Scott Miller Blog :: Good Stuff

Coming Near

Coming near to God involves prayer and Scripture study…but even more than that, it involves action. I can pray the prayer all day, asking God to come near as I am coming near to him…but the "proof is in the pudding" (who ever thought of that saying anyhow) in our actions.

I just thought through my actions today…I've finished my Monday evening routine of bill paying, and now I'm sitting here, thinking through my day. I know I've prayed today, asking God to come near to me as I come near to Him…but beyond that, what other actions have filled my day that has shown I'm drawing near?

I'm not talking religious bondage or anything…where our actions have to prove anything to God…but yet, drawing near, coming near, is more than just the spiritual disciplines of prayer and Scripture study…it's action…what actions have you had today? How will that change tomorrow?

Think on it…

James 4:8 ⁸Come near to God and he will come near to you.

Update on Megan

Here's the scoop…Megan has reached the 36 week mark, so the doc says to go off the meds (which were slowing down any contractions) and off of bed rest!

How about those apple's…thanks to everyone who's prayed with us for the baby to stay in the womb! Now, we wait until July 20^th (scheduled C-section), or let the baby come out when it decides to come.

That's all for now…

Update: After 3 weeks of bedrest, with absolutely no baby shopping, all thrown into one night of shopping (it's 9:51pm as I write this, having just got home), I can definitively say Megan is off bedrest.

Praying Scripture

I took a hiatus from our Everyday Faith series yesterday to talk about praying Scripture. What would it look like if we combined our Scripture reading with prayer? Not only 'standing on the promises' of Scripture, but allowing the Holy Spirit to give us a specific verse, passage, or group of verses to pray through concerning our current life situation?

Every time I do this, it ends up in a new level of faith in my life. So, have you tried it?

Think about it…listen to it…

Heaven was opened

Get a picture of what happens when you and I come near to God…when we call on Him through prayer…Heaven opens. That just hit me a minute ago…

Luke 3:21 When all the people were being baptized, Jesus was baptized too. And as he was praying, heaven was opened"

Fasting - Journal

Something else that I find causes any time of fasting to have longer effect is to journal anything and everything throughout the day. Write down what the Holy Spirit spoke to you through Scripture. Log any kind of things you might have felt as you prayed. I know for many of us (especially the guys), journaling is an odd experience b/c it seems to be more emotional and touchy feely. But…if you can get past that, and look at your journal as almost a conversation you have between you and God…it could really help you long term spiritually!

And it's always faith building to look back and see what God brought you through 6 months ago, 1 year ago, 3 years ago (that's when I really started journaling)…

Just a thought…

Fasting - Drink and keep drinking

Just thought I'd take a minute to encourage those of you who are fasting today…one of the biggest challenges of fasting for me is that I'm not eating! (duh!) To try to get past the struggle with my appetite for food, I will drink, and never stop drinking. Really...if I don't drink through a fast, I typically end up focusing more on my lack of food than anything else!  Not to mention, flushing out your system with liquids only for a day is very healthy...

Drink water, juices, whatever…just don't stop!

Church Open

Hey Pathway…fyi…the church is open until 4pm today if you'd like to stop by to pray…press in…Come Near to God, and He'll come near to you…

June 24th Come Near Prayer

As I was praying last night while walking (and sweating b/c it was so hot...and getting my arm yanked off by Daisy the Dog) I really felt like the HS gave me some marching orders for tomorrow's (Wednesday) fasting and prayer time.  If you are reading this on Tuesday, please join me in fasting at least one meal.  If you are reading this on Wednesday, it's not too late...give up supper!  If you are reading this on Thursday or beyond...well...jump out of your buggy so you can check your email more often, and join us on another day! 

This past Sunday, I encouraged Pathway to fast and pray this Wednesday, June 24^th. One of the biggest challenges people say to me about fasting is that they don't know what to pray for or focus on…here it is…everyone of us, let's pray through what I'm going to call the "Come Near" scriptures. Print this post out right now and keep these Scriptures near you all day. Set a goal to pray through every one of these Scriptures at least 7 times on Wednesday.

• James 4:8 Come near to God and He will come near to you.
• Matthew 5:6 ⁶Blessed are those who hunger and thirst for righteousness,  for they will be filled.
• Matthew 6:33 ³³But seek first his kingdom and his righteousness, and all these things will be given to you as well. 
• Hebrews 11:6 ⁶And without faith it is impossible to please God, because anyone who comes to him must believe that he exists and that he rewards those who earnestly seek him.
• Matthew 7:7  ⁷"Ask and it will be given to you; seek and you will find; knock and the door will be opened to you. ⁸For everyone who asks receives; he who seeks finds; and to him who knocks, the door will be opened.
• Luke 18:2 ²He said: "In a certain town there was a judge who neither feared God nor cared about men. ³And there was a widow in that town who kept coming to him with the plea, 'Grant me justice against my adversary.'

  ⁴"For some time he refused. But finally he said to himself, 'Even though I don't fear God or care about men, ⁵yet because this widow keeps bothering me, I will see that she gets justice, so that she won't eventually wear me out with her coming!'"

  ⁶And the Lord said, "Listen to what the unjust judge says. ⁷And will not God bring about justice for his chosen ones, who cry out to him day and night? Will he keep putting them off? ⁸I tell you, he will see that they get justice, and quickly. However, when the Son of Man comes, will he find faith on the earth?"

Monday in Elkhart

Monday in Elkhart from Scott Miller on Vimeo.

Pathway Worship

I was standing there worshiping in the middle of 1^st service today, and the Holy Spirit struck me with a thought…I went to 1 Samuel 16:23…David was playing his harp before Saul, who was afflicted with an evil spirit…here's what Scripture says – Whenever the spirit from God came upon Saul, David would take his harp and play. Then relief would come to Saul; he would feel better, and the evil spirit would leave him.

What kind of musicians do we need at Pathway? Sure we want gifted musicians…yes we want humble musicians (which are honestly hard to find b/c it seems it's very easy for musicians to be prideful)…most importantly, we want ANOINTED musicians.

Who gives a rip if it sounds beautiful, well planned, and organized if it doesn't have the touch of the Holy Spirit on it…if it doesn't cause evil spirits to flee…if it doesn't cause everyone in the room to turn their eyes off of themselves and off of the band, and completely enter in to worshiping our God, our Lord, our Redeemer, Jesus Christ! We actually prayed through these thought in first service.

We are nearing an open call for musicians to "try out" (I almost hate that term, but don't know what else to call it). I'll share more over the next week or two…

One last thought…Kudos (or whatever spiritual word you could come up with) to Derek Kidder today for the heart in which he led the worship team this morning. Derek gave the younger guys a chance to lead…in a sense, spread their wings. But yet, he flowed in his gift. I was blessed to just watch as Derek gave hands on teaching as to how to flow with the Holy Spirit while leading worship this morning. I love it…Good stuff!

1993

In 2^nd service this past Sunday, my mouth spoke before my brain kicked in! I talked about the Sunday in early 1993 when I saw Megan across the foyer at church…which was the Sunday that started my pursuit of her!

Apparently though, instead of 1993, I said this happened in 2003! Not a huge issue unless you start figuring out that my first child was born in '99, and my second was born in '03.

Oops…not the first, and won't be the last!

Working Man Am I

Felt rather industrious on this beautiful Saturday. Every once and a while, a guy has to put the laptop aside, shut down the Microsoft Outlook, and take on a day of projects. Such as…

What's the matter with this picture…

There's not a gaping hole in the screen anymore (thanks to friendly neighbor/Pathway person, Jim Kerezman, for the correct tool)…

How about this floor? What is it missing?

There is a shine on this puppy that can only come from a thorough cleaning…mopping and all…

What is there to notice about this picture?

The only thing to notice is that this drawer actually works now…it's not lying on the bathroom floor in the girls' bathroom…

This is actually an unusually industrious day for me…

Pursuing God

Just finished going over my message for Sunday again…I'm focusing in on James 4:8 – Come near to God and he will come near to you.

Amazing how you can track the thought of coming to God, and how he comes near to us, all the way through Scripture. The thing that has really blown me away this week as I've studied is that it's those who are drawing near that get the blessing (kind of a duh moment, but it hit me for some reason)…

• Matthew 5:6…we're blessed when we hunger and thirst for righteousness…when we pursue God…
• Matthew 6:33…we're blessed only when we seek him first…
• Matthew 7:7…who has it given to them? Who finds it? Who has the open door? The guy who pursues God! Asks, Seeks, Knocks!
• Hebrews 11:6…who does God reward? He rewards those who earnestly/diligently seek Him!

Has the potential of being a life changing Sunday! Thinking we ought to, as a church, fast and pray together this Wednesday.

The Johnny Principle

I volunteered to help at my daughter's field day at school. They put me, and another dad named Brad, over the all important task of the tug of war. It was a lot of fun watching as these 4^th graders tried to out pull each other (as if their lives depended on it).

There was one round where one team had been victorious pretty handily, so Brad and I decided we ought to take a player off the winning team and add it to the not-winning team (as opposed to the team of loser's…we must not use such language…sensitive psyche's we are dealing with here). Brad did something that I didn't understand at first, but then I saw it…he grabbed the skinniest little guy he could find from the winning team and added him to the non-winning team.

They lined up and began to pull…to my shock, Johnny's team was winning…AND WON! Who would have thunk that adding skinny little Johnny to the other team would have made such a huge difference! It hit me then...I think I might have just learned the Johnny Principle.

The Johnny Principle – it's amazing what can happen when you get the right person on the team at the right time. You may think their small stature in the eyes of man won't make much difference, but if you get their small bit of gifts and influence bought into the plan and vision, it can make a world of difference.

I wonder how many Johnny's we still have at Pathway, waiting to get placed on the right ministry team, at this critical time??? Huh…

Read My Lips – I AM NOT A COOK

We decided at the start of the month that we would take every penny we typically spend on eating out this month and give it in the Catapult offering at the end of this month.  We had no idea that just days after making this decision, Megan would go on bedrest! 

Insert panic...read my lips - "I AM NOT A COOK."  Insert a church that loves their pastor and his family...we have had so many of you want to provide a meal for us, that we actually had to find someone to coordinate it all! 

Now, I'm not trying to over spiritualize this or anything, but, I'm wondering how much the decision to give all of our 'eating out' money for June has had to do with the provision of food over the past few weeks?  I know what I think...

Have you hung in there with the tithe?  Have you given God a chance to provide supernaturally this month?  What have you given up/sacrificed this month so that others can have the opportunity to be ministered to in Elkhart? 

Bring it…June 28^th…both services…Catapult Offering…

Is anything too hard for God?

As I've prayed this week, this verse from Genesis 18:14 is on the forefront of my mind. Is anything too hard for God? How many times do I limit God simply b/c I AM THE ONE convinced the situation is too hard for Him.

As you pray this week, pray in faith that he can and will!

What’s new with Megan…

Nothing…really, absolutely nothing is new with Megan. She had a doctor's appnt yesterday, and the doc said she's doing fine, but she needs to stay off her feet for another 2-3 weeks (when we'll be across the 36 week mark).

Huge thanks to all of you who've offered meals and such. We've been a bit overwhelmed by your generosity and willingness to serve…but then again, should that surprise me? You guys are great!

That's the latest scoop on my well bed-rested wife Megan…you heard it here first folks…

Update: the doc seems to have set July 29^th as the 36 week mark…if we can make it until then (and it shouldn't be a problem), then Megan will go off the meds and bed rest and let happen what happens! C-section is still planned for July 20^th…

Ever see a worried flower?

Okay…I realize a blog post about a worried flower is a bit girly…but I just read through a devotional Megan has put together for our 5^th grade Small Groups at Pathway. She made one point that I couldn't get out of my mind…about worry…

Have you ever seen a worried flower?  How about a bird?  Probably not!  Because flowers don't worry if they will bloom at the right time or be the right color.  They just grow and are flowers.  Birds don't worry if there will be enough worms and bugs in the ground or if they'll find enough twigs to build a nest.  They just go about eating worms and building nests and they trust that somehow everything they need will be there for them.

Nope…don't think I've ever seen a worried flower…God help me…(help me to not worry…not to see a worried flower)

Matthew 6:26 ²⁶Look at the birds of the air; they do not sow or reap or store away in barns, and yet your heavenly Father feeds them. Are you not much more valuable than they?

Yesterday - James

Someone told me the message I shared yesterday from James 4:4-10 was the best message they've ever heard me preach. Well, I'm not so sure about that, but I think it was a mixture of the right message at just the right time for all of us. If you missed it, take about 40 minutes to listen to it here.

I'll be sharing part 2 next week…

Shopping right now for groceries...have

Shopping right now for groceries...have to get this off my chest...THERE IS NO MOLASSES IN THIS WHOLE SOUTHSIDE WALMART!

Smother it in prayer

Heard a really great story last night how someone finally took the time to smother their life "issue" in prayer (talked about this in my message last Sunday)…and how God brought answers through it!

Think about it…right now…what have you worried about, thought about, even asked others to pray about, but you yourself really haven't spent the time smothering the thing in prayer.

What are you waiting for? Smother!

(another thought…when's the last time you told someone, Facebooked someone, emailed someone, txt messaged someone, and said you were praying for them…but really…to be honest…it was more words than action)

Song from Sunday - Cast All Your Cares

A few of you have asked about the song we sang this past Sunday at the end of the service. It's a Gary Oliver song, and you can purchase it on iTunes, or on his "More Than Enough" cd here.

The thing about Gary Oliver is, you may not enjoy every song on his cd, but there's always 1 or 2 that just blow you away!

Time of Prayer

This past Sunday, we closed both service by asking every person in attendance to write one prayer request on the back of their yellow welcome card. Jason and I spent about an hour praying through those cards today before we started our staff mtng.

Wow…I think both Jason and I were in tears at times as we felt the pain of what some of you are walking through right now. I beg of you, don't walk through this alone. Get plugged into a Life Group…give it time…and start doing life with others! I love you church…

Galatians 6:2 ²Carry each other's burdens, and in this way you will fulfill the law of Christ.

Intrigue Salon free haircuts front page news!

Just a quick note to make sure you saw the front page of the Elkhart Truth today (Monday)…it focused in on what happened at Intrigue Salon's (including owner Katrina Miller, Intrigue crew, and other Pathway hair people) free haircut day this past Saturday. It all started with Katrina asking the question…what can I do with what I have! Very cool…

http://www.etruth.com/Know/News/Story.aspx?id=485162&fcid=Know-NEW/UPDATED

Update on Megan and the baby

I haven't spent much time at all writing about our soon to be born baby, or the whole pregnancy thing. This is mostly b/c Megan isn't too excited about me blogging information about her!

As many of you know, this past Saturday, we spent most of the day in the Hospital as Megan was having contractions. She's at week 32, and they want her to be at week 36 before the baby comes of course (have already scheduled a C-section for July 20…both other kids were C-sections as well).

As of today's doctor's visit, she is officially on relative bed rest. This means she is to take it easy with almost everything, and do her best to stay in bed! She can go to the store to run in and run out, but none of this shopping around stuff (that could end up in a savings in my wallet actually). Looks like this is where she's at until the baby is born (July 20^th or before).

Sooooooo…one thing I have learned from many of you is that this is very common (as many of you have dealt with it), but that doesn't make it any easier! Appreciate your prayers for her, and the girls and I as we do our best to take on the everyday tasks we take for granted that Megan does!

That's it for now…

UPDATE: It now appears that she'll just have to be on this relative bed rest until the 36^th week (around July 6^th)…then she can run a marathon for all we care!

Heartless Worship

This past Sunday, I was guilty. I was one of our worship leaders on stage…leading others in worship…my eyes closed…my hands lifted toward heaven…and my heart/mind was thinking about a gift certificate (someone had handed me a thank you card after first service that included a gift certificate). Yep…I was guilty. I was guilty of going through the motions, but really, my heart was far from God at that moment.

When I finally caught myself and got past the spirit of stupid that had set in, I continued to enter into worship. Great lesson learned in the middle of our worship service yesterday.

Matthew 15:8  ⁸" 'These people honor me with their lips,
      but their hearts are far from me.

Parenthood Series Finale

Just an fyi…all of our May Parenthood series messages are now posted online…you can click the links below if you missed any of them…

May 3    -Parenthood and Marriage (Special Guest Gabriele Rienas)
May 10  -Parenthood:  Leading Your Kids
May 17  -Parenthood:  Blessing Your Kids
May 24  -Parenthood: Preparing Your Kids to Follow Jesus
May 31  -Parenthood:  Disciplining Your Kids

There will more complete cd sets of the series available this Sunday.

It’s a Girl

By the way…IT'S A GIRL! Had to have an ultrasound this past Saturday, and it confirmed we are batting 3 for 3 here…

We're thinking of La Fonda Lue Miller (like in Napoleon Dynamite)…

Or maybe Henrietta Dingledorfer Miller…

Or perhaps Drusilla Doris Dippity Doo Dah Miller…

Divorce and Remarriage/Gift of the Holy Spirit

Note to other A/G pastors…I don't always read through the Enrichment Journal they send to us, but these two articles are worth the read…

Divorce and Remarriage by George Wood…not sure I agree with it all, but interesting to hear that side of things…

Communicating Spirit Baptism in Fresh New Ways by Gary Grogan…great article…refreshing look at this sometimes confusing doctrine…

Why do we do it that way?

This past week, during our staff mtng, Jason and I spent time discussing our Sunday morning worship service…asking the question – "Why do we do it that way?" Along with the question – "What is it we're trying to accomplish?" Why do we have an opening prayer? What are we trying to accomplish with it? What is with the greeting time at the beginning of the service? Why do we do that? Why do we have a time of corporate prayer? Should we call people forward for prayer every week? Why or why not?

The time we spent on this was probably one of the more healthy things we've done lately. You may see a few small changes over the next few weeks, but really, it just feels good to answer the "why" question (even though, this line of questions often drives me crazy).

Why do you do what you do?

Just Pray…wow…

Ok…Ok…at the risk of being a broken record, JUST PRAY WAS AMAZING TONIGHT! Two of our high school students helped lead us in worship as we focused our prayers on the Elkhart Campus. We touched Heaven tonight…wow…amazing night of prayer.

Haircuts on the House...of God

Just heard that the Intrigue/Pathway crew will be giving out 80 free haircuts on Saturday!  Good stuff!

Read more about what they are doing in this pdf...Download FREE HAIRCUT SATURDAY...

Catapult 2009

I've had this question in my mind over the past few weeks - what can the Middlebury Campus do to catapult the Elkhart Campus forward?  What can we do to bring them that much farther along in the process of starting a new campus spiritually (which we'll talk about later) and financially?  This is what we came up with...what if in June: 

1)     Everybody tithe's...all giving starts with the local church...if there is no local church, then there are no missionaries, new churches, etc...even if you don't want to tithe, don't like to tithe, know you should tithe, but have decided to live in outright rebellion to God's Word so you don't tithe...would you commit to bring it in June?

2)     Everybody sacrifices...give up eating out, the low fat grande mocha muchacho coffee drink you have every day, and give it to Jesus through Catapult...involve the whole family...

3)     Everybody believes for the Supernatural...would you ask and believe God to bring in finances that you weren't expecting during the month of June?...then, have the faith to give it in the Catapult Offering on June 28th?...

What if…what if…

Tangible Potential

It was the summer of 2000, and I knew the Lord was calling us to start a new expression of Christ in Middlebury (aka – a new church). It's hard to explain, but the joy of this season of ministry was when I would drive over to Middlebury from my in-laws house in Elkhart (where we lived for about 8 months before getting a house in Middlebury) to simply walk/drive the land. I would drive down Main Street, praying as I drove. I would drive through the neighborhoods and ask the Lord to move on that house…move on those people…move on that family…draw them to Him. I was speechless at times as to what to even pray, but I wanted to get my feet on the ground…to see the people…to hear the banter at the local restaurants…let's face it – to get a doughnut at the Essenhaus. This is where God is calling me to move my family, and start something bigger than ourselves that will touch a region with the power of the Cross. The potential was almost tangible as I'd spend those days praying and thinking.

I've walked the streets of downtown Elkhart more in the past few months than in the past few years put together! I find myself driving through downtown Elkhart, as opposed to avoiding it. I know Jason has actually spent time working downtown (eating bagels and enjoying free wifi). These are the same streets I dreaded as a teenager, when our Youth Pastor would take us downtown to "street witness." I dreaded it b/c it scared me to death (not necessarily downtown, just the thought of walking up cold turkey to share Christ with someone). I used to walk down the side streets in hopes that I wouldn't actually have to go up to someone and ask them our 6 survey questions about the movie, "The Last Temptation of Christ," and try to get them to somehow give their life to Jesus right there on the street. But now, literally, I find my heart tenderized towards the people as I walk/drive the streets. I ask the Lord to give us favor in this community...help us to reach those families that live there…move on those business owners there…give us a church in the heart of the city, an expression of Himself right here. Again, I have the sense of an almost tangible (I can reach out and grab it) potential for something significant to happen in downtown Elkhart. A church that loves people outside of the church just as much as it loves people inside the church. A church so intertwined into the downtown community, that if it were to cease to exist, even unbelievers would feel the effect.

This Sunday night, we'll be mtng with the Elkhart Campus core team, on the ground...downtown Elkhart...Elkhart Chamber of Commerce building's mtng room, 6pm.  If God's stirring you to be a part, answer the call!  (but first, maybe send an email...to Jason...and you guys can discuss)

Interesting…I find myself driving through Middlebury again, like I used to in the olden days (olden days – haven't said those words since I was a kid). Not simply to run to the bank, or get to the gas station, but to just pray. Moving forward with our Elkhart Campus has caused a fire to get reignited in my heart for Middlebury…a new passion to reach many of whom that haven't had the revelation that there's more to be had in life than SUV's and fenced in back yards. I'm praying for that house, b/c I know who lives there now and how much they need Jesus…I'm praying for those families…those kids…that school…God reach them. Use us, as we serve there, to reach them. Anoint us to reach them.

Joshua 1:3 I will give you every place where you set your foot…

Amen…

Shot Records/Health Dept…The Saga Continues

Challenge: We've misplaced both of our girls shot records.

Solution: Get them replaced.

Conversations with the Health Dept over the past 2 months:

1^st Conversation with Health Dept ended in, "Sorry, we don't keep records of your kid's shots." (well how about those apples…this can't be true)

2^nd Conversation with Health Dept (different person), "Sure, we have the records for your kids. We'll send a copy with the people who are coming to Middlebury to give shots. Then you can pick it up when you bring your daughter in for shots." (now that's what I'm talking about…help me out here)

3^rd Conversation with Health Dept (yet another person, at the place where they were giving shots), "What? We can't give out your kids shot record…you have to go to the Health Dept and pay to get a copy." (well what do you know Joe)

4^th Conversation, today, at the Health Dept, "I'm sorry sir, but the gal who makes the copies of your kids shot records is not in today, she'll be back tomorrow." (huh, who would have thunk that in all of Elkhart County, there's only one person with the knowledge of how to make copies of shot records…figure the odds)

It's like a planned out mission to punish those of us parents who are silly enough to lose the shot records of their dear children…

NOTE TO NEW PARENTS: Guard their shot records with your life!...the saga continues…

NMS and 365

I was asked to speak at the Northridge Middle School VIP Honors thing happening tonight…this is made up of all students honored over the past year and their families. I enjoy the challenge of speaking in different settings like this as it causes me to be a bit more creative. Once that's over at 7:30pm, I'll go to our 365 Student Ministry service to preach to them and chat about the process of finding a new YP.

Ought to be a fun night!

James - Everyday Faith

Taking some time to study James this morning. I plan on heading back to the book of James, starting in chapter 4, through the summer months.

I love this book! So practical…so in your face…