Good Music. Free good music.
We’ve pointed out in the past that Phil Wickham’s recent album, Sing Along is available free to download. Sweet tunes, actually recorded live in Portland, leading our mouths and hearts to sing truth and praise to God and others.
What’s more, the Robbie Seay Band, is giving away their recent album, Give Yourself Away. Find it @ freeRSB.com.
Hey everyone!
We’re having our first JH Music Practice/Auditions THIS SUNDAY (June 28th)! We’ll start after the second service, have lunch there for all you guys (Pizza Schmizza!), and go until 2:00.
I’d love to get a band up and rocking to play on Sunday mornings. It’s gonna be fun. See you guys this Sunday!
Luke
On Sunday we watched this video, challenging us to see all of our possessions — money, things, food, everything — as ways to show how Christ is more valuable to us than any of it. All of our stuff is on loan from its true Owner, the Creator God, who made us to know, love and enjoy Him above all else.
We’re rolling out a Summer calendar shortly.
First, let me ask — anybody going on any road trips?
WCC Jr. High Update, June 2009 // read it here
(Also, our first one was sent out a few months ago and notes the various pathways we seek to utilize to communicate with parents.)
We’ve extended the $50 scholarship offer an extra 2 weeks — to June 15th.
Sign up for Camp Winema (July 5-11) on the camp page.
This morning we talked about being a missionary, tied to the texts of Acts 10 and Matthew 28:18-30 (aka the Great Commission). Missionaries are not just those who go to far-off lands to share the Gospel. God has sent us into all areas of life to show His grace and speak of the infinite worth of His Son.
Here’s the video we watched: Clayton’s Story. It sparked a conversation about making our lives count.
Clayton’s Story from Jacob Lewis on Vimeo.
(See more)
Clayton spoke at Cornerstone Church not long ago:
Clayton’s Story from Cornerstone Church on Vimeo.
A few students mentioned they thoroughly enjoy the song “True Love” by Phil Wickham. All should know that Phil is giving away that album Sing Along, which was recorded live in Portland not that long ago — all for free.
Download Sing Along free on his blog here.
Here’s all the songs on the album:
“True Love” is all about the great love of God the Father for us, in light of His greater love for His Son, whom He sent to die in our place and make us right with Him. All the walls came tumbling down that were barriers to us knowing God — our sin, our selfishness, our slavery to Satan, and our enmity with God.
Here’s part of the song:
The earth was shaking in the dark
All creation felt the Fathers broken heart
tears were filling heavens eyes
The day that true love died, the day that true love died
When blood and water hit the ground
Walls we couldn’t move came crashing down
We were free and made alive
The day that true love died, The day that true love diedSearch your heart you know you can’t deny it
C’mon Lose your life just so you can find it
The Father gave his only son just to save us
Now Jesus is alive, Jesus is alive
Jesus is alive, Jesus is alive
Jesus is alive, Oh He is alive
He rose again
We have a FAT leadership team. What do I mean? They are Faithful, Available, and Teachable. They’re FAT!
Or, perhaps in light of yesterday’s teaching on the Holy Spirit, we should say they are FAST: Faithful, Available, Spirit-filled, and Teachable. I think everyone would like to be called FAST over FAT. 
I was thinking and praying for all our adult volunteer leaders this morning and came across this quote. Here’s a word of encouragement by one the saints who walked before us, C. John Miller:
“Let me urge upon you the importance of cultivating faith if you are to be able to walk in love and spiritual power. Without faith it is impossible to please God, but those who believe are given more grace than they can handle. Believing is to expect God to be with you and change you and to change others…When the work is dull and routine or people are slipping away, go forth with new boldness and preach Christ until you are filled with faith yourselves and God works faith in others.
Think of it this way. All the powers of hell and earth are ranged against the gospel and your ministry. They will not compromise. Therefore don’t expect it from them. Don’t expect the enemy to coddle you. He will continue to attack from every quarter. At night. On the streets. In your meetings. Wherever. This is a take-no-prisoners kind of war, and we must not compromise with the uglies and with evil in any form.
Therefore resist, fight with all your heart against evil in yourself and others, seek holiness through faith in the blood of Christ, and live boldly out of your union with Christ. You are in Him and He is in you. Don’t doubt it. On that basis keep at it.”
– C. John Miller, The Heart of a Servant Leader
We are prone to wander from the Truth. Habits are hard to break. We grew up thinking that if we just tried harder, we’d make it to God. Or, that it doesn’t really matter and God accepts us just as the slobs we are. Isn’t He gracious or something?
Yes, God is full of grace! And He purchased the rights to bring us back to Himself through the payment of His Son. Christ came and did the Law perfectly, loved God and loved people all the way, and now we are free to love God and others. Our chains are gone!
God now — because of Jesus - treats us always, at every moment, on the basis of grace. We haven’t earned it and we never well. So we must swim in the deep-end of God’s grace and learn to relate to Him how we sees us.
We must stand firm, because we are prone to wander. Every day we must preach the Gospel to ourselves. Here’s a reminder of what we must fill up our brains. Let’s read Galatians 5:1:
“It is for freedom that Christ has set us free. Stand firm, then, and do not let yourselves be burdened again by a yoke of slavery.”