Weekend in Greenwood

We had an amazing weekend in Greenwood, SC at Northside Baptist Church with my good friend Travis Agnew, the worship pastor. Tasha and I met Travis while we were in college at North Greenville, and I knew from Day 1 that this guy was a man after God's heart. He's one of the smartest, most talented, and most creative guys on the planet. And yet he's also one of the most humble guys you'll ever meet.

(Go check out Travis' book Freshman 15 and his amazing worship CDs. Order some for yourself and your friends. Not only will you be blessed, but it will help Travis and his wife with the cost of their adoption. They are adopting a little 2-year-old boy from Ethiopia. And they could really use your support!)

We were privileged when he gave us an invite last Fall to be a part of their student ministry D-Now weekend and then to lead worship for their Sunday AM services.

By all accounts, you would think Northside to be a fairly young church, with their state-of-the-art facilities and excellence in harnessing media for the purpose of advancing the Gospel. But Northside is an older established church. They're just one of the few in the U.S. who are not content with business as usual. They are reaching people with the life-changing message of the Gospel, without watering it down in the least bit. Pastor Jeff Lethco, who's been there for around 11 years, preaches the Word passionately and without apology. Yesterday he began a new series called "Who Are The People In Your Neighborhood?"--a series about evangelism in the 21st century.

It was a blessing to experience what God is doing at Northside. Thanks for the invite guys.

We worshiped to:

1. O For 1000 Tongues - Crowder

2. Everlasting God - Lincoln Brewster

3. God Be Praised - Via's

4. Jesus Messiah - Tomlin

5. King on His Way - Via's

T. Agnew

Today begins another weekend on the road. We are headed down to Greenwood, SC for a Disciple Now event with my good friend Travis Agnew, the worship pastor at Northside Baptist Church. Travis has been serving in one form or fashion at Northside ever since I can remember. I met Travis back in 1999 at North Greenville College where we played in the BSU praise band together. Many weekends during our college experience I would ride down to Greenwood for the weekend with Travis and watch him as he faithfully served in the student ministry at Northside. His love for his church, his pastor, and his hometown is rare and incredibly commendable in these times of transiency, restlessness, and inconsistency. Tasha and I are pumped to minister together with our good friend this weekend. Pray for the students that we'll be serving, that Christ will be exalted in their hearts and that in our midst there will be many who fall on their face proclaiming, "Surely God is in this place."

A Snowy Winter Retreat

Our snowy weekend winter retreat at Grace Community Baptist Church in Richmond, VA was not anything like it was planned to be, but it turned out to be a great weekend of spiritual renewal and commitment with around 70 students involved. Due to the weather, Grace made the last-minute decision to host the weekend on their church campus rather than chartering a bus down to Camp Willow Run on Lake Gaston in NC. Tasha and I and the band that we had lined up were also on pins and needles just hours leading up to the event, trying to decide what to do.

In less than a 24-hour period of time, I had 3 different bands lined up to go with us, but each one canceled right after the next with concern for the weather. The last band I had lined up was actually from Richmond--contacts I got through a mutual friend. But with just minutes to go before the first session Friday night, they were forced to back out being stuck in traffic and weather in Richmond.

Obviously, as I've already indicated, Tasha and I and the kids decided that we would go ahead and make the trip in our 4-wheel-drive Isuzu Trooper, though Richmond was projected to get a foot of snow (and a foot of snow is exactly what came). We planned for the worst and headed out on our adventure.

The weekend actually turned out exceptionally well. The parents and volunteers at Grace are a rare breed, for sure. They sacrifice, plan and prepare unlike anywhere else we've ever been. And through the leadership of my buddy, Ed Martin, their fearless student pastor, they managed to pull off one of the most organized audibles that we've ever been a part of.

My good friend, Wes McMurray, came and brought the Word in a powerful way, as he always does. Tasha and I love getting the opportunity to partner with long-time friends like Wes and Ed. It's always a blast and never a dull moment. Many of the students were challenged and encouraged in their faith through the weekend as each session sought to answer six "What if" questions:

1. What if we were all here for a reason?

2. What if we finally understood the Gospel?

3. What if we lived like we were possessed?

4. What if we made decisions based on eternity?

5. What if we considered others better than ourselves?

6. What if we were desperate for the Word?

Needless to say, we made it back home safely Sunday evening before the ice had time to re-freeze. And now it's Monday afternoon, and it feels good to do nothing but study the Word, veg, and hang with my awesome family.

Thanks Grace for taking great care of us. We had a blast. Love your students!!

1.03.10

Loved being with my friend, Jason Lang, at South End Baptist Church in Frederick, MD yesterday for the first Sunday of the new year. Jason is the Associate Pastor of Family Ministries and he and I grew up together in the same church in Roanoke, VA where my Dad pastored for 15 years. It was awesome to reconnect with him. At one point in his sermon yesterday he quoted J.I. Packer from his book Knowing God. It one for the journal, to be sure. His text was 1 Corinthians 10:31 and he made the point that, by our very nature, we (people/humanity) like to receive glory. But we do a horrible job at bringing glory to God. Packer says,

"We are a modern people. And though we have, as a rule, great thoughts about ourselves, we have small thoughts about God."

On the way home from church we passed this hotel sign and I stared looking puzzled, trying to make sense of it. Zoom in and see if you can make some sense of it. Are the church and the love chapel one in the same? Hmmm....what kinda church is this???!!

We kicked an old-school set, but had a blast doing it:

1. Holy is the Lord (Tomlin)

2. The Solid Rock (Hall version)

3. When I Survey (Passion

version)

4. Mighty to Save

we also did a few of our own:

5. Altar Call (Keith Green)

6. God Be Praised (Via's)

7. Grace Greater Than Our Sin (Via's version)

Ridiculous Week

Monday and Tuesday we were back in the studio at Jake Hunter's tracking three more tunes to add to the growing album. If all goes well we should have 11 tracks for the new record, and if we can raise some significant funds, we should have it early 2010. We'll see. Anybody know any millionaires wanting to give to a good cause? :) (All That Glitters is another project altogether and should be done really soon. Thanks for your patience!)

The timing of this was ridiculous! We're smack in the middle of packing boxes and getting ready to make the move to RDU on Sunday afternoon. We're getting a brand new roof and preparing for the first Journey live recording next Friday, the 30th. What in this world were we thinking? The only thing that I can think of that would have made this even better is if Tasha were having a baby this week or if I were on a mission trip!! But hey, you can't have it all!

Here are some pics of the current craziness.

A Night with Friends

Last Friday night we had the rare opportunity to hang out with friends that we hardly see anymore since the Lord is leading us all in different directions lately. And since we are just a few weeks away from moving from Charlotte to Raleigh, the Lord was gracious to allow us this opportunity to say goodbye to some of our dear friends and partners in ministry that we've shared our lives with over the last three years here in Charlotte. Here's some pix and clips from the night at Jackson's Java with the Sara Scott Band, featuring the amazing violinist virtuoso, (or would it be virtuosa?), Tasha Via!!

Sara Scott and Tasha Via

Me and Dan Rutty

The Band - Sara Scott, Kati Scott, Tasha Via, David Currin

10.4.09

Great day back at SouthPointe this morning.  Had Ryan York and Nick Camereon with us.  Awesome guys with amazing talent. 

We played:

1. We Have Heard the Joyful Sound - (J & T - this remake of the old hymn will be on "All That Glitters" and our next full-length album.  Really pleased with how it turned out.)

2. Everlasting God (Brenton Brown)

3. You Never Let Go (Redman)

4. Mighty to Save (Hillsong)

5. Be Unto Your Name (Brian Doerksen version - Loving this tune lately.  Doerksen came out with this version a couple of years ago on his record "Holy God."  But I only came across it a couple of weeks ago.  It'll definitely be in my rotation now!)

Godisnowhere

Lately I've been reading a book by my good buddy Wes McMurray. Wes is one of those friends from seminary days that I made an immediate connection with. I spotted Wes in the back of Dr. Heimbach's Intro to Ethics class. He wasn't hard to miss in our straight-laced Baptist school looking unapologetically emo in his tight band-t over his pencil-thin frame. I knew we'd be friends from day one. We sat next to each other everyday and talked about Brandtson and Postal Service and drew super heroes in our class notes using words with double-o's as a starting point for the eyes (i.e. "look" "book" "1200" etc.) Or maybe that last part was just me. I don't know. Anyway, one thing I immediately picked up on about Wes, was that he was, and still is, an incredibly bright student. Sharp as a tack. And he loved Jesus. That much was obvious. So, when he told me about a year ago that he was working on a book, I knew it was going to be phenomenal. And it is.

It's called Beyond All Measure. I'm just about done with it. It's a quick read, but I tend to think quick reads are overrated. Well, not quick reads themselves, only reading quick. I prefer dragging them out as much as ridiculously possible. And that's what I've done. And today, I'm especially glad I've been reading slow. Because I needed this. In his chapter regarding God and the problem of evil, Wes recounts an event in one of his classes that had an enormous impact on his understanding of this great paradox. He writes:

"I sat in a class one day as a professor came in and silently wrote on the chalkboard: Godisnowhere. He turned around and asked for someone to raise his hand and tell the class what he saw. Someone spoke up and said, "God is nowhere." The professor then asked if anybody else saw something different. A hand went up and a student replied, "I thought it said, "God is now here." It's interesting how people can look at the same situation and come away with such different explanations. For many people, the world's tragedies produce these two responses. Some feel that God is nowhere, while others experience His presence and can say, "God is now here." (p. 131)

Such a simple illustration, but it drives home the point.

I don't know where you're at in you're life today, but I know that difficult times are all around us. If they haven't hit you recently, they will. Tasha and I were at a church this past Sunday where almost the entire worship team spoke up during our pre-service prayer time to ask for prayer in the midst of great difficulty. It's all around us.

A good friend of mine lost his 24-year-old brother to drugs about 4 weeks ago. Another good friend is having to give his 2-year-old son a hormone shot every night before bed until he's 18 so he'll grow.

On and on I could go. Loss of a job. Death of a loved one. Terminal illness. Wayward children. Slander. Abuse. Misunderstandings. You name it. But in the midst of your situation, I pray that out of this: Godisnowhere, you would see this: God is now here! He is here, my friend. But do you recognize His hand at work in the midst of tragedy? That's the question.

Oasis Camp '09 Recap

The sporadically inconsistent blogger is back. We just arrived back into Charlotte last night after an extended weekend youth camp in Myrtle Beach, SC. And oh, how we've been suffering for the Lord! Right!

Anyway, it was an awesome weekend. We took the whole band, Andy Cherry, Tim Morrison, and Nate Proczak, and led worship for the student ministry of Ingleside Baptist Church. Andy, Tim, and Nate are some of my best friends, and I always love getting to partner with them.

This was the first time Ingleside has done their own camp, and they knocked it out of the park. It rivaled any Student Life camp I've ever been to. Fred and Scooter, the student pastors, put together a solid week for their 180 + students.

Bill Stanley, from Coco Beach, Florida brought the Word every session and did a great job connecting with students. Tasha and I enjoyed getting to know him and his wife for what will certainly not be the last time we do ministry together.

As we were leaving camp yesterday, the students surrounded our van for last minute pics and high-fives. And as we stood there with these students whom we had built a relationship with over the past 4 days, I just watched them. I watched them interact with my buddies in the band. I watched them hang on every word that the guys would say. I observed these young, impressionable students as they observed us, watched us, studied us. And as a result, I've been reminded of the incredible responsibility we have as older believers, as teachers, as worship leaders, as parents and mentors, to model our sincere faith in front of them--to live consistently what we believe in front of them, because they are watching us. Yes, a lost world is watching us, but so is the younger generation of Christ-followers. They want a model to follow. And they are looking for it in us. How incredibly humbling a truth that is. It reminds me of the words Paul encouraged Timothy with:

I have been reminded of your sincere faith, which first lived in your grandmother Lois and in your mother Eunice and, I am persuaded, now lives in you also. (2 Tim. 1:5).

Let's live that sincere faith, because they're watching.

Check back for some pics from the weekend coming soon.

4.5.09 Northview

Yesterday we left the house early and traveled two hours to spend Palm Sunday at Northview Church, just outside of Asheville, NC.  It was a great day and I was thankful to have some fellowship with Pastor Russ Johnson and his family after the service and hear his heart to reach the city of Asheville--a city that is very much a unique monster all its own--a city that loves trees and pets more than God--but a city that God loves and Christ gave His life for.  

A friend asked us how the children's ministry was, and Tasha and I both responded almost in unison, "It must have been awesome because Zeke didn't cry, and he always cries for the first two minutes."  Props to Northview's children's ministry!

Our friend, Stephen Janes came and joined us for a three-piece acoustic set.  Stephen plays a killer djembe and his love for Jesus is contagious. We played:

1. Everlasting God (Brenton Brown)

2. Marvelous Light (Charlie Hall)

3. Come Thou Fount (trad.)

4. The Wonder of This Sight (Vias)

5. Give Us Clean Hands (Charlie Hall)

3.29.09

Sunday was exhausting, but rewarding. We led at Ridge Church in Matthews both morning and evening. Sunday morning we led with Brandon Berg, Skylar McNabb, Brett Banks and Trenton Starnes--all great guys who really love Jesus.

We played:
1. Send Your Healing (J & T)
2. At the Cross (Pocket Full of Rocks)
3. The Stand* (Hillsong)
4. Came to My Rescue (Hillsong)

*Prior to leading The Stand, I shared briefly from Joshua 24:14-15, where Joshua comes to the end of his life and draws a line in the sand for his family declaring, "as for me and my household, we will serve the Lord." And it's interesting that he made this declaration at the end of his life since he was on his way out. Yet, he still understood that in the remaining hours of his life he still had a responsibility to lead his family--to lead them to follow the Lord unwaveringly--no matter what the rest of the people decided to do. In the midst of foreign gods, and things that beckoned for the attention and affection of the people, Joshua said they were going to follow Yahweh all of their days. I challenged the people to do the same. To stand for and with their families for the cause of Christ--no matter what the rest of the world does--no matter what their friends do--no matter how difficult it may get at times--no matter what they may get labeled as. It doesn't matter. We've got to stand for truth--God's truth. In the midst of a world that has raised the middle finger to God, we've got to stand for Him.

On Sunday night we had a full night of worship. It was a great night. Andy Cherry, Sara Scott and myself shared in the leadership. Tasha, Scott Spruill, Tim Morrison, and Brett Banks also shared in the evening. A ton of friends came out to support the night and an offering was taken to go toward various mission endeavors, both at home and abroad.

Our never-ending setlist included:
1. Salvation Rising (J & T)
2. Center of It All (Tim Hughes)
3. Indescribable (Laura Story)
4. Mighty to Save (Hillsong)
5. Faithful (Steve Fee and Kristian Stanfill)
6. Holy (Andy Cherry)
7. Carried to the Table (Leeland)
8. Your Love is Strong (Jon Foreman)
9. Amazing Grace/Chains are Gone (Tomlin)
10. I Stand Amazed/How Marvelous

Beyond All Measure

My awesome friend, Wes McMurray just wrote a book called Beyond All Measure. And without even having read it, I can tell you that you're going to want to add this one to your library. I'm stoked to read it. Wes is an extremely gifted communicator and teacher of God's Word, and without question has written a masterpiece of a book for the Christian life.

Wes and I have been friends since our days at Southeastern Seminary where we met in a small ethics class where he and I, both clad with tight band t's, chucks, and Dickie's book satchels, stood out like sore thumbs among a room full of Baptist Polo pretty-boys. Thus began our back-row friendship that has now blossomed into a full-on ministry partnership. Just two months ago, we teamed up to lead a winter retreat at The Master's Inn in Altavista, VA, where Wes single-handedly stunned a room full of high school and middle school students with his uncanny ability to capture and hold their attention with random humor, incredible biblical insight and exposition, and, lest we forget, his insanely-impressive stupid human tricks.

Wes will be having a book signing on April 18 at the Joyful Noise on Franklin Blvd. in Gastonia, NC. You won't be sorry for carving out time that day to attend, buy a copy of his book to help support their amazing family of four, and get your copy signed. I love supporting local artists and authors, especially ones who have devoted their lives to Jesus Christ and to proclaiming the Gospel. Wes is that guy.

Macon Waves

The past few days have been really exciting. We just returned yesterday from Macon, GA where we've been ministering. Sunday morning we led worship for the student ministries of Ingleside Baptist Church. We took the band with us--Andy Cherry, Tim Morrison, and Terrance Key. These guys were awesome and in spite of Andy coming down with strep throat Saturday night and all of them functioning on very little sleep, they did a fantastic job. We led 2 worship sets, one at 9:30 for middle school and one at 11:00 for high school. Bill Stanley was the guest speaker and did a phenomenal job. During the 9:30 worship service the fire alarm went off just as we were about to take the stage (something that has never happened in the 2 years that my buddy Fred Broome has been the middle school pastor there)! We finally got back in and had to cut the set short, but it all ended up well. The morning was pitched as a camp preview weekend, sort of a teaser I guess you could say, since we'll also be leading worship for Ingleside's summer camp in a few months. And in spite of the chaos of the fire alarm incident, a ton of kids signed up for camp.

The band headed back Sunday afternoon, but Tasha and I and the kids stayed for a few extra days to chill with Fred and Lindsey Broome and then to lead their college group on Tuesday night. We led worship and then I preached a message from Psalm 51 called "What God Desires"--a message about brokenness. I felt pretty good about the night. A really cool highlight was hanging out with the college students afterward and meeting a handful of guys who are all worship leaders in various contexts. We talked for awhile and I encouraged them to continue doing what they're doing--sharing the Gospel through word and song. It was a cool moment standing there with them in a circle and realizing that this group of young artists very possibly could be the next group to shake middle Georgia with the Gospel and make waves for the kingdom of God. In that moment, I realized again why we do what we do and why I love it so much.

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.