Owner: Josh Via URL:www.joshvia.com Join Date: Tue, 30 Oct 2007 12:02:14 -0500 Rating:0 Site Description: The travel guide to the ministry of Josh and Tasha Via. Posts include ministry highlights, worship set lists, spiritual and family experiences and devotional thoughts from the Word of God... and of course the occasional video disclosing family mayhem. Site statistics:Click here
Royalty Aside 2007-10-26 13:38:00 I noticed today in a fresh way a unique parallel of the life of Moses with the life of Christ. I guess I’ve seen it before, but today I saw it in a fresh way. I’m reading through the book of Hebrews right now in my Bible study time – such an awesome book that connects the Old Testament with the newer one. These verses jumped out at me.“By faith Moses, when he had grown up, refused to be called the son of Pharaoh’s daughter and chose to suffer with the people of God rather than to enjoy the short-lived pleasure of sin” (Hebrews 11:24-25). What struck me in a new way was imagining the vast glamour and royalty of the great Egyptian empire that Moses could have been endowed with his entire life. The son of Pharaoh’s daughter. The prince. That’s a pretty important position. One of prestige and honor. A position that anyone in his right mind would take full advantage of. Instead Moses laid it aside in order to suffer the same fate as his Hebrew brothers and sisters
Update on My Dad 2007-10-25 11:42:00 Most of you know by now that my dad suffered a mini-stroke on Tuesday night after preaching a meeting in Charleston, SC. Amazingly, the doctors don't expect any permanent brain damage. It was really scary there for about 4 or 5 hours in the emergency room, but he has fully recovered and all of the tests are coming back normal. Praise the Lord! Thank you all for praying for him and our family. For those of you who don't know my dad, here's a post that my youngest brother, Jacob, wrote earlier today on our family blog. This should give you some idea of the kind of person Rick Via is and his legacy. "If I were to attempt to describe all that our dad is, it would be something like this:My dad is my hero.He is a man of integrity, who hasn’t used a computer in years and covers the TV with a blanket in a hotel room. He continuously goes out of his way to make sure his heart is guarded. He is completely and utterly committed to practicing spiritual, moral, ethical, and sexual purit Read more:Update
Ingleside 2007-10-22 21:27:00 We've just returned from a rapid-fire weekend of ministry mayhem. We loaded up the fam on Thursday afternoon and headed to Ingleside Baptist Church in Macon, GA for "Break-out Weekend." It was a cool time of hanging out with old friends, making new friends and leading worship for 100 middle school students each jacked up on early adolescent adrenaline, a natural and much more potent form of Red Bull. My good friend, Fred Broome whom I met while in seminary, is the new middle school pastor at Ingleside, and doing a phenomenal job already. He and his wife Lindsay have 2 kids, Joshua and Anna, both around the ages of Areyna and Ezekiel. Needless to say, the kids had a blast together. And it was great to reconnect with the Broome family. I have a new level of respect for middle school pastors of large churches and I don't envy them in the least bit!! It was a great trip and the Lord worked in a powerful way as a handful of students accepted Christ as their Lord and Savior. After
Guest Blogger: Charles Spurgeon 2007-10-17 07:35:00 I really needed this today. God never fails to bring an appropriate word right when we need it - sometimes we just don't listen for it. Maybe you need this today as well."The thought of David's heart at this time was a false thought, because he certainly had no ground for thinking that God's anointing him by Samuel was intended to be left as an empty unmeaning act. On no one occasion had the Lord deserted His servant; he had been placed in perilous positions very often, but not one instance had occurred in which divine interposition had not delivered him. The trials to which he had been exposed had been varied; they had not assumed one form only, but many--yet in every case He who sent the trial had also graciously ordained a way of escape. David could not put his finger upon any entry in his diary, and say of it, "Here is evidence that the Lord will forsake me," for the entire tenor of his past life proved the very reverse. He should have argued from what God had done for him, th Read more:Guest
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Runny Noses 2007-10-15 15:51:00 Though long overdue, Magical Motion Mondays is back. This is the one you've been waiting for, whether you knew it or snot.To the music of "Runnin'" by John Cutler; performed by Pete Simpson Read more:Noses
Truth Has Stumbled 2007-10-11 13:51:00 I read Isaiah 59 this morning and the whole chapter just jumped right off the page, especially verse 14. It says, “…truth has stumbled in the public square…” I thought to myself, “Man, this verse has never been more true than it is today.” It speaks profoundly to our culture. All you have to do is walk out the door and you see it everywhere – a culture where truth is relative. A culture of no absolutes. A culture that invites us all to do whatever we want and feel no remorse. It’s true in the political square. Lying and cheating are inconsequential because after all, “It’s just politics.” It’s true in the pop-cultural square. Fourth marriage not working out for ya? No big deal. Try another. Or just steal someone else’s spouse. It’s true among Christians as well. My pastor posted a blog yesterday with a very similar tone. In a recent survey, 85% of Americans claim to be Christians. If that’s true, then we have a serious problem of truth stu Read more:Truth
Guest Blogger: Jacob Via: Review of The Golden Compass 2007-12-07 15:37:00 As the holiday season comes into full swing, statistics are showing that The GoldenCompass
is sure to be the biggest film of the season, if not the year. It's sad really when I realize how easily this movie has slipped through the cracks within the believing community. Why on earth did we rant and rave over the Da Vinci Code but allow The Golden Compass to sneak into the main stream media without a single fight?The Golden Compass, as many of you know, is a movie about an evil dictator trying to rule the world, and a little girl destined to stop him. Let's let these quotes from Phillip Pullman, the author of this trilogy, to speak for himself."If there is a God and he is as the Christians describe him, then he deserves to be put to death and rebelled against," Pullman told the Telegraph newspaper in 2002. "As you look back over the history of the Christian church, it's a record of terrible infamy and cruelty and persecution and tyranny. How they have the bloody nerve to go on 'Thou Read more:Blogger
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I Wanna Be Like You 2007-12-04 22:22:00 How can I not help but blog about this!? And how can you not help but think what a little hardcore heartthrob this guy is!! I was gone when Tasha took this, but apparently Zeke was walking around all day patting his head, wearing my beanie and saying, "Da-da, da-da!" Reminds me of that old Harry Chapin song, Cats in the Cradle. No pressure, though! No pressure!
Playlist 12-2-07 2007-12-03 12:16:00 Here's the rundown from yesterday. It was an awesome Lord's Day as we kicked off the Christmas series for 2 different churches.South Pointe Fellowship - AM1. Hark the Herald Angels Sing/Let Us Sing (arr. Via)2. Come Thou Fount of Every Blessing (trad.)3. O Come Let Us Adore Him (trad.)4. He Is Exalted (Shane and Shane arr.)5. Wonderful Maker (Tomlin)Ridge Church - PM1. O Holy Night (Third Day arr.)2. Gloria (Familywise Music Resources)3. O Come Let Us Adore Him (Matt Redman arr.)4. How Great is Our God (Tomlin)5. Angels We Have Heard on High/Gloria (Mercy Me arr.) Read more:Playlist
Running Out 2007-12-17 14:59:00 This verse spoke to me today: "...for the Devil has come down to you with great fury, because he knows he has a short time" (Revelation 12:12).In its context, the verse is dealing with end times. But I think it's just as appropriate and applicable right now.Yesterday was a rough day of ministry. I think we all have those from time to time. Details are not important. It just happens. And I'm not one to see the devil hiding behind every rock, but I do think that he came down in great fury yesterday, because he knows his time is short. It probably wasn't him, since he's not omnipresent, but at least one of his demons. Trying to discourage me. Trying to derail me. Trying to stifle the work of God in our family and ministry, especially when God wants to show up and do something big. So, praise God, I woke up to read this verse (non-coincidentally) which gives me the triumphant confidence to say, "God is still on His throne, He will always receive the praise and glory He
Recaps 12-16-07 2007-12-17 14:50:00 Chrio Church AM1. Hark the Herald Angels Sing2. Joy to the World3. Angels We Have Heard on High4. The Wonder of This Sight (Via)5. Emmanuel (Via)6. O Come, O Come Emmanuel7. Wonderful Maker8. O Holy NightRidge Church PM1. Joy to the World (Family Wise)2. Gloria (Family Wise)3. What Child is This?4. Hosanna (HU)5. I Believe (Natalie Grant)
Eternal Interest 2007-12-14 12:11:00 "Turn my heart from vanity,from dissatisfactions,from uncertainties of the present state,to an eternal interest in Christ."-a Puritan prayer Read more:Eternal
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Worship with Oprah 2007-12-12 20:38:00 Apparently the set of Oprah
is a great place to tune in to the heart of God. Check out the lady about 6 sec. in. She's really gettin' her praise on!! Hallelujah! Praise you, Opr... I mean, Jesus!
Ghost Riding and Risk 2007-12-11 09:20:00 CNN is playing in the background as I write this. They're doing a report on ghost riding - when the driver of a moving vehicle purposefully leaves the wheel unmanned while riding on the hood, on the top, or wherever else he can find for some joyful moments. I'm watching as they report about kids who have died and others who have been mangled from experimenting with ghost riding. There's one guy they're interviewing who is bragging about how he never does it without being sure he's in a safe and controlled environment. Brilliant. Here's a tip. It's free. NEVER DO THIS! Find your kicks and thrills somewhere else. You have way too much life to live. And I can think of about ten other ways I would rather die than by being run over by my own moving car. I can't even imagine trying to explain that to God in heaven. Risks. People take them all the time. They find thrills in many different ways. My brother always wanted to sky dive. I never wanted to. H Read more:Ghost
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Magic Motion Monday: Water Shortage? No Problem 2007-12-10 17:12:00 I never should have said that I would have a new crazy video for you all each and every Monday
. But, at least, I can keep you surprised when they do pop up from time to time. Here's the latest installment. The water shortage in the southeast US is no problem for our family. We have learned to bathe in other ways!!To the tune of "Love Letters in the Sand" by Sixpence Read more:Magic
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Recaps 12-9-07 2007-12-10 14:44:00 Here's the rundown from the weekend:SouthPointe Fellowship AM1. Angels We Have Heard on High (trad.)2. Joy to the World (trad.)3. Be Thou My Vision (trad.)4. The Wonder of This Sight (Via)5. Wonderful Maker (Tomlin)-SouthPointe has been a really cool church to minister in as they continue to search for a full-time youth and worship guy. They've been really great to our family. Yesterday was it for us for a while. We may be back in January a couple Sundays. We'll see. It was great to have my friend Nathaniel Bryan (part of Return Worship) beatin' on a 4-piece!Ridge Church PM1. Rockin' Around the Christmas Tree (Mercy Me)2. Salvation is Here (HU)3. Gloria (Family Wise)4. Grace Will Be My Song (Fee)-Another good night at Ridge. Had an awesome band to play with, as usual. Rusty Burchard and the whole production team continues to take it up another notch every week. Keeps me on my toes!!
Playlist 12.23.07 and Christmas Eve! 2007-12-24 11:52:00 Yesterday we had the privilege of leading worship again at our home church here in Charlotte - Southbrook Church. It's been about 3 months since we were able to do that, being on the road so much. It was awesome though. Pastor Rob gave a strong salvation message and the Lord broke through to many hearts. 76 people prayed to receive Jesus. Praise the Lord for that! Read my wife's blog for more details.We played:1. O Holy Night2. Rejoice (Chris Tomlin)3. Immanuel (Via, brand new one)4. O Little Town of Bethlehem w/ the tag from Fix You (Coldplay).If you're in the Charlotte area tonight and you're looking for a great Christmas
Eve service, come on out to Southbrook for "Going Home for Christmas" - a dramatic production and time of worship. You can choose from any of 5 services!! (Yea, a death-wish, I know) 4:00, 5:30, 7:00, 8:30 and 10:00. Tasha and I, Sarah Scott, and Andy Cherry and the band will be leading the worship portion. Pray that we'll all have enough stamina to g Read more:Playlist
Flashback Friday: Agapeland 2007-12-21 16:12:00 When I was about 5 years old, my favorite cassette tape was called "Bullfrogs and Butterflies" by the Agapeland Kids Series. I still remember the magic, beauty and wonder that exuded from the tape player when I popped it in. Hours of listening enjoyment for me. Hours of senseless torture for my parents. To fill you in, Agapeland was a series of music tapes and records that taught essential Bible truths and principles for kids. It was sort of a precursor to Veggie Tales, Hillsong Kids, and stuff like that. And I loved them. I still remember the tune and lyrics to the chorus of "Bullfrogs and Butterflies.""Bullfrogs and butterflies. We both been born again!" (repeat)That's good stuff right there.I remember on vacation one year my parents convinced me that we were actually going to visit Agapeland, "the wonderland of love." I imagined it as a magical place where God and the angels lived, with roller coasters and cotton candy. The next day when we arrived at Dollywood, I didn't Read more:Friday
Walk in the Name 2007-12-20 13:41:00 I read Micah 4 this morning. Verse 5 jumped off the page:"Though all the peoples each walk in the name of their gods, we will walk in the name of Yahweh our God forever and ever." It reminded me of Joshua 24:15, where Joshua drew a line in the sand saying,"Choose for yourselves today the one you will worship: the gods your fathers worshiped ... or the gods of the Amorites ... But as for me and my family, we will worship the LORD."I wondered what it meant to actually "walk in the name of the Yahweh." Calvin said that it's meant to show the stark contrast between Yahweh and every other god."How did they derive their majesty and their power, except from the false imagination of men? ... The power and authority of God is not founded on any vain device of men, for he of himself exists, and will exist, though he were denied by the whole world" (Calvin's Commentaries, Micah, 273).A false god has no majesty or power except that which is given it by the imagination of the dreamer. But since
Northside 2008-03-07 21:15:00 Drained pretty much describes my sentiment. But what a great day it was. Tasha and I and our amazing band of friends (Andy Cherry, Nolan Verner, Tim Morrison, and Marty Connell) led worship at Northside Baptist Church here in Charlotte for the Greater Charlotte Association of Christian Schools, In-Service Day (whew ... don't make me say that again!). About 400 Christian educators in the Charlotte area came together for a day of workshops and seminars, and we were asked to lead the worship for the event. It was a great day. Northside's staff was terrific to work with and made us feel right at home. The atmosphere buzzed and the Lord's presence was obvious.We took the kids with us, and since we had to leave the house at 6 am, the little rascals were dragging by the time we left at 2:30
I Don't Like to ... But I Don't Want to ... 2008-03-06 10:47:00 Guest Blogger: SmoothSo tonight on the way home from church, Cana and I had a conversation that actually turned out to be pretty profound for a two-year-old. We were about a mile from our house, so I started trying to mentally prepare Cana for bedtime. I told her that when we got home it was time to go "night night." The rest of the conversation went like this.Cana: But... I don't like to go night night.Me: Well, I'm sorry Cana, but we have to go night night.Cana: But... I do de-otions firstMe: Yeah, we'll do your devotions first. Won't that be fun?Cana: NoMe: NO?! Cana, I thought you liked your devotions!Cana: Yeah, but... going night night... not fun.Me: I know it's not fun, baby. But we have to go night night. Cana, when we get home, are you going to be a good girl and obey?Cana: YeahM
Charlotte One: Salvation is Here 2008-03-05 08:59:00 Thanks to my buddy Ryan York for posting this video from last week. It will give you some idea of what goes on at Charlotte
ONE! Blessings! Read more:Salvation
My Situation Tells Me That God Has Forgotten 2008-03-04 16:53:00 7 "Will the Lord reject forever and never again show favor? 8 Has His faithful love ceased forever?Is [His] promise at an end for all generations? 9 Has God forgotten to be gracious? Has He in anger withheld His compassion?" Psalm 77I think we all ask questions like these at various times in our lives. When you find out that two people who are closely connected to you are battling cancer, and they're both in their twenties. When you can't quite discern the will of God, and it frustrates you more than anything. When the state and condition of the world seems so utterly depressing that you wonder what difference you could ever make. When evil seems to take the upper hand.Has God forgotten to be gracious?Of course, the answer is a resounding, rhetorical, "NO!" But s Read more:Forgotten
Familial Support on 3-2-08 2008-03-02 19:23:00 It was a great day back at Southbrook. My parents and sister were in town for Rainy's birthday party yesterday, so they stayed over last night to worship with us this morning. It was awesome having them there. They came to CharlotteONE this past week, as well. I've got the best parents in the world. They support Tasha and me 100% with the task God has given us to do. Mom, Dad, Joy, thanks for your support!Today was a standalone message by our Executive Pastor, Paul Allen, on the relationship between stewardship and loving God. Great stuff. He focused on John 21:15-17 and Matthew 25:34-40.Our worship set:1. Joyful, Joyful We Adore Thee (Passion Hymns version - I never get tired of playing this one. This is a great tune for any context, because anyone with even the most minute sense Read more:Support
A Single Con 2008-02-29 21:29:00 It's been almost 2 years ago now that Tasha and I resigned from the church where I served as youth pastor in Henderson, NC, (New Sandy Creek Baptist Church) to move to Charlotte, and launch our ministry. Those 4 years at the Creek were great days for us. The people there loved us as if we had grown up there. We still consider it our home church--a place that holds a ton of memories--things that we saw God do in a group of young people that were hungry for God to move in their lives. My friend Daniel Atkins is serving there now, and the youth group has nearly doubled in size, and mostly through kids coming to Christ, getting on fire for the Lord, and dragging their lost friends there kicking and screaming.Just before we left the Creek, the youth group presented me with a single converse
Three 2008-02-28 22:14:00 Today is Rainy's birthday and she turned 3-years-old. Last night we went out as a family to PetSmart and got her a beta fish for her birthday--an animal that is at least somewhat doable for a traveling family with our pattern of home absenteeism. The less maintenance the better, I say. If it were up to me, he'd probably get fed once a month, but with Rainy at the controls, he's bound to get a one-item buffet everyday, multiple times a day.One good thing is, since he's practically indistinguishable from any other beta fish, if he dies, we might be able to switch him out with a similar fish without Rainy's knowledge. That's always a plus. Of course, at this age, she's keenly aware of things going on around her, so that might not work after all. Regardless, he's Rainy's fish for now, a Read more:Three
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