jesus – Page 37 – { Andrew Mills }

What is “Faith”?

This Sunday we are starting a brand new series looking at one of the most important aspects of our faith, becoming an apprentice of Jesus. Dallas Willard writes this:“The greatest issue facing the world today, with all its heartbreaking needs, is whether those who, by profession or culture, are identified as ‘Christians’ will become disciples – students, apprentices, practitioners – of Jesus Christ, steadily learning from him how to live the life of the Kingdom of the Heavens into every corner of human existence.”

I think this is true. The world doesn’t need more people who know about Jesus. The world doesn’t need more people who like Jesus. The world needs more people who are willing to follow, sacrifice, and become like Jesus. This is what the world needs; this is what your community, family, and neighborhood needs too. I know this is what I need too in my life.

So on Sunday we are going to start looking at how to become an apprentice of Jesus. We are going to discover how it starts and how we can start to practice our faith. Because I’m sure of one thing, becoming an apprentice doesn’t mean just learning more things about Jesus. It means starting to practice living like Jesus. In Matthew 7:24 Jesus says the wisemen hears his words, and puts them into practice. So on Sunday we are going to discover the very first and most important practice disciples are to take to start to follow Jesus. It has everything to do with where your heart is at and faith.

So before we get there I want to ask a simple question that I’ll try to answer on Sunday. What is faith?

Because I’ve seen pastors struggle to answer it, I’ve heard theologians muddle answers, and I think that’s where following Jesus starts. So how would you answer it – What’s faith?

January 11, 2013 by Andrew Mills

Does Jesus Want to Play Trucks??

Hudson, on Christmas said something very profound, and no it wasn’t “presents!!”

What Hudson said that caught me off guard was this…“Daddy, Jesus come soon, and he play with me.” He then told me that he and Jesus will play trucks because Jesus likes trucks. Of course we had been talking about how Christmas is Jesus’ birthday so perhaps that’s what prompted his little saying, but I think it goes deeper than that.

Hudson is learning about Jesus slowly and surely and he’s showing it. Somehow he has already picked up the fact that Jesus is interested in our interests. That just like in any relationship, Jesus cares about what we care about. I can’t tell you how many romantic comedies I’ve sat through, not because I like them, but because I love my wife. When we care about someone we are concerned with what concerns him or her.

And Hudson has somehow already learned this lesson about Jesus. Jesus is interested in you and what matters to you. When Hudson says that Jesus will play trucks with him, he is saying that Jesus wants to be involved in the biggest and best part of his day. The Jesus Hudson knows is the one who wants to play trucks, who wants to be involved in his life at his level with his cares and concerns. As a pastor, a Christian, and most of all a dad I couldn’t be happier that my son knows this Jesus.

My question for you today is simple: do you know this Jesus too?

Do you know the one who is concerned with all your cares? Do you know the Jesus who is willing to get down to our level and enter into anything and everything we are doing? Who is willing to play trucks? To care about our business, relationships, art, hopes, dreams, and desires? Because this is the Jesus of the gospels, this is the Jesus worth finding, and this is the Jesus that is coming soon.

So Hudson tells me, “Daddy, Jesus come soon, and he play with me. He play trucks”. I, of course, responded with, “Yes you are so right. Jesus is coming soon, and he would love to play trucks with you…but for right now why doesn’t daddy”. And so as we played trucks I smiled…because my son knows the Jesus who is coming…

January 3, 2013 by Andrew Mills

The Power of the Christmas Story

Merry Christmas!

Take a moment if you can and maybe read the story here. I truly believe that stories can change people. They can redirect attention, give grace, and become a moment of meaning. So simply read the Christmas story to your family, friends, or on your own. But read it and be reminded of why we have Christmas, and maybe even be changed through it:

Mary, a virgin, was living in Galilee of Nazareth and was engaged to be married to Joseph, a Jewish carpenter. An angel visited her and explained to her that she would conceive a son by the power of the Holy Spirit. She would carry and give birth to this child and she would name him Jesus.

At first Mary was afraid and troubled by the angel’s words. Being a virgin, Mary questioned the angel, “How will this be?” The angel explained that the child would be God’s own Son and, therefore, “nothing is impossible with God.” Humbled and in awe, Mary believed the angel of the Lord and rejoiced in God her Savior.

Mary must have reflected with awe on the words found in Isaiah 7:14 foretelling this event, “Therefore the Lord himself will give you a sign: The virgin will be with child and will give birth to a son, and will call him Immanuel.”

While Mary was still engaged to Joseph, she miraculously became pregnant through the Holy Spirit, as foretold to her by the angel. When Mary told Joseph she was pregnant, he had every right to feel disgraced and ashamed. He knew that the child was not his own, and Mary’s apparent unfaithfulness would shape his community’s opinion of him and her. So Joseph decided to quietly break off the engagement seeking to spare Mary as much shame as possible. Joseph was a righteous man and sought to act with grace even in difficulty.

But God sent an angel to Joseph in a dream to confirm Mary’s miraculous story and reassure him that his marriage to her was God’s will. The angel explained God’s amazing plan that the child within Mary was conceived by the Holy Spirit. That the child was the Messiah, and was to be named Jesus meaning God with us. When Joseph woke from his dream, he willingly obeyed God and took Mary home to be his wife, in spite of the public humiliation he would face.

Joseph too must have wondered in awe as he remembered the words found in Isaiah 7:14, “Therefore the Lord himself will give you a sign: The virgin will be with child and will give birth to a son, and will call him Immanuel.”

At that time, Caesar Augustus decreed that a census be taken, and every person in the entire Roman world had to go to his own town to register. Joseph, being of the line of David, was required to go to Bethlehem to register with Mary. While in Bethlehem, Mary gave birth to Jesus. The Inn was full so she gave birth to Jesus in a manager, on their own, on the outskirts of town. She wrapped the baby in cloths and placed him in a manger.

Out in the fields, an angel of the Lord appeared to the shepherds who were tending their flocks of sheep by night. The angel announced that the Savior had been born in the town of David. Suddenly a great host of heavenly beings appeared with the angels and began singing praises to God. As the angelic beings departed, the shepherds decided to travel to Bethlehem and see the Christ-child.

There they found Mary, Joseph and the baby, in the stable. They praised God for the miracle of the birth of the Messiah. They went on their way still praising and glorifying God. But Mary kept quiet, treasuring their words and pondering them in her heart.

After Jesus’ birth, Herod was king of Judea. At this time wise men from the east saw a star, they came in search, knowing the star signified the birth of the king of the Jews. The wise men came to the Jewish rulers in Jerusalem and asked where the Christ was to be born. The rulers explained, “In Bethlehem in Judea,” referring to Micah 5:2. Herod secretly met with the Magi and asked them to report back after they had found the child. Herod told the Magi that he too wanted to go and worship the babe. But secretly Herod was plotting to kill the child.

So the wise men continued to follow the star in search of the new born king and found Jesus with his mother in Bethlehem. They bowed and worshipped him, offering treasures of gold, incense, and myrrh. When they left, they did not return to Herod. They had been warned in a dream of his plot to destroy the child.

This is the story of Christmas. Merry Christmas, enjoy the day, and Jesus’ presence!!

December 25, 2012 by Andrew Mills

Christmas Eve, Candles, and Traditions…

I love tradition. I know some people don’t, but I do. The feeling of continuity, of depth, of history gives some things extra meaning. For me that is especially true tonight because my family has a tradition of going to Christmas Eve services.

There is something beautiful about the carols, the stories, and the candles. Christmas Eve doesn’t need to be a big show, there is power in the simplicity of the story of Jesus’ birth. So tonight that’s what we get to celebrate.

In our family the tradition was that on Christmas Eve my dad and my mom would lead the Christmas Eve service together. It was something special they did together each year. In fact, it was the only service they co-lead usually each and every year. The reason that this tradition matters to me is that now my wife and I get the honor of leading a Christmas service.

We will sing carols, we will long for Jesus to come, we will read the Christmas story in all of its simplicity and grandeur. We will light candles to remind us that on Christmas the Light of the World came into the dark. This is something we need to be reminded of each and every year. So if you’d like to join us it’s at 7:00-8:00 here at the church.

This is the tradition of our family to go, sing, and light a candle. But if I can make a challenge to you today. Maybe it’d be worth starting a tradition of your own to create some meaning, depth, and history for your Christmas. Start something that will give meaning to this time of the year each year. Start something that will give depth and create great memories. Start something you can pass onto your kids, grandkids, or family. Maybe it’s going to a Christmas Eve service, sharing stories, creating something as a family, or any other number of things.

But this is the year to start a good tradition, or to keep up time-honored ones. Because for me I won’t be starting a new tradition…but carrying on an old one.

Leading a Christmas Eve service just like my dad would…Merry Christmas!

December 24, 2012 by Andrew Mills

Finding God in the Stars?

On Sunday we are going to be looking at a really odd story found in the Bible. It’s one where God uses a star to direct people to his Son. It’s odd because the story is really about how to find God, but generally we never say to someone searching…”Well look up at the stars”. So on Sunday we’ll find out what this story can teach us about finding God. Because I think in our lives we want to find Jesus, we want to have a deep vibrant relationship with him, we want the full life he talks about. And to find the full life Jesus talks about, means finding him.

So the question I have for you is this: how do you find Jesus? Are you looking for him in your life and all around you? I think it’s a question worth pursuing.

So how have you found him in your life? What did it take? What helped? What was tough? Because what has been my experience is this. God isn’t hiding, but I’m not very good at looking. I give up too fast, I give in to doubt and dejection too quickly, and I forget that my God is looking for me too. But what I’ve learned is that finding God is the most important discovery of my life. So on Sunday we’ll talk about how this Christmas we might all make the same discovery…and we’ll discover it has a lot to do with stars and sacrifices…

December 21, 2012 by Andrew Mills

“Silly Daddy…Jesus Isn’t in a Computer”

I was reading my sermon from my computer aloud talking about Jesus when Hudson runs up to me and shuts my laptop saying, “Silly Daddy, Jesus isn’t in the computer”

And it’s funny, because it’s also sort of true.

My guess is that you would more likely discover Jesus in playing with your kids, than playing on Facebook.

My guess is that you would more likely discover Jesus in a deep conversation with a friend, than checking Instragram.

My guess is that the you’re more likely to discover Jesus while reading the gospels, than checking Twitter.

I know the irony of me reminding us to look for Jesus outside of the computer while I write on a blog, which will post this post to Twitter and Facebook. The truth is that many wonderful connections can be made, insights can be garnered, and depth gleaned from Facebook, blogs, and the Internet. Yet as I look back on this past year I realized most of my real in-depth encounters with Jesus didn’t have anything to do with a computer or twitter. They had a lot to do with friends, family, food, and fun.

So have fun on Facebook. Check Instragram if you’d like. Tweet because I will keep tweeting, and please do continue to read my blog. Let it all impact and deepen your relationship with Jesus. But here is my point, maybe it’s wise to every now and then learn from my son…to shut the laptop down and remember Jesus isn’t just found online and to invest in those relationships all around you.

So the next time you’re with friends and are tempted to play angry birds on your phone, when you’re with your kids and want to check Facebook for the 17^th time, or you’re with your wife and want to fiddle on Twitter – Maybe you can picture Hudson running up to me shutting my computer and reminding me that he’s right in front of me…and just maybe Jesus is too…

December 21, 2012 by Andrew Mills

Can I Go to Church Daddy?

Hudson has started getting into this habit. Here is what it is. He keeps asking to go to church.

Now this is a great habit, and no he doesn’t ask to go to church as much as he asks to watch the movie Cars. But he still asks it consistently.

The question for me is…why?

I mean I love our church. It is a huge blessing. It is an amazing place. But I spent a lot of time thinking and wondering why does Hudson keep asking to come to church. This matters to me because I’ve seen and known lots of pastor’s kids who didn’t want to go to church or to be associated with church. So put more succinctly I was wondering: what is it about this church that draws Hudson to it? What is it about these people that make Hudson want to go to church on a Friday morning?

I don’t think it’s just the nursery toys, although he does love the giant Mater that is there. I think the reason he loves to come to church is this: it’s his family.

You see on Sunday I saw how a dad here chased Hudson around for 15 minutes playing with him. I saw how older people in our congregation gave him cookie, after cookie, after cookie. I saw how people talked with him, helped him, and even saved him from falling overtop a chair (our little boy is a big climber). People picked him up, laughed with him, and asked him about Asher.

In essence, I saw people care. I saw people include him into the church family. And this is what makes church beautiful. Because church isn’t a building, but a people who welcome others.

This is what the church is to be: a family that welcomes. And this is why I love our church, and why I know Hudson wants to be there. Because people make him feel special and a part of things and our church does this not just with Hudson but with others too. I’ve seen parents showing off their new baby, I’ve seen seniors down on the floor playing with new kids, I’ve seen teenagers watching other people’s kids so that the parents can talk and connect. And this is a beautiful thing.

So I know why Hudson wants to go to church…because it’s a place he belongs. And I hope you too feel like you belong, because Jesus is clear, in his Kingdom, if we follow him we all belong…

December 19, 2012 by Andrew Mills

Change, Control, and Our Lack of Both

I want to ask you one simple question today: “Are you being faithful?”

This is possibly the most important question you can answer in your life, job, calling, and relationships.

The somewhat harsh reality of our lives is this:

We can’t change anyone
We can’t do as much as we wish we could
Things get difficult and dark sometimes at the worst times
We aren’t in control as much as we would hope

This is the reality that we live in.

I think deep down we know this. We know that trying to force a 17 year old to change is next to impossible. We know that if we could there are so many people, situations, and lives we’d love to be involved in. We know that there are more needs around us than we could possibly meet. We know that life happens and for the most part we can’t control any of it. But this reality isn’t a reason to be apathetic or hopeless, because there is one thing that you can control. There is one thing you can change: Your own life.

We might not be able to change others, control the world around us, or fix the hurts of our friends but we can still act. We can focus on being faithful friends, spouses, parents, and family members. We can focus on doing our part in that friendship or relationship. We can focus on meeting the needs God is calling us to. We can focus on being faithful to what God is calling us to do.

We don’t need to do everything possible to make an impact. We simply need to be faithful to God’s calling.

So today I want to ask that question again: “Are you being faithful?”

Think through your role as a parent. Think through your role as a spouse, a friend, an employee…whatever. Are you being faithful to what God is asking you to do in that relationship? If you can say yes…then trust that God will do his part of healing, leading, guiding, and giving grace.

Our responsibility has never been to fix everything, to change others, or control the world. Our responsibility is to be faithful…so focus on that today…

December 17, 2012 by Andrew Mills

Sharing Your Story like a Shepherd

On Sunday we explored a story with surprise, beauty, and challenge. We explored a story of shepherds.

We read in Luke 2 of how God announced to the shepherds, through his angels, about Jesus. And about how these unqualified, unsure, and untrained outcasts shared Jesus. You see the thing about shepherds in this context is that they weren’t very respected. In fact, later on people would place shepherds in the same class as thieves and robbers. And in a court of law shepherds’ testimony didn’t count.

Yet God here chooses these people who aren’t respected, often distrusted, and of not great repute to share his story. The shepherds in Luke 2 “tell everyone” in the town about Jesus (Luke 2:17). They don’t focus on the angels, they focus on Jesus and share him with anyone who would listen. The Bible says because of their witness, testimony, their personal story that people were astonished. That people pondered who Jesus was. People started to focus on Jesus because some regular people shared their personal stories of interaction with Jesus.

So what does this mean for us? It’s simple: go and share your story too.

You don’t need to be trained, you don’t need another Bible study on evangelism, you don’t need a specific “gifting” – to share your story about Jesus in your life. This passage in Luke shows us that what matters isn’t training (the shepherds had none), reputation (shepherds didn’t have that either), or even ability (I doubt they were very eloquent). What matters is a willingness to share your personal story of encounter with Jesus. And because they were willing they caused people’s focus to turn to Jesus. And isn’t this what we want in this season? Don’t we want people to be looking for Jesus? If we do, it starts with us. It starts with us being willing to share our stories.

So my challenge is this: share your personal story about Jesus with someone this week. It doesn’t have to be deep, fantastical, intellectual, qualified, or eloquent. It needs to be personal, honest, and true. That’s what the shepherds do and God uses it to draw people to him. And I think this Christmas…he wants to use you…

Sermon Notes

Big Idea: Jesus wants to use you to share his story with family, friends, and neighbors

Take Aways…

Great motives lead to meaning in gift giving and living
Jesus chooses the unqualified, and unimportant to share his story and his arrival. He also chooses us.
Sharing out personal experiences with Jesus cause people to ponder and consider him
If shepherds can share about Jesus, we can share about Jesus
To have a story to share is simple…run to Jesus

Adult / Group Discussion Questions: What surprised you in the sermon? What was new? What was different? Do you feel qualified to share your story? Does being qualified matter to God? What has God done in your life that you can share? How have you found Jesus in your life? What has he changed? Who can you share that change with?

Discussion Questions for Young Families: Spend time with your family and share with them your story of how you found Jesus and what change he has made in your life.

Challenge for this Week:

Share your story with a friend…

December 10, 2012 by Andrew Mills