God, Guitars & Gear Podcast

In this, the Season One Finale of God, Guitars and Gear, I have the honor and privilege of sharing the uplifting and affirming words of show listeners.  Special thanks to Jamie Penner, Chris Foster, Jordan Clark, Josh Thompson and Patrik Tammelin for sharing their hearts, pointing us toward scripture, and through the Holy Spirit, coming together to give us all an important message. I want to thank you for listening, subscribing, and sharing this podcast over the past three months.  I would also like to thank you for connecting with the show on social media and through email ( chris@godguitarsandgear.com ). Thanks to Ty Caskey and Ambient Trails for the great music that took this project to the next level. Most of all, I’d like to thank God for opening all the doors and entrusting me with the opportunity to reach you through this first season.  It’s my prayer that, through these episodes, you’ve been able to grow as a worshipper, as a servant in your church’s music ministry, and as a guitar player, too. Thank you so much for listening!

This one has been WEEKS in the making…and it’s been a bunch of fun, too.  It’s time to crown a champion – and worship a King! GOD During this episode, I’m going to be playing a bunch of music; playing acoustic, playing electric, playing chord progressions and lead lines.  Lots of different sounds, but they all come from one song: “Spirit Move” by our friend Ty Caskey.  It’s a great song that our music ministry team and our church family has really embraced for service, and I share with you in the hopes you’ll consider sharing it with your team. Click HERE to find it on Spotify. [https://open.spotify.com/album/4l2xng5O1beu44pmq1jDGx] I asked Ty if it would be okay to post the lyrics here, because as I mention in this episode, I believe it’s an exquisitely balanced combination of thoughts to consider.  “Spirit Move” does a great job of simultaneously addressing the power and glory of God and the Spirit through both corporate and personal spiritual engagement.  Ty gave me the green light, so check this out: I want to sit here in Your presence, I want to know more of Your goodness Filled with wonder – expectation…for You to move within this place Lord, we wait here for You… This is a sacred invitation The creator of all is here right now (yes, He is) Filled with wonder – expectation…Lord we are gathered in Your name Lord, we wait here for You… Spirit come and move in our hearts, stir up revival in this place…Lord we worship You Spirit come now and have Your way, Lord, let Your presence fill this place…Oh, we worship You I feel it moving, my heart is pursuing everything you’re doing Is making me new again Your presence with me, pushing back the enemy…fear, you have no hold on me Jesus is my victory! Like I said, there are a lot of good and powerful things to think about when you take some time with the lyrics.  I’ll also tell you that, when you hear Ty’s recounting of the circumstances and the scripture that provide the motivation to write this song, you’ll have an even better connection to it. GUITAR I dug into the open of “Spirit Move” a bit to illustrate the importance of balance between offering YOUR excellence to God (your take on a track, your style and experience) as a truly unique gift and providing the structural foundation the rest of the team needs to play the song.  Forgive the sub-par acoustic work… GEAR I put the wraps on this episode by putting the wraps on the Mission: Perfect Pick competition.  You get to hear some sound samples (in which I use Alex Strabala’s latest and greatest Helix patch) of a few different picks, including all the finalists.  So which pick takes home the crown?  Listen and find out! COMING UP… Season One will come to an end with the “Episode of Encouragement”.  My hope is that, of all the episodes you’ve heard, this one will be the one you remember most.  If you need encouragement, affirmation, motivation – this is the episode for you, and I can think of no better to close this chapter of God, Guitars and Gear. THANKYA’S! Ty Caskey – Ty wrote and performed the God, Guitars & Gear theme, and he also cranked out all that cool guitar wizardry that pops throughout each episode.  Connect with Ty: 1. Instagram ( @tycaskeymusic [https://www.instagram.com/tycaskeymusic/] ) 2. YouTube (Ty Caskey [https://www.youtube.com/channel/UC-tH0ETjSFsTzU5K-zammsA]) 3. Spotify (Ty Caskey [https://open.spotify.com/artist/6pxJQKFi8ZoFFwlxddvkuu?si=GHyGGdjiSU2xljUa8GIgoQ&dl_branch=1]) Ambient Trails – AT does the well, ambient trails you hear in the background of every episode.  Hear more Ambient Trails on Instagram ( @ambienttrails [https://www.instagram.com/ambienttrails/] )

So far, God has blessed this podcast with some pretty great guests: if you wanna listen to some God-centered people, how ’bout Michelle Nezat (Ep4), Zach Neese (Ep7) and Richie Allen (Ep9).  What about the nuts and bolts of guitar?  How ’bout Reverend Guitars CEO Ken Haas (Ep2) and Seventh Day Guitars founder Scott McDonald (Ep5)?  If you’re thinking about playing that six-string, you’re thinking about Brandon Oaks (Ep8).  And since this here show also focuses on gear, you got some great stuff from Alex Strabala (Ep3) and Ty Caskey (Ep1 and Ep6). But what if it were possible for God to connect me with somebody who could roll about all three?  What if it was somebody people knew, respected and thought the world of?  Well, if that’s the kind of guest you were looking for, God has just dropped this love bomb on ya.  This episode is all about God, guitars and gear courtesy of Unspoken’s lead guitarist Zachery Smith. GOD Judges is a great book in the Old Testament.  It’s action-packed, and loaded with heroes from beginning to end.  And for the teenager in me, it’s got some gore and great reference to somebody pooping their pants (don’t believe me?  Do a multi-translation study of Judges 3:22…and get ready to howl.  You’re welcome!)  But I digress… While studying Judges recently with my Life Group family (love you guys!), I stumbled across a verse that led me to a very telling comparison study between Gideon (Ch. 8) and Samson (Ch. 13).  Who’s a better deliverer in your mind, and who do you think God considers the deliverer? It’s all about our ability to compare, and just how badly things can go because of it.  Listen in to find a way to get out of the comparison game. GUITAR [https://www.godguitarsandgear.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/07/225326569_223578889767164_1651710095383748246_n-300x300.jpg]As I mentioned at the top, this isn’t just about guitar, because Zachery Smith is definitely not just about guitar.  He is a 100%, all-in, over-the-moon Jesus-follower, and everything else comes after that.  In this conversation, we talked about his history, his growth within God’s will, what he’s learned about humility, as well as the difference between “knowing the psalm” and “knowing the Shepherd”.  Zachery was also FULL of tips (whether he stated them as such or not) about playing, practicing, being up on stage, and how to keep yourself in a worshipping state with a guitar slung over your shoulder: “You’re pouring it out at the feet of Jesus.” Go ahead, write that down.  I did. He does talk about gear quite a bit, including the brands he’s moving to as he grows in his role with Unspoken for touring – and recording – they’re doing (yes, Unspoken fans – they’re recording!).  Like I said, Zachery covers it all, and with a smile. GEAR It’s all about Mission: Perfect Pick this episode.  If you’ve been following along on Instagram, you’ve seen all ten picks.  In this show, I give you my top three finalists, and in general terms, I explained that all of them represent the best combination of performance and value. Now – got to @godguitarsandgear [https://www.instagram.com/godguitarsandgear/] on Instagram, find the post with those finalists, and make your guess as to which pick will be crowned The Perfect Pick!  If you guess correctly (I’ll reveal the winner in Ep11), you could win a pack of your own to enjoy! COMING UP… In Ep11, Mission: Perfect Pick will come to a close, and I will reveal the Perfect Pick…and the winner of the Perfect Pick Contest.  Even if you don’t win, I’m going to give you some sound samples from several of the picks I compared so you can make your own decision on which one was best. The little bits and bobs I’ll be playing will all come from a song called, “Spirit Come” by your friend and mine, Ty Caskey.  Ty will stop in to talk about the inspiration for the song lyrics and generate some excitement about the Holy Spirit entering into our lives and all of the moments when our church families come together to glorify God. ONE MORE THING! This season’s finale is coming up, and it’s going to be great.  It’s the first-ever “Episode of Encouragement”, which will give you the opportunity to share some encouragement with other music ministry servants.  There’s still a little bit of time for you to be a part of it: record an mp3 of your encouragement, affirmation, a special scripture, a prayer, or maybe even a tip to help a team or guitarist to play better, practice more efficiently, or connect with God during a service.  Whatever God puts on your heart, put it in a recording and email it to me: chris@godguitarsandgear.com [chris@godguitarsandgear.com]. THANKYA’S! Ty Caskey – Ty wrote and performed the God, Guitars & Gear theme, and he also cranked out all that cool guitar wizardry that pops throughout each episode.  Connect with Ty: 1. Instagram ( @tycaskeymusic [https://www.instagram.com/tycaskeymusic/] ) 2. YouTube (Ty Caskey [https://www.youtube.com/channel/UC-tH0ETjSFsTzU5K-zammsA]) 3. Spotify (Ty Caskey [https://open.spotify.com/artist/6pxJQKFi8ZoFFwlxddvkuu?si=GHyGGdjiSU2xljUa8GIgoQ&dl_branch=1]) Ambient Trails – AT does the well, ambient trails you hear in the background of every episode.  Hear more Ambient Trails on Instagram ( @ambienttrails [https://www.instagram.com/ambienttrails/] )

Before diving into the deep end of this episode, I wanted to again extend an invitation to you to participate in the upcoming “Episode of Encouragement”.  This show, which will serve as the Season 1 finale, will give you the opportunity to be a blessing to everyone involved in music ministry around the world and across time. God calls us to build each other up, so the “Episode of Encouragement” will give you the opportunity to do it by recording a word of encouragement you’d like to share with others.  Record an mp3 of your encouragement, affirmation, a special scripture, a prayer, or maybe even a tip to help a team or guitarist to play better, practice more efficiently, or connect with God during a service.  Whatever God puts on your heart, put it in a recording and email it to me: chris@godguitarsandgear.com [chris@godguitarsandgear.com] . GOD I’ve got one of those smart watches that tells me what my heart rate is, how many steps I’ve taken, how much exercise I’ve done, and a whole bunch of other stuff I can’t figure out how to use.  I’m grateful for it, though, because I can get a pretty quick idea what’s out of whack if I don’t feel right. [https://www.godguitarsandgear.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/07/RichieAllen-300x300.jpg]As far as I know, they haven’t come out with a smart watch with a band that can stretch around a music ministry team yet, but thankfully, I don’t think we’ll need one, because we’ve our friend Richie Allen! Richie Allen is a worshipper, coach and pastor with over 28 years of experience in executive, creative and music ministry at well-established churches and highly-successful church plants (you will not believe the story about his church-planting experience!).  During our conversation, Richie shared some general observations about music ministry across our faith, as well as some very specific advice for worshippers who are playing guitar on music ministry teams.  This is another one of those “maybe I should take some notes” kind of episodes… I did want to zoom in on one thing that Richie shared, and it pertained to Psalm 19:14.  I’m not going to spoil the treasure he drops concerning that particular verse, but I want to encourage you to spend time unpacking the chapter.  Upon considering it myself, I noticed that the psalm reminded me of a perfectly-crafted Sunday morning set. It moves from the exhilarating declaration of God’s identity and attributes, into the extoling the value and worthiness of His commandments, and finally into bridging a deeply personal plea for forgiveness and the ramifications of that forgiveness.  If you’re looking for a place to worship, Psalm 19 is the spot! GUITAR/GEAR It’s all about “Mission: Perfect Pick” around here, as we are going to find the best plectrum on the planet!  Yes, I said WE.   And yes, you’ll be compensated for your participation!  Well, one of you will, at least. 🙂 I talk all about what’s happening during the show, but I also said I’d explain it here in the show notes, so here goes: For Finding the Finalists 1. You’re going to need to follow @godguitarsandgear on Instagram. 2. From July 27 through August 2, I’ll be posting pics of each tested pick.  Watch for them, decide which pick you like and like that post. 3. I’m going to factor fan faves into the grading, so your vote will help me determine which pick I pick to be the Perfect Pick. Crowning the Winner 1. On August 3, Ep10 will drop, and in that episode, I’ll announce the three finalists.  That same day, I’ll also post a photo of those finalists on Instagram.  Look for that post, and comment on which pick will win. 2. When I choose the winner, I’ll go through that post and jot down a list of everyone who picked the winning pick. 3. After I make sure they’re following the show, I’ll put the handles in a hat and draw one winner. 4. I’ll buy the winner a pack of the winning picks!  (Yes, I’d love to buy you a lifetime supply or something like that, but this show’s marketing budget is right around $0.) Looking forward to getting everybody’s take on the different picks in the shootout, and I cannot wait to pick the Perfect Pick! COMING UP… I am SO EXCITED to have Unspoken’s Zachery Smith on the show!  He’s an amazing guitarist, a fabulous guy, and he loves the Lord like CRAZY.  You don’t want to miss the cool stories, the great insight and the killer tips he shares with me.  But if you’re looking for the first guest to ace Quick Hitters, don’t hold your breath. THANKYA’S! Ty Caskey – Ty wrote and performed the God, Guitars & Gear theme, and he also cranked out all that cool guitar wizardry that pops throughout each episode.  Connect with Ty: 1. Instagram ( @tycaskeymusic ) 2. YouTube (Ty Caskey [https://www.youtube.com/channel/UC-tH0ETjSFsTzU5K-zammsA]) 3. Spotify (Ty Caskey [https://open.spotify.com/artist/6pxJQKFi8ZoFFwlxddvkuu?si=GHyGGdjiSU2xljUa8GIgoQ&dl_branch=1]) Ambient Trails – AT does the well, ambient trails you hear in the background of every episode.  Hear more Ambient Trails on Instagram ( @ambienttrails )

MAJOR ANNOUNCEMENT AT THE END OF THE EPISODE…DON’T MISS IT!!!! A little while ago, I was on the “Line 6 Helix and Pod Go Worship Users” Facebook page, and a member named Jeff Miller shared this: “I love playing on Sundays and helping the congregation to worship. I am blessed that the Lord is willing to use me in His ministry. However, I get so focused on the part I am playing and thinking about the next part coming up, making sure I am not too loud during the down moments, then add listening to the click, the cues, listening to the vocalist making sure they aren’t in a different place. Sometimes I don’t feel like I get a chance to worship, how do others focus on all those things and get to worship too?” It was a big – and critically important – topic and question.  I know that, through my own experience, as well as through talking with Michelle Nezat (Episode 4) [https://www.godguitarsandgear.com/2021/06/22/music-and-scripture-with-more-than-a-songs-michelle-nezat-s1e4/] and Zach Neese (Episode 7) [https://www.godguitarsandgear.com/2021/07/13/how-we-must-worship-the-king-w-zach-neese-s1e7/], that worship not only can, but should, happen whenever and wherever you are in your day, not just on the stage.  But I wanted to get some help in not only providing specific ways to integrate worship into a guitarist’s regimen while preparing to make their offering in church.  And there was no better guy I knew to do this than Brandon Oaks. GOD/GUITAR [https://www.godguitarsandgear.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/07/Brandon-Oaks-e1626454245947-300x216.jpg]Brandon’s currently the worship pastor at Ocean Church in Cape Coral, FL [https://www.oceanchurch.com/], and he is a former music leader at International House of Prayer.  Brandon shared an exercise he calls “singing scripture” – which makes sense, because that’s exactly what you do.  The concept is a simple one, but it’s extremely powerful, and one that WILL bring you into a place of worship during your practice time.  And here’s the bonus – when you feel comfortable doing it by yourself, you can teach it to your team, and then you can integrate into a special event with your entire church!  Bottom line – this won’t just help you worship God…it will help everybody! I also had to talk with Brandon about his music, because he has released some very inspirational songs.  His most recent release, “Father of Lights”, really struck a chord (no pun intended, I promise) with me and I have a feeling it could really become a powerful song for congregations to sing.  Brandon shared the scripture behind the song and the compelling messages contained within it.  I really encourage you to check it out…here’s the Spotify link: Brandon Oaks: Father of Lights on Spotify [https://open.spotify.com/album/4pGXPb2EUBxyYtS9et03wp?si=coR2Qg9dSEWvY9QHY8V-Pw&dl_branch=1] GEAR You and me…we have a mission.  Well, actually I have a mission, and you’ve been drafted. 🙂  For years, I’ve been trying to find a pick that has the perfect combination of tone, firmness, hold and lifespan.  Now, with your help, it is time to successfully execute “Mission: Perfect Pick”. [https://www.godguitarsandgear.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/07/mission-perfect-pick-website-300x190.jpg] I have scoured music store shelves, clicked on countless Facebook ads, and scrolled through an infinite number of Amazon listings to sample picks of all shapes, sizes, materials, thicknesses and price points, all to find it.  The one.  THE Perfect Pick. I’ve used Dunlops and Fenders over the years, but I decided to explore some different brands for this mission; I’m currently comparing offering from Thalia, HotPicks, Graphtech, Fred Kelly Picks, Howling Monkey Picks, Common Fibers and Timbre Gear.  But I want to try more, and I need your suggestions.  Reply to Mission: Perfect Pick posts on Instagram and Facebook, or just email me what you like – chris@godguitarsandgear.com [chris@godguitarsandgear.com] .  But do it quick, because I’ll have to get them ordered, delivered, and then test them.  Thanks!  Your country owes you for your service. BIG ANNOUNCEMENT!!!! I’ve decided to join forces with you on a very special upcoming episode.  Since God calls us to build each other up, and we all know we could use it, I want to team up with you to have an “Episode of Encouragement”.  I need you to RECORD a word of encouragement you’d like to share with others who are participating in music ministry around the world.  We all know it’s not easy, but it would mean a lot to HEAR that we’re not alone, and our spiritual siblings are speaking truth into us, lifting us up in prayer, and are willing to go to the mat for us. This episode has the potential to have a huge impact, but it can’t happen at all without you.  Record an mp3 of your encouragement, affirmation, a special scripture, a prayer, or maybe even a tip to help a team or guitarist to play better, practice more efficiently, or connect with God during a service.  Whatever God puts on your heart, put it in a recording and email it to me: chris@godguitarsandgear.com [chris@godguitarsandgear.com] .  I’m hoping to publish the “Episode of Encouragement” soon, so please follow the Spirit’s call on this one and send something in as soon as you can. THANKYA’S… Ty Caskey – Ty wrote and performed the God, Guitars & Gear theme, and he also cranked out all that cool guitar wizardry that pops throughout each episode.  Connect with Ty: 1. Instagram ( @tycaskeymusic ) 2. YouTube ( Ty Caskey [https://www.youtube.com/channel/UC-tH0ETjSFsTzU5K-zammsA] ) 3. Spotify ( Ty Caskey [https://open.spotify.com/artist/6pxJQKFi8ZoFFwlxddvkuu?si=GHyGGdjiSU2xljUa8GIgoQ&dl_branch=1] ) Ambient Trails – AT does the well, ambient trails you hear in the background of every episode.  Hear more Ambient Trails on Instagram ( @ambienttrails )