Tag: God

Thomas the Train Meet Jurgen Moltmann

Hudson is a gift. Yet in life it is easy to miss the gifts all around us isn’t it.

I looked at the book I was reading at home and found this.

Yes that’s right its covered in Thomas the Train stickers. Life with a 2 year old.

But the odd juxtaposition got me to thinking. Here is a deep theolgoical work covered in stickers from my two year old. A book that is centered on deeply exploring the gift of life Jesus gives us, is covered with trains with names like Thomas and Percy. This odd combination though reminds me that while it is important to learn, it is better to live.

This little act by little boy reminds me that my faith is not lived out through reading theology, deep thinking, or even reading the Bible. My faith is lived out in my actions. Through putting stickers all over my house with my little boy I’m demonstrating love. Through meeting with friends laughing and enjoying life I’m living out the Kingdom. Through eating and enjoying a meal with my wife I’m practicing faith. Life is a gift. And while it is important to refelct on life, and to deeply think about God sometiems we can get so caught up reflecting that we forget to appreciate the gift of life.

So today put down the book. Put down the thoughts of work that cross your mind. Put down the worries about the future. Put down whatever you might be holding and enjoy life. Play with your kids, go out with friends, cook a brilliant meal. And maybe if your adventuresome put stickers all over the place…

by Andrew Mills

You are Known: My Personal Idiosyncrasies and Oddities

Isn’t it a great feeling to be known?

My office knows me pretty well already. They already talk about my funny idiosyncrasies. Apparently I use the phrase “let’s create a space” about 10 times a day. They know I love coffee. They know that I’m introverted and awkward at times. They also know that at any given point if there is music in the background I might sing a line along with the music, for their musical enjoyment (whether they enjoy my singing has yet to be proven). And that if they mention anything close to the Bible they are in store for a 5-minute Andrew teaching on any given subject.

But why does this all matter?

because I think deep down we all want to be known. We want to be noticed, recognized, and valued. Deep down don’t you want someone to truly know who you are? And not just know some things about you but pick up on parts of about you that you never really realized? I never realized how often I use the word “space” until I started working here. But my friends here picked up on it and made me feel known.

And isn’t this what Jesus is really getting at when he says the Father even knows all the hairs on your head (Luke 12:7)? He’s not talking about the Father’s great counting skills. What he is getting at is that you are known. You are seen, noticed, and he takes a deep interest in you. The Father picks up on your traits, and quirks and actually appreciates them. He knows how you love coffee, bad day-time drama, smooth or chunky peanut butter, or any other quirk ~ because he knows you.

So you have a God who knows you. Not an impersonal someone up in the clouds, but a deeply invested and interested God truly sees the real you. And isn’t that a beautiful thing? To know that you known, cared for, and noticed.

So today as you go about your day, doing things in a way that’s all your own. Know that you’re not alone. But have a God who sees you, smiles, and says you know what I love about…its this ________….

by Andrew Mills

Getting through the Tough Stuff

This Sunday I preached on why bad things happen but most of all how to get through them. You can download the sermon here.

The main point I focused on though, was that bad things happen because we live in a broken world. The world and our lives aren’t yet what they were meant to be. We struggle with sin, broken relationships, death, decay, and difficulty. This is not the world God desired. But the promise of God is that a new world is coming; that he will transform this world into all that it was meant to be.

But in the meantime how do we get through the difficult stuff that happens until God’s future reaches us?

Well we discovered through Romans 8 three promises God gives us to make it through a tough day, week, or even years. The three promises are as follows:

  • That the Spirit Prays for Us
  • That the Father work everything out
  • That the Son is always with us

These three promises for me are really moving. The fact that when we are down and out, in distress, and weakness God prays for us is astounding. The Holy Spirit is praying for you and all that is before you – praying what you need but don’t have the words for. This is beautiful.

The Father also promises to work everything to good. That doesn’t mean that everything is good, but that out of anything God can create good. That nothing you are currently going through can stop God’s goodness from coming to pass.

And lastly that the Son is always with us and that nothing can separate us from his love. What is in the forefront of your mind and is currently taking up thought space? God’s promise to you is that – that thing – won’t separate you from Jesus. That too is beautiful. These are the promises of God to you.

Which one matters most of you? What other promises from Scripture have helped you get through some rough stuff?

by Andrew Mills

What Type of a “Place” are You?

Back in Jesus’ day you knew where God was. He was in the temple, he was in Jerusalem, he was surrounded by four walls. This was the place where God was found.

Jesus changed all of that. God was now fully found in a person. This was the place where God was found. The amazing thing about Jesus is that he walked around, talked, and connected with others. He became a place where God was found – all over the place.

I got to thinking about these things because today I am sitting in a coffee shop working on vision, planning, and the future I hope to see. While doing that I am surrounded by different people, values, and stories. It’s then that I read a tweet from Ian Morgan Cron who asked this, “Are you a place where God happens for somebody else?”

That is a beautiful question. It is a deep and important question. Are you a place where God happens? Are you a place where God is experienced? Are you a place where God is made real?

As I look into the future, and look around at the present, that’s what I hope to be. As I look forward a few years I hope that I will be a place where God is found. As I am sitting here typing away, I am still hoping that in my conversations, actions, and beliefs, I will be a place where God happens. In essence, I’m hoping to be like Jesus. He became the place where God was fully found, and experienced. So the question is:

What type of place are you? Are you a place where God happens for somebody else?

Because if we are truly following Jesus, living in and through him, God should happen in our places…

by Andrew Mills

Rhythm, Routine, or Rut?

A few weekends ago I was away for the night for board meetings. And while I was going to sleep I realized I missed something. I missed saying goodnight to Hudson. Here is our little routine. I pick up the little tired boy. We say goodnight and put him in his bed. Then before I go to bed I check on him. I cover him in the covers he’s kicked off. I pray over him. And I tell him I love him. Then I say goodnight, close the door, and go off to my bed.

I missed this routine.

This got me to thinking about the difference between routine, rhythm or a rut. Routine’s are things you do consistently. And when routine’s are beautiful, healthy, and good they become rhythm’s of life. Like going into your child’s room and saying goodnight. But routines can also shift and become a rut; where you eat the same thing each Monday.

Some routines in our lives give energy and life to us and become rhythms. Some routines in our lives sap energy and becomes ruts. Some routines we need to celebrate, cherish, and protect. Other routines we need to break, stop, and move away from. Putting Hudson to bed is a routine I will protect and cherish. Connecting with God in the mornings is a routine I don’t want to take for granted. But my emotional routine of fear or worry after certain experiences needs to change.

The question is are the everyday routines of your life healthy rhythms or unhealthy ruts?

Think about these questions: How often do you check your work email? Do you exercise? Do you have regular emotional responses that don’t lead to health and life? Do you have a consistent time with Jesus? Is stress and worry too often a part of your life? Does meeting with this friend each uplift you? Does taking time for silence and simplicity help?

The point isn’t to get rid of routines. The point is to turn each healthy routine into a daily rhythm, and to stop unhealthy routines from becoming a lifelong rut.

So what routines do you need to break? Which ones do you need to protect?

by Andrew Mills

Throw a Party ~ Be Like Jesus…

This Sunday we talked about how God’s Kingdom is like a party.

But not just any party a great party where different people mix, connect, and are invited. God’s Kingdom is like a great banquet where invitations go out to the unlikely, unnonticed, and unwanted. It’s this party where everyone gets great food, where lonely people connect, where people who are down have fun, where boundaries are crossed and life begins. And you’re invited not because of who you know, but Jesus who knows you. This is a picture of what God’s Kigndom is like.

So my challenge to you this week is simple: throw a party.

Throw a good party. Throw an awesome party. Invite friends, neighbors, and people would never get invited. Get great food, great music, and have a great time. Samir Selmanovic  “Christians know how to talk about life, but they don’t know how to love life”. Let’s prove this statement wrong this week. Let’s love life and help others to love it too by our grace, generosity, and inclusion. Throw a great party, and watch as God’s Kingdom surprises you all around.

Following Jesus means throwing parties…so get busy loving life by throwing a party…

by Andrew Mills

Flirting with the Line

There is an expression “flirting with the line” where you get close to doing something you know you shouldn’t. This has new meaning for me after last night.

Open Confession: my wife always leaves the car on empty and it drives me nuts. It’s one of those things that’s my pet peeve. More often than not whenever I get into the car it is on empty. She loves to go as long as possible without getting gas, and it never bothers her. Mostly because she has an uncanny ability to pass the car off to me right when it needs gas. Needless to say this bugs me, but she never found it a problem until last night.

Last night I got a sheepish phone call from my wife. She had 42 km left before dead empty on our car, and went into work without filling up in our town. She then went to visit friends, again not filling up. She was “flirting with the line”, an empty gas gauge. She got right close to empty and found 2 things: a gas station, and the realization she had left her wallet 30 km away at home. So here she was with no money, and no gas. Hence a sheepish phone call to me.

Eventually when you flirt with something long enough, you fall into it. This is what happened to Krista – eventually hitting empty, and being stuck in an awkward setting. But this type of behavior doesn’t just happen with gas gauges, Paul says it happens with sinful behavior all the time. We might allow ourselves to flirt with the line of rage, jealousy, greed, hate, or lust. We sometimes like to get close without crossing over. We don’t want to fall into it, but allow the feelings to be there for just a bit. But eventually when you flirt with the line getting close again and again sooner or later you cross the line. You might find yourself filled with rage, letting jealously control you, unable to get out of greed, or have lust ruin relationships.

So my challenge for today is if there is something where you are tempted to “flirt with the line”, pull back. Why bother getting close? Why even let yourself go there? You are made for more than that. Why bother focusing on the line or what you can’t do? Why not focus on how you can be someone filled with peace, grace, generosity, love, and life. And maybe today it starts with just deciding not to get anywhere close to that line.

And for my wife, if your reading this, maybe that means filling up the car… 😉

by Andrew Mills

Birthday’s, Blessings, and Books

I always found the stories in the Bible of the father’s blessing their sons a little weird. Just read in Genesis and you see it all the time. I pictured this weird ceremony where they would kneel or something and have these words spoken over them. I didn’t get it.

Then I had a son.

Yesterday was Hudson’s birthday. He’s two. He’s almost a man now. And I bought him one of the coolest kids books ever called stuck.

The book is great about things getting stuck in a tree. On the inside though I wrote a long note to Hudson, that I read to him now and I hope he’ll read later too. I wrote about how heis so fun and wonderful. I wrote about why I love him, what good things I see inside him. I wrote where I see him going. I spoke into his life words of trust and promise. And at the end I promised that no matter what happens, and no matter what gets “stuck”, I’d be there.

So I talked about his past, present, future and where I’ll be in all of it.

When I was done writing it – I knew what I would then do. Whether he gets it or not, we’re making a blanket fort. We’re crawling in it. We’re getting his Thomas the train engine flash light and cuddling up close together. And I am reading / speaking this blessing over him, because that’s what it is. It’s a blessing just like in the Old Testament where father’s would speak over their sons, shaping them, building into them, and creating hope. And maybe the Old Testament fathers didn’t say they’re blessing under blanket forts. For me though, the point is not where or when you bless someone but the actual act of taking time to speak blessing and life into someone.

So here’s my challenge to you. Bless someone else. Mother’s bless daughters. Father’s bless sons. Friends bless each other. Make it a habit and make it meaningful. Because for today more than any other day, I get why it matters. Because there is something powerful in sharing where someone is at, what you see in them, and where you see them going.

So why not share something meaningful with someone. Share why they matter, share who they are, and share blessing…

by Andrew Mills

Building Altars

Today I got to my office and heard a siren going off. The only odd part was the siren was coming out of my laptop bag.

In it I found this red fire-truck.

Hudson, my little boy, must have placed it there for me to take to work. He often takes toys to daycare, so maybe he thought I’d like to play firetrucks at work (which coincidentally I do enjoy doing).

But it got me to thinking about altars. Yes I know an odd jump but not that odd for me, just ask my wife. In Genesis we find people building altars to God consistently. And part of the reason for building altars was to remember. They were visual reminders of God. They physical visual reminders of God’s faithfulness. They were objects that reminded people that God was with them.

Much like fire-trucks.

This little fire-truck reminded me of my son, how he cares for me, and made me feel close to him even though physically we were far apart.

So maybe building altars and fire-trucks aren’t that different.

My challenge to you then today, or this week, is to build an altar in your life. Find something physical, something meaningful, and something deliberate to remind you of God. Place it someplace prominent in your life. Maybe on your desk, maybe on your counter, or taped to your mirror. But find an object and make an altar to God to remind you daily that you are not alone, God is with you, God is faithful, and God is close to you even if you feel far apart.

For me, if you haven’t guessed, my altar will be a little red fire-truck with a siren…

by Andrew Mills

We Are to Be Sent ~ #missional

This upcoming Sunday we are going to be talking about movement.

Many things are based on movement, and momentum. For example, it’s almost impossible to learn to ride a bike if its not moving. Moving is part of its nature. The same applies to the church. The church is a movement. Part of its very nature is to grow, expand, and move.

So on Sunday we are going to explore the sent nature of the church. How just as God sent his son, he is now sending his church.

The question for us is where is God sending you?

We often think of “where” God is sending us. We focus on maybe going overseas, or on short-term missions, on being sent somewhere else. But we no longer need to go across an ocean to find people who need Jesus in their life. They are all around us. They are our neighbors, our co-workers, our family, and our friends. Now people of each tribe, nation, and religion are coming to live in and with us. So the question then isn’t “where” God is sending us; but to whom.

Who is God sending you to bless? Who is God sending you to give life?

Is it the person across the street, one cubicle over, or that friend at zoomba?

Because the church is meant to be on the move, we are sent to be a blessing. Not only across the sea but also across our street, backyards, and offices.

So who is God sending you to? Because make no mistake he does want to send you…

by Andrew Mills