achallengeandacollisionvideo-ization program begins now...

So, we keep talking up this Collision '08 thing...why Collision? What is a collision?

Merriam Webster Defines it as something like this:
1 : an act or instance of objects coming together with solid or direct impact
2 : an encounter between particles (as atoms or molecules) resulting in exchange or transformation of energy

Have you been impacted by Christ? Are you/we impacting the world for Christ? How would you go about doing something like that? Do we live in the power we've received from Christ? Do we spread that power everywhere we go?

These seem like pretty good questions to me, and I intend to look hard for the answers...I intend to do alot of that at Collision '08...how about you?

YouTube - COLLISION '08 PROMO

RiotRoom Roof Has Been Raised!

So here we are all stacked up and waiting for this party to get crak-a-lackin...that's right, we're the fiberglass insulation...you've jerked us all down roughed us up and made us all itchy from touching your nasty sweaty skin and all this so some thing called riotnight? supposed to get to rockin' out here on wed night? Whatever...you better not have taken us all down and taped us up just so you can sit on your bee-hinds...i better see some straight up God Glorifying Action going on out there...I don't mean no 'good little miss shiny shoes' neither....you better not be acting like theres a christian way and another way to live..we ain't living, we're all stacked up like sardines, and frankly, anything that is isn't glorifying and obeying God and His Word is dying...that aint living...so shout out in a coffee shop and rock out for Jesus at RiotNite, because the roof has been raised....

signed - Manville Insulation Piece #5469990

Oh yeah, I want to give a shout to my cuz, over there next to the rafter, my little "L-Shaped" tile buddy...He's all stacked up now too, but you can't do 'em none.

BTW, if you don't believe me, check out this footage: http://www.youtube.com/user/BrotherBoog

Am I?

I was reading this this morning ( BibleGateway.com - Passage Lookup: John 12:25-26 ) and it made me reflect on this question: Am I? Am I loving this life in the “real world” or am I hating it to follow Christ? Am I following Him or am I going wherever in the big bad world I want to? Do I really “got this”? Jesus says that where He is, His servant will be also…so am I?

BTW - Check out our first official RiotCrew Vid on YouTube
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LIwaec27_LA

RiotNITE - 4/23/08

Hey Guys...in case you were out and about last night, here's the quick and dirty:

We had talked last week about how we all have a purpose, and that's to Love God & Love People. Well, that's kind of hard. In point of fact...it's real stinkin hard. Just ask someone who's trying to walk that narrow path...

We talked about how so hard to get up in the morning and dedicate even a small amount of time to God & His Word, yet its so easy to lose my temper, or to lust, or (fill in the blank for you)...

Isaiah 55 (Isaiah 55 - The Message) Shows how while its so easy to chase after all the worthless unsatisfying things in life, and it's tricky, tricky, tricky to pursue God, He is way satisfying and life-giving. We watched this video on that very thing http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cyheJ480LYA

We have to seek Him while He's to be found and not only because He's there, which is more than you could say for a lot of dads, but because He's mighty to save, He's a Hero! Here on earth things are just a shadow or rough sketch of Him, but the story of Team Hoyt will give quite the idea we're after here, Their Story - http://www.teamhoyt.com/history.shtml Their Video - http://www.ironmandvd.com/scofadiandri.html

He not only saves and carrys and redeems us, but He is so different and higher and greater that He sends His word and works through us to this world so that we have life and life worth living and really...honestly, our response should be praise - http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IpVsF4W8V2Y ...Go Out From Here & Praise---Pretty good way to live out purpose don't ya think?

L-I-V-I-N...

Due to the nature of my calling, I go to lots of funerals (at least more than I used to). It's really one of those very interesting and rich yet painful things because you see real people being real about their pain of loss, celebration of a well lived life, grief, real joy, comforting, hurting, etc. I always come away feeling guilty of not redeeming the time...Are we living in such a way that one day, what will be remembered is how much we loved, how much integrity we had, how much we would give to help others? What are you living for..really?

BibleGateway.com - Passage Lookup: Colossians 4:5-6;

Mad Dog Stare...

This has been on my mind & heart…BibleGateway.com - Passage Lookup: Isaiah 50:2;

There’s so much God promises to do through us, through a revolution…but do we even care, would we even feel it if He was pulling on our heart? Is our heart so hard and ways so set that we can’t even feel God anymore, much less obey and follow Him? Have we become hard? Do we constantly “Maddog” or “ThousandYardStare” our way through life, so much that we don’t notice all the brokenness around us & in us?

What I need is a changed heart. Ezekiel 11:19-20

So What Now...

This is it...this is what we need, this is what we need to hear, need to do, how we need to live, how to take the next step from being a youth group to being the change:

if my people, who are called by my name, will humble themselves and pray and seek my face and turn from their wicked ways, then will I hear from heaven and will forgive their sin and will heal their land. -- 2Chronicles 7:14

I've posted some pics...and everything we do up here in the RiotRoom is fun and different and positive, etc. etc....but it doesn't matter if its not changing lives and changing this world, and that's not going to happen until we, as a RiotCrew, or family, and until I spend more time on may face, than my space, more time in prayer to our Father God, than in the lockeroom, more effort being the change, than griping about the lack of it, or just waiting for somebody else "more christiany" to do it. I love ya'll, take this to heart and be the change!

This is why, This is why, This is why...

God is so splendorous...isn't He?! Last night, RiotNITE was awesome!!! You can't help but feel your heart leap and sag at such wrenching and real stories of God rescuing lives...why does He seek us so? God is very serious about flipping this world upside down and He's aggressively pursuing us to do it through...


Thanks to all the folks (how'd you like that Kash?) who came out last night and sound off on the comments what you thought/felt/etc. Bubba, Cord, Mason, & Miss Monroe...thanks for pouring your hearts out for all to see & hear.

Huge thanks to the Men's Ministry for knocking down walls!

Concert Announcement: See Flyer Below...if there's enough interest we can take a van, but everyone that want's to go needs to let me know via email (boog@fbcmalakoff.com) or phone (903-681-5742). Sat 2/9/08 - Tyler, Tx

DNOW'08 - Deadline This Sunday-RiotLIFE - Sun. 9:45 - Get it.

Watch your head...

Anytime you feel overwhelmed by the pressures of this world or enemies and obstacles in your path, or anytime you think you really have a handle on life and can conquer all by your lonesome, just check out God’s Word. Isaiah 36-37 is one such passage that illustrates God’s awesome sovereignty and power over our circumstance.

The scene opens with the Rabshakeh, a messenger from the Assyrian King, Sennacherib, boasting insultingly against God’s people in Jerusalem and against the power of God Himself. The messenger is so crude and vile that the Hebrews ask him to speak in Aramaic, as opposed to Hebrew so that the people in the walls won’t hear the conversation. The messenger rails against the Lord even louder. In 36:10, he even admits that it was the Lord that sent him against the city.

After this the prophet Isaiah reassures the people that the Lord is with them and not to fear Assyria; Actually Assyria is the one that should be afraid…and this is my favorite part of the story:

The Lord calls Sennacherib out for boasting against the Holy One of Israel (37:23) and says basically, “look, I made you who you are to do just what you’re doing, but don’t think for one second that you’re off my leash (37:26-27) because I know where you live, and you know what, I’ll turn you this way just like I turned you that way, and you know why’ll I’ll do it? A. Because I can, B. For my Name Sake, and 3. For David’s name sake (you can almost feel God telling him, “ you know, the real king”). And here’s the climax…God is not slack in carrying out His Word…Soon thereafter the Angel of the Lord went out and killed 185,000 Assyrians in one sitting (37:36).

Bottom Line: The Lord has put you right where He wants you, so: Don’t be too proud, and also, If He’s leading you somewhere, fear nothing that stands in the way.

What's in a name?

I gave you hate, violence, lust and lies.
You laid your rightful anger and my punishment aside.
You found me dead & dying, a sick man in a sick world, full of sin.
You gave me life and holiness, lifted my head, made me whole within.
A horrible death engulfed me, captive in sin behind iron doors;
You bought my lifeless body and exchanged it for something more.
- Inspired by Ps. 103:3-4a -

I Repent!!...Here's an update!

I know, I know, I know!!! 3 MONTHS!!!. It is what it is and I'm sorry. Besides just being sorry I've also posted some pics from the Guys Retreat & some thoughts from my time in God's Book today.

I was looking at Acts Ch. 6 and a thought hit me...Stephen's face appeared to be that of an angel...It reminded me of this ludicrous song that says something about the lips of an angel and how so often we equate getting exactly what "we" desire as heavenly, but right here is Stephen, lied about, betrayed, arrested and alone with God, before a hateful murderous crowd...

He is about to give a powerful and astonishing defense of the Gospel of Christ. He is about to meet a gruesome martyr's death because of his faith...and his Joy shines forth in a face like an angel...

My hope is that we will shine like that, not because we're getting ours, but because we've given up everything to defend the Gospel of our Christ and reach our world for Him. Shine on.