FBC Service Recap - Easter 2016

Jesus is Risen!

Here's what we sang together to celebrate the resurrection of Christ:

"He is Jesus" [Heath Balltzglier, Matthew Melton, Steve Fee]
"Christ the Lord is Risen" [Charles Wesley, Bill Horn]
"It is Finished" [Dustin Kensrue]
"Give Me Jesus" [African American Spiritual, arr. by Fernando Ortega]
"You Have Overcome" [Bill Horn, Erik Oldberg]
"O Praise the Name (Anástasis)" [Marty Sampson, Benjamin Hastings, Dean Ussher]
"Jesus!" [Zach Bolen, Brian Eichelberger]

This weekend, we had seven services, and our team stepped up and did an awesome job serving the church. It was a powerful celebration of the life that we have because of the resurrection of Jesus. As the Bible says in Ephesians 2, "We are made alive together with Him." Specifically, we focused on the fully accomplished work of redemption through the cross of Christ, and the power and victory and life that we have because of Him. He has done it all, and He alone is worthy of all glory and honor and praise! He is risen!

FBC Service Recap - 01/16 - 01/17/16

We continued in our second weekend of our Mission: Possible through the book of Acts, and Joe shared this weekend about "How to Live Boldly." He talked about how boldness enables many facets of ministry for the sake of Jesus.

Here are the songs we sang together:

Pre-Service - "Grace Alone" [Dustin Kensrue]
"Made Alive" [Zach Bolen, Brian Eichelberger]
"There is a Fountain" [William Cowper, arr. by Zach Bolen]
"He is Jesus" [Heath Balltzglier, Matthew Melton, Steve Fee]
"Great Are You Lord" [Jason Ingram, David Leonard, Leslie Jordan]
"Jesus!" [Zach Bolen, Brian Eichelberger]

We had a great weekend together. We sang "Grace Alone" in the opening, which powerfully worships the Triune God for the work of salvation for us. We haven't sung it in a long time, and it is definitely a song that I consider worthy of singing together, so it may be something we begin to sing in the normal part of our services in the future. We also introduced a different arrangement of "Made Alive" from the Northwest Collective (I highly recommend their live album).

In all, it was a fun weekend where we sang a variety of songs and our team did a great job. We had four different people involved in leading this weekend in some capacity, which is a first for a normal weekend service–all because we have so many leaders stepping up. It's a challenge to get everyone scheduled, but too much good leadership is a great problem to have. It's a beautiful thing.

Have a great week!

in the Son,

Bill

Songs We Sing - 09/05 - 09/06/15 - Fellowship Bible Church

This week our Discipleship Pastor, David Hinkle, preached about how we are the light of Christ because we have the light of Christ, and how we shine brighter together. It was a call to community and doing life together with our brothers and sisters in Christ.

Here's what we sang together this weekend:

Pre-Service - "Absent From Flesh" [Isaac Watts, arr. by Jamie Barnes of Sojourn]
"Sing to the King" [Charles Sylvester Horne, Billy Foote]
Communion - "Man of Sorrows (In My Place)" [Philip Paul Bliss, Bill Horn]
"He is Jesus" [Heath Balltzglier, Matthew Melton, Steve Fee]
"Shine" [Matt Redman]
Post-Service - "Great Are You Lord" [Leslie Jordan, David Leonard, Jason Ingram]

We had a great weekend of worship together. We sang a lot of music! For our countdown, we sang the arrangement of Isaac Watts' hymn "Absent From Flesh" by Jamie Barnes, which is a great lyric and a blast to sing and play. "Sing to the King" is one of our church's staples. "Man of Sorrows (In My Place)" is an arrangement I just finished, of one of my favorite hymns, and this was our first time singing it together. I look forward to sharpening it as we continue to sing it together. I hadn't noticed before working on it, but this hymn is by the man who wrote the familiar music for Horatio Spafford's "It Is Well With My Soul." We brought back "He is Jesus" after a week off as we continued to teach it to our congregation, and it continues to be a great song for us. We finished our services with a send-off of "Shine" by Matt Redman, which tied directly with David's message. After our services, we played out with "Great Are You Lord."

In all, it was a fantastic weekend. Our team does such a fantastic job, and it's a joy to serve the church and to make music together to point people to Jesus!

I hope you had a great weekend of worship, and have a great Labor Day!

in the Son,

Bill

Songs We Sing - 08/15 - 08/16/15 - Fellowship Bible Church

This weekend we continued our "Family of Tomorrow" series, with our Pastor Joe sharing about . He led our congregation in answering the question, "What does my family need from me?"

Here are our songs from this weekend:

"This is Amazing Grace" [Josh Farro, Phil Wickham, Jeremy Riddle]
"It is Finished" [Dustin Kensrue]
"Lamb of God" [Andi Rozier, Meredith Andrews]
"He is Jesus" [Heath Balltzglier, Matthew Melton, Steve Fee]
"Jesus" [Zach Bolen, Brian Eichelberger]

We had another great weekend of worship together. This was the first weekend we sang "He is Jesus" in our weekend services, and I think it connected with our church family, and is one that we will continue to sing together. We also continued teaching "It is Finished," which continues to grow on me as one of the best songs of victory that we sing together. I am consistently moved by both of these songs, and I'm thankful for the opportunity to sing them together.

Our team did a great job, and the worship center was full of people, so it was an exciting and encouraging weekend of worship together! I'm excited about what the Lord is doing in our church family, and about our future together!

I hope you had a great weekend of worship, too!

in the Son,

Bill

Songs We Sing - 08/01 - 08/02/15 - Fellowship Bible Church

Below is a recap of both our services and our worship night from this past weekend. It was a fantastic weekend of worship together! - bh

Weekend Worship Services

"It is Finished" [Dustin Kensrue]
"There is a Fountain" [William Cowper, Zach Bolen]
"Before the Throne" [Charitie Lees Bancroft, The Modern Post]
"Son of God" [Tim Neufeld, Jon Neufeld, Ed Cash, Gordon Cochran]
"Rock of Ages" [Augustus M. Toplady, Thomas Hastings]
"Lord, I Need You" [Jesse Reeves, Kristian Stanfill, Matt Maher, Christy Nockels, Daniel Carson]
 

Worship Night

"Lead Me to the Cross" [Brooke Ligertwood]
"10,000 Reasons (Bless the Lord)" [Jonas Myrin, Matt Redman]
"A Mighty Fortress" [Christy Nockels, Nathan Nockels]
"Great Are You Lord" [Jason Ingram, Leslie Jordan, David Leonard]
"Lamb of God" [Jason Ingram, Andi Rozier, Meredith Andrews]
"Jesus Paid It All" [John T. Grape, Elvina M. Hall, Alex Nifong]
"This is Amazing Grace" [Josh Farro, Phil Wickham, Jeremy Riddle]
"Rejoice" [Dustin Kensrue, Stuart Townend]
"Made Alive" [Zach Bolen, Brian Eichelberger]
"It is Finished" [Dustin Kensrue]
"Forever (We Sing Hallelujah)" [Brian Johnson, Kari Jobe, Jenn Johnson, Gabriel Wilson, Joel Taylor, Christa Black Gifford]
"He is Jesus" [Heath Balltzglier, Matthew Melton, Steve Fee]
"Your Great Name" [Michael Neale, Krissy Nordhoff]
"Rise and Sing" [Steve Fee]
"Jesus!" [Zach Bolen, Brian Eichelberger]

Songs We Sing - 04/18 - 04/19/15 - Fellowship Bible Church

This weekend we continued our series, Never, with a message called "Never Go Back," where Pastor Joe shared about biblical repentance. It was a powerful call to leave behind our old lives and to cling to Jesus.

Here are the songs we sang from this weekend:

"Jesus, You" [Bill Horn]
"Sing to the King" [Charles Silvester Horne, Billy Foote]
"Lord, I Need You" [Daniel Carson, Matt Maher, Christy Nockels, Jesse Reeves]
"Glory to God Forever" (Bridge Only) [Steve Fee, Vicky Beeching]
"Your Great Name" [Michael Neale, Krissy Nordhoff]
"Rejoice" [Dustin Kensrue, Stuart Townend]

It was a great weekend together. During "Jesus, You," we had a synced video that showed the first names of everyone who made a decision to either trust in Christ for the first time or to reconnect with Christ. It became an opportunity for prayer together, and to reflect on Christ's powerful work in all of us. Other highlights were "Lord, I Need You" and "Rejoice," as they provided opportunities for us to repent and to trust the Lord in the midst of our struggles, recognizing that He is faithful, He is with us, and He will remain with us, no matter what. "Rejoice" seems to be an anthem for our congregation right now, and I think there is good reason for that. it really encapsulates a lot in the lyric. It reminds us:

• of God's worthiness of all of our worship
• that His mercies are new every morning
• that He has reconciled us through the sacrifice of the cross
• that He is our faithful Father
• that He knows and understands our trials and sufferings, having walked the path before us
• that He hears us when we cry out to Him
• that one day, He will right all the wrongs of this life

"Rejoice/ Come and lift your hands and raise Your voice/ He is worthy of all praise/ Rejoice/ Sing the mercies of your King/ And with trembling, rejoice!"

Amen.

Songs We Sing, 01/18 - 01/19/14 Fellowship Bible Church (Three years and counting)

This weekend was the first of our new series, "Obedience." In this message,  Joe shared about how being on mission with God requires us to be in submission to the Word of God. He called us to "scrap everything" for the daily practice of filling our minds with the Word of God and following God in love. You can listen to or watch the entire message and service here.

Here's our service plan:

Welcome "Rejoice" (Bb) [Dustin Kensrue, Stuart Townend]
"Everlasting God" (Bb) [Brenton Brown, Ken Riley]
Greeting Time
Announcements
Message - "Obedience: Mission" [Joe Hishmeh]
"You Are God Alone (Not a god)" (A) [Billy Foote, Cindy Foote]
"Glory to God Forever" (A) [Steve Fee, Vicky Beeching]
"Hosanna" (E) [Brooke Ligertwood]
Dismissal

Thoughts: This was a fantastic weekend with our church. Joe's message was a great challenge to follow Jesus more closely, and our church engaged well with both the preaching and the singing. Our team did a great job. We opened with "Rejoice," celebrating the faithful love, compassion, and mercy of God. We continued with "Everlasting God," where we acknowledged that our strength to follow comes from the Lord, whose strength and love for us never fails. We responded to the message with Kelsey leading "You Are God Alone (Not a god)," which we sang to focus on the sovereignty and trustworthiness of God. I pointed to this sovereignty and constancy as the reason we can trust the Lord in obedience, knowing that His way is best for us. We continued on with "Glory to God Forever," where we moved from seeing God's sovereignty to responding with the offering of our lives for His glory because of His surpassing worth. Finally, we closed with Brooke Ligertwood's "Hosanna," which calls us as God's people to follow Him closely in light of His return and in light of eternity. It was a great weekend, where everything tied together well the team led well.

On another note, this weekend marked my third year here at Fellowship, and it has served as a time of reflecting on all the Lord has done during my time here. I am overwhelmed at the goodness of God and His blessings in my life. He has done great things! 

Next weekend, I will be in the Philippines with the Trash Mountain Project to help equip some local pastors and to minister in several trash dump communities. I may post some notes about the trip when I get back, so be on the lookout. Please pray for us as we seek to build up the Body of Christ there!

Your turn: what were your experiences, observations, or take-aways from this past weekend?

- Bill

Songs We Sing, 04/13 - 04/14/13 - Fellowship Bible Church

This was our first week of our new series - "Seven," which is about the seven marks of an intentional life. Our discipleship pastor, David Hinkle, started us off by preaching through the spiritual area of our lives, coming primarily from Galatians 2:20. It was a powerful challenge with four practices for help us seek and serve Jesus with our lives. You can listen to or watch the entire message and service here. Here's our service plan from this weekend:

Welcome/Call to Worship "All Because of Jesus" (B) [Steve Fee] "Happy Day" (B) [Tim Hughes, Ben Cantelon] Greeting Time/Announcements Message - "The Seven: Spiritual - Galatians 2:20" [David Hinkle] "Because of Your Love" (E) [Phil Wickham] "Forever Reign" (A) [Reuben Morgan, Jason Ingram] "Jesus Messiah" (A) [Chris Tomlin, Jesse Reeves, Ed Cash] Dismissal

Thoughts: This weekend was a fantastic weekend. David's message was a great reminder for our church, and our worship team did an awesome job leading together. I am so thankful to lead beside such amazing people. They love God, they love the Church, and they give their best to point our people towards Christ through our time of singing together. The church sang out beautifully this weekend, especially during the final three songs of the services. It was so much so that I was getting a little choked up at several points (It's a little hard to keep singing at those moments...). It was amazing. I felt the songs we sang really connected with the central message of Galatians 2:20, and I think it was really powerful all together.

I love my team. I love our church. Praise God for what He is doing in us.

- 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, 02/16 - 02/17/13 - Fellowship Bible Church

This was the fifth week of our 2 Corinthians series - "Purpose In Christ." Our pastor Joe Hishmeh preached through a second video message he recorded--this week time India. As I type this, he is somewhere over the northern U.S. headed to Kansas City International Airport, after visiting our mission partners around the world for the last 19 days. I can't wait to hear more about what the Lord has done in and through him on his journey. This week, he shared about being controlled by the love of God. It was a great reminder that we should not allow any other factor to control our interactions with the people in our lives--only the love of God, demonstrated through the cross of Christ. You can listen to or watch the entire message and service here. Here's our service plan from this weekend:

Pre-Service - "Beautiful the Blood" (Bb) [Louie Giglio, Steve Fee] Welcome "Those Who Trust" (Em) [Don Chaffer] "Our God's Alive" (Em) [Andy Cherry, Jason Ingram, Dan Muckala] Greeting Time/Announcements Message - "Purpose In Christ - Controlled by the Love of God (from Chennai, India)" [Joe Hishmeh] "From The Inside Out" (Bb) [Joel Houston] "Your Great Name" (Bb) [Michael Neale, Krissy Nordhoff] "Beautiful the Blood" (Bb) [Louie Giglio, Steve Fee] Dismissal

Thoughts: It was another great weekend at Fellowship. We introduced (or reintroduced) "Beautiful The Blood," which is a great song about the gospel. During the service, we incorporated a video background that was created for the song with the lyrics of the song in motion. I loved how that incorporated with the song and enhanced our focus on what we were singing together. That was probably the highlight of the weekend for me. Beginning our service with "Those Who Trust" and "Our God's Alive" back to back was a great way to start, setting the tone for the service and developing a great energy in the room. (Plus, they're both a lot of fun to play with the band - I did not account for how little breath I would have as a result of doing the two together, however...)

Our team did a great job throughout the weekend, and the church was singing beautifully all weekend. Praise God for what he's doing in our church!

Thanks for reading and being a part of this with me!

- Bill

What were your thoughts or experiences from your worship gathering this weekend?

Songs We Sing, 02/09 - 02/10/13 - Fellowship Bible Church

This weekend marked the fourth week of our series through 2 Corinthians-- "Purpose In Christ." Our pastor Joe Hishmeh preached via a video he recorded in Ethiopia. He is currently on a journey around the world, visiting many of our mission partners around the world. It was really beautiful to hear him preach from 2 Corinthians  You can listen to or watch the entire message and service here. Here's our service plan from this weekend:

Welcome "10,000 Reasons (Bless The Lord)" (G) [Matt Redman, Jonas Myrin] "Before The Throne" (A) [Charitie Lees Bancroft, arr. by The Modern Post] Greeting Time/Announcements Video - "Josiah" from Project Amazon Message - "Purpose In Christ - Suffering in Christ" [Joe Hishmeh] "Jesus Take All Of Me (Just As I Am)" (C) [Charlotte Elliot, Brenton Brown] "Glorious" (C) [Paul Baloche, Brenton Brown] "Glorious One" (C) [Steve Fee] Dismissal

Thoughts: This weekend was another beautiful weekend with our church. Our team did a great job! Our GO team (missions team) decorated also our lobby to make our people think of Ethiopia, having Ethiopian coffee and African music playing for our background music before and after services. It created a great atmosphere for the entire weekend, helping us to turn our eyes outward to our brothers and sisters around the globe. We started our services with "10,000 Reasons (Bless The Lord)," which was a refreshing way to begin. I think it helped ease us into a time of worship together by setting our eyes on blessing the Lord throughout our lives because of His faithful, covenant love for us. We moved from there to "Before The Throne," which is one of my favorite gospel declarations right now. After that, we went into a video of my friend Josiah from the Amazon basin. I love the video- it's so well done! Then, we shared Joe's message from Ethiopia. It was a great challenge to turn suffering and trials into an opportunity for the gospel to move through our lives. We responded with "Jesus Take All Of Me (Just As I Am)," which is quickly becoming another favorite of mine. It's a beautiful reworking of one of my favorite hymns. We continued then to teach "Glorious" and finished with "Glorious One," which is a staple for our congregation, and one of our favorites. It was a great way to end the weekend. I am really encouraged from our time worshiping together!

Thanks for reading and being a part of this with me!

- Bill

What were your thoughts or experiences from your worship gathering this weekend?

Songs We Sing, 01/12 - 01/13/13 - Fellowship Bible Church

This week we continued our series: "The Gospel: In/Through/Beyond." Pastor Joe shared about how the God wants the gospel to move beyond our lives to our world. Every Christian is called to be a part of the mission of God in this world through praying, giving, AND going. It's not one or two of the three--it is ALL of the above. We need to pray that the gospel would advance. We need to give to support the work of the gospel in this world. And we all need to go and meet people who do not know Jesus yet. We cannot settle for hiding out in the "holy huddle." It was a great challenge and call to live to expand the kingdom of God with our lives and our resources. You can listen to or watch the entire message and service here. Here's our service plan from this weekend:

Welcome "I Will Go" (F#m) [Tim Neufeld, Jon Neufeld] "Before The Throne" (A) [Charitie Lees Bancroft, arranged by The Modern Post] Greeting Time/Announcements Message - "The Gospel Beyond Me" [Joe Hishmeh] "Your Great Name" (Bb) [Michael Neale, Krissy Nordhoff] "Lord Of All" (Bb) [Kristian Stanfill] "Glory To God Forever" (Bb) [Vicky Beeching, Steve Fee] Dismissal

Thoughts: This was a beautiful weekend. Our team did a great job, and it was a lot of fun glorifying God with the songs that we led together. I was a little concerned when I woke Saturday morning, because it felt like I was going hoarse. I am thankful that I had enough voice to lead through the weekend. It was powerful to hear the church singing and responding to the Word of God together, especially after a challenging message and call to go to the nations! I love my church.

What were your thoughts or experiences from your worship gathering this weekend?

Songs We Sing, 12/22 - 12/23/12 and Christmas Eve - Fellowship Bible Church

This week we wrapped up our Advent series, "Simple Christmas." Pastor Joe Hishmeh shared about our simple purpose of worshipping and glorifying Jesus Christ, and the simple priority of the gospel in and through our lives. You can listen to or watch the entire messages and services here. Here are our service plans from this weekend:

Weekend Services Welcome/Call to Worship "Angels From The Realms Of Glory" (C) [James Montgomery, Henry Thomas Smart, my arrangement] "Joyful (The One Who Saves)" (C) [Edward Hodges, Henry van Dyke, Ludwig van Beethoven, w/ chorus & bridge by Brenton Brown, Jason Ingram] Greeting Time/Announcements Message - "Simple Purpose" [Joe Hishmeh] "What Child Is This" (Em) [William Chatterton Dix, my arrangement] "O Holy Night" (C) [Adolphe Charles Adam, Placide Cappeau, John S. Dwight, my arrangement] "Glorious One" (C) [Steve Fee] Dismissal

Christmas Eve Call to Worship "Joy To The World" (C) [Isaac Watts, arr. by Bill Horn] Welcome/Announcements "O Holy Night" (C) [Adolphe Charles Adam, Placide Cappeau, John S. Dwight, my arrangement] "O Come Let Us Adore Him" (D) [Matt Crocker, Autumn Hardman, C. Frederick Oakeley, Ryan Taubert, John Francis Wade] Message - "Simple Priority" [Joe Hishmeh] "What Child Is This" (Em) [William Chatterton Dix, my arrangement] "Silent Night" (A) [Franz Xaver Gruber, Joseph Mohr, John Freeman Young] Dismissal

Thoughts: There won't be much detail this week - I'm technically on vacation... ;) This was a beautiful weekend, as we celebrated the incarnation of Jesus together as a church family. Our volunteers were incredible, and we had a lot of fun serving our church together. Our weekend services came together powerfully, and our Christmas Eve services were probably the greatest (and most unique) I have ever experienced. Eight services in three days was challenging and rewarding, and the church sang like crazy for most all of it. It was truly incredible. Once again, I really loved being able to sing our Advent songs together for these past four weeks. I love singing these great old songs in new and fresh ways, and to help our church see the gospel in them.

God is so good, and I am so thankful and blessed to be a part of this great church!

I hope you all had an amazing Christmas celebration with your family, friends, and your churches!

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, 10/20 - 10/21/12 - Fellowship Bible Church

This week our student pastor, Nick Strobel, continued our discipleship series, "Ephesians - United in Christ." In his message for the weekend, Nick shared from Ephesians 4:17-32 about how we are called to "put off" the old man and "put on" the things of Christ in the new man. He ended with a strong emphasis on participating in biblical community. It was a very challenging message that called us to the likeness of Christ. You can listen to or watch the entire message and service here. Here's our service plan from this weekend:

Countdown - "Only A Word" (E) [Bill Horn] "Song of the Redeemed" (Em) [Charlie Hall, Kendall Combes, Dustin Ragland, Quint Anderson, Brian Bergman] Welcome/Greeting Time Child/Family Dedications "Because of Your Love" (G) [Phil Wickham] "Son of God" (A) [Tim Neufeld, Jon Neufeld, Ed Cash, Gordon Cochran] "Nothing But The Blood" (G) [Robert Lowry, arr. by Bill Horn] Message - "Ephesians 4:17-32" [Nick Strobel] "Glory to God Forever" (Bb) [Steve Fee, Vicky Beeching] Offering/Announcements/Dismissal

"Only A Word" - This was our countdown song this week. This is a song that I wrote on my first trip to Brazil when I was on the Amazon River. It is about the power of a single word from the Lord. The idea is that He can change everything with just one word. That kind of power is unmatched!

"Song of the Redeemed" - We began teaching this song last weekend. I love the concept of this song, and especially value the unique lyric of the bridge, which specifically points out our unity around the cross of Christ: "We adore You/ And before You/ Forgiven and redeemed/ All races/ From all places/ Around the cross we sing." If we don't continue singing this particular song, I will always be looking for songs that proclaim these kinds of truths, because there are very few that do it well.

"Because of Your Love" - We came out of child dedications in each of our services into this song, and started by emphasizing that everything pertaining to our life and salvation begins with the love that God has for us and demonstrated at the cross. Everything we do ought to be a response to that love. This song communicates that idea very clearly.

"Son of God" - This remains one of our congregation's favorite songs. It's a simple, strong, and beautiful song about Jesus.

"Nothing But The Blood" - This was the first time we had sung this arrangement of "Nothing But The Blood," which I finished up this past week, and which the band helped me flesh out during rehearsal. I really enjoyed how it built and flowed. I look forward to using it again soon. This is most definitely a song worth singing, because it glorifies and gives credit to Christ alone for our redemption and salvation.

"Glory To God Forever" - We responded to the message by singing this song together. We began with the bridge, which is my favorite part of the song by far: "Take my life and let it be/ All for You and for Your glory..." I wanted to make that the emphasis in our response, because the message was calling us to put of our old lives and to put on Christ, that we would reflect His image to the world around us. This song represents that idea well.

Thoughts: This weekend was a great weekend of worship. The team did a good job, and we had a lot of fun worshiping and playing together. I felt that the congregation engaged pretty well in all of our services, for the most part. Highlight moments were during "Son of God" and "Nothing But The Blood." I'm not sure if we'll sing "Song of the Redeemed" again...

I need to continue encourage the congregation that clapping, applauding, raising of hands, etc. are all expressions to GOD, and not to the band or anyone else in the room. We gather for His sake, not our own. We sing for Him alone. I have to remind myself that many of our people, like me, did not grow up attending churches like ours (or attending church at all), so it's important to be clear about those kinds of things. When we have that clear, it removes some of the awkwardness from outward expressions of worship, and frees us to exalt Jesus more completely.

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, 09/15 - 09/16/12 - Fellowship Bible Church

(an image of our Ephesians set design, courtesy of our Tech Director, Wyatt Johnston)

This week our lead pastor, Joe Hishmeh, continued our discipleship series, "Ephesians - United in Christ." In his message, Joe shared from Ephesians 2:1-10 that before Christ, we were dead in our sins, but we have been saved by grace alone, through faith alone, in Christ alone! He has made us alive for the purposes of His kingdom--sharing the good news and doing good for those around us. You can listen to or watch the entire message and service here.

For our singing this week, we focused on the saving work of Christ on our behalf.

Here's our service plan from this weekend:

"In Tenderness" (G) [W. Spencer Walton, Adoniram J. Gordon, Nate Garvey, arr. by Citizens] Welcome/Greeting Time Call To Worship "All Because of Jesus" (A) [Steve Fee] "You Have Overcome" (A) [Bill Horn, Erik Oldberg] "God Is Able" (A) [Reuben Morgan, Ben Fielding] / "The Stand" (A) [Joel Houston] Message - "Ephesians 2:1-10" [Joe Hishmeh] "Jesus Messiah" (G) [Daniel Carson, Chris Tomlin, Ed Cash, Jesse Reeves] Offering/Announcements/Dismissal

"In Tenderness" - This is a song that we have been teaching our congregation recently. This song is a keeper for us, and it is a great fit for our study of the book of Ephesians as a whole, especially chapter two.

"All Because of Jesus" - We continued after our greeting time with this simple chorus that recognizes the true and sole source of our life - Jesus Christ. This is a song that is very familiar for our church, so we always sing it well together.

"You Have Overcome" - This is one of our originals here, and it seems to be a song that our congregation has latched onto. This song was inspired in part by Ephesians 2:1-10, so it was a beautiful fit with the message this week. Jesus has overcome the power of the grave, and no one else can save us; no one else can raise us.

"God Is Able" / "The Stand" - Though it was impossible for us to save ourselves, Jesus did it for us. He came to rescue us and to be with us forever. He is faithful and true, and His love is steadfast and unfailing. He has done everything we needed for our eternal salvation. What is our response to this amazing gift of grace? One of thanksgiving, of love, of worship with all that we are.

"Jesus Messiah" - This was our response song for the weekend. After hearing the gospel clearly laid out in the message, I wanted to come back to a song that declared and celebrated the beautiful sacrifice that Jesus made for us, to give us redemption, salvation, life, and hope! This song did just that. My favorite part of this song continues to be 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." Amen! Our hope is in no one else.

This weekend was another solid weekend of worship. Our team did a good job leading, and our people were engaged. It's hard not to get excited about the gospel! When we really reflect on what Christ has accomplished for us through His death and resurrection, I think we would have to fight off the urge to worship Him. This was a weekend where that was the case. I hope this is more often the case than not, because I can think of no greater reason to worship than the gospel.

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, 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, 06/30 - 07/01/12 - Fellowship Bible Church

This was our fifth weekend walking through 1 John together in our "Love In Christ" series. Brian Tryhus preached about forgiveness from 1 John, focusing on the futility of wallowing in shame and guilt when we sin. Our forgiveness has been promised and secured by the sacrifice of Christ. It was a powerful reminder and challenge to walk in forgiveness with confidence, faith, and hope. You can listen to or watch the entire message and service here. For our singing this week, we focused primarily on songs that emphasized what Christ has accomplished for us, and the standing we have with God because of it. We been declared righteous (justified) in Jesus Christ. When the Father sees us, He sees us through Christ.

Here's our service plan from this weekend:

(pre-service) "In The Light" (E) [Charlie Peacock, as performed by DC Talk] "All Because of Jesus" (Bb) [Steve Fee] Welcome/Greeting Time Call to Worship - thoughts from Isaiah 53 "Jesus Messiah" (G) [Daniel Carson, Chris Tomlin, Jesse Reeves, Ed Cash] "He Has Done It All" (G) [Andy Cherry, Jason Ingram] "Son of God" (G) [Tim Neufeld, Jon Neufeld, Ed Cash, Gordon Cochran] Message - "Love In Christ: Forgiveness" [Brian Tryhus] Video - "Forget What You Know (Caedmon's Call)" "Nothing But The Blood" (G) [Robert Lowry] Offering/Announcements/Dismissal

"In the Light" - (Yes, it is the one performed by DC Talk in the 90's). We sang this one for our pre-service countdown because it is a great fit with the book of 1 John, as it focuses on walking in the light as He is in the light. It is a ton of fun to play, and I could see people in our congregation who remembered it singing along. I think it was a great way for our congregation to enter into the worship center this weekend.

"All Because of Jesus" - We opened our services with this song, which is a staple for our congregation. It set the tone for the entire service, as declaring with joy and confidence that we are alive in Jesus.

"Jesus Messiah" - After reciting a few verses from Isaiah 53, we sang this song together. I love the lyric of this song, and I think one of the most powerful moments of it is the bridge, where we sing, "All our hope is in You/ All our hope is in You/ All the glory to You, God/ The Light of the World." We need to put all of our hope in Christ alone. He is the only way for us to be saved. He is the only way for us to be redeemed. He is our life. This is one of the most significant reasons that He is worthy of all glory and honor and praise.

"He Has Done It All" - We began teaching this song a few weeks ago, and this was the second time we have sung it together. I absolutely love this song. I think it reminds us of the truth of the gospel, and inspires our confidence in what Christ has declared: "It is finished."

"Son of God" - This is one of our church's favorite songs, and it was a great way to finish our main set of songs. It is a simple and beautiful expression of worship to our risen King, Jesus. The chorus and bridge sing: "Jesus, O Holy One/ I sing to You, forgiven/ Savior, I'm overcome/ With Your great love for me/ 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."  I love this song, and our congregation sings it so well!

"Nothing But The Blood" - We responded to the message with this great hymn, which is one of my all-time favorites. I cannot think of a song that more clearly declares the truth of the gospel, and the fact that salvation comes through no other but Jesus. He is the only way of salvation, and He has accomplished it through His blood, which He shed for us at the cross when He died in our place. His sacrifice equals our rescue. My favorite verses are the third and fourth: "Nothing can for sin atone/ Nothing but the blood of Jesus/ Naught of good that I have done/ Nothing but the blood of Jesus" and "This is all my hope and peace/ Nothing but the blood of Jesus/ This is all my righteousness/ Nothing but the blood of Jesus." Amen!

This weekend was an intense weekend of worship. There is nothing I love more than focusing on the cross of Jesus Christ and remembering what He accomplished for us. It always moves me and overwhelms me to think of His grace and love for me. Our team did a great job, and I think we all will walk away from this weekend reminded of the forgiveness and redemption we have in Jesus Christ. When the Father looks at us, He sees us through Christ-- as forgiven, justified, and righteous. Praise the Lord for what He has done for us!

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, 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, 04/14 - 04/15/12 - Fellowship Bible Church

This weekend, we began a series called "Everything!" Joe is talking through the concepts of a generous life and stewardship with all that we have. It was a really fresh and challenging perspective on generosity, beginning this weekend with a focus on the true owner of the things in this world - God owns everything, and we are stewards of what He owns. You can listen to the entire message here. Here's our service plan from this weekend:

"All Because Of Jesus" (Bb) [Steve Fee] Welcome/Greeting Time Call To Worship "Unchanging" (G) [Chris Tomlin] "You Have Overcome" (A) [Bill Horn, Erik Oldberg] "God Is Able" (A) [Reuben Morgan, Ben Fielding] Message - "Everything: Everything Comes From God" [Joe Hishmeh] "10,000 Reasons (Bless The Lord)" (G) [Matt Redman, Jonas Myrin, Jason Ingram] Offering/Announcements Dismissal

"All Because Of Jesus" - We opened our services with this song, as it tied last week and this week together. We celebrate the life that we have because of Jesus Christ - because He died in our place and was raised from the grave for us - and we also thank Him because He is the giver of all that we have, even our very breath. As James 1:17 says, "Every good gift and every perfect gift is from above, coming down from the Father of lights with whom there is no variation or shadow due to change" (ESV).

"Unchanging" - Because of the focus of the message series, and the fact that this week was foundational for the whole thing, I wanted us to sing songs that help us to trust God more in all areas of our lives. This song comes from Hebrews 13:8 - "Jesus Christ is the same yesterday and today and forever" and Revelation 1:8, "'I am the Alpha and Omega,' says the Lord God, 'who is and who was and is to come, the Almighty.'" Jesus is unchanging, and that is the reason we can stake our lives on who He is and what He says. He will never change, and we can trust Him.

"You Have Overcome" - This is the third week that we have taught this new song to our congregation. They are singing it well, and I believe this will be a song that we will sing for many years together. This song did not have a specific tie-in to this weekend's message, other than being a simple, gospel-centered song that helps us exalt Jesus for what He has accomplished on our behalf. He has rescued us. Therefore, He is worthy of everything we have to give in response to His goodness and mercy.

"God Is Able" - This song furthered the idea of "Unchanging," in that it spoke to God's faithfulness and trustworthiness. He will never leave us or forsake us. He will never fail. We have nothing to fear in Him.

"10,000 Reasons (Bless The Lord)" - I felt that this song was a fitting response to Joe's message this week. God has blessed us so much, and the proper response is that we would worship God with all our heart, soul, mind, and strength for all of our days. He is worthy!

This weekend was a solid and very enjoyable weekend of worship. We had our 12-year-old drummer, Anthony, on the team (he always does a fantastic job), and a first-time singer who filled in at the last minute. The team did a great job, and I believe the Lord was glorified by our times of worship. I am really excited about how it all came together. I pray that the content of what we sang together and studied together will take root in our lives outside these walls, because it will be a game-changer in our church, our community, and our world!

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!