JOHNNYROBERTS.TV

Christ came for the sick.....

I received an email this week that I thought worth sharing.  I've excluded the name of the author because it's less about him (although I appreciate his willingness to MAN-up, do his homework and then contact me) and more about our mission.  It's easy to get bogged down in the "doing".  To get tired or distracted or feeling like you don't make a contribution.  BODers... you make a difference.  Whether you park cars, pick up trash, clean the toilet, hold an instrument or microphone, wipe snot from the nose of a three year old, punch buttons, hold a paint brush, pour coffee.... well you get the idea.  We are a body.  Every part matters.... AND we are on a mission..... For some strange reason God has decided to use YOU to lead people to become fully devoted followers of Christ... That includes a beginning point... the point when someone turns everything over to Him and grows into a life that looks more than more like Jesus.  Although we don't waste a lot of time at TheBOD trying to convince the already convinced (Mark 2:17) it's nice to know that we have a few partners out there working toward the same goal.  May God use ALL believers to reach the sick.... DON"T BLINK....

  

Johnny, 
     I am writing this to you because I owe you an apology!! I was one of those people that said things like "cult" "compound" and really laughed it up at the name "BOD".  This topic came up again today and I decided to stop judging and calling TheBOD a "feel good" church when in reality I had no idea what I was talking about. Conviction is one of the "inconveniences" of being saved and that’s what happened to me! I felt like God was scolding me!!! So I asked God to show me the truth, he led me to your web site. This is proof that we are not as smart as we think we are. What a novel concept, look it up on the Internet. I read your "about us page", your beliefs about baptism, and I read some of your blogs.(the house was amazing!!!) If everything you say is what you believe god is calling you to do then I say Drive on. I hope the whole town gets saved!!! Its nice to see someone doing rather than saying!!! I recently attended a discipleship conference and boy was it an eye opener. I will never forget what one of the speakers said, "It’s not about you, it’s about OTHERS"… that say's it all.  Saved people don't need church, lost people need church!  After all that’s what it’s all about and some churches have forgot that and for mostly selfish reasons.  I just wanted you to know that I will be on the side of Jesus and try to always ask WWJD. I hope you'll accept my apology.  I wasted to much energy criticizing rather than learning and I’ll try to correct that mistake.  While I don't see myself attending TheBOD I will keep it in my prayers and keep an open mind while Jesus guides me thru this short time on earth. Good luck with everything and I hope I'll see you around.

Happy Birthday Jake

We celebrated Jake's 20th birthday this past Sunday.  It's hard to imagine.  Seems like yesterday he was "Bear's" (Barrett's) size.  Now he's screeming with the guitar and sporting a phohawk...  This could be one of my favorite shots of the year.  Talk about passing the baton to the next generation.  Looks like we have at least two generations of Warriors rising up at TheBOD... Who are you investing in?  Now would not be a time to.... BLINK!

Extreme Makeover Photos 2008

WARNING:  Viewing these photos may result in leaking eyes.  Especially for those who participated in the event.  These are simply amazing and probably tell the story better than anything yet.  What an amazing God we serve.  Check out our photos at our Flickr album.  You can download and print any pic you want or order on-line from Flickr.  Good stuff....

Extreme Makeover Micro Mission 2008

Check out the video of our Extreme Makeover.  Jason did an outstanding job putting this together.  Thanks to Gabriel and Allison for helping shoot the video on this.  Rock on BODers!

Micro Mission Story from Jason Krohn on Vimeo.

David Cook and ZZ TOP

Watching American Idol, reading blogs and now blogging.... Whether he wins the competition or not, David Cook is the big winner of the night.... Dude rocked the house with ZZ TOP and "Sharp Dressed Man".  That's a once in a billion lifetimes experience and he just nailed it!  Sweet!!!!

Tough stuff...

Don't panic.  The last time I posted something similar to this, everyone was asking, "Is he OK?".  I'm better than OK.  I'm as good as I've ever been.  I'm riding high, feeling more empowered and "in the zone" than I have since we planted the church.  In fact I almost titled this blog "BIGGER THAN YOU OR ME", because I truly believe we are riding this wave right in the middle of God's will and He has given me the responsibility to lead.  It's become much easier to make tough decisions because this movement has grown much larger than any individual or personality.  With that said I want to post the thoughts of the executive pastor from Oakleaf.  A church blog I follow.  Someone mentioned today, after watching Krohn and I interact on some church decisions that they for the first time realized how much work was going on behind the scenes.  That tough decisions and details have to be handled for all of the stuff that happens on Sunday to work.  In reality it can be very tough.  I push Krohn hard.  He works hard.  We are learning together.  The other staff (all volunteer) work hard as well and I often push them just as hard even though they don't get paid.  The phrase I use often is "meat and potatoes vs icing".  Lots of things in ministry are fun.  Lots more are basic, got to get done, grueling maintenance stuff.  Without the meat and potatoes, the icing is meaningless.  I think he says it well.  Ministry can harden you but I'm doing everything I can to keep a tender heart and live in grace.  Sometimes I will be tough, tenacious, even hard and direct.... because the stakes are high and I will defend TheBOD to my last breath.  I am not alone.  There is true value in what God is doing in the lives of people at TheBOD.  Others are rising up to defend the culture of grace and love that rests on our body as well.  I  believe we are about to hit another gear.  Not sure why I sense it so strongly but something big is about to break and we are about to go to a whole new level.  Be praying hard and.... of course... DON'T BLINK.

The post:   

I have had many conversations with our staff over the last couple days about tenacity and follow-through. Basically, we have been discussing operating with our best practices and core values.

Excellence is one of our core values and often it is one of the hardest ones to consistently follow. It isn’t that we cannot determine the difference between good enough and going over the top, but it’s that its much tougher to do things the best way, impressive way, and a way that will make an impression on as consistent basis.

One of the other huge hurdles that people face when they take on the role of a pastor at a church plant is being able to seamlessly transition between looking at the big picture and specifics. They have to be able to see it from all angles then work inside their ministry areas. It’s actually more difficult then you think to think like a manager and then still pastor the volunteers in your area. Huge to-do-lists, overwhelming projects, and a constantly evolving ministry can be distracting.

Tenacity, follow-through, and mental toughness is the only way to be successful in this kind of ministry. I often reference my days as a landscaper to illustrate my point. My go to illustration is the day a dump truck dropped off 50+ yards of mulch at a house we had to landscape. I had to clear the driveway it was dumped into in one day with only one helper. We had two shovels, two rakes, and two wheelbarrows. We worked non-stop for 8 hours to clear the pile and have it done for the opening house the next morning.

That project and many others like it didn’t tempt me to quit because it was physically taxing. It was the mental gymnastics to keep shoveling instead of sitting down in front of the frightening pile of mulch built up my attitude to stick with it…even when it was overwhelming. Unfortunately, you can’t teach people mental toughness…it’s learned. The mental toughness necessary to stick with a church plant when lousy stuff happens, when hard decisions have to be made, when giving goes up and down and when people quit on your church is the only thing that will ensure long-term success.

What’s your mulch pile?

Extreme Makeover 2008 #2

There will be more... many more picture to come, as well as video... but tonight I sit here with tears in my eyes thanking God for the opportunity to be called the pastor of this bunch of "idiot rhinos".  BODers you're THE BOMB!  I'm not sure how many times today I heard "what's next"... coming from sunburnt weary BODers... You guys are going to change the world. 

I think this says it all.  Don't miss Angie's expression who hadn't seen the project since she was escorting Betty to the movies.  At least for one day in Roland, OK... the world was right....

If you've forgotten what the house looked like before we started you can check out this post.

http://johnnyroberts.typepad.com/johnnyroberts/2008/05/extreme-makeove.html

Habakkuk, life, and death

I've discovered one of the benefits of being a pastor is sharing in the stories of so many people.  I routinely receive encouraging emails and prayer requests.  Funny stuff and.... not so funny stuff.  I received a note, concerning the passing of a loving aunt, this past week from one of my dearest friends.  Her words are eloquent and soaked in the faith of a saint beyond her years.  I wanted to share them with you and with her permission, here they are:

I'm anxious to try to catch Sunday's message.  When the Habakkuk series started, I thought, "OK, I'm glad I'm not in the 'bad things happening to good people' place right now" then SLAM!  I have to say, this has been rough and yet sweet experience this week.  Have you ever been with someone when they passed?  Surreal.  This aunt was very special to me (my mom's only sibling).  For years she wasn't able to have children and I was the first born of the cousins.  She took me and spent so much time with me...so many "firsts".  Friday, standing by her side when the "line" went straight-her heart stopped, she gave me another first and I watched a believer give up her spirit and leave a weak and broken earthly body for a beautifully renewed heavenly body as "Amazing Grace" played in the background.  God is incredible and I look forward to joining her in His presence.  Thanks for your (& Allison's)prayers.

Gaylord Texan

If anyone ever invites you to spend the weekend at the Gaylord Texan in Grapevine.... just do it.  View from our room.