Songs that Hit You: Nothing but the Blood (Featuring Julieanne Marie)

There are certain songs that hit you.  As you walk from day to day with the radio playing or your headphones in, marching along to your job, letting the sounds of your favorite band pump in to your ear drums, there will eventually be a song that, almost physically, punches you in the heart.  Maybe it's the lyrics that seem to be speaking directly to you and whatever circumstance you find yourself in.  It could be a haunting melody that moves you to tears.  It might be the ramped up energy of a chorus that boosts you as you push through the last mile of your morning run.  What song is it for you?

I had the honor of sharing the stage with a rising star, Julieanne Marie.  We didn't think we were going to have time to sing this song, but were asked to by the event organizer.  He'd heard us practice the music before things kicked off and I am SO glad he asked us to sing it as encore.

This is "Nothing but the Blood of Jesus".  What an incredible tune this is!  I don't want to say it's rare, but music usually doesn't strike me to my core the way that this song does.  I dig, and dig, and dig to find truly great music, great singers, and great songs.  This timeless song is an honest, outcry of the heart as it declares Jesus as the only source of life and strength.

I hope you enjoy this worshipful duet featuring Julieanne Marie (watch out for this girl!  She's taking off!!!)

Their Emotional Response: A Worship Leader's Idol

We are emotional beings.  God created us that way because emotions are powerful and can launch us in to action.  But, worship leaders, did you know that an emotional response from your church does not equal success?

I have worshipped in many different settings with various types of congregations.  Some have been seemingly excited and passionate in their worship, but then turned out to be dried up and only emoting a response from the song they were singing at the time, or acting as the worship leader directed.  I've been with congregations that seemed dry and uninterested in participating in worship but then ended up having an incredible touch from God because they were invested in what was happening.  The difference?  One is only skin deep while the other was all in, emotions and heart.

Right now is a very busy season for my family and I.  We've been in the midst of moving and I'm working at World Vision full time, teaching voice lessons, and leading worship for a youth group near here every Wednesday.  So yeah, its a little cray cray to say the least.  The youth group I am leading for right now is awesome and I have genuinely fallen in love with these kids.  I must admit though, when I first arrived and was asked to step in and start helping I got a bit frustrated with them.  I couldn't get them to respond to anything, and then I remembered something... "I" am not responsible for their response.  Once I readjusted my focus, realizing that all I need to worry about is worshiping God with MY heart, a shade was pulled back and I saw something happen.  I started to see these kids for who they are and who God designed them to be.  This charged my batteries and all I had to do was sit back and watch as the Holy Spirit began reaching in to start transformation.  Hearts were, and are, being struck by the incredible love and presence of God!

There is a shell that is being chipped away here and I cant accurately measure that with emotional response.  I believe this is the same for every church service really.  We cannot continue to see success as just another excited shout, hand clap, or raised hand, though they may manifest themselves in those ways.  Our success is in our worship of the Lord.  We succeed when our heart is fully invested in worshiping Him.

1 Chronicles 16 tells us to sing our praises to the Lord daily, proclaiming His deeds among all people.  It also says that "all the gods of the nations are idols".  I think we can label that success meter as an idol in our lives.  We can become so absorbed with squeezing that response from the people in front of us that we lose sight of the true reason we're there.

We are worship leaders, and so our responsibility is to lead with our worship.
I want to suggest you pick up a book called "The Invisible Worshiper", by David Binion.  The book dives in to the meat of this concept and is, in truth, where I pulled the idea.

What do you guys think?  Share some of your thoughts on this subject in the comments section!

When You Don't Feel Like a Leader

I don't know that there is a single leader out there, anywhere, that hasn't had multiple moments of feeling broken and inadequate.  Personally, I can attest to this sentiment and, to be open and honest, I still battle with this at times.  I am an imperfect leader with junk in his life.  But Jesus...
So how do we as leaders respond when we need to lead but are in that place of "I don't know if I'm cut out for this"?

Lets take a look at yet another entry from our friends at The Verge Network.  This is a fantastic article that will be sure to encourage you and hopefully equip you with some useful tools.


Exhausted by the struggle to have it all together? Feeling like everyone else has it all figured out but you? In this 5 minute video, three women have an open and honest discussion about what it looks like to be a leader even when you feel unready, inadequate, and far (oh so far!) from perfect.
Read More... 

Can I Grieve the Holy Spirit When Leading Worship?

(Via The Verge Network)
I’ve been married for two months, and I have already discovered that I don’t have answers for every question my wife asks about the bible. 

Ephesians 4:30 says “do not grieve the Holy Spirit.”
So my wife asked “what does it mean to grieve the Holy Spirit?”
I made up an answer: “Honey, it’s sin that grieves the Holy Spirit.”
But then she asked “Doesn’t sin grieve the Father and the Son too?
What does it mean, specifically, to grieve the Holy Spirit?”

Read more...