Here are some updates to my goals I had set out at the beginning of the year

1. Restart Freedom and Hymn Sings

I have always wanted to use Freedom and our Hymn Sings to unite the Church.  (Capital “C” is used when I am referring to the whole body of Christ)  I am not only planning to have two of each but my goal is to get some other churches involved in these events.

Still working on this…I haven’t scheduled any yet but I am hoping to have Freedom in May.

2. Begin Blogging Again

The goal of this website has always been to encourage and equip worship leaders and the Church.  This has not always been the case and it has also been almost 8 months since I last blogged.  Consistency and quality of posts is what I am shooting for.

FAIL!!!!!

3. Year Long Hymn Project

I believe the hymns hold some great theology and truths that need not be lost by the next generation.  So each month starting in February thru November we will be learning one hymn each month to the point that as a church we could sing it without words on the screen.  Why?  So that the truths of Christ would dwell richly in our hearts.  I’m not sure what hymns we are going to do yet, still working on that.  We will also record the hymns in the arrangements we will play them in church and put it on a CD.  If you have any suggestions for hymns to include in this project comment below of e-mail me.

We started this in February with Come Thou Fount and March will be Nothing but the Blood.  I have received a lot of great feed back about this project.  Because of Easter we probably won’t have time to really bear down and get the songs recorded until May or June.

4. Finish The Gift of Prophesy, Read the Way of the Wild Heart, Begin to tackle Bible Doctrine by Jeff Purswell.

For me to be a more effective worship leader and be able to help advance the Kingdom of God I need a better grasp on much of the theology of the christian faith.  I have realized because of the family I grew up in I have a strong grasp of many of the core things I believe but really can’t defend them very well.  I want this to change in 2010.  Reading The Way of the Wild Heart is a bit personal…my Mom gave it to me for Christmas.  (It must be said that I am a slow reader so this is a faith based goal)

EPIC FAIL!!!!!

5. Monthly worship Podcast

My brother-in-law Brian and I are going to start recording a monthly podcast to encourage and equip worship leaders and the Church with topic discussion, interviews, song reviews, guests and also some randomness.

Brian and I hosted our first, listen here, in February.  Topic was why a worship band, interview was with Jon Payne, Pastor at Sovereign Grace Church in Gilbert, new song review was You Alone Can Rescue by Matt Redman.  I’m really looking forward to the next few months of podcasts.  Potential content: Topics “The Theology of Woah!!”, Interview with a worship leader and two of the rappers on his worship team.

6. Create at least one more opportunity for the Orchestra to play

Last year our orchestra for Easter was 13 strong, this year it looks as if we will even have more.  One bummer has always been that there has really only been one opportunity each year for them to play.  So I plan to find at least one more opportunity for the orchestra to play at church.

I need to get through Easter first:)

7. Record a Live CD

I get, on a consistent basis, people asking for a CD of us playing the worship songs we do on Sunday mornings.  So at some point this year I’ll gather our church, probably on a Sunday right after church, and record the CD.

No plans yet but I don’t expect to do this until later in the year.

8. Help grow our worship leaders lunch

Once a month I get together for with four other worship leaders from the Valley, Jon Payne and Jason Hansen from Sovereign Grace in Gilbert, Aaron Bower from East Valley Bible Church in Gilbert and Alden Powers from Roosevelt Community Church in Phoenix.  It is always a very encouraging time and Jon Payne and myself have discussed a desire to see this group grow.  We both desire to help encourage and challenge other worship leaders.

Austin Martin from Chandler Christian joined us for our Worship Leaders Lunch in February.

9. Weigh 220lbs by December

I have struggled with my weight for all of my adult life over the last two months I have suffered with intense back pain and I have also been sick twice for more than a week.  These circumstances may not be caused by my weight but it sure isn’t helping.  I currently weigh 270 so this will put me at a pace of little less than 5 lbs per month, a manageable goal.

I have been bouncing around the mid 260’s the last month or so.  Physical Therapy has been going good but my back has still been bothering me too much to work out at a high intensity to accelerate my weight loss but I’ll get there soon.

10. Go back to School

I need to do this for myself, life forced my to put my education on hold six years ago so it’s about time to pick it back up.

Is it bad that I am writing this post in my Psychology 101 class?  I am back at school and enrolled in two classes, PSY 101 and Music Theory.  I am really enjoying Music Theory it’s actually changing the way that I am thinking through my chord charts.  And when I think about a key I am actually thinking about how many sharps or flats it has.

Here it is the first ever Freedom Podcast.  Hope you enjoy it.

Interview with Jon Payne pastor at Sovereign Grace Church in Gilbert, AZ.

New Song review You Alone Can Rescue by Matt Redman

At my church we are in a series that is taking us bit by bit through the Apostles Creed.  One of the goals for the church is that we would memorize the Creed.  So I have decided to write a song to help with the memorization of it.  This is not supposed to be the next great worship anthem, it’s simply a song to help us memorize the Apostles Creed.  I’ve already got it memorized, challenge me to recite it the next time you see me.

I’m going to post at each major stage of the recording process so you can see how a recording comes together.  Here is the first stage: acoustic guitar and lead vocals with no effects.  Enjoy and let me know what you think.

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As I sat in my home watching the ball drop, ringing in a new decade while my wife and kids slept I was thinking about all of the new years resolutions people come up with.  The majority of resolutions center around oneself and rarely consider the advancement of the Kingdom of God.  I spent some time thinking and praying and here are some goals I have set for the new year.  Some are a bit personal but also have an impact on my ministry.

1. Restart Freedom and Hymn Sings

I have always wanted to use Freedom and our Hymn Sings to unite the Church.  (Capital “C” is used when I am referring to the whole body of Christ)  I am not only planning to have two of each but my goal is to get some other churches involved in these events.

2. Begin Blogging Again

The goal of this website has always been to encourage and equip worship leaders and the Church.  This has not always been the case and it has also been almost 8 months since I last blogged.  Consistency and quality of posts is what I am shooting for.

3. Year Long Hymn Project

I believe the hymns hold some great theology and truths that need not be lost by the next generation.  So each month starting in February thru November we will be learning one hymn each month to the point that as a church we could sing it without words on the screen.  Why?  So that the truths of Christ would dwell richly in our hearts.  I’m not sure what hymns we are going to do yet, still working on that.  We will also record the hymns in the arrangements we will play them in church and put it on a CD.  If you have any suggestions for hymns to include in this project comment below of e-mail me.

4. Finish The Gift of Prophesy, Read the Way of the Wild Heart, Begin to tackle Bible Doctrine by Jeff Purswell.

For me to be a more effective worship leader and be able to help advance the Kingdom of God I need a better grasp on much of the theology of the christian faith.  I have realized because of the family I grew up in I have a strong grasp of many of the core things I believe but really can’t defend them very well.  I want this to change in 2010.  Reading The Way of the Wild Heart is a bit personal…my Mom gave it to me for Christmas.  (It must be said that I am a slow reader so this is a faith based goal)

5. Monthly worship Podcast

My brother-in-law Brian and I are going to start recording a monthly podcast to encourage and equip worship leaders and the Church with topic discussion, interviews, song reviews, guests and also some randomness.

6. Create at least one more opportunity for the Orchestra to play

Last year our orchestra for Easter was 13 strong, this year it looks as if we will even have more.  One bummer has always been that there has really only been one opportunity each year for them to play.  So I plan to find at least one more opportunity for the orchestra to play at church.

7. Record a Live CD

I get, on a consistent basis, people asking for a CD of us playing the worship songs we do on Sunday mornings.  So at some point this year I’ll gather our church, probably on a Sunday right after church, and record the CD.

8. Help grow our worship leaders lunch

Once a month I get together for with four other worship leaders from the Valley, Jon Payne and Jason Hansen from Sovereign Grace in Gilbert, Aaron Bower from East Valley Bible Church in Gilbert and Alden Powers from Roosevelt Community Church in Phoenix.  It is always a very encouraging time and Jon Payne and myself have discussed a desire to see this group grow.  We both desire to help encourage and challenge other worship leaders.

9. Weigh 220lbs by December

I have struggled with my weight for all of my adult life over the last two months I have suffered with intense back pain and I have also been sick twice for more than a week.  These circumstances may not be caused by my weight but it sure isn’t helping.  I currently weigh 270 so this will put me at a pace of little less than 5 lbs per month, a manageable goal.

10. Go back to School

I need to do this for myself, life forced my to put my education on hold six years ago so it’s about time to pick it back up.

This is an amazing worship song from the Hillsong album This is Our God.  It caught me in a new way this week.  Here are the words…

I have decided I have resolved To wait upon you Lord
My rock and redeemer shield, and reward I’ll wait upon you Lord

As surely as the sun will rise You’ll come to us
As certain as the dawn appears

You’ll come let your glory fall As you respond to us
Spirit Rain, flood into our thirsty hearts again You’ll come.

We are not shaken we are not moved We wait upon you Lord
Mighty deliverer triumph and truth We wait upon you Lord

As surely as the sun will rise you’ll come to us
Certain as your word endures.

Chains be broken, Lives be healed
Eyes be opened, Christ is here

This is the passage of scripture the song is written from (you were right mom:)

Hosea 6

Israel Unrepentant

1 “Come, let us return to the LORD.
He has torn us to pieces
but he will heal us;
he has injured us
but he will bind up our wounds.

2 After two days he will revive us;
on the third day he will restore us,
that we may live in his presence.

3 Let us acknowledge the LORD;
let us press on to acknowledge him.
As surely as the sun rises,
he will appear;
he will come to us like the winter rains,
like the spring rains that water the earth.”

4 “What can I do with you, Ephraim?
What can I do with you, Judah?
Your love is like the morning mist,
like the early dew that disappears.

5 Therefore I cut you in pieces with my prophets,
I killed you with the words of my mouth;
my judgments flashed like lightning upon you.

6 For I desire mercy, not sacrifice,
and acknowledgment of God rather than burnt offerings.

7 Like Adam, ^[a] they have broken the covenant—
they were unfaithful to me there.

8 Gilead is a city of wicked men,
stained with footprints of blood.

9 As marauders lie in ambush for a man,
so do bands of priests;
they murder on the road to Shechem,
committing shameful crimes.

10 I have seen a horrible thing
in the house of Israel.
There Ephraim is given to prostitution
and Israel is defiled.

11 “Also for you, Judah,
a harvest is appointed.
“Whenever I would restore the fortunes of my people,

I’m probably going to introduce this song in January.