WEBVTT
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Hello, and welcome to the Unity Community Podcast.
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This is a place where our church may make you hear real stories of life changes and discover how God is working through our ministries and missionaries, both here and around the world, from conversations with our staff and leaders to testimonies from our people, we're pulling back the curtain on what God is doing in and through Unity Church.
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Thanks for listening.
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Let's grow closer to the Lord as we grow closer one to another.
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Welcome, I'm your host, Tim DeCreesty.
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Thanks for taking a moment to listen.
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Over the past few days, we've been talking about some changes taking place within our church staff as Unity looks forward to the future.
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Hopefully, you saw the video that uh Jeff and Kevin that we put out on Sunday introducing Brian Harp as our new um worship pastor or worship leader.
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Um so we wanted to take time to sit down with Brian so you could get to know more about him.
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And so he's here with us today, and uh, we're gonna just dive into his life a little bit, let him share his passion with worship, his passion with music, his um passion with whatever else he's passionate about.
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That's what we're gonna find out about today.
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And so with that, um, welcome, Brian.
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Yeah, hey, thank you, uh Tim, for having me in today.
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Uh, and also, man, I have really, really enjoyed uh this this Unity Community Podcast.
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Uh, if you're listening today and haven't ever listened to any other uh shows, I definitely encourage you to do that.
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Some really cool stuff uh that we're doing here at Unity.
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Um and so yeah, thank you for having me on today, uh Tim, and uh I look forward to sharing about myself.
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Um Well, let's do it.
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Tell us a little bit about yourself.
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And so, first of all, I am Brian Harp.
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It's it's a pleasure to be here now.
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As your uh the title mentioned a while ago, Worship Leader, as your worship leader here at Unity.
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Uh, I'm just completely um humbled and honored uh to do this here.
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Um, and I'm excited in this podcast, we'll share a little bit more about that, about how this all came to be, and it's absolutely uh just just a work of God and in a way that only he could have uh orchestrated.
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So uh definitely happy to be here.
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Um a little bit about me.
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Uh you may hear it in my voice.
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I try to cover it up as as best I can, but uh born and raised here in good old eastern North Carolina, uh in and I drove here all the way from Winterville.
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Uh so uh I am uh I'm a Pitt County boy through and through.
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Uh both me and my wife, uh Paige, um grew up in Winterville.
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In fact, we grew up about a mile from each other, uh, right around the food line there in Winterville.
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Um and so we've been married.
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Next year will be 15 years.
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We've been married.
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Um both of us uh stayed here, uh, went to school uh at the local uh public schools, D.
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H.
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Conley, uh AG Cox, uh, you know, so born born and raised here.
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Uh we have two awesome kids, uh Bryce, uh who's eight, he just started third grade, uh, and then Bray, our little girl.
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Um she's seven, and they're only 14 months apart.
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Um, so it might have been easier if we just had twins.
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But uh but anyway, Bryce and Bray, and uh Bray just started second grade.
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They're both over at Christ Covenant um and and doing well, been back to school now for a couple weeks, uh, so they're excited to be in school.
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Um a little bit about um kind of uh myself and and my wife.
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My wife is a PE teacher uh with Pitt County Schools, has been for coming up on I think 17 or 18 years.
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Uh now she's doing special uh the or adaptive PE, they call it.
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So it's it's basically P.
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She goes from school to school and works with the special needs community.
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Um so we'll we'll talk about that in a moment, but uh that's definitely something that has kind of hit home with her being back at Unity and seeing uh the incredible work that we're doing um with the special needs community.
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Um and so that's what what she does professionally.
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Um I am an IT uh consultant uh and project management consultant.
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Tim, I know uh you can certainly speak to that uh for what you did for so many years.
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Um my wife has no idea what I what I actually do on a day-to-day basis, but but in a in a nutshell, um I basically help businesses implement if they're gonna do any large change in their organization, I come in um and and help implement that that technical change.
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And and that's what I do professionally.
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Um about us.
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Uh we love sports.
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We both went to uh went to ECU, huge pirate fans.
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So pirate football, pirate baseball, uh anything ECU, we love uh to get out and enjoy that.
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Um and and really any sports in general, uh avid, avid sports fans.
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Uh me, I I love to hunt and fish and anything outdoors.
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Um I like to play golf.
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I'm not very good at it, but uh, I do like to get out there and and try to play golf as much as I can.
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Anyone that knows me um knows that uh I'm an avid deer hunter.
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So I I love to deer hunt.
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I love every aspect of deer hunting.
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Uh scout throughout all the the year.
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I plant food plots, build stands, monitor trail cams throughout the year.
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So so definitely deer hunting is is kind of my my thing.
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Outside of music and my family, that's definitely uh I would say my my hobby number one, if you will.
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Okay, so when deer season opens, I don't know the exact date.
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I'm sure you know exactly when that is.
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I know it's in the fall sometime.
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Yep, coming up in September we'll have bow season.
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Um but you can't do that on Sunday any longer.
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You can.
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You actually can.
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Well, I know you can do it on Sunday, but uh you're gonna be busy.
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Well, I'm gonna be busy.
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That's right.
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That's right.
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And actually they have a uh it's weird in North Carolina they have big again, we live in the Bible Belt.
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So there you have to be done by nine if you're gonna hunt on Sundays.
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All hunting activity has to cease at 9 a.m.
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on on Sunday mornings and can I think resume at like 2 or 3 p.m.
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Wow.
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Yep, that is a North Carolina state law.
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Yep.
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I had no idea.
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So I'm protected either way.
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Okay, good, good.
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Well, uh to get to what we want to talk about, tell us about your faith journey.
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Yeah, yeah, absolutely.
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So as I mentioned, um, I probably should have said this when I mentioned about myself, but uh both me and my wife, we were we were raised over at Emmanuel Free Will Baptist uh in Winterville.
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And um so from as far back as I can remember my entire life, um, you know, church was a part of it.
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Um my my parents and my mom, she we were we were uh uber faithful.
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I mean, we were the Sunday morning, Sunday night, Wednesday night, Bible school, eating, meeting, uh, door knocking.
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If it was church affiliated, uh I was there.
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Um and so uh and but actually Paige's Paige's grandmother, Betty Lou Brock, uh who passed uh a couple years ago now, um she was one of the founding members at uh at Emmanuel.
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Um I don't even know when when the church was established.
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But anyway, we grew up in in Emmanuel and definitely, you know, church and and and faith uh it was as so many that that kind of live my experience, uh when you're growing up, you you you you really take it for granted.
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Um you know, it was just it was always kind of more of um I got I got saved, I got baptized at an early age um and it it was always more of a routine than a like what are we actually doing and what is the purpose of this.
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It was it was very much uh transactional and and methodical, more so than the experience that I know today.
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Um that I don't take it for granted uh at all.
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So I had a I had a great foundation uh from an early age that the the importance of church, the import the importance of the church community, uh the importance of serving at church.
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Um, you know, I trace back to to to those Sunday evenings and those Wednesday nights when when you know when you maybe you didn't want to be there or or what have you.
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Um so I trace that back to that.
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Um but you know, it wasn't really um until later in life that I that I realized what an actual relationship was and what it actually meant to be um a believer and a Christian and having having that daily walk and um you know it doesn't matter we're gonna talk about music in a moment, I know, but uh it doesn't matter how good I sing, or it doesn't matter uh how much I sing, or in front of how many people I sing, or um, or the talents or get way if your gift's not singing, whatever your gift is, whatever your thing is, right?
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Uh in the church, none of that really matters um so much if if your heart's not where it should be.
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Um and if you're not loving others as we're taught to do, and if you're not uh serving or or doing with with with the right uh with the right attitude or the right in intentions.
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Um you know the Bible says it's just you know clashing symbols.
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I mean it it's a it's a waste of time.
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Um and I'm and I'm humbled um and I'm embarrassed to say that I spent a lot of my life doing just that.
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I was there and I did it.
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Um and I'd like to think that I did it well and with a smile on my face and um but it wasn't until I would say really the last probably um five, six, seven years of my life.
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I'm I'm as I sit here today, I'm thirty-seven.
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Um and really until I got into my thirties, having lived life a little bit, started a career, started a family, uh I r I started to really, really understand like what this whole thing was about and and the incredible sense of peace and incredible sense of joy um that only God can provide if you're doing things the right way and putting putting your whole heart and your and all of your trust and your faith uh in him, uh kind of the transformation that can happen is is is remarkable.
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So did you have a moment where because what I'm hearing is you grew up in church, you you know it became part of your your ecosystem, your culture, uh you're kind of going through the motions, but maybe around 30 something changed, like it's more than just going through the motions, it's more than just getting up and going to church on Sunday, checking a box.
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Did you have a moment where you thought, okay, I gotta get serious?
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You know, some people have um I've I've I've seen some things and and been through some things in my life um that weren't great.
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My my parents got got divorced at an early age, and that certainly you know shaped me um in some ways and uh of course, right?
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Um But in large part I've been incredibly blessed in my life.
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I haven't I've never experienced I'm getting to your I'm getting to your point or your question, but I've never really experienced what some might call like a a true aha moment.
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Like a like a like a tragedy or a or losing someone that that that changed me or or uh heaven forbid some sickness or I've just never had that I can't to answer your question, I can't pin it to one date or one season even.
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Um I think I think really what it was was the older that I got and again I I all things considered, I've I've seen again I've seen some things and done some things and and made some incredible mistakes in my life.
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Um but all things considered uh I live the American dream.
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Like I I I I'm just so blessed.
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I have an incredible career, I have a beautiful wife, I have beautiful kids.
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Um there's really nothing and I say this humbly, it it brings tears in my eyes, but there's really nothing that I've ever wanted that uh I don't have.
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And I and I understand how that may sound, but um I I guess what I'm trying to say is as I as I pursued those things, as I pursued a career, as I pursued uh building a family and and and having good friends and uh nice clothes and food and you know all the things that we take for granted.
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Um I I think what what happened is that over time as I accumulated all of this stuff um and things that I took for granted, it still wasn't it it didn't there was still like a fire in me or like a just something was missing.
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And of course we know that we all have regardless of where you are in your life, we all have this God-sized hole in our heart.
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And no matter what you do, um, no matter how how how much you get paid at work, no matter how many deer you kill, no matter no matter how many home runs you hit, um, fill in the blank.
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Whatever you do to to to scratch your itch, you know, it's never gonna fill the void that that that God put in you that was made for for Jesus Christ.
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Um and I think it took again, and I and I'm and I'm glad that I can sit here today and say this, um but I faked it for a long time.
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I mean I'm just being honest with you.
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Um up singing in front of all the kinds of people and just the biggest hypocrite you've ever met.
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Um doing it for claps and doing it for, oh man, he can sing good, and oh man, you know, doing it for the paycheck and doing it for this or that.
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Um and it and it's really taken me the better part of thirty years to to figure out that that's you can do it and you might enjoy it.
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But when they turn the lights off and you're sitting at home, uh the kids are in bed, your wife's in bed, you're just you're miserable.
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And and I love my wife, I love my kids, I love to deer hunt, I love to sing, but nothing and and for anybody listening, nothing out there, it doesn't matter what you try to do, there's nothing that that can fill that void except for the love and the warmth and the joy and the peace that you can find in Jesus Christ.
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So you said you didn't have a particular moment, um, which a great testimony is look, I grew up in church, got saved when I was young, and been serving the Lord ever since.
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That's the best testimony anybody could have.
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You know, people are certainly pulled by, man, I got pulled out of the buck and mire, and you know, God save me.
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Those are, you know, pull on your heartstrings, but those aren't all salvation stories are good.
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I should not minimize anybody's salvation.
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But the best one is I just always serve the Lord and I never went astray.
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So you're saying um, you know, you kind of played the game, but was there a moment that God said, Look, Brian, you gotta stop playing and start living for me?
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Yeah, I mean, again, I I wish I could point back to to one day or even one season, you know, or one one event.
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Um, but I think it was I'm I'm a little hardheaded, and and and my wife, if she was here, she would she would definitely um agree to that.
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I'm a little hardheaded, and um there was always a sense of conviction.
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It was always a a a general pride of hey look, Brian, uh you know, I've given you more.
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I I've equipped you to do more, I want you to do more.
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Um you're not cutting it.
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You look good.
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Everybody, you know, everybody thinks you're good, but that's not cutting it.
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So I think I think it was just again, I wish I had some aha moment.
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It would have make made for a better story, maybe a better podcast, but I don't I can't put it back to to one event and it's just again it what it does say though, um and and points to is God's incredible grace and mercy.
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And so for for some people, and I don't wish that I don't wish that had happened, but for some people uh God allows things to happen in their life where that was the only thing that could have had a made a course correction or could have gotten their attention in the way that they needed to.
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Um for me, God He kept prodding me, He kept convicting me.
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I was a little hardheaded, but I never really had something that was just like kind of smacked me in the face and was like, you know, down on my knees type of moment.
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But over time I I started to started to pray more.
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And and and and I I'll preface all this by saying that I'm still um even though I was raised in church and have always I mean I can't recount a a time in my life when I wasn't doing something in some form of ministry.
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Um I I can't uh I can't really remember a time when when it was just like different.
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You know what I mean?
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It was it was always uh always a conviction there.
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But as I again I was kinda maybe in that that around thirty or so, um started praying a little more.
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Marriage and uh kids will do that for you.
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Yeah, right.
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And and maybe and I know that sounds elementary.
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As someone who was raised in church, I I I kind of paused a moment ago because I was trying to get my thoughts, but um I know that sounds elementary.
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I was raised in church.
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You know, you you you read your Bible, you need to pray.
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But I wonder how many people in their thirties, forties, fifties, sixties, seventies that they're believers.
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They come to church.
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But are you really praying?
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Are you are you praying are you praying with your family?
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Are you praying over your family?
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Are you are you really reading the Bible?
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Um and and I can't say that I always did that.
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And it's embarrassing to say, but um Hey, we could all read our Bible more, we could all pray more.
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I think too I think too our our a as a as a man my age and and obviously in the digital age we live in now, um I and I think it's a good thing.
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Um I think that a lot of a lot of um pastors and and uh faith influencers and and and people are a little more outspoken and a little more um real than maybe we used to be as believers and as a church.
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And I'm talking about unity, I'm talking about the church.
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I think we're a little bit more honest with each other about a lot of things.
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And I think again, I don't have an aha moment, but I think that's really what it is.
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When I started hearing that hey, it's not just you, Brian.
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Um not that that's an excuse, right?
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But um again, it's something that embarrasses me to this day how how many years I played the game.
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Uh that's just called uh growing in maturity.
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In so many ways, yeah.
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So let's let's talk about, and maybe this is maybe kind of the answer to that question.
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I do know in the video that I sat down with Jeff and Kevin over, we talked about uh our Jeff brought up the fact that you you know came to him, but you had this passion for worship.
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You know, when did that passion begin?
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Or, you know, when did you start sensing, man, maybe I want to be a worship leader?
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So from a very early age, um, again, as long as I can remember, uh music has been a part of our family as well.
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My mom played piano in church and sang.
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Both of my both sets of my grandparents sang and uh and stuff in church, played instruments and things.
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Um, so music has always kind of been ingrained in me.
00:21:24.000 --> 00:21:36.480
Um and I wish I could tell you I have like this like YouTube video or something uh showing um like when I was like four years old singing something crazy.
00:21:36.720 --> 00:21:42.720
Uh but I don't I I actually didn't start singing in front of anybody until I was like eleven or twelve years old.
00:21:43.279 --> 00:21:50.079
Um not not because the talent wasn't recognized, but because I was terrified.
00:21:50.160 --> 00:21:51.359
I did I had no desire.
00:21:51.440 --> 00:21:54.240
I was like, no, that's crazy, that's that's not for me.
00:21:54.480 --> 00:22:05.440
Um funny story, my so we grew up um again at a Manfree were Baptist, and some some listeners may know the name Ricky Ham and remember Ricky Ham.
00:22:05.519 --> 00:22:06.480
He was a pastor there.
00:22:06.640 --> 00:22:10.400
For those of you who didn't know him, incredibly talented guy.
00:22:10.559 --> 00:22:23.039
I mean, he could preach, he could, he had an incredible voice, like just big, like baritone, into tenor voice, could hit any note, could play any instrument.
00:22:24.319 --> 00:22:32.240
As a five to ten year old kid, seeing that every week, I was like, I want to be like Ricky Ham when I grow up.
00:22:32.799 --> 00:22:34.480
And I thought he walked on water.
00:22:34.559 --> 00:22:36.640
I mean, he he was just immensely talented.
00:22:36.799 --> 00:22:37.440
Still is, by the way.
00:22:37.519 --> 00:22:39.599
I think he I think they're in Smithfield now.
00:22:39.839 --> 00:22:44.559
Um, but anyway, he was I put him on a pedestal.
00:22:44.880 --> 00:22:49.759
And um so everywhere we went, there was music on stuff like that.
00:22:50.079 --> 00:22:55.359
And my mom would always be like, Brian, you like you need to sing, like you can really sing.
00:22:55.680 --> 00:23:01.039
Um and I didn't realize what I was doing, but I I have um perfect pitch.
00:23:01.279 --> 00:23:12.480
So so I can hear I I have this weird thing where I can hear a song, and then like six months from now, I can tell you the key that it was in and just start singing that that in in the right pitch.
00:23:12.640 --> 00:23:14.319
Um weird, weird thing.
00:23:14.400 --> 00:23:16.400
But uh, and I could do that since I was little.
00:23:16.559 --> 00:23:24.000
So my mom said I would just start singing a song, and it was the exact pitch or the exact key that we sang Amazing Grace in at church last week.
00:23:24.160 --> 00:23:25.599
And she recognized that.
00:23:25.680 --> 00:23:27.839
Um and I would also sing harmony.
00:23:27.920 --> 00:23:34.960
I'd be five, six years old riding in the car singing harmony with whatever was on, and I didn't have any idea what I was doing.
00:23:35.200 --> 00:23:44.079
I still don't some days, but um, but anyway, and I was singing the shower, I was a shower singer, so I was like 11 years old, and I would again I wouldn't do it.
00:23:44.240 --> 00:23:46.000
My mom, you gotta sing, gotta sing.
00:23:46.400 --> 00:23:55.200
So my mom actually took a recording of me singing in the shower and gave it to Ricky Ham at the time.
00:23:55.359 --> 00:23:58.079
Again, he's he's my idol, I want to be like him.
00:23:58.319 --> 00:24:04.160
And so he cornered me at church, and I was of course I was mad at my mom for this, right?
00:24:04.400 --> 00:24:14.880
Um, but he cornered me at church and he was like, Brian, I'm not just saying this, but God has given you a gift, and you need to use it.
00:24:15.119 --> 00:24:20.240
Um, you have you have great talent, and I would love for you to sing.
00:24:21.279 --> 00:24:25.920
And so then when again, when Ricky Ham asked me to do this, now I have to do it.
00:24:26.079 --> 00:24:27.920
And so I'm terrified.
00:24:28.160 --> 00:24:37.920
And I'll never forget, I sang, and his wife Connie was a piano player, and uh, so I get up there, I was either 11 or 12, I can't remember exactly how old it was.
00:24:38.000 --> 00:24:44.720
I know I was younger, but it was eleven or twelve years old, and Miss Connie Ham plays the piano and we and I sing the hymn, Who Am I?
00:24:44.880 --> 00:24:46.400
Who am I that a king?
00:24:46.799 --> 00:24:57.440
Anyway, um, and I sing that song and I was so scared, but I remember that I can I do vividly remember, and I don't remember like childhood stuff a lot.
00:24:57.519 --> 00:25:00.480
My wife can remember too, she was like three or four, it's weird.
00:25:00.799 --> 00:25:08.079
But I vividly remember the first time that I sang in front of our congregation, Who Am I?
00:25:08.240 --> 00:25:13.680
It's an incredible song, but I it was just like bam.
00:25:14.240 --> 00:25:19.599
Like this is the most incredible thing that I've ever done.
00:25:20.000 --> 00:25:29.279
It it was and I don't want to like oversell it or dramatize it or anything like that, but I I don't even I don't even I I assume I sang it okay.
00:25:29.839 --> 00:25:41.839
I got good feedback and all that, but um but from that moment it was every every bit of fear, every bit of nerves was gone.
00:25:42.160 --> 00:25:47.920
And from that moment, eleven or twelve years old, the only thing that I cared about was singing and music.
00:25:48.160 --> 00:26:03.440
So from there, I I mean I bought um or my parents got me, or my mom got me, got guitars and learned how to my my granddad taught me how to play guitar on his 1962 Gibson in their living room.
00:26:03.519 --> 00:26:05.839
In fact, I actually was able to get that guitar.
00:26:06.000 --> 00:26:08.319
Um he had sold it and I bought it back anyway.
00:26:08.480 --> 00:26:09.200
Long story.
00:26:09.359 --> 00:26:13.920
Um, but I still have that guitar that I learned how to play G, C, and D on.
00:26:14.240 --> 00:26:17.200
Um bought a bass, bought drums.
00:26:17.440 --> 00:26:22.559
My we had a piano in the house, I learned how to play it, and um never great.
00:26:22.799 --> 00:26:27.680
Um, but just I was just completely ate up with music.
00:26:27.839 --> 00:26:31.680
Any anything music out and all genres of music too.
00:26:31.839 --> 00:26:37.680
My mom and and some of my family were were very much like Southern gospel and stuff, and that that had a big influence on me.
00:26:37.839 --> 00:26:41.039
But at that time, um Michael W.
00:26:41.200 --> 00:26:51.440
Smith and Chris Tomlin was was coming onto the scene and casting crowns were just coming out, so I had uh Third Day was one that I was really big on.
00:26:52.000 --> 00:27:03.359
Um and so I kind of had all and then all different genres too, country music, I listened to rap, I listened to all, I mean, I'm embarrassed to say it, but I listened to to everything.
00:27:03.440 --> 00:27:06.480
I just loved music and was a complete nerd over it.
00:27:06.559 --> 00:27:13.839
Um so all during middle school and uh in high school, that was it was it was music, music, music.
00:27:14.079 --> 00:27:22.640
Um you know, I would go on to uh to start singing and and and and and leading worship in the church.
00:27:22.799 --> 00:27:25.759
And um we started a little band at Emmanuel.
00:27:25.839 --> 00:27:38.640
I was I was uh part of the first ever drum set to go uh into Emmanuel, which for all of my the Free Will Baptist folks know when when that kind of happened, that was a big deal uh back then.
00:27:38.720 --> 00:27:40.160
And so we we had a little band.
00:27:40.240 --> 00:27:44.400
We called ourselves the three chord praise because we could play anything you wanted to hear.
00:27:44.480 --> 00:27:49.039
Uh as long as it had those three chords, G, C, and D, we were we were good to go.
00:27:49.279 --> 00:27:53.759
Um but no, it it just just music overwhelmed me.
00:27:53.839 --> 00:27:58.319
I just was obsessed with it, and it was an absolute nut about about music.
00:27:58.480 --> 00:28:00.799
I wanted to do it as a career.
00:28:00.960 --> 00:28:02.480
I didn't want to do anything else.
00:28:02.640 --> 00:28:03.839
I wanted to sing.
00:28:04.240 --> 00:28:08.240
Um and so I did get some opportunities uh in high school.
00:28:08.400 --> 00:28:13.680
I traveled um with a southern gospel group called the Hoppers, um, and was really neat.
00:28:13.759 --> 00:28:25.519
I got to travel all over the country um singing and and meeting some of my idols, Bill Gaither and uh David Phelps and and Ivan Parker and the Easter.
00:28:25.599 --> 00:28:38.640
I mean, just I could not trying to name drop, but just got to be around these people and uh sing in incredible places, and um I just knew that was gonna be something in music was gonna be my career.
00:28:38.880 --> 00:28:43.440
Um, you know, life happens, and uh it wasn't.
00:28:43.759 --> 00:28:44.960
Turns out I'm a homebody.
00:28:45.119 --> 00:28:46.319
I like to be home.
00:28:46.480 --> 00:28:51.279
Um I do like to hunt and fish, so it's kind of hard to do that living on the road and that type of stuff.
00:28:51.519 --> 00:28:56.799
So uh performing wasn't and traveling really where it wasn't really gonna be cut out for me.
00:28:56.880 --> 00:29:00.480
Um and just the lifestyle in general wasn't wasn't it.
00:29:00.720 --> 00:29:11.839
Um so all the while, of course, I'm singing in church and singing locally, and and since then to this day, I mean anytime I'm invited to sing anywhere, uh I'm gonna say yes.
00:29:12.000 --> 00:29:14.640
It's just it's I just I just love it.
00:29:14.880 --> 00:29:48.640
Um but again, uh kind of back to my similar to my faith journey, um it slowly began very much so when I when I started both singing in church or or going out and and singing, traveling and things, it very much began as a as a transactional here okay, Brian Brian has a gift, Brian can sing, um, and I and obviously I say that humbly, but um Brian can sing, he can he can do this, he can hit this high note, he can sustain it for a long time.
00:29:48.799 --> 00:29:52.799
People clap when he does it, um, and it makes Brian feel good.
00:29:53.039 --> 00:30:02.240
Um But again, a lot like my faith journey, it it slowly became well that's that's cool, but it's fake.
00:30:02.400 --> 00:30:04.240
Like, why are you doing this?
00:30:04.640 --> 00:30:14.000
And so again, I I would say in in in correlation with my faith journey, it slowly became less about me and more about him.
00:30:14.480 --> 00:30:37.759
Um and it's hard to hard to really talk about it without getting somewhat emotional because it is um it's embarrassing um to think about how many times I was given the platform and how many times I sang.
00:30:39.119 --> 00:31:22.960
And what really what really hurts me and breaks my heart is how many people potentially well I know I know some how many people saw Christ or or or made a life-changing decision um at something that I was singing, or in response to something that I was singing, uh or with the group that I was singing, or whatever, you know, it was just it's incredible to me that God used even in spite of being a complete hypocrite and how many times I got up there and when it was all about me, it was all about me.
00:31:23.519 --> 00:31:28.000
Um but I know that God used me anyway.
00:31:29.599 --> 00:31:37.039
And so I sit here today, and again, not a perfect person, but it just it's just different.
00:31:37.279 --> 00:31:43.680
It's just different now, and um I I don't want to ever do that again.
00:31:43.920 --> 00:31:59.200
I love to sing, I even love to perform, and I think that there's you know, we can talk about moral music stuff in in a moment as it relates to you know congregational worship, corporate worship and stuff, but um I love to perform my music is fun to me.
00:31:59.440 --> 00:32:09.119
Um but when it comes to worship and it comes to um that piece of it, I don't want that to ever be said about Brian again.
00:32:09.359 --> 00:32:14.319
And and um it's something that I pray about uh every day.
00:32:14.480 --> 00:32:17.519
Um certainly before I take that platform now.
00:32:18.000 --> 00:32:32.079
Um because again, similar to my faith journey, there's there's there's been many nights when I would get up there and I would sing and I was just doing it for all the wrong reasons.
00:32:32.799 --> 00:32:35.279
So let's focus on the the right reasons.
00:32:35.440 --> 00:32:35.759
Yeah.
00:32:36.000 --> 00:32:44.480
Uh you've you've kind of passed that, you've matured in your faith, and you're moving in a direction that's drawing you closer to God.
00:32:44.720 --> 00:32:53.440
So let's talk about how you ended up um in the position that you're gonna, you know, start on September 6th here at Unity.
00:32:53.680 --> 00:32:54.640
Yeah, yeah, absolutely.
00:32:54.880 --> 00:33:14.319
So um so again, I I've always been I I've I've led worship at a couple different churches uh here in town, and um one of them being my home church, Emmanuel, for for a couple different stints, again, just some life changes and things, a couple different stints at Emmanuel, um, and and a couple other churches here and there.
00:33:14.400 --> 00:33:24.400
So again, I've always been in some form or fashion uh in some type of worship or leadership role as it pertains to music.
00:33:24.559 --> 00:33:32.079
Um that being said, you know, if we if we back up, about a year ago now we've we've been coming to unity.
00:33:32.559 --> 00:33:39.359
And um without going into too too much detail, we were looking for a church.
00:33:39.440 --> 00:33:41.759
Um we kind of went through some stuff.
00:33:42.000 --> 00:33:46.000
Um when I say we, I'm talking about my family, of course.
00:33:46.079 --> 00:33:51.920
Uh we went through some stuff and and kind of led us to to look for another for another church.
00:33:52.079 --> 00:33:53.599
It it wasn't it wasn't great.
00:33:53.759 --> 00:34:03.519
Um we kind of left the situation um upset, maybe, maybe a little bitterness, maybe a little bit of uh certainly a lot a lot of confusion.
00:34:03.599 --> 00:34:08.320
We didn't want to find another church and and and that type of thing.
00:34:08.480 --> 00:34:23.679
Um and unity has always been um you know, we we came to Unity for a short time back on 14th Street, uh, when when when Paige and I were dating, uh so a number of years ago, um, and then we went back to our home church.
00:34:23.760 --> 00:34:35.440
But uh, but we live right down off 43, so we pass Unity two or three times every single day, and it was always great to see, of course, the beautiful campus and everything like that.
00:34:35.679 --> 00:34:43.039
Um so when when this happened, we we kind of looked at each other and said, well, you know, um, and we would see the content and stuff online.
00:34:43.199 --> 00:34:54.159
Of course, Jeff is is in is incredible, um, and and Kevin and the and the entire staff and um kind of what was kind of seeing from afar what was going on at Unity.
00:34:54.239 --> 00:34:57.440
And I said, Well, let's just let's just go check it out.
00:34:57.760 --> 00:35:17.679
And we walked in day one, um, and again, just from from and not that 14th Street was bad, and it I don't say that in any type of uh way, but it was just incredible to see what Unity was doing uh and is doing.
00:35:17.920 --> 00:35:44.639
Um the warmth, the spirit, obviously the the the campus and all that is is super nice, and that's all um less important, but obviously there was a there was a lot of people, there was a lot of energy, um and everything was done, and Jeff and I have talked at a lot in the last year, um, but something one word that he uses a lot that I really really appreciate is excellence.
00:35:45.039 --> 00:35:49.199
Everything done here at Unity was not perfect.
00:35:49.360 --> 00:35:57.199
We're not none of us are perfect, and and I wouldn't even say any of our ministries are perfect, um, but they're done with the pursuit of excellence.
00:35:57.280 --> 00:36:04.400
And and and I and I believe that God wants that of us and and and requires that of us, and it is and is certainly worthy of that.
00:36:04.480 --> 00:36:09.440
Um and I think that's the biggest thing that that that stuck out um to me.
00:36:09.599 --> 00:36:17.920
And then after we kind of came here, it was two or three weeks or so, I'd asked to to just briefly meet with with Jeff and Kevin.
00:36:18.000 --> 00:36:29.440
And so those meetings happened one or two weeks apart from each other, but I kind of shared some of the stuff that uh, and so this was last year this time basically.
00:36:29.599 --> 00:36:33.519
Um, and I kind of shared some of the experiences that led us here.
00:36:33.760 --> 00:36:55.840
Again, I won't go into that detail, but they were both I I knew they would be good about it because of because of the men they are, um, but I was just overwhelmed with how they treated me and my family, and basically said, like, look, we love we love you guys as a family, a beautiful family.
00:36:55.920 --> 00:36:56.719
You guys are talented.
00:36:56.800 --> 00:37:02.239
I mean, Paige with kids and stuff, she she's incredibly um gifted there as well.
00:37:02.320 --> 00:37:08.800
So like as a family, of course, Unity would love families like mine to come here.
00:37:09.039 --> 00:37:12.320
Um, and so but they both said, like, look, just come here.
00:37:12.480 --> 00:37:17.360
No strings detached, just just come check it out, come as long as you want.
00:37:17.519 --> 00:37:23.760
Brian, if you want to sing, I'll plug you in as as much as you, you know, I'll get you into the rotation.
00:37:23.840 --> 00:37:25.920
And if you want, if you don't want to, back off.
00:37:26.000 --> 00:37:26.800
That's that's fine.
00:37:26.880 --> 00:37:27.840
No strings attached.
00:37:28.000 --> 00:37:29.840
Both of them said the same.
00:37:29.920 --> 00:37:36.960
And that that warmth and that reception, and then you know, Jeff and Kevin and I, we we text back and forth throughout the year, and they're checking on me.
00:37:37.039 --> 00:37:38.880
They just really made it a big investment.
00:37:39.280 --> 00:37:47.840
Um, and I know they were praying for me, and I and I them um it was just really, really, really special, you know, to see.
00:37:48.000 --> 00:37:59.280
Um, and I had a few other so kind of fast forward to what's happening now, um, in the last several months, I've had a couple different opportunities come my way.
00:37:59.599 --> 00:38:11.679
Um, and a couple of them I was invited to to to uh for lack of better terms, apply for or be considered for in our area uh for other churches, for for ministry positions.
00:38:11.760 --> 00:38:24.480
And I was certainly, again, coming out of that season of of confusion and kind of bitterness, I knew that I needed to be back in in ministry and and in in and maybe in leadership or whatever it looked like.
00:38:24.559 --> 00:38:25.519
I wasn't sure.
00:38:25.679 --> 00:38:40.639
But I wanted to do more than sing once or twice a month and you know, and and be more involved in the the praying, the prayer and and picking the songs and orchestrating and arranging, and I wanted to do that.
00:38:41.199 --> 00:38:46.960
Um and so those opportunities kind of came uh and and none of them worked out.
00:38:47.599 --> 00:38:50.239
And and again, a couple of them I was invited to.
00:38:50.400 --> 00:38:54.000
So I was like, okay, well, that's maybe God's opening that door, okay.
00:38:54.079 --> 00:39:00.639
And I can I'd kind of in in my mind kind of said, okay, well, we'll we're probably gonna end up there, not unity.
00:39:00.960 --> 00:39:18.000
Um, I said, and this is me speaking what's on my mind, but I was kind of saying to myself, well, I can't, you know, I there's not an opportunity for him at Unity because they have a worship leader, and they have had, and he's incredible, and that that that's just not even in consider.
00:39:18.400 --> 00:39:28.800
I appreciate the season and I appreciate the the the support they've given me, but there's not there's just not a path for me there to do more in in the worship space.
00:39:29.119 --> 00:39:52.159
Um and then you know, one I think it was a Monday, um Jeff calls me in, and and this was after the most recent kind of opportunity fell through, and I and I had told him that, like, yeah, I'm a little bit confused because I feel like that that door kind of opened for a reason, and now I feel like it got slammed shut in my face.
00:39:52.320 --> 00:39:54.239
And so now I'm like, I don't know what to do.
00:39:54.400 --> 00:40:02.400
And I thought that's why Jeff was calling me in to talk to me about that, just to be the supportive pastor that he is, but it wasn't.
00:40:02.559 --> 00:40:16.480
He was called calling me in to say, look, Jeff and Kevin, I mean, uh, Kevin and I have been praying over this, and if you have interest in this, this is what we'd we'd like you to consider to do.
00:40:17.039 --> 00:40:21.760
Um and I I I I I lost it.
00:40:21.920 --> 00:40:25.519
Like I could not I just couldn't believe.
00:40:26.320 --> 00:40:29.519
I mean, it was exactly what I was praying for and about.
00:40:29.840 --> 00:40:45.440
I just had no eye I just had no inclination or no idea of what was happening in in Kevin's heart and in Kevin's mind or in or in Jeff's leadership as you know, as as the lead pastor here, or their plans.
00:40:45.920 --> 00:40:48.480
Um I just had no idea.
00:40:48.639 --> 00:40:57.679
And so it was just um and and so anybody listening, just you never know what you're praying over right now.
00:40:57.840 --> 00:41:04.960
There, there likely is someone else praying over something that is going to in influence or impact that.
00:41:05.119 --> 00:41:05.920
So just know that.
00:41:06.079 --> 00:41:13.119
You net you have net you never have any idea what God is orchestrating for your good that he's promised us.
00:41:13.519 --> 00:41:29.840
So what turned out to be frustration points where doors were closing, sounds like God was preparing another opportunity that was unsbeknownst to you, even though you were sharing your heart with Jeff and Kevin.
00:41:30.320 --> 00:41:40.800
Yeah, and and and and again, honestly, better than I could have even like like dr I couldn't even have dreamt.
00:41:41.119 --> 00:41:50.559
Like I just did I just never considered unity as that spot simply because again, Kevin's been here and been doing an incredible job for so long.
00:41:50.719 --> 00:41:58.639
Um would that fall under the the um I don't know, I should know the verse, but exceedingly abundantly above all that we could ever ask or think.
00:41:58.960 --> 00:41:59.360
Absolutely.
00:41:59.440 --> 00:42:09.760
I think I yes, I mean it it it's just incre again, I'm just amazed um because again, some of these other opportunities were were were good.
00:42:09.840 --> 00:42:16.800
I mean, you know, the and and I could have done them and and you know uh who knows.
00:42:17.599 --> 00:42:34.400
So so he approaches you, so he Jeff approaches you, asks you, is that what led to the two or three Sundays that you Yeah, so it was just again, the way that God just orchestrated the entire thing is just it was really remarkable.
00:42:34.559 --> 00:42:41.679
So this other this last opportunity, um, and I if I'm truthful, I kind of had my eggs in the basket, as it were, right?
00:42:41.840 --> 00:42:44.400
Um and when that fell through, it kind of left me confused.
00:42:44.480 --> 00:42:46.719
And again, that's what I thought I was coming in to talk about.
00:42:46.800 --> 00:42:52.960
And so he proposes this to me and he says, look, go home, talk to talk to Paige about it, you guys pray about it, consider it.
00:42:53.199 --> 00:43:15.679
Um if you do want to pursue this, um, again, complete we don't use the word ironic, nothing's ironic with God, we know this, but in complete God fashion, the next it wasn't the direct week of following, but coming up, there was gonna be two weeks that essentially we didn't have anybody.
00:43:15.840 --> 00:43:18.960
One of them we didn't have anybody because Jeremy was gone at camp.
00:43:19.199 --> 00:43:29.599
So we really didn't have anybody that that typically I mean there's plenty of people that could have filled the void, don't get me wrong, but we really didn't have anybody to lead worship that day.
00:43:29.679 --> 00:43:33.199
So we had a, we had a we had to get somebody that day.
00:43:33.360 --> 00:43:35.679
And the next week Kevin was gonna preach.
00:43:35.840 --> 00:43:38.079
So that takes a big load off for him.
00:43:38.239 --> 00:43:39.920
Um and so it just worked.
00:43:40.079 --> 00:43:52.559
It just made sense to kind of well, let's just let Brian do that and it'd be a um a trial run, a trial confirmation for the confirmation for the dividend.
00:43:53.440 --> 00:44:02.880
And I know they shared it with the deacons, and of course they supported it, which was you know, awesome to find out and um Yeah, and and and doing it.
00:44:02.960 --> 00:44:09.039
I I I told you a while ago that from the moment that first time eleven eleven or twelve I can't remember how old I was.
00:44:09.199 --> 00:44:10.800
Eleven or twelve years old singing.
00:44:10.960 --> 00:44:13.920
Um and this is another thing that is kind of affirmation for me.
00:44:14.079 --> 00:44:17.199
And and I told Paige this, uh I told Kevin this.
00:44:17.599 --> 00:44:19.840
Eleven or twelve years old, I was terrified to sing.
00:44:19.920 --> 00:44:20.480
I did it.
00:44:20.880 --> 00:44:30.320
And from that moment I've never I mean I'm talking about singing in front of a sold-out arena at a Gaither Homecoming event.
00:44:30.880 --> 00:44:33.440
I'm not National Quartet Convention.
00:44:33.599 --> 00:44:36.719
Not terrified, not not scared, I'm I'm ready to go.
00:44:37.760 --> 00:44:42.320
That Sunday, August the second, n I was scared.
00:44:43.119 --> 00:44:44.400
I was not scared.
00:44:44.559 --> 00:44:46.960
I shouldn't say scared, I was nervous, I was anxious.
00:44:47.360 --> 00:44:48.159
Told Paige that.
00:44:48.239 --> 00:44:52.559
I said, I said, Paige, I'm because she knows that I'm I I'll I I'll sing right now.
00:44:52.639 --> 00:44:55.039
Like I I'm not afraid to sing ever.
00:44:55.440 --> 00:44:57.840
Um sometime to my detriment.
00:44:58.000 --> 00:45:03.360
But uh yeah, I I said that and she was like, that's a good thing.
00:45:04.320 --> 00:45:10.719
She said, That means you're you're you're you're approaching it the right way and you're taking it seriously the way you need to.
00:45:11.119 --> 00:45:20.239
Um I came, uh Kevin and I kind of been meeting logistically, talking about sound and things, you know, that that we do.
00:45:20.480 --> 00:45:22.639
Um and we met and I shared the same thing with him.
00:45:22.800 --> 00:45:27.519
His first the first thing out of his mouth was the exact thing that my wife said was that's a good thing.
00:45:28.159 --> 00:45:31.760
That's uh it means you're you're taking it seriously, you're doing what you need to do.
00:45:32.400 --> 00:45:39.199
Um and so I get up there on August 2nd and the night, and it was just so fun.
00:45:39.519 --> 00:45:44.400
I mean I just it just you could the spirit was moving in the room.
00:45:44.639 --> 00:45:48.079
Um it was just it was just good.
00:45:48.239 --> 00:45:50.639
It just felt I felt so at peace.
00:45:50.880 --> 00:45:52.559
Um it was just great.
00:45:52.719 --> 00:46:18.480
And so I knew without a doubt you know, from the first note that we hit on August 2nd that if if it was to be, you know, obviously I wanted to pray about it thoroughly, talk about it with Paige and and make sure, but as far as my comfort level and and my heart, I knew that God was was in it from the first note on August 2nd.
00:46:18.800 --> 00:46:21.199
So what does worship mean to you?
00:46:22.719 --> 00:46:32.000
Um you know, biblically speaking, um it it's obviously it it's it's required of us, right?
00:46:32.239 --> 00:46:44.159
Um and and obviously my the most people hear worship, people hear praise and worship, and they automatically think, you know, how great is our God.
00:46:44.239 --> 00:46:46.960
You know, they think about this song and they think about music.
00:46:47.119 --> 00:46:54.000
But obviously, if you get into the biblical interpretation, it's way beyond only music.
00:46:54.079 --> 00:47:05.440
You know, Old Testament, it was more um kind of ceremonial and some actual like tangible sacrifice and things like that.
00:47:05.599 --> 00:47:12.719
Um then you go into the New Testament and then it gets more into what we kind of recognize today uh as worship.
00:47:12.800 --> 00:47:17.119
Um but I definitely think that it's um we know that it's required.
00:47:17.280 --> 00:47:33.440
Uh we know that not only is it required, but it's it's the very least that we can do to show our adoration, to show our uh appreciation for what uh you know for what God does for us and and has done for us and and is continuing to do.
00:47:33.679 --> 00:47:51.119
Um but that doesn't it it goes way past music, you know, and I think a lot of people get stuck on that is um you know the first four commandments um of the Ten Commandments are all basically around worship, no no idols and um don't bow down before anything, you know.
00:47:51.360 --> 00:48:01.599
Um so that that that's all basically that's the first four things in the law is is basically s you know in one way or another about worship.
00:48:01.840 --> 00:48:08.880
So it doesn't matter if you're um if it's singing or if it's acts of uh acts of service.
00:48:08.960 --> 00:48:11.519
So if you're a greeter, that's worship.
00:48:11.840 --> 00:48:16.159
If you're if you're doing a podcast for the church, that's worship.
00:48:16.320 --> 00:48:18.719
So it it's it's giving of yourself.
00:48:18.880 --> 00:48:32.400
It's putting your your and again I told you about my faith, putting your ego, putting, putting your needs and directing any energy, any talent, anything towards God.
00:48:32.559 --> 00:48:36.400
And in and in an and I think the biggest thing is in reverence.
00:48:36.639 --> 00:48:46.719
Doing it with that mindset, doing it with that heart, being intentional about it, uh is giving of yourself, giving of of whatever you're doing, giving it back to God.
00:48:47.199 --> 00:48:58.880
Well, come September when you step up on that platform, um, what do you hope to see happen with our church family or with with just corporate worship moving forward?
00:48:59.199 --> 00:48:59.840
Yeah, yeah.
00:48:59.920 --> 00:49:04.960
So um I I kind of want to answer or think about this in kind of two different ways.
00:49:05.280 --> 00:49:28.079
First, I guess technically, right, technically speaking, from a musician and and logistical standpoint, um, you know, by the time you will have heard this, or by the time this is is uploaded, you'll you'll learn that a lot of and I and I hadn't I was I didn't know about this, but we're gonna learn how much Kevin has been doing that wasn't music.
00:49:28.320 --> 00:49:38.000
And so many, and I didn't realize even just meeting him and the the few times we've or the several times we've met this year, uh the fires that he's putting out on a weekly basis.
00:49:38.159 --> 00:49:46.239
Um, and that's no indictment on Kevin that the music program was was lacking or was I mean again, I think our music.
00:49:46.639 --> 00:49:47.360
He had a full plate.
00:49:47.519 --> 00:49:48.800
He had a full plate.
00:49:49.039 --> 00:50:01.679
Um, and I think do by doing this, I think technically speaking, I think you're gonna start to see um, and this is something that Kevin and I were very open about, and he encourages we're obviously we're two different people.
00:50:01.760 --> 00:50:04.239
Um we have two different kinds of skill sets.
00:50:04.320 --> 00:50:09.280
Um we look different, we sound different, so it's not gonna be the same uh as Kevin.
00:50:09.360 --> 00:50:15.280
But one thing that that I will hold to a very high standard that I mentioned a while ago is the excellence piece.
00:50:15.360 --> 00:50:38.320
And that's one thing, regardless of what Kevin was doing, he always made sure that, and again, this is uh lay aside what I just said about worship, but the product that that you get out of the the out of the worship team, and that being the musicians, the singers, the A V team at the top, the the live stream, was always excellent.
00:50:38.639 --> 00:50:39.360
Always.
00:50:39.519 --> 00:50:42.639
Um, and so I definitely want to carry on that.
00:50:42.800 --> 00:51:04.559
Um, but I think again, given this opportunity uh and having Kevin focus on some of those other things and me being dedicated to it, I think you're gonna see um some growth here and there, and maybe a little bit more creative uh liberty uh within some of our singers and instrumentalists that that again, no fault of Kevin.
00:51:04.719 --> 00:51:11.760
He just really didn't have time to to invest or to teach or to you know to really grow some of those talents that we have in this church.
00:51:12.079 --> 00:51:12.239
Right.
00:51:12.320 --> 00:51:21.920
And that goes back to in support of what you're saying, uh when you're juggling a lot of things, you can only give your attention to what you can give your attention to.
00:51:22.079 --> 00:51:22.400
That's right.
00:51:22.880 --> 00:51:43.519
And um You know, so by freeing him up to focus on more executive things, yeah, that area should grow in uh you being able to just focus on the music and corporate worship, you know, we should see I'm not gonna use the word improvement.
00:51:43.760 --> 00:51:45.039
You should see expansion.
00:51:45.199 --> 00:51:47.119
Something something happen.
00:51:47.599 --> 00:51:48.000
Yeah, yeah.
00:51:48.079 --> 00:51:48.880
And that's what I'm saying.
00:51:48.960 --> 00:51:53.519
Yeah, so when I say that, I'm certainly not, and again, this is something that Kevin and I talked face to face about.
00:51:53.599 --> 00:51:57.599
He and he he relented to that fact that, hey, I just didn't have the time.
00:51:57.679 --> 00:52:02.800
And he said, and you have gifts and abilities that that I don't, and and vice versa.
00:52:03.039 --> 00:52:38.480
Um, and so I look forward to to implementing some of that and and making some some again, not that it needs fixing, but some positive change and kind of reinforcing some some areas and and um redoing a few things and and again just just putting a little more intentionality to it and again pursuing that excellence that that that um I think Unity is is kind of known for and uh through through God, of course, and I say that humbly, um, but I think that's a I think that's a healthy a healthy goal is is trying to be excellent in everything we do.
00:52:39.519 --> 00:52:54.800
So as you take on this new role, this new chapter, you know, what are you praying God will do uh through you or through the opportunity you're giving to do uh corporate worship here at Unity?
00:52:55.119 --> 00:53:09.280
Yeah, so first I you know first I would just say that um to anyone listening and and you know, whenever we've all I again growing up in church, I've been a part of of staff changes and pastors leaving and pastors being hired.
00:53:09.440 --> 00:53:34.000
Uh my first my first concern, um, not concern, but my first uh thing I want to make sure that we're just super sensitive to uh is to make sure that Kevin is supported and and and myself too uh in a new role, uh, but to make sure that the church understands that this isn't any type of um bad thing.
00:53:34.159 --> 00:53:35.760
This is this is a great thing.
00:53:35.920 --> 00:53:44.320
You know, I I I I would I would encourage anyone listening um that if you're out there and there's something that you've been praying about or some gift or skill, tell somebody.
00:53:44.639 --> 00:53:48.719
You know, continue to pray about it, but you never know the doors that are opening.
00:53:48.880 --> 00:54:02.880
Um and so I appreciate uh Kevin uh and Jeff uh and and their their humbleness and their uh being a steward of of this congregation and the way that they have and the and the way that they're handling this.
00:54:02.960 --> 00:54:06.400
So that would be my first thing is that all of this is just a smooth transition.
00:54:06.719 --> 00:54:10.639
Uh, and I think it's awesome that Kevin's still gonna be here and helping me because I'm gonna need him.
00:54:10.719 --> 00:54:11.920
I'm gonna need his mentorship.
00:54:12.000 --> 00:54:14.000
He's been doing it way longer than I have.
00:54:14.159 --> 00:54:19.840
Um and so I need him uh technically and professionally um and spiritually as well.
00:54:20.000 --> 00:54:25.360
So so that would be uh you know kind of day one what I'd be concerned about.
00:54:25.519 --> 00:54:32.400
Uh past that, I just want to build on, you know, the legacy that that Jeff and Kevin have through God built here.
00:54:32.559 --> 00:54:35.360
Uh I want to make sure that uh we're doing the right things.
00:54:35.519 --> 00:54:58.159
I want to make sure that that we are um trying to achieve that excellence, that the musicians and the the um the singers uh when we get up there that we're we're well prepared, uh that we're singing um uh you know biblical truth and that we're singing the right songs and singing them in a way that folks can relate.
00:54:58.480 --> 00:55:04.480
Um because it there's there's nothing that nothing will ever replace the word as it's preached.
00:55:04.559 --> 00:55:19.440
Um but I think we have a huge uh a huge responsibility um to prepare the heart and and to to get again in reverence, focus all of our attention, drown out all the noise that we had when we walked into the room.
00:55:19.519 --> 00:55:26.320
Uh and there's nothing quite like a body of believers singing in one voice to God.
00:55:26.480 --> 00:55:27.519
It it's incredible.
00:55:27.599 --> 00:55:33.760
I wish I wish everyone could come up on the platform sometime and see uh what that looks like.
00:55:33.840 --> 00:55:38.719
And if it looks anything like like what heaven's gonna look like, it's just an incredible thing.
00:55:38.880 --> 00:55:41.599
And I just want to be a really, really small part of that.
00:55:41.679 --> 00:55:44.239
Um I want it to be warm, I want it to be inviting.
00:55:44.320 --> 00:55:52.000
Uh, I want to sing songs that that people can sing with and and sing out and uh however, however they worship.
00:55:52.159 --> 00:55:59.360
If it's hands in the air, if it's clapping, if it's smiling, if it's if it's weeping, what whatever that looks like.
00:55:59.519 --> 00:56:08.159
I just want to make sure that we have an encouraging um and a welcoming environment that that you can come in corporately and worship, you know, with your brothers and sisters in Christ.
00:56:08.559 --> 00:56:20.880
Well, from my standpoint, I want corporate worship, and again, my standpoint, to draw us closer to the Lord in that first part of the service.
00:56:20.960 --> 00:56:21.280
Yeah.
00:56:21.599 --> 00:56:25.119
So when Jeff starts preaching, I can hear the Lord whisper to me.
00:56:25.199 --> 00:56:25.599
Yeah, yeah.
00:56:25.760 --> 00:56:35.280
You know, not that he's can't talk to me during the music part, but you know, just prepare my heart for, you know, the words that are going to be spoken during the message.
00:56:35.519 --> 00:56:35.840
Yeah.
00:56:36.000 --> 00:56:38.079
And music's so universal too.
00:56:38.320 --> 00:56:45.599
Um it's just incredible the the tool and it God God designed it, much like he designed everything else.
00:56:45.840 --> 00:56:47.920
But music is so incredible.
00:56:48.079 --> 00:57:04.480
Um that that even the the person who's never been in church before, who's never cracked the word of God open, never heard, has no idea what what this Bible's about, they can it it's innate that they can come in and hear a song.
00:57:04.559 --> 00:57:06.000
Again, nothing will replace the word.
00:57:06.159 --> 00:57:08.079
Don't don't hear me say that.
00:57:08.800 --> 00:57:23.599
But it's incredible what what music can do to move that person so that their their ears can be turned on in such a way, or their heart can be opened in such a way that they can hear that word and hear from God, as you said, as you just said.
00:57:23.760 --> 00:57:27.360
So yeah, uh it's an incredible, incredible tool.
00:57:27.679 --> 00:57:36.880
Well, Brian, I appreciate you sitting down with us and uh you know sharing your story and getting us to allowing us to know a little bit more about you.
00:57:37.039 --> 00:57:50.400
Uh, we look forward to uh learning more about you as the years go on and as we watch you lead us in corporate worship and um just thank you so much for for sharing.
00:57:51.440 --> 00:58:05.519
So before I let you go, I do want to pray for you and pray for uh your next steps as uh we move forward and um and ask God to just bless uh what you're gonna do for us.
00:58:05.840 --> 00:58:06.239
Absolutely.
00:58:06.320 --> 00:58:06.800
Thank you, brother.
00:58:07.039 --> 00:58:13.119
Dear Heavenly Father, thank you for the ways that you continue to lead and guide your church.
00:58:13.360 --> 00:58:18.000
Thank you for Brian and for the gifts and the calling you have placed in his life.
00:58:18.239 --> 00:58:29.199
As he begins this new chapter of ministry at unity, give him wisdom, give him humility, and give him a heart that desires above all else to honor you.
00:58:29.440 --> 00:58:43.199
Strengthen him as he leads, encourage him as he serves, and help him point our church family beyond the music and beyond the platform, and as his actions point us towards you.
00:58:43.840 --> 00:58:48.159
We also want to pray for Kevin as he steps into this new season of ministry.
00:58:48.320 --> 00:58:57.920
Give him wisdom and discernment as he takes on these new responsibilities and continue to use the gifts you have given him to serve this church.
00:58:58.159 --> 00:59:06.719
And Lord, as our church moves into this next season, help us as a congregation to embrace the changes you bring.
00:59:06.960 --> 00:59:16.239
Support those who serve and remain united in our purpose of knowing you, growing in our faith and making you known.
00:59:16.559 --> 00:59:23.199
May our worship, both here on Sunday mornings and throughout the week, always point back to you.
00:59:23.440 --> 00:59:25.440
In Jesus' name, amen.
00:59:25.679 --> 00:59:26.000
Amen.
00:59:26.079 --> 00:59:26.719
Thank you, brother.
00:59:26.960 --> 00:59:27.280
All right.
00:59:27.360 --> 00:59:30.880
Well, thank you so much, and we appreciate all that you're doing for us.
00:59:30.960 --> 00:59:39.360
And as you shared your story today, I would encourage all of our listeners as God has writing the story in their life that they would go and tell.
00:59:42.719 --> 00:59:45.840
Thanks so much for listening to the Unity Community Podcast.
00:59:46.000 --> 00:59:51.840
If today's conversation encouraged you, we'd love for you to take one or more next steps.
00:59:52.159 --> 00:59:59.039
Join us this Monday morning for worship at number 1030 to get connected to a life group andor and a place to learn.
00:59:59.519 --> 01:00:04.400
You can learn more about Unity and how to get plugged in by visiting the link in the channel.
01:00:04.960 --> 01:00:09.519
So until next time, let's grow closer to the Lord as we grow closer than
00:00:09.519 --> 00:00:12.160
Hello, and welcome to the Unity Community Podcast.
00:00:12.640 --> 00:00:32.560
This is a place where our church may make you hear real stories of life changes and discover how God is working through our ministries and missionaries, both here and around the world, from conversations with our staff and leaders to testimonies from our people, we're pulling back the curtain on what God is doing in and through Unity Church.
00:00:32.799 --> 00:00:33.679
Thanks for listening.
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Let's grow closer to the Lord as we grow closer one to another.
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Welcome, I'm your host, Tim DeCreesty.
00:00:45.679 --> 00:00:47.280
Thanks for taking a moment to listen.
00:00:47.520 --> 00:00:55.439
Over the past few days, we've been talking about some changes taking place within our church staff as Unity looks forward to the future.
00:00:55.679 --> 00:01:09.599
Hopefully, you saw the video that uh Jeff and Kevin that we put out on Sunday introducing Brian Harp as our new um worship pastor or worship leader.
00:01:09.920 --> 00:01:17.439
Um so we wanted to take time to sit down with Brian so you could get to know more about him.
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And so he's here with us today, and uh, we're gonna just dive into his life a little bit, let him share his passion with worship, his passion with music, his um passion with whatever else he's passionate about.
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That's what we're gonna find out about today.
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And so with that, um, welcome, Brian.
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Yeah, hey, thank you, uh Tim, for having me in today.
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Uh, and also, man, I have really, really enjoyed uh this this Unity Community Podcast.
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Uh, if you're listening today and haven't ever listened to any other uh shows, I definitely encourage you to do that.
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Some really cool stuff uh that we're doing here at Unity.
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Um and so yeah, thank you for having me on today, uh Tim, and uh I look forward to sharing about myself.
00:02:01.599 --> 00:02:03.760
Um Well, let's do it.
00:02:04.000 --> 00:02:05.519
Tell us a little bit about yourself.
00:02:05.840 --> 00:02:07.920
And so, first of all, I am Brian Harp.
00:02:08.000 --> 00:02:09.840
It's it's a pleasure to be here now.
00:02:10.000 --> 00:02:15.360
As your uh the title mentioned a while ago, Worship Leader, as your worship leader here at Unity.
00:02:15.520 --> 00:02:22.240
Uh, I'm just completely um humbled and honored uh to do this here.
00:02:22.319 --> 00:02:33.280
Um, and I'm excited in this podcast, we'll share a little bit more about that, about how this all came to be, and it's absolutely uh just just a work of God and in a way that only he could have uh orchestrated.
00:02:33.439 --> 00:02:35.520
So uh definitely happy to be here.
00:02:35.599 --> 00:02:37.039
Um a little bit about me.
00:02:37.120 --> 00:02:38.560
Uh you may hear it in my voice.
00:02:38.719 --> 00:02:48.159
I try to cover it up as as best I can, but uh born and raised here in good old eastern North Carolina, uh in and I drove here all the way from Winterville.
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Uh so uh I am uh I'm a Pitt County boy through and through.
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Uh both me and my wife, uh Paige, um grew up in Winterville.
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In fact, we grew up about a mile from each other, uh, right around the food line there in Winterville.
00:03:02.719 --> 00:03:04.319
Um and so we've been married.
00:03:04.400 --> 00:03:06.000
Next year will be 15 years.
00:03:06.080 --> 00:03:07.120
We've been married.
00:03:07.280 --> 00:03:13.599
Um both of us uh stayed here, uh, went to school uh at the local uh public schools, D.
00:03:13.759 --> 00:03:13.840
H.
00:03:13.919 --> 00:03:18.479
Conley, uh AG Cox, uh, you know, so born born and raised here.
00:03:18.560 --> 00:03:27.599
Uh we have two awesome kids, uh Bryce, uh who's eight, he just started third grade, uh, and then Bray, our little girl.
00:03:27.759 --> 00:03:31.039
Um she's seven, and they're only 14 months apart.
00:03:31.120 --> 00:03:33.759
Um, so it might have been easier if we just had twins.
00:03:33.840 --> 00:03:37.759
But uh but anyway, Bryce and Bray, and uh Bray just started second grade.
00:03:37.840 --> 00:03:46.560
They're both over at Christ Covenant um and and doing well, been back to school now for a couple weeks, uh, so they're excited to be in school.
00:03:46.800 --> 00:03:53.360
Um a little bit about um kind of uh myself and and my wife.
00:03:53.520 --> 00:04:01.280
My wife is a PE teacher uh with Pitt County Schools, has been for coming up on I think 17 or 18 years.
00:04:01.439 --> 00:04:06.240
Uh now she's doing special uh the or adaptive PE, they call it.
00:04:06.319 --> 00:04:07.439
So it's it's basically P.
00:04:07.680 --> 00:04:10.719
She goes from school to school and works with the special needs community.
00:04:10.800 --> 00:04:22.240
Um so we'll we'll talk about that in a moment, but uh that's definitely something that has kind of hit home with her being back at Unity and seeing uh the incredible work that we're doing um with the special needs community.
00:04:22.319 --> 00:04:25.279
Um and so that's what what she does professionally.
00:04:25.439 --> 00:04:31.040
Um I am an IT uh consultant uh and project management consultant.
00:04:31.199 --> 00:04:36.079
Tim, I know uh you can certainly speak to that uh for what you did for so many years.
00:04:36.319 --> 00:04:52.319
Um my wife has no idea what I what I actually do on a day-to-day basis, but but in a in a nutshell, um I basically help businesses implement if they're gonna do any large change in their organization, I come in um and and help implement that that technical change.
00:04:52.399 --> 00:04:54.720
And and that's what I do professionally.
00:04:54.959 --> 00:04:57.759
Um about us.
00:04:57.920 --> 00:05:00.160
Uh we love sports.
00:05:00.319 --> 00:05:04.160
We both went to uh went to ECU, huge pirate fans.
00:05:04.319 --> 00:05:10.959
So pirate football, pirate baseball, uh anything ECU, we love uh to get out and enjoy that.
00:05:11.199 --> 00:05:15.680
Um and and really any sports in general, uh avid, avid sports fans.
00:05:15.759 --> 00:05:20.240
Uh me, I I love to hunt and fish and anything outdoors.
00:05:20.399 --> 00:05:21.680
Um I like to play golf.
00:05:21.759 --> 00:05:27.680
I'm not very good at it, but uh, I do like to get out there and and try to play golf as much as I can.
00:05:27.920 --> 00:05:32.879
Anyone that knows me um knows that uh I'm an avid deer hunter.
00:05:33.040 --> 00:05:34.480
So I I love to deer hunt.
00:05:34.560 --> 00:05:36.959
I love every aspect of deer hunting.
00:05:37.040 --> 00:05:39.600
Uh scout throughout all the the year.
00:05:39.680 --> 00:05:44.800
I plant food plots, build stands, monitor trail cams throughout the year.
00:05:44.959 --> 00:05:48.560
So so definitely deer hunting is is kind of my my thing.
00:05:48.720 --> 00:05:55.199
Outside of music and my family, that's definitely uh I would say my my hobby number one, if you will.
00:05:55.519 --> 00:06:00.879
Okay, so when deer season opens, I don't know the exact date.
00:06:01.120 --> 00:06:02.959
I'm sure you know exactly when that is.
00:06:03.040 --> 00:06:04.399
I know it's in the fall sometime.
00:06:04.720 --> 00:06:06.879
Yep, coming up in September we'll have bow season.
00:06:07.120 --> 00:06:10.800
Um but you can't do that on Sunday any longer.
00:06:11.120 --> 00:06:11.680
You can.
00:06:11.839 --> 00:06:12.800
You actually can.
00:06:13.040 --> 00:06:17.120
Well, I know you can do it on Sunday, but uh you're gonna be busy.
00:06:17.360 --> 00:06:18.560
Well, I'm gonna be busy.
00:06:18.639 --> 00:06:19.040
That's right.
00:06:19.199 --> 00:06:19.600
That's right.
00:06:19.759 --> 00:06:26.240
And actually they have a uh it's weird in North Carolina they have big again, we live in the Bible Belt.
00:06:26.319 --> 00:06:29.920
So there you have to be done by nine if you're gonna hunt on Sundays.
00:06:30.079 --> 00:06:32.720
All hunting activity has to cease at 9 a.m.
00:06:33.199 --> 00:06:37.360
on on Sunday mornings and can I think resume at like 2 or 3 p.m.
00:06:37.680 --> 00:06:37.920
Wow.
00:06:38.079 --> 00:06:40.079
Yep, that is a North Carolina state law.
00:06:40.160 --> 00:06:40.480
Yep.
00:06:40.800 --> 00:06:41.519
I had no idea.
00:06:41.759 --> 00:06:43.199
So I'm protected either way.
00:06:43.439 --> 00:06:44.639
Okay, good, good.
00:06:45.199 --> 00:06:52.319
Well, uh to get to what we want to talk about, tell us about your faith journey.
00:06:52.560 --> 00:06:53.519
Yeah, yeah, absolutely.
00:06:53.600 --> 00:07:03.680
So as I mentioned, um, I probably should have said this when I mentioned about myself, but uh both me and my wife, we were we were raised over at Emmanuel Free Will Baptist uh in Winterville.
00:07:04.079 --> 00:07:14.000
And um so from as far back as I can remember my entire life, um, you know, church was a part of it.
00:07:14.160 --> 00:07:20.639
Um my my parents and my mom, she we were we were uh uber faithful.
00:07:20.800 --> 00:07:31.360
I mean, we were the Sunday morning, Sunday night, Wednesday night, Bible school, eating, meeting, uh, door knocking.
00:07:31.759 --> 00:07:36.079
If it was church affiliated, uh I was there.
00:07:36.399 --> 00:07:48.879
Um and so uh and but actually Paige's Paige's grandmother, Betty Lou Brock, uh who passed uh a couple years ago now, um she was one of the founding members at uh at Emmanuel.
00:07:49.040 --> 00:07:51.680
Um I don't even know when when the church was established.
00:07:51.759 --> 00:08:07.439
But anyway, we grew up in in Emmanuel and definitely, you know, church and and and faith uh it was as so many that that kind of live my experience, uh when you're growing up, you you you you really take it for granted.
00:08:07.680 --> 00:08:24.800
Um you know, it was just it was always kind of more of um I got I got saved, I got baptized at an early age um and it it was always more of a routine than a like what are we actually doing and what is the purpose of this.
00:08:24.959 --> 00:08:32.080
It was it was very much uh transactional and and methodical, more so than the experience that I know today.
00:08:32.320 --> 00:08:36.559
Um that I don't take it for granted uh at all.
00:08:36.720 --> 00:08:46.799
So I had a I had a great foundation uh from an early age that the the importance of church, the import the importance of the church community, uh the importance of serving at church.
00:08:46.879 --> 00:08:56.559
Um, you know, I trace back to to to those Sunday evenings and those Wednesday nights when when you know when you maybe you didn't want to be there or or what have you.
00:08:56.639 --> 00:08:58.720
Um so I trace that back to that.
00:08:58.879 --> 00:09:34.639
Um but you know, it wasn't really um until later in life that I that I realized what an actual relationship was and what it actually meant to be um a believer and a Christian and having having that daily walk and um you know it doesn't matter we're gonna talk about music in a moment, I know, but uh it doesn't matter how good I sing, or it doesn't matter uh how much I sing, or in front of how many people I sing, or um, or the talents or get way if your gift's not singing, whatever your gift is, whatever your thing is, right?
00:09:34.720 --> 00:09:41.200
Uh in the church, none of that really matters um so much if if your heart's not where it should be.
00:09:41.360 --> 00:09:52.879
Um and if you're not loving others as we're taught to do, and if you're not uh serving or or doing with with with the right uh with the right attitude or the right in intentions.
00:09:53.440 --> 00:09:57.919
Um you know the Bible says it's just you know clashing symbols.
00:09:58.000 --> 00:10:00.159
I mean it it's a it's a waste of time.
00:10:00.559 --> 00:10:11.440
Um and I'm and I'm humbled um and I'm embarrassed to say that I spent a lot of my life doing just that.
00:10:12.000 --> 00:10:14.480
I was there and I did it.
00:10:14.720 --> 00:10:31.840
Um and I'd like to think that I did it well and with a smile on my face and um but it wasn't until I would say really the last probably um five, six, seven years of my life.
00:10:31.919 --> 00:10:34.720
I'm I'm as I sit here today, I'm thirty-seven.
00:10:35.120 --> 00:11:08.639
Um and really until I got into my thirties, having lived life a little bit, started a career, started a family, uh I r I started to really, really understand like what this whole thing was about and and the incredible sense of peace and incredible sense of joy um that only God can provide if you're doing things the right way and putting putting your whole heart and your and all of your trust and your faith uh in him, uh kind of the transformation that can happen is is is remarkable.
00:11:08.960 --> 00:11:34.960
So did you have a moment where because what I'm hearing is you grew up in church, you you know it became part of your your ecosystem, your culture, uh you're kind of going through the motions, but maybe around 30 something changed, like it's more than just going through the motions, it's more than just getting up and going to church on Sunday, checking a box.
00:11:35.200 --> 00:11:39.120
Did you have a moment where you thought, okay, I gotta get serious?
00:11:39.440 --> 00:11:49.840
You know, some people have um I've I've I've seen some things and and been through some things in my life um that weren't great.
00:11:50.000 --> 00:12:00.080
My my parents got got divorced at an early age, and that certainly you know shaped me um in some ways and uh of course, right?
00:12:00.240 --> 00:12:06.559
Um But in large part I've been incredibly blessed in my life.
00:12:06.799 --> 00:12:17.840
I haven't I've never experienced I'm getting to your I'm getting to your point or your question, but I've never really experienced what some might call like a a true aha moment.
00:12:18.240 --> 00:12:35.279
Like a like a like a tragedy or a or losing someone that that that changed me or or uh heaven forbid some sickness or I've just never had that I can't to answer your question, I can't pin it to one date or one season even.
00:12:35.679 --> 00:12:49.120
Um I think I think really what it was was the older that I got and again I I all things considered, I've I've seen again I've seen some things and done some things and and made some incredible mistakes in my life.
00:12:49.279 --> 00:12:54.080
Um but all things considered uh I live the American dream.
00:12:54.240 --> 00:12:56.799
Like I I I I'm just so blessed.
00:12:56.960 --> 00:13:00.720
I have an incredible career, I have a beautiful wife, I have beautiful kids.
00:13:00.960 --> 00:13:10.399
Um there's really nothing and I say this humbly, it it brings tears in my eyes, but there's really nothing that I've ever wanted that uh I don't have.
00:13:11.039 --> 00:13:33.759
And I and I understand how that may sound, but um I I guess what I'm trying to say is as I as I pursued those things, as I pursued a career, as I pursued uh building a family and and and having good friends and uh nice clothes and food and you know all the things that we take for granted.
00:13:34.000 --> 00:13:54.559
Um I I think what what happened is that over time as I accumulated all of this stuff um and things that I took for granted, it still wasn't it it didn't there was still like a fire in me or like a just something was missing.
00:13:54.799 --> 00:14:03.360
And of course we know that we all have regardless of where you are in your life, we all have this God-sized hole in our heart.
00:14:03.440 --> 00:14:17.360
And no matter what you do, um, no matter how how how much you get paid at work, no matter how many deer you kill, no matter no matter how many home runs you hit, um, fill in the blank.
00:14:17.440 --> 00:14:30.080
Whatever you do to to to scratch your itch, you know, it's never gonna fill the void that that that God put in you that was made for for Jesus Christ.
00:14:30.320 --> 00:14:41.200
Um and I think it took again, and I and I'm and I'm glad that I can sit here today and say this, um but I faked it for a long time.
00:14:41.519 --> 00:14:44.159
I mean I'm just being honest with you.
00:14:44.320 --> 00:14:52.159
Um up singing in front of all the kinds of people and just the biggest hypocrite you've ever met.
00:14:52.480 --> 00:15:01.600
Um doing it for claps and doing it for, oh man, he can sing good, and oh man, you know, doing it for the paycheck and doing it for this or that.
00:15:01.759 --> 00:15:10.320
Um and it and it's really taken me the better part of thirty years to to figure out that that's you can do it and you might enjoy it.
00:15:11.120 --> 00:15:20.720
But when they turn the lights off and you're sitting at home, uh the kids are in bed, your wife's in bed, you're just you're miserable.
00:15:21.120 --> 00:15:38.720
And and I love my wife, I love my kids, I love to deer hunt, I love to sing, but nothing and and for anybody listening, nothing out there, it doesn't matter what you try to do, there's nothing that that can fill that void except for the love and the warmth and the joy and the peace that you can find in Jesus Christ.
00:15:39.039 --> 00:15:51.600
So you said you didn't have a particular moment, um, which a great testimony is look, I grew up in church, got saved when I was young, and been serving the Lord ever since.
00:15:51.759 --> 00:15:53.679
That's the best testimony anybody could have.
00:15:53.919 --> 00:16:01.039
You know, people are certainly pulled by, man, I got pulled out of the buck and mire, and you know, God save me.
00:16:01.200 --> 00:16:09.360
Those are, you know, pull on your heartstrings, but those aren't all salvation stories are good.
00:16:09.440 --> 00:16:11.600
I should not minimize anybody's salvation.
00:16:11.679 --> 00:16:15.600
But the best one is I just always serve the Lord and I never went astray.
00:16:16.000 --> 00:16:27.600
So you're saying um, you know, you kind of played the game, but was there a moment that God said, Look, Brian, you gotta stop playing and start living for me?
00:16:28.159 --> 00:16:36.080
Yeah, I mean, again, I I wish I could point back to to one day or even one season, you know, or one one event.
00:16:36.480 --> 00:16:44.639
Um, but I think it was I'm I'm a little hardheaded, and and and my wife, if she was here, she would she would definitely um agree to that.
00:16:44.799 --> 00:16:50.799
I'm a little hardheaded, and um there was always a sense of conviction.
00:16:51.039 --> 00:16:58.559
It was always a a a general pride of hey look, Brian, uh you know, I've given you more.
00:16:58.720 --> 00:17:01.840
I I've equipped you to do more, I want you to do more.
00:17:02.240 --> 00:17:04.079
Um you're not cutting it.
00:17:04.240 --> 00:17:05.200
You look good.
00:17:05.519 --> 00:17:08.799
Everybody, you know, everybody thinks you're good, but that's not cutting it.
00:17:08.880 --> 00:17:13.519
So I think I think it was just again, I wish I had some aha moment.
00:17:13.839 --> 00:17:28.319
It would have make made for a better story, maybe a better podcast, but I don't I can't put it back to to one event and it's just again it what it does say though, um and and points to is God's incredible grace and mercy.
00:17:28.799 --> 00:17:47.119
And so for for some people, and I don't wish that I don't wish that had happened, but for some people uh God allows things to happen in their life where that was the only thing that could have had a made a course correction or could have gotten their attention in the way that they needed to.
00:17:47.359 --> 00:17:52.079
Um for me, God He kept prodding me, He kept convicting me.
00:17:52.240 --> 00:18:02.240
I was a little hardheaded, but I never really had something that was just like kind of smacked me in the face and was like, you know, down on my knees type of moment.
00:18:02.640 --> 00:18:06.319
But over time I I started to started to pray more.
00:18:06.400 --> 00:18:20.799
And and and and I I'll preface all this by saying that I'm still um even though I was raised in church and have always I mean I can't recount a a time in my life when I wasn't doing something in some form of ministry.
00:18:21.200 --> 00:18:32.240
Um I I can't uh I can't really remember a time when when it was just like different.
00:18:32.400 --> 00:18:33.200
You know what I mean?
00:18:33.279 --> 00:18:37.039
It was it was always uh always a conviction there.
00:18:37.359 --> 00:18:44.720
But as I again I was kinda maybe in that that around thirty or so, um started praying a little more.
00:18:45.839 --> 00:18:47.759
Marriage and uh kids will do that for you.
00:18:47.920 --> 00:18:48.480
Yeah, right.
00:18:48.640 --> 00:18:51.039
And and maybe and I know that sounds elementary.
00:18:51.759 --> 00:18:59.920
As someone who was raised in church, I I I kind of paused a moment ago because I was trying to get my thoughts, but um I know that sounds elementary.
00:19:00.160 --> 00:19:01.359
I was raised in church.
00:19:01.519 --> 00:19:04.799
You know, you you you read your Bible, you need to pray.
00:19:05.119 --> 00:19:13.440
But I wonder how many people in their thirties, forties, fifties, sixties, seventies that they're believers.
00:19:13.759 --> 00:19:15.119
They come to church.
00:19:15.759 --> 00:19:17.359
But are you really praying?
00:19:17.680 --> 00:19:20.160
Are you are you praying are you praying with your family?
00:19:20.319 --> 00:19:21.759
Are you praying over your family?
00:19:21.920 --> 00:19:23.920
Are you are you really reading the Bible?
00:19:24.160 --> 00:19:28.000
Um and and I can't say that I always did that.
00:19:28.079 --> 00:19:34.240
And it's embarrassing to say, but um Hey, we could all read our Bible more, we could all pray more.
00:19:34.799 --> 00:19:46.480
I think too I think too our our a as a as a man my age and and obviously in the digital age we live in now, um I and I think it's a good thing.
00:19:46.640 --> 00:20:04.559
Um I think that a lot of a lot of um pastors and and uh faith influencers and and and people are a little more outspoken and a little more um real than maybe we used to be as believers and as a church.
00:20:04.640 --> 00:20:06.960
And I'm talking about unity, I'm talking about the church.
00:20:07.279 --> 00:20:11.440
I think we're a little bit more honest with each other about a lot of things.
00:20:11.599 --> 00:20:15.599
And I think again, I don't have an aha moment, but I think that's really what it is.
00:20:15.680 --> 00:20:19.279
When I started hearing that hey, it's not just you, Brian.
00:20:19.519 --> 00:20:22.880
Um not that that's an excuse, right?
00:20:23.039 --> 00:20:30.319
But um again, it's something that embarrasses me to this day how how many years I played the game.
00:20:30.559 --> 00:20:33.440
Uh that's just called uh growing in maturity.
00:20:34.160 --> 00:20:35.359
In so many ways, yeah.
00:20:35.680 --> 00:20:41.039
So let's let's talk about, and maybe this is maybe kind of the answer to that question.
00:20:41.279 --> 00:20:56.160
I do know in the video that I sat down with Jeff and Kevin over, we talked about uh our Jeff brought up the fact that you you know came to him, but you had this passion for worship.
00:20:56.400 --> 00:20:58.799
You know, when did that passion begin?
00:20:58.880 --> 00:21:02.799
Or, you know, when did you start sensing, man, maybe I want to be a worship leader?
00:21:03.039 --> 00:21:10.400
So from a very early age, um, again, as long as I can remember, uh music has been a part of our family as well.
00:21:10.559 --> 00:21:12.960
My mom played piano in church and sang.
00:21:13.119 --> 00:21:19.440
Both of my both sets of my grandparents sang and uh and stuff in church, played instruments and things.
00:21:19.680 --> 00:21:23.839
Um, so music has always kind of been ingrained in me.
00:21:24.000 --> 00:21:36.480
Um and I wish I could tell you I have like this like YouTube video or something uh showing um like when I was like four years old singing something crazy.
00:21:36.720 --> 00:21:42.720
Uh but I don't I I actually didn't start singing in front of anybody until I was like eleven or twelve years old.
00:21:43.279 --> 00:21:50.079
Um not not because the talent wasn't recognized, but because I was terrified.
00:21:50.160 --> 00:21:51.359
I did I had no desire.
00:21:51.440 --> 00:21:54.240
I was like, no, that's crazy, that's that's not for me.
00:21:54.480 --> 00:22:05.440
Um funny story, my so we grew up um again at a Manfree were Baptist, and some some listeners may know the name Ricky Ham and remember Ricky Ham.
00:22:05.519 --> 00:22:06.480
He was a pastor there.
00:22:06.640 --> 00:22:10.400
For those of you who didn't know him, incredibly talented guy.
00:22:10.559 --> 00:22:23.039
I mean, he could preach, he could, he had an incredible voice, like just big, like baritone, into tenor voice, could hit any note, could play any instrument.
00:22:24.319 --> 00:22:32.240
As a five to ten year old kid, seeing that every week, I was like, I want to be like Ricky Ham when I grow up.
00:22:32.799 --> 00:22:34.480
And I thought he walked on water.
00:22:34.559 --> 00:22:36.640
I mean, he he was just immensely talented.
00:22:36.799 --> 00:22:37.440
Still is, by the way.
00:22:37.519 --> 00:22:39.599
I think he I think they're in Smithfield now.
00:22:39.839 --> 00:22:44.559
Um, but anyway, he was I put him on a pedestal.
00:22:44.880 --> 00:22:49.759
And um so everywhere we went, there was music on stuff like that.
00:22:50.079 --> 00:22:55.359
And my mom would always be like, Brian, you like you need to sing, like you can really sing.
00:22:55.680 --> 00:23:01.039
Um and I didn't realize what I was doing, but I I have um perfect pitch.
00:23:01.279 --> 00:23:12.480
So so I can hear I I have this weird thing where I can hear a song, and then like six months from now, I can tell you the key that it was in and just start singing that that in in the right pitch.
00:23:12.640 --> 00:23:14.319
Um weird, weird thing.
00:23:14.400 --> 00:23:16.400
But uh, and I could do that since I was little.
00:23:16.559 --> 00:23:24.000
So my mom said I would just start singing a song, and it was the exact pitch or the exact key that we sang Amazing Grace in at church last week.
00:23:24.160 --> 00:23:25.599
And she recognized that.
00:23:25.680 --> 00:23:27.839
Um and I would also sing harmony.
00:23:27.920 --> 00:23:34.960
I'd be five, six years old riding in the car singing harmony with whatever was on, and I didn't have any idea what I was doing.
00:23:35.200 --> 00:23:44.079
I still don't some days, but um, but anyway, and I was singing the shower, I was a shower singer, so I was like 11 years old, and I would again I wouldn't do it.
00:23:44.240 --> 00:23:46.000
My mom, you gotta sing, gotta sing.
00:23:46.400 --> 00:23:55.200
So my mom actually took a recording of me singing in the shower and gave it to Ricky Ham at the time.
00:23:55.359 --> 00:23:58.079
Again, he's he's my idol, I want to be like him.
00:23:58.319 --> 00:24:04.160
And so he cornered me at church, and I was of course I was mad at my mom for this, right?
00:24:04.400 --> 00:24:14.880
Um, but he cornered me at church and he was like, Brian, I'm not just saying this, but God has given you a gift, and you need to use it.
00:24:15.119 --> 00:24:20.240
Um, you have you have great talent, and I would love for you to sing.
00:24:21.279 --> 00:24:25.920
And so then when again, when Ricky Ham asked me to do this, now I have to do it.
00:24:26.079 --> 00:24:27.920
And so I'm terrified.
00:24:28.160 --> 00:24:37.920
And I'll never forget, I sang, and his wife Connie was a piano player, and uh, so I get up there, I was either 11 or 12, I can't remember exactly how old it was.
00:24:38.000 --> 00:24:44.720
I know I was younger, but it was eleven or twelve years old, and Miss Connie Ham plays the piano and we and I sing the hymn, Who Am I?
00:24:44.880 --> 00:24:46.400
Who am I that a king?
00:24:46.799 --> 00:24:57.440
Anyway, um, and I sing that song and I was so scared, but I remember that I can I do vividly remember, and I don't remember like childhood stuff a lot.
00:24:57.519 --> 00:25:00.480
My wife can remember too, she was like three or four, it's weird.
00:25:00.799 --> 00:25:08.079
But I vividly remember the first time that I sang in front of our congregation, Who Am I?
00:25:08.240 --> 00:25:13.680
It's an incredible song, but I it was just like bam.
00:25:14.240 --> 00:25:19.599
Like this is the most incredible thing that I've ever done.
00:25:20.000 --> 00:25:29.279
It it was and I don't want to like oversell it or dramatize it or anything like that, but I I don't even I don't even I I assume I sang it okay.
00:25:29.839 --> 00:25:41.839
I got good feedback and all that, but um but from that moment it was every every bit of fear, every bit of nerves was gone.
00:25:42.160 --> 00:25:47.920
And from that moment, eleven or twelve years old, the only thing that I cared about was singing and music.
00:25:48.160 --> 00:26:03.440
So from there, I I mean I bought um or my parents got me, or my mom got me, got guitars and learned how to my my granddad taught me how to play guitar on his 1962 Gibson in their living room.
00:26:03.519 --> 00:26:05.839
In fact, I actually was able to get that guitar.
00:26:06.000 --> 00:26:08.319
Um he had sold it and I bought it back anyway.
00:26:08.480 --> 00:26:09.200
Long story.
00:26:09.359 --> 00:26:13.920
Um, but I still have that guitar that I learned how to play G, C, and D on.
00:26:14.240 --> 00:26:17.200
Um bought a bass, bought drums.
00:26:17.440 --> 00:26:22.559
My we had a piano in the house, I learned how to play it, and um never great.
00:26:22.799 --> 00:26:27.680
Um, but just I was just completely ate up with music.
00:26:27.839 --> 00:26:31.680
Any anything music out and all genres of music too.
00:26:31.839 --> 00:26:37.680
My mom and and some of my family were were very much like Southern gospel and stuff, and that that had a big influence on me.
00:26:37.839 --> 00:26:41.039
But at that time, um Michael W.
00:26:41.200 --> 00:26:51.440
Smith and Chris Tomlin was was coming onto the scene and casting crowns were just coming out, so I had uh Third Day was one that I was really big on.
00:26:52.000 --> 00:27:03.359
Um and so I kind of had all and then all different genres too, country music, I listened to rap, I listened to all, I mean, I'm embarrassed to say it, but I listened to to everything.
00:27:03.440 --> 00:27:06.480
I just loved music and was a complete nerd over it.
00:27:06.559 --> 00:27:13.839
Um so all during middle school and uh in high school, that was it was it was music, music, music.
00:27:14.079 --> 00:27:22.640
Um you know, I would go on to uh to start singing and and and and and leading worship in the church.
00:27:22.799 --> 00:27:25.759
And um we started a little band at Emmanuel.
00:27:25.839 --> 00:27:38.640
I was I was uh part of the first ever drum set to go uh into Emmanuel, which for all of my the Free Will Baptist folks know when when that kind of happened, that was a big deal uh back then.
00:27:38.720 --> 00:27:40.160
And so we we had a little band.
00:27:40.240 --> 00:27:44.400
We called ourselves the three chord praise because we could play anything you wanted to hear.
00:27:44.480 --> 00:27:49.039
Uh as long as it had those three chords, G, C, and D, we were we were good to go.
00:27:49.279 --> 00:27:53.759
Um but no, it it just just music overwhelmed me.
00:27:53.839 --> 00:27:58.319
I just was obsessed with it, and it was an absolute nut about about music.
00:27:58.480 --> 00:28:00.799
I wanted to do it as a career.
00:28:00.960 --> 00:28:02.480
I didn't want to do anything else.
00:28:02.640 --> 00:28:03.839
I wanted to sing.
00:28:04.240 --> 00:28:08.240
Um and so I did get some opportunities uh in high school.
00:28:08.400 --> 00:28:13.680
I traveled um with a southern gospel group called the Hoppers, um, and was really neat.
00:28:13.759 --> 00:28:25.519
I got to travel all over the country um singing and and meeting some of my idols, Bill Gaither and uh David Phelps and and Ivan Parker and the Easter.
00:28:25.599 --> 00:28:38.640
I mean, just I could not trying to name drop, but just got to be around these people and uh sing in incredible places, and um I just knew that was gonna be something in music was gonna be my career.
00:28:38.880 --> 00:28:43.440
Um, you know, life happens, and uh it wasn't.
00:28:43.759 --> 00:28:44.960
Turns out I'm a homebody.
00:28:45.119 --> 00:28:46.319
I like to be home.
00:28:46.480 --> 00:28:51.279
Um I do like to hunt and fish, so it's kind of hard to do that living on the road and that type of stuff.
00:28:51.519 --> 00:28:56.799
So uh performing wasn't and traveling really where it wasn't really gonna be cut out for me.
00:28:56.880 --> 00:29:00.480
Um and just the lifestyle in general wasn't wasn't it.
00:29:00.720 --> 00:29:11.839
Um so all the while, of course, I'm singing in church and singing locally, and and since then to this day, I mean anytime I'm invited to sing anywhere, uh I'm gonna say yes.
00:29:12.000 --> 00:29:14.640
It's just it's I just I just love it.
00:29:14.880 --> 00:29:48.640
Um but again, uh kind of back to my similar to my faith journey, um it slowly began very much so when I when I started both singing in church or or going out and and singing, traveling and things, it very much began as a as a transactional here okay, Brian Brian has a gift, Brian can sing, um, and I and obviously I say that humbly, but um Brian can sing, he can he can do this, he can hit this high note, he can sustain it for a long time.
00:29:48.799 --> 00:29:52.799
People clap when he does it, um, and it makes Brian feel good.
00:29:53.039 --> 00:30:02.240
Um But again, a lot like my faith journey, it it slowly became well that's that's cool, but it's fake.
00:30:02.400 --> 00:30:04.240
Like, why are you doing this?
00:30:04.640 --> 00:30:14.000
And so again, I I would say in in in correlation with my faith journey, it slowly became less about me and more about him.
00:30:14.480 --> 00:30:37.759
Um and it's hard to hard to really talk about it without getting somewhat emotional because it is um it's embarrassing um to think about how many times I was given the platform and how many times I sang.
00:30:39.119 --> 00:31:22.960
And what really what really hurts me and breaks my heart is how many people potentially well I know I know some how many people saw Christ or or or made a life-changing decision um at something that I was singing, or in response to something that I was singing, uh or with the group that I was singing, or whatever, you know, it was just it's incredible to me that God used even in spite of being a complete hypocrite and how many times I got up there and when it was all about me, it was all about me.
00:31:23.519 --> 00:31:28.000
Um but I know that God used me anyway.
00:31:29.599 --> 00:31:37.039
And so I sit here today, and again, not a perfect person, but it just it's just different.
00:31:37.279 --> 00:31:43.680
It's just different now, and um I I don't want to ever do that again.
00:31:43.920 --> 00:31:59.200
I love to sing, I even love to perform, and I think that there's you know, we can talk about moral music stuff in in a moment as it relates to you know congregational worship, corporate worship and stuff, but um I love to perform my music is fun to me.
00:31:59.440 --> 00:32:09.119
Um but when it comes to worship and it comes to um that piece of it, I don't want that to ever be said about Brian again.
00:32:09.359 --> 00:32:14.319
And and um it's something that I pray about uh every day.
00:32:14.480 --> 00:32:17.519
Um certainly before I take that platform now.
00:32:18.000 --> 00:32:32.079
Um because again, similar to my faith journey, there's there's there's been many nights when I would get up there and I would sing and I was just doing it for all the wrong reasons.
00:32:32.799 --> 00:32:35.279
So let's focus on the the right reasons.
00:32:35.440 --> 00:32:35.759
Yeah.
00:32:36.000 --> 00:32:44.480
Uh you've you've kind of passed that, you've matured in your faith, and you're moving in a direction that's drawing you closer to God.
00:32:44.720 --> 00:32:53.440
So let's talk about how you ended up um in the position that you're gonna, you know, start on September 6th here at Unity.
00:32:53.680 --> 00:32:54.640
Yeah, yeah, absolutely.
00:32:54.880 --> 00:33:14.319
So um so again, I I've always been I I've I've led worship at a couple different churches uh here in town, and um one of them being my home church, Emmanuel, for for a couple different stints, again, just some life changes and things, a couple different stints at Emmanuel, um, and and a couple other churches here and there.
00:33:14.400 --> 00:33:24.400
So again, I've always been in some form or fashion uh in some type of worship or leadership role as it pertains to music.
00:33:24.559 --> 00:33:32.079
Um that being said, you know, if we if we back up, about a year ago now we've we've been coming to unity.
00:33:32.559 --> 00:33:39.359
And um without going into too too much detail, we were looking for a church.
00:33:39.440 --> 00:33:41.759
Um we kind of went through some stuff.
00:33:42.000 --> 00:33:46.000
Um when I say we, I'm talking about my family, of course.
00:33:46.079 --> 00:33:51.920
Uh we went through some stuff and and kind of led us to to look for another for another church.
00:33:52.079 --> 00:33:53.599
It it wasn't it wasn't great.
00:33:53.759 --> 00:34:03.519
Um we kind of left the situation um upset, maybe, maybe a little bitterness, maybe a little bit of uh certainly a lot a lot of confusion.
00:34:03.599 --> 00:34:08.320
We didn't want to find another church and and and that type of thing.
00:34:08.480 --> 00:34:23.679
Um and unity has always been um you know, we we came to Unity for a short time back on 14th Street, uh, when when when Paige and I were dating, uh so a number of years ago, um, and then we went back to our home church.
00:34:23.760 --> 00:34:35.440
But uh, but we live right down off 43, so we pass Unity two or three times every single day, and it was always great to see, of course, the beautiful campus and everything like that.
00:34:35.679 --> 00:34:43.039
Um so when when this happened, we we kind of looked at each other and said, well, you know, um, and we would see the content and stuff online.
00:34:43.199 --> 00:34:54.159
Of course, Jeff is is in is incredible, um, and and Kevin and the and the entire staff and um kind of what was kind of seeing from afar what was going on at Unity.
00:34:54.239 --> 00:34:57.440
And I said, Well, let's just let's just go check it out.
00:34:57.760 --> 00:35:17.679
And we walked in day one, um, and again, just from from and not that 14th Street was bad, and it I don't say that in any type of uh way, but it was just incredible to see what Unity was doing uh and is doing.
00:35:17.920 --> 00:35:44.639
Um the warmth, the spirit, obviously the the the campus and all that is is super nice, and that's all um less important, but obviously there was a there was a lot of people, there was a lot of energy, um and everything was done, and Jeff and I have talked at a lot in the last year, um, but something one word that he uses a lot that I really really appreciate is excellence.
00:35:45.039 --> 00:35:49.199
Everything done here at Unity was not perfect.
00:35:49.360 --> 00:35:57.199
We're not none of us are perfect, and and I wouldn't even say any of our ministries are perfect, um, but they're done with the pursuit of excellence.
00:35:57.280 --> 00:36:04.400
And and and I and I believe that God wants that of us and and and requires that of us, and it is and is certainly worthy of that.
00:36:04.480 --> 00:36:09.440
Um and I think that's the biggest thing that that that stuck out um to me.
00:36:09.599 --> 00:36:17.920
And then after we kind of came here, it was two or three weeks or so, I'd asked to to just briefly meet with with Jeff and Kevin.
00:36:18.000 --> 00:36:29.440
And so those meetings happened one or two weeks apart from each other, but I kind of shared some of the stuff that uh, and so this was last year this time basically.
00:36:29.599 --> 00:36:33.519
Um, and I kind of shared some of the experiences that led us here.
00:36:33.760 --> 00:36:55.840
Again, I won't go into that detail, but they were both I I knew they would be good about it because of because of the men they are, um, but I was just overwhelmed with how they treated me and my family, and basically said, like, look, we love we love you guys as a family, a beautiful family.
00:36:55.920 --> 00:36:56.719
You guys are talented.
00:36:56.800 --> 00:37:02.239
I mean, Paige with kids and stuff, she she's incredibly um gifted there as well.
00:37:02.320 --> 00:37:08.800
So like as a family, of course, Unity would love families like mine to come here.
00:37:09.039 --> 00:37:12.320
Um, and so but they both said, like, look, just come here.
00:37:12.480 --> 00:37:17.360
No strings detached, just just come check it out, come as long as you want.
00:37:17.519 --> 00:37:23.760
Brian, if you want to sing, I'll plug you in as as much as you, you know, I'll get you into the rotation.
00:37:23.840 --> 00:37:25.920
And if you want, if you don't want to, back off.
00:37:26.000 --> 00:37:26.800
That's that's fine.
00:37:26.880 --> 00:37:27.840
No strings attached.
00:37:28.000 --> 00:37:29.840
Both of them said the same.
00:37:29.920 --> 00:37:36.960
And that that warmth and that reception, and then you know, Jeff and Kevin and I, we we text back and forth throughout the year, and they're checking on me.
00:37:37.039 --> 00:37:38.880
They just really made it a big investment.
00:37:39.280 --> 00:37:47.840
Um, and I know they were praying for me, and I and I them um it was just really, really, really special, you know, to see.
00:37:48.000 --> 00:37:59.280
Um, and I had a few other so kind of fast forward to what's happening now, um, in the last several months, I've had a couple different opportunities come my way.
00:37:59.599 --> 00:38:11.679
Um, and a couple of them I was invited to to to uh for lack of better terms, apply for or be considered for in our area uh for other churches, for for ministry positions.
00:38:11.760 --> 00:38:24.480
And I was certainly, again, coming out of that season of of confusion and kind of bitterness, I knew that I needed to be back in in ministry and and in in and maybe in leadership or whatever it looked like.
00:38:24.559 --> 00:38:25.519
I wasn't sure.
00:38:25.679 --> 00:38:40.639
But I wanted to do more than sing once or twice a month and you know, and and be more involved in the the praying, the prayer and and picking the songs and orchestrating and arranging, and I wanted to do that.
00:38:41.199 --> 00:38:46.960
Um and so those opportunities kind of came uh and and none of them worked out.
00:38:47.599 --> 00:38:50.239
And and again, a couple of them I was invited to.
00:38:50.400 --> 00:38:54.000
So I was like, okay, well, that's maybe God's opening that door, okay.
00:38:54.079 --> 00:39:00.639
And I can I'd kind of in in my mind kind of said, okay, well, we'll we're probably gonna end up there, not unity.
00:39:00.960 --> 00:39:18.000
Um, I said, and this is me speaking what's on my mind, but I was kind of saying to myself, well, I can't, you know, I there's not an opportunity for him at Unity because they have a worship leader, and they have had, and he's incredible, and that that that's just not even in consider.
00:39:18.400 --> 00:39:28.800
I appreciate the season and I appreciate the the the support they've given me, but there's not there's just not a path for me there to do more in in the worship space.
00:39:29.119 --> 00:39:52.159
Um and then you know, one I think it was a Monday, um Jeff calls me in, and and this was after the most recent kind of opportunity fell through, and I and I had told him that, like, yeah, I'm a little bit confused because I feel like that that door kind of opened for a reason, and now I feel like it got slammed shut in my face.
00:39:52.320 --> 00:39:54.239
And so now I'm like, I don't know what to do.
00:39:54.400 --> 00:40:02.400
And I thought that's why Jeff was calling me in to talk to me about that, just to be the supportive pastor that he is, but it wasn't.
00:40:02.559 --> 00:40:16.480
He was called calling me in to say, look, Jeff and Kevin, I mean, uh, Kevin and I have been praying over this, and if you have interest in this, this is what we'd we'd like you to consider to do.
00:40:17.039 --> 00:40:21.760
Um and I I I I I lost it.
00:40:21.920 --> 00:40:25.519
Like I could not I just couldn't believe.
00:40:26.320 --> 00:40:29.519
I mean, it was exactly what I was praying for and about.
00:40:29.840 --> 00:40:45.440
I just had no eye I just had no inclination or no idea of what was happening in in Kevin's heart and in Kevin's mind or in or in Jeff's leadership as you know, as as the lead pastor here, or their plans.
00:40:45.920 --> 00:40:48.480
Um I just had no idea.
00:40:48.639 --> 00:40:57.679
And so it was just um and and so anybody listening, just you never know what you're praying over right now.
00:40:57.840 --> 00:41:04.960
There, there likely is someone else praying over something that is going to in influence or impact that.
00:41:05.119 --> 00:41:05.920
So just know that.
00:41:06.079 --> 00:41:13.119
You net you have net you never have any idea what God is orchestrating for your good that he's promised us.
00:41:13.519 --> 00:41:29.840
So what turned out to be frustration points where doors were closing, sounds like God was preparing another opportunity that was unsbeknownst to you, even though you were sharing your heart with Jeff and Kevin.
00:41:30.320 --> 00:41:40.800
Yeah, and and and and again, honestly, better than I could have even like like dr I couldn't even have dreamt.
00:41:41.119 --> 00:41:50.559
Like I just did I just never considered unity as that spot simply because again, Kevin's been here and been doing an incredible job for so long.
00:41:50.719 --> 00:41:58.639
Um would that fall under the the um I don't know, I should know the verse, but exceedingly abundantly above all that we could ever ask or think.
00:41:58.960 --> 00:41:59.360
Absolutely.
00:41:59.440 --> 00:42:09.760
I think I yes, I mean it it it's just incre again, I'm just amazed um because again, some of these other opportunities were were were good.
00:42:09.840 --> 00:42:16.800
I mean, you know, the and and I could have done them and and you know uh who knows.
00:42:17.599 --> 00:42:34.400
So so he approaches you, so he Jeff approaches you, asks you, is that what led to the two or three Sundays that you Yeah, so it was just again, the way that God just orchestrated the entire thing is just it was really remarkable.
00:42:34.559 --> 00:42:41.679
So this other this last opportunity, um, and I if I'm truthful, I kind of had my eggs in the basket, as it were, right?
00:42:41.840 --> 00:42:44.400
Um and when that fell through, it kind of left me confused.
00:42:44.480 --> 00:42:46.719
And again, that's what I thought I was coming in to talk about.
00:42:46.800 --> 00:42:52.960
And so he proposes this to me and he says, look, go home, talk to talk to Paige about it, you guys pray about it, consider it.
00:42:53.199 --> 00:43:15.679
Um if you do want to pursue this, um, again, complete we don't use the word ironic, nothing's ironic with God, we know this, but in complete God fashion, the next it wasn't the direct week of following, but coming up, there was gonna be two weeks that essentially we didn't have anybody.
00:43:15.840 --> 00:43:18.960
One of them we didn't have anybody because Jeremy was gone at camp.
00:43:19.199 --> 00:43:29.599
So we really didn't have anybody that that typically I mean there's plenty of people that could have filled the void, don't get me wrong, but we really didn't have anybody to lead worship that day.
00:43:29.679 --> 00:43:33.199
So we had a, we had a we had to get somebody that day.
00:43:33.360 --> 00:43:35.679
And the next week Kevin was gonna preach.
00:43:35.840 --> 00:43:38.079
So that takes a big load off for him.
00:43:38.239 --> 00:43:39.920
Um and so it just worked.
00:43:40.079 --> 00:43:52.559
It just made sense to kind of well, let's just let Brian do that and it'd be a um a trial run, a trial confirmation for the confirmation for the dividend.
00:43:53.440 --> 00:44:02.880
And I know they shared it with the deacons, and of course they supported it, which was you know, awesome to find out and um Yeah, and and and doing it.
00:44:02.960 --> 00:44:09.039
I I I told you a while ago that from the moment that first time eleven eleven or twelve I can't remember how old I was.
00:44:09.199 --> 00:44:10.800
Eleven or twelve years old singing.
00:44:10.960 --> 00:44:13.920
Um and this is another thing that is kind of affirmation for me.
00:44:14.079 --> 00:44:17.199
And and I told Paige this, uh I told Kevin this.
00:44:17.599 --> 00:44:19.840
Eleven or twelve years old, I was terrified to sing.
00:44:19.920 --> 00:44:20.480
I did it.
00:44:20.880 --> 00:44:30.320
And from that moment I've never I mean I'm talking about singing in front of a sold-out arena at a Gaither Homecoming event.
00:44:30.880 --> 00:44:33.440
I'm not National Quartet Convention.
00:44:33.599 --> 00:44:36.719
Not terrified, not not scared, I'm I'm ready to go.
00:44:37.760 --> 00:44:42.320
That Sunday, August the second, n I was scared.
00:44:43.119 --> 00:44:44.400
I was not scared.
00:44:44.559 --> 00:44:46.960
I shouldn't say scared, I was nervous, I was anxious.
00:44:47.360 --> 00:44:48.159
Told Paige that.
00:44:48.239 --> 00:44:52.559
I said, I said, Paige, I'm because she knows that I'm I I'll I I'll sing right now.
00:44:52.639 --> 00:44:55.039
Like I I'm not afraid to sing ever.
00:44:55.440 --> 00:44:57.840
Um sometime to my detriment.
00:44:58.000 --> 00:45:03.360
But uh yeah, I I said that and she was like, that's a good thing.
00:45:04.320 --> 00:45:10.719
She said, That means you're you're you're you're approaching it the right way and you're taking it seriously the way you need to.
00:45:11.119 --> 00:45:20.239
Um I came, uh Kevin and I kind of been meeting logistically, talking about sound and things, you know, that that we do.
00:45:20.480 --> 00:45:22.639
Um and we met and I shared the same thing with him.
00:45:22.800 --> 00:45:27.519
His first the first thing out of his mouth was the exact thing that my wife said was that's a good thing.
00:45:28.159 --> 00:45:31.760
That's uh it means you're you're taking it seriously, you're doing what you need to do.
00:45:32.400 --> 00:45:39.199
Um and so I get up there on August 2nd and the night, and it was just so fun.
00:45:39.519 --> 00:45:44.400
I mean I just it just you could the spirit was moving in the room.
00:45:44.639 --> 00:45:48.079
Um it was just it was just good.
00:45:48.239 --> 00:45:50.639
It just felt I felt so at peace.
00:45:50.880 --> 00:45:52.559
Um it was just great.
00:45:52.719 --> 00:46:18.480
And so I knew without a doubt you know, from the first note that we hit on August 2nd that if if it was to be, you know, obviously I wanted to pray about it thoroughly, talk about it with Paige and and make sure, but as far as my comfort level and and my heart, I knew that God was was in it from the first note on August 2nd.
00:46:18.800 --> 00:46:21.199
So what does worship mean to you?
00:46:22.719 --> 00:46:32.000
Um you know, biblically speaking, um it it's obviously it it's it's required of us, right?
00:46:32.239 --> 00:46:44.159
Um and and obviously my the most people hear worship, people hear praise and worship, and they automatically think, you know, how great is our God.
00:46:44.239 --> 00:46:46.960
You know, they think about this song and they think about music.
00:46:47.119 --> 00:46:54.000
But obviously, if you get into the biblical interpretation, it's way beyond only music.
00:46:54.079 --> 00:47:05.440
You know, Old Testament, it was more um kind of ceremonial and some actual like tangible sacrifice and things like that.
00:47:05.599 --> 00:47:12.719
Um then you go into the New Testament and then it gets more into what we kind of recognize today uh as worship.
00:47:12.800 --> 00:47:17.119
Um but I definitely think that it's um we know that it's required.
00:47:17.280 --> 00:47:33.440
Uh we know that not only is it required, but it's it's the very least that we can do to show our adoration, to show our uh appreciation for what uh you know for what God does for us and and has done for us and and is continuing to do.
00:47:33.679 --> 00:47:51.119
Um but that doesn't it it goes way past music, you know, and I think a lot of people get stuck on that is um you know the first four commandments um of the Ten Commandments are all basically around worship, no no idols and um don't bow down before anything, you know.
00:47:51.360 --> 00:48:01.599
Um so that that that's all basically that's the first four things in the law is is basically s you know in one way or another about worship.
00:48:01.840 --> 00:48:08.880
So it doesn't matter if you're um if it's singing or if it's acts of uh acts of service.
00:48:08.960 --> 00:48:11.519
So if you're a greeter, that's worship.
00:48:11.840 --> 00:48:16.159
If you're if you're doing a podcast for the church, that's worship.
00:48:16.320 --> 00:48:18.719
So it it's it's giving of yourself.
00:48:18.880 --> 00:48:32.400
It's putting your your and again I told you about my faith, putting your ego, putting, putting your needs and directing any energy, any talent, anything towards God.
00:48:32.559 --> 00:48:36.400
And in and in an and I think the biggest thing is in reverence.
00:48:36.639 --> 00:48:46.719
Doing it with that mindset, doing it with that heart, being intentional about it, uh is giving of yourself, giving of of whatever you're doing, giving it back to God.
00:48:47.199 --> 00:48:58.880
Well, come September when you step up on that platform, um, what do you hope to see happen with our church family or with with just corporate worship moving forward?
00:48:59.199 --> 00:48:59.840
Yeah, yeah.
00:48:59.920 --> 00:49:04.960
So um I I kind of want to answer or think about this in kind of two different ways.
00:49:05.280 --> 00:49:28.079
First, I guess technically, right, technically speaking, from a musician and and logistical standpoint, um, you know, by the time you will have heard this, or by the time this is is uploaded, you'll you'll learn that a lot of and I and I hadn't I was I didn't know about this, but we're gonna learn how much Kevin has been doing that wasn't music.
00:49:28.320 --> 00:49:38.000
And so many, and I didn't realize even just meeting him and the the few times we've or the several times we've met this year, uh the fires that he's putting out on a weekly basis.
00:49:38.159 --> 00:49:46.239
Um, and that's no indictment on Kevin that the music program was was lacking or was I mean again, I think our music.
00:49:46.639 --> 00:49:47.360
He had a full plate.
00:49:47.519 --> 00:49:48.800
He had a full plate.
00:49:49.039 --> 00:50:01.679
Um, and I think do by doing this, I think technically speaking, I think you're gonna start to see um, and this is something that Kevin and I were very open about, and he encourages we're obviously we're two different people.
00:50:01.760 --> 00:50:04.239
Um we have two different kinds of skill sets.
00:50:04.320 --> 00:50:09.280
Um we look different, we sound different, so it's not gonna be the same uh as Kevin.
00:50:09.360 --> 00:50:15.280
But one thing that that I will hold to a very high standard that I mentioned a while ago is the excellence piece.
00:50:15.360 --> 00:50:38.320
And that's one thing, regardless of what Kevin was doing, he always made sure that, and again, this is uh lay aside what I just said about worship, but the product that that you get out of the the out of the worship team, and that being the musicians, the singers, the A V team at the top, the the live stream, was always excellent.
00:50:38.639 --> 00:50:39.360
Always.
00:50:39.519 --> 00:50:42.639
Um, and so I definitely want to carry on that.
00:50:42.800 --> 00:51:04.559
Um, but I think again, given this opportunity uh and having Kevin focus on some of those other things and me being dedicated to it, I think you're gonna see um some growth here and there, and maybe a little bit more creative uh liberty uh within some of our singers and instrumentalists that that again, no fault of Kevin.
00:51:04.719 --> 00:51:11.760
He just really didn't have time to to invest or to teach or to you know to really grow some of those talents that we have in this church.
00:51:12.079 --> 00:51:12.239
Right.
00:51:12.320 --> 00:51:21.920
And that goes back to in support of what you're saying, uh when you're juggling a lot of things, you can only give your attention to what you can give your attention to.
00:51:22.079 --> 00:51:22.400
That's right.
00:51:22.880 --> 00:51:43.519
And um You know, so by freeing him up to focus on more executive things, yeah, that area should grow in uh you being able to just focus on the music and corporate worship, you know, we should see I'm not gonna use the word improvement.
00:51:43.760 --> 00:51:45.039
You should see expansion.
00:51:45.199 --> 00:51:47.119
Something something happen.
00:51:47.599 --> 00:51:48.000
Yeah, yeah.
00:51:48.079 --> 00:51:48.880
And that's what I'm saying.
00:51:48.960 --> 00:51:53.519
Yeah, so when I say that, I'm certainly not, and again, this is something that Kevin and I talked face to face about.
00:51:53.599 --> 00:51:57.599
He and he he relented to that fact that, hey, I just didn't have the time.
00:51:57.679 --> 00:52:02.800
And he said, and you have gifts and abilities that that I don't, and and vice versa.
00:52:03.039 --> 00:52:38.480
Um, and so I look forward to to implementing some of that and and making some some again, not that it needs fixing, but some positive change and kind of reinforcing some some areas and and um redoing a few things and and again just just putting a little more intentionality to it and again pursuing that excellence that that that um I think Unity is is kind of known for and uh through through God, of course, and I say that humbly, um, but I think that's a I think that's a healthy a healthy goal is is trying to be excellent in everything we do.
00:52:39.519 --> 00:52:54.800
So as you take on this new role, this new chapter, you know, what are you praying God will do uh through you or through the opportunity you're giving to do uh corporate worship here at Unity?
00:52:55.119 --> 00:53:09.280
Yeah, so first I you know first I would just say that um to anyone listening and and you know, whenever we've all I again growing up in church, I've been a part of of staff changes and pastors leaving and pastors being hired.
00:53:09.440 --> 00:53:34.000
Uh my first my first concern, um, not concern, but my first uh thing I want to make sure that we're just super sensitive to uh is to make sure that Kevin is supported and and and myself too uh in a new role, uh, but to make sure that the church understands that this isn't any type of um bad thing.
00:53:34.159 --> 00:53:35.760
This is this is a great thing.
00:53:35.920 --> 00:53:44.320
You know, I I I I would I would encourage anyone listening um that if you're out there and there's something that you've been praying about or some gift or skill, tell somebody.
00:53:44.639 --> 00:53:48.719
You know, continue to pray about it, but you never know the doors that are opening.
00:53:48.880 --> 00:54:02.880
Um and so I appreciate uh Kevin uh and Jeff uh and and their their humbleness and their uh being a steward of of this congregation and the way that they have and the and the way that they're handling this.
00:54:02.960 --> 00:54:06.400
So that would be my first thing is that all of this is just a smooth transition.
00:54:06.719 --> 00:54:10.639
Uh, and I think it's awesome that Kevin's still gonna be here and helping me because I'm gonna need him.
00:54:10.719 --> 00:54:11.920
I'm gonna need his mentorship.
00:54:12.000 --> 00:54:14.000
He's been doing it way longer than I have.
00:54:14.159 --> 00:54:19.840
Um and so I need him uh technically and professionally um and spiritually as well.
00:54:20.000 --> 00:54:25.360
So so that would be uh you know kind of day one what I'd be concerned about.
00:54:25.519 --> 00:54:32.400
Uh past that, I just want to build on, you know, the legacy that that Jeff and Kevin have through God built here.
00:54:32.559 --> 00:54:35.360
Uh I want to make sure that uh we're doing the right things.
00:54:35.519 --> 00:54:58.159
I want to make sure that that we are um trying to achieve that excellence, that the musicians and the the um the singers uh when we get up there that we're we're well prepared, uh that we're singing um uh you know biblical truth and that we're singing the right songs and singing them in a way that folks can relate.
00:54:58.480 --> 00:55:04.480
Um because it there's there's nothing that nothing will ever replace the word as it's preached.
00:55:04.559 --> 00:55:19.440
Um but I think we have a huge uh a huge responsibility um to prepare the heart and and to to get again in reverence, focus all of our attention, drown out all the noise that we had when we walked into the room.
00:55:19.519 --> 00:55:26.320
Uh and there's nothing quite like a body of believers singing in one voice to God.
00:55:26.480 --> 00:55:27.519
It it's incredible.
00:55:27.599 --> 00:55:33.760
I wish I wish everyone could come up on the platform sometime and see uh what that looks like.
00:55:33.840 --> 00:55:38.719
And if it looks anything like like what heaven's gonna look like, it's just an incredible thing.
00:55:38.880 --> 00:55:41.599
And I just want to be a really, really small part of that.
00:55:41.679 --> 00:55:44.239
Um I want it to be warm, I want it to be inviting.
00:55:44.320 --> 00:55:52.000
Uh, I want to sing songs that that people can sing with and and sing out and uh however, however they worship.
00:55:52.159 --> 00:55:59.360
If it's hands in the air, if it's clapping, if it's smiling, if it's if it's weeping, what whatever that looks like.
00:55:59.519 --> 00:56:08.159
I just want to make sure that we have an encouraging um and a welcoming environment that that you can come in corporately and worship, you know, with your brothers and sisters in Christ.
00:56:08.559 --> 00:56:20.880
Well, from my standpoint, I want corporate worship, and again, my standpoint, to draw us closer to the Lord in that first part of the service.
00:56:20.960 --> 00:56:21.280
Yeah.
00:56:21.599 --> 00:56:25.119
So when Jeff starts preaching, I can hear the Lord whisper to me.
00:56:25.199 --> 00:56:25.599
Yeah, yeah.
00:56:25.760 --> 00:56:35.280
You know, not that he's can't talk to me during the music part, but you know, just prepare my heart for, you know, the words that are going to be spoken during the message.
00:56:35.519 --> 00:56:35.840
Yeah.
00:56:36.000 --> 00:56:38.079
And music's so universal too.
00:56:38.320 --> 00:56:45.599
Um it's just incredible the the tool and it God God designed it, much like he designed everything else.
00:56:45.840 --> 00:56:47.920
But music is so incredible.
00:56:48.079 --> 00:57:04.480
Um that that even the the person who's never been in church before, who's never cracked the word of God open, never heard, has no idea what what this Bible's about, they can it it's innate that they can come in and hear a song.
00:57:04.559 --> 00:57:06.000
Again, nothing will replace the word.
00:57:06.159 --> 00:57:08.079
Don't don't hear me say that.
00:57:08.800 --> 00:57:23.599
But it's incredible what what music can do to move that person so that their their ears can be turned on in such a way, or their heart can be opened in such a way that they can hear that word and hear from God, as you said, as you just said.
00:57:23.760 --> 00:57:27.360
So yeah, uh it's an incredible, incredible tool.
00:57:27.679 --> 00:57:36.880
Well, Brian, I appreciate you sitting down with us and uh you know sharing your story and getting us to allowing us to know a little bit more about you.
00:57:37.039 --> 00:57:50.400
Uh, we look forward to uh learning more about you as the years go on and as we watch you lead us in corporate worship and um just thank you so much for for sharing.
00:57:51.440 --> 00:58:05.519
So before I let you go, I do want to pray for you and pray for uh your next steps as uh we move forward and um and ask God to just bless uh what you're gonna do for us.
00:58:05.840 --> 00:58:06.239
Absolutely.
00:58:06.320 --> 00:58:06.800
Thank you, brother.
00:58:07.039 --> 00:58:13.119
Dear Heavenly Father, thank you for the ways that you continue to lead and guide your church.
00:58:13.360 --> 00:58:18.000
Thank you for Brian and for the gifts and the calling you have placed in his life.
00:58:18.239 --> 00:58:29.199
As he begins this new chapter of ministry at unity, give him wisdom, give him humility, and give him a heart that desires above all else to honor you.
00:58:29.440 --> 00:58:43.199
Strengthen him as he leads, encourage him as he serves, and help him point our church family beyond the music and beyond the platform, and as his actions point us towards you.
00:58:43.840 --> 00:58:48.159
We also want to pray for Kevin as he steps into this new season of ministry.
00:58:48.320 --> 00:58:57.920
Give him wisdom and discernment as he takes on these new responsibilities and continue to use the gifts you have given him to serve this church.
00:58:58.159 --> 00:59:06.719
And Lord, as our church moves into this next season, help us as a congregation to embrace the changes you bring.
00:59:06.960 --> 00:59:16.239
Support those who serve and remain united in our purpose of knowing you, growing in our faith and making you known.
00:59:16.559 --> 00:59:23.199
May our worship, both here on Sunday mornings and throughout the week, always point back to you.
00:59:23.440 --> 00:59:25.440
In Jesus' name, amen.
00:59:25.679 --> 00:59:26.000
Amen.
00:59:26.079 --> 00:59:26.719
Thank you, brother.
00:59:26.960 --> 00:59:27.280
All right.
00:59:27.360 --> 00:59:30.880
Well, thank you so much, and we appreciate all that you're doing for us.
00:59:30.960 --> 00:59:39.360
And as you shared your story today, I would encourage all of our listeners as God has writing the story in their life that they would go and tell.
00:59:42.719 --> 00:59:45.840
Thanks so much for listening to the Unity Community Podcast.
00:59:46.000 --> 00:59:51.840
If today's conversation encouraged you, we'd love for you to take one or more next steps.
00:59:52.159 --> 00:59:59.039
Join us this Monday morning for worship at number 1030 to get connected to a life group andor and a place to learn.
00:59:59.519 --> 01:00:04.400
You can learn more about Unity and how to get plugged in by visiting the link in the channel.
01:00:04.960 --> 01:00:09.519
So until next time, let's grow closer to the Lord as we grow closer than
