JOHNNYROBERTS.TV

Love this sweetie...

Jenna Burns' Story from TheBOD.tv on Vimeo.

This little girl is going to be a WORLD-CHANGER.  One of our video testimonies used for Baptism Bash recently.  So cool.

Joplin - Ignite Church

Jet Pack Anyone?

In our efforts to do "anything short of sin" to reach more people the running joke has become... "How about a Jet Pack?".  Well... maybe....

 

Water Powered Jet Pack from toxel.com on Vimeo.

TheBOD.tv IN THE NEWS!

We had an amazing Easter including a visit by KFSM-TV reporter Heather Lewis.  I don't know who the goof ball is waving around a WEiRD book.  Huge day for us!  Happy Easter!

 

Sun Stand Still @TheBOD.tv

I've said it before, I'll say it again... if you miss a week @TheBOD.tv you miss something.  WOW... it was an awesome day.  

* @Zach_Roberts and @worshipinrocker (J.R.) led us in a sweet time of acoustic worship.  So great to be led by the Next Generation and to give them http://live.lifechurch.tv/.  I love our worship team and thank God for @CassiBrower who makes it happen every week.

* Our Host Team does incredible work.  I love watching them serve and love on people... both regulars and guests.  It's all about the entire Experience and this team makes it happen.  We have about 90 volunteers serving each week and it takes every one of them doing their thing to make this happen.

* Steven Furtick brought the bacon with SUN STAND STILL.  What a challenge to pray BIG, AUDACIOUS, RIDICULOUS PRAYERS!  Love to hear him speak... Love the challenge "Don't get too familiar with the fireworks."  You need to watch the message to get that one.  Check it out at http://live.lifechurch.tv/.

* Has the Sun Stood Still at TheBOD lately?  Absolutely.... just this past week we saw 25 Fifth-Graders do an 18 hour fast to help the homeless, we saw our church finance the trip "of a lifetime" for 8 year-old "Johnny The Brave" as he and his family were able to attend the National Tournament to see his team win.  Please pray for Johnny and his family this week as his condition grows worse, barring a miracle, he will soon be in heaven.  And... on Wednesday night I prayed with Ashley, who gave her life to Christ at our kitchen table!  She was on my "Top-FIVE" card and God answered that SSS prayer.

I'll stop but I could go on and on... It's a gloriously messy thing to be in a movement of God.  I love our church.  I love it that we are breaking the rules and partnering with LCTV.  I love it that God continues to shine his favor on us... to this we are called.... DON'T BLINK.

Own the Mission

 

There is something special about the movement we are experiencing at TheBOD.tv and, through partnership, Lifechurch.tv.  It's connects, it engages, it calls people to rise up... to be on mission.  There is a passion and ownership of the mission by our partners unlike anything I have experienced.  

I've been looking for the words and the understanding of how this works for a while.. I'm slow... EPIPHANY! YES!  Or in my country boy lingo... "It dawned on me" that it's the difference in people "owning the church" and "owning the mission".  In many churches, well-intentioned people feel the need to protect and "own" the church.  This leads to legalism, restriction, back-biting, gossip, hurtful words, fussing and fighting... and eventually a guaranteed slow painful stagnation & death.  Often over the details that have absolutely nothing to do with being the church.  I'll skip the over-used fight about the color of the carpet illustration.. oops I just did it...  but the list is infinite as to what we could argue about and misses the point.  The point being, in doing so... WE MISS THE POINT.  The point is our mission.  Being the church... LOVING GOD, LOVING OTHERS AND GIVING OUR LIVES IN SERVICE TO GOD AND OTHERS.

We are the church and we own the mission... let me say that again so you get it... WE ARE THE CHURCH AND WE OWN THE MISSION... I love that.  It's liberating.  It frees us to fulfill our calling and leave the things of this earth, that will pass away, to the few who must carry the weight of the business side of things.  Their calling, sacrifice and service frees us to to be about the mission God has called us to.  For TheBOD.tv it's LEADING PEOPLE TO BECOME FULLY DEVOTED FOLLOWERS OF CHRIST.  

It is a movement of God and you are invited to play.  Soak in that... enjoy that... and then get to work.  I'm thanking God today for his call on our lives.  Enjoy the ride... we are the chosen few.  DON'T BLINK!

 

Bird's Eye View

This is what I was looking at Sunday morning during our Baptism Bash... that is when I didn't have my eyes closed, hands raised and singing praises to our Great and Mighty God.  The first Baptism Bash in our new building is one I will never forget.  You can check out the rest of the pics  HERE or FLICKR .  

 

Blog Post: On Mission In Our City

I've been processing and praying over the future of how our church will impact our area, not only taking the Gospel to the area but also being the hands and feet of Christ in tangible ways.  Just around the corner is a time of intense focus on this area that will see us form a team of people committed to a vision of TRANSFORMING OUR CULTURE FOR CHRIST.  If you want a direct piece of the action let me know, keep your ears and eyes open and begin to pray that God would take the lead on this and guide us to His will... Here is a vision video from Austin Stone Church.  I believe God will see us some day with similar values and impact... The local church IS THE HOPE OF THE WORLD... PERIOD.  Don't Blink...

 

A Church for the City (Reprise) from The Austin Stone on Vimeo.

Blog Post: Thoughts from the weekend

Three things from yesterday:

1. Someone asked me if I was related to "Oral" Roberts.  I responded over the music, "Yes, he's my father." I thought she said "Earl" Roberts.  She said, "Oh really? I saw him touch a woman's throat and heel her once."  I'm sure my eyebrows went up and I said, "Oh.. no, my dad is EARL Roberts not ORAL Roberts."  Do you think we need a big set of praying hands at the new building?

2. I have never seen so many cans of Ravioli.  The BODers really stepped up.  Initial count was 1986 cans.  Thanking God for a people with big hearts for those in need.  I expect us to have several more come in over the couple of weeks.  Backpack ministry should be well supplied for a while.

3. There is no "back-up" in our bunch.  Announced yesterday that we need to raise $100,000.00 to complete the building project and that our October Event will again have an offering attached to it.  They applauded.... God is up to something big and our area has no idea what's about to hit.  Huge impact for God's glory... this will be like an all new launch... PUMPED!

BODers remember to: ONE, pray hard for who God would have you INVEST in and INVITE to a relationship with Christ.  TWO, pray for God's direction in how He would have you participate in you next steps at TheBOD, through serving and giving.  We truly are on the verge of something remarkable... DON'T BLINK!

 

Baptism Bash

Didn't dawn on me at the time but this is father and son baptizing father and son in the name of the Father and Son and Holy Spirit. A special time I will cherish. Congrats to Randall and Blaine Conley. To my son Jake ... I love you.