Music

I've been taking some time off from blogging to write some music.  I've needed to focus my creative ideas on the songwriting.  I'll be back soon, possibly with some recorded music from my new house location.

More of God's love and grace.

I've been really listening to this song by Will Reagan and United Pursuit Band called "Set A Fire."  Throughout listening to this song I am reminded that God's love is so good.   That it never changes and remains always the same for us.  God has placed it on my heart to love people and forgive people, no matter what the circumstance.  I must know that I too am forgiven because of His love and grace.

Just Come Home

Think about the awesome picture of GRACE.  When the prodigal son returns and sees the radical life changing grace that his father offers.

Luke 15:11-31

¹¹And he said, "There was a man who had two sons. ¹²And the younger of them said to his father, 'Father, give me the share of property that is coming to me.' And he divided his property between them. ¹³Not many days later, the younger son gathered all he had and took a journey into a far country, and there he squandered his property in reckless living. ¹⁴And when he had spent everything, a severe famine arose in that country, and he began to be in need. ¹⁵So he went and hired himself out to one of the citizens of that country, who sent him into his fields to feed pigs. ¹⁶And he was longing to be fed with the pods that the pigs ate, and no one gave him anything.

 ¹⁷"But when he came to himself, he said, 'How many of my father’s hired servants have more than enough bread, but I perish here with hunger! ¹⁸I will arise and go to my father, and I will say to him, "Father, I have sinned against heaven and before you. ¹⁹I am no longer worthy to be called your son. Treat me as one of your hired servants."' ²⁰And he arose and came to his father. But while he was still a long way off, his father saw him and felt compassion, and ran and embraced him and kissed him. ²¹And the son said to him, 'Father, I have sinned against heaven and before you.  I am no longer worthy to be called your son.' ²²But the father said to his servants,  'Bring quickly the best robe, and put it on him, and put a ring on his hand, and shoes on his feet. ²³And bring the fattened calf and kill it, and let us eat and celebrate. ²⁴For this my son was dead, and is alive again; he was lost, and is found.' And they began to celebrate.

 ²⁵"Now his older son was in the field, and as he came and drew near to the house, he heard music and dancing. ²⁶And he called one of the servants and asked what these things meant. ²⁷And he said to him, 'Your brother has come, and your father has killed the fattened calf, because he has received him back safe and sound.' ²⁸But he was angry and refused to go in. His father came out and entreated him,²⁹but he answered his father, 'Look, these many years I have served you, and I never disobeyed your command, yet you never gave me a young goat, that I might celebrate with my friends. ³⁰But when this son of yours came, who has devoured your property with prostitutes, you killed the fattened calf for him!' ³¹And he said to him, 'Son, you are always with me, and all that is mine is yours. ³²It was fitting to celebrate and be glad, for this your brother was dead, and is alive; he was lost, and is found.'"

Have we lost the ability to forgive and grant others the same grace that Jesus offers?  Think about it.

Grace.

I recently read Gracenomics, a book by Mike Foster from People of the Second Chance.  It was not an overtly biblical book, but it had significant biblical based principles.

It discusses that recently we've had issues offering GRACE in our workplaces, schools, and our daily lives.  We've come down hard on people without living out forgiveness.  Most of all we've come down hard on ourselves and have not offered enough grace when we make mistakes.  This in turn causes the major problem of offering grace to others.

Jesus died on the cross and rose again, but life did not become easy to live at that moment.  Our flesh still is broken and loves to sin.  But remember Ephesians 2:8, "For by grace you have been saved through faith. And this is not your own doing; it is the gift of God."  We must be reminded that the grace we are offered by God, needs to be offered in our hearts and minds to us.  When we make this realization we can best offer grace to those around us.  I challenge to offer radical grace that loves no matter what.

WE ARE PEOPLE OF THE SECOND CHANCE from PEOPLE OF THE SECOND CHANCE on Vimeo.

Church Music

As a worship leader I am constantly looking at ways to engage people through music on a normal Sunday.  Many times you have very different people entering a new environment each week.  People come broken, bruised, drained, or even excited on a Sunday morning.  Even myself sometimes coming to a place on Sunday morning where I can be used by God is sometimes difficult, but I go into asking God just to get me into a place.  

Psalm 144:9(ESV) says

⁹ I will sing a new song to you, my God; 
   on the ten-stringed lyre I will make music to you,

 So back to Sunday mornings.  At 724Raleigh I have really enjoyed leading the community of faith in musical worship.  Being part of a Church plant can be a struggle at some points due to the amount of resources that are available.  I make a consistent effort to be a dreamer and innovator, constantly adding new elements to the music portion of worship.  However, in order to take it to another level I feel like God has placed it on my heart to write music with the team.  I don't know what that process looks over the coming months but I know that words come from the heart and the people that are in process through our community of faith.  I'm thoroughly excited to see what God is going to do in and throughout the band.