Shockwave Challenge

My brother issued a challenge to his church 55 days ago to share the gospel with at least one person a day for a week. He couldn't, in good conscience, issue a challenge and not do it himself. So, for the next 7 days, he shared the gospel with at least one person a day. Little did he know that he would be so changed that he would continue the challenge from then on. So, for the last 55 days, he has been sharing the gospel and posting the results to his facebook, and sharing the details on his blog.

I've been inspired by all of the posts of his obedience to the Great Commission, and have become increasingly aware of the opportunities that God gives me each day to either be a witness, or cower in fear. Most days, I notice the opportunities too late, or am too fearful to open my mouth to intentionally share the gospel, though I've done it hundreds of times.

After missing several opportunities, I decided that today would be different. I was helping one of our teens out with a radio interview with StoryCorps. We were at his old elementary school and we were being recorded while I interviewed him to get his life story, which would later be added to the archives at the Library of Congress for future generations. The lady operating the recording equipment was listening in as Orry was able to share his testimony, and his involvement with the church and our youth ministry. After the interview was over, and we filled out our surveys for them, I decided that it was now or never, so after making some small talk, I asked her if she went to church where she lived, and she said, "no." So, I began to talk to her about her upbringing, and she said she was still trying to figure out what she believed. I asked if she knew anything about Christianity, and she said, "Not really." So, I began to share with her how God had created us to be with Him, and how sin entered the world, but God sent Jesus to die on the cross so that we wouldn't have to be separated from Him. After sharing, I asked if she believed in God, but she wasn't ready to accept the God from the Bible, but just a higher power. So, I asked if I could pray that God would reveal Himself to her, and she agreed, and we prayed for her right there in the library of the school. I then challenged her to pray that type of prayer on her own as she's trying to figure out what she believes for herself.

I believe when we ask God to show up, that He will. And so if she prays that prayer, God will show her that he's real. I just pray that she'll confess Jesus as Lord according to the Bible.

Though, it's been a couple of months since I consciously presented the gospel to a stranger, I was reminded at how easy it is once I open my mouth. Praying that God will give me the boldness to continue the challenge!  Follow along with Nate's Shockwave Challenge at www.natebarbour.blogspot.com

Fall Retreat Scholarships

Yesterday, I got the CRAZY idea of asking people in our congregation to help sponsor a student to go on our fall retreat this coming weekend, and didn't know what to expect, but I know that God is going to provide for teens that want to go, but just can't afford the $100 registration fee. I already received a couple of generous donations, so I thought I'd throw the net wider and ask the folks on the world wide web to pray about giving some support to help a teenager go to camp.

These camps can be life-changing weekends for tweens and teens, and we've seen God show up time and time again to knock on the doors of hearts of students, and they actually respond. It's amaazing that we get to be a part of His story and the spiritual journeys of some pretty phenomenal young people. The fact is that in a hurting economy many of us don't have much to give, and we've got to choose how we spend our money. Don't be alarmed, God will bless what you give, and you will be blessed for giving. Luke 6:38 reminds us to "Give, and it will be given to you. A good measure, pressed down, shaken together and running over, will be poured into your lap. For with the measure you use, it will be measured to you.”


Would you consider changing the life of a kid in Colorado? If you are able to give, you can do it easily through www.paypal.com. Just log in to your account and hit "Send Money", enter my e-mail address: pastorgregg42@gmail.com, make sure you select personal and "gift" so that there will be no fees associated, and it will make a HUGE difference in the life of a teenager!

You can also send a check with "Youth Retreat Scholarship" in the memo line to:

Colorado Community Church
Attn: Gregg Barbour
3651 S. Colorado Blvd.
Englewood, CO 80113



God Bless You!

Pastor Gregg <><

the Path to Generosity

      After preaching this morning’s message on the Path to Generosity, I am humbled by the fact that God used me to share His heart for the needy. I showed a clip from "the Goonies" and one of my volunteers actually believed me when I mentioned that I was one of the kids who found the map, and it was actually a clip from my childhood!  Sorry to have mislead you, but my nickname was not "Chunk" growing up! 
    As we are creating our own Path to Generosity, we have been challenged to ask Jesus to open our eyes to see the "X's" all around us--that when X marks the spot, we'll be seeing needs everywhere.  When we give though, we are remembering to 1. Keep it Secret, and 2. Keep it Simple. So, as you’re out doing those things, we want to hear your stories. You’ll have to listen to the sermon as I address the irony of asking you to keep it secret, but then asking you to share with us what God is doing through you. Here is a way you can do it anonymously. Just post a comment here in an anonymous fashion, and I’ll make sure it gets shared with our church! We want you to accept the challenge to take the rest of July to create your own path to generosity, and share what you’re doing for the needy.

the Quest for Generosity

After beginning a series on Generosity, I've been marveling at how generous God has been to me and my family. I am so blessed to have a wonderful wife and two sons that keep me on my toes every moment I'm with them.
We've ventured into a new arena with our boys, and are wishing that the days of potty training will soon come. They both have had some kind of stomach virus because they have been doing number 2 a lot, and often times it exceeds the capacity of their little diapers, exploding onto the crib, at which point they start wiping it everywhere: the sheets, the crib bars, their clothes, their hair, daddy's shirt...you get the picture.
Needless to say, we are needing to invest in some new sheets, and lots of laundry detergent and stain remover. Even with all of the adventures that aren't so fun, we realize that life would be completely different without them in it. Josiah's laugh is contagious, and he makes me smile from ear to ear when I see him after I come home. Watching Jayce learn new things amazes me, and I love how he often wants to crawl up in my lap and just sit with me. It's as if he knows that I'll let him come and enjoy my company anytime he wants.
I am so blessed to have a wonderful, beautiful wife that shares the joy with me of raising these two fellas. She is an amazing mom, and a more amazing wife. Watching her play with the guys and teach them new things is so much fun. And finding out that they are doing something new because of her makes me so proud. I'm happy to say that I'm still in love, and am enjoying every minute of being a husband and father.

In my quest for generosity, I've found most of all that Jesus expect us to live this out as a lifestyle, and not just an occasion. Even as I write this, I'm pondering my level of generosity for today--yeah, I put in a few extra hours prepping for this coming week's sermon with the photoshop, powerpoint, outline, and work on my sermon prop, but all the while, what is my motivation? It could be, "I need to get this done quick so I can go home", but it's really, "this weekend is gonna rock, and Lord, I'm putting the effort in, but it will still fail if you don't show up!"
I hope you'll show up to hear part two in my series on "The Quest for Generosity"; I think you'll enjoy Sunday's service! Plus, we've got ice cream afterwards, and a way for you to get a buy one get one burrito from Chipotle!

a social network christmas

Someone dear from our church has just shared this amazing video with me.  I was speaking to teenagers the other night about the birth of Jesus from Mary's perspective. 

Luke 1:26-38,  “²⁶ In the sixth month of Elizabeth’s pregnancy, God sent the angel Gabriel to Nazareth, a town in Galilee, ²⁷ to a virgin pledged to be married to a man named Joseph, a descendant of David. The virgin’s name was Mary. ²⁸ The angel went to her and said, “Greetings, you who are highly favored! The Lord is with you.”

 ²⁹ Mary was greatly troubled at his words and wondered what kind of greeting this might be. ³⁰ But the angel said to her, “Do not be afraid, Mary; you have found favor with God. ³¹ You will conceive and give birth to a son, and you are to call him Jesus. ³² He will be great and will be called the Son of the Most High. The Lord God will give him the throne of his father David, ³³ and he will reign over Jacob’s descendants forever; his kingdom will never end.”

 ³⁴ “How will this be,” Mary asked the angel, “since I am a virgin?”

 ³⁵ The angel answered, “The Holy Spirit will come on you, and the power of the Most High will overshadow you. So the holy one to be born will be called^[b] the Son of God. ³⁶ Even Elizabeth your relative is going to have a child in her old age, and she who was said to be unable to conceive is in her sixth month. ³⁷ For no word from God will ever fail.”

 ³⁸ “I am the Lord’s servant,” Mary answered. “May your word to me be fulfilled.” Then the angel left her.”

God does not always do things the way we would do them.  If we were going to announce the birth of Jesus today, it would probably be up on facebook, there’d be an amazing video on youtube, Mary’s twitter would have a dozen tweets from the angel, and probably every news channel would cover the story.  The people of Israel were waiting on the Messiah, so they would have been expecting some kind of announcement of his arrival, but they sure didn't expect this.

  I am amazed at this video because it shares my exact sentiments and thoughts about how it probably would have went down if facebook was around in 1 B.C.  Check it out and let me know what you think, and then post it on YOUR facebook to spread the good news that "Today in the town of David,  a Savior has been born to you.  He is the Messiah, the Lord." - Luke 2:10

If you'd like to listen to my other two sermons in the Collision with the King series, they are available here:  www.collisionyouth.com

A Social Network Christmas

re-writing a logline

Collision Youth Ministry will soon be wrapping up our series on the popular movie, To Save a Life. Last night was particularly challenging and emotional as we looked at "loglines."  A logline is a film term for a line in a film that describes an entire film, scene, or character.  We all had a chance to write our own negative loglines and past them on our chest for the rest of the group to see.  After a teaching on Luke 19:1-10, we learned that Jesus has gifted us with re-writing our loglines, and allows us to join Him in re-writing the loglines of others.  Zacchaeus was a tax collector that everyone pretty much referred to as "sinner," yet Jesus called him a "son of Abraham."  He re-wrote Zacchaeus' story, and it changed his life.  We then taped a blank piece of paper to our backs for others to read our loglines, and then re-write them on our backs.  Some of the students wrote, "I don't like the way I look," or "I'm not good enough," or "I don't have what it takes to succeed."  I wrote, "I am constantly being laughed at."  It was inspiring to see the teens take advantage of a chance to write beautiful, true things about each other as the Spirit lead us in the truth of how God sees each of us.  My perspective for my negative logline was that I have had feelings as though I'm made fun of often, but to see how it was re-written was quite remarkable.  Some wrote: "cuz you kick butt," and others changed it to: "I am hilarious," or "like Rudolph, when people see me they fill up with joy and have to laugh HAPPILY."  The only other time I've been likened to Rudolph has been when an annoying zit appears on the end of my nose.  HA!  But the one that got me was:  "I am serious about important things and have changed many lives."  Knowing that people look at our imperfections and insecurities much different than us got me to thinking that I (we) am (are) my (our) own worst critic(s).  I am my own worst critic.  You are your own worst critic.  God doesn't look at your life and say, "you aren't good enough," or "you don't have what it takes," or "man, you musta fell out of the ugly tree and hit every branch on the way down."  NO!  God looks at you and he says, "Look what I created!  Isn't he/she marvelous!" and "I'm so proud of you!" and "I love you."  
   The human condition has left us depraved, and the enemy wants to capitalize on that by telling us lies so that we'll live in fear and embarassment that will eventually turn into low self-esteem and depression--IF we choose to believe the lies.  We make the choice everyday of what we will believe about ourselves.  Do we choose to believe the lies of the enemy in the form of me, my own worst critic, or do we choose to believe what God's Word says about us?  
  I have recently finished Steven Furtick's book, Sun Stand Still, where he lists twelve audacious faith confessions that he says over his life.  I've printed them out and placed them on my wall.  This is what I choose to believe about myself and my life:

1.      1. I am fully forgiven and free from all shame and condemnation. 

 (Romans 8:1-2; Ephesians 1:7-8; 1 John 1:9)

2.    2. I act in audacious faith to change the world in my generation.

(Joshua 10:12-14; John 14:12)

3.   3. I have no fear or anxiety; I trust in the Lord with all my heart.

(Proverbs 3:5-6; Philippians 4:6-7; 1 Peter 5:7)

4.    4. I am able to fulfill the calling God has placed on my life.

(Exodus 3:9-12; Psalm 57:2; Colossians 1:24-29)

5.    5. I am fully resourced to do everything God has called me to do.

(Deuteronomy 8:18; Luke 6:38; Philippians 4:13)

6.     6. I have no insecurity, because I see myself the way God sees me.

(Genesis 1:26-27; Psalm 139:13-16; Ephesians 5:25-27)

7.     7. I am a faithful spouse and a godly parent-our family is blessed.

(Deuteronomy 6:6-9; Ephesians 5:22-25; Colossians 3:18-19; 1 Peter 3:1-7)

8.    8. I am completely whole-physically, mentally, and emotionally.

(Psalm 103:1-5; Matthew 8:16-17; 2 Corinthians 5:17; 1 Peter 2:24)

9.    9. I am increasing in influence and favor for the kingdom of God.

(Genesis 45:4-8; 1 Samuel 2:26; Acts 2:37-47)

10.     10. I am enabled to walk in the sacrificial love of Christ. (Thessalonians 2:16-17; 1 John 3:16; 4:9-12)

11.      11. I have the wisdom of the Lord concerning every decision I make.

(2 Chronicles 1:7-12; Proverbs 2:6; Ecclesiastes 2:26; James 1:5)

12.    12. I am protected from all harm and evil in Jesus’ name.

(Genesis 50:20; Psalm 3:1-3; 2 Thessalonians 3:2-3)

What will you choose to believe? 

My Re-written logline

 

Vacationing with the Boys

I'm amazed at the need for a vacation AFTER having a vacation. Jenni and I realized that vacationing with kids is much different than vacationing without kids. Pre-parenthood, Jenni and I could sleep in, and after we wake up decide to go to the pool or the beach, and just go no questions asked. Post parenthood, things are quite different. Waking up at 9:30 was actually pretty cool, because the boys were on Colorado time all week while we were in Daytona Beach. They never set their watches ahead, I suppose. But after feeding them, we'd then get up to decide to go the beach, and we have to get ready, get all of our sunscreen on, head down to the beach with the canopy and the chairs, walk back to the room, get the boys ready to go with sunscreen and swimsuits, pack up the beach towels and coolers, and get ready to walk out the door, but wait--we gotta make two more bottles because now it's already time for them to eat again. Sooo, we get down to the beach, and we gotta feed the boys, before one of us at a time can go get into the ocean.
Although, I'm thankful for the family we had while we were down there that allowed us some semblance of relaxation or sanity giving us moments where we could just be with each other, and have some daddy and mommy time. Like throwing the frisbee on the beach together, or sitting by the pool for 10 minutes, or going out with my bro, sis-in-law, cousin and his wife to get dinner and a movie while the grandparents oogled over the kids. It was quite a blast, but NOW I'm ready for a vacation. :)