CDATA[We're continuing the excerpt from Pastor Ron Bontrager's practical points on prayer. Prayer is integral to a life of worship. These practical illustrations from the Lord's Model Prayer can help us draw closer to the Lord through prayer and intercession.]]></description>
<link><![CDATA[http://www.lakeviewworship.com/teaching/teaching_article.php?id=61&author=1]]></link>
<author><![CDATA[Lakeview Worship]]></author>
<pubDate><![CDATA[2005-10-12]]></pubDate>
<category><![CDATA[Worship]]></category>
</item>
<item>
<title><![CDATA[Life of Worship Series – Prayer]]></title>
<description><![CDATA[Our pastor, Ron Bontrager, has a passion for developing a culture of prayer in our church. For the next two weeks, we wanted to share some of his practical points, as seen through the Lord's Prayer, that might help you grow in the worship that is your daily life.]]></description>
<link><![CDATA[http://www.lakeviewworship.com/teaching/teaching_article.php?id=60&author=1]]></link>
<author><![CDATA[Lakeview Worship]]></author>
<pubDate><![CDATA[2005-10-05]]></pubDate>
<category><![CDATA[Worship]]></category>
</item>
<item>
<title><![CDATA[Bigger Plans]]></title>
<description><![CDATA[For various reasons, I have always hesitated to share too many personal experiences through this platform. I know each one of us face difficult and frustrating circumstances in life, and much of what some of you face or are facing is so much bigger than anything I might be experiencing. However, through a situation my family is currently experiencing, God is revealing some things about worship that I want to share with all of you.]]></description>
<link><![CDATA[http://www.lakeviewworship.com/teaching/teaching_article.php?id=152&author=1]]></link>
<author><![CDATA[Lakeview Worship]]></author>
<pubDate><![CDATA[2005-09-28]]></pubDate>
<category><![CDATA[Worship]]></category>
</item>
<item>
<title><![CDATA[Life of Worship Series – Bigger Plans]]></title>
<description><![CDATA[For various reasons, I have always hesitated to share too many personal experiences through this platform. I know each one of us face difficult and frustrating circumstances in life, and much of what some of you face or are facing is so much bigger than anything I might be experiencing.]]></description>
<link><![CDATA[http://www.lakeviewworship.com/teaching/teaching_article.php?id=59&author=1]]></link>
<author><![CDATA[Lakeview Worship]]></author>
<pubDate><![CDATA[2005-09-21]]></pubDate>
<category><![CDATA[Worship]]></category>
</item>
<item>
<title><![CDATA[Life of Worship Series – When I Was a Wee Lad]]></title>
<description><![CDATA[My job, even though it’s my passion, can sap my energy and consume an unnecessary amount of ‘me.’ I can pretend that I’m invincible, hiding my Superman cape in my laptop bag and putting it on at opportune moments to impress my co-workers, but we all know that doesn’t really work and well, red’s just not my color.]]></description>
<link><![CDATA[http://www.lakeviewworship.com/teaching/teaching_article.php?id=58&author=2]]></link>
<author><![CDATA[Lakeview Worship]]></author>
<pubDate><![CDATA[2005-09-14]]></pubDate>
<category><![CDATA[Worship]]></category>
</item>
<item>
<title><![CDATA[Life of Worship Series - I Hesitate to Tell You This]]></title>
<description><![CDATA[Did you know that one of the definitions of the word hesitate is shilly-shally? I’m not kidding. It says shilly-shally right here in the dictionary. Oh sure, doubt, delay, waver, falter…there all in there too, but who in their right mind would want to shilly-shally around?]]></description>
<link><![CDATA[http://www.lakeviewworship.com/teaching/teaching_article.php?id=57&author=2]]></link>
<author><![CDATA[Lakeview Worship]]></author>
<pubDate><![CDATA[2005-09-07]]></pubDate>
<category><![CDATA[Worship]]></category>
</item>
<item>
<title><![CDATA[Fame]]></title>
<description><![CDATA[“Fame! I’m gonna live forever. Baby, remember my name…”  Oh yeah! That’s good stuff right there. Back when music was music, right?]]></description>
<link><![CDATA[http://www.lakeviewworship.com/teaching/teaching_article.php?id=56&author=2]]></link>
<author><![CDATA[Lakeview Worship]]></author>
<pubDate><![CDATA[2005-08-24]]></pubDate>
<category><![CDATA[Worship]]></category>
</item>
<item>
<title><![CDATA[What Do You See?]]></title>
<description><![CDATA[I’m not much of one to buy into the “power of positive thinking” mentality. We see a lot of that in today’s culture. Name it, claim it…the power of visualization…a lot of secular humanist ideas have crept into our culture and even the church. ]]></description>
<link><![CDATA[http://www.lakeviewworship.com/teaching/teaching_article.php?id=55&author=1]]></link>
<author><![CDATA[Lakeview Worship]]></author>
<pubDate><![CDATA[2005-08-17]]></pubDate>
<category><![CDATA[Worship]]></category>
</item>
<item>
<title><![CDATA[Being a Superhero – “Git ‘ er done, Batman!”]]></title>
<description><![CDATA[Word on the street is that during the closing sequence of the latest Batman installment, one of our Indianapolis brethren yelled those encouraging words at, well, the screen. Hoosiers…I love ‘em cause I is one. Amen, buddy. You go, Batman. Git 'er done.]]></description>
<link><![CDATA[http://www.lakeviewworship.com/teaching/teaching_article.php?id=54&author=2]]></link>
<author><![CDATA[Lakeview Worship]]></author>
<pubDate><![CDATA[2005-08-11]]></pubDate>
<category><![CDATA[Worship]]></category>
</item>
<item>
<title><![CDATA[Carry the Anointing – It’s an Everyday Thing]]></title>
<description><![CDATA[As a person who takes a platform in front of people multiple times each week, I have noticed a very tempting pattern in my life. Over the course of a week, my spiritual life can develop an ebb and flow.]]></description>
<link><![CDATA[http://www.lakeviewworship.com/teaching/teaching_article.php?id=53&author=1]]></link>
<author><![CDATA[Lakeview Worship]]></author>
<pubDate><![CDATA[2005-08-03]]></pubDate>
<category><![CDATA[Worship]]></category>
</item>
<item>
<title><![CDATA[My Ultimate Goal – The Focus of a Life of Worship]]></title>
<description><![CDATA[Salvation is not God’s ultimate purpose for my life. Now before you go call my pastor and turn me into the “doctrine police,” let me elaborate. ]]></description>
<link><![CDATA[http://www.lakeviewworship.com/teaching/teaching_article.php?id=51&author=1]]></link>
<author><![CDATA[Lakeview Worship]]></author>
<pubDate><![CDATA[2005-07-20]]></pubDate>
<category><![CDATA[Worship]]></category>
</item>
<item>
<title><![CDATA[The Prayer of a Worshipper]]></title>
<description><![CDATA[This is just an example of what the prayer of a true worshipper might look like...]]></description>
<link><![CDATA[http://www.lakeviewworship.com/teaching/teaching_article.php?id=50&author=1]]></link>
<author><![CDATA[Lakeview Worship]]></author>
<pubDate><![CDATA[2005-07-13]]></pubDate>
<category><![CDATA[Worship]]></category>
</item>
<item>
<title><![CDATA[Faithfulness in the House]]></title>
<description><![CDATA[Hindsight is an interesting psychological phenomenon. Even the definition displays itself with a sense of mocking cruelty. Here it is:  Hindsight: (n) understanding an event after it has occurred]]></description>
<link><![CDATA[http://www.lakeviewworship.com/teaching/teaching_article.php?id=49&author=2]]></link>
<author><![CDATA[Lakeview Worship]]></author>
<pubDate><![CDATA[2005-06-29]]></pubDate>
<category><![CDATA[Worship]]></category>
</item>
<item>
<title><![CDATA[Friend of God – The Limitless Character of Our Creator]]></title>
<description><![CDATA[My son was just born. 7 pounds, 3 ounces. 21 inches long. Things couldn’t have gone smoother. Mom’s recovering great and his two older sisters are already smothering him, leaving me with thoughts of my young, strapping boy in dresses and Barbie strollers. ]]></description>
<link><![CDATA[http://www.lakeviewworship.com/teaching/teaching_article.php?id=48&author=1]]></link>
<author><![CDATA[Lakeview Worship]]></author>
<pubDate><![CDATA[2005-06-22]]></pubDate>
<category><![CDATA[Worship]]></category>
</item>
<item>
<title><![CDATA[High Praise]]></title>
<description><![CDATA[In the amazing city of Indianapolis, we are blessed with a number of professional sports teams. The Colts, Pacers and other organized teams have provided fans with breathtaking athleticism, heroic buzzer-beaters and yes, whole seasons of bitter disappointments. We always seem to be 