I want to start sharing a song from my music library each week that I have been listening to. My hope is that the songs I post would encourage you throughout your week and help you prepare for worship on Sunday!
This week’s song is by Steve Fee (from the band “Fee”), it is called “Glory to God”. I actually received this from Pastor Eric last week! I think I have listened to it about 100X since then… I am planning on playing it this Sunday. Check out Psalm 108, I love how it says, “Let your glory be over all the earth.” This song does a great job of putting all the focus on declaring God’s Glory and how we can offer ourselves as an offering.
Psalm 108
1 My heart is steadfast, O God; I will sing and make music with all my soul.
2 Awake, harp and lyre! I will awaken the dawn.
3 I will praise you, O LORD, among the nations; I will sing of you among the peoples.
4 For great is your love, higher than the heavens; your faithfulness reaches to the skies.
5 Be exalted, O God, above the heavens, and let your glory be over all the earth.
It’s that time of year again. Time for worship leaders to bring their best “thankfulness” set and for pastors to preach their best “thankful” sermons. Sometimes it can be boring to fall into the same old routine. Truth is; I love this time of year. Not because people focus more on being thankful, but because this season begins to focus us on the One that every good gift comes from. Because leaves fall and I’m reminded that this season, whatever it is, isn’t my end. That sometimes things have to die to become beautiful again. And that cold times are best spent with warm people.
I love that my family gets together. That friends get closer. Presents come more often and parties are the norm. I relish the hugs that others give that they might normally hold out on. I cherish seeing children marvel at the spectacle of it all. Most of all, I revel in Jesus who gives us a reason to celebrate and a season to treasure.
Great stuff from ‘Los Whitaker over at his blog today. Check it out.
Dear Church Member,
(This is not written to anyone in particular. Rather to every church member of every church out there)
You may like the way your worship leader sings.
You may like the way your worship leader looks.
You may like what your worship leader says.
You may like the songs your worship leader writes.
All that is dandy.
It is actually great to feel those nice, pretty things.
But it is not about you.
It is not about your likes, needs, and comfort at all.
The reason they stand before you is to lead you to a place of unabandoned worship in your Savior.
The reason they stand before you is to display to you a lifestyle of worship that God has called you and them into.
The reason they stand before you is to CHALLENGE you that your level of praise to God Almighty should take a step up.
The reason they stand before you is because God Himself, has called them, TO LEAD YOU in worship.
This means that you need leading.
So stop staring at them, and start following them.
Get The Jonas Brothers and Miley Cyrus to lead worship at your church if you’re in it for kicks and giggles.
But if you are in it to be led… Swallow your pride and follow your leader.
Los
I hate it when God throws the gauntlet down on me. I was reading Jesus’ words this morning on the work of the Holy Spirit and came across this challenging passage.
“Oh, there is so much more I want to tell you, but you can’t bear it now. When the Spirit of truth comes, He will guide you into all truth. He will not be presenting His own ideas; He will be telling you what He has heard. He will tell you about the future.” (John 16:12 & 13 NLT)
So, here’s the BIG challenge for me out of that. If I’m truly being led by the Spirit then should I “not be presenting my ideas” but “telling what I’ve heard”? Should I hide myself in prayer until I have clarity about the “future” God has for those He’s called me to lead and walk beside?
What a challenge and a call to prayer. How do you play out the call to lead with clarity? How do you “not present your own ideas” and present “what you’ve heard”?
As you know, I have the blessing of leading multiple a group of worship teams in our church. I thought I’d share here what we’re talking about this week.
I was praying for you guys and our teams this morning and thought it might be good for us to discuss life “beyond the set”. [Read more]
I got a question from a friend about being asked to speak on “Responding to God in Worship”. I thought I’d share my response here. I told him that I would start with:
a) we respond to God through worship because it is our created purpose
b) worship is not a narrow window involving music in corporate gatherings, although good, there is a greater purpose in worship
c) worship is ultimately what pleases God most; and obedience is what He enjoys that more than anything else we can bring
Does the LORD delight in burnt offerings and sacrifices as much as in obeying the voice of the LORD? To obey is better than sacrifice, and to heed is better than the fat of rams.(1 Samuel 15:22)
Old Testament worship including offering and sacrifices. God makes it clear here that He truly delights in obedience.
d) with obedience as the chief criteria for worship, then everything we do, (work, fun, music, worship as we normally define it, reaching out to someone in need, sharing Jesus, resisting temptation) can fall under the umbrella of worship
What would you say to someone on the topic of response to God in worship?
Over the last few weeks I’ve been forced to have some really transparent conversations with several people. You could say I’ve killed a few elephants. It’s not been my favorite thing to do. When it comes to stuff about me, I’m really an open book. In many ways I’m way too transparent of a guy. But [Read more]
I was encouraged this week by what it really means to love somebody. To really share life with them beyond the task in front of us. I shared with our worship team leaders that we should all take the time to let people know we care. When we show somebody that we love them for who they are, not what they provide, we communicate at least three things. [Read more]
“How I rejoice in God my Savior! For He took notice of His lowly servant girl, and now generation after generation will call me blessed.” (Mary speaking in Luke 1:47-48)
The iWorship Devotional Bible had this to say about this passage. ”All along, God has had a way of using ordinary people in extraordinary ways to further His plans. Paul commented to one early congregation [Read more]
