Bluegrassrivals

I used to do a lot of blogging.
It's something I really wanted to get into, but a full-time job, being a bi-vocational minister and keeping up with my friends/family has always put it on the back burner.

I'll post some of my stuff in this thread and try to post full posts on here when possible - but formatting issues makes it a little challenging.

I hope you guys enjoy.

BACK TO THE SOURCE
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I’m a big fan of worship music, but I find it best when I listen to it from the source. I like to listen to music from the people who wrote the songs. Most people in the Christian world will tell you How He Loves is a David Crowder song, but us worship “hipsters” are quick to point out that John Mark McMillan wrote it. We’re also quick to point out that Crowder changed a lyric in the song in what I’m guessing was an attempt to make the song a little more mainstream. Things like that are why I want to get to the source when it comes to my Worship music.

So what? David Crowder changed “sloppy wet kiss” to “unforeseen kiss”. Is it really that big of a deal?

It’s not a huge deal, but it’s a big enough deal for me to like the original song better.

Think about this…

At one point in time, someone took some time to get close to God. God spoke to them and there was a moment in time where they were inspired enough to scribble some lyrics down on a piece of paper and sing them back to God. Do you really want to change that? I’m not trying to discourage you from listening to anything, but I think there is a lot to be gained from getting back to the source of things in all aspects of your life.

Do you remember the old game called telephone where people keep whispering a phrase in the next person’s ear and at the end you see how much the original phrase changed? Who do they ask to say the original phrase at the end of the game? THE PERSON WHO STARTED IT. Would it do you a lot of good to ask someone in the middle? It might not be too bad of an idea - but why risk it?

With all of that being said: where do you look for answers when you have a serious question about your life? How about going to the source on that one as well? How about when you have a question about your life, you go to where all life came from? How about we go to THE source?

Take some time and jam this JMM song out – it’s an original

[YOUTUBE="John Mark McMillan - Love You Swore"]?v=U_jdWsasRcI[/YOUTUBE]

SENSATIONALIST CHRISTIANITY
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I came across an article several people had shared on facebook today and it made my stomach turn a little bit. It was about a little 8-year old girl and her desire to write about Jesus being thwarted by a teacher. I think it made a lot of Christian’s stomachs turn, but not for the same reason as mine ... read more

ROCK WHAT YA’ GOT
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1 Peter 4:8-11 Above all, love each other deeply, because love covers over a multitude of sins. Offer hospitality to one another without grumbling. Each of you should use whatever gift you have received to serve others, as faithful stewards of God’s grace in its various forms. If anyone speaks, they should do so as one who speaks the very words of God. If anyone serves, they should do so with the strength God provides, so that in all things God may be praised through Jesus Christ. To him be the glory and the power for ever and ever. Amen.

Take note of the comment above that says “...faithful stewards of God’s grace in its various forms.”

In what “various forms” has God blessed you? Here’s a few ways that He’s blessed me and what I do (or I’m supposed to do) to be a good steward in them.

1.) Health - I went to the doctor and had to have some blood work done a while back and literally every level that they tested my blood on was in the perfect range. However, I’m not in the healthy range in the “weight” category by a long shot. A lot of people want to point out “sexy” sins like infidelity and premarital sex, but no one seems to bat an eye at gluttony or laziness. Not being a good steward of your health could be a transgression that you pay for with your life.

2.) Wealth - Whenever this scripture gets mentioned... it seems that I always hear something about what you do with your money (and rightfully so). I remember a few years ago when a public audit was done on the “non-profit” ministry of a well-known televangelist/writer/preacher that revealed a $107,000 Mercedes for her husband’s work use and a $23,000 commode in the office. Gimme’ a break. If God blesses you, bless others. If your priorities are straight and you’re consistently in the Word and applying it to your life... you’ll stay in the five-figure range on your vehicle and if you want to splurge on the fanciest commode at Lowe’s you can pray about it ( LoL ).

3.) Himself - If you’ve got the chance to worship God, take the chance. I embrace the opportunity to lead my Church in worship every week, but I always tell myself that I’m just the “background music” to the real worship that’s going on in the room. God gives you the chance to talk to Him, read His words and sing out to Him as often as you like. Take Him up on that offer!

4.) Time - I got “sub-facebooked” (I guess that’s what a subtweet is called on facebook) the other day because I was watching a basketball game and not streaming the Bill Nye debate online. I admit, a basketball game is probably not the best way to be a good steward of my time... so I can’t hate on that too much, but I will say that this is an area that I think we could pretty much point something out in everyone’s day where they are doing something that isn’t getting them a little closer to God. Build relationships with the people God has put in Your life. Soak in the greatness of God in everything you do. You think you can’t meet God at a ballgame? I have. I’ve met got a heavy metal concert before... NO LIE! He’s everywhere. Seek Him out and see what He’s got for you.

TEN EMBARRASSING “PRAYER” THINGS THAT CHRISTIANS DO
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1.) Saying “I’ll pray about it” instead of telling someone no

2.) Not praying over your food at the Mexican restaurant until AFTER the nachos

3.) Rushing through your post-nacho prayer because you’ve had nothing but nachos and you’re ready for the real food.

4.) Telling people that you shouldn’t pray for patience

5.) Saying the word “just” seven or more times in a thirty-second prayer

6.) Falling asleep when the preacher says to close your eyes and bow your head

7.) Saying “I’ll pray for you” and never praying about it

8.) Forgetting someone’s prayer request in the closing prayer of youth group

9.) Just praying “God, you know all of the prayer requests” instead of trying to remember everyone’s prayer requests in youth group

10.) Constantly adjusting their clothing as they kneel down at the altar


Got any more that you know of (or are guilty of)?

FINDING GOD AT JOHN C. COMBS ARENA
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Last night was a long one for fans of the Perry County Central Commodores…

I’ve not missed a big game since I started playing in the pep band for my alma mater in middle school. I can quote you numbers, tell you stories and I have a really vivid memories of the highest and lowest moments since I started following the Commodores – but it’s nights like last night that I connect with the situation on a spiritual level.

Yesterday night I watched as the Commodores were on the winning side of the scoreboard for 30 minutes of a 32-minute game and ended up losing in the waning minutes. After the buzzer sounded, the fans walked to their cars as quickly as possible, most of them mumbling about referees and thinking about what could have been. The kids hung their heads as they shook hands and walked back to the locker room for the last time this year, some of them for the last time ever. You’ve got kids that have identified themselves as ‘basketball players’ ever since they were old enough to put on their biddy league t-shirt and run with a ball in their hand on six-foot goals.

I know that a lot of you probably get into sports, let alone follow high school basketball in the 14th Region with the vigor that I do, but there are some deep spiritual parallels to behold if you look hard enough.

What do you identify with?
Will it one day come to an end?
What will your legacy be when it’s over?

Take some time to think about it…

And while you do, reference these verses (Revelation 12:10-12) and check out John Mark McMillan's new album while you're at it as well. It's a good jam!

zaga_fan Wrote:TEN EMBARRASSING “PRAYER” THINGS THAT CHRISTIANS DO
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1.) Saying “I’ll pray about it” instead of telling someone no

2.) Not praying over your food at the Mexican restaurant until AFTER the nachos

3.) Rushing through your post-nacho prayer because you’ve had nothing but nachos and you’re ready for the real food.

4.) Telling people that you shouldn’t pray for patience

5.) Saying the word “just” seven or more times in a thirty-second prayer

6.) Falling asleep when the preacher says to close your eyes and bow your head

7.) Saying “I’ll pray for you” and never praying about it

8.) Forgetting someone’s prayer request in the closing prayer of youth group

9.) Just praying “God, you know all of the prayer requests” instead of trying to remember everyone’s prayer requests in youth group

10.) Constantly adjusting their clothing as they kneel down at the altar


Got any more that you know of (or are guilty of)?

Very good and so true…I see 1 and 7 a lot!

The text I used in this blog was defaulted to caps lock...

sorry about that lol

FIVE WORSHIP BANDS YOU AREN’T HEARING IF YOU ONLY LISTEN TO KLOVE


LET ME PREFACE MY NEXT STATEMENT WITH THIS…

I THINK THAT KLOVE IS AN AWESOME MINISTRY. THEY PLAY CHRISTIAN MUSIC, THEY HAVE PEOPLE AVAILABLE TO PRAY WITH YOU 24/7 AND THEY CHANGE A LOT OF LIVES.

WITH THAT BEING SAID… I’M A KLOVE HATER. IF YOU LOVE IT – THEN JAM IT WITH ALL OF YOUR HEART – BUT I HAVE A HARD TIME LISTENING TO IT. THE MAJORITY OF THE STUFF THAT I LISTEN TO DOESN’T GET AIRPLAY ON KLOVE AND FOR THE LIFE OF ME I CAN’T UNDERSTAND WHY. WHAT CONFUSES ME EVEN MORE IS THAT THEY PLAY THE SONGS THESE GUYS WRITE AFTER THEY GET RECORDED BY SOMEONE ELSE. AFTER SCOURING THROUGH FORUMS, FAQS AND DOING SEVERAL GOOGLE SEARCHES… I CAN’T FIND ANYTHING FROM KLOVE ACKNOWLEDGING WHY THEY DON’T PLAY ANY OF THIS STUFF. MAYBE IT’S BECAUSE A LOT OF IT IS RECORDED LIVE. MAYBE THIS WORSHIP STUFF ISN’T MAIN-STREAM ENOUGH FOR THE RADIO. WHO KNOWS? ALL I KNOW IS THAT THERE IS SOME GOOD MUSIC OUT THERE THAT YOU GUYS NEED TO CHECK OUT AND I’M THE MAN TO GET IT TO YOU. SO LET’S GO!

1.) UNITED PURSUIT – THESE GUYS HAVE AN AWESOME STORY. THEY BASICALLY ALL MOVED IN TOGETHER JUST SO THEY COULD WORSHIP WITH EACH OTHER WHENEVER THEY WANTED. THEY HAVE WRITTEN SOME HITS LIKE BREAK EVERY CHAIN AND SET A FIRE. CHECK OUT THEIR ALBUM LIVE AT THE BANKS HOUSE WHEN YOU GET A CHANCE. IT’S A MUST-HAVE FOR ANY WORSHIP LEADER.

2.) JESUS CULTURE – THESE GUYS ARE KIND OF THE MIDDLE GROUND BETWEEN THE WORSHIP STUFF THAT I SEEK OUT AND THE MAIN STREAM STUFF THAT COMES ON KLOVE. I CAN PLAY PRETTY MUCH EVERY ONE OF THEIR ALBUMS AND LET IT PLAY THROUGH AND NEVER REALLY FEEL THE NEED TO SKIP A TRACK. I’M NOT EVEN GOING TO RECOMMEND AN ALBUM… JUST PICK ONE AND START JAMMING!

3.) BETHEL MUSIC – BETHEL CHURCH IS WHERE JESUS CULTURE GOT ITS START. THEY HAVE SEVERAL ARTISTS THAT LEAD WORSHIP AND ALL OF THEM BRING SOMETHING DIFFERENT TO THE TABLE. MATT STINTON, JEREMY RIDDLE, BRIAN JOHNSON AND JENN JOHNSON TO NAME A FEW. CHECK OUT FOR THE SAKE OF THE WORLD WHEN YOU GET A CHANCE. IT’S CURRENTLY MY FAVORITE WORSHIP ALBUM.

4.) JOHN MARK MCMILLAN – YOU’VE PROBABLY HEARD THE SONG HOW HE LOVES. IT WILL FOREVER BE MY FAVORITE WORSHIP SONG AND JOHN IS THE GUY WHO WROTE IT. JOHN IS VERY POETIC IN HIS WRITING. I PROBABLY SPEND MORE TIME MEDITATING ON HIS LYRICS THAN I DO LISTENING TO THE ACTUAL MUSIC. CHECK OUT THE SONG INSIDE THE SOUNDS OF BREAKING DOWN. EVERY SONG ON IT IS GREAT.

5.) NEW LIFE WORSHIP – NEW LIFE CHURCH IS REALLY SIMILAR TO BETHEL CHURCH. THEY PRODUCED A GREAT BAND (DESPERATION BAND) AND THEY’RE CONSISTENTLY CHURNING OUT GREAT WORSHIP SONGS AND WORSHIP LEADERS. LISTEN TO THE STRONG GOD ALBUM – YOU WON’T BE DISAPPOINTED.

[YOUTUBE="New Life Worship"]?v=FQKFhx_OHrw[/YOUTUBE]

REMINDED

Yesterday was just “one of those days”. I have them all of the time, but I typically just suck it up. I work a lot of hours at my job through the week and it never fails that I have to come in on the weekends and put some time in as well. I stay stressed about it and Church and my home have always been an escape from that stress for me. The last couple of months I've been singing a different tune, though. Church has started to be a source of my stress and I've only been able to shake it during Praise and Worship.

I struggled with depression several years ago and it took me a long time to shake it. Ever since I claimed victory over that battle I've prided myself in being the guy that just puts his faith in God and never lets things get to him. I guess I just have no interest in letting myself get in that shape again so I do everything in my power to control the things I have power over, and believe me; we have power over stress and especially how we react to it. This past Sunday I let it all get to me. Stress from Church, stress from work and stress I've created for myself weighed on me hard.

On top of being the guy that never let’s things get to him, I’m also the guy that never let’s things fly on social media. I let that guard down yesterday as well. I pulled off the road on the way home and tried to put together what I was feeling in a few lines for a facebook status and I ended up typing out this…

It's one of those days...
Where my fear and my stress occupy my heart more than my faith does.
Need a reminder.
Need some help.

I got several texts, comments and messages in response from some friends trying to encourage me and I’m glad I surround myself with people that are able to do that for me, but it’s what happened when I got home that I really felt God move in my situation.

I have a ritual every Sunday night when I get home from Church. I turn on the TV and I watch a show called Amplify that’s basically thirty minutes of modern Praise and Worship. I didn’t like the first song they played so I skipped to the next one and I had heard it before so I left it on there. I had never paid attention to all of the words and as I sat there on the couch next to my wife and dog I had to hold back tears as Kari Jobe basically sang the song that was in my heart.

“I know that You are for me – I know that You are for me
I know that You will never forsake me in my weakness.
I know that You have come now even if to write upon my heart.
To remind me who You are – Come and remind me”

I’ve got the video down here in case any of you guys want to listen to it. Don’t try to be too strong. Sometimes you need to just let God and everyone know that you need to be reminded who He is. He’ll make it happen. Promise.

[YOUTUBE="You are for me"]?v=7uiBNQTJIz8[/YOUTUBE]

zaga_fan Wrote:REMINDED

Yesterday was just “one of those days”. I have them all of the time, but I typically just suck it up. I work a lot of hours at my job through the week and it never fails that I have to come in on the weekends and put some time in as well. I stay stressed about it and Church and my home have always been an escape from that stress for me. The last couple of months I've been singing a different tune, though. Church has started to be a source of my stress and I've only been able to shake it during Praise and Worship.

I struggled with depression several years ago and it took me a long time to shake it. Ever since I claimed victory over that battle I've prided myself in being the guy that just puts his faith in God and never lets things get to him. I guess I just have no interest in letting myself get in that shape again so I do everything in my power to control the things I have power over, and believe me; we have power over stress and especially how we react to it. This past Sunday I let it all get to me. Stress from Church, stress from work and stress I've created for myself weighed on me hard.

On top of being the guy that never let’s things get to him, I’m also the guy that never let’s things fly on social media. I let that guard down yesterday as well. I pulled off the road on the way home and tried to put together what I was feeling in a few lines for a facebook status and I ended up typing out this…

It's one of those days...
Where my fear and my stress occupy my heart more than my faith does.
Need a reminder.
Need some help.

I got several texts, comments and messages in response from some friends trying to encourage me and I’m glad I surround myself with people that are able to do that for me, but it’s what happened when I got home that I really felt God move in my situation.

I have a ritual every Sunday night when I get home from Church. I turn on the TV and I watch a show called Amplify that’s basically thirty minutes of modern Praise and Worship. I didn’t like the first song they played so I skipped to the next one and I had heard it before so I left it on there. I had never paid attention to all of the words and as I sat there on the couch next to my wife and dog I had to hold back tears as Kari Jobe basically sang the song that was in my heart.

“I know that You are for me – I know that You are for me
I know that You will never forsake me in my weakness.
I know that You have come now even if to write upon my heart.
To remind me who You are – Come and remind me”

I’ve got the video down here in case any of you guys want to listen to it. Don’t try to be too strong. Sometimes you need to just let God and everyone know that you need to be reminded who He is. He’ll make it happen. Promise.

[YOUTUBE="You are for me"]?v=7uiBNQTJIz8[/YOUTUBE]

:Thumbs: A friend of mine who is wonderful satellite to the holy spirit told me once…"You know when those tears overcome you and you are at peace in Jesus' presence…that's the holy spirit."

Blessings upon you and yours Zaga and I'll lift you up in prayer this week. And I'm not going to fall prey to #1 or #7 above...nicker:

Hang in there and be mindful and thankful of the little things!

WHAT WOULD YOU SAY YOU DO HERE?

Do you ever get the feeling that you aren’t appreciated?

I’ve struggled with that over the past couple of weeks but God’s been helping me deal with it.

I have a job where I wear A LOT of hats. My position has really morphed into something that I don’t think it was ever meant to be, but in my opinion it’s now something that allows the television station I work at to function a lot more smoothly. However, the fact that I wear so many hats means a lot of my coworkers and friends really don’t understand what I do. I have actually had several people at work ask me what I do after they’ve been working with me for SEVERAL months. I’d like to take a little time to let you into what goes into my job.

I typically run audio for the morning news a couple days each week. The news lasts from 5am to 7am and we’ve got these five-minute “cut-ins” that we do every thirty minutes until 9am. I’m responsible for making calls and following up on emails before our 9am meeting every day so I do that in between cut-ins and then I sit in on the meeting and have to pitch stories alongside the reporters. We usually finish up the meeting at around 10am. I’m the internet guy through the day. I keep our website, facebook and twitter updated with the latest local and national stories and I have a quota to meet each day with all of that. I’m in charge of scheduling our production department so we have enough people here to shoot/edit commercials and put the news on the air. My main duty is running the assignment desk so I have to be looking ahead for all of our future stories and listen to the police scanner and make calls on all of that to see if we need to call in a reporter or change someone’s story. Now comes the FUN stuff! I mail out recipes to all of the elderly people that want one of our chef’s recipes but aren’t able to look it up on the computer, I make DVD copies of stories that people request and I update our school/business/church closings system.

That’s what I normally do. I’m not complaining about it because I don’t have an extremely hard job. I’d much rather be doing what I do right now than going underground and working in a coal mine like my Dad did. I like my job UNTIL someone acts like I don’t do anything. I came into work this morning and read an email from one of my coworkers that basically suggested that I don’t do my job. I got upset at first and I was immediately directed to a notepad file that I had saved on my desk.

I posted a while back that I was really stressed out. After that post, I was reminded by a lot of my family and friends that I’ve got plenty of people on my side and I got a phone call from one of my spiritual mentors, Gus Dean. He said that he heard that I was really stressed and he gave me a few scriptures to lift me up but I didn’t read them. I saved them and figured I would pull them out when I needed them, so I pulled them out today. Here are some excerpts of what I read.

Philippians 4:4-7 - Rejoice in the Lord always. I will say it again: Rejoice! Let your gentleness be evident to all. The Lord is near. Do not be anxious about anything, but in every situation, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God. And the peace of God, which transcends all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus.

John 16:33 - I have told you these things, so that in Me you may have [perfect] peace and confidence. In the world you have tribulation and trials and distress and frustration; but be of good cheer [take courage; be confident, certain, undaunted]! For I have overcome the world. [I have deprived it of power to harm you and have conquered it for you.]

God’s looking out for me and He’s placed plenty of people here that have my back as well. I don’t care what anyone else thinks that I do or don’t do because the song that I sing is for an audience of one. Don’t let the haters weigh you down!

Here’s the jam for the day – make sure to turn it up to 11 and rip the knob off.

[YOUTUBE="Set a Fire"]?v=2DBBGQ-QejQ[/YOUTUBE]

Proverbs 3:6



We all get stressed Zaga; we all get depressed. Sometimes, the stronger a person is, the harder they fall (speaking from personal experience here).