Monday, September 14, 2009 @ 1:34 pm by Josh Burcham

As Christians we love to pray for safety. But I want to challenage you with a thought, did Jesus promise safety anywhere in scripture? I can’t find it. Actually, it seems that in a lot of ways if you choose to follow Christ there is a strong chance they your life will be the opposite of safety. I think us american allow the this idea of “American safety” to blur our Christianity, giving us the false idea that we don’t have to take risks for Jesus.

The Jesus-life is an easy one. Now that statement isn’t something we would ever say and on a surface level we don’t believe, but if we step back and examin our lives it is something we understand to be true in our actions.

We don’t seek God out for our God-size dreams on our lives.

We don’t reach out to those that don’t know Jesus, because we love ourselves too much and them not enough.

We don’t believe Jesus to when He said, Then he will say to those on his left, ‘Depart from me, you who are cursed, into the eternal fire prepared for the devil and his angels. For I was hungry and you gave me nothing to eat, I was thirsty and you gave me nothing to drink, I was a stranger and you did not invite me in, I needed clothes and you did not clothe me, I was sick and in prison and you did not look after me.’ “They also will answer, ‘Lord, when did we see you hungry or thirsty or a stranger or needing clothes or sick or in prison, and did not help you?’ “He will reply, ‘I tell you the truth, whatever you did not do for one of the least of these, you did not do for me.’

We want control of our lives and hord God’s money. Let me let you in on a little secert: GOD DOESN’T NEED YOUR MONEY! He wants your heart. And giving gauges your heart.

We give lip service to Jesus on the weekends, but Mondays our hearts are far from Him. Let me let you in on another little secert: being a Christian is not about doing things. It’s about being Christ-like.

The list could go on and on, but my point is, I want you to start living the life Jesus calls us to live and go make disciples and fulfill that God-size dream!

Friday, September 11, 2009 @ 11:43 am by Josh Burcham

Bucket lists are simple it is the list of things to do before you die. Comes from the term “kicked the bucket”. The last couple of months, my prayer has been “God, give me a glimpse at your size.” And He has done just that. A small glimpse, but a glimpse big enough for me to dream BIG, because I know anything is possible with God. Jesus says in Matthew 17:20: He replied, “Because you have so little faith. I tell you the truth, if you have faith as small as a mustard seed, you can say to this mountain, ‘Move from here to there’ and it will move. Nothing will be impossible for you.”
My Current Bucket List: (more…)

Friday, July 17, 2009 @ 12:23 pm by Josh Burcham

Throughout your life as a Christ-follower, God moves in a way that sets a mark on our timeline that we look back to for encouragement and courage for those God-size dreams he places before us to accomplish. One of my mile-markers happened in Douglas, Arizona on a mission trip to Agua Prieta, Mexico back in 2002. God called me to “shepherd His sheep.” He called me to full-time ministry. As clear as day, not verbal, but God was speaking to my soul. He ‘asked’ me to give something up and called me to something great. It was a break in my routine, my focuses were refocused, for just that week and it gave me the ability to hear God’s voice.

Side note: I was sitting right where it says ‘E 4th St,’ late at night, all by myself, with a PDA in hand (I know, have issues). I remember it like it was yesterday.

I tell you all this, to tell you this: I’m going back! It is a mile-marker that I want to revisit and preserve. I’m looking to head down sometime in August, take some pictures and film a message to post here on my blog about breaking your routine and seeking God’s God-size dream for you.

I’m stoked! Want to go on a overnight trip?

Friday, July 3, 2009 @ 9:45 am by Josh Burcham

I find this set of verse mind boggling. The amount of faith that is present, I wish I had a small piece of that type of faith. Red letters today is looking at Mark 1:16-20, Matthew 4:18-22 and Luke 5:1-11. The story of Jesus calling four fisherman to ministry.

16 As Jesus walked beside the Sea of Galilee, he saw Simon and his brother Andrew casting a net into the lake, for they were fishermen. 17 “Come, follow me,” Jesus said, “and I will make you fishers of men.” 18 At once they left their nets and followed him.

19 When he had gone a little farther, he saw James son of Zebedee and his brother John in a boat, preparing their nets. 20 Without delay he called them, and they left their father Zebedee in the boat with the hired men and followed him. Mark 1:16-20

18 As Jesus was walking beside the Sea of Galilee, he saw two brothers, Simon called Peter and his brother Andrew. They were casting a net into the lake, for they were fishermen. 19 “Come, follow me,” Jesus said, “and I will make you fishers of men.” 20 At once they left their nets and followed him. 21 Going on from there, he saw two other brothers, James son of Zebedee and his brother John. They were in a boat with their father Zebedee, preparing their nets. Jesus called them, 22 and immediately they left the boat and their father and followed him. Matthew 4:18-22

One day as Jesus was standing by the Lake of Gennesaret, with the people crowding around him and listening to the word of God, he saw at the water’s edge two boats, left there by the fishermen, who were washing their nets. He got into one of the boats, the one belonging to Simon, and asked him to put out a little from shore. Then he sat down and taught the people from the boat.

When he had finished speaking, he said to Simon, “Put out into deep water, and let down the nets for a catch.”

Simon answered, “Master, we’ve worked hard all night and haven’t caught anything. But because you say so, I will let down the nets.”

When they had done so, they caught such a large number of fish that their nets began to break. So they signaled their partners in the other boat to come and help them, and they came and filled both boats so full that they began to sink.

When Simon Peter saw this, he fell at Jesus’ knees and said, “Go away from me, Lord; I am a sinful man!” For he and all his companions were astonished at the catch of fish they had taken, and so were James and John, the sons of Zebedee, Simon’s partners.

Then Jesus said to Simon, “Don’t be afraid; from now on you will catch men.” So they pulled their boats up on shore, left everything and followed him. Luke 5:1-11

These men’s lives would never be the same. They took a small leap of faith, something that seemed irrational and irresponsible and God took them to place they never thought they would go and grew them into people He called them to be. These men were fisherman and fishing was their livelihood and their families livelihood. They had responsibilities and duties that people were counting on them to complete and they left them all behind when Jesus called. “At once they left their nets and followed Him.” They didn’t weigh the pros and cons, they didn’t pray about it for months; they knew what Jesus had called them to do with all the unknowns and followed. That is faith that I want to have!

But Josh, they had Jesus talking to them. Their situation was different. Was it? Some man they hadn’t heard approached them and said follow me and they did. He told them to throw their nets to the other side and they did. Jesus spoke to them and Jesus speaks to us through the Holy Spirit. We need to stop limiting God because of our responsibilities, routine, assumptions, guilt, failure and fear (Wild Goose Chase).

Father God, I asking for this faith. Father God, I ask for the courage to fulfill your dreams for me. Father God, I ask for strength to complete the work you have set aside for me.

Saturday, June 13, 2009 @ 9:18 pm by Josh Burcham

I’ve been doing a lot of thinking and conversation-ing (think I made that word up) on the topic of calling over the last couple of months. My heart is for Christ-followers to live the John 10:10 life, when Jesus says “I have come that they may have life, and have it to the full.” God has given each of us a God-size dream. A dream that can not be accomplished without Him. A dream that is too big for us to complete on our own. A dream that seems so stupid and so dumb. A dream that God desires to fulfill with us.

So as I continue to have “conversation-ings” I’m going to stop using the word calling. I think calling freaks people out. I’m going to start using the words…God-given Dream. Though everything I’ve said about calling in the last couple of posts apply to this dream as well.

What dream has God laid on your heart to complete, so you can live the John 10:10
life and love God and love people?

Let me add this: the John 10:10 life has nothing to do with your glory and everything to do with God’s glory. Don’t forget that.