Wednesday, February 24, 2010 @ 10:31 am by Josh Burcham

Today is my birthday (actually today is the 23rd, but you’ll be reading this the 24th). The big 2-5. As a another year passes by I thought it would be a good idea to look back on the past one.

This time last year I pulled the plug to plant Ridgepoint Church. Life got hard and I gave up. I did the exact opposite of what I teach others to do. I preach keep pushing through, keep giving it your all, and don’t give up. God gave you this vision; you’re called to fulfill it. Yet, I threw in the towel. I gave up. I struggled weeks in making that decision and the second I made it… I regretted it. Thinking about it now brings back pain, brings back feelings of failure and feelings of a void in my heart. God gave me a vision and I questioned that vision.

I’ve been able to work outside the church environment this year and it has been invaluable in creating a heart for the lost, for those that haven’t meet Jesus. He has taught me to care about people more than I care about myself. He has taught me to see people with His eyes and not with my judgment. He has stretched me in His Word and created a place of importance in my life. Not just for reading, but for living and heart change.

As I look back, though this year was uneventful, I stand in awe of how much my God can do in one’s life. I am the man I am today, because of Jesus. He has changed my heart this year to truly love God and love people. Not letting it be just lip serve, but making it my life. Because the reality is, I suck as a human being. I’m selfish and care more about my evil desires than I do of Godly things. I’m a sinner, focused on self. Yet, He loved me anyways. He changed me. He saved me. And I can’t take any credit for any of it, because without Jesus I would still suck. Don’t get me wrong, I still have my moments, but He saved me from this life. He has made my life full, because of His glory. So I worship Him!

Folks, I know Jesus. I’m a blessed man because I can say that. Not a lot can, but I am going to do my best and change that.

This year, my 25th year, is going to be a big one, an exciting one, because I know Jesus and He knows me. Because I am ready to follow where ever He leads (more on that to come soon).

Sunday, October 4, 2009 @ 10:10 am by Josh Burcham

I like change. I like to tweak things for the sake of change and my blog is not an exception. The best part of this blog theme is took me about a day and a half; the last design took me a week. I’m starting to get the hang of this WordPress thing. Might notice a few new features on the blog:

Popular Posts: The popular posts section of the blog is where you’ll find the top four posts and series with the most traffic. Click away and read some of the back posts and remember what made this blog famous. I’m just kidding, this blog isn’t famous. Well, not famous enough to earn me any money.

Reading List: These are the must reads for the readers of JoshBurcham.com. As I’ve journey down the road of becoming a true Christ-follower, loving God and loving people I’ve ran across some books that God used to grow me. Outside of scripture of course. These are those books. Get your hands on them and read away.

Menu Bar:
Not a lot of change of the bar itself, but some change on what you’ll find behind the links. Creative still needs some work. Anyone know a creative way of displaying a portfolio? Click through all the links and don’t forget to check out Three Guys and a Bible Podcast.

Saturday, September 19, 2009 @ 11:48 pm by Josh Burcham

I’ve meet with a group of guys every Tuesday for the last eight months for accountability and bible study. We’ve journeyed together as we learned how a true Christ-follower’s life was too look, by loving God and loving people. We’ve read through a couple of books that helped in that process, but we came to a point where we hit a plateau and needed a change. We tired a new location, didn’t work. We meet at a different time, still no help. And then an idea hit. We would start a podcast. Share our experience that God has used in our lives over the last year through a video camera. Three Guys and a Bible Podcast was born.

We are at a point where we need to give back and share the knowledge and truth that we’ve have learned over that past couple of years. Open our hearts and let you, our listeners, see us as we are.

It hasn’t been a pretty start and we have a long was to go and a lot to learn, but we’ve start. Don’t they say that starting is the hardest part? It is raw and un-cut. What you see is what you get, problems and all.

Now here is where you come in: head over to the site and post your questions and thoughts or you can email them in at questions@threeguyspodcast.com. We need your questions, they drive our show, email away. It could be anything. Really, anything goes.

Subscribe to the Podcast in iTunes.

Wednesday, September 16, 2009 @ 2:36 pm by Josh Burcham

We learn lessons about life from both good and bad experience. This is a lesson that I’m still learning to practice. Don’t sweat it. Now this lesson has a story. I’ve gone back and forth on whether or not to post it and have come to this conclusion: this is my blog where I’m willing to share my heart for others, as a tool to help them grow. From time to time I share things that are Truth and in turn upset some people. It is never my intention to hurt people, but a lot of times people are hurt because of their convictions. Know this post is written out of love with no ill feelings from me. I’ll leave it at that.

You can’t control how people view you. You can’t control what they think or don’t think you are doing. When I decided to plant Ridgepoint Church, rumors started to fly. People started to talk. Saying things like, “Josh doesn’t believe in the Bible” or even better “Josh is trying to steal people from other churches.” Things that never came out of my mouth. Things that were never my intention.

I left a church that I loved. I left a church that I poured my blood, sweat and tears into. I left because God called me to leave and if I had to make that same decision again, I would do the same. Because I got out of my comfort zone and traveled into the unknown, Jesus taught me how to follow Him as a true Christ-follower. Something I wouldn’t of been able to do unless I left. It had nothing to do with the church I was at, it’s an amazing church in so many ways, but it was my comfort zone and God had to move me out of that comfort zone.

A hand full of people at a church of just under a thousand were able to destroy my reputation and burn bridges between that church and me. Now here was the part that hurt, these were people I trusted, people I looked up to and people I served along side for years. These people were friends.

Did I make all the right decision during this time of my life? No. I’ll be the first to tell you my mistakes. But we need to learn how not to sweat things we can’t control. I can’t control how people view me. I can only be how God has called me to be and continue to grow as a Christ-follower. But people will always talk and sometimes those people have a lot of influence on others. Don’t sweat it. Be true to your Creator and let life be life. And remember, Christ never promised an easy life, He showed us that it would be quite the opposite.

When we sweat over these things we can’t control, they start to reak havic on our lives. I became bitter over this experience and though I tried to hide that bitterness it showed itself.  And I had to come before Jesus and let it go. He had to show me how to not sweat it.

Stay true to Christ and the God-size dream He has placed on your life. No matter what happens keep chasing that vision. No matter what is said, keep your focus on Christ. And don’t sweat it.

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 @ 1:33 pm by Josh Burcham

As Americans we now know we aren’t as safe as we would like to think. September 11, 2001 is a day will remember forever. I can recount where I was and what I was doing when that morning started. Brushing my teeth, getting ready for school and I hear a “NO! NO! NO! THIS CAN’T BE HAPPENING!” coming from the living room, where my mom was watching the events unfold. Our safety was shattered in a single moment when we watched the second plane erupt as it hit the towers on live television. We spent the day at school with our eye glued to the news stations. Seeing men and women become heroes as they poured themselves into helping those in need and at the same time more tragedy when the Pentagon was hit and towers fell.

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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…)

Monday, August 10, 2009 @ 3:29 pm by Josh Burcham

Headed up the mountain this weekend to break routine and get away. Went asking God to create a ‘thin’ place. A place where the heavens touch the earth and where you experience God, the Creator. Spend some time away from everyone on Saturday asking God to show my just a small glimpse of His size. He did just that. (more…)