The Next Step

By nature I am a worrier, I can’t deny it.  I try not to worry but oftentimes I let worry steal my joy.  I know that God is in control and that I have nothing to fear and God has never failed me.  Last week I had to make some decisions about buying a car.  I hate buying cars.  It literally makes me sick to spend that kind of money, but my old car had been in the shop 3 times recently and I was still having problems. So, it was time to put her out to pasture.  When I buy a car it is like buying a horse, I just need good dependable transportation. It doesn’t matter what color or anything as long as it will get me from point A to point B.  Last week I was in Matthew for my morning devotions and on Monday I read Matthew 1-6.  Chapter 6, verses 25-34 was what I needed to hear.

 

25 “Therefore I tell you, do not worry about your life, what you will eat or drink; or about your body, what you will wear. Is not life more than food, and the body more than clothes? 26 Look at the birds of the air; they do not sow or reap or store away in barns, and yet your heavenly Father feeds them. Are you not much more valuable than they? 27 Can any one of you by worrying add a single hour to your life[e]? 28 “And why do you worry about clothes? See how the flowers of the field grow. They do not labor or spin. 29 Yet I tell you that not even Solomon in all his splendor was dressed like one of these. 30 If that is how God clothes the grass of the field, which is here today and tomorrow is thrown into the fire, will he not much more clothe you—you of little faith? 31 So do not worry, saying, ‘What shall we eat?’ or ‘What shall we drink?’ or ‘What shall we wear?’ 32 For the pagans run after all these things, and your heavenly Father knows that you need them. 33 But seek first his kingdom and his righteousness, and all these things will be given to you as well. 34 Therefore do not worry about tomorrow, for tomorrow will worry about itself. Each day has enough trouble of its own.

Now I had read this passage many times and I know that I shouldn’t worry but these verses were just what I needed to hear from the Lord.  Isn’t it funny how God always gives us what we need, when we need it?  Well I needed to hear this word loud and clear so for the next two days I re-read Chapters 1-6 again, always ending in Chapter 6 with a clear word about not worrying. 

While reading this passage an old song came to my mind.  The song is entitled “The Next Step”.  I remember hearing the Inspirations sing this song when I was a very young boy and I hadn’t heard it in many years.  With today’s technology it is not hard to find anything with an internet search. So, I found the words to that old song so here they are:

Verse 1

Why worry about tomorrow.

Why worry when your steps grow slow.

If your life has been lived for Jesus,

You don't have much farther to go.

Chorus

For the next hand you shake could be the hand of the Saviour.

Your next step could be on streets of purest gold.

Your next meal could be the marriage supper,

And the next touch you feel He could be blessing your soul.

Verse 2

Be strong and keep on working;

Don't be angry when things go wrong;

Don't give up for it's almost over;

All signs are pointing toward home.

The words of this song make it clear why we should not worry because we don't know where our next step will be.  I also found a recording of this song by the Freeman's.  This is not a contemporary/praise and worship song like we typically do at MPBC, but the words are great!  My hope and desire is that some of the songs that we sing now will pop back into the minds of people and be an encouragement at a time when encouragement is needed.  Maybe tomorrow or maybe even 20-30 years from now (if the Lord does not return before then).

https://player.vimeo.com/video/138447728

Geoff

Stirring the Soul

Have you ever been listening to music and you hear a new song and it just does it for you?  I mean, you just get it.  Whether it’s the music or the lyrics or both, it just moves something within you.  Well, it happened to me last week.  I was listening to a new CD and when this song came on, I just had to listen to it over and over again.  And I’ll be honest with you.  I’m grateful that moments like this still occur.  I’ve been involved in music ministry within the Church for over 20 years and sometimes I get a little bit burned out.  I listen to, teach, play, sing, and perform music all the time.  And sometimes I grow a little bit numb to it all.  But then there are moments like last week where it all becomes new and fresh and exciting again.

Psalm 96:1 says “Sing to the Lord a new song”.  For years I’ve always seen this verse as a justification for why we write new worship songs.  Because you can’t sing “new” songs to the Lord if no one is writing anything “new”.  But recently, I’ve started to see this verse a little bit differently.  I think that one of the reasons we need to sing new songs to the Lord is because they can re-stir our souls in a way that old, worn out songs can’t anymore.   That’s not to say that those old songs aren’t of any use anymore.  It probably just means that we need to take a lengthy break before singing/playing them again.  That way when we pull them out again, they become fresh again.   The old becomes new.

At MPBC, we try to introduce one new song a month. Hopefully, it’s one that moves the soul and helps to encourage people in their walk of faith.  And just in case you are wondering, the song that I heard last week and had to listen to over and over again, is “Jesus, We Love You” by Bethel Music.  Here's a link to the video: https://player.vimeo.com/video/137991231.  I hope it re-stirs your soul the way it did mine.

Worship Big!

Brad

The New Normal

I promise you, I don’t mean to sound like I am complaining, but sometimes I wonder if I am a glutton for punishment or just a plain idiot.  As the church has grown, the worship ministry has grown with it.  So, where once it was just me, the pianist, and the choir, we now have multiple worship teams that I am in charge of.  We have 2 Sunday morning worship teams that alternate Sundays, plus the worship choir.  And what a blessing they are!  God has blessed our church with so much talent and with a group that really wants to lead in worship.

  

But it’s getting to be a lot of people.  I looked at next month’s Praise Team/Band schedule and there are 27 different names on it.  TWENTY-SEVEN!  And that doesn’t even include the choir.  So, in 10 years, we’ve gone from 2 to 27.  That is unbelievable!  And don't get me wrong, I am extremely grateful for each one of them.  And for the most part, I’ve gotten used to scheduling this many people each month.  They are broken up into 2 teams with Team 1 handling the 1st and 3rd Sundays of the month and Team 2 handling the 2nd and 4th Sundays.  For months with a 5th Sunday and our 1st Wednesday services, I just mix and match from the 2 teams.   And the 2 team system seems to be working.  People aren’t getting burned out like they used to.  Plus, we are able to get some of our young people involved.  And they need as much experience as possible because some of us (me included) are getting older and won’t be around forever. 

 

But now that we are going to 3 Sunday morning services each week (in October), things are changing again.  We are now adding a full Wednesday night service each week.  And that means I get to create another team to handle Wednesday nights.  I already have a few people that will play each week, but the rest will be Sunday morning team members who have agreed to fill-in on a once-a-month basis for the Wednesday night service.  That means that every Wednesday night will feature a completely different group of singers/musicians.  YIKES!  

But here’s the thing.  We don’t have a choice.  Our church is growing and I have to have this new team to put people on to.  Right now, if a new acoustic guitar player or pianist or bass player were to join the church and want to get involved, I don’t have a place for them.  We’re kind of full.  And I don’t want us to ever be like that.  I know of churches where they have their worship team in place and there are no openings.  Like EVER.  I don’t want us to be like that.  If God brings talented singers/musicians to Mt. Pleasant who want to get involved, then I want to have a place for them. 

So, I’ll just keep doing my best to schedule everyone.  This is our new normal.  And in the end I believe it will work out very well.  But until we get to that point, just know that if I have a crazed look in my eyes, it’s probably because my brain is friedJ.

Worship Big!

Brad

Worship Moments

As a Worship Pastor who has been leading worship in churches, camps, and conferences for over 20 years; I have a lot of favorite worship moments.  For example, I have been a part of leading in worship when people have made commitments to follow Christ (pretty cool).  I have led in worship when revival has broken out.  I remember one time leading in worship and opening up the service for people to come share what God was doing in their lives.  I didn’t know if anyone would say anything, but people started walking forward and eventually there was a line to hold the microphone and share.  People began to share their struggles and God began to heal and restore their church.  I have also been a part of leading in worship when thousands of people were singing and raising their hands and hearts to God.  It’s pretty awesome to be in a room with that many people praising God.  Another one of my favorite worship moments is the final scene of the Passion Play each year. 

The choir, dressed in their heavenly robes, is singing as Jesus walks out in his regal robes and crown and the crowd stands and cheers.  And even though it’s not really Jesus, for the people in attendance, they are celebrating like it is Him.  It really is something special to behold!

I also have a lot of great memories of times of worship when I was just someone in the crowd getting to enjoy and participate.  I have been to concerts and conferences where the spirit of God moved in a powerful way and hearts were broken and lives were changed.  One of my favorite memories was when Kathryn Scott was singing “I Belong” at a worship conference and the spirit of God fell on that place and just flattened everyone in attendance.  One moment we are standing and the next moment we are all on our knees.  And it wasn’t one of those moments where you see people beginning to kneel, so you kneel as well.  It just happened.  And as we all eventually raised our heads and looked around, we realized that we were all on our knees.  It was Amazing!

But I believe my favorite times of worship are when it is just me in my office listening to worship music.  Often times I’ll find a new song that is really powerful and I will just listen to it over and over again.  I let the music and the lyrics wash over me and eventually the presence of God shows up and I get to experience Him.  For me, this is what it means to “Be still and know that I am God”-Psalm 46:10.  As I get older, my life seems to get busier and busier.  And these moments of stillness get rarer and rarer.  But when they do occur, I enjoy peace and contentment like no other time.

So, these are some of my experiences and favorite moments in worship.  What are yours?

Worship Big!

Brad

A New Song

As a worship leader, one of the things that I am always trying to do is figure out how to better introduce new songs to our church.  Well, with this week’s post I am going to try a new method.  Each month the worship team practices/learns/rehearses a new song to introduce to the church the following month.  For example, this past Sunday the worship team introduced “Your Love Never Fails” by Jesus Culture for the first time after spending the month of July learning it.  I think people liked it and I know that a lot of people were already familiar with it because the Newsboys version of the song was popular on Christian radio for a while. 

This month we are going to be learning a song called “Spirit of the Living God” by Vertical Church Band. They are one

of my favorite worship groups and are the worship team at Harvest Bible Chapel in Chicago.  This is a powerful new song of theirs and I really believe that our church is going to love it.  But, unlike “Your Love Never Fails”, this song isn’t on Christian radio.  So, hopefully, introducing it here first will help those who follow our blog become familiar with it before we introduce it next month (September).

 

To watch the video of Vertical Church Band performing “Spirit of the Living God”, hit the link below:

https://player.vimeo.com/video/135384782

Worship Big!

Brad

How Well Do You Point?

Recently, I read an article online about some of the “Secrets of Disney World”.  Some of them were pretty interesting.  Like, did you know that children are never reported lost at Disney World?  If a child is separated from their parents it is reported as a “Lost Parent”.  Because how could a child ever be lost at Disney World?  Or did you know that most Cast Members (that’s what employees are called) can tell you where the nearest restroom is in 14 languages?  With as many international visitors as Disney World gets each year, that’s probably the most important information they give out.  But one of the “Disney Secrets” really caught my attention.   When a Cast Member points (for directions, etc…) they always point with two fingers.  Walt Disney thought it was rude to point with one finger, so all Cast Members are taught to point with two.  It’s called the “Disney Point”.

Think about that.  Walt Disney thought it was so important to point the right way that they teach every employee how to do it.  Now, here’s why that is significant to me.  My job is to point.  Not at people or where the restroom is, but to Jesus.  It’s what I do.  And if you are a worship leader, it’s your job too. 

Being on stage in front of hundreds of people playing music is actually pretty cool.  In fact, if you're not careful, it can all go to your head. There are people each week that tell me how well I did, or how good the music was, or how much they enjoyed it.  And all of those things are fine and good.  But, the most important thing is not how well I did, or how good the music was, or even how much people enjoyed it.  The point of being a worship leader is did people have an encounter with Jesus?  Did they get to experience the one who saved their souls and gives them new life?  Did I point them to Jesus?   And if the answer is yes, then I did my job.  

So, how well do you point?  I'm going to keep working on it. I just need to decide if I'm going to use one finger or twoJ.

Worship Big!

Brad 

Forgive and Forget?

                Forgiveness is something that never ceases to amaze me.  I mean, think about it; is forgiveness really that easy?  Think back to when someone has done something to you.  We’ve all been on both ends. Have you forgiven them?  Are you still holding the grudge?  If you have forgiven, was it easy?  Maybe so, maybe not.   If not, then what’s holding you back?  Even more so, if you’ve forgiven, have you forgotten about it? Do you still think about the offense when you see the person who wronged you?

                How do you think God sees forgiveness?  If you’re a follower of Christ, does it ever seem like  God rolls His eyes or shakes His head at us when we ask forgiveness, especially when it’s something we’ve said “I’m sorry” for time and time again?  But, because we are covered by the blood of Jesus, it’s something He must do..?  I don’t think that at all.  My reasoning for not believing that is simply grace.  Before I continue, let me just say that I’m certainly not a “trust Jesus and everything will be perfect” type of grace person. I love grace because if not for it, I, along with the rest of us, would be hopeless.  Because of grace, we have a chance.  The grace of Jesus has no limits.  We as humans put so many limitations on ourselves that limitless grace is hard to wrap our minds around.  We certainly don’t use that as a license to become complacent but rather as motivation.  Proverbs 24:16 says that a righteous man falls 7 times, but gets up again.  We use that fact to keep getting up.  With that, I think about David.  If ever a man needed forgiveness that the grace of God offers, it was he.  The Bible says that he was a man after Gods own heart, yet he was a lying, narcissistic, adulterous coward.   God still picked him up and found favor in him.  That can be difficult to fathom.

                Romans 5:20 is one of those verses that I can’t ever seem to get over.   It seems fairly simple when reading it, but it’s powerful.  It says “The law was brought in so that the trespass might increase.  But where sin increased, grace increased all the more.”  That basically sums it up.  Grace covers it.  There’s nothing you can do to run from God and that includes His grace.  Here is where it gets even better.  It’s forgotten.  Not only is your sin forgiven, it’s forgotten.  That means that your offense can never be the pink elephant in the room.  It won’t come up again.  It’s finished; done.  Think about when Peter denied Jesus after saying that he would be by His side, even to death.  When Jesus showed up on the beach to make breakfast, the denial never came up.  I’m sure it was heavily on Peter’s mind, yet Jesus never brought it up.  It was done.  You see, true forgiveness can never happen without forgetting.  I believe this is why the hardest person to forgive is you.  We so often beat ourselves up for something that God doesn’t remember.  Go and sin no more.  Move on.  Psalm 103:12 rings true when it says, “as far as the east is from the west, so far has He removed our transgressions from us.”  That’s comforting, is it not?  So yes, forgive AND forget.

Peace,

Justin