Hey Everyone!

I just wanted to give all of you out there a quick list of most of the worship songs currently in rotation at Aviator Church. I have heard a lot of people say they would be able to worship better if they knew the songs better, and as worship leaders our job in Aviator worship is to help you break down as many barriers as possible so you can focus on God and give him worship. So the following list is what we have going from now through February. I hope you take this opportunity to look these songs up and get familiar with them. I have the song listed and then the version that we do. (The list excludes Christmas Carols and Special Music)

• All I have – Aviator Worship
• Your Love Never Fails – JesusCulture
• Stronger – Hillsong Live
• Jesus Paid It All – there are a million versions… Check out Elevation Worship’s…
• My Hope is Built – Shane and Shane
• Already Won – Aviator Worship
• Make This Your City – Aviator Worship
• You Are More – Aviator Worship
• Everlasting God – Lincoln Brewster
• Give Me Faith – Elevation Worship
• The Church – Elevation Worship
• I Will Follow – Chris Tomlin
• How Great Thou Art – once again lots of versions, try Paul Baloche.
• Our God – Chris Tomlin
• I Surrender All/Rescue – A combination of the hymn and the song “Rescue” by Desperation Band

So there you have it! Look these songs up on iTunes or Google them! They are all awesome songs and I look forward to worshipping with you all on Sunday!

-Jordan

Ok so I have had about a billion different responses to this question and I am wondering what you guys think. Renate’ and I just put up our tree on Saturday afternoon. We would have waited till late but I wanted it up by Black Friday and we will be super busy this week with work and family, so the only free day we had was Saturday.

Pretty cool tree huh? I have to give my wife mad props for doing an awesome job decorating it. So when do you put up your tree? I am gonna say for us, it is permissible to put your tree up any time during or after the weekend before thanksgiving. Feel free to comment below!

-Jordan

Okay people, 2010 is in its last quarter so I thought I would do a a quick recap of the sweet new music that has come out so far before I sit down for a week and come up with the top albums of 2010 in January. So here goes:

New Artists

• Write This Down - Coming out of nowhere this combo of hard rock, alternative and punk made its debut this year on Tooth and Nail Records. Expect every song on there freshman release to rock your face off.
• Manafest – This kid can rap and rock like nobody’s business. Manafest is a part of what I am calling the Christian Rap Revival. Finally some good Christian rap (no offense Tobymac, but its nice to have some diversity). If you like Linkin Park you will like Manafest
• Manic Drive -Technically not new but still new to most people is Manic Drive. The first two songs on there latest Album “Blue” are unreal. If they stick to that style they will be on a steady rise to the top.
• Revive – After touring with Newsboys and Third Day this band has broken through the ceiling and shown how talented they really are. We should all look forward to more awesome stuff as this band matures.
• The Letter Black - Strong female vocals backed by roaring rock guitar riffs, add in honest blunt lyrics and you get The Letter Black. This band says what it means and makes you feel it in the process. If you like rock at all you will like them.

New Singles

• Crazy Love by Hawk Nelson - Best song by Hawk Nelson ever. Period.
• Dear X (You Don’t Own me) by Disciple – Most honest and gripping song of the year.
• Walls by Manic Drive – Probably one of the most unique (and awesome) songs of the year.
• Light up the Sky by The Afters - Will probably end up being the number one single of the year.
• Undone by FFH - Give them props for coming back and making a very modern and powerful song.

New Albums

• Outta Space Love by Group 1 Crew – Rap and Techno are making comebacks in Christian music and Group 1 Crew is a huge part of that. This album is simply awesome, and props to the band (and label) for keeping the price at a low $9.99 on iTunes.
• Light Up The Sky by The Afters – Half of these songs will probably end up on tv and/or movies. The Afters continue to improve with each album and one has to wonder, what’s next?
• Horseshoes and Handgrenades by Disciple – The album with the provocative title probably has Disciple’s most successful single to date on it. This Album has a similar sound to “Scars Remain” which is probably why it is so awesome.
• Write This Down by Write This Down – This self titled debut does not disappoint at all. Warning, not for the faint of heart. This band combines intense lyrics, with intense vocals, with intense music. You get the point.

New Worship Songs to Check Out

• I Will Follow by Chris Tomlin – A surprisingly modern song by probably the most popular worship leader in the world.
• Your Love Never Fails – Chris McClarney (Check out the JesusCulture version)
• Give Me Faith by Elevation Worship – This song is so moving that if you don’t feel God on this one something is wrong.

Biggest Comeback

The Newsboys – Props to the Newsboys. After losing a lead singer and gaining a new one they have hit the touring trail once again and rocked it out all across the states. The new direction they have gone is working for them, transforming there sound to a bit more modern but still keeping that classic newsboys flare.

Songs that (in my opinion) should be singles… Check them out.

• Every Time You Run – Manafest
• Need Your Love – Group 1 Crew
• Invisible – Disciple
• Runaway – The Afters

Honorable Mentions

• Sing Along by Sixteen Cities – This new artist will continue to rise if they stay at it.
• End of My Rope by KJ-52 – Some might be annoyed with being labeled the Christian Eminem but I say who cares? The more KJ-52 sounds like Eminem the more he sells. This single is his best yet and guess who (at least on the verses) it sounds like?

So there you have it so far it has been a good year of new music and if you think I left some good artists and/or bands out then let me know by commenting below! Remember you can check out all of these artists on iTunes!

-Jordan

There has been a lot of stuff happening in my life lately. Life is usually busy for me but over the past two weeks it has been worse. My Father in Law passed away a little under two weeks ago after battling cancer for over a year. (Many of you may have read the blog post I published months ago about him coming to know Christ) Over the past two years I have gotten to know him, and I grew very fond of my father in law. When I moved to Kansas two and a half years ago, I moved away from my family in Houston. My family and I have always been very close and being away from them has been very difficult. When I met my wife I was welcomed into a whole new family, one that I have come to love very much. At the head of this family was my Father in Law and as I got to know him I found a new dad, one that I needed.

My father in law, Philip, was an incredible man. He served in Vietnam in the Marines, and in Iraq in the Army. He was willing to die for his country, willing to sacrifice anything for his family, and was willing to help anyone in need. I cannot describe to you just how awesome this man was. He started dying on Tuesday October 5th, I rushed over to his house as soon as I heard. Along with my wife and other family members we began a two day long ordeal of comforting each other and keeping him as comfortable as possible as he started to die. It was too be honest, awful. He was fighting death, constantly trying to get up and walk around. The man quite simply did not want to leave his family and I respect him even more for that. He was having problems breathing and was coughing and moaning for much of that night. I will never forget holding my wife as she cried and listening to the sound of him moaning and trying to breathe better. That night I ran home to get a few things for my wife and she called me sobbing and saying that he was suffering and she just didn’t want him to suffer anymore. Once again to be honest, I was angry.

I was fed up. Tired of my wife hurting. Tired of my new family suffering. Tired of watching my father in law as he tried to stay strong for his family, but all the while knowing what was coming. It had been 5 months since we had been told he would die from the cancer and while we did our best to spend as much time as possible with him during that 5 months and be happy with what we had, we all were upset on the inside. Five months is a long time to watch someone die. I don’t know how people can watch there loved ones die for years. After I got off the phone with Renate’, my wife, I kicked the door of my bedroom. I looked up at the ceiling and just yelled “WHY?!” I just didn’t understand this! It was stupid! Here was an incredible man, a good family who loved God and yet we were all suffering watching our dad go through everything along with our mom. It didn’t make sense and for the first time in a long time, I was Angry at God.

The next day Philip passed peacefully, with his wife, daughters and sons around him. I watched as he took his last breath and sobbed into my wife’s shoulder. The funeral came next, and since Pastor Joe was out of town I was asked to officiate the entire funeral. Even though I was deeply honored, it was a very hard thing to get through. A couple of days after the funeral I sat down to read my bible and spend time with God. I was feeling bad about shouting at my heavenly Father and I asked for His forgiveness. Did I understand it all? No. Did I like what had happened? No. But I still believe that God is in control and He still sees the whole picture. I was sitting in my house thinking about everything and just couldn’t find peace. So I said to God “please show me that everything is okay, please show me that I am forgiven, show me that you are still in control, let me feel close to you again”. No answer. So I turned and flipped open my Bible to a random page. My eyes fell on Acts 3:19 which says:

Repent, then, and turn to God, so that your sins may be wiped out, that times of refreshing may come from the Lord.

God basically just told me to relax. I mean look at that verse. Its like a quick 4 step process.

1. Repent
2. Turn to God
3. Your Sins are Wiped Out
4. Enjoy Refreshment

Wow, seems simple huh? It is! So as I read that I realized that I had done the first 3 steps but I wasn’t letting myself experience the fourth! Suddenly a peace just rushed over me. Like God has just reassured me that everything was going to be okay, that He had it all in control. So have you been angry with God? Are you upset about something? Are you feeling weighed down? Take the 4 step process and enjoy the promise of rest and refreshment that God has given you! I am no longer angry at God, and while the why of all of this still seems unanswered I know that God has a bigger purpose and if I need to know what it is, He will tell me.

-Jordan

Okay so this post is all about the things that people make fun of me for. I know, I know, I am giving you ammunition. But it’s okay, I’ll just get you back. So the following are just a few of some common jokes made about me…

1. The New Hat Joke: “You like my new hat?” – I mistakenly asked this question one evening at worship practice. Apparently I was overly concerned about whether or not my new hat looked good. Now every time anyone gets anything new they walk up to me and say “do you like me new….?

My Take: Why am I not allowed to ask? I mean it is a valid question. In fact people should be honored to be asked, that means I value their opinion and I want to know if they think I made a good buy.

2. The Blah Blah Blah Joke – Apparently I tend to say blah blah blah and duh duh duh duh when I am telling stories etc. Now I can’t tell any stories or have a conversation without someone pointing out when I use Blah or duh duh in my speech.

My Take: They are perfectly acceptable ways to get rid of excess story, which I am using for your convenience. So there.

3. The Talks A Lot Joke – Apparently I talk a lot, and for a long time. One of our elders once asked me to lunch and then proceeded to ask me about how I was called into ministry. The lunch lasted for 3 hours.

My Take: If you don’t want me to talk so long say so. Or at the very least don’t ask me a question like hey how did you decide to change your entire life direction and pursue ministry? I mean come on, this is not going to be a short conversation.

and the newest one…

4. The Tip Toes Joke – I just heard this one today. Apparently when I sing and try to hit high notes I get up on my tip toes. I did not know that.

My Take: I don’t have much of a defense for that one. I mean some notes are just high and hard to sing!

So thats it so far, I am sure there will be more….

-Jordan

Disclaimer: Since tone is hard to convey in text, just know this is all in good fun and I am being very sarcastic most of the time

My buddy Justin forwarded me a link from Carlos Whittakers blog featuring this top ten list. I loved it and decided to make my own. Why not right? So here goes… (btw, this is just for fun, please tell me whatever you want after church lol! I also realize that for the next month I will hear all of these things at least 20 times. Feel free. I have brought this upon myself. lol)

10. “The music sure was loud today, you think it will be that loud in heaven?”

You laugh, but people do wonder. I always want to say, “Thousands of angels and all of us there singing praises at the same time… I don’t think it will be quiet!”

9. “Who does that last song you played?”

Hint: at the beginning of each song, at the bottom of the screens are two little lines of text. This is the copyright info, with authors and everything. Pretty nifty huh? If you miss that, just look up Chris Tomlin and Hillsong. 75% chance you will find what you seek. (to be fair we do original music too, so feel free to ask for recordings and song info!)

8. “I sure wish so-and-so would sing/play more often…”

So do I! lol I wish everyone on the worship team could play more, but alas we have only the one 20 minute window every week and only so much space on stage! Of course that doesn’t stop Hillsong…lol

7. “Is your lead guitarist single?”

While I do make it a point to be invested in my volunteers, I do not make it a point to be involved in there love life. Yes I probably know what their status is, no I do not want to play matchmaker.

6. “Is that pretty blonde girl doing background vocals single?”

That’s my wife. So, no.

5. “Did you know the keyboardist and bassist were making funny looks at you in between songs?”

I did not know that. They were probably wondering what I was doing.

4. “When are you going to play <insert song name> again?”

Whenever it is on the schedule again, meaning whenever I am led by God to schedule it again. Fyi, it is unlikely (though possible) that God will lead me to schedule “Pharaoh, Pharaoh.” Ever.

3. ” Can you do <insert song name> next week?”

The schedules are made 6 weeks in advance when at all possible. So… unlikely. I would be glad to consider scheduling it 6 weeks from now though!

2. “What was the one song, it was second, or fourth, with the thing, that plays in the rhythm at that place…?”

I have no idea what you are talking about.

1. “The music was great today, and the sound man did a great job of covering your mess ups!”

First, I am glad you thought the music was good, I hope you were able to worship and glorify God through it. Second, yes, our sound men are awesome and do an incredible job. Third…. When did I mess up!?

So there it is my top ten things most often said to the worship leader after church! If you want to check out Carlos’ list just go to http://www.ragamuffinsoul.com/2010/09/ten-things-not-to-say-to-the-worship-leader-after-a-sunday-service/ and once again, this list is just for fun and to get some laughs. I want everyone to know that I am willing and want to talk to you after church no matter what you might say! Hope this made you laugh! Have a great day!

-Jordan

… would it measure up? Would people look at your story and say “wow that guy played it safe” and just move on to the next book? Or would they be captivated by the things God did through you? This was a question I heard from Francis Chan, an author, Pastor, and Christ Follower. His life would measure up. Francis started a church 16 years ago in California that has grown into a church of thousands, but two weeks ago he left that church. Why? In his own words, “Because people were saying the name Francis more than they were saying the name of Jesus.” Wow. Now that is a guy truly wanting God to get all the glory. What else has Francis done? Well he made a million dollars last year. Now your thinking oh well of course he can leave his church. Guess what? He gave it all away. In fact he  is homeless. He just sold his home. Why? Even though he doesn’t know where he is going to live next, he knows God is calling him somewhere else. So he sold his home. Wow. So I have been asking myself, “would my life measure up?” Have I been as bold as the followers of Jesus in the Bible? Have I acted on faith, put aside my fear, and always done what God has called me to do? The answer is no. My life wouldn’t measure up. While I have faith in Christ and I am living my life to follow Him, I still let my fear control me at times and I don’t immediately act on faith when God calls me to do something radical. So I have been praying that God would give me another chance. I have been praying that God would lead me to do something radical and world changing for Him. Maybe it will be today, maybe 5 years from now. But I want to be ready when God calls me to do his will. In the meantime I am doing my best to be obedient to other things He is calling me to do.

So does your life measure up? I’m not saying sell your house, or start a church, or give everything you own away. What is God telling you to do? What is God wanting to do through you? Maybe its something that seems small, like inviting that co – worker you can’t stand to church, or maybe it is something big, like finally stepping up and leading that ministry He has called you to, or making the financial commitment of raising the money to go on a mission trip. Are you going to trust God or continue to live your mediocre “typical” life? There is nothing typical about you! God made you for a purpose! Put your faith, hope, dreams, and trust in His hands and hang on for the ride! All He wants is your obedience. So stop going through the motions, break out of the current and follow God!

-Jordan

Do you ever get tired of being politically correct? Do you ever get tired of not being able to say what you want to say? I don’t. You know why?

Because I always do my best to say what I mean and say how I feel. You see we can be honest about how we feel, most of us just aren’t good at it. There is a difference between saying what you feel because you care, and saying what you feel when your ticked off. Now of course I am not perfect and I do mess up at times. But I am trying to follow what I know is right. Think before you speak isn’t just some random phrase our parents came up with. It is good advice. But just because you think about the best way to word something doesn’t mean you have to say something completely different. Jesus always told it like it is. Throughout the gospels He proclaimed the truth, that He was God in the flesh. Now as you can imagine that was a very controversial thing to say and not at all politically correct. But Jesus came to tell the truth, not dance around people’s traditions, or how they thought things should be.

When we look at the book of Acts, we are told stories of the boldness of all the Apostles and other Believers of that time. Peter repeatedly convicted the Jews of murdering there Savior and Paul straight up told many churches in his letters everything they were doing wrong. Paul went so far as to say that we should “purge the evil person from among you”. (1 Corinthians 5:13) Paul said that we should Judge the people inside the church. Now that is bold to say huh? Especially in todays society where we are constantly told not to judge. (I of course do not mean we should judge those who are non-Christians, we should show them only grace. Grace should be shown to believers as well, but if we do not acknowledge wrong doing are we really helping anyone?)

So right now today you should make a choice. You can say what you mean. You can also say it the right way. Just think before you speak. Be honest and be bold when you know you are speaking the truth. Don’t be a jerk, if you are going to say something controversial for whatever reason, say it with pure motives, with grace, and with good intentions. If your intention is to let off steam or put someone down then don’t say it.

So which would you rather have, a friend who always tells you the truth because they care, or a “friend” who never speaks up and just lets you continue down a path of destruction? You choose.

-Jordan

Many people often ask me how I go about making some of the decisions I make in the worship music selection at Aviator Church. Actually there are all kinds of theories and methods out there that I could use to to pick the songs we sing and worship God with every Sunday. But I have my own method. Well I guess it isn’t really my method, it is more like God’s method. You see I rely on God to tell me what songs to do. So you ask, how do you hear God telling you what songs to do? Well it isn’t audible. He just lets me know. It could be in any number of ways that He reveals to me what He wants. While I am researching songs, He may have one stand out, or maybe someone comes up to me and tells me about a cool song that impacted them, or maybe they tell me about it on facebook. Regardless God speaks in so man ways and I always have to be willing to hear.

So how can you hear from God? Listen! Pay attention to the things God is trying to tell you. Ask God to be clear with the things He wants you to do. Spend time daily with God, reading the Bible and asking Him to speak to you. Make sure you are talking to God too. Who wants to have a one sided conversation? The Bible says that when you seek God you will find Him. So seek Him out and ask Him to seek you out. God wants a relationship with you beyond just praying to Him every now and then. So spend time with God, and He will make himself known to you.

-Jordan

Lately I have had several people come to me who are struggling with accepting forgiveness. Maybe you are struggling with this as well. The two most familiar scenarios I have come across are as follows:

I have done to many awful things in my life to be forgiven, I am unforgivable.”

I asked for forgiveness, but I can’t get over my past. I think about the person I used to be all the time, and I hate myself for it.

Sound familiar? Many of us have fallen victim to this kind of thinking. So I want to line this out and share with you the reasons why you don’t have to feel this way anymore.

1. Everyone sins. We all have done it. (Romans 3:23)
2. God sent His son Jesus Christ to die on the cross for us and make the ultimate sacrifice so we wouldn’t have to. As a result our sins have been covered by grace and we can now gain eternal life with Him. (John 3:16) His obedience made up for our disobedience. (Romans 5:19)
3. Once we ask for forgiveness, the Bible says our sins are forgotten, as far as the east is from the west. (Psalm 103:12)
4. Just because you have done something bad in your past doesn’t mean you don’t have a bright future. Just take the apostle Paul for instance. He persecuted Christians and even condemned some to the point of death. However after he encountered Christ he went on to preach the Gospel the rest of his life and gave everything for Jesus. (See the book of Acts for the story of Paul’s conversion)
5. If you are fearful that your past will affect your future or that your sins are not forgiven you are in direct contradiction with what the Bible says. God did not give us a spirit of fear, but instead a sound mind. (2 Timothy 1:7)
6. Even if you feel you have sinned too many times to be forgiven you haven’t. The Bible also says that where sin increases Grace abounds all the more. (Romans 5:20)
7. God wants to give you hope and a bright future. He has had these plans for you since before you were born. (Jeremiah 29:11, Jeremiah 1:5)
8. You have quite simply been set free from grace. It is time to stop focusing on the past and look toward the bright future God has set before you. Grace has set you free and you will always be set free by it. (Romans 3:24)

There is no longer any reason for you to be consumed by self-doubt and guilt of past sins. If you have asked forgiveness you are forgiven. If you are not accepting grace then you are preventing God from using you in powerful ways. Your doubt and guilt are not from God they are from Satan. Satan does not want you to be set free by grace. He wants you in the chains of guilt to prevent God from using you to further his kingdom. By refusing to accept grace you are hindering God’s plan for your life. Christ went through an awful death on the cross so we could experience God’s love and grace. What are we saying to Jesus when we don’t accept the gift that he went through so much to give?

You are forgiven, you have grace, it is time to let God move in your life to impact the lives of others.

-Jordan