Denver Trip Report
We took a 5 day trip to Denver, Colorado to skate some of the best parks in America. Throughout the trip the 9 guys learned what it means to be a great man. Each day we read and discussed Bible verses on servant-hood, leadership, integrity, self-control, forgiveness and love. In 1 Kings 2:2 King David on his death bed gave a charge to his son Solomon, “Be strong, therefore, and show yourself a man. Keep the charge of the LORD your God, to walk in His ways, to keep His statutes, His commandments, His ordinances, and His testimonies…” In 1 Timothy 4:7-8, 12 Paul writes encouraging his young protege, “train yourself to be Godly” and regardless of his young age to “set an example for the believers in speech, in conduct, in love, in faith and in purity.” In Titus 2 Paul also writes, “encourage the young men to be self-controlled. In everything set them an example by doing what is good. In your teaching show integrity, seriousness and soundness of speech that cannot be condemned, so that those who oppose you may be ashamed because they have nothing bad to say about us.” And finally we looked at Jesus, the way he served his disciples by washing their feet and dying on the cross to save all humanity from sin. He as a man, ‘stood in the gap’ for us all like it talks about in Ezekiel 22:30.
Most importantly the JSAW staff, Jonny and Andrew, were able to model what it means to be a Godly man. Being in the van together for 14 hours, sharing hotel rooms, meal planning, taking hard slams, tubing river rapids; it’s hard to put on a front through all that. They say more is caught than taught and the guys got to model what it means to follow Jesus in the midst of all the road rash, penis jokes and hot days at the skatepark. The guys were able to share their faith with locals at each of the parks we went to. We had great conversations about faith, drugs, music, sex, skateboarding and so much more along the way. Somewhere in Iowa on the way home after a sweltering day in the van, the guys were listening to some terrible hip-hop and laughing hysterically. As the song ended I (Jonny) asked why it was so funny. I pointed out the brokenness in the lyrics and the obvious trash in each of our lives that makes us so cavalier about sin. The tone switched very quickly. I was able to share the gospel and why each of us, including myself, need Jesus so badly to save us and make us new. There is so much brokenness in our world and we as men need to take a stand. Not because we are great, but because Jesus is! The riders started asking questions and we talked about this for the rest of the ride home. It was an incredible trip and it was exciting to see God at work. Thank you for your prayers and support!