Mid Week Music: OBB

Oswald Brothers Band

The Oswald Brothers Band, better known as OBB, is a contemporary christian band made up of 3 brothers. They are from Atlanta, Georgia, where they began publishing music in 2008.

They have many independently published albums and EPs, but they do have a few albums published by Centricity music. These albums are: OBB, Bright Side, and Feelin’ Like Christmas. They have released a few new singles lately, but it is unclear as to when and if they will be releasing an entire album.

My favorite songs of theirs are “Looking For a Girl”, “Who Cares If We’re Dancing”, “Wake Me Up”, and “Song of a Savior”.

Other bands like OBB are About a Mile, Royal Tailor, Capital Kings, and Audio Adrenaline.

The Prodigal Son

The Prodigal Son

Jesus tells the story of two sons. The younger son asks his father for his inheritance, and then he promptly runs off with it to a distant land. Once he has spent all his money, he takes a job feeding pigs, and soon resorts to eating with them. He eventually realizes that even his father’s servants are treated better than this, so he returns to ask his father for forgiveness and mercy. The father was waiting for him to return, and when he saw him, he ran to him. The father was so overjoyed that he killed his best calf and held a party for his son. The older brother is jealous that his father has let his brother back and thrown him a party. To this the father responds, “But, we had to celebrate and be glad, because this brother of yours was dead and is alive again; he was lost and is found.”

There are three characters in this story. There is the prodigal son, the eager father, and the jealous brother. Which one are you? Are you the son who has run away from your home and your heavenly father? Are you there with the father rejoicing because the son has returned home? Are you the son who thinks that his brother is undeserving of their father’s love?  

Paul was a prodigal son. He was a Jew’s Jew, and by earthly standards, he was flawless. But, he had run so far from God that he was persecuting Christians in the name of the God he claimed to serve. Paul has gone further than you probably have, killing people and saying he was doing it for God. Then, Paul was on the road, much like our prodigal son was on the road, and the Heavenly Father came to him. He gave Paul the wake-up call he needed, and then welcomed him into the family. You could be absolutely horrible, thinking you have gone to far for God to reach you, but you are never too far gone for God.

God is waiting on the front porch, eagerly expecting your arrival at home. The world you are living in may seem wonderful, but it soon won’t be enough. So, come home. Go and be with the father that loves you unconditionally.

If you are the brother that is jealous of the love the father has for the son, remember you were once the prodigal son, too. Your heavenly father has shown you great love by letting you be with him. Don’t think you are better because you have been christian longer or been attending one particular church longer than someone else. God loves both you and your brothers and sisters in Christ equally as much. Go and rejoice with the father that your lost brother has returned home.

If you are there with the father, waiting eagerly for your brother to come home, don’t be disheartened when you cannot see the son coming down the road. Do your best to prepare for him to come home, and be there to comfort those who are also awaiting his arrival at home. The prodigal sons will come home someday, and it may not be today or tomorrow, but they will make it back.

Mid Week Music: Tim Timmons

Tim Timmons

Tim Timmons is one of my all time favorite contemporary Christian artists. He was diagnosed with terminal cancer in 2001 and was told he only had 5 years to live. He had a hard year of surgeries, but he and his wife decided to live as if he wasn’t going to die. They didn't worry about what things would be like after he was gone, they trusted God. He has used his music to establish and grow in a relationship with God. He said he had always known about Jesus but never knew Jesus, so he took the step to be in a constant relationship with him. He has a hopeful and outgoing personality that is so refreshing in this dark world.  

He has two albums out, Cast My Cares (2013) and Awake Our Souls (2015). Cast My Cares was his album for reconnecting with God, and Awake Our Souls is a celebration of life with God. You can tell these ideas were the topics for these albums in the way the songs were composed and the words that were used. Cast My Cares has a lot of songs about relying on God, while Awake Our Souls is about living for God and what we do in response to his great love.

My favorite songs of his are “Everywhere I Go”, “Starts With Me”,and “Like I’ve Been Changed”. All of his songs are so wonderful and I simply love everything he has ever released. His music speaks to me on so many levels and really inspires to pursue a deeper relationship with God.

Other artists like him are 7th Time Down, One Sonic Society, All Sons and Daughters, Jason Gray, Brandon Heath, Big Daddy Weave, and Citizen Way.  

Thankful Hearts

Thankful Hearts

To be thankful is to feel or express gratitude. To be thankful in our Christian lives is to live a life that honors Christ. We do this as an expression of appreciation for all the things he has done for us. He gave his life up for us, so we need to live in a way that responds to that. We lead a life of faith, hope, and love. This is the way to display your thankfulness for what God has given you.

The world often tries to steal this thankfulness from us, but in Christ we can always find joy and gratitude. When this happens, when your feelings of respect towards what Christ did falter, remember that God is always with you, and he will never leave you or forsake you. Even when you aren’t feeling that grateful, thank God, stay in contact with him. When you do this, you make him present in your life and you will be more aware of the work he is doing in your life.

Be thankful. You have so many amazing gifts from God. Tell God what you are thankful for, give him glory for the wonderful things he has done. This Thanksgiving, don’t worry about the turkey or how many people are coming over. Give thanks for the wonderful gifts you have received daily, and don’t let the world steal your joy.

What Is My Tree?

What Is My Tree?

Now the serpent was more crafty than any of the wild animals the Lord God had made. He said to the woman, “Did God really say, ‘You must not eat from any tree in the garden’?”
The woman said to the serpent, “We may eat fruit from the trees in the garden, but God did say, ‘You must not eat fruit from the tree that is in the middle of the garden, and you must not touch it, or you will die.’” Genesis 3:1-3

As we all know, Adam and Eve go on to eat from the tree later in the story. Why did they do that? What pushed Eve over the edge to take hold of the fruit? She did it because the serpent was tempting her. The serpent itself didn’t pluck the fruit off the tree and put it in her hand. It placed itself in her mind and gave reason for the rebellious idea in her head. It twisted God’s good will for us to look like greed and selfishness. For Eve to have been able to hear the serpent she must have been around the tree. She must have already had the seed of sin planted in her mind for the devil to be able to grab a hold of her.

What is your tree? What is the devil tempting you with that God specifically told you not to do? What are you watching longingly, but not going through with? These are the things that we toe the line with. We say, “I didn’t lie, it just wasn’t the whole truth.” We don’t completely rebel against God, but we also don’t distance ourselves as far as we can from our temptations. We stare them in the eye instead of building a wall to block us from them. Imagine if a giant wall blocked you from your sin. You wouldn’t be tempted and you wouldn’t go against God.

That wall is possible. Having a blockade between you and your sin is just within your reach. The wall is Jesus. You need to ask him to come into your mind and heart, so he can guard you against sin. When he is there, Satan runs in fear, and the battle for your life has been fought on your behalf. Adam and Eve didn’t build a wall. Don’t stare your sin in the face. Take action, and remove the trees in your life.

Female Music Artists

Female Music Artists

There is so much amazing Christian music out there, but today I want to focus on female artists.  These are some of my favorite female artists. They have upbeat music that is so uplifting. They also all have amazing life experiences that they have shared, so I would definitely recommend looking more into each of these women.  

Francesca Battistelli has lots of music, dating back as far as 2004 when she published her first indie album. Her album, My Paper Heart, came out in 2008 and is her first non-indie album. She has many amazing songs, and all of her albums have a unique, individual sound. Her songs are so relatable, and you can identify with what they are saying.  My favorite songs of hers are “If We’re Honest”, “This is the Stuff”, “I’m Letting go”, and “Hundred More Years”.

Jamie Grace is a singer/ songwriter from Georgia. She is on TobyMac’s label which includes Capital Kings, Hollyn, Ryan Stevenson, and over 40 more Christian bands. She has a youtube channel, which is titled Jamie Grace, where she talks about anything and everything. She has some pretty radical ideas about dating and guys, which she talks about a lot on her channel and in her music. I love everything on her album One Song at a Time, so I don’t know if I can recommend just one. On her second album, Ready to Fly, I could listen to “Just a Friend” on repeat for hours.

Hollyn is also on TobyMac’s label, and she has really great music. She has some contemporary music, like all the other women on this list, but she also has a few rap songs. She started out by posting covers of popular songs onto youtube, and that is how she got discovered. She is fairly new to the music market, but many of her songs have made it onto the top charts. I love her song “Steady Me”, and her cover of Lecrae’s “All I Need is You” is amazing.

Britt Nicole is best known for her song “Gold”, which hit the Pop Charts in 2012. She has four albums full of awesome music, and it only gets better the more you listen. Her album Gold  was nominated for the Best Contemporary Christian Album at the 55th Grammys. She is a very talented singer, songwriter, and dancer. She has a new album coming out next year, but you can already hear the recordings online. “Still That Girl” is my all time favorite song of her’s, but her new song, “Falling in Love”, is a close second.

Moriah Peters is an awesome musician from California. She is married to Joel of For King and Country, and the story of their relationship is really beautiful. Her music is empowering, and she is one of the artists that got me into Christian music. Her song “Well Done” is the first of her’s that I heard when my mom recommended we play it at children’s ministry at church. Since then, my favorites of her’s are “I’ll Wait For You” and “Stand Strong”.

1 Girl Nation is a group that used to be 5 girls, but now it is only 3. Their albums, 1 Girl Nation and United, have lots of music with a great message for tweenage girls. All of the girls in the band are amazing, and they also make youtube videos on their channel, 1GirlNation, that are super fun. My personal favorites of theirs are “Live For You” and “Love Like Crazy”.

To continue the love, here is a Spotify playlist that includes all the songs mentioned above, and many more by some other amazing female artists. https://open.spotify.com/user/lkkmusic6/playlist/7fz23M59zYfF2CFN5GNguZ

Mid Week Music: Jason Gray

Jason Gray

Jason Gray is a contemporary Christian singer and songwriter. He is one of my absolute favorite artists. He has released music consistently since 2007, when his first album signed by Centricity Music, All The Lovely Losers, came out. He has a speech impediment and grew up in a very broken home. But, he doesn’t stutter when he sings because as he says God can make music out of our brokenness.

My favorite songs of his are “Resurrection”, “Laugh Out Loud”, “Celebrate”, and “Not Right Now”. His songs are upbeat, but they make you think and raise important subjects for discussion. He has an amazing and unique sound, and the more I listen to his music, the more I love him. He is quickly becoming one of my favorite artists.

His last album, Where the Light Gets In, came out June 17, 2016. He has five other albums, not including Christmas, acoustic, and self-published albums. The other albums he has released are: Where the Light Gets In, Love Will Have the Final Word, A Way to See in the Dark, Everything Sad Is Coming Untrue, and All the Lovely Losers.

Other artists like Jason Gray are Matthew West, Josh Wilson, Big Daddy Weave, Matt Maher, and Brandon Heath.

Practices of Faith

Practices of Faith

Here are multiple practices of faith, or things you can do to display your devotion to God and to aid you in growing in your faith.

1. Meditation- Meditation is just about being still, clearing your mind, and listening for what God has to say to you. It is a lot harder than it sounds, but you need to not focus on yourself and focus solely on God.
2. Witnessing- Witnessing is the open testament about your faith. It is professing your knowledge and experience of God. This can be having a blog, a bible instagram account, a youtube channel, or good old fashioned talking to people.  
3. Silence- Silence is about reflection. Be silent for as long or short as you like, but your focus and purpose of silence is for listening to God.
4. Fasting- Fasting is done for many purposes. It is when you do not ingest anything for a certain period of time. Some do it to grow closer to God, to sharpen their focus on his will in their life, or to petition God for something. But, fasting frequently and for long periods of time is not healthy, so be careful.  
5. Living Simply- To me, living simply means not relying on possessions and opulence for life. It is letting go of the world and holding firmly onto heaven.
6. Devotional Reading- Reading a daily devotional puts you in the mindset to be looking for God in your daily life. It reminds you to be aware of where God is working in you and those around you that day.  
7. Prayer- Prayer is a fancy word for talking to God. It is telling God your worries, sins, praises, fears, joys, and anything else on your mind. Of course, God already knows everything about you, but he wants you to tell him everything on your own accord out of faith.
8. Baptism- Baptism is a religious act in which you are sprinkled with water or immersed in a pool. It represents purification, as when you come out of the water all of your sins have been washed away.
9. Bible Study- A bible study is simply when a group of believers come together to study God’s word. It aids not only in study and comprehension of the Bible but in accountability, fellowship, different perspectives and for getting second opinions,  
10. Journaling- God reveals himself in scripture, and journaling is a way to keep track of how he revealed himself when you read a particular verse. It is helpful in comprehension of complex passages, and in seeing how you have grown. It is amazing to read something in the bible and find your thoughts from the last time you read it. Often times, your perspective and understanding of the verse has changed, so it is super helpful to write down what certain things mean to you.
11. Keeping the Sabbath- Keeping the Sabbath means that you rest and reflect on God one day a week. For most, that day is Sunday, but it is okay to make any other day your personal sabbath. The main idea is to rest, be with family, and take the time to be with God.
12. Lectio Divina- Lectio Divina is the practice of praying with scripture. Sometimes you don’t have the words to say, so you can use this to call out to God with what you need. An example of this would be praying, “Help me to be strong and courageous. Do not let me be afraid or discouraged, for the Lord my God is with me wherever I go.” Joshua 1:9
13. Fellowship- Fellowship is spending time with other believers. It is going to church and talking to people, joining a small group, a club, or a Christian organization. You go and spend time with people who are there in the trenches with you. Fellowship is about doing life together.
14. Communion- At the last Passover while Jesus was on Earth he was with his disciples. He broke bread and said, “This is my body broken for you.” Then he took a glass of wine and said, “This is my blood, poured out for you.” Communion is remembering this. It is some form of taking bread and wine or grape juice. It is done at church, and depending on the church it may be weekly, or only on special occasions.
15. Self-denial- Self-denial is what it sounds like. It is denying yourself the temptations of this world. It is not giving into sin and evil. It is about focusing in heaven, and the glorious riches waiting there.
16. Worship- Worship is a show of your devotion and adoration to God. There are many ways to worship, but the most popular is through music. Other ways include obeying God, prayer, reading the bible, tithing, witnessing, serving others, and turning your entire life over to God.  
17. Spiritual Friendships- Having a spiritual friendship with someone means that you can go to that person and talk about spiritual things. It is incredibly amazing because it means you have friends around your age that you can ask for advice, and they can direct you to a certain passage in the bible, or they can pray for you. It is so amazing to have friends you can have fun with, but still be able to talk about religious things.
18. Singing from the Soul- This isn’t about how well you can sing. It is all about giving everything from the center of your soul over to God. You don’t have to sing well, you just have to sing loud and proud for all of heaven to hear. God gave you your voice, so you should not be afraid to use in for his glory.
19. Accountability Group- An accountability can make sure you are focusing on your walk with God. You tell them your goals and desires, and they help you make sure you are taking the proper steps towards that. They help you to follow through with your plans and remind you to walk with God.

There are so many other things you can do to show your loving devotion to God, but these ideas are a good starting point. There is no right or wrong way to do these things, all that matters is that God is at the center of everything you do.

Jars of Clay

Jars of Clay

“We are the clay, you are the potter; we are all the work of your hand.” Isaiah 64:8

A jar of clay is made for everyday use. It isn’t exactly beautiful. It is not the most attractive thing in the house. It is not made to stand out, or have people gasp in awe at its perfection. It is used for cooking, cleaning, carrying water. It serves its purpose, it gets the job done. The value is found on the inside, in what the jar is holding. Its value is not found in its appearance or monetary worth.

We are all jars of clay. We are little and insignificant. We have lots of flaws, chips and cracks in our veneer. But, what is inside of us is what truly matters. We hold invaluable things like love, joy, courage, hope, and most importantly faith. We know that God is doing an important work in our seemingly trivial jar. He uses us for daily use, building and creating through us and in us. We are not left on God’s “shelf”. He didn’t create us without a purpose. He created us intentionally to do what he has planned for us.

Every day God refills our jars with his holy spirit. He replenishes us with his living water. The more we pour out onto people, the more he will fill us. When you exhaust yourself helping people, or go out of your way to see someone, he will refill you. We are dry and cracked and we desire nothing more than the living water that Christ provides. When he fills us up, everything becomes possible.

We start out as a worthless lump of clay, but he is the potter. He reshapes us into a vessel that he can use. He builds us to hold more and more of his glory. The more we use our reservoir of his spirit, the bigger he will make that reservoir, so we can continuously pour out into the world.  

Don’t let your jar of clay go to waste. If you are desiring more, pray for his spirit to overflow in you. Your love and devotion aren’t reserved for special occasions, like Grandma’s china. They are to be used daily, not just a few days a year. I pray that you would wear out your jar of clay, that God would keep adding onto you, refilling your spiritual reservoirs.

Mid Week Music: All Sons and Daughters

Mid Week Music: All Sons and Daughters

All Sons and Daughters is a worship band from Franklin, Tennessee. Leslie Jordan (vocals and guitar)  and David Leonard (vocals and piano) are worship leaders at a non denominational church in Franklin. Their music has a very folk sound, as they use lots of acoustic instruments.

My favorite songs of theirs include "Brokenness Aside", "Called Me Higher", "Oh How I Need You", "Rising Sun", and "Hear the Sound". I really love all of their songs, and it was hard to narrow it down. What I love about their songs is that they all remind me how much God loves me and how amazing he truly is.
All Sons and Daughters had their latest album, Poets and Saints, come out September 2, 2016. They have four albums out: Poets and Saints, Live, All Sons and Daughters, and Season One.

I Am They, Rend Collective, Bryan and Katie Torwalt, and Phil Wickham all have similar sounds to All Sons and Daughters.

Mid-Week Music: About a Mile

Mid-Week Music: About a Mile

About a Mile is a christian band that consists of three brothers from Pennsylvania. They started releasing music in 2009, and their latest album came out last Friday, October 28, 2016. Their music has an amazing message, like being true to who you are, our desperate need for Jesus, and the amazing power of the name of Christ.  They have a sound that you can’t find anywhere else. It is so unique, and they are up there with the best contemporary christian music.

My favorite songs of theirs are Oxygen, I Hate Hate, and Traded. All of their songs are amazing, but I would absolutely recommend you listen to these songs as a place to start.  

For more bands like them I would recommend Switchfoot,  Audio Adrenaline, Tobymac, OBB (Oswald Brothers Band), and Hawk Nelson.