So I'm currently sitting in a donation chair at the American Red Cross blood drive in our fellowship hall and I, once again, find myself floored by the awesomeness of God's creation. How amazing is it to know that blood can be taken out of our bodies, bagged, transported, stored, and then used to save another person's life?
There is truly an awe-inspiring power in our blood!
But at that very moment I found myself humbled by the crazy power that is found in His blood. I love how our Lord can bring me and my lofty thoughts about myself back down to earth. Just read these lyrics with me...
Would you be free from the burden of sin?
There's power in the blood, power in the blood;
Would you o'er evil a victory win?
There's wonderful power in the blood.
There's absolutely nothing in our limited power that can even begin to touch that. We have been liberated from the burden of sin, because of His blood. We get to claim the ultimate victory over everything evil, because of His blood. Ultimately, we have the honor of praising our Savior for all eternity, because of His blood!
There is truly a wonder-working power in the blood...of the Lamb!
Scott
Monday, August 8, 2016
Monday, August 1, 2016
A New Voice
So, I had a topic that I had been planning to write about for a few weeks, but then I heard it...the voice. Ever have that happen? You hear someone sing and it just kind of overwhelms you? Well, that happened to me this weekend. A couple of weeks ago I bought a CD of one of the worship artists that will be at my worship conference next month. I like to get familiar with the different artists that will be there so that I can participate more during the worship times. And yes, millennials, I bought a CD. I'm old school that way. In fact, I'm old enough to remember buying cassette tapes, records, and even listening to my grandparents 8-tracks (young people-you'll have to google it).
Okay, back to the voice. So, I put in the CD, hit play, and there it was. The voice of Lauren Daigle.
Wow, she can sing. She kind of reminds me of Adele, only she's not British and she's not singing about setting fire to the rain.
Now, some of you might already know who she is. I'm pretty sure they play some of her music on Christian radio. As weird as it is, I don't really listen to Christian radio that much. After listening, playing, editing, and teaching music all day at work, I typically just listen to sports radio in the car. Plus, anytime I do listen to Christian radio they are playing the same Casting Crowns, Jeremy Camp, and Third Day that they were playing 10 years ago. But I digress.
I'm really enjoying her CD and thought I would share one of her songs with you. It's called "Trust in You". Here are the words to the chorus:
When You don't move the mountains
I'm needing You to move
When You don't part the waters
I wish I could walk through
When You don't give the answers
As I cry out to You
I will trust, I will trust, I will trust in You
What powerful words!
Proverbs 3:5-6 says "Trust in the Lord with all your heart;
do not depend on your own understanding. Seek his will in all you do, and he will show you which path to take."
Okay, back to the voice. So, I put in the CD, hit play, and there it was. The voice of Lauren Daigle.
Now, some of you might already know who she is. I'm pretty sure they play some of her music on Christian radio. As weird as it is, I don't really listen to Christian radio that much. After listening, playing, editing, and teaching music all day at work, I typically just listen to sports radio in the car. Plus, anytime I do listen to Christian radio they are playing the same Casting Crowns, Jeremy Camp, and Third Day that they were playing 10 years ago. But I digress.
I'm really enjoying her CD and thought I would share one of her songs with you. It's called "Trust in You". Here are the words to the chorus:
When You don't move the mountains
I'm needing You to move
When You don't part the waters
I wish I could walk through
When You don't give the answers
As I cry out to You
I will trust, I will trust, I will trust in You
What powerful words!
Proverbs 3:5-6 says "Trust in the Lord with all your heart;
do not depend on your own understanding. Seek his will in all you do, and he will show you which path to take."
Even when we don't understand, we still need to trust in the Lord! Here's the video to "Trust in You" if want to watch. Enjoy!
Worship Big!
Brad
Monday, July 25, 2016
Not a Fan
So, on my vacation this past week, I started a book called Not a Fan by Kyle Idleman. (If you haven't read it, run to Steve's store and get it--it's SO good!) This book is difficult to read because it is putting me through an intense pruning process... Am I just a fan of Jesus or do I truly follow Him? We all hope that we are true followers, but sometimes it is hard to discern.
I want to share a passage from the book with you. This is a passage that the author has written about Nicodemus:
"Here is the reality that Nicodemus is about ready to have impressed on him: there is no way to follow Jesus without Him interfering with your life. Following Jesus will cost you something. Following Jesus always costs something. For Nicodemus it would cost him a powerful position. It would cost him the respect of his co-workers. It would cost him his source of income and livelihood. It would cost him friendships. It would likely cost him some family relationships. This brings up a very telling question for most fans: has following Jesus cost you anything?"
Whoa. This paragraph alone hit me like a ton of bricks. How much am I truly sacrificing to be a follower of Jesus? I think back on things that I've thrown away to be able to follow God's plan for my life, but did I once make the choice which would really cost something of me? I think that too often we fall into a rut, we get complacent and we stop stepping out of our comfort zones. We make small gestures towards our co-workers, but never step on their toes. We pray for our family members, but don't talk to them about why we are praying for them. To be a true follower, we've got to get out on the field and get our hands dirty. We can't sit in the stands, cheering when things are going our way, and then fleeing for the doors when they aren't. Jesus doesn't call us to be complacent in our lives, but to be disciples, going out of our way to make sure that everyone knows about Him. Think about the NFL for a second. There are millions, probably billions of fans. Many fans are truly die-hard fans, like my Daddy for the poor Cowboys-- he will never give up on that team, even though they are terrible! But other fans just buy the t-shirt and go to the game for some fun. Other fans started young, and have committed their love and life to that game and those are the ones that are on the field. They get out there, week after week, ready to defend their team's honor. That's how Jesus wants us to follow Him. He wants us on the field, bright and early, day after day, ready for whatever play He decides to throw our way! It isn't always comfortable, we don't always know exactly where the path might lead. But we can be certain that if we are truly following Christ, the He will lead us exactly where we need to be.
I pray that each of you except the challenge this week to be a Christ follower--not just a fan!
Savannah
I want to share a passage from the book with you. This is a passage that the author has written about Nicodemus:
"Here is the reality that Nicodemus is about ready to have impressed on him: there is no way to follow Jesus without Him interfering with your life. Following Jesus will cost you something. Following Jesus always costs something. For Nicodemus it would cost him a powerful position. It would cost him the respect of his co-workers. It would cost him his source of income and livelihood. It would cost him friendships. It would likely cost him some family relationships. This brings up a very telling question for most fans: has following Jesus cost you anything?"
Whoa. This paragraph alone hit me like a ton of bricks. How much am I truly sacrificing to be a follower of Jesus? I think back on things that I've thrown away to be able to follow God's plan for my life, but did I once make the choice which would really cost something of me? I think that too often we fall into a rut, we get complacent and we stop stepping out of our comfort zones. We make small gestures towards our co-workers, but never step on their toes. We pray for our family members, but don't talk to them about why we are praying for them. To be a true follower, we've got to get out on the field and get our hands dirty. We can't sit in the stands, cheering when things are going our way, and then fleeing for the doors when they aren't. Jesus doesn't call us to be complacent in our lives, but to be disciples, going out of our way to make sure that everyone knows about Him. Think about the NFL for a second. There are millions, probably billions of fans. Many fans are truly die-hard fans, like my Daddy for the poor Cowboys-- he will never give up on that team, even though they are terrible! But other fans just buy the t-shirt and go to the game for some fun. Other fans started young, and have committed their love and life to that game and those are the ones that are on the field. They get out there, week after week, ready to defend their team's honor. That's how Jesus wants us to follow Him. He wants us on the field, bright and early, day after day, ready for whatever play He decides to throw our way! It isn't always comfortable, we don't always know exactly where the path might lead. But we can be certain that if we are truly following Christ, the He will lead us exactly where we need to be.
I pray that each of you except the challenge this week to be a Christ follower--not just a fan!
Savannah
Wednesday, July 20, 2016
Excellence and Perfection
In all areas of leading worship I truly believe that God wants us to give our absolute best. But, what exactly does that mean? Is offering our best about playing or singing every note perfectly? Is it about having the perfect stage presence at all times? Is giving our best about never making a mistake on stage? Or is it about excellence? Excellence and perfection...there is a difference. Does giving our best equal perfection? I would say that your best and perfection are, more often than not, two completely different things. Rather than perfection, I think that giving your absolute best is the definition of achieving excellence.
For me, perfection is often times unreachable. For those of us that are human, I believe we'll find the same to be true. As a musician, I understand that we want perfection, or at least our idea of it. In the past, when striving for perfection, I came up disappointed every time. However, when you understand that you aren't perfect and nothing you do is going to be "perfect", it makes it that much easier to see God in what you're doing. I would even venture to say that when things aren't so perfect on stage, it starts to look more like what worship is supposed to be: bringing all that we have to show worth to the One whom we adore. I'm thankful that Jesus doesn't ask me for perfect. He asks me for me. In that, I give Him my absolute best. I think that we have really arrived at something when we understand and are okay with the fact that our best typically isn't anywhere near perfect. Here are a few points on this topic that I read recently:
Perfectionists value themselves by what they do. Pursuers of excellence value themselves by who they are.
Perfectionists can be devastated by failure. Pursuers of excellence will learn from it.
Here's one that really hits home with me:
Perfectionists want to be number one. Pursuers of excellence can live with not being the best, especially when they know they've tried their hardest.
A fact that I've come to cope with is that I'm 24 years old and there are just some people in the world who are more talented than I am. I can practice, I can rehearse, I can learn but some people are just more talented than me. That's okay.
I would encourage you to take your idea of achieving perfection in what you do and change it to striving to give your best in what you do. Go for excellence. Be okay with not being perfect. God asks for you; for your best. Give it to Him.
Peace,
Justin
For me, perfection is often times unreachable. For those of us that are human, I believe we'll find the same to be true. As a musician, I understand that we want perfection, or at least our idea of it. In the past, when striving for perfection, I came up disappointed every time. However, when you understand that you aren't perfect and nothing you do is going to be "perfect", it makes it that much easier to see God in what you're doing. I would even venture to say that when things aren't so perfect on stage, it starts to look more like what worship is supposed to be: bringing all that we have to show worth to the One whom we adore. I'm thankful that Jesus doesn't ask me for perfect. He asks me for me. In that, I give Him my absolute best. I think that we have really arrived at something when we understand and are okay with the fact that our best typically isn't anywhere near perfect. Here are a few points on this topic that I read recently:
Perfectionists value themselves by what they do. Pursuers of excellence value themselves by who they are.
Perfectionists can be devastated by failure. Pursuers of excellence will learn from it.
Here's one that really hits home with me:
Perfectionists want to be number one. Pursuers of excellence can live with not being the best, especially when they know they've tried their hardest.
A fact that I've come to cope with is that I'm 24 years old and there are just some people in the world who are more talented than I am. I can practice, I can rehearse, I can learn but some people are just more talented than me. That's okay.
I would encourage you to take your idea of achieving perfection in what you do and change it to striving to give your best in what you do. Go for excellence. Be okay with not being perfect. God asks for you; for your best. Give it to Him.
Peace,
Justin
Monday, July 11, 2016
On the Outside Looking In
Life sure is getting messy these days. I don’t know about the rest of y’all, but our nation seems to have accelerated into a whirlwind of immorality over the last year. With all of the turmoil, my apologies, ‘progress’ that has been made toward gender equality, the most basic morality has simply been tossed out the back door.
I have found the song titled “The Outsiders” by Need to Breathe to be a nice representation of where we, as Christians, stand in today’s culture. Those of us who have chosen to follow Jesus Christ have definitely been shoved into the realm of political incorrectness due to our conservative beliefs and focus on right versus wrong (the new right). It seems that everything that we consider right is now wrong, but as the song so eloquently puts it, “just ‘cause I’m wrong it don’t make you right…no, you ain’t right!”
There are times when all I can do is shake my head in disbelief and laugh. Just as the song exclaims - “cause if you’re not laughing, who is laughing now?” As grave of a situation that we find our nation in, we can rest assured that Jesus has already won! As long as we focus on this fact, nothing that this world throws our way can steal His everlasting joy from us despite their efforts at doing so.
The book of Revelation shows us that our world will only continue to digress as it turns further and further away from the Bible. And those of us who follow Christ will be mocked, slandered and laughed at for our faith and extreme ‘intolerance’ towards the ways of the world. As our biblical foundation continues to be chiseled away out from under us, the question is “if we stop sinking, could we stand our ground?”
I like to replace ‘could’ with ‘would’ in that verse while I am singing along. I believe that it is a matter of will, a choice that we must make to step up and defend the Truth that we stand by. We must take the kind of stand as proclaimed in the song, “I’m not leaving without a fight. I’ve got my holster around my side.” We are about to find ourselves embedded in a lopsided battle, and we need to be grounded in our faith and rooted in His word like never before.
So where does this ridiculous movement end? I know that we haven’t seen the end of it, but I am back to shaking my head and laughing as to what absurd thing is going to happen next. I have simply accepted what Need to Breathe concludes when they sing - “and through everything we’ve learned, we’ve finally come to terms…we are the outsiders.” Yes, we certainly have become outsiders, seemingly on the wrong side of history, but each of us are owners of the freedom that this world is longing for.
Here's the song if you want to listen: https://player.vimeo.com/video/173791676
Scott
I have found the song titled “The Outsiders” by Need to Breathe to be a nice representation of where we, as Christians, stand in today’s culture. Those of us who have chosen to follow Jesus Christ have definitely been shoved into the realm of political incorrectness due to our conservative beliefs and focus on right versus wrong (the new right). It seems that everything that we consider right is now wrong, but as the song so eloquently puts it, “just ‘cause I’m wrong it don’t make you right…no, you ain’t right!”
There are times when all I can do is shake my head in disbelief and laugh. Just as the song exclaims - “cause if you’re not laughing, who is laughing now?” As grave of a situation that we find our nation in, we can rest assured that Jesus has already won! As long as we focus on this fact, nothing that this world throws our way can steal His everlasting joy from us despite their efforts at doing so.
The book of Revelation shows us that our world will only continue to digress as it turns further and further away from the Bible. And those of us who follow Christ will be mocked, slandered and laughed at for our faith and extreme ‘intolerance’ towards the ways of the world. As our biblical foundation continues to be chiseled away out from under us, the question is “if we stop sinking, could we stand our ground?”
I like to replace ‘could’ with ‘would’ in that verse while I am singing along. I believe that it is a matter of will, a choice that we must make to step up and defend the Truth that we stand by. We must take the kind of stand as proclaimed in the song, “I’m not leaving without a fight. I’ve got my holster around my side.” We are about to find ourselves embedded in a lopsided battle, and we need to be grounded in our faith and rooted in His word like never before.
So where does this ridiculous movement end? I know that we haven’t seen the end of it, but I am back to shaking my head and laughing as to what absurd thing is going to happen next. I have simply accepted what Need to Breathe concludes when they sing - “and through everything we’ve learned, we’ve finally come to terms…we are the outsiders.” Yes, we certainly have become outsiders, seemingly on the wrong side of history, but each of us are owners of the freedom that this world is longing for.
Here's the song if you want to listen: https://player.vimeo.com/video/173791676
Scott
Tuesday, July 5, 2016
From Generation to Generation
Last week I attended a worship conference called "WorshipLife" that was hosted by Lifeway Worship Resources. One of the speakers was Mike Harland (the Director of Lifeway Worship Resources). I would like to share with you some interesting thoughts that he had concerning the book of Psalms.In the book of Psalms many of the chapters have an introduction called a superscript. They say things like "for the choir director" or "to be accompanied by stringed instruments" or "sung by David to the Lord concerning some battle". But what is truly interesting is that some of these Psalm intros say that they are to be sung to the tune of very specific songs. These melodies were so familiar that everyone would know how these Psalms were supposed to sound. But over time, these melodies have been forgotten. Think about that. God preserved the text, but not the melodies. Why?
Could it be that we aren't supposed to know how those songs sounded because each new generation is supposed to come up with their own melodies, their own music?
As I get older, I can definitely see how melodies and music change from generation to generation. My parents' and grandparents' generation was comfortable singing hymns like "Amazing Grace" and "How Great Thou Art" to the piano and organ. My generation is comfortable singing praise songs like "Revelation Song" and "How Great Is Our God" to an acoustic guitar or praise band. The generation after me...well let's just say that they are coming up with some truly unique sounds and arrangements.
But regardless of how each generation sings the Psalms, it is the lyrics and theology that come from the text that ties and connects us all together.
Psalm 96:1 says "Sing to the Lord a new song".
New songs...but with timeless words.
Worship Big!
Brad
Tuesday, June 21, 2016
Our Song and Our Strength
My blog today is a bit different from others I have written previously. Instead of talking about music alone, I’m going to talk about present day issues and the influence music has on us. Many issues that come to mind include the death of a loved one, division within our own county and Islamic terrorism. As far as American society goes, people have counterfeited all sense of Christian morality for a “people pleasing” take on secular cultural relativism. As Pastor Kevin so often says, “it is extremely depressing and sad to see a people founded on Christian principles reject God and live any ole way they please”. When Christians take a biblical stance they are condemned on a mass scale by other people groups with opposing viewpoints. Sometimes it may feel like everyone has a voice except Christians. Why? Because our beliefs aren’t “politically correct”! What do we do when we are bogged down by never ending problems? It’s hard to hold on to what you stand for when so many people condemn you for it. For me, that is where music comes in. Worship serves many purposes. Yes, to glorify God, but as I have said before music can heal and strengthen the believers. As believers, it is our duty (appointed to us by Christ) to share Him, the Gospel, with people. That becomes difficult when people don’t even want to hear His name spoken. God didn’t make quitters when he made us. We need to keep standing for truth, because that example could be what God uses to bring just one person to Him. One soul that is saved from an eternity in Hell is a victory for Christ’s kingdom! Since we have Christ in us, we can do incredible things through Him. We can talk to Him and sing praises to His great name! We have a relationship with Him and we are able to hear His voice speaking into our souls. It reminds me of the lyrics to a song we do here at MPBC called "Spirit of the Living God":
‘Cause when you speak, when you move
When you do what only you can do
It changes us, it changes what we see
And what we seek….
When we worship Him it revitalizes our souls and our will to keep seeking and standing on truth. Like I said, we can do incredible things through Him but He can also do incredible things in our hearts and lives! Worship is a world changer; it is a strengthener! Our personal time of worship with God is individual and unique to each of us, but the common ground is this: We can hear His voice and feel His presence and He strengthens us through worship. He uses our music in mighty ways that bless those who are able to hear and understand. Let us stay rooted in His truth! Let us continue to do what we do best (music) because the world needs to see Him through us. Psalm 40:3 says “He put a new song in my mouth, a song of praise to our God. Many will see and fear, and put their trust in the Lord.” Scripture tells us what can happen when our example of worship touches a person’s heart. That should be great encouragement that what we do matters. The powerful lyrics to the songs we sing are not unheard. The passion we pour into music is not unseen. The way we lose ourselves in worship is a beautiful thing. It’s moving, and it speaks to the lost person. We can do anything through Him who strengthens us!
Keep Smiling,
Maddie Dowell
‘Cause when you speak, when you move
When you do what only you can do
It changes us, it changes what we see
And what we seek….
When we worship Him it revitalizes our souls and our will to keep seeking and standing on truth. Like I said, we can do incredible things through Him but He can also do incredible things in our hearts and lives! Worship is a world changer; it is a strengthener! Our personal time of worship with God is individual and unique to each of us, but the common ground is this: We can hear His voice and feel His presence and He strengthens us through worship. He uses our music in mighty ways that bless those who are able to hear and understand. Let us stay rooted in His truth! Let us continue to do what we do best (music) because the world needs to see Him through us. Psalm 40:3 says “He put a new song in my mouth, a song of praise to our God. Many will see and fear, and put their trust in the Lord.” Scripture tells us what can happen when our example of worship touches a person’s heart. That should be great encouragement that what we do matters. The powerful lyrics to the songs we sing are not unheard. The passion we pour into music is not unseen. The way we lose ourselves in worship is a beautiful thing. It’s moving, and it speaks to the lost person. We can do anything through Him who strengthens us!
Keep Smiling,
Maddie Dowell
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