One of those moments

I had what i call "one of those moments" this weekend.

It's always special when a series or sermon topic parallels something in my life. We are in this sermon series "Miracle Grow" and this weekends topic dealt with providential relationships. God has blessed me with so many different people that have influenced my life and I hope and pray that I have had a positive influence on others experiences. As I worshipped this weekend it was so powerful and moving to think about the people sharing the stage with me that have each influenced my life on different levels.

I thought of Deuce who recently went through a terribly heartbreaking time with his wife. His infectious smile, energy and passion for leading our church in worship are all an example of faith that I want to have in my life. Then there is Barry who is such an encouragement to his wife and children, I hope and pray that my children know how much I believe in them and that I am as solid a family man as him.

I've watched Stephen and Emily put so much sweat and heart into preparing for a weekend that I have been challenged to re-evaluate my efforts in preparing to lead worship. Charlie and Tracy have brought a deeper level of spiritual depth to the team and model a fully devoted life that is infectious!

One of my favorite faces around church is James. I think that he has been one of the most pivotal people in our worship experience. When James showed up in the "old sanctuary" with his electric guitar and crazy guitar synth he was on the front end of our transition into a modern, guitar driven worship style.



Not only was he in the right place at the right time but he has embraced 100% the vision both musically and spiritually. We have had spirited debate and great talks about family, faith and music over the years and I consider him one of my "brother in arms" in this worship journey.

And finally there is Kevin. Now Kevin is not someone that our church sees very often - in fact he has a community of believers that he belongs to and is fully committed to but, every once in a while I convince him to bring his amazing God-given voice over to the south side of town. Kevin and I were in a band together for almost 7 years and being around each other and collaborating musically have helped to bring perspective to our lives and music. He has such a heart for people and for his wife and kids. I heard one of the team members say to him this weekend "i'd pay money to hear you sing" (to be honest there are few people that I think are that good and Kevin is one of them). He hasn't ever wanted that though. He would prefer to write songs and collaborate with friends all the while developing his walk with God.

Standing on stage behind Kevin and alongside the team during the song "Let It Be Me" I had that moment where i realized how impacted I have been by those around me and how cool it is that God allows us to influence each other and collaborate in this song we we call life.

If I wanted I could write this post every weekend - seriously! I am so blessed to have a diverse, Christ centered team of people i serve with. I was reminded this weekend to watch and learn from each one of them. So if you serve in the team just know I'm watching you!

Mailing it in...

Had a great weekend that included a birthday party, worship on sunday, and a quick trip to Michigan (which i'll write on soon). Played a song in church this weekend that wouldn't be considered one of my favorites and according to one of the band members "couldn't have been written any worse".

It brought to mind a conversation that i had with a group of worship leaders a year or so ago. We were wrestling with the question "is it possible to authentically lead a song you genuinely dislike"? There were several great points made in that discussion. Points that come to mind include: the worship experience is just as much about whether the audience connects as the leader, there is always something of value in a song and you should find it and focus on it, and working through a song that you struggle with can be viewed as an act of worship.

I was able to see this past point in action this weekend. I have to admit going into rehearsal I was already nervous because I knew that this particular band member really disliked the song but had a huge part that would make or break the song. As soon as we started rehearsal there were the predictable comments about how bad the song was and how we all had thought through what we could do different to the arrangement to make it more enjoyable to play. With no decent ideas we relented to doing the song as normal.

I was so impressed as we kicked off the song and this band member ripped into his part and executed it not only in the same style of the song but with all the little nuances in there as well. He had really done his homework on it even though it wasn't fun for him at all to execute. i had to wonder if God was even more pleased with his worship because he stepped up his effort when he could have mailed it in and called it good.

If i took a poll probably every band member we have at Southland has a song or two (or three!) that they are less than excited about playing when they are on but the audience (and other band members) would never know it because they all take there craft and worship seriously. It really makes me proud to be a part of the team!

The idea of bringing your best attitude and effort can apply to every aspect of your life and really honors God, especially when you find yourself in a situation where you are less than motivated. Remember you never know who you are influencing and also that God wants your best in all situations.

And no - I'm not going to tell you the song or the band member. Hopefully as far as you can tell we love all the songs we play!

Hey you!...That's right I'm talking to you!

Are you the type of person that it takes someone knocking you upside the head or standing in your face with a bullhorn to get your attention? I am and was reminded of it in a great conversation the other day with a lady on staff concerning the Holy Spirit.

So often i go through my days thinking about facts and hard logic. i tend to take past history or "common sense" into my decision making and advice that i give to others. Times that i feel leadings outside of these areas i often refer to as my conscience or emotional intelligence.

The thing is, when i chalk it up to my "conscience" its too easy to ignore it because I don't feel accountable to God in it - it's "my" conscience not God's spirit. I am finding that the more i am grounded on the Word daily and resting in moments of prayer my "conscience" begins working overtime!

I had some questions i needed answered to i went to my friend with those and within a few minutes she was handing me a book on the Holy Spirit and encouraging me to acknowledge these promptings as God speaking through His Spirit, not my own mind. I shared my feelings that it's a lot easier to ignore my own self than God's Spirit and how scary it can be to let go and surrender to the Spirit. In response she shared this really beautiful and encouraging thought:

"The Holy Spirit knows you better than you know yourself and He will never prompt you in an area you are not equipped to handle". 

Talk about a freeing statement if you acknowledge its truth! When we are daily in the Word and in open conversation with God we should have confidence in His leading through the Holy Spirit, moving boldly into territories he's already prepared us for.

For me this is still easier said than done but i am choosing to own this Truth as I start each day in hopes that I will acknowledge Him in every prompting and situation. How about you?

Mr. Big Stuff...who do you think you are

Matthew 18

1 At that time the disciples came to Jesus and asked, “Who is the greatest in the kingdom of heaven?” 2 He called a little child and had him stand among them.3 And he said: “I tell you the truth, unless you change and become like little children, you will never enter the kingdom of heaven.

humbling text this morning - in three different ways Jesus tears you open about how you perceive yourself and others. Wanting to be the greatest, looking down on others and refusing to forgive are all things that i struggle with every day! we are so deceived to think that status in this world even matters a little bit - why do we continue to strive for that? how often do we continue to judge others - even when the Judge has pardoned us?


its awesome that in two of the sections Jesus uses the image of a child. since becoming a dad i have realized (as every parent does) how much your children teach you and how often they bring conviction to your life. i had one of those convicting moments saturday on the the way to soccer. 

charlie often turns his head in the car away from me if he is frustrated or tired but this time was different as he was whispering to himself. i quickly asked what was up and he promptly responded "dad - don't listen to me".  i thought "what is he upset about or dreaming about"? turns out he was nervous about his soccer game and was asking God to help him score in the 'right' goal! at 5 years old the kid knows that when he's nervous about something he needs to talk to God - not his dad!


now i know i can help him with his nerves by being supportive and reminding him he's loved but i am NOTHING compared to God who knows my sons every thoughts and who loves far beyond anything i can ever even fathom! whats even more humbling is that fact that if charlie had told me he was nervous i would have immediately given him pointers on how to better attack the ball or hustle so that he had a better chance at scoring that goal. is that what he needed - no way! he wanted Gods peace - and received it from its only source.


thanks God for being there for us, for using our children to point out who you are and for reminding us that apart from you we are NOTHING.

technology rules...my life?

just got done using the the speaker phone option on our new phone system at work. its amazing how great these things sound! who knew that we would be living in the day and age where technology was so advanced that i can talk to someone on the phone through a tiny microphone and hear them back on a $2 speaker and feel like they are sitting right in front of me. sure beats the old rotary phone days i grew up on with the big stick on shoulder cushion for "hands free" chatting!

you know one of the other things i love about this type of technology is i can do my own thing and control my interruptions and how often i have to interact face to face with people. caller ID, texting and twitter have all played into this new world for me. as an introvert (ISTP) this is not necessarily a great thing! i too often catch myself wanting to interact with my technology more than with the people that need/deserve my attention.

Donald Miller is an author i follow and he posted this on his blog. give it a read - it was convicting on many different levels. i can remember being amazed when my son knew the difference between a cell phone and an iPhone (and yes there is a HUGE difference). i wonder if he'll think it is nearly as cool in ten years - i hope so, but i'd rather he know how cool i think HE is.