out the versions of the songs that we want, put With the app, that was just something that [Jason] I think faith and entrepreneurship are
them in plastic sleeves, and we have to put came out of me, and the flesh sort of rising up tightly related. In a way to say you’re going to
them in binders…” and everything. And up until and saying, “I’ll show you I can build that thing!” start a company or do this or that takes a lot of
that point, I had spent my entire professional life But then God just kind of grabbed it and gave faith because you really don’t know what the
building systems to get rid of paper. So I blurted me not only that word but a vision that it would future holds. To me it’s not a whole lot different
out, “We need to build an app for that!” And she save time for worship teams every Sunday believing in God and what Jesus says and in
looked at me and said, “You can’t do that.” morning. At the time we were trying to figure the Word, than it would be to have an idea for
out what version of the song we were going a project or a client or something and be willing
As an entrepreneur that’s sort of like pouring to do, what key is it in, and transposing it ten to give it a shot. What do we have to lose?
gasoline on a fire. I went into the sound room minutes before the service. All of it was very Also for me, it took a lot of prayer. One thing
at our church and God just hit me with a vision. hectic. God said, “You could do that for your I found during this time, was God would kind
And what I heard was, “Use your talent to church, but you could do that for thousands of of speak… and I know it sounds crazy to say
further my kingdom.” In other words, use not churches around the world, and what impact ‘speak’, I like to think I’m pragmatic. But a lot
just what you like to do, but use what you do for would that have on worship?” of times I would get a word picture, where it
a living to further His kingdom. So I went home
would just be two or three words followed by a
that night and started laying down the first lines And that was the impetus behind it. It’s what small vision. Almost like a poetic concept. And
of code for OnSong. At that point we had three built it, what gave me the drive and the miracle I would see that, and go, “Oh, okay” and pray
weeks from the moment I had had until the to actually get something done in three weeks about it.
iPad went on sale. So I decided I was going to and out on the iPad, because I don’t know get this on the App Store in three weeks, so I how that happened, but it did. After that point Usually, when I would pray God would give me
buckled down and worked on it. I couldn’t get it a lot of other worship leaders saw that it was some scripture to look up, and I’d look up the
on the app store because I didn’t actually have there, grabbed hold of the vision, and said they scripture and dog-gone-it, it would match up
an iPad and you had to build to an iPad in order loved what I was doing, but it kind of sucks, it with that word picture that was given. So I say,
to put it on the app store. So on a Saturday doesn’t do this or that, it’s slow… I just a lot of if you’re looking for God to speak to you always
morning the UPS guy showed up at my door, feedback. So we just started writing down the be sure that you balance it out by looking up the
I ripped open the package, plugged it in and feedback as fast as we could, and within a year, word of God, because that will never contradict
de-bugged a couple things, and uploaded it. OnSong launched in 2010 and by mid 2011 I what you hear.
OnSong was one of the first 2,000 apps on the realized I had a problem. And that was I had no App Store for iPad. free time to actually work on it or do everything But how did I know what to do? I think I
that we were getting in. probably say ‘yes’ very easily, and I think God
[WM] Was listening to God’s voice and being
knows that, and puts his ideas in my head.
obedient what laid the ground word for that I realized I had to leave my day job and do it. And I say, “Let’s try it out!” I think it worked
obvious providence that has followed? So in early 2012, my wife had been laid off her most of the time, even though it seems crazy
job in 2011 and we had just had a child, we that it would. With OnSong one of the word
[Jason] Definitely, I think that’s how everything had just bought a house, in a whole other story pictures that I had was that this was a ‘ministry
has happened since 2008. You really need a we brought a girl over from South Africa who experiment’. So ‘ministry experiment’ was the
moment of humility to lay down everything that was suicidal and paid for her to go to a private word and the vision was to charge something
you’ve built. I really felt it was like an Abraham school, and at the same time we both left our for it so that you can continue it. Think about
moment, like taking your son up the hill to day jobs and started a company. So that was Paul, and he built tents so he could fund his
sacrifice. I just knew I had to lay this down, I 2012, it was a huge step, and I didn’t take ministry. So I said, okay I’ll charge five dollars
didn’t know what I was going to do, I had no salary for about six months at least and my for OnSong. Sure enough within the first year
idea. There’s a verse in the Bible in that story wife a year and a half later. So it was a big step it made sixty thousand dollars at five dollars
of Abraham and Isaac I think, that said, “Take to take everything we had and put it into this a piece. We started having a problem, we
firewood with you.” Sort of like you’re preparing basket that God said we should put it into. But had so many people downloading it that we
for something, you don’t know what that here we are talking, so that’s good! (Laughing) couldn’t keep up with the email. So I said, well
something is but you have a pretty good idea,
I guess we’ll increase the price and see what
and just trusting God completely in what your [WM] As a believer and an entrepreneur, how happens. Which slowed it down for a little bit,
future is. did you know when to pray and when to know and then it went right back up. We’ve been at
when to simply step out in faith? it for a while, and of course adding features,
52
January 2019
Subscribe for Free...