Let’s catch up with Heinrich, a dude that has grown up in the windy city of Port Elizabeth. He is busy with his internship and really excited about life. When he not skating up a storm, he’s thrashing away at his guitar. He believes in discipleship and helping people get integrated into their local churches. He wants skaters to be a generation that can change the world by starting within themselves, let’s check some facts on Heindrich. Personal:
Name? Heinrich Thiart
Age? 21
Hometown? Port Elizabeth
Background? Where you grew up, what you did as a kid – any interesting things.
I grew up in Port Elizabeth, so I’ve always been a city kid, I was kind of nerd as a kid and never really got out much, but my brother and I always used to skate in our backyard on a few narrow concrete strips.
What do you do for a career?
At the moment I am doing an Internship with SonSurf/SonSkate.
Did anything that happened to you while you were young influence you into your career choice?
Definitely, I skated a lot as a kid and then stopped when I got older, but somehow I started again and a few months after that God lead me to SonSkate.
Where and what did you study?
I studied BA-Music Technology at the University of Stellenbosch, I never finished but got out after 2years with a Grade 6 Certificate in Classical Music and a Grade 5 Certificate in Music Theory.
What do you do for fun?
I still enjoy skating a lot; I also play in a Heavy Metal Band.
What is the most relevant topic on your heart at the moment?
To be closer to God and find more clarity and direction for next year and the future.
So you’re in a band, tell us about the band?
The Band is called Sound The Seraphim, we are a heavy-metal band consisting of 6 members, 3 of the 6 are brothers and we all love Jesus.
The Band always struggled to get members with enough skill and the same passion for Christ. It got to the point where they only needed a guitarist. I met Jason (band vocalist, one of the brothers) through SonSurf in PE earlier this year, after we got to know each other he asked me to join.
How long’ve you been sessioning with the guys?
Naturally the brothers have always been jamming together, but I have only been playing with them for a few months. Its been going really good and we have a few gigs in Cape Town and Joburg later this year.
Where do you see the band going and what are the objectives in future regarding the Kingdom of God through the music?
The main objective of the band will always be just to have fun and through that be a presence on stage and at the gigs. We also write lyrics with meaning and try to relate to everyone that listens to our music. Because Metal is usually regarded as negative and is associated with negative elements, we try to bring the light into these dark places and share the love of Christ. We are also always open to share and love to connect with people that would probably never go to church, just to plant that seed.
Extreme Sport:
How old were you when you started your Extreme Sport?
About 11 years old, but I stopped at 14 and then only started again at 19.
Where do you get inspiration?
Mainly from God and from others around me, people I work with and look up to, experiencing God through others.
What has Skating taught you about yourself?
Its way more fun to do something for the love of it, than to do it because you want to be the best at it!
What has it taught you about God?
That through God we have no limits and anything is possible through God.
What are some of the best gigs you have had the opportunity to be involved in?
Being part of the media team at the Billabong Pro, I’m also looking forward to being part of the annual Vertically Insane Comp in Stellenbosch that is coming up later this year!
What influence does God have in your sport?
He keeps me calm and helps me to enjoy doing what I do.
I see you do a lot of work with a Christian outlook; do you believe that even your time and profession should be tithed?
Definitely, everything we do, we do for God and all our time belongs to God, so without a doubt I believe that all that we do should be in honor and for glory to God.
Our aim is to get skaters saved, but not just to stop there, but to get them discipled and integrated into their local churches. I want skaters to be a generation that can change the world by starting within themselves.
I see you have an internship, tell us a bit about it?
The SonSurf/SonSkate Internship is a program designed to equip leaders for further involvement in Surf and Skate ministry. Through the program you learn everything from managing finances to running Camps and Contests and Biblical Study. All of this equipping you to be a better leader.
God:
Where do you feel God is taking you, or Sonsk8?
I feel that God has led me to SonSkate for a reason and I know my involvement is going to continue in some way or another. I am really passionate about the skating and other alternative cultures and I want to see them saved and living for God.
Do you think you guys can make a Kingdom impact through the sports?
I would like to think that we are already making an impact, I have seen a lot of lives changed and through skating we have brought many people to know God.
Any message to the Skaters and Surfers out there?
Keep on doing what you love, but remember that all the things we love so deeply on this earth was created by God and we enjoy it all to give praise.
Any closing words?
Prayer request for Stellenbosch Skatepark please…
Don’t be afraid to stand up for what you believe in. Be the light wherever you go and blaze out the darkness!
The SonSkate Stellenbosch skatepark has been running for the last 3 years and now needs to move. At the end of the year we will be losing our venue ‘The Shed’ and we are in a desperate search for a new spot. Over the years the park has influenced a lot of kids and has been like a home to others. Through the park many kids came to know the Lord and it’s been such a blessing for all those involved.
It is an indoor skatepark of about 1000m2, which is quite big, so finding a venue that size for free is not easy. We would love to keep the park in Stellenbosch and we know the kids here don’t want to lose their park, but at the moment anywhere in the Cape Town area is an option. Our time is running out and we need your help to keep the hopes and dreams of all the SonSkate Stellenbosch Skaters alive!
If you have any information that could help us find a venue for the skatepark please let us know. Leave a comment or contact us via email or phone.
Big Impact DJ Mark Stent takes us on an intense rollercoaster of God’s relentless love and determination for his life.
My Testimony…Thank you God for saving me
It was at the time of my divorce that the ‘wheels came off’ so to speak. I have 3 beautiful children from my previous marriage of nearly 9 years and the anger and hurt from it caused me to be bitter and resentful towards God. It was at that time that my current career as a DJ, producer and musician started kicking off. Needless to say being in the world of nightclubs, with tons of temptation and a bitter heart led me into a world of sex, alcohol and drugs in an attempt to try to mend my broken heart and escape from the pain i felt. I was so far from God, filled with hatred for Him and what He had done to me that i started seeking other things to explain how i felt and where my place was. The devil was right there to offer me all i needed.
I was introduced to a powerful psychic who told me and showed me things that completely blew me away. I was convinced that he knew the true answers to the universe…everything he said made complete logical sense. As i fell for his lies an deception he introduced me to other aspects of the occult world which i freely and openly embraced. I was amazed at the power i felt as i learnt disciplines such as tarot card reading, paganism and astral projection. The more i learnt the more power i felt, the more i despised God, but…the more my life and personal life fell off track. I had met the woman of my dreams in this time, somebody sent from God to look after me, protect me and be my guardian angel and teach me about true love. As i drew more into the power of the occult, i became more selfish, more self-centred, i hurt her, treated her badly, slowly lost respect for myself…still God kept her by my side. My first intentional drug overdose landed me in hospital where i drew more into the power of the devil…i was reading peoples fortunes and had the power to see things i never dreamed i would see. Despite feeling invincible my life continued its downward spiral.
I overdosed intentionally two more times and each time, at exactly the right moment, Vanessa arrived to save me, like an angel, just before i died each time, literally saving my life. The last attempt i was in intensive care and the doctors told my mother that i had a 1 percent chance of life and if i did live i would be brain damaged forever. It was thanks to prayer teams that my mom setup daily for my recovery that i lived. It was then that i realised that i either belonged in a mental institution or i had some serious demons in me. I went for deliverance from my suicide demons and after 5 long hours was saved by Gods grace. I tried for a long time to follow God and His word after that but the nature of my job kept drawing me back into the devils lair, where i slid back into my anger towards God for the cards i had been dealt…God did not leave me alone…He kept sending me messages, not even cryptically, they were blunt!
One that sticks in my mind was a day after a gig in Cape Town, i was hung over and sitting in CT airport and a kid of probably 16 came up to me and said ‘i was at Exclusive Books and God told me to buy this book and He would tell me who to give it to, when i saw you i knew it was for you’. I took the book, wrapped in brown paper, and brushed it off as some strange church-cult. I got onto the plane and my seat was moved and i ended up sitting next to a pastor…i sat down, opened the brown paper bag and the book was entittled ‘Conversations with an Atheist’- a book explaining to non-believers how there was NO way to refute God, no matter what you believed or what the circumstances.
Many many more of these kinds of events happened but i continued to live in the world.
It was when Vanessa left me due to my lifestyle that i started the Alpha course. In fact i did not do it for God, but to try and get in there so i could try and convince V to take me back. After 4 or 5 weeks God worked His magic and i gave my life to God again and Vanessa and i started our walk, together, with Jesus. We got engaged and planned our lives together. My career boomed. Financially things boomed. As all these things did, so did my ego. I started living a double life again, professing to be a Christian but still going out drinking, partying and living in the world. I tried to keep one foot in the door of the world and one foot in God’s door. I truly believed that i could be the light that shined in a world ruled by demons and the devil. I lied to myself and everyone else.
As my career boomed and grew, Vanessa and i fell apart again, this time she was attacked too, the devil drove a wedge of insecurity, jealousy and lies into our relationship which caused us to break off our engagement, something that hurt us both beyond measure. God continued to send me signs.
I was thrown into a chasm of confusion…how could God forsake me like this when i was trying so hard to follow Him. Vanessa was my dream girl, how could He take her away from me. It was thanks to friends that God blessed me with like Peter, Christine, Byron, Shaun, Jon, Nikki that prayed for me incessantly and took me back to church that i finally decided that God had given me a great calling and influence and that i had the power to bring so many people to God with the things that i had seen and experienced. Through my pain i drew on Him, learnt about Him, learnt that i needed FAITH AND CHOICE to follow Him…i needed to have faith that He would provide me with what i needed if i CHOSE to listen. Since i made that decision everything has changed…the things that ruled my life dont seem so important, my ego and flesh, as much as they have given me worldly succes and recognition have destroyed the real things in my life…my family, my love of my self and true romantic love…and peace.
I have been scared to take the step i need to and God has shown me that fear is lack of trust in Him. I finally took this step this week, after a week of prayer and battling with God and myself. In order for me to get away from the devils temptation, i need to get out the devils lair…when i put complete trust in Him, i will see Him…
I truly believe that God has blessed me and and has amazing plans for me. As i draw nearer to Him He shows more of himself to me and the more secure i feel, the more at peace i feel.
As i start, for the first time, putting ALL my faith in God i want to thank Him for never giving up on me and cleansing me of my past and for showing me the power of prayer through people who truly loved me for me.
X-Games here we come… Team Faith are again preparing for one of the
most competitive events in the world of Extreme Sport, the X-Games.
Lets take a look as they make preparations for an up and coming documentary,
documenting the Life a Christian team competing in the very secular arena of
the X Games. They make some prayer requests as Kevin
and the team undergo preparation for the X-Games to defend his Gold Medal
for the Speed and Style Comp.
Everyone is ready for an exciting week at X.
This is Chuck’s first trip to the “Holy Grail of Action Sports” and he is pulling triple duty, as he will also be one of four Team Faith Pit Pastors this week for onsite ministry. Of course, Larry Dean of Xtreme Life Ministries will be Team Faith Road Pastor and Pit Pastor as well, leading worship service on Sunday for all the X Games staff and participants who choose to come. Team Faith founder Brian O will return to the Games for the 6th straight year and will most certainly be delivering some devotionals to whichever sport disciplines he has an opportunity to, while pulling double duty as Team Manager for KJ and Woods.
In addition to the regulars, Team Faith is happy to have old friend and former Team Faith watercraft racer James “the ripper” Aitken joining in as support staff and first-time Team Faith Pit Pastor.
We also have a special guest travelling with us to document the entire trip. Patrick Uebelhor is an aspiring young filmmaker and has all the equipment loaded up and has been on the road since Thursday, filming everything in an effort to make a documentary about a Christian team competing in the very secular arena of the X Games.
And the TV show Steelroots has blessed Jason Woods and his family with an all expenses paid trip to LA this year. They will also be filming while there, so be sure and look them up at www.steelroots.com after this weekend!
Please pray for us. We are going into the Games as prepared as we can be on no budget! This year, as in previous years, we are relying heavily on the generosity of Pilot Travel Centers and FLY Racing to get us to the event. But nobody on the team is earning a paycheck on this one due to a lack of sponsorship.
A special thanks goes out to Kim and crew at DZ Graphics for whipping us up some sick bike graphics especially for X Games. And thanks to Randy Richardson of Michelin Tires for getting Kevin some last minute product that is sure to help him retain his Speed and Style title! Jay Clark bent over backwards to get us some product from Pivot Works and Vertex Pistons, while Jim Ricci Jr came through with Athena and Silkolene stuff we desperately needed. Max at FLY is always behind what we do and we know we will look great in our new FLY gear!
By the way, be sure to tune in for the live television broadcast of Speed and Style to watch Kevin race in the Supercross class also on ESPN on Thursday July 29, 2010 at 5:45pm PST and then to defend his Gold Medal on ESPN2 on Sunday August 1, 2010 at 7pm- 8pm PST. (Times are subject to change so check your local listings)
Crazy People // Jul 30th, 2010
“Smooth stones, let ‘em fly” by Brian O’Rourke
Watch how God gets the Glory, when Team Faith and their premier motocross Rider Kevin Johnson take on some of the biggest names in the game, in the “Speed and Style” competition staged at one of the top FMX events in the World, the X-Games in Los Angeles. Hang-on for the ride, this message is wild!
Team Faith a non-profit multi-faceted Outreach Ministry that impacts people who are enthusiastic about Action Sports.Started in 1994 in the Pro Personal Watercraft Racing Industry and have migrated to the Pro Motocross Racing and Freestyle Motocross Industries respectively. Team Faith’s vision is to establish evangelism teams of action sports athletes led by Pit Pastors (Chaplains), to infiltrate professional racing circuits and other action sports events. Through onsite ministering such as providing Devotionals or onsite Chapel Services, prayer, meeting physical needs and providing Spiritual leadership, we hope to influence the influencers in the culture of “action sports”.
Smooth Stones
Recently the Team and I had the privilege of attending the X Games in Los Angeles. We went there to be the Chaplains of the event, but also to bring our Premier rider Kevin Johnson to compete in the “Speed and Style” competition.
Well the week started out pretty dismally, and by the time we were up to compete, our team morale was very low. But God spoke to KJ’s heart through our road pastor Lary Dean…and he said “5 smooth stones…”
If you have your bibles, turn to 1 Samuel 17:1-7. I’m reading out of the New King James Version, but I might use a translation called “The Message” to paraphrase what we read to make it a little easier to understand.
1 Samuel 17:
(1) Now the Philistines gathered their armies together to battle, and were gathered at Sochoh, which belongs to Judah; they encamped between Sochoh and Azekah, in Ephes Dammim.
(2) And Saul and the men of Israel were gathered together, and they encamped in the Valley of Elah, and drew up in battle array against the Philistines.
(3) The Philistines stood on a mountain on one side, and Israel stood on a mountain on the other side, with a valley between them.
(4) And a champion went out from the camp of the Philistines, named Goliath, from Gath, whose height was six cubits and a span.
(5) He had a bronze helmet on his head, and he was armed with a coat of mail, and the weight of the coat was five thousand shekels of bronze.
(6) And he had bronze armor on his legs and a bronze javelin between his shoulders.
(7) Now the staff of his spear was like a weaver’s beam, and his iron spearhead weighed six hundred shekels; and a shield-bearer went before him.
Let’s stop there for a minute -
A formidable foe, wouldn’t you say?
As Saul faced his enemies the Philistines, God’s word says there was a valley between them. When you are facing a monumental obstacle in your life doesn’t it seems like there is a valley between you and a positive outcome?
Goliath is referred to here as a champion. The literal meaning of this word is “the man between two”.
So here you have this valley, and this “man between two” seemingly hindering any chance of victory. Ever feel like that?
Goliath was HUGE, man! He was 9 + feet tall -- closer to 10′ feet tall! He was dressed in 126 lbs of armor.
And if you haven’t heard this story before, we are about to be introduced to David – a shepherd boy – who will turn out to be our hero. I wonder if David even weighed 126 lbs soaking wet!?
Goliath’s spear tip alone weighed over 15lbs.
I mean, let’s face it, faith or no faith, if we’re going to be honest here, sometimes our circumstances seem just too overwhelming to NOT be afraid. I’ll admit to you that I felt this way last week at when I went to minister and bring our team to compete at X Games.
As you may know, with the ministry Team Faith we use action sports and motocross as a platform to preach the Gospel. Through onsite ministering and chapel services we try to influence the athletes that compete and participate at high profile professional events to come to know Jesus and understand that Jesus loves them and died for them so that they could not only have salvation – or eternal fellowship with God the Father in Heaven after this life is over – but that they could also get the most out of this life now by serving Him and enjoying a personal relationship with the Creator of the Universe. Hopefully, that translates into them recognizing that they have responsibilities as role models to this Generation Y -- the vital group of 70 million 6-24 year-olds -- and others who are extreme sports enthusiasts.
Our rider Kevin Johnson was invited to a prestigious event called the Moto X World Championships, which would be a precursor to the X Games. We would compete in a new discipline of sport called Speed and Style which would set the stage for its debut as a new sport at this year’s X Games.
Well KJ -- as we call him -- did rather well, upsetting his own “Goliath” as it were in a guy named Travis Pastrana, whom he was paired up with right from the get go. In the end, although Kevin finished a respectable 4th place overall and he turned some heads with his “speed” portion of the competition, his “style” part was a little weak when compared to all the other competitors, who are full-time pro freestylers. In fact, many there agreed that Kevin could have a legitimate shot at winning Gold if he could get down some bigger tricks and notably the backflip.
So for months KJ has been practicing and trying to pull off the backflip in hopes of being invited to the X Games for Speed and Style. We even set a time limit on when we’d decide if we’d go as competitors to the event because we knew in order to have a shot at winning, we’d have to be prepared. In our minds as a team, we believed that meant he had to be ready to throw a backflip in the competition.
Let’s pick up our story here –
1 Samuel 17:
(8) Then he (Goliath) stood and cried out to the armies of Israel, and said to them, “Why have you come out to line up for battle? Am I not a Philistine, and you the servants of Saul? Choose a man for yourselves, and let him come down to me.
(9) If he is able to fight with me and kill me, then we will be your servants. But if I prevail against him and kill him, then you shall be our servants and serve us.”
(10) And the Philistine said, “I defy the armies of Israel this day; give me a man, that we may fight together.”
(11) When Saul and all Israel heard these words of the Philistine, they were dismayed and greatly afraid.
When we were finally invited to X Games – I told the promoters at ESPN that KJ was doing backflips with some of the other top freestylers. He had done hundreds in the foam pit, and 3 to dirt – but he was 1 for 2 as he only landed 1 cleanly and crashed twice in his attempts. He didn’t feel that great doing them to dirt.
So when we got there the pressure was on. When Kevin went out to practice he looked pretty good, but the surroundings and the size and scope – not only physically but mentally too – was intense to say the least. He really wasn’t confident and decided that he just didn’t want to risk crashing and doing the backflip. Like Saul in the story -- He too was scared.
We’ll skip down a little as the next several verses basically just establish that David was indeed a lowly Sheppard boy who tended sheep. He was the youngest of eight kids. His 3 eldest brothers were already in the army and had fought in war. But David would come and go tending to Saul and tending his father’s sheep.
One day he was bringing his brothers some cracked wheat, 10 loaves of bread and some cheese wedges on the battlefield and he heard the taunting of the Philistine Goliath. Upset at the disrespect that Goliath was showing to the true and living God of Israel, he was offended and starting asking everyone what would happen if Goliath was defeated.
Word got back to Saul that this little boy was inquiring as to who this guy Goliath was and why he was being permitted to blaspheme the Lord. So Saul sent for him.
Lets read:
1 Samuel 17
(32) Then David said to Saul, “Let no man’s heart fail because of him; your servant will go and fight with this Philistine.”
(33) And Saul said to David, “You are not able to go against this Philistine to fight with him; for you are a youth, and he a man of war from his youth.”
(34) But David said to Saul, “Your servant used to keep his father’s sheep, and when a lion or a bear came and took a lamb out of the flock,
(35) I went out after it and struck it, and delivered the lamb from its mouth; and when it arose against me, I caught it by its beard, and struck and killed it.
(36) Your servant has killed both lion and bear; and this uncircumcised Philistine will be like one of them, seeing he has defied the armies of the living God.”
(37) Moreover David said, “The LORD, who delivered me from the paw of the lion and from the paw of the bear, He will deliver me from the hand of this Philistine.”
And Saul said to David, “Go, and the LORD be with you!”
Stop there for a minute;
Now, it would be a stretch to say that there were as many similarities in Kevin Johnson and our attempt to compete at X Games as there are with David in this story – so I’m not gonna try to force an analogy here just for the sake of the message.
But I will say, that compared to the guys competing in Speed and Style at X Games and what KJ brought to the table, it was a huge long shot for us to have any chance at all. We’d be lucky to get past the first round in which we paired up against Nate Adams – 8 time medal winner at X Games and arguably the best FMXer in the world. He was seeded number 1 while Kevin barely qualified in last place for the Quarter Finals.
And like David, who had a history of defeating various foes that he came across – the lion and the bear – Kevin has had some success beating some big names in both racing Arenacross for the past 5 years and at the Moto X World Championships.
So – we all agreed we go and regardless of whether or not he did a backflip – we’d do what we could and do ministry in the pits for the other athletes and it would be worth going.
But honestly, after seeing his confidence shaken during practice. I really didn’t believe we’d do anything out there against the best in the world. None of us really believed we’d do anything. In fact, I really thought he might even embarrass himself.
At the end of verse 37 when Saul said to David “Go, and the LORD be with you!” the interpretation in the version of the bible called the Message reads like this: Saul said, “Go. And GOD help you!”
Can you just see Saul say this to David? “Go. And GOD help you!” I wonder if like me, Saul thought David was about to go embarrass himself?
As team manager, I didn’t say it, but I thought it – “Go! And God help you Kevin cause you’re gonna need Him!”
Kevin and Chad, our mechanic, went down to do battle against “Goliath” as it were and none of us said a word to each other. If it wasn’t for our road Pastor Lary Dean, I don’t even know if we would have prayed before he went, that’s how low moral was in our pits. But Lary mentioned this story in his prayer. It was a story we often referred to when facing a tough battle ahead of us.
Lary said: “5 smooth stones Kevin. Just let them fly and let God do the rest.”
Lets skip down to verse 40 and read:
1 Samuel 17:
(40) Then he took his staff in his hand; and he chose for himself five smooth stones from the brook, and put them in a shepherd’s bag in a pouch which he had and his sling was in his hand. And he drew near to the Philistine.
(41) So the Philistine came and began drawing near to David, and the man who bore the shield went before him.
(42) And when the Philistine looked about and saw David, he disdained him, for he was only a youth, ruddy and good-looking.
(43) So the Philistine said to David, “Am I a dog, that you come to me with sticks?” And the Philistine cursed David by his gods.
(44) And the Philistine said to David, “Come to me, and I will give your flesh to the birds of the air and the beasts of the field!”
(45) Then David said to the Philistine, “You come to me with a sword, with a spear, and with a javelin. But I come to you in the name of the LORD of hosts, the God of the armies of Israel, whom you have defied.
(46) This day the LORD will deliver you into my hand, and I will strike you and take your head from you. And this day I will give the carcasses of the camp of the Philistines to the birds of the air and the wild beasts of the earth, that all the earth may know that there is a God in Israel.
(47) Then all this assembly shall know that the LORD does not save with sword and spear; for the battle is the LORD’s, and He will give you into our hands.”
(48) So it was, when the Philistine arose and came and drew near to meet David, that David hurried and ran toward the army to meet the Philistine.
(49) Then David put his hand in his bag and took out a stone; and he slung it and struck the Philistine in his forehead, so that the stone sank into his forehead, and he fell on his face to the earth.
(50) So David prevailed over the Philistine with a sling and a stone, and struck the Philistine and killed him. But there was no sword in the hand of David.
(51) Therefore David ran and stood over the Philistine, took his sword and drew it out of its sheath and killed him, and cut off his head with it. And when the Philistines saw that their champion was dead, they fled.
WOW! What an event. What an outcome. What a great God we serve. To think that we came into this event without much of a chance and then convinced ourselves that we had no chance. I have to tell you – it was a humbling moment for me to see KJ awarded the Gold at the biggest event in Team Faith history. I realized at that moment how small I was and how HUGE God is. I believe He decided to bless his boys and give us the desires of our hearts this day. And I believe He did it because He knows Team Faith and KJ will give ALL the glory to Him. To us, it was painfully obvious that this Gold was won by God and is for God. Victory for Jesus, Glory for God!
We have been striving for an opportunity to get to this level of professional competition for 14 years. Since the beginning in 1994, the inspiration to see a pro athlete at the highest level of competition win and then glorify Jesus boldly and publicly has been the goal and mission of Team Faith. We believe this event, this hugely popular event – the X Games, is one of the grandest stages, if not THE grandest stage from which to preach the Gospel to a lost and hurting world. We have been trying to show this lost generation that it is not only possible to be a follower of Jesus and compete at the highest level – but also that it is possible to win at the highest level as a Christian and then use the opportunity to tell the world that Jesus is Lord!
We finally did it.
But God had to teach us – ME -- that we needed to get to the end of ourselves before we could truly rely on God and His provision for victory over such a huge obstacle.
I mean think about it -- had we had the best rider in the world who was a proven winner at this game, and had we had the money to buy the best equipment and pay for all the personnel it takes to compete and win at this level, and had we gone into the event with everything just so – would we really have HAD to rely on God so much? Do you think God wanted his boys to experience the best moment in Team Faith history – and in their respective careers without Him being a part of it?
Like David, we should have been confident NOT in ourselves or our equipment or our abilities, but in God and His sovereignty.
God is in control folks. I truly believe He orchestrated ALL this from the beginning – for such a time as this. Because this way – He gets the glory!
But it took all week for us to realize this fight wasn’t ours. It was God’s. And when we finally had nothing to rationalize, nothing to bring to the table so-to-speak, nothing but Him to rely on – He blessed us.
KJ slung 5 smooth stones at the biggest giant he’s faced in his career and God planted them right in forehead of the enemy!
Question: What giant are you facing?
Maybe your giant is some sin in your life that you just don’t seem to be able to break free of in your own strength.
Maybe your giant is a financial burden that seems impossible to overcome.
Maybe your giant is relational and you just don’t think you can bear the pain you have been suffering in a relationship.
Maybe your giant is physical. And you just can’t see how things are ever going to get better.
Maybe your giant is emotional and maybe depression and anxiety at times seems to consume you for everything you are worth.
Maybe your giant is circumstances -- so overwhelming – where are you so over-matched that you just don’t know if you can muster up the strength to go forward in your attempt at winning this battle?
Do you maybe need to “let go and let God” as the cliché says? Do you need to finally get to the end of yourself to let God be God?
I hope so! Because that’s a good place to be! And maybe David – and even Kevin Johnson will inspire you to realize that God has your back.
Sometimes it’s about having the faith to just move forward – one step at a time – taking what you do have – a small smooth stone perhaps – and letting it fly relying on God to do the rest.
How would one really define the word “extreme”? Could it be jumping out of an aeroplane and soaring through the skies, riding a wave the size of a mountain, or maybe skateboarding down a hill at 140 km/h? And who are these people that attempt to defy gravity and put their lives at risk with each breath? Definitely people that are on some cheap drug or have no reason to be alive – one would expect anyway. But wait, take a closer look- this girl is on TV talking about, who? No ways… she said the name “Jesus”, was she blaspheming? Must have been, I mean just look at her, she couldn’t possibly know who Jesus is, could she?
Across the world today, one of the biggest lies of the enemy has been that once you become a follower of Christ you have to give up everything you love to do and become a boring Sunday Christian. Well I got good news for you, that mentality is slowly vanishing as we see young men and women rising up in the sports world and making a bold stand with a statement: “I’m a pro rider and give all glory to Jesus!” Wow!! What a strong message, but along with this comes the big question we hear all the time, “I wonder what God thinks about this?” Well that’s a real good time to turn to His Word and see what He says about being extreme.
Psalms 104.3 says “You make the clouds your chariots, and you ride on the wings of the wind”
Here we get a clear illustration of how extreme our God is, and if you really grasp this picture it will change the way you look at not only extreme sports, but life forever. Our God is radical, and everything He does is beyond what we could even imagine. You see God’s word goes on to say that He is able to accomplish infinitely more than we would dare ask or imagine (Ephesians 3:20)
What are your dreams? Does it line up with God’s word? Well then chances are God has an XTREME LIFE in store for you. You might be thinking, I’m just an average person, I can’t even play table tennis, never mind do a back flip on a MX bike, how can I live an extreme life?
DON’T BE AFRAID TO DREAM
The first thing is to realise that God has made each one of us uniquely and with a purpose. That means that we don’t have to walk in anyone else’s shadows. God will use us if we submit to His plan for our lives. I personally remember growing up on the South Coast at a place called Southbroom. I mean, what good could ever come out of a little village like that; it didn’t even have a traffic light (robot in SA). But God in His love looked down at a young boy that had given his life to Jesus at 4 years of age and who had a dream to be a professional windsurfer.
By the age of 17 I was announced the first SA Surfsailing champion and within the next few years would win numerous contests, 4 more SA titles, become the first Springbok surfsailor, be one of the most highly sponsored athletes in the country with free Golf Gti’s and travel around the world, front covers of magazines and TV exposure on a weekly basis- Why? Simple, I wasn’t afraid to dream and most importantly, to give God the glory. So go ahead, dream and dream big!
EXERCISE / TRAIN.
Now it’s one thing to have a dream, but to just sit back and think about it usually doesn’t get you very far. I could have just sat watching surf videos all day pondering on my dream to be a professional, but no, I had to get out there and train, sometimes for up to six hours a day. In the same way, to live an extreme life with God, we have to exercise.
“Huh?? What’s that got to do with me being used for God?”
Simple, we need to apply certain principles that will enrich our spiritual lives. Think of prayer for example- sometimes it feels like you just want to close your eyes and have a little sleep instead- but if you press on, you reach a place where you can walk away saying, “man, I really felt like I met with God today” – sometimes it takes discipline, but the results are literally “out of this world”.
GET A COACH
The first thing that most athletes do when they want to turn pro is to find a coach. Now this coach is usually someone who sees potential in the athlete and will go out of their way to see the individual reach their dream. In the same way God has placed people around you that see potential in you, if you would only give them a chance. That youth leader that keeps “bugging” you every week to come hang out with them, or the pastor who every time he sees you wants to know how you’re doing at school- these are the kind of people that probably want to see you be all that God made you to be.
BE SPONSORED
Ok so we’re up and running, living an extreme life for God- it’s time to realise that we are sponsored. As I was competing I reached a level where I had companies like V.W, Continental, Oakley and others wanting me to represent their logos, and pay me at the same time. But there was a requirement- I had to represent them well and at all times. It kind of got me thinking, how are we representing Jesus and are we representing Him at all times or only when it suits us? You see something interesting happened- As I promoted them, and stood unashamed with their logo on me for TV or a photo shoot, they would be more and more satisfied and back me honouring my requests. The Bible says that whatever we do, do it all for the glory of God (1Cor 10:31) so we dare you to stand unashamed and see how God uses you.
KNOW THE RULES
Before I could win any contest I had to know the rules and the guidelines. But not only did I have to know the rules, I had to stick to them otherwise be disqualified and lose the race or heat.
2Timothy 2:5 says, “Similarly, if anyone competes as an athlete, he does not receive the victors crown unless he competes according to the rules”
What rules? God’s Word – the Bible – is a guide that will not only help us finish the race, but assist us in making the right decisions in living extreme for Him.
KEEP AN EYE ON THE CLOCK
The siren goes off. The heat starts. Looping, bashing, riding the wave to the fullest but all the time keeping an eye on the clock. One of the most important aspects of winning a contest is timing. If you just go out and do whatever, whenever, chances are it won’t be too impressive on the judges. In the same way, timing is crucial when living an extreme life for God.
Psalms 90:12 says “teach us to make the most of our time”- You see we don’t know what tomorrow holds.
As I travel around the world, producing Extreme Sports TV shows, I bump into some of the world’s top athletes and at times have a moment to tell them about the Good News of Jesus’ free gift of eternal life and ask if they want to receive it- many times the answer is “thanks but not right now, maybe one day when I’m older” – How it breaks my heart when I hear a week or so later that the person died never accepting Jesus. Keep an eye on the clock – if you’re living a life that you know is not pleasing to God, maybe it’s a good time to re-evaluate while you have time, or maybe there’s that friend you’ve been wanting to tell about Jesus, we never know when their “heat” might be over- so “just do it”!
GET READY FOR THE PRIZE
There’s been times while competing in huge 30 foot waves in Hawaii that I’ve fallen off and lost my board during the heat and just want to give up but a small glimpse of the prize motivates me to keep pressing on. There might be times in your life where it just feels like you can’t go on and you want to quit your Christian walk or even this life. Well we want to encourage you to keep your eyes on the finish line and the prize of eternal life that awaits you.
After enduring to the end there’s nothing like receiving a prize. Over the years I’ve been fortunate to win many great things like cars, medals, attained fame and things that satisfy for a moment, but you know what, nothing compares to that of living an extreme life for Christ.
THE CHALLENGE:
Ok so you’ve decided that you’re tired of just “existing” and know there must be more. Questions like, “what am I here for?”, “What should I do with my life?”, keep coming in to your mind – Well it’s a good time to try this extreme life and meet your personal trainer – the most extreme person that ever lived, and that is God’s son – Jesus.
No one has done, and no one will ever do what He did and what He still does today – He forgives us of our sin and offers us eternal life if we believe and follow after Him.
So the next time you see that weird looking guy standing with a skateboard in one hand and a bible in the other, don’t be shocked- it’s probably someone whose decided to make an impact living an XTREME LIFE for God.
So thanks for watching our movies, but most importantly, as you do, know that Jesus loves you, and has a plan for your life …and remember, “IF YOU DON’T GO, YOU’LL NEVER KNOW”.
Quick Bio
Ivan – Born and raised in SA, Springbok athlete – Spent 17 years in Hawaii
Owner of one of the top Extreme Sports Production companies in the world.
Producer and host of weekly TV show on TBN called XTREME LIFE, which is shown, in 17countries around the world. Watch XLTV on TBN – Tuesdays at 16.00 and SAT. at 23.00
More info at: www.XtremeLife.tv
Crazy People // Mar 30th, 2010
Snapshot of Memphis
by Mark Jannetta
Well, I have been living in Memphis not quite a year yet and can honestly say it is one very interesting city. This is the home of Graceland, resting place of Elvis Presley and second most visited home in the US after the White House. This is the city where Martin Luther King Jr. was shot and killed while standing on a balcony of a motel. They have since turned it into a civil rights museum and preserved the motel front. Memphis is also home to the blues and probably for good reason, there’s still a lot to be blue about. I have never lived in such a racially divided place in my life.
I was brought up in England where the colour of your skin really did not factor much into everyday life. But, here I can’t even sit in church and not hear a sermon that does not touch on the issue and I never would have imagined that race would play into building a skate park. However, this is Memphis and somehow racial divides play into every aspect of politics and plans for a skate park got wrapped up in what I can only call foolishness. Here’s what happened: My friend Aaron Shafer runs an advocate group called Skatelife Memphis, to build support for a skate park in Memphis. Memphis is so behind the times, with its political corruption, poverty and crime that it does not have a single skate park in its entire metro area, while I know of dozens of tiny towns across the U.S. who have amazing parks.
As a whole, Memphis is run down, crime riddled and has some of the highest infant mortality, rape and murder rates in the country. I moved here because it’s a desperate place, a dark place, in need of some light. My personal passion is to play my part by bringing light through the joy of skateboarding, building friendships with the kids, teaching them how to do it and taking them beyond skating to a saving knowledge of their Heavenly Father. I didn’t come here because it has everything a skater needs and wants, I came here to help build those things which are missing for the kids. Like I said I have not been here a year yet, but Aaron has been labouring hard for several years and finally had a $600,000 grant from the government for the city to build a public skate park.
The parks department chose a park for the construction and all seemed to be going smoothly, until a local council woman got wind of the plans. For whatever reason, the parks department did not inform her or ask for permission to build and when she did find out, she basically put a stop to the whole project. So one council woman stopped a $600k project which Aaron has been working towards for years and countless others were excited about. So that was the down side, but the good part is once folks got wind of what she did it kicked up a whirl wind of public support for the skate park.
Aaron was interviewed by newspapers, went on local radio and television and they talked to the council lady too. So what does any of this have to do with race? Well the council woman in her wisdom was quoted directly from an email saying:
“Black people feel like when other folks want something, they just do it, If you try to buck what they are doing, or don’t understand it, they get mad.”
Her bottom line: skateboarding is for ‘white’ kids in ‘white’ neighborhoods, keep it out of mine. Here is the full article: www.commercialappeal.com/news/2010/jan/20/opposition-councils-halbert-kills-skatepark-glenvi/
It was amazing to see how many people responded to her words in direct relation to race. It kind of boggles my mind that skateboarding which is such an all-inclusive sport should get wrapped up in the politics of Memphis and subsequently, racial dividing lines.
Martin Luther King had a dream, a vision of unity and for some reason when he was killed here in Memphis, a part of his dream really did die here too, while the rest of the country began to move forward, Memphis kind of stayed stuck in ignorance. So what do you do? What can I do? Well for the last three months I have been working in Uptown Memphis, at Greenlaw Community Center for an inner city sports ministry.
Slowly I have been trying to build a skate ministry. Slowly not by choice, but because I have no choice. I have about 60 kids, all African American and a third of them girls who have all skated with me, most for the first time in their lives. They love it. We only have a handful of boards, which they share between them and a minimal amount of flat ground concrete to skate. There is one gentle slope they go up and down for hours. The difference between these kids and the council woman’s generation is that they don’t know any different. Skateboarding is not a ‘white’ sport to them or just for boys.
Give them the opportunity to try and they will. They are blank slates and the future lies with them. I have no doubt skateboarding will grow in Memphis and cross all dividing lines of gender, race, music, economic status and everything else. I love skateboarding. I believe it grows and spreads and infects souls with a passion and intensity that colors every part of a person, just like the Gospel is supposed to. Team sports are great. You get a coach and he rallies you all together, gives you a vision and you pursue it as a team.
It’s something you do… but skateboarding is not just about something you do, it’s about someone you become. Boy, can my spiritual walk learn something from my skate life – Live it from your heart. Don’t just play the part on the outside. I pray Memphis will grow out of its ignorance, and I have a sneaky suspicion that the next generation of kids will be a little smarter, a little less foolish, a little more open and who knows… the ones that grow up skating just might get it the most. Change will come… slowly… but it will come and in the mean time I’m going to do my best to live the dream.
So… we have a wee bit of a problemo these days when it comes to the world’s view of Christianity: it’s just a tad out of wack. Back in ‘ol country, Europe (where the history comes from…) it’s seen as all grey-gloomy cathedrals and somber mumbling worship, apparently. Out in the New World the perception ranges from deep and prejudiced right-wing hardliners to happy-flappy seeker-sensitive marshmallow sessions.
Up here on the African deck it gets eyeballed as quaint and boring, or for spiritual orphans chasing emotional highs. These perceptions seem to be harboured even within the church denominations, ‘cos that’s what is slammed in their faces daily in mags, on the box and in the web. If you think of Hollywood – yes, yes everyone harps on about them, Hollywood bad etc. etc. – but check this: less than what, a percent of the world’s western population pumps out maybe 80% of its television and film – and these guys aren’t all exactly championing the Kingdom and its King.
Sure, these warped perceptions do find their root in the different ways some people have their gathering of the saints, but hey, as long as whatever these people are doing is truly from the heart and smooth with the scriptures then that’s awesome. Different cultures and societies have a sweet variety of expressions of worship and devotion, of servanthood and discipleship. God be praised, He doesn’t want us all to be clone drones. Keeps things interesting. If there is one thing I want to witness is a classic southern Gospel meeting. Apparently it’s epic.
See, the thing is, mass-media usually takes a stock cutout of any… well anything really – hip-hop, skateboarders, footballers, cops whatever – and uses that as its representation of the whole. Stereotype is its friend, cliché it’s bread and butter. It’s kinda like using a budgie to rep for all the birds. But I’d like to see you stick a 300-pound ostrich in a budgie-can without it swallowing your head.
So I digress (and will again, eventually – it’s inevitable). The point is, there are some awesome peeps out there breaking the cheap and nasty mold the church has been shoved into, and taking the life, love and freedom of Christ to the streets, the beaches, the skies, the railings: showing that God doesn’t fit into any moulds we make – because we could never make one big enough. Or unique enough. Or beautiful enough…
Here’s one of ‘em, Brad, and his message:
“You must shine amongst them like stars lighting up the sky, as you offer them the message of life” Philippians 2vs 15
We look at society and it’s full of youth searching for something? Somewhere to belong and feel the love we all crave so deeply within. Jesus hung out with the misfits of society, he even ate dinner with them, but in today’s world so many people want nothing to do with them. We want to fill our pews and youth groups with model citizens and perfect youth that never stumble, while we their youth leaders stumble daily.
Don’t get me wrong, this is not bad as idealism goes, but we are set in the reality where youth do drugs and break things just for fun, where they go skating for hours on end just to escape the realities their broken homes are filled with. They run away searching for something to dull the responsibilities they now have, responsibilities no youth should ever have. We pile excessive amounts of responsibility and expectations on these youths and then have the audacity to complain that kids grow up so fast these days. We spend hours answering the questions no one is asking. Yes, Jesus is the answer but what’s the question?
‘Where to from here?’ is a question I often here people around me asking. Someone always answers ‘anywhere as long as its forward’. Where is forward for me? I need to remember: just because God is by my side does not mean I am moving forward. So the reason I am writing this article and ramblings is forward for me – is a Ministry organization called Son Skate,
Son Skate started out as nothing more than a passion placed on my heart by God for skate boarders and other ‘outcasts’ of society, or at least the stereotyped outcasts.
Son Skate is about building relationships and showing a relevant Jesus through the way we live our lives. It is also about showing an appealing lifestyle that is both fun and necessary to gain eternal life and happiness.
Mission Statement and Vision
To be a Christian witness and presence to the skating and riding community of South Africa!
Son Skate is not a freelance organization, in other words in order for a club to be opened up it has to be run within a local church, this is done for accountability and it allows the church to take ownership of youth and its leaders and allow for fellowship, building relationships and support. I feel it needs to be stated that Son Skate is not the be all and end all, it’s the next step forward for me and God and so many others. We draw along side Son Surf who have been around for more than a number of years, they work with surfers along the shorelines of South Africa and have mission trips abroad. Son Skate and Son Surf are about the people, people that need Jesus more than anything, just like us! We will work alongside anyone that has that passion.
Son Skate has dreams of affecting youth with this thing we call truth, but we are left with the how, and is it even possible? It’s easy enough to get youth to stop external things and to see progress on the outside initially – but for how long? Its difficult and sometimes not instantly noticeable for a long time the inner change that God is bringing about. We are often left feeling bleak about all our efforts, but that’s what faith and prayer is for. It says in the Psalms ‘if you seek me you will find me’, if our youth seek through the temperamental Jesus they see in us, just like Paul says, ‘imitate me as I imitate Christ’ – they will find the real God and he will hold them close.
