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

Sunday Set Lists

Set List, 01/29 - 1/30/11 Fellowship Bible Church

Here's our set from this weekend, which was also our baptism weekend at Fellowship: Pre-service: "Happy Day" [Tim Hughes, Ben Cantelon] Call to Worship - Psalm 47 "All Because of Jesus" [Steve Fee] Welcome/Offering/Announcements/Greeting Time Focus passage for second set - Ephesians 2:1-10 "Jesus Messiah" [Daniel Carson, Chris Tomlin, Ed Cash, and Jesse Reeves] "Son of God" [Tim Neufeld, Jon Neufeld, Ed Cash, and Gordon Cochran] "The Stand" [Joel Houston] Message - Pastor Joe Hishmeh Baptisms/Testimonies Response: "Jesus Paid It All" [Alex Nifong, Elvina M. Hall, John Thomas Grape]

This weekend was my second week leading Fellowship Bible Church in worship, and I thought it went well, and that God was glorified. I have many dreams and ideas for the future of our Worship & Arts ministry, but it doesn't all happen over night, and I am looking forward to building these things and making these ideas happen here in the near future.

We opened up with "Happy Day" as some people were still entering the worship center. We had to cut this song for the fourth service, because the baptisms went a little long, and our two services ran into one another, creating quite the traffic jam as people were coming and going. This song is fairly new to this congregation, so it was another teaching moment. I used this song during one of my trips up here to interview with the church, and this weekend was the second time they have sung it. With that in mind, it did seem that the people were with it and participating.

The second song was "All Because of Jesus," and it followed a call to worship, in which the Word of God challenged us in Psalm 47 to clap our hands and to sing praises to our God, the great King over all the universe. I made the comparison between the way we cheer for our favorite sports teams, with loud clapping and shouting, and the way we worship our God. I challenged our people to offer at least as much energy to our God, who is infinitely more worthy than a sports team (especially the Cleveland teams that I root for...).

After the welcome, offering, announcements, and greeting time, we moved into a time of worship focused on the idea of Ephesians 2:1-10, specifically how God made us alive together with Christ when we were dead in our sins and transgressions. We were completely hopeless for eternity before He intervened and rescued us. Because of His great gift for us, we ought to respond with our lives as living acts of worship. The next three songs, "Jesus Messiah," "Son of God," and "The Stand," followed that focus.

"Jesus Messiah" and "The Stand" were both very familiar to the congregation, so they engaged well with it. "Son of God" was new to Fellowship, and is a song that I believe the Church should be singing. It does a good job of describing the story of Jesus, from shaping the stars to fulfilling the prophecy of the Messiah. It wraps it up nicely with a simple, solid chorus ("Jesus, O Holy One/ I sing to You, forgiven/ Savior, I'm overcome/ With Your great love for me") and bridge ("You are worthy/ You are worthy/ You are worthy of all my praise/ You are beautiful/ You are beautiful/ I will lift up my hands and sing").

Pastor Joe's message focused on the life of Saul/Paul as an example for us to describe how God's story has intersected our own story and taken it over, transforming our lives from one centered on ourselves to one that is properly centered on Jesus Christ. After he shared, we baptized people who had signed up and prepared a testimony to share how God had rescued them.

We wrapped it all up with "Jesus Paid It All" as the response song. It's hard to go wrong with that song, as the hymn does a great job of examining our own weakness and dependence on Jesus for our every need, and the additional chorus by Alex Nifong is a beautiful, concise expression of thanksgiving for what Christ has done: "O praise the One/ Who paid my debt/ And raised this life/ Up from the dead". This is another song that I believe the Church needs to sing, because of the powerful truth which it contains.

Three of the four services went without a snag. The third service (Sunday, 9 AM) went a little long because some fo the testimonies were longer than we had planned for. It was a moment where we have to remind ourselves of the reasons we gather together. One of those reasons is to see lives changed, regardless of how long it takes. Sometimes our organization and systems can make it easy to lose track of the things of most importance, because we're concerned about someone complaining or having to change our plans. While I don't prefer to make a habit of this kind of thing (going 30 minutes over our scheduled time), I am reminded that this morning we were witnesses of God's amazing grace and power in the lives of His people. I am thankful that He still moves in such amazing ways, and that He still rescues, just as He rescued me.

I hope you had a great day or weekend of worship wherever you were!

In the Son,

Bill

Sunday Set Lists

Set List, 1/22 - 1/23/11 Fellowship Bible Church

Here's our set from my first weekend on staff with Fellowship Bible Church in Topeka, KS: Pre-Service - "Kingdom" [Kristian Stanfill] Call to Worship "Our God" [Jonas Myrin, Matt Redman, Chris Tomlin] Welcome/Offering/Announcements "Glory to God Forever" [Steve Fee, Vicky Beeching] "How Great is Our God" [Chris Tomlin] "How Great Thou Art" (chorus only) "Lord of All" [Kristian Stanfill] Message - Pastor Joe Hishmeh "All to Us" [Chris Tomlin]

This weekend went really well for us. It has been a very crazy week for  my family and for me, as we made the 1300 mile move from Lakeland, FL to Topeka, KS from Monday night through Wednesday, and got here right in the middle of a bunch of snow! Talk about change! God is faithful, and He has seen us through it all. He moved during all four of the weekend services, and He spoke to each of us powerfully through the word that Joe shared about being a missional community and loving the people of this world with the love of Christ. I know I was challenged and called to be godly versus just being normal. I think the chorus of "Kingdom" says it well: "We are the kingdom of God/ We are an army of love/ We carry truth to the world/ We are the kingdom of God."

I hope you had a great weekend of worship wherever you were.

Bill

Sunday Set Lists

Set List, Sunday 11/20/10 - 11/21/10, Fellowship Bible Church, Topeka, KS

This is late, but here's the set from the last weekend I led in Kansas: "Happy Day" [Tim Hughes, Ben Cantelon] "Marvelous Light" [Charlie Hall] "Our God" [Jonas Myrin, Matt Redman, Chris Tomlin] "Lord of All" [Kristian Stanfill] Reflection: Psalm 23 "You Never Let Go" [Matt Redman, Beth Redman] Message: "I Am the Good Shepherd" [Pastor Joe Hishmeh] Response: "A Mighty Fortress is Our God" [Christy Nockels] (led by Sarah Oldberg)

I had a fantastic weekend leading worship with my new friends in Topeka, KS. I sent the files up two weeks prior, and we all got together Saturday afternoon to work it all out. Fellowship has four weekend services--two on Saturday at 5 PM and 7 PM, and two on Sunday at 9 AM and 10:45 AM. It makes for a pretty crazy weekend, but it definitely makes the most of the space they have available. I really enjoyed working with the band and the tech team. There are some great people there!

The highlight of the services for me was "A Mighty Fortress is Our God." I absolutely love that song, and Sarah did a fantastic job leading it. The lyric is so solid, and as Sarah said that weekend, "It sounds like you've heard it before." It is instantly singable, and as people began to grab hold of it, they stood in response and sang out the great truth: "A mighty fortress is our God/ A sacred refuge is Your name/ Your kingdom is unshakable/ With You forever we will reign."

I'm heading back up there this weekend to lead once again, and I'm excited about joining in some awesome worship of our King together. I hope you had a great worship experience wherever you were, and that you are taking time to focus in on the greatness of our God throughout your week!

In the Son,

Bill

Set List, Sunday 10/31/10 Church at the Mall

Here's our set from this past week: "God is Alive" [Steve Fee, Eddie Kirkland] "Our God" [Jonas Myrin, Matt Redman, Chris Tomlin] "You Never Let Go" [Matt Redman, Beth Redman] "Lord of All" [Kristian Stanfill] "Beautiful" [Phil Wickham] Message [Pastor Jay] INV: "Never Be the Same" [original]

The band and team did a phenomenal job this past week in worship. My friend, Larry, filled in on guitar for my last week, and he did admirably. The rest of the band was right on as usual. It felt like a bit of a "best of" morning, where we pulled out some of our definitive songs over the past few years. "Our God" has become something of an anthem for our congregation. "You Never Let Go" describes my journey with Christ as well as any other song, especially at this point. "Lord of All" has become a summary statement for us as a congregation: "There is none so high and holy/ King of kings, the one and only/ You are adored, You are the Lord of all." We finished the worship set with "Beautiful," which I thought was particularly relevant given that it was my last day. The last verse looks to the day of consummation, when all believers will be gathered together as the glorious bride in the presence of Christ: "When we arrive at eternity's shore/ Where death is just a memory and tears are no more/ We'll enter in as the wedding bells ring/ Your bride will come together and we'll sing, 'You're beautiful.'" I thought it was fitting to end emphasizing that this is not really the end, but rather a parting of ways as we continue to expand the kingdom of God and to go where we are needed for God's purposes. We will all be together again soon, and we will be together forever in the presence of our only hope, Jesus Christ, and we will sing the song of the redeemed!

There aren't really words to describe all the feelings that went with this past weekend. It was my last Sunday leading for the 9:30 service for the church, and although it was a great day of worshiping together, it was also a very sad day in some ways. I feel that I have poured my life into that service, and it has come a long way in the 4 1/2 years that it has been in my charge. It is awesome to see what it is compared to what it was when I arrived here. I am so thankful for how the Spirit of God has transformed that service and has grown us together over these years. I am so thankful for the relationships that have made my experience here what it has been. To think that it was probably the last time I would be leading beside Pastor Jay and the other leaders of the church is difficult to imagine. It is hard to even envision worshiping with a different family of believers. It will be strange to be anywhere else.

I pray for God's richest blessings on the people of First Baptist Church at the Mall, and I leave with this note from Acts 20:32 (the context captures my heart as well): "And now I commend you to God and to the word of His grace, which is able to build you up and to give you the inheritance among all those who are sanctified."

I love you, dear church.

In the Son,

Bill

Sunday Set Lists | www.theworshipcommunity.com

Set List, Sunday 10/24/10 Church at the Mall

(Currently Listening to Quantity is Job 1, by Five Iron Frenzy) Here's our set from this past week:

"Kingdom" [Kristian Stanfill] "Salvation's Chorus" [Todd Fields] "Glory to God Forever" [Steve Fee] "God of This City" [Bluetree] "Jesus Paid It All" [traditional w/ add. chorus by Alex Nifong] Message: "It's Your Serve--Build an Altar" [Pastor Jay] INV: "I Want to Love You" [Todd Fields]

This week felt pretty good overall. I love it when the church sings "Kingdom" all together ("We are the Kingdom of God/ We are an army of love/ We carry truth to the world/ We are the Kingdom of God"). I also love the concept of "Salvation's Chorus," in that believers have a song that others cannot sing (even the angels), namely the song of the redeemed. We have been rescued from sin and death, and because of this we have much to celebrate. "Glory to God Forever" has become a major prayer of my life--specifically the bridge: "Take my life and let it be/ All for You and for Your glory/ Take my life and let it be Yours." "Jesus Paid it All" is always one of my favorites, as the church celebrates by singing, "O praise the One who paid my debt/ And raised this life up from the dead." I don't think we can sum up the reason for our worship more succinctly than that. I think that's why it's so powerful a lyric for us to sing. There are certain things that we hear or say that strike a chord within the believer, as the Spirit confirms the truth of those things and stirs us because of it. This is one of those truth statements that provokes that kind of response from believers.

As I approach my last week leading the worship in music for Church at the Mall, many things are flooding my mind as we lead. I look at the students and feel burdened for their future, their leadership, and their ministry in the church. I find myself praying over them as we sing out to God about being the Kingdom of God ("Kingdom"), and asking God to take our lives and let them be all for Him and for His glory ("Glory to God Forever"). I find myself celebrating what God has accomplished in our midst over these past 4 1/2 years. I look out over the assembly of believers and see a huge transformation from the way things were in the beginning of 2006, with nearly half as many people meeting in the old Montgomery Wards, and many blank stares as people didn't really know what to do with the "music time" of the service. Many enjoyed the music, but did not feel the need or the motivation to participate in it. Many just spectated. Some just dreaded it. As we've grown together over these past few years, more and more of us are engaging in the songs and owning them, responding to God with thanksgiving and praise for who He is and what He has done. I see people passionately singing out to God. I see raised hands. I see people dwelling on the truths that we're singing together. I love it. It is hard to leave something that I have given so much of my life to building. I am so thankful to have been a part of God's working in Church at the Mall.

I hope you had a great day of worship wherever you were this week.

In the Son,

Bill

(Sunday Set Lists)

Set List, Sunday 10/10/10 Church at the Mall

Here's our set for this morning: "All Because of Jesus" [Steve Fee] "Happy Day" [Tim Hughes, Ben Cantelon] "Glory to God Forever" [Steve Fee] "How Great is Our God" [Chris Tomlin, et al] "Lord of All" [Kristian Stanfill]

Message: "It's Your Serve: Use Your Pain"

INV: "Never Be the Same" [original]

This morning was probably the hardest day I have ever had as a worship leader. I shared the news with our congregation that my wife and I are sensing God leading us out to something different, possibly a church plant or a smaller congregation that is getting going. We've known about this since mid-July, and shared it with our church leadership at that time, and they have been very helpful in this time of transition for us. We are seeking God's guidance and wisdom for what is next for the two of us. We have a framework in mind, but nothing certain yet. I shared the news after the first two songs (there is never a good time to do something like that), and then had to continue on in leading our worship time after Pastor Jay's welcome and the baptisms. I believe this was a moment to demonstrate that worship is even more important in the difficult times, because it truly becomes a matter of trust and belief that God is who He says He is, and He will do what He says He will do. It is a bittersweet moment for us, as we have poured out 4 1/2 years of our lives here in Lakeland, FL. We consider this place home. Our house is the only home our children have ever known, and this town is the same for them. We are trusting the Lord with our lives and with the future direction of the church. He is faithful--He has always been, and He will always be.

Pray for us as we step out in faith.

I hope you had a great day of worship wherever you were this weekend.

In the Son,

Bill

(check out Sunday Set Lists)

Set List, Sunday 10/03/10 Church at the Mall

Here's our set for this morning: "I Will Go" [Jon Neufeld, Tim Neufeld] "God is Alive" [Steve Fee, Eddie Kirkland] "Jesus Messiah" [Daniel Carson, Chris Tomlin, Ed Cash, and Jesse Reeves] "Because of Your Love" [Phil Wickham] "Lamb of God" [original] Message - "It's Your Serve - Grab a Towel" [Dr. Jay Dennis] INV "I Want to Love You" [Todd Fields]

This morning was a good day of worship. Because Pastor Jay was dealing with the call on each one of us to serve, we focused on the cross of Christ as described in Philippians 2:5-11. Here, Paul tells of how we are to have the same attitude as Jesus,

"who, although he existed in the form of God, did not regard equality with God a thing to be grasped, but emptied Himself, taking the form of a bond-servant, being made in the likeness of men. Being found in appearance as a man, He humbled Himself by 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 'Ever 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."

"Jesus Messiah" was a perfect fit for this passage of scripture, singing, "He became sin who knew no sin/ That we might become His righteousness/ He humbled Himself and carried the cross/ Love so amazing/ Love so amazing." There is no better example of service than Jesus Christ. He had everything to lose by serving (by the world's perspective), yet He put it all aside to save us and to glorify the Father. We have much less to give up in order to serve those around us, yet we can still glorify the Father in doing so. May we all take a long look at our lives, and see how we can lay our lives down for one another. I know I am.

I hope you had a great day of worship wherever you were.

In the Son,

Bill

As always, check out Sunday Set Lists over at www.theworshipcommunity.com. It's awesome to see how brothers and sisters around the country and the world are worshiping the Lord in their own communities of faith.

Set List, Sunday 09/26/10 Church at the Mall

Here's our set from this week: "All Because of Jesus" [Steve Fee] "Say, Say" [Kristian Stanfill, Christy Nockels, Chris Tomlin, et al] Welcome, recognition, announcements "I Want to Love You" [Todd Fields] "True Love" [Phil Wickham] Message - "It's Your Serve: Tell Your Story" - Pastor Jay Dennis INV - "I Will Go" [Tim Neufeld, Jon Neufeld] Parent/Child dedication Business Meeting

This morning was a good morning - busy, but good. We had lots of elements to this Sunday, as you can see above. It is always a frustration of mine when we have too much to do to take time to worship. I guess it is the nature of the beast, because Sunday morning is the only time the church is all gathered together in one place, and is considered the best option for getting information to everyone in the congregation. I suppose this is probably the case in many places. I don't think anyone believes it is ideal, but it is what it is. We are working towards getting people to get all their information through the many other available means, and hopefully we'll get there sometime soon. Until then, we will have days where there are tons of people to mention and announcements to be made, and we'll make it work as well as we can.

One of the highlights for me today was the Parent and Child Dedication. This is the first time we were able to do this at the 9:30 AM service, where many of our young families attend. This is time well-spent in my opinion. Seeing the young parents dedicating their lives and their children to God with the church family is a beautiful thing. There are so many amazing stories in those families. One couple has been trying to have children or adopt for several years, and they got a surprise call a month or so ago to go to the hospital and pick up their child. It was an amazing moment for that family, and it was beautiful to see them on the platform for the dedication. I, as well as many people in our congregation, are thrilled for them.

I felt like things were a little disconnected, as we did one song we hadn't done in a long time ("I Want to Love You") and one that is more a "listening" type of a song ("True Love"). I probably should have had the congregation sit during that last one. It's a fantastic song with an amazing message, anyway. If you haven't heard it yet, check it out! It fit really well with Pastor Jay's message about sharing one's story to share the gospel, which was primarily about knowing and sharing one's personal testimony. It is such a useful thing to have prepared, because people will listen to your own story more than they will listen to preaching.

I hope you had a great day of worship wherever you were. Please let me know if you have any questions.

As always, check out Sunday Set Lists over at www.theworshipcommunity.com.

In the Son,

Bill

Set List, Sunday 09/05/10 Church at the Mall

We had yet another great day of worship together, as Pastor Jay shared a message about the conviction and drawing of the Holy Spirit. It was a powerful, gospel-centered moment. Here's our set from this weekend:

"God is Alive" [Steve Fee, Eddie Kirkland] "Unchanging" [Chris Tomlin] "Jesus Messiah" [Jesse Reeves, Chris Tomlin, et al] "Because of Your Love" [Phil Wickham] "Jesus Paid It All" [Traditional w/ add. chorus by Alex Nifong] Invitation: "Rescue" [Jared Anderson] Offertory: "Desert Song" [Brooke Fraser]

Sunday was a sweet day of focusing on the cross of Christ and how He redeemed us by His atoning sacrifice. I never get enough of putting my focus there and reminding ourselves of all that Jesus has done to make a way for us where there was no way. "Jesus Messiah," based on one of my favorite verses, 2 Cor. 5:21 ("He made Him who knew no sin to be sin for us, that in Him we might become the righteousness of God") is quickly becoming a favorite of mine. I put it off for quite some time (maybe because I was bitter that someone else beat me to using that verse in a song...). Anyway, the declaration of the bridge, "All our hope is in You/ All our hope is in You/ All the glory to You, God/ The Light of the World" is such a powerful statement, one that needs to become something of a motto for the people of God. We have no hope apart from Him and His finished saving work on the cross. We are hopeless without Him!

We also introduced a new song, "Desert Song," which is a song of confidence and constant praise in our God, regardless of the circumstances. It takes the worshiper through the different seasons of life, from hunger to blessing, and reiterates the expression, "I will bring praise, I will bring praise/ No weapon formed against me shall remain/ I will rejoice, I will declare/ God is my victory and He is here." No matter where we are at in our journey, or what the circumstances may be, God is with His children, and He has not forsaken us. We can rest assured of that fact.

It was a great day of worship. There were many who came forward to be baptized or to receive Jesus as Lord and Savior. I am excited about what the Lord is doing in our midst.

I hope you had a great day of worship wherever you were.

In the Son,

Bill

Check out other worshipers set lists here.

Set List, Sunday 08/29/10 Church at the Mall

Here's our set from yesterday: "Rise and Sing" [Steve Fee] "Hosanna" [Brooke Fraser, arr. by Starfield] "Glorious" [Paul Baloche, Brenton Brown] "Our God" [Jonas Myrin, Matt Redman, Chris Tomlin, and Jesse Reeves] "Cannons" [Phil Wickham] w/ tag: chorus of "Let My Words Be Few" [Matt Redman, Beth Redman] MESSAGE: "Catching a Glimpse of the Glory of God, Pt. 2" [Dr. Jay Dennis] INV: "Let My Words Be Few" [Matt Redman, Beth Redman] OFFERTORY: "Indescribable" [Laura Story]

This week was another great day of worship with Church at the Mall. Pastor Jay continued his message about the glory of God, and we led in that direction with the music. The glory and awe theme ran throughout the music, because when we see God in the truth of who He is, we cannot help but see ourselves more clearly. Such was the case for Isaiah, as Pastor Jay shared in his message from Isaiah 6. When Isaiah saw the Lord, high and lifted up, with the temple shaking and filled with smoke, and God's glory overwhelming everything, Isaiah's response was one of dread and fear, recognizing his own sin and unworthiness of standing in the presence of God. Because of Christ, our response can be a little different because we may not fear for our lives, but we should still see our own lives clearly and recognize God's grace and mercy all the more. We have no right to stand before God and enter into His presence. It is only because He made a way for us where there was no way. He redeemed us and adopted us and made us free. As a result, we can stand before God without fear, but we should never forget who we were or how desperate we are for His help and grace.

One could argue that it begins and ends with worship--we worship God for who He is and lift Him up in our praise, exalting Him and recognizing His surpassing worth and glory; then we see how unworthy and undeserving we are of His love, grace, and mercy; finally, we worship Him even more because of what He has done for us.

May we continue that cycle in our lives, worshiping Him wholeheartedly for who He is, seeing ourselves more clearly and honestly, and responding to Him with thanksgiving for all He has done.

The last few lines of "Indescribable" say it well: "Incomparable, unchangeable/ You see the depths of my heart/ And You love me the same/ You are amazing, God."

I hope you had a great day of worship wherever you were.

Bill

www.theworshipcommunity.com's Sunday Set Lists

Set List, Sunday 07/25/10 Church at the Mall

Currently listening to The Almost, Southern Weather Here's our set from yesterday:

"God is Alive" [Steve Fee] "Say Say" [Kristian Stanfill, Chris Tomlin, and Christy Nockels] "Our God" [Matt Redman, Jonas Myrin, Chris Tomlin, and Jesse Reeves] "Jesus Messiah" [Daniel Carson, Chris Tomlin, Ed Cash, and Jesse Reeves] INV: "Center" [Charlie Hall] OFF: "Chosen Generation" [Chris Tomlin, Louie Giglio, Daniel Carson, and Jesse Reeves]

Yesterday was our day to celebrate what happened with our high school students at Student Life camp in Daytona Beach two weeks ago. Because of that, we introduced several of the "great" songs from the week's worship. "Say Say," "Our God," "Jesus Messiah," and "Chosen Generation" were all songs that the students learned while at camp, and God really used them to speak to the students and change their lives. "Our God" and "Jesus Messiah" were songs I had planned on introducing already, but this Sunday gave me the opportunity to do it all at once. I was surprised at how well the people engaged with the songs in singing out to the Lord. I suppose those two have been on the radio enough that people have heard them and know them already. It was really exciting to remember my shared experience with the students at camp as we were singing these new songs. God moved in a major way in all of our lives, and these songs serve as reminders of that event in each of our lives. It's a beautiful thing. "Our God" is a powerful declaration of the greatness of God, and "Jesus Messiah" comes from my favorite verse in Scripture, 2 Cor. 5:21. Both of them make solid and powerful doctrinal statements about the Lord and what He has done. The bridge of "Our God" ("And if our God is for us/ Then who could ever stop us?/ And if our God is with us/ Then what could stand against?") is so strong when the church sings it together. It feels like the walls might fall down from the power of that statement. I love it.

"Say Say" was a song that I had heard on the new Passion CD, but I was not previously impressed with it. However, after experiencing it live, I was sold on it. I think I just struggled with the way "Say, Say" was repeated throughout the song. What changed my mind was the rest of the lyric, which I hadn't really taken the time to read: "Say, say, say You believe it/ Sing for the whole world to hear it/ We know and we declare it/ Jesus is King/ Say, say, say You believe it/ Sing loud, sing like You mean it/ We know and we declare it/ Jesus is King." Solid and strong. This is another song that takes on new life when the church sings it together. We'll continue to teach this one over the next few weeks.

"Chosen Generation" is another great new song from the Awakening album. The chorus sings, "We are a chosen generation/ Rise up holy nation/ God we live for You/ You have called us out of darkness/ Into light so glorious/ God we live for You." One of the highlight moments of camp was when Louie Giglio called all the student leaders on the stage and had them watch their students sing this song. I stayed with our group and turned to watch them sing up close. It was an awesome sight. God is raising up our young people to change this world. Let us continue to hold them up in prayer and help to train them up as mighty disciples for our Lord.

I hope you had a great day of worship wherever you were.

God is working!

Bill

p.s. check out www.theworshipcommunity.com's Sunday Set Lists to see what other leaders are doing around the world!

Set List, Sunday, 06/27/10 Church at the Mall

Here's our set from yesterday: "Rise and Sing" [Steve Fee] "All Because of Jesus" [Steve Fee] "Hosanna" [Brooke Fraser, as recorded by Starfield] "Son of God" [Tim Neufeld/Starfield] "Cannons" [Phil Wickham] INV: "I Want to Love You" [Todd Fields]

Yesterday was a great day of worship together at Church at the Mall. We celebrated 9 baptisms (one of which tried to cannonball into the baptismal water!) and had a great time singing praise to our King. Pastor Jay shared about the hidden hand of God, when God is present even when we cannot see how He is working or what His plans are. It was a much-needed message for our time and for our congregation. "Rise and Sing" was a great way to start out the morning, and I think people were engaging in a great way through the morning. "Cannons" was a sweet moment, as we ended with a quiet repeat of the chorus: "You are holy/ Great and mighty/ The moon and the stars declare who You are/ I'm so unworthy/ But still You love me/ Forever my heart will sing of how great You are." That is definitely one of my favorites. I am very grateful to my bro, Chris Kuti, for introducing me to Phil Wickham. He is a great writer, and he really captures the heart of worship in many of his lyrics.

God is at work. I am anxious to see how God moved in people's lives yesterday, as there was a strong response during the invitation time. Many people were on their knees in prayer. The Lord's presence was evident!

I hope you had a great day of worship wherever you were yesterday.

Until next time,

Bill

P.S. be sure to check out Sunday Set Lists at www.theworshipcommunity.com to see what other worshipers experienced yesterday!

Set List, Sunday 05/23/10 Church at the Mall

Here's our set from this morning: "God is Alive" [Steve Fee/Eddie Kirkland] "All Because of Jesus" [Steve Fee] "It is Well" [Horatio Spatford w/ add. chorus by Todd Fields] "Beautiful the Blood" [Steve Fee] "Jesus Paid It All" [trad. w/ add. chorus by Alex Nifong] INV "Mighty to Save" [Ben Fielding and Reuben Morgan] "You're the Only One" [original]

It was good to be back with the band and the church family today. I returned from vacation last night, and we jumped right back in this morning. It was a little bumpy, and my voice was pretty weak from not singing for almost a week and a half. However, I was really enjoying being back with the band, and we went after it this morning.

The song, "Beautiful the Blood" is one of my favorites, as it paints a great picture of contrasts between the beauty and pain of Christ's suffering in our place. He gave us the most amazing gift! If you have not heard this song, you need to.

The highlight for me was how God orchestrated some of the planning. I recently finished the song, "You're the Only One" (demo coming soon), and I noticed that Pastor Jay was going to be sharing about "Succeeding in Stinking Situations," talking about walking with the Lord through the difficult times of trial. I really felt the need to wrap up the writing of the song because I thought it would fit really well with his message, and it did. It was almost scary how Jay, who had not heard the song yet, used some of the exact wording of the song's lyric. God is so good, and He really works in spite of me. I love being a part of what He is doing, and how He moves me in my planning and preparation. Other than breaking a string on the new song, I thought it went really well, and the band did a great job making it feel right.

I hope you had a great day of worship wherever you were. God is at work!

Bill

p.s. be sure to check out Sunday Set Lists over at www.theworshipcommunity.com to see what other leaders and team members had to say about their services this week.

Set List, Sunday 05/02/10 Church at the Mall

Currently listening to Love, by The Julianna Theory Here's our set for this past Sunday: "Hosanna (Praise is Rising)" [Paul Baloche, Brenton Brown] "Your Grace is Enough" [Matt Maher, Chris Tomlin] "Because of Your Love" [Phil Wickham] "Glory to God" [Steve Fee] "Mighty to Save" [Ben Fielding, Reuben Morgan] "The Stand" [Joel Houston] INV: "Amazing Grace (My Chains Are Gone)" [John Newton, Edwin O'Excell, Chris Tomlin, Louie Giglio, et al] "Let Me Sing" [Todd Fields]

This week was a solid weak of worship together. We tried to make things flow together well on our end, and tried to create a little space for people to breathe and reflect, which is something we don't do very often. I'm not sure I said enough to set it up, but I think it was healthy nonetheless. Pastor Jay's message was a really poignant one, basically about forgiving the people who have made life miserable in some way. Many people responded at the end of the message, laying situations and relationships at the front to give them over to God and let go. It was a beautiful morning. God is truly at work in our midst, and I am so thankful to have the opportunity to be a part of it.

I hope you had a great week of worship, wherever you are!

Bill

Be sure to check out Sunday Set Lists over at www.theworshipcommunity.com to read about other leaders' experiences this week in worship.

Set List, Sunday 04/18/10 Church at the Mall

(Well, I just typed most of a post, and hit the track pad with the palm of my hand, clicking on a link and erasing everything I'd typed. This one may be shorter…) Here's our set for this week:

"Faithful One" [original] "Cannons" [Phil Wickham] "Indescribable" [Laura Story, Jesse Reeves] "Lord of All" [Kristian Stanfill] "You Never Let Go" [Matt and Beth Redman] "Amazing Grace (My Chains Are Gone)" [w/ add. chorus by Chris Tomlin, Louie Giglio, Jesse Reaves, et al] "Your Name" [Paul Baloche and Glenn Packiam]

This week, we did something different. We went ALL acoustic. Every instrument was an acoustic instrument. Corey played the cajon (Spanish for "box"), Melanie played piano, Sal played high-strung acoustic (which has nothing to do with coffee), our friend Zack Nethercutt played cello, and Andrew and I played acoustic. It was fun to wail away on our guitars, like it should be done.

This week took me back to my roots, when I started getting involved and then leading worship in music over 15 years ago. It was never a well-produced band with electric guitars, drums, keyboards, and bass. It was usually just three to seven acoustic guitars and possibly a djembe for percussion. Its value was not in the production or the performance. It was in the sincerity and the intimacy. This is what this weekend was like for me. It was a return to the heart of the matter and the central focus of worship- Jesus Christ. That was my purpose in the whole thing, and judging from what some people have told me, they got it. I had two comments from the morning that confirmed this. One of the pastors said that by the time we finished, God was glorified. That is the mother of all compliments for a worshiper. I told him, "That is what I live for." I want nothing more than all of us to say that God was glorified when all is said and done. I don't care that people enjoy the music, if they miss God and His glory in the whole thing! I care about doing it well, but that is not the end goal. The end goal is ALWAYS the glorifying of our Lord Jesus Christ. The second comment was from one of our people, who said that it really helped to put things in perspective. That's what I hoped for. It's all too easy to get used to having all the big production, with the loud drums and guitars, and the driving, energizing music, and to think that is what is necessary to engage God in worship. This morning was a necessary break from the pattern to jar us all back on track. The point is to glorify God, not rock and roll (even though I love that part of it, too.)

Two things stood out to me about the morning. The first was Zack on cello. He did a fantastic job, and his passion for his instrument really came through. We had a ton of fun playing together, and I can't wait to get him back in there and playing again soon. The second thing was the people singing. I have never heard our church sing so loud! The youth have added so much to our service, too. It was awesome to hear all of their sweet voices lifting praise to God. There was a moment at the end of "You Never Let Go" where everything dropped out it was just the cello and our voices, and it was so beautiful.

It was a great day for our worship team and for our church, in my opinion. I hope we can do it again soon. I am thankful for Pastor Jay supporting me in taking a chance and trying something different. It was a beautiful thing. I hope you had a great week of worship, wherever you were. Next week, we’re going to continue to try some new things, just to keep us all on our toes!

Glory to God!

Bill

Be sure to check out Sunday Set Lists over at www.theworshipcommunity.com, to see what other leaders and team members have to say about their worship experiences all over the globe!

Set List, Sunday 04/11/10 Church at the Mall

[Currently listening to Rush of Blood to the Head, by Coldplay (still a great album!)] Here's our set list for this week:

"Kingdom" [Kristian Stanfill] "God is Alive" [Steve Fee & Eddie Kirkland] "Happy Day" [Tim Hughes & Ben Cantelon] "It is Well" [Todd Fields' arrangement] "Lord of All" [Kristian Stanfill] INV "Mighty to Save" [Ben Fielding & Reuben Morgan]

This past Sunday was a great morning! Our student ministry moved everyone into one service, and moved them all to the front of the room, and it was awesome. They are such a positive influence on the atmosphere of worship, and they seem to free people to express themselves to God. That was the highlight of the day for me. I felt like we were still celebrating Easter, and it was a beautiful thing. God is at work, and I'm glad to be around it and be involved with it. He is so good.

I hope you had a great worship experience this week. Take time today to express your thanksgiving to God for who He is and what He has done!

In the Son,

Bill

P.S. Be sure to check out Sunday Set Lists at www.theworshipcommunity.com, where other leaders share how their times of corporate worship went this week. Good stuff!

Set List, Sunday 03/28/10 Church at the Mall - Palm Sunday

Currently watching: MSU/ TENN in the NCAA TournamentCurrently listening to the rain.

Here's our set from this morning:

"Hosanna (Praise is Rising)" [Paul Baloche, Brenton Brown] Scripture reading from Mt. 21:1-11 "Hosanna" [Brooke Fraser] "Let Me Sing" [Todd Fields] Scripture reading from Mt. 24:29-30 "Glory to God Forever" [Steve Fee] "Lord of All" [Kristian Stanfill] Message by Rob Schenck INV - "Center" [Charlie Hall] OFF/CLOSING - "The Wonderful Cross" [Isaac Watts, Chris Tomlin, J.D. Walt, Jesse Reeves, and Lowell Mason]

This morning was a good morning. I was really sick, and my throat was on fire, but we made it through. I felt a little off the entire morning because my head wasn't very clear, due to sinus pressure. God We were celebrating Palm Sunday and the Lord's triumphal entry into Jerusalem. The two "Hosanna's" were perfect for today. I usually try to keep them out of the same set, just because I feel strange doing two songs with the same title. Today is the day when the word Hosanna is one of the main ideas. It's interesting that we sing and use the word "Hosanna," but many people do not know what it means. It is a name that means "Save us!" The people who were proclaiming it thought that Jesus was coming to restore Israel and free them from Roman rule, so they called out, "Save us!" It is really a variation of Jesus' name, which means "The Lord Saves." Jesus entered like King Solomon, son of David in 1 Kings 1:32ff, riding on a mule as the anointed king of Israel, heading to his coronation. He was doing just that, but not in the way that we would expect. He came to defeat death with His own death. He saved the lost by dying in their place, rather than bringing a change of government. (As I typed those words, I was challenged; our world doesn't merely need a change of government - it needs salvation. We sometimes get our priorities out of line. The gospel of Jesus Christ needs to be our priority, despite how we feel about government, politics, and issues. I digress...) His victory is the greatest victory that has ever been won.

After we read the passage in Matthew 21, it seemed like people sang that word with a little more understanding, and it was a beautiful thing. The second set took a turn more toward Jesus Christ's power and glory, with a glance toward both His sacrificial death and His returning. The passage in Mt. 24 deals with His return, and I thought it fit well in the context of Palm Sunday. It was something different for me, so I was interested to see how it flowed.

The songs surrounding that passage were "Let Me Sing," which is a great song that says, "Let me sing/ Louder than creation to You/ For the pain You bore in Your body/ To bring my soul to you." I love that lyric. "Glory to God Forever" is a solid exaltation and surrender song, and "Lord of All" is always a win for us in worship. Kristian Stanfill nailed it with this song. Taken somewhat from Psalm 19, it focuses on the majesty, mystery, glory, power, exaltation, and holiness of God, and our proper response to Him. Here is the lyric: "Lord of All" by Kristian Stanfill

Verse 1 Wonder and awe surround You Lord Glory and fire light Your way Day after day, the heaven's proclaim The beauty of the Holy One

Pre-Chorus We will respond With joy in our song Your enemies rise, Your enemies fall Your fire consumes them all

Chorus There is none so high and holy King of kings the one and only You are adored, You are the Lord of all

Verse 2 Mysteries are known alone to You All wisdom is Yours to reveal You hold in Your hand the days of all men All life and breath is Yours to give

Bridge We adore You, we adore You Lord of all the earth Lord, we love You, Lord, we love You Let our hearts be pure, O Lord

Jesus alone is worthy of all glory, honor, and praise. May our lives, our words, and our love declare His greatness, His grace, and His mercy. He deserves our best because He gave us His best.

In the Son,

Bill

Be sure to check out www.theworshipcommunity.com's Sunday Set Lists to see what other churches and leaders did to celebrate this day.

Set List Sunday 03/21/10, Church at the Mall

This week was a different one, but good nonetheless. We had the Annie Moses Band as our special guests in all of our services. They were a fantastic group to work with, and they are all extremely talented and kind. Here's our set:

"All Because of Jesus" [Steve Fee] "Happy Day" [Tim Hughes] Annie Moses Band - two songs Message - Pastor Jay INV - "Never Be the Same" [original] Lord's Supper - "O Sacred Head, Now Wounded" [arr. by Jay Rouse] "Lord of All" [Kristian Stanfill]

It was a great morning. Singing bass with the ensemble on "O Sacred Head..." was a lot of fun. It was a little weird to go from singing my normal tenor for the set at the top of the service to singing bass on this piece. It was a difficult to switch gears like that. Anyway, it was a great morning. If you haven't heard of the Annie Moses Band, you should check them out. They are a family group out of Nashville, TN.

I'm looking forward to another great week as we celebrate Palm Sunday.

God bless you!

Bill

Be sure to check out Sunday Set Lists at www.theworshipcommunity.com. Good stuff.