Fireproof - The Movie: A MUST See For All Couples!

Defend the Weak

Matt Redmond recently led the song "Everlasting God" at a pre-conference. He changed the last line of Brenton's awesome worship song. Take a look at the video.

And so we must defend the weak / and comfort those in need / you lift us up on wings like eagles

iLevite Fellowship : The "Facebook" for Worshipers

View my page on iLevite Fellowship


Go join ... I'll see ya there!

Praising God For Pocket Lint

In his book “In a Pit With a Lion on a Snowy Day” author Mark Batterson makes a statement comparing two differnt types of people:

I think there are basically two types of people in the world: complainers and worshipers. And there isn’t much circumstantial difference between the two. Complainers will always find something to complain about. Worshipers will always find something to praise God about. They simply have different default settings.

In his book "Wild Goose Chase", he talks further about praising God and thanking Him for some of the simplest of things. I actually tried this one day - as I got ready that morning, I thanked God for a few obscure things...even pocket lint (there's a purpose for it...right?) As I drove to work, I started thanking God for steering wheels, floormats, cell phone towers, cardboard, gasoline ... it became less and less trivial...and more and more "look at all these things that we have and here are their purposes...these are all from YOU, God!"

We may all have "default settings". Regretably, I'm both a worshiper and a complainer. If something wrong is going on in my lfe...believe me...someone is gonna hear about it. I even try to counter-balance this fact by answering the simple question of "How was work" with "it was there..." just to avoid complaining. The truth is, we can change these default settings if we complain. You see, when I took my drive to work that day, I found it impossible to complain about anything when all I could do was thank God and praise him for all that he created.

Take a look at Paul and Silas. Beaten and battered by a Roman crowd, Paul and Silas were in a prison and had plenty of reason to complain. What did they do?

About midnight Paul and Silas were praying and singing praises to God, while the other prisoners listened. Suddenly a strong earthquake shook the jail to its foundations. The doors opened, and the chains fell from all the prisoners. (Acts 16:25-26)

So here they are, in a dire situation - and they were singing praises to God! When the earthquake came - they were calm...they were worshipers - not complainers.

Believe me, I will have to fight hard to take the same dose of advise that I am giving each of you - but find those opportunities to always be thankful for what God has done. You can praise him without singing...you can worship without complaining...you can find the beauty of God even in the worst of situations...and even you can find a new way to look at.......

....pocket lint.

New Look

Had to get a "facelift" on the blog tonight. Thoughts? I'm going to be changing up some stuff to add some Worship Leader Resources as well as some songwriting resources soon...and wanted to "spruce things up" a bit.

Worship With The Masses

So there I am last night making a first...taking part in an online worship event that one worship leader in Atlanta just decided to begin. Its amazing to think that technology can outreach like this. God is staying vcurrent and relevant to today's times. If you get a chance...take a watch. Its simple...just a few guys in front of their laptops...doing worship!

http://www.ragamuffinsoul.com

Forgiven - Awesome Song!

I'm digging this song for its power and truth. Can tell where it could take a little different arrangement for worship...but, WOW, the words! Simple and honest and true!

McWorship : Drive-Thru Church Ideology

I remember vividly having a discussion with an associate pastor the day I changed the order of worship. The amount of songs were the same, but the manner in which the songs, opening prayer, announcements, baptisms, etc were changed. It was my job to arrange the Worship Service - so I was within my mellon...and, after four nights of praying about it - I really felt that my new layout was more condusive to worship. My Associate Pastor...didn't agree.

What was the issue? Being dead set and stubborn in old ways? Not so much - the main issue came out in his words: "Jason, we have to be out of here by 11:30 and that is of the utmost importance. We can't change the order and get us off time." Wow! I took the time to explain that the songs and my order would run the same time as our normal service, with no difference in the time needed for the pastor to preach. The scary part was that the associate pastor felt that this was of the utmost importance.

Worship...true worship...is of the utmost importance. We live in such a society of drive-thru's and technology designed to speed every life process up - that we tend to expect the same type of drive-thru mentality of "first window, pay...second window, pick up food..." at our churches. We sing songs in a habit rather than a true state of worship - we refuse to learn new songs because we're afraid of the one person out there who "doesn't like that new stuff" and "just wants the hymns" and we get locked in routine. Routines...and worship can become a bad match.

I'm reading the book of Malachi right now. God gives the priests and folks of Isreal an earful thru the prophet Malachi in the book for being half-hearted in their worship. As a matter of fact, there are some pretty strong words being poured out from our God.

It makes you question every aspect of what you are doing in worship. Is it true? Is it what God wants? Is it for a clock, for a few people...or for God?

God gives a promise in Malachi 3:10:

"put me to the test, says the LORD of hosts, if I will not open the windows of heaven for you and pour down for you a blessing until there is no more need."

Don't get caught up in McWorship. Get caught up in God.

I'm truly thankful that I attend a church at FBCSmyrna where worship is real and worship is not constrained - where it is realized that worship isn't just music and songs - but the whole experience of connecting vertically with God from the music...to the message. I am truly honored to be a part of the worship team at FBCSmyrna.

If you happen to read this blog and are from the Smyrna area - I welcome you to worship with us. Take a vist to www.fbcsmyrna.org to learn more.

"Pure Praise" - A FREE Book You MUST Get

(thanks to my friend Micah Huebner for pointing out this awesome find!)

No matter what role in worship you have (and we all have one, don't we?) you should check this book out. It will rock your socks! Until November 30th, you can download an awesome nine week study geared towards worship folks called Pure Praise: A Heart-focused Bible Study on Worship! Did I mention that the book is being offered 100% FREE???

Just head on over to Next Level Worship's blog and you can grab your own copy after providing some basic information. (Don't worry, I've gotten no spam.)

I am truly lovin' the daily devotionals and I hope you will, too!

In Christ,

Jason

Gospelr ......... The Christian Twitter

Thanks to my friend Sully for turning me onto this new tool. Gospelr is a great new tool that functions much like Twitter and even interacts with Twitter but also gives you the ability to "chat it up" with other Christians.

Give it a shot, you'll enjoy!

The Adoption.......ALMOST Done

Went to the courts today to take the proper steps to complete the adoption of the kids. Final court date is October 8th and there will be two new Whitehorns. (They've always been Whitehorns at heart...but now the last name will be official.

October 8th, 2008 at 12 noon ... I'll be the happiest daddy in the world!

Chris Tomlin Sings Country

I'm STILL laughing!

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=i2noSI8CJ8w

(Sorry, embed is disabled by the original poster....but it is FUNNY!)

Evolution of a Worshiper

I first saw this cartoon in an issue of Worship Leader Magazine and laughed so hard until I realized how sad it is. Someone once said we laugh at things that we find a bit of truth in. Sadly, the cartoon rings true with so many folks.

Why have we gotten so..."stiff"? For some, it may be fear. I once heard someone say "I want to go to a church where I can feel comfortable raising my hands in the air if I want to without thinking that everyone is looking at me." For others, it may be that the Spirit doesn't cause him/her to respond with arms stretched into the heavens. To each of these - I'll attempt to address.

To the scared worshiper...guess what? You're not there to please anyone in that church but to praise God! Paul, writing to the Ephesians, said we are to worship "singing and making melody with your heart to the Lord" (Eph. 5:18) and even tells the Corinthians how they should worship when they go to church:

"When you assemble, each one has a psalm, has a teaching, has a revelation, has a tongue, has an interpretation" (1 Cor. 14:26).

It's your interpretation - and if the Spirit moves you to raise you arms in the air...then raise 'em high!

I had to laugh because of a comment my wife made to me. She said, "you know, when the camera gets a close-up of you on the jumbo-screen and your arms are raised...you look like you have no neck." We had a good laugh because we finally figured out it was because of one of the many camera angles that our videographers takes at an upward angle that gives the "no-neck" appearance. (I'm also about 10 pounds heavier on the screens .... but that's another issue) It's one thing to have a laugh about it after the fact with my wife...but would I change my emotions or be self conscious of how I look on camera while I am glorifying God? Not at all! My worship is to God, not to my image.

The bottom line....worship from your heart - and worship how you feel comfortable. Don't let outside sources (unless, of course, its the Holy Spirit) influence you!

Worship Workshop

When Paul Baloche speaks - I like to listen. He has a lot of insight for Worship Leaders. If you have a small worship team or a well developed team - this is a video you will want to listen to. Sometimes we all overdo it.

I am blessed to be at a church where music comes from the heart as if it were poured from the soul of Heaven itself. The musicians are awesome and have hearts of gold - but it the music comes from listening to each other - and to hearts and where the Holy Spirit is leading. Take a watch/listen to this video.

Part One:


Part Two:

No wonder there is a vision for "Two United States"

I've often pondered why the statement exists about there being "two United States" - alas....I have it figured out.



With all these extra states...there HAS to be another USA involved!

Men, SPEND TIME WITH YOUR WIVES....

I would say that this post take a break from my Biblical posts - but it doesn't. The Bible admonishes us to love and honor our wives - and this past week, I've gotten to get closer to my wife and have loved every second of it.

We got to take a honeymoon together for the first time in over five years as husband and wife. We got to spend plenty of dates with each other - more dates than we have been on in more than ten years than we have been together. That is sad.

We let our lives get so consumed with our day-to-day tasks that we forgot about us. We forgot that we still have needs. Even when I was leading Worship and my wife was Preschool Director at our last church, she started a "Parents Night Out" once a month to help other parents have time together - but the shear organization alone left us with barely enough time to go out and grab a quick bite to eat on our on - so we never got to trully partake of the time utilization then, either.

We've now learned a lesson - we HAVE to take the time for oursleves...to go out on dates...to be 16, 17, 18...whatever the dating age is (32 if you are my daughter) and just date.

The bottom line....HUSBANDS....date your wifes! I think in today's day and age, God would have made it a verse in the Bible.

Last, but not least....I LOVE MY WIFE!

Going On A "Honeymoon"

As you know, me and my wife finally had the wedding ceremony we never to have five years ago when we were wed at the home of a judge-friend of mine. While it was nice - a "ceremony" it was nice. We decided it was high time to have a true cermony complete with gown, wedding party and the works.

That was a few weeks ago...

Now, we are taking on the joyous task of having our honeymoon ... finally. We will be heading back to the same spot where we took our renewal of vows - Gatlinburg, Tennessee.

We will be taking the week to spend some quality time with each other. You'll find that, this week - I will not be blogging as much or spending as much time online. I'm gonna find out what it is like when you stop spending time worrying about work and music and the rest of life's business...and start concentrating on your wife!

More from the "Goose"

Read a statement in Mark Batterson's new book that made an impact and I wanted to share. Just take it in for a moment and think about it:

"It takes more to react like a Christian than it does to act like a Christian."

Sometimes it takes a simple line to get ya thinking and reflecting.

"Lay It Down"

Simple lyrics...yet speaks volumes...a great worship song written by Matt Maher and Brenton Brown.

Everything I am
Everything I long to be
I lay it down at Your feet

Everything I am
Everything I long to be
I lay it down at Your feet

I lay it down
I lay it down
I lay it down
At Your feet

Oh pearl of greatest price
No act of sacrifice
Can match the gift of life I find within Your gaze
Oh, what a sweet exchange
I die to rise again
Lifted up from the grave into Your hands of grace

More "Strange" Finds

More while searching through yearboks...These two cats look vaguely familiar. Can't seem to place the "hood"lums, though.

Found some interesting stuff......

SO I was surfing around today...and found some interesting yearbook pics. Micah, you have some relatives that we aren't aware of??? And WHATS up with the hair?

Ok....if you know me, then you know that I love the Worship music of Chris Tomlin (can't call my cell without hearing a Tomlin song...) and you can't know me for long without knowing my close love for the Chapman family...so this song is an awesome "throwback" from the New Song Cafe.

What's totally awesome is to think of a man who seems to trump all in Contemporary Christian like Steven say that, when asked to do the WOW cd, he was beginning to do a Tomlin song. Man, that is a compliment.

Ok......I'll digress from my Chapman-Tomlin rant for a moment.

The song "We Fall Down" is written from where a few of Tomlin's songs are sourced from - Revelation 4.

6and before the throne there was(N) as it were a sea of glass, like crystal.


And around the throne, on each side of the throne, are(O) four living creatures,(P) full of eyes in front and behind: 7(Q) the first living creature like a lion, the second living creature like an ox, the third living creature with the face of a man, and the fourth living creature like an eagle in flight. 8And the four living creatures,(R) each of them with six wings, are(S) full of eyes all around and within, and(T) day and night they never cease to say,

(U) "Holy, holy, holy, is the Lord God Almighty,
(V) who was and is and is to come!"

9And whenever the living creatures give glory and honor and thanks to him who is seated on the throne,(W) who lives forever and ever, 10the twenty-four elders(X) fall down before him who is seated on the throne and worship him who lives forever and ever. They cast(Y) their crowns before the throne, saying,
11(Z) "Worthy are you, our Lord and God,
to receive glory and honor and power,
for(AA) you created all things,
and(AB) by your will they existed and were created."

I think about the same thing when I sing songs like Revelation Song! Imagine the scene...angels who can't stop singing praise and Worship the King of Kings! Can you imagine? I actually LONG to hear that ... and that is what this song is all about!

Corporate Worship Tunes....

Funny...but makes a point....

Found these on GodTube. There church that did a series called "What Should A Christian Look Like?" To Illustrate their series, they did a whole set of videos that parodied the "Mac vs/ PC" commercials.

While they are funny...they make you think. Why do so many people tend to try to fit in to the rest of the world instead of just letting His light shine within us?

Glad I'm not in the market....

Now I've seen it all.

"Its All About You"

Wow! Isn't God just awesome?!? You know, one of my favorite songs to lead is "Jesus, Lover of My Soul (It's All ABout You)" because of the trueness of the words. I can't begin to tell you how many times life each week would get me so wrapped up and self centered...I'll admit that there were times that I would wake up on Sunday and drive in for pre-Worship rehearsal and think "God, I'm not even worthy to be doing this today with as __________ (insert the week's emotion) as I feel today." But as I sang that song, it would all be so clear and so true. It is all about Him!

Now that I'm worshiping at FBCSmyrna I'm once again reminded of the "joys" of waking up early on Sunday morning to rehearse after having practices throughout the week. I know there may be some who love getting up early - but you can ask my wife...I'm not one of them. Despite my issues with getting up in the morning - do you know what makes it all awesome? The hearts that the whole team has! Now, don't get me wrong...I wouldn't trade my previous teams away and cast them to the wind...but these guys make it so enjoyable. Despite the shear number of times that we go over these songs - they don't just become words...when it comes time for Worship...God is there...and (loved the prayer, Micah...so I have to include it) ... "God sings over us"! It's hard not to raise my hands, smile, cry, and just sing!