Mobile Mountain Communities
Imagine a community where honest people work together to fix brokenness. Every person you meet loves you authentically, and you love them in the same way. How would living in such a community change the way you think, feel, and act?
Jesus invites us into that kind of community. In Matthew 5:14, Jesus says, “You are the light of the world. A city on a hill cannot be hidden.”
The Greek word for “hill” can also mean “mountain,” and in the ancient imagination, mountains were places where Heaven and Earth intersected—where people could encounter the gods. The ancient Hebrews understood mountains as unique spaces where God meets with humanity and where both dwell together as partners.
Abraham experiences divine testing and blessing on a mountain. God invites Moses up a mountain to receive instruction. And the prophet Isaiah uses mountain imagery to dream of a day when the Heaven-on-Earth space will expand beyond the mountain, filling the world with God’s Kingdom and vanquishing the darkness of evil.
This makes Jesus’ teaching truly wild! He’s saying that Heaven and Earth reunite through people—through us. When Jesus calls his followers a “city on a mountain,” he’s saying they will bring the mountaintop experience to the world. He’s inviting us to become mobile mountains, creating pockets of Heaven on Earth wherever we go.
We do this by letting go of the old ways of fighting our enemies and picking up the practices of Jesus—feeding the hungry, living justly, and loving people patiently. When this happens, the light of God’s way that leads to true life shines through us, piercing the darkness. So let’s find ways to be mobile mountain communities and participate in making God’s Kingdom shine brightly on Earth as it is in Heaven.
Godly and Wise
If you’re a parent or a parent-figure, you know that raising children can be one of the greatest joys you ever experience, and one of the biggest challenges you face. And if you’re a follower of Christ, you likely feel an added burden to make sure your kids grow up to know and love God.
In Proverbs 23:24, the author points out that joy in parenting comes when our children are two things: godly and wise. So, how do we help our kids become more like Jesus and develop the wisdom they need to navigate the challenges of life?
While there are different ways, here are two to start with...
Find a Christ-centered community:
As a parent, you’ll need to surround yourself with a community that loves Jesus so you’re not alone when raising kids gets challenging. If you don’t have that today, commit to taking the next step in that direction—join a small group, get connected at church, or invite like-minded friends over for dinner.
Teach kids to ask for help:
Whether your ...