APRIL 13

opening in Chicago, IL.

www.bluelikejazzthemovie.com for more information.

Blue Like Jazz

Blue Like Jazz: the movie

I don't know how to communicate how excited I am for this movie!  With all the arguing going on in the Christian film industry, etc., my energy for the film has only increased.  I'm all for happy smiley movies that portray Christian values, but most of them on the market make me cringe.  My faith is not about everything being wrapped up with a nice bow, it's not cheesy or clean.  My faith is a story of daily working out the brokenness in my own life and the brokenness in the world around me.   Blue Like Jazz (the book) was a refreshing read for me, because for the first time a "Christian" author was telling a story that sounded a lot more like mine.  I hope that this movie becomes a tool we are able to use to change the perception of Christian culture in our country..
Thanks Blue Like Jazz, I'm for you!

Blue Like Jazz (THE MOVIE)

Super Excited about Blue Like Jazz the movie, coming to theaters in Chicago next month!
Check out the trailer below.

The Book of James

Since I'm doing a poor job of up-keeping the blog, I've decided to use it as an opportunity to throw some of the things I'm working on out into the world.
Currently at Faith we are developing a bible study/devotional on the book of James for our students to study over the next few months. I'm working on writing devotionals for James 4, So here's the first bit of that project. I'd love your feedback, thanks!!

James 4:1 What causes quarrels and what causes fights among you? Is it not this, that your passions are at war with you?

The last phrase really sticks out to me: "passions at war within you". When our worldly wants and lusts are out of control, in conflict with what God has planned and willed for us, the fight inside inevitably will spill out.
Matthew Henry says it this way: “There is war between conscience and corruption, and there is war also between one corruption and another, and from these contentions in themselves arose their quarrels with each other." When our ungodly desires, our selfish wants begin to conflict with the Holy Spirit’s guiding, and then those ungodly desires begin to battle with the other ungodly desires, I look at it like there is a tornado inside of us, and that storm can’t get to close to anything else without causing more damage, and bringing other things into it.

Who are you “at war” with? Do you remember how it started? We get so deeply wounded and embittered in conflict with people, and even though they may have wronged us, was it a wound so deep that it deserves the pain and division it has caused between you? How many times do we drive a wedge between our friends or family because of one instance that we never worked out? Isn't it possible that if we let ourselves heal inside, these external conflicts might start to seem a little silly?

I would challenge each of us to spend some time in prayer asking God to show us where we are at war within ourselves, so that we can overcome them, heal, and grow that we might also find reconciliation with our brothers and sisters.

The Call of Christ

Hear, O Israel: The LORD our God, the LORD is one. Love the LORD your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your strength. These commandments that I give you today are to be upon your hearts.
-Deuteronomy 6:4-6

We are commanded to love God absolutely and completely. How can we claim to love him when we don't spend time in his word, studying his law, and we live in the duality of our will and His? We hold on so tightly to our control over our lives, and miss out on the bountiful grace and provision of God. Francois Fenelon said

Those who are wholly God's are always happy. They know by experience that the yoke of the Lord is "easy and light".

God demands faithful love:

You adulterous people, don't you know that friendship with the world is hatred toward God? Anyone who chooses to be a friend of the world becomes an enemy of God. 5Or do you think Scripture says without reason that the spirit he caused to live in us envies intensely?
-James4:4-5

Francis Chan talks about how when you first fall in love and feel the infatuation that seems to know no satisfaction, it doesn't really make your life better but simply consume your mind, making all else seem trivial. You are so enraptured with that person that the financial difficulty you face, the drama in your family, or the situation you're faced with at school or work, seems far less important than it did before. Our situations do not change, but our perspective does. (living a life that matters: living sacrificially part 2)
God is calling us to fall in love with him, and to live in the realization that our situations are fleeting and insignificant in light of his eternal grace and sovereignty.

1Therefore, since Christ suffered in his body, arm yourselves also with the same attitude, because he who has suffered in his body is done with sin. 2As a result, he does not live the rest of his earthly life for evil human desires, but rather for the will of God. 3For you have spent enough time in the past doing what pagans choose to do—living in debauchery, lust, drunkenness, orgies, carousing and detestable idolatry. 4They think it strange that you do not plunge with them into the same flood of dissipation, and they heap abuse on you. 5But they will have to give account to him who is ready to judge the living and the dead. 6For this is the reason the gospel was preached even to those who are now dead, so that they might be judged according to men in regard to the body, but live according to God in regard to the spirit.
-1 Peter4:1-6

Our life on earth is marked to be different. Like Peter challenges the church with this, "they think it strange that you do not plunge in with them". Does my life show this to the people I encounter? Does yours? Does the love of God flow out of us?

Stepping forward in Faith

I've started a new job! I am now the director of worship/arts in student ministries at Faith Church. It's exciting to think that I get paid to play the guitar and hang out with rockin high school and jr. high kids. I look forward to getting more deeply involved there with the College age ministry, and small groups. Hooray for community!

What in the world?

If you asked me; "Jason, what have you learned in life?" After talking incessantly for minutes on end about music, self-reflection, nature, people, movies, relationships, and who knows what.. I'd come to the point. So that's what I'll do here today.
I've learned that God provides, and he does so in amazing and unexpected ways.
After all the prayer, thought, encouragement, guidance, and doubt involved in leaving the Hill, coming home was really hard. Knowing that I wasn't in control of my future (and realizing i didn't want to be), I didn't have any direction, didn't have a job, and didn't have a lot of money :) God has provided over and over in different ways, encouragement from friends, random monetary donations, out of nowhere side jobs, and most recently...
Through a crazy random connection, I've had two interviews at a crazy awesome church that's in the area, and it's been really sweet to find a place that wants someone with my random background, gifts, abilities, and passions! So even if this doesn't lead to a job, career, lifestyle.. whatever. It's been really great to have some encouragement that God has made me who I am for a reason, and that i am somewhat marketable with experience and no degree!

So thanks for caring! Thanks for praying. Thanks for believing in me. Know that I'm still here, still chasing dreams of being an awesome man of God, fulfilling his purpose for me wherever it might be.