A recap of our weekend worship services with Fellowship Bible Church.
Read MoreSongs We Sing, 01/04 - 01/05/14 Fellowship Bible Church
This weekend was the second of our series called, "The Story." This week, pastor Joe shared about how we all need to be live out the gospel so that we can be confident in it as we share with others. You can listen to or watch the entire message and service here.
Here's our service plan:
Pre-Service - "True Love" (C) [Phil Wickham]
Welcome
"Happy Day" (B) [Tim Hughes, Ben Cantelon]
Greeting Time
Announcements
Message - "The Story: Live The Story" [Joe Hishmeh]
"Jesus Take All Of Me (Just As I Am)" (C) [Charlotte Elliot, Brenton Brown]
"Because of Your Love" (G) [Phil Wickham]
"Jesus Paid It All" (C) [John T. Grape, Elvina M. Hall, add. chorus by Alex Nifong]
Dismissal
Thoughts: This weekend was another great weekend. Again, reflecting on the power of the gospel is the greatest motive we have to worship Jesus. He loves us and He gave Himself up for our redemption. He is so worthy of worship!
Your turn: what were your experiences, observations, or take-aways from this past weekend?
- Bill
Two great weekends; one blog post: 11/02 - 11/03 & - 11/09 - 11/10/13 - Fellowship Bible Church
Well, life has been happening and I have fallen behind on my posts, so a little catch-up is in order. The past two weekends have been some of my favorites here at Fellowship. We have been in the midst of a series titled "Faith" and it has been both encouraging and challenging for our church. On 11/02 -11/03, our lead pastor, Joe, shared how we have been redeemed by the finished work of Christ. This past weekend, 11/09 - 11/10, our Adult Discipleship Pastor, David Hinkle, shared about how God has set us apart for His glory and His working here on the earth. Both of these messages were powerful declarations of the gospel, and it really showed as the church sang in response. You can listen to or watch the entire messages and services here.
Here's our service plan from 11/02 - 11/03:
Pre-Service - "Song of the Redeemed" (Em) [Charlie Hall, Kendall Combes, Quint Anderson, Brian Bergman, Dustin Ragland]
Welcome
"Sing to the King" (E) [Billy Foote, Charles Silvester Horne]
Greeting Time
Announcements Message - "Faith: Redeemed" [Joe Hishmeh] Communion Intro
"Amazing Grace (My Chains Are Gone)" (D) [John Newton, Edwin O. Excell, John P. Rees, Chris Tomlin, Louie Giglio]
Taking of the Elements
"You Have Overcome" (A) [Bill Horn, Erik Oldberg]
"This Is Amazing Grace" (A) [Phil Wickham, Jeremy Riddle, Josh Farro]
Dismissal
Thoughts: This weekend was one of my favorite services of which I have ever been a part. Our team did a fantastic job leading across the board. Kelsey Thomsen rejoined the team to co-lead this weekend after a long break for school in Wichita, and she did a great job in her return. I am so excited to see how everyone stepped up and called our congregation to worship Jesus. The highlights for me were "Song of the Redeemed," "Sing to the King," and "You Have Overcome." It was an amazing weekend!
Here's our service plan from this past weekend, 11/09 - 11/10:
Welcome
"Holy Is The Lord" (E) [Chris Tomlin, Louie Giglio]
"Before The Throne" (A) [Charitie Lees Bancroft, The Modern Post]
Greeting Time
Announcements Message - "Faith: Set Apart" [David Hinkle]
"A Mighty Fortress" (Bb) [Christy Nockels, Nathan Nockels]
"Jesus Paid It All" (Bb) [John T. Grape, Elvina M. Hall, w/ additional chorus by Alex Nifong]
"Rejoice" (Bb) [Dustin Kensrue, Stuart Townend]
Dismissal
Thoughts: This weekend was another great weekend of worship. Again, our team did a great job leading us in worship. Becky Tindell did a great job co-leading, especially in leading us on "A Mighty Fortress," which is an awesome song coming largely from the book of Hebrews. It was a great fit with the message this weekend, along with "Jesus Paid It All." Together, these two songs encapsulated the emphasis of David's powerful message: we are set apart to holiness for God's glory, yet our righteousness before God is only in the finished work of Jesus on our behalf. The highlights for me were "Before the Throne," "Jesus Paid It All," and "Rejoice," which is one of my favorite new songs. If you haven't heard it yet, give it a listen. The lyric is powerful and moving. In all, it was a beautiful weekend.
So, I leave you with this: what were your experiences, observations, or take-aways from these past two weekends?
- Bill
Songs We Sing, 03/30 - 03/31/13 - EASTER at TPAC - Fellowship Bible Church
This year, we celebrated Easter together at the Topeka Performing Arts Center again. It was quite an extensive event to put together, but it is an incredible experience to see our church all together like that! Joe shared about the true significance of Easter for people in every station. Some need to see it, others need to believe it, others need to lives it, and still others need to give it. We also incorporated a special element of artwork that we used parts of at both Good Friday and Easter services: local artist and teacher Mike Mize painted the major stories of redemption history, and recorded the painting process on a tablet so we could replay his paintings in progress for each of the stories. It was pretty incredible to see. You can watch the message, the services, and The Cross painting video here.
Here's our service plan from this weekend:
Pre-Service - "Beautiful" (C) [Phil Wickham] Call to Worship "Before The Throne" (A) [Charitie Lees Bancroft, arr. by The Modern Post] "You Have Overcome" (A) [Bill Horn, Erik Oldberg] Welcome - David Hinkle The Cross - Video Message - "Easter Revealed" [Joe Hishmeh] "Your Great Name" (Bb) [Krissy Nordhoff, Michael Neale] (with "cardboard testimonies" during the song) Call to Response/Offering Reprise of "Your Great Name" (Bb) "Jesus Paid It All" (Bb) [John T. Grape, Elvina M. Hall, Alex Nifong] "Lord of All" (Bb) [Kristian Stanfill]/ "How Great Thou Art" (Bb) [Stuart Wesley Keene Hine] Dismissal - David Hinkle
Thoughts: It is always a beautiful thing when our church comes together in only two services. The church really sang out, and it was overwhelming at times to hear them and see them worshiping Jesus together. A few of the highlights were the cardboard testimonies during "Your Great Name" and our extra drummers playing floor toms during "Jesus Paid It All." In all, I felt that it was one of best services I have ever been a part of planning. It flowed well from one element to another, and the tech team did a great job of facilitating each element.
Above all, people responded to the gospel - many trusted in Jesus for the first time, and others wanted to reconnect with Christ after drifting. Still others wanted to trust their lives to the same power of God that raised Jesus from the dead. It was amazing!
Our staff team and volunteers did an incredible job with all of the many aspects of putting together off-campus services. It is such a privilege to serve with each of them. I am so thankful for our church!
- Bill
What were your thoughts or experiences from your worship gathering this weekend?
Songs We Sing, 03/02 - 03/03/13 - Fellowship Bible Church
For our seventh week of our 2 Corinthians series - "Purpose In Christ," pastor Joe preached through 2 Corinthians 8:1-15, and taught that every believer needs to grow in giving, because of the grace, joy, and sacrifice that we receive from God. You can listen to or watch the entire message and service here. Here's our service plan from this weekend:
Pre-Service - "Beautiful" (D) [Phil Wickham] Welcome "I Stand Amazed (How Marvelous)" (G) [Charles Hutchison] Greeting Time/Announcements Message - "Purpose In Christ, pt.7" [Joe Hishmeh] Communion "Son of God" (G) [Jon Neufeld, Tim Neufeld] "Jesus Paid It All" (B) [John T. Grape, Elvina M. Hall, Alex Nifong] "Beautiful the Blood" (B) [Louie Giglio, Steve Fee] Dismissal
Thoughts: It was a fantastic weekend. I love celebrating the Lord's Supper together with our church, and the songs we sang together were great anthems to sing together. Communion weekends are always powerful moments, as we are even more intentional about focusing on the cross and what Jesus accomplished for us in rescuing us from our sins. It was really moving. "Beautiful The Blood" is becoming more familiar to our congregation, so I look forward to continuing to sing it together in the future. It's a great anthem about the precious blood of Christ that was shed for us! All in all, it was a beautiful weekend. God is so good to us.
Thanks for reading and being a part of this with me! Sorry it was so late!
- Bill
What were your thoughts or experiences from your worship gathering this weekend?
Songs We Sing, 12/29 - 12/30/12 - Fellowship Bible Church
This week we began a series about the gospel: "The Gospel: In/Through/Beyond." Pastor Joe shared about how we are rescued and restored because of the gospel. It was a great call for us to trust the gospel--not only for our salvation, but for our transformation. You can listen to or watch the entire message and service here. Here's our service plan from this weekend:
Welcome "In Tenderness" (G) [W. Spencer Walton, Adoniram J. Gordon, Nate Garvey, arranged by Citizens] "Before The Throne" (A) [Charitie Lees Bancroft, arranged by The Modern Post] Greeting Time/Announcements Message - "The Gospel In Me" [Joe Hishmeh] "Jesus Take All Of Me (Just As I Am)" (C) [Charlotte Elliot, Brenton Brown] "Stronger" (C) [Ben Fielding, Reuben Morgan] "Jesus Paid It All" (C) [John T. Grape, Elvina M. Hall, Alex Nifong] Dismissal
Thoughts: This was another great weekend! We sang some of our church's favorite songs from this year. It was truly enjoyable to sing four renewed hymn arrangements together this weekend, too (maybe that's why they are some of my favorite songs...). Our church was singing really well this weekend, and it seems that has been a growing trend over the past month or so. God is doing great things in our church. One special thing that Joe shared with us this weekend was the result from our Christmas offering giving.
Our goal was to raise $75,000 for four initiatives: 1) Community Transformation Dinners in an impoverished neighborhood known as Hi-Crest 2) A local sports camp called Doxazo for this same neighborhood 3) An air drop of food & supplies for persecuted Christians from southern Sudan and South Sudan who are in hiding in the Nuba Mountains (www.SaveTheNuba.com) 4) The Aquaponics facility in Santiago, Dominican Republic, which will help feed and provide for an entire community living in and around a trash dump (www.TrashMountain.com)
How did our church respond? We raised over $121,000 for these efforts! I love seeing how generous our church is becoming. God is doing amazing things in an through our church, and I'm excited to see how these ministries are affected as a result. The gospel is going forward! Praise God!
Have a happy new year! If you are reading this, I am especially grateful for your time and for the opportunity to share what the Lord is teaching me and how the Lord is shaping my ministry here at Fellowship. He is faithful. May He richly bless you with more confidence in His gospel and a greater awareness of His presence with you in the new year! Love y'all!
What were your thoughts or experiences on your worship experience this weekend?
Set List, 11/03 - 11/04/12 - Fellowship Bible Church
This week our pastor, Joe Hishmeh, continued our discipleship series, "Ephesians - United in Christ." In the message for the weekend, Joe shared from Ephesians 5:9-21 about how we are called out of darkness and into the light of Christ; to shine the light of Christ by living wisely and loving deeply in a dark world. It was a great challenge for us to pursue a rich life of following Christ. You can listen to or watch the entire message and service here. In our singing, we focused on the gospel, and the life that we have been given through Christ. Our response ought to be one of worship and obedience, because He has done great things for us!
Here's our service plan from this weekend:
Welcome "All Because of Jesus" (B) [Steve Fee] "Happy Day" (B) [Tim Hughes, Ben Cantelon] Greeting Time/Announcements Message - "Ephesians 5:9-21" [Joe Hishmeh] Communion "Christ Is Risen" (Gb) [Matt Maher, Mia Fieldes] "Stronger" (Bb) [Ben Fielding, Reuben Morgan] "Jesus Paid It All" (Bb) [John T. Grape, Elvina M. Hall, Alex Nifong] "Let Me Sing" (Bb) [Todd Fields] Dismissal
"All Because Of Jesus" / "Happy Day" - We opened our services this weekend with the combination of these two songs. We went from "All Because of Jesus" right into "Happy Day," all with the focus of how we have been rescued and made alive by the finished work of Jesus Christ. We have great reason to celebrate and worship!
"Christ Is Risen" - This was our communion and response song to Joe's message this week. His selected passage from Ephesians included 5:14: "Awake, O sleeper/ And arise from the dead / And Christ will shine on you", which is the foundation for this song. This verse, according to the Expositor's Bible Commentary, was probably an early hymn that the Church would sing to celebrate baptisms. This makes sense with Paul's comments later on singing "songs and hymns, and spiritual songs" in verse 19. This song is a powerful song about the resurrection to life that we have because of Christ. He has brought us out of darkness into His light.
"Stronger" - After the Lord's Supper, we continued by singing this song together, which speaks of Christ's victory over sin and death for us. I love singing this chorus together with the church: "You are stronger, You are stronger/ Sin is broken, You have saved me/ It is written, Christ is risen/ Jesus, You are Lord of all."
"Jesus Paid It All" - From "Stronger," we went directly into this song, which is one of our church's (and I'm sure this is true for many other churches) favorites. During our Saturday night services, we only sang the second chorus (or bridge, if you prefer): "O praise the One who paid my debt/ And raised this life up from the dead," but we decided to sing the whole song on Sunday morning. It was a beautiful moment of worship together.
"Let Me Sing" - We finished our services with this song, which really put the exclamation point on the entire service, tying in all the themes that were emphasized: Christ's sacrifice on the cross for our redemption, walking in the light vs. the darkness, and living a life that shines the light of Christ in a dark world. We finished the song with mostly just the voices, and it was beautiful to hear the church singing these words of dedication and response to Christ: "Let me sing louder than creation to You/ For the pain You bore in Your body/ To bring my soul to You/ Let me shine brighter than the stars in the sky/ An offering of praise all my life/ To You, my holy King!"
Thoughts: This weekend was a fantastic weekend. We completely rearranged our services, and it was refreshing and energizing. People were confused at first when the band left the platform after only two songs and Joe came up to preach, but we heard many comments about how people were engaged in worship because of the change. I always love singing in response to the proclaimed Word of God, since all of worship is a response to who God is, how God acts toward us, and what God calls us to. It just felt right. The team did a good job with all of the changes this weekend, and I am really grateful for our weekend of worship together. I am so encouraged by how our church engaged throughout the weekend, and all that is happening at Fellowship. I LOVE MY CHURCH!
What were your thoughts or experiences on your worship experience this weekend?
p.s. don't forget to check out The Worship Community!
Set List, 09/01 - 09/02/12 - Fellowship Bible Church
This week our lead pastor, Joe Hishmeh, shared some biblical wisdom regarding leaving a godly legacy, as we finished our series called "Can You Relate?". In his message, Joe shared about how small changes today can have a long-lasting impact, far beyond what we could even imagine today. It was a challenge to be mindful of the impact that we can have on our children and on others around us who are watching our lives. You can listen to or watch the entire message and service here. For our singing this week, we focused on the gospel and on giving our lives to Jesus as living offerings of worship and thanksgiving for what He has done and is doing in our lives.
Here's our service plan from this weekend:
Pre-Service - "In Tenderness" (G) [W. Spencer Walton, Adoniram J. Gordon, Nate Garvey, arr. by Citizens] "Those Who Trust" (Em) [Don Chaffer] Welcome/Greeting Time Call To Worship/Confession "Let Me Sing" (Bb) [Todd Fields] "One Thing Remains (Your Love Never Fails)" (Bb) [Brian Johnson, Jeremy Riddle, Christa Black] "10,000 Reasons (Bless The Lord)" (G) [Jonas Myrin, Matt Redman] / "Glory to God Forever" (G) [Vicky Beeching, Steve Fee] Message - "Can You Relate? - Legacy" [Joe Hishmeh] Communion "Jesus Paid It All" (B) [Elvina M. Hall, John T. Grape, Alex Nifong] Offering/Announcements/Dismissal
"In Tenderness" - This was a new (to us anyway - it was written in 1894) song that we taught during our countdown this week. This is one of my favorite songs for the Church that I have heard this year. It is lyrically profound, while being musically straight-forward, energetic, and extremely catchy. I couldn't get it out of my head for at least two weeks. This is especially true of the chorus: "O the love that sought me/ O the blood that bought me/ O the grace that brought me to the fold of God/ Grace that brought me to the fold of God!"
"Those Who Trust" - This was technically our opening song this week, and it established a theme for the weekend in declaring that those who build their lives on - and trust in - the Lord will never be moved or shaken, because He is their foundation. He is constant and true, and we can trust Him to be with us no matter what we face in this life. This song is incredibly fun to play, especially with bassist Ben Engstrom and drummer Jordan Hymon, who love to play funk. It just works.
"Let Me Sing" - This song was key for our focus this week, as it put words to the idea of giving our lives as a response to how Jesus gave His life for our redemption. I love this song, and our church connects with it well.
"One Thing Remains (Your Love Never Fails)" - This was the third week of teaching this song to our congregation. We gave the song a week off last week, and brought it back as a refresher this weekend. This song contributed to our overall direction by giving us assurance and confidence in the unfailing love of God, which in turn gives us freedom to love and give fully.
"10,000 Reasons (Bless The Lord)"/"Glory To God Forever" - We sang this song just prior to the message this weekend, and it consisted of using all of "10,000 Reasons" and the bridge of "Glory to God Forever." That really put an exclamation point on where were going this week: "Take my life and let it be/ All for You and for Your glory/ Take my life and let it be Yours." That idea is where wanted our major emphasis to be this week.
"Jesus Paid It All" - During communion, we sang the traditional portion of this great hymn, and then after we took the elements together as a church, we sang the additional modern chorus ("O praise the One who paid my debt/ And raised this life up from the dead"). It was a beautiful moment of focusing powerfully on the gospel message, and the thanks and praise that are due to our Savior and King for what He has done for us!
This weekend was an incredible weekend of worship. Our team members all did a fantastic job of preparing and leading well. They worshiped sincerely, and pointed all eyes to Jesus, where they belong! Not only was it powerful, it was a lot of fun, too. Everything clicked well, and we were able to really "enjoy the moment" throughout the weekend. I am so grateful for what the Lord is doing in our team and in our congregation.
I hope you had a great weekend of worship wherever you were!
What were your thoughts or experiences on your worship experience from this weekend?
p.s. don't forget to check out The Worship Community!
Set List, 05/12 - 05/13/12 - Fellowship Bible Church
This weekend, we continued our series called "Everything!" Joe shared this week from 2 Corinthians 8:7, which talks about excelling in the grace of giving. You can listen to the entire message here. Also this weekend, our church brought 10% of all of our clothing to donate to the Topeka Rescue Mission. Last weekend, our church brought in 8,345 lbs. (more than 4 tons!!!) of non-perishable goods for the Rescue Mission! It's a beautiful thing to see the church come together for a cause like this. It's amazing what we can do together. For the music this week, I chose songs that helped us focus on how God's grace for us was demonstrated at the cross, where Christ laid down His life for us, even when we were His enemies.
Here's our service plan from this weekend:
"Happy Day" (Bb) [Tim Hughes, Ben Cantelon] Mother's Day Video - "I'll Need You, Mom" Welcome/Greeting Time "Glory To God Forever" (A) [Vicky Beeching, Steve Fee] "You Have Overcome" (A) [Bill Horn, Erik Oldberg] "God Is Able" (A) [Ben Fielding, Reuben Morgan] Message - "Everything: Excel In The Grace Of Giving" [Joe Hishmeh] Offering Intro "Jesus Paid It All" (Bb) [Elvina M. Hall, John T. Grape, Alex Nifong] Announcements Dismissal
"Happy Day"- We sang this song simply for the fact that it recognizes and celebrates the gift of salvation and redemption that Christ has given us through His sacrifice.
"Glory To God Forever" - This song, as I have written about previously, gives expression to what is true worship - offering our lives as living sacrifices of worship to God: "Take my life and let it be/ All for You and for Your glory/ Take my life and let it be Yours." May this be our prayer as we meet together each weekend and as we go out into our world. May our lives be lived for His glory alone.
"You Have Overcome"- We wrote and taught this song to our congregation a few weeks ago, and this weekend be brought it back for a refresher because it is so new to us. It focuses on what Jesus has accomplished for us and provided for us in His life, death, and resurrection. He has rescued us from sin and death!
"God Is Able"- This song reminds us of God's faithful presence with us through everything we face and experience in this life. We can trust Him and depend on Him, because He will never change and He will never fail. He will always be with us, as He promised in Hebrews 13:5 (quoting Deuteronomy 31:6): "Keep your life free from love of money, and be content with what you have, for he has said, 'I will never leave you nor forsake you.' So we say with confidence, 'The Lord is my helper; I will not be afraid. What can mere mortals do to me?' (Heb. 13:5 ESV)."
"Jesus Paid It All"- This was our response song this weekend, and we sang it to focus again on how Jesus gave first because of His grace toward us. Our response to Him and to others ought to imitate that grace and generosity. He has done great things for us, and He has been so merciful and gracious toward us; let us also have grace and mercy for those around us, and let us lay down our lives for Christ and for our neighbors.
This weekend was a good weekend spent worshiping together. The songs worked well with the message and with each other for a cohesive idea, and I felt that our congregation connected well in worship this weekend. I am so grateful for what the Lord is doing in our church. He is so faithful! May we continue to grow into a generous church!
Happy Mother's Day to all the mothers out there. I am so thankful for my Mom and for my bride, Diane. They are the two greatest mothers I know!
I hope you had a great weekend of worship wherever you were!
In the Son, Bill
p.s. don't forget to check out The Worship Community!
Set List, 04/07 - 04/08/12 - Easter - Fellowship Bible Church
This Easter, our church relocated temporarily to the Topeka Performing Arts Center to accommodate as many guests as possible (we ended up hosting around 3800 people this weekend!). Last year, we had to do six services, but the attendance was not evenly distributed - more than half of our people wanted to attend at two of the six service times, and we were cramped for space (our building holds around 690). At Christmas Eve last year, we ended up turning people away, which is something we never want to do again if we can help it. We always want an open door and an open seat for people to hear the gospel of Jesus Christ! It was amazing to see the team come together to make this happen for the weekend. It was a ton of work, and my tech director, Wyatt Johnston, did a fantastic job of navigating the difficulties of relocation. Each of the people who regularly lead for our services led together for both services. That was something that was a priority to me, and I am thankful that it worked out that everyone could participate. There's nothing like leading worship together with friends! I am so grateful for our church and for our team. Jesus was exalted this weekend! You can listen to the entire message here.
Here's our service plan from this weekend:
Video - "An Easter Story" Pre-Service Song - "Our God's Alive" (Em) [Andy Cherry, Jason Ingram, Dan Muckala] "Sing to the King" (E) [Billy Foote, Charles Sylvester Horne] Welcome/Greeting Time - David Hinkle Call To Worship - from Philippians 2 "Happy Day" (B) [Tim Hughes, Ben Cantelon] Video - "The White Board Gospel" "You Have Overcome" (A) [Bill Horn, Erik Oldberg] "You Alone Can Rescue" (B) [Matt Redman, Jonas Myrin] "Jesus Paid It All" (B) [John T. Grape, Elvina M. Hall, Alex Nifong] Video - "Alive" Message - "Everyone" [Joe Hishmeh] "Christ Is Risen" (Gb) [Matt Maher, Mia Fieldes] Offering/Announcements Dismissal
"Our God's Alive" - This song served as our countdown song this week. It was an awesome song to open our Easter services with. It is an anthem that really set the tone for how we wanted to celebrate the resurrection.
"Sing to the King" - Led by Becky Tindell and Sarah Oldberg, this was our opening song. It is one of our church's favorites, and it really communicates the hope we have in Jesus. Also, this is a song that the children are singing in The Mountain (our children's ministry, led by Erik Oldberg). Our children from ages 3 and up were in our services this weekend, so it was important to us to do some songs that they would know as well. This is a great song that served the purpose of reaching everyone in the room.
"Happy Day" - Erik Oldberg led us on this song. This is another staple for our congregation and for our children, so it was another song that reached our whole congregation. As we sang this song, there was a tremendous amount of energy in the room. It was exciting to be a part of it!
"You Have Overcome" - This is the new original song that we introduced to our congregation last weekend in preparation for this weekend. Our congregation is connecting with it, and singing it well together. The link in the title takes you to the post where I discussed the song in further detail and where you can also download the charts for the song. It is a straightforward song about how Jesus has overcome sin and death, and has therefore redeemed us, giving us life and hope.
"You Alone Can Rescue" - Sarah Oldberg and I led on this song. This remains one of my favorite worship songs. I love how it declares our prior condition and where we stand now because of Christ's death and resurrection for us. He "came down to find us, and led us out of death!"
"Jesus Paid It All" - Each of us led a portion of this song, which is another one of our congregation's favorites. The ending was powerful and beautiful as we sang out the bridge, "O praise the One who paid my debt/ And raised this life up from the dead" a cappella. This moment in each of our services was one of the highlights of the weekend for me.
"Christ Is Risen" - We responded to Joe's message with this song. This is one of my favorites for Easter. I love the chorus especially: "Christ is risen from the dead/ Trampling over death by death/ Come awake, come awake/ Come and rise up from the grave." It's a powerful thing for the church to sing this together. Jesus has conquered sin and death. And we will participate in that victory. All praise and honor and glory to Jesus!
The bottom line? This weekend was amazing. I am so overwhelmed what we experienced together. It was the Easter service that I had always dreamt of. I couldn't have asked for a more special weekend. Easter is definitely my favorite time of the year in terms of leading the church in worship. We have no greater reason to sing than the fact that Jesus has overcome sin and death for us!
I hope you had a great weekend of worship wherever you were! Jesus is ALIVE!
In the Son, Bill
p.s. don't forget to check out The Worship Community!
Set List, 03/03 - 03/04/12 Fellowship Bible Church
This weekend, we continued our Romans series, focusing on Romans 10:8 - 17. In his message, Joe taught about God's plan of salvation for the nations, and how we must be the ones to go and tell about what Jesus has done. We are participants in the gospel, and God calls us into spreading the message to the people we encounter. We are the only option - as Joe says, "There is no Plan B." You can listen to the entire message here. Here's our service plan from this weekend:
"Say Say" (Bb) [Christy Nockels, Kristian Stanfill, Chris Tomlin] Welcome/Greeting Time Call To Worship "Glorious Day" (B) [Michael Bleecker, J. Wilbur Chapman] "Stronger" (B) [Ben Fielding, Reuben Morgan] "Jesus Paid It All" (B) [John T. Grape, Elvina M. Hall, w/ additional chorus by Alex Nifong] Time of Reflection/Prayer Message - "Romans 10:8 - 17" [Joe Hishmeh] Communion Intro Communion Song - "Your Great Name" (Bb) [Michael Neale, Krissy Nordhoff] Taking of Elements Song Reprise - "Your Great Name" (Bb) Offering/Announcements Dismissal
"Say Say" - Because of the focus passage for this weekend (which includes Romans 10:9 - "if you confess with your mouth that Jesus is Lord and believe in your heart that God raised him from the dead, you will be saved"), we opened our services with this song. We taught this song to our congregation a few months ago, and haven't sung it too frequently since that time. It was one of the first that I introduced here to Fellowship. I love the call of this song on our lives, for us to declare with boldness and sincerity that Jesus is King. This song inspires confidence in the truth of the gospel, and these are the kinds of words I think we need to be encouraging one another with when we sing together in worship.
"Glorious Day" - This is a song that we began teaching a few weeks ago, and I continue to love how this song ties the past, present, and future of the gospel message all together. I think it is a solid song of celebrating what Christ has accomplished at the cross and in His resurrection, and also what He will accomplish in His return. We have many amazing reasons to worship our King!
"Stronger" - This song, while written somewhat recently, has the feel (in the lyric, anyway) of being almost like a creed. I love the simple declarations throughout the song, and the bridge sings of exalting Jesus' name because of what He has done. It is also one of the few new worship songs that is truly in 3/4, which gives it a unique feel throughout. I really enjoy singing this song, and singing out what Jesus has accomplished.
"Jesus Paid It All" -This song is one of our favorites here, and for good reason. It is a simple confession of our dependence on Jesus and His finished work on the cross, and a powerful declaration of praise for what He accomplished for us in His resurrection. We were dead, but now we are alive in Him, and that is the main motivation we have sing and exalt Him.
"Your Great Name" - This song is new to our congregation, so we introduced it during our communion time this weekend. I first heard this from the writer, Michael Neale, at a conference in Florida. It was made popular by Natalie Grant. What I found interesting is that Natalie Grant sings the harmony during the chorus and the bridge, but sings it as though it is the melody. Both the harmony and the melody of this song are very nice lines, so it works really well. I love this song because it clearly declares the name of Jesus and exalts Him for who He is and what He has done. There is salvation and power in no other name, and we should speak it out with confidence, hope, and faith. Our congregation really connected with this song (surprisingly so), and we will definitely be singing it together again. The video to which I linked in the title of the song also has the lyric on it. I'd love to hear your thoughts about this song, and if you have sung it in your congregations.
This weekend was a strong weekend of worship with a very clear focus on the gospel and on proclaiming it to the world around us. I love celebrating the Lord's Supper with our congregation, and remembering what Jesus has done. He is so good and faithful to us, even when we are faithless. He is so worthy of all of our praise and glory!
I hope you had a great weekend of worship wherever you were!
In the Son, Bill
p.s. don't forget to check out The Worship Community!
Set List, 01/21 - 01/22/12 Fellowship Bible Church
This weekend, we returned to finish our heaven series, "Heaven Revealed." Joe shared about the purpose of heaven and how we can be prepared for heaven. I really loved spending the time this weekend trying to get our hearts and minds around a clearer vision of heaven. You can listen to the entire message here. Here's our service plan from this weekend:
Time of Preparation/Prayer "Jesus You" (E) [Bill Horn] Call To Worship "Sing To The King" (E) [Billy Foote, Charles Silvester Horne] Welcome/Greeting Time "Happy Day" (B) [Ben Cantelon, Tim Hughes] "Glorious Day" (B) [Michael Bleecker, J. Wilbur Chapman] "Jesus Paid It All" (B) [Elvina M. Hall, John Thomas Grape, Alex Nifong] Message - "Heaven Revealed, Pt. 2" [Joe Hishmeh] "Revelation Song" (C) [Jennie Lee Riddle] Offering/Announcements Dismissal
"Jesus You" - We sang this song as our preparation song this weekend. This is an original song that came from a study of the book of Romans, especially chapters three through five. We sang it for the preparation time this week because the song ends by pointing to eternity: "Now Death, where is your sting?/ You send me home, where forever I will sing/ You, Jesus, You." We have no need to fear death if we are in Christ. Death only sends us to our true home - the presence of Jesus.
"Sing To The King" - This was our opener this week. This song was used because it points to Christ's ultimate victory, which gives us the promise of a future together with Him in heaven. The focus of this song certainly gives reason for celebration!
"Happy Day" - We sang this song primarily because of the second verse: "When I stand in that place/ Free at last, meeting face to face/ I am Yours, Jesus, You are mine/ Endless joy and perfect peace/ Earthly pain finally will cease/ Celebrate, Jesus is alive/ He's alive!" Once again, it is because of the salvation we have in Christ that we can look forward in anticipation of the day when we see Jesus face to face. All tears and sorrow will be gone, and we will experience a joy that defies description!
"Glorious Day" - This song is still fairly new to our congregation, being that we only started singing it a few weeks ago. You can read more of my thoughts on the song here. This week, we decided to bring it down another half-step to B to see if it would be even easier for our congregation to sing.
"Jesus Paid It All" - This song is a staple for our church, and we sang it because it celebrates the one who resurrected us from spiritual death - Jesus Christ. He is the reason we have life. He is the one who has saved us. We did not (and could not) save ourselves. We owe all thanks, praise, and honor to Him. He is the one who paid our debt and raised these lives up from the dead!
"Revelation Song" - This was our response song this weekend. It was one that I had planned on doing for this series when we first started talking about it, and when we sang it for the "Heaven Is For Real" event this past Sunday night, it became a natural tie to this weekend as we concluded our formal discussion on heaven in our services this weekend.
This weekend was really powerful, and we experienced the presence of Christ as we worshiped in our services. Our team did a great job, and our congregation sang like crazy, which was exciting to witness. I am overwhelmed by the goodness of Christ in His promise of heaven for us. I can't wait to see Him face to face.
I hope you had a great weekend of worship wherever you were!
In the Son, Bill
p.s. don't forget to check out The Worship Community!
Set List, 11/19 - 11/20/11 Fellowship Bible Church
This weekend, we focused on John 19:28 - 20:31, examining the resurrection of Jesus. After reading through the passage, Pastor Joe dealt with some of the arguments for and against the resurrection, and then ended with call to a response of faith and belief in the resurrection. Because of Christ's resurrection, we can have hope and eternal life. The resurrection is "the summit of the gospel," whereas the cross is the center of the gospel. You can listen to the entire message here. Here's our service plan from this weekend:
Time of Preparation/Prayer "Jesus You" (E) [original] Welcome/Greeting Time Call to Worship - Psalm 40:1-3 "Sing To The King" (E) [Billy Foote, Charles Sylvester Horne] "Salvation Is Here" (Bb) [Joel Houston] "Stronger" (Bb) [Ben Fielding, Reuben Morgan] "Jesus Paid It All" (Bb) [Alex Nifong, Elvina M. Hall, John Thomas Grape] Prayer Message - John 19:38 - 20:31 - "The Resurrection" [Joe Hishmeh] Response Time Offering/Video/Announcements "Christ Is Risen" (Gb) [Matt Maher, Mia Fieldes] Dismissal
"Jesus You" - We opened our preparation time with this song. We have done this a few times for the preparation time, and it was particularly fitting for this weekend. We incorporated more of the band this time, but still kept it a little more laid back than my original arrangement. This song helped to point us in the right direction for our services.
"Sing To The King" - Sarah Oldberg led us on this song. I love the powerful declaration of this song. Sarah and the band did an awesome job on this one, and the church engaged in celebrating and looking forward to Christ's victorious return. Our risen Lord is coming again. We can rejoice because of this fact, and this song helps us to do just that. Although we haven't sung this song very often, our congregation still seems to connect well with it. I look forward to singing it again.
"Salvation Is Here" - Our church had not sung this song much in the past, and when I was preparing for this weekend, I thought it would be a great fit because of the bridge, which sings, "Salvation is here/ Salvation is here and He lives in me/ Salvation is here/ 'Cause You are alive and You live in me." I could tell it was unfamiliar to much of our congregation, but they sang it, and I think they will sing it more when they have more time with it. I love the chorus of this song, as it builds my confidence in what Christ has done and in His Word: "I know my God saved the day/ And I know His Word never fails/ And I know my God made a way for me/ Salvation is here."
"Stronger" - This song is still fresh for me, and I really value how it expresses the gospel message. I like the unique expression of the chorus, when it sings, "You are stronger, You are stronger/ Sin is broken, You have saved me/ It is written Christ is risen/ Jesus, You are Lord of all." It captures so many truths of scripture in a few simple phrases. Beautiful. This song helped us to turn the corner to singing more specifically about the resurrection and what Christ accomplished by it.
"Jesus Paid It All" - This hymn remains another one of my favorites. The additional chorus by Alex Nifong is a simple and beautiful expression of praise to Christ because of the gospel. I invited our congregation to lift their hands to exalt our God and Savior. It was a powerful part of the service this weekend, and one of my personal highlights, as the church participated well on it.
"Christ Is Risen" - After a message about Christ's resurrection, I think it was a perfect song to respond with. I love how this song declares the victory of Christ over sin and death. It moves me and encourages me as we sing it together. Although our church has only sung it together one weekend before, we are singing it well together.
This was a great weekend of worshiping the risen Christ. Jesus was lifted high and exalted for who He is and what He has done. We tried some different things with the leading of the songs, with Sarah and I trading off verses on a few of the songs ("Stronger" and "Jesus Paid It All"), and I liked how that pulled both the ladies and the men into singing the melody together. I am so thankful to be a part of this team and this church. God is faithful. May we all live a life that reflects the reality that Jesus is no longer in the grave. He is alive!
I hope you had a great weekend of worship wherever you were.
In the Son,
Bill
p.s. don't forget to check out The Worship Community!
Set List, 08/27 - 08/28/11 Fellowship Bible Church
This weekend, we focused on the subject of transformational worship. Joe's point was that we become like whatever we worship. We are transformed by the object of our worship. When we are worshiping the things of this world, we become more like them, and take on their characteristics. He called us to preparation for worship, presentation of our lives as living sacrifices, and participation in God's calling on us.
Here's our set from this weekend:
Pre-Service - "Only a Word" (E) [original] Time of Preparation (a time of confession and focus in prayer) Welcome/Greeting Time Call To Worship - Rom. 12:1-2 "Glory to God Forever" (Bb) [Steve Fee, Vicky Beeching] "The Lost Are Found" (Bb) [Ben Fielding, Sam Knock] "Lord of All" (Bb) [Kristian Stanfill] "Jesus Paid It All" (Bb) [Elvina M. Hall, John Thomas Grape, Alex Nifong] Message - "Upgrade - Worship" [Joe Hishmeh] Offering/Announcements Response - "Let Me Sing" [Todd Fields] Dismissal
"Only a Word" - I've wanted to sing this song here for a while. We used it because it sets a good tone for worship by recognizing God's power to change us and to change the world, and helps us develop an expectation for Him to move in our midst, because "nothing impossible with God" (Luke 1:37). The thought of this song that it only takes one word from God to change everything. Scripture shares the phrase that God said in creation, "Let there be..." That was all it took. I don't think He needed to say anything, but it simply communicates how easy it is for God to transform our reality. He is able and powerful. I have been reading through Tozer's The Knowledge Of The Holy, and he repeatedly states the fact that nothing is difficult for God. He never needs to rest after working. He has everything He needs to do anything He wants whenever He wants to do it. Through that book, I have been reminded that God is truly able.
Here's the lyric from the song:
"Only a Word" Words and Music by Bill Horn
VERSE 1 With a word You throw the spheres and space is formed With Your voice You fill the void with light and worlds With Your arm You carve the ocean from the shore With a breath You move the dust and life is born
CHORUS With only a word, stars come blazing forth Only one verb, and darkness is no more Only Your voice, can pierce us through, O Lord This world can be transformed, with only a word
VERSE 2 With a thought You ease the waves and still the sea With Your hand You touch the blind and let him see With a song You make the prison doors break free Everything can change when You say, “Let it be”
BRIDGE The sun aligns with You For You are the truth You are reality Before everything
"Glory to God Forever" - We prefaced this song with Romans 12:1-2 as our call to worship. I felt it was a good way to start a week that focused on worship, because we need to fight hard to correct the misperception that worship through music is all there is to worship. The proper posture of the worshiping heart is summed up in the bridge: "Take my life and let it be/ All for You and for Your glory/ Take my life and let it be Yours."
"The Lost Are Found" - This was a new song for our congregation this week. Joe asked if we could teach it, because it really ties into the subjects of worship (the song of the redeemed/Lordship of Christ/making all things new) and outreach (which we'll be focusing on next week. This is a good song with a simple a strong lyric. I really like what is technically the bridge of the song, which sings, "The lost are found, the blind will see/ The lame will walk, the dead will live/ And You our God, forever You will reign." In teaching the song, I called our people to remember and look forward to the day of Christ's return, when He makes all things new and rights all the wrongs in this world. We look forward to this day with hope, and it should change our perspective on daily life.
"Lord of All" - We sang this song because it helps is get a proper perspective on who the Lord is - the Lord of all and King of kings. I love singing this song together. We had one hiccup in the 3rd service on this one, where our drummer Jordan's kick pedal broke toward the end of "The Lost Are Found" and was broken throughout this song. Our tech director, Wyatt, was able to grab a replacement from one of our other venues and get it installed for the end of the song. It was a good reminder of what is truly important in our worship services, and it was fitting in the week about worship. The band and technology are nice, but they are extras that can possibly make it easier for us to worship God by connecting our head and our hearts. However, they are by no means essential, and we all ought to be able to worship the Lord just as well without an instrument as with the full band.
"Jesus Paid It All" - We sang this song because there is no greater reason for us to worship than the gospel of Christ. We were dead, and now we are alive in Him. We were enemies, and now we are heirs together with Christ. Could there be a greater reason to be thankful and worship our great God?
"Let Me Sing" - I think this was a fitting response to our pastor's message this weekend, because it expresses a desire to live a life that worships God greater than anything else in creation. The chorus sings, "Let me sing louder than creation to You/ For the pain You bore in Your body/ To bring my soul to You/ Let me shine brighter than the stars in the sky/ An offering of praise all my life/ To You my holy King." I think this sums up my thinking about the entire service. Our greatest reason for worship is the gospel, and the kind of worship God deserves is that which comes from an entire life lived for Him.
We had a good weekend of corporate worship, focusing on the subject of lifestyle worship. I enjoyed how the different elements connected and interplayed. It seems like God made it all fit together to communicate a single message: worship is life.
I hope you had a great weekend of worship!
In the Son,
Bill
p.s. Don't forget to check out The Worship Community to see what other leaders did this weekend!
Set List, 07/30 - 07/31/11 Fellowship Bible Church
This weekend our pastor, Joe Hishmeh, preached from Philippians 4:14-23 to talk about "An Appraisal of Giving." It was a challenging message regarding stewardship and generosity in our lives, with the proper perspective on our resources being that God is the giver and owner of those things anyway. Also, we can give in such a way as to give God the glory He deserves, in an act of worship through giving. I believe we were all called through the word to live simply so we could all be more generous, for the purpose of advancing the kingdom of God, and investing in the things that last: God, His Word, and people. For our song selection process, we emphasized how God gave first. He demonstrated His great love for us by giving Jesus to die in our place for our sins (John 3:16-17). Our giving is merely a response to His goodness and love for us.
Here's our set from this weekend:
Pre-Service - "All Because of Jesus" (Bb) [Steve Fee] Call To Worship/Prayer "Blessed Be Your Name" (Bb) [Matt Redman, Beth Redman] Welcome/Offering/Announcements/Greeting Time "I Stand Amazed" (D) [Charles Hutchinson Gabriel] "Lord of Lords" (D) [Brooke Fraser] "Jesus Paid It All" (B) [Elvina Mabel Hall, John Thomas Grape, Alex Nifong] Message - "An Appraisal of Giving (Philippians 4:14-23)" [Joe Hishmeh] Response - "Take My Life And Let It Be" [Frances Ridley Havergal, Henri Abraham Cesar Malan]
This weekend was a good weekend of worship. We tried a few new things and stretched a little, and I think it was healthy for the church and for the team. For one, I played electric guitar for the majority of our worship set. I definitely felt stretched. Becky Tindell did a great job on rhythm acoustic guitar and leading.
"All Because of Jesus" - This song is a solid part of our worship vocabulary, and our congregation always engages with it and participates. This song served the purpose of reminding us that everything we have is because of God's grace and goodness. This idea is foundational for us to understand what generosity really means.
"Blessed Be Your Name" - This song was used primarily for the bridge: "You give and take away/ You give and take away/ My heart will choose to say/ Lord, blessed be Your name." We
"I Stand Amazed" - Becky Tindell led this song, and she did a great job. She is one of our newest leaders, and she has been faithfully serving and leading with our Children's ministry called the Mountain. This was the first time I have had this song in a "girl" key, and I really enjoyed it. I also enjoyed being able to play lead on this one, in particular. I love the chord progressions of both the verse and the chorus, and it makes room for some interesting melodic lines.
"Lord of Lords" - Becky also led this song. I love how this song helps us to picture the throne room of heaven, and to see Jesus as the Lamb of God seated on that throne.
"Jesus Paid It All" - This song is a staple here, and one that our congregation still connects with well. This song reminded us again that Jesus gave first, and our giving of our lives in obedience and worship is right response to who He is and what He has done.
"Take My Life And Let It Be" - This hymn was chosen mainly for the final verse, which speaks to our money and our mind being given as an act of worship to our King. I love how the congregation sings out on this song, and I think it something we need to reflect on frequently - that all aspects of our lives would be dedicated to worshiping Jesus.
I was encouraged by this weekend, and really enjoyed our times of worship together. May we be generous with our lives for the King and for His kingdom.
I hope you had a great weekend of worship as well. Check out The Worship Community to see what other worshipers experienced and why.
Let me know your thoughts! I love your opinions and feedback.
In the Son,
Bill
Set List, 06/11 - 06/12/11 Fellowship Bible Church
This weekend, we focused on Philippians 2:19-30, where Paul commends Timothy and Epaphroditus, pointing out their sacrificial service for the gospel and for the Philippian believers. The call for us this week is to live a life of ministry, leveraging everything we are and have for the purposes of God and His kingdom. Because of His worth, we should put everything, even our lives, on the line for His sake. Here's our set from this weekend:
Pre-Service - "I Will Go" (F#m) [Tim Neufeld, Jon Neufeld] Call to Worship - Isaiah 40:28-29, 31 "Everlasting God" (Bb) [Brenton Brown, Ken Riley] Welcome/Offering/Announcements/Greeting "Glory to God Forever" (Bb) [Steve Fee, Vicky Beeching] "Always" (Bb) [Kristian Stanfill, Jason Ingram] "Jesus Paid It All" (Bb) [John Thomas Grape, Elvina M. Hall, and Alex Nifong] Message - The Appraisal of All Things: A New Appraisal of Ministry [Joe Hishmeh] Response - "Take My Life And Let It Be" (D) [Frances Ridley Havergal, Henri Abraham Cesar Malan]
"I Will Go" - This song is a strong call for us to lay down privilege and blessing for the sake of Christ, reaching out to the hurting and the helpless in our world. We used this song because Joe's message was focusing in on the life that is laid down for Christ and His purposes, and the conscious decision to sacrifice, which goes against our nature. I think this song may still be a little surprising to our congregation, just because the sound is a little "edgy." I think I may play with the arrangement and/or presentation of the song in the future. This song is definitely worth singing, because it is a challenging call on each of our lives. May the cry of our hearts be with that of Isaiah, as the song sings, "I will go, I will go/ I will go, Lord, send me/ To the world, to the lost/ To the poor and hungry/ Take everything I am/ I'm clay within Your hands/ I will go, I will go, send me."
"Everlasting God" - Coming out of our call to worship from Isaiah 40, I wanted to make the challenge to our people that God calls us to imitate Him and His character, and what Scripture says of Him it also, in a way, challenges us to be the same. In the Isaiah passage it describes God as not fainting or growing weary. At the end of the chapter, it says that the ones who wait on the Lord and find their strength in Him will not faint or grow weary, either. In the midst of this, it describes God as helping the faint and the one without strength (us). We should of the same mind, helping those in need and those who are powerless. This song points out these characteristics of God, and as we sing them, I am challenged that the things He cares about are the things I should care about, too. His priorities are the only right priorities, because He is God. This is a song that our congregation engages easily with but I wanted to approach it from a different angle, to keep us thinking about what we're singing, so that it doesn't lose its impact.
"Glory to God Forever" - I have commented many times before, but the bridge of this song is a beautifully simple prayer for God to use our lives for what matters: Him and His glory! "Take my life and let it be/ All for You and for Your glory/ Take my life and let it be Yours." I strive to make this my prayer each time I sing it.
"Always" - This was the second week of teaching this song. I decided to bring it down a half-step to Bb to see how the congregation sings with it there. This song is tricky in that regard, because the verse is pretty low while the chorus reaches fairly high. In Bb, the verse goes all the way down to a G. In the key of Bb, it still seemed that the chorus was hard to reach. Some of the quiet response to the song may be due to the newness of the song, so we'll leave it where it is for another week to see if it changes. The lyric continues to resonate with me, and reminds me that my strength and my hope are only in Jesus, and not in my abilities, talent, knowledge, strength, or anything else on this earth. It is only in Him. He is the only one who is able to rescue me and change me. The battles of this life belong to Him.
"Jesus Paid It All" - This song points to the cross and the price Jesus paid, in our place for our sins. The only proper response will be something like, "All to Him I owe." Our response to His grace, love, and sacrifice does not earn salvation for us, but it is a response of thanksgiving for the amazing free gift He gave us. He is so good to us, and loved us even when we were His enemies! This is what I shared with our congregation before we sang it together, because it is so easy for us to drift into the mentality that what we do can make God like us more. We cannot be any more acceptable to God than through the finished work of Jesus Christ in His atoning death and His resurrection. He has made the way for us to be right with God, and now we are free to love and to serve without another thought for ourselves. I have been reading Martin Luther's On Christian Liberty (aka The Freedom of the Christian) this past week, and it sparked a thought: because of Christ's selfless and sacrificial life and death for us, we can now be truly selfless. In the paradigms where we think our own works make us righteous before God, even the smallest good deed has a selfish twist to it, because we are trying to make ourselves acceptable to God. In Christ, we don't have to think that way anymore. We can truly love and serve without thinking of ourselves, because Christ has thought of us and gave Himself for us. His selflessness made it possible for us to be truly selfless. It's the only way that we could be truly selfless. We owe our lives to Jesus, expressed in our love for Him and for others.
"Take My Life And Let It Be" - I got the idea for this arrangement from Andrew Osenga's former band, The Normals. On the 21st track (the bonus track), they had a really nice acoustic arrangement of this song, with a beautiful introduction. I tweaked the idea a bit for congregational use, and brought it down to the key of D to make it a little easier to sing. I love the focus of this song, and I felt it was a great fit for Joe's message this week. This song is a simple prayer for God to use everything about us (our life, our hands, our feet, our lips) for Him and His purposes, sanctifying them in using them for His glory.
It was a good week of worship. We are still struggling to get everyone awake and aware at our 9 AM service on Sundays, but by the end of the song set, I think we were focused on the gospel, and ready to obey the Word of God. Overall, the congregation's response seemed a little quieter and weaker. I'm trying to figure out to what it can be attributed. Maybe the first song got us started on the wrong foot, even though the message was on point. Maybe the rainy/cloudy weather had everyone a little down compared to normal. It still surprises me how we can do things in very similar ways, yet have very different responses and engagement from a congregation. It just goes to show that it is not about us. We are just facilitators, trying to make it as easy as possible for people to see Jesus Christ and all His glory, and to see what the proper response is to who He is and what He has done.
I hope you had a great weekend of worship wherever you were, and that you were a part of lifting up the name of Jesus!
Join the discussion below! I would love to hear your thoughts. What are some things that have helped your congregation "wake up" in early morning services? What are some things you have tried that help your congregation engage in your context?
In the Son,
Bill
p.s. be sure to check out The Worship Community's Sunday Set Lists to see what other leaders and worshipers experienced this weekend with their communities.
Set List, 04/22 - 04/24/11 Fellowship Bible Church
Jesus is risen! He has conquered sin and death, and He reigns forevermore. This weekend holds so much meaning for the church, and it was truly a joy to celebrate Christ's resurrection together. This weekend, we had two services on Good Friday, and then six Easter services through Saturday and Sunday (two on Saturday and four on Sunday). It was a marathon, but it was completely worth it. I am so proud of our team for stepping up and serving with excellence in all of the services, giving their best for our Savior and His church. Here's our set from Good Friday:
"Jesus Messiah" (G) [Chris Tomlin, Daniel Carson, Jesse Reeves, and Ed Cash] "Because of Your Love" (G) [Phil Wickham] "Lamb of God" (G) [Bill Horn] Message - "The Heroic Rescue of Humanity: Jesus the Savior" [Joe Hishmeh] Response - "The Wonderful Cross" [Isaac Watts, Chris Tomlin, Jesse Reeves, Lowell Mason, J.D. Watts] Communion Intro "Nothing But The Blood" [Matt Redman] "You Saw Me" [Mia Fieldes, Ben Fielding, and Reuben Morgan] Taking of the elements Dismissal
And here's how we celebrated the resurrection in our Easter services: Pre-service - "God is Alive" (A) [Steve Fee and Eddie Kirkland] Call to worship - Mark 16:4-6 "Happy Day" (Bb) [Tim Hughes and Ben Cantelon] Welcome/ Offering/ Announcements/ Greeting time "You Alone Can Rescue" (Bb) [Matt Redman and Jonas Myrin] "Stronger" (Bb) [Ben Fielding and Reuben Morgan] Message - "The Heroic Rescue of Humanity: Jesus the Restorer" [Joe Hishmeh] Response - "Jesus Paid It All" [John Thomas Grape, Elvina M. Hall, and Alex Nifong] Dismissal - Joe Hishmeh
I am thrilled with how this weekend's services went. Our Good Friday services were sweet times of reflection on the cross and on Jesus sacrifice for us. We used a distinct instrumentation for the service, with predominantly acoustic instruments. We had two standard acoustics, a high-strung acoustic (Nashville tuning), viola, fretless bass, and a percussion set up for our drummer with djembe and cajon and a few toys. It was very organic in the way that we put the songs together and in the way we presented it. I thought it came across the way we wanted, and people were pointed to the cross. We had the large, wooden cross lit in all red, and the band was all in black in the background on the stage, and that helped to communicate the desired focus for the evening. In all, it was a strong and sincere evening. Good Friday is one of my favorite occasions for worship, as we praise our Savior for His great sacrifice on our behalf--in our place, for our sins.
One Easter, we pulled out the stops, and pushed things forward a bit with some new elements. We opened the pre-service time with "God is Alive," and we used a brand-new element in our context: our drummer, Jordan, is a master beat producer, and he brought out his Akai MPC 4000 to create a loop to play underneath the whole song, which would be brought into focus during the intro and the breaks. I was giddy when he put it all together and we started to play together as a band. It was such a fresh addition to what we have been doing, and it is and element that I have wanted to incorporate (in any worship setting) for years. The click track was step one to getting to this point, and we got here a lot quicker than I anticipated. It was pretty special to finally experience it in that way. I thought it added even more energy to an already exciting song. It was a perfect moment for me, as we sang out "Everyone/ Glorify the risen Son/ The Holy One has overcome/ Jesus is alive/ The enemy/ Is broken underneath His feet/ Death is crushed in victory/ Jesus is alive/ Jesus is alive." It's a beautiful thing!
We followed the call to worship with "Happy Day," which felt like a great fit for the weekend. This song was a little more familiar to our congregation, so they sang out and participated more than on "God is Alive" (which is part of why we did "God is Alive" in the pre-service slot). I love the truth in this song, and I think it is one of Tim Hughes' best songs. He captures the gospel message clearly and simply. The verses say it well: "The greatest day in history/ Death is beaten, You have rescued me/ Sing out, Jesus is alive/ The empty cross, the empty grave/ Life eternal, You have won the day/ Shout it out, Jesus is alive/ He's alive!"
After the welcome time, we moved to "You Alone Can Rescue" and "Stronger," which are two songs that focus on God's unique ability to save us and rescue us from sin and death, and to give us eternal life. I love the choruses of each of the songs. "You Alone Can Rescue" sings, "You alone can rescue/ You alone can save/ You alone can lift us from the grave/ You came down to find us/ Led us out of death/ To You alone belong the highest praise." In particular, my favorite line is the one that describes the divine condescension, His coming down to find us and leading us out of death. I am moved as I sing those words. This song really took hold with me as Matt Redman led at a week-long event in Daytona Beach last summer, and the weight of these words really landed. It remains a powerful expression of worship for me. The chorus of "Stronger" sings, "You are stronger/ You are stronger/ Sin is broken/ You have saved me/ It is written/ Christ is risen/ Jesus, You are Lord of all." This echoes Scripture in a few places, one of which is Philippians 2, where Paul writes that "Being found in appearance as a man, He humbled himself by becoming obedient to the point of death, even death on a cross. For this reason also, God highly exalted Him, and bestowed on Him the name which is above every name, so that at the name of Jesus every knee will bow, of those who are in heaven and on earth and under the earth, and that every tongue will confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father" (Phil. 2:8-11 NASB). Because of Jesus' humble and obedient sacrifice to conquer sin and death, He now has the name which is above every name. He is Lord of all, and worthy of being worshiped as such.
We finished the service by responding with "Jesus Paid It All," but we did it a little differently than we had previously. We treated the original hymn in a very standard way. We played it in a way that would be very familiar for guests and regular attenders alike, in a gentle and slowly building manner. Then, we finished with an instrumental chorus, with the piano playing the melody. When we landed on the tonic chord (Bb), we let it ring out, and then quietly sang Alex Nifong's added chorus: "O praise the One/ Who paid my debt/ And raised this life/ Up from the dead." We went from gentle to full-bore in a matter of moments, and it was a powerful moment as we declared praise and truth about our risen King, who has also given us life when we were dead in our sins and transgressions (Eph. 2). It was a great fit with Joe's message this weekend, which talked about two ways to live - either submitted to Jesus as the true King by faith and trust in His finished work on the cross to make things right; or attempting to reign over our own lives and to make things right on our own, unsuccessfully.
Our Easter weekend has been a true highlight of my time with Fellowship thus far. I can't wait for us to continue to develop things and build from here. We have an amazing Worship and Arts team here, and I love their servant hearts. God is doing great things among us. He is alive and moving in His church!
I hope you had a great weekend of worship wherever you were. Be sure to check out The Worship Community to see what other leaders and team members experienced in their worship gatherings this weekend.
In the name of the risen Son!
Bill
Set List, 02/26 - 02/27/11 Fellowship Bible Church
Here's our set from this weekend: "All Because of Jesus" (A) [Steve Fee] Call to Worship "Happy Day" (Bb) [Tim Hughes, Ben Cantelon] Welcome/Announcements/Greeting Time "Jesus Messiah" (G) [Daniel Carson, Chris Tomlin, Ed Cash, Jesse Reeves] "You Alone Can Rescue" (Bb) [Jonas Myrin, Matt Redman] "Jesus Paid It All" (Bb) [John Thomas Grape, Elvina M. Hall, Alex Nifong] Message - "I Believe God Acted - Redemption" [David Hinkle] Response - "Amazing Grace (My Chains Are Gone)" (Eb) [Louie Giglio, Chris Tomlin, John Newton, Edwin O. Excell, John P. Rees]
I feel like this week was another step forward for our team and our congregation. We took more steps to make it easier to participate - we brought some songs down to a lower key, and we were more intentional about teaching new material. It seemed like there was more participation overall in each of the four services, which is exciting and encouraging. The team felt locked-in (most of the time), and I felt like we were engaged in worship as we were leading the congregation, as well.
We brought "All Because of Jesus" down to the key of A from the usual key of B, and we brought "Happy Day" down to Bb from B. Both were good moves, as the people sang out more on both. When I took a close look at the lead sheets this week, I noticed that both of these songs had parts of the melody that went well beyond the range of the "normal" voice, from C to C. We brought them both down to get them close. They still weren't entirely in the desired range, but if we lowered them much more, the verses would bottom out! That's one of the biggest problems with some modern worship songs - the low verses and high choruses make it difficult to get them into a normal person's vocal range. We'll keep working on it, though!
"Jesus Messiah" is one of the 21 songs we have done more than five times over the past year, and therefore is one that I would be safe in saying we know as a congregation. It showed as people sang it out and connected with God through it. I love the lyric of this song, as it really declares the gospel clearly, and finishes it all off with the simple, powerful bridge: "All our hope is in You/ All our hope is in You/ All the glory to You, God/ The Light of the world." Jesus is our only hope of salvation. Enough said.
Also, this week we introduced "You Alone Can Rescue" by Jonas Myrin and Matt Redman. When I initially heard this song done live by Matt Redman, I was very excited about it, but when I heard the recorded version, I was a little underwhelmed, so I put it off for a while. However, when Matt led at Student Life in Daytona this past summer, I was reminded again how powerful this song is. It is a simple lyric, but proclaims a powerful truth - that Jesus is the only one who can save us. Here's the lyric:
Verse 1 Who, O Lord, could save themselves Their own soul could heal Our shame was deeper than the sea Your grace is deeper still
Chorus And You alone can rescue, You alone can save You alone can lift us from the grave You came down to find us, led us out of death To You alone belongs the highest praise
Verse 2 You, O Lord, have made a way The great divide You healed For when our hearts were far away Your love went further still Yes, Your love goes further still
Bridge We lift up our eyes, lift up our eyes You're the giver of life We lift up our eyes, lift up our eyes You're the giver of life
Even typing the lyric of this song is bringing me to tears. What a beautiful expression of confidence in Christ alone for our rescue and salvation. We have no hope apart from Him! His humble, loving sacrifice is the only way for us to be rescued; the fact that He chose to redeem us at such a great cost to Himself is overwhelming. This song brings this into clear focus, and is a beautiful expression of thanksgiving and recognition of the work of Jesus Christ to save us. He, and He alone, is the one who can rescue, who can save us, who can lift us from the grave. This is because He is the one who came down to find us a lead us out of death. Scripture says that Jesus' efforts to rescue us are the reason God has given Him the name above every name (Philippians 2). I know this is the reason I worship Him. He is so good, while I am still so undeserving of it. My life is completely dependent on His grace and finished work of the cross.
We bracketed the message about our redemption with Alex Nifong's arrangement of "Jesus Paid It All" and Tomlin's "Amazing Grace (My Chains Are Gone)." These two songs never get old to me, because there is beauty in the simplicity of their declarations. I never tire of singing, "O praise the One who paid my debt/ And raised this life up from the dead." On "Amazing Grace (My Chains Are Gone)" Kelsey Thomsen and I traded off on the verse. She did a great job leading, and I think it facilitated a very powerful moment of worship, especially after David's weighty message about our redemption. I loved his words about what God has done to rescue us! We owe it all to Jesus Christ, who made a way where there was no way.
I love my church, and I am very excited about what is going on around here. We are learning and growing together, and we are pursuing Jesus Christ and His gospel. Jesus, and His work to redeem us, was truly lifted high this weekend. I am so grateful for how He has rescued us. He is truly my only hope!
I hope you had a great weekend of worship wherever you were.
Jesus alone is worthy!
Bill