Light Will Shine by Kurtis Parks

This is Kurtis Parks, I have the honor and privilege of serving alongside him at National Community Church. Kurtis serves as the Campus Pastor at our newest location at Potomac Yard in Alexandria. I have a lot of love and respect for this guy. He is a man of character and an amazing worshipper and this song is off is newest album...which is AWESOME. Check it out here - http://www.kurtisparks.com/ or get Light Will Shine on itunes

Kurtis Parks//Light Will Shine//Music Video// from Nick Welsh on Vimeo.

Workout Playlist 148 Songs that Get Me Moving at 4:30am

Here is My Workout Playlist that helps me rock it when I get at 4:30am and go to the gym!

Questions? Please Ask!

Awake and Alive Skillet Awake (Deluxe Version)
Never Too Late Three Days Grace One-X (Deluxe Version)
Pass the Mic Beastie Boys Solid Gold Hits
Dear X, You Don't Own Me Disciple Dear X, You Don't Own Me - Single
Breaking Point Along Those Lines Somewhere In Between
The Inevitable Relapse Filter The Inevitable Relapse - Single
Pieces It's Alive Human Resources
Savior Skillet Collide
Train 3 Doors Down 3 Doors Down (Bonus Track Version)
Welcome to the End 12 Stones The Only Easy Day Was Yesterday - EP
Addicted Saving Abel Saving Abel
Overcome Creed Full Circle
Jars Chevelle Jars
Good Fight Creed Full Circle
It's Not My Time 3 Doors Down 3 Doors Down (Bonus Track Version)
Bullets Creed Weathered
White Knuckles Alter Bridge Blackbird
Afterlife Avenged Sevenfold Avenged Sevenfold
No Sleep Till Brooklyn Beastie Boys Solid Gold Hits
Nightmare Avenged Sevenfold Nightmare (Deluxe Version)
Zombie The Cranberries No Need to Argue
Lost It All (Non-Album Track) Avenged Sevenfold Nightmare (Deluxe Version)
Sabotage Beastie Boys Solid Gold Hits
Push Along Those Lines Somewhere In Between
Hearts Of The Innocence Kutless Hearts Of The Innocence
Enemy 12 Stones The Only Easy Day Was Yesterday - EP
World So Cold Three Days Grace Life Starts Now (Bonus Track Version)
Shut Me Out Kutless Hearts Of The Innocence
Godspeed Anberlin Cities [Bonus Tracks]
Suddenly Creed Full Circle
Mudshovel Staind iTunes Originals - Staind
Never Surrender Skillet Awake (Deluxe Version)
Flood (New Rain) Jars of Clay Closer - EP
So What'cha Want Beastie Boys Solid Gold Hits
Bring Me To Life Evanescence Fallen
Salvation The Cranberries The Cranberries: Stars - The Best of 1992-2002
Right Where I Belong 3 Doors Down Seventeen Days
Let Me Be Myself 3 Doors Down 3 Doors Down (Bonus Track Version)
Animal I Have Become Three Days Grace One-X (Deluxe Version)
Come to Life Alter Bridge Blackbird
Here I Am Along Those Lines Somewhere In Between
Metalingus Alter Bridge One Day Remains
Triple Trouble Beastie Boys Solid Gold Hits
Say I Creed Human Clay
Natural Born Killer Avenged Sevenfold Nightmare (Deluxe Version)
Call Me When You're Sober Evanescence Call Me When You're Sober - Single
Boom Boom Pow Black Eyed Peas
Torn Creed My Own Prison
Curiosity Kills Trapt Only Through the Pain
Believe The Bravery The Sun and the Moon
Dear Agony Breaking Benjamin Dear Agony
Breaking Inside Shinedown The Sound of Madness (Bonus Track Version)
I Will Not Bow Breaking Benjamin I Will Not Bow - Single
Wasteland Trapt Only Through the Pain
Devour Shinedown The Sound of Madness (Bonus Track Version)
Rescue Me Buckcherry Black Butterfly (Deluxe Version)
Simplest Mistake Seether Karma And Effect
Rainy Day Parade Staind The Illusion of Progress
Adrenaline 12 Stones Anthem for the Underdog
Accelerate R.E.M. Accelerate
Jesus Freak 4th Avenue Jones Freaked! A Gotee Tribute To dcTalk's "Jesus Freak"
Bury Me Alive We Are the Fallen Bury Me Alive - Single
My Own Worst Enemy Saliva & Brent Smith Cinco Diablo
The Taste of Ink The Used
Never Enough (Bonus Track) Five Finger Death Punch The Way of the Fist (Bonus Track Version)
Paint It Black U2 Who's Gonna Ride Your Wild Horses - EP
Contagious Trapt Only Through the Pain
Finest Worksong (Mutual Drum Horn Mix) R.E.M. Eponymous
Missing You Throwing Gravity Missing You - Single
Image of the Invisible (Radio Edit) Thrice Image of the Invisible - Single
Move Thousand Foot Krutch X: 17 Christian Rock Hits! 2006
Tunnel Third Day Where You Are
The Way I Am Staind The Illusion of Progress
Drown In My Own Tears The Smithereens Live In Concert - Greatest Hits And More!
Fight Inside Red Fight Inside - Single
Break the Silence Killswitch Engage As Daylight Dies (Special Edition)
Give Me a Sign Breaking Benjamin Dear Agony
I Gotta Feeling The Black Eyed Peas The E.N.D. (The Energy Never Dies)
Light It Up Rev Theory Light It Up
Superman (Remastered) R.E.M. Superman (Remastered) - Single
Let Go Red End Of Silence
Alive Pearl Jam Ten
Awake Seventh Day Slumber X 2007: 17 Christian Rock Hits!
The One I Love R.E.M. Document
Prodigal Son Sevendust Chapter VII: Hope & Sorrow (Bonus Track Version)
Remedy Seether Karma And Effect
Rock You Like a Hurricane Scorpions 20th Century Masters - The Millennium Collection: The Best of Scorpions
Livin' On Borrowed Time Puddle of Mudd Famous
Bad Company Five Finger Death Punch War Is the Answer
Driver 8 R.E.M. Eponymous
The Reckoning Pillar The Reckoning
The Good Left Undone Rise Against The Sufferer & the Witness
Savior Rise Against Appeal to Reason
Supernatural Superserious REM Supernatural Superserious - Single
Give It Away Red Hot Chili Peppers Red Hot Chili Peppers: Greatest Hits
Lithium Nirvana Nevermind
My Apocalypse Metallica My Apocalypse - Single
Psycho Puddle of Mudd Famous
Nightmare The Product Addicted
Stranded Plumb Candy Coated Waterdrops
Bring Me Down Pillar Where Do We Go From Here
Broken Again Another Animal Another Animal
Forever Papa Roach The Paramour Sessions
Even Flow Pearl Jam Ten
Careful Paramore Brand New Eyes (Deluxe Version)
Ignorance Paramore Brand New Eyes (Deluxe Version)
Freak on a Leash Korn Greatest Hits, Vol. 1
Scars Papa Roach Getting Away With Murder
...To Be Loved Papa Roach The Paramour Sessions
Your Love The Outfield The Outfield: Super Hits
Come As You Are Nirvana Nevermind
Chasm Flyleaf Memento Mori (Expanded Version)
Torn Advocate Demo-Rough Mix
Gone Fuel Angels & Devils
Freedom Nailpoint Payment Celebrating True Love: The Revolution Jesus Started
Falls On Me Fuel The Best of Fuel
The Bottom It's Alive Human Resources
Purple Haze Jimi Hendrix His Greatest Hits (LIVE)
Alone I Break Korn Greatest Hits, Vol. 1
Ain't No Rest for the Wicked Cage the Elephant Ain't No Rest For The Wicked - Single of the Week
The Game Motörhead Hammered
Voodoo Child (Slight Return) The Jimi Hendrix Experience Experience Hendrix - The Best of Jimi Hendrix
Beds Are Burning Midnight Oil 20000 Watt RSL - The Midnight Oil Collection (Remastered)
I'm Sorry Flyleaf Flyleaf
Going Under Evanescence Fallen
One Step Closer Linkin Park Hybrid Theory (Bonus Version)
Blind Korn Greatest Hits, Vol. 1
Broken, Beat & Scarred Metallica Death Magnetic
Without You Advocate Demo-Rough Mix
Shine 3 Doors Down Shine - Single
Sweet Dreams (Are Made of This) Eurythmics Ultimate Collection
Turn Your Life Around Advocate Demo-Rough Mix
Here Comes the Rain Again Eurythmics Ultimate Collection
Hemorrhage (In My Hands) Fuel Something Like Human
Scar Fuel Something Like Human
Swept Away Flyleaf Memento Mori (Expanded Version)
Lose Yourself Eminem Curtain Call
Bodies Drowning Pool Sinner
Down With the Sickness Disturbed The Sickness
One Thousand Apologies Demon Hunter X: 17 Christian Rock Hits! 2006
Insane in the Brain Cypress Hill Black Sunday
Speed Of Sound Coldplay X & Y
Clocks Coldplay A Rush of Blood to the Head
Straight Outta Compton N.W.a The Best of N.W.A: The Strength of Street Knowledge
Enter Sandman Metallica Metallica
Sweet Home Alabama Lynyrd Skynyrd Second Helping (Remastered)
Lost In The Shadows Lou Gramm The Lost Boys
Mama Said Knock You Out LL Cool J Def Jam Recordings: Let the People Speak

Letting the Past Go

Last night I had a crazy dream, that individuals from my past tried to step in to my present world to destroy it. Some of these people, I hurt pretty bad, others I did very embarrassing things with and a few I can't remember what I did to them (during my drug and alcohol days). All these people sent notes and letters to Pastor Mark asking that I would resign from National Community Church for my past indiscretion and mistakes...most over 20 years ago.

I have learned over the years, that while there are things I wish I can go back and change from my horrible past, I NEED TO LET THE PAST GO! See Christ has forgiven me of everything. When I cross the line of faith and put my hope and trust in Him and accepted all that He has done for me...HE FORGAVE ME. I think in many ways, it is hard for me to accept that...it is also hard for me to forgive myself.

One of my greatest fears, is the fear of failure. I hate to fail...I do all that I can to avoid failure. I dont want to let God down, I don't want to let others down, I don't want to let myself down. I hate failure and I am afraid of it. I feel failure will end all of God's blessings and favor in my life.

I feel with so much of my past, I failed way too often. I failed wen I hurt people, I failed when I didn't graduate, I failed every time I got in trouble because of my own stupid choices. I am also afraid that those things can continue to haunt me and find me where I am at today.

I also realize anyone of us is just a moment, a second, a breath away from falling...I am not exempt from it...no one is. We read about it, we see it in the news. So, I constantly remind myself of that fact, I don't want to fail...don't want to fall. I don't want my past sins and mistakes to invade my present realities.

I need to continue to remind myself to LET GO OF THE PAST. I know God has a plan and destiny on my life moving forward...I need to stay focus on HIM and HIM alone. Not to look back. I also know it is my past that God has used to develop and shape me in the person I am today. But I also need to keep on the forefront of my mind that I have been completely forgiven by a wonderful Savior.

I want to encourage all of us to walk in His forgiveness and allow Him to set you free from your past.

Where is your comfort found?

Save us from these comforts.
Break us of our need for the familiar
Spare us any joy that’s not of You
And we will worship You

Those words above from a Carlos Whitaker song We Will Worship You, has been my heartbeat and anthem for the last several months.

I truly believe God has not called us to the comforts of this world. He has not called us to complacency. God's desire for all of us is to grow. The way we grow is through being stretched...to be pulled out of our comforts and taking to that place where we are absolutely dependent on Him and not on our own strength or power. We need to step away from the familiar, the routines, from those complacency of our lives.

I feel that we need to spared from the joys and pleasures of this world, the material, those things that would cause us to rely on those things and not allow us to focus on God through His son Jesus Christ. I think too many find joys in career success, in our things, in our material comforts, and things that would distract us from our greatest reward...JESUS!

The only great joy and the only great comfort we can truly experience...I believe this with all my heart, mind, soul and strength can only be found only in our WORSHIP of the CREATOR. We designed and we are destined to WORSHIP HIM. It is only through Jesus Christ, through what He has done for us that we can truly worship the ONE TRUE LIVING GOD!

I was reminded of this amazing song by Shane and Shane, Great Reward, during dinner with good friends of ours down here in Nashville...this sums it up. In what ways are you allowing God to totally stretch you? Where are you growing in your faith with Him? Where is your comfort found? Where do you find your joy? What is your great reward?

Jesus You're my great reward
You are my portion Lord
While in heaven plead for me
Draw my every thought to thee
Draw my every thought to thee

I love You, Lord
Jesus, my King
I want to love You more
My great reward

I have this treasure in a jar of clay
All Your glory on display
Am a sinner who's saved by grace
You have made me a dwelling place
You have made me a dwelling place

I love You, Lord
Jesus, my King
I want to love You more
My great reward

For You are all I'm living for
I'm moving toward the prize
One thing I ask and this I seek
To gaze into Your eyes

Investing In Our Community

On Wednesday, August 18, 2010 National Community Church and Top Golf Alexandria are partnering together to present A Concert for a Cause. The purpose of this event is to be a blessing and bring awareness to three separate organization in the Northern Virginia.

At a suburban location, it would be so easy to be content in our in reach to the establish community that already attend our Church location. Needs aren't always obvious or in your face in the Suburbs of Northern Virginia, especially in the Alexandria/ Springfield/ Kingstowne areas. In Washington, DC you can't help but walk a few blocks and see the needs of the people in the streets.

So for us @NCC Kingstowne we need to be intentional about reaching out to meet both the practical and spiritual needs of the people in our community. While we don't have a big homeless population, we do have quite a bit of the working poor community around the area and low income population. I feel the sense that we should do all we can to meet those needs and be a huge blessing on our communities around the @NCC Kingstowne location. Also, feel the calling personally to show the tangible love of God in very practical ways.

One of the forms of Discipleships (from the book Sacred Roads by Heather Zempel) that God is using to grow and stretch me in recently is Incarnational Discipleship. Incarnational Discipleship: 19th and 20th centuries, missions, service, social justice, compassion ministries People grow in their relationship with Christ as they seek to follow His model of servant leadership and become His hands and feet in sacrificial service to those around them.

Heart of why we do local outreaches and events at National Community Church: Ultimately it is all about being missional in our communities.

• Be a blessing to our community

• Meet practical and spiritual needs

• Have an opportunity to invite people to come to one of NCC’s services and locations.

• Would our community notice or miss us if we shut down a location in that community?

• What are we going to be known for in the context of our communities (families; serving; community involvement)

• To work and partner with other organization who are meeting practical needs of individuals and families

• To invest and contribute into our communities.
  

The three organizations that we will be blessing through various donations and bringing awareness to that are doing amazing things in the Northern Virginia are:

CARPENTER’S SHELTER ( www.carpentersshelter.org )
As Northern Virginia’s largest homeless program serving nearly 1,000 homeless and formerly homeless children, families and adults each year, we rely on the support of our community in order to continuously provide for the needs of this vulnerable population. Currently we are in need of donations of the following:

• Food Items: coffee, 100% juice, powdered juice, drinks, cereals, oatmeal, children’s snacks, salad dressing
• Medicines: first aid supplies, aspirin, vitamins
• Toiletry Items: razors, deodorants, diapers, toothpaste
• Miscellaneous: wash cloths, umbrellas, new adult underwear, socks, gift cards to Target, Old Navy and Walmart, metro fare cards
• Aftercare Client’s Needs (family sized): sugar, flour, jelly,
  peanut butter, laundry detergent, dish soap

KOINONIA FOUNDATION ( www.koinoniacares.org )
The Koinonia Foundation, Inc. is the local nonprofit agency providing basic needs services and seasonal programs for communities surrounding the Greater Franconia, VA area. Our assistance to the community is free-of-charge. Items we receive are given to individuals and families who live in our local area and are in need of help.

• New and gently used clothing
• Household Items

OUR DAILY BREAD ( www.our-daily-bread.org )
Our Daily Bread (ODB) is a volunteer-based organization focused on easing the plight of low income residents in the area of Fairfax, Virginia. It draws volunteers from local faith-based groups, community organizations, local businesses, schools and universities.

• We’d like to focus attention on the Back to School Program and Food Program. We can use gift cards for our clients from grocery stores and office supply stores in increments of $10 or $20 would be helpful.
• How the gift cards will be used?
  • $40 supplies a child with required school supplies for the upcoming year
  • $20 helps a single mom purchase produce and milk for the week

An Evening of Worship with High Street Hymns

I am super excited about this event at Ebenezers tomorrow night. My friend Alex Mejias, is the director of this non-profit ministry. Here is the down low on what High Street Hymns is all about.

High Street Hymns began in the fall of 2006 as a one time project to capture the original music of Christ Church’s 5PM Service (a.k.a. Anglican College Ministry). We had no idea what would happen or how our music would be received. Now four years later, we are preparing to record our fourth CD and we are astounded by what God has done. But before continuing, we felt the need to be more intentional about what High Street Hymns is all about and where we hope it will go. In doing so, a few things became clear, which led to the formation of High Street Hymns as a non-profit music ministry.

1. High Street Hymns is first and foremost a ministry. Our goal is touch hearts and minds with the love and grace of God, primarily through the forgotten poetry of the Church. By writing new music for long-forgotten hymn texts, we hope to infuse the Church with songs that are both theologically rich and musically accessible. The words we sing each Sunday matter tremendously. They reach into the deepest places of our souls and form us, preaching the Gospel to us again and again.

2. We want to do more than release CDs. We’ve already begun to expand what we do to include hymnsings, worship leading and now workshops. We’re excited to be developing more resources for worship leaders and churches, like the High Street Hymns Hymnal. In the future, we’ll work to create more written resources, such as white papers, while looking at ways to serve the Church using new media. We also hope to be a connecting point for worship leaders looking to integrate hymns into their services.

3. Charitable donations help cover the costs of touring. Our heart is to be a blessing to the Church and we have the privilege of visiting churches all over the country. Yet, there are many smaller congregations and start-ups that cannot afford to cover our expenses. Donations will allow us to offer our ministry for free or at a heavily reduced rate for these congregations, who often need the most help with their worship services.

4. Remaining independent is critical to our mission. Although much good has come out of the Christian music industry, we recognize that it is an industry, not a ministry. At the end of the day, we hope to make decisions based on the good of the ministry and not the bottom line alone. We will inevitably interact with the Christian industry, but our goal is to not be dependent upon it. Securing our funding from private donations gives us the ability to make records and operate without relying on the Christian music industry, which we believe will make us a healthier, more effective ministry.

In the coming months, we will be recording a new CD and touring throughout the U.S. Along the way, we’d love your support — your prayers especially. There are so many ways to support us, like spreading the word or hosting a hymnsing. And if you’d like, by making a tax deductible donation. We look forward to many years of ministry and service to the Kingdom of God.

With all of of that said, DO NOT MISS THIS AMAZING TIME OF WORSHIP!

High Street Hymns

Friday, August 6, 7:30 PM to 9:30 PM

Ebenezers Coffeehouse

An Evening of Worship with High Street Hymns

High Street Hymns is an independent, non-profit music ministry that came about as an outgrowth of the worship ministry at Christ Episcopal Church in Charlottesville, VA. Following the footsteps of hymn projects such as Indelible Grace and Red Mountain Music, High Street Hymns produced its first CD (self-titled) of “re-tuned” (old hymns set to new music) and original hymns in the spring of 2007.

Since that time HSH has had the privilege of sharing its music with churches and ministries throughout the United States and Canada. In 2009, HSH released two CDs, “Love’s Redeeming Work Is Done” (EP) and “Love Shall Be Our Token”. In addition, through it’s HymnShare project, HSH will release 50 new hymns over the course of 2010.

High Street Hymns was founded by singer-songwriters Alex Mejias and Ross Byrd, who had previously teamed up to start the pop-rock band Portrait of Another. A number of other musicians and writers have contributed to project including Greg Thompson, Justin Rosolino, Alex Florez, Davis Gouldin and Alan Miller.

Cost: $10 suggested

Concert for a Cause August 18th, 2010