. . . s a h t c e j o r P n e d r a G s u o r e n e G The Volume 2 - Issue 2 January 2014 FAITH STORY Jimmy Stiff FUNDRAISER Rachel Gregory LOCAL MUSIC TYTUS MUSIC REVIEW the human condition ep NATIONAL MUSIC Jeff Frankenstein from NEWSBOYS LOCAL MINISTRY Manhood Ministries LIFE & DEATH How To Be Saved John 3:16 - For God so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting life. -Realize that you are a sinner and need to be saved. (Romans 3:23) -Believe that Jesus, the Son of God - born of a virgin, died for your sins and rose again. (Romans 10:9) -Repent of your sins. (Acts 3:19) -Ask the Lord to save you from your sins. (Romans 10:13) -Follow God and give Him control of your life. (Matthew 16:24) 2 Corinthians 5:17 - Therefore if any man be in Christ, he is a new creature: old things are passed away; behold, all things are become new. If you have made that choice to accept Jesus Christ as your personal Savior, we encourage you to seek wise godly counsel from someone such as a pastor or teacher to further your growth and understanding of your new life. AMERICAN PRESIDENTS On The Bible “That Book, sir, is the Rock on which our Republic rests.” Andrew Jackson (7th President) “In regard for this Great Book, I have this to say, it is the best gift God has given to man. All the good Savior gave to the world was communicated through this book.” Abraham Lincoln (16th President) “The Bible is the one supreme source of revelation of the meaning of life, the nature of God, and spiritual nature and needs of men. It is the only guide of life which really leads the spirit in the way of peace and salvation. America was born a Christian nation. America was born to exemplify that devotion to the elements of righteousness which are derived from the revelations of Holy Scripture.” Woodrow Wilson (28th President) “Inside the Bible’s pages lie all the answers to all of the problems man has ever known… It is my firm belief that the enduring values presented in its pages have a great meaning for each of us and for our nation. The Bible can touch our hearts, order our minds, and refresh our souls.” Ronald Reagan (40th President) Greenville In One Accord Volume 2 - Issue 2 (Jan. 2014) 4-COVER STORY The Generous Garden Project 7-BIBLE STUDY More Life 8-FAITH STORY Jimmy Stiff 11-FUNDRAISER Rachel Gregory 12-LOCAL MUSIC TYTUS 14-BIBLE STUDY God’s Valentine 15-MUSIC REVIEW the human condition ep 17-NATIONAL MUSIC Jeff Frankenstein from NEWSBOYS LETTER FROM The Editors Hello Greenville, Here we are at the start of another new year, full of possibilities for improvement and growth… but do you ever hear that nagging whisper of discouragement in the back of your mind? What if I don’t lose the extra weight? What if I can’t find a better job? What if I still don’t spend enough time with the Lord? How can I really be a soul-winner when I’m so afraid to witness? What if… We all know what it is to be discouraged, especially when we see our plans and goals unraveling at the seams. This year, let’s resolve to be encouraged in the Lord and allow Him to help us accomplish His will for our lives. Keep in mind the words of the angel Gabriel to Mary in Luke 1:37, “For with God nothing shall be impossible.” With that powerful reminder, we bring you the first issue of 2014. Inside, you’ll find interesting articles ranging from the Generous Garden Project to an interview with contemporary Christian supergroup NEWSBOYS. The new column for parents will hopefully appear again in the next issue thanks to our two year old losing my notes! You can obviously understand our resolve to become better organized in 2014! We hope that you enjoy this issue and until next time, be encouraged. God bless, 20-BIBLE STUDY Grace David and Beth Lyda 22-LOCAL MINISTRY Manhood Ministries Copyright 2014 This Little Lyda Mine Publishing - All Rights Reserved. All content is property of Greenville In One Accord unless otherwise indicated. All photos are property of the respective ministries/person unless otherwise indicated. All articles are written by David and Beth Lyda unless otherwise indicated. All people, churches, businesses, and organizations that are featured do not necessarily indicate an endorsement from Greenville In One Accord; nor are their presence an indication of their endorsement of Greenville In One Accord or other people, churches, businesses, or organizations featured. All scripture is quoted from The King James Version of the Bible unless otherwise indicated. Greenville In One Accord believes the Bible to be the inerrant inspired Word of God. Greenville In One Accord is a Bible based magazine and do not support teachings, lifestyles, or doctrine that is contrary to the Word. Natalie Lyda, official notes destroyer for Greenville In One Accord, dressed incognito. COVER STORY By: David Lyda The Generous Garden Project (All photos provided by The Generous Garden Project.) God called Noah to build an ark, and He called Solomon to build a temple. God called Bo Cable to build a garden. This was not something Bo even saw on the horizon. In fact, at that point in his life, he felt broken. After being laid off as a top level Executive Director of Digital Media for Strang Communications, Bo did not know which way to go. Job opportunities came his way, but pride often kept him from taking the positions that were definitely not CEO level jobs. Other doors were closed in the job search because he was frankly too qualified! After prompting from some close friends, the Cable family relocated to Greenville, SC. Bo received the initial vision to build a garden around 1998. That’s all it was. No details about what kind of garden. What would the purpose of the garden be? Bo didn’t even know anything about agriculture! All he knew was that God said to build a garden, and the timing was right by February of 2011. After additional Divine providence, this simple command soon developed into The Generous Garden Project. South Carolina is the ninth highest state for hunger in the United States. This non-profit organization’s mission is to feed the hungry, but it does so in somewhat unconventional ways. Instead of directly serving food to the poor, homeless, and downtrodden, The Generous Garden Project utilizes already existing ministries. They subsequently have become the supplier for many organizations and individuals, including: Miracle Hill, Meals on Wheels, The Storehouse, Calvary Christian Fellowship, 4 The Generous Garden Project God's Pantry, Greenville Rescue Mission, Greer Soup Kitchen, Project Host, Marantha Redencion, Turning Point South Carolina, Safe Harbor, Salvation Army, Cross Roads Baptist, Shepherd's Gate, Harvest Food B a n k , Beechsprings Church, New Image Outreach, Boys Home of the South, individual families, single parents, and many more. Another thing that truly sets The Generous Garden Project apart is what they are supplying. Healthy foods are not always an option for those in need, but that is all that comes from the Generous Garden. Nothing can replace the benefits of eating fruits and vegetables. Organic foods may bring to mind many things, like health nuts, high prices, or even hippies! All of The Generous Garden Projects’ fruits and vegetables are produced organically, and there is actually legitimate Biblical wisdom to such an undertaking. As Bo Cable likes to explain, “It is getting gardening back to the way God designed it.” Organic gardening takes away the harmful manmade pesticides and uses natural compost and fertilizers. This results are healthier and often more delicious produce. The Generous Garden Project’s main location is on Verdin Road (near Woodruff Road), but there is also a smaller project in the Judson community right across the street from the Elementary School. One aim with the outlying garden and gardens to come is to have the people work for their community. The volunteers in that particular area would be able to work and put the produce right back into the families there. Worm farms, chicken coops, and old vegetables are used to generate much of the compost for the gardens. By utilizing these natural processes, live organisms (aka: microbes) are put back into the soil. These microbes are destroyed year after year in modern gardening that uses chemicals. Replenishing the live organisms is vital to a garden’s success. The Verdin Road setup also boasts South Carolina’s largest aquaponics facility. This technique makes use of tilapia fish that are placed inside tanks. On top of the water are floating barges that the plants grow on. Aquaponics allows food to grow at an extremely fast pace year around, and their success is not as dependent upon As a non-profit organization, volunteers are essential to The Generous Garden Project’s operations. The over 3,000 volunteers involved each year take on a variety of tasks. Of course there are normal gardening activities (such as: planting, pulling weeds, making rows/beds, harvesting, feeding the goats, fish, and chickens, building and repairing equipment, etc.), but volunteers can also help with office work like grant writing. Bo Cable is quick to state, “Come on out, and we can find something for you to do!” Volunteers are needed 7 days a week. Saturday tends to be the biggest day with numbers ranging from 20 – 150 people. The Generous Garden Project not only works to feed the hungry, but they are also heavily involved in education. Volunteers learn by gaining firsthand knowledge of the various techniques they use at the garden. Schools and individuals are welcome to take guided or solo tours the weather since the process is located inside of green houses. In addition to the fish, worms, and chickens, The Generous Garden also works with bees and goats. Besides the fresh fruits and vegetables harvested from The Generous Garden Project’s own production, other local fields are often gleaned as well. Gleaning is the salvaging of produce that is normally left behind on the ground after the main harvest. This is accomplished by using The Generous Garden Project’s many volunteers. The Generous Garden Project 5 through the facilities to learn more about gardening. One available tour is actually a three hour class that is accredited by South Carolina for K5-12th grade. This curriculum was developed over a year through a collaboration between Bo and several teachers. Bo Cable feels God leading that “build a garden” idea into a franchise. This wouldn’t be to make money but to build a special “garden in a box”. These boxes are being engineered to allow individuals or other organizations the chance to start their own organic garden. The mission is to make more self-sustainable organizations that can feed those in need. The Generous Garden’s Woodruff Road location is being used as the model for this endeavor. Gardens abroad are already being utilized at an orphanage in Haiti. The German government also gave The Generous Garden Project funds to develop a garden in Germany. Looking to the future here in Greenville, The Project’s aim is to eventually have some full time employees. Many of the gardening techniques are labor intensive. The aquaponics setup alone requires 6 – 8 hours a day. In 2013, a lone volunteer did not show up to care for the fish tanks one day, and a leak in the system almost destroyed the whole aquaponics project. Full time employees would guarantee staff on hand each day and help co- 6 The Generous Garden Project ordinate the volunteers. The ministry goes beyond gardening when it comes to outreach. Unique friendships are developed through the volunteers, like a millionaire and a drug addict. Jesus is not being forced upon the people. The staff just loves on and gets to know the volunteers. A prayer team works in the background and God is shown through actions. One example of what is taking place occurred with a Satanist that volunteered at The Generous Garden. This was a lady who actually went into full Satanic rituals each day. After being involved for a year and a half as a volunteer, she approached the prayer team and asked to pray with them. She then asked about going to church with them. This same woman eventually accepted Jesus Christ as her Lord and Savior! Without ever preaching to her, the staff’s actions and words showed “We love you, and we’re here for you.” An extremely powerful testimony to how the lives of Christians can affect others! Like any ministry, The Generous Garden Project is always in need of prayers. Pray for wisdom, guidance, and the future. Several grants have helped with many new projects, but donations are always needed. It costs over $1,000 to run the garden each day. There are also several projects that need funds like a training center and solar panels. Volunteers will continue to be the life blood of day to day operations, and new people are a must. Spreading the word is the best way to bring in new volunteers, churches, and organizations to help. Donations in the form of equipment are also welcome. This includes trucks, tillers, tractors, etc. If you even have extra gardening equipment lying around, The Project can use them! For more information about the garden, volunteering, and donations, visit www.generousgarden.org or call (864) 881-8230. The Generous Garden Project’s main location is at 161 Verdin Rd, Greenville, SC 29607. BIBLE STUDY More Life God has promised us more life. This life is joy unspeakable, and it is really not human. A joyful life is really against our very nature. Some think they have more life in sin or pleasures of this world, but pleasure and joy are not the same thing. Pleasure is fleeting (for the moment). Joy on the other hand, exists despite our circumstances. We can be certain that the world is against us, but Jesus Christ is on our side. “7 Then said Jesus unto them again, Verily, verily, I say unto you, I am the door of the sheep. 8 All that ever came before me are thieves and robbers: but the sheep did not hear them. 9 I am the door: by me if any man enter in, he shall be saved, and shall go in and out, and find pasture.10 The thief cometh not, but for to steal, and to kill, and to destroy: I am come that they might have life, and that they might have [it] more abundantly.” John 10: 7-10 Life more abundantly! Jesus has come to give us more life with joy that is not of this world. John 10:7-10 is an analogy concerning a shepherd and a door. In it, Jesus states that He is the door of the sheep. We often think of the Lord as the Good Shepherd, and a shepherd’s chief job is to protect his sheep. One aspect of this protection would involve the shepherd literally sitting in the doorway of the pen to protect the sheep from any danger. Here lies an important truth for the Christian. Anything that enters into our lives has to go through the door, which is Jesus Christ. We can take comfort in knowing that nothing that comes our way will ever be more than “what we can bear” (1 Corinthians 10:13). Job is a good example where God allows the devil to bring trials into his life, but they were all ultimately for his good. Despite Job’s wife’s insistence that he turn his back on God, the most difficult circumstances were never more than he could bear. True believers will also be able to come out victorious when troubles come our way. We have to rely on Jesus. Jesus stated “I am the door: by me if any man enter in, he shall be saved, and shall go in and out, and find pasture.” We must initially enter that door, into the flock, to be saved. There is no other way to this abundant life where we can find pasture and joy. The “other ways” that are touted by the world come from the enemy, but be warned, “The thief cometh not, but for to steal, and to kill, and to destroy.” Sin destroys our lives now and without Jesus, for eternity. This destruction is not life. Jesus came so we could have life and life more abundantly! It is possible that we can sin after we’re saved, but it is contrary to who we are in Christ. We are only short changing ourselves of that abundant life and greater fellowship with God. Sin robs us of our joy, and it has consequences. 2 Corinthians 5:17 says “Therefore if any man [be] in Christ, [he is] a new creature: old things are passed away; behold, all things are become new.” Salvation changes our world view. We have a new value system and new thoughts and actions. As we strive to submit to Christ, we will continue to grow more like Him. Contrary things that we once overlooked in our life will become very evident through our new eyes. Here on earth, the war between flesh and spirit will continue to rage. “16 [This] I say then, Walk in the Spirit, and ye shall not fulfil the lust of the flesh. 17 For the flesh lusteth against the Spirit, and the Spirit against the flesh: and these are contrary the one to the other: so that ye cannot do the things that ye would. 18 But if ye be led of the Spirit, ye are not under the law. 19 Now the works of the flesh are manifest, which are [these]; Adultery, fornication, uncleanness, lasciviousness, 20 Idolatry, witchcraft, hatred, variance, emulations, wrath, strife, seditions, heresies, 21 Envyings, murders, drunkenness, revellings, and such like: of the which I tell you before, as I have also told [you] in time past, that they which do such things shall not inherit the kingdom of By: David Lyda God. 22 But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, longsuffering, gentleness, goodness, faith, 23 Meekness, temperance: against such there is no law. 24 And they that are Christ's have crucified the flesh with the affections and lusts. 25 If we live in the Spirit, let us also walk in the Spirit.” Galatians 5:16-25 Paul commands us to walk in the Spirit. This “walk” describes a continual action. It takes effort not to fulfill this lust of the flesh. The Christian life is not a passive life. Until we are glorified one day, our spirit and flesh are at war. Sin wants to take hold, but many people today wonder, “What is sin?” Unfortunately, we often don’t hear it from the pulpit anymore. This underscores the importance of the Christian’s responsibility to know the Word. We can know what sin is. One, the Holy Spirit convicts us of it. Two, the Bible clearly spells it out. Galatians 5:19-21 describes the works or fruits of the flesh. Take a moment to review this list of just seventeen sins. Are any of these present in your life? They shouldn’t be. Sin only brings doubt and hurt to the Christian life. It breaks fellowship with God. Have you faced any of those sins? How did they make you feel? Sin brings guilt, shame, and it destroys lives. This destruction is like a domino effect, as our sin falls and destroys others in its path. Don’t believe this? How does adultery affect a spouse or children? How does hatred affect your relationships or witness? How does drunkenness affect those killed in an “accident”? Christ has made the sacrifice for more life. Not life characterized by sin. Who wouldn’t want to revel in the fruit of the Spirit? Just to start with, love, joy, and peace sound pretty good. Now, take a moment to review the fruit of the Spirit in Galatians 5:22-23. Are these things present in your life? They should be, and they bring assurance of your place as a child of God. “While we were yet sinners, Christ died for us” Romans 5:8. It wasn’t after we got our lives right that He died for us. We have to make the choice to come to Him with all our guilt and shame. Jesus is the One who makes our lives right and empowers us to serve. We can never do it on our own. It is vital to pray and study the Bible, but we also have a Helper, the Holy Spirit, to convict and lead us down this road called life. If you doubt any choice in your life, it may be the Spirit leading you in another direction. All believers have the indwelling Holy Spirit. “8 So then they that are in the flesh cannot please God. 9 But ye are not in the flesh, but in the Spirit, if so be that the Spirit of God dwell in you. Now if any man have not the Spirit of Christ, he is none of his. 10 And if Christ [be] in you, the body [is] dead because of sin; but the Spirit [is] life because of righteousness. 11 But if the Spirit of him that raised up Jesus from the dead dwell in you, he that raised up Christ from the dead shall also quicken your mortal bodies by his Spirit that dwelleth in you.” Romans 8-11 This passage is plain. If you do not have the indwelling Holy Spirit, you are not a Christian. We cannot please God in the flesh, but we will please God in the Spirit. It is awesome and powerful to realize that the same Spirit that raised Jesus Christ from the dead is living inside of us. Not only that, but He will also “quicken” or “give life” to our mortal bodies. More life... an abundant life… a joyful life... We have confirmation of our new life in Christ when we see the fruit of the Spirit. A life of sin is no life at all. It is death. God wants us to have the happiest, most fulfilling life possible. Don’t be fooled into believing in the temporary “pleasure” of sin. The thief has only come to steal, kill, and destroy. Jesus has come so that we can have life more abundant. More Life 7 FAITH STORY Jimmy Stiff We like to be comfortable. It’s just a matter of fact. Often God may command us to step out of that comfort zone, but we can be reluctant for a number of reasons. Comfort is often not the best place for us to be. We lose concern for the people that are not inside our bubble, we may have no ambition to make our lives better, and we lose our focus on God. Becoming dependent on the things that make us comfortable can be a dangerous road to travel as well. We’re not promised tomorrow, nor are we promised the things of today. Take a look at a professional athlete. They may have “everything” that the world has to offer, but they can lose it all with one quick injury. Jimmy Stiff is not an athlete, but he knows the feeling of comfort. He is the former guitarist of the secular rock band Jackyl, infamously known for a few songs featuring a chainsaw. With this group, Jimmy had a multi-platinum debut album, toured the world, opened for such established bands like Aerosmith and ZZ Top, recorded a duet with Brian Johnson of AC/ DC, played Woodstock ’94, and even made it into the Guinness Book of World Records for playing 100 shows in 50 days. Jimmy knew fame and fortune, and he lived it to the max. Even though he watched his father die from alcohol, Jimmy would drink like a fish. He enjoyed it all and would be quick to tell you that he snorted half of Peru. The drugs and alcohol eventually caught up with Jimmy and he decided to leave Jackyl by 2000. Many musicians with these addictions do not survive the battle. Even after leaving a band, people like Layne Staley of Alice In Chains would eventually die of a drug overdose. It is not the music that makes the addict, but it is a choice to drink and do drugs. Jimmy owns up to his choice and does not regret it. Not that he brags on what he did, but he likes to brag on the Lord and what he saved him from. Jimmy’s journey to recovery found him face to face with Jesus Christ. Roanoke, Virginia is where the story of Jimmy Stiff begins. His father and grandfather were pickers, and there was already a guitar in Jimmy’s closet when he was born. As soon as he was big enough to reach 8 Jimmy Stiff By: David Lyda (All photos provided by Jimmy Stiff.) around a guitar, he was playing. J i m m y learned to play by ear and loved to soak in the music all around him. His father was into Chet Atkins, Jerry Reed, and other early country artists. Jimmy’s sister listened to a wide range of music from The Osmonds to Bob Seger. The first album that Jimmy ever bought was Ted Nugent’s self titled album. He soon found himself immersed in KISS, Chicago, and other rock bands of the era. Still today, Jimmy’s favorite album is the classic self titled album from Montrose, and his favorite group is Iron Maiden. The Stiff family was initially involved in the Mormon faith where Jimmy learned his first Bible verse, Luke 2:11. After Jimmy’s father was excommunicated from the Mormon Church, the family was not involved in any religion for a while. Once they relocated to South Carolina, Jimmy’s family began attending a Baptist Church. The seed of faith was planted there, but Jimmy was more interested in self. Jackyl gave great opportunity to fulfill that self interest by partaking in all the sex, drugs, and rock & roll he wanted. Jimmy started making steps in the right direction when he first quit drinking while on tour with Jackyl in 1999, but his salvation did not truly come until December 4th, 1999. He had made a trip to Tennessee to see Jackyl bassist Tom Bettini and his wife, Lisa. When he arrived, Lisa was sitting in the living room reading her Bible and told Jimmy that Tom was at church. Jimmy thought it was all very strange. Tom had traveled a similar road of addiction, and here he was gone to church. Sometime after he returned, they all went to bed. Jimmy woke in the middle of the night miserable, whining, and whimpering. The Bettinis comforted him and told him it was ok. Jimmy shared, “No. I came here to visit you all, and I’m bringing all my problems. You have problems of your own, and it is not ok. I’m going to go back to bed for a few hours, and it will be better in the morning.” Once he returned to his room, Jimmy fell to his knees and placed his face in his open Bible. That was the moment he broke and gave his life to Jesus. His salvation led to freedom from sin, including the drugs and alcohol that he had known for so long. The next night Jimmy and Tom, the former “Toxic Twins” of Jackyl, went together to a revival. After the service, Jimmy told the pastor that he had gotten saved the night before. The preacher asked “How do you know?” This question took Jimmy aback, and he didn’t know what to say. Finally, he replied “Well, I didn’t go down to the courthouse and fill out no form or anything.” The pastor busted out laughing and said “Welcome to the Kingdom!” After coming to the Lord, Jimmy and Tom both went on another tour with Jackyl in 2000. It was a strange experience to play clean and sober for the first time, but Jimmy admits he played guitar better than he had in his whole life on that tour. When the tour ended, Tom Bettini quit the band. Jimmy was shocked. What Jimmy didn’t know was that his life was about to be turned upside down. When he arrived home, his son’s mother packed her things and left for good. Jimmy was not about to let his son go with her, as she was heavily involved in the same demons that once haunted Jimmy Stiff. This led Jimmy to also leave the band in 2000. With his departure from the group, Jimmy didn’t know what to do next. He was a broken man. Here he was as a single dad, and Jimmy couldn’t even figure out how to pay his bills. He had made a living as a “professional guitar slinger” and didn’t want to work at McDonalds. As he cried out “God, what am I going to do?”, the phone suddenly rang. Jimmy thought “Well, ok.”, but he ignored the call. It kept ringing and ringing, and the answering machine wouldn’t pick it up. He felt God’s leading him to answer the phone, and it was an old friend from the past with a job offer. Jimmy soon found himself as the “phone guy” and managed 400 pay phones from Georgia to North Carolina. Tremendous growth and learning came in the years to follow as he dove into the Word. Jimmy had a good AM/FM radio in his work van, and he loved listening to pastors like Adrian Rogers, Tony Evans, and Charles Stanley. He also had the opportunity to learn much from one of his co-workers that was going to school to be a preacher. Jimmy tried several denominations from Baptist to Methodist to Catholic to non-denominational. These experiences and several mentors brought a lot to his spiritual maturity. Different churches made Jimmy realize that denominations are just like name tags, and they are all going to fall off one day. Jimmy shares that he is not a fan of religion because it does not have enough Jesus. It is an unfortunate truth that imperfect and insincere people within churches often give Christianity a bad name. The gift of discernment is something that Jimmy feels God has given him where he can see those that are genuine or not. Seeing dishonest people in the church can be discouraging to many new believers, but it made Jimmy quickly realize that our relationship with Jesus is personal. It is not dependent upon the church or other people. After leaving the band, Jimmy did not want anything to do with a guitar. One church he attended eventually roped him into playing bass for a few weekends. This temporary task turned into a year and a half of playing with the church. Jimmy appreciated it keeping him focused in serving the Lord rather than playing acoustic at local bars. The church kept him busy with sound and video work as well. Jimmy’s wife Jewel Renee Stiff led worship, and Jimmy eventually began playing guitar Jimmy Stiff 9 with her. Having their plate so full, the Stiff family found difficulty resting in the Lord. Churches can often pull their members into so many service roles that the individuals are not being fed, and they forget what it is to worship the Lord. At this point, Jimmy and his wife felt led to declare Kingdom things outside of the local church and go into the world. One day, Jimmy’s wife told him that they should get a band together. This was not something he was interested in at that time, because he knew the baggage that would come with other individuals. Then out of the blue one day, a band happened. A local drummer called Jimmy to talk about golf. At one point in the conversation, Jimmy said “Imagine God watching a Slayer concert.” His friend replied “What? Why would He do that?” Jimmy continued, “Imagine God watching a Slayer concert because that drummer is the best drummer in the world. Now, imagine God saying ‘Hmm… When am I going to get some of that?’” “Whoa!” was the reply from this drummer. Jimmy said “That’s why I do what I do.” Within a few days, the drummer called Jimmy back and said “Hey man, when can I start?” Jimmy didn’t even have a band for him to start in, but this turn of events eventually turned into the Christian rock band, Apprehended Ones. The band is what Jimmy describes as a cross between The Gaithers and Ronnie James Dio. Their unique style also gives them a unique ability to play different venues. The Gospel is being shared in churches and bars without compromise. Jimmy states that he feels called to pick and preach. “My guitar speaks, and when I speak, it might pick your nerves if it is something you don’t like!” Apprehended Ones have had the opportunity to play many different stages, including The Cove, which is part of the Billy Graham Association. They are also heavily involved in the Freedom Biker Churches that are located all over the Southeast. These same biker churches really helped kick the band off. Church or beer joint, Apprehended Ones is always prepared to give 140%. Concert goers often describe the immense feeling of God’s presence no matter what venue. One show in 2013 found the band in a South Carolina bar. In between some 10 Jimmy Stiff of the songs, Jewel Renee stood up and said “Woo hoo! I want to tell you something. I used to be a crack addict.” A gasp came from the crowd. They had the full bar’s attention. “Yeah, I was less than 90 lbs. I had four kids, and you know what they wanted? Mama. I guess you know what I wanted… Well, I just want to share what delivered me, and I’m still clean to this day.” The band then kicked into “Pursue You” by Jesus Culture, which starts with “Strip everything away, ‘till all I have is You.” Jimmy said by the second chorus he was sweating with tears running down his face. Hands were raised in praise all around the bar, and one man came forward, set his beer down, and threw money on the monitor. After the show, one lady told Jewel how she had a drug addict boyfriend and other addict friends that would always try to get her to join them. She had finally given in, and had come to the bar that night to get wasted. After some stalling, she had called the bartender over to order a drink. That was right when Jimmy’s wife shared her testimony. The lady ordered a Coke instead and decided that she was going to take the money she had saved and go back to school. A life changing decision came in the blink of an eye. This type of testimony often reaches the band after their shows, and to God goes the glory for it all. They are focused on pointing people to the cross, not being rock stars. The Lord has also enabled Apprehended Ones to release two original albums. If you had told Jimmy during his Jackyl days that he would be involved in ministry, he would have laughed in your face. Today, his desire is for the Lord and sharing what God has done in his life. The devil is a liar that tells many of us that we are too far gone. The testimony of Jimmy Stiff and many others holds true. Our God is able. For more about Apprehended Ones, check out... www.apprehendedones.com (Jimmy Stiff recommends everybody check out Apprehended Ones, the band Jesus Culture, and the album “Relentless” by Misty Edwards.) FUNDRAISER Rachel Gregory There are many reasons to smile. God has given us a joy that is not governed by our situations. This indescribable feeling is something that all Christians should desire to share. Rachel Gregory likes to smile, but she has been facing a major health concern since 2008. Sharp stabbing pains in her stomach eventually led to the diagnosis of Primary Sclerosing Cholangitis (PSC). This rare incurable disease damages bile ducts, which in turn damages the liver. The only hope of recovery is a liver transplant. By the end of 2011, Rachel’s disease had become so bad that she was ordered by her doctor to quit working. Despite the hardships related with PSC, Rachel’s smile has remained. It’s not that depression does not come, but Rachel has news of hope on the horizon. To receive a liver transplant, her condition has to get worse before it gets better. By 2014, Rachel has finally reached the point where she is on the waiting list for a transplant. Greenville In One Accord is organizing a fund raising CD to help with the immense costs associ- By: David Lyda (All photos provided by Rachel Gregory.) spiritual songs. To assist with the CD recording and production, producer Ricky Rod from Bomb House Studios has also graciously joined the project. All proceeds from the CD will go to Rachel Gregory. Greenville In One Accord is seeking the support of local churches and individuals that would like to contribute to the project. Every penny that is donated will go to the production and promotion of the CD project for Rachel. Individual fundraisers are a great way to help raise money, and many of the artists involved with Reasons To Smile are available to play at these events. To donate to this project, please send a check or money order to: David Lyda P.O. Box 1244 Taylors, SC 29687 To coordinate an event fundraiser, please send an e-mail to: contact@greenvilleinoneaccord.com ated with Rachel’s medical treatments and travels. The Reasons To Smile compilation will feature several musicians and bands from the Southeast who have donated their abilities to the project. All songs will be original recordings of traditional hymns and Tentative musicians include: Jesse Biondi, The Change, Expanding Carnivores, Korey Hawkins, Glenn Head, Lemon Skunk, The Outpouring, Reckless Mercy, TYTUS, and many more... www.greenvilleinoneaccord.com/smile Rachel Gregory 11 LOCAL MUSIC TYTUS The musician named TYTUS has always been the good kid. He grew up in a Pentecostal church with his mom, dad, and two brothers. With a father who sang, TYTUS soon found himself forced on stage as well. This was not an easy thing for the new singer, because he was a self described shy guy! The wheels were being set in motion for a musical passion that would carry him into college. TYTUS’ first experience with an instrument was playing sax in the high school band for a year. Piano came next but ended abruptly when his piano teacher passed away. When he turned 15, TYTUS began to teach himself guitar with DVD training videos. At Clemson University, he often found himself alone with his music and songwriting soon developed from there. What was this shy guy going to do with original music? Performing at his lo- 12 TYTUS By: David Lyda (All photos provided by TYTUS.) cal church allowed him the opportunity to lead a “lock-in” at the church. After that, singing in front others became much easier. While songwriting and performing were progressing, TYTUS felt stalled in his faith. At 20 years old, TYTUS realized that his relationship with God was very dependent upon the church. He had always been very involved with the church, but how involved was he with the Lord? It’s the trap many Christians can find themselves in without knowing. We believe more attendance or service in the church somehow equates to a stronger relationship with God. TYTUS was not satisfied and began to dive deep into the Word. After a year of studying the New Testament, he began to truly feel like he had his own relationship with Jesus Christ. God revealed so much to TYTUS, and he finally felt closer to God. He realized that if the church and all his friends and family were to be taken away, his faith would still stand. Just like all men, TYTUS still can have his struggles. This human condition has been the inspiration for many of his songs. With the desire to impact a broad audience, TYTUS’ songs are often written in an ambiguous manner. The audience can take TYTUS’ stories and find they personally speak to their own lives. The dark times and struggles that we all experience are always injected with Hope in his songs. They are ultimately about TYTUS’ relationship with Jesus Christ. Being called Christian music can often tag on unwanted labels to an artist. TYTUS wants to simply be known as a Christian who is a songwriter. God has given him the mission to do more than “preach to the choir.” He wants to bring love, encouragement, and hope to his fans. Sometimes his Christian worldview may offer blatant declarations of God, and sometimes the Lord will shine through a more poetic structure. A future desire for his music is to use it for mission work in underprivileged countries. TYTUS’ style of music can sometimes be hard to classify. His songs often come from an acoustic songwriter style that can be heard on many demos available through his website. His debut release the human condition ep, offers a more rock sound with a full band. TYTUS strives to make each song different, and this can be observed with his various arrangements and chord structures. Though the style of music can be hard to pinpoint, there are frequent comparisons when it comes to his voice. Needtobreathe has been a huge inspiration, and many compare TYTUS to their lead singer. He also sounds strikingly similar to Building 429 vocally. Still, TYTUS has a sound all his own. Another cited influence is the secular musician Matthew Mayfield. This acoustic songwriter built his audience with a “Do It Yourself” work ethic that drives many independent musicians, including TYTUS. Matthew’s songwriting has been an inspiration that can be heard in TYTUS’ music. Other influences include Switchfoot, Edwin McCain, Hillsong, and even Coldplay. TYTUS’ story of faith has just begun. With the recent release of his first professional studio album the human condition ep, TYTUS is ready to make his mark. He’s ready to make a difference in the world and share the voice he didn’t even know he had. To find out more about TYTUS, his tour dates, and to purchase his album, visit... www.tytusmusic.net Check out a review of the human condition ep on page 15. TYTUS 13 BIBLE STUDY God’s Valentine Valentine’s Day is just around the corner. After years of observing the enormous amounts of pink and red Valentine cards, giant stuffed gorillas bearing hearts that declare “I Love You,” chalky message hearts, and cheap chocolates (I won’t mention the brands… I imagine that you know the ones I’m talking about), I’ve decided that Valentine’s Day is a very tacky holiday. It can also be stressful, even for children. You may recall carefully selecting which card that you gave to each kid in your second grade class. You didn’t want little Jimmy to think that you had a crush on him! I remember analyzing the Valentines that I received from the boys that I liked. Did those generic messages mean that they liked me too? Oh, the suspense! We have one Admirer, though, who doesn’t hide His feelings for us. God tells us repeatedly of His deep love for us in His beautiful Valentine, the Bible. For example, John 3:16 tells us “For God so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting life.” That is amazing and pretty much incomprehensible to me. As a mother, I can’t fathom giving up my child for a world full of wicked, ungrateful sinners, but yet that is just what our heavenly Father did for each one of us. Romans 5:8 says, “But God commendeth his love toward us, in that, while we were yet sinners, Christ died for us.” I have always had a hard time really understanding the Lord’s love for me. For most of my life, I have felt like an outsider. Maybe you have, too. During my school years, I was so painfully shy that I didn’t have many friends. I was overweight, wore glasses, and had thick, bushy hair with out-of-style bangs. Needless to say, I was self-conscious. It didn’t help when others would make comments that made me feel even worse. In elementary school, one of my classmates took it upon herself to inform me that my nose was huge. I tried to shift the focus away from my nose by talking about someone else whose nose was much bigger than mine. And just so you know, my nose has never been huge. In high school, a girl told me that her mother said I would be prettier if I wore makeup. Her comment angered me, but it also really hurt. Comments like those left scars. I’m sure that you also have your own hurts that have been left behind by the inconsiderate words of others. I’m gradually learning, though, that God loves 14 God’s Valentine By: Beth Lyda (Illustration by Beth Lyda.) me for me. He created me in His image. Psalm 139:14 says, “I will praise thee; for I am fearfully [and] wonderfully made: marvellous [are] thy works; and [that] my soul knoweth right well.” My Father loves me just the way I am. He doesn’t care that my hair still looks somewhat like a lion’s mane. He made it that way. Nor am I offensive to Him because of my thick eyeglasses. He is the One who created my farsighted eyes. He sees me as beautiful, even though I am not, and probably never will be, a size two. Another stumbling block that I struggle with in my understanding of the Lord’s love is thinking that I have to be perfect in order for Him to really love me. Being a mom is helping me to get a better grasp on His love, though. I love my daughter no matter what she does. I am not going to stop loving her if she pitches another fit in public or if she throws her food on the floor again, even though I told her that she is not to do that. As a good parent lovingly corrects a disobedient child’s behavior, so our Father corrects us when we disobey. Hebrews 12:9-11 tells us “Furthermore we have had fathers of our flesh which corrected [us], and we gave [them] reverence: shall we not much rather be in subjection unto the Father of spirits, and live? 10 For they verily for a few days chastened [us] after their own pleasure; but he for [our] profit, that [we] might be partakers of his holiness. 11 Now no chastening for the present seemeth to be joyous, but grievous: nevertheless afterward it yieldeth the peaceable fruit of righteousness unto them which are exercised thereby.” We can take comfort in the fact that He will not stop loving us and that He will keep molding us to be more like Him. As the old children’s song illustrates so well... He’s still workin’ on me, To make me what I ought to be, It took Him just a week to make the moon and the stars, The sun and the earth and Jupiter and Mars, How loving and patient He must be, ‘Cause He’s still workin’ on me! So remember to take time to analyze God’s Valentine to you. It won’t leave you in suspense of His feelings, and you won’t even have to get your best friend to ask Him if He likes you! You’ll find His love for you written on every page. Happy Valentine’s Day! MUSIC REVIEW By: David Lyda the human condition ep (All photos provided by TYTUS.) TYTUS’ debut release, the human condition ep, is a fine collection of five songs that demonstrates his desire for variety. Arrangements and the overall feel of each track offer many fresh styles. Though TYTUS has difficulty labeling his own music, he sometimes describes it as soft rock. Such a classification makes me think about cheesy 80s bands like Air Supply, and that is most definitely not an accurate description. Acoustic rock is probably a more apt title, but the songs beg to be heard rather than described. The human condition ep explores the various journeys through life that can often end in despair. There is no doubt that the darkness and oppression in life can rob us of the richness of being alive. TYTUS’ songs do not fall into the trap that easily befalls most modern rock albums. Many artists have a tendency to give only a “woe is me”, “I hate my life” outlook. While the human condition ep does explore the bleakness of life, it also offers the undeniable hope that is found in our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ. The album artwork is a dramatic demonstration of what we are all like without God, shipwrecked. Former DAYLIGHTwasting guitarist, James Sargent II, assisted with the excellent photography of TYTUS tattered and bandaged from life. As the liner notes detail, TYTUS had support from several studio musicians. TYTUS himself provided the vocals on all the tracks. He also played all the acoustic guitars, all the keyboards, and some electric guitar. Tracked and produced at Bombhouse Studios in Morgantown, NC, the human condition ep sits comfortably alongside the quality and professional sound of today’s Billboard hits. “A Better Way”: The opening bells of the album may make the listener believe he has popped in the Doobie Brothers song “Black Water” by accident, but that is quickly dispelled by the introduction of synthesized piano with acous- tic guitar. As the song settles in, it begins to stylistically remind me of a Matthew West song. The subject matter could easily fit into that Christian singer’s repertoire as well. It looks at the problems we face when focusing on ourselves. The song lets you know that there’s a better way. No matter how hard we try, we’ll never have the fullness of life without God. Once the chorus kicks in, the musical palette opens up with drums and additional guitars. The electric guitar in particular offers very nice leads that really shine during the outro of the song. The choruses all change slightly as TYTUS focuses on a different person or persons. “You can”, “I can”, and “we can” show the universal nature of what we experience as people. “A Better Way” offers encouragement and presents a cry to God to not give up on us fallible human beings. “Color of the Crows”: The second track on the ep is one of the hardest songs to decipher. TYTUS will quickly tell you that he writes in an ambiguous manner to make the songs more personal for the listener. The lyrics again address the struggles of man, and it appears that the color of the crows may be a comparison to the blackness of sin. This is definitely a song that finds somebody searching, and being amazed at the goodness of God. “Sometimes it’s so hard to believe, that my blood runs with nobility.” Unlike many pop songs, the chorus does not even feature the title of the song. The song as a whole has a very unique arrangement, and it is by far the most rocking of the five tracks on the human condition ep. The rapid fire delivery of the bass drum in some parts adds an especially nice touch. The first two verses of the song have a heavy effect distorting the vocals, and this can become distracting. It doesn’t stop this song from becoming my favorite track on the album, though. The sound of “Color of the Crows” could be easily compared to the band Building 429, and the killer interlude especially sounds like it would fit right in on one of their albums. A call thehuman condition ep 15 to action is delivered near the closing of the song as “Be prepared to fight or die, when the color of the crows show.” Truly, this is a call we must answer every day as Christians. (Luke 9:23) “Colder Days”: I have found that many bands put a softer song as the third track of their albums, and TYTUS’ ep is no different. “Colder Days” begins with a very exposed sounding voice in the forefront. The mix of vocals sounds a bit abrasive at first while overpowering the gentle acoustic guitar, but it really allows the listener to hear every bit of emotion in TYTUS’ voice. As the song builds, more instruments fill in any void that may be present, and the cello by Everett Hardin offers a particularly haunting vibe to the song. I’m reminded of the third chapter of Ecclesiastes (made popular by the Byrds with “Turn, Turn, Turn”) when analyzing the words of the song. As we go through seasons in our life, the valleys can often seem cold and unforgiving. Probably an intentional play on words, Son could easily replace sun in the line “For the sun is not to blind me, it’s to warm these colder days.” Jesus is for our good, and He’s beside us in the good and the bad. He can and will warm our lives. Our responsibility in the seasons lies in how we respond. “Don’t be surprised when life surprises you. It happens all the time. It’s what we do with those surprises, that help us walk the line.” What do we do with the bad things in life? “Hay in a Needle Stack”: A very pointed (pun intended) song follows “Colder Days.” While we are able to rest in the warmth of the Lord in cold days, we too often find ourselves focusing on the bad things in life. Not only do we focus, but we drown in it while never allowing the good to show through. The theme of seasons is again played upon, and we see that “To every [thing there is] a season, and a time to every purpose under the heaven:” (Ecclesiastes 3:1). As people, we can be ok with just a little bad in a good season “a needle in a haystack”, but we have a difficult time finding clarity with a little good in a bad season “hay in a needle stack.” Where is God in the bad times? “If we could catch a glimpse of us tomorrow, maybe we’ll forget our sorrow tonight.” Life is about perspective, and we’ve been told the future. Christians can rest in the comfort of knowing “…that the sufferings of this present time [are] not worthy [to be compared] with the glory which shall be revealed in us” (Roman 8:18). We should press through the “needle stack” and let it 16 thehuman condition ep have its perfect work. “Don’t run too fast or walk too slow. A steady pace will free your soul.” Sonically, “Hay in a Needle Stack” sounds happy. The intro has an 80s vibe that reminds me of a Tears for Fears song. The music really presents itself as epic! TYTUS’ intros can sometimes give a false impression of the song as whole. This track is no exception, as the song then starts shaping into more of a Needtobreathe type of sound. “The Human Condition”: The closing track is also the title track of the ep. Throughout the collection, the human condition is explored, and here we see it spelled out. It’s something we all face, but all of our journeys are different. “We all have our own rendition, of the human condition.” The flesh is what wears us down, but there is hope. “The Human Condition” is presented almost like a lullaby. The beautiful cello flourishes often remind me of the song “The World I Know” by Collective Soul, which also brings a message of hope. Cello is also featured in an awesomely bare interlude and the outro of the song. Unexpectedly, TYTUS is suddenly joined by vocalist Roseanna Parker in portions of the song. One nod to Greenville, SC is given as “a midnight walk in Cleveland Park.” For those unfamiliar with the area, I wouldn’t recommend such a stroll at that time of night! The only explicit mention of God on the album comes in the bridge, “Run to the sun, to the face of God. Oh ‘cause I can see what I’ve become. A fiend with nowhere else to run. I need to find a place to breathe fresh air.” What a comfort it is to know that no matter what we can’t accomplish on our own, no matter what sins we’ve committed, no matter the cold days, no matter our short sightedness, no matter our trials, we have a God who loves us and offers “a remedy for your human condition.” Album available through all major Music download sites (iTunes, Amazon, Google Play, and CD Baby) www.tytusmusic.net NATIONAL MUSIC Jeff Frankenstein Christian mainstays, NEWSBOYS are ready to Restart. Nobody knew what to expect when former dc Talk member Michael Tait stepped into the band upon the departure of long time vocalist Peter Furler in 2009. It resulted in NEWSBOYS gaining several number 1 hits and selling over 300,000 copies of their last record. Not a small feat in today’s market! In just a short time, the revamped NEWSBOYS have been able to put out three full albums with the addition of their newest release, Restart. Their excitement about the new album and tour is very evident, and as vocalist Michael Tait stated, "I have not felt this way about anything I've been involved in musically since Jesus Freak." There’s no doubt that is a big shoe to fill! The enthusiasm for the new music permeates throughout the band. Longtime keyboardist Jeff Frankenstein recently took some time at the end of 2013 to share about the new tour, album, and his faith. This is Jeff from NEWSBOYS. How are you doing today? I’m doing well. How are you doing? I’m a little under the weather, but I’m soldiering on today. So, how have the rehearsals been going? Good. Yeah, we rehearsed for a couple weeks, and then we just got back. We did a promo tour for the last week. The album came out this week. So, we’re home for a couple days and then the tour starts next weekend. So, a couple days off before it all gets crazy again. I know you’re doing a few choice cuts from the new album. What can the fans expect from the “Restart” tour? Are there going to be any unexpected songs or new stage theatrics? Yeah, it’s a little bit of all that. I think we’re going to be playing about seven off the new record, which is a lot. So, yeah. We’re playing on that. Just really proud of the way the record turned out. The response so far has been really good. We’ve kind of felt like… we’ve always tried to play as much of the new material as possible. It can be difficult, you know, when you have… Such a back catalog? (Laughs) Yeah, twenty years of stuff to draw from, but with the last three records, there’s definitely enough to sustain a show. So, they’ll be a lot of newer stuff, and we’ll throw in a couple older ones as well. Yeah, we’ve been working on video content. If you’ve seen any of our tours before it will be… this one is even another level as far as production, lighting, and that sort of thing. It’s all coming together. It’s kind of hard to comment on it, because it hasn’t actually started (laughs). When we rehearse, we rehearse in Michael’s basement of his house. So, we haven’t really rehearsed with the full stage, and we’re actually going to go up to Vermont, where the first show is, a day early and then do some dress rehearsals there. Pretty crazy, but it’s shaping up to be real good. It’s going to be a great Fall. I know you’ve taken over the bass duties on the keyboards through the past few albums. Has that created any particu- By: David Lyda (All photos provided by NEWSBOYS.) from NEWSBOYS lar challenges performing any of the songs, or has it really opened up anything new? Mostly, it’s all good. The cool thing about it, I play a bit of it… actually just got some bass pedals so I can use my left foot to play bass as well. So, it frees up my hands and all that, but it’s weird because when I first joined the band like twenty years ago, I was the guy who was kind of in the background. Just played keyboard pads and then would sing, and now, it’s like I got a full plate of responsibilities to take care of. To be honest, I enjoy the challenge, and it’s a lot of fun. For stuff I can’t cover, we put on a computer. Duncan always comments… our drummer, he loves it, because he knows that the bass is exactly where it’s going to be every night. So, he can kind of tailor how he plays around that. And then sonically it’s different. I think it’s different than what a lot of bands are doing. I think out front, it’s definitely more fuller sound than what we had before. So, it’s pretty good. I think when you have a four piece band that’s been together for so long… we just felt like adding another member at this point and time in our career, it didn’t make sense. So, I was happy to take over and do what I could. It worked out alright. So, you think you’re going to soldier on as a four piece as far as you can tell? Absolutely, yeah. I know you’ve mentioned at times how God uses music in such amazing ways, and I’m sure you hear countless stories from fans too. Is there a band or song in particular that has had a huge impact on you? Oh, man. I don’t know of one particular. I’m trying to think. What I do know, when I was growing up as a kid, I know that Christian music was a big part of my life and growing up in my childhood. I think now that I have kids of my own, I’m starting to realize just how important it really is to parents. For years, parents would come up to us and say “Thank you so much. We just appreciate what you do. You have no idea what it means to my family.” Before I had kids, I always thought that was great, but it didn’t really strike me. I have a four year old and a five month old, and I think now, now I realize what people were talking about when they said that. You know, especially in this culture. This day and age. Trying to raise kids in a society that’s just going downhill so fast. I think we’ve taken it upon ourselves to… the urgency of it… to be able to share a message in music like that. It’s something we don’t take lightly, especially for families. There’s not a lot of good alternatives. When you look at the state of pop music, just what it says to people. It’s just so opposite to the Gospel. I feel like that’s one of the reasons we’re probably still together, because when you’re talking about the Gospel, something that can actually change somebody’s life and at the same time teaches people to serve, and that God has a plan for their lives, and that sort of thing. It really strikes home. It’s been one of the sad things for me, because you’ve seen the music industry in general, especially Christian music… I feel like it’s become so much smaller due to the lack of interest. As far as bands that are doing Christian pop music, they’re becoming fewer and fewer, and I feel like this record, the plan all along… to spend the time to bring up the quality level. So, that Jeff Frankenstein from NEWSBOYS 17 when you hear it on radio, it can stand up to anything else on pop radio. I don’t know if you’ve heard the record yet. You know, I hope that comes across. (Laughs) When I was a kid in youth group, they used to pass out these papers that would say, “If you like this secular band, you’ll love this Christian band.” (Laughs) You’d read the two different things. You know, we loved Christian music, but I think everybody knew, even as a little kid… Yeah, I might like this Christian alternative to the mainstream act, but you know it’s not going to sound as good. The quality is not going to be there. So, I think when you hear this record, you’ll notice we really put a lot of extra effort into that, and hopefully it translates and fills the needs. Yeah, those comparisons really kill me sometimes. It’s like, (laughs) “Did you even listen to that other band?” (Laughs) Yeah, yeah. What are some of your musical influences? Well, let’s see. It runs a super wide gamut. I mean, I grew up in Detroit so… and my parents, my mom in particular, she was a choir director and a worship leader and stuff when I was a kid. So, there was always music around the house. It ranged from, you know anything from Motown and stuff. Obviously that was soul music and Motown. Stevie Wonder and all of that stuff, it was always in our house. And then, as I got older and went to college, Detroit was also a big, like birthplace of a lot of electronic music. That got me interested in keyboards, synthesizers, and all of that sort of thing. Like in the early 90s, it was like a big sort of techno thing was going on, and that was super popular in Detroit. So, I was getting in it and had lots of synthesizers and all that sort of thing. Right from that, I kind of joined the band, and I found myself in a rock band for the past twenty years. (Laughs) I know we mentioned the new album Restart a bit. You said that it’s been brought up to the standard of pop music out there now. How does it compare to your last two albums? Well, yeah. I think it’s definitely a lot different. Born Again was primarily like a rock record, and God’s Not Dead even though it was kind of a rock album too, I think most people would consider it to be a worship album. The funny thing was that when God’s Not Dead came out, we kind of thought… it kind of flew under the radar, we didn’t really anticipate it... It was kind of like a worship record, and it was kind of at the time meant to fill the gap between the Born Again record and what we did now. The funny thing was that it kind of took off and got legs on its own, and ended up becoming even more successful than Born Again was, which was kind of good in a way because it gave us some extra time to work on this record. I think Restart is a pure pop record. It’s a lot more keyboards, a lot more electronic. I’m going to be a lot more 18 Jeff Frankenstein from NEWSBOYS busy. Did you guys continue to use outside writers for this record? Yeah, it was a mix again. Michael co-wrote, I think, seven or eight of the songs. Like I was saying earlier, I think this record is not only a band effort; it’s also a team effort of our whole group. I think if you saw a glimpse of how NEWSBOYS works… yes, they’re four guys, but really I mean our manager has been with us since the very first day, like almost twenty five years. Same thing for our production guy, most of our crew guys, our sound guys, you know, it’s a team effort. I think when you kind of get to this stage in your career, I guess… at the end of a long career like this, you kind of let go of a lot of your pride that would prevent your band from creating the best record, and I think this record in particular, it was a situation where we wanted it to be the best no matter what. So, if it was going to take remixing a song twenty times, or getting ten different producers to do songs different ways, or just trying anything possible. I think we didn’t want our own pride to get in the way, and we were just looking for the best finished product. So, yes, it was definitely a collaborative effort, quite a few different people helped with that. Great bands you’ll find that. I mean even U2. People think U2 just goes into a room, and four guys just play the songs and that’s the album. No way! I mean, they’ve got Daniel Lanois, Brian Eno… the most brightest producers and engineers that kind of are helping them develop and create. I feel like in the past with NEWSBOYS, you know I’ve been in the band for twenty years, it’s like so many times on records we just slugged it out and really maybe just hurt ourselves by trying to take on too much. So, I think on this one we found a really good, a lot better of a balance. I saw back in April of 2013 that Pete Stewart of Grammatrain was helping with tracking guitars. Yeah! I guess his connection was back from Tait. That is correct. Pete had a very public falling out with the Christian faith. Some may find it strange that he was working with you guys. I know such collaborations of secular and Christian artists are common in music and film. Why do you think that door is open? How do you make sure such collaborations do not affect your vision or even your personal walk? On this record, it’s funny because almost everybody that was on this record was a believer. It really wasn’t an issue. Another funny thing about it too, there was like a few mixer guys in LA, a couple guys who worked on Katie Perry records and that sort of thing, that mixed songs, but (laughs) the way things are done, it’s so funny, because we never even met them. You’re working over the internet. They’re mixing a song in LA and turning it back to you online or something like that. What I’ve noticed every time I’ve collaborated with somebody outside of our industry is they generally like working with Christians, because I think generally it’s a very nice thing for them because… you know, when you’re in an environment like LA or New York or something like that, it’s so… it’s just a game that’s always being played, and they’re not used to dealing with people that actually have morals (laughs). Usually, it’s a more pleasant experience. They always enjoy it. Kind of changing course to a more personal level. What would you say has been one of the bigger obstacles or struggles in your faith? Man… I don’t know. I think we all… We’ve talked about it a lot in the band. I think probably one of the biggest things I struggle with is giving up control of everything to the Lord. I think so many times you… it sounds easy. Oh yeah, “give everything over to Him” or whatever, but it’s everything. He wants every single part of our lives, and I think a lot of times as Christians, well “I’ll give Him this, but I’ll hold on to this.” I don’t know about you, but I love to hang on to things I want to hang onto and not give it over to God and trust Him. I think, you and I and our family, even in our society and culture, it’s like trusting God fully that He has the best plan, and not trying to control everything ourselves. It a… that’s a challenge, man. It’s a very difficult thing to do. I know I’ve been doing some recent studies on Abraham, and it’s the same thing with Abraham. Trying to do things on his own and that. Yeah. (Laughs) Oh yeah. Big time! What’s your personal salvation story? Well, it’s funny. It’s not anything like, I didn’t get shot 12 times in the head or anything like that (laughs). It was pretty simple. My mom and dad are pastors and missionaries, and so they had always kind of… the Gospel was always around and all that. I just remember waking up one night, and I remember going into my parents’ room and just saying, “Hey, I’ve been up all night. I’ve been thinking about this, and I just want to accept Jesus in my heart.” And I think we prayed right there, and that was pretty much it. It was pretty simple. How old were you then? because they can’t handle people in those positions, when they see that they’re just human beings that can’t… the standards are too high or whatever, and they go crazy. I know being a touring musician can definitely take a toll with the constant traveling and being away from home. How do you stay grounded? Yeah, I think we’ve tried to really work on our schedule and not be gone too many days at a time. I think our touring schedule, if you look at it for the most part, it’s like we’re gone three or four days and home three or four days. We try not to be on for ten or twelve or two weeks at a time unless we’re going to Europe or the West Coast or something like that, because most of us have little kids. It’s just nothing good happens when you’re gone that long. So, we just try and be home, and then there are times where you’d be home for a month or three or four weeks. It’s definitely a different life, but there are times where you get to spend a lot more time with your family than say, a guy who works sixty hours a week does. He comes home, has dinner, and his kids go to bed. Today, for example, I’m at home and in my house right now, and I’ve been doing stuff with my girls all morning long. It’s just a different thing, but when I was engaged I was doing this (laughs). So, my wife knew pretty much what the lifestyle was going to be like. So, we’ve just made it work. Do you have a particular church that you call home now? Yeah, we have a small church here in town that supports us, and it’s great. Yeah, we love it. Is there anything particular that you need prayer for right now? Gosh, I might have been ten or something like that. Nine or ten. Something like that. Man, just pray for the tour and everyone’s health. Just going forward, for the new record that it would reach people that we would love to reach. You know, that it would go outside of the church walls and be a light in a dark place. I think sometimes we underestimate the power of having that kind of testimony. That we grew up in a Christian home. Definitely, everybody doesn’t have that. That sounds really cool! I hope to catch you guys soon when you hit South Carolina. Yeah! Well, I think too, a lot of times it’s tougher when you grow up in a Christian home. Especially when you’re like a pastor’s kid and all of that sort of thing. You see things that you don’t like to see. You see people that… when you don’t understand when you’re younger that older people are fallible, and that Christians make mistakes. Sometimes, a lot of pastor’s kids grow up and go crazy, Yes, sir! We’ll be there at some point. We’re slated to do WinterJam next year. So, yeah. If you’re in Greenville, we’ll definitely be there at some point. Yeah. Well, you have a blessed day. Thank you, man. Thank you for your time. www.newsboys.com Jeff Frankenstein from NEWSBOYS 19 BIBLE STUDY Grace “8 For by grace are ye saved through faith; and that not of yourselves: [it is] the gift of God: 9 Not of works, lest any man should boast.” Ephesians 2:8-9 According to The American Heritage Student Dictionary, grace is described as “The state of being protected or sanctified by the favor and love of God.” Grace is love unearned. How many people would love somebody that doesn’t love them? Yet God “so loved the world, that He gave His only begotten Son” (John 3:16). God loved us while “we were still yet sinners” (Romans 5:8). No matter where we are in life, God is ready for us. God’s favor and blessings come to all people in the form of common grace, as He makes “his sun to rise on the evil and on the good, and sendeth rain on the just and on the unjust” (Matthew 5:45). How much more favor could we possibly receive than accepting Jesus’ sacrifice on the cross? God’s grace is beyond what we can ever imagine. So many of us get it wrong in believing that we have to live a good life to be saved. This is contrary to what the Bible says about God’s love. It’s “not of works, lest any man should boast” (Ephesians 2:8-9). Try as we may, we cannot “earn” God’s favor. It is a free gift called salvation. It is the grace that He gives to all those “who believeth in Him… they shall not perish, but have everlasting life” (John 3:16). The Bible declares that “all have sinned, and come short of the glory of God” (Romans 3:23). The beauty is that is not where the story ends. God is not bent on sending people to Hell for their sin. In fact, He is patient with us and doesn’t desire that “any should perish, but that all should come to repentance” (2 Peter 3:9). “For God sent not his Son into the world to condemn the world; but that the world through him might be saved” (John 3:17). Salvation has always been part of the grace of God. Even in the Old Testament we find that Abraham “believed in the LORD; and he counted it to him for righteousness” (Genesis 15:6 & Romans 4:3). It is erroneous to believe that the Jewish people were ever saved by obeying the law. In fact, Abraham was counted as righteous some 630 years before the Israelites were ever given the Ten Commandments. It wasn’t the law that saved; it was God’s grace! God’s grace and mercy are evident when you look at the Israelites in Egypt. The law was not given to Israel until 20 Grace By: David Lyda they left Egypt and reached Mount Sinai. God did not rescue them after they lived up to the letter of the law. It was by His grace that they were brought out of Egypt, and it was by the faith of the Hebrews that they moved forward, even crossing the Red Sea. God spoke a reminder before giving the Ten Commandments. “I am the LORD thy God, which have brought thee out of the land of Egypt, out of the house of bondage” (Exodus 20:2). Bringing this to mind, obedience to the law should have just been a grateful response to already being saved. Flash forward to today. We do not live under the laws of the Old Covenant, but we live under the New Covenant of Jesus’ shed blood. There’s no doubt that God still demands a high standard of living. What kind of standard would a Holy God set? Perfection is what we all should pursue (Matthew 5:48). Again, we are not saved by our actions or works. “Being good” doesn’t get us to Heaven. So, if we don’t have to follow God’s law to be saved, why should we live a righteous life? Simply said, we owe it to God. “Knowing this, that our old man is crucified with [him], that the body of sin might be destroyed, that henceforth we should not serve sin” (Romans 6:6). Jesus Christ gave His life on the cross so you could be saved. If you’ve admitted you’re a sinner, repented, and received Him as Lord and Savior, shouldn’t obedience be a grateful response? He’s given us eternal life through a pardon of grace. Jesus died for us, and He just asks that we live for Him. Is that too much to ask? How many times do we want to hold on to sin? We enjoy it for the moment but then feel the consequences. Thankfully, God is not sitting in Heaven waiting to zap us. We have an intercessor in Jesus Christ who is continually pleading our case (1 John 2:1-2). God’s grace is in action. He wants us to come back to Him and “If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just to forgive us our sins, and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness” (1 John 1:9). Do you realize that God wants us to forsake sin not only to honor Him, but also to live the most joyous life imaginable? There is not a single sin that does not have a consequence in the here and now. It may be external, or it may even be internal. The cause and effect of sin is often very obvious to the wise man. Broken families, broken bodies, broken minds, and many broken financial situations all have their root in sin. Where is the joy in that? We feel regret when we do things that are wrong. Have you ever felt remorse when you did the right thing? Nobody regrets obeying God. It is the most fulfilling life you can have. You “love the Lord thy God with all your heart”, you “love thy neighbour as thyself” (Matthew 22:37-39), and you strive for peace (Romans 12:18). You have healed families, healed bodies, healed minds, and riches that are not of this world. Obeying God does not come naturally to the flesh, but it comes naturally to the person that allows the Spirit to lead their life. So can we sin after we are saved? The answer is an absolute “yes.” We will always have the ability to sin while in these earthly bodies. Any person that is honest with their life has to admit this. We may not be committing the sins that we often point out from the people around us, but we all have our imperfections. Don’t believe this? Think about your mouth. Have you been pouring “salty” or “sweet” words (James 3:9-12) from your mouth? James said that both waters cannot flow from the same spring. If you are running your mouth, you are out of God’s will, and that is sin. What about hatred? Do you hold a grudge against somebody that has wronged you? The Lord stated that if you do not forgive others, God will not forgive you (Mark 11:26). Do you hate others because of the color of their skin or their country of origin? We are all created equal. The Bible teaches that if you have hatred towards another, then you’ve murdered them in your heart (1 John 3:15). Murder is sin. Have you felt God’s grace in your own life? Do you realize He still loves you despite your shortcomings? Here’s the beautiful thing. In Christ, we are new creations, “behold, all things are become new” (2 Corinthians 5:17). Not only that, we now have the indwelling Holy Spirit (Romans 8:9) that guides us to a life of righteousness. Jesus said that we would be known by our fruits (Matthew 7:1520 & Luke 6:43-45). Obedience may be a grateful response to salvation, but it is actually what characterizes a Christian. Living a holy life is not done alone. The Holy Spirit is always working within, leading and guiding us. If someone who claims to be a Christian is living a life of unrepentant sin, the Bible states that they are not a Christian. How can they be? “For they that are after the flesh do mind the things of the flesh; but they that are after the Spirit the things of the Spirit” (Romans 8:5). It’s not that we will not have our struggles. Paul said that in his battles, he didn’t do what he should, “but what I hate, that do I” (Romans 7:15). There is an ongoing war between flesh and spirit. We choose to submit to the Spirit’s leading, or be led away by our own lust. God’s not giving up on us if we drift though. Conviction comes to the heart of the Christian who sins. We then choose repentance the easy or the hard way. The “still small voice” comes to us and gently leads us to repentance. If we refuse to heed, God will continue to pursue us. If a Christian is not staying in tune with God through prayer and study of the Word, he will become weak. That still small voice can easily be drowned out by our own desires. If that conviction does not easily lead to repentance, God will chastise/punish us like a loving father (Hebrews 12:911). Why do we punish our children when they do wrong? We do it because we love them and do not want to see them get hurt. God will break us if it is necessary, but it doesn’t have to be that way. The Holy Spirit’s call of conviction is always ready in a Christian’s heart, we just “have to confess our sins, and He is faithful to forgive” (1 John 1:9). Oh, how we need God! He loves us with an unconditional love that cannot be measured by human standards. We cannot meet His holy standard on our own, but He gives us grace. Just by putting our faith in Jesus Christ, it is counted to us as righteousness. God remembers our sins no more (Hebrews 8:12). We begin eternal life at the moment of salvation. He wants us to have life and “life more abundant” (John 10:10). Are you grateful for God’s sacrifice, or have you even accepted His sacrifice? Are you living an obedient life, or have you turned your back on the Spirit’s leading? A Christian should live a life that is represented by holiness. We should give no one opportunity to put a charge against us, for we represent the true and living God. Grace is “the state of being protected or sanctified by the favor and love of God.” Israel received grace as they were freed from the bondage of Egypt. We receive grace as we are freed from the bondage of sin. Obedience. We owe it to God. Grace 21 LOCAL MINISTRY Manhood Ministries By: David Lyda (All photos provided by Pastor Jimmy Tarrant.) The devil has a plan, and he’s come to kill, steal, and destroy. He knows if he tears apart the family, then all of society will break down. Take a look around, and it is not hard to see. The family unit is constantly being attacked. Marriages are falling apart, and children are paying for the iniquities of their fathers and mothers. Single parents have to assume roles that they were never intended to take. What is the best way to destroy the family? Take out the leader. It’s a simple combat strategy. Take out the commander, and the unit will fall apart. This spiritual warfare is being waged against the husband, the father, the God ordained head of the household. What about in a Christian home? Surely they are impervious to the usual trappings of drug abuse, alcohol, adultery, etc. Sadly, that is not the case. These sins are prevalent among the churches, but there is yet another silent killer. It’s the secret sin of pornography. Temptation is everywhere, and our desires are easily fed in the age of technology. The hunger lust grows until the man finds himself isolated and destitute. Relationships and family disintegrate under the addiction. It’s a vice that many do not see the possibility of freedom, but nobody is ever too far gone. Jesus still has the power to heal. Porn addiction is something Pastor Jimmy Tarrant can testify about from a firsthand experience. Studies have found that nearly 50% of Christian men struggle with pornography. Shocking as that may be, these men include pastors and leaders in the church. Our flesh is selfish, and unless it is tamed by the Spirit, our human weakness will consume us. Pastor Jimmy found himself lost in the shame and loneliness of addiction. Who would understand? Would anybody offer compassion or only condemnation? After struggling for many years, Pastor Jimmy did not know if freedom knew his name. He had admitted he was wrong and asked forgiveness. Several times, he even stepped away from his sin for months. In 2004, Pastor Jimmy was at a function in North Carolina where Anne Graham Lotz was speaking. At the conference, she called for the men and women to put things behind them. Simply repent of your sins. The words “simply repent” seemed to echo in Pastor Jimmy’s head. What is repentance? He had asked for forgiveness and quit several times, but he had never truly turned his back on pornography. In the back of his mind, he knew he had 22 Manhood Ministries not broken away from it. That night in his hotel room, Pastor Jimmy got down on his knees and truly repented. He knew that temptation could still come, but he knew it was a new start. Repentance had truly been made. Pastor Jimmy called his wife and shared the news. With God’s help, he had committed to remove the barrier that separated him from true communion with the Lord. Not only that, he had again taken his place as the leader in his family. The devil’s plan had been foiled by the regenerating power of the Holy Spirit. Pastor Jimmy’s own struggles led him to begin Manhood Ministries and write the book Solitary Confinement. The very apt book title follows a composite character drawn from personal experiences, the testimonies of other Christian men, and also addiction statistics. It follows the fictional man named R.J. as he falls into the trap of pornography, he struggles with what he knows is wrong, his relationships begin to fall apart, he finds himself alone in his guilt, and it ultimately shows how he finds freedom in Jesus Christ. This book was written during a transitional period before Pastor Jimmy began leading another church. Solitary Confinement was used as an outreach before he ever shared his personal testimony. Eventually, the situation presented itself where Pastor Jimmy was asked to testify at an event. This led to a public confession that suddenly broke down a barrier that had held many men back. The transparency of his life brought this ministry to struggling men with arms wide open. It wasn’t about pointing fingers or condemnation but compassion and restoration. Why are secret sins so hard to deal with? Christians have become so focused on image. What will others think? The better question is, “What would God think?” The church has moved away from authenticity to spiritual performance. How much can I do for God, and how good can I look to others? The truth is, there is only one measurement of success for a Christian. It is not measured by the results of our labor but by our obedience to God. The shame of our sin produces a fear so great that we do not know where to turn. Church has to once again become a place where men and women are not afraid to seek comfort and guidance. It has to be a safe haven. We must not look down upon our brothers and sisters but reach out to them. We have all fallen short of the glory of God, and many of us struggle with our own secret sins. The secrecy of struggles hampers the church. True revival will never come until secret sins are dealt with. Will the taboo of pornography continue to make men imprisoned and alone in their sins? Is there true freedom? Freedom can be found. Solitary Confinement lays out key principles for experiencing that regeneration. This guidance is not only for those struggling with porn addiction, but it applies to any secret sin. One of the first things is to know that true repentance isn’t just admitting your sin, but it is turning your back on the sin. We have to realize that we are made in God’s image, and He has given us the ability and free will to make this turn. He will equip us. A continual attitude of repentance must follow us each day. Wisdom cannot be overlooked in finding this freedom. Each man has to have a game plan for dealing with their sin. Our response to temptation should be a knee jerk reaction. Don’t look twice, or you’ve already failed. We should have a physical plan that is an immediate response. Get up and walk, call a prayer partner, unplug your TV, or turn off your computer. You can even go to the extreme measures that Kirk Cameron took in the movie “Fireproof” and throw that computer into the trash can! Truly understanding the selfishness of sin can be a wonderful eye opener. The focus of lust is a person. They are not objects but living souls. For a few seconds of pleasure, we are completely void of concern for that person’s eternity. If lust comes in any form, guide your thoughts to prayer. Pray for that person’s life. We are constantly bombarded by sexual imagery from TV, magazines, advertisements, and even the provocative way many women dress. The enemy is ready to attack us on every front, but we should be continually transformed by the renewing of our minds. Manhood Ministries continues to bring the good news of Jesus to those that are hurting through speaking engagements, seminars, and one-on-one counseling. Future books and study guides are even in the works to expand the ministry’s reach. Pastor Jimmy’s wife Connie is involved in the ministry and helps counsel couples. An unfortunate result of sin is damage to our relationships, and many women find it difficult to come to terms with their husband’s struggles. Connie allows her first hand experience to help wives redevelop confidence and trust. Some women who have husbands still battling a porn addiction have found comfort in the Solitary Confinement book as it helps them better understand the situation. They realize that this sin is not their fault. It is a struggle of many men, and they may not be able to easily break free. We all have addictions and realize the difficulty of giving up our cigarettes, alcohol, TV, food or even sodas! Manhood Ministries is seeking for these men to be healed, not just recovering. Restoration and change is possible. Our God is able. All Christians should hold fast to the call to take up our cross daily. Resisting the devil is an active responsibility of every man and woman. There is a battle being fought. Pray for families, and pray for the church to become a safe place once again. To find out more about Manhood Ministries and Solitary Confinement, visit www.manhoodministries.com or call Pastor Jimmy Tarrant at (864) 907-2441. Would you like to receive each issue of Greenville In One Accord at home? A full year's subscription (4 issues) is only $5.00 for shipping and handling. Mail all requests to: David Lyda - P.O. Box 1244 - Taylors, SC 29687 Name: ________________________________________________________ Mailing Address: _______________________________________________ ______________________________________________________________ Phone #: __________________ E-mail: _____________________________________ Please include your Check or Money Order for $5.00 made out to David Lyda. Each issue of Greenville In One Accord is always available for FREE download at www.GreenvilleInOneAccord.com/archives. Greenville In One Accord is a Christian magazine seeking to unite God’s people in Truth. This FREE publication is available in print (by mail or at monthly luncheons), and it is also available for download online. Greenville In One Accord also serves as a “Ministry of Ministries.” The website, www.greenvilleinoneaccord.com, is a resource hub to find more information about ministries around Greenville County and nationally. This quarterly magazine is not affiliated with any church or denomination, but is rather an independent publication created by husband and wife, David & Beth Lyda of This Little Lyda Mine publishing company. facebook.com /greenvilleinoneaccord twitter.com /greenvilleioa www.greenvilleinoneaccord.com P.O. Box 1244 Taylors, SC 29687
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