We had the good fortune of connecting with Jared Greer and we’ve shared our conversation below.

Hi Jared, we’d love to hear about how you approach risk and risk-taking.
I love adventure! I also love stability… Somehow I want both of these things at the same time. For me, I believe in God and believe God has a calling on all of our lives. I believe we are to be good stewards, to prepare and be wise with what He has given us. But I also know we are called to walk by faith and not by sight. There are some real tensions in these ideas. But at the same time they make perfect sense. God provides stability. Therefore, I can trust Him. God also seems to be adventurous and fun. In John 10:10 Jesus says “The thief comes to steal, kill, and destroy. I came so they may have life and have it abundantly.” Other translations say “have it fully” or “have it to the full.” Life is meant to be lived! We are meant to do things that bring us joy! We are meant to step out and take risks on behalf of others too! The reality is that the adventurous, joy filled life is one that can only be experienced through risk. Sometimes I know deep in my spirit and deep in my gut that God is calling me to do something that involves risk. In those moments I can play it safe. Or I can take the jump and trust that God is in control and that what He is calling me to is worth the risk! I felt like I should apply for American Ninja Warrior. I took the risk! It didn’t go as planned! But taking the risk led to other successful things. I really can’t think of any risks that I felt led to do that I regret. There are some risks that I have taken unnecessarily that I regret. I’ve tried to accomplish obstacles that I wasn’t physically ready for and experienced injury… I’ve stepped into risky business decisions without extensive preparation and planning and it flopped. What I have found is that when I feel like God is calling me to something and I take time to develop the idea and work hard to accomplish it and then take the step of faith and risk as the final step that it ALWAYS seems to work out for everyone involved.

Can you open up a bit about your work and career? We’re big fans and we’d love for our community to learn more about your work.
Overcoming Obstacles Ministries takes a portable obstacle course around the country! We allow people to play on the course and then share a message about overcoming obstacles through faith in Jesus. We love seeing people come to faith in Christ. Jesus has lived the life we could never live. He died the death we deserve to die. He rose from the dead and offers forgiveness and new life to all of us. We receive this by turning from our path and trusting in Him. At that point we join His family and through the power of His Holy Spirit we can overcome the obstacles we face that hinder us from living a life that honors God. This is what we are all about! We face challenges all the time that distract us from our mission. But together we keep each other focused on the main thing. We then have the joy of experiencing God’s grace and presence in our lives and sharing it with others.

Who else deserves some credit and recognition?
David Self and Paul Papan have been Board Members from the inception of our ministry. They believed in my crazy idea. They helped me work hard at crazy hours! They have always been willing to ask the hard questions and give true genuine support each step of the way. I want to thank them for all of their friendship and support in a venture that I never could have started or maintained on my own.

Website: https://www.obstacleministry.com

Instagram: jaredG4Christ

Facebook: Overcoming Obstacles Ministries

Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/jaredgreer

Image Credits
Jeff Stapleton

Nominate Someone: ShoutoutDFW is built on recommendations and shoutouts from the community; it’s how we uncover hidden gems, so if you or someone you know deserves recognition please let us know here.