Following the Lamb

I don't know about you but I've heard the Christmas story called "the Greatest story ever told" I disagree. It's not that interesting of a story, if stories are for entertainment value and we were to compare them with movies I would say this ranks just above Made of Honor (yes I was forced by my wife to watch that movie)

Think about it, a guy Joseph is in an arranged marriage when Mary his soon to be bride tells him that she is pregnant and it's not his baby and he can't get jealous because God has impregnated her. Not a great excuse but an original one. Joseph not believing is visited by an angel and has a change of heart as we all would if visited by an angel, just watch it's a wonderful life and you'll see. So it's tax season and Joseph has to head to Bethlehem to avoid being audited. (this is an abridged version) Mary has the baby in a manger which is designed to feed animals. See, not that great of a story which makes me wonder how did these people keep something like this alive? I think it's because God has kept the story alive. And seeing a man raised from the dead would cause you to want to know more about him.

I really believe that we would know nothing of this story if it weren't for the resurrection. Christ would have faded into obscurity along with all the other false messiahs and prophets of his day. But the act of love displayed on the cross is what kept the story alive and it's that, which to me is the greatest story ever.

So instead of talking about the birth of Jesus Impact Student Ministries will be doing a series called Following the Lamb. In this two part series we will see how communion marked the end of the old covenant and ushered in the beginning of the new. I'm very excited about this series and I think it's going to be great. Also we are having our Christmas party Dec 10th at 6:30. So come on over to the Youth House.

See you there

The Reason for the Season

I must admit, I'm a bit of a scrooge during the holiday season. It's not that I don't like Christmas in fact there are many things about Christmas that I love. The family, the food, the gift giving and receiving. Yet, there are things that I don't enjoy, like long lines at department stores, the same Christmas programs every year, and the commercialism. There are things about Christmas that I don't understand, like how they are already playing Christmas music when it hasn't even been thanksgiving yet.

I saw a sign last year that said “Jesus is the Reason for the Season” And I think this is what most Christians believe, and when I say Christian I don't mean a good person or a person who is an American or even a person that believes Jesus was a good teacher. When I say Christian I mean a person who has had a “born again” experience and has dedicated their life to following the way of Jesus. That sign got me thinking “Is Jesus really the reason for the season?” Is Jesus what we are excited about? Is celebrating the arrival of our savior what we most look forward to during Christmas? Isn't it strange that a word and holiday containing Christ seems so devoid of Christ?

The more of these questions I ask myself the more it becomes clear that we are the reason for the season and not Jesus. I know it sounds blasphemous and I do believe that Jesus is the reason for the season but if it wasn't for our sin Jesus would never have had to come in the first place. Jesus is the reason for the season but so are we. We were the ones that needed saving. Jesus came to save the world from sin. His arrival was not magnificent, He didn't have a Macy's day parade to usher in His kingdom. He came because of our sin in the most humble of ways. And His act of love and sacrifice deserves more than just a season, it demands our very lives.

There is a great verse in the bible that says “For God did not send the Son into the world to judge the world, but that the world might be saved through Him.” John 3:17

This means that the whole world was on God's mind. God had sent Jesus to be the savior of everyone and not just Christians, and not just Americans. Your Muslim neighbor is the reason for the season, your atheist relative is the reason for the season. Your enemy, your friend, everyone in the whole world is the reason for the season. Our savior is not regulated to our church or our hemisphere. He is not bound only to those you agree with. God has the whole world on His mind.

So the next time your Mother in Law is driving you insane with making Christmas all about her, tell her that she is the reason for the season. Because Jesus died for her too, just like he died for you. And He came with more than just this season on His mind.

A response

I have been married now for over a year and it has been (apart from Christ) the best thing that has ever happened to me. My wife and I exchanged vows on our wedding day. It was an event, it was a celebration. We entered into what some may call a covenant.

A covenant is just a promise. And we made that promise public. I believe that baptism is the public expression of the inward change. I think just as the vows for marriage are not the same for every couple nor have they stayed the same throughout history, the central message has been clear. One man, One woman, One lifetime.

I think this is the picture God had drawn up to be a mirror of what He wants for you and me.

I don't think anyone can say who is saved and who is not, that is presuming to see the heart of man which the bible claims only God can do. What we can judge and see is a mans works and I believe Baptism is the first step of obedience in that Life.

The bible never gives any instructions on how to confess with your mouth and believe with your heart, because if you need a system for salvation you have missed the point all together and it has ceased to be personal.

A relationship with Christ is meant to be personal and like any love relationship it can not be broken down into steps. It can only be muddled and staggered through. It's our love, responding to His perfect love.

Cause and Effect

Every once and a while I hear about another pastor going down in flames. And it is almost always self destruction. In fact I would say that some of the worst things that have ever happened to be were my own doing. I don't believe in Karma, but I do believe in something called "Cause and Effect"

I press start, microwave heats up my hot pocket (to unbearable temperatures)

I have seen how hypocritical the clergy can be and also how unforgiving their followers can be so be sure that I am not for pastor bashing. But when I see a pastor, or youth pastor, or music minister or any other type of person claiming to do "God's" work involved with something not above reproach, it makes me furious.

Case in point was an Evangelist who visited our town for an extended period of time. He made bold claims and I had my reservations immediately. With the way his minstry was expanding, I could only see it ending one of two ways.
1. He would be investigated for some type of fraud.
2. An immorality would become public.

He ended up having an affair and filing for divorce.

My first thought is "How could you be so stupid?"
My second thought is "What hope is there for me, if I see studs of the faith crashing like vista?"
My third thought is "I hope my hot pocket is done"

You see, no matter how close you are with God you are still human. And we are all subjected to the same temptations and are vulnerable.

So this message is for Christians.
If you Sin, there will be a consequence.

God has not promised to bail you out.
He has not promised to reverse the consequences of your Sin
and He can not be bargained with.

Cause and Effect
Sin and Consequence

So to you Pastors and Preachers, ask yourself what you are talking yourself into and remember you will be judged more harshly for your sin.

A Prayer of Restoration for my Friends

Something troubling has been on my mind for the past couple of weeks, and it's not the economy. It's not the political race to the white house. It's not work, or school or any of the usual suspects. It's the striking realization that many of my once brothers and sisters in Christ have gone astray. They have forsaken new life for the pattern of the world. It's very sad. It seems like every time I turn around another close friend has given up or given in.

I think the worst part might be is that they think that they are now free, that they are now thinking clearly. When in fact they have compromised more and more and moved the line of sin further ahead of them so they can cross it, and move it, and cross it again. All of this stems from not spending time with the Father. It comes from not setting a time and a place with God. It happens when we leave our relationship with God up to Church or our ability to understand. It happens when we stop walking wisely and stop abiding in truth. It grieves me to see so many of my friends give up on a savior who never gives up on them.

My only hope comes in the peace of Jesus. He's going to restore you friends. He will pursue you. He will understand, because He loves you and so do I.

You love a people undeserving

A little over a year ago I was just married and left a great Church, job, community, and my friend Joe who was our Pastor We moved to Lakeland because Rachel found a job as a teacher. I had no idea that a year later I would be working full time ministry again and would find myself doing youth once again. Even more improbable, we bought our first house not even a block away from the Legacy. It just shows me that I am where I am in life not because of anything I've done or earned but because of who God is and what His plans are.

Jesus was so good at doing the will of the Father. It was his only ambition to just go where God said to go and stay where He would say to stay. I am trying to live this out and stay connected to the will of the Father above all other things. I find when I do this I am most content with any situation.

We are truly a people undeserving of His love but it's great being in the path of His love and dwelling in the will of the Father





http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hnvlpNVQocw

Updates

So this Greater series has been awesome. I have really enjoyed preparing each talk and Wednesday nights have been a lot of fun. We will be starting a new series called "Amplify" it's about prayer and hearing from God.

Also pray for my dog, she has cancer and she is in a lot of pain.

The Garden

I have been reading Isaiah for the past few days now and even though I am moving through the book a couple chapters a day I have been transfixed on the fifth chapter which talks about God's people being like a vineyard. Tonight during worship I thought about how God was betrayed in the garden by Adam and Eve and then how Jesus was also betrayed in the garden. Then, when Jesus comes back from the dead Mary sees Jesus but mistakes him for the gardener. I think it's so amazing that God would use this theme throughout the entire bible. It's like a romance that has been so expertly crafted.
Thank You God for that revelation!

Part 2: Defined

I'm very excited about tonights meeting. Hopefully we will have the band playing. Also smash bros for the wii is highly addicting. See you @ 6:30

Faith is Confidence that God is who He says He is, and that He will do everything He has promised to do.

Greater than

Hey gang,
This month we are starting a brand new series called "Greater than".
We all believe something about God but what happens when our faith is challenged, shaken, or even shattered? Which is greater, what we feel and experience, or what God has promised?

So join us tonight for Part 1: A Foundation

See you there!

Switch hitting

It's true that I am a cubs fan and It pains me sometimes to say this but one of my favorite baseball players of all time is New York Yankee legend, Micky Mantle. One of the great things about Mick was his ability to “switch hit”. Switch hitting is being able to bat right or left handed. Having a switch hitter in your line gives you options depending upon what the opposition throws at you. I think that's what this “switch” most reminds me of. Wes is multi talented and although I feel like I'm still in the minors sometimes I think God has given me the ability to take on different ministries. At my previous Church I was both Worship leader and Youth Pastor and learned a lot in both roles. So before I get to the questions I just wanted to say how excited I am to work with the young people at Legacy, I believe we are destined to see God do great things in our lives and in others.


1.What was your initial reaction when Shane proposed this idea and how do you feel about the switch?

My first thought was, “has Shane been reading my journal?” All kidding aside I was very surprised. It was something I felt God working on my heart about but I didn't want to give it too much thought. I just trusted that God would lead me and I would do my best to follow. I feel great about it, both Wes and I are very excited to be taking on these new ministries. And I think that's the way we are both approaching this, as brand new ministries.

2.This is a big change. What aspects of your new role are you excited about the most?

Communicating. One of my passions is communicating God's word in exciting ways. To take a truth, examine it and then relate that truth in a way that will connect the best. Much of preparing for worship is delving into God's word. It's such a vital part of preparing your heart and the more I do it the more I see things that God wants shared with everyone and it gets me excited about sharing. I believe God has given me a clear vision for what this youth group can be and that is also very exciting.

3.What strengths do you think Wes will bring to your former position?

Experience. I was very fortunate to attend the kids' camp this year and one of the great things about it was seeing Wes lead worship. Getting up in front of a group of adults can be hard sometimes but getting up in front of a group of kids that will verbally protest the playing of songs they don't like during worship, that's altogether different. I also saw that Wes had a real heart for worship, God and people. I think it's also important for everyone to know that Wes has already been highly involved with the worship at Legacy. Every week Wes and I would sit down and plan the songs together. He was a great help bouncing ideas off of and probably kept me from doing anything too crazy.

4.What do you think will be your greatest challenges in your new role?

I think one of my greatest challenges will be not trying to do everything myself and it is a challenge that I am excited about taking on. I believe God has given me a fresh perspective on delegation and my goal is to create an adult leader driven youth ministry. This means a lot more involvement on the part of all the parents and adult leaders and in order to accomplish that we will need to develop close relationships and communication. I really believe that strong adult leadership is the starting point. As our ministry grows I won't be able to develop real, lasting relationships with every student just as a pastor doesn't know everything about everyone in the Church. So it's important to have a small group where trust is earned and truth is spoken.

5.What benefits do you think this will bring to Legacy?

I think it's important to remember all the changes Legacy has brought about for each former congregation and also know that we have not yet arrived. In fact, we have a very long journey ahead of us. In order to do life together we have to be where God wants us to be. I think this has been a very God led event just like many things before in the history of Legacy Christian Church. I think we will see a band under the leadership of Wes that will continue to get better and a worship service that will be intimate and real. I think we will see a Youth group grow in such an infectious way that it reaches the church as a whole and becomes the example of what doing life together can really accomplish.

6.What long term changes may we expect from this switch?

Youth ministry, like most other ministries is very repetitive, and it should be. Our content is the Word of God and it will never change. We will always preach Christ and principles from His Word. Even though we have a constant in the area of subject matter our context should always be changing. God's Word is living and has the ability to speak to our hearts and minds is very different ways. The problem with many ministries is they focus so much on what they are going to talk about that they don't have time to be creative in the way they communicate. The first and hopefully longest lasting change will be the implementation of The 7 Checkpoints. The 7 Checkpoints is a list of the most important things every teenager(or person) needs to know for life. The checkpoints are authentic faith, spiritual disciplines, moral boundaries, healthy friendships, wise choices, ultimate authority, and others first. What's great about the checkpoints is that they make room for any subject from the Gospel message to honoring your father and mother. This will become the spring board for every message series and small group discussion. I can not over emphasize the importance of this new curriculum I really hope it sets a foundation for the future of our students and adult leadership.

7.Where do we send our large, expensive presents?

To my wife. I think without her support and encouragement through this transition I would feel a lot less excited. She is the one that has to put up with me so I think she deserves presents. And If you need any gift ideas she likes flowers, purple, and the cubs. OK, maybe that last one was me.

Truth to Life

Hope will not disappoint those who trust in You, cause you tell the truth.
Not like a man who'd lie through his teeth to save his dignity.
-Andrew Phillip

It's amazing how powerful truth can be. Truth is one of those things that we all know but it's so hard to live out. Many times truth and reality just don't seem to mix.

I think that's why small groups are so important because many times we hear a message on Sunday morning but then Monday we are left wondering how exactly does that apply to me.

Start doing life together and you will realize that small groups are a powerful way to share faith with each other and bring truth to life.

Richly Dwell

When I want to go my own way
when my walk becomes my run
the gentle sound of Your heart beating
draws me back into Your arms
-Andrew Phillip

Last night we talked about worship in the midst of worshiping. Andrew shared this verse.
Colossians 3:16 "Let the word of Christ dwell in you richly as you teach and admonish one another with all wisdom and as you sing psalms, hymns and spiritual songs with gratitude in your hearts to God"

I love that; let the word of God richly dwell
It starts in what we are allowing into our minds, what is saturating our souls. This is a big challenge for me to be wise about what I allow into my heart and mind.

When we fail to change, we fail.

This past weekend I was able to meet Lou Holtz and hear him speak at a dentist conference in Orlando.. Being a Notre Dame fan this was a great moment for me but it went beyond my love for football. My Dad first introduced me to Lou through motivational videos. They were messages designed for companies big and small. I remember as a young boy hearing Lou's words of wisdom about doing right, doing your best, and treating others as you want to be treated. It was great to hear that Lou's message hadn't changed much over the years but his passion and desire for excellence had not lost any of it's vigor. Being a National Championship winning head coach of Notre Dame and being an ESPN analyst seemed to hold the same importance to Lou.
One of the stories he shared with us in his message was about the year after Notre Dame had won the National Championship. The coaching staff decided to try and recreate the past year. Essentially they decided to try and stay at their current level of excellence. He said it was the biggest mistake he ever made coaching. That struck me as odd. The greatest mistake was trying to be the same as last year?
As we begin this Life Journey together I think it's important to know that change is good and healthy. We can not focus on being static. We must never change our message, but change it's presentation. A change is coming Church. God is not content with us remaining the same. Churches that reach people are Churches that change. It's all about going to the next level. It's true in marriage, business, friendships, sports and Church. Let's prepare our hearts for what God is going to do next and the change He wants to bring in our lives.

"It's also like a man going off on an extended trip. He called his servants together and delegated responsibilities. To one he gave five thousand dollars, to another two thousand, to a third one thousand, depending on their abilities. Then he left. Right off, the first servant went to work and doubled his master's investment. The second did the same. But the man with the single thousand dug a hole and carefully buried his master's money.
"After a long absence, the master of those three servants came back and settled up with them. The one given five thousand dollars showed him how he had doubled his investment. His master commended him: 'Good work! You did your job well. From now on be my partner.'
"The servant with the two thousand showed how he also had doubled his master's investment. His master commended him: 'Good work! You did your job well. From now on be my partner.'
"The servant given one thousand said, 'Master, I know you have high standards and hate careless ways, that you demand the best and make no allowances for error. I was afraid I might disappoint you, so I found a good hiding place and secured your money. Here it is, safe and sound down to the last cent.'
"The master was furious. 'That's a terrible way to live! It's criminal to live cautiously like that! If you knew I was after the best, why did you do less than the least? The least you could have done would have been to invest the sum with the bankers, where at least I would have gotten a little interest. "'Take the thousand and give it to the one who risked the most. And get rid of this "play-it-safe" who won't go out on a limb. Throw him out into utter darkness.

-Matthew 14-30 The Message

kids camp

So I'm off today to the kids camp. It brings back great memories of kids camp up in Indiana. I can't wait to see what God has in store for these kids. I hope that it gives me a chance to just worship and minister in anyway that I can.

Thank you Jesus for Your love.

I'll be back Thursday and I'll miss my wife a lot.

Phonies

2 Thessalonians 2:9-12
9 This man will come to do the work of Satan with counterfeit power and signs and miracles. 10 He will use every kind of evil deception to fool those on their way to destruction, because they refuse to love and accept the truth that would save them. 11 So God will cause them to be greatly deceived, and they will believe these lies. 12 Then they will be condemned for enjoying evil rather than believing the truth.



...be careful church

Sacrifice

Hebrews 10:18
And when sins have been forgiven, there is no need to offer any more sacrifices.

I think we approach church as a way for us to make up for all the bad stuff we've done all week, rather than remembering that we can go worship because the final sacrifice has already been made.
When we understand that God needs no more sacrifice we are free to just love Him.

Leadership

Daniel 4:17b
the Most High rules over the kingdoms of the world.
He gives them to anyone he chooses

Every position is temporary and God appointed. This revelation is perspective changing. I'm beginning to see that my position at Legacy didn't come by anything I've done but only because God wanted me there for a reason, and it's His reasons.

The First Promise

Genesis 12:2-3
2 I will make you into a great nation. I will bless you and make you famous, and you will be a blessing to others. 3 I will bless those who bless you and curse those who treat you with contempt. All the families on earth will be blessed through you.”

God's first promise was a blessing and that blessing is Jesus.

What Keeps You From Worshiping?

A couple years back I was playing with a Christian
Rock band called Two Towns Over. We toured and
played all over Florida and had a lot of fun doing it.
I remember one concert in particular outside on the
beach. It was a night worship service in front of a Church
right off of A1A. Th e words to the songs were projected
on the front of the Church and everyone from the road
could see it. We had finished our set and a local worship
band was playing. There were a lot of people there and
I was excited to worship in a public setting under the
stars with the cool salty breeze coming off the ocean.
It was great, until I heard someone shouting from
behind us, “Satan Rules” and derogatory terms about Jesus.
I turned around and saw two kids on bikes, dressed in all
black and sweaty from all the riding they must had been
doing. Th e shouting got worse and people began to become
more than annoyed. I got angry, and I mean real “I’m going
to beat them with a bible” anger. I stopped singing and
walked in their direction. As I got closer the anger grew
and grew, their shouting got softer and softer until silence.
At that very moment something changed in my heart,
I said a half second prayer that seemed like twenty four
hours of prayer and fasting. I said “God, speak through me.”
Just like that, my heart was changed and I talked with
them about what they believed and as I spoke to them
more gathered around us to listen to the two atheist
high school students. We invited them to an after party
at my friends house where we played more worship
music, and everybody treated those two high schoolers
like best friends. They stayed and even started singing
some of the songs with us. I don’t know if they ever
started going to church or were baptized and saved. But
I do know that we didn’t let Satan ruin our worship, in
fact God turned something evil into something good.
What keeps you from worshiping? What stops you in your
daily life from singing His praises. Is it the guy that cut you
off in traffic while you were listening to the Christian radio
station? Is it the new songs we do in Church? Is it the lighting?
Th e baby crying next to you? Is it anything? Or is it you?
I think what really keeps us from worship is ourself.
We get in the way with what we want out of worship (say
that five times fast). We fear intimacy with God, and are
distracted easily.
Romans 8:38-39
For I am convinced that neither death nor life, neither
angels nor demons, neither the present nor the future, nor
any powers, 39 neither height nor depth, nor anything else
in all creation, will be able to separate us from the love of
God that is in Christ Jesus our Lord.
If nothing can separate us from His love, we should not
allow anything to separate our love from Him

Endurance for the Race

I've been reading about the life of David today preparing for a message (set to give December 28th) Yes I'm working on it now. I'm very excited about it.

God is so good, He's so gracious and loving. I find that the more I submit the more energized I feel in my Faith and the stronger my Faith seems to be. Maybe it's in submission that we find our faith the strongest. I have been giving up more parts of my life to Christ and hope not to try and take them back.

God has given us the bible to fuel our faith, to spark the embers of hope and love in us. I love that God has put down for us the very mind of Christ. His thoughts are not secret from us, His motivation is not in question. It is the endurance of God, the endurance.

endure

Read it, soak it in, let it pour from your heart through your mouth and strike the ears of the wicked and change the hearts of all men. God use Your enduring word to save, heal and redeem us. Make us ready to hear it and not be crushed by it but transformed by it's power. Thank You God for the word.

endure with us.

565

It's the number in the top left hand corner of the page. A random number it would seem. So to give it a meaning go to the fifth book of the Bible (Deuteronomy) go to the sixth chapter and the fifth verse...go ahead I'll wait.




How cool is that! Isn't the Bible amazing? That's the mind of Christ you hold in Your hand. It's bound to be good.

VIsion of the Future Kingdom

We will work together in perfect harmony to worship. All of our work in heaven will be to glorify God. None of our efforts will go unsavored by our King. He will join us in our work and we will never tire. We will run with Jesus and not fatigue. He will lead and we will follow into places He has made for us. Houses made just for us, specific in design, lovingly crafted and built on grace.
Our songs will lift up and ten thousand years of singing will feel like a nights rest. We will find rest in the Lord, we will have peace. The Holy Spirit will fill our every being, we will have oneness with the Spirit. Our will will be the will of the Spirit. Our thoughts never drifting from the mind of Christ. We will not think ourselves equal with God but forever in His mercy, remembering our past but covered in the blood we will be renewed. Our bodies will be like art and we will know all in heaven as our brothers and sisters in Christ. The Great marriage of the Church and Christ. The body united and perfect in Christ. His Kingdom will have no end, and the Fathers reach will have no bounds. All will be in His hands, He will caress His children with approval.

He approves of His Son, He approves of You.

Love is built on the Cross

Christ is the foundation for love. It's by His love we truly know love and can love. Jesus said he is the rock, the bedrock, the stone foundation, the cornerstone, and the cap stone.

Ephesians 3:19
and to know this love that surpasses knowledge—that you may be filled to the measure of all the fullness of God.

The measure of Gods love is what fills us.

Prepare the way

Last night we had our second worship meeting at Chad's house. We heard a great message about how when we are called to leadership there is a period of preparation that must take place. In fact, preparation has been something God has been showing me more and more. So much so that I wrote a song today about God's preparation.

Prepare me Lord for Your Love
Prepare me Lord for Your Truth
Prepare me Lord for Your Service
Make me more like You, Make me more like You

Lead us to Your Holy Place
Bring us into Your arms
Draw us closer so we can feel the
beating of Your heart.

It's a simple song that I hope we get to do as a Church one day.

The forgotten blog

This was to be my first Ben's Blog, but I cut my beard before I put it in the newsletter. So to put it in perspective I had a beard when I wrote this. Enjoy!

Ben's Beard Tracker.
I don't know if you've noticed but I've been growing a beard. I've found out that there truly is a secret fraternity of bearded people. You'll get a nod from another guy with a beard, also children are scared of you. It's itchy and sort of crazy looking. We will see how long I can stand it.
But just for you nay sayers here is a list of Great men who had beards

1. Jesus

Yeah it's a short list but He is the greatest, I didn't feel anyone could really be in the same category. Which brings me to my point that you can look like something but not be it. Does growing a beard really bring me any closer to being like Jesus? Probably not, just as going to church every Sunday doesn't mean we are a Christian or any closer to God then we were before. God is concerned with your heart. He wants you to be in a relationship with Him. So lets make the most of our Sundays together, lets really worship while we are here and not just play the part. Lets be worshipers in Spirit and Truth.

Also I wanted to say how amazing it is to be involved in something that is being led by God and for His purpose, lets keep our guard up and not give up because the road ahead will not be easy. Lets remember that God is our Strength and Shield and we don't need to be afraid but trust Him.

“God is strong, and he wants you strong. So take everything the Master has set out for you, well-made weapons of the best materials. And put them to use so you will be able to stand up to everything the Devil throws your way. This is no afternoon athletic contest that we'll walk away from and forget about in a couple of hours. This is for keeps, a life-or-death fight to the finish against the Devil and all his angels.
Be prepared. You're up against far more than you can handle on your own. Take all the help you can get, every weapon God has issued, so that when it's all over but the shouting you'll still be on your feet. Truth, righteousness, peace, faith, and salvation are more than words. Learn how to apply them. You'll need them throughout your life. God's Word is an indispensable weapon. In the same way, prayer is essential in this ongoing warfare. Pray hard and long. Pray for your brothers and sisters. Keep your eyes open. Keep each other's spirits up so that no one falls behind or drops out.”
The Message: Ephesians 6:10-18

As promised, My Top Five Worship Albums

I guess I have to clarify what a worship album is to the music industry and what a worship album is to me as a worshiper. (can they be different? I think so.)
A worship album is traditionally music designed with the intent to get your focus on God. Lyrics, melody's, rhythm, feel, it's all created to get you into the mood to worship God and hopefully you do.

I believe that God created music and despite some groups not being Christian or having ever made a worship album, I still feel I can worship God because I worship God for the music and not the music for God. So here are my Top 5.

5. Illuminate: David Crowder
This was an amazing follow up album to "Can You hear us?" It was more electric and the use of looping was more prevalent. Great songs on this album like; Only You, O Praise Him, Deliver Me, How Great. The whole album is pretty much a slam dunk and dominated my Cd player for about a year.

4. Speechless: Steven Curtis Chapman
Not a worship album by industry standards but with songs like With hope, and Be Still this album truly brought me to a place my other Christian rock albums were not. With beautiful lyrics that didn't feel like tired recycled lines, this album has a quality that only Abbey Road studios could have produced.

3. Welcome to the freak show: Dc Talk
The first time I heard the Jesus Freak album I was pretty young but knew I wanted more. So when this live album of Dc Talk came out I was more than ready for it. With new versions of some less than stellar songs on prior albums Dc Talk manages to revive and renew some old material and make you love it. My favorite song is The Hardway. This was the first song that I heard that made me really see that I was lost without God. Go get this Album.

2. Can You hear us?: David Crowder
So original, so different. I remember hearing this album for the first time and thinking that I had never heard songs like this, especially for worship. I need words is the first song on the album and is short and sweet, mellow and melodic and then you are dropped into Our love is loud which became a standard song for many worship bands. It was hard to rate this album above Illuminate because both are so great but if it wasn't for this album Illuminate could never have happened. Some keys songs are God of Wrath, You're everything and the Split Track of Undignified and You Alone.

1. Naked: Andrew Phillip
Let me make this clear, I love all those albums above. I think they are great but compared to Naked they are like Etchasketch to Vincent Van Gogh. Naked is not just my favorite worship album, it's my favorite album. It's Just Andrew and a slightly out of tune Piano, 12 tracks, and all the mistakes kept in. It's absolutely perfect. It's real, from the heart, open and intimate. You are at the throne room of God. This album is harder to get a hold of, but I would love to make you a copy. Andrew is a local worship leader and is a great guy with a real passion for worship. At one time every song has been my favorite so it's hard to pick out which ones are key. Kiss, Exodus, and Dogs and Diamonds are probably the most comfortable and catchy to a new listener. Get this album!

anyway thats all for now

Lots of new worship

So before I countdown my favorite worship albums (which I will do soon)
I just wanted to say that if you are not listening to North Points Louder than Creation album you are missing out.

go to www.northpointmusic.org
to get a copy.

Also I just heard a great song today called "Lead me to the Cross" by Hillsong United.
Check out the video here

good stuff, see ya later

What you Give vs What you Get

“Wow! Worship was great.” or “I didn't get much out of worship today”

I started leading worship when I was in the eight grade for my youth group. I had just started playing guitar and I had no idea what I was doing. The band consisted of all teenagers and I was the youngest (kind of like now minus the teenagers). It was intimidating being such an inexperienced musician leading in songs I could barely play and sing at the same time but somehow we managed to survive Wednesday night Youth group. Other than seeing others draw closer to God and experience Him, I didn't know what I wanted out of worship. I think my passion was for others to experience God in a real way. Unfortunately I was discouraged right away. Most would sit through worship and if they stood they barely sang or looked interested. It became harder and harder to get on the stage and get excited about God. My excitement for worship began to slide downhill and it got to the point that I was getting nothing out of worship.

It took years of God leading and teaching me that it was never about what I get out of worship. It's about what I give. The concept that my feelings and spiritual well being were not the main focus of worship was a completely new concept to me. It wasn't that God didn't care about my spiritual health, in fact, He cared and cares more than I ever could. But it's through giving that we grow. It's through sacrifice that we find our place as worshipers.

So looking back I can see that all those times I didn't get anything out of worship was because I was focused on my spiritual fulfillment and not on God. I think almost all of us have experienced this in our lives with Christ. I think it's important to keep God at the center of our lives where ever we go and remember that it's about what you give, not what you get.

Romans 12:1 Therefore, I urge you, brothers, in view of God's mercy, to offer your bodies as living sacrifices, holy and pleasing to God—this is your spiritual act of worship.
What I'm listening to: Louder than Creation by The North Point Worship Band Get a copy at www.northpointmusic.com