7 Words That Rocked My World

"Do ALL things without complaining or disputing." - Philippians 2:14

I taught on those words last night in addition to quite a few others in Philippians 2. These were by far the easiest to understand (compared to human responsibility & God's sovereignty in vs. 12-13), but definitely some of the most challenging to put into practice.

Whenever I preach something, I get many chances to live it. Sometimes I do well with the tests that come my way, and other times, not so well. You know how it goes. Today, I was tested.


I went Christmas dress shopping.

With 5 girls.

For 4 hours.



I kept this verse in the forefront of my mind, quoting it to myself over and over throughout the day. I was determined. I certainly was not perfect. I complained a few times. But, for the most part, keeping this verse on hand rocked my world today. I realized today what a whiner I can be. Whether it's waiting for someone to get done in a store, feeling hungry, wondering when we're leaving, or any other "whine-worthy" reason, I could have whined, but (for the most part), I dodged the whining.

My take on it: I like it. It felt good to be positive and not bummed out. I should try this more often, like maybe every day?!

Have you tried fasting for a day from whining? I heard about a pastor who challenged his church to fast for a week from it. Whenever they whined, they had to contribute $1 to their "ugly jar", then turn in that money the following weekend at church. In one week, just from whining, they raised $11,000 that they gave to local charities. I guess that's good?

Stop complaining and start cooperating. It's such a better life.


You can donwload Saturday's message on Philippians 2:12-18 called "A Well-Oiled Machine" from our podcast in iTunes by clicking HERE. Hope you're blessed by it.

Uncharted Territory

That was the title of a message from Philippians 1:12-18 that I taught a little over a month ago. One thing I love about plunging the depths of the Scriptures and only covering a couple verses at a time is that you get to go deeper and see new things you've never seen.

It's like scuba diving versus snorkeling. They're both cool, don't get me wrong, but when you merely skim the surface with a tube sticking out of your mouth and some funny-looking goggles, you miss a lot. Thankfully, since you don't even know what you missed out on, you still walk away from snorkeling happy. However, I wonder how many scuba divers go back to snorkeling. It must be challenging after knowing what is really out there in the depths of the ocean.

Same with Scripture. I've settled for "snorkel preaching" where we skim the surface. I enjoyed it. But I think I enjoyed it because I'd never heard any "scuba preaching". I had never plunged the depths of the Scripture. Eventually, I did, though, and I can't go back to snorkeling.

Here's where I'm going with all of this...
As I plunged into the depths of Philippians 1:12-18, I ran across one word in verse 12 that rocked my world (I think you'll be able to tell which word):

Philippians 1:12-13 - But I want you to know, brethren, that the things which happened to me have actually turned out for the furtherance of the gospel, so that it has become evident ​to the whole ​palace guard, and to all the rest, that my chains are in Christ;

Furtherance, in the Greek, is a super cool word. In Greek, it means "to cut before" and it refers to a group of men who went in front of an army cutting through vines and branches in an impenetrable forest. As these men cut back the trees, the army could advance into areas that they could have never gone to before - uncharted territory. How cool that Paul could have that outlook on his prison chains. Instead of viewing them as something that held him down, he viewed them as something that broke down barriers and enabled further ministry! Before prison, Paul might have seen Roman soldiers on the streets, but he would have never had years of uninterrupted ministry with them like he did now. A Roman soldier's shift was usually 6 or 8 hours long and Paul was chained to one at all times - 24/7 (actually, I think the soldiers were chained to Paul). Paul would have cycled through 3 or 4 Roman soldiers every day. You know they didn't stand a chance at not hearing the Gospel! That week, I challenged us all to take that view into our daily lives. However, as the teacher, I often get to learn these lessons even more hands-on than the rest. That's where my bus driver job comes in.

Thankfully, driving a bus is nothing like prison. No chains, no sentence, no starvation, no Roman soldiers following me to the bathroom. I really enjoy my job and I'm very thankful for it. However, after thinking through this word, I realized that I had an opportunity for the FURTHERANCE of the Gospel right at my fingertips: my school bus! You see, as a trainee, I have to either ride along with someone or they have to ride with me. In the 6 hours a day that I'm in a bus with someone, inevitably, there's plenty of time to talk. I always pray for the person that I know I'll be riding with and ask God to give me an open door to share my faith with them. With that mindset, it's hard NOT to find an opportunity! Sometimes, they bring it up, or sometimes, through conversation, I use something they said to bring up their beliefs and the Gospel. Whichever way it happens, I recently realized, God is writing His own version of Philippians 1 through my life:

Philippians 1:12-13 [Kevin Miller Version (KMV)] - But I want you to know, brethren, that the job that I have has actually turned out for the furtherance of the gospel, so that it has become evident ​​to the whole Montgomery County Transportation Department, and to all the rest, that my bus driving is in Christ...

 That's right - the whole transportation department...at least that's my goal. I've only been driving for a month or so now, but I'm already known as "the preacher." I try to give everyone I ride with a little dose of some Gospel medicine. I've already gotten to pray for reconciliation with people, give Biblical counsel, marriage counsel, talk about the struggles of cancer and how God is in control, talk about the coming of Christ and what I believe happens when this life is over, and much more. Super cool opportunities.

One of the ladies from work has started coming to the church and has been inviting others. I actually walked in after lunch the other day as she had a group of bus drivers around her, telling them about Awaken!

One lady rode with me, and since she had the map, she told me which turns to take. On our way back, we got a chance to talk about her beliefs on the afterlife. After our route, I told her, "Thanks for steering me in the right direction (referring to the map)," and she said, "No, thank you for steering me in the right direction!" I walked out of there smiling, realizing she had taken to heart the things I said.

Every day is a chance for the furtherance of the Gospel, so what if we started viewing our circumstances through that lens?

What if we viewed our circumstances, detours, and jobs, as opportunities for the furtherance of the Gospel?

What if every day was used to take the Gospel into uncharted territory?

If we lived this way, it would revolutionize our life, our view on the Gospel, and change more lives than we ever imagined!


By the way, if you want to hear that message from Philippians 1:12-18, check out our newly re-vamped service archive page, or download our audio podcast from iTunes.

What you have in common with Pocahontas and flat tires

"Emery, wanna help me fix the bike tires? They're flat."
"Yes! Lemme get my tools."

Moments later, she emerged from her room with a bucket full of Disney princesses and bouncy balls. I pulled out the wrenches, the tire flat fixing kit, and pulled off the bike wheels. Meanwhile, Emery was at work "fixing fings". She had Pocahontas out and all the other 9 wrenches that I hadn't used, and she was working on that bike.

Same thing happens when she wants to "help" one of us cook. All that involves is her standing on a chair and taste-testing everything before AND after it goes into the mixing bowl. Once, she even managed to grab a stick of butter mid-air as I attempted to drop it into a pot. She took a bite out of that bad boy like it was a juicy peach.

That's her definition of "help".
I would define "help" much differently.
If we're honest, we'd all agree that getting things done is a lot easier and a lot less messy when the little ones aren't around and have their hands in everything. That's why we get babysitters. Although that's the truth, there's something great about involving them. They love it, we love it, and although it takes a little longer and things may end up a little messy, it's always great when they want to "help".

It's the same way with us and God.

Let's continue this honesty trend by recognizing that if God chose to do ministry without us, things would be a lot easier and a lot less messy. There would be no need for clean-up, no pastors falling out of ministry, no church splits. Everything would happen efficiently and effectively. After all, toward the end of the Tribulation, in Revelation 14:6, as one last attempt at getting people to accept Him, God deploys an angel to fly through the sky proclaiming "the everlasting Gospel" to whole Earth in every language. Hold on, didn't Jesus give us the task of sharing the Gospel (Matthew 28:18-20)? Yeah, He did. And He gave us a good run at it. Then, toward the end of the Tribulation, He'll come show us how it's done.

Just like how I knew a bunch of tricks that Emery and Pocahontas weren't aware of when it came to fixing bike tires, God has a few tricks up His sleeve as well. Not only are we not aware of some (most) of His tricks, we're also incapable of performing them. And yet, although He could do the job far more effectively and efficiently than He could, He lets us "help". I like it that way.

So, be honest about yourself. View yourself as a little kid standing on a chair in the kitchen, apron tied around your waste, munching sticks of butter as they fall into the pan. Or, for the more hands-on fix-it types, see yourself using a Disney princess to fix a bike tire. In reality, that's what our attempts at doing God's job look like compared to His techniques and abilities. You're not the Master Chef and you haven't conquered bike tires. If anything productive actually comes from the ministry you're a part of, all the credit goes to the One who actually caused it to happen.


What ministry are you a part of and how have you seen God move through it?


What are some evidences you've seen that remind you it's not you doing it - it's God?


What are some practical ways to keep the right perspective about God's plan and your tiny contribution to it?

"Hey everybody, look at me!"

That's what our new billboard is screaming 24 hours a day, 7 days a week for the next month. Maybe not audibly, but hopefully graphically.

I've been eying this billboard location since we moved here, but it's been taken...until this weekend. It's in a prime location: exactly 1 mile from the church (according to Google maps), across the street from the college campus, in a very busy part of downtown, plus, it's in a school zone, which means that for a large portion of each week day, people have to drive 20 mph past our billboard. Nice.

I've done a lot of design over the last 5 or 6 years of my life. I've designed websites, fliers, business cards, t-shirts, sickers, buttons, logos, but this is my first billboard. I like it. It's fun designing something on the computer then seeing it on display for the whole city to see in a very large format.

It seems weird at first thought to pray for a billboard, but that's what I've been doing. As simple as a large piece of vinyl plastered to a big metal sign is, it's also an opportunity to spark an interest in the hearts of passers-by. I love that God can use something simple like this to grab their attention. Ultimately, though, the goal is to get them to come to the church and from there, we pray that God rocks their world. Join us in prayer that God would use this simple form of media to change people for eternity.

Wanna see some more pics? Of course you do. Click HERE.

What all bulletin boards long for...

By special request, we ordered new Awaken cards that just rolled into town about a week ago. They're super fresh and updated with all our church info: name, mission, website, phone #, address, service times, Twitter, Facebook, and paint splatters (just for fun). They're also equipped with rounded corners so that you don't slice your fingers as you handle these sharp-looking things.

Get creative and find some good places to leave these cards. Bulletin boards, shop windows, windshield wipers, and the sleeping pill section at Wal-Mart are all begging for them - these cards are so cool they make their surroundings look good. So, do the city a favor, and spread the word by grabbing some cards and getting creative. Don't be scared. You don't have to just leave them anonymously. Research tells us that

"More than nine out of 10 of the unchurched said they would come to church if they were invited."

Wow! These cards are a great way to invite your co-workers and friends to come with you to church, but they may also open the doors for some full-on Gospel-sharing opportunities!

Check our photo gallery on our website or our Facebook for some creative places that Awaken cards have been left throughout the city, then get to it.

Also, if you're able to pull it off without being creepy/stalker-esque, take a pic and send it to awakenpics@awakenchurch.org. We'll post it on our website and Facebook to give others some creative ideas.

Problem, Meet the Solution.

I've been struggling with a lot of doubt and discouragement lately. It
happens to everyone at times and sometimes we respond the wrong way.
Here's a quick tip for hitting your problems head-on with its
solution. Ready? It's very simple: define your problem in a word or 2
("doubt" or "ruined plans"), then grab an attribute of God to meet
that problem. Instead of spending your prayer time whining to God
about your problems, spend it rejoicing with God for victory.
Here are some examples of how you can pair up your problems with God's
solutions:

DOUBT, meet 2 Corinthians 1:20.
"For all the promises of God in Him are Yes, and in Him Amen, to the
glory of God through us."

UNFAITHFULNESS, meet 2 Timothy 2:13.
"If we are faithless, He remains faithful. He cannot deny Himself."

WORRY, meet John 6:25-34.
"Therefore do not worry about tomorrow, for tomorrow will worry about
its own things..."

UNKNOWN FUTURE, meet Revelation 1:8.
"I am the Alpha and the Omega, the Beginning and the End, says the
Lord, who is and who was and who is to come, the Almighty."

TEMPTATION, meet 1 Corinthians 10:13.
"...God is faithful, who will not allow you to be tempted beyond what
you are able, but with the temptation will also make the way of
escape, that you may be ble to bear it."

SUFFERING/PERSECUTION, meet 1 Peter 4:12-13.
"Beloved, do not think it strange concerning the fiery trial which is
to try you, as though some strange thing happened to you; but rejoice
to the extent that you partake of Christ's sufferings, that when His
glory is revealed, you may also be glad with exceeding joy."

What are your problem/solution pairs? Reply to this blog so others can
share in the victory you've found through God's faithfulness.
We are more than conquerors through Christ (Romans 8:37), so don't let
your problems conquer you, you conquer them!

-Kevin
Sent from my iPhone

How We Do Things (Part 3): KIDS MINISTRY

Part 3 of how we do things at Awaken.

Part 1 was on Bible teaching. Check it here.
Part 2 was on Giving. You can read it here.


Kids Ministry.

Kids are a big part of what we do at Awaken. We have plenty of them and we have plenty of room for them. In fact, half of our building is dedicated to just the kids - 1,200 square feet for the adults and 1,200 square feet for the kids!

One thing you'll notice about us is that we don't use the word "babysitting." It's not a bad word or anything, but that just doesn't accurately describe what we do. We call it "Awaken Kids Ministry" because that's exactly what it is - a ministry for kids. We believe that kids can experience God on their own level, so we go out of our way to help them do that. We have 3 age groups available: 8 weeks to 24 months, 2 years to 5 years, and 6 years to 10 years. Each group has something targeted toward them. Our kids curriculum is called "Generations of Grace" and it comes from John MacArthur's church, Grace Community Church, in Sun Valley, CA. If you know anything about John MacArthur, you know he is a solid Biblical teacher and his kids' curriculum reflects that! It's designed around the truth of God's Word and takes kids systematically through the Scripture at their own level. Each week there are hands-on crafts for them to do that relate to that week's lesson as well as some nutrition in the form of sugar (Kool-Aid, and some snacks)! You gotta have some sugar!

Besides the fact that kids learn about God on their own level, we also see the benefit of providing a way for the parents to drop off their kids and be able to fully focus on the teaching of God's Word in the main service. It's always a bit challenging to stay focused with a little one next to you!

Jennifer Witiuk is our Kids Ministy coordinator. She's a nurse at Gateway Hospital and she loves kids. You can read all about her on our About Us page, but make sure to also meet her next time you're at Awaken!

On a personal note, my 3-year old, Emery, has learned a lot of great Bible stories from Awaken Kids Ministry. She loves to tell us about Adam & Eve and the snake. She also memorized her very first verse in her kids class - Genesis 1:1. Watch her recite it here!

If you have any questions about Kids Ministry, feel free to email Jennifer Witiuk. Also, if you attend Awaken and you're looking for a way to serve, Awaken Kids may be just the place for you. Talk to me or one of the other pastors about getting involved!

How We Do Things (Part 2): GIVING

Here's Part 2 of this little mini-blog series on how we do things at Awaken. If you missed Part 1 on Bible teaching, check it here.
Here's today's - a touchy topic for many, but not for God!


Giving.

Did you know that the church of Satan uses tithing in the Christian church to draw people to Satanism? Yeah. Sounds crazy right? Well, to get involved as a member of the church of Satan (not that any of you are considering this...hopefully), there's a $200 membership fee. Sound steep? They'll tell you it's cheap compared to Christianity, which requires 10% of each paycheck! The problem is, they have it all backward. To them, it's money that's due - it's an obligation. For Christians, giving to the work of the ministry is an opportunity, a joyful form of worship. At least, it should be.

If you attend a service at Awaken, one thing you'll notice is that we won't pass an offering plate. In fact, we don't own offering plates. The only plates we own are paper ones that we use for putting a burger on at a BBQ! Don't get me wrong - there's nothing wrong with an offering plate...or bag...or bucket, I just don't prefer it. I grew up in churches that passed the offering plate and took up a formal offering each service. My dad was often an usher - one of the dudes that got up during worship and passed the plates around. It's a very valid way of collecting the cash, we just don't do it.

Instead, we provide 2 ways to give at Awaken:
1) in the wonderful brown wooden boxes (thanks, Hobby Lobby) located in the church building for people to drop cash, checks, money orders, coins, $1000 bills...or whatever you choose to give, and
2) online giving (available for one-time or recurring gifts). It's really simple.

You see, giving financially to the ministry was never designed to be a burden, like the church of Satan makes it out to be. In fact, God’s Word gives the opposite idea in 2 Corinthians 9:7. It says

So let each one give as he purposes in his heart, not grudgingly or of necessity; for God loves a cheerful giver.

In other words, God loves when we love to give! In fact, it’s an extension of worship. Worship through song, worship through studying the Bible, and worship with your wallet!

Biblically, we are told to give cheerfully (2 Corinthians 9:7), generously (Romans 12:8), and in proportion to what we have been given (Mark 12:41-44). After all, when you think about the fact that all that you have has been given to you by the Lord, giving a portion of it back just makes sense - it’s not yours in the first place!

Many people get caught up with how much you should give and point to the Old Testament principle of tithing, which means 10%. That is a great place to start and a good guideline to go by, but don’t let it hold you down. Remember that God loves when we give cheerfully and is honored when you give back what He has given to you. Ministry is not free - it must be funded somehow. The church relies on God’s provision and sovereignty to take care of its needs and one way that God chooses to provide is through the generous giving of those who are blessed by the church’s ministry.

So, next time you're at Awaken (or whatever church you end up at next), whether there's an offering plate going around or not, remember that God loves when you love to give. Have a good time doing it and support the work of God in the local church.

While we're on the topic, if you feel like showing Awaken some financial love, go here.

How We Do Things (Part 1): BIBLE TEACHING

Awaken isn't exactly a "traditional" church and we like it that way. We've had plenty of people ask questions about why we do certain things the way we do them, so this week, I hope to answer some of those questions. If you have a question of your own, let us know. These blogs won't be exhaustive, but they should at least give you a peek into why we do church the way we do. I'll hit on a few broad topics such as Bible Teaching (today), Giving, Kids Ministry, Outreach, etc.


Bible Teaching.


I doubt you can attend an Awaken service without realizing at least one important thing about us: we love God's Word and we fully believe that it is 100% relevant to our lives today. Believe me, if it were only a history book, I'd find something better to do with my life. You should be able to recognize our love for the Scripture just from our tag line (mission statement, vision statement, motto, slogan, whatever you want to call it):

AWAKENing people to the relevance of God's Word and equipping them for His service.

I teach expositionally. If you're wondering what that is, it could be quickly defined like this:

Exposing the truth of God's Word by allowing the text to determine the content of the sermon. 

In other words, what I preach isn't designed around what I think you need to hear. It's centered on what the text of the Scripture says. I fully believe the Bible when it says that it ...is alive and powerful. It is sharper than the sharpest two-edged sword, cutting between soul and spirit, between joint and marrow. It exposes our innermost thoughts and desires (Hebrews 4:12, NLT). Normally, I pick a book of the Bible and teach the whole thing, no matter how long it takes me. I've taught smaller books like Philemon & Jonah in 1 sitting, or larger books like Genesis over a period of 2 years.

Here's 3 beauties of teaching this way:

1) It clears the airwaves for God. It allows Him to speak to us on exactly the topics we need to hear at the exact moment we need to hear them. I don't have to try to be all edgy and figure out what it is that you need to hear - I'm pretty confident in the Holy Spirit's ability to do that (refer to Hebrews 4:12 above).

2) It forces me to teach texts and topics that I may normally be tempted to steer clear of. For example, when I taught through Revelation, I was forced to teach on topics I had never taught on. Good example: Revelation 17 - a vision of a drunk prostitute riding on the back of a scarlet beast. What?! That's in the Bible? Yeah...and it's awesome. The idea behind the passage is the fall of the world system. The world system is represented by the prostitute (lust, fornication) drunk on the blood of the saints. It's a very graphic description of the appeal of the world despite its final destination (violent destruction). Let me be honest - I would have NEVER chosen that passage to teach. But, since I was teaching through the book, it was next in line. I can tell you it was hard-hitting and extremely relevant. We needed to peek behind the curtains of the world system and see what fuels it and where it's headed. It ended up being one of my favorite teachings in Revelation!

3) It helps me to be true to the text. Taking Scripture out of context happens FAR too often...and it's actually really easy to do. We get a topic or an idea in our mind, then try to find a passage of Scripture to back it up. That's all backwards. That's not the way it should be done. Approaching it from the other angle helps me to say what the text is meant to say. I'm able to take into consideration the historical and literary context and expose the truth behind the passage.


Don't get me wrong. There's nothing wrong with a good "series," - I'll do those here and now. I taught a series called Be Transformed when we started our Wednesday night home Bible study during the summer. Even a series can be taught expositionally.

So, when you come to Awaken, bring your Bible! We use them a lot. Bible teaching is the central part of the ministry of Awaken. It should be a part of your daily life as well.

Jesus in a Shoebox

Americans love shoes. According to this site, Converse alone has an annual revenue of over $16 billion. That calculates out to... A LOT of shoes. I'm confident with that estimate 1) because I did the math, and 2) because, if you find it on the internet, it must be true, right? I digress...

November 18 (2 weeks from tomorrow) is Awaken's deadline to bring in Operation Christmas Child shoe boxes. We finally got around to doing our last night. While my mother-in-law watched Adalyn at home, Emery, Jenn, and I hit up Wally-World. Walmart is a killer place to go for shoebox gear because they have lots of small, cheap toys so you can jam those boxes full of killer stuff for the kids. We had a budget in mind, but as you'll find, you can easily get carried away while shopping. We ended up spending double what we had in mind. Oh well. It's worth it. Once we got home, we took the giving a step further and had Emery choose almost new toys out of her own toy box to include in the shoe boxes. She was stoked to give of what she had to "nother boys and girls."

Every year, Samaritan's Purse (run by Franklin Graham) ships millions of boxes around the world to kids who barely have anything. It's a hands-on way of sharing Christ with them, because they come in the name of Jesus. Many cities and churches around the world who receive shipments of these boxes put on big Christmas crusades with singing, dancing, performances, games, as well as the shoe box distribution. They're able to share the Gospel - the true meaning behind the boxes - then hand them out. As any of you who are parents know, when someone reaches out to your kid, they reach out to you too. These gifts don't just effect the kids, they preach to the whole family!

If you want to learn more about OCC, here's some info from their site.

Bring your boxes into Awaken by Wednesday, November 18, then we'll take them to the local drop-off center to be shipped out. Make sure to include a donation of $7 for each box to pay for the shipping costs. You can also donate online this year, through Samaritan Purse's EZ Give program. If you choose that route, your box will be equipped with a bar code that will allow you to track where your gift ends up! Super cool! Enjoy.

A Sermon for the Senses

Last night, I got to teach on one of my favorite topics to teach on: the substitutionary death of Jesus Christ. Super cool. The fact that He took the death that I deserved really rocked me this week. I hope that it never becomes commonplace.

Last night was a first for me: preaching on Halloween. While everyone else was out trick-or-treating, we worshiped - it was great. People all over the US put on masks and costumes, turning them into things that they really were not. My daughter was Little Red Riding Hood, another little girl in the church was a Bumble Bee. We normally don't allow bees in the church, but we made an exception for Bella because she was such a cute stinger-less bee. Jesus' death had a similar effect on us compared to the costumes people wore: By dying for us, Jesus put on our sin and became something He was not so that we could put on His righteousness and become something we could never be. That truth is straight out of Scripture:

2 Corinthians 5:21 - For ​He made Him who knew no sin to be sin for us, that we might become ​​the righteousness of God in Him.

Jesus knew that we were born separated from Him and the last thing He wanted was for us to die the same way, so, He gave everything up to fix that problem. Unfortunately, we get caught up in a bunch of other unimportant stuff and forget how incredible that sacrifice is. Jesus knew that, which is why He gave the church a simple, hands-on way to remember His sacrifice - communion. You see it, hear about it, touch it, taste it, and smell it - it's a sermon for the senses. I didn't have to do a lot of talking last night because I let the bread and the juice do the talking.

Is Jesus' sacrifice something you think about daily or do you easily forget about it? He got punished like He was the one sinned so that we could be rewarded as if we had never sinned! Wow! What a deal! Jesus certainly got the short end of the stick on that one huh? He's not whining about it though, He's sitting at the right hand of the Father (Hebrews 1:3) patiently awaiting our arrival when He raptures us. Because He died for us, the party can begin soon!

You can download the message HERE or subscribe to our podcast in iTunes HERE. Enjoy.