Saturday, March 31, 2007

Garbage In = Garbage Out

“Finally, brothers, whatever is true, whatever is noble, whatever is right, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is admirable-if anything is excellent or praiseworthy-think about such things.” Philippians 4:8, NIV

Check it: what we put into our heads totally impacts what how we think, how we act, how we treat others, and how we speak. God tells us in the bible verse above to control what we put into our heads. Do you have problems with having bad thoughts? Problems with your language? We all can. We need to take a hard look at what we’re feeding our minds with movies, video games, magazines, music, etc. There is a lot of way violent games, way obscene movies, and other things that we can easily get hooked on. Make an effort to avoid these things, and to put good things in your head. You’ll become a better person.

The world tempts us with all sorts of garbage to put into our minds but God doesn’t want us to fall into its trap.

“Don’t copy the behavior of this world, but let God transform you into a new person by changing the way you think. Then you will know what God wants you to do, and you will know how good and pleasing and perfect his will really is.” Romans 12:2, NLT

You might think its tough to control what we put in our heads, what we think, and what we do. Well you’re right, its tough to the extreme! And without God it would be impossible. If we accept Jesus as our savior the Holy Spirit will come into our life and give us the power we need:

“Those who are dominated by the sinful nature think about sinful things, but those who are controlled by the Holy Spirit think about things that please the Spirit. If your sinful nature controls your mind, there is death. But if the Holy Spirit controls your mind, there is life and peace.” Romans 8:5-6, NLT

Sk8 4 God’s three core values: Courage, Wisdom, and Honor!

This week’s lesson is about courage. It can take courage to live for God . But get stoked on Jesus, fill your head with God’s word, and God will encourage you.

“Be on your guard; stand firm in the faith; be men of courage; be strong.”
1 Corinthians 16:13, NLT

-RC

Wednesday, March 21, 2007

Gnarly influences

Ok, we are going to hit this one hard. So when you look through sk8 magazines sometimes you hit gnarly photos and adds exploiting things that are of this world. You may even come across an ad or artwork that shows gnarly skulls, pentagrams, upside down crosses, and even the number of the beast: 666. Now being a believer this is something that may make you sad. You may think “How can they show such a gnarly thing? Don’t they realize that they have a father in heaven who loves them? Who has created them and died for them?” That is when we need to realize that it is not the people who made the ad. It is the one who is in control of their lives.

Ephesians 6:12 “For we wrestle not against flesh and blood, but against principalities, against powers, against the rulers of the darkness of this world, against spiritual wickedness in high [places]."

You see Satan has his tricks. But nothing can compare to the Truth from God. He is more powerful and He is Righteous in all His ways. You see Satan thinks he has a grasp on what is going on in skateboarder’s lives. But actually he doesn’t. There have been so many Christian skate companies blowing up. And skateboarders have been turning into evangelists. Christian Hosio, Jay Alabama, Luke Braddock and many other pros.

You see Satan is trying as hard as he can to bring skateboarders down. But guess what. He doesn’t have a chance. Christian skateboarders have been blowing up huge within the last three years. Be encouraged I really believe that this is all for God’s Glory. You see the funny thing is that some of the gnarly stuff that they use can be turned around for good. The upside down cross is actually St. Peters cross. One of Jesus’ disciples, St. Peter asked to be crucified upside down because he was not worthy to be crucified they same way Jesus was. About the number 666, most people think it means Satan (the Devil). But it actually is a warning. It is a number of a man. If that of interest to you? I suggest reading Revelations.

Revelation 13:18 “Here is wisdom. Let him that hath understanding count the number of the beast: for it is the number of a man; and his number [is] Six hundred threescore [and] six.”

We need courage to be Christian skateboarders. We need faith in God. We need to be strong with the Lord. He is more powerful than the enemy. And He is on our side. Think of yourself as a warrior of righteousness standing up for what you believe. Holding your sword (The Bible) in you right hand, and with all of your armor on. Be ready to go out and fight evil.

God bless,
Caleb

Saturday, March 10, 2007

God did a lot for me. So what does He want in return?

Check it, we’ve got to be totally stoked when we realize what God has done for us! For the skaters whose parents haven’t been dragging them to Sunday school since they could crawl, here is a quick refresher on what I’m talking about:

All of us do bad things sometimes, we’re sinners. These actions, sins, separate us from God. But Jesus came to bring God and us sinners together. When Jesus died on the cross, our sins were placed upon him, and the penalty for those sins was paid in full. Three days later Jesus rose from the dead, proving he was the true Son of God, the only one who could pay for our sins. To those who in their heart believe in Jesus and call him Lord God gives eternal life.

That’s the short You Tube video version of the full length movie about God, mankind, and Jesus bringing God and mankind together. The book that contains the full length story is the bible. Here are some key verses from the bible:

"There is no one righteous, not even one." Romans 3:10

"But God showed his great love for us by sending Christ to die for us while we were still sinners." Romans 5:8

"For God so loved the world that he gave his only Son, so that everyone who believes in him will not perish but have eternal life." John 3:16

That’s a lot that God did for us, you think? So, does God want us to do anything in return for his incredible sacrifice for us? Yes he does. He wants us to love Him. Jesus said:

"You must love the Lord your God with all your heart, all your soul, and all your mind. This is the first and greatest commandment." Matthew 22:37-38

Jesus died on the cross to make it possible for us to have a relationship with God. God loves us no matter what we’ve done, and he wants us to love him back! Its not hard to love God when you focus on what he’s done. The problem can sometimes be that we let other things get in the way. Like wanting more stuff. Or trying to be the coolest. Or even skateboarding! So we end up loving God with a part of our heart, a part of our soul, and a part of our mind. God wants us to seek him first, and to not obsess over these other things. He will provide all of your needs:

"and He will give you all you need from day to day if you live for Him and make the Kingdom of God your primary concern." Matthew 6:33

Sk8 4 God has three core values: Courage, Wisdom, and Honor!

Gods wants us to honor what him by loving him with all of our heart, all of our soul, and all of our mind.

What does it look like to love God with all of your heart?

What does it look like to love God with all of your mind?

What does it look like to love God with all of your soul?

-RC

Monday, March 5, 2007

God is stoked when you repent...

Do you ever end up in a situation where you know that you are doing something wrong and you feel bad about it? You want to do something to fix the gnarly feeling so you decide to repent. Change your ways. Do what is right. All of a sudden you realize that you were in a room that was completely dark. And now you can see the light.
Sometimes we fall into sin and blind ourselves from the Lord and his commandments. It’s like we are walking around in circles lost. Trying to satisfy ourselves with worldly things or just doing stuff that is not Godly.

In this parable Jesus speaks of how stoked God is when you repent:

Then all the tax collectors and the sinners drew near to Him (Jesus) to hear Him. And the Pharisees and scribes complained, saying: "This Man receives sinners and eats with them." So He spoke this parable to them, saying: "What man of you, having a hundred sheep, if he loses one of them, does not leave the ninety-nine in the wilderness, and go after the one which is lost until he finds it? And when he has found it, he lays it on his shoulders, rejoicing. And when he comes home, he calls together his friends and neighbors, saying to them, 'Rejoice with me, for I have found my sheep which was lost!'. I say to you that likewise there will be more joy in heaven over one sinner who repents than over ninety-nine just persons who need no repentance. Or what woman, having ten silver coins, if she loses one coin, does not light a lamp, sweep the house, and search carefully until she finds it? And when she has found it, she calls her friends and neighbors together, saying, 'Rejoice with me, for I have found the piece which I lost!'. Likewise, I say to you, there is joy in the presence of the angels of God over one sinner who repents." Luke 15:1-10

Sk8 4 God has three core values : Courage, Wisdom and Honor!

This week’s value is Courage: It takes Courage to repent.

-Caleb



Thursday, March 1, 2007

Its a matter of perspective...

It’s a crazy thing, no matter how much stuff I have, how many friends I have, how much goof-off time I have, I still think sometimes that I need more to be happy. I’m not really thankful, content, with what I have. Whacked huh? Like just the other day I thought: "I need a new surfboard. THEN I’ll be set! I’ll really be happy then. I’m not happy now, not with only the three surfboards I’ve already got. I need another one." Its foolishness really, because I have so much. I’ve got friends, a loving wife, two great kids, and most importantly I have an eternity with God in Heaven to look forward to. Yet there I was, feeling down because I don’t have a killer new long board like I see other guys riding. Silly huh? But don’t we all find ourselves feeling un-thankful?
Check it, the bible tells us:

"give thanks in all circumstances, for this is God's will for you in Christ Jesus." 1 Thessalonians 5:18

In ALL circumstances give thanks it says. Not just when you’ve got everything you want, and its all going your way. In All circumstances! Even when I feel rejected by others? Even when I can’t have what I want? Even when I’m sick, hurt, or lonely; I’m supposed to give thanks?!!!
Our Heavenly Father desires us to live each moment with a thankful heart, full of joy - regardless of our circumstances. Why? Because this reveals our trust in Him, in Jesus. How? It’s all a matter of perspective. When you discover a relationship with Jesus, the King of Kings, the Lord of all, the Creator, the giver of eternal life and happiness, then and only then will you be stoked no matter what this earthly life brings your way. Jesus promises us a life everlasting. And a life where ALL of our needs are met and taken care of by the same God who created us and wants nothing but the best for us! God became a man in Jesus and went to the cross to die for our wrong doings to make it possible for us to spend eternity with him! This may not mean you get the killer new video game system that just came out, or the coolest deck and the fastest wheels at the skate shop, but you will have joy and happiness. Eternal life, forgiveness of sins, and relationship with God are things the Christian has to be thankful for in ALL circumstances. These other things just are not that important in comparison.
Here are some awesome verses:

"For the joy of the Lord is our strength." Nehemiah 8:10

"God is our refuge and strength, always ready to help in times of trouble." Psalm 46:1

"Then I will rejoice in the Lord. I will be glad because he rescues me." Psalm 35:9

Jesus said: " My purpose is to give life in all its fullness." John 10:10

Accept today what Jesus came to give: "life in all its fullness". Ask him to be your Lord and Savior, you will be thankful for all eternity!

Sk8 4 God’s three core values: Courage, Wisdom, and Honor!

God is the source of all wisdom. Pray to him for understanding, read the bible, and he will guide you to a life of thankfulness. You can have so much in Him, nothing else really matters!

"Trust in the Lord with all your heart; do not depend on your own understanding. Seek his will in all you do, and he will direct your paths." Proverbs 3:5-6

-RC