Vans Warped Tour 2014

This past weekend, for Father’s Day, my dad bought my brother and I tickets to the Vans Warped Tour. If you have never heard of Vans Warped Tour, basically it is a huge tour of a ton of bands that travel the country and take over parking lots and fields around the country over the summer. It’s a huge event with multiple performance stages that host everything from alternative to metal to techno and even some acoustic duos. A large number of non-profits also attend the tour and set up tents along the border of the venues.

This year the Dallas tour date was set up at the Gexa Energy Pavilion, near the Texas State Fair grounds. We arrived when the gates opened, scoped out the schedule and made plans to see the bands we wanted to see and found the stages they were going to be playing at.

We camped out at the Monster Energy stage to see a band called “The Word Alive”.  We hadn’t  really listened to the band much, but their set was pretty awesome and included a backflip from the lead singer. After some F-bombs during the show and after looking up some articles on the band, it is clear that the band isn't a Christian band.

They ended their set with one of their songs called “Life Cycles” off of their 2012 record Life Cycles.

The song really captured my attention when the lead singer “Telle” screamed over the crowd:

“I’d rather die for what I believe, than live a life without meaning!”

Then “Telle” held the microphone out to the crowd and the crowd busted their lungs screaming:

“I’d rather die for what I believe, than live a life without meaning!”

As the song went on, the band played their hearts out as we jumped around and moshed, officially breaking the first of many sweats to come that day.

What was so awesome about that moment in the song was that I realized how we are wired and created to crave something more. We crave purpose whether we know what will ultimately fulfill our purpose or not, there is no getting around how we were created to be. These kids are so close to realizing salvation, meaning, and purpose in Christ!

Praise God there are some Christian-counseling type organizations that go on the tour like “Heart Support”, started by Jake Luhrs (lead screamer for August Burns Red) and “Steal Kill & Destroy” (a.k.a SKAD).

There needs to be more Christians who are stepping up in to darker places.

Paul says:

                       

            “For though I am free from all, I have made myself a servant to all, that I might win more of them…I have become all things to all people, that by all means I might save some. I do it all for the sake of the gospel, that I may share with them in its blessings” 1 Corinthians 10:19-22

I am not saying that the hardcore metal or punk music scene is for every believer in Christ. But there are plenty of Christians I know that do enjoy that type of music and attend Warped Tour on a regular basis.

I am also not saying you have to have a ton of tats or gauges and only shop at hot topic to reach people in that music scene that need help.

I am saying that I think Christians need to be smarter and more aware of the ways we try and reach people with the Gospel.

Gone are the days where walking door to door in dress clothes, or simply handing out gospel tracts is effective. We, as believers in Christ, are called to make disciples.

I believe this is only done through relationships and genuine love and care.

It’s time to become smarter evangelists, to more effectively engage our surrounding culture, hold fast to true teachings, let go of secondary issues, and win some for Christ.