Josh Brewer - Keyboards
josh@jeffdeyo.com

I was born on May 18th, 1984 in Livingston, TX. Shortly thereafter, my mother and father, along with me, four brothers and two sisters, traveled and stayed in several different states, eventually ending up in Yakima, WA. It was there where God started forming my testimony.

When I was eight years old, a series of unexpected life-changing events took place very rapidly. My father went to prison, leaving my mother to raise six kids. As anyone could imagine, this was quite a task. They divorced soon afterwards. These events caused financial struggles to surface, forcing us to get on welfare and other state aid programs.

Due to the circumstances, my siblings and I were placed in foster care. The three oldest siblings were placed in separate homes, and my younger brother and sister and I were placed in another home. At times, my mother would try to get custody, but it was just too difficult for her to provide for six kids as a single mother. She eventually remarried.

Although the pattern of being in and out of foster care had already begun years before, this time it was worse. We were now staying in battered women and homeless shelters frequently. This caused the seeds of bitterness, anger, jealousy, and depression to be planted in my heart.

We eventually moved to Colorado with my mother. Once again, we were placed in foster care for about a year. I was fifteen at that time. We then got a call saying we had an uncle in Nashville who wanted to take us in. I never really knew him, but I thought this was an opportunity for a stable environment. (Ironically, my uncle knew Jeff when he was in SONICFLOOd and had sent me a signed CD previously.)

So in March of 2000, we flew out to Nashville, and my uncle adopted us. At that time, he actually went to Jeff's church, Cornerstone, so we started going there as well. It was there where God really got a hold of me.

In the summer of 2001, I went to youth convention with the youth group. It was only the first night, but the worship began to supernaturally open my heart to receive God’s word. The knocking of conviction resounded inside me, and I can distinctly remember the thoughts and feelings I had when the speaker gave the altar call. I predetermined that I was not going to respond, but the pounding of my heart and the weight of conviction compelled me to answer the Holy Spirit’s urging.  From there, the journey from my seat to the altar seemed long and humiliating, but the blessing of true freedom that awaited me was worth the sacrifice.

At that time, I didn't know what I wanted to do with my life. I never really thought about it. Surviving life was more of a concern than succeeding in life. Even so, the next year, I decided to learn piano. I never had any musical experience, let alone any desire to play, but I had begun to notice how influential music was in everyone's life. (Have you ever tried watching a movie without the sound on? It’s not near as powerful, is it?) Anyway, as a result, I decided I wanted to make music for movies and video games.

But in 2002, I got filled with the Holy Spirit, and God planted a vision in my heart that remains there today. The vision God spoke to me was this: To minister to people through words and music. I didn't really know what "to minister" even meant. After all, I was a new Christian. But I was determined to do whatever God
wanted me to do.

An opportunity opened up for me to play keyboard in my youth group. The
first several months were horrible. I remember the first altar call I played. It sounded more like a funeral than an altar call. But I knew God had called, and more importantly, chosen me. So I continued to play in the youth group for several years. It was here that Jeff laid hands on my hands after a Wednesday night service and prayed that God would use them to impact the Kingdom.  We did not know then how significant that was.

I worked in management for five years after getting saved and played music
on the side when the opportunity arose. Even though I was gifted in management, I knew God had called me to minister to people full time. And in the summer of 2006, I felt God speak in my heart, "This time next year you will be doing ministry full time." I didn't know exactly how or where, but I knew it would be ministering to people through words and music.

The passion to lead people into worship was fueled by Jeff’s monthly WorshipCityPraise nights. I would go to those with great excitement, both to encounter God and to dream of what it would be like to be behind the keyboard myself, leading everyone in worship with Jeff. That passionate dream got birthed in my heart, and I was 99% sure that I would be there some day.

Then in 2005, I found out Jeff’s keyboard spot was opening up. I thought my opportunity had finally come. I was so excited. It turns out, it wasn't God's timing. Instead, the amazing Mark Woodward filled the spot. I felt devastated inside, but I didn't show it. I rhetorically asked God, "I thought you called me to do this?!" I would even have dreams of playing with Jeff. And all of a sudden, they
were shattered....or were they?

I found out then that God was still refining me…preparing me…and testing me. Would I give up on Him or would I persevere and put my faith, hope, and trust in Him? Well, I kept believing...despite the circumstances. Yet again, this was another lesson God wanted me to learn.

In the spring of 2007, I got a call from Jeff (which wasn't too surprising, as I got saved, filled with the Holy Spirit, and started playing music in his home church youth group).  He told me that the keyboard spot in his band was opening up again in the summer. What blew me away was remembering what God had spoken to me the year before. The spot was opening up at the exact time God told me I would enter into full-time ministry! Although I was pursuing this dream my entire Christian walk, God's timing was perfect.

He is SO faithful! He has blessed me in so many tangible ways, and in many more intangible ways. He has given me a wonderful, beautiful, best friend and
companion, Larissa, who encourages me in my walk with God daily. She is
the sweetest person I've ever met. Heaven is one angel short with her
being here with me ;o)

God has taken the enemy's plans of destruction and failure and reversed them into plans with a perfect hope and a destined future. The process over the past seven years has been an incredible time of release, restoration, and revelation; release from all the baggage I carried all those years, restoration of all the things the enemy has taken away, and a revelation of God's grace, mercy, and never-ending, unfailing LOVE.

With God, ANYTHING is possible. God has a plan for YOU just as He did for
me (and mine is just beginning). I pray that your faith and hope will increase through reading my summarized testimony. Never give up on God, because He will never give up on you.

Josh Brewer

"Trust in the Lord with all your heart, and lean not on your own understanding. In ALL your ways acknowledge Him and He shall direct your paths." Proverbs 3:5

MY GEAR:
Apple MacBook
Logic Pro
Kurzweil PC88
Yamaha Motif rack
Roland JV-1080
Korg Kaoss Pad KP2
Radium "Midiman" keyboard controller
Shure in-ear monitors