A good measure of God’s movement in our lives is the evidence of change and also our reactions to change. God Himself never changes, but God does indeed change us, doesn’t He!? I’m thankful that He does indeed change us.

In the Amplified version, Colossians 1:6 states that “the Gospel is bearing fruit and still is growing by its own inherent power”. If you were to observe a tree, bush or plant, the only way you could see if it bore fruit was if it changed visibly. This is pretty much true for everything that bears fruit. It looks different than it did before. An apple tree started out with just leaves, then it changed by having tasty red spheres sprout all over it. Many seeds start out flat and oblong in shape, then they turn into carrots, rhubarb or mustard trees. To bear fruit implies change. You don’t have fruit without change. I can’t think of one instance where fruit is born yet there is no change.

I believe that the Gospel is bearing fruit in my life and if that’s the case, then there must be change in my life; change that can be seen. Of course, looking different or seeing change in our lives isn’t just a surface thing. It is something real that happens deep in the core of our being and manifests outwardly in the every day workings of our lives.

It bears mentioning that you don’t set out to bear fruit. Fruit is born in you and from you by someone else. God makes the seed grow (I Cor. 3:6-7). Jesus is the vine and we are the branches, and we will bear much fruit if only we abide in Him (John 15:5). This is important to see because to see the Gospel bear fruit in our lives means that we believe that it IS doing so apart from anything we could do ourselves. Our own efforts and works do not produce good fruit (they actually taint God’s fruit). But as we believe in the Gospel’s inherent power, as we trust God to make the seed grow, we will see God’s fruit born in our lives!

My life testifies to this truth. The most recent way that I’ve seen God’s fruit manifest in my life is through an aversion to the things of the world. What I mean by “the world” is: Everything outside of Christ. Anything that leaves Christ out of the picture. Anything that is not centered on Christ. This includes obvious things like pornography and tabloids. But it also includes caffeine dependency, serving the poor, fighting for your country and being proud of your ethnicity. You might not think those last four things are so bad, and if they are done in Christ, then they aren’t. But if those things are referenced before or above Christ, or if they just sort of omit Christ, then they’re not really any good and in fact, they are demonic. So, that’s what I mean by “the world”.

Now, back to fruit... Fruit equals change, right? Before, I used to be able to listen to, watch and read the news and enjoy it. I used to be able to relate to what the news was saying and sharing. I liked hearing what was going on in the various areas of news - from sports to business to entertainment, even politics. What I gravitated toward was “Conservative” and I read what I pretty much already agreed with. However, lately I’ve found that more often than not, the news is a megaphone that the world uses to speak into the lives of those willing to take it in. After seeing this, I’ve realized that I don’t like what the news has been saying - even it has a Conservative flavor - because regardless of it’s content or focus, it is still communicating the worlds ideas and values. Conservative or Liberal, mainstream, underground, whatever... the world is still the world. And what the world has been serving up has become distasteful to me. The more I’ve interacted with the world in light of this truth, I’ve realized, “This is not what I want”. It reminds me of a former alcoholic I know. One day, she realized she just had a distaste for wine (her alcohol of choice) and that was that. She was done with it. She didn’t even pray to be delivered from being an alcoholic, it was simply a fruit of her receiving the message of her death with Christ (she’s been alcohol free for several years now, btw). I’m done with the world. This isn’t a fruit I could create on my own. Someone did it in my life.

It’s taken me some time, but I’ve realized that I have developed a distaste for the world. The way the world speaks and thinks; the way the world does things; the reasons why the world does what it does... It’s all gross to me. It’s perverted and it’s end result is always death. The world only tears down. The world only divides. My sensitivity to these truths about the world has led me to an inability to read the news in good conscience. All in all, I’ve realized that the way the world does things is contradictory to the very nature of God Himself. And if that’s the case, then the world is also contradictory to the very nature of me myself; because my new self, who I really am in Christ, is created to be like God in true righteousness and holiness (Ephesians 4:24).

On a deeper level, I am seeing what James meant when he said, “friendship with the world means enmity against God”. The world is not my friend. And the truth is, the world hates me. I’m not having a little pity party by saying that, I’m merely stating the truth. Jesus tells of the world’s hate towards His disciples in John 15 and John 17 and then the apostle John reiterates it again in I John 3:13. I’m now seeing this truth that the world hates me and I’m finally hearing that that is what the world is actually saying. Knowing this truth makes me realize that I do not want to be the world’s friend. I don’t want to be friendly with the world and I don’t need to listen to it like it’s a good friend, nor do I even need to be cordial with it. The world hates me and the world hates God. This doesn’t mean I hate the world, and obviously God doesn’t hate the world (John 3:16, 2 Peter 3:9). I don’t hate the world. But if you were to tell me that you hated me and then say that you also hate Erin... well, let’s just say I’d be keeping my distance and anything you’d have to say would hold very little weight with me. That’s how it now is with me and the world.

My aversion to the world, based on a greater ability to discern what it is saying to me, about me and about the One I love, is a change for me. I used to be “okay” with the world, where now, I see that we have serious disagreements. Game-changing disagreements that have caused me to reconsider my relationship with/to it. This change is a fruit of the Gospel in my life. And it is a fruit that blesses me, my family and my sphere. I’m so thankful for this fruit. Since discovering it, I have stopped interacting with the world like I used to and the results have directly effected my life. Isn’t that amazing?!? The fruit of being able to discern what exactly the world is saying, has led to more fruit in my relationships with my family! I personally feel lighter and more at peace inside. I’ve been sleeping better. I talk to Erin now about things that really matter instead of worldly things that do nothing to build us up (let alone build our relationship up). I’ve even seen it effect my relationship with Felicity, where I engage more with her personally as opposed to just being an aloof parent, guardian or authority figure. And interactions with my parents are definitely different than the last time I saw them. I am supernaturally happy to serve and be with them whenever I can. That’s the only way I can explain it!

Thank You Lord for the Gospel. Thank You that it has it’s own power to bear fruit in my life. I do not have to add anything to it. I do not have to listen to what the world is telling me to do or not do. I simply rest in what You are saying and my life is blessed. What a wonderful mystery! What a gracious God!


My parents came into town this past Saturday. They will be staying with us until the end of January.

Some of you may have read that and thought, “oh bummer” or jokingly thought, “I’ll pray for you”. In response I say, “it’s not a bummer” and “keep your prayers to yourself!”. I am so happy that my parents are here, staying in our home! When I was growing up, I often told my parents that I wanted to take care of them when they grew old. I meant it, and for the first time, I get to. I mean, I’ve been able to take care of them in different ways over the past few years, but this is different. We’ve never had a place that they could stay at for an extended amount of time.

I can’t explain it, but I feel great joy and fulfillment knowing that not only are my parents with me, but I get to take care of them for a few months. I know that it isn’t always going to be easy. But it doesn’t have to be hard and it doesn’t have to be filled with drama. I don’t know whose perceptions or projections those are, but they aren’t mine. I get to spend time with my mother and my father. And I get to watch my daughters interact with their grandparents. That really blesses me. For instance, today I had to take my mom to the drug store to pick up some things. While waiting for a prescription my mom wanted to get something to eat, so we headed over to Chicken Shack and my mom, Felicity and I had lunch together. That may seem mundane or like small peas to some of you, but to me, it’s a gift and blessing from Jesus.

By the time I was 12 all my siblings moved out of the house, and my parents worked odd hours at the time. I was home alone a lot and I didn’t really know what it was like to have the “typical” family. The kind of family that ate dinners together or the kind of family where siblings were around all the time. I grew up like an only child. I know someone who would end up resenting their parents for that, but he’s just stupid. This has only made me love my family even more and treasure any time that I have with them. I spent much of my late teens and early-mid twenties not caring much about family. I was ignorant. That said, I remember in 2009 when we had a family reunion in Arizona... I can’t count the amount of times I said, “Thank You Jesus for this time”. It meant the world to me.

Family is so important to me. I remember when I was 18 or so, I thought I didn’t want to ever have kids. Such a thought seems so ridiculous to me now. I remember November 12, 2008, holding Felicity in my hands the day after she was born. She was so small, and I was just weeping at how beautiful she was. Children are a blessing. Family is a blessing.

Family is a greater blessing than any material thing. It is a greater blessing than fame or prestige. Family is a greater blessing than self-actualization or achievement. People have sacrificed family or the ability to have a family in lieu of a career or personal goals... they are fools. You have no relationship with career. Your personal goals only satisfy you (if that). God uses family to grow and mature you. God uses family to give you a bigger heart than the one you had before. God uses family to show you what really matters in life.

My family will increase by 7-8 lbs in the next few weeks. Erin and I eagerly anticipate the arrival of Scarlet Grace! I am already thankful. Thankful for more growth and maturity. Thankful for a bigger heart to love another child. Thankful for a clearer understanding of reality and what matters in life.

I was thinking about grace this morning. How I need it and how I love it and receive it. I’m so thankful for God’s grace!

In the past I thought of God’s grace as being something passive. Like it’s something that I activate by sinning. I sin and then God gives grace. If I don’t sin, God doesn’t need to give grace. However, in view of the Cross, my past understanding of grace is pretty ridiculous (as in “stupid”).

God’s grace is not activated by my sin. God’s grace is, was and always will be. It’s not dependent on me or anything I do. God’s grace is consistent and relentless. It is ever-reaching. Our perceived need for or lack of need for it is irrelevant, God’s grace is.

God’s grace is the constant, active and dynamic power that initiated Jesus’ death on the Cross and from there, continuously flows into our lives, even to this very second. God’s grace is a tidal wave of Jesus’ blood coursing through and resounding throughout the entire universe. By God’s grace the world was created (Rev. 13:8) and by God’s grace we eat, drink and breathe. By God’s grace we can taste food, feel love, enjoy sports and create. By God’s grace we can read and communicate with each other. I could go on and on about what has resulted because of God’s grace, but I think you get the picture. Notice now, that nothing I noted here had anything to do with my sin, or sin in general. God’s grace is God simply being who He is.

If God’s grace is constant, active and dynamic; if it is coursing through and resounding throughout the universe; what does sin have to do with it? What God is showing me is that His grace is for ME and that it is NOT for sin.

A majority of my understanding about God’s grace had to do with sin. I viewed His grace as covering for my sin. And on one level, that is what it is. But that is on a very base and low level. God’s grace is something very powerful outside of having anything to do with sin.

So why does all this matter? Why is God speaking this to me and why am I sharing it here with you!?

I believe God is sharing this with me to let me know just how secure I really am in Him. Nothing can remove me from His grace. It’s all around. It’s active in my life whether I see it or not. It is effective for me whether I think I need it or not. Recently, I perceived a great need for grace. More accurately, I perceived that I was outside of God’s grace. This is foolery. I can’t be outside of it, because not only am I the result of it, I’m in it and it is all around me. I walk on it, I breathe it, it flows through me, I walk through it and frankly, I’m one with Grace Himself. Sin did not initiate grace and sin cannot terminate it!

Sometimes, we can be tricked into thinking that we’re outside of God’s grace (Galatians 3:1) and then we go through various exercises of feeling like we have to do something and then wait a certain amount of time before God’s grace is again active and present in our lives. That’s dumb (and unscriptural) and I’m not falling for it. Don’t think I’m just talking about when we commit a sin like lying or gossip. The perception of being outside of God’s grace applies to being stressed or depressed or just simply experiencing any thought or feeling like you’re a victim or are just completely overwhelmed. Those things are perceptions of being outside of God’s grace.

In addition, please don’t misunderstand me about sin. We must repent if we sin. There is sin and grace is to be applied to the situation. But God’s grace is for ME not sin! A life focused on God’s grace is better than a life focused on the effects of sin as it relates to grace. One has a focus on grace, the other has a focus on sin. Which do you think will change a person for the better?

Since God’s grace does not depend on anything I do, all that is required of me is to simply receive it. I don’t have to sin, nor do I have to fast or say extraordinary prayers in order for it to be activated in my life. God’s grace is; God’s grace is NOW. As a result, my freedom is NOW. My salvation is NOW. My deliverance and my redemption are NOW. Does everything look like how I want it to? Does everything look how I think it’s supposed to? Probably not. But that’s irrelevant. God’s grace is NOW and is active and effective for ME. I receive it. And when I receive it, I will perceive it in my life.

THANK YOU JESUS! I no longer have to wallow in guilt and condemnation. I no longer have to preform marvelous works or even follow all the rules exactly. Your grace is active in my life for me right now! I don’t have to worry about whether things are going to turn out right. I don’t have to worry, period. I don’t have to stress. I simply need to receive. I simply need to look at the Cross and Your throne where Your grace flows unceasingly to me, through me, in me and around me. I receive Your grace God.

“desist from your pointless whine...”

That was a line from a song I wrote as a teen (nearly 15 years ago now)... I’m sure many of us are aware of the whole Occupy Wall Street mumbo jumbo. People whining and complaining about something or other. I don’t know enough about it to criticize their stance (though I’m pretty sure I disagree with them), but I do know enough about them to know that they’re whining and complaining.

Mitch Hedberg once said, “I’m against protesting, but I don’t know how to show it”

Is it just me, or does it seem like there is some sort of march or protest or demonstration happening like every week now? I feel like that’s the case and to be honest when I hear about marches or protests it means nothing to me. If they haven’t already, marches, protests and demonstrations will soon lose all meaning and power because they are overdone and have become trite.

Anyways, the last week or so has been super busy with different aspects of my life making lots of demands on me. As a result, I had a fit the other day because I felt like I wasn’t being appreciated or that I was being taken advantage of. I felt like no one was looking out for me and my personal needs. I was mad and I wanted to vent in an unhealthy way and identify with the frustration that I was feeling. Thankfully, my wife is very wise and talked with me to sort things through, ultimately pointing me to Jesus (that’s what a good wife does you know).

I spent some time with the Lord and realized that I had been acting just like the people in the Occupy Wall Street movement. I mean, I wasn’t outside picketing anyone or anything. But I was upset and frustrated and I wanted to take it out on someone and wanted to blame someone. At the least, I wanted to do something or indulge in something (food, TV, etc.) to make me feel better. Not good. As I talked more with the Lord about all this, He showed me that I was carrying residue from the world on my being. I read the news pretty regularly, but because of the recent success of our local baseball and football teams, I had been reading a lot more of it than usual. What that ultimately meant is that I was being exposed to the world a lot more than normal. And because of the increase in exposure, there was residue on me that I didn’t even notice. As a result, I found myself a little bit weaker in my spirit. Not only was I vulnerable to whining and complaining, but I was also on edge and snippy. Looking at some interactions I’d had with a few people in the last little while, it’s very obvious that I wasn’t being myself - who I am in Christ.

This morning I got on my knees in prayer and said, “Lord, I see that I have been identifying with residue from the world that I have overexposed myself to. Wash me clean, Jesus. Wash me with Your blood. Thank You that Your blood cleanses me and makes me holy and right with You.”

Ephesians 5:26 says that Christ cleansed and cleanses the church by washing us with His word. What is His word? It is that I died with Christ and have been raised with Him. His word is that I have been made righteous once and for all by His atoning sacrifice. His word is that complaining and whining have been cut off of me. God’s word is that I am not a victim because He has overcome. God’s word is that I am one with Him and that He is keeping me in Him because He perfects my faith. His word is that I have nothing to fear because Jesus has paid the full price for any punishment that I am or was due.

This word washes the residue of the world off of me. In light of God’s word, there aren't any lingering thoughts of complaining or victimization that are inviting me to identify with them. There is no temptation to justify myself or any feelings of frustration. I am washed clean, which means I am free. I’m free from stress about how everything is going to come together. And I’m free from any anxiety about whether my own needs will be met.

That's what I'm talkin' 'bout!!!

For everyone of God’s promises are ‘Yes’ in Him” - 2 Corinthians 1:20

I have read this verse in the past and focused on how it says that God’s promises are “Yes”. It has filled me with comfort and peace knowing that God is saying “Yes” to everything that He’s promised me. That He is faithful to what He’s said He would do. When God says, “Yes” He means “Yes” and does not mean “maybe”.

However, when reading this verse over the past week, another part of it has been sticking out to me. The part that says, “in Him”. It’s a very short and small part of the verse, but it makes all the difference in the world.

I’m actually at the YMCA as I’m writing this. I love this place. I get to work out here and use all of their exercise equipment. I can use their pool and hot tub. I can drop off Felicity in their free child care while I work out. I can play basketball in the gym. And I can even use their wireless connection to surf the net or study the Bible and spend time with Jesus in the lobby.

But not just anybody can do all these things. You have to be a member of the YMCA in order to take part in its benefits. You must be “in” the YMCA to enjoy everything that the Y has to offer. The same goes for the promises of God. You must be a member of Christ in order to receive the benefits of what Jesus has done. You must be in Christ to enjoy the love and faithfulness that God has for the Saints.

Something that blows me away in our country today is the idea that people who are not citizens of our country should get the same benefits, rights and treatment as those who are citizens. To me, this diminishes the value of American citizenship and is also an insult to our forefathers who fought so hard to make our country what it is. Not only that, it also devalues what new, official citizens have gone through in order to earn their citizenship. People have paid and still pay to be citizens of the United States, it cost them something. Yet some want it to be as if you do not need to be a citizen in order to enjoy the same exact benefits as those who have paid a price. This is not right. If you can enjoy the benefits of being a U.S. citizen without being a U.S. citizen, why have U.S. citizenship at all? It would be the same thing as someone coming to the Y and enjoying all the benefits that I do, yet they do not pay the monthly fee, nor are they members like I am. And if that were the case, I’d feel like I was getting ripped off for paying anything in the first place! I would also say that being a member of the Y doesn’t mean anything.

The promises of God are “Yes” IN CHRIST. This means that outside of Christ they are “no”. Do I sound like a big meanie for saying that? How can God withhold his love from those are outside of Him? How can He be a loving God if He did that? My response to that is another question: How could God devalue the sacrifice of His only Son by rendering it irrelevant? If being in Christ is not a requirement for salvation, then God killed His Son for nothing. And if the promises of God are “Yes” regardless of who you are, then what Jesus did on the Cross was pointless and sadistic. No, we do not say that. We do not agree. Being in Christ means something. Being in Christ is of the highest value. If you are not in Christ, you do not receive the benefits of being in Christ, which means you are left to your own devices to survive and make it in life. And ultimately, it means you are going to hell.

I was talking to Duncan Smith once and he made a great point. Someone asked him a familiar question, “Why would God send someone to hell for eternity just because they didn’t choose Him while on earth?” Duncan replied, “The real question is: ‘why would God force someone to spend eternity with Him when they didn’t want to spend their life on earth with Him?’”

My definition of hell? “Eternal separation from God” When God is not around, you get weeping and gnashing of teeth. When God is not around, all hope is gone and you are left by yourself, trying to get out of a hole you’ll never ever get out of. You are completely separated from God in every way, which is the complete opposite of being in Christ.

Being in Christ is a big deal. And thankfully, upon our revelation of Jesus as the Messiah, God placed us in Christ. In Romans 6:10 Paul says we are to count ourselves as alive to God in Christ. In I Corinthians 1:2 Paul says we are sanctified in Christ. Later in the same chapter Paul says in verse 30 that it is because of God that we ARE in Christ Jesus. And in 2 Corinthians 1:21 Paul says that God makes us stand firm in Christ!

God has put us in Christ and God is making us stand firm in Christ! Because God has put me in Christ and because God is making me stand firm in Christ, His promises to me are “Yes”.

What are the promises God has made you? Don’t get too specific here. What has God promised you on a very basic level? He has promised you that you will have food to eat and clothes to wear. This promise is yours in Christ. Matthew 6:33 says to seek first His Kingdom and those things will be added to you. Well, guess where the Kingdom of God is? Why, it’s IN CHRIST!

There are many, many other things that God has promised us and it is likely that as you read this, there are several promises that God has made to you personally that come to mind. God is revealing to me that I will not receive these promises outside of Him. If my focus shifts, if I disengage from being in Christ, I will not see His promises come to pass in my life. This is because God will not bless any idea or perception of life outside of Him - plain and simple. (Notice that I did not say, "If I do this or if I do that I will receive God's promises for my life". Being in Christ is not about doing anything. Being in Christ is simply about believing God is who He says He is and has done what He said He's done)

Because of what Jesus did on the Cross, I am in Christ. And because I am engaging with this truth and letting it govern my thoughts, actions and feelings, I am literally seeing the promises of God come to pass in my life. I really am being changed from glory to glory. I am more free than I was last year. I have a softer heart than I used to. I am easier to get along with. I am continually being delivered from the systems of this world into experiential awareness of His Kingdom on a daily basis. I’m a better husband. I’m a more interactive father. I spend money wiser. These are the promises of God playing out in my life and they are because I am in Christ!

"I'm into God and God is into me!" - Mike Stand

A few weeks ago we had our Cross Immersion at MDCC. I asked some friends what they were expecting to receive/get/change from the Lord and then they asked me the same question. At first I didn’t have an answer, but when dialoguing with the Lord about it, He gave me the desire to be softer. It’s about two weeks later and I’m thankful to report that the Lord has done a work in me, I’m softer!

What does it mean to be softer? To me, it means to be less reactive. It means being more restful. It means being more at peace. It means getting offended less and forgiving a lot quicker. Being softer also means being less guarded. And being softer means not judging and not holding on to judgments should I make them. Being softer means not worrying about how I appear to others.

All in all, being softer means having a greater understanding and revelation of Christ in me and me in Christ. It’s funny because I’m not sitting around saying, “I want to be softer”. I’m not even in situations saying, “Okay Grande, let’s be softer here”. And I haven’t prayed, “Lord, I pray that I’m softer today”. What has actually been happening is that I have found myself looking back on situations and seeing how I have responded/reacted differently. Examples:

The other day I was working on something for my dad. In the midst of serving my dad, I realized I was totally fine doing so. This is significant because to be honest, I used to have a really hard time doing stuff for my dad, mostly because our relationship in the past had been based on him always asking me to do stuff for him void of any personal relating or affection. This time when I was serving my dad, I wanted to do it, I wanted to do it well and I was totally at peace in the midst of it all. In the past, I would just try to get it over with and usually have lots of anxiety doing so. How is this evidence of me being softer? In the past I would probably still hold my dad’s lack of relating and affection against him, which would make me resent doing anything for him. Instead, I was able to just love my dad and relate to him out of the peace and truth that is mine in Christ. I didn’t have to try and serve and love my dad. I was just doing it by nature - the new nature I have in Christ!

In another example, I had found myself totally offended by a friend. As a result, I saw myself walking down an old path. I was offended, so I wanted to get them out of my life and treat them according to how I felt they treated me. The Lord then revealed to me how I had just preached at the Cross Immersion that that is how the Old Man acted. I felt convicted and realized that I needed to repent and act according to the truth. I forgave my friend and proceeded to treat them like I would treat someone that I love, regardless of how they treat me. It’s so freeing because the truth is, I really do love them and knowing that this is the truth, that it’s really who I am, frees me to love them. As a result, I was able to move on in a healthy way, not cutting them off but continuing to build relationship with them, because that’s who I really am and that’s what I really want. “Love is patient... Love is kind... it keeps no record of wrongs”. I’ve known that passage for probably my whole life, but now it has become a revelation of who I am in Christ.

Yet another example involves yet another offense with another friend, only this particular instance occurred years ago. We had some theological differences and I was offended by his reaction to my beliefs. I went down the typical path. I cut them out of my life. Didn’t relate to them anymore. What’s crazy is that over the years since I would still find myself arguing with them in my head at various and random times. In the past week the Lord revealed to me that I have not been acting according to who I really am in Christ in regards to this situation. I was holding on to offense. Not only that, but the Lord revealed to me that the truth is, I still really love this friend. The Lord then told me to reach out to them and make amends. I am so happy and relieved to say that things are now right between me and my friend. It is the Lord’s doing and it’s crazy because I feel a lot of joy and peace about being reconciled with this friend! I find myself really thankful for it.

After further meditation, I see that being softer means being able to love people regardless of the past, present or future. Being softer also means living according to the truth of who I am. It means living according to how Jesus has made me. It is a better existence. It is an existence in Christ.

Well, today and last night were mostly days of recovery for me. We had the Cross Immersion conference at our church and that's always a high output weekend for me. In addition, I released an EP, so that only added to the load. Ultimately though, it was a weekend spent doing everything that I love to do! So praise Jesus... 

There were many powerful teachings and times of worship from the conference, but the one thing that sticks out to me most is something that Jon Aldred shared. Jon talked about how because we are seated in heavenly places with Christ, we are actually in a timeless realm. Not that we don't have schedules or anything like that; but we are aware that time doesn't have dominion over us or our lives. We have enough time because God has given us enough time and because we are seated with Christ in heaven, where there is no time. I admit that this can be quite the concept, but it is not just a concept. It is based on the truth of the Bible (Colossians 3) and it is totally applicable to everyday life. My favorite part about what Jon shared is that there is enough time in life to be kind. There is enough time to be compassionate. There is enough time to be loving. There is enough time to serve. Hearing that really convicted me and made me think about how I go about my day. In general, I'm very focused and determined. I know where I want to go and I know what I want to do and so I do it. If things come up along the way, i generally view them as nuisances that I have react nicely to. But getting a revelation that I am seated in Christ in a timeless place means that I can look for what God is doing from heaven on earth, without worrying about whether my agenda goes through. Understanding that I am seated in heaven with Christ, that there is enough time to do whatever God wants me to do, keeps me sensitive to the Spirit and focused on a life with Jesus at its center. I haven't really seen this play out in my life fully, but I am looking forward to seeing it play out. Just today i was working on something with my dad and he asked me to do something for him and I did realize that I indeed do have enough time to serve my dad.

On another note, All My Life has been received well by the 100 or so people that actually listen to my music. I'm proud of it. There are still some things that I wish I could change about it, but I don't think I will. It's time to close the door on that project and move on. I actually didn't have any intention of making All My Life, but there was a good opportunity to do so and I had the right songs in place, so it worked out. Incidentally, I was talking to my dad about he and my mom's 50th wedding anniversary celebration and he asked if he could give away one of my CDs for a parting gift. I was honored that he would ask, and I'm glad to do so. I think All My Life will be a perfect for it! 

On to other things... Jesus is teaching me how to guard my heart. One way is to speak out loud the truth - even when I'm by myself. Let's face it, most temptation comes when we're alone and when I'm alone I find that I just think about stuff. Everything that happens happens in my mind. I hear a weird thought (usually not from myself) and then I start entertaining that thought in my mind. God is showing me that there is power when i speak the truth out loud with my physical mouth. I get it out in the open instead of just processing or battling in my mind. So let's say I hear the thought, "You want to eat an entire bag of potato chips" My typical response would be to think about it and I may think I agree with that thought, or I may think I disagree with it. After a while, I may or may not take that thought as my own. However, lately I have found that as I speak the truth out loud with my physical mouth as it pertains to whatever weird thought I'm having, it gives me power to live out who I am in Christ and causes temptation to flee. It's one thing to hear temptation and respond to it with a thought, it's another thing to respond with my voice and my mouth by speaking the truth of who I am in Christ!

 ... that's the title of my new EP coming out later this week! I'm currently waiting on it to be mastered and will then be duplicating CDs and such on Thursday for release on Friday. Maybe I'll release it earlier here on gb.com? 

The title of my new EP is fitting because I am finding and experiencing more and more that Christ and Him crucified really has become all my life. And all my life before I received this message from Jesus has past away. It's gone. It's dead. I'm not just stating my theology or me repeating Scripture - this is my ongoing experience and it is my reality.  All My Life is an acoustic EP, something I've been wanting to do for a while ("acoustic" meaning no electric guitars, keyboards or synthesizers). The cool thing is, I didn't plan to do an acoustic EP, it just happened. The timing was right as it just so happened that I had 3 songs that would sound nice acoustically. Oddly enough, I used to be in a band called The Acoustic Red, that was all acoustic. Different portions of this album are reminiscent of my old band's sound. 

"All My Life" - The title track is country/folk, a genre that I have never delved into before (folk? yes. country? no.). I really love this tune. I listen to it on repeat for extended amounts of time. The song itself is only 2 minutes long which is longer than I initially wanted to make it. At first I wanted to make a song that was only 1 minute long - like I wanted to make some sort of artsy/musical statement by being different, but then the Lord told me that I needed to write another part, so I did. When I tell people I wrote a country song, most people respond incredulously saying, "really?". Haha... I don't see myself doing much country music in the future, but this one is a lot of fun. In addition, my great friend Tophe Dannug played bass on the track and he added some really cool riffs that make the song even more fun. Fun fact: Tophe was the bass player in The Acoustic Red!

"My Only Truth" - This is one of the best songs I've written in the last few years. I wrote it one morning in Lansing, MI. I was leading worship at a conference and we were staying in a hotel. I woke up super-early one morning and had a tune stuck in my head. I couldn't go back to sleep and ended up writing this song. The next week I was going to Columbus, OH. to preach and I knew that God gave me "My Only Truth" for the church I was going to - Scioto Ridge Methodist Church. I never had the intention of making an acoustic version of this song - I had always heard it as a sort of pop-rock/ballad (ala Lifehouse). Part of me thinks it was meant to be acoustic from the start though because when I sang it at Scioto Ridge on two separate occasions, it was just me and a guitar. I really like how this recording turned out - especially the piano part. It's possible that this version is the only recording I'll ever do of this song, but we'll see. 

"Here" - When I realized I was going to do an acoustic EP, I knew that "All My Life" and "My Only Truth" would be on it, but I didn't have a third song yet. Then one morning, the Lord woke me up and an old version of this song popped into my head. I hadn't even thought of that song in years, so it was interesting that it came to mind. I actually had a hard time remember parts of it at first. Anyways, I knew it was from the Lord because I rewrote it and recorded most of it that same day. This is a song of encounter with Jesus. It's not about an encounter with Jesus, it's a song of encounter. What does that mean? You have to hear it and experience it to find out, I can't explain it to you here in a blog. For me, this song is an intimate place of dining with and on Jesus. (Can a song be a place?) As I alluded to earlier, "Here" is actually a rewrite of a song I wrote several years ago titled "Consecrate". The only part of the song that is the same now is the verse and the piano part (but even the words to the verse have been changed a bit). I wrote a whole new chorus melody and a whole new bridge entirely. One thing different about the recordings on All My Life is that I have focused a lot more on vocals and harmonies than I have in past recordings - the bridge of "Here" illustrates this well. In addition, a fine fellow named David Bullinger played cello at the end of the song. I have actually never met David in person - he's a friend of a friend. I emailed him a copy of the song and he recorded himself playing cello on his own and then emailed me his recording and that was that. Technology is amazing isn't it? (Incidentally, I did the same thing with Tophe and his bass part). 

I'm very excited about All My Life, even though it's only 3 songs. There is something significant about it, but I can't really put my finger on what exactly. Time will tell. 

Hello...

Things have been relatively quiet on the home front. Haven't been in a blogging mood as of late, so that's the reason for my absence. 

I've been planning things out for my next CD (mostly in my head). But I have no timetable for it and am in no rush to get it finished. Well, i guess I'd like to have it done by my birthday, but if it's not ready by then, I'm not going to force it. I learned a lot from Copper & Tin, my last CD. I mostly learned that I put out a better product when I'm not rushing myself or trying to meet a deadline. Deadlines aren't bad, but if I don't have to meet it, why subject myself to it when it likely means an inferior product. I'm not willing to do that this time. This time I want to put all the effort and care that I can into it. I don't want to be lazy about any aspect of it. I want to pray and hear from Jesus about all aspects of it. I want to stretch myself creatively and for that to easily heard in the songs that come forth. 

I've already got 9 songs for the CD. My guess is that I'll have somewhere around 12-15 once it's finished. We'll see... There will be 2 songs on there that I've had laying around for a while. One of them has been called one of the best I've ever written. Not really a worship song, but it is a song about being Christian, haha. Another song that I'm putting on there has taken me nearly 5 years to write. Serious! Just earlier this year did I get the part that I needed to complete the song. I'm excited about recording that song. 

I've spent the past few days totally reorganizing and de-cluttering the loft. Part of the reason is because my bro is coming over for Thanksgiving and the rest of the reason is because I just have the urge to do so. Lindsey says that I have this urge every 6 weeks. Perhaps 6 weeks is my clutter threshold?!? haha... Anyways, it's good to be doing this. Getting rid of stuff and just using the little space that we have more efficiently. I've felt great satisfaction in knowing that what I've been doing is actually improving the quality of life for my family in general. One thing I'm most proud of is that I bought Erin a table and set up a vanity for her. Previously, she was just sitting on the floor with her makeup in front of the mirror. There is a long way to go in regards to the reorganization and de-cluttering I have in mind. We'll see how far I actually get! :) I am looking forward to putting up the Christmas tree (which is maybe 1 foot tall!)

Well, I think that is a good enough update for now. I pray this finds you well. Be blessed!

Grande

In Bible College they taught us that Scripture interprets Scripture. There's definitely some truth to that, but the Holy Spirit is showing me that Scripture is to be interpreted through the lens of the Cross. That's how people in the New Testament interpreted the Old Testament. In Acts 2 Peter read Psalm 16 through the lens of the Cross. In Romans 9 Paul read Hosea and Isaiah through the lens of Christ and Him crucified. The writer of Hebrews read Genesis 2 and Psalm 95 through the lens of the Gospel. However, if you were to read those same passages using today's standards and methods, you wouldn't come to the same conclusions that the writers of the New Testament did.

I find it quite humorous and somewhat faithless that people today (especially scholars) will question how people in the New Testament interpreted the Old Testament. The writers of the New Testament had face to face encounters with Christ; encounters that gave them revelation about Scripture! Why should we give greater authority to western thinking and intellect that has come some 2,000 years later and is often void of anything remotely similar to an encounter with Jesus? It doesn't make sense! The writers of the New Testament didn't find Jesus in the Old Testament after taking Bible classes and excelling in exegesis and hermeneutics. They had an encounter with Christ, had a revelation of Christ and Him crucified and consequently saw the Gospel in everything they read.

In Bible College they told me that while New Testament writers interpreted the Old Testament a certain way, we can't do it that way. This is simultaneously foolish, faithless and religious. The truth is, through the writers of the New Testament God gave us the key to reading and interpreting both the Old and New Testaments: All Scripture is to be seen and interpreted through the lens of Christ and Him Crucified. When we approach Scripture in this way, the Bible becomes even more alive to us and Jesus appears to us in new and living ways!