RussHutto.com

Song: How Great is Our God by Chris Tomlin

Worship Ninjas: Mark Thomas (denverintranslation.com); Russ Hutto (russhutto.com)

Vid #1:

Mark breaks down this song and shows how he leads it from acoustic guitar. He mispronounces Russ’ last name since he’s never actually “heard” it pronounced live (only seen in the blogosphere), but after a throwing star contest in which Mark hits a dancing fruitfly at 600 yards, all is forgiven.

How Great Is Our God from Mark Thomas on Vimeo.

Vid #2:

Russ breaks down this song and shows how he accompanies the vocals with simple, straightforward chord shapes. At the throwing star contest he de-cigarettes a smoking camel at 400 yards, but it isn’t quite enough to win his family’s honor back.

How Great from Russ Hutto on Vimeo.

Tune in next time for more easy to follow song tips for Guitar and Keys.

Ok, ok. Just kidding.

But seriously.

This is the beginning of a great new series that I am putting together with the help of Mark Thomas (denverintranslation.com), and in the future, other online friends who are bloggers and worship leaders.

We’ll be taking songs for worship (popular ones and some originals) and breaking them down on acoustic guitar and keys.

Each post will contain 2 videos. One from Mark giving the guitar perspective and one from Me, Russ Hutto, giving the Keys/Piano perspective.

We hope you enjoy these vids and can glean a little bit here and there, especially if you’re picking up a new instrument or are just wanting to learn a little here and there.

Get ready the next post is where the goodness begins!

Part of Sunday Setlists.

1. You Are Good (Houghton): Key E. Oldie but goodie.
2. Sing to the King (Foote): Key D. Oldie but goodie.
3. I Am Free (Egan): Key D. Oldie but goodie.

Over all it was a great day. I can’t wait until we have our own place though. I love being a mobile church…but it wears on you.

So here it is. It’s been a rough few weeks on this 50 Songs this year challenge. but I cranked one out this morning in GarageBand, and decided to pull out the old trumpet. Haven’t played it in a few years. Forgive the airy tone, but that’s what happens when your chops turn to mud over the years.

This one is called More Than A Mile. I was inspired by the #twiblestudy this morning on twitter based on Hebrews 4:15 (thanks @loswhit) and this is what kind of popped out. Jesus walked more than a mile in our shoes. He can more than just relate to us from afar. He WAS us.

There are no lyrics to this song, it’s just a meditative improv instrumental. Just know when you listen to it, though, that Jesus is close, He is near, and in every way possible he knows what you’re going through day to day because He, too was tempted with every imaginable temptation, and in the end did not sin. Amazing.

So here it is: More Than A Mile

Photos Courtesy of Clarus Photography People Pictured wearing New Love In, Up, Out Tee Design

This past Sunday we unveiled our new “identity statement” at House of Joy. It was an exciting time.

Basically, back in January the staff went away for a few days and really spent hours answering this question: Who are we?

We didn’t invent some slogan to live up to. We didn’t create something out of thin air to try and project onto our people.

We thought and prayed, and laughed and debated and came together on an identity statement that reflected who we already are and what is important to us in ministry at HOJ.

Love IN. Love Up. Love OUT.

Love in: We take care of each other. We meet in each others’ homes. We protect and nurture our own.

Love up: We love God with everything that we’ve got, heart, strength, soul, body, and mind. We teach others to do the same.

Love out: We love others as ourselves. We reach outside of our walls. We are community impacters, locally and globally.

It was a great day, and the kickoff of a new series.

The series was titled “From the Stroller to the Hog” – it was basically a series about growing up spiritually. Kind of the kickoff of our Love In process. We talked about how we start off in the stroller being pushed around and taken care of. Then we move to the tricycle and learn to move around a bit on our own. Then we hit the mountain bike and then we hit the Harley (hog). A neat four phase progression about growing through the stages of spiritual infancy to spiritually maturing.

We had intended to have the pastor riding the harley into our theater but alas, the doorway wasn’t big enough into the actual theater room where we meet. So we parked it right outside in the hallway as you go into the theater.

Though it wasn’t as loud and probably didn’t have the stick with you factor as riding it in, it was definitely a great visual to have it sitting in the entrance.