I’m not who I was

I’ve been struggling a lot with a few things recently and I feel like it may help to write it down. Recently I feel like I have really found out who I am and what my place is is God’s story. I am so pumped about the chance to be in His story and it humbles me everyday to think He’s chosen us as His main characters.

For those of you who don’t know much about me, I attend school at Atlanta Christian College. I have grown tremendously since I have been here. Not just as a musician, but as a person. The only thing that I am honestly concerned about is that none of my growth has been because of my school. I really don’t mind who reads this because I feel like at some point I’m going to have to bring it up any ways. I just don’t feel like me being at college has been to fine tune my skills. If anything the only reason that I am here is to make my parents happy. Don’t get me wrong, I really want my parents to be proud of me, that means a lot to me, but it just kills me that I feel like I’m wasting 4 years of my life here. I just think about all that God has done in my life this year and all that I could have been doing if I hadn’t have been spending my time here. I have been praying a ton about this, but I can’t seem to figure out what God wants with them me as far as school goes. I have never been a quitter but I really just feel like I am out of place here.

I talked to my mom about it today and it really made things worse for me. I know my parents just want me to consider my future, but a lot of times I don’t think that they understand the vision I have for my life. I don’t picture myself married with kids in the next 10-15 years, I just don’t see that as a priority for me. I see myself fully investing my life in kids and showing them what I wish someone would’ve shown me when I was younger. I have faith that God is going to continue to honor my devotion to His calling. Maybe I’m just being naive but I don’t see myself here for another 2 years. Don’t get me wrong I do not intend on getting “huge” haha. If God wants to use me on a larger scale I am so game, but thats not what my priority is. My priority is being where God needs me when He needs me.

I am more and more convinced that I can’t be in a relationship right now. I just don’t see how anyone could rely on me right now. I am so sold out on what God is doing in my life that it’s all I can focus on. I haven’t decided if thats selfish of me or not, but it’s just whats going on in my life right now. I am not focused on ME and what I am letting God be apart of, but I am focused on what God is doing and what He’s allowing me to be a part of.

I promise I am going to start writing less more frequently, rather than 1 huge blog per month.

-Chris

Romans 6:14
For sin shall not be your master, because you are not under law, but under grace.

Romans 6:6-11

 6-11Could it be any clearer? Our old way of life was nailed to the cross with Christ, a decisive end to that sin-miserable life—no longer at sin’s every beck and call! What we believe is this: If we get included in Christ’s sin-conquering death, we also get included in his life-saving resurrection. We know that when Jesus was raised from the dead it was a signal of the end of death-as-the-end. Never again will death have the last word. When Jesus died, he took sin down with him, but alive he brings God down to us. From now on, think of it this way: Sin speaks a dead language that means nothing to you; God speaks your mother tongue, and you hang on every word. You are dead to sin and alive to God. That’s what Jesus did.

Andy spoke on this passage Sunday.  It means a lot to me especially tonight.  I have been struggling with something huge in my life recently.  It is awesome to know of the freedom I have found in Christ, but I struggle with grasping a hold of it sometimes.  I am trying to hold on to that freedom but my desires and God’s don’t always match up.  So I am praying for a strength that can only come through Jesus.

We are going out of town this weekend, I am really praying God will show up.  I am sick of playing shows and not telling kids that we love Jesus.  I have really been asking God to show up and I have a feeling He is going to.  So if you pray, pray for the 5 of us this weekend.  We haven’t traveled in a while and there a few adjustments involved with the road.  We are an awesome team but I really am praying that God will unite us in Him and show us how to reach the kids.  Gnight all!

In Christ,

Christopher Coleman

Romans 12:1-2

Romans 12:1-2
1Therefore, I urge you, brothers, in view of God’s mercy, to offer your bodies as living sacrifices, holy and pleasing to God—this is your spiritual[a] act of worship. 2Do not conform any longer to the pattern of this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind. Then you will be able to test and approve what God’s will is—his good, pleasing and perfect will.

This is me apologizing to anyone who has ever been to my facebook. It came to my attention today that there were several items in my pictures that did not glorify God. I was looking through my tagged pictures today and I was shocked at the way I have acted. I would like to set one thing straight with everyone. I have never once drank a sip of alcohol and do not ever intend on doing so. The pictures of me on facebook around alcohol were from my brothers bachelor party where others were drinking. I do not attend parties and do not “socially drink”.

I realize that being a worship leader is a great responsibility. I realize that there are tons of kids looking up to me right now and it is my biggest fear that I have let them down. Words cant describe how much I love the North Point middle schoolers. There is no place I would rather be on a Sunday morning than listening to those kids worship God. I really want to be the best example for them that I could possibly be.

I pray that everyone will see past these misunderstandings and mistakes I have made and know that I am honestly seeking God more than I ever have in my life. This is not just a “gig” for me this is 100% my lifestyle. I love these kids more than anything right now and it is the first thing on my heart to see them worship Jesus.

Chris Coleman
Romans 12:1-2

a new years resolution or 2

I havent written in this joker in a long time but I really feel like I need to get something off my chest.

This weekend has been the best experience of my whole entire life.  I got to lead worship for Walking Wisely middle school at North Point and it was amazing.  For the past 5 months I have been leading worship at North Point and Browns Bridge like I was climbing an endless ladder.  Don’t get me wrong, I feel like I have been growing a whole lot and I have tried really hard to stay teachable, but I feel like I have missed the most important element of the whole equation.

This is how the story goes…

I’ve been leading worship for 800+ middle schoolers the past 2 nights and every sunday for the last 5 months.  Its like I have found my niche in the kingdom of God.  I know in my heart I was made to lead worship for students.  Its to the point where I am youthful enough to still be “one of them” and I am still cool enough to have an enormous amount of influence on them.  Our role of extreme is like a watered down version of worship.  I feel like our whole goal is to show the kids an amazing time so they will come back, while still leading them into the presence of God.  Well I know we show them an awesome time, but tonight was the first time that I knew those kids understood what was going on.  After Jarret Stevens finished the message tonight we came out to lead worship and all the kids were being talkative as normal and I really wanted to say to them dont miss this opportunity to worship God you know?  But something in my heart told me not to because God was going to take care of that.  So we get to the chorus and miraculously I really felt the kids paying attention focusing for once.  At the very end of the song I let the kids sing the tag (there is none more beautiful, there is none more wonderful) all by themselves and it was like everything finally clicked into place.  The kids were absolutely worshiping God… not just jumping up and down singing Hannah Montana songs (not such a bad thing by the way, probably my second favorite moment of the weekend), but actually encountering Jesus one on one.  Being in a room filled with 800 middle schoolers and 100 adult leaders worshiping God is the most beautiful thing ive ever seen.  I was talking to Jarret Stevens after the worship tonight and what he said to me really hit me hard.  He was really encouraging about this weekend and at the end of our conversation he said something like, Chris God has placed something in you that connects with these kids… you need to go home and thank God for that.

So here it is…

Dear Jesus,

Words can not describe how thankful I am tonight.  People who know me are probably either 1. really sick after reading this because they know its not me or 2. really pumped because they know I am growing.  God you have given me such an awesome dream and I praise you so much for making that dream come true this weekend.  I thank you so much for the talent you have given me, God I 100% recognize that it is from and more importantly for You.  God I thank you for the love for kids You have placed in me.  I thank you for the anointing and plan you have for my life right now.  I can’t believe that every dream I’ve had as a kid has come true.  God being on stage tonight and encountering 800 kids I love meet you face to face for the first time tonight has changed my life forever.  I praise You for making me a part of that collision.  I promise to You right now that I will never ever lead worship again with the mindset of bettering myself (“making connections” as they call it) or because I need money.  I want to be a vessel You use to bring kids to Yourself.  I pray that I will never come across as “rock starish” to the kids.  I pray that I will always remember the amount of influence I have on them and always take that to heart.  God I also pray that I will continue to have a high level of influence on the kids.  I want to use that influence not for my glory but Yours.  I pray that I will stay humble God.  No matter what opportunities You send my way, I pray that You will help me focus my heart around Yours so that I will not miss out on a chance to lead the kids to Your presence father.

God I praise Your for my band and how aweseome this year has been for us.  I feel like I have been more focused on being cool and making good music that I have missed out on so many opportunities to tell people about You and grow in You personally.  I pray that You will use me and my guys to bring people to You so that we are more than just “rock stars” but we are messengers with the most important news.  God I thank you for Kurtis, Austin, Brink, and Nate.  They are my brothers God I praise you for placing them in my lives.  Please help me to keep them accountable Lord and help them to keep me accountable as well.  Help us to keep our friendship centered on our love for You.  I pray that our faithfulness to You would be apparent in everything we do.  Sometimes I feel like we joke so much that people dont actually know we love You.  Help us to know when to joke and when enough if enough God.  I pray that you would place in us an new discernment and a new heart God.  A heart that is centered around Yours.

for the first time in a long time I can say this and actually mean it.

I love you Lord, and I lift my voice to worship You.  My soul rejoices.  Take joy my king, in what You hear.  May it be a sweet sound in Your ear.

this is my prayer today

amen