Be Angry….
Before you get all excited about me giving you a Biblical reason to be angry - keep reading….
AND do not sin! Stop and think and be silent” - Ps. 4:4
Anger is something that we all struggle with. The worst thing about anger is that it seems to always come in the worst times - when you were planning on being kind to someone, or especially right after you read your Bible.
David in the Old Testament got angry too, but he responds differently than most of us. David’s recipe to avoid sinning in his moment of anger was to stop, think, and be silent. This recipe creates a response rather than a reaction. It’s really hard to think when your mind is clouded with anger. So could we possibly think about during that time? Simple answer found in verse 5 - “put your trust in the LORD.” So it’s not about us finding that inner peace, but rather the peace that comes from trusting God!
If you have a trust problem with God, then this won’t work. Don’t be like this below, instead stop and think about how good God is and how trustworthy He is and be quiet.
A Secret to Marriage
Last week at Gratis Church, we emphasized the importance of being “present” in your family. So being a pastor, I wanted to practice what I preach. So the first thing that came to my mind was “What’s stopping me from being present with my wife?” This question lead me to the discovery of a gold mine…..
Husbands - Make Your Bed
Simple, but effective. Don’t believe me? Just try it. Don’t just help make the bed, but also help clean around the house. For a working wife or even a stay at home mom, these things can pull her away and make her tired - which can result in disconnect between husband and wife (can I get an amen?)! In addition to blessing her by taking this load off of her, I believe that the man should take care of the bedroom. Here’s why. The bedroom is a extremely significant place in a marriage (not just sexually). It symbolizes the closeness and intimacy that takes place in marriage. As husbands, we should protect this intimacy!
The best way to protect her “sanctuary” is to allow her the blessing of not having to maintain it - aka she can just let her hair down. In man terms. In your man cave you like to chill out, relax, kick your feet up and watch the same SportsCenter 2 or 3 times in a row without questions or distraction. Apply this to the bedroom and your marriage will change - I promise. Why? Because you are investing into her. You are saying “Baby, I’m gonna protect this place. You can just come in and relax.” This everyday bit o’ lovin’ is her Super Bowl, National Championship and World Class Whitetail Buck. WARNING: STRONG SIDE EFFECTS…..(Figure it out on your own)
Don’t let excuses get in the way (they will try). It won’t be easy, but she’s worth it. Make the bed.
Passed
Yesterday, history was made in the world of College Hoops. Duke’s “Coach K” became #1 in wins (903) for men’s Division 1 basketball. You’re probably already thinking “what does this have to do with worship, music or church?” My answer - everything! What Coach K did is extremely impressive, but isn’t the focus of today’s post. I’m actually more impressed this morning with Bobby Knight. Think about it - Coach Knight was the previous leader in wins and was surpassed on by his protégé.
Being young (23), I have a lot of dreams of things that I want to accomplish, but there is a strong temptation to hold on to what I know. Just like a secret family recipe. So this morning as I heard interviews with Bobby Knight, I asked myself the question “Would I be thrilled if the person I poured my life into became more ‘successful’ than myself?” That’s not an easy question to ask yourself. The conclusion that I came to was that I would probably be happy, but that’s not what’s driving me.
But shouldn’t the attitude of enabling others to become better than yourself be something that Christians do extremely well? Jesus enabled 12 men to spread the Gospel. Being honest, I would have probably tried to do it myself (if I was Jesus). Today, I want to change my way of thinking. I want to help others become better than myself at what I do. Not saying that I won’t have high goals, but rather a greater passion to enable others. I guess what I’m saying is that I want to be passed.
The Gift
The new album is here! Here are the direct links to your favorite stores. Help spread the word and don’t forget to leave a review in the stores. Thanks again for all of your support!
UPDATE! Attn Worship Leaders, if you want to do any of these songs at your church email me and I’ll give you the basic sheet music FREE!
Song of the Week
#6 - How Great Is Our God
A better title for today’s song should be “song of a generation.” This song, written by Chris Tomlin, has been the most successful song in the modern worship era. In fact, the only other song that rivals it in the past 100 years is “How Great Thou Art” which ironically is frequently paired with “How Great Is Our God.” I think that it is fantastic that the two most popular songs in the church over the past 100 years are about the greatness of God! I realize that some people will see this song of the week post and skip over it because it has become common. But the reason that I chose the song is because we, as humans, are always looking for the next big thing (I’m definitely guilty of this). In a culture that is fast paced and a contemporary church model of songs making brief appearances, “How Great Is Our God” has stood the test. So much so that it has stayed at the top of CCLI’s (Christian Copyright Licensing International) list for the past 5 years straight. In fact, it is still #1 today! If you are a worship leader allow your congregation to be a part of history. Don’t write off the song because it’s 5 years old, but instead embrace the message that it represents. Take time today to celebrate how great and how awesome God is!
Quick Guide
Key: A - C# (Depending on Use)
Tempo: 4/4 Meduium (76 bpm)
Style: Multiple
Application (Recommended): Congregational Worship
Song of the Week
#5 - Courageous
This week’s song choice is a little different from what I would normally choose. It’s more about an idea than a song. What if today, the men inside the church would take a stand and be courageous for their families. Spend more time with their families. Making disciples in the most important place on earth - the home. What if? I believe that this country would look completely different if only Christian men stood up. I also believe that this would cause a lot of other people to take notice. In a world where divorce, unfaithfulness, selfish parenthood are accepted as “common,” Christians should be different. If you haven’t seen the movie, then I strongly encourage you to see it soon (see the movie trailer).
Being a soon-to-be father myself, it shook me to my core. It was a much needed reality check. The way to change the world is one person at a time - one family at a time. Even if you haven’t seen the movie, do something special for someone that you love today. It doesn’t have to be big (although it can be). Start changing the world today!
Quick Guide
Key: C
Tempo: 4/4 Slow (64bpm)
Style: Multiple Genres
Application (Recommended): Solo, Personal Reflection, Christmas Planning, Video
Song of the Week
#4 - Others
This week’s song is by one of the most talented musicians I have ever seen - Israel Houghton. He is a pioneer for this generation musically and it will take decades to really unpack it all. While known for his fusion of gospel and latin, this song takes a turn from the usual. The song’s simplicity allows the listener to immediately “get it.” He encourages us to love those around us with God’s love.
This song has incredible lyric imagery. But more than that it as a message. This is a great thing to learn for the aspiring songwriters out there. As things speed up over the next few months, pull out this song and remind yourself to slow down and focus on what’s important - Love God and Love Others.
Quick Guide
Key: C
Tempo: 4/4 Slow (64bpm)
Style: Multiple Genres
Application (Recommended): Solo, Personal Reflection, Christmas Planning, Video
Song of the Week
#3 - You Were On The Cross
We are quickly approaching a season full of thanksgiving and gift-giving. As human beings we get really excited about things then move on to the next event or next big thing. Don’t believe me? Then just look at the jump from iPad to iPad 2. We do this a lot as Christians too. At Easter we focus a lot on the cross and resurrection, and at Christmas Jesus’ birth. Both are great things to focus on, but both should be on our minds regularly as Christians. Here’s a good reminder to us of the cross. Matt Maher does a fantastic job with this song.
This song gets me every time. It reminds me that Jesus went to the cross alone (God had to turn away because of sin), and because of this act He can fulfill the promise “I will never leave you nor forsake you.” Because of Jesus, sin can no longer separate us from the Father! I’m not going to analyze this song this week. Instead I encourage you to listen to it one more time and think of the areas in your life that you need a reminder that He was on the cross.
Quick Guide:
Key: Dm
Tempo: 4/4 Medium (76bpm)
Style: Multiple Genres
Application (Recommended): Solo, Personal Reflection, Video
Song of the Week
#2 - Fall Apart
Welcome back! I hope that you enjoyed last week’s post. This week’s song is another heavy hitter (a song that leaves a strong impact on you). You may know Josh Wilson for his well known song I Refuse, but after today you should know him for “Fall Apart” and that he’s an awesome songwriter. This song is great no matter what stages of life that you are currently in. We’ve all been there when everything seems to fall apart. If you are there today or have been recently hopefully this song will encourage you.
The first time that I heard this song I thought “How did Josh read my mind then write a song about it?” Within a matter of 3 minutes and 28 seconds I relived some of the harder points in my life and was reminded of God’s faithfulness during those times. The point of view comes from a person who just realizes that he experiences God greater in times of trouble. If you’ve already realized this reality, then you get to watch another person’s point of view transform into something new.
To me, this is the real beauty of song. Within just a few minutes, Josh was able to take the majority of us simultaneously on a journey about hardship in the presence of God. There’s only one more way of doing something like this - the Bible. It only took one listen to understand the song, but God used this song through multiple listenings to teach me more about His faithfulness and love for me. Listen to it a couple of days this week. Spend some time listening to it because I feel that God can use this song to teach you something new about Himself.
Quick Guide:
Key: F
Tempo: 4/4 Medium (72bpm)
Style: Contemporary (Acoustic)
Application (Recommended): Solo, Personal Reflection, Video
Song of the Week
#1 - How Deep The Father’s Love for Us
Welcome to the first ever Song of the Week! Each Wednesday, you will find either a new song or a song worth revisiting. My goal is to encourage Christians with song, whether you are a Worship Leader or not. I hope that you will take this journey with me, and see where God takes us in discovering new music about Himself!
I’ve been wanting have something like Song of the Week for a while, and I can’t think of a better song to start with than this one. Last week, my wife, Ana, and I announced that we are having a baby (our first). The awe of being a parent has really rocked my world. So you can only imagine how much fatherhood has been on my mind. Which is partially why I chose this song to start with. Beyond it’s great melody and profound lyrics, there’s an anointing from God on this song. Take a listen, then I’ll wrap up below.
Wow! What an incredible song. It blows my mind that this song was written during my lifetime because it has a timelessness about it that most newer songs don’t have. The song is broken down into 3 verses. Each with a unique point of view.
VERSE 1: The first verse is in the view point of God the Father. It’s really hard for us to get a glimpse of how God views things, but this song can definitely help with that. We see that God is selfless and giving. God feels the pain of loss. But He delights in bringing sons to glory, and making a wretch His treasure. God is passionately in love with His Son and mankind. Even though the rest of the song is in a different point of view, it still continues to answer the question - How deep the Father’s love for us?
VERSE 2: A shift of view happens in the second verse. It transitions from God to a sinner looking at Jesus on the cross. This verse is a beautiful and poetic way of showing the emotions and truth of the salvation process (justification). The observer is ashamed of his sin and that he is one of those cursing at Jesus. At the end of verse 2, he realizes that he is spiritually alive because of Jesus’ death. I love how Townend uses the line “I know that it is finished” from the sinner’s view, even though it was Jesus that says “It is finished” on the cross.
VERSE 3: Now that our sinner has made the transition to a saint, he takes pride and joy in Jesus Christ. This is true gratitude on the part of the believer. This is something that we should frequently revisit as Christians. Do we boast in Jesus Christ? Do we still feel at awe that Jesus paid our ransom for sin by His wounds? It’s really easy to get pre-occupied with life that we lose our since of awe. BUT, this is why God gives us great songs like this to remind us of where we were and what He has done.
I hope that you have enjoyed looking at this song as much as I have. Here’s a link to an interview with Towend about the song. Below is a brief description for Worship Leaders.
Quick Guide
Key: D (Typically)
Tempo: 3/4 Medium (60-64bpm)
Style: Multiple Genres
Application (Recommended): Congregational, Solo
