Monday, March 31, 2008 @ 2:32 pm by Josh Burcham

Craig Groeschel over at LifeChurch.tv is trying something that hasn’t been done before. With one series he is trying to:

• Change the Church. Not just his, but all churches.
• Unite churches to change our world.
• Give pastors a month long break.
• Allow congregations all of the nation to experience teaching from some of the most influential teaching of our day.
• Change the view of our churches in our community.
• Allow Pastors from all over the country to speak one prayer to the Church.
• Make an impact for a kingdom difference.

I’m totally stoked and excited to see this all come together and unite that church. To see what God can do when His people are willing to work together.

Check out more information at One Prayer or for Craig’s blog.

Sunday, March 30, 2008 @ 12:17 pm by Josh Burcham

Forbes Magazine is now reporting on some serious research that shows us How To Buy Happiness. Check it out. The research is very clear that those people who are more generous are more happy!

Friday, March 28, 2008 @ 5:16 pm by Josh Burcham

I haven’t been on AIM in years now and I haven’t really used my .Mac account for instant messaging, but I’m now online. Don’t know how many people out there still use instant messaging. I just not a Facebook or MySpace kind of guy. Feel free to add me to your Buddy List, since I don’t have anyones screenames.

AIM: joshburcham
.Mac: joshburcham@mac.com
Google: josh.burcham@gmail.com

Yeah, I know. I come up with the most original screenames.

Friday, March 28, 2008 @ 4:45 pm by Josh Burcham

For all of those out there in blog-land and friends and family that keep up on my blog, we’ve have raised all the money to send John and I to Orlando, FL for the EXPONENTIAL conference. Thanks for those of you that prayed for us and those that donated for us to go. PayPal is still set up and if you wanted to donate to our church (which still has no name) you still can.

I’m getting totally stoked for this conference and want God plans to teach John and I about church ministry and ourselves. I’m ready for God to move in huge ways!

Thursday, March 27, 2008 @ 7:33 pm by Josh Burcham

Great Post over at Perry Nobles blog today:

#15 – No one is ever challenged to radically rearrange their lives to be a part of what God is doing.

#14 – God hasn’t asked you to give something up.

#13 – Everyone in your church is perfect. (If you are truly reaching lost people then you will discover that ministry is messy.)

#12 – Nothing in regards to how you lead has changed in the past year.

#11 – When your youth group wants to do something you make them have a bake sale in front of Wal Mart–but when your senior adults want to do something the church covers the cost; after all, they are tithers! (And that same church will wonder why “the youth don’t come to church anymore.”)

#10 – You always find something wrong with ministries that are seeing fruit.

#9 – You can do everything you have in front of you WITHOUT the help of God AND others.

#8 – You spend more time on other churches websites than you do reading your Bible.

#7 – You think the answer to every problem is, “If we just had more money.”

#6 – No one has ever left your church.

#5 – You continually call other churches begging them for money.

#4 – You allow people with money to dictate the way you spend your time and the direction of the church.

#3 – When you go to a conference and come back and announce “we are changing everything” because you have received INSPIRATION not REVELATION.

#2 – You’ve never spent sleepless nights wondering, “How in heck are we going to do this? Seriously, I told our church we were going to do WHAT?”

#1 – You worry more about keeping the people in your church happy then you do about pleasing God and speaking the truth.

Tuesday, March 25, 2008 @ 11:14 am by Josh Burcham

Keep your eye on the lady on the left. Classic.

Tuesday, March 25, 2008 @ 9:46 am by Josh Burcham

Great post over at shawnlovejoy.com on leadership and the uncommon leadership practices. I agreed with all of them. Wouldn’t say I’m at a place where I do all them, but defiantly striving in that direction.

Leaders pray about decisions.
Leaders NEVER do what’s best for them, but what’s best for the organization they serve.
Leaders work harder than everyone else.
Leaders are more disciplined than everyone else.
Leaders are willing to sacrifice more than anyone else.
Leaders don’t shy away from making tough calls.
Leaders realize that the people that got you to HERE usually won’t get you to THERE.
Leaders are honest. Even when it’s hard.
Leaders love people.
Leaders believe in who God made them to be and are confident in their identity.

I don’t think believers are call to be leaders, according to the world’s standards, but I do believe they are all called to lead. Leading could be upfront or in the back. Leaders influence people around them.

Monday, March 24, 2008 @ 4:32 pm by Josh Burcham

Mark posted a detailed (but not overly detailed) outline of our trip to Israel and all the places we visited. And since he probably remembers more then I do. Check it out here.

I’ve been meaning to post my personal outcome of the trip, but it’s hard. I really don’t think I have some amazing revelation that I walked away with. Of course it was crazy cool to have walked in the place Jesus walked. To have been in the place that Jesus taught and served, but I wasn’t moved in some huge or life changing way. Granted I don’t get all “holy place” with things. My Jesus lives in my heart and my life and doesn’t reside in some special place on this earth. Yesterday when reading Jesus’ resurrection. I can see those places or “could be” places in my head. I know what they look like and it gives me new understanding. But scripture has always been God’s word and sharper then a double edged sword; cutting straight to the heart. Something I’ve said my whole life, but am only now coming to place in my life that every time I read scripture, it is God’s word speaking truth to my life.

That didn’t take going to Israel that took getting over myself and embracing the REAL Jesus and not one we’ve created in our heads. Going to Israel helped me love my God with my mind.

Pictures: (click the links below)
Jordan River Baptisms
Other Israel