MIKESCHAIR formed while they were students at Belmont University.  The Lord has opened many doors for them and as they walk through those doors, they sing about their faith and even about the doubts and questions that they have along the way.  We recently caught up with Mike of MIKESCHAIR to talk about where the Lord is taking them and how the Lord is using them.

The Band

Q – Can you tell me how the band came together?

“We all came to Nashville, Tennessee, to go to Belmont University.  It’s a situation where within the first two weeks of our freshman year, MIKESCHAIR kind of formed.  I had written a song with a friend and we decided that we wanted to record it.  So, as we started recording the song, we need the electric guitar, bass, and drums; we needed all these instruments to make the song.  Right across the hall, our violin/keyboard player Jessie walks in one day while we were recording and was like, “Hey guys, I play violin.  Can I play with you?”  We were like, “Yeah, man.  Come on!”  So he kind of got on the track and the next thing you know, Sam, our guitar player, walks by the dorm room and was like, “Hey guys, I play electric guitar.”  We were like, “Dude, we need that.”  So he came in and got in on the song and then we went out and recruited John, our bass player.  At the time, it seemed so random, all these different people walking by the dorm room but we’ve been doing this now for six and a half years, so it’s very evident that God’s hand was very much in the formation of what we did.  Everybody wonders about the name.  The name came during that time where we were starting the band and recording.  All of the rest of the guys in the band lived on the first floor of our dorm.  I was the only one who lived on the third floor.  So, naturally, I spent all my time down with the rest of the guys to the point that I was sleeping on the floor in their room.  They always like to interject that I was eating their food, which I wasn’t (laughing).  One day, I came back from class and the guys had gotten me a chair, so that I would have something that was mine.  So, I wrote my name on it and every time we would play and record, the chair was involved.  For us, it’s just a reminder of where we started and how faithful God is to bring us from that dorm room to what we are doing today.”

The Music

Q – How have you seen god working through the music He’s given you?

“It’s countless stories.  Even early on, when we were starting the band, we played a lot on campus.  We had one story where this girl came up to us after we played.  She goes, “Guys, I don’t know what it is about your music, but every time I hear it, I cry.”  After talking to her a little longer, we found out that she was actually a Buddhist, so it was just an amazing opportunity to be like, “We know why, this is why this music touches you.”  Just being able to share Christ with her in that moment (was amazing).  It’s things like that all the time and even now, since we’ve had the blessing to be on the radio and for people to hear the songs in more ways, we hear stories from people who just found out they had cancer and our song came on the radio, one song in particular “Can’t Take Away”, and in that moment brought this one person hope.  That’s why we do what we do.  That’s why we’re writing music for the Lord.  That’s why we’re in Christian music because there’s so much more to what we do than just music and that’s what we get excited about.”

Q – How do you guys stay grounded in your faith?

“A huge thing for us is that we’re all deeply rooted in local churches here in Nashville.  Whenever we’re in town on a Sunday, we’re usually serving in some way.  A lot of us help with the worship at our church, just constantly being brought back to why we do what we do.  Another cool thing that we do, we call it marriage counseling.  There’s a really cool organization here in town called Porter’s Call.  Porter’s Call is simply a guy who felt called to minister to artists who are on the road full-time.  It’s free; it’s paid for by all the labels here in town.  Basically, it’s just an avenue for us to come as a band and sit down with somebody who asks us tough questions that most people don’t ask.  (Questions like) Are you loving each other well?  What are you doing on the road to stay connected with your church community?  What are you doing to stay connected in prayer and reading the Bible?  That’s been huge for us.”

Q – How has it helped your walk with God by being surrounded by fellow believers?

“It’s an incredible thing.  That’s a huge part of being a believer, being in community.  Being is such close community with guys that you know in and out…we’re like brothers at this point.  Guys who can call you out, guys who see past the surface, it’s something that’s incredible.”

Q – How important is the Word of God when you are writing songs?

“It’s an integral part of what we do.  A lot of songs that we write, maybe not directly from a Scripture verse, they usually always come out of a quiet time of reading the Bible and praying.  That’s our prayer.  Our prayer is always, “God, give us Your words.  What do You want Your people to hear?”  That’s directly rooted in reading the Bible and having that time.”

Q – Can you give us an overview of the album?

“Our hope is that when someone listens to our record, they are left asking questions that maybe they didn’t have before listening to the record.  Our prayer is that, in some way, God will connect with people through the music.  There are themes throughout our record.  I think faithfulness is one of them.  Honesty is one of the themes because whenever we write, we try to be as honest as we can about the joys of being a believer and about the hard times, the doubts, and the fears.  Overall, I would say hope is one of the overall themes as well.”

Advice and Insight

As Mike and I talked, you could hear the sincerity in his voice about what he believes and what the band has been called to do.  I asked him a couple of insight questions to see what God had revealed to him.

Q – Why is honesty so important in Christianity today?

“If it’s not honest, it’s not Christianity in my opinion.  So many people get caught up in the trap that the church is a place to put up the mask, to put up the guard.  One of the things I love about my community here in Nashville and my home church, the theme is that we have to be honest and real with each other for God to be able to make a difference in our lives.  If we’re not honest with ourselves and we’re not honest with each other and the Lord, then there’s so many things that we get caught up in just as fallen human beings that keep us away from our Creator.  As hard as it is to be truly honest with your friends and with your community and the Lord, it’s absolutely essential.”

Q – What is your favorite passage of Scripture and give us some insight as to why you choose that one?

“I’ll give you two.  There’s one verse that MIKESCHAIR has taken as almost a mission statement.  It comes from 1 Corinthians 13, and it’s basically verses 1-3.  It says, “If I could speak all the languages of earth and of angels, and didn’t love others, I would only be a noisy gong or a clanging cymbal.”  Then it goes on to say that we can have all these gifts but if we don’t have love, then it means nothing.  That’s basically what we base everything we do on.  Is this adding to the noise or is it love?”

“Then, another one.  We have a song on our record called “Let The Waters Rise” and it’s actually our latest single that just came out.  There’s a verse in John, John 16:33, that says, “In this world, you’ll have trouble but take heart for I have overcome the world.”  Lately, that’s the verse that’s just been really encouraging me.  This life isn’t perfect and there are things we’re going to have to go through being in a fallen world, but the fact that Jesus has already overcome the world just brings so much hope to me and hopefully others.”

Mike assured me that they will be out on the road in 2010 and will be ministering to people.  Their music is touching lives in ways that they never thought possible when they were sitting in that dorm room at Belmont University, but they found that being honest with people can have a great impact.  Their message is one of hope, a message that we all need each and every day.

I recently caught up with Jonny and we spoke about how God had redirected his life and how God was using his music to speak to people all over the world.  His song, “More Beautiful You” shot up the charts and people began to listen to this message that the Lord was laying on his heart.

His Life

Q – Can you tell me your testimony?

“I came from a Christian family so I honestly have believed in Christ as my Savoir for as long as I can remember.  My testimony has kind of been that journey of understanding that more and knowing what that means and learning how to live because of that more and more each year and each day, really.  A big turning point for me was in college.  I went to Florida State on a baseball scholarship and really had plans to play baseball and hopefully pursue that professionally.  That’s when God called me into music and called me to lay down my desires and lay down baseball.  It was at that point in my life that I really had to decide who I was going to serve.  Was I going to go according to what I wanted or was I going to give me life to God in His service?

Q – How hard of a decision was that for you to make, laying down baseball and pursuing music?

“It was very tough.  I really wish that I could say that I obeyed God immediately when God laid that on my heart but I didn’t.  I wrestled with God for about six months and kind of hit a low point because God was telling me something I didn’t want to hear.  I was doing my best to ignore the fact that He even existed.  Ultimately, I just realized through reaching that low point that the only place where I was going to find contentment and the only place where I was really going to find the joy that I was looking for was in God’s plan for my life, instead of my own.”

Q – As you look back now, how do you see that obedience to God has changed your life?

“Right now, He’s got me playing music.  It looks like He’s really using the music I’m creating, which is awesome.  I can tell you that I don’t want to do this a day longer than I’m supposed to.  Just making that decision, just proclaiming it with my mouth and my actions that I’m going to follow in God’s footsteps is a big thing for me.  One thing I think is funny is that all my life I’ve dreamed of being a baseball player and hopefully playing on a major league field someday in a major league stadium.  Last August, right about a year ago, I was able to play after a Braves game, opening up for Steven Curtis Chapman at Turner Field.  My brother plays baseball on the team and I played music afterwards and I thought that was kind of funny, like God has a sense of humor.  It’s like, because I obeyed, I actually did get to play in a Major League stadium; it just wasn’t exactly how I thought it would be!”

His music

Jonny’s music has touched the lives of millions of people throughout the world.  One of his songs was even featured on an Atlanta Braves program and through it all, God has opened doors for Jonny to minister to people all over the world.

Q – What inspires you when you are writing music?

“Anything.  To me, writing songs is so tough that anything that comes along that inspires a song, I try and latch on to it, whether it’s something I’m going through, whether it’s my wife, or students that I spend time with.  A song can come from anywhere.”

Q – What inspired “More Beautiful You”?

“That one, I wrote after spending time with a bunch of students in Tennessee.  I got to spend a week with a bunch of high school students and we were just kind of observing them, watching these girls try so hard to fit into a mold that they were never really created to fit into.  If you watch that long enough, it’s something that will really start to break your heart.  I wrote “More Beautiful You” just really to speak to groups like that, to youth groups and to camps and to things like that.  I never really had any desire to put it on the radio so the fact that it actually became a number one song on the radio kind of blows my mind.  God had bigger plans than I did, by far.”

Q – How have you noticed changes in your life since the song became so popular?

“In the past, playing concerts has very much been an introduction of my music to the group that was there.  Even if I was the only one playing or if I was an opener, I was really introducing my music for the first time, but lately, I’ve been able to go places and its’ fun to hear them singing along and know the songs, at least “More Beautiful You”.  Hopefully, they’ll get to know more as I keep playing and keep releasing radio songs.  It’s kind of been fun.  It’s opened doors outside of the southeast.  Over the last few years, I’ve really toured a lot in the southeast but thanks to “More Beautiful You” and its’ success, I’ve been able to head out west and I’m going up to Canada.”

Q – What’s one aspect of a musician’s life that most people don’t understand?

“I think that one thing people don’t understand is that we typically do work about a forty hour week.  It’s just very different hours.  We may get to the venue between two and three o’clock and have to start setting up gear and setting up merchandise, sound-checking, then we have a break for dinner, then we play the concert, then have a meet and greet where we sign autographs and sell things afterwards, and then tear down.  By the time we tear down, its’ typically eleven o’clock before we get out of there.  So, we really put in an eight hour day.  It’s just not a typical eight-hour day at all.”

Q – Who has influenced you musically?

“I admire people who do what I’m trying to do, guitar players and singer-songwriters.  On the secular side, I really like John Mayer, Jack Johnson, and guys who are able to do some pretty cool things with a guitar.  On the Christian side, I really like Brandon Heath, Bebo Norman, Caedmon’s Call, and some of the more “storyteller” type of artists.”

Q – Can you give me an overview of the album?

“Musically, it’s acoustic led.  You can tell that I play guitar and that I wrote the songs while playing the acoustic guitar, but it’s pretty eclectic.  I tend to get bored while writing songs so there are songs that sound like acoustic rock, there are songs that sound more like pop-country, and there are songs that, believe it or not, almost have a reggae-island feel to them.  Lyrically, I realize that my audiences are people that are already in the church.  Rather than using my lyrics to introduce people to grace or introduce people to Jesus Christ, I try to use my lyrics to deal with different aspects of the Christian faith.  “More Beautiful You” deals with the aspect of self-image and how you view yourself.  “Stand For You” deals with the idea that we are going to face opposition but we need to stand up to it.  So really, it’s intended to inspire, challenge, and encourage the body of Christ.”

Q – What has God taught you in this journey as a Christian musician?

“The value of relationships has become so apparent, which is ironic because, when I go to a city and I have an hour to play on stage before I head off to the next city, I really don’t get to develop many relationships with the audience; not to a deep level at least.  I feel like God has really challenged me to hopefully encourage those relationships within the body so that maybe six months or a year later, when I come back, I can see that some amazing things have been happening through those relationships. Scriptures tell us that God is love, so simply by loving and spending time with other people, I think that’s our best way to really introduce people to Him.”

Q – What is something about this album that you want our readers to know?

“One interesting thing is that it was actually recorded as my fourth independent record.  It wasn’t until the record was completely done and mastered that it gained the attention of INO Records and they released it nationally.  I think it’s really neat that the record is actually exactly what I wanted it to be because I was completely in charge of the process, so there were no people looking over my shoulder saying that it needed to be this, that it needed to sound this way, you need to have three singles on it or anything like that.  It really was just the record that God laid on my heart to make and that’s what we made.  I’m so proud of how it came out and I hope the listeners appreciate that.”

His Advice

Though Jonny is still a young man, he has seen many things in his life.  He has witnessed God working through his music.  He has watched as God altered the plans he had made for his life.  He has ministered to numerous people and has felt the hand of God upon him as he travels for the sake of glorifying his Maker.

Q – How refreshing was it spiritually when you stepped into God’s will for your life?

“That’s just it…the beauty of surrender.  Realizing that I don’t have to be in control and I shouldn’t be in control.  It was so much of a rejuvenating thing, just being able to pass over those decisions to God because I knew He had what’s best for me in mind.”

Q – What is your advice to Christian men in how to live our lives better on a daily basis for God?

“I believe that everything we do, we should strive to be Christ-like and so, as men, we can really get to know the character of Jesus by reading Scripture and by studying Scripture.  If we take all of our pointers and allow Him to be our guru and just kind of model ourselves after Him as best as possible, we are going to see amazing things happen to our lives.”

Q – What is your favorite passage of Scripture?

“It kind of changes, but I’d probably say Micah 6:8 because it’s such a great call for us.  It just gives us such a specific challenge as believers.”

Speaking to Jonny, you caught the sense of a man who was amazed at what God has done in his life and what God is going to do in the future.  I asked him to tell me one thing that most people didn’t know about him and he asked his wife.  He said to me, “She says that I can balance the guitar on my chin.  Perhaps the most impressive thing I can do on a guitar is balance it on my chin.” We shared that laugh but just in that moment, I could see that Jonny saw everything that has happened in his career and his life being a result of what God is doing.  When we understand that it is what God can do and the plans that He has for our lives, we no longer have to resist when God tries to redirect us.  We can see that the redirection will create in us a more beautiful person, one more reflective of Jesus Christ.

*Special thanks to Stacie Vining for her help in lining up this interview with Jonny Diaz.  Without her help, this interview would not have been possible.

Scott Brosius is now the head baseball coach at his alma mater.  He is in our Men of God spotlight this week and we recently caught up with Scott over the phone to talk about faith and baseball.

His Life

Scott grew up in Oregon and would attend college at Linfield College.   His roots were not in the church, but Scott had attended various churches while growing up.  After being drafted and playing in the minor leagues, Scott would meet someone who helped him to learn about Jesus.

Q – Can you share your testimony with us?

“Growing up, I had gone to church at a lot of different places, but as a family, we weren’t really a church attending family.  I would hop on the church buses and go wherever they took me and went with my friends as a kid but I never really understood what it meant to have a personal relationship with Christ or knowing God in a personal way.  As a kid, it was that eye in the sky and you just wanted to mind your business.  Growing up through high school and even in college, I didn’t have one of those wild lifestyles.  I lived a pretty normal, focused life, stayed away from all the trouble, but as far as the church goes, I never really attended in high school or in college much.  When people would talk to me about who Jesus was and was wanting me to become a Christian, I just sat on the fence, trying to figure this whole thing out.  I tried to figure out what that meant and was kind of afraid to jump off.  Like it is for a lot of people, sometimes it takes something in your life to kind of push you and for me, it was dealing with the death of my mom.  She was battling cancer and I was in the minor leagues playing Double A baseball, and to that point in my life, everything had kind of gone exactly as planned.  I had a goal of playing baseball from the time I was four or five years old and I got the opportunity to play in high school and play in college, a chance to get drafted and play professionally and I was just working my way through the minor leagues and everything was going as planned.  Then all of the sudden, something happened that was out of my control, the first real negative thing that I had to deal with.  I think it was really kind of through that process that I ultimately ended up making that decision.  I had a former player in Huntsville, Alabama named Rocky Coyle, who I was working out with in the offseason.  He was very active.  He was the youth pastor for years and years but as I knew him, he was just a few years out of baseball.  He was talking to me quite a bit about what it meant to be a Christian and what that meant in your life.  At that point, I was still really hesitant to make that commitment.  I just didn’t get it and I was a little fearful of what that meant and how it could change my life.  My mom was in the middle of a bone marrow transplant.  I was in Alabama and she was in California.  She worsened quickly so I had flown back to California to see her.  My stepdad called and said, “I think you need to get out here. It doesn’t look real good for her.”  So I got out there, I guess on a Wednesday.  I got to the hospital and stayed that the hospital for the first day, overnight, and it was apparent that she was getting worse.  On Thursday morning, the doctors came in and talked to us about her situation and said that at this point, it didn’t look like they were going to be able to save her; they were just going to try to make her as comfortable as possible.  It was pretty devastating news to deal with the reality that my mom was going to die in the near future.  I left the hospital that morning and went back to the house and cleaned up, showered, just trying to gather myself a little bit.  A few hours later, I went back to the hospital.  I got to the hospital and my sister met me at the front door.  She was crying and said, “Mom died while you were gone.”  The thing that I remember about that moment was just this overwhelming kind of panic feeling.  I started taking off and just running through the hospital, just kind of blowing through the doors, just banging through all the doors.  The cancer unit was kind of in the back of the hospital.  I was just running, feeling like I had to get there to see her and just feeling this panic.  When I got to those glass doors, this sliding door that went into the unit where she was at, this mom was walking out with this brand-new, newborn baby.  To this day, I still don’t know why they would have been in that part of the hospital.  But she came walking out with this little, tiny baby and just made me stop dead in my tracks and I just looked at this baby.   I heard this voice inside me that said, “It’s ok.  With her death, she has new life.”  It was just as clear as a bell, the words.  I hung there for a second and the thing that hit me at that moment was all the panic was gone.  The pain, of course, and everything else that I was feeling was still there, but that overwhelming panic was gone.  It was replaced with some kind of peace.  After the funeral, I came back and was talking to Rocky about what happened and about what I heard and what I felt.  He looked at me and said, “Scott, you’ve got to know, don’t you?  You have to know that God is real and God is personal and He just spoke to you in a way that nobody else could have spoken to you.  No human could have said anything at that point that could have taken away those feelings that you had, but they were taken away.”  As I was sitting with them, it was a real rainy day; we weren’t working and were just sitting in his Bronco and talking about all of this.  He was like, “You can’t deny this anymore.  You’ve got to understand that God is real.  Don’t you want that?”  I was like, “You know, you’re right.  I can’t deny this and if that’s who God is and can be that personal and help me through something like that, then I want that.”  It was in the car that afternoon that I prayed with Rocky.”

His Career

Scott made it up through the minors and took over at third base for the Oakland A’s.    He hit a home run in his first game and held the position until the end of 1997, a season of struggles for Scott.  The A’s traded Scott for Kenny Rogers and Scott would find his new home in New York would propel him to the top of the baseball world.

Q – What was the highlight of your career?

“It would be hard to pick one out.  I think getting called up to the big leagues for the first time was certainly a highlight.  It happened on my dad’s birthday.  Being able to call him and say, “Hey!  Happy Birthday!  By the way, do you want to come to Oakland and watch me play?” that was a pretty special time.  Your first game in the big leagues is something that you will never forget.  Of course, going to New York and having the chance to play in four World Series and winning three of them.  Each World Series was special in its’ own way.  I think that there’s something about the first time you that you do it.  So, 1998 and that season, winning the World Series.  My dad, at that point, was diagnosed with cancer as well and had gone through surgery earlier in that year, but I made the All-Star team and was able to fly him out and share the weekend with him at the All-Star game.  There are a lot of things in that 1998 season that stood out as special.

Q- Who was the toughest pitcher you faced in your career?

“I wish that I could say there was only one but there were a whole bunch of guys that seemed pretty tough on me.  I think the guy that stands out to me quite a bit is Randy Johnson.  I thought he was tough and I think the thing that was interesting about Randy was that overall, I was a pretty good fastball hitter and he’s a fastball pitcher.  I still had trouble with him.  He was probably the toughest lefty that I remember facing.  There are a couple of guys that stand out.  A couple of guys I didn’t have to face too much.  Rivera, obviously, I got to be on the right side of him, playing defense instead of facing him quite a bit.  Jack Morris was a guy that when I first came up, I got to face him and he was pretty nasty.  There are a lot of them that were tough.”

Q – How did faith influence your career?

“For all of us, there’s a lot of growth that happens.  A huge part for me was dealing with adversity.  In baseball, just like any time in life, it’s not if the adversity is going to happen, it’s when it is going to happen.  There was a season going through them.  My 1997 season in Oakland, I had an absolutely horrible year, injury-filled, didn’t play well.  The team didn’t play well.  I was away from my wife and kids more as they were getting older.  It was really a kind of miserable year.  I remember coming home after that season and talking to my wife, just saying, “I can’t do this again.  I can’t play like this.  If this is what baseball’s going to be, I’m going to walk away from it.”  As we talked and prayed about it, I think god kind of hit me over the head a little bit that offseason and said, “You know. To this point, you’ve turned over everything in your life but baseball.”  For me, baseball’s like, “Yeah, I’m the guy facing the ninety-five mile per hour fastball and I’m the guy that has to catch it.  I’m the guy who’s got to do this kind of stuff.”  I think I was holding on pretty tight.  I think God was saying, “Look, you need to let go.  Can you trust Me with baseball as well?”  Growing after that 97 season, just making the commitment that from here on out, this is no longer my thing.  I’ll play it under God’s terms and not mine.  I got traded to New York, which was probably the last place I would have ever chosen for myself to get traded to, but it ended up being the time of my life.  Going through the adversity that I did and coming to a point where I said, “Man, I’ve really got to let go of this, play hard, and do all of those things, but don’t worry about the things you don’t control.”

His Advice

Scott retired after the 2001 season, walking away with three World Series rings, a Gold Glove, an All-Star game appearance, and the MVP trophy of the 1998 World Series.  He has stayed in baseball, teaching young men about the things that he learned along the way.

Q – How is faith influential in your career now as a coach?

“I think that’s part of the real fun of coaching kids at this age.   They’re coming to a point in their lives now where they’re making decisions that will impact the rest of their lives.  (It’s fun) Being able to speak into that a little bit, you know.  “Let’s talk about the things that really have true importance.”  Everybody talks about getting a job and making money and all these types of things that college-aged kids talk about but being able to talk to them about the bigger picture things and things that do have more importance than just the things that we do.  We talk quite a bit about how people are going to remember who you are as a person and what you believe a lot more than they’re going to remember what kind of average you had or what you did and things like that.  My faith is the foundation of everything that I talk to these guys about when we talk about these big picture things.”

Q – In your opinion, what does it mean to be a man of God?

“It’s a journey that never ends, that we never get figured (out completely).  Even last night, in our small groups and in our Bible studies, as we’re talking about things, it’s just learning to understand and learning to recognize God in everything that we do.  I think that sometimes for me, I get focused on the do’s and the don’ts and the trying to do this and sometimes, I think it’s just being able to slow down and live a life that’s in recognition of the joy that God brings to our life.  As we talk to our kids, friends, and people around me, maybe help people to see that they might be missing as well.”

With every new door that God has opened in Scott’s life, with every adversity he has had to face, with every change in scenery and with every opportunity, Scott has been able to see that God stand by His Word and has never left him.  Each day brings those opportunities for each of us to see what Scott has seen in his life.  God is there and God is waiting for us to turn everything over, understanding that this life is not our own.  It is a chance for us to praise God, glorify God, and to spread God’s Word and love to a world that is desperately in need.

It is not an easy job.  On the field, he makes a hundred or more decisions throughout one game, trying to baffle the hitter so the Houston Astros can win the game.  JR Towles has learned how to game plan for Major League hitters and he calls the shots for the pitcher during the game.  In his life, though, he has learned that it is God who is calling the shots and he walks humbly down the trail that God has cut for him.

I caught up with JR in Kissimmee, FL this season during Spring Training.  He stood there intent on talking about a faith that has changed his life in more than one way.

Faith

JR Towles grew up loving the game of baseball and at an early age in life, he heard the gospel and gave his life to Jesus Christ.  His two great passions began to develop and to grow deeper as his life progressed and before long, JR would see how God would use his passion for baseball to give JR an audience to share the gospel with others who were looking for answers for their lives.

Career

Q – How has your faith influenced your career?

“It (faith) has everything to do with it.  If it wasn’t for Him, I wouldn’t have anything.  Like my favorite verse says, “I can do all things through Christ who strengthens me.” He’s where all your strength comes from and without Him, nothing’s possible.”

Q – How hard is it to stand strong in your faith in the world of Major League Baseball?

“I don’t think it’s too hard for me.  He’s given you everything and everything comes from Him.  As long as you give Him credit and try to do everything you can to glorify Him, it’s going to be alright.”

Q – How do you stay focused?

“We have Bible Studies some times.  I wake up early in the mornings and read the Bible.  (You) just try to hang around people who believe in Christ and talk about it.  It’s really hard to get going in a church because you’re playing games all the time but you have chapel and that helps you.”

Q – What is the highlight of your career so far?

“Getting to the Big Leagues was the highlight.”

Q – How do you stay positive when you know that failure can come?

“You can’t let your highs get too high or your lows get too low; you have to keep it on an even level.  Last year was real tough for me.  Just try to stay mentally positive and know that everything happens for a reason.  (You have to) Believe that He wouldn’t put you through it if He’s not going to get you through it.”

Q – In life, how have you handled setbacks?

“I’ve always been an underdog in my life.  I’ve always had to work the hardest.  You just have to overcome them.  Like I said before, everything happens for a reason and you just have to keep a positive attitude about it.”

Advice

Knowing that JR had always been an underdog, I felt like most of us could resonate with the drive it has taken him to get to where he is in life.  We all have had to push hard to get to the places where God has us and if we learn anything from the Bible, God loves to use underdogs for His purpose and to further His kingdom.

Q – What is your advice for those who have made mistakes in life?

“God’s a forgiving God.  He sent His Son to die on the cross for you so if you believe in Him, everything’s going to be alright.”

Q – How can men do a better job living their faith in day to day life?

“Always put Him first.  If you always put Him first, then everything else is going to get taken care of.  Just try to live the life that He has for you and try to please Him in any way you can and try to touch someone in a Christian way.  Try to be a good example to others, which is going to please Him.”

JR Towles’ story teaches us that anything is possible when it comes to a loving God who only wants what is best for His creation.  Regardless of the odds we face, we have God with us who is even bigger.  Regardless of what we have done in the past, we have God who forgives us and loves us unconditionally.  We may seem like underdogs but underdogs just happen to be what God loves to use.

* – Special thanks to Sally Gunter of the Houston Astros for helping us line up this interview.

“Be quiet!”
“Be clean!”
“Be still!”
“Be free!”
“Be unafraid!”
“Be opened!
“Be careful!”
“Be yours!”
“Be alert!”
Words of Jesus from The Gospel of Mark

Say something, for God’s sake!  When Jesus shows up things happen. When he shows up he uses words and the world is recreated. Words are Jesus’ weapon of choice and his tool of design. He could hurl lightning bolts, or split mountains with his fist, or with a wave of his hand toss the armies of the planet into the sea. Instead, Jesus says things. For words, when they are the right words, spoken by the right messenger, are enough.

At the start of his ministry Jesus explained his mission in words that Isaiah the Prophet had borrowed from God:“The Spirit of the Lord is on me,
because he has anointed me
to preach good news to the poor.
He has sent me to proclaim freedom for the prisoners
and recovery of sight for the blind,
to release the oppressed,  to proclaim the year of the Lord’s favor”
Luke 4:17-19.

Jesus claimed this as his commission – to proclaim things as they ought to be. Everything Jesus does follows what he first says; and everything Jesus says echoes what God said seven centuries earlier through Isaiah.

·         Jesus’ words fed those in need. With words he turned water to wine and multiplied bread and fish – twice. Jesus’ words were enough to make enough and make provision a sign of his regime.

·         Jesus’ words pardoned the guilty. With words he declared a leper “clean” and a prostitute “forgiven.” Jesus’ words were enough, with grace enough to make pardon a sign of his regime.

·         Jesus’ words healed the broken. With words he declared a blind man whole and dead girl alive. Jesus’ words were enough, with power enough to make healing a sign of his regime.

·         Jesus’ words expelled demons. With words he drove out a legion of spirits and silenced a blasphemer. Jesus’ words were enough, with authority enough to make deliverance a sign of his regime.

·         Jesus’ words revealed Father’s love. With words he told stories of victory in this world and hope in the next. His words were enough, with vision enough to make favor a sign of his regime.

What if following Jesus was really this simple?  Just five things we learn to receive and give away?

It’s a hell of a world and life is hard. The fight we face goes to the death. God created this world with words. Now his Enemy and ours tries to foil God’s plans. His foul mouth steals and bends words that break things and kill people. Jesus came to silence these lies. Their collision has ignited a deadly war of words.

Jesus dealt the decisive blow when he hung on the cross, and said, “It is finished!” Words enough! We follow up and enforce that victory when we borrow Jesus’ words that scatter the devils and repair the damage they have wrought.

When all else fails – and all else will – we borrow Jesus’ words.

Our enemies attack on nine fronts. We meet and defeat them with borrowed words. Jesus fought here ahead of us. He has faced down and turned back every assault. As followers of Jesus we do the same by simply leveraging what Jesus said in the moment we face battles of our own.

We do not presume to be like Jesus. Only Jesus is Jesus. We speak Jesus’ words “in Jesus’ name” which means “on Jesus’ behalf.” The question is not “What would Jesus do?” but “What is Jesus doing?” and “How can I join him?” Our commission is simple: say what Jesus said! That’s our assignment. For Jesus’ words in our mouths are as Jesus’ words in his.

We will not have the luxury of learning war in theory. Our training comes on the front lines, where we work, live, go to school, and buy our groceries. There we must execute… or be executed.

We are in battle, in a hell of war that is now on earth as it was in heaven. It is a war that will end all wars, a conflict where words always become flesh. So for God’s sake, say something! But choose your words ever so carefully!

In the beginning was the Word; in the end will be the Word. And when all is said and done, all will be done when all is said!

Music

Who influenced you musically? (Bryan)

As a youngster rock bands like Van Halen and Queen.  I became a Christian when I was 14 at a very legalistic church.  Rock music was considered a sin.  There was a period of time during my teenage years that I explored “acceptable” forms of music, which basically meant anything without drums or electric guitar.  I dove into classical music.  This was good for me.  I really enjoyed Bach.  It was tough but good to broaden my musical horizon.  My first introduction to Christian music was a band called Pray For Rain, or PFR.  They were a huge influence on me.

What does Vota mean?

We wanted a name that didn’t have a big meaning attached to it.  We wanted fans to just let us be the definition.  As they dive into who we are and our music, that’s VOTA.

What songs on the new album do you think impacts and encourages the Christian the most?

The song “Honestly” encourages and challenges the believer not to be afraid of being honest about your weaknesses.  Much of the church is afraid to share their doubts and struggles.  This song is a call to be transparent not just with our faith, but our doubts, not just with our strengths, but our weaknesses.

What is your favorite part about touring?

Bringing these songs to new places and audiences.  I like traveling with my friends.  Least? Being away from my family

How would you describe your particular genre?

I think this new album falls into a pop/rock/dance category

Faith

What do you think the biggest problem facing Christian men today?

Such a weighted question.  For me, my biggest problem as a Christian man with a family is truly living my life by faith.  I have a family to take care of.  Carrying the weight of caring for a family can have an effect on so many of life’s decisions, such as choice of career, where we choose to live, how much we give to others in need.  I’m always wanting to see far down the road, to keep my family in a safe environment and secure financial situation.  I don’t want my faith in Christ to be an “addition” to my life.  I want my faith in Christ to “be” my life.  I want to be able to trust God when the path before me is dark and uncertain.

What has the Lord taught you through Vota?

Nothing has really come easy for us.  There seems to be a new crisis every other day.  These difficulties have sharpened and refined us.  We’ve learned how to work together as a team.  We’ve learned to trust God more and realize our plans and timing are not always His. 

What is your favorite Bible passage and why?

The entire book of Galatians has been a favorite for me.  My eyes have been opened to the gospel in a whole new level over the past few years.  It has deepened my faith, ignited my soul, and to a greater degree opened my eyes to the beauty of salvation.  This has been a huge inspiration to me for the writing of the songs on this record as well.

What’s next for Vota?

In 2006 we formed the 180 Tour.  The 180 Tour is a public high school assembly program that encourages students in their character and decision making.  Every school we visit we have an evening event planned where we invite students out to a concert where they can hear the gospel.  We’ve visited over 200 schools in 20 states since 2006.  We plan on further developing this ministry into a non-profit organization.  Visit www.180tour.com for more information.

 We caught up with Ruth at a concert on Halloween night in Kernersville, NC.  Behind the scenes, Dustin took some time to give us a glimpse into his life and into what God is doing with their band today.

His Life

Dustin Ruth grew up in Washington state, a place where music flows through the body almost as fluidly as blood flows through the veins.  Many of the great musicians of our time have come from the same area so his pull towards music seemed natural. 

 Q – Can you tell me your testimony?

 “I grew up in a Christian family.  My parents were fairly new to the faith when I was born.  We lived in a rural part of Washington where my dad opened an auto repair shop.  I grew up there, going to church and my parents also put me into a local private school.  It was like a church that had a school there.  I grew up learning things that I think applied more so later on in life.  After I got out of the private school in junior high, I went to a public school and learned a lot about life there, like everyone else in high school.  I moved to LA after high school to pursue music and at that point, I didn’t really get plugged in to a church down there.  It tended to be kind of lonely searching for acceptance. After a year down there, I decided to move home and start a band with a bunch of guys from high school.  None of us went to college; we were all in the same boat.  We started getting into drugs and alcohol and partying; being a rock band.  We did that for a couple of years and we moved into a house that had a basement and we put on shows there.  The house became very messy, there was garbage everywhere, people in and out all of the time, and cops were watching us because they weren’t sure what we were doing there.  What happened was one day I just really, really wanted to get out of that.  I told the guys that I had to quit the band and I was moving out of the house.  None of them were that happy.  It was really hard to do.  I moved in with my parents and started working at my dad’s auto repair shop and then I started praying really hard that the Lord would somehow touch me or give me direction.  I prayed for like a month and a half.   I was really depressed and the Lord answered my prayer.  One day I was out building a fence with my dad and I just felt the Lord answer my prayer. 

There were all these questions in my mind about music and my future and I felt like He answered that through some of the songs I had already written.  There was a song about a girlfriend, a song about money, a song about drugs, and there was a song about leaving my friends and all those were popping into my head.  It was like the Lord was telling me, “You’ve put a lot of emotion and stuff into all these different things, but they’re all going to fail you.”  I kind of got 4excited at that point and some of the memory verses and things I had memorized when I was younger started coming to the forefront of my mind.  The Lord was using that stuff that my parents had invested so long ago.  At that point, it was just some kind of awesome journey.  Now it’s been five years since I’ve done drugs or anything and the Lord has, through that five years, really grown me.  I have hope now.  I have desires He’s put in my heart.”

Q – What is your favorite verse of Scripture?

“One that’s kind of the theme of the new album is the one in Philippians that says, “He who began a good work in you will continue until the day it is finished.”  My mom shared that with me and it’s one of those promises God gives us that like “Look.  I see beginning to end.  I know what you’re supposed to look like.”  He’s got this perfect image of who we are and He’s helping grow us with His Holy Spirit to be that person.”

His Music

Ruth has had the opportunity to share the stage with Switchfoot and others. Their music has found a way to transcend from only reaching one particular group to being able to reach across many generations of listeners.  It comes for hearing from God, whose message is not limited to teens or to the elders.  It is a message that Dustin and the guys love to share.  It has given them a voice to reach a world that is slipping farther away from the truth every second, as if there is no other choice for how to live life.

 Q – Dustin, what inspires you?

“A lot of things inspire me.  A lot of people ask how I write songs and stuff like that but there’s no real formula.  I think there are a lot of things we have equations for, like how we sell a hamburger and make a buck or how we work and make a buck.  The thing about the songs the Lord has blessed me with is that I don’t really feel like there’s an equation for it.  It doesn’t matter who I am, I don’t know how it happens, but I do know that the Lord has a hug part to do with it.  Sometimes, He just makes me feel like picking up a guitar and I do and sometimes something comes.  Sometimes it don’t.  It’s cool.  I do believe that He already knows these songs and already has them picked out.  He gives them to me when I am scratching at the surface for them.”

 What’s it like seeing your music have such a deep impact on people? (Kody)

It’s a blessing, for sure.  It’s a blessing to be able to do music.  I remember a comment we got on one of our pages.  It was from a mom that has a kid that is apparently autistic.  He can’t talk or anything, but he can make noises.  He sits in a wheelchair.  She was saying that they were doing all kinds of training because all his life, he’s being trained to communicate with his parents so they can help him. When she puts on our music, he gets really excited.  She said that he does a lot of things when he listens to our music; he responds in ways that he doesn’t to anything else.  You feel so blessed to be able to do something like that.  Those encouragements from those people, that impact that you’re talking about, is just a reminder that this is beyond me.  This is outside of who I am because I am just a screwed up guy (laughing).”

What is your favorite part about being on tour? (Kolton)

“Well, just growing tighter with the guys in the band.  We kind of look at the band as a ministry within itself.  A lot of these songs are about truths that God has taught us over the past few years.  I like having these guys around to be my brothers in Christ and encourage each other to be better people and try to do the right thing.  Also, I love meeting other bands and getting to learn from them.  We’ve been blessed to go out with some really cool bands.”

 How did you like touring with Switchfoot? (Kody)

“It was amazing!  Sometimes, it was like such a dream come true that a kid will come up to us and say “I saw you at the Switchfoot concert” and it’s like “OK, it happened!  I wasn’t sure if it had happened.”"

 Dustin also talked about the way that Switchfoot had Bible studies while they were on tour and how the guys had been very inspirational and encouraging to Ruth.  It was an opportunity that they were grateful to get and will forever be a memory that they will cherish.

 Q – What do you see when you look out at the crowd?

“A lot of times, the crowd scares me!  Not because the people are scary because I think they’re all cool.  When we were on that tour (with Switchfoot) walking out on stage in Houston, there were 8,000 people, which is the most we’ve ever played for.  Walking out there, I just live a lot inside my head.  You just want to play the best you can and you hope they enjoy it and get something out of it.  A lot of times, I don’t even open my eyes.  I just close my eyes and play.  I feel like I’m just with people, hanging out.”

How did you meet the other guys in the band? (Kanan)

 “I met Nick about three and a half or four years ago.  I met him through a mutual friend.  We were just hanging out and I remember thinking, “Gosh, that guy is so cool.  I wish he played guitar so we could try to play in a band.  It turned out that he did play the guitar.  I talk to him about jammin’ and we jammed with him and it felt great.  The bass player, Bret, worked in Seattle at Tooth and Nail studio, just helping on a ton of projects.  We met him there for our record, Secondhand Dreaming, and he played on that and ended up touring with us after that.  Our drummer just started with us.  His name’s Daniel.  He’s been in a lot of hardcore, heavy bands.  He just accepted Christ like two years ago.  He’s an awesome example to us.  It’s fun to have him in the band now, hanging out with us, coming all the way out here.  His ambition and drive to serve God is awesome.”

Q – What’s your favorite song you’ve written?

“On the new album, there’s one called “Nothing to Hide”.  It’s number eight on the new album.  That one’s up there.  It’d definitely a deep song but also one that I just praise God that He let me be able to write it.  It’s one of those ones that just moves me.  I like “Speechless” and that’s on the new album.  Those are probably two of my favorites.”

Kody and I mentioned how we liked a couple of the songs from the old album.  Kody mentioned the songs “You Are” and “Mr. Turner” as being two of his favorites.  Dustin mentioned that “You Are” came from John 6.  He then gave us some insight on Mr. Turner.

 “That song totally came from a prayer.  That’s about a guy who didn’t really like me a whole lot or the idea of the band.  He had cancer and wasn’t a Christian and his family was getting scared because he was rapidly dying.  He actually accepted Christ two weeks before he died.  He was seventy-four years old.  That song, when I wrote it, I just remember playing the lick and then all those words just came out and I knew what it was about.  I knew it was for him and for his family.  I think that song is so powerful because God was giving the message like no matter how stubborn someone is, how old they are, how rich they are, how drugged up they are or whatever, if you pray that God will save them, He can work in their heart and let them know that they need Him.  That guy was an older guy who had done a lot of great things in his life and didn’t think he needed God (before he realized his need for Christ).  But he definitely accepted Christ.”

 Q – What is the concept of the new album?

 We were watching Trekkies, a Star Trek documentary.  It’s about people who are Star Trek fanatics, who dress up like Star Trek characters, they learn their languages, and go to the conventions and hang out and talk about Star Trek.  In Trekkies 2, there was a British guy who called them Anoraks.  They asked him what he meant and he said they were nerds and outcasts.  I looked it up online and found that it is an arctic jacket but also British people use it as a slang term for someone who is really into something that nobody else really cares about.  We felt like, sometimes as a band, you get a lot of people saying “Are you in a band?”.  The second they learn what you band is about or that your words are about who God is and what He’s done in your life, they don’t really care.  A lot of people in the world don’t really care if you’re into Jesus and I can understand that because some people’s hearts just aren’t open to it.  They see it as foolish to base your whole life off of something that you can see because they don’t understand.  When we used that term on the title of the album, it’s just the idea that we can understand it can seem kind of weird that we write these songs about God that everybody doesn’t believe in.  The cover has Bigfoot on it because we are from the Northwest.  We just thought it would be fun to tie that in to where we are from.”

 Ruth closed with the song “Mr. Turner” that night for me.  It was as if God used that song to refocus me again, thinking about what could be if only I look to Him at all times.  In that song, the words speak to all of us about what could be if only we remain focused on the God of the impossible.  It says, “What if I keep my eyes on you?  Could I sail across the ocean blue?”  Ruth has seen the way God could take a few guys from Washington and send them all over the United States and into Europe with a message of what God has done in their lives.  They now challenge all of us to see what God can do in our lives too, if only we keep our eyes on God.  With God, we will sail across the oceans in front of us.

Check out their music at http://www.myspace.com/ruthrock

By:  Andy Clapp, Kody Black, Kolton Black, and Kanan Black

2009 Tour Info

Video

The band started in ‘99 with 3 guys and a vision to go and share the gospel with as many people as possible.  Our greatest tool back then was Google.com.  I would spend hours on Google searching different venues and churches that would have Christian bands. After thousands of emails we had about 150 opportunities and we ran with it.  We did that for three years and then wrote the song “Glory Defined” which kind of brought us to the attention of the Nashville scene.  We signed our first record deal in ‘03 and we began touring with almost everyone in the Christian music industry.  From Jeremy Camp to Casting Crowns, to Tobymac and everyone in between, we’ve been on the road nonstop since we signed. We’ve recorded four records and the cool thing is that we are still just as resolved to continue sharing the gospel with the world as we were the day we started!
 

2. What are some musical influences including genres that you grew up on?

I started out as a young piano player.  My grandfather was in the southern gospel “business” for nearly 40 years traveling and singing wherever people would listen.  It was only natural that I was trained to play piano so that I could continue the tradition.  I was about twelve when my father, the heathen family member, introduced me to this band called Aerosmith that turned my world upside down.  It kind of blew my mind and suddenly all I wanted to do was play guitar and sing rock ‘n’ roll. I’m a huge fan of old school rock and if you listen you’ll hear it anytime I pick up a guitar…“Carry on my Wayward Son” always gets played!!!

3. What event took place where you made the decision that you would play music for a living?

I always hoped that I would, but sometimes it’s not as easy as a decision that you make.  I chose to “go for it” in a way that very few people would understand.  I booked the band 150 shows a year through Google, for crying out loud! Most people would tell you that is impossible, but I just believed and followed my heart.  There were a lot of times when I wanted to give up and go home, but I just kept pushing forward.  Honestly when “Glory Defined” hit radio the way that it did, I finally knew that this was something I could do for a living. Up until then it was just a dream.

 Conversion
1. Please share your brief testimony.

I think that arrogance was the best way to describe me before I came to a saving knowledge of Christ.  I got picked on so much when I was a kid that by the time I reached high school I made up my mind that I would be the most popular guy in school. I was kind of a basketball star in school with a father that was a state champion power lifter. Everything about my existence was driven by being the best.  When that is your goal, things get really messed up.  That arrogance carried over to everything that I did. When I was about fifteen I accepted Christ because I wanted to know peace and love in the middle of the turmoil in my life.  My relationship with Christ took a serious turn when I was in college and got assaulted.  In retrospect I can see that I was still living with that arrogance and that’s what got me into the trouble.  I was playing a ball game and literally woke up in an ambulance.  My face was almost completely shattered.  I spent six weeks letting it all heal and then had to go back and have my face rebroken and put back together… it wasn’t fun at all.  That was the moment that I decided to follow Christ—all or nothing.  I started the band and began sharing the gospel with real passion for the first time in my life.  I think that I just realized how short life can be and how close I came to not waking up. That’s a scary thought.

2. Share some brief experiences of what God has done through you after you’ve given your life tp Him.  

It’s been amazing to watch God move through the stories of my life.  I’ve received countless emails from different people who have heard my songs and have literally been transformed by the hope that they find in them.  It’s not unusual to get emails from kids who were on the brink of suicide and heard a song that changed their mind.  The story of my father’s redemption through my transformation in Christ has had a huge effect on people.  The first time that they ran the story on the 700 Club we had over 700 first time decisions for Christ.  It is humbling and amazing to see God do such awesome things through the stories of the toughest parts of my life. 
 

Christianity
1. What do you feel is a major problem among Christian men today?

I think that lack of biblical knowledge and wisdom from that knowledge is something that is definitely a problem.  I think that there are so many books about the Bible that we sometimes spend more time in those that in the Word… and that is a mistake.  Even I struggle with the same thing…taking time out to dig, to learn, and to listen to what God would teach us through the Word.  

2. What are your favorite passages of scripture?

I love the passage in John 15:5. It’s a constant reminder to me that I am a work in progress and that times of struggle are times of pruning so that I might bear more fruit than before. I also love the passage in Zephaniah 3:17 that speaks of God’s rejoicing over us with singing. That’s just super cool to remember that as we sing His praises He is singing over us.

3. What struggles have you faced as a band?

We have definitely struggled in relationships through the years… learning to listen and love through the joy and the pain of brotherhood.  We’ve been through a lot, but it has been an awesome experience and we are thankful for years that we’ve spent together.

 4. What are some goals for the future?

Obviously the goal is to continue sharing the gospel with as many people as possible in the future.  I think that we all want to spend time branching out into other avenues of ministry as well.  I’d love to do some more producing, and writing… and eventually maybe even write a book or two.  Also my wife and I are deeply involved with World Vision and we feel that it would be a huge blessing to be involved with them for many years to come.

Bart and the rest of MercyMe have had an extensive touring schedule with many accolades to their credit including new music since 2001, but they have remained true to the call of the Father. Bart has just released a new album entitled Hymned Again. The first Hymn project was inspired by Bart’s grandmother, songs that he was raised on and songs that he passed on to his children. He said that his son fell asleep while listening to the CD and then at breakfast he would be singing a hymn. With this kind of impact on the lives of his children, he decided to do Hymned Again and it’s exciting to see those children learning new arrangements of great old songs.

Let’s take a few minutes to talk with Bart about his music, his family and his faith.

Music

Who influenced you musically?

Everything from the Beatles to Steven Curtis Chapman

What was your initial reaction when you heard “I Can Only Imagine” for the first time?

I knew we had something special but no idea what was about to take place.

Other than that song, what song do you think impacts and encourages the Christian the most?

There’s no way I could give just one answer. I am impacted by a different song every day.

What is your favorite part about touring? Least?

Favorite: Hearing the crowd lift their voice in worship. Least Favorite: Leaving home.

What impressed you to do Hymned Again?

It came out of a desire to have these hymns be a huge part of my kids lives.

Faith

What do you think the biggest problem facing Christian men today?

Not knowing what it means to truly be a shepherd of their own home.

What has the Lord taught you through the success of Mercy Me?

I am constantly reminded that my dreams pale in comparison to God’s realities.

What is your favorite Bible passage and why?

Psalms 139 reminds me that God is God and I am not.

What’s next for Mercyme?

We are in the midst of a fall tour with Bebo Norman, and then we are touring in the spring with Jeremy Camp, Hawk Nelson, Tenth Avenue North and Addison Road.

(Material Used By Permission From The M Collective, Ino Records, and bartmillard.org)