Pray for me

Please friends and fellow bloggers, pray for me. I am 18 days away from my deadline for my album release and I still have a few things that need to be done. Joe Rooster is working on the album cover but I still need to get my vocals mixed and I STILL need to record 2 more songs - they're written and produced I just need them recorded.

April 17th is approaching - Pray for me. I want to have the first installment of "Life Support" completed in time for The Awakening Conference.

So please, pray for God's divine favor and literal Godspeed.

Thanks in advance and I can't wait to share the testimony of the completion of the album - on time.

Ed Young Impersonates Joel Osteen

THIS is hilarious!

F.A.M.E. - The Cultural Intersections

Recently I read a quote by Tommy Hilfiger that he believes "F.A.M.E. - Fashion, Art, Music and Entertainment makes the world go around." I think he may have been better stated by saying that these things are cultural intersections. Culture, a group of people's way of thinking, intersects at these four places.

So this got me thinking, what can we do to reach culture with the gospel at these four levels? What can we do both individually and as the Church to reach people at one of these cross roads? The big church leadership buzzword is "culture" but I believe - specifically in the area of youth ministry - that we can extend our impact with the use of these four elements to reach people for God.

What I am NOT saying is to go to the outsiders and be the stop signs and traffic signals at the intersection. The Church is already doing that. Currently, we meet people at the intersections and act as traffic cops by saying "this style of music is of the devil. That style of clothing is of the devil. You can't watch movies because they are of the devil. Christians do skateboard because its of the devil." Our roles as traffic cops have kept people from passing through to the Kingdom.

I rap. That's one way that I use music to reach people at the intersection. I can honestly say I've seen hundreds of people give or rededicate their lives to Christ through my music ministry.

But how else can we use Fashion, Arts, Music and Entertainment to reach people for Christ? This question will be a BIG one for me as my church and youth ministry progress through our current season of change.

How do you use F.A.M.E. to reach peole?

Help me write my 100th post

Okay friends, I'm approaching my 100th post. I'm taking requests as to what that post should be about. Its a monumental occasion and I want your help.

So sound off, I'm takin ALL ideas. No idea is a bad one so ALL suggestions will be taken.

Thanks.

Lots of Crying

Wow, lots of crying in the last month of our ministry at The Mix. Lots. And its not just the girls. Males and females alike. People have been really touched by God's presence and His word. And I'm not preaching to make people cry. I'm not praying to move people emotionally to tears. I'm just passionately asking God to move and purposefully preaching His word. And its been waterworks! It literally got to the point where someone asked my wife Nichole, "Am I going to be crying again next week? I don't cry a lot so this isn't cool for me. I mean, its fine but will it be something that makes me cry again?"

Last night we did a talk about The Resurrection. The night started with laughter when I killed a Easter Bunny with a giant sword and a pair of scissors. It wasn't a REAL rabbit, don't worry. "But why demolish a stuffed toy with a SWORD" you ask? I wanted to demolish the idea of the link between furry rabbits and colored eggs to The Resurrection. in order destroy that mental connection, we destroyed a bunny rabbit and left it up on the stage impaled for all to see. Then we focused the attention to the 8 foot tall cross on stage and put up some stills from "The Passion of the Christ." Tie in those stills, a 10 minute speech about the sin problem that faces humanity and then read Isaiah 53:1-9 - the waterworks begins! I thought they would stop once we hit the part about the resurrection, but nooooooo. Once we talked about the life changing hope of the resurrection - the dam broke and the waterworks REALLY started!

To all who read this blog, I don't try to make people cry when I preach. Really, I don't. But I guess when hurting people and lost people connect with the hope giving message of the gospel and the gentle presence of God, people start crying.

Next 3 weeks is our Sex Talk. Might be more crying. Will be more repenting and hope giving. Guaranteed!

Pussy Cat Dolls #1 Audience...11yr old Girls!

For a little while now, I've been called things like "prude" or "puritan" because I don't believe people (especially young people) should watch whatever they want JUST BECAUSE ITS ON. I see what every major research company sees, there is a correlation between what's seen on TV and in the rest of the media and what people think, say and do. YES, studies have shown that there is a correlation between teens and tweens WATCHING sex on TV and HAVING sex before they should.

So, I was reading some of youth trend materials today - yes I read stuff about youth trends because I'm not just a youth minister, I am a youth specialist - and I saw that the #1 audience for the Pussycat Dolls are TWEEN GIRLS! Yes, the Pussycat Dolls are most viewed by girls ages 9-12. No, the PD's are not group of mutant felines in fighting an evil race of mice and dogs in outer space on Saturday morning cartoons. They are the Las Vegas burlesque show turned pop sensation with their own show on CW Network. I would post a video of these women, but I know some people struggle with sexual sin and I don't want to be a stumbling block to anyone. But just figure this - they are a VEGAS BURLESQUE SHOW being looked up to by your average 11 year old girl.

Am I the only one having a problem with an 11 year being taught that "sexuality is power and that's how we express our independence and strength?" I WISH that the PD's didn't say that kind of stuff publically, but that's their mentality and their message. Really, the creator said it. Am I the only thinking that 10 year old girls should not be asking the question "Don't cha wish your girlfriend was hot like me?"

What are your thoughts on this?

ps. The Pussycat Dolls just launched their own line of lingerie. Even The LA Times writer was bothered by this....

God is STILL healing...AGAIN!!

So, the last few weeks of our youth ministry has just been purely a time of prayer. Its been awesome. God's done A LOT during these last few weeks. I believe that God is really preparing preparing for great use and great impact in our community.

Last week, one of our young ladies, Faith, was really troubled about what has been happening to her baby sister. See, her baby sister has had eczema since birth. But not just a mild case. A case so bad that he skin bas been splitting all over her body creating sores all over her body. Its caused various forms of discoloration in her skin and overall discomfort. I mean, imagine your skin is so dry that is splits cause you to bleed and have sores all over your body. So imagine that happening to an infant. Get the picture?

So, seeing her sister in this much pain has troubled her. "Why us?" "Why my sister?" "Why does she have to go through this?" "What is God doing?" Its been troubling her soul to say the least. So, she asked us to pray for her sister (we haven't been the only people praying, the family is a believing family). So at the end of last week's service, we prayed with her for her sister. Then my wife encouraged her with a story about how God healed her. We prayed, she felt encouraged because she believed that God would do something. Well, He did.

Last night, she and her mom told us how last week her sister had been healed. The ecxema was going away, the dry spots, the cracked skin, the sores all of it was miraculously just going away! The doctors had no hope for the baby. But God did.

He healed her sister and she is doing much better. God is great and is STILL in the miracle business.

Be encouraged. Be blessed. Be healed.

Jump Start Your Heart

In this life we live for God, the condition of our hearts are critical in order for us to reach people with the gospel of Christ. The "main event" we live for is to love God, others and yourself. So, if the main thing is to love these 3 things, how are our love levels?

Do we really love God or are we cool with just working for Him? Do we really love poeple or do we just tolerate them? Do we really love ourselves or are we just concerned about what others think about us?

If you can't answer yes to a real love for God, yourself and others - then jump start your heart! Its too important of an issue to ignore. Pray and fast for a week spending unprecedented amounts of time reading the Bible to jumpstart your heart for God. Forgive people who've hurt you, rid yourself of the influence of the judgement of others and remind yourself of who God made you to be to rekindle your proper love of self. Go to spend time with hurting people and put yourself in their shoes, go to a homeless shelter, go to a 3rd world country - even go to funeral of someone you know wasn't a believer if you have to! DO SOMETHING to jumpstart your love for people.

Loving God, others and ourselves - its the main thing.

What do you do to keep your heart full of love for God, others and yourself?

The Gospel in Graffit Form

bridge to life from John Schroter on Vimeo.

Update about my upcoming CD release

I've got some BRAND NEW NEWS about what's going down with the Life Support album due out this year. I'm changing the direction of the WAY the project is being released. This new way allows the music to impact more than just the listener. This new way gives the you an opportunity to impact not just your own life with some great music with a greater message. This new way empowers you to impact the globe SIMPLY by doing something you wanted to do anyway - purchase good music.

Here's the plan:
Life Support will be released in 3-4 volumes smaller volumes instead one long release. Each volume will be themed with an issue that is necessary to support life: food, water, clothing and education. $1 from each unit sold will go to support life via a local church and an organization that supports the theme of the CD.

For example: "Life Support Vol.1 Home Cooking" would have proceeds go to a local church (because God is the 1 thing necessary to support life) and an organization that works to get rid of hunger. Hence the name soul "food". You get it?

This way, the music blesses and encourages YOU the listener and then contributions reach far around the world to help others. So in total the music touches you, the local church and the poor.
Galatians 2:9-10 says "In fact, James, Peter and John, who were known as pillars of the church, recognized the gift God had given me, and they accepted Barnabas and me as their co-workers. They encouraged us to keep preaching to the Gentiles, while they continued their work with the Jews. Their only suggestion was that we keep on helping the poor, which I have always been eager to do."

So I plan to carry that same approach in my ability to reach people through music and I will "keep on helping the poor."
I look forward to releasing these volumes of Life Support and I look forward to your support continually pouring in.

So, Life Support Vol 1: Home Cooking drops Friday April 18th.

I'll have preorders available soon

How would YOU introduce Jesus?

Last Week

Last week was INTENSE! I watched God move something CRAZY last week. As you can see from my previous post, prayer has been a focal point for me lately. I can honestly say I have had a prayer "burden" lately. I've heard people say that they have had a "burden" to pray, but I never really knew what that meant. Atleast not until last week.

So I spent a lot of time in prayer about our youth ministry and when Wednesday came -God wasn't just PRESENT (He's always present) but that night He was visibly ACTIVE. Some of the kids encountered God's presence for the first time. WOW!

Then, my friends up at Ground Zero had a benefit concert for 30Hour Famine and asked me to rap up there. Good times. I used some visuals to go along with my songs for extra emphasis. WOW! God really connected with people hearts during the songs. ESPECIALLY during the song I wrote called "After The Pain." It was exciting stuff. There was a first for me, though. When I went up on stage for a small encore at the end of the night, there were a few kids throwing up the Roc-a-fella sign for me. That was a bit odd, yet I appreciated the sentiment. The Roc is like the new icon of quality hip-hop, so for them to throw the sign up is an honor. its a VERY high form of respect.

Anywho, I watched God show up HUGE there too and people were genuinely connected with God in their worship expression - through hip-hop and rock and roll. It was great. But these guys at Ground Zero SATURATE what they do in prayer. So to see what happened Friday night was not a surprise because God was involved from the beginning.

Good stuff happened this passed week. Hopefully, I'll have some pics to post up soon.

Were you there either Wednesday or Friday? If so drop me comment.