Last week we introduced a song called Cornerstone.

This song is such a powerful reminder that In christ alone we find our hope, our foundation and our strength.

We may lose control but he never does.

We may fail, but God never has and never will.

That even through the biggest storms in our lives. He is still Lord, Lord over all.

I am honored to share this song this sunday night at the San Dimas Campus.

Christopher Fink || Worship Leader – San Dimas Campus

Therefore, since we are surrounded by such a great cloud of witnesses, let us throw off everything that hinders and the sin that so easily entangles. And let us run with perseverance the race marked out for us, fixing our eyes on Jesus, the pioneer and perfecter of faith. For the joy set before him he endured the cross, scorning its shame, and sat down at the right hand of the throne of God. Consider him who endured such opposition from sinners, so that you will not grow weary and lose heart. - Heb. 12:1-3

     If you have ever had an eye exam, you may have realized the importance of focus. The doctor changes knobs and levers asking which is better and during the process you wonder if he is even adjusting anything at all. There seems to be no changes until suddenly the right combination of settings, and then it is like a whole new world. But the reality is that you had gone for so long with your focus getting progressively worse and not even known it. You are still able to go about your business day to day but you are not seeing things the way you should be. You get comfortable with the way things have become.

     These verses are such a great reminder that our focus is so important, if we don’t have the end goal in mind we will never be able to get there. We are in a race to our Lord and Savior and are constantly getting slowed down by sin and burdens that we are taking on our own shoulders. The things that we are picking up and giving value to are the things that are making our “race” to Him more difficult. I think today the idea of fixing our eyes on Jesus is becoming more difficult; we are distracted by media, wealth, pride etc. All of those things we give value and worth to instead of focusing on what really matters. Jesus was such a great example while on earth he was so driven, he knew his purpose and was focused on achieving it. It was not any easier for him, especially in his death, but he endured it because he knew the end/“prize” would be worth it. He was an example of how perfect faith can be lived out practically if our focus is set. Throughout his ministry when he became overwhelmed or started to lose focus he would go off and spend time with his Heavenly Father. It is easy for us to continue down a comfortable path and each day get a little more blurry of where we are going. When we feel like we are growing weary, we need to remember that Christ set a path out for us. Only by focusing on Him can we finish the race victoriously.

Patrick Gourley // Associate Pastor of Worship

San Dimas Campus

Saturday PM

Worship Leader – Christopher Fink

Your Grace Is Enough – Chris Tomlin

God My Rock – Brenton Brown

Heart After You – Ashley Beckford

Cannons – Phil Wickham

Second Chance – Hillsong United

Sunday AM

Worship Leader – Ashley Beckford

Chosen Generation – Chris Tomlin

God My Rock – Brenton Brown

Heart After You – Ashley Beckford

Second Chance – Hillsong United

Sunday PM

Worship Leader – Christopher Fink

Furious – Jesus Culture

You’ll Come – Hillsong

God Of Creation – Valley Worship

Cornerstone – Hillsong

Rhythms Of Grace – Hillsong United

Second Chance – Hillsong United

Etiwanda Gardens Campus 

Worship Leader – Joel Ceballos 

God Of Creation – Valley Worship

Alive – Valley Worship

Give Me Faith – Elevation Worship

Forever Reign – Hillsong United

Lone Hill Campus 

Worship Leader – Ryan Biermann 

Unchanging – Chris Tomlin

Mighty To Save – Hillsong United

Nothing But The Blood (Remix) – Valley Worship

Give Me Faith – Elevation Worship

Picture this… the most majestic, beautiful, breathtaking, pillar-of-strength kind of tree you have ever seen. It’s branches are so tall and wide that they cover a large area of ground. It’s shade can provide shelter for many. the trunk is so large in it’s circumference that it takes you one solid minute to even walk around it. It’s roots are so large that you have to climb over them to get to the base of the tree, and underneath is an even greater  system of roots that is even larger than the tree itself.

I used to visit a tree like this when I was a kid. My grandpa would take me to a park named the “Big Tree Park.” So fitting. I would play there for hours… climbing on the massive roots that protruded out from the ground, and hiding in the holes it would create. It was my favorite place to go with my grandpa. We would talk about life and I would learn from him. My grandpa has since passed and I am much older now, but I still pass the park every now and again. Even more so now, I have come to appreciate the example my grandpa set for me, as well as the majesty of this oak tree. Let me explain…

Just like my grandpa’s life exemplified, we are to be like an oak tree…
-Strong and rooted in God and His word.
-Constantly growing closer to Jesus.
-Bearing fruit and reproducing ourselves.
-Providing love and shade for those in need.

We have a BIG job. And the more we grow, the more we can provide for our surrounding environments. The Lord has anointed us to bring good news to the poor, bind up the brokenhearted, proclaim liberty to the captives… just like my grandpa did. And now with the seeds he planted in my life, it is my job to grow big and strong, constantly stretching, bearing fruit, and providing shade.

So today, may your roots go deeper and your branches stretch wider. And as you reach out, may your seeds be many… spreading to the ends of the earth.

Isaiah 61:1-3 “The Spirit of the Lord is upon me, because the Lord has anointed me to bring good news to the poor; he has sent me to bind up the brokenhearted, to proclaim liberty to the captives, and the opening of the prison to those who are bound; to proclaim the year of the Lord’s favor, and the day of vengeance of our God; to comfort all who morn; to grant to those who mourn in Zion- to give them a beautiful headdress instead of ashes, the oil of gladness instead of mourning, the garment of praise instead of a faint spirit; that they may be called OAKS OF RIGHTEOUSNESS, THE PLANTING OF THE LORD, that He may be glorified.”

Ashley Beckford :: Worship Leader

Vision: The Freedom To Be

***Note: This is the second entry of a four-part series regarding the worship and technical relationship, highlighting Vision, Communication, and Prayer as paramount to the collaborative success of ministry leaders.

Do you remember summers as a kid, sitting in the back seat of your parents four-door all purpose vehicle, driving up the interstate to vacation destination X, pleading to know “Are we there yet?!”  You had been driving for hours with nothing more than orchards and fields to show for your dwindling patience.  Each row of perfectly plowed crops begins to dance before your eyes as you speed along the highway.  You could not possibly fathom the idea of another Cheez-It and your leg has yet again fallen asleep for the third time this hour.  And let’s not forget the nauseating smell of the dairy farm you just passed.

Times are dire.

Then on the horizon appears a billboard reading, ‘LYLE’S MUSEUM OF BUBBLE GUM AND OTHER ASSORTED ODDS AND ENDS – NEXT EXIT.’  Saving grace…or so you think.  Without hesitation, you insist upon stopping, citing education, entertainment, or experience as reason enough for a detour.  Anything to get out of the car.

But Mom and Dad say no.

Instead of yielding to the temptation of the bubble gum museum, your parents continue on past the exit and up the highway, reassuring you that destination X is just around the corner.

Vision keeps your parents from settling; they know where they were going.

Vision, however, is not only applicable to our family vacations, but is vital to the collaborative success of worship and technical leaders.

Simply put, vision is a preferred picture of the future; it is the goal or standard to which we are held.  A vision produces practical intentionality towards a philosophical purpose; lack of vision produces confusion and enables chaos.

So how does vision apply to the worship and technical relationship?

When bringing together two closely related but vastly different personalities, vision unites.  It breathes life into a team, giving purpose to the partnership.  Vision helps to keep you focused in seasons of stress or times of turmoil, acting as the trusted road map that points you to your destination.  Practically, it gives weight to your decisions as a team, allowing your “yes” to be yes and your “no” to be no without remorse.  With vision, you know where you are going.

So how is a vision created?  By dreaming of course!

Simply, the freedom to dream is the freedom to be.  Take into prayerful consideration the direction in which God is leading you and go.  Keep in mind that in a ministry context, we must always remember that our vision is not to overshadow the will of God, but instead contribute to the advancement of His will and purpose.  Our vision must compliment the work God is doing, not compete with it.  We are His vessels, He is not ours.

Here are three action points regarding vision casting that we can take together:

1. Dream. Have courage.  Don’t let yourself get in the way of dreaming; nothing is too big or too small.  Take a good look at what God is already doing and ask how you can best offer your gifts, talents, and abilities for the advancement of His kingdom and for His glory.

2. Pray. Commune with God; seek His will and invite Him to turn your vision upside down if He so chooses.  Commit only to God-honoring practices and disciplines as you pursue Him, allowing His word to guide you.

3. Share. First, communicate this vision to your team and pursue it as one body.  Second, post your vision/purpose/mission statement by commenting below and share the direction God is leading your ministry/church/life.

For more valuable insight regarding Vision, check out Nick Lacy’s blog at www.nickrlacy.com.

- Matthew Ferrer // Worship Leader

San Dimas Campus

Saturday PM

Worship Leader – Ashley Beckford 

Alive – Valley Worship

You’ll Come – Hillsong

Heart After You – Ashley Beckford

Nothing But The Blood (Remix) – Hillsong United

How He Loves – John Mark Mcmillian

Sunday AM

Worship Leader – Christopher Fink 

Not To Us – Chris Tomlin

Heart After You – Ashley Beckford

Mighty To Save – Valley Worship

How He Loves – John Mark Mcmillian

Sunday PM

Worship Leader - Ashley Beckford & Guest James Rensink (Inland Hills Church)

My God Forever – Valley Worship

Jesus Lives – Ashley Beckford

You’ll Come – Hillsong

Rhythms Of Grace – Hillsong United

Oceans (Where My Feet May Fail) – Hillsong United

How He Loves – John Mark Mcmillan

Lone Hill Campus 

Worship Leader – Ryan Biermann 

Furious – Jesus Culture

Love Came Down – Kari Jobe

Consuming Fire – Hillsong

Jesus Loves Me – Arron Keys & Ben Smith

From The Inside Out – Hillsong United

Etiwanda Gardens Campus

Worship Leader – Joel Ceballos

Unchanging – Chris Tomlin

I Will Give Praise – Valley Worship

Here’s My Heart – David Crowder

How He Loves – John Mark Mcmillian

Ever feel like no matter what you try and do, you never have enough of what it takes to do it well?

There are so many times in my life when things can get overwhelming. Stress from trying to balance a good home and work environment to being the best husband, dad and co worker I can be. They  bring about moments where I feel like shouting I NEED HELP!

There is a scripture in the psalms that has helped me through some of the most difficult times in my life. Psalm 121:1-8

¹ I lift up my eyes to the mountains—
where does my help come from?
² My help comes from the Lord,
the Maker of heaven and earth.

When I realized that we were never meant to do life alone it changed my perspective. Now when I am having a hard time thinking through how I am going to get through this week, I remember that the Lord is my help in time of need. Remember God says “We have not because we ask not” and I feel like he wants us to invite him into being the vital source of power in our journey.

So when it comes to being a good Husband I pray and ask God for his help in seeing  the things that would best serve my wife. I ask for his help in having a present mind when I am around my kids. As they grow I am sure I will pray this many times.

I also pray this with our teams on the weekend. Before we go out on stage we recite this verse together. What it does is gives a perspective and understanding that we NEED God’s HELP. We need his help and blessing so that when we worship together people will feel his presence. We understand that separate from his blessing and help we are limited to our flesh. But with it, we have the ability to do all things.

What are some area’s in your life that you could ask God for his help in?

Christopher Fink||Worship Leader

Bethel Music recently released an incredible new worship album entitled, “Without Words”. The album itself is a completely instrumental worship experience that I highly recommend checking out. These types of compositions are nothing new. Bands like ‘Explosions in the Sky‘ have been paving the way with the secular crowd, but in this current age of “modern” worship, instrumentals seem more like the ugly, red-headed step child. I personally hope to see more worship artists embracing this concept and exploring the possibilities of multi-sensory worship.

Think about it: We all learn and process things in different ways. Some of us need to hear or see, while others, perhaps, need to physically do or feel. If this is how we learn and grow, why isn’t this how we worship? If I’m being perfectly honest, I feel the closest to God when worshipping Him using the gifts He has entrusted me with. However, when in the congregation, I feel free to worship with reckless abandon, but my experience is different. Not greater or less. Just different. Which got me thinking: If I feel a certain connection through worship using the gifts the Lord has given me, how then do others, who are not using their gifts, feel? This thought has recently become heavy on my heart and is something I’ve begun praying through. I understand we’re all uniquely created and by no means am insinuating that one’s worship is above any other. I only hope to start a dialogue about the potential of our worship and to begin spinning the wheels. Hopefully we will see strides of change in our worship culture soon.

With all of that said, I really want to encourage you to listen to this album, wherever you’re at and mediate on God’s word. Pray that He reveals Himself to you in a new way and allow yourself the freedom to respond to His grace & mercy; however you feel led. May we rid ourselves of the fear of worshiping God in “unorthodox” ways. If words aren’t enough to fully describe His majesty, how could would we ever believe they are enough to fully reflect our praise? Allow the Holy Spirit to intercede on our behalf when words fail.

“And he who searches our hearts knows the mind of the Spirit, because the Spirit intercedes for God’s people in accordance with the will of God.” Romans 8:27

Joel Ceballos || Worship Director

The entire album is available for download on iTunes.

San Dimas Campus 

Saturday PM

Worship Leader – Christopher Fink

Everlasting God – Brenton Brown

Heart After You – Ashley Beckford

How Great Is Our God  - Chris Tomlin

Stronger – Hillsong

Sunday AM

Worship Leader – Ashley Beckford

Alive – Valley Worship

You’ll Come – Hillsong United

Heart After You – Ashley Beckford

Stronger – Hillsong

Second Chance – Hillsong United

Saturday PM

Worship Leader – Christopher Fink 

Furious – Jesus Culture

For Who You Are – Hillsong

Oceans ( Where My Feet May Fail ) – Hillsong United

Came To My Rescue – Hillsong United

Hosanna – Hillsong United

Stronger – Hillsong

Lone Hill Campus 

Worship Leader – Ryan Biermann 

Blessed Be Your Name – Matt Redman

After All ( Holy ) – David Crowder

All Creatures Of Our God And King – David Crowder

God Of Creation – Valley Worship

Etiwanda Gardens Campus

Worship Leader – Joel Ceballos

Furious – Jesus Culture

Who Is Like Our God – Valley Worship

Here’s My Heart – David Crowder

We Cry Holy – Valley Worship

From the beauty of the morning sun to the power of a child’s smile; from the roar of a crowd to the silent whisper of the wind, emotion is everywhere. To put it simpIy, I am one of those quick to tears, artsy type guys that gets choked up every time I watch a movie or hear the latest love song on the radio. These past few weekends at church have been no exception to the emotional waterworks as countless baptisms and decisions for Christ have wonderfully flooded our church. There is something so amazing about watching someones face the moment they come out of the water and enter into new life.

Lately, all of these emotional tears have had me thinking. If we are created as emotional beings, does God not use these emotions, and the stimuli that creates them, to draw His people closer to Himself. The other day I was speaking with a pastor friend of mine about the modern advancements in worship technology. We quickly found ourselves in a rather heated conversation about the role of lighting and sound in worship. As he put it, churches today “fabricate the Holy Spirit” when they pull out all the big light shows and booming sub woofers. We have found ourselves in a tug o’ war between reverence and production.

“Lord, our Lord, how majestic is your name in all the earth!” Psalm 8:1

When I look at the Psalmists I often find them speaking of the majesty of God. They speak of the heavens and the stars, the powerful oceans and celebrations of God’s mighty victories. All of these things point to God’s greatness experienced through emotions and feelings. Now I am the first to point out the verse in Zachariah that “it is not by force nor by strength, but by [His] Spirit” when it comes to believing in big things from God. However, if we were created as emotional beings than it is our obligation to use the arts to tug on those emotions with every bit of creativity and technology we can find.

As we prepare our services we must always approach them in reverence and awe. God is the ultimate in perfect timing and grand creativity. May we bring our creative best to shape an atmosphere for people to connect with God. We know that God is with us with or without great production, and that His spirit surpasses any of our efforts. But let’s face it, a beautiful arranged song, with perfectly timed lighting, and possibly a bit of haze  can allow us to forget about ourselves for a moment and focus in on the creator of all things: God

- Jeff Jansen|| Pastor Of Musical Arts