Archive Blog (before 2019)

2 Ways Christmas Mobilizes Missional Living ALL YEAR LONG

What’s one of your favorite Christmas memories?  Please comment below.  Every year as a child we were at Grandma and Grandpa’s house full of cousins, aunts and uncles and fun times.  There were no white Christmases, only blue, just because Grandma always played the Elvis Christmas vinyl record on the stereo that was larger than the largest clothes chest you’ve ever seen.  Every year Grandma inevitably  runs out of film for the Polaroid camera (I’m ancient or my Grandma was a hipster).   She stands next to Grandpa and yells “Will you go to the store and get some film?” Grandpa, hard of hearing, always responds with “What did you say?”  Grandma repeats louder.  Grandpa leaves and inevitably, would ALWAYS miss the excitement of bells thumping against the porch followed by a “HO HO HO” and Santa Claus, HIMSELF came to OUR Christmas Eve!  I noticed always wore shoes JUST like my Grandpa!  The excitement faded out and I always would find myself looking at the manger scene to the side of the excitement. This scene imparts two breakthroughs in my life and my daily missional living:

  1. God mobilized His missional living be becoming among us. In fact, on earth, as Jesus, He received a name that describes his missional living to you: “Look! A virgin will become pregnant and give birth to a son, And they will call him, Emmanuel.” (‭‭Matthew‬ ‭1:23‬ ‭CEB‬‬). Emmanuel means “God with us.”  What love! God went through extreme measure to be with you.  He expresses His love for people He calls out by proclaiming “I am with you”.  God expressed  this to Abraham and Isaiah when He called them into their personal ministry.  Jesus expressed this to you as His disciples the day He commissioned you in your missional living: “Go therefore and make disciples of all the nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and the Son and the Holy Spirit, teaching them to observe all that I commanded you; and lo, I am with you always, even to the end of the age.” (Matthew 28:19-20 NASB). This is why we are passionate in Mobilize Ministries to intentionally meet or “be with” people we know in in everyday life replicating the life of Jesus: “The twelve were with Him,” (Luke 8:1)
  2. God mobilized His missional living becoming a baby, the utmost form of vulnerability and weakness.  He was enthroned in Heaven with all praise directed toward Him and incomprehensible power that made heaven, earth and YOU at His fingertips.  Existence does not get any more comfortable than this.  Yet, God mobilized His missional living by subjecting Himself to be what humans view as the weakest, a baby. Wrapped in the weakness of my Cerebral Palsy and old orthopedic metal legged braces, this scene gave me comfort.  God became weak to start His journey to the cross, where yet He’d become weak and vulnerable again: “For He was indeed crucified in weakness”. (2 Corinthians 13:4).
    [tweetable author=”@toddlollar”] God mobilized His missional living to you by becoming weak and vulnerable.  Your weakness and vulnerability through your missional living touches people in your life with the love of Jesus. [/tweetable]
Experience newness is what God has already given you.  You have your life.  Deep, huh?  You have people in your life. [tweetable author=”@toddlollar”]CHRISTmas your missional living every day of the year by being among family and friends intentionally even if it means becoming vulnerable and weak replicating God’s ministry toward you and me.[/tweetable] Please continue the conversation below about specific ways you can Christmas your missional living everyday of the year.

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The Art of Living on Mission: Ro Diaz, the Book Launch, and North Texas Giving Day

When God orchestrates a life, He weaves every brushstroke with purpose.

Many of you know that my new book, Mobilize Your Missional Life, recently debuted to help everyday believers break out of “missional paralysis” and step into their daily spheres of influence. But what makes this launch especially meaningful to me are the living testimonies woven throughout its pages—none more striking than that of my dear brother, Mobilize Ministries™ board member, and world-renowned artist, Ro Diaz.

In Chapter Three of Mobilize Your Missional Life (pages 57–58), I share Ro’s remarkable story. As a young boy fleeing communist Cuba, Ro arrived in America with nothing but the gifts God placed inside his hands. Over the past four decades, he didn’t just become a world-famous artist; he surrendered his paintbrush to Jesus, using his art to raise millions for charities and advance the Kingdom. Ro’s life is a masterclass in what it means to be a “Jesus-shaped influencer” right where you stand.

A Legacy Portrait for the Mission

To celebrate the launch of the book and bless this ministry, Ro graciously volunteered his time and mastery to paint a custom portrait of me. More than just a painting, it reflects our heartbeat: the “Gospel on wheels,” demonstrating that Christ’s power is made perfect in weakness (2 Corinthians 12:9).

Instead of selling this piece commercially, we are dedicating it as a Fine Art Legacy Gift.

Each print is produced on premium, acid-free watercolor stock, personally analyzed and hand-signed by Ro Diaz, and accompanied by an official Certificate of Authenticity. It is a museum-quality collector’s piece carrying deep ministry history.

North Texas Giving Day: Fueling the “Gospel on Wheels”

This Thursday, September 17, is North Texas Giving Day—a day when our entire region unites to stand behind life-changing missions.

We are making this exclusive, signed Ro Diaz print available as our personal thank-you gift to our generous anchor donors who give $1,000 or more this Thursday.

Every dollar given at this level goes directly toward funding our ministry travel—allowing me to travel to churches, college campuses, and conferences to equip ordinary believers to reach their neighbors, coworkers, and friends with the Gospel.

How You Can Partner This Thursday

Whether God calls you to anchor our travel fund or join our grassroots monthly family, there is a place for you in this movement:

  • Anchor Partners ($1,000+ One-Time): Receive the limited-edition, hand-signed Ro Diaz watercolor print with Certificate of Authenticity, plus signed copies of Weak Is The New Strong and Mobilize Your Missional Life.
  • Monthly Mission Partners ($25+/mo or Any Amount): Receive autographed copies of both Weak Is The New Strong and Mobilize Your Missional Life delivered straight to your door.

👉 Partner With Us Directly at mobilizeministries.givingfuel.com/give

(Prefer to mail a check? You can send donations to: Mobilize Ministries, 1008 Linn Lane, Yukon, OK 73099)

God doesn’t have a Plan B for your street, your office, or your family—you are Plan A. Thank you for standing with us to keep the Gospel rolling forward!

Grace and peace,

Todd Lollar

Executive Director, Mobilize Ministries™

mobilizeministries.com

We mobilize missional living because “How, then, can they call on the one they have not believed in? And how can they believe in the one of whom they have not heard? And how can they hear without someone preaching to them?” (Romans 10:14)