#3 in the Oven

Tasha and I just found out that we are expecting our third child!!! :) We're so stoked we can hardly stand it. We've always said that we want to have four kids, and we were beginning to wonder there for a while if we would even have three. But the Lord is gracious and forever faithful, and we're grateful to Him for the blessing of new life and the opportunity to raise another youngster in the fear and admonition of the Lord. Next to being a husband, fatherhood is the greatest calling of my life. I love it and am grateful to God and humbled that He would see fit to entrust these little souls into our care. What a huge responsibility! But what a rewarding calling!! Thank You, Jesus!

Sudan: Blanket and a Bible

As a Christ-follower wanting to be a part of local and foreign mission efforts but sometimes not quite sure what to do, I sometimes feel stuck. Stuck because there are so many valid ministries out there that are doing great things for the kingdom of God and not knowing which ones I should partner with. So I wanted to share one such opportunity that our family has decided to invest in, especially during this Christmas season. It's a very simple opportunity, but one that is making a tremendous difference. It's an effort called "Sudan: Blanket and a Bible" by The Voice of the Martyrs. If you're not familiar with this ministry, you need to set aside some time to spend on their website, persecution.com. It will rock your world. VOM is committed to the suffering, persecuted church all across the globe--not only through making others aware of the need, but also through practical efforts to help the persecuted church as well as innovative ways to get the gospel into closed countries.

Here's a little excerpt from the flyer I received in the mail recently that will help you understand what Sudan: Blanket and a Bible is all about.

"Sudanese Christians have faced horrific persecutions at the hands of a radical Islamic regime. An estimated two million Sudanese have been killed during two decades of civil war, including many Christians. A glimmer of hope exists with the peace accords, and we can help our Sudanese brothers and sisters rebuild their lives and Christian witness. Sudanese Christians live a simple lifestyle, owning few or no material possessions. However, some items are essential to their survival. One blanket can make a difference.

Now with VOM's Sudan: Blanket and a Bible ministry outreach, everyone can have a part. Along with each blanket sent, VOM will provide a copy of He Lived Among Us, an illustrated Bible storybook. This program sends a strong message to our Sudanese family that they are not forgotten, and we stand with them in rebuilding their communities with the love of Christ."

So here's all you do:
1. Collect good quality, new or used blanket(s).

2. Add $2 per blanket for handling, shipping into Sudan.

3. VOM will add a He Lived Among Us illustrated Bible storybook.

4. Send blankets and collected funds to:
"Sudan: Blanket and a Bible"
The Voice of the Martyrs
510 W Adeline
Bartlesville, OK 74003

If you and your family have been looking for a mission effort to give to this Christmas season, I definitely recommend this one.

The Deity Formerly Known as God

I'm just about to finish The Deity Formerly Known as God by Jarrett Stevens. Jarrett was gracious enough to give me a copy of his book at CharlotteONE last month, and I've been soaking it up.

The book tackles six destructive images and misconceptions about God, and then offers six biblical, constructive images of God based on Scripture. Jarrett writes with a good bit of humor as well as a compelling and convicting condor that cuts straight to the heart of the matter. He refers to his book as the remix of J. B. Phillips' classic Your God is Too Small.

Here are a few takeaways I've gleaned thus far:

• "This may be one of the greatest tragedies of what we have come to call Christianity: that we are all too afraid to ask a good and loving God for what He already longs to give us." (p. 99)
• "Perhaps a better framework for God is not "old" but "timeless." If God were limited to our understanding of time, then, like all things in this universe, He would be aging." (p. 38)
• "Our job couldn't be any simpler: All we have to do is stay (John 15:5). (p. 125)

Help support Jarrett by ordering this book. It will definitely be an encouragement and a challenge to you.

Oblivious Thanks

We're in Roanoke, Virginia this week celebrating Thanksgiving and having family togetherness here with my incredibly large and awesome family. Last night before our very large Thanksgiving meal, we began with a family tradition that has been growing over the past few years. We began with a short worship service. I usually lead in a few worship songs and then someone will bring a word from the Lord. My brother, Jacob, challenged us all to remember that despite the circumstances of life and when it may seem like we don't have a lot to be grateful for, God is constant. Nothing takes Him by surprise. And we need to be reminded that all we need is Him. He is the source of our hope. The source of our peace. The source of all true joy. No matter what curve balls life throws at us, we can rest in the knowledge that God is good, that He loves us with the deepest, truest love known to man, and that He is forever faithful. He is the source of true thanksgiving.

As I was writing this blog, my Mom made we aware of something that happened to Areyna earlier today when I was not around. And as I processed the scenario, I realized how perfect it fit with this concept of God being the source of our thanksgiving.

She was running through the living room today playing with her cousins when she tripped two feet from the stone fireplace causing her head to go careening into the sharp stone. Under normal circumstances, this accident would have sent us straight to the emergency room. Blood should have been everywhere. A massive scar should be on her forehead right now. But none of these results came to pass. Why? Because a few months ago, my parents took the time to install a custom-fit pad to cover all of the sharp corners of the stone fireplace. This padded covering saved us incredible heartache and saved Areyna incredible pain, both now and in the future. Though she was stunned for a few moments, she was back to playing with her cousins, completely oblivious to the bullet she had just dodged.

And isn't this the way God interacts with us much of the time? He sets up barriers. He places safeguards around us. Hedges. Blockades to protect from danger, both physical and spiritual. Yet, much of the time we're completely unaware of these layers of protection. Completely unaware of how many times He is acting as a loving Father as we continue with our routine, oblivious to His hand of protection and provision. Maybe we feel the initial brunt of the blow like Areyna did on the fireplace. And maybe we complain a little bit about how it hurts. But we're soon back to our routine, unaware that the pain we do feel should actually be elevated 1000 times what we actually feel should He have removed His hand of protection.

If the economy has affected you this year, give thanks. Because it could be worse. If you have suffered emotionally, give thanks. If you have lost something or someone you love, give thanks--as hard as it may be. We can't see behind the scenes. And we can rest assured that God, our loving Father, always knows what's best for us. So give thanks for Him, in Him and to Him. Let Him be the source of your thanksgiving.

Squirrel Madness

Last Saturday at Freedom Park in Charlotte

11-23-08

Today at WCC.

1. Forever (Tomlin - An oldie but a goodie. Probably one of the best worship songs he ever wrote. Simple melody. Great lyrics. Strong, biblical truth. Perfect for congregational worship. Just a great tune all around.)

2. Here is Our King (Crowder - this was off of his A Collision CD back in '05 I think it was. I've led it quite a bit over the last few years, but it's one that rarely gets old for me. Several of the lines cause the reader to step back inquisitively and look closer, like alot of Crowder's stuff, [i.e. "and what was said to the rose to make it unfold, was said to me here in my chest so be quiet now and rest."] At first glance I go hmm.... but it's pretty cool when you think about it. Like a rose coming into bloom the Lord speaks into our hearts and love for Him unfolds - a love for the King of Kings to whom we declare praise - of whom we are welcoming in - heralding in with the angels.)

3. Grace Greater Than Our Sin - (J & T version - This one is off of our new record. It's one of those hymns that I sang all growing up and always thought that it could be done well in a real modern way. The lyrics are just powerful. V.3 - Marvelous, infinite, matchless grace, freely bestowed on all who believe. You that are longing to see His face, will you this moment His grace receive?" We did this song as an altar call. Perfect.)

4. Mighty to Save - (Hillsong - One of the best tunes Hillsong has written. Love it. The bridge is a great anthem and fits perfectly for congregational worship, especially when missions is the theme! "Shine your light and let the whole world see. We're singing for the glory of the risen King!"

5. God of This City - (BlueTree - Made popular by Chris Tomlin - This is one we sang many times in Hungary with the missionaries there. You can read the explanation of the song on a post I wrote while we were there. Nonetheless, I will say this. This is a great tune, and one that is drenched in God's heartbeat for the cities of the world and the people in those cities. I always love leading this one because it's so easy to grab onto the melody right away and easy to buy into the message.)

Tozer on Experiencing God's Presence

I came across this statement today while re-reading Tozer's Knowledge of the Holy. It's amazing how this book speaks directly into the heartbeat of contemporary mainstream Christianity, though it is six decades old. Check this out: Concerning the omnipresence of God and its connection to how we as believers experience the living God, Tozer says,

"The practice of the presence of God consists not of projecting an imaginary object from within (your) own mind and then seeking to realize its presence; it is rather to recognize the real presence of the One whom all sound theology declares to be already there, an objective entity, existing apart from any apprehension of Him on the part of His creatures. The resultant experience is not visionary but real." (p. 82)

That's it! To experience the real presence of God, we don't use our tainted, distorted, fallen imaginations to try to conjure up what we think God looks like, and then invite our made-up image to commune with us. That's all wrong. But that's what we do all the time. That's the way we're bent. That's what we gravitate toward! No thanks to mainstream media, we go into our prayer closet addressing Jim Caviezel rather than our infinite God. No thanks to tradition, we enter His presence addressing the image we've seen hanging in our church fellowship hall for 80 years. No thanks to additional influences that will remain unnamed, we address our prayers to a God who looks like a cross between a bad acid trip and the psychedelic effect found in programs like Windows Media Player. No thanks to hit radio tunes and Hallmark movies, we address our prayers to a God who looks like our Grandpa Felix withering away with arthritis in the rocking chair on the front porch. All of these images are at best, improper, and at worst, destructive and unbiblical. Instead, Tozer reminds us that we must simply realize and acknowledge His very real presence that is already there with us, apart from the imaginary portrait we've conjured up. What we need is God Himself. The God revealed to us in Scripture. Not the God of our imagination! Not an image we've made in our own likeness.

Wickham's Freebies

One of my favorite artists right now is Phil Wickham. The other day I came across this entire album that he is giving away free for download on his website. It's in my iPod now. It's called "Singalong" and it's killer--a live worship experience with Phil and about 3000 people worshipping together with nothing but an acoustic guitar and voices. It's pretty stellar! Go get it now. He only asks that you sign up for his mailing list in order to download the tracks. It's worth it!

CharlotteONE Season Finale

Last night was the season finale of CharlotteONE and it went extremely well. Dave Hickman brought the house down. He preached the Word with authority, passion and power--describing the truths of justification:

1. God's FIERCE anger toward sin has been FULLY satisfied.
2. We are FOREVER and always FOUND righteous before God.
3. We are now FRIENDS of our FATHER God.

Dave also shared his incredible story of how he delivered his own baby last week in the CMC hospital parking lot. I wouldn't have believed it had I not heard it from him or seen it on the news. You can check it out here. It's unbelievable!

The band was rockin'. Sara Scott, Andrew Cherry and myself all co-lead. (Tim Morrison on drums, Nate Proczak on bass, Scott Spruill on keys and Tasha on violin) There were a couple of amazing moments where God's Spirit was really evident--some spontaneous moments where we just all sat in God's presence unscripted and unrehearsed. It's in those moments that my deepest prayer and cry is that I won't get in the way, but that God will take center stage, receive the spotlight, receive the glory and make us all aware of His greatness.

The set:
1. O, Worship the King (Passion hymns)
2. Sing to the King (Billy & Cindy Foote)
3. The Wonder of This Sight (Josh & Tasha Via)
4. Lead Me to the Cross (Hillsong)
5. Mystery (Charlie Hall)
6. Happy Day (Tim Hughes)

Thoughts on the Election

This is a little late coming, but better late than never. I frequently visit J.D. Greear's blog, a pastor in the RDU area. He doesn't know me, but we have many mutual friends, went to the same school, etc. So, I value his opinion. He's a man of God and preaches the truth of God's Word without apology. His thoughts on the election are exactly mine and he can say it way more eloquently than I. Check it out here. Then check out John Piper's thoughts as well in this video. A plethora of great thoughts comin' atchya.

11-16-08

Besides being sick over the weekend (and still getting over it), things went really well back at Ridge Church. The staff let Tasha and I do a couple of original tunes from the new album, which was fun. Nathanael Bryan, Brett Banks and Matt Nethery all did a phenomenal job.

The set:
1. Salvation Rising (J & T)
2. Salvation's Chorus (noticing a little theme?) (Todd Fields)
3. Sweetly Broken (Jeremy Riddle)
4. The Wonder of This Sight (J & T)

On another note, after church we stopped off and took a few family photos so that we could go ahead and place an order for our annual Christmas picture for our newsletter. My sister, Joy, was in town and did a wonderful job with them. The kids cooperated quite nicely after the promise of a sucker from their dad when they got home. Do whatchya gotta do!

Hey, The Healing is finally on iTunes! Go check 'em out!

Return Worship Live Recording

Yesterday was an amazing day at Southbrook Church. We had our first ever live recording. And it went better than any of us could have imagined. The presence of the Lord
was thick in the room. And people were engaged with God. Tasha and I feel privileged every time we get to share the stage with this amazing team of worship leaders, musicians and lovers of God. Word on the street is that it will be available by Christmas. We'll see how it goes. Our good friend Jake Hunter did the recording and will be doing all the post-production work, so if he has his way, I'm sure it will be done by Christmas. Thanks to all of you who served alongside us yesterday and/or prayed for us and supported us. Blessings to you all.

Here's the Set:
1. Breakthrough (led by Andy Cherry)
2. Revival's Fire (led by Andy Cherry)






3. Immanuel (led by Josh & Tasha Via)














4. Fade Away (led by Dan Rutty and LaDonna Mole)
5. Pour (led by Dan Rutty)




















6. You Do All Things Well (led by Josh Via)












7. Everything You Do (led by Sara Scott)








8. God of Me (led by Gal Friday)
9. Glory of Your Name (led by Gal Friday)
10. King Above All Gods (led by Andy, Dan, Josh and Sara)
11. Your Love Does No Wrong (led by Sara Scott)

Billy Turns 90

Billy Graham turns 90 today! It is almost unfathomable the legacy that he has left and the impact he has had in Christendom. Check out this video tribute the Charlotte Observer paid to Billy. It's pretty good.

Feet

This morning I read these verses and these verses, and was overwhelmed by the humility that Christ exemplified to save a lost sinner such as I. So, I thought I'd share my journal entry today:

11.6.08

Thank You, my Lord, for emptying Yourself to assume the form of a slave. You, the God who made the heavens stooped so low as to become one of us - a foot-washing slave.
Thank You for washing my guilty feet.
Feet that have gone to wicked places.
Feet that have carried news other than the glorious news of the Gospel.
Feet that are worn and dirty.
Nasty from the filth of the world.
And You stoop down and clean them off, knowing they'll get dirty again. Yet You are patient with my dirty feet. You patiently wash my feet over and over.

Do You ever tire or grow weary from stooping to bathe my scum?
I don't think You do.
You always have that look of love and tenderness in Your eyes, even though I constantly come back to that place of restoration, forgiveness and cleansing.
Continuously tearing my eyes away from Your tender gaze with which You stare as if to say,
"I forgive you!"
Yet You needn't even say the words. Your eyes and Your touch speak it all!
And I sit here guilty, condemned.

But then You remind me that I am in You.
So, I am not condemned.
I am free from the law of sin and death.
Free to walk out of the upstairs room of restoration with clean feet.
Feet ready to once again bear my cross for the sake of Christ and the Gospel.
Feet prepared and ready with the shoes of the Gospel of peace.
Feet that have been cleaned by the spotless Lamb of God.
Washed by the humblest of slaves and mightiest of Kings.
Cleansed by the God of the heavens whose footstool is the earth, and yet He would care about my feet?

O what love!
O what humility!
O what an unfair transaction!
Where is the justice in this act? Why do I allow myself to remain in that seated position with my God bowing to wash my feet? What do I have to offer in return? Nothing.
Yet, I can't move.
I'm frozen.
Knowing I can't repay.
My pockets are empty. But my heart is full.
Overflowing with joy - gratitude - feelings that no words can communicate adequately.

How could anyone refuse this man's touch?
His tenderness?
This love so amazing, so divine, demands my soul, my life, my all. That I'll gladly give! Lord, I gladly give it.
Freely You gave.
Freely I have received.
These feet that You have washed and dried are Yours.
Use them as You will.
As You please.
As is fitting for the service of the King!

Oh, How I Love Jesus - Medley

Here's another clip from last Tuesday night.

The Release

My sister, Joy, took some footage last night of the CD release. So here ya go. This song is called "Send Us Out" - track 14 on the CD. The night went really well. I felt really good about the whole thing. Following up Jarrett Steven's awesome challenge about maintaining a biblical perspective on reaching out to the poor, the widow and the orphan, we played "The Wonder of This Sight" which vamps the chorus "You're the hope of every nation. Perfecter of salvation." It was a great moment where application of the message happened and worship followed as a natural impulse. People were shouting the chorus with every bit of passion they could muster. It was pretty incredible. Thanks for all of you who came out to support us, and thanks for not making it a "stare-fest", but for genuinely engaging with God and worshiping your hearts out. Dave Hickman, thanks for allowing us the privilege of using C1 as an avenue for this worship project. We love all of you. If you get a chance, read the comment under my last post from my brother-in-law, Andrew Litke, about God's latter rain on our ministry. It's pretty phenomenal. Thanks for the kind words, Andrew. Love ya.

By the way, the CD is available for download on Digstation, and will soon be available on iTunes. Stay posted.

Also, in other news, (and I'm not all about numbers, but this is amazing) last night while we were having our CD release in Charlotte, my Dad was preaching the Gospel at a youth event in Chesapeake, Virginia. Out of the 150 in attendance, 25 students came to faith in Christ! Hallelujah! Those kids were serious about bringing their lost friends to hear the Gospel. Thank you, Lord! And thanks Dad, for being obedient to the Lord and His calling on your life. I believe in you!

Last night we played:
1. Send Us Out
2. Immanuel
3. O, How I Love Jesus/He Loves Me
4. How He Loves (John Mark McMillan)
5. The Wonder of This Sight
6. Be Thou My Vision/Now and Forever

Skills

This verse really spoke to me this morning. "...Sing praises with a skillful psalm." (Psalm 47:7) And I was reminded of the duty that we have as Christian musicians, worship leaders, etc. to sing skillful psalms to the Lord--to give Him our best--not give Him our leftovers--but give Him the firstfruits of our talents, of our songs, of our worship. It should be our duty, our joy, our desire and the expectation of the body of Christ to sing with skillful songs. Certainly and primarily they must come from the overflow of our hearts and be Spirit-driven, Scripture-saturated, and Gospel-centered; but they must also be done skillfully. They must be crafted in such a way as to reflect and express quality, passion, beauty, and excellence, all of which flow from God Himself.

The obvious question becomes: "What is the standard for something being 'skillful?'" I love what Paul Baloche and Mia Fieldes said during the Integrity Conference last week that applies to this. They said that there is nothing wrong with anyone being a learner or a novice or a beginner when it comes to leading worship. The problem comes when you're not moving forward. The problem comes if you're staying there. If you're not moving on. If you're not giving yourself to study, training and practice, seeking to become better. And really, that applies to anything we do in life. If we ever get to the point where we think we have arrived in song-writing or preaching or teaching or Biblical understanding or whatever the case may be ... then we have a problem. But let's make it our goal to bring glory to God in whatever we set our hands to do and to do so with the skill that God has given us while being careful to foster and grow that skill as good stewards.

The Healing is Here

What a great week!  Tasha and I just finished out a 3-day worship conference with Integrity Worship - (we didn't lead it!  just a part of it!)  But it was awesome to just sit back and soak up the wisdom from great men and women of God, songwriters and worship leaders such as Paul Baloche, Mia Fieldes, Glenn Packiam and the New Life Worship team, Dr. Pete Sanchez, and many others.  I learned a ton, and I'm fired up to lead worship this weekend.  Conferences like these reignite me and help to stir up the fire that the Lord put there a long time ago - a passion for Him, for His Word, and to see His church become passionate for Him.

And some big news for the week:  Our CD "The Healing" is finally here! I'm pumped.  I'm really happy with the way it turned out and thankful to God for the opportunity to do something like this that will hopefully help to advance His Kingdom, not ours.  (May it be so, Lord.) It should be available online in just a couple of days through CD Baby, and then available on iTunes in about a month.  ITunes is a bit slow when it comes to new albums, but understandably so with the demand the way it is.  

Pray for us this weekend as we lead worship at Carmel Baptist on Sunday and then at CharlotteONE on Tuesday night.  

At Least 5 Reasons

Today was a great day for several reasons:

1. I just got back from a planning meeting for the live recording at our home church, Southbrook Church, with Return Worship that will take place on Sunday, Nov. 9th. It's gonna be great. It's gonna have a Hillsong feel with about 5 different worship leaders who are also writers. Mark your calendar to be there if you can make it! It's gonna be sweet!

2. Got a call from Disc Makers. Our CD is on the way via UPS! Hallelujah! I was starting to wonder if they'd be here in time for the release next Tuesday. I can breathe a little easier now.

3. Tasha is just pulling back in the driveway from the grocery store. No doubt she saved us like $300 thanks to her frugality bordering insanity!

4. It finally feels like Fall!

5. I built a fire in the fireplace this morning.

10.19.08

Yesterday at Weddington Community Church:

1. Sing, Sing, Sing (Tomlin)
2. Glorious One (Steve Fee)
3. Freedom Song (Charlie Hall)
4. He Loves Us (John Mark McMillan)
5. How Great is Our God
6. Hope Now (Addison Road)

Will You Be Busy?

Last Friday I spent the morning at Rainy's preschool enjoying "Donuts with Dad." I'm amazed at how fast my little princess is growing up. And I'm reminded almost daily at how quickly our time on this earth passes--that I am just a vapor. My prayer lately has echoed the Psalmist, "Lord, make me to know my end and what is the extent of my days; let me know how frail I am." (Psalm 39:4). I want every moment of my life to count for His kingdom. I want to redeem the time because the days are evil (Ephesians 5:16). I want to spend quality time with my kids and I want them to know that I love them and care about them. And when I'm spending time with them, I want them to know that I am all theirs during that time. That mentally I am not somewhere else thinking about the list of things I need to get done.

Yesterday I had lunch with a Pastor friend whom I greatly respect. He told me that he took his family of 6 camping a few weeks ago. When they arrived at the campsite, his oldest son asked him, "Dad, are you going to be busy this weekend?" In other words, "Are you bringing work with you, or will you be here both physically and mentally?" He told me that in that moment he turned his phone off and never turned it back on the entire weekend.

And why shouldn't we live that way? Because our time is short. Our families are our number one priority--not ministry. And they need us. They need us dads to be there for them both physically and mentally. So, dads, are you with me?

The Medicine

Here's what's in my ipod right now: John Mark McMillan's "The Medicine." Wow! One blogger I found described John Mark's music as, "The Counting Crows meets Bruce Springsteen, Rich Mullins, Mark Heard, Mark Knopler, Derek Webb and Keith Green at a bar out west in the desert. And after a long night, they end up singing worship songs together." I couldn't agree more. The depth and honesty of McMillan's lyrics speak to the fact that he's a typical guy living out the Christian life the best way he knows how, following Christ every step of the way, unafraid to ruffle feathers and present the Gospel through his ever-increasing creative juices. This is a great album. Check it out.

By the way, in case you're wondering "The Healing" is in no way a spin-off or subtle plaguerism of "The Medicine." It was purely coincidental. Since "The Medicine" was just released, hopefully the timing in relation to "The Healing" will speak for itself. That's the truth!

Camp Tekoa, etc.

The Weekend Update:

In one word: Fulfilling and God-honoring! We had a great weekend as we traversed from one side of the state of NC to the other in just 3 short days. Friday we loaded up our Trooper and headed for Hendersonville, NC just shy of Ashville where we led worship for Parkwood Baptist Church's high school fall retreat. Andy Cherry and Skylar Mcnabb came along with us and did an amazing job as usual. Parkwood students are a rare and dying breed. These kids know the Word of God. They love the Word of God. They are passionate for Jesus. And they worship from their hearts unlike any student ministry I've ever been a part of. No doubt their maturity level in regard to spiritual things is due wholly or at least in part to the incredible leadership and biblical teaching they sit under every week.

Brian Lowe, the youth pastor there for the last 8 years taught them God's Word expositorally and unapologetically. He resigned this summer feeling the call of God on his life to plant Exodus Church in Belmont, NC which will be launching a few short months from now. All of that to say, these kids have been fed deeply from the Word, and continue to do so on their own as they grow in maturity in the Gospel.


Saturday night, following the last session, Tasha and I packed up our things and our kids and headed across the state to Henderson, NC, 45 minutes northeast of Raleigh/Durham. I was asked to preach for the Homecoming service Sunday morning at New Sandy Creek Baptist Church where I served on staff for 4 years from '02 - '06. It was awesome to be back there and see the awesome things that God is doing there. There is a definite sense of God's presence in that place, and a sense of the Spirit of God moving and working in the hearts of people.

I preached 1 Thessalonians 3:11-13, Paul's prayer for the church of Thessalonica. I made it my prayer for New Sandy Creek and encouraged them to:

1. Let Christ increase your love for one another (v. 12),
2. Let Christ establish you blameless (v. 13), and
3. Let Christ establish you in holiness (v. 13).

Thank you for your prayers for us over the weekend.

Weekend Update 10.3-5.08

This past weekend was awesome. We were in Wake Forest, NC Friday through Saturday night leading a Discipleship Now Weekend Event for Richland Creek Community Church. We had an awesome time with their students. You never know what to expect with D-Now weekends, and this was the first one we've done with Richland Creek; but if there was ever a church to do one right, it was Richland. They nailed it. They had plenty of adult volunteers and small group leaders. They made the atmosphere exciting and inviting for the
students (and the band), and they went out of their way to make us feel totally at home. We had a blast. Student Pastor Dave Miller preached each session out of Psalm 119 and did a fantastic job communicating God's Word. We brought the entire band this time, Andy Cherry on lead guitar, Skylar Mcnabb on drums, Scott Spruill on keys, Nate Proczak on bass, and of course Tasha and myself. Chad Lister ran sound and helped with loops and programming. My brother, Baikes, took care of all of the video and lighting.
The Saturday night session went really well. There was a really sweet sense of the Lord's presence in the room, and there were kids praying and weeping at the altar for quite a while. It was a cool time and awesome for us to be a part of it.

We pulled back into Charlotte really late Saturday night, and then had to be up bright and early for Ridge Church Sunday morning. But it all turned out well. Tasha and I were able to grab a really long nap on Saturday afternoon in Wake Forest, so that helped.

Our sets for the weekend included:
Friday night:
1. Happy Day (Tim Hughes)
2. All Because of Jesus (Steve Fee)
3. Immanuel (J & T Via)
4. Jesus Paid It All (Passion version)
5. Jesus Messiah (Tomlin)




Sat. AM:
1. Let God Arise (Tomlin)
2. Tell the World (Hillsong)
3. Sweetly Broken (Jeremy Riddle)
4. Be Thou My Vision/Now and Forever (J & T version)
5. How Great is Our God (Tomlin)




Sat. PM:
1. Salvation is Here (Hillsong)
2. Everything Glorious (Crowder)
3. Immanuel (J & T)
4. Jesus Messiah (Tomlin)
5. Be Thou My Vision (J & T version)
6. Oh, How I Love Jesus (J & T version)




Ridge Church:
1. Let God Arise (Tomlin)
2. Oh, Praise Him (Crowder)
3. He Is Exalted (Shane and Shane)

D-Now Video

Check out this highlight video my brother made from this weekend.

Prayers and Sardines

If you think about it, pray for us this weekend. Starting tonight we'll be leading a Disciple Now Weekend Retreat for Richland Creek Baptist Church in Wake Forest, NC. We're taking the whole band (Andy Cherry, Skylar McNabb, Scott Spruill, and Nate Proczak) and our kids. It should be a great weekend. We're all riding together in a 15-passenger van with our gear and luggage. Good times will definitely be had. And especially pray for the hundred or so students that we'll be ministering to, that the Lord will work in their lives in a great way this weekend. Thanks.

Free MP3 Download

Here's a chance for you to grab a free MP3 called "Immanuel" from our new CD. Right click the image over on the left of the screen and "save link as." And then let us know what you think!

Today in Via History

Today is my Dad's birthday. He and my Mom and my sister, Joy, came in for the weekend and we celebrated he and Joy's birthdays together. Good times.

My Dad is my hero. He lives what he preaches in the pulpit. He's real. He's sincere. He's contagiously in love with Jesus. Everyone he meets sees that there's something different about him. As a college student, he was radically saved by Jesus and has not stopped sharing with people the incredible gospel of Christ that saved him, changed him and made him a totally new person.

I'm pretty sure I wouldn't be a follower of Christ today if it were not for the influence of my Dad. I saw that his relationship with Jesus was real and thriving, and I wanted the same in my life. I remember countless mornings when I would creep downstairs earlier than anyone else in the house and find him on his knees in prayer praising his Savior with old-school Hosanna worship cassette tapes playing in the background. Seeing him in those holy moments before God made such a huge impact on me. Thanks, Dad, for being the realest Christian I've ever met!

Magic Motion Monday: The Coat Technique

Rainy figures out a way to put her coat on by herself ... albeit, it takes some patience on the part of Mom & Dad to wait it out!

9.28.08

Had a great day today back at Weddington Community Church.
We played:
1. Everything Glorious (Crowder)
2. Jesus Messiah (Tomlin)
3. God is Great (Hillsong) - we performed this one with the children's choir, and it was awesome.
4. Amazing Grace/Chains Gone (Tomlin, Todd Fields version)
5. Happy Day (Tim Hughes)

I'm pumped about this week. Right now my parents and my sister Joy are all in town for us to celebrate Joy's and my Dad's birthdays together. We'll gobble down some cake and spend some quality time together. Also, I just got a call from Jake Hunter at the studio and he is finishing the mastering as I write this. So, I should be able to send it off early in the week. Almost at the same time, I got an e-mail from my brother Baikes with the almost finished artwork. It looks amazing! Then we get to finish the week out leading a Disciple Now Weekend retreat in Raleigh. I'm stoked!

Dedication of The Healing

Last night we dedicated our new CD The Healing to the Lord with our church family at Southbrook Church. Pastor Geoffrey, my friend and accountability partner, allowed me the privilege to share briefly the concept behind the CD and what I expect and hope God to do with it and through it as a tool to bring people into the kingdom of God as well as to act as a clarion call to beckon wayward followers back to Christ. It was a cool time of prayer as we asked God to have His way with it as He sees fit.

Save the Date: Tuesday, October 28th is the official release date for the CD. We'll have a release party at CharlotteONE in uptown Charlotte that night at First United Methodist Church. My friend Dave Hickman has graciously allowed us to use the platform of C1 that night to perform some of the songs off of the CD and to lift high the name of Jesus with these new worship songs that He's given us. If you're in the Charlotte area that night, please come and worship with us as we seek to make the name of Jesus famous in this city, the only name that can bring spiritual healing to our nation.

Keep checking back here in the next few weeks for several free downloads of some of the new songs from The Healing.

Last night at Southbrook we played:
1. Let God Arise (Tomlin)
2. Just Fall (J & T)
3. Be Thou My Vision (J & T)

Busy Weekend/Called to Travel

What a great weekend! Thursday and Friday morning we led worship for a small mission conference of about 30 missionaries from all around the world who are currently on furlough. We gathered at Parkwood Baptist Church in Gastonia. It was awesome to hear their stories and to share in some prayer time and fellowship together. Our friends Scott and Stefanie Spruill came with us to help lead. Scott is the worship pastor at Crosspoint Church, and is becoming a great friend and mentor. We always have a blast with them.


Sunday we led worship for the first time at Forest Pointe Church in Belmont, NC. Pastor Ray Hardee and I met just about three weeks ago for lunch, and I immediately knew that there was something special about him and that God had indeed allowed our paths to cross for a reason. Forest Point is a fairly new church in the Belmont/Mt. Holly area of NC and they currently meet at the YMCA in Belmont where they go through the rigorous routine of setting up and tearing down every week. They transform the gym of the YMCA into a worship center in about 1 hour on Saturday night with the help of several dozen volunteers. They've got a great thing going on. People are being saved, baptized and discipled. Tasha and I had a great time with them yesterday. They made us feel right at home, they took great care of our kids with a first-class children's ministry and they graciously entrusted me with their people, allowing me the freedom to lead as God so directed me. Thanks so much, Forest Pointe.

We played:
1. Revolutionary Love (David Crowder)
2. Filled With Your Glory (Starfield)
3. Inside My Praises (Jason Waller/Jason Hoard/Chrystina Fincher)
4. All Because of Jesus (Steve Fee)

More than once I was asked if I was interviewing for the worship pastor position at Forest Pointe, (and more than once in any given week I am asked if I would consider a position at fill-in-the-blank church) and I was pleased to be able to say with confidence that at this point in our lives, God has called us to intinerant ministry. I am convinced of that, and I'm proud of that. The Lord has been so good to us during this phase of life. The kids travel well and they seem to love it. My wife loves it. She believes in it. And the Lord has given us a passion for His church, as a whole -- to see His body unified in America and all over the world. So, I'm encouraged when I visit churches like Forest Pointe, and Ridge, and Southbrook, and New Sandy Creek, and Weddington Community, and Journey, and ... the list goes on. I'm excited because I see God doing a mighty work all across this nation. As dark and as oppressive as it can be at times, there are remnants of His people and examples of His grace all around us.

1st Morning

Here's a sweet video that Ridge Church put together of their first morning worship service that we got to be a part of.

It and Godplex

Well, I need to recap here a bit.

Sunday at Southbrook Church. A great day. Attendance was up. Began the "It" series. The Lord was present and surely among us. Good stuff. I had Andy Cherry on lead, Nate Procak on bass, Ryan York on drums and of course my beautiful bride on violin!

We played:
1. Happy Day (Tim Hughes)
2. Immanuel (Josh and Tasha Via, to be released on "The Healing" next month)
3. From the Inside Out (Hillsongs)

Then last night we kicked off the Fall season at CharlotteONE with our good friend Dave Hickman and had the privilege to share the stage with Stuart Hall. He did a phenomenal job tackling a tough subject about the wrath of God - the first of a three-part series called "Godplex." Loved it! You gotta come check out part two next week.

The band was terrific. Nathanael Bryan on drums. Gil Gatch on lead guitar. Nate Procak on bass. Scott Spruill on keys. Tasha on violin. It was a great night.

We played:
1. O, for a Thousand Tongues to Sing (Crowder version)
2. O, Praise Him (Crowder)
3. Come Thou Fount
4. Be Thou My Vision (Josh and Tasha version - will also be on "The Healing")
5. From the Inside Out

Magic Motion Monday: "Preying" Mantis

7 Years and Still Blind

I still remember exactly where I was and what I was doing. I’m sure you do too. I was just walking into my 9:00 Exodus Book Study class at North Greenville College. Dr. Pete Wilbanks gave us the news about the attacks on the Twin Towers, we prayed, and then he dismissed class. My Dad was in Brazil on a mission trip. All international flights shut down to and from the US. He was stuck.

Confusion. Betrayal. Anger. Unbelief. Fear. Uncertainty. The whole gamut of emotions ran through every ounce of my being. The feeling of powerlessness was stifling. As the news unfolded throughout the day, the images we saw forever changed the landscape, make-up and temperament of America. Church doors flew open for around-the-clock prayer. The Sunday after 9.11, pews were packed with people who had not stepped foot in a church in years, perhaps ever. In the midst of the tragedy, there were glimmers of hope for a country that had in many ways turned her back on God. There was the prevailing feeling, at least among most Christian evangelicals, that these events would soon act as a catalyst to bring America back to Christ. But you know what happened.

As soon as some semblance of stability and structure was reintroduced, the American dream based on secular humanism and extreme individualism reared its ugly head once again. America no longer needed God. He was the crutch to get her through the initial pain and shock, but He was no longer needed. He was no longer necessary. America was dealing with her enemies. America was standing on her own two feet. America was her own counselor, her own defense, her own support system. God was obsolete.

This vicious cycle is repeated throughout history—both biblical and non-biblical history. A nation turns from God. Tragedy strikes. The nation seeks God again. God brings healing and restoration. The nation no longer needs God. Over and over. It’s a cycle that seems to always divorce itself from lessons learned, thus they are never really learned. Only flirted with. Only petted and stroked on the surface. But they never take root.

There’s another mistake that happens, though. And it happens by those who call themselves followers of Christ. The mistake is this: While hastily pointing out the sins and errors of a nation, the church of Christ becomes blind to her own sin. This, perhaps more than any other reason, is why the Lord burned such a passion in my heart to write the songs that make up our new worship album, “The Healing.” At first glance, the record seems to be an indictment against the culture in which we live—the fact that we need the healing hand of God in our nation and in our land. But as you probe deeper, hopefully this message will come through even louder: We need revival, healing, and spiritual awakening in the church. We, the bride of Christ, need to return to our first love. A love that we’ve lost many times because we’ve been too preoccupied with pointing the finger at a lost world, instead of pointing them to the God who loves them. Here’s what the insert to our new CD says about the purpose of this album:

“In a culture that is becoming increasingly apathetic and antagonistic to the message of the Gospel, how quickly and easily it is to fall victim to the sin of point-the-fingerism. Sometimes a preoccupation with the darkness surrounding us blinds us to our own darkness. And though unquestionably the darkness that surrounds must be penetrated by the light of the Gospel, unless our own sin is first confronted we are rendered useless and pathetic in the advancement of God’s Kingdom here on earth. The ground is fallow in America. But so is it equally fallow in our churches. So is it equally fallow in our own hearts much of the time. Hosea desperately begged God’s people to “break up your untilled ground. It is time to seek the Lord until He comes and sends righteousness on you like rain.” (Hosea 10:12) If there was one plea for this album, that would be it—to break up your untilled ground. Allow the Holy Spirit of God access to the dark pits of heinous anarchy in your soul that stand in forward opposition to the coming King of Kings. And allow Him to clean you out. Allow Him to heal and soften the dry and hardened ground—that salvation may spring forth—that righteousness may rain down. And when that happens, we can stand as a unified, collective body of Christ holding high His royal banner proclaiming with urgency the soon return of our High King. Our prayer is that this album will be a catalyst to drive you to your knees in repentance, to help stand you up with arms held high in surrender, and to move you out to the frontlines of the battle.”

May we, as Christ’s bride, return to our first love so that we may have the legitimacy and the non-hypocritical voice to speak the truth of the gospel to a lost world. Amen.

A.M.

Sunday morning we were back at Ridge Church in Matthews for the kickoff of their Sunday morning worship services.  For the past year Ridge has been meeting on Sunday nights as they searched for a facility and venue accessible for mornings.  After a year of searching, the Lord opened the door for AM services.  The place was packed, the energy was insane, the Gospel was clearly and boldly proclaimed, and Jesus took center stage!  It was awesome to be a part of it.

Setlist:

1. Salvation is Here (Hillsong United)

2. Mighty to Save (Hillsong)

3. Lift High (Eddie Kirkland)

4. Amazing Grace/My Chains are Gone (Tomlin)

Date with Daddy

Connect Conference

Last night Tasha and I and our friends Andy Bradberry and Trenton Starnes had the great privilege to lead worship at Carmel Baptist in Matthews, NC for an event put on by our friends at Lifeway called the Connect Conference--part of Lifeway's collegiate focus. The atmosphere was amazing. The presence of the Lord was evident and definitive. The people were engaged with God. And Todd Phillips, from Mclean Bible Church, brought a convicting challenge about engaging our culture with the life-changing message of the Gospel while being careful not to divorce our message from the need for social justice--a great challenge. You can hear some of Todd's messages here.

We played:
1. Holy is the Lord (Tomlin)
2. Praise the Name of Jesus (Roy Hicks Jr.)
3. Mighty to Save (Hillsong)
4. Center (Charlie Hall, Matt Redman)
5. There is a Redeemer (Keith and Melody Green)

Flashback Friday: Face Extinguisher

When my brother Smooth and I were teenagers, we found plenty of things to get in trouble with, especially on days that we got to roam like two birds set free from captivity in the church where our dad was pastor. On one particularly adventurous and unchaperoned day, Smooth decided it would be fun to mess around with the fire extinguisher located in the church kitchen. Removing it from the wall, he began to investigate the tank. Assuming there was some sort of safety clip engaged on the tank to prevent pastor kids from haphazardly releasing its inner substance, Smooth aimed the nozzle in my direction and called out, "Hey Fro (my nickname)!" Me, being the trusting unsuspecting brother turned in the direction of Smooth just as he pulled the trigger on the loaded red tank of face-blasting toxin. Point blank! The blast covered my face--eyes and mouth open in that very instant. Thick, white foam filled my vision and my lungs. I coughed up white foamy mucus for at least a half-hour. And Tasha, I'm positive that's why I still cough up so much phlegm to this day. So, blame it on Smooth!

In Quotes

"If you seek rest (from spiritual battles) in this world, how will you attain to everlasting rest? Do not train yourself for much rest, but for much patience ...

I (God) will give an eternal reward for a short labor, and infinite glory for passing shame."

-Thomas a Kempis, The Imitation of Christ

An Evening at the Park