Happy Birthday to me!!!

My beautiful wife gave me the greatest Birthday present ever today. She had (before Easter) set up a surprise party for me with some of my closest friends. She never caved and let me in on it and, even though Audra had to stop being my friend for a little while, none of my friends spilled the beans either. Thank you baby for a GREAT PARTY!!! Thanks Audra and Jay for hosting it (I'm glad we can be friends again Audra)!!! Thank you to all my GREAT, GREAT friends who helped out and made my birthday extra special. I am truly blessed!!!

Sunday April 26

Hosanna
Made to Worship
Glorious Day (This is an old hymn that tells the entire gospel sang to a new arrangement... I love it.)
Shout to the Lord
The Lord is

Sunday April 5, 2009

Hosanna (Paul Baloche, Brenton Brown) Matt 21:8-9
We are going to start out with a new song. I love this song because it speaks of many of the things that God does in us as we come together to worship. We should come to worship prepared to turn our hearts to Christ. Prepared to have Him make us more into His image. It's also a very joyful song and I feel it will make a great call to corporate worship. Hosanna! is also what the crowd cried out as Jesus entered into Jerusalem. It means help us!!!

Holy is the Lord (Tomlin)
This song talks about some of the postures we should take as we come into the presence of a holy God. Renown is a word that is used a couple of times in this song. The definition of this word is the condition of being known or talked about by many people; fame. This is what worship should create in Christians is a passion and desire to see God's name made famous.

Mighty to Save (Hillsong) Luke 19:10
I love that title. "Savior He can move the mountains, my God is mighty to save, He is mighty to save."

How Great Thou Art (Stuart Hine, Wesley Keene)
And when I think that God His Son not sparing,
Sent Him to die I scarce can take it in,
That on the cross, my burden gladly bearing
He bled and died to take away my sin.

Unfortunately, this is a third verse that was not used very much when I was growing up. I LOVE this verse.

How Great is Our God (Tomlin)
I love songs that focus on the greatness of God. They make me feel small. You should feel small when you worship and great and holy God. I think that's the point.

We are also doing an acoustic set this week because we are without a drummer. I love acoustic sets because they take away some of the noise and help us to focus in on the words.

I am excited!!!

One of the privileges....

One of the privileges of leading the worship music at Grace is that I am surrounded by very talented musicians. Billy (our electric guitarist) will be leading this week and does a phenomenal job. I won't try to explain why he is doing the songs that he chose but I will list them here for you:

Your Grace is Enough (Matt Maher)
Everlasting God (Brenton Brown)
Jesus Messiah (Tomlin)
Center (Charlie Hall)
Here I am to Worship (Tim Hughes)

Please pray for Billy as he prepares for tomorrow. Pray that the Spirit of God would move in our midst and that we would worship in spirit and truth.

Thanks

Sorry...

I am not already fizzling out this idea, I was just out of town at the end of last week. I will be back next week.

Sunday March 15, 2009

Ok... Let's give this a shot:

Sunday March 15, 2009

Made to Worship, Chris Tomlin
This song speaks to the privilege that it is to worship God (Jesus drowned in His on blood on the cross so that we would have this treasure) and how, if we didn't, "even the rock cry out, even the heaven shout at the sound of His holy name". I feel like its a great "call" to worship and reminds us quickly why we have gathered.

Jesus Messiah, Chris Tomlin
This is probably one of the most incredible songs written lately. 1 Peter 2:21-25 21 For to this you have been called, ​because Christ also suffered for you, ​leaving you an example, so that you might follow in his steps. 22 He committed no sin, neither was deceit found in his mouth. 23 When he was reviled, he did not revile in return; when he suffered, he did not threaten, but continued entrusting himself to him who judges justly. 24 He himself bore our sins in his body on the tree, that we might die to sin and ​live to righteousness. By his wounds you have been healed. 25 For you were straying like sheep, but have now returned to the Shepherd and Overseer of your souls. The thought of Christ becoming sin for us floors me.

Holy is the Lord, Chris Tomlin
Psalm 63:4, Psalm 95:6, Isaiah 6

Shout to the Lord, Darlene Zschech
This is an "older" praise chorus but it describes passionate praise (the kind the LORD deserves) very well. It is also fairly familiar so it helps people to really sing from their hearts. Sometimes during this song I like to step back and just listen to people singing their hearts out. Our church has really been singing out to God lately and that is refreshing and powerful.

Jesus Paid it All, Elvina M. Hall, Alex Nifong
Without a doubt my favorite song right now. I am learning more and more each day how little I've actually done and how much the Jesus has done for me on the cross, how much the Father loves me to crush him there, and how much the Spirit empowers me to live well when I do. Romans 9:16, John 19:31

Your Grace is Enough, Matt Maher
Probably sums up our theme at Grace. Ephesians 2:8-10 come to mind but that seems a little cliche...Romans 11:6, I like that one:)


THANKS!!!

Same Blog, New Purpose...

I really enjoy blogging... but I do not have the time to do it well. I REALLY enjoy having the opportunity to lead my church, Grace Baptist Fort Worth, in music. There is so much that I could say about worship and how it is NOT about singing songs, but I thought it more useful to focus on why the songs we sing point to something bigger than worshiping through music (not to say I won't throw some worship theology in because I love it).

What I thought I would do:

I get many requests for the lists of songs that we sing on any given Sunday so I thought I would simply list the songs we will sing on Sunday and some thoughts/scriptures that go along with them. This would be easy for me and hopefully beneficial for you.

I know it may take awhile (if ever) for this to catch on but if you would... please let me know if this is useful for you or if I am just wasting your/my time.

Also feel free to list songs in my comments that have been ministering to you and let us know why...

Thanks.