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My favorite band took part in a concert promoting the Discovery Channel’s new Planet Green propaganda campaign. Anyone who has stopped by regularly over the last six months of this blog’s existence knows that I am a global warming denier. I do not believe in man-made climate change.

If Switchfoot is interested in promoting good stewardship of the earth, then I can get behind that. I am afraid that Planet Green is a front for more radical social change and just another arm of communism’s newest Trojan Horse. I hope Switchfoot has not followed Al Gore down the road of junk science, propaganda, and totalitarianism.

Related Posts:

The Best Switchfoot Bootlegs On YouTube
Exposing The Green Agenda
Only The Losers Win

If you live in North Texas, here are the locations of the new Power FM billboards. If you do not live in North Texas, you will just have to check out their website.

• Denton #1—35E & McCormick
• Denton #2—35E & Teasley
• Frisco—SH 289 & FM 720
• Allen/Plano—Hwy 75 & Legacy
• Springtown—Hwy 199 & New Highland Rd
• Fort Worth—Loop 820 & Randol Mill
• Arlington—360 & Ave K
• Dallas #1—Loop 12 & SH 114
• Dallas #2—35E & Royal Lane

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Christian Music Ministries

What kind of music should Christians listen too? For some, including myself, this can be a struggle. I have put aside a lot of music and musicians in recent years due to my changing perspective. Four years ago, I replaced Nirvana with Switchfoot as my favorite band after hearing “Meant To Live” on a secular rock radio station. I no longer listen to Eddie Vedder and Co., but I still listen to The All-American Rejects and Jimmy Eat World.

Where is the line drawn? Is “secular” to be divided into differing categories of “Good, Questionable, and Bad?” I have not formed a definite opinion on this, and am not indicting anyone. Right now, I will say it is a personal choice. If a Christian is comfortable pumping Dr. Dre’s The Chronic into his/her ears, do it. I have left this album behind as it is no longer relevant to my existence. Just how far into the world should Christians venture? Scripture can give some insight:

Do not love the world or anything in the world. If anyone loves the world, the love of the Father is not in him. For everything in the world—the cravings of sinful man, the lust of his eyes and the boasting of what he has and does—comes not from the Father but from the world. The world and its desires pass away, but the man who does the will of God lives forever. (1 John 2:15-17)

It is important to know that “the world” represents sinful desire and not people or the created world around us. In the context of music, not all is created equal. Aerosmith’s “Love In An Elevator” is a bit different than Sara Bareilles’ “Love Song.” Even within the same band the difference can be profound. Oasis’ “Wonderwall” is different than Oasis’ “F*****n’ In The Bushes.” Does this fact abrogate Oasis’ entire catalogue from a Christian’s iTunes Library? I cannot say at this moment. I can say this: today’s Christian Rock, and even Gospel music, is influenced by secular artists. This means that Christian musicians have been paying attention to the Billboard Hot 100. Without a “Smells Like Teen Spirit,” there may have never been a “Meant To Live.” Without a Kurt Cobain, there may have never been a Jon Foreman. God does work in mysterious ways.

I recently found What’s The Story Morning Glory for $2.00 at Half Price Books as part of my rebirth as a CD collector (I cannot stand digital downloads). The CD looks like it was never touched. I used to own this album way back in the 90’s until I sold it off, ironically to Half Price Books. I listened to this great album all the way through for the first time in close to a decade recently, and it was like listening to it for the very first time.

Sometimes it takes a long break to appreciate something. This is my question: What album did you listen to over and over again only to put aside and forget about? You might want to give it a listen.

Switchfoot just released their video for “This Is Home.” The song appears on the upcoming The Chronicles of Narnia: Prince Caspian. I am going to go out on a limb and say this song is about Heaven. Jon Foreman talks about the song at the GMA Dove Awards. Check it out:

A video of Jon Foreman performing a new song for his upcoming Summer EP has got me scratching my head. He directs some harsh words towards the church in this song. Does he “hate” the contemporary church and its multi-million dollar sanctuaries? Are the same churches that play Switchfoot songs like “This Is Your Life” and “Dare You To Move” the hypocrites he is talking about? Have I interpreted this song incorrectly? If you have an answer, leave a comment.

Here are some of the best Switchfoot bootleg videos on YouTube. There is a lot of garbage on YouTube, so I thought I would filter it out. This list is not definitive, so if you know of any I may have missed, let me know. With Switchfoot’s new tour coming up, there will be more videos to come from fans so check back for new additions.

1. Jon Foreman plays acoustic version of “Twenty-four” with fan’s guitar
2. “Politicians” in Bakersfield, CA (3.16.06) Check out Jon Foreman’s mid-song quote.
3. “Awakening” in Kuala Lumpur
4. “Meant To Live”@UC Davis (11.30.07)
5. “Meant To Live”@Baylor University (3.20.07) Check out Jon Foreman’s words at the beginning.
6. “Crazy In Love/Gone” in Singapore
7. “Stars” in Vancouver, BC (2.19.07)
8. “Learning To Breathe”@The Pagenat (10.28.06)
9. “The Shadow Proves The Sunshine” in Dallas, TX (3.15.07)
10. “Lonely Nation”@SOMA in San Diego, CA (3.21.07)
11. “American Dream” in Vancouver, BC (2.19.07)
12. “American Dream” in Jakarta, Indonesia
13. “This Is Your Life” in Vancouver, BC (2.19.07)
14. “This Is Your Life” in Dallas, TX (3.15.07)
15. “The Blues” in Ottawa, ON (2.3.07)
16. “Yesterdays” in Cincinnati (3.16.07)
17. “The Loser” @The Metro in Chicago (10.25.06) Short version, but good anyway. My favorite Switchfoot song.
18. “Amateur Lovers” in New Orleans (3.22.07)
19. “On Fire”@Cowboy Ranch, London, ON (3.1.07)
20. “Sorrow”@Baylor University (3.20.07) All sixteen songs from this show are up on YouTube. Check all of them out.
21. Jon Foreman acoustic set @Rock Harbor in Costa Mesa (2007) This is part 1 of 7. The whole set is up on YouTube.
22. Jon Foreman performs “In Your Arms” @Glasshouse
23. Jon Foreman performs “Southbound Train” @The White Elepant
24. Jon bashing the cymbals in Jakarta
25. “Dirty Second Hands”@The Roxy (date unknown)
26. “This Is Home”@Iowa Memorial Union
27. “Dare You To Move” in Stamford, CT

Related Posts:

Only The Losers Win

One of my favorite Switchfoot songs, and there are a lot of them, is “The Loser” from their 2000 album Learning To Breathe. It continues to be a fan favorite even if the song does not make too many setlists. The reason “The Loser” is so great is the Biblical perspective it is based on. It is one of Switchfoot’s most obvious Biblical (Christian) songs.

The song references Mark 8:35-37, John 12:25, and Jesus’ words to the rich young man in Mark 10:17-25, among others. With “The Loser”, Switchfoot does an excellent job of articulating the true nature of salvation—that there must be an uncompromising willingness to “lose” everything and anything in this life in order to “win” an eternal award. I have posted the lyrics here, but you can check out a rare, one minute performance of the song over at YouTube.

Only the losers win
They’ve got nothing to prove
They’ll leave the world with nothing to lose
You can laugh at the weirdos now
Wait till wrongs are right
They’ll be the ones with nothing to hide

‘Cause I’ve been thinking, thinking
I’ve got a plan to lose it all
I’ve got a contract pending on eternity
If I haven’t already given it away
I’ve got a plan to lose it all

I’ve been the burnout kid
I’ve been the idiot
I’ll turn the other cheek to be hit
You can take what you want from me
Empty me till I’m depleted
I’ll be around if I’m ever needed

I’ve been thinking, thinking
I’ve got a plan to lose it all
I’ve got a contract pending on eternity
If I haven’t already given it away
I’ve got a plan to lose it all

I wrote this song for you
To show how I’m selling out
I’ll take the benefit of the doubt

Here is a list of some Christian ministries reaching out to fans of music, which is everyone really. This list will continue to grow so if you know of any ministries that are not on the list, let me know and I will update it.

• Power FM | The Christian Rock Station
• Christianrock.net
• Christian Rock Radio
• Reign Radio
• Air 1
• Christian Rock Report
• Rock For Life
• Tooth And Nail Records
• Holy Hip Hop
• Cross Movement Records
• Altered Lives
• Forefront Records

Related Posts:

Christian Skate Ministries
Christian Surf Ministries

The Wedding has been ripping up the Christian rock scene this year with their second album Polarity. Like Flyleaf and Switchfoot, The Wedding is holding their own against secular rock, spreading the Word through a sound that is relevant to the younger generations. Check out their first video from Polarity, where they put a beat down on the world with “Say Your Prayers.”

This Central Texas (Temple) band is tearing things up for Christ. This interview was put up on YouTube over a year ago, but it is a candid look at the band and what they are all about.

Related Posts:

The Wedding Rocks It Hard With “Say Your Prayers”