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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3 Biblical Examples Why God’s Presence is the Ultimate Direction

We are celebrating what God is doing through our strategic partnership with YouVersion (The Bible App)! They recently featured my teaching on the YouVersion home page through their “Guided Scripture of the Day,” empowering Mobilize Ministries™ to minister to millions globally. It is incredible proof that our message of “mobilizing missional living” is resonating, and you can view our teaching videos and devotionals here.

Entering 2026, we are specifically praying for 26 new monthly partners to join the mission and for 26 speaking ministry events to be scheduled this year. If you would like to book or inquire about hosting a speaking event, please visit our booking page here or email me at todd@mobilizeministries.com. I also invite you to partner with us here as your tax-deductible gift helps us reach even more hearts through the power of the Gospel.

This global reach is fueled by a deep, personal intimacy with Jesus; here are three biblical examples of why His presence is the only direction you truly need:

Early in my walk with Jesus, I found myself at a desperate crossroads. I was begging for a “next step” in my missional life, calling on everyone I knew who heard God clearly. My friend Kimberly Conder from the International House of Prayer even left me a message, encouraging me that God is always speaking. One evening, as I was pleading for a map, I heard Him say so clearly: “I am with you. You are with me.” He didn’t give me a destination; He gave me Himself. I realized that when God commissions us, His presence is the plan.

1. Moses and the Burning Bush Mandate

When Moses stood before the burning bush, he was overwhelmed by the magnitude of the mission to lead Israel out of Egypt. He questioned his own identity and his “next step,” but God’s response in Exodus 3:12 was simply, “I will be with you.” God didn’t provide Moses with a tactical breakdown of how to handle Pharaoh; He provided the assurance that the Creator of the universe would be standing right beside him. For Moses, and for us, the “how” is found entirely in the “Who.”

2. Joshua and the Courage of Companionship

After the death of Moses, Joshua faced the daunting task of leading a nation into the Promised Land. The weight of leadership and the unknown territory ahead could have easily paralyzed him. Yet, God didn’t give him a map of the land; He gave him a mandate of presence in Joshua 1:5 when He promised, “As I was with Moses, so I will be with you; I will never leave you nor forsake you.” Joshua’s courage didn’t come from his military strategy, but from the unwavering reality that God’s presence was his constant coordinates.

3. The Disciples and the Global Commission

When Jesus stood on the mountain before His ascension, He gave His followers the most massive “next step” in history: to go and make disciples of all nations. This was a mission far beyond their human capacity, yet the Great Commission concludes with the ultimate comfort in Matthew 28:20 where Jesus declares, “And surely I am with you always, to the very end of the age.” The disciples were mobilized not by a detailed itinerary of their travels, but by the promise that the resurrected King would never leave their side as they walked into the unknown.

Whatever crossroads you are facing today, remember that the “next step” isn’t a place or a project—it is a Person. When we stop seeking the plan and start seeking the Presence, we find the strength to live a truly mobilized missional life.

When was a time you were looking for a “next step” and God simply reminded you that He was with you?

Please share your thoughts in the comments below and share this post with a friend who is seeking direction today! We are praying specifically for the Holy Spirit to lead you to become a monthly giver to Mobilize Ministries. When you join our team of monthly partners, you will receive a signed copy of my first book, Weak Is The New Strong, in the mail soon, and a copy of my upcoming book, Mobilize Your Missional Life, when it releases in the Fall of 2026!