At Mars Hill West Seattle, we are blessed with rockin’, soulful, funky bands and band leaders who love Jesus, and lead us in musical worship each Sunday and during special events. This series will introduce us to the folks who rock the flock for Jesus.

James Armstrong

1. What is your current role at Mars Hill West Seattle?

I have been involved in some manner in Redemption Ministry at Mars Hill since Jesus dragged me out of absolute worldly enslavement to sexual pursuits. Currently I’m co-leading a Redemption group. In the Brothers of the Empty Tomb I’m responsible for orchestrating the relationship between band and congregation toward Jesus.

2. Tell us about yourself – job/family?

Before Jesus grabbed me, I never thought myself capable of getting married. And there is no way the almost 40 year old child I was could be a daddy. When Jesus transformed my heart and told me what a husband and father were in His Kingdom, I felt capable through Him. I have been married to my beautiful Heather for almost 3 years and we are raising our 16 month old daughter Sevilla.

I have been in the construction industry for going on 20 years and have several businesses that have a territory throughout the Puget Sound.

3. When did you become a Christian?

I was raised Catholic and ran from God (or so I thought) in my late teens. Twenty years later my non-believing girlfriend, who was sick of dating a 40 year old boy, brought me to Mars Hill to learn to be a man from Mark Driscoll. She dumped me a week later. In God’s perfect timing, He put my sin right in my face. I had tremendous regret. It was in this regret, that Jesus made me realize my greatest regret of all would be to not know my Creator, eternally. It was a very painful time; like I fell in a very dark pit. But Jesus was with me.

4. Where are you from & how did you end up in West Seattle?

As a third generation Californian, my family escaped to Sequim in the early ‘80’s where I went to High School and I moved to Seattle in 1988. I now live in Seatac, Mark Driscoll’s old backyard.

5. When did you first set foot in Mars Hill?

Late 2004 (Pre-campus Ballard). The weekend immediately after John Piper had visited Mars Hill to lead a conference. Lord, couldn’t it have been one week earlier???

6. How did God lead you into playing music?

Unavoidable. My grandfather was a composer, my grandmother a classical pianist, my mother, a music major. My three other siblings and I as kids used to sing four part harmony in the car to “The Carpenters” and “John Denver” tunes. My brother is currently a composer in New York. Music was a constant in my childhood. Before knowing Christ I sang for my glory and it frustrated me but I didn’t know why. When Jesus revealed Himself to me, singing made sense. I love singing to God.

7. What is a favorite section of text from the Bible?

1 Corinthians 13 was crucial to my conversion. I had no idea what godly love was. However, I love verses like Ecclesiastes 12:13 “The end of the matter; all has been heard. Fear God and keep His commandment, for this is the whole duty of man.” Beautiful!!! It puts man in rightful worship and can our instruction be any clearer??? (I’m a dude)

8. Any favorite quotations?

“You can lead a horse to water, but a pencil must be lead.” – Stan Laurel of ‘Laurel and Hardy’

9. What was the last book you read?

I recently finished Practical Prayer by Derek Prime and I’m well in to a biography of Puritan John Owen, Prince of Puritans by Andrew Thomson. I’m about to go on vacation and I’m going to dissect Prime’s book and break it down in outline form so that I don’t miss anything. Sometimes I feel my prayers are flat and self serving.

10. What was the last movie you really enjoyed?

“Central Station” Plot? Redemption of course!

11. Your current favorite music/artist/albums?

Brazilian Artists: Milton Nascimento, Seu Jorge, Curumin, Djavan. Soul Artists: Isley Brothers, Four Tops, Curtis Mayfield, Isaac Hayes, Harold Melvin, Gladys Knight. Currently, Jennifer Hudson has got the lungs- very true ‘old school’ voice. But I don’t listen to much new stuff.