Mills reminds students to be faithful to the call of God

God does miracles in the difficult times, preached Southern Baptist pastor and ministry leader Brian Mills during a September 20 chapel message at Southwestern Baptist Theological Seminary and Texas Baptist College.

Mills has served as senior pastor of Trinity Baptist Church in Yukon, Oklahoma since 2019 and has been in vocational ministry since 1998. Before serving at Trinity, he was the college pastor at Cross Church in Fayetteville, Arkansas. He earned his bachelor’s degree from Ouachita Baptist University and is earning his master’s degree at Liberty University. 

In a sermon based on Joshua chapters 1-3, Mills began by saying that while he never thought he would be a senior pastor because he always thought he would lead student ministry. 

Mills described 2015 as being a difficult time for him. “God taught me some crucial principles during one of the toughest seasons,” said Mills. It was during that period that God broke him in that moment and God told him he would pastor a church. At the same time Mills was going through a tough time, the church where God would eventually lead him was going through a tough time as well. 

“In the tough seasons, God does miracles,” preached Mills. “We said ‘yes’ to this church in Yukon, Oklahoma.” Mills preached five principles God taught him during this time from the book of Joshua.

Preaching from Joshua 1:1, Mills said that “first, we are to recognize our role on the team and win at the role we’ve been given today,” as he encouraged students to “let God develop you where you are today” by saying “yes” to the path God desires. 

Second, Mills said to never lose focus on one’s calling. He shared that he likes to remember when God called him in 1996 when he was a junior in high school at a youth camp in Arkansas. He surrendered to the call of ministry at that time but honestly admitted that there are times he does not want to live in the call of God in his life. He said he returns to God’s original calling in those times.

Third, he said, leaders can never do things alone. Mills preached that if someone wants to be great in the church or seminary, they cannot function alone. He encouraged the assembly that taking a humble approach is crucial. Mills explained, “When we take a humble approach to the call of God on our life, we don’t see ourselves as the savior of the church, we see ourselves as the servants of the church.” 

Mills recalled his days as a former chaplain of the football team at the University of Arkansas and remembered the pep talks the coaches would give the team, noting Joshua 1:9 was God’s pep talk to Joshua. 

Fourth, Mills said, “To live out the Word of God, you must live in the Word of God.” Holding his Bible over his head, Mills declared, “This is the umbrella of our life. Stand underneath it.” He encouraged the assembly to “meditate on the Word day and night” as referenced in Psalm 1:2. 

Finally, Mills encouraged the assembly to be careful about to whom they listen. “Let us not get lost in following men and women today. Let us get lost in following God,” he said. Mills explained that one needs to take a step to walk out their faith and to follow the presence of God when stepping out. 

Mills’s entire sermon can be viewed here.

Chapel is held every Tuesday and Thursday morning at 10 a.m. (CT) in MacGorman Chapel on the campus of Southwestern Seminary and TBC. Chapel may be viewed live at swbts.live.