Thursday, May 27, 2010

Entrusted With The Gospel 2010

     Entrusted with the Gospel 2010 will be cherry. Check out their official website to get registration forms and more details about this event.

Monday, May 24, 2010

Matt Strubhar shares the Gospel

Here's a gospel presentation from Matt Strubhar, of Love Project (www.loveprojectmaui.com).

Last night, Matt S, Matt L, and I had a super fun skate session at Kalama skatepark in Kihei. After skating Matt and I got to pray and talk about some exciting ways God is leading us. He shared the Gospel w/me in a super cool way, and I asked him if I could record it for the blog. So I grabbed my camera, and this is what he said:

Keep praying for revival on Maui.

Grace and Peace,
Josh

Thursday, May 20, 2010

OLSO Update

What's up everyone?
     Some new ways God is working through One Love Skate Outreach lately: Gospel Presentations, ambassador encouragement (2 Cor 5:20), One Love tract coming soon.

Gospel Presentations

     OLSO has been encouraging Christians to post their testimonies and their unique presentations of the Gospel on Youtube for the world to see. Naomi Kaneshiro, my wife's best friend and a Journeyman missionary to the Philippine's through the International Mission Board, recorded her testimony and Gospel Presentation yesterday for us from the Philippines. Here it is:

Gary Hamrick, Pastor of Evangelism and Student Ministries at Valley Isle Fellowship, also shared his testimony briefly along with a unique way of presenting the Gospel.


Ambassador Encouragement

     As Christians, we are all Christ's ambassadors on this earth. 2 Corinthians 5:20-"We are therefore Christ's ambassadors, as though God were making his appeal through us..." One Love Skate Outreach exists to encourage people to be Jesus' ambassadors in everything they do---skating, surfing, business, internet, EVERYTHING... You and I are Christ's ambassadors, and we need to be faithful to fulfill this calling. REP THE KING!

     Friday, May 14, I had the opportunity to skate at Keopuolani skatepark with Nakoa, a semi-pro surfer. We got to pray together and had a fun little skate session. It was a furlough day, so we played "skate" with some kids that were there because they didn't have school. The best part of the day was that it was a good opportunity to meet with Nakoa and talk about ways he wants to share his faith more through his surfing. It was a good opportunity to hang out, and I'm excited about the ways that Nakoa is going to be a part of OLSO. Here's a little clip of Nakoa doing a little air off one of the ramps:

Pray that OLSO will continue to encourage, train, and equip people to be Jesus' ambassadors--REPresenting THE KING by living and proclaiming the Gospel (2 Cor 5:20).

One Love Tract

     Please be in prayer for us as we seek to develop a solid One Love tract that we can distribute as we do Gospel Interviews and events this summer. I met w/Brad Martin, a surfer/carpenter/missionary who loves Jesus, at Ho'okipa on Monday and we sketched out some ideas. Please keep praying that we will have wisdom in writing this tract. Hopefully, you guys will be seeing it soon, and it will be a relevant piece of literature that God will use to bring many people to saving relationships with Jesus Christ.

     Lastly, We ordered 300 ESV New Testaments that we'll be giving to people who we get to witness to, and we're in the process of trying to get an OLSO banner and some stickers. Thanks for reading this blog and staying updated with OLSO! "Never be lacking in zeal, but keep your spiritual fervor, serving the Lord" (Rom 12:9). Pray for revival on Maui, and please keep praying for One Love Skate Outreach. If you're interested in being a part, e-mail me and let me know.

Grace and Peace to the 1-1 SIX!
Josh

Monday, May 10, 2010

OLSO Video Blog - Highlights of May 5 Blog and MORE!

Hey guys,
     Here's a video blog covering the highlights from May 5 (Because I've learned some of you "just watch the videos"). However, it's also got some new details of how God's been working lately. Enjoy:



 Also, this Friday is a Furlough Day, and we'll be at the skatepark. Contact me if you're interested in being part of the OLSO team this Friday. Thanks!

Please continue to pray for One Love Skate Outreach, and Rep King Jesus unashamed as His ambassador on this earth (2 Cor 5:20)!

In Him (Gal 2:20),
Josh

Wednesday, May 5, 2010

An OLSO Interview and the Latest News

What's up One Love Skate Outreach prayer warriors (and also the curious readers who will just skim this message and forget about it...),
     I hope your month of May is off to a great start! I'm encouraged to keep hearing about all of the ways that God is working Upcountry. There's a cool unity w/some of the leaders in the different parts of God's church here in Upcountry Maui. I'm excited to post testimonies and Gospel presentations from some of the different church leaders in the near future. There's a "Gospel Presentations" section of our main website now that I hope to fill up with presentations from leaders all around Maui. Right now it's just Trevor Komatsu standin' firm in the faith. =)  I really appreciate all of the prayers and feedback I've been getting from you guys through e-mail and face to face. One Love Skate Outreach is a movement--it's way more than just taking Jesus to skateboarders. It's encouraging Christians to live unashamed as living sacrifices (Rom 12:1-2) as Christ's ambassadors on this earth (2 Cor 5:20) living in the world but not of it (John 17:15-17) and sharing Jesus (2 Timothy 4:2) every chance they get!!! I want to update you in this blog by sharing what's been going on with One Love Skate Outreach. When you're finished reading this blog, I hope you have the opportunity to surf around on www.oneloveskateoutreach.com and see some of the new sections of the site. Primarily the "resources" section has been updated to include EWG info, gospel presentations, my sermons from the 1 Peter series I'm currently teaching, and a tract. This blog post will include an interview, news about t-shirts, an announcement about an upcoming summer event, and a story about skateboarding with a high school student last Sunday.

Interview

     I try to take Monday mornings off and surf when when I can. About a week ago, as I was on my way to Ho'okipa to surf after preaching the day before, I was burdened for the guy hitchhiking just before Haleakala Highway. So, I picked him up and started talking story with him about his life. He only asked me to take him down the mountain, and then he was going to get another ride once he got down there. However, from the time he got in the car, I wanted to interview him with the OLSO questions, and I had heard there might be some waves on the south side, so I offered him a ride to Lahaina. As we made the drive to Lahaina I got to interview him with the One Love Skate Outreach questions, and here's what he said (Those of you on facebook need to look at the blog on the OLSO site to see the youtube video:

     After interviewing him, we continued to to talk story, and I learned a lot about his interesting life. I'm finding more and more that using the video camera to shoot interviews with people about their beliefs really causes people to answer according to what they believe. Anthony's responses got him thinking, and as we continued to hang out that day it was a great opportunity to listen to him and also to share with him what I believe.

After taking him to McDonald's, I presented the Gospel to him very clearly. He had some questions, and we got to dialogue a little bit. I explained that the Bible is my absolute authority and that I believe it's absolutely true. I explained that the Bible teaches that God is Totally Perfect and Holy, and He created this world. God created man with a freewill, and man chose to break God's perfect law. Sin separates us from God because God is totally perfect. Totally perfect--meaning that He is also a perfect judge who has to punish sin.
- I mentioned that God gave us the law because he loves us (No one likes to be lied to, cheated on, stolen from...etc.), BUT all men and women repeatedly break God's perfect law.
So we're totally separated from God because of our sin. and den....
Romans 5:8-"But God demonstrates His own love for us in this: While we were still sinners, Christ died for us."
God sent Jesus to be the perfect (AND THE ONLY) sacrifice for our sin that appeases the wrath of God for those that believe in Jesus as LORD and Savior (John 1:12, 3:16; Rom 10:9; 1 Pet 2:24).
For Jesus to be Lord means we totally repent of our sin-we turn from our sin and turn to Jesus, and He becomes our Savior.
Apart from Jesus Christ we're separated from God and have no hope of purpose, satisfaction, or joy. Without Jesus life is simply a meaningless cycle. For real whether you feel happy or sad, whether you're rich or poor, beautiful or ugly, life is meaningless without Jesus (Ecclesiastes).

     That's the message I explained to Anthony. If you, the reader, are hearing this for the first time, God's offer is open to you right now too. Repent of your sins, and receive Jesus as your Savior. This is the Gospel. The Gospel is the A-Z of Christianity and the Gospel is why we do everything we do as Christians! Please let us know at One Love Skate Outreach if God's worked in your heart because of this blog. Alright, no more A.D.D.-That's the message I shared with Anthony, and that's the message that should drive everything we do!

     When I dropped Anthony off by Lahaina Harbor, he didn't want to take one of my Bible's with him, but he said he really appreciated the ride and the meal. He told me it was cool to post this interview on our website. There were good vibes=) I'm praying that God will work in his heart now that the seed has been sown. Like I've said before, I'm encouraged that Christians are simply called to "sow the seed" of the Gospel and we're not responsible for results (Mark 4:26-29); yet we're called to passionately labor (Heb 12:1-2).

T-Shirts

     Yesterday, I skated with Jesse. Jesse is the t-shirt printer for Maui Built, and he's the guy who is printing our new OLSO t-shirts. We should have more shirts printed in the very near future. I'll keep you guys updated. Shirts are going to sell for $10 donations to One Love Skate Outreach, but we'll also be giving them away at events and to leaders in the ministry. All the proceeds from the t-shirts will be used for ministry to homeless and poor people on Maui. We'll be buying homeless people meals and sharing the Gospel with them. Lately, God has increased my passion for ministry to the poor. Knowing Jesus loved and cared for the poor (Luke 4:18), and seeing the structure of the Old Testament law through my seminary classes has shown me that God's people always have been and always will be required to make provisions for the poor. As I studied a chapter in  Crazy Love last night, by Francis Chan, I was challenged to use all of the money we make from the t-shirt sales to provide for the poor. As we have faith and as God moves through One Love Skate Outreach, we're going to live James 2 knowing: "Faith without works is dead." Pray that God would bring revival on Maui as homeless and poor people come to Christ and proclaim the truth of Jesus Christ. PLEASE BE PRAYING THIS! Also, you can buy some t-shirts to support what God is doing! Hopefully, we'll have to order more soon.

Entrusted With the Gospel 
Coming to MAUI and Oahu this summer 



     Entrusted with the Gospel is going to be an incredible time of worship this summer for God's Church here on Maui and Oahu. Upcountry churches: You guys can register, after filling out this form, through Pukalani Baptist Church; everyone else can go to Kahului Baptist Church. You can download the form at http://www.oneloveskateoutreach.com/page10.html. EWG is included on the events section of oneloveskateoutreach.com because we plan to set up a booth at the event. I'll be in North Carolina, but I plan to have some guys doing interviews as well as selling some merch at this event. I'm bummed that I'll miss this event because I love the guys putting it on, but it'll be great to be with my family this summer. If you're on Maui, GO TO EWG. Please pray that God uses EWG to unite His people on the islands and encourages everyone to live for the Gospel (Romans 1:16-17).


Encouraging Skateboarding Opportunity
  
     Last Sunday afternoon, I received a phone call from a student at King Kekaulike High. He wanted to skateboard. We went to a super nice ramp in Haiku that his dad had built a long time ago, and we got to pray together and talk story while we skated. I was stoked to skate such a nice ramp w/a Christians brother, and he was encouraged as we talked about how God is working in his school and through the skate ministry. I interviewed him w/the 5 OLSO questions, and his answers were right on with Scripture. He shared insight about how he uses skateboarding as a great conversation starter that lets him talk to anyone who has a skateboard. SWEET! It encouraged me because these are the kinds of students that I want to motivate to be ambassadors for Christ using skateboarding or anything else God allows them to use to connect with people and share the Gospel (1 Cor 9:19-23; 2 Cor 5:20). So pray that Shawn represents Jesus in his school and that he's a light for Jesus everywhere he goes. Pray that God continues to bring opportunities to encourage Christians and reach the lost through One Love Skate Outreach.

Thanks for taking the time to read this blog! Pray for us! May God bless you as you continue to serve Him. Check out some of the resources on www.oneloveskateoutreach.com and please continue to keep this ministry in your prayers! 
Grace and Peace to the 1-1 SIX!
-Josh