TasteOfTaylor

The Switch To Tumblr

2010-10-26T10:45:00.000-07:00

So from now on, I'll be posting primarily to my Tumblr blog.

Check it out!

Busy, Busy, Busy

2010-10-26T10:35:00.001-07:00

The next two weeks are going to be a couple of the most crazy ones I’ve had in a very long time. I’m headed up to Florida with my Marine Biology class, then going towards upstate South Carolina for band practice for a youth conference I’m leading worship at, and when you throw in church, friends, and family time, you’ve got yourself a serious need for some Red Bulls.

Don’t get me wrong, I absolutely LOVE being busy, but I find myself losing time for Bible reading or even prayer, and it’s right about then when I ask God, “Why am I too busy on this stuff to spend time with You?”, and that’s generally when I realize that’s exactly what I’m doing: making myself too busy for God.

Lord, let me not crowd my days with so much that I put You in second place. I want You to be the solitary focus of every one of my days. Until forever. Amen.

Walks In The Rain

2010-09-29T23:55:00.000-07:00

So I should probably be working on an English paper that's due this Friday right now, but I'm a little busy keeping this blog updated.

Figures.

So the other day, I was reading on Misty Edward's Facebook wall how she likes going for walks in the rain because she loves to hear "Heaven's symphony play her name in melodious thunder." Well quite honestly, I was curious to know what she meant. I've always respected her relationship with God, so I knew that I had to try it. Just once.

But now I'm hooked.

I absolutely love walking in the rain while praying now. It's such an awesome experience to pray and seek God's attributes in nature as I feel the water flow down my face. I can't really compare it to anything else I've ever done. I'm hoping to open the door to God's divine favor in my life by showing Him that I mean business. For real.

I look at those prominent figures of the Bible, and how they were constantly proving they meant business to God by spending time seeking after Him, so I figured I should do the same. I mean, It's hard sometimes to keep leading worship when I can't seem to see the immediate fruits of my labor. Occasionally, I'll even wonder if doing all that work of planning a set, making copies, and practicing music is really worth it. So as I continue to walk in the rain and seek after my True Love, I pray that He'll look down from Heaven and say, "Well done."

Keeping Silent

2010-09-21T15:42:00.000-07:00

It's extremely hard for me to be confrontational. I'm just not very good at it. It's almost like sometimes I won't even try to correct someone, or give my opinion in hopes to avoid a conflict.

This is a dangerous mindset to have, especially in today's highly opinionated society. Generally speaking: if you don't know the facts on an issue, then chances are you won't be entirely convicted by it, and you'll be blown around like the seeds of a dandelion by all the hot air blowing round about you.

That's why recently, I've found it easier to stay quiet around people, and let everyone else give their opinion before I put in my two-cents. That way, I can take the time to establish my opinions or gather my facts before looking like someone who is ignorant about something. The hard truth? I don't know everything. Which is why during many of the discussions my class holds during Philosophy, I stay quiet. It's not that I don't have an opinion about the topic at hand, but I would rather someone think that I'm keeping my thoughts to myself, rather than having to improvise a bunch of statements that might not necessarily be my true convictions on it.

Good thing the Good Book backs me up on this. Proverbs says that even fools are thought to be wise when they keep silent. Now Mama didn't raise no fool, so if I apply this principle to my life, how much can I find myself in the shoes of a wise man?

Is it hard for you to keep silent sometimes? Why?

Salt, Coffee, and Lady GaGa

2010-09-15T23:55:00.000-07:00

Hello. My name is Taylor and I used to be addicted to Lady GaGa.

Ok, well, not exactly addicted, but I used to listen some of her songs every once in a while. Along with a HUGE variety of other secular and mainstream artists.

The other day, I went out for some coffee with Pastor Blake to discuss the worship set for an approaching Wednesday night. However, we soon found ourselves talking about different kinds of music and soon after that, about the kind of music we should/shouldn't listen to.

Now before you go off thinking that he's one of those pastors that believes that rock music is the devil, let me explain: he talked about a pile of pepper.

Imagine you have a pile of pepper in the middle of a table.

Occasionally (not often, but sometimes) you place a grain of salt in the pile. Maybe not everyday, but perhaps once a week, or every few days.

Pretty soon, it will be impossible to distinguish between the pepper and the salt. Impossible.

Now just think: if we profess to be Christs' followers, but jam out to certain music, or watch certain movies, what does that say about our walk with Him?

Can those grains of salt mix so thoroughly with our pile of pepper, that soon it will be impossible to see Christ in us?

What Is Worship To You? (part three)

2010-09-09T15:06:00.000-07:00

A few weeks ago, as I was planning a worship set for Driven, I starting thinking about the whole idea of worship. Questions such as, "What is worship to you?", and "Why should I even do it?" soon crowded inside my head. Then I started thinking about a book I had read about four months ago entitled, "Exploring Worship". In the book, Bob Sorge (the author) suggests that worship can be described by these actions. My goal in this article is to describe worship with the help of a CUP. CUP, (not an actual cup, but an acronym) being comfort, unlimited blessings, and protection.

My first point, is that worship opens the doors to divine comforting. It's no secret that none of us live perfect lives, so everyone can use a little comfort sometime in our lives. Paul and Silas could relate to that. These guys we're sharing the love of Jesus, when all of a sudden they get thrown in prison. The slammer. The rock. I'd say they could use a little comfort right about then. So the two started singing praises to God and worshiping His name, when all of a sudden, the prison gates flew open. To make a long story short, they we're released, and a prison guard came to salvation. The men found comfort in their time of need when they gave everything to God, and surrendered all control to him. A friend of mine, Erin Cox, said to me once, "Worship is when you get intimate with God fully, and you block out everything from the day, and everything from the world."

Second, worship gives us unlimited access to God's blessings. When I think of my dream life, I start off with a nice car. After thinking about my 1968 Shelby GT, I then start dreaming up this three story mansion, and then finish up with tons of sweet tech gadgets to fill my time up with. Well guess what: King Solomon already stole my dream. That's right. He's a dream stealer. This guy had a heart after God, (much like his father, David) and so therefore, when God asked Solomon what he wanted from Him, this guy said wisdom. So because Solomon was humble enough before God, and didn't ask for extravagant things that might have made him look like a god to his people, he was given tremendous wealth.

Finally, my third point is that worship allows God's protection to run rampant in our lives. I'm sure we've all heard about Joshua and the walls of Jericho. In Joshua Chapter 6, we see just how powerful, and effective our praise can be. But there has to be some deep, spiritual system they must have done. Let's look: The priests blew the horn, the people marched, and they all offered Jericho as a Holy Offering to God. That’s it. No secret meetings, no fancy techniques, just worship to God. If they pulled down walls with their worship, imagine what God-centered worship can do in your life.

What Is Worship To You? (part two)

2010-08-31T20:47:00.000-07:00

For the second part of this three-part series, "What Is Worship To You?", I couldn't think of a better way to express what worship is, then finding out some interesting things from someone who loves worship almost as much as I do. So tonight I was able to snag an interview from Art Dantzler, a local worship leader at Summerville Family Worship Center.

Art Dantzler was born in Charleston, South Carolina, and has lived around that area for all of his life. He attended Summerville High School, and currently works at Southeastern Trucking. He has been "leading people into worship" at SFWC for about two years, but has been playing guitar with them for quite a bit longer. Here's a little bit about Art that you may not have known:

1.) What is worship to you?

- "Worship, is allowing the Temple of God to be in a state of being completely filled by Him."

2.) When did you first start leading worship?

- "I started leading worship about two years ago at Summerville Family Worship Center."

3.) What's the funniest thing that's ever happened to you on stage?

- "Forgetting the words to songs."

4.) What's your favorite bible verse?

- "Proverbs 3:5, which says "Trust in the Lord with ALL your heart, and lean not on your own understanding"."

5.) Tell us the hardest thing about leading worship.

- "Definitely working with people."

6.) What's you're favorite thing about leading worship?

- "It's when the Holy Spirit takes over our program, and God takes over our songs."

7.) Let's talk about something you've learned this past year about leading worship.

- Well, I've learned that's it's not about me. The more we try to put ourselves into our worship, the more God has to humble us. And you have to stay connected with God, otherwise, when you get up on stage to play, it's not always good."

8.) What would you say to encourage rising worship leaders?

- Study, pray, and be one with God. Then, He can lead you into a new level of worship."

9.) Do you have a favorite worship song to lead?

- "I guess it's "Everlasting God", because it talks about our strength rising with God's help."

What Is Worship To You? (part one)

2010-08-29T19:43:00.000-07:00

I NEED EVERYONE'S HELP!

Check out this video on YouTube and post a comment below it.

Here's the link.

I'll be posting the second part to this three part series this coming Thursday (September 2). The Third, and final part will be posted next Thursday (September 9).

Thanks everyone for your support!

You May Say I'm A Dreamer...

2010-08-18T13:22:00.001-07:00

Integrity

n. A concept that has to do with perceived consistency of actions, values, methods, measures, principles, expectations and outcome.

So last night I had a dream.

I was working in a restaurant, and all the tables are scattered around the room. My goal was to put all the chairs back at their tables. There were tables that sat four chairs, and those who sat six. So I put all the chairs back at their appropriate tables, with the exception of one. For some reason I couldn't find out where to put the last chair.

I put it up against the wall, and right next to it stood a man who started making fun of me for some reason. I ignored him, but somehow, I knew that he would tell my boss that I cussed him out. I remember feeling so scared that my boss would believe him over me, so I started worrying. And right about here is where I started to hear the phrase "Your integrity is going to be tested".

In the meantime, someone eventually showed me where the last chair was supposed to go, so don't worry too much about that.

I've been praying that when this test of integrity comes, that I won't fail. I don't know when it will come, but when it does I'll be sure to keep you guys posted!

Stunting Worship By Leaving Out Smells?

2010-08-17T09:09:00.001-07:00

I just ran across an interesting article online.

In the article, the author suggests that maybe we're stunting our spiritual growth by leaving some things out of our worship. I believe that on some levels, he is correct, and maybe excluding certain things from our modern worship has affected our intimacy with God.

Personally, I am a huge "atmospheric worshiper''. My favorite prayer times are those sprinkled with dimmed lights, music playing in the background, and my arms thrown open to God in total surrender. No, I don't think my worship is hindered when the lights are all turned on fully, nor do I think that God doesn't hear me when there is no music behind my prayers. But I'm sure everyone has their own preference when it comes to stuff like that.

If you agree or even disagree with his idea, I would love to hear your take on it. Post a comment below!

Senior Picture Revelation

2010-08-16T09:40:00.000-07:00

Today I took my senior pictures.

O. M. G.

It seems like just yesterday, I was standing outside on the brick wall waiting for my mom to come pick me up from the car riders lane in 6th grade. But when I look back at all of my school years up to this point, I can safely say that I don't have any regrets. I know that each individual experience that I've had in my life has been sent from God to shape me into the man I am today. There's no bad grade, scary consequence, or even stupid choice that I would hit the "re-do" button for. He knew I would make them, receive them, and choose them even before I did.

And I'm grateful.

I wonder what He's got in store for me next...

Thoughts On dreamBIG 2010

2010-08-15T11:54:00.001-07:00

This years dreamBIG 2010 was amazing! We had a great turnout, and it seemed like several lives were touched. The best part about the whole weekend? Students gave their lives to Christ.

That's what it's all really about. Yes the lights, music, and even sermons are great, but if we put all our time simply into the production side of our service, then we may just find that our planning hasn't been very productive.

It's so easy to plan, plan, plan, and forget to surrender, surrender, surrender. I think many times we forget that it's really God and His Spirit that are in control of our services, so we tend to want to make everything just right and almost perfect. The moment we turn over the service to God, He'll make everything work out.

Pastor Blake's Last Service

2010-07-28T23:22:00.000-07:00

dreamBIG 2010 Update

2010-07-27T09:13:00.001-07:00

www.driven-youth.com

"A Beautiful Exchange" Free Song Giveaway

2010-06-30T09:17:00.000-07:00

The new album from Hillsong Live was released to the masses on June 29, 2010. How would you like three FREE tracks straight off the album?

All you have to do is start following this blog, or if you already are following, just contact me with your e-mail address, and I'll email you the link to download your three FREE tracks off Hillsong Live's new CD "A Beautiful Exchange."

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Ideas From ForwardCon2010

2010-06-27T19:08:00.000-07:00

For the past few days I've had the amazing opportunity to attend Forward Conference 2010. This was my third year going, and I still look in awe at the work that God is doing through Free Chapel, and the souls that are being touched as a result of this conference.

By now you all know me.

I'm big on not only the spiritual side of worship, but also the production thereof. So below I've gathered my top 10 "points of interest" from the technical side of worship this weekend:

• Outline squares with tape on a black table to hold and label the mics and wireless packs.

• Tons of movement on stage! There was lots of smiles, jumping, and hand raising.

• Everyone in the band wore dark colors. Nothing bright, flashy, or loud.

• Hand signals to tell musicians hold out a loud ending. (I.e. loud cymbals, constant guitar strumming)

• Have a vocalist sing a song in the set, but make it their own. (adding vocal trills, or alternate melodies)

• Only the person leading the song should give vocal cues, or exhortations. If they can't give an exortation, they shouldn't be leading the song.

• The soundboard is on the left side of the stagealong with the power amps to the mains and subs. Thus making it easy to communicate from the stage to the soundman or vice versa.

• At the closing of the sermon, the keyboard player came up and played softly, followed by the rest of the band a little later.

• The speaker always had a different mic than the lead singer.

• Pull back mic stands, and music stands when the speaker goes up to speak.

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Back To The Basics

2010-06-23T13:07:00.001-07:00

I am waiting in anxious anticipation for tonights service.

We've been having some serious sond issues fr the past few weeks, and so after long hours (and yes I mean hours) of prayer, I've decided to do the whole set a capella. Everyone without mics and my guitar without an amp.

I really feel like if everyone focuses on what should already be the focus of our worship, that tonight will be one of the most intimate encounters with God that they've ever experienced.

I'll shoot a post out tonight about the results!

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Facebook is a Tool for Evangelism?

2010-06-20T20:25:00.000-07:00

I bet Paul never imagined sitting at his house and e-mailing people the good news of Christ.

I've spent the past two hours witnessing to a lot of my friends via Facebook. This has been an incredibly interesting experience for me, and a faith growing one at that.

It all started with a video that Elizabeth showed me a few days ago. And that was it. I was convicted.

So I started reaching out to my old middle school friends that I'd lost communications with with the love of Christ. Asking them if I'd ever told them how to become a Christian. The crazy part? Out of the 53 people I messaged, 8 replied back with the same answer: no.

I was shattered. I couldn't believe that I had never shared my faith with any of them,. I felt terrible. So I plan on continuing my quest of sharing the gospel. Thank you Facebook for giving us disciples of Christ another medium for evangelizing!

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Vote For Me Now! (http://bit.ly/9aR31T)

2010-06-16T19:02:00.000-07:00

I'm trying to get into the finals of a talent contest called "Lowcountry Talent". Vote for me now at this place. Thanks!

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New Songs

2010-06-14T09:54:00.000-07:00

So I'm finally out of my song writing funk.

It took a while (about four months) but I'm finally out of it.

I've got a couple new songs, and I'm pretty proud of them.

They're about relationships and change.

I wonder if I'll do anything with them..

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Peace with an Acoustic Guitar

2010-06-02T22:50:00.000-07:00

Never underestimate the power of an acoustic worship set. It's amazing how the Spirit can move and minister when there aren't drums, or synthesizers, or guitar riffs drowning out God's Voice.

We had an acoustic set this Wednesday because I found out at 10:30 last night, that our drummer had to take some time off because of some work issues. Needless to say: I'm stressed and he's upset he had to quit.

I tried to focus tonights' worship on peace. Psalm 29:11 and Colossians 3:15 were two scriptures I had Eric put up on the screen during the alter call to really hit home the point of peace. I would sing a portion of a song, then pause for him to put the scripture on the screen. After a few seconds, I would continue the song, and let the Spirit flow from there.

We shouldn't let our pride get in the way of our worship and think that we can't be good without a drummer or piano player. When we stop trying to be good (to a certain extent), and start trying to please God with our worship, we can fully experience His love like never before!

iStatements For My Faith

2010-04-20T16:38:00.000-07:00

"iStatements" are a collection of statements that deeply describe one's views about something, and give insight to what your views are concerning this particular topic. The following "iStatements" are specifically about my faith:

1. Jesus Christ is the only way to heaven.

2. The Word of God (bible) is absolute and relevant truth.

3. Speaking in Tongues is a sign of being filled with the Spirit, but not the only one.

4. God is still divinely healing people today.

5. Water Baptism is necessary outward expression of faith that is an important step in our walk of salvation.

Re-Introduction of Sorts

2010-04-17T06:15:00.000-07:00

Please allow me to re-introduce myself. My name is Taylor Clyde. I'm 17 years old and I attend Faith Christian School. Here's a little bit of information you need to know in order to understand my walk with Christ:

My household growing up has always been influenced by Christian principles. This Christian upbringing has shaped me into the Christ-like young man I am. I started serving the Lord at the age of seven, but it wasn't until around age sixteen that I truly started living for God. There are three things that have shaped me into the man I am today: getting in a serious relationship with a girl, my encounter weekend, and finding a mentor.

We've all heard the phrase: "You don't know what you've got till it's gone". Well, the same can be said about the things you don't have yet. It wasn't until I found myself about a year into my relationship with Elizabeth Pangalangan that I fully understood why Paul says that it's easier to be single that to have to watch over two peoples walk of salvation. Don't get me wrong, but sometimes it would be a little easier if I only had to keep myself in check. At the same time however, I reflect upon the verse that says "Iron sharpens iron", and I am encouraged to lift her up in all that she does.

I had never experienced God in a real, and tangible way before. This is no to say that I didn't want to, I suppose I had just never been at that spiritual level before. Then in October of 2009 it happened. It was the single most amazing thing I had ever experienced. I finally did it. I encountered God. To the average person, it probably just looked like another Christian bowing in worship, but I know that I was
so much more. I knew that in that Encounter Weekend, I had surrendered every part of myself to God,and that event has still acted as a catalyst for my walk of salvation.

Henry Blake and I met at the church we both currently attend, and I'm so glad we did. He was acting as an assistant youth pastor, and was the head of our discipleship program. We both got to talking, and soon after I asked him to mentor me. I had seen the respect with which he talked to people, and the way he studied his Word, and those are the kind of qualities I wanted to have in my life. So to this very day, we call each other up on the phone just to check in, and see how each others day went, and he usually encourages me, and keeps me accountable to staying in the Word and praying with God.

No matter what I might say, I am so grateful for the things God has put in my life that have helped shape me into the man I am today. I'm surrounded by good, Christian friends, I attend a bible-believing church, and my parents are both wonderful role models. There is never a day that goes by in which I don't give Him some appreciation for the things He has blessed me with. He is such a great God!

Micah 6:8

2010-03-14T18:03:00.000-07:00

Here's an old video I shot a while back.

Feel free to post your comments on YouTube below the video!

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PHvBjCcYFC4

Sunday Morning Reflections

2010-03-14T16:25:00.001-07:00

Brittany Martin sang Heal The Wound. It was spectacular.
All it takes is one little look, and then your distracted.
Sweet tea in your cereal? Apparently it's good.
What place are you at (Act 10).
If you want to fight Satan, make sure your in the Valley of the Oak. The one with strong tree. His name is Jesus.
"Salivate-ing" is not a word no matter how hard you try to make it work.
Be careful what you take hold of from your past; it can kill you.
Acts 9:9-23
My pastor can say "chillen" on stage, and not think twice about it.
Laudable though the desire might be; the results may be criticized.

Prom 2010

2010-03-13T17:40:00.000-08:00

Some Thoughts on Fear

2010-03-11T19:37:00.000-08:00

Fear

v. to be anxious about a particular event or situation

I fear not being good enough. I'm not one of those depressive people that tries to hog everyones attention and focus on my flaws, but sometimes I really do find myself struggling with the question of "am I good enough". It's not until I take the focus off of myself and zoom in on Christ that I can truly start feeling better about myself.

The bible talks a lot about fear. In fact, there is one devotional book that talks specifically about fearing less, and over at Thoughts of Elizabeth Pangalangan, Elizabeth has been posting each devotional right onto her blog. My all time favorite verse that deals with fear can be found in Psalm 27. This verse asks the simple question "whom shall I fear". When we look back at scriptures like Romans 8:31 and Jeremiah 17:7, we can be that much more at peace with the fact that as long as we are walking with Christ, we have nothing to fear!

Here's a great quote for you: “Each time we face our fear, we gain strength, courage, and confidence in the doing.” I absolutely hate trying to do something I'm afraid to do. But once I do them, more often than not I find I like doing them, and tend to want to do them again. Like when I first started leading worship in Driven. I was terrified to sing and play in front of all those people for the first time. But now that I've done it...well... just try to stop me!

Wednesday Night Reflections

2010-03-10T17:53:00.001-08:00

Tonights service was amazing! We switched up the schedule, and put worship after the Word, and I love it! It gave us ample time to praise God, but then shift right into the alter call which kept everyone in the mood of worship.

P. Blake's Main Verse: John 20:24-25.
Fred Hammond is awesome.
We can't focus on the normal view of love, we must focus of Christ's love for us.

10 Google Wave Invites

2010-03-09T17:30:00.000-08:00

If you've never heard of Google Wave, it's the newest product produced by Google that is combining tools like e-mail and IM into one perfect little package. It allows for easier communication between way more people than modern e-mail can provide for. Right now, you can only access the site by invitation and I have ten (10) invites that I am giving away.

The first ten people that not only follow A Taste of Taylor, but also contact me by e-mail expressing an interest for the invitation, will win. If your already following the blog then all you have to do is e-mail me! Good luck!

Keeping Your House Clean

2010-03-08T13:06:00.000-08:00

Pastor Blake and I were talking earlier about the importance of praying off unclean spirits that may try to attach themselves to you. This is vitally important when dealing with a group of people, in my case, DWB. The other night at band practice, one of our vocalists came in struggling with something. Well, we all prayed about it, and you can read about it here. If we are to function as a part of an effective team, we have to make sure we are all on one accord. If just one of us is not in sync with the Spirit, we are all off.

We also talked about how important it is to pray off any unclean spirits that try to stick to us in our homes. Let's say you have a dispute about something in your workplace. If you find that you and your wife are having a fight after you get home and you have no idea how it happened, you may want to start praying these spirits off before walking in your house.

Apathy

2010-03-07T19:41:00.000-08:00

Apathy

adj. an absence of emotion or enthusiasm

I'm having one of those moments.

I'm not too sure why, but it's probably because a few bad decisions on my part.

Why am I so selfish?

Why do I only care about my own gratification?

This sin that is within me has to go.

The feeling we both shared has come and gone, and I want it back.

I could tell You anything, but know I know You aren't listening.

Every time this happens, and yes it's not the first time, I get this feeling.

It's not fair and it never has been.

The only thing that can happen know is to move forward.

The only way to go is up.

Because with all the choices I'm making, I can only press onward from here.

Name Changes

2010-03-05T19:36:00.000-08:00

You've probably never heard of the "Marafuku Company", but you've heard of Nintendo. You've probably never heard of "Brad's Drink", but you've heard of Pepsi-Cola. You've probably never heard of "Backrub". But you've heard of Google.

All of these companies went through a name change. They realized their old name wasn't describing their business very well, so they spiced things up. This is precisely what God does with us. He takes us through a number of name changes. When we first start our walk with Christ, we have a name. Shortly afterwards, Christ finds that our old name is no longer what describes us, so He re names us.

What an awesome thing to no longer be called "failure", but champion. What an awesome thing to no longer be called "useless", but a part of the body of Christ. What an awesome thing to no longer be called "alone", but dwelling with Christ.

Pocket Full of Rocks "More Than Noise"

2010-03-02T13:57:00.001-08:00

With a name like Pocket Full of Rocks, it's not easy to overlook this American-based band, and one listen to their newest album "More Than Noise" will get you hooked. Front man Michael Farren pulls out all the stops once again with new songs like "Let Our God Be Praised" and "When Love Whispers Your Name". One notable part of this album is the rather ambient version of Farren's "Let It Rain" (made famous by Michael W. Smith) which sounds much like a Kid Cudi cover.

From a worship leader's perspective, the words found on this album are strong. The focus is clearly on worship, but the songs still maintain a rocking beat that everyone can enjoy. On the Taylor's Tasteful Tunes scale, this album gets a pocket full of 8.

Shows the greater sacrifice/Freely giving up His life/And for my pardon trade His majesty/Oh the wonder/Holy wonder/Beauty like the world has never seen /Is Your love for me/Is Your love for me/With every breathe and every song I sing/I echo back Your love for me.

~From the song "Your Love For Me"

"Examining Exams: An Examination"

2010-03-01T17:46:00.000-08:00

This week at FCS, we're having our trimester exams. The purpose of these exams are to ensure that we have been taught to the fullest and are actually taking in what the teachers are giving out.

Many of us tend to look at all exams in a negative way, and so naturally we have negative feelings about them. However, when examining our faith, we should look at it as a blessing. Paul tells us in 2 Corinthians 13 that we should constantly check ourselves so that we can know for sure that we are in the faith.

When we look at things in a positive way, often times we find that not only do we feel happier, but we feel more confidant in the things that we are doing!

When I'm Frustrated...

2010-02-26T12:16:00.001-08:00

Like anyone else, I can safely say that not everything in my life goes exactly the way I want it to. But what do I do when things don't match up like I think they ought to? Do I get mad at the world, and pout? Do I constantly complain until until I get my way? Do I display a lack of self-control and throw things?

Everyone deals with frustration in their own way. Personally, I don't throw things, I usually don't complain, and I try to look at the positive side of things. Yes, I am a "half-full" kind of guy. I like to think that everything that happens in life is a blessing in disguise. Wishful thinking? Maybe, but I believe it.

Here's a list of three things that you can do when you get frustrated:

1.) Walk away from everything you are currently doing in a manor that isn't giving off negative vibes, and keep silent for at least 3 minutes.

2.) Separate from the situation and do something you absolutely love doing for at least 5 minutes.

3.) Finally, learn what kinds of things frustrate you, and try not to be the cause of these situations. If it arises, try to change the subject.

The key is not to give up! As soon as we realize that we can do anything we put our minds to, the easier it will be to live out God's plan for our lives, and learn how to stay positive about anything that comes our way!

Breaking Up With Christ

2010-02-25T08:50:00.000-08:00

In Chemistry, in order for one element to break up another set of elements, it has to be stronger than one of them. We measure the element's strength by an "Activity Series". Similarly, in our walk with Christ, in order for Satan to separate Christ from us, he has to be stronger than one of us. Obviously, he isn't stronger than Christ, and if we examine the Word, we find that there is no way he is stronger than us.

We can measure our strength by the word of God. Since all scripture is truth and inspired by God, we can apply our lives to the bible and follow it's commandments so that we can know our own strength and what kind of weapons we are working with.

I had this little revelation while sitting in my Chemistry class this morning. It's amazing what the Holy Spirit can reveal to you when you least expect it!

Update on Last Nights Practice

2010-02-23T15:13:00.000-08:00

When you think of a church band practice, your mind would probably take you to images of a group of musicians playing and singing together. From now on, I think of a collection of unified souls praising their Everlasting Father.

I say this, because last night at DWB practice, we were about to kick off "Your Love Never Fails" by JesusCulture when Blake called us all into our green room so that we can all pray for Patty. I thank God daily for men like Blake that not only are sensitive to the Holy Spirit, but are also followers of the instruction that He gives, because the Holy Spirit began to reveal things to each of us, that we thought no one else knew. Blessings were spoken, spiritual confirmations were made, and I can hardly wait to see the power that is going to be unleashed this Wednesday night!

Keep Your Wits About You

2010-02-20T06:17:00.001-08:00

My father is a very hard working man. So naturally, when he gives me advice, I tend to want to listen to what he says. This morning he gave me a simple phrase as an encouragement: "Keep your wits about you". I've compiled the conversation into three key points:

1.) It's so easy to get caught up in the hustle and bustle of leadership or even just everyday life, and forget to think for a split second, and do something dumb that you will probobly regret.

2.) When you do anything, you should not only weigh the consequences, but also think about how the situation will or could play out.

3.) You shouldn't put yourself in a risky situation, because you never know what could cause you to get hurt, or how you could accidentally hurt someone else.

COGOP E-Newsletter

2010-02-19T12:16:00.000-08:00

Hey everyone, if you are interested in getting the info of things happening in the Church of God of Prophesy world, there is now a e-newsletter that is sent directly to your email. Such information as updates from Haiti, deaths of prominent pastors, and other useful info can be found inside. To subscribe click here.

SFWC Revival with Titus Anderson (night 1)

2010-02-18T17:16:00.000-08:00

Titus D. Anderson is an evangelist based out of the South-Eastern U.S. SFWC had the opportunity to host him tonight, and he will be with us for the next four days. Stop by and check it out! (Colossians 1:12-14; John 8:36)

Lessons From Warren Barfield

2010-02-17T16:38:00.000-08:00

Tonight SFWC had the privilege to host an unplugged Warren Barfield concert. I picked up some interesting things I thought I thought you might find interesting. I've composed them into a top five list.

1.) He would sing a part of a song, then let the audience sing it back to him. When they weren't loud enough he would exhort them into singing it just a little bit louder.

2.) He personalized the songs and added words like "Summerville" and other slang words that we recognized as relevant to our location.

3.) Cowboy boots are back in.

4,) He changed up the way he sang his most popular songs, so we wouldn't get bored.

5.) He shared interesting stories about his childhood and made us all laugh.

Oklahoma! (part two)

2010-02-17T14:26:00.000-08:00

Cast Update:
Curly: Taylor C.
Laurey: Emily S.
Aunt Eller: Grace T.
Will: Michael L.
Ado Annie: Jessica H.

Oklahoma! (part one)

2010-02-16T10:14:00.000-08:00

Today was the final day for auditioned for FCS's production of the Roger's and Hammerstein's Oklahoma! that will be on May 25. The whole vocal performance class has been teeming with excitement for the coming musical. I plan on publishing about four or five updates on the production so keep checking in for more info!

Tips On Leading A Modern Worship Team

2010-02-15T17:47:00.000-08:00

Everyone wants to be a part of an effective worship team, but the one that keeps God in the middle of their worship service is the truly efficient one. Here's a few tips that we've implemented within DWB that we find useful. Enjoy!

1. If a member of your team is not going to be able to make it to practice on time, then you need to have them call or text you. If they don't they shouldn't be able to be on stage at that particular event.

2. You should have a scriptural inspiration for your worship set. You'll find this will keep you all on one accord and flowing in the same direction.

3. Choose the set list for the whole month at least a month in advance. This will give your singers and musicians time to learn the music that they will be ministering through.

Snow in Summerville!

2010-02-12T18:44:00.000-08:00

I can't believe that we had snow today! Elizabeth and I went over to Blake's house to have some dinner and it was awesome! We had some amazing chili, watched the movie G.I.Joe, and had my first snowball fight! We also made our first snowman. Check him out!

9 "Must-Have's" To Be An Effective Worship Leader

2010-02-11T12:50:00.000-08:00

I'm certainly not saying that these are the only things that determine whether you are a good worship leader or not, but this is a great list. (from Bob Sorge)

1.) Must be a worshipper
2.) Must have a deep, spiritual walk with Christ
3.) Must be familiar with your church's style of worship
4.) Must be musically inclined to an acceptable level
5.) Must have a good reputation with the fellowship
6.) Must be able to function as a part of a team
7.) Must have a positive attitude towards the church
8.) Must be willing to commit himself to this position
9.) Must have an enthusiastic, warm personality

Owl City Concert: The Real Story

2010-02-05T17:00:00.000-08:00

I can't stand not doing everything right. Everytime God gives me a simple test it's like I failed it and fall flat on my face begging for forgiveness. I don't know why we couldn't all just be perfect little robots all doing the will of God sometimes. But wait. I guess that WOULD get boring.

Blake is an awesome mentor, because he always finds a way to get the point across without saying anything. He's got me reading a book called Exploring Worship and yes, if you follow my blog you'll know that I've been reading this book for a long time. But it's funny how things can just pop out at you. The other day Owl City was having a concert at the Music Farm in Charleston and I got tickets for Christmas. I was so excited to go, and a few days before I wanted to re-schedule band practice in order to allow me to attend (because the concert was on the same night as band practice). Well to make a long story short, Whitney (who is another amazing mentor talked with me, and we bother decided that it wasn't such a smart idea.

Bring the whole story back together again, the book that I'm reading talks about the very thing that I struggled with. The author suggests that a real worship leader won't put his team in second place. So case in point, if I would have just read the book like Blake had originally asked me to, I wouldn't have gotten into such a blunder. It's funny how the Holy Spirit works.

Exodus 15:2

2010-02-04T18:06:00.000-08:00

So Elizabeth found this verse today and gave it to me. It's an awesome verse!

"The Lord is my strength and my song; he has given me victory. This is my God, and I will praise him- my father’s God, and I will exalt him!"

English Class

2010-01-28T06:17:00.000-08:00

So. Here I am sitting in my English class and blogging. Wow! What a surprise. Were working on a paper on a character from The Glass Menagerie, and I'm not quite motivated enough to make an effort on it. Yesterday I starting working on a new song idea and the cool part is that it's written for piano. I like the fact that it has a Coldplay kinda feel and I'm excited to see where it goes!

Last night was the celebration party for Pastor Mark in The Zone and it was fun. There was free food, drinks, and lots of friends to keep me company. What more could you ask for?

Chapel is in a few minutes and I'm nervous, as usual. I'm hoping that blogging before it will calm me down. We're doing songs that I am very familiar with, so I doubt I'll forget the words, but who knows. To God be the glory!

2 Corinthians 12:9

2010-01-25T13:32:00.000-08:00

So Elizabeth and I's "verse of the week" is 2 Corinthians 12:9. This verse is uplifting to me, because I get weak. A lot. So for God's strength to be made perfect in my weakness, is such an amazing slice of "awesome pie". That's something to remember everytime I mess up in my walk with Christ.

Bcon 2010

2010-01-22T19:18:00.000-08:00

So today I had the opportunity to lead worship at what was called "Bcon". This was a local event that was an outreach event for all high school student. I had tons of fun with my songs and I also met up with my old guitar teacher. This was the same guy that helped me record my first two songs.

On drums we had Brad, on keys there was Ashley, on acoustic guitar Michael, Anna on vocals, and me on electric guitar and vocals. We only had one practice before the actual event do it was the most chaotic thing in the world, but God was defiantly there. It was such a wonderful blessing to see thee group of students in front of me, each with their own backgrounds, lifting their hands in adoration to our King. What a mighty God we serve!

Reflection On Chapel (Jan. 21)

2010-01-21T16:45:00.000-08:00

In chapel this morning, I lead a song called "Freedom Is Here".
About ten minutes before that I was scared out of my mind.

I wasn't quite comfortable with the melody and and there was one part that was insanely high. But I did it anyway. I have to say it was one of the hardest chapel's ever, and I normally don't have any hard chapels. This one was a doozie because (even though they weren't) it seemed like Emily and Brian and everyone else was just waiting for me to mess up. Now, I'm not self-conscious, but I do get a little skiddish sometimes. It was probably because they are so good, and I'm trying to match up to them.

It wasn't until I repeated the phrase "This song is for You, God, not for me" over and over again that I truly felt comfortable wit the song. Unfortunately, that moment wasn't until I was halfway through the song.

One Week Challenge. Part 4

2009-12-23T18:07:00.000-08:00

Here's the info on the third day of my challenge: my prayer time has increased dramatically, and my bible reading time has practically doubled. For those I praise the Lord, the only One who has given me strength to survive the past few days of this strict discipline that I have forced upon myself.

My biblical focus was on Romans 7-9. These chapters had a big impact on my day. The 8th chapter of Romans is my absolute favorite book of the Bible. It's filled with such wisdom that if we apply to our lives, that we can all grow in our faith. For example: the first verse is so inspiring to those who are new to the faith because it tells us that there is no condemnation to those who are found in Christ.

Tonight at church we had our communion service and it was so much fun. The worship band played a few songs, (with me on the bass) and then Pastor Martin said a few words then the whole church came together and took communion in remembrance of Christ. It was such a great memory of looking over the mass of people holding up their candles and praying. It was awesome!

One Week Challenge. Part 3

2009-12-22T17:23:00.000-08:00

Welcome to the second day of my challenge. It's been a little tougher than I expected, but I know that it will be worth it in the end. So far, I've been praying alone in my room for at least and hour and a half while listening to some worship music. It's still a little bit awkward I must say, because I'm not to praying for the long period of time.

My biblical focus today was on Romans 4 through 6. Three things stuck out to me again today: First, Tribulations bring perseverance, perseverance brings character, and character brings hope (Rom. 5:3-4). Second, Death has no dominion over Christ( Rom. 6:9), and for the third one, well, you'll just have to read Romans 6:14. Great stuff!

I touched bases with an old friend today whom has just started coming back to the church I attend, and let me tell you: She has an amazing testimony, and it's so encouraging to know that there are more youth out in the world today that are this passionate about Christ and the things that he does in our lives. Love live the Gospel of Jesus Christ!

One Week Challenge. Part 2

2009-12-21T14:37:00.000-08:00

I woke up at about 10 o'clock this morning and got a shower. I straightened up my room, and got everything put back in order and then stared on my bible reading. I read three chapters of Romans this morning. I've read that book numerous times, but I felt like it would be a great choice to read during my challenge.

In chapters 1-3, Paul describes some cool thoughts that I took special notice to. First off, he suggests that as a Christian, you cannot be established if there are no spiritual gifts present (Rom.1:11). Another great notion, is that fellowship with other believers brings encouragement (Rom.1:12).

I developed a plan for the next 7 days in the shower this morning and I have three goals. The first is to knock off an old habit that keeps rearing it's ugly head in my life. The second is to get deeper in the Word of God, and the third is to grow even closer to God in our relationship. So far, so good!

It's only Monday, and already some things are working against me in my personal life that are causing me grief. I am taking this as a sign that Satan is trying to stop something amazing and great that God has in store for me from happening in my life!

One Week Challenge. Part 1

2009-12-20T15:01:00.001-08:00

So I've realized that for the past few days, I haven't been quite myself. After a little bit of further examination, I realized pretty quickly that I am no longer where I want to be in my relationship with Christ. I haven't been reading my bible, my prayer time has grown drastically short and to the point of not even at mealtimes, and my overall happiness level isn't all there anymore. I don't like it.

So here's the deal: I'm gonna change all that. For the next one week (7 days) I plan on doing a few things that I believe will increase my faith, and bring me that closer to God. And dont worry, I'll keep you guys informed by blogging about what happens everyday. Wish me luck!

Benefit Concert For Leo Creal Today @ SFWC

2009-11-28T06:25:00.000-08:00

Come out and join us for a benefit concert today being held to raise money for Leo Creal. About a month ago Leo was diagnosed with pancreatic cancer. He has already had surgery and it proved to be a succes, however he has no short term disability, so the families funds are very tight. With Christmas just around the corner, help us bless Leo, his wife, and his two little girls and show them the love of Christ!

Dr. Heather over at Atlantic Chiropractic has donated five coupons worth over $250 a piece that will be on sale for about $50.

BBQ dinners will also be avalible for only $10 a plate. Plates include bbq, hash, cole slaw, and a drink.

We will also have live music from several local artists.

So please come out and have some fun!

PLEASE RSVP by the 23rd of November by calling Art Dantzler:200-6921 or Gene Coker at 557-2209

http://www.facebook.com/home.php?#/event.php?eid=176628147442&index=1

Benefit Concert November 13th For Kenyan Orphans

2009-11-10T15:05:00.001-08:00

A benefit concert to raise money for orphans in kenya, featuring some sweet local bands.

http://www.aluckyday.co.cc/

http://www.twitter.com/aluckyday

Check it out!

Cost is $5Pre-register now!! :) http://www.aluckyday.co.cc/register.php

A Look at Romans 8:28

2009-10-25T12:25:00.000-07:00

And we know that all things work together for good to those who love God, to those who are the called according to His purpose

~ Romans 8:28

I was reading through my favorite book of the Bible (Romans) today and I came across a great verse. Romans 8:28 is a great encouragement to all of us, in that we can rest assured that everything is going to be ok. But have you ever looked at the last part of that verse?

Of course God has a plan for each of our lives, and He already knew it before we were born, (Jeremiah 29:11) but what exactly has God called us to do? Well, one of the greatest commandments God has given to us can be found in Scripture, and it is simply to spread His gospel around the world (Matthew 28:19).

Another great purpose that God has ordained us for can be found in Luke 4:18. In this passage He tells us that we are to teach His gospel, tear down strongholds in each others lives, and to help those who can understand things to come to a better understanding of them. Makes you wonder if most of what we do lines up with His grand scheme, doesn't it?

The Armor of God

2009-10-12T18:56:00.000-07:00

We've all heard of putting on the full armor of God, but why is that important?

What is the armour of God?

As described in Ephesians 6, the armor of God is portrayed as a belt, a breastplate, shoes, a shield, a helmet, and a sword. Each of these pieces of equipment are important to anyone that id going out to battle, and leaving any one piece of this equipment would be foolish. This illustration is help us on our daily walk of salvation. Without any of the above items, we will fall and be devoured by the enemy.

So how does the "whole armor of God" relate to my spiritual walk?

The armour of God is not one, but several things that we must have on the inside of us if we are striving to be like Christ. These include truth, righteousness, peace, faith, salvation, and the Spirit.

Lets break these things down:

1.) Truth

a.) a fact that has been verified

b.) 2 Samuel 7:28; John 14:6; John 8:32

2.) Righteousness

a.) right-standing with God
b.) Hosea 10:12; Romans 5:1; 1 Peter 3:12

3.) Peace
a.) the state prevailing during the absence of war

b.) Psalm 4:8; Isaiah 26:3; 1 Timothy 2:1-2

4.) Faith
a.) complete confidence in a person or plan
b.) Hebrews 11:6; Matthew 17:20; James 2:17

5.) Salvation
a.) the state of being saved or preserved from harm

b.) Colossians 1:22-23; Hebrews 7:25; Romans 10:13

6.) The Spirit
a.) the third part of the Trinity
b.) Mark 13:11; John 16:13; Romans 5:5

For Your Name

2009-09-12T06:28:00.000-07:00

We got a new hope

all because of the cross

Saved by the grace

you have given to us

We got a new song

All the nations will sing

Oh-oh oh-oh-oh-oh

Here's the second verse of Hillsong's "For Your Name", found on their latest album Faith+Hope+Love. I love that part about our new hope all because of the cross. Imagine that: the cross. The thing that most credit to be the the thing that killed Jesus Christ our Lord and Saviour, giving us hope? Is that possible?

I've been reading throughout the gospels of Jesus Christ a lot lately. We've all heard the story hundreds of times. Christ was born, he lived, he died and he rose from the dead on the third day.

The thing that still gets to me, is that He did all this (dying for us) while we were living in rebellion towards Him. Galations 5:19-21 gives us a clear understanding of what "sin" is. And since we are all sinners, to think that God loves us enough to willing send His own Son to die for us, who were living in sin, is still amazing to me (Romans 5:8).

So when you get the chance this next week, (not on Sunday or Wednesday at church), check out the Good News of Christ.

My Life Pre-Christ

2009-07-28T08:35:00.000-07:00

We are all made new in Christ in due time

Have you ever thought about where you were when Christ found you? I know you proboly aren't proud of it, but when I look back I get so encouraged by the fact that my Savior King would accept me just the way I am. I don't have to change for Him. Does my past haunt me? Not in Christ. The bible talks about how we are made new in Christ. I don't have to hang my head in shame or live in a pity party about how I'm such a bad person, all I have to do is remember that it's my God who always shows me grace and nothing can seperate me from Him.

Pretty cool thought right???

SFWC Revival With Ron Duncan

2009-07-22T08:59:00.000-07:00

Summerville Family Worship Center is hosting a four day revival this Wednesday to Saturday. Guest Evangelist/Composer Ron Duncan will bring the Word as we all come together for a powerful time of praise and worship to the living God! Wednesday through Friday at 7pm; Saturday at 6 pm. Check it out!

Location:
Summerville Family Worship Center

Address:
407 N. Magnolia St.
Summerville, SC

View Map:
Google
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Phone:
(843)8751695

Email:
email@summervillefwc.org

Face To Face With A Man Named Conflict

2009-07-16T07:16:00.000-07:00

Nobody likes him.

In fact, just ask anyone around you right now and I'll bet they don't like him either.

His name is Conflict.

I absolutely hate those moments in life when I get called out for something, but it's the one's that I am personally responsible for that really get to me. You know, the ones that are caused by old habits or negative influences.

The bible talks about a man named Job who experienced nothing short of Hell on earth. Everyone of his kids were killed and his business taken, all right under his nose. In all of this however, he says to God, "Teach me, and I will hold my tongue; cause me to understand wherein I have erred". He is willing for correction! Could you be that willing to be corrected by God? Or can we even keep our mouths closed long enough for God to speak to us?

Exploring Worship: Part Two

2009-07-10T23:16:00.000-07:00

It is very difficult to define worship. The following list contains a few "definitions" of worship:

1.) Worship is a conversation between God and Man, a dialogue that should go on constantly in the life of a Christian.
2.) Worship is giving to God and involves a lifetime of giving to Him the sacrifice He asks for: our total selves.
3.) Worship is our affirmative response to the self-revelation of the tri-une God.
4.)Worship was the outcome of the fellowship of love between the Creator and man and is the highest point man can reach in response to the love of God. It is the first and principal purpose of man's eternal calling.
5.) Worship is one's heart expression of love, adoration, and praise to God with an attitude and acknowledgement of His supremacy and Lordship.
6.) Worship is an act by a redeemed man, the creature, toward God, his creator, whereby his will, intellect, and emotions gratefully respond in reverence, honor, and devotion to the revelation of God's person expressed in the redemptive work of Jesus Christ.
7.) Worship means :to feel in the heart"
8.) True worship and praise are " awesome and overpowering love" in the presence of God.
9.) Worship is the ability to magnify God with our whole being-body, mind, and soul.

Author Bob Sorge says that these are all good definitions, but they lack something. He agrees with the statement that worship can only be experienced. He also states that worship wasn't supposed to be the topic of many textbooks, but rather a communion with God experienced by His loved ones.

What Do You Put First?

2009-07-05T18:30:00.000-07:00

I love to play the guitar. I also love Jesus Christ. However, many times I put my guitar playing right smack in the middle of my relationship with Christ. I'll spend two hours working on getting my tone just right, but how long do I spend in prayer or reading the Word? I'm telling you, there's nothing tougher than coming home from a day at school, and forcing yourself to read a chapter of the bible. But sometimes you gotta be tough with yourself.

Studies show that it takes 30 days to form a habit. So don't think that just because you've been reading your Word for four straight days that you can just take a day off. Chances are, you'll get preoccupied and your one day break will get longer, and longer, and longer. Stick with it, and in the long run, you'll not only be able to defend the faith, but also show yourself approved in God's eyes.

The bible warns us about putting other things in the front of the line while we leave God in the dust trailing behind us: it's called idolatry. In Paul's letters to the church in Corinth he describes God's feelings towards idolatry (I Corinth. 6:9-10; 8:4; 10:14 and II Corinth. 6:16-18). It doesn't make sense when you put anything before God anyway, if you come to the realization that in a matter of seconds everything you worked so hard on can come crashing to the ground. The only things that remain are God's Word and the rewards you build up for yourself in Heaven. And what could be better than those?

Scripture Study: Ephesians 5:2

2009-07-02T15:16:00.000-07:00

"And walk in love, as Christ also has loved us and given Himself for us, an offering and a sacrifice to God for a sweet-smelling aroma" - NKJV

"Observe how Christ loved us. His love was not cautious but extravagant. He didn't love in order to get something from us but to give everything of himself to us. Love like that" - The Message

"Let love be your guide. Christ loved us and offered his life for us as a sacrifice that pleases God" -CEV

1.) Walk= to live, occupied therein, conduct one's life
2.)Given= to hand over, betray, deliver, gave up
3.) Offering= presentation, offering up
4.) Sacrifice= offering, sacrifice

Christ-Based Witnessing 101

2009-06-30T09:33:00.000-07:00

We've all read it. It says to go and make disciples of all the nations (Matthew 28:19). The only way to make a disciple of Jesus Christ is for them to be completly converted. It's not until we are asked the simple question "Can you effectively witness to someone?" that our hearts are fully put in check to realize one thing: we can't. I'm not saying this is the only way to witness, but it's a few steps that my mentor has described in my discipleship class.

Step 1: Aknowledgement of God

a.) I know God; He's the creator of us and the earth; just look around for testimonies of God's existance

Step 2: Aknowledge The Sin Which Was Commited

a.) Adam and Eve sinned in the Garden of Eden; Genises 3 proves it

Step 3: Seperation

a.) b/c of sin we're seperated from God; Adam and Eve walked with God, but when they sinned they were immediatly seperated from Him

Step 4: Atonement

a.) Jesus Christ willing died as a sacrifice for us; without His choice we would all be in Hell

Step 5: Forgivenes

a.) The only way to forgiveness is to aknowledge Christ

The New Testiment also tells us we should have boldness when sharing the Gospel of Jesus Christ (Eph. 6:19-20)

Scripture Study: Matthew 18:20

2009-06-28T05:38:00.000-07:00

"For where two or three are gathered together in My name, I am in the midst of them" - NKJV

"And when two or three of you are together because of me, you can be sure that I'll be there." - The Message

"Whenever two or three of you come together in my name, I am there with you" - CEV

1.) Gathered= assemble, call together, took in, bestow
2.) Together= assemble, call together, took in, bestow (same as gathered)
3.)Midst= amoung, before, between, at midnight

Exploring Worship: Part One

2009-06-24T07:44:00.000-07:00

A few weeks ago one of my good friends at church handed me a book entittled Exploring Worship by Bob Sorge and asked me to read through it. There's a part in chapter one that tells us how we should praise the Lord. It lists and discusses 8 different reasons:

1.) Lifting our hands (Nehemiah 8:6; Psalms 28:2; I Timothy 2:8)

a. When we reach our hands up to the Lord, we are saying, "Pick me up, Daddy God! Hold me close to Your heart! I want to be near you!"

b. We are able to concentrate on our task of praying, and not on other irrelevancies

c. We indicate to the Lord that we want to open up our hearts to His Holy Spirit

d. We symbolically recieve everything God is doing in our lives

e. When our arms are lifted high we are in an unprotected and vulnerable position

2.) Clapping our hands (Psalms 47:1)

a. It is important that we link clapping hands with a heart that ascends to the Lord, because clapping with and empty heart is really very empty

b. It is still appropriate for us today to raise clamorous acclamations of praise to God

c. We do want to be careful, however, that our praise constitutes more than just noise but also reaches the depth of the heart response to God

3.) Playing musical instruments (Psalms 150:3-5)

a. Those of us who use musical instruments in praise must be careful not to become too independent upon them so that when the music stops, the praise and worship immediately ceases

b. God has ordained that musical instruments to be used to help facilitate our praises

4.) Standing, kneeling, bowing (2 Chron. 5:12; Psa. 135:2; Psa. 95:6; Rev. 19: 4)

a. Standing speaks of respect

b. Standing indicates alertness

c. Many of our songs will make references to our bowing before the Lord in worship, and yet it is such a rarity to see a church actually practicing this

5.) Singing (most of Psalms)

a. Chanting the words "Alleluia...alleluia...alleluia" wouldn't do much for many of us. But coupling those words with a melody and picture what happens

6.) Audibly expressed (Psalms 26:7)

a. Praise is not praise until it is vocalized; heard; made audible

b. Our thoughts of God must be made audible before they qualify as praise

7.) Shouting (Psalms 47:1; 66:1; 81:1)

a. The Hebrew word hillel, from which we get the universal word "hallelujah." means "to cry aloud or break out into a cry, and especially a cry of joy."

b. We do not break through in the Spirit until we are led of the Lord to shout aloud in His presence with a voice of triumph

8.) Speaking in tougues (Psalms 103:1)

a. This experience is to be coveted for all those who have not yet had the release of speaking in tongues

b. This is the pennacle of praise; to love and praise Him with everything that is inside of us

**For a more neat, printer friendly version click here**

The Long Awaited Crash

2009-06-21T05:26:00.001-07:00

Guys, my computer is crashing and I don't know when I'll be able to blog again, so if you want, flip through my older posts for inspiration.

Food Pantry Ministry at SFWC

2009-06-15T17:47:00.000-07:00

Here's a picture of the Food Pantry room at SFWC. They minister to about 35 families each Monday and Thursday night. They impact the Summerville community with warm smiles and they display the love of Christ with every bag they distribute.

I love the idea of distributing food to those who need it; but especially when they get to minister to widows because it gives them a chance to live out I Timothy 5:3. Ever since the days that Christ walked on the earth Food Pantries like this have been helping out the local community with food distribution. Acts 6:1 talks about a "daily distribution of food" aka a food bank.

A Sense of Direction

2009-06-14T18:38:00.000-07:00

A few days ago, Elizabeth and I decided to embark upon our first picnic together. We had it all planned out: the basket, the food, the drinks, and even the rustic old blanket to sit on. The plan was fool proof, right? Wrong.

The only thing we forgot was the directions for how to get to the park we planned to eat at. Now, the one thing you must know about me, is that I am absolutely terrible at figuring out how to get somewhere. My response? Three letters: GPS.

So while we were driving to where I thought the park was, we took a wrong turn. As usual. As a matter of fact, we took several. I even went as far as to call my mom for directions, which she was not able to give me. With every passing second I could see little puffs of smoke rise up over Elizabeth's head signaling her irritation. After a while we finally arrived at our destination and had an amazing picnic.

Thats kind of how it is in our lives sometimes. Just driving through without any sense of direction, or destination. The bible talks about how God lead the children of Israel with a pillar of fire through the desert. Without their GPS (aka God) they would have never made it through the wilderness.

Are YOU carrying your cross?

2009-06-13T16:37:00.000-07:00

This afternoon on the way home, I saw this guy on the side of the road walking with a large wooden cross with two wheels at the base. As you can imagine, my mind automatically flew to the bible verse that talks about carrying your cross (Luke 14:27). This small reminder definitely came at a time when I needed it.

In our last Discipleship Class at Driven, we talked about how our relationship was with God, and weather or not we had surrender everything to Him. When Pastor Mark first asked me that question, at first I thought I knew that my answer was absolutely yes. However, upon further examination, my certain yes slowly faded into a maybe, and then it quickly escalated to a very uncertain discovery: I guess not.

That man could have been called a thousand different insulting names, but he still kept on with his goal: carrying his cross. After he had already passed, I questioned myself as to weather or not I could do what he did. I mean, of coarse I say I would but would I really? Would you?

No Reason To Hide

2009-06-11T18:38:00.000-07:00

The other day I invested in Hillsong United's new CD, [a_CROSS//the_EARTH]. This CD is not my absolute favorite, but it still rocks pretty hard. There is one song in particular that just grabbed my attention the first time I heard it: No Reason to Hide. Here are the lyrics:

We've got nothing to lose, we've got no reason to hide.
We've got the answer inside of us Its time we took the disguises off
We'll see Your glory revealed, and see Your Name lifted high
Theres nobody else for us Jesus You are the only One!
Woah!
Your'e alive and we are free
You are everything, everything we need!
Woah!
Theres not a minute to waste not a second to lose
Tehres a city that waits for us it's time we took
All the lamp shades off
We'll see Your glory revealed
And see your name lifted high
There is nobody else for us
Jesus You are the only one!
Woah!
You're alive and we are free
You are everything, everything we need!
Woah!
Love has spoken and we believe, you are everything everything we need.

Nothing compares to You,
Nothing could ever separate us now
Your love is ours
Nothing compares to You,
Nothing could ever separate us now,
From this love
Nothing compares to You,
Nothing could ever separate us now
Your love is ours
Woah!
You're alive and we are free
You are everything, everything we need!
Woah!
Love has spoken and we believe, you are everything everything we need.
Nothing can separate us
Nothing can come between us
Nothing can separate us now

This song really spoke volumes to me and it reminded me of a scripture. II Corinthians 3:17 says that where the spirit of the Lord is, there also is freedom. Thats something we should all be excited about!

Holocaust Museum Shooting

2009-06-10T13:15:00.001-07:00

This morning there were shots fired at the U.S. Holocaust Museum in Washington D.C. Imagine that. A place that honors and remembers those who have long since died by the hands of Nazi war criminals, found itself the site of a shooting. The lone gunman, identified as James Von Brunn, an 88 year old white supremacist, stormed the museum and opened fire on two guards, killing one.

While watching CNN cover this story, there were several shots of people and the emotions that they displayed were ineffable. After I turned off my TV, and started thinking, the Holy Spirit reminded me of something that I had read concerning suffering. Romans 8:18 says "For I consider that the sufferings of this present time are not worthy to be compared with the glory which shall be revealed in us".

Surly there are many people that have been affected by tragic events such as the Holocaust, and have turned to any number of things in a futile attempt to cope with their feelings. In my opinion, the only thing they need to do is put their faith and trust in Jesus Christ and let Him do the rest. The book of Romans also tells us that everything will turn out fine if you love God( 8:28).

Distractions

2009-06-08T12:53:00.000-07:00

I know that God wants to speak to me but...

... I have a FaceBook friend request

... I just found a Starbucks coupon

... the dog needs to take a walk...now

... the game is on

... my friends want to go out again tonight

Distractions can come in all shapes and sizes. If your like me, then right as you go to pray or read your Word, a distraction rears it's ugly head. At the most crucial times in our walk towards Salvation, the enemy will attack the one thing that many people don't guard: their time.

Time is of the essence.

Time can't hold me down.

I don't have time for this.

This time, things will be different.

As you can see, time is very important and Satan knows that. Anything he can do to separate you from the Lord Jesus Christ is another battle he's won. So this week, try to watch what you do and when you do it so that nothing can interfere with your worship to the King!

A Political Turn

2009-06-02T06:06:00.001-07:00

Usually this isn't a very political blog, but looking at current events, (GM declaring bankruptcy, the distribution of yet another stimulus bill, and a rising democratic nation) I thought that occasionally, I would get my sixteen year old self on a soap box and propose a few thoughts.

I'll just start off with the topic of a rise in democracy in the US. Does anyone realize what that would do to our great country's foundations? America was founded on Christian beliefs and all throughout it's history our Christian faith has revealed itself in many different areas. Just pick up any coin you come across. Somewhere on that coin the words "In God We Trust" can be found. Have you ever thought of why you have to swear on the Bible in a court? Or how about all the wonderful testimonies of Christ after September 11th?

In my opinion, it will be a sad day, when America forgets everything that God has blessed her with. Many of the freedoms that we have soon could be taken from us, right under our noses. And I'm not trying to scare anyone, because I know that everything is going to work out for the best for me. (Romans 8:28) After all, look at what happened to Rome when they forgot their roots...

I want to leave you guys with this...

There's an old story worth retelling about a band of wild hogs which lived along a river in a secluded area of Georgia. These hogs were a stubborn, ornery, independent bunch. They had survived floods, fires, freezes, droughts, hunters, dogs and everything else. No one thought they could ever be captured.

One day a stranger came into a town not far from where the hogs lived and went into the general store. He asked the storekeeper, "Where can I find the hogs? I want to capture them." The storekeeper laughed at such a claim but pointed in the general direction. The stranger left with his one-horse wagon, an ax and a few sacks of corn.

Two months later he returned, went back to the store and asked for help to bring the hogs out. He said he had them all penned up in the woods. People were amazed and came from miles around to hear him tell the story of how he did it.

"The first thing I did," the stranger said, "was clear a small area of the woods with my ax. Then I put some corn in the center of the clearing. At first, none of the hogs would take the corn. Then after a few days, some of the young ones would come out, snatch some corn and then scamper back into the underbrush. Then the older ones began taking the corn, probably figuring that if they didn't get it, some of the other ones would. Soon they were all eating the corn. They stopped grubbing for acorns and roots on their own.

"About that time, I started building a fence around the clearing, a little higher each day. At the right moment, I built a trap door and sprung it. Naturally, they squealed and hollered when they knew I had them, but I can pen any animal on the face of the earth if I can first get him to depend on me for a free handout!" (Mr. Lawrence W. Reed "Are We Going the Way of Rome?)

Discipleship Class: Conversion

2009-05-28T18:57:00.000-07:00

I. God saved us from death, but there is still a residue of ungodliness on us. It takes a process to get rid of it

II. A Complete Conversion (Ephesians 3:19):

not just an exchange of beliefs
whole hearted turning to God
sign of conversion: attitude change

III. Satan doesn't want you to receive the fulness of Jesus Christ (Amos 9:9)

A Day of Blessings

2009-05-21T15:26:00.001-07:00

I couldn't let this day finish off without me telling you guys about some amazing blessings that came my way today. I won't go into much detail, but heres a pretty detailed list:

New computer speakers...free
Bluetooth headset...free
I had the privilege of leading worship in the last Chapel of the year at school
I'm alive!

Friends

2009-05-15T14:39:00.001-07:00

Friends

They will always be there for you

They will never leave you

They will stay by your side

They will always love you

They will never more fun at you than you can handle

They will stay in your heart forever

Friends

A Time Of Rest

2009-05-10T18:01:00.001-07:00

So for the next few weeks (or hopefully less than that) I have stepped down from playing in Driven Worship and SFWC's worship band. I plan to use this time of rest as a time of spiritual rest and growth.

Compassion Word Study

2009-04-28T16:53:00.000-07:00

I. Definition
a. A human disposition that fuels acts of kindness and mercy

II. Jesus's Examples
a. In almost all of the miracles that Christ preformed in the New Testament, he either displayed compassion, or flat out said that He had compassion on them

III. Paul and Others
a. Romans 9:15
b. Hebrews 5:2
c. I Peter 3:8
d. Jude 1:22

IV. The Verse That Stuck Out to Me
a. "He can have compassion on those who are ignorant and going astray, since he himself is also subject to weakness" (I Timothy 1:13)

I've Finally Found My Purpose in Life

2009-04-27T16:59:00.001-07:00

I was reading through the book of Luke in Discipleship the other night, and we stumbled upon something that I believe is my purpose in life. Its found in Luke 4:18.

"The spirit of the Lord is upon me, because He has anointed me to preach the gospel to the poor; He has sent me to heal the brokenhearted, to proclaim liberty to the poor; to proclaim liberty to the captives and recovery of sight to the blind, to set at liberty those who are oppressed".

I looked up a few key words from this verse, and I've included the biblical definition of them. Check em' out and replace the real words from the verse, with their definitions. Then maybe you might think differently about the verses meaning.

1.) Anointed= to rub with oil, to consecrate to an office
2.) Preach= to announce the good news, show good tidings
3.) Heal= cure, to make whole

Revival Intercessery Prayer

2009-04-27T15:50:00.000-07:00

For the next two weeks, SFWC will be undergoing revival intercessory prayer.

This was spark after God showed up and ministered to several people in service yesterday.

I hope to blog about the things that God has been showing me through this season of prayer.

Setting the Stage for Newsboys

2009-04-23T14:46:00.000-07:00

This afternoon, myself and a few others from Faith Christian got to set up most of the lights and sound for a Newsboys concert.

Heres a few things that we helped set up:

Two crazy big screens
About 300 flight cases
11 guitars and a bass
4 Subwoofer cabinets
2 Lifts for house speakers
One steel drum riser that spins and turns sideways

He's Stuck In The Middle With You

2009-04-19T05:40:00.000-07:00

I heard a song the other day. I believe the name of it was "Stuck In The Middle With You". When I first heard it, I thought to myself: "this is probably just another song about a guy thats stuck in the middle of a relationship that he can't get out of with some girl". However, after thinking on it some more, I found another perspective: what if everyone realized that Christ was stuck in the middle of us? What if everything that we did, we were able to do so much better, and that everything that we did to make Christ shine, also made us shine? That way, we would be able to fulfill Matthew 5:16.

Questioning a Sign

2009-04-11T07:51:00.000-07:00

A sign was recently placed upon the wall by the main doors of SFWC a few weeks ago. The sign simply said: "do not be conformed...be transformed", and it gave the scripture reference that it came from. Well, it got me thinking, so I looked up the verse and it was accurate to what the wall said, and then I passed by Blake in the hallway. Now, Blake is like this hardcore, sick nasty Bible scholar guy, and he asked me how do you renew your mind? After a few moments, he told me to look up Philippians 4:8.

So I did, and after reading it it made since why he told me to go there:

"Finally brothers, whatever things are true, whatever things are noble, whatever things are just, whatever things are pure, whatever things are lovely, whatever things are of good report, if there is any virtue and if there is anything praise-worthy- meditate on these things".

Then it clicked: If you want to renew your mind, then you must think, or meditate on these things.

PROM!!!

2009-04-06T16:46:00.000-07:00

I drank punch.

I danced.

I met her friends.

And I had a great time!

Flowertown Festival '09

2009-04-04T19:37:00.000-07:00

Yesterday I had the opportunity to minister to a vast majority of the town of Summerville with the vocal performance class of Faith Christian School. First I got to play two songs with my band, and then Joey and his band played three, then there was a trio that sang a song. After that there was a piano solo, and a full choir song. Following that was a full choir song, with a band accompaniment. I sang lead vocals on those two songs and I had a blast! It was really a memorable time that I enjoyed every minute of!

Guitar Tone Experiments: Update 1

2009-03-26T14:30:00.000-07:00

I did a little experimenting with the setting on my POD XT live today, and I got some pretty awesome tones. The first thing I did was play around with the E.Q. that I had set up for my clean tones. There are many things that you can do to get a shimmering clean and me being me, I don't leave any tone without a unique piece of "Clydesdale".

On my clean rhythm tone, I have the faintest chorus effect shining through just barely. Not in excess, but just enough to shake up the sound waves I create. I also tuned the compressor down a lot, simply because I didn't like the sound to stay at the same level throughout. So it turns out you can compress too much!

My distortion tones are my pride and joy. I put a lot of work into finding what I accept to be an awesome mix between the Mesa amp model and the Tube-screamer pedal. I also turned up the 100 kHz E.Q. (bass) to give it a better boom if you know what I mean.

Titus 3:7

2009-03-25T12:13:00.000-07:00

"That having been justified by His grace we should become heirs according to the hope of eternal life"

Never Be The Same

2009-03-21T06:13:00.000-07:00

So yesterday I finished a new song. This may seem like a odd thing to just say to some of you guys, but for the past two months, I've been in sort of a rut. No matter what I did, I just couldn't come out with a song. And to tell you the truth, it really bothered me. What if I lost my songwriting ability? Will I ever have another inspiring moment come long? Writing songs is one of my ways of letting my emotions run rampant, and if I were to lose that ability, then I felt as though I would lose a gigantic part of myself. Sure it sounds cliched, but it was true.

But not anymore! And so thanks to God I now have a new song under my belt!

Dream Big '09

2009-03-16T17:56:00.000-07:00

Just putting a plug in for this years annual Dream Big conference hosted by Driven Youth Ministries. I'll put up new info as it comes to light, but as for right now...just mark your calender!

Saturday Night Revelation At Shabbach

2009-03-15T17:51:00.000-07:00

The past few days myself and some guys and gals from Driven attended a youth conference by the name of Shabbach. Near the end of the worship on Saturday night, I had a revelation concerning worship in general.

Imagine this:

The image of a cross (worship for God). Behind the cross there was the reflexion of stage lights (a spirit of performance) overshadowing the cross.

Unleash Conference '09 Pt.2

2009-03-12T19:23:00.000-07:00

This year at Unleash, Newspring Church has really gone all out. I absolutely loved the conference not only for the breakout sessions, but also for the main sessions. I am refueled for spreading the gospel of Jesus Christ every time I hear Perry Noble talk about it. The way he talks about various topics within different ministries has such a fresh appeal, and almost every word of God-given and original.

Below I have listed my Fav Five of the day:

Hours of listening to U2
Ignoring the Jack A**
Chic-fil-a pickels
"I've got my senior pastors back, do you?"
Worship with Lee McDerment and Rose Rugiero

Unleash Conference '09 Pt.1

2009-03-12T01:52:00.001-07:00

Time check.

It's 4:52.

Why am I awake at 4:52 on Spring Break? Because today myself and some other from SFWC are heading out to NewSpring Church for their one day leadership conference. I went last year, and I absolutely loved it. I can't wait to see what they have new in store for us here in 2009!

Very Organized Worship

2009-03-08T19:11:00.000-07:00

So I'm tired of hectic, rushed, unorganized worship, so I decided to plan it out.

Driven Worship Band

SET LIST

3.11.09

I. Worship

1. Break Free (G) - Hunter

2. Taylor welcomes everyone

3. No One Like You (G) - Taylor

4. Hunter reads Psalms 23:4-6 (emphasize “forever”)

5. You Never Let Go (B) - Taylor

6. Justin holds a rhythm for four measures

7. I Will Waste My Life (__) - Hannah

8. Taylor prays while Justin keeps playing

II. Alter Call

1. The Stand (B) - Taylor

Just How Blessed Are You?

2009-02-28T14:09:00.000-08:00

A friend of mine's father just returned back safely from Iraq yesterday. He picked him up at school, and my friend was so excited to see him, he threw down his bookbag and ran into the warm embrace of his father. It was an emotional time, and everyone left the school smiling.

Not soon after they left, my friend found out that his older brother was admitted into a mental asylum. Also, his other two brothers were taken away with D.S.S. for various reasons. There was also talk of kicking him out of his step-mothers house.

How blessed are you?

Winter Jam '09

2009-02-21T07:20:00.001-08:00

Last night I packed myself in a van with 12 other people and we went to something called Winter Jam. It was like five mini-concerts and a speaker. I noticed a few things about how they did things during the concerts and most of them...I really liked:

No one stood still, everyone of the musicians was moving around

2. They had amps that had mics and they were cleverly hidden behind an L.E.D. wall

3. The singers and musicians in most of the bands all interacted with each other on stage

4. NO MUSIC STANDS