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Creative Love in Action

The book of Hebrews has some interesting encouragement for all of us. The writer says this: “And let us not neglect our meeting together, as some people do, but encourage one another.” (Hebrews 10:25, NLT) Or, as Eugene Peterson puts it in The Message:“Let’s see how inventive we can be in encouraging love and helping out.” And, I think this is a beautiful thing, not just to read, but to actually experience. I know this, because a few weeks ago, I experienced some inventive and encouraging practical love.

As some of you might know, being handy is not a skill that I have. I mean, my tool set is mostly from Ikea and used to put together Ikea furniture. So, handy isn’t something I “really do.” Some guys from Bethany wanted to encourage and welcome us into this family here. So, they did it in an amazingly creative way. They talked with us, showed up and built us this amazing sandbox. They wanted to be as inventive as they could in encouraging love and helping out. They found a way to use their gifts (and they are totally handy) to encourage us.

mills-kids-in-sandbox

I can tell you this left a huge impact on our family’s life. Not only do our kids now have a place to play and get totally dirty, they also have a daily reminder that we are loved by our new church in our backyard. It’s something Krista and I look at daily, and feel appreciated and loved.

So, I mention this because I believe in making heroes out of the right people. And, the true heroes in our lives are people who take these verses seriously and live them; who find creative and inventive ways to encourage people, and show love in practical and real ways.

So what about you? What gift do you have today that you could use to encourage someone? Maybe it’s not with a sandbox, but what about surprising someone with a coffee, a conversation, a new book or a date night by watching their kids? How can you put love into action in creative ways? Because I can tell you personally that when you do, it changes lives. Because when some guys from our church did that for me, it changed our life.

by Andrew Mills

Wrestling with Your Faith

doubtToday, I want to tackle something that at times is a bit controversial…doubt.

Because, here is the truth – all Christians, at times, face doubt. Doubt is often the crucible through which faith grows. Doubt doesn’t mean you don’t have faith; doubt means you are working out your faith. But, we need to be honest with this so that when we are in those places, we can actually have honest conversations with one another; that we can actually support and love one another; that doubt doesn’t have to have the last word, rather doubt can be the catalyst for conversations that lead to deeper and truer trust.

C.S. Lewis is a name many of you might be familiar with. Someone you might not be as familiar with is George MacDonald whom Lewis said was a tremendous influence and the catalyst for some of his writings. MacDonald writes this,

“Do you love your faith so little that you have never battled a single fear lest your faith should not be true? Where there are no doubts, no questions, no perplexities, there can be no growth.”

And I think that MacDonald is onto something – that when faith stops struggling, it often stops growing.

So, I write all this to remind us of one simple truth – it’s okay to have doubts and struggles; that’s part of the journey of faith. But, what isn’t really okay, healthy or helpful is to just try to deal with those doubts on your own. The Christian faith isn’t individual and isolated; it’s about community and journeying together. So today, if you have struggles, why not share them with a trusted friend? Why not have coffee and work through some of your doubts or difficulties? Because, when we bring them forward, sometimes that’s when we actually find the way forward.

We actually see this frequently in the Bible – people wrestling with their faith. We see this all the time in the Psalms as people cry out to God and wrestle with difficulty. We see this all the time in the lives of the saints who have gone before us.

So, don’t be surprised if you find it in your life too. Just don’t try to go it alone. Because others have been there along the way, others can help you find your way, and it’s in wrestling through things together that we all come to deeper faith, which is the point.

by Andrew Mills

CHANGING THE WORLD, IN A FEW EASY STEPS

changeworldAs you might have noticed, I actually believe that Christianity is meant to have an impact in the world; that we are actually called, as Christians, to partner with God in changing the world. And that sometimes happens by just changing someone’s world.

But, if you are anything like me, this is often inspiring, but difficult to live out. You might say things like, “I’d love to be part of making the world a better place…but how do I do it? Where do I start? What does it look like for regular people?”

If you have ever read any of the stories of the saints, they might inspire you, but also leave you scratching your head for how to begin.

Well, the other day, I ran across this little acronym from Michael Frost about how to practically follow God in making daily impacts. It’s incredibly simple and straightforward. The hard part isn’t in understanding it, but in actually doing it. And, he gives these weekly small ideas for how to begin to make an impact…

B – Bless others. Do something that makes someone’s life better. Focus on blessing three people a week and at least one who doesn’t go to church

E – Eat with three people this week. That could be people in your workplace, friends or neighbours. And try to eat with at least one person who doesn’t go to church as well.

L – Listen. Simply stop and pray and listen for where the Holy Spirit is guiding you. So often the Holy Spirit is speaking, but we aren’t listening. So, slow down and listen.

L – Learn. Spend time reading the Bible with a focus on getting to know Jesus. If you’re not a regular reader, start with the Gospels. Focus in on getting to know Jesus, so you can live like Jesus.

S – Sent. Live realizing you’re sent and look for God active in the lives around you. And when you see it, take note of it.

And, in all honesty, these are pretty straightforward ways to start to change the world. Bless others, eat with others, listen to God’s Spirit, learn about Jesus and look for Jesus in the world. Sometimes the most counter-cultural and impactful decisions are to the simple, yet hard things.

So, if you’re looking to partner with God in changing lives, maybe it begins by inviting a neighbor over to eat; maybe it means cutting a friend’s grass; maybe it means carving some time out to listen to the Spirit; maybe it means reading the Gospels or just looking for God in your day. I know none of these are huge things, but God is often found in the small, regular, daily things.Remember, God isn’t asking us to do giant things, rather He is asking us to do faithful things. And, maybe that means a meal with friends this week. It’s not a bad place to start!

by Andrew Mills

“We’re Living Here Forever, Right?”

rootsI’ve recently been reflecting on the importance of “roots.” And by roots, I mean people, places and purposes that you are deeply connected to; the relationships, communities and commitments that you are rooted into that provide a rhythm and focus for your life.

I’ve been thinking about this for a number of reasons, mostly because we’ve just been “uprooted” and are trying to put down new “roots” here.

When we first walked into our new house, the first thing our wonderful middle child said was, “Daddy, we are living here forever right?!!” What Asher was trying to figure out, in his 3-year-old way, was whether we were putting down roots here. We had just spent the past six weeks bouncing around from place to place, and he wanted to know if this was the place we would grow roots.

And, roots are incredibly important in life. My friend, Ian Wood, has a saying that we should “be the palm tree.” What he means by this is that we should have roots that keep us grounded, but be flexible so that we don’t break.

And, I think that’s a great picture for all of us to think about. Do you have roots? Do you have people in your life who really, really know you? Do you have a place – a church, a community, a support network – who not only knows you, but loves you? Are you growing too brittle? Are you changing, but still rooted?

Because in a world in flux, being rooted is what will provide you with life.

The Bible puts it this way in Jeremiah 29:5 – God says, “Build homes, and plan to stay. Plant gardens, and eat the food they produce.”

God essentially says to the Israelites, who are in exile, to plant some roots. Being in exile means they have been displaced, and they are transplanted into a new world. Their lives are in flux. And, the key to surviving and thriving in a world that is in flux, is to plant some roots.

I think that this is incredibly relevant to our world today.

So many of us feel in flux and disconnected. We feel pressured this way and that way. And, what I think God is saying to us is simple – plant some roots; build a home out of your house; plan to stay; grow in the place you are. 

Asher asked me, “Are we living here forever?” and we probably won’t live where we are forever…because, well, that’s kinda long. But, we are putting down deep roots here. We are building our house into a home. We are getting connected to our church and to our community. We are planting gardens and planning to stay. Because roots matter, and give you stability and life when things are in flux.

So, for you today, what might it look like to put down some roots? Do you have good friends who truly know you or do you need to invest there? Are you known in a community and church that can help ground you throughout all the ups and downs? How are you planning on staying and investing in the place you are, rather than just passing through? Because roots not only give you stability and life, they give it to others as well.

So, as Ian says, “Be the palm tree, plant some roots, plan to stay and grow awhile, and see what God might do.”

by Andrew Mills

Scarred Floors & Saving Scarred Hearts

scarred-blogSo, the other day I had a very long and stressful day at work. It was also a day where our kids were…well…kids, which means they were difficult that day. I get home and Krista is stressed, I’m stressed, I have about 45 minutes between being home and needing to leave again. And, we are just trying to talk together, and kids are yelling and it felt a little bit like mayhem in the house.

That’s when I noticed Asher hammering our new hardwood floor with a hammer.

And, while I wish I could tell you that my initial response was loving, kind and patient, instead I said, “Go to your room!!”

I went and looked at all the scratches, the damage and the scarred floors, and that didn’t help me calm down. So, I went to go up to his room to “discuss” this with him. And by “discuss,” I mean “ensure he gets how bad of a decision this was.” And, just before I walk in his door, God literally stopped me with a thought.

I don’t know if you believe that God can speak to you, but I do. And, what I heard in my spirit was clearly from Him because it certainly wasn’t coming from me. He said, “What matters more to you? Scarred floors or a scarred heart?”

And, that one question really changed everything. Because sometimes in the middle of stressful moments, we forget what really matters. And, what really matters isn’t my floors, but my relationship with my son. And, in that moment, walking into the room, my floors were already damaged, but my relationship with Asher wasn’t. And, if I walked in angry, and trying to make sure that my three-year-old “really gets” what he did, I could scar his little heart.

So, I walked in and Asher was under the covers. So, I crawled into bed with him, and he instantly gave me a big hug and said, “I so sorry daddy – it an accident.”

If God hadn’t spoken, I probably would have tried to convince him that it wasn’t an accident because he had done it purposely. But because I was more concerned with scarring his little heart than a scarred floor, I just hugged him and said, “I know, I love you.” And, we just laid there for a long time and he actually fell asleep.

I share all this because God changed my priorities in that moment, which changed my behaviour. The truth is this, people matter most always. Relationships are more important than floors. My connection with Asher is going to outlast our floors anyway, but if I prioritize the floors over him, I can end up with a scarred relationship, not just a few dents in the floor.

So, the question this raises for me is just this: Are there any areas of your life where you’re prioritizing things more than people? Where you care more about stuff than relationships? Or where floors matter more than little hearts? Because when God asked me that question, it changed things. And, most importantly, it changed my behaviour and how I interacted with my son who means the most to me.

by Andrew Mills

“Jesus Will Be Found in the Most Unlikely Places”

14316911_10157360901840328_6835481472652758312_nThe other day, I was reading Matthew 25 where Jesus says He will be found in the most unlikely places; places we often don’t look or expect to find Him. He says that he will be found in the poor, the naked, the vulnerable, the oppressed and the lonely. And then I read this passage from Jean Vanier in his book From Brokenness to Community,

“Those with whom Jesus identifies himself are regarded by society as misfits. And yet, Jesus is that person who is hungry; Jesus is that woman who is confused and naked. Wouldn’t it be extraordinary if we all discovered that? The face of the world would be changed. We would then no longer want to compete in going up the ladder to meet God in the light, in the sun and in beauty, to be honored because of our theological knowledge. Or if we did want knowledge, it would be because we believe that our knowledge and theology are important only so long as they are used to serve and honor the poor.”

There’s a lot that I would like to comment on and pursue in relation to this quote and the passage in Matthew 25. But, what I think both Vanier, and more importantly Jesus, are trying to do is to move us from thinking about these words to putting them into practice; that the face of the world would be changed if we moved from competing to rise up the social ladder to focusing in on serving and honouring those around us.

And how this practically works its way out in your life and mine is challenging. It might look different in yours and in mine. But I think the next step for all of us is the same and it’s just this – For us to take time and ask God’s Spirit what we should do? How should we serve and honour those around us? To ask Him to give us eyes to see others as God does. Because when we start seeing people with God’s eyes, it changes everything, because it changes how we see everyone and everything.

by Andrew Mills

Last Sunday for a While and Why I’m Eternally Grateful For You

On Sunday it was my last official Sunday as Plattsville’s lead pastor. A position I have held for over 4 years, and one I have loved every single minute of it. Plattsville is a really unique and special church. They have something special within them about how they practice grace, how they show love, and how they support.

So on Sunday for my final sermon here, I re-preached the passage I preached for my first sermon here: Philippians 1.

Here in Philippians Paul is writing to a church he deeply deeply loves but has been called away from. And he writes this:

“Every time I think of you, I give thanks to my God. I always pray for you, and I make my request with a heart full of joy because you have been my partners in spreading the Good News about Christ from the time you first heard it until now.”

I unpacked this passage a little bit and why Paul was so thankful to the Philippian church.

Paul was so grateful to the Philippian church because of how they supported him. Paul was in prison and in that day and age meals weren’t covered or provided. You needed to rely on others for your daily sustenance and support. And the Philippian church were part of daily providing for Paul.

Paul was also deeply welcomed into the Philippian church family. All you need to do is to read his letter and how often he mentions them as dearest friends, brother and sisters, or partners in God’s grace to get that these are just people to him – they are his people. They are his family. He loves his church because they welcomed him.

And lastly, Paul loves the Philippian church because they have been his partners in sharing God’s grace. Paul makes that explicit in the first few verses, and keeps on mentioning it throughout his letter. He loves the church because of what they did together.

And on Sunday I shared with you all that I love this church for the same reason. That you supported me, that you welcomed me, and together we partnered with God in the business of God’s grace. I shared story after story after story of how you did that. And that bcause of how you supported, welcomed, and partnered I am eternally grateful.

That was my main point really: that I’m grateful to each and everyone of you, because this is a special church. I challenged each of you to commit to this place, because this is a special place.

And to close I ended the same way I started almost 5 years ago with these words:

Paul writes, ““Every time I think of you, I give thanks to my God. I always pray for you, and I make my request with a heart full of joy because you  have been my partners in spreading the Good News about Christ from the time you first heard it until now.” I actually believe that this passage is prophetic for us. Meaning that I believe it will be true for us. That, like Paul, in years to come, when we’ve been living out this grace business for a while, I’ll be able to say to you like Paul did to the Philippians. Plattsville church every time I think of you, I’m filled with thanksgiving. With joy, with excitement. It’s never a struggle to pray for you, and my prayers to God are always filled with joy at the amazing privilege and honor it is to be your pastor. This is because you and I have joined in this grace business of God together. We’ve jumped in with two feet, supporting one another, loving one another, and deciding that from day one we would be about spreading the Good News of Jesus Christ

And that’s exactly what happened.

Sermon Notes:

Big Idea: I am so grateful for you.

Teaching Points:

  • I’ll always consider myself part of this place and your pastor.
  • Paul loves Phillipi because of how they supported him, welcomed him, and partnered together with God.
  • When someone is hurting, you don’t get to take the focus.
  • Being changed by Jesus and changing lives with Jesus.
  • You have a special place in my heart.
  • This is a church that supports one another, journeys together, and is about God’s grace.

Adult Discussion Questions:

What stuck out to you from the sermon? How have you been welcomed here, supported here, or partnered together in sharing God’s grace? What are you thankful for in this place? Are you willing to commit and see what the future God has for you?

Challenge for the Week: This place rocks, and you should commit to being here.

by Andrew Mills

Last Sunday

mic-1-1570690-1920x1440Sunday will be my last official Sunday here at Plattsville as the Lead Pastor. I’ll be transitioning to Bethany Community Church in the next few weeks, to be their teaching pastor, leading into being the lead pastor.

So Sunday will be a bit of a difficult Sunday for me, and also for many of you I suspect as well. All change is hard to process through, and this type of change is particularly difficult at times. It’s difficult because while I feel called to Bethany, I also love this church.

So on Sunday what I want to do is simply this: I want to affirm in this church why every time I think of you I am grateful. I want to affirm and share with you what you as a a church have done in my life in the past 4+ years. I want to share with you as Paul says, “You will always have a special place in my heart.”

So if you can join us on Sunday, please do. To not only say goodbye, but also to celebrate why Plattsville was, is, and will be a wonderful place for years to come.

by Andrew Mills

Toilet Paper Races

IMG_6814So I had this moment today when I realized I often want my kids to be perfect, rather than…well kids. And this happened when they had been quiet for quite a while, and I went to check on them and they were just giggling and giggling.

What I found was them racing toilet paper down the stairs in a giant mess.

And my first instinct was to get frustrated, to tell them to pick it all up. My first instinct was to be a fun-killer. My first gut reaction was I wanted them to be perfect (not playing with toilet paper) rather than kids (people who play with toilet paper).

But I realized honestly – they aren’t wrecking anything really, they aren’t being disrespectful, they are just being two boys playing with toilet paper. And it hit me sometimes in our quest to have our kids grow up well, we expect them to grow up too fast. In our desire to raise them well, we raise the bar too high. Sometimes we forget that seeing a stack of toilet paper to a kid is hours of fun.

So I write all this for one reason: enjoy those moments with your kids, grandkids, or neighbours. Don’t force them to grow up too quickly, acting like adults. Let them be kids and join in a bit.

So I gave them an extra roll of toilet paper, some tape so they could build a ramp, and then helped them clean it up in the end.

by Andrew Mills

Looking Back, to Look Forward

remember-1-1152856-1600x1600So on Sunday we looked back at some of the different lessons God has really taught us in the past 4+ years here. Because I believe that what God teaches us in the past is what often prepares us for our future. The trouble is that we are so forgetful. We forget what God has taught us, we forget the lesson, and we move on.

So we wanted to halt that memory loss by remembering 4 key lessons God has taught us as a church over the past number of years.

The first was to focus on your great work. I believe that God has something that each of us are to do that is lasting and impactful. For some this great work is launching a business, writing a book, starting a ministry, or being a great dad, being an amazing wife, being the best grandmother possible. Each of us are graced for different things, the point is not to give up on what God has given us. We remembered an amazing story of Nehemiah where when a good opportunity comes along he says, “No I am doing a great work I cannot come down”. This is what we need to do, focus on the great work God has for us.

We also remembered that our lives leave a legacy that can shape generations. We looked at Jacob and Esau and how one decision by Esau changed and shaped Jospeh so that when he was in the same situation as Esau he knew how to act. And lives were changed and generations were saved. We can have the same impact if we choose our choices intentionally, if we do the hard stuff of living like Jesus.

We then looked at something hard but necessary to do: forgiveness. The truth is that forgiveness as a Christian isn’t optional – it’s kinda part of the job description. But it’s really hard to do, but that’s why it’s so life changing. So we remembered and reflected on how forgiveness, while hard to give, is necessary and challenges ourselves to give forgiveness to someone.

And last but not least, we looked at the story of Jesus and the disciples in the boat. And we reflected on a main point we had worked through earlier this year. That when difficult and darkness come that we need to always remember who is in our boat. God is always with us, and we can’t let the storms steal our focus from him.

So that’s what we learned on Sunday. The main point was really don’t forget what God has taught you. And we challenge each of us with a simple challenge: to put one of these lessons into practice. Because the way we ensure we don’t forget what God teaches us, is to live it out. Things we practice and use, we remember and don’t forget.

So we closed with a challenge. To put one of these four lessons into practice: to focus on your great work, to ensure you leave a legacy, practice forgiveness, and never forget Jesus is in your boat. Because it’s when you start to live differently that lives are changed.

 

Sermon Notes:

Big Idea: Don’t forget what God has taught you

Teaching Points:

  • What God prepares in us in the past, is what enables us for his future
  • If we want to find where God is leading us, it begins by remembering what he has done within us.
  • I am doing a great work and I cannot come down. – Nehemiah
  • The choices you make today can be the thing that determines someone’s life years from now.
  • Forgiveness is not a feeling. Forgiveness is a choice to end the cycle of revenge and leave justice in the hands of God. Brian Zahnd
  • Always remember who is in your boat.

Adult Discussion Questions:

What stuck out to you from the sermon? What was challenging to you? What sermons do you remember most? What lessons has God taught you that have been significant in your lifetime? Is there one of those lessons that Andrew shared that resonates? What can you do to take a next step? Who can help you with that?

Challenge for the Week: Put one of these lessons into practice.

by Andrew Mills