Why I Worship

What Is Worship, Why Do We Worship, How to Worship

How do you schedule rehearsals?

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Looking for some feedback here…

I’m thinking of changing our weekly rehearsal schedule for the worship teams at our church. We presently have a front line vocals rehearsal, a band rehearsal, and a separate choir rehearsal each week.

Those of you who are worship leaders, music directors, etc., what is your weekly rehearsal schedule? Have you made schedule changes recently? Why did you make these changes? How did your people/ teams respond to these changes? How have these changes benefited or not benefited your ministry?

Leave your comments please…

What are You Waiting For???

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Ok, let’s imagine for a moment; you’re eighty five years old. You’re sitting on your back porch in the rocker. You begin to reminisce about your life and all of a sudden the thought crosses your mind; “I really regret that I never got to …”

Take a minute and let that sink in.

Now, what is it? What is that one thing that you will regret not accomplishing or achieving as you approach the end of your life? Getting that degree? Learning to play an instrument? Taking that trip to Europe or Hawaii? Or maybe it’s as simple as learning a second language?

As a young man I dreamed of singing and being involved in music professionally for the rest of my life. I would stand in front of the mirror with Tom Jones playing on my record player (I know! Now you know I’m not as young as I look!); my white, collared shirt unbuttoned way lower than it should have been, singing into my mom’s hairbrush until someone would eventually come and make me turn the music down!!! I always knew; without any doubt, that this would be the way I would spend my life!

But then, this thing called L-I-F-E happened. I got married, had three children, bought a home and fell into the same trap that; no doubt, many of us fall into. I allowed “obligations” and “responsibility” to steal my hopes of ever being able to live my dream. I mean, after all, I was an adult now and those were just childish dreams, right???

WRONG!!! I’m so thankful that God allows us second, third, and sometimes fourth chances!!! Psalm 37:3-4 says “Trust in the Lord, and do good; dwell in the land, and feed on His faithfulness. Delight yourself also in the Lord, and He shall give you the desires of your heart.”

I had always been a person who loved God and sought to find His will for my life. Eventually, as many of you know, I was presented with the opportunity to live my dream again. Now, I get to get up every day and do something that I absolutely love to do. What could be more fulfilling than that?

Now let me ask you a very serious question… What are you waiting for? What is keeping you from going after your dreams? God wants you to be happy! He gave you those dreams and he loves you enough to give you another chance! Don’t let years of life pass you by without becoming all He created you to be.

It’s your life…. So live it!!!

“I Hope”

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One of my all time favorite movies is the 1994 drama The Shawshank Redemption. It’s a story about two men who become close friends while serving time in Shawshank Prison. I don’t have time here to give details of the movie, so I’ll trust that either you’ve seen it or perhaps you will take time soon to give it a look.

The movie ends with these words from Ellis Boyd “Red” Redding (played by Morgan Freeman):

“I hope I can make it across the border. I hope to see my friend and shake his hand. I hope the Pacific is as beautiful as it has been in my dreams. I hope…”

In a world where we are touched daily by crime, poverty, hatred, corruption, divorce, and all sorts of darkness running rampant and seemingly without any control or remedy, how do we remain people of light? How do we retain our distinction as “Salt and Light” to this world? How do we keep a smile on our faces when, all around us, there is so much pain and hurt?

The answer is simple… it’s HOPE!

Hope is the thing that distinguishes us as believers from those who do not know the Lord as Savior.

Ephesians 2:12-13 says: Therefore remember that you, once Gentiles in the flesh—who are called Uncircumcision by what is called the Circumcision made in the flesh by hands—that at that time you were without Christ, being aliens from the commonwealth of Israel and strangers from the covenants of promise, having no hope and without God in the world. But now in Christ Jesus you who once were far off have been brought near by the blood of Christ.

1 Thessalonians 4:13-14 says: But I do not want you to be ignorant, brethren, concerning those who have fallen asleep, lest you sorrow as others who have no hope. For if we believe that Jesus died and rose again, even so God will bring with Him those who sleep in Jesus.

Hope is what brings us to have faith for something different. Hebrews 11:1 says: Now faith is the substance of things hoped for, the evidence of things not seen.

We are not talking about “blind faith” or “wishful thinking,” but a firm assurance about things that are not seen and still in the future. Jesus said “I have come that they might have life and that more abundantly.” Jesus never talked about hope, but in living the life He lived He proved to us that we could live a life of victory just as he did. Hebrews 4:15 says: For we do not have a High Priest who cannot sympathize with our weaknesses, but was in all points tempted as we are, yet without sin.

In Psalm 42:5 David says: Why are you cast down, O my soul? And why are you disquieted within me?
Hope in God, for I shall yet praise Him for the help of His countenance.

Our life as believers should not be spent dwelling on the things that are wrong in our world, rather we should be the ones offering comfort and assurance to those around us who are in need. We should be the carriers of a hope that causes people to believe there is something out there that is better than what they are experiencing.

Are you a vessel of hope to YOUR world?