He’ll Take Care of the Rest

I heard an author speaking recently about men and our feelings of inadequacy when a challenge is brought to us that is bigger than what we think we can handle.  It seems that many times we, both men and women, will be blocked by our feelings of inadequacy and not rise to the challenge at all. Often times we don’t take the first step because we aren’t sure how we are going to accomplish step 3 or 4.  I have seen this play out many times in my life.  I want to do something that is big, something that is beyond me and many times I don’t even do what I can do because I am afraid of the parts I can’t do.

The speaker addressed this issue in a way that I have never heard before.  He talked about the story in the Bible where Jesus feeds the 5000.  In the story there was a great multitude of people and the disciples wanted Jesus to send them away because the hour was late and it was a desolate place.  They wanted to people to be able to go and buy themselves some food to eat.  Jesus had a different idea and said to the disciples, “You feed them.”  So the guys go out and gathered what they could.  Five loaves and two fish.  Now, anyone knows that this is not enough food to even feed the disciples, let alone the crowd.  But the disciples did what Jesus asked them to do and they brought him what they had.  They knew it was inadequate but they brought it anyway.  They could have easily not followed through on the first step because they were unsure of the second and third steps, but they didn’t!  They followed through and brought their inadequacies to Jesus.  He then took it and multiplied it.  They brought what they had because they knew that he would take care of the rest.

This spoke to me loud and clear.  When we have dreams that are bigger than us, let’s bring what we have to Him.  No matter how small with think our part is. Let’s let Him take care of the rest.

Driven to Worship

I read two quotes this week that have continued to play in my mind like a broken record.  This first is a contemporary quote from Bill Johnson, Senior Pastor at Bethel Church in Redding, CA.  It was this, “I never study to teach.  I study to learn and teach out of what I’ve learned.”  This really spoke to me this week.  I love to study God’s Word and read about the deep things of who God is.  I love to study theology and seek out the mysteries of God.  The quote from Pastor Bill Johnson really inspired me to continue to study with no agenda except to know God more.  As we study and meditate on scripture, the message becomes a part of us.  It gives us something to say.

The second quote is a classic from Jonathan Edwards.  He said,”A person who has knowledge of theology and doctrine only – with no religious affection – has never engaged in true religion.”  As a worship leader, I absolutely love this statement!  It is a great reminder to us as we study.  If we don’t allow what we study to flow from our head to our hearts then we are really missing the mark.  We need to get in and study with our heads but we need to let that information penetrate our hearts and bring us closer to God.

My encouragement  to you is that as you read the Word and meditate on who God is, let that understanding drive you to a new place of worship.  Let’s study and learn and grow in our understanding of who God is and let’s worship with all of the passion we have!

The Mobile Blog

Shortly after a began this Blog I downloaded the wordpress app for my android phone.  I was very unimpressed as it was clumsy and not very user friendly. I think I opened the application once and then never bothered again. So impractical!
So tonight I was updating some of my Apps and updated the wordpress app. I know I am behind the ball on this,  but holy cow what a great app!  This is so user friendly and actually very helpful. I am excited to try this application out a little more “on the go”. 

The Worship Person…

Song Leader, Lead Worshipper, Music Minister, Worship Arts Director, Worship Leader, Worship Pastor…  These are just a few of the titles given to the person that leads songs on a Sunday morning in local churches.  The title is usually given based on the denomination of the church or the culture of that church.  Each of these titles are good but I have a feeling that each one says something a little different about how the position is viewed or rather what is required of the individual in that position.

I am doing a little research and I would love to hear from you!  Worship Leaders/Pastors, I would love to hear from you.  What is your job description?  What do you feel like your main responsibility is?  How do you see yourself changing as you serve in the local church?  Senior Pastors, I would love to hear from you as well.  What are you looking for in the person that leads the songs in your church?  What do you feel like the greatest challenge for them is?  I would also like to hear from local church people.  What do you want from your worship leader?  Is leading songs enough?

I am not looking for a right answer or a wrong answer.  I am looking for YOUR answer.  I want to hear thoughts and opinions and I want my own view to be broader.  Thank you so much for your participation.

Looking Toward Eternity

I have recently been reading a couple of books about Heaven and eternity.  A lot of times as believers we talk about Heaven and how someday we will be in a place of no more tears.  We talk about seeing Jesus face to face.  We talk about the great reunion, seeing loved ones who have believed and have gone before.

These are all great things to think about, but sometimes I think we forget that eternity starts now, not just after we die.  I’ve really begun to try to live out of that perspective.  Being driven be eternity has really began to affect me in the areas of pursuing holiness, meaning continue to put of sin, and in evangelism.

I just wanted to share that and ask you what being eternity minded might mean to you.

Decision Points

I just finished reading “Decision Points” by President Bush.  I should start out by saying that I am a Conservative and I was a fan of Mr. Bush during all eight years of his Presidency.  I totally understand why his approval rating fell as low as it did, but I still have always thought that he was doing the best job with the decisions he had to make.

This book was an excellent read.  It is not a typical memoir that covers every detail of a life.  It is based on major decisions that the president faced during his term.  Examples are running for office, Iraq, Katrina, personnel, and the financial crisis. Surprisingly it is a real page turner.  I found it fascinating to read about some of the behind the scenes details, considerations and emotions.

It doesn’t matter if you are a conservative or liberal, republican or democrat, or somewhere in between, you will find this to be an enjoyable read.  I also think that whether you agree with the decisions made or you do not, you will find President Bush to be a sincere man who stands by his convictions.  I highly recommend this book!

A Healthy Habit.

As the end of 2010 is drawing near it is time to look toward the new year and think about what we resolve to do differently in the coming year.  One part of my life that I always like to re-evaluate is my time in the Word.  For several years now I have done reading plans that take me through the entire Bible in one years time.  I have always found this to be a very practical way to keep my accountable to being in the Word.

Over the years I have struggled with this.  Sometimes I would miss a day and feel like I had failed, like I wasn’t holding up my end of the bargain.  I often wondered what God thought about that, if He was disappointed in me.  It took me a lot longer than I would like to admit to realize that that condemnation was not from the Lord but from a religiousness that I had created myself.  God doesn’t need me to be in the Word because of some religious obligation.  However, He does want me to be in the Word because I want to deepen my walk with Him, because I love Him.

Often it seems that when we get a hold of this truth, the pendulum swings to far to the other side.  We don’t read our Bibles on a regular basis with the excuse that we are not bound to religion.  This helps us to feel justified in our stagnate walk with the Lord.

I want to submit to you that it is not religious, but a healthy habit to be reading the Bible on a consistent basis.  The key is to not let the enemy condemn you when you miss, but know that condemnation does not come from the Lord.  Get back up and try again the next day.  It is so important to be hiding the Word of God in our hearts, but we can not do that unless we are getting in and reading it.  If you are feeling dry in your walk with the Lord, my first question would be when was the last time you spent some quality time with the Lord and in His Word.  There is no greater cure for a boring walk with the Lord than reading the Words that have already been spoken by Him.

There is a great tool at www.youversion.com to help you find a reading plan that works for you.  They have everything from year long plans to 30 day plans.  It also helps you keep track of your progress and is a way to help you stay accountable.  I want to encourage you to try something new this year in your time with the Lord.  Lets all work to be consistent together this year.  Not out of religion, but out of a passion for knowing Jesus more.

What do you plan on doing different this year?

Sunday Setlist Dec 26th, 2010

The day after Christmas.  What an interesting Sunday to try to plan a worship service!  Who’s going to come? How many people are going to come? How long should it last?  These are just a few of the questions that run through the heads of a church staff as they plan for a service on December 26th.

Here at Metro we decided to make the service a review of some of the amazing things the Lord has done in our body this year.  We wove worship in as we testified and had a wonderful time giving God the glory for a wonderful 2010.

I didn’t schedule a full band to play with me, I did an acoustic set.  We had two acoustic guitars, a mandolin, and a djembe.  We had a lot of fun together and made what could have been a throw away service into a memorable one!

Here is our Set list from Sunday:
Beautiful One – Tim Hughes
Desert Song – Brooke Fraser
Look What the Lord Has done-not sure who wrote it, but we did it as bluegrass and had a ton of fun!
None But Jesus – Brooke Fraser
Psalm 126 (You have done great things) – Charlie Hall

What was your experience of the Sunday after Christmas like?  What did you do in your Church?  It is always fun to hear what is happening in other churches.
Blessings,
BOBBY

This has been a part of The Worship Community’s Sunday Setlists.

A Year End Review

It is hard to believe that we are only a little more than a week away from the close of 2010.  I feel like I am just getting used to saying 2010 and now I am going to have to change to 2011.  The year has just flown by!

On Dec 26 at Metro we are taking the service to reflect together on all of the incredible things the Lord has done this year.  It is a time to remember the Lord’s blessings and give Him the glory and praise. It is going to be so much fun.  As we were preparing today for that service it was a little overwhelming to see just how much the Lord has done.  He is SO good!

I want to encourage you to not let the year end without acknowledging what the Lord has done in YOUR life this year. He has been so good to YOU too!

What are some of your highlights from 2010?

Moderation

I just read a blog post from The Resurgence.  Great reminder for me this Christmas Season, how about you?  Check it out…

http://theresurgence.com/2010/12/11/your-grandma-was-right-all-things-in-moderation