cold

Right now, it says its 59degrees in my house. Im cold and wondering why the heat won't come on. I just called the heating company, but i think our furnace is broke.
hmmm.
pray it gets fixed before bedtime.

excited about the weekend

I just finished the set for the weekend and Im really excited (more than normal).
We are doing Starfields version of "Hosanna" and ending our services with "stand in awe" by Jeremy Riddle. Tomorrow Erin and I are going to make a quick trip home to Port Huron to pick up my guitar and then head back. Also- this is Super bowl weekend! Im rooting for the Lions.

taylor in transit

just heard from my friend Andi,
My new guitar was shipped today from Chicago to Port Huron. I'm going to pick it up Friday.
I can't wait!

False alarm

Sunday during the nine AM service and at the end of Craig's sermon the fire alarm went off in the church. Everyone went scrambling for their kids and heading out the doors only to find that it was a faulty heat sensor on the second floor. I felt bad for Craig, but joked and said that "he told me to pull it if I thought it wasn't going well". Oh how Satan loves to throw distractions and hiccups into what God is doing. I sat in the 11am with my wife (fire alarm free) and heard an amazing message on loving God more. It was a great day--fire alarm and all.

Free and Legal

4 words: Music, download, free, legal.

Check this out: Qtrack

not for mac's until March 18 :(

random meeting

met a rad dude tonight who pretty much has his own recording studio set up in his Toronto loft and has worked on a lot of BMG records. after the night finished he non-chalant said "if you ever want to come over and record I'd love to work with ya" and then told me he's a session drummer and has toured running sound with some major label artists. I then said, "whoa dude, thats amazing, lets talk tomorrow and go from there". I have really been praying specifically for God to send some more diverse talent to Harvest and build the music ministry up to branch out and offer more musically to our congregation. I pray now that this is an answer to prayer and works out.

YA Take over!

We just got home from Harvest Young adults. Tonight was our first night in our new home (the gym, we out grew the foyer in 2 months) and also the first night with the bus running ( pick up and drop off to McMaster Unn). The night really couldn't have gone smoother. We implemented a "round table discussion" at the end of the night after the speakers talk to help digest the message which sparked great conversation and a platform for discussion. We kicked off a mini-series entitled "Culture: Crutch or catalyst in Christian ministry?". We are also going every weekend with Young Adults in March which we feel will help keep the momentum and allow for more community amongst the group. Young hearts who want more of Jesus is probably one of the most exciting things in my life. I am so thankful to be apart of this ministry and see, actually see God working in these peoples lives. Its given me the opportunity to lead a larger leadership group and develop other worship leaders and pour into a different team the the weekend worship band. There was a guy there tonight who was a hip hop dancer and was trying to teach me some moves. I can't dance but he said he would give me some lessons.....I'll keep you posted on that.

Barna Book

I am half way through "Pagan Christianity" by George Barna and Frank Viola and so far am still finding it hard to understand why so much time and energy went into such a book. Its kinda like a history text book with a lot of low shots at the modern day church to best describe it. The subtitle is "exploring the roots of our church practices" but I would change it to "exploiting the roots of our church practices". It seems that Barna and Viola have come to the conclusion that everything we do when talking about church is wrong and unbiblical and that we should just stop doing what we do altogether (that has to be the solution if we are doing it wrong). 

Im only half way so maybe he redeems himself with a big "just kidding" at the end of the book. 

I'll let you know or let you borrow it when Im done with it. 

Legacy MacLean

I just got home from one of the most special services I have ever been apart of. Today @ 2:00pm was a funeral for a brother who went home to be with the Lord on Thursday afternoon. Clare MacLean suffered a heart attack and died but not before living 73 years of his life sold out for Jesus Christ. I have never in all my life see so many people all at one man's funeral. The lives that were touched through this man is unexplainable. The worship center was packed floor to ceiling, the overflow was overflowing and there were people standing in the foyer.
Just 3 weeks ago, after a weekend worship service Clare came up to me in the foyer and encouraged me that the songs we had sung were a blessing to his heart, he then said with a big smile, "Josh, when I die, I want you to sing "it is well with my soul" at my funeral....will you do that?" I laughed and said jokingly that he still had a lot of life in him and not to talk like that"
Clare always pointed me to Jesus, always reminded me of our home in heaven and always encouraged me with a smile and a word of encouragement.
His kids, grandkids, in-laws, and his wife June, all testified that the Life Clare lived in public was the same in private and his Love for the Lord strengthened their family. Every person that stood up to speak gave the gospel message as Clare's desire would be to see Salvation come on a day like this.
You're home now Clare.

Weekend Reviewwee

Another weekend in Oakville and I am again so thankful for our church and their desire to truly worship. It makes my job so easy when people come and are really readying to give it all for Jesus.

Opening Special: Beautiful Jesus: Kristian Stanfill

Your Grace is Enough
Our King is here
Blessed be your name
It is well with my soul

Baby Dedication

Announcements/Prayer

Humble King: Brenton Brown

Sermon: Pastor Robbie Symons

Holy, Holy, Holy

Taylor Guitar releases the 414CE Sport Edition

Not really, but Jake left his Taylor in Karl's office so I took it out and went and played Basketball with it. It totally enhances your game. Thanks Jake!

js

What Jesus does if you let him

This is Jane and she got baptized this past weekend at our church. Listen to the evidence of change! Praise the Lord.

this excites me

http://www.starfieldonline.com/

Andy just showed me the new launch of Starfields web site and myspace.

CLICK HERE

They'll be in Toronto April 11th and maybe longer ;)

the ROCK boxs'

I thought I would post some new "sound improvements" we have made in Oakville to help improve the overall ability to let our sound tech mix. Drums and Electric guitars are nightmares in most churches because they are loud! I love them loud and especially when your rocking with some nice tube overdrive but sometimes its hard for the sound tech to be able to mix everything else to match it. Drums are the other issue. We had one of our handy men build us a Drum room out of metal studs and MDF along with lots of insulation and made sure it was big enough to fit all the drums and mic's (8 drum mics). and had a door put on it. We used the same plexi glass from the previous shield for the front but encased it in. Its been in place since Christmas and we have been really noticed a huge difference. Have a full-time sound tech on staff helps get the LIVE sound we're looking for, but the box really allows for full control, and the musicians on the stage can still "feel" the beat.
Next up is our answer to our electric guitar. Our electric guitar player has a mesa boogie combo unit that until the "Rock box" sat behind the stage and couldn't be turned up past 2. It was still too loud and didn't give the tubes enough juice to really warm up the sound. Putting the combo in a box like this for the entire weekend ON isn't the best idea due to the heat it gives off so we are renting some different heads and seeing what we like the best. Right now we have a Marshall DTS Head.. The box is much like a toy chest, but with a VOX half cabinet in it with one SM57 in it. The walls and lid of the box are insulated with a Yellow Acoustical foam treatment that deadens the sound incredible. The electric guitar player can stand in front of the box and now have some noise right behind him and have the amp turned up (we run it at around 4), but its a kicking amp so 4 is loud. We run all in-ear monitors so there is little to known stage noise except the grand piano and acoustic guitar.

Weekend Review | Baptism Service

this weekend was a baptism weekend where people who call Harvest their home publicly confess their love for Christ by being baptized. Each person has the chance to share briefly with the congregation what their life was life pre and post Jesus and a lot of the time the stories are just incredible. Like this weekend!
A- Our drummer, Adam got baptized and did us proud by getting in the tank and proclaiming is allegiance to Jesus Christ! It was so awesome to see him come back down and jump back on drums for the second set--a new man! Fresh out of the water! He could play like 10 times better. :) I'm going to get the footage and post it on here along with another lady who made everyone cry. She was SOLID!

Holy Holy
Open the Eyes of my heart
Amazing Grace/My chains are gone

Baptisms: This was amazing!

Announcements

Take my life
Jesus, be the Center
He is Lord
Phillipians 2:5-12

Sermon: Pastor Robbie

King of Glory

fat man pants he says

today I went home to visit my family and deliver a gift to my little sister who just got her drivers license. Somehow I bought a car, a really nice car thats not that old and has no rust and doesn't make funny noises and bought it for my little sister. I had to drive it home for her and then my mom gave me a ride back home. While at home I popped it to visit Grandpa and Grandma core (ages 87 and 89). Grandpa said he had "fat man" pants on and proceeded to show me how baggy they were and the flannel pattern on the inside of the pant leg. My little grandpa is like 90 pounds wet and I guess needs some extra insulation in the cold temperatures. We had pizza and talked cars. Then on the drive home I passed 6 cops and not one of them turned around and came after me, I was speeding if speeding is over 100KMH but must have been under the limit. hmmm, What is the limit? I thought it was 100.

I like going to young adults

This past Sunday night we had about 80 young adults out for our new year kick off @ HBC. over 5 Universities represented, people driving from all over to come and worship and grow together. The music was loud, the gospel was clear and the community lasted long into the night. We are starting a new element of "round table" discussion to help birth some more talk of spiritual things after each talk. I'm excited and have heard a lot of ideas from a lot of you regarding this all ready. We are taking it up another notch this year! All for Jesus!

What I needed

I came in to my office today a little early to prepare my head and heart before leading my church in worship tonight at our Saturday service. I woke up today lazy and not really motivated and realized really quick that if I didn't prepare my heart I would regret it. When I got in the car and hit play on my ipod the first track of the first artist on my ipod came on. It was exactly what I needed to hear.

If I'm caught up in the music
"I will fail to keep You there
for You dwell in praises deeper
then the melodies I hear

So see my heart as true intentions
when I sing and hands are raised
Cause Your more worthy than a moment
or one single song of praise"

-Andi Roizer


I'll admit, a lot of the time I don't know what I'm doing when I'm leading worship. I wish I could say I have figured it out and share all my 1-2-3's of leading but half the time I'm scared out of my mind to mess it up and am just praying that God would hear my heart as I sing these songs. To think the creator has given me a platform that has to do with him still blows my mind. Keep me low and on my knees oh Lord.

God's view

Conviction

Conviction: Is defined as...
Main Entry: con·vic·tion
Pronunciation: \kən-ˈvik-shən\
Function: noun
Date: 15th century
1: the act or process of convicting of a crime especially in a court of law
2 a: the act of convincing a person of error or of compelling the admission of a truth b: the state of being convinced of error or compelled to admit the truth
3 a: a strong persuasion or belief b: the state of being convinced
synonyms see certainty, opinion

I learned from Glen Hansard today what conviction looks like when singing. I am amazed at the truth and transparency, and long to achieve that both in my walk with the Lord, and my song writing.

Weekend Review

I've had the past 2 weeks off and feel rested and ready to tackle another year. It was good to acutally just do nothing for 14 days. Sounds silly, but it was much needed. My wife and I are caught up on our movie watching. I was back leading in Oakville this weekend and our weekend looked like this...

Reading from Psalm 51:12
Our God Saves
Beautiful One
Unchanging

Announcements/Offering

Holy is the Lord
How Great is our God
Hallelujah (United live)

Sermon

Jesus You are Worthy
How Great thou Art (Baloche Arrangement)

In other news I ordered a new guitar this weekend from Taylor...Hopefully It will be ready in the next few weeks. After much research and playing all the different models I really like the wood combination of the 800 series. its a Spruce top with Indian rosewood back and sides.