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Live Weak
We live in a society that tells us we need to be independent and self-sufficient, pull ourselves up by our boot-straps (whatever that means??), and do everything in our own strength. It sounds good on the surface but in reality it is so contrary to the way scripture says we are to live our lives.
II Corinthians 12:10 says, “When I am weak then I am strong.â€Â So if we really want to be strong we have to learn to Live Weak. What a radical concept!! Living weak is a paradox that goes against everything the world teaches or believes. Everybody wants to believe that they can Live Strong and handle all their junk on their own but the fact is we can’t. We try and we fail because it can’t be done. In fact, none of us can do anything in our own strength. Compare John 15:5 with Philippians 4:13. John 15:5 says that without Christ we can’t do anything and Philippians 4:13 says with Christ we can do anything! That is the heart of what it means to Live Weak!!! On our own apart from Christ we are absolutely powerless to accomplish anything of any value but by walking daily in absolute dependence upon Jesus we can accomplish anything!! That doesn’t mean, however, that we just sit back, do nothing, and watch Jesus do everything for us. Living Weak means living in a partnership with Jesus where we strive to balance dependency with discipline. You have to have both or you won’t get very far. It’s like the wings on an airplane. Which one is more important? The right one or the left one? BOTH!!! If your plane just has one wing then your going to crash every time! The same thing is true with dependency and discipline. You have to do your part and God has to do His.
Colossians 1:29 says, “I labor, struggling with all His energy, which works so powerfully in me.â€Â What that means is that we labor – we strive to follow Jesus with our whole heart. We daily dig into the Word of God and rub up against Jesus all the while living in absolute dependence upon Jesus to give us the strength to do it.
Living Weak is a radical concept in our world but the fact is it works because when we are weak, then and only then are we strong!
Live Weak – Runks
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“At Least you got legs, Dude!”
I had pretty major shoulder surgery back in December and had my arm stuck in a dang sling for 6 weeks! It was horrible! It was my right arm and I’m right handed so I had to do everything with my left hand! And I mean, EVERTHING! Use your imagination. It was absolutely crazy, messy, and gross! I’m a pretty active guy and not very good at being still for extended periods of time so being laid up on a couch for a month about drove me completely insane! Finally after 4 weeks of this I had my first event so I got to get off the couch, jump on a plane, and try to preach with my arm in a sling. If you’ve seen me speak then you can only imagine how crazy tough this was for me. I’m sure it was funny to watch but it drove me nuts! I was speaking at a DiscipleNow for First Baptist Church in Clifton, Texas. While I was there I met a 7th grade guy named Zach. Zach was, how do I put this, I’m terrible at political correctness and have the tact of a freight train so I’m not sure how I’m supposed to describe him so I’ll just put it this way – if he could drive he could park in a handicap parking space. Zach is incredibly small for his age and has no legs but has an absolutely amazing attitude about his situation. He really is an amazing guy and I can’t wait to see what God does with his life! During every service he sat on the floor between the front pews and I almost stepped on him several times. He’s a really cool kid and we had a lot fun joking around about how crazy it would have been if I had really stepped on him.
One night while I was speaking I was telling a story in my normal ridiculously animated manner and I desperately needed both arms to make the story work but I couldn’t do it because of that stupid sling, not to mention it would have hurt like crazy if I had tried! At that point I had had enough and went off on a tirade about how much I hated that stupid sling and not being able to move or use my arm blah, blah blah, etc. etc. etc. And all of sudden, Zach blurted out, “At least you got legs, dude!†And everybody including me erupted in laughter! It was absolutely hilarious! At that point I acknowledged that he was right and I really had NOTHING to complain about. He said it as a joke but it really caught my attention. I realized after he said it and especially after getting to know him that my temporary problem of my arm being in sling was nothing compared to what he has to deal with every day and yet he is so incredibly positive about it. This kid really inspired me and totally changed my attitude about my situation and really, my life in general. The rest of the time I was in a sling and in rehab after that my mantra was: “At least you got legs, Dude!†No matter how bad it was or how much it hurt I kept reminding myself that at least I had legs and have no reason to ever complain about anything. Even now that my shoulder is totally recovered, God continues to use Zach’s words to wake me up every time I start to complain about anything. I hope someday to somehow get close to having the kind of attitude about life that Zach has! He truly was and is an inspiration to me. Maybe he can be the same for you. Next time you get petty and start to complain take a second to remember the words of my buddy Zach: “At least you got legs, Dude!†I promise it will help you settle down and be more realistic about what’s going on.
At Least you got Legs, Dude!
God Bless ya – Runks
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Funny Name, Funny Guy, Deep Message???
Funny guy with a Deep message?? Is that even possible? Can anybody really be funny and at the same time really have something valuable to say?? Apparently a lot of people don’t think so. I’ve heard a ton of Youth Ministers say that they’re not big fans of “funny speakers†because most funny speakers are just that, funny and not much more. Funny speakers seem to have a bad rep for not having much of any significance to say. They blow in, blow up the room with crazy stories & laughter, say a few fluffy bits of truth, and jump right back to more joking around. Honestly, I have to admit I agree.
So why on earth would I choose market myself as a funny guy??  Because that’s simply who I am and for some crazy reason who God wanted me to be. For some reason God has shaped me through the experiences of my life, some of them painful and some of them simply the result of me being an AD/HD spastic idiot, to be a fun, funny guy. He has also shaped me through the experiences of my life and the things He has taught me about life and Himself to hopefully have something of value to say.
For me comedy is just a tool that God has blessed me with to illustrate deep biblical truths to teenagers. I try as hard as I can to strike a balance between being really funny and offering deep biblical truths that students can grab a hold of and apply to their lives. I may not be the funniest guy around but I work hard to be as funny as I can possibly be. And in the same vein, I may not be the sharpest tool in the shed but I work hard to engage my mind in my faith by digging into the Word of God and seeking to be as knowledgeable about the Truth as I can possibly be so I can communicate that Truth to hurting teens. I never want to be funny just to be funny. I want to be funny with a purpose. I never want to go on stage just to entertain. I go on stage to enlighten and encourage people with the reality of who Jesus is, how much He loves them, and the difference He can make in their lives. So, as crazy as it may sound, when I speak to students I simply try to be who I am and who God made me to be – a funny guy with a deep message.
Here is a video I had made to hopefully illustrate who I am, what I’m about, and how I communicate truth. (see more videos here)
God Bless ya – Runks
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Shhhh Conclave…
Check out this crazy video I made on the way to The Texas Youth Minister’s Conclave about the evils of self-promotion, bad driving, funny word choices, and why I do what I do. Â Have fun.
God Bless ya – Runks
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Petty ’til I Puke
The air conditioner at my office was out of whack last week and it was hotter than the nether regions of the heavenly realms.  Ok, that may be the dumbest thing I’ve ever said but at the very least its better than saying: “H – E – double hockey sticks!”  Either way my office was a ding dang oven and I was sweating like, well…. ME at an etiquette seminar.  I wasn’t getting much done other than a ton of complaining so I decided to let the twitter/facebook world know how much I was suffering and posted the following: “3rd day with no a/c in my office! I’m cooking like George Foreman in here!” To which I promptly  received the following comment from my buddy Seth Hardage who went to India with me last month:
“Good thing you have recently had some experience with no air conditioning!”
Now, I know Seth meant it as a joke but for me it was a slap in the face waking me up to how quickly I have forgotten how good I really have it and how little I really have to complain about compared to the people I met in India. Â In Case you didn’t know India is the hottest place on planet earth! Â Its has the humidity of Houston combined with the heat of Arizona and almost nobody has air conditioning. Â Most of them live in little thatch huts, grow their own food, and do the best they can to take care of the ones they love with hardly any resources. Â Every single one of them is still there living with that ridiculous heat and lack of resources and here I am with a full belly, my a/c (at home) is set on 72, my kids are safe, and I know where my next 50 meals are coming from and yet I’m still griping. Â Don’t misunderstand me, Â I am still deeply effected by my experience in India and in many ways my life will never be the same but it just makes me want to puke to see how quickly I can get sucked back into thinking I have any reason to gripe about petty things when Powan (4 year old railway kid) is still over there alone, hungry, homeless, and hot. Â So from now on I’m going to do my best to be thankful for what I have, use what I have to help others, and do my best to stop griping! Â Who’s with me??
God Bless ya – Runks
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Super Week
Just finished up Super Week at Pioneer Drive Baptist Church in Abilene, Texas. Jeff Scott, Travis Craver, and their team of really cool interns put on an awesome event. It was basically a youth revival wrapped up in a camp trapped in a Super Summer. The students were divided into teams, did ridiculous cheers, played crazy games all leading into awesome worship led by the band Redwise. God moved powerfully each night with many teenagers finding a new relationship with Jesus. Who says youth revivals are dead? This was one of the coolest events I’ve ever been a part of and I’m so humbled to have been a small part of what God is doing at PDBC. Here is a highlight video of Super Week, which by the way I filmed entirely on an iphone. Those things are stinking amazing. I don’t know how I ever lived without it.
PDBC students, you guys rock! Keep on loving Jesus and Living Weak! Thanks so much for letting me hang out with y’all this week!
God Bless ya – Runks
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Images of India
I’m still trying to wrap my head around all that I saw and experienced in India. It was such an amazing experience and I am so humbled to have had the opportunity to be a small part of what God is doing in such a dark place. I’ve been home for a week and I’m still having trouble finding words to express what I experienced over there so I think just let pics and video speak for themselves.
Here is promotional video for Asian Partners International
put together by our fearless team leader Coby Colley:
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Churches
The vision of A.S.S.I.  – the ministry we were working with, (it stands for Asian -Hindi word-Hindi word- International) – is to plant churches without attempting to change the culture so their worship services are like nothing I have ever seen.  All the worship is in the language of Hindi and the style is typical Indian music.  I couldn’t understand a word of it but  worshipping with my Indian brothers and sisters was awesome and some of the sweetest worship experiences I have ever had!  Here are some pics from some of the house churches we worshipped with.
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Having Church at Harold’s Barbecue
I just had lunch at the “World Famous†Harold’s Barbecue in Abilene, Texas.  In the middle of lunch Harold came out of the kitchen and led the entire restaurant in the Amen Chorus. It was absolutely hilarious and really awesome at the same time. Check out the video.
God Bless ya – Runks
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1 little, 2 little, 3 billion Indians…
Actually it’s not 3 billion Indians, it’s 1.17 billion Indians, but who’s counting. You could stand pretty much anywhere in India, take a picture in any direction, and count 500 people. The state of Uttar Pradesh (where we spent most of our time) is roughly the size of Michigan and has over 166 million people in it! Michigan barely has10 million people. I’ve never seen so many people in all my life and God loves every one of them just as much as He loves me, yet almost none of them know it. According the world countries app on my iphone: 80.5% of them are Hindu, 13.4% of them are Muslims, and only 2.3% of them are Christians. You can do the math however you want but no matter how you slice it, that’s a lot of people that don’t know Jesus. In fact, a bunch of them don’t even know who He is! This astounding number of people without Christ was more incredible to me than anything I saw or experienced in India. Don’t get me wrong — the poverty is unbelievable, the living conditions are shocking, and the number of homeless children is heartbreaking, but the sheer number of people who are lost is absolutely overwhelming.
This was no more apparent to me than when we were in the city of Varanassi. Varanassi is basically the Hindu center of the universe. It is the holiest of holy cities for Hindus and an incredibly demonically oppressed city. It is known in mission circles as the “graveyard of missions.†because of the overwhelming Hindu devotion in the area and the many failed attempts to evangelize this city.
While in Varanassi we took a boat ride to witness the Hindu ritual of ceremonial sunrise bathing in the Ganges River. The purpose of the ritual is to offer worship and wash away sin to hopefully appease the gods and get off the cycle of reincarnation by earning a way to heaven. Hindus also wash the bodies of the deceased in this river before they are cremated and then scatter the ashes in the river. Sometimes for various reasons they simply dump the body in the river. All in a vain attempt to attain salvation. It is literally heartbreaking to see people so deceived working so hard to earn the favor of a god or gods that don’t exist.
Below is the video I shot of this ritual. It is pretty raw and for the most part unedited but I think it captures the essence of what we witnessed that day. In it you will see many statues and paintings of false gods as well as people bathing, worshipping, doing laundry, and even brushing their teeth all in the nastiest water you could ever imagine. I must warn you, you will see a dead body being ceremonially washed as well as one floating in the river. It’s not graphic. You can’t see the actual bodies because they’ve been ceremonially wrapped but you’ll know what they are. Check it out:
In spite of the fact that Varnassi is the holiest of holy cities for Hindus, our God is the God of this city and He is sending out workers into this plentiful harvest. In fact, in the last two years 10,000 churches have been started and are thriving in this “graveyard of missions.â€Â God is at work in Varanassi and more than anything our Christian brothers and sisters there need our prayers. So I’ll leave you with a prayer written for the people of Varanassi by my sister-in-law, Holly Nichols, who loves the people of India probably more than I love my own kids.
“I am praying with you right now that the people of India will know their God. That they will exchange the lie for the truth of God and return to worship the Creator instead of the creation. That the rivers and rocks and creation that they have been taught to worship will cry out beside them and join them in worshipping the Creator of all.â€
God bless ya – Runks
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I’m going to India TOMORROW!
I’m going to INDIA tomorrow!! Â INDIA – that’s on the other stinkin’ side of the dang world! Â I know, I looked it up. I actually got out a globe and looked. Â When we were kids and we tried to dig our way to China in the backyard, we were wrong. We weren’t digging to China, we were digging to India! Â I am a little concerned about how I am gonna cram my 9 foot legs and my A.D.H.D. brain in an airplane for 14 hours on my flight to the other side of the world but I’m sure that once I’m there that will seem insignificant and petty.
I cannot believe I’m getting to do this. Â I am so blown away at this opportunity God has dropped in my lap. I’m going with my good friend Coby Colley and Asian Partners International. Â We’ll be working in New Dehli, Gorakpur, Varanassi, Patna, and several other places I can’t pronounce. Â We have many things planned but what I am most pumped about is working with the people who minister to the orphan beggars at the rail stations. Â These are the kids portrayed in the movie Slumdog Millionaire. Â These kids are horribly abused and forced to beg for money to pay off their pimps. Â Not sure if that’s what they’re called but somehow it seems fitting. Â I will be working with the leaders there to help them understand how to talk/minister/reach out to someone who has been abused. Â If you know my story of childhood sexual abuse then you know this is something I am really thrilled to have the opportunity to do.
I am really excited and somewhat nervous. Â I’ve done mission work in Mexico and Haiti but I’ve been warned that nothing can prepare me for what I will see in India. Â I’ll be updating this blog and twittering whenever I can to keep you posted on what is happening so you can pray specifically. Â Thanks to everyone who is praying and those who provided funding for this trip. Â I couldn’t have done this without you!
God Bless ya – Runks