We have our first 2012 Holy Oatmeal Live event at Crossroads Nazarene in Chandler AZ Sunday Jan 29th.

OK click on the names to instantly download the PDF chord sheets of your favorite Holy Oatmeal Scripture Song.

You can sing it at home or use it for your church… Enjoy!

Matthew

Songs:

Love Must Be Sincere

Bless Those

Whatever You Do

Walking With Jesus

Train A Child

I’m Asking God

God’s Chosen People

All Scripture

Annie and I led a Holy Oatmeal Live event for GCCS in Tempe, AZ this week and they really were great.

Mr Saunders had invited us as the special guest for the weekly Chapel service.  Which of course was a great honor because that is my elementary school and Mr Saunders was my teacher.

The kids really engaged and we had a great time.  Thanks 7th and 8th graders for leading the way and really having fun as we sang at the top of our lungs!

Looking forward to returning soon!

Theme song for Chandler Christian School

Mrs Zappe asked me to write a song based on the School’s theme Scripture for this year 1 John 2:3-6

I think you’ll really dig this one!

³ We know that we have come to know him if we keep his commands. ⁴ Whoever says, “I know him,” but does not do what he commands is a liar, and the truth is not in that person. ⁵ But if anyone obeys his word, love for God^[a] is truly made complete in them. This is how we know we are in him: ⁶ Whoever claims to live in him must live as Jesus did.

Scripture Song Colossians 1:15-20

Listen and follow along – scroll down to see the Scripture and the Chord charts

He Is

The Supremacy of Christ is the focus of this passage from Colossians

The Supremacy of the Son of God

¹⁵ The Son is the image of the invisible God, the firstborn over all creation. ¹⁶ For in him all things were created: things in heaven and on earth, visible and invisible, whether thrones or powers or rulers or authorities; all things have been created through him and for him. ¹⁷ He is before all things, and in him all things hold together. ¹⁸ And he is the head of the body, the church; he is the beginning and the firstborn from among the dead, so that in everything he might have the supremacy. ¹⁹ For God was pleased to have all his fullness dwell in him, ²⁰ and through him to reconcile to himself all things, whether things on earth or things in heaven, by making peace through his blood, shed on the cross.

This isn’t exactly word for word but follows the text fairly closely.  You could definitely learn the passage and meditate on it using this song.

Please let me know what you think in the comments below and as always feel free to post on facebook and share with others.  Excuse the rough recording (especially in the “pitch” department…I’ll be working towards a refined version soon), but hopefully you get the general idea of the song.

Here’s the chord charts for the song:

Verse 1
Em             G
He is the image of
D/F#             C
The invisible God the firstborn of all
Em
Creation
Em                       G
For by Him all things were made
D/F#                  C
In heaven above and the earth here below

Bridge:
Am                  G
visible, invisible…dominions and authorities
Bm
All things have been made through Him
F
All this has been made for Him
Am                  G
visible, invisible…thrones and principalities
Bm
All things have been made through Him
F
All this has been made for Him

Chorus
G       D/F#
He is  before all things
C                   G
And in him all things hold together

G          D/F#
He is the head of His church
C                                                       G
The Beginning, the firstborn from the dead, the first place of all things

G                           D/F#
And the Father was pleased that His fullness should dwell
C                                    G
In the One who made peace through his blood and redeemed all creation

A prayer for your family and more

Colossians is an incredible book, just full of great verses worth memorizing.  We just kicked off a study in Colossians in our home church Grace East and to help our kids (and myself) get the book down into our hearts I have written two songs, so far…

I’m Asking God:

This first song is from Colossians 1:9-14 and is from Paul’s opening prayer for the church there.  It is a great prayer that we should be praying over our own families. This song is almost entirely word for word from the NIV except a couple of places where I had to distill a couple of phrases down into a single thought.  So, as you are singing the song, be sure to reference back to the original Scripture to show your kids where it’s different.

Download audio file (Im-Asking-God.mp3)

I’m Asking God

I’m asking God to fill you with the knowledge of His will

Through all spiritual wisdom and understanding

And we pray this in order

That you may live a life worthy

Of the Lord and may please Him in every way – Every way

Bearing fruit in every good work

Growing in the knowledge of God

Being strengthened with all power according to His glorious might

So that you may have endurance patience and joy

Giving thanks to the Father who brought you into His kingdom of light

In whom we have redemption forgiveness of sins

God’s Chosen People

This next song is from Colossians 3:12-13 and is word for word from the NIV.  Here is a great Scripture for your family to remind us who we are in Christ and how that should motivate us to treat others with the same grace God has shown us.

Download audio file (Gods-Chosen-People1.mp3)

God’s Chosen People

Therefore as God’s chosen people

Holy and dearly loved

Clothe yourselves with compassion

Kindness humility

Gentleness and patience

Bear with each other and forgive

Whatever greivences you may have

Against one another

Forgive as the Lord forgave you (repeat)

“All Scripture” 2 Tim 3:16-17

Download the mp3 HERE or listen to the song below. To download: hover your mouse over “HERE” and right click then choose either “download link as” or something like that and just save to your desktop. Email me: matthew@holyoatmeal.com if you have any problems and I can help you along the way.

Download audio file (All-Scripture.mp3)

Click Here to download a PDF of the chord and lyric chart.

Who has captured my kids’ imagination?

Just read a hilarious (yet sobering) article from Jon Acuff’s site Stuff Christians Like.  He relays how his kids seem to be much more familiar with pop culture than Bible stories.

My kids digest a lot of media.  And we don’t even have any actual TV channels coming in our home. But with the internet and netflix and a loud marketing machine all around us, my kids still absorb a hefty portion  of “stuff”.   My two oldest boys know so much more about Star Wars than I have ever even heard about.  They know the connections between soldiers, Jedi, aliens, sith lords, etc.  I have been around Star Wars for far longer than they have been alive, yet they know the intricate details.

Can they relate God’s redemptive story from creation to the coming of the Messiah like they can relate the flow of the Star Wars Legacy?  Can I?

The true cost of “just vegging out”.

I have been a great advocate of protecting my right to sit and watch tv/movies.  I have viewed it as a reward for a hard days work.  At the end of the day, I just want to sit and veg. But what has that cost me over the years.  Man, this really gets me.  I don’t want to fall into this hyper legalistic zone and condemn all forms of television as evil or sinful…but is it worth it?  I’m teaching my kids (at least by example) the truly important thing in life is to watch tv and movies.  And further more….

The more “grown up” movies we watch as mom and dad, we are inferring to our kids they can look forward to the day when they get to watch violence, sex, cursing as much as they want when they grow up.  Maturity is equated with unrestricted access to all sorts of sin on display. Think about it. The video games and movies rated Mature are full of completely immature material.

Check out what the Bible says about maturity:

• James 1:4 NIV84
  Perseverance must finish its work so that you may be mature and complete, not lacking anything.

• Hebrews 5:14 NIV84
  But solid food is for the mature, who by constant use have trained themselves to distinguish good from evil.

• Ephesians 4:13 NIV84
  until we all reach unity in the faith and in the knowledge of the Son of God and become mature, attaining to the whole measure of the fullness of Christ.

• 1 Corinthians 2:6 NIV84
  We do, however, speak a message of wisdom among the mature, but not the wisdom of this age or of the rulers of this age, who are coming to nothing.

How is that for a slightly different view of maturity?  Biblical maturity is defined by those who can distinguish good from evil, not those who have full access and can “handle” more evil.

I don’t mean to get heavy.  It is totally cute when our kids do say the darndest things, but what do I need to change in my home to ensure my kids really do have a saving knowledge of God and that they truly do love the stories of the Bible, more than anything George Lucas can come up with.

001 HolyOatmeal Podcast 01272011

It is launched!

In this very first episode of the HolyOatmeal Podcast I introduce myself and what the HolyOatmeal concept is all about.

Interview:

I interview my mom Becky Casteel about how to raise kids who love God.

Song Of The Week:

Me and my kids lead out a song from Romans 12:9-13 called Love Must Be Sincere

Download the chord charts and lyrics by clicking the title Love Must Be Sincere this will automatically start downloading the PDF file

Isn’t that special?

It started out cute enough.  In fact I was quite impressed and perhaps a little filled with a certain amount of pride.  Charlie my two year old has amazingly mastered the use of our laptops, iPhones and the like.  He can fire up the laptop, navigate towards Kidos (a safe internet site built primarily for preschoolers recommended by SafeEyes) and interact with the different videos and games.  He asks to play my iPhone and is able to find, switch between, start up and play all the games.  Alphabet songs, matching games, memory games, shapes and puzzles are second nature for him already.  He has learned to count and say the alphabet mainly from his interaction with this technology.

That is good…right?  I kind of thought it was good, but I’m not so sure anymore.

I’ve created a monster (or unleashed one)

Each morning, each evening, at church, driving in the car, anytime there is free time my little cute son is acting like a junkie needing a fix. “Can I play your iPhone?  Can I play webkinz? Can I play computer?”

We homeschool and it has been quite convenient to have him occupied with the computer focused on some “educational” material.  But now that is all he wants to do. I want him to play with blocks, to run around outside. I want to see him breaking stuff, throwing rocks, but he just wants to play games.  I suggest building a fort, shooting nerf guns, running around outside and he throws a fit wanting to play video games.

Now he does receive proper correction when he is throwing a fit and he doesn’t get to do whatever he wants, but I’m still concerned about his strong reaction to the video games.  It is a little troubling to say the least. Is this OK?  Is this normal, sinful, independent behavior or is there something more powerful at play because of the nature of the video technology?

I know firsthand how powerful technology and entertainment can be to anyone, but is there a greater danger for little ones?.  I have this unscientific, yet highly fearful suspicion that the neurological affects of technology on small children may be greater than I realize.   We are in a new day and age.  This is the beginning of the generations completely raised on technology from birth.   What will be the long term effects?  What are some wise parenting tips to having balance in this matter?  Is there an age that is too young to be playing with this kind of digital fire?  Is is simply fun and possibly even educational?  What strong connections are being made in his young mind that will forever alter his personality?

I wold love to hear your thoughts on this matter. Let me know what you think.  Maybe there is a good balance to all of this.