Refresh

Seems like I'm continually tinkering with the site layout here. I've reverted to a simpler layout for the time being. It's refreshing to have a fresh start.

I didn't initially intend to say anything more that I just did-same blog, new look, thanks very much. However...as I thought about the idea of being refreshed, a song that I've listened to off and on recently came to mind. It's on the most recent Passion cd and it's called "Come to the Water."

The basic idea of the song? An invitation to come to the God (who offers the water of life) because "We believe You will satisfy / You bring our hearts to life."

I don't know about you, but I need that kind of refreshment every single day. Praise God that it's offered to us!

A Moody Response

I came across this short anecdote and couldn't help but share it! It was definitely convicting for me because I'm so often quick to criticize when I probably should address my own shortcomings. Anyways, the story is about the evangelist Dwight L. Moody:

"One day a lady criticized D. L. Moody for his methods of evangelism in attempting to win people to the Lord. Moody's reply was "I agree with you. I don't like the way I do it either. Tell me, how do you do it?" The lady replied, "I don't do it." Moody responded "I like my way of doing it better than your way of not doing it."

Wow. Talk about a truth bomb. God, help me to obey you and your commands first instead of trying to hold others to your standards hypocritically. 

Monday Setlist- 03/18/13

It's been a while since I did this kind of update, but I led worship this past week at Navs and thought I could kill two birds with one stone: update the blog and talk about one of my favorite subjects :)

That subject is worship music, and specifically NEW worship music. At Navs this week Mikey spoke on generosity, and so I picked songs that talked about God's love for us and our response. That's where generosity needs to start for us.

Something I've been chewing on recently is that everything we do should be done out of overflow. We not only love because He first loved us: we have compassion because we were shown compassion, we comfort because we've been comforted, we forgive because we've been forgiven, etc. Being generous is no different. We need to start with how generous God has been towards us.

I introduced a new song this week: "Once and For All" from the latest Passion cd. The chorus is a simple statement of our beliefs as Christians. There's something powerful about declaring something in song, together, that people have believed for millennia (from the Nicene and Apostles' creeds and beyond). The chorus says:

We believe our God is Jesus
We believe that he is Lord
We believe that he has saved us
From sin and death
Once and for all

Simple, beautiful, and True.


Here's the rest of the setlist.

1. "Blessed Be Your Name" by Matt Redman-(A)
2. "One Thing Remains" by Brian Johnson and Jeremy Riddle [Jesus Culture]-(A)
3. "Once and For All by Chris Tomlin-(G)
4. "Lord I Give You My Heart" by Reuben Morgan [Hillsong]-(G)
5. "Surrender" by Marc James [Vineyard]-(G)

Sunset

So much has changed in the months(!!!) since I updated last! And the crazy exciting part is that it doesn't show any signs of slowing down. There are some big shifts and updates on the horizon and I can't wait to share all about them!

That's part of the reason I'm re-activating this blog: it'll be nice to have a venue other than Facebook to put some stuff out there in the hopes of keeping you up-to-date on all the changes.

I'm kinda just coming up with the idea as I'm typing, but maybe a few posts focusing that each focus on a different aspect of the recent updates would be good. I dunno, we'll see. Expect to hear some more from me here though! (*fingers crossed*)

Navs FB Group and Emails

Soooooo it's been a little while since I've updated the blog. Specifically, it's been since April. I seem to go through cycles like that with my blog, my journal, really any kind of regular writing that I have to do. Don't know why, but it just seems to happen. 

But I'm back. I'll be updating the blog semi-regularly, even if it's just to post snippets and have short updates. 

There are two resources I'd like to direct you to, though. This blog doesn't quite have the reach that my ministry group on facebook does, so I'm planning on shifting updates relating specifically to Navs at CSULB to that blog and to monthly emails I'll be sending out.  

So first of all, here's the link to that Facebook group if you aren't a part of it: ---> Josh's Navigator Ministry at CSULB <---

And second, here's a form where you can sign up for my emails if you don't already get them: ---> My MailChimp Navs Prayer Updates <---

Thanks for your support! Look for this blog to be updated more regularly! Promise! :)

Forgiveness is a Choice

Lisa Gungor (from Gungor! haha) shares on forgiveness and letting go in a beautiful post over at the Worship Together Blog: "What rock are you holding tight in your fist?"

Sunday Setlist- 04/15/12

This weekend I had the privilege to lead worship at Centenary United Methodist Church in Modesto, CA, with a group of amazingly talented friends. The core of the band (Rachel, Brian, Christopher, and myself) is the same as the group that led worship for our regional Navigator conference back in the Fall, and the new additions (Peter and Katie) are welcome ones :)

As we thought about where to take the set and planned it out, Rachel and I chose to concentrate on God's name. Isaiah 26:8 has been a guiding verse this past year. It says:

In the path of your judgements,
O LORD, we wait for you;
your name and remembrance
are the desire of our soul. (ESV)

We also aimed to mix more familiar songs with newer songs. The thread that ran through the songs then was opening with adoration and blessing God's name, singing and shouting his name, exalting him as the Name Above All Names, declaring that our hearts will sing no other name, and literally singing and extolling his name again before closing with a request to stir us up again.

1. "Blessed be Your Name" by Matt Redman (A)
2. "At Your Name" by Tim Hughes and Phil Wickham (A)
3. "How Great is Our God" by Chris Tomlin (A)


4. "Forever Reign" by Hillsong (B)
5. "Your Name" by Paul Baloche (B)


6. "Consuming Fire" by Tim Hughes (E)
7. "Come Thou Fount" (E)




The weekend was both a ton of fun and very successful! Thanks to everyone that helped make it happen!