Tag: jesus

Learning to Forgive – Learning to Send Away

On Sunday we talked about forgiveness. We discussed that the literal meaning of “to forgive” in Greek means to send something away; it means giving up and giving over. So when we forgive we are giving up and giving over our hurts, anger, desires for justice, and all that happened to God. We are literally sending to him everything and trusting that he can hold onto our hurts and deal with them. That’s what forgiveness is.

Forgiveness frees us from holding onto the burden of hurt. Forgiveness frees us from replaying that event or conversation over and over again in our minds. Forgiveness frees not only the other person but also ourselves because we no longer are holding onto the hurt – God is.

Forgiveness is not simply forgetting. It’s not saying “no big deal” when what happened was a big deal. It’s not pretending that a wrong didn’t happen. Forgiveness is sending away the wrong to God, so that you can be made whole. That’s what forgiveness is all about. And we can make a choice to forgive.

We ended with inviting people to make that choice. And yes forgiving is a hard choice. But it is the only choice that leads to healing, because forgiving leads to God.

So to make that choice we invited people to write down their hurts, betrayals, and unforgiveness and to “send it to God”. To do this we invited people to symbolically burn the paper, shred it, or toss it out. The point was to do something physical and tangible that would be a reminder that we have forgiven that person, and “sent it” to God. The point was to do something physical that echoed what we were doing emotionally and spiritually. We were sending away our hurts; we were forgiving others.

So that’s what we touched on yesterday. After church I watched a video sent to me by a member from the church. It’s on forgiveness and I think it illustrates well what we’re talking about. The last line of the video is a great reminder for us today, “If God doesn’t come in forgiveness cannot come”. So why not watch it and today seek to practice forgiveness and sent to God anything that you’re holding onto…

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

Finding and Walking with Jesus

We talk often about the fact that we are never alone with God. We talk about how Jesus is always with us. I believe this to be true. But as I’ve often said, the point isn’t just to believe something but to experience it, be changed by it, and live in its reality. So in this case the point isn’t to just believe you aren’t alone but to know it and experience it.

But how do you do this?

How do you discover Jesus walking with you when you feel like your walking alone? How do you find him in the midst of your difficulty when you feel like your facing it on your own?

These are our questions to pursue on Sunday morning. To hopefully together discover how Jesus is walking with you, even if you didn’t realize he was there.

So my question for you today is: When have you discovered that Jesus was with you, when you thought he wasn’t? How did he reveal himself? Was it through a kind friend’s words, phone call, or embrace? Was it through a peace that came upon you? How did he reveal himself and how did you end up noticing him?

Since our faith is about following and walking with Jesus, we had better learn to recognize him in our lives.

So where have you seen Jesus in your life this week?

by Andrew Mills

Living in Light of Easter

The biggest challenge of Easter isn’t to believe it happened; but to actually live in light of its happening right now. In essence,Easter isn’t something we are called to just believe in but to be transformed by.

So on Sunday I shared how resurrection can transform us, and why Easter matters. You can download it here. We talked about how when we are in the dark, resurrection teaches us that light is coming. No matter how dark, and “tomb-like” our lives may feel, light is coming. Darkness didn’t win. We explored how sin is disconnection and broken relationships. But Jesus, in his death and resurrection, takes on all separation, disconnection, and brokenness so that we can be made whole and holy. And lastly, even in the midst of death, life wins. Death would have us live in light of its lies: that life is over, that relationships are lost, that dreams can be crushed. But Easter reminds us that Jesus says it is finished, not death.

So this is why Easter matters. But if the point isn’t just to believe it, but to live it. So how do you do that?

Well that’s the hard part isn’t it, because we live in a reality where darkness seems to last, linger, and cover over us. We live in a reality that is fragmented with broken relationships, broken selves, and a broken planet. We live in a reality where death seems to win and loss seems irreparable. So how do we live out resurrection in this reality?

Well maybe a simple way to start is to let resurrection shape our reality.

We do that by holding onto Jesus, and onto hope. We hope even in the darkest, most broken, and death filled places, that life, light, and healing can still spill forth. Because that’s the message of Easter. This isn’t simply positive thinking. This is deep trust in the God who doesn’t let death, darkness, or sin win.

Andrew Root writes,  “Optimism says, ‘Something good will come out of this experience’. Hopes says, ‘In the midst of this hell, God will act'”. That’s the message of Easter, that out of this hell, God will act. That’s how we live in light of the resurrection by holding onto hope even in the midst of hell.

So hold onto hope, hold onto the trust that the God, who was active in raising Jesus from the dead, is still active in your life as well. Hold onto the God who is active in the dark. Hold onto the God who doesn’t let anything but life, light, and love have the last word…

by Andrew Mills

Easter is Coming; Resurrection is Happening

Why does Easter matter and what does it actually mean?

That’s what we will be exploring on Easter Sunday. Yes I know that Jesus’ death and resurrection atones for our sin. But what does that actually mean for our lives? Because if Easter is true, it shouldn’t just affect our beliefs but our very lives. The point isn’t to just believe in Easter and Jesus’ resurrection, but to be transformed by it.

So that brings us back to our question. What does Jesus’ death and resurrection actually mean? Why does it matter?

Why does it matter to you? And why should it matter to our neighbors, co-workers, family and friends? Because Jesus didn’t just die for us, but for everyone. So how does Easter change all of us?

That’s the question we’ll be tackling on Sunday. We’ll be looking at it very personally and practically because if the message of Easter doesn’t change our lives’ then we’ve missed the point. And if Jesus’ death and resurrection doesn’t first change and impact our lives, how can we expect it to change others?

So that’s our journey for Sunday. And if you don’t have a church to join in with, please join us.

But for now, what do you think Easter means? How does it change your life? How does it change you? And most importantly,how does it change our entire world?

by Andrew Mills

Good Friday Passage and Post

Read this account from Mark 15. Read it slowly, and meditatively. While you read remember while this day is called Good Friday it wouldn’t be good for another three days…

Mark 15 (The Message)

At dawn’s first light, the high priests, with the religious leaders and scholars, arranged a conference with the entire Jewish Council. After tying Jesus securely, they took him out and presented him to Pilate.

Pilate asked him, “Are you the ‘King of the Jews’?” He answered, “If you say so.” The high priests let loose a barrage of accusations.

Pilate asked again, “Aren’t you going to answer anything? That’s quite a list of accusations.” Still, he said nothing. Pilate was impressed, really impressed.

It was a custom at the Feast to release a prisoner, anyone the people asked for. There was one prisoner called Barabbas, locked up with the insurrectionists who had committed murder during the uprising against Rome. As the crowd came up and began to present its petition for him to release a prisoner, Pilate anticipated them: “Do you want me to release the King of the Jews to you?” Pilate knew by this time that it was through sheer spite that the high priests had turned Jesus over to him.

But the high priests by then had worked up the crowd to ask for the release of Barabbas. Pilate came back, “So what do I do with this man you call King of the Jews?”

They yelled, “Nail him to a cross!”

Pilate objected, “But for what crime?”

But they yelled all the louder, “Nail him to a cross!”

Pilate gave the crowd what it wanted, set Barabbas free and turned Jesus over for whipping and crucifixion.

The soldiers took Jesus into the palace (called Praetorium) and called together the entire brigade. They dressed him up in purple and put a crown plaited from a thornbush on his head. Then they began their mockery: “Bravo, King of the Jews!” They banged on his head with a club, spit on him, and knelt down in mock worship. After they had had their fun, they took off the purple cape and put his own clothes back on him. Then they marched out to nail him to the cross.

There was a man walking by, coming from work, Simon from Cyrene, the father of Alexander and Rufus. They made him carry Jesus’ cross.

The soldiers brought Jesus to Golgotha, meaning “Skull Hill.” They offered him a mild painkiller (wine mixed with myrrh), but he wouldn’t take it. And they nailed him to the cross. They divided up his clothes and threw dice to see who would get them.

They nailed him up at nine o’clock in the morning. The charge against him—the king of the Jews—was printed on a poster. Along with him, they crucified two criminals, one to his right, the other to his left. People passing along the road jeered, shaking their heads in mock lament: “You bragged that you could tear down the Temple and then rebuild it in three days—so show us your stuff! Save yourself! If you’re really God’s Son, come down from that cross!”

The high priests, along with the religion scholars, were right there mixing it up with the rest of them, having a great time poking fun at him: “He saved others—but he can’t save himself! Messiah, is he? King of Israel? Then let him climb down from that cross. We’ll all become believers then!” Even the men crucified alongside him joined in the mockery.

At noon the sky became extremely dark. The darkness lasted three hours. At three o’clock, Jesus groaned out of the depths, crying loudly, “Eloi, Eloi, lama sabachthani?” which means, “My God, my God, why have you abandoned me?”

Some of the bystanders who heard him said, “Listen, he’s calling for Elijah.” Someone ran off, soaked a sponge in sour wine, put it on a stick, and gave it to him to drink, saying, “Let’s see if Elijah comes to take him down.”

But Jesus, with a loud cry, gave his last breath. At that moment the Temple curtain ripped right down the middle. When the Roman captain standing guard in front of him saw that he had quit breathing, he said, “This has to be the Son of God!”

by Andrew Mills

Sacrifice, Car Rides, and the Cross

This is Passion Week, which literally means the week of suffering. This is something we often forget as Christians. That to follow Christ means following him to the cross. That’s the hard part of following Christ. That it involves sacrifice and doing the “right thing” which is often a very hard thing to do.

Late Sunday night I was driving Hudson home from some amazing friends of ours. And it was just Hudson and I. As we were driving home well past his bedtime Hudson wanted to talk. So he asked, “Where’s Mommy?” I said, “she was with your aunt”.  He then asked, “Where’s daddy” And I said, “I’m right here with you.”  And he asked me the favorite kid question, “why?” I answered “because that’s where mommy’s and daddy’s belong right with you.” And then I promised him, “that’s where we will always be, right with you,  mommy and daddy will love you no  matter what.”

But isn’t that exactly the point of Passion Week? Promises like that are easy to say but hard to live out. Promises like that require sacrifice, but it is those promises that matter and give life. It’s promises like that that led Jesus to the cross, by him promising to be with us all the way no matter what. He was so “with us” that he took our sin, shame, and death for us. His being with us required sacrifice.

That’s the hard part of doing the right thing: it always requires sacrifice.

If I am going to be true to my promise to Hudson it will require sacrifice. It’s easy to walk with him, support him, and care for him now. But keeping that promise will be more difficult as he gets older.

But the point for us during this Passion Week is that some things are worth sacrificing for. Some people are worth sacrificing for. In fact, God shows us that all people are worth sacrificing for. That’s the story of Easter. That sacrifices may not be easy, but they are worthwhile. And God’s made one for you, because you matter to him.

So if we are following him, how can you follow his example? Who can you sacrifice yourself for because they matter?

Because while sacrifice isn’t often easy to do, it is the right thing to do…

by Andrew Mills

Power, Parades, and Position

On Sunday we talked about Jesus’ triumphant entry. We talked about how he enters into Jerusalem riding a donkey, symbolizing that his power works differently than the world’s power of might, greed, position, and conquering. Jesus didn’t ride a warhorse emphasizing his superiority, but a donkey emphasizing his humility.

But even as he was riding into Jerusalem in humility, he was still riding into it to rescue the people. The people shout “Hosanna”, save us now. And Jesus was bringing rescue to them although in a way they never would have expected. That’s because while Jesus does rescue and save, he does it in his way and not in the way of the world.

Jesus rescues and saves through submission, sacrifice, and surrender, not through military might, wealth, or positional power. Jesus’ power operates in a way that is distinctly different than the way of the world.

Around the same time that Jesus rode into Jerusalem, so did Pilate. Pilate rode in on a horse with all of his position, power, and strength on display for all to believe in. Jesus rode in on a donkey where his power and strength required trust to believe in.

The challenge for us is to not simply believe in what we can see with our eyes, but what we can trust with our hearts. The challenge is to not simply search for Jesus in spectacles and the sensational, like Pilate and his parade of power, but also in the simple and significant ways of life. Jesus rides a donkey. He’s not riding something flashy and showy, but humble and true.

So my challenge for you this week is this: look for Jesus, watch for him, and find him. But don’t just look for him in the sensational stuff around you. Look for him in the simple and humble ways that he is riding into your life.

And today if you need rescue from something: a work, health, financial, or a relationship situation, then shout “Hosanna” and ask for Jesus to save you.

Just remember he saves in his way, and not the world’s. But that through saving and rescuing us in his way – he rescues the whole world.

by Andrew Mills

What to do with Betrayal…

On Sunday we briefly talked about what to do when we are betrayed, through following the example of Jesus. Jesus, as he is being nailed to the cross says, “Father, forgive them for they know not what they do”. From this we realized three things. First, was that hurt people end up hurting people. We also talked about how Jesus doesn’t see his betrayers as enemies, but as broken people needing forgiveness. And lastly, that Jesus takes his betrayal to God, praying to the Father for their forgiveness.

The main point we ended on was that if we want to deal with our betrayal in the way of Jesus, we need to be like him. We need to take our betrayal to God. To give up our desire for justice our way, and give it over to him.

By this I don’t mean that we don’t create good boundaries, that we forget what happened, or that things go back to the way they were. Broken trust creates consequences. What I am saying is that the personal hurt that happens to us needs to be dealt with in a Jesus-like way. And the way Jesus deals with his betrayal and hurt isn’t to see those who betrayed him as enemies; but instead to see them as broken people needing forgiveness. Jesus also chooses to forgive, and pray for their forgiveness. In essence, he takes his betrayal and he leaves it with God.

I believe this is what we are called to do.

The problem is I often don’t want to. I want to hold on to my betrayal, bitterness, and judgement. I don’t want to give it up. My hurt starts to feel normal, justified, and right. And sometimes it is so hard to give over those deep betrayals. We feel we need to hold onto them and to fight for justice. I’m not saying those feelings aren’t right. What I am saying is that I have stronger feelings when I look at Jesus. When I see him, I want to be like him more than I want to hold onto my hurt. I want to be like him more than I want to hold onto being right, or my version of justice.

So I’ve decided to give up my hurts, betrayals, and give them over to God. I am in no way saying it’s easy; I’m just saying it’s Jesus-like. And that’s enough for me. What about you?

by Andrew Mills