Hey Everyone!
Here is Dave’s awesome sermon from this week. I just got a chance to listen to it and its great. Dave’s sharing in his usual energetic, and upbeat style about being salt in our communities. I hope you get a chance to check it out ~ because it is worth listening too!
Click here for it!
Yesterday I was given the honor of preaching at Hanover Missionary church for their anniversary celebration. Afterwards I had a few people come up to me and say how much I reminded them of my dad. How I have the same preaching style, mannerisms, and passion. To be honest anytime I’m compared to my dad it’s a compliment.
But it got me thinking about relationships and influence. People who you have close relationships influence and shape you for better or worse. Maybe you’ve seen this with friends, married couples, or your kids. Those who you invite to walk closely with you, will impact and change you. But relationships are a two way street. So those who you are walking closely with, you are also influencing. Whether or not you see it – your life is having an impact.
This is worth thinking about. Who are you shaping? Who is shaping you? And more than that I think this is worth acting on.
For me that means being intentional in the relationships I’m in; seeking to be a person of grace and love. And it also means appreciating those people who have impacted you and shaped you.
So on a dreary Monday why not let someone who has left and impact in your life know about this. Call them, email them, or message them saying your friendship has influenced and shaped me and here’s how.
For me personally, obviously that’s been my parents. But less obvious it has been all the wonderful people at Plattsville Church. You may not know it but you’ve shaped me. The first thing I thought when I walked into work today was: “I missed being here yesterday”. You have shaped me by welcoming me into your family, caring for me, and giving me a home here. Your care and love is shaping me.
Why not share that with someone today? Let someone else know that their love and care matter. The beauty of relationships is that they change us.
So let someone know of how they changed you, and maybe through that they might be changed as well…
Today I went out to the amazing little diner in Plattsville.
There I met with the owner, had some great breakfast, good coffee, and great conversation. When I left, the owner actually covered my meal as a welcome to the town. This is what’s called a blessing: something unexpected and meaningful.
Later on that day while walking past the diner, the owners was sitting outside and I stopped to say thanks again and we got to talking. It turns out he’s a huge soccer fan like myself. We both follow the same teams, and he actually played with some of my favorite players in a semi-pro league in Europe.
This got to me thinking about a theology of place. That God places in you in a location for a reason. And that there are people all around you – in your neighborhood, your family, your workplace who you can connect with in a unique way. What would be the chances that in a town such as Plattsville I would find someone as interested in Dutch soccer of the 70s? But maybe its not as quite a coincidence if its God who directs me here and directs my connections here.
My theological hunch is this – you are uniquely placed for a unique purpose with your own experiences, passions, and personality to impact your “place” whatever that may be.
So my question to you is this: why has God placed you where he has?
Maybe that’s worth spending some time praying and reflecting over…
I’ll be doing the same while watching some soccer…
On Sunday I shared how God actually chooses to use you and me to accomplish his purposes. He actually wants to use you to impact others, to be apart of their transformation, and to meet others needs.
Lindsay earlier this week made a comment on the blog, that God uses us in all of our awkwardness and weakness. And that struck me. God actually wants to use you as you are even if you feel inadequate, or awkward, or unsure. God’s doesn’t feel at all inadequate, unsure, or awkward about using you and whatever gifts you have to further his work in the world.
This for me is the beauty of following Jesus. There is something beautiful in knowing that God acutally desires my partnership with him; God actually values me as I am now; God believes I can actually do good in this world; and God is inviting me to join in with something bigger than myself. And he desires the same thing for you…
God sees something in you worth sharing with others…
God is choosing you to be apart of his mission of love and life…because you have value to give…
The questions is do you believe that? And if so are you ready to step out? Because God is ready to direct you…
In case you missed it on Sunday, or want to listen to it again – here is my sermon from yesterday. Just click on the link and it will take you to a download page.
“Following in Feeding ~ October 30th, 2011”
I hope you find it helpful, and that through it you might be encouraged to be ready to be used by Jesus in unexpected ways.
This week I really sensed Jesus in a unique place – at a pastor’s retreat.
This might sound obvious at first glance, but sometimes it’s very easy amongst pastors to talk a lot about God, Jesus, and the church that you miss actually being in the presence of Jesus. This can happen easily in anyone’s life. Where you attend church lots, go to lots of meetings, help out somewhere, but forget that those things aren’t a replacement for a relationship with Jesus – they are the outflowing of it.
So this week I sensed Jesus while out with a few pastors for wings late on Monday night. We ate, shared stories, laughed, and connected. And how did I specifically sense Jesus in all of this? Well I was reminded how often Jesus is seen in the gospels simply connecting with friends around food.
There is something spiritual and spectacular when while eating, drinking, laughing, and sharing…you pause…stop and smile…and realize you are with good friends, cared for, and connecting…and just know that Jesus is with you enjoying the conversation as much as you…
This Sunday I want to explore something that is quite personal to me. My feelings and motives. I want to explore the idea how when we feel like Jesus we end up acting like Jesus.
In our journey following Jesus, it’s when we actually start to feel like him that we are moved to become like him. When our heart, desire, and emotions are shaped by God then we end up responding to those situations like God would. This is where the prayer “God let my heart break over the things that break your heart” stems from. When our heart breaks over the same things that break God’s heart that is simultaneously a difficult place to be and the only place we should want to be; because then our actions will represent God when at our core they have the heart of God.
This is what I want to explore next Sunday through a story of Jesus and the feeding of the 5000. But before we get there maybe start to explore this reality through your own story.
Yesterday I shared a bit on how Jesus invites regular and ordinary people to follow him. Through that invitation he is actually inviting us to become like him. When you follow someone you become like them. And Jesus has invited each of us to follow him to become like him and invite others on the same journey.
I ended with challenging us to invite people to follow Jesus; and also to recognize, affirm, and encourage people when they are becoming like Jesus. I encouraged us to say to people – that we see Jesus in them and how they act.
And yesterday proved one thing to me so clearly: that Jesus is within PEMC and shapes you.
Yesterday the church welcomed me and my family officially. We’ve already been welcomed into the family, and made to feel apart of it by so many but yesterday was more of the official welcome Sunday. As part of that welcome Krista and I were not only so surprised but so overwhelmed by the support of the church. And I think for the first time in Krista’s life she was made speechless. People gave gift cards, notes of encouragement, food, homemade preserves, and there was even a cake.
So I simply want to say to PEMC:
In short, I see Jesus in you…
Each week I’m going to be sharing at least one encounter, experience, or conversation that reminded me of Jesus. His presence and Kingdom is near to us all the time, so I want to simply share where I saw it. The practice of looking for Jesus’ presence in your week is valuable because sometimes you realize how he was a part of your week and you might not have noticed it.
Here is where I saw Jesus this week: in being served coffee.
I’ve been sharing with my friends and family what an amazing place Plattsville is. And I keep on sharing one story that for me is signficant and meaningful and as I’ve reflected on it I’ve realized it’s because I saw Jesus in this small, simple, but also gracious action.
My dad and I had a little ritual on Sunday’s and during work each day; I would bring him coffee. I did this because he couldn’t get to it easily himself, and often because he was interacting with people he wouldn’t be able to get to it. I always saw as a simple little way to help.
And this Sunday after the service I was talking with people, trying to connect, and listen and then I was brought a coffee. Sure it was a small act but as Mother Theresa says, “Do small things with great love” and that’s what happened. Someone special saw a way to show care, to support me, and to give. And because of that I saw Jesus in through being served coffee this week…
So thank you for caring…
This Sunday I shared about how Jesus calls us to follow him. It’s a gift to be able to follow Jesus. But as I was reflecting on following Jesus, I realized that the next obvious question is where is following Jesus taking us?
Or to put it another way – Where is Jesus leading us?
Now that’s a question that I really believe deserves some attention and time. Where is Jesus leading you in your personal life? Where is he leading you in the community…in your family…in your job?
If we are truly devoted to following Jesus then the next step is to find out where he is actually leading us.
This will be the topic of my next sermon – where Jesus is leading each and everyone of us.
And I’m excited to explore this topic because wherever Jesus leads is worth it. And I want to be where he is leading. The question is what about you?
{ Andrew Mills } 