Spark2Flame

Okay, now that I have your attention and possibly angered search engine users who were looking for get-rich-quick schemes, I have something to talk to you about. I am posting this on both Connecting to Impact and Burn Frequency to make sure everyone sees it. I appreciate and absolutely love all the feedback I’ve been getting about the posts, but I want to encourage you to use the comments!

I know to some, it’s scary to put yourself out there. The first time I commented on a blog, it was a news site where I expressed my opinion and came back later to find 20 people had shredded me for that opinion. Okay, so it was an entertainment news site and my opinion was about a TV show, but it was still scary.

The good news is that here, you don’t have to worry about it because this is a safe place to learn, grow, and express ourselves. We are not here to debate, but to encourage and strengthen each other. And besides that, we’re all Christians and Christians are always warm, friendly, and caring… on second thought, maybe that point is not the best to lean on, but this is indeed a safe place and I will make sure to keep it that way.

Below I’ve listed a few reasons why you should comment so prepare to be blown away!

• Your Momma didn’t raise you that way. Imagine, if you will, you come to my house. I’m so excited that you’re here and can’t wait to find out what’s been going on with you. I welcome you at the front door, but you don’t say a word. I think it’s odd, but I lead you to the living room so we can sit down and catch up. I start telling you all about the wonderful things God is doing and the truth I’m finally grabbing hold of and then ask you about your experiences and thoughts. Instead of replying, you get up wide-eyed and retreat to the shadows, again without a word. I try to coax you out, but no dice. I’m feeling sad and a little lonely so I turn to food to comfort me again. You don’t want that, do you?
• What I write is supposed to be a starting place for conversation. I can get excited and write more than I intended, but what I really, really want is a back-and-forth with you. I’m reaching out here! I believe there is something in each of us that needs to be expressed. Jesus is alive in you like He’s alive in me, and you can encourage others in a different way than I can. On some of the other inspirational blogs I go to, I get encouraged by the author’s words but then someone in the comments just takes it to another level. That’s what I know can happen here. To borrow from the sublime teachings of the Adam Sandler classic, “The Water Boy”—You can do it! I believe in you and you may be able to make a difference in someone else’s life just by putting a simple comment (even if you just make someone laugh or smile).
• I need encouragement and challenging. As I said, I’m looking for that back-and-forth, conversational aspect. I want to encourage, inspire, and challenge; but in the same way, I need those same things and that’s where you come in. You pay $39.95 then get 5 other people to join… oh wait, that's another pitch entirely. The Body of Christ is an amazing and wonderful gift. We learn and grow through interaction. If you agree with something, tell me about it. If you disagree, let me know why. If you have something to add, please add it! I’m the kind of preacher who loves those amen’s and hallelujah’s—in short, feedback is glorious!

I hope I’ve made my case effectively, and you’ll begin to see this blog as a community of people seeking God together, sharing their lives and hearts. Since this post is essentially about getting you to comment and I believe in the principle of "ask and you will receive," I want to ask you to do just that. Am I coming across as desperate? Well, actually, that sounds about right...

For all you technophobes out there, try to keep your heart from beating out of your chest, still those trembling hands, and move your mouse into the white comment box and click inside it. If you don't see a comment box, then you'll need to click on the title of this post and then scroll down. Okay, now type something, anything. Type random letters if you like or better yet, type amen (or if you prefer shouting, AMEN).

Then you have to choose from the “comment as” box and if you don’t have a profile anywhere else, choose “name/URL” or “anonymous.” After that, push the “post comment” button and you should be all set. Simple, right?

I look forward to hearing from you. As for the million dollars, either work really hard, try a pyramid scheme (kidding, of course), or maybe you can get into an Oprah taping, she does stuff like that, I think.

Act now! Don't wait! Get to commenting!

I'll let this one speak for itself...

As a person who sings (love to sing) and preaches (love to preach), it is hard for me to imagine not having a voice. Recently due to illness, I’ve had a sore throat and coughing that have left me with very little to work with, but still I knew my voice was coming back.

I read an article about Joey Finley, an eight year old (the age of my son), who had a virus called HPV that made him incapable of speaking and literally threatened his life. If you’ve seen those commercials about HPV, it’s the same virus that causes cervical cancer in women. For Joey, little wart-like growths formed in the throat and if untreated, would eventually cut off all air flow and he would die. Little Joey went through many surgeries (16 from the age of 4), and his doctor put it this way, “Try to imagine breathing through a coffee stirrer. That's what those children breathe like when they first come to our attention." (Read the whole article here)

Even after the growths were removed, he sounded hoarse and told his doctors he had “frogs” in his throat. The most fascinating thing to me is what happened next. He was assigned to a speech language pathologist to help him with his voice. At that time, he was understandably shy and hesitant to interact with kids because they had teased him before. Instead of dealing with this, he retreated.

What they found was that Joey was using other muscles in his throat in order to make his voice, but they taught him to imitate funny sounds, like motorboat and car noises, which enabled him to get his real voice back. It didn’t take long for him to start making normal sounds. "I heard a sweet little high-pitched voice, not that 80-year-old man voice in a 5-year-old body," the pathologist said.

I was challenged again as I read this and thinking about how many people have been through trauma, hardship, and heartache and then fall into a “false voice” and slip into isolation because they don’t know how people will react or what will happen. They put up defenses and call it quits, but somewhere inside us is the true voice.

Here’s what struck me as I read this story:

• We sometimes develop other “muscles” instead of using our true voice and think it’s the only way because no one ever showed us differently. We each have destiny and purpose, things we were created to do as we respond to the love God has shown us. Our communication suffers when it consists mostly of regurgitated facts or religious clichés.
• Sometimes the false voice came from other people or our own ungodly expectations. We can try to be something we’re not because other people told us we were or weren’t something. The fact of the matter is, what did God say? We can have ungodly expectations for ourselves that keep the real voice from coming out. Whatever the source, we need to ask God to show us, acknowledge and realize where it came from, repent (if necessary), and walk with Him into a new place and position.
• We need that safe place to express ourselves, have fun, and grow in our true voice. We need to know that the other, false way of living is not the only way. The pressure of that which is choking the life out of us is one problem to overcome, and thankfully, Jesus has already overcome—sin, death, hell, and the grave. The next exploration is finding out who He made us to be and expressing that.
• This involves you, Jesus, and other people. The pathologist called Joey’s case a miracle, and I agree completely. Some miracles come all at once in a flash, and others take a lot work, effort, and the ability to trust other people.

I just want to encourage you that the false voice is not “just the way it is” or what you have to resign yourself to for the rest of your life. There is a true voice that God put inside you and me, and we were meant to express and use it for His glory. All the things Joey didn’t want to do before like singing and playing with friends, he now enjoys and doesn’t take his miracle for granted.

I feel like I have been through things that would try to produce a false voice, and seeing the other side and freedom—I can honestly say that being the real me is a whole lot better. I don’t have to be anyone else and if someone suggests I should, I just politely refuse. It’s taken a lot of work to get me to this point, and I don’t want to go back now!

What do you say? Do you feel you have been using a false voice and bowing to expectations other than God’s? Are you ready to embrace the miracle (hard work and all)?

I don’t know about you (I have a pretty good idea), but there are certain things in life that are exhilarating and other things that I do because I have to do them. It’s so strange being the only person on earth who’s like that. It must be similar to how Michael Jackson feels.

Jokes aside, I find myself extremely thankful today for purpose and knowing, at least in part, what that purpose is. God is so gracious to infuse our DNA with a specific purpose and then show up to reveal what that is. I’m talking about what really makes you tick, brings you some sort of fulfillment, and causes great joy when you engage in it.

Now, before you get all spiritual on me and say, “The only place I look for fulfillment is my relationship with Jesus.” If that were true, every spare moment would be filled with maintaining, building, and strengthening that relationship instead of all the other junk we fill our lives with. It is in relationship that we find out what purpose is all about, but there is so much more.

Adam and Eve were created for relationship, it’s true, but then God gave them a task of keeping the Garden of Eden, naming the animals, etc. When sin entered the world, everything got completely screwed up and our purpose was frustrated. It’s sort of like a mirror that shattered, but still in one piece. You can see a reflection, but it’s not genuine or representative of the truth. It’s marred and disfigured.

That’s why we can find joy and fulfillment in some things for a while, but apart from God, those feelings are fleeting. We are inexplicably drawn to some things over other things, and people that have never known God can still find what they were made to do. The only problem is that we were created for purpose and relationship. Without the relationship, we can get everything out of balance and the fulfillment turns to ambition, apathy, imprisonment (maybe spiritual, hopefully not physical), or any number of things.

Ephesians 2:10 says, “…we are God’s masterpiece. He has created us anew in Christ Jesus, so we can do the good things he planned for us long ago.” Another translation says we are “predestined for good works.” There are things we get the privilege of doing by His grace, and that is exciting!

I don’t have to walk around like a zombie wondering what to do next (and certainly not feasting on human flesh). God put good desires within me and I can follow these things as I grow in relationship with Him. That doesn’t mean that everyone will recognize it instantly or encourage me all the time to embrace my dreams. A lot of times, it seems like the opposite and some of those zombies don’t like it when someone breaks free.

• Sure, lots of people tell me now how my music or worship leading affects them, but there were years when the only one encouraging me was God. I had to trust Him and grow in the gifting He had given me even though I didn’t think I could do it.


• It’s the same with preaching: when I get into a sermon and feel that flow, it’s an amazing rush! I’m not going to lie, it’s like a drug, whether it’s in worship or preaching. Finding that flow is so cool!

I’ve decided right here and now, I’m not going to apologize for feeling alive when I’m doing what God made me to do. Some people fear strong emotions in any form, but as Yoda let us know, “fear is the path to the dark side.” And that diminutive green puppet has a point.

Plenty of people get seduced by these intense feelings, believe their own hype, and then succumb to the pride that eats them up—but relationship with God and accountability with other believers are safeguards for us.

I don’t want to never feel alive because I’m afraid of where it might lead. What kind of life is that?

The Church has done a fairly bad job of this as we can often make people feel bad for pursuing their dreams and finding their purpose (all the while throwing those same words and concepts at them). Isn’t Jesus enough for you? Why would you need to find fulfillment anywhere else? Because He made me for both! If we followed that logic, we would never get married, go to church, have kids, or do anything else. It would be a sad little cubicle of an existence, and I dare say, we would not be able to know God to the fullest extent.

Why? Because I hear God speak as I grow in love and relationship with my wife, kids, and church. The same is true as I expereience my destiny. He reveals Himself everywhere I look and those other things are not superfluous, they are created by Him and meant to be enjoyed!

So if you feel alive in business, go for it. If you feel the flow in helping orphans, go for it. If you find fulfillment in writing a blog, go for it. You may be excited by what has been defined as ministry in the past—like worship leading, preaching, kids church, youth, etc.—or you may find purpose in something else entirely. News Flash: that's not the only definition of ministry.

Explore what God has put inside you and walk with Him to see that purpose fulfilled.

Several years ago when I was in college, I was on a ministry trip in Japan with a very cool bunch of people. One of those people was the pastor of the church I grew up in (Dr. Sam Matthews), who said that there was a declaration going over and over in his spirit, Jesus, Savior of the world.


That stuck with me as I reflected on the power and the complete victory that Jesus purchased for us. It is big enough to save the world. The offering that He gave was potent enough to stand for all eternity and earn Him the title, Savior of the world.

That’s where it started in early fall, but later into November or early December, I started writing some thoughts and singing some melodies. I was also taking a Christology course at the time, which directly relates to why the song contains the phrase, “all God, all man, You are Jesus Christ, Savior of the world.” We had discussed that amazing attribute of Jesus being fully God and fully man. It is a marvel to consider the wisdom and greatness of God!

To many, it’s a Christmas song—end of discussion. The first verse talks about Jesus coming by virgin birth and the fact that no one could have anticipated what this gift would mean to the world. The unfailing, unfathomable love displayed for all causes us to stand in awe as we behold the Lamb. The chorus as well lends to the Christmas vibe as it echoes the great carol, “Come let us adore Him.”

Beyond Christmas though, the incarnation of Christ is many times only talked about in relation to this season. The truth though is that victory was gained in Jesus’ earthly body just as it was completed on the cross and subsequent resurrection. He made Himself nothing—putting Himself in the care and tutelage of fallible human parents and teachers, growing through the stages of life and maintaining a sinless existence.

If He had not walked where He walked, encountered and confronted the injustice that He did, overcome the temptations and trials common to every man without sinning—then the sacrifice would not have been sufficient. The gift of God was not only in the cross, but in Jesus’ incarnation as well. Through His victorious life, He redeemed the destiny of mankind and secured for us the same victory.

That’s why in 1 John 5, we are told that we overcome the world by simply believing Jesus is the Son of God. I think that is such a powerful and overlooked truth! Just as Peter received that profound revelation, we can walk in the reality that He is “the Christ, the Son of the Living God.” That revelation is big enough that Jesus said He would build His church on it and the gates of hell would not prevail against it!

By believing He is who He says He is and who heaven has revealed Him to be, we share in the victory that Jesus won for us. The world may oppose us, but they have no ultimate authority. Jesus let us know that this world would give us trouble, but we take heart because He has overcome it (John 16:33).

It is the whole of Jesus’ life that secured our salvation. The humility of that birth, submission to authority, developing and growing, living and ministering, dying and resurrecting—what a gracious and wonderful Savior, both to you and me and the entire world!

Be sure to take a moment to reflect and reverence Him in this busy season. If you can use this song as a part of that, then I will be most glad!

• Listen to Savior of the World
• Buy the download!
• Download the Chord Sheet

What Christmas or “Christmas” (those that could be applied other times) songs are really ministering to you this season or causing you to worship God? Tell us in the comments.

Playing catch up is always fun and exciting, but needless to say this is not out as soon as I had hoped. It is a little more rough and ready because I haven't had a voice for the past week and was unable to record a stellar intro as you are accustomed to hearing, but the message is there and I believe it's a message we need.

Compassion is a cornerstone of the Christian faith and Jesus certainly gave us an amazing example of what true compassion is. As you listen, be challenged and encouraged that we are well able to walk where He has for us to walk and live the life He has called us to.

As always, I would love to hear your thoughts in the comments. Is there an area you’ve been challenged in? What has been your experience in godly compassion?

Here are the links!

Stream Cultivating Compassion right now!
Download Cultivating Compassion!*

From now until the end of December, I am giving a special discount to all Burn Frequency readers.

Welcome to Crazy Jason’s House of CD’s and Oriental Rug Emporium. Wait! This just in… we have completely sold out of oriental rugs (you’re kicking yourself for not acting sooner, right?), but you’ll be happy to know that we have plenty of CD’s available at wonderful prices. If you already own these worship CD’s, they make great gifts and stocking stuffers, and in a pinch, a coaster for your cold or hot beverages.

Here’s the deal (and you can only find it on this blog and only for December):

• Any 2 CD’s for $10 each (plus shipping)
• Any 3 CD’s for $9 each (plus shipping)
• Any 4 CD’s for $8 each (plus shipping)

There is a button in the right hand column where you can complete this through PayPal (you don’t have to have a PayPal account, just a major credit card). Be sure to include which CD’s you want and what quantity in the text box provided. Before your order is complete, you can tell me whether this is going to someone else or yourself and I can send it directly to them if you like.

• If you want more than these 3 selections allow, just email me and we can arrange something even better.
• Also if you are a church who sells music in your entryway or bookstore and would like more than this, I will offer you a great deal (just email me here).
  If you have any other questions, email me here!

Please send this out to anyone who would be interested, especially if you think the music and/or this blog will impact their lives. One easy way is to click that little “envelope with an arrow” icon below and enter some info. You could actually send it to several at once with this option.

My heart’s desire is to see this music get out to as many people as possible as it encourages and challenges, ushering seeking hearts into the presence of God. Each project marks a very special moment of destiny and obedience for my wife and me. We are so elated by the testimonies we have received from all over the world. It just reaffirms to us again the grandness and awesomeness of God!

Thank you all for your support and being a part of this wonderful journey!

We had a wonderful vacation, and I promptly came back and became sick. I’m getting over it now, but it has put be behind schedule for some things including this month’s podcast. It’ll be here this week though (if all goes according to plan). Now that all that’s out of the way…

I confessed a few entries back that I have felt a bit bombarded with life. There seem to be so many demands on me and I don’t always know how to deal with them all, and I wonder if I am prioritizing properly. One big thing in front of us is the relaunching of our church, and I often feel like certain things that should be complete are not or things aren’t flowing as smoothly or any number of concerns.

Amazingly enough, these things followed me on vacation until I let go and let God deal with the anxiety. What I heard was such a wonderful truth. God spoke to me, “Your job is not to make something out of nothing. Your job is to believe that I can.” God reaffirmed to me that the pressure I was feeling was not from Him and I had taken on more responsibility than I needed to (I think part of it comes from being the oldest child). The reality is that without the miraculous, supernatural, powerful providence of God, nothing we are attempting is possible or even feasible.

This type of pressure can be found in all sorts of places. Worship leaders may feel it when they go into a service. I’ve got to pick the right songs or say the right things so God shows up. I’ve felt that before but it’s not God! The Father wants to be with His children and though we press to be led by Him, we aren’t responsible to make sure God shows up like some sort of rock star who needs all his demands met before he’ll enter a building.

You may feel it in relationships with friends, spouses, children, or whoever. I’m not doing enough, I’m not supporting or encouraging enough. Sometimes all you can do is pray. You can’t fix everybody’s problems and make everyone feel better immediately. We can simply trust God that He will always take care of His children, and we can be faithful and obedient to do what we can (not what we think we’re supposed to do) and act as He leads us.

I remember reading the book, The Power of a Praying Parent. The author points out that we cannot as parents possibly protect our children from everything. If we try, we’ll mess up the kids lives and our own because everything—every decision, every action—will be first filtered through fear. We have to trust that God is who He says He is, a good Father and the Protector. He watches when we cannot. He acts when we are not there. He protects when we cannot see. We do what we can when we can, but the rest is up to God.

It's true in parenting, and it's true in life and relationships.

Fear plays a big part and so does pride, but both things will keep us from the real answer and real truth. I can’t makes something out of nothing no matter how hard I try. I can use materials that God has already given and create something there, but even still, I have to believe that He is speaking those things that are not as though they were and doing the impossible as I trust Him.

If you’ve held on to pressure that is not of God, I simply encourage you to let it go. Fear makes the most irrational decisions look sane, but the consequences are never what we want. I’ll leave you with these words from James 1,

Don't be deceived, my dear brothers. Every good and perfect gift is from above, coming down from the Father of the heavenly lights, who does not change like shifting shadows. He chose to give us birth through the word of truth, that we might be a kind of firstfruits of all he created.

I told you that I wanted to start giving some (potentially) helpful resource reviews that you would do well to check out. For today’s Let’s Review, I wanted to share with you a book that I read about a year ago and still appreciate greatly. Frequently Avoided Questions: An Uncensored Dialogue on Faith is written by Matt Whitlock and Chuck Smith, Jr. This book actually came out in 2005, but hey, I never claimed to be ahead of the curve.

The authors are from different backgrounds and different generations, and they balance each other and represent their perspectives with grace and effectiveness. Matt’s position and experience with Youth with a Mission (YWAM) and Chuck’s as a pastor and son of Calvary Chapel founder, Chuck Smith, Sr.—aid them as they offer an easy and fluid style that will surely spark conversation. That’s what I think is so great: I don’t agree with everything they propose, but I do agree that we as Christians need to answer these questions (and others) in a substantive, real way.

We need to know Whom and what we believe, and being challenged or even shaken from our comfort zone is good for us. The days of force fed Christianity with leaders who “cannot” be questioned should come to an end. It is not healthy or even Biblical. God gave us the ability to not only think for ourselves but experience His life, grace, and truth as individuals and a corporate body of believers. Easy answers may be okay for a while, but we are all responsible to grow and move forward in grace and wisdom.

So in my humble opinion, you should read this book. Whether you want to know how younger generations are seeing the world or you want to begin attacking some of these issues head on, I believe this book will help. In some cases, it’s a conversation that is overdue, but that’s why we’re here.

Since we’re on the topic of books that have challenged you in some way—what ones (or authors) have really made you search or think? Talk about it in the comments. Also, if you've read this book, what did you think?

When I talked about the purpose of this blog earlier this month, I told you we would have some new recurring features. Here is another one I'd like to call, Like it/Love it/Leave it. I can just hear Paul Schafer and the CBS orchestra now (vividly actually, this is kinda weird).

The whole idea is to sound off on a certain subject, topic, or thing. We may have more serious ones in the future, but today we're having a little fun. Before we get to the topic, here’s how it goes,

• If you are okay with it but not passionate—leave a “like it” in the comments.


• If you’re excited about it (enough to tell your friends but slightly less than wanting to name your kids after it)—leave a “love it.”


• If you’re done with it, never heard of it, or never much cared for its ilk—comment with a “leave it.”

Feel free to explain yourself or not. It’s totally up to you. This is your chance to let your voice be heard in quite possibly the most important forum you will ever be a part of.

Now that you get it, let’s get to it!

The TV show, The Office (U.S. version)

I’ll start—love it. I consistently laugh out loud and think it’s one of the smartest shows on TV right now, which I realize even as I write this, is not saying a lot. No matter!

Enough about what I think, what do you say?

As a way of introducing you to people of interest who will help us accomplish our purpose here at Burn Frequency, this is the first of a new feature called, Get to Know. We'll ask a few simple questions of leaders, worshippers, authors, or anyone else who might be willing to talk to us.

Today, I'm so pleased to tell you a little about my friend, Paul Hollifield. He is an exceptional man of God who walks a real walk and challenges himself and everyone around him to live God's best. I am also very pleased to announce that Paul has agreed to begin writing some devotions for Burn Frequency that I know will inspire and strengthen you in your worship. Be sure to tell him hello in the comments!

These are the questions I asked Paul and the answers he provided. I know what you're thinking, what a shocking way to do an interview. There are always critics standing in the way of innovation!

What would you say is at the core of what you want to communicate to
others?

I want people to become more complete in their worship of an awesome God. I want them to understand that worship is more than the corporate gathering, though that is an important facet, in the life of the believer. I would like to see more balance in the Kingdom and not so much extremism when it comes to the lifestyle of believers and how they function within the paradigms of doctrine. I want world peace! Ok, maybe that was going a bit overboard. It was starting to feel like a beauty pageant answer for a minute there.

Tell us some about yourself. What are some of your experiences and background?

Since first learning about what true worship was about in college, I have had a passion to explore and discover what God wants from us in regards to this subject. I have worked on staff at several churches in the capacity of Worship Pastor since 1993, but was involved in music ministry from around 1985. Growing up in a pastor’s home was a great experience as a kid. My father “specialized” in helping smaller broken churches throughout most of his ministry. This exposed me to many great people that were a part of ministries that were not “mega” by any nature and used mostly part-time or volunteer staff. This experience has really shaped the kingdom worldview that I have today. God has led my wife and me to focus our ministry on churches that don’t have the same resources or tools as a larger well-funded church and to teach them how to be effective in their communities.

What is REI Ministries, how did it get started, and what are your plans for the future?

REI is an acronym that represents three words that define and shape the mission of our ministry. “Revelation” is what we long to see first. As we speak, teach and encourage from God’s word, it is our desire to see Him revealed in ways that people experience a paradigm shift in the way they have done things prior. “Education” is next and is somewhat self-explanatory. As God reveals Himself and His plan, we want to offer practical ways to apply that revelation so that churches/leaders become effective in walking out what God is showing them. “Impartation” is last but not least and is probably the most misunderstood. We believe that none of what we do is possible without the impartation of the Holy Spirit in the lives of those to whom we minister. It is this empowerment that takes God’s plan and the tools in which to implement it and gives them the power necessary to work.

Regardless of whether we are teaching on worship, media, parenting or children, it is our hope that these three elements exist. REI Ministries began in 2005 as we answered the call to minister to churches that didn’t have the ability to travel across the country to the “big” conference due to bi-vocational staff or volunteers. We have the desire to minister to churches in the role of a mentor that will come and teach but then remain “on board” as a resource until that ministry is able to function effectively in its community.