A GREAT Night with the GOOD Tour and Kaboose!

You go through seasons in ministry when it gets tough. There are long weeks, busy, schedules, and demands from all sides. You want to maintain an authentic growing walk with Jesus, effectively lead your family, passionately disciple students and parents, and stay fervent in all things. But sometimes when it gets hard to see the small graces in the ministry God has entrusted to you it can make you feel like quitting. I am settled that God has called me not to ministry in general but to Belle Fourche and to make disciples by any means necessary! So when it comes to quitting this is not an option! When it gets hard our first responsibility is to remain faithful to Jesus. I believe then we will be able to endure seasons of discouragment and doubt! Because they certainly are only that, seasons.

Last night we hosted the guys from Boarders For Christ and Kaboose. WOW what a night it was! First we had to deal with weather! We had originally planned to have the event outside. Well if you have been in the area for the last week or so you know that this is the first day of "mostly cloudy" w/o rain we have had in five days! So we moved the event indoors to the moderately hidden Community Hall in Belle Fourche. Second we had to get word out to all the people planning to attend (see blog before this one!) We were able to move inside and set up w/ only a few hitches and people showed so the word evidently traveled sufficiently! Then the Holy Spirit began working (or at least I became aware of His work!) Boarders For Christ put on a sick demo. Everyone was stoked for sure! Then they slowed it down and like Paul on Mars Hill in Acts 17 used skateboarding to prepare the way to share the necessity of Jesus in ones life to have sin and its penalty removed from us! The students were quiet and the message was received! Jesus was preached! People indicated there need! Lives were Changed! Then it went nuts!

Testimony #1
A young man, we'll call him Evan (because honestly I have no idea what his name truly is), and his mother came to speak to Noel, one of the great BFC guys. She related to Noel that they had traveled five hours to see the BFC Demo! She said that as soon as Evan heard that they were coming he got on the internet and looked at their videos. Mom called Evan forward and told Noel that Evan thought that God hated him because he couldn't skate well and how Josh's message that night had made it clear to him that God loved Evan no matter what and that he could know it was true through looking at and trusting in Jesus' death on the Cross in his place! Evan, Mom, and Noel were all moved to tears at this point! The guys, Josh and Noel, spent some time praying with them and encouraging Evan. I think he grew a foot! I know his cheeks are sore this morning from the huge smile that wouldn't leave his face!

Testimony #2
A young lady, Maggie, we'll say waited around till we had taken the BFC guys back to the church to eat and came back to clean up. We got back from eating at about 10 pm and she was waiting there. We began to tear down and she made small talk about her love for various bands showing off videos on her camera from a recent show in Indianapolis, IN, where she is from. She asked the guys to sign her sweatshirt and they agreed, making a pretty sweet sleeve of Jesus loving signatures! While Zach Black (no relation apparently) signed here sleeve she said "I have some questions about Jesus. You see Zach had shared his testimony earlier in the night about how God continuously pursued him in his life as he ran from God looking for the next big party or high. Eventually God got a hold of Zach's life through a group of BFC guys and called him to the skater community which he is now reaching! Something in Maggie's life connected with Zach's story so she felt comfortable asking her questions about Jesus. She told Zach of how she had come to doubt God's love for her and care in her life because of the loss of loved ones and similarly tragic incidents. Zach shared with her for a while about the unfailing love of God and his absolute faithfulness as evidenced by God's pursuing of both Maggie and Zach. After a while Josh came and joined the conversation and imparted some wisdom about God's love and faithfulness. Before long everyone still hanging around was gathered around Maggie praying for her as they were led by the Spirit to do so. She was sobbing and the guys were encouraging her spirit in prayer as she offered her life fully in to God's control and care!

Testimony #3
After everything was cleaned up and loaded up. I went to check on Kaboose, DJ Exodus and Serv. They had gone to eat at a local establishment. They were being "engaged" conversation but that conversation led to the opportunity for Kaboose to pray with the young man "engaging" them, which he indicated Kaboose was only the third person in his life ever to make such a move! We were also able to present Jesus as the only way to have a right relationship with God, more than once! After a while we got out of there and were able to get Kaboose and the guys back to the hotel so they could rest there and I could go home and rest!

Thank You's

Boarders For Christ
Thanks guys for being real, honest, chill, and most of all for presenting Jesus in a clear and relevant manner that lead to great things for the Kingdom of God

Kaboose
Thanks Kaboose, DJ Exodus, and Serv for being cool, bringin the hip hop, and keeping it all about Jesus. Also thanks for your patience and good representation at the restaurant!

Promoters
There is no way we could have had "Evan" here without the help of 97.9 The Point! I didn't hang up one flyer in Spearfish and still the students from Spearfish out-numbered the Belle Fourche students. There is no way that could've happened without Shaun at Mountain View, Jaimie at Countryside, Phil at Our Saviors, Mike w/ the skaters, and some dude I've never met before from Lead, SD!

JESUS!
Most importantly I thank Jesus for saving us calling us into the ministry and loving us enough to use us as messed up as we continually are!