Free on the Streets: Seeing the World DifferentlySample

# It’s a Lifestyle Josh Harmony READY: “For am I now trying to persuade people, or God? Or am I striving to please people? If I were still trying to please people, I would not be a servant of Christ.”—Galatians 1:10 SET: I fell in love with skateboarding way back in 1992, when dinosaurs still roamed the earth. Or at least at a time before the mainstream internet, when being a skater was not as cool and celebrated in culture as it is today. Being a skater in 1992 typically meant you were going to be made fun of, excluded from the popular kids, and many times shunned even by adults. But when you know the joy of landing a flip trick for the first time or the rush of dropping into a bowl, you don't care what other people think. You just have to rip! The excitement of all that you can learn and all that you can experience becomes greater than the approval of people who don't skate. The same can be said of knowing Jesus. When we encounter the love of God, learn of His grace, and receive forgiveness for our sins, we should no longer care what other people's opinions of us are. God loves us! There is nothing more important than being forgiven and getting to know the God who knows you better than you know yourself. He loves you more than the closest of friends ever could. He died to have a relationship with you! Here comes the hard part: many people hate Jesus or have the wrong impression of Him. Perhaps they have not experienced the love of Christ, or their hearts have been hardened toward God in their love of sin. So when they see that you love Jesus, often ridicule follows. If you are a skateboarder who is also a Christian, you are a rare breed. The blackest of the black sheep, yet highly favored. You have the potential to reach an often closed-off group of people. You already know what it's like to be different; you just must overcome the desire to be accepted in skateboarding over the approval of God. The approval of God is so much more important than the approval of fellow skaters or anyone else. It’s also of eternal significance. Choose to identify with Christ because He gave it all for you and will never leave you or forsake you. “For the word of the cross is foolishness to those who are perishing, but it is the power of God to us who are being saved.” —1 Corinthians 1:18 “If the world hates you, understand that it hated me before it hated you. If you were of the world, the world would love you as its own. However, because you are not of the world, but I have chosen you out of it, the world hates you.” —John 15:18-19 GO: 1\. Do you have any reservations about being identified as a follower of Christ amongst fellow skateboarders? If so, where do you think those reservations come from? Fear of others? Fear of losing respect? 2\. How would you feel if you gave up everything that you held dear to save somebody’s life and then that person turned around and acted like they didn’t know you? 3\. In what ways could you improve in glorifying God to those God has placed around you in your life? WORKOUT: Mark 8:36-38 OVERTIME: Dear Father, God, I pray to you in Jesus’ name. Thank you so much for everything that you’ve given me. Especially for the gift of your Son on the cross for the forgiveness of my sins. Please forgive me for any ways I may have sinned against you especially in the areas of shame in being identified with you. Thank you, Lord Jesus, for being brave for me and paying the ultimate price to save my soul. Please forgive me and fill me with your Holy Spirit and enable me to be brave and stand for you. Please help me to value your opinion over the opinion of others. Please help me to shine brightly for your kingdom, using the gifts that you’ve given me and in the way that you’ve specifically made me to glorify your name. Thank you for your grace and forgiveness! Author Bio: Josh Harmony is a songwriter, musician, visual artist, surfer and former professional skateboarder from Southern California. After sending a VHS tape of compiled skateboarding footage to Toy Machine Skateboards, Josh was added to the team and began his career. Gracing the covers of Thrasher and Transworld skateboarding magazines, he quickly gained notoriety in the skateboarding world while adding additional sponsors such as RVCA, Etnies and Fallen. At 19, Josh had an encounter with the Holy Spirit and gave his life to Jesus. Following his conversion, he found himself in a unique position to share the love of God with some of the most unlikely individuals in the darkest of countercultures. Although always interested in art and music, at 26 he sustained a debilitating hip injury that pushed him further into the comfort of creativity. While healing from surgery and with the help of his sponsors, Josh began writing/recording music and painting. Josh's music has since been used in a variety of skateboarding/surf videos and commercials over the years including surfer John John Florence's 'View From a Blue Moon' as well as Harley Davidson's Milwaukee engine launch. For art, he has had various exhibitions from Los Angeles to New York and contributed paintings and illustrations utilized by RVCA in their artist network program/clothing. Along with his musical and artistic endeavors, he currently works in marketing for Vans Footwear. Josh lives in Costa Mesa, California with his wife Jenna and their 3 boys. Together, Josh and Jenna run the children and youth ministry at their Church, Pacific Point where he also helps lead worship.