MOVING!! Ha! I know that some of you might have been wanting me to tell you something different like PREGNANT, but maybe I will write a note like that within the next two years!
After much prayer and counsel I have accepted the position of teaching pastor/HS student pastor at Grace Family Church in Tampa FL. Grace is a wonderful church with an amazing background of reaching people far from Christ. Some churches talk about reaching lost people, others do it! Grace is one of those churches. Starting 16 years ago in a jazzercise facility under the leadership of senior pastor Craig Altman, Grace has grown to over 4,500 and they are still growing, planting other campuses throughout the city of Tampa, with a desire to do more! Check them out at www.gracefamilychurch.org!
It has been amazing to see how this all came about. Obviously, we had no intention in only being at IBC for just 2 years. Our plans were to serve there for 4 or 5 years and then go and serve in a teaching pastor role at a church like Grace. But like scripture tells us, His ways are not our ways, His thoughts are not our thoughts, and His plans are sometimes not our plans. His plans are however, the plans that bring about life, so we must follow his plans and his dreams for our lives no matter what! Because as I preached last week at the Underground, "a God given dream will bring about God given results" in our lives.
God gave me a dream to do ministry when I was 19 years old. Pastor Steven Furtick talks in his book Sun Stand Still (www.sunstandstill.org) of his "page 23 vision" and told his readers to think of their own page 23 vision, well mine is my EXIT 42 experience. My exit 42 experience was when I was driving home from an awesome week of working at a Christian camp in the mountains of VA, I was pulling off the interstate and God spoke to me and said, "Josh, you are mine". At that point my entire life changed, my values changed, my friends changed, everything I was chasing after and thought I wanted changed. I gave up my acting career and started chasing after the dream that He was placing in my heart to serve Him, love others, and point people to Him. Why am I telling you all of this? Because I believe He has given me some amazing opportunities to do this ever since! I have gotten the privilege of serving and working with some amazing people, teams and leaders from my time as a FUGE camp pastor, to Student Life, Philly, Calvary, and IBC all the time preparing me for I what I believe to be the dream that God placed in my heart as a college junior at a Passion conference in Knoxville, TN and to the ministry that I believe God has called Ashley and I to for life and that is the ministry at Grace Family Church in Tampa FL!
I know that is a pretty audacious claim, but it is one that I believe to be true! The only reason why we are leaving a wonderful, thriving student ministry at IBC is because we believe that Grace is the place that God has prepared for us to love God and love people for years to come! We are leaving knowing that we are not running from anything but we are running toward something great!
I hope that in 5 years I will look back and read this note, (if facebook still exists) and be able to look back and see the wonderful things that God has done through a faithful servant, trying to live for a creator that is so much more wonderful than I can ever imagine! I know that God has amazing plans not only for me but for us all! His word says so! This week I was speaking to a group of students at a chapel service about this very thing and I said, "Every time I think on how the bible tells me that, HE has PLANS for my life, it is hard for me to believe". That God in His infinite wisdom, sovereignty, love, grace and mercy has "plans" for my life, totally blows me away! We believe that! We believe that He has shown us and given to us a part of His plan by going to Grace.
He has opened so many doors to show us this! He has opened the door for Ashley to continue law school at Stetson Law (www.law.stetson.edu) and she will be able to begin next semester! Most law school's will not let people transfer mid year! This was definitely a "Sun Stand Still" prayer for us that God answered! He also opened the door for me through the Vanderblomen Search Group (www.vanderbloemensearch.com) a wonderful search company that you should check out if you are a minister thinking of a move.
There were many more along the way that I would love to have conversation's with you about. But, for now I just wanted to share this exciting news with you! Please pray for us in this move, please pray for IBC and our current students in this move and please pray for Grace Family Church! Pray with us that God would begin to prepare the way for incredible movements, moments and times when we can look back at Grace Family with a wonderful team of fellow believers surrounding us and as Furtick says, "Only blame God for the results"! I love you guys!
Sunday, October 31, 2010
Saturday, October 16, 2010
I LOVE Fall!!!
"For everything there is a season, and a time for every matter under heaven."
Ecclesiastes 3:1
Thursday, September 23, 2010
10 Personal Growth Questions
Saw this on Perry Nobles website and thought I would share it. Although hard, It is necessary as a Christian to evaluate our personal growth to determine if we are living out biblical principles in our life. I've added a little of personal commentary. Feel free to add yours!
1) Am I reading my Bible for information or transformation? (James 1:22-25)
2) Am I allowing people or circumstances to steal the joy that Jesus promised to me? (John 10:10)
This is a definite yes in my life. I let the busyness of life steal my joy. I have to, on a daily basis, focus my life on God and ask him to give me joy amidst the stresses of life.
3) Is there anything in my life that God is consistently dealing with that I am trying to ignore? (Ezekiel 14:1-5)
I know that God is constantly dealing with my need to control my life. For years I have ignored his working in that area of my life, and even now, that I recognize it, it is a daily struggle to relinquish control. I have found, however, the days that I give up control even if everything is hectic in my life, I have an inner peace knowing that it is not in my control.
4) Who are the people in my life that God has placed around me for the purpose of me sharing Christ with them and/or inviting them to church? (II Corinthians 5:16-21)
I have felt burdened about this lately, especially since we have started our new church service, Pulse. I know that, at law school, I am surrounded by people who need God, and I pray that God will give me boldness to invite them to Pulse.
5) Is there anyone I need to apologize to? (Ephesians 4:25:27)
6) Is there anyone I need to forgive? (Ephesians 4:32)
7) Is there a sin I need to confess to others and ask for help? (James 5:16)
8) Am I fully utilizing the gifts and abilities that God has blessed me with…or am I simply choosing to waste my life? (I Peter 4:10)
One of the greatest fears of mine is that I will get to the end of my life and realize that most of it was spent on things that are meaningless.
9) Do I know more lines from the movies that I love than verse from the Bible that I read? (Psalm 119:11)
10) Is there anything going on in my life privately that, if it became public, would cause me and/or the body of Christ to be embarrassed? (I John 1:9, James 5:16)
1) Am I reading my Bible for information or transformation? (James 1:22-25)
2) Am I allowing people or circumstances to steal the joy that Jesus promised to me? (John 10:10)
This is a definite yes in my life. I let the busyness of life steal my joy. I have to, on a daily basis, focus my life on God and ask him to give me joy amidst the stresses of life.
3) Is there anything in my life that God is consistently dealing with that I am trying to ignore? (Ezekiel 14:1-5)
I know that God is constantly dealing with my need to control my life. For years I have ignored his working in that area of my life, and even now, that I recognize it, it is a daily struggle to relinquish control. I have found, however, the days that I give up control even if everything is hectic in my life, I have an inner peace knowing that it is not in my control.
4) Who are the people in my life that God has placed around me for the purpose of me sharing Christ with them and/or inviting them to church? (II Corinthians 5:16-21)
I have felt burdened about this lately, especially since we have started our new church service, Pulse. I know that, at law school, I am surrounded by people who need God, and I pray that God will give me boldness to invite them to Pulse.
5) Is there anyone I need to apologize to? (Ephesians 4:25:27)
6) Is there anyone I need to forgive? (Ephesians 4:32)
7) Is there a sin I need to confess to others and ask for help? (James 5:16)
8) Am I fully utilizing the gifts and abilities that God has blessed me with…or am I simply choosing to waste my life? (I Peter 4:10)
One of the greatest fears of mine is that I will get to the end of my life and realize that most of it was spent on things that are meaningless.
9) Do I know more lines from the movies that I love than verse from the Bible that I read? (Psalm 119:11)
10) Is there anything going on in my life privately that, if it became public, would cause me and/or the body of Christ to be embarrassed? (I John 1:9, James 5:16)
Tuesday, September 21, 2010
New Spring Leadership Conference
This past week, I (Josh) went to an incredible Leadership Conference where I was renewed and inspired. I wanted to share with you a few of the things I came away with. Below are my notes from the various speakers. I encourage you to check out each of the pastors and their churches. They are all doing amazing things for God!
Perry Noble (New Spring Church, Anderson, SC)
If your always' accessible to people then your inaccessible with God.
You can't experience intimacy if you are always going 900 miles an hour
The reason I don't like to get alone with God sometimes is that He always tells me the truth.
Listen to God and do what He says and see what He does next.
Deal with your sin or it's gonna get dealt with.
Don't rejoice in your activities rejoice that your name is written in the book of life.
Judah Smith (The City Church, Seattle, WA)
Jesus has left us in His physical presence and He uses willing vessels. You don't know the then and when.
When you try to make God a mathematical relationship, then He will make sure that your equation doesn't work.
What do you do in the meantime?
The meantime matters to God and what you do in that meantime is what drives your visions and ministry.
Apart from God we will never to get to the next steps or vision that He gives.
Admit that your not there is the first step to getting to the other side.
Just because you are delayed does not mean that your dream is denied. Galatians 6:9
Stay in the boat no matter what the wind and the waves are telling you.
It is by His grace and Love that takes us to where we are supposed to be.
Francis Chan (Cornerstone Church, Simi Valley, CA)
To boast in anything we've done is ridiculous. It is all the hand of God that has placed us exactly where He wants us.
Moses said “God if you don't go with us then I don't want to go there”. Make that my prayer God, that I don't want to go anywhere without you.
That's stuff to brag about.... “I know God” and He answers in the little things.
When we read scripture it seems perfectly normally to not know exactly what happens next.
When you look at your life on the page of scripture does it really look Radical or would you just skip over to the next page.
Philippians 1
The same God that allowed Elijah to call down fire from heaven is the same God that can use someone today to call down fire from heaven.
People will come to God when we know for sure that God has conquered our enemies.
I know my God is coming through so why would I ever be afraid. Satan wants to take your courage and faith away. It's always been about Him not our gifts, leadership, and vision abilities. If satan can take away our courage and boldness, then the world will never notice.
Are people stunned by the boldness of the people of our churches???
Steven Furtick (Elevation Church, Charlotte, NC)
Have we become immune to the firework show that God wants to show in our lives?
Don’t be afraid to do things that no one has ever done.
If no one has laughed at the size of your vision lately, then you are not dreaming big enough.
There is something about immediate obedience the God loves to use.
Some of us have lost our wide-eyed ability to trust God and do what HE is calling us to do.
There are powerful things inside of you that God wants to do through you but in order to do them we have to believe that all things are possible with God.
There’s noting more powerful than one of God's promises in our lives.
Andy Stanley (Northpoint Church, Alpharetta, GA)
Churches gravitate toward insiders not outsiders. Church was never supposed to be for insiders because when the church started there was no such thing.
There should always be something about the church that attracts the culture around us because Jesus attracted the culture around Him.
We must focus externally.
Big church is nothing, growing church is everything.
Church gravitates toward the law and not grace. Churches gravitate toward complexity not simplicity.
God has seen every story and wants to redeem every story.
Acceptance isn't approval but acceptance paves the way to influence.
Jesus by the way that he lived always took the risk with people far from God but did so with grace and truth.
May we be the church in town that people think of when crisis happens.
Partner not pioneer with people that are already doing great ministries that you would never be able to do with excellence.
Churches want to preserve not advance.
Always try to think like a church plant. When we don't we think about all the things we have to lose.
God has not called us to protect anything he has called us to advance.
Jud Wilhite (Central Christian Church, Las Vegas, NV)
May we be called the “church” the people of God that saved my life. 98% of the people polled said that his church had changed their life.
I have to put my hand to the plow and not look back.
The church is the most powerful and important thing happening on the planet.
Jesus sovereignly choose to interact with the woman at the well instead of the ones in power. Reach out to the broken and you will always have an audience.
Who is hurting that we can help and how can we reach those who are not be reached??
Find the Yes, don't stop in your church because of constrictions.
The bolder we become about preaching the truth of who Jesus is the more impact I will have on people's lives that are far from God.
Teach the truth and release it in love. The goal should always be Jesus in whatever we do not us. Tell the truth and don't apologize for it, it is God's truth not ours.
Mark Driscoll (Mars Hill Church, Seattle, WA)
If you want God to use you greatly then He must wound you deeply. You will suffer because of your faithfulness. Jesus suffered so that when we suffer we will become like Him.
God's word always come through God's servants and not His rock-stars.
God must prune before harvest comes. To have a great harvest you have to have a great pruning. Suffering I the way that God prunes the church.
Suffering is correction from a loving father not a angry God.
I must preach out of my loses not my wins.
The closer I get to Christ the more of my sin I see.
Are we in a religious culture where we don’t' think about suffering and shame. We must repent of our religious sins.
The church is a family and like any family we annoy one another.
God uses the church the nobodies from nowhere just like Jesus was to impact the nations.
Perry Noble (New Spring Church, Anderson, SC)
If your always' accessible to people then your inaccessible with God.
You can't experience intimacy if you are always going 900 miles an hour
The reason I don't like to get alone with God sometimes is that He always tells me the truth.
Listen to God and do what He says and see what He does next.
Deal with your sin or it's gonna get dealt with.
Don't rejoice in your activities rejoice that your name is written in the book of life.
Judah Smith (The City Church, Seattle, WA)
Jesus has left us in His physical presence and He uses willing vessels. You don't know the then and when.
When you try to make God a mathematical relationship, then He will make sure that your equation doesn't work.
What do you do in the meantime?
The meantime matters to God and what you do in that meantime is what drives your visions and ministry.
Apart from God we will never to get to the next steps or vision that He gives.
Admit that your not there is the first step to getting to the other side.
Just because you are delayed does not mean that your dream is denied. Galatians 6:9
Stay in the boat no matter what the wind and the waves are telling you.
It is by His grace and Love that takes us to where we are supposed to be.
Francis Chan (Cornerstone Church, Simi Valley, CA)
To boast in anything we've done is ridiculous. It is all the hand of God that has placed us exactly where He wants us.
Moses said “God if you don't go with us then I don't want to go there”. Make that my prayer God, that I don't want to go anywhere without you.
That's stuff to brag about.... “I know God” and He answers in the little things.
When we read scripture it seems perfectly normally to not know exactly what happens next.
When you look at your life on the page of scripture does it really look Radical or would you just skip over to the next page.
Philippians 1
The same God that allowed Elijah to call down fire from heaven is the same God that can use someone today to call down fire from heaven.
People will come to God when we know for sure that God has conquered our enemies.
I know my God is coming through so why would I ever be afraid. Satan wants to take your courage and faith away. It's always been about Him not our gifts, leadership, and vision abilities. If satan can take away our courage and boldness, then the world will never notice.
Are people stunned by the boldness of the people of our churches???
Steven Furtick (Elevation Church, Charlotte, NC)
Have we become immune to the firework show that God wants to show in our lives?
Don’t be afraid to do things that no one has ever done.
If no one has laughed at the size of your vision lately, then you are not dreaming big enough.
There is something about immediate obedience the God loves to use.
Some of us have lost our wide-eyed ability to trust God and do what HE is calling us to do.
There are powerful things inside of you that God wants to do through you but in order to do them we have to believe that all things are possible with God.
There’s noting more powerful than one of God's promises in our lives.
Andy Stanley (Northpoint Church, Alpharetta, GA)
Churches gravitate toward insiders not outsiders. Church was never supposed to be for insiders because when the church started there was no such thing.
There should always be something about the church that attracts the culture around us because Jesus attracted the culture around Him.
We must focus externally.
Big church is nothing, growing church is everything.
Church gravitates toward the law and not grace. Churches gravitate toward complexity not simplicity.
God has seen every story and wants to redeem every story.
Acceptance isn't approval but acceptance paves the way to influence.
Jesus by the way that he lived always took the risk with people far from God but did so with grace and truth.
May we be the church in town that people think of when crisis happens.
Partner not pioneer with people that are already doing great ministries that you would never be able to do with excellence.
Churches want to preserve not advance.
Always try to think like a church plant. When we don't we think about all the things we have to lose.
God has not called us to protect anything he has called us to advance.
Jud Wilhite (Central Christian Church, Las Vegas, NV)
May we be called the “church” the people of God that saved my life. 98% of the people polled said that his church had changed their life.
I have to put my hand to the plow and not look back.
The church is the most powerful and important thing happening on the planet.
Jesus sovereignly choose to interact with the woman at the well instead of the ones in power. Reach out to the broken and you will always have an audience.
Who is hurting that we can help and how can we reach those who are not be reached??
Find the Yes, don't stop in your church because of constrictions.
The bolder we become about preaching the truth of who Jesus is the more impact I will have on people's lives that are far from God.
Teach the truth and release it in love. The goal should always be Jesus in whatever we do not us. Tell the truth and don't apologize for it, it is God's truth not ours.
Mark Driscoll (Mars Hill Church, Seattle, WA)
If you want God to use you greatly then He must wound you deeply. You will suffer because of your faithfulness. Jesus suffered so that when we suffer we will become like Him.
God's word always come through God's servants and not His rock-stars.
God must prune before harvest comes. To have a great harvest you have to have a great pruning. Suffering I the way that God prunes the church.
Suffering is correction from a loving father not a angry God.
I must preach out of my loses not my wins.
The closer I get to Christ the more of my sin I see.
Are we in a religious culture where we don’t' think about suffering and shame. We must repent of our religious sins.
The church is a family and like any family we annoy one another.
God uses the church the nobodies from nowhere just like Jesus was to impact the nations.
Monday, September 13, 2010
Why I'm in Law School
My contribution to the "Students for Public Interest Law' bake sale gone VERY VERY bad!
Sunday, September 12, 2010
Without Excuse
"For since the creation of the world, God's invisible qualities- his eternal power and divine nature- have been clearly seen, being understood form what has been made, so that men are without excuse." Romans 1:20
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