Hello friends! Sorry for my prolonged absence from blogging over here. My wife delivered our third child in early December, and we've been adjusting to a new normal and "zone defense" at home, all while enjoying the Advent season together with friends and family. I will be doing some catch-up posts about our Advent songs and one about the two weeks since then, as well. Keep an eye out!
I pray that you have a blessed New Year, and that you are keenly aware of Christ's presence with you.
Bill
This weekend, we focused on the subject of transformational worship. Joe's point was that we become like whatever we worship. We are transformed by the object of our worship. When we are worshiping the things of this world, we become more like them, and take on their characteristics. He called us to preparation for worship, presentation of our lives as living sacrifices, and participation in God's calling on us.
Here's our set from this weekend:
Pre-Service - "Only a Word" (E) [original] Time of Preparation (a time of confession and focus in prayer) Welcome/Greeting Time Call To Worship - Rom. 12:1-2 "Glory to God Forever" (Bb) [Steve Fee, Vicky Beeching] "The Lost Are Found" (Bb) [Ben Fielding, Sam Knock] "Lord of All" (Bb) [Kristian Stanfill] "Jesus Paid It All" (Bb) [Elvina M. Hall, John Thomas Grape, Alex Nifong] Message - "Upgrade - Worship" [Joe Hishmeh] Offering/Announcements Response - "Let Me Sing" [Todd Fields] Dismissal
"Only a Word" - I've wanted to sing this song here for a while. We used it because it sets a good tone for worship by recognizing God's power to change us and to change the world, and helps us develop an expectation for Him to move in our midst, because "nothing impossible with God" (Luke 1:37). The thought of this song that it only takes one word from God to change everything. Scripture shares the phrase that God said in creation, "Let there be..." That was all it took. I don't think He needed to say anything, but it simply communicates how easy it is for God to transform our reality. He is able and powerful. I have been reading through Tozer's The Knowledge Of The Holy, and he repeatedly states the fact that nothing is difficult for God. He never needs to rest after working. He has everything He needs to do anything He wants whenever He wants to do it. Through that book, I have been reminded that God is truly able.
Here's the lyric from the song:
"Only a Word" Words and Music by Bill Horn
VERSE 1 With a word You throw the spheres and space is formed With Your voice You fill the void with light and worlds With Your arm You carve the ocean from the shore With a breath You move the dust and life is born
CHORUS With only a word, stars come blazing forth Only one verb, and darkness is no more Only Your voice, can pierce us through, O Lord This world can be transformed, with only a word
VERSE 2 With a thought You ease the waves and still the sea With Your hand You touch the blind and let him see With a song You make the prison doors break free Everything can change when You say, “Let it be”
BRIDGE The sun aligns with You For You are the truth You are reality Before everything
"Glory to God Forever" - We prefaced this song with Romans 12:1-2 as our call to worship. I felt it was a good way to start a week that focused on worship, because we need to fight hard to correct the misperception that worship through music is all there is to worship. The proper posture of the worshiping heart is summed up in the bridge: "Take my life and let it be/ All for You and for Your glory/ Take my life and let it be Yours."
"The Lost Are Found" - This was a new song for our congregation this week. Joe asked if we could teach it, because it really ties into the subjects of worship (the song of the redeemed/Lordship of Christ/making all things new) and outreach (which we'll be focusing on next week. This is a good song with a simple a strong lyric. I really like what is technically the bridge of the song, which sings, "The lost are found, the blind will see/ The lame will walk, the dead will live/ And You our God, forever You will reign." In teaching the song, I called our people to remember and look forward to the day of Christ's return, when He makes all things new and rights all the wrongs in this world. We look forward to this day with hope, and it should change our perspective on daily life.
"Lord of All" - We sang this song because it helps is get a proper perspective on who the Lord is - the Lord of all and King of kings. I love singing this song together. We had one hiccup in the 3rd service on this one, where our drummer Jordan's kick pedal broke toward the end of "The Lost Are Found" and was broken throughout this song. Our tech director, Wyatt, was able to grab a replacement from one of our other venues and get it installed for the end of the song. It was a good reminder of what is truly important in our worship services, and it was fitting in the week about worship. The band and technology are nice, but they are extras that can possibly make it easier for us to worship God by connecting our head and our hearts. However, they are by no means essential, and we all ought to be able to worship the Lord just as well without an instrument as with the full band.
"Jesus Paid It All" - We sang this song because there is no greater reason for us to worship than the gospel of Christ. We were dead, and now we are alive in Him. We were enemies, and now we are heirs together with Christ. Could there be a greater reason to be thankful and worship our great God?
"Let Me Sing" - I think this was a fitting response to our pastor's message this weekend, because it expresses a desire to live a life that worships God greater than anything else in creation. The chorus sings, "Let me sing louder than creation to You/ For the pain You bore in Your body/ To bring my soul to You/ Let me shine brighter than the stars in the sky/ An offering of praise all my life/ To You my holy King." I think this sums up my thinking about the entire service. Our greatest reason for worship is the gospel, and the kind of worship God deserves is that which comes from an entire life lived for Him.
We had a good weekend of corporate worship, focusing on the subject of lifestyle worship. I enjoyed how the different elements connected and interplayed. It seems like God made it all fit together to communicate a single message: worship is life.
I hope you had a great weekend of worship!
In the Son,
Bill
p.s. Don't forget to check out The Worship Community to see what other leaders did this weekend!
This weekend, we focused on Philippians 1:18-26, where Paul clearly lays out what is truly worth living and dying for: Jesus Christ. Nick Strobel, our student pastor, shared about living for what is valuable and having proper perspective on life and death. I was really challenged by what he said, and how he unpacked this passage of Scripture. Ultimately, Jesus is more valuable than our stuff and our accomplishments, because Jesus is eternal and Jesus is perfect. He is the only one who can give our lives the value that they need to be fulfilling. He is the only one worth living and dying for. Here's our set list from this weekend:
Pre-Service - "All Because of Jesus" (Bb) [Steve Fee] Call to Worship - Psalm 66:1-2 "Glory To God Forever" (Bb) [Steve Fee, Vicky Beeching] Video/Welcome/Announcements/Greeting Time "Blessed Be Your Name" (Bb) [Matt Redman, Beth Redman] "It Is Well" (Bb) [Todd Fields, Horatio G. Spafford, Philip Paul Bliss] "You Never Let Go" (Bb) [Matt Redman] Message - The Appraisal of Death [Nick Strobel] Response - "Glory to God Forever" (reprise) (Bb) [Steve Fee, Vicky Beeching]
We opened the pre-service with "All Because of Jesus." This song had a twofold relation to the passage of Philippians this week. First, it related to our real life being created in Christ and His perfect work on the cross. Second, it related in that Jesus is the only one worth living for and giving our glory to, because of what He has done. I thought it was a very fitting way to begin this weekend's services, and it set the proper tone for our worship.
During the call to worship, we took a look at Psalm 66:1-2, and took the opportunity to teach our congregation about shouting for joy to the Lord, as we continue to explore the Biblical expressions of worship. Together, we shouted Jesus' name at the count of three. I think it was a stretching time for our congregation, and while not everyone participated, I think most did, and we are better for it.
From there we moved to "Glory To God Forever," mainly because of the bridge, which fit well with the overarching thought of the weekend, as it sings, "Take my life and let it be/ All for You and for Your glory/ Take my life and let it be Yours." My hope was to emphasize to our congregation to make this our prayer. I cannot think of a more noble or desirable prayer for the King of kings and His kingdom. I love how succinctly this bridge communicates the idea of sacrifice and taking up our cross.
After the welcome and announcement time, we opened the second set with "Blessed Be Your Name." This song is powerful, and has been for some time. There are not many songs that communicate such a heart and willingness to praise God regardless of our circumstances, because He is more valuable and worthy than our circumstances and even our own lives. I think if we are honest, this is a difficult concept for us to handle, much less for us to sing with all of our hearts. This is especially true in the bridge: "You give and take away/ You give and take away/ My heart will choose to say/ Lord, blessed be Your name." This song set the tone for the entire second set, as we tried to remind one other that Jesus is worthy of our lives and our worship, regardless of the circumstances. He alone is that worthy.
We continued the second set with "It Is Well," which I have written at length about in the past. I still love this arrangement, and I think it continues to connect with our congregation in a special way. I love to hear our people sing the lyrics of this song, as we examine how Jesus is faithful and true, and all will be "well" when this life is over. There is nothing to fear.
We then finished the set with "You Never Let Go." This song is new to Fellowship, and was a song that I introduced when I was interviewing here. It has always been one of my favorites from my time at Church at the Mall in Lakeland (you can see our team there leading this song here). I love its declaration of confidence in Jesus regardless of circumstances. It draws partially from Psalm 23 and from 1 John 4. The truth of this song is that we have nothing to fear if we are in Christ, because He never leaves us and never forsakes us, and He will always be with us. We can draw hope and confidence in this truth, and we can walk in such a way that we lay our lives down for the kingdom of God, no matter the cost, because our hope will not be disappointed in Christ!
We responded to the message with a reprise of the bridge and chorus of "Glory To God Forever," and made that a sort of benediction as well as a challenge to each other. My prayer is that we lay our lives down for our King and His kingdom, no matter the cost. May our lives truly be Yours, O Lord.
I hope you had a great weekend of worship wherever you were. Be sure to check out The Worship Community to see what other leaders experienced in their worship gatherings this weekend.
Be a part of the discussion below with your comments! I'd love to hear your thoughts.
In the Son,
Bill
Jesus is risen! He has conquered sin and death, and He reigns forevermore. This weekend holds so much meaning for the church, and it was truly a joy to celebrate Christ's resurrection together. This weekend, we had two services on Good Friday, and then six Easter services through Saturday and Sunday (two on Saturday and four on Sunday). It was a marathon, but it was completely worth it. I am so proud of our team for stepping up and serving with excellence in all of the services, giving their best for our Savior and His church. Here's our set from Good Friday:
"Jesus Messiah" (G) [Chris Tomlin, Daniel Carson, Jesse Reeves, and Ed Cash] "Because of Your Love" (G) [Phil Wickham] "Lamb of God" (G) [Bill Horn] Message - "The Heroic Rescue of Humanity: Jesus the Savior" [Joe Hishmeh] Response - "The Wonderful Cross" [Isaac Watts, Chris Tomlin, Jesse Reeves, Lowell Mason, J.D. Watts] Communion Intro "Nothing But The Blood" [Matt Redman] "You Saw Me" [Mia Fieldes, Ben Fielding, and Reuben Morgan] Taking of the elements Dismissal
And here's how we celebrated the resurrection in our Easter services: Pre-service - "God is Alive" (A) [Steve Fee and Eddie Kirkland] Call to worship - Mark 16:4-6 "Happy Day" (Bb) [Tim Hughes and Ben Cantelon] Welcome/ Offering/ Announcements/ Greeting time "You Alone Can Rescue" (Bb) [Matt Redman and Jonas Myrin] "Stronger" (Bb) [Ben Fielding and Reuben Morgan] Message - "The Heroic Rescue of Humanity: Jesus the Restorer" [Joe Hishmeh] Response - "Jesus Paid It All" [John Thomas Grape, Elvina M. Hall, and Alex Nifong] Dismissal - Joe Hishmeh
I am thrilled with how this weekend's services went. Our Good Friday services were sweet times of reflection on the cross and on Jesus sacrifice for us. We used a distinct instrumentation for the service, with predominantly acoustic instruments. We had two standard acoustics, a high-strung acoustic (Nashville tuning), viola, fretless bass, and a percussion set up for our drummer with djembe and cajon and a few toys. It was very organic in the way that we put the songs together and in the way we presented it. I thought it came across the way we wanted, and people were pointed to the cross. We had the large, wooden cross lit in all red, and the band was all in black in the background on the stage, and that helped to communicate the desired focus for the evening. In all, it was a strong and sincere evening. Good Friday is one of my favorite occasions for worship, as we praise our Savior for His great sacrifice on our behalf--in our place, for our sins.
One Easter, we pulled out the stops, and pushed things forward a bit with some new elements. We opened the pre-service time with "God is Alive," and we used a brand-new element in our context: our drummer, Jordan, is a master beat producer, and he brought out his Akai MPC 4000 to create a loop to play underneath the whole song, which would be brought into focus during the intro and the breaks. I was giddy when he put it all together and we started to play together as a band. It was such a fresh addition to what we have been doing, and it is and element that I have wanted to incorporate (in any worship setting) for years. The click track was step one to getting to this point, and we got here a lot quicker than I anticipated. It was pretty special to finally experience it in that way. I thought it added even more energy to an already exciting song. It was a perfect moment for me, as we sang out "Everyone/ Glorify the risen Son/ The Holy One has overcome/ Jesus is alive/ The enemy/ Is broken underneath His feet/ Death is crushed in victory/ Jesus is alive/ Jesus is alive." It's a beautiful thing!
We followed the call to worship with "Happy Day," which felt like a great fit for the weekend. This song was a little more familiar to our congregation, so they sang out and participated more than on "God is Alive" (which is part of why we did "God is Alive" in the pre-service slot). I love the truth in this song, and I think it is one of Tim Hughes' best songs. He captures the gospel message clearly and simply. The verses say it well: "The greatest day in history/ Death is beaten, You have rescued me/ Sing out, Jesus is alive/ The empty cross, the empty grave/ Life eternal, You have won the day/ Shout it out, Jesus is alive/ He's alive!"
After the welcome time, we moved to "You Alone Can Rescue" and "Stronger," which are two songs that focus on God's unique ability to save us and rescue us from sin and death, and to give us eternal life. I love the choruses of each of the songs. "You Alone Can Rescue" sings, "You alone can rescue/ You alone can save/ You alone can lift us from the grave/ You came down to find us/ Led us out of death/ To You alone belong the highest praise." In particular, my favorite line is the one that describes the divine condescension, His coming down to find us and leading us out of death. I am moved as I sing those words. This song really took hold with me as Matt Redman led at a week-long event in Daytona Beach last summer, and the weight of these words really landed. It remains a powerful expression of worship for me. The chorus of "Stronger" sings, "You are stronger/ You are stronger/ Sin is broken/ You have saved me/ It is written/ Christ is risen/ Jesus, You are Lord of all." This echoes Scripture in a few places, one of which is Philippians 2, where Paul writes that "Being found in appearance as a man, He humbled himself by becoming obedient to the point of death, even death on a cross. For this reason also, God highly exalted Him, and bestowed on Him the name which is above every name, so that at the name of Jesus every knee will bow, of those who are in heaven and on earth and under the earth, and that every tongue will confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father" (Phil. 2:8-11 NASB). Because of Jesus' humble and obedient sacrifice to conquer sin and death, He now has the name which is above every name. He is Lord of all, and worthy of being worshiped as such.
We finished the service by responding with "Jesus Paid It All," but we did it a little differently than we had previously. We treated the original hymn in a very standard way. We played it in a way that would be very familiar for guests and regular attenders alike, in a gentle and slowly building manner. Then, we finished with an instrumental chorus, with the piano playing the melody. When we landed on the tonic chord (Bb), we let it ring out, and then quietly sang Alex Nifong's added chorus: "O praise the One/ Who paid my debt/ And raised this life/ Up from the dead." We went from gentle to full-bore in a matter of moments, and it was a powerful moment as we declared praise and truth about our risen King, who has also given us life when we were dead in our sins and transgressions (Eph. 2). It was a great fit with Joe's message this weekend, which talked about two ways to live - either submitted to Jesus as the true King by faith and trust in His finished work on the cross to make things right; or attempting to reign over our own lives and to make things right on our own, unsuccessfully.
Our Easter weekend has been a true highlight of my time with Fellowship thus far. I can't wait for us to continue to develop things and build from here. We have an amazing Worship and Arts team here, and I love their servant hearts. God is doing great things among us. He is alive and moving in His church!
I hope you had a great weekend of worship wherever you were. Be sure to check out The Worship Community to see what other leaders and team members experienced in their worship gatherings this weekend.
In the name of the risen Son!
Bill
Proverbs 3:5-6 says, “Trust in the Lord with all your heart, and do not lean on your own understanding. In all your ways acknowledge Him, and He will make your paths straight.” This verse has always been one that has guided Diane and me through our marriage and ministry together. We have sought to trust God, even when it’s difficult, and to follow Him wherever He leads, because He knows what we do not know, and He sees what we cannot see. His will is what we would have chosen if we knew everything about any given situation. In February of 2006, after the craziest 6 months we had ever experienced, God called Diane and I here to First Baptist Church at the Mall. He confirmed this in many ways and made it absolutely clear that He wanted us here. When He said, “Go,” we went. Before Lakeland He called us to New Orleans for seminary, and before that it was Gainesville, FL, to serve as campus missionaries. He has been faithful to guide us and direct our steps, leading us where He wants us and providing for us, and that has only furthered our trust in Him.
In mid-July, God again made it abundantly clear to Diane and me that we are to go. God is calling us to serve in what we believe to be a smaller church or church plant as the worship pastor, but we are not certain of where yet. At this time, we have talked with several pastors about different opportunities, but nothing certain has developed. Throughout this process, we have sought to be wide-open before God, saying to Him, “Lord, whatever You want is what we want.” We shared this with Pastor Jay and the executive staff team when we knew, and they have been extremely supportive and helpful through all of it. Words cannot tell you how grateful I am for these men and for the church taking good care of us during this time of transition.
This has been one of the hardest and most uncertain times in our lives, as we have never had to walk this road with so much at stake, but we are trusting God to lead us and to take care of us as He has so many times in the past. It may seem foolish to step out like this with no sure thing on the other end, but I would have failed you as a leader and a pastor if we ignored God’s calling on us and disobeyed His direction.
Please know that it has been our privilege to serve such an amazing church family. We have some amazing relationships here. We have witnessed God move in amazing ways, and we are so grateful to have been a part. We have been able to share the joy of the birth of both of our children here. You have encouraged us, nurtured us, and loved us as we have learned and grown over these past 4 ½ years. We have never felt as loved as we do here. Many times, however, following God means letting go of something that you treasure. For us, that is you. We love you like crazy, and we will miss you terribly. So much of our hearts will be left here. We consider this home, and saw ourselves staying here indefinitely, but God had other plans.
We ask that you would please pray for us as we take this step. Pray for God’s clear direction. Pray that we will be able to sell our home. Pray for our kids as they deal with change. Also, pray for the church leadership as they seek out God’s man to take up where I leave off. We are trusting that the greatest days for Church at the Mall are still ahead, and that God will bring just the right man to continue on in leading you and caring for you. I know for certain that you are in great hands with this worship team, as they are some of the most talented musicians and leaders I have ever served with.
I will be leading for the next few weeks, as long as I am needed, and we look forward to sharing time with you and worshiping together as we all continue to pursue the heart of our great God. He is the only one worthy of our praise, and the only one worthy of our lives. Let us lay our lives down for the sake of His name and His Kingdom, because He laid down His life for us at the cross.
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.
(Listening to Jon Foreman right now) Here's our set from yesterday:
"Happy Day" [Tim Hughes] "Say Say" [Kristian Stanfill, Chris Tomlin, Christy Nockels] "Our God" [Matt Redman, Jonas Myrin, Chris Tomlin] "Beautiful Jesus" [Kristian Stanfill] "Mighty to Save" [Ben Fielding, Reuben Morgan] "Psalm 19 (May the Words of My Mouth)" [Terry Butler] "Lord of All" [Kristian Stanfill]
We had a great day of worship yesterday. Pastor Jay taught about meditating on the Scriptures, and gave a lot of practical wisdom and instruction about it. It was very helpful, and I believe it will be transformational in the church's approach to studying and dwelling on the Scriptures. I was challenged by his message, and will be seeking to implant more Scripture into my heart and my mind, so that it will penetrate every of my life.
I tried to focus the music on the phrase, "Is anything to difficult for the Lord?" Hence the themes of God's power and sovereignty throughout the songs. Some were even inadvertent, but God was guiding the process and really brought it all together. "Our God" is a fantastic song that focuses God's people on His strength and turns the corner to help us see how that same strength is for us when we are in Him. It's a beautiful thing.
I hope you had a great day of worship wherever you were this week. God bless you!
Bill
p.s. as always, make sure to check out Sunday Set Lists at www.theworshipcommunity.com to see what other leaders and worshipers experienced this week.
(Now playing - Charlie Hall, "Center") Here's our set from this week:
"Faithful One" [original] "Hosanna" [Brooke Fraser, arr. by Starfield] "Let Me Sing" [Todd Fields] "I Need You" [Kristian Stanfill, Louie Giglio] "You Never Let Go" [Matt Redman] "Never Be the Same" [original] "You're the Only One" [original]
This week was a great week of worship. I felt a great deal of freedom and tried a few different things, which was exciting and challenging. I tagged a slower chorus of "Faithful One" (a declaration about God's constancy and immutability) to get us to the tempo of "Hosanna," and it set us up nicely to bring the songs together. I'm not sure where exactly I got the idea, but it probably was inspired by Chris Tomlin and his band at Student Life in Daytona Beach this past week (which was one of the most amazing worship experiences I have ever had, by the way).
The second set of "Let Me Sing," "I Need You," and "You Never Let Go" were all chosen to help us focus in on Pastor Jerry's message about the prayer of Jesus in the garden of Gethsemane. The elements of praise, recognition of Christ's sacrifice, our need for Him, His faithfulness, and His nearness to us were all intentional to set the stage for prayer. I think we got there, and God worked in a powerful way. God is so good.
I hope you had a great day of worship wherever you were.
God bless you!
Bill
P.S. Please take time to check out Sunday Set Lists over at www.theworshipcommunity.com to see what other leaders did this week. God is building His church!
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!
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.
For Easter, we united all of our teams from the "classic," "progressive" (my team), and the "blended" services to do the same service for all three services. Here was our set list: "I've Just Seen Jesus" "Christ the Lord is Risen Today" "Jesus Paid It All" (Kristian Stanfill version) INV - "Never Be the Same" (original - see media page) "Saved the Day" (Michael Neale) "Days of Elijah" (Robin Mark)
It was a great day, and we had a lot of fun celebrating the resurrection of Jesus all together. I don't think everyone in every service was entirely comfortable with each part of the services, but that's okay. We need to stretch ourselves to understand different languages, and that includes music, too. I firmly believe that music is a language with which we communicate with each other and with God. Thus, a worship style choice is a language with which the worshiper is comfortable and familiar in communicating with God and each other. While I think it is more productive to allow people to communicate in their own preferred language for the most part, I also think it can be very healthy to hear the other languages, to recognize that other people can communicate profoundly with the Lord in different ways. That's what we did today in joining together. It was a good thing.
One major mess-up on my part this morning: I started "Jesus Paid It All" in B (our normal key), while the orchestra and the band all had it in C (the Praise Charts key, which is best for the orch). There was no way to seamlessly modulate up a half-step, so the orch just laid out after realizing that I was in B. Whoops! We had a good laugh about it later, but I was a little thrown off by my own mistake. Note to self - put the capo in the right place!!!!
Happy Easter! Jesus is Alive!!!!!!!
Bill
be sure to check out Sunday Set Lists at www.theworshipcommunity.com!
Currently watching: Toy Story. Here's our set from this morning:
"Hosanna (Praise is Rising)" [Paul Baloche] "Faithful One" [original] "Unchanging" [Chris Tomlin] "We Crown You" [Steve Fee] "The Stand" [Joel Houston] Response: "It is Well" [traditional, arr. Todd Fields]
Today was Daylight Savings Time, and we all "sprung forward" and lost an hour. Today is one of those days when it is a little more difficult to get going, and to get everyone else going as well. It turned out to be a great day despite the fact that most people lost an hour of sleep. We started out a little differently this morning, using the pre-chorus of Paul Baloche's "Hosanna," which sings, "When we see You, we find strength to face the day/In Your presence, all our fears are washed away." It served as an opportunity to focus, and I think the change made for a good moment. We then went to one of my originals, "Faithful One." Pastor Jay was focusing on the Holy Spirit and our prayer life this morning, so I went the route of God's faithfulness and immutability. Tomlin's "Unchanging" served that same purpose this morning, and the chorus lyric, "So we raise up holy hands/To praise the holy One/Who was, and is, and is to come," gives our people freedom/permission to raise their hands and express their praise in that way. This song is one of my favorite Tomlin tunes, because it expresses some great truths in it.
From there, we moved to Fee's "We Crown You," teaching it for the second week. While this song is a great song, I don't think our people are connecting with it. Maybe it's too difficult to sing with. Maybe it would serve better as a special/solo kind of tune. I can count on one hand the times that I really thought a song would work and it fell flat like that. "Faithful" by Alex Nifong was another one that did that. Oh well. Sometimes, you never know until you try!
We closed the first set by tagging the chorus of Joel Houston's "The Stand." This was the first time we've used this tune at all, and people caught on quickly and engaged with the song in a beautiful way. I was a little surprised by that, to be honest. It really is a great lyric, and I have wanted to use it for a while. If you have never heard it, I encourage you to check it out. We'll definitely make use of it again in the near future.
It was a great day, despite the fact that I was up late working on my Greek homework. Staying up one hour later than normal instantly became two hours late. Like I always say, "You gotta do what you gotta do." God can move in big ways, even when I am tired and weak, proving once more: it's not about me. Not even in the least.
I hope you all had a great morning with your churches, and that the Lord is moving in your midst.
Blessings!
Bill
Be sure to check out TheWorshipCommunity's Sunday Set Lists to see what other leaders and churches did in worship this weekend.
Currently listening to High Flight Society, High Flight Society (props to my bro, Jerad Griffin), on my way back from seeing Living Sacrifice in Jacksonville, FL this evening. Here’s our set from this morning:
“God is Alive” [Fee and Kirkland] “Happy Day” [Tim Hughes] “It is Well” [Horatio Spatford w/ arr. and add. chorus by Todd Fields] “Nothing But the Blood (Your Blood)” [Matt Redman] “Jesus Paid It All” [trad. w/ add. chorus by Alex Nifong] Response: “Amazing Grace (My Chains Are Gone)” [trad. w/ add. chorus by Tomlin, Giglio, Reeves]
Today was a great day of worship. Pastor Jay’s message on the Holy Spirit and our sin was right on and in our faces, and God’s people responded in a big way to the call to pray and seek God’s face, and to confess our sins. Pastor referenced a brochure that was used in the Chinese revival of 1938. It is a list of questions to search our hearts and see if we are harboring any sin. Wow. I don’t think I’ve experienced such searching and penetrating questions before. Here's the file (from www.basicministries.com): Revival_Prayer_List. After going through this list, the reality of how we are walking in the Lord is apparent. I think it would be healthy for each of us to examine ourselves so thoroughly on a regular basis.
As far as the worship in music portion of the service goes, there was a lot of energy this morning. I felt more prepared and confident in leading, as our preparation time was unhurried and sweet this morning. I love working with our band at Church at the Mall. We have so much fun together, and I think our camaraderie comes through as we lead together. We truly enjoy being around one another. Once we made the quick turnaround for setting up for our service, I had a sweet moment to breathe, pray, and recite some Scripture in my heart just before we began. I normally don’t have time for that, and I felt at ease and empowered as a result. It was a beautiful thing. I am going to make that time a priority from now on.
“God is Alive” continues to be a great song for our congregation. It is such a powerful and victorious lyric. It is perfect as we lead up to Easter. “Happy Day” was particularly fitting for the message this morning. We continued to teach “It is Well” this morning, and it seems to be catching on with the people. Todd Fields’ additional chorus is so appropriate for the hymn: “It is well, it is well/ Through the storm, I am held/ It is well, it is well with my soul/ It is well, it is well/ God has won, Christ prevailed/ It is well, it is well with my soul.” I love singing this lyric out.
“Nothing But the Blood (Your Blood)” has some beautiful language about the work of the cross, and it remains a favorite of mine when it comes to singing about the cross. We finished the set with “Jesus Paid It All,” with the additional chorus written by Alex Nifong. When we reached the final, additional chorus (“O praise the One who paid my debt, and raised this life up from the dead”), it felt like the place could erupt. There is so much truth and thanksgiving in that lyric, and it comes through in the way the people sing and express themselves in worship.
I can’t wait for next week. God continues to move in a powerful way, and I am privileged to be a part of it at Church at the Mall.
In the Son,
Bill
P.S. be sure to check out Sunday Set Lists at www.theworshipcommunity.com to see what other leaders did this weekend. God is moving in the Church!
Faithful One (Acoustic Demo) Currently listening to Gungor, Beautiful Things
Our set today:
"Faithful One" [original] "Salvation's Chorus" [Todd Fields] "Everlasting God" [Brenton Brown, Ken Riley] "You Never Let Go" [Matt and Beth Redman] "It is Well" [Horatio Spatford w/ add. chorus and arr. by Todd Fields] INVITATION: "Never Be the Same" [original] OFFERTORY: "Your Name" [Paul Baloche and Glenn Packiam]
Today Pastor Jay started his series on the Holy Spirit, and it was a great day of worship. The highlight for me was Todd Fields' arrangement of "It is Well." I was a little thrown off through the whole morning because my throat was on fire and we had a last-minute tech change that affected our in-ears, but God was working and showing His glory in spite of those things. That was my prayer last night in this morning, that God would be glorified in my weakness. It was a beautiful thing.
Be sure to check out other leaders' Set Lists from this morning at www.theworshipcommunity.com.
Here's our set from this morning:
"Kingdom" [Kristian Stanfill] "God is Alive" [Steve Fee and Eddie Kirkland] "Beautiful the Blood" [Steve Fee] "Lord of All" [Kristian Stanfill] "True Love" [Phil Wickham] Message: "5 Love Secrets" by Pastor Jay Response: "I Want to Love You" [Todd Fields] Offertory: "Love is Not a Fight" [Warren Barfield]
I was ready for today. I have been looking forward to it on many levels. We had the entire youth group in the service this morning, which was awesome. Today was billed as "I Love My Church" Sunday, where every Connect Group made it a point to bring their friends with them, and to get people to identify what is about their church that they love. Today was also Pastor Jay's 14th anniversary as pastor of Church at the Mall. My first day as the worship lead for this great church was his 10th anniversary celebration, which means that I have been leading for this church for 4 years today. It's hard to believe. At any rate, there were a lot of reasons to be excited about today, and it really was.
There were quite a few mishaps, be it technical or performance-oriented. Each of us had a mistake in the band, except for our keyboardist, Amanda and our pianist, Melanie. I got thrown off by a miscue, and proceeded to sing the wrong line in the second verse of "Beautiful the Blood." We could not, for the life of us, find our groove on "God is Alive" with the click. "Lord of All" was right on (this one continues to be a favorite for me and for our people), and so was "True Love." Our Pastor was pulling in the parking lot with this song blasting on his car stereo. I love it. It was a perfect fit with his message today. I love how the Spirit makes it all fit together so beautifully.
The biggest technical mishap was at the beginning of the offertory, where we did "Love is Not a Fight" by Warren Barfield, which is an amazing song. When I went to begin the acoustic-only introduction, there was only noise. Nothing was getting through but static. Of course, at this point, everyone in the room is watching me try and figure it out. I unplugged my mute box send to my tuner, which didn't help. I then jiggled the XLR cables on either side of the mute box, and it came on extremely loud, because my sound man had boosted it to try and get anything. However, because I unplugged my tuner, it was a different, crazier-sounding static. Meanwhile, our executive pastor, Steve, brought a mic out to put in front of the guitar to go old-school. Right as he got it set up, everything was fixed with my guitar, and we got rolling. I had to say something, so I joked, "Sorry about that!" and everyone (thankfully) laughed along. The song went great after that. It is really a beautiful, honest, and powerful song about love. It was borne out of adversity. See the story here.
It was just that kind of a morning. It seemed and felt like the enemy was trying to interfere with what went on today. God was certainly at work. During the prayer time, Jay called on the men of the church to pray and ask God to help them be the men He has called them to be for their families. Dozens of men came down to the altar to pray in the middle of the service. It was a beautiful thing to witness. The people responded powerfully in worship of our King, and that was also very encouraging and a reminder that it doesn't depend on everything going perfectly. I struggle with that, because of my perfectionism, but in the end God receives the glory because He is the one who makes the spiritual happen. I cannot manufacture it, nor can anyone else on the team. We can only facilitate. While it doesn't alleviate our responsibility to lead and to plan, that is truly a freeing thing.
I love my church, and I am so thankful that the Lord has brought me here. Happy Valentine's Day, by the way.
All the Glory belongs to Him,
Bill
p.s. be sure to check out Sunday Set Lists at www.theworshipcommunity.com to see what other churches/leaders did this morning.
Currently listening: Thrice, The Alchemy Index, Vol. I + II (Fire and Water)
This morning was a great morning! While it took us all a little bit to shake off the cool morning weather, we got there, and God was glorified! The focus this morning was essentially, Praying for People in Authority. We had Rob Schenck, a minister to the U.S. Supreme Court, as our special guest. He is involved in some amazing ministry to government officials in Washington D.C., and has some stories, most of which he can't tell to anyone. It was a blessing to hear of one such story, where he had the opportunity to share with most of the judges from the D.C. area, and he talked about the ten commandments, and took the opportunity to preach the gospel. He then invited them to receive the gift of salvation, and many received Christ then and there. It was pretty amazing to hear how he is being used to impact officials for the kingdom of God. You can see his ministry's page here.
Here's the set:
"Salvation's Chorus" [Todd Fields] "God is Alive" [Steve Fee & Eddie Kirkland] "Hosanna" [Brooke Fraser, arr. by Starfield] "I Stand Amazed" [arr. by Chris Tomlin] "Cannons" [Phil Wickham] INV "Amazing Grace (My Chains Are Gone)" [add. chorus by Chris Tomlin, Louie Giglie, et al] OFFERTORY "Only a Word" [original]
We continued to teach "Salvation's Chorus" and "God is Alive" this morning. Both of these songs have great energy and content, and I think the church is really taking hold of them. This morning was a little sluggish as we started, and it felt that we were fighting to get the people engaged. I would attribute it to the weather. Floridians are generally not big fans of colder weather, and we move a lot slower when it does arrive. This morning was one of those mornings. It was in the 50's when everyone was in transit to the facility. Oh well.
After prayer, we continued with Starfield's rendition of Brooke Fraser's "Hosanna," which is a great version of a great song. I love the lyric of this song, and the call for the people of God to seek God and pray for His return and for a revolution and revival amongst God's people. The only thing we changed from their version was the bridge, where we kept all of the original lyric (Starfield cuts the second half: "Break my heart for what breaks Yours/Everything I am for Your kingdom's cause/As I walk from Earth into eternity"). We then moved into "I Stand Amazed," which is one of the updated hymns from Passion's Hymns: Ancient and Modern record. They hymn is known by many other titles, such as "My Savior's Love," and "How Marvelous." I love the content of this song, and I think the modern version is excellent. It sings very well, and hymns have a way of making people sing, simply because of their familiarity.
From there, we moved directly into "Cannons" by Phil Wickham. This song is a ground-breaker for me. Phil Wickham's worship songs do not song like many other worship tunes. He has a fresh perspective in his lyrics, and his delivery is on par with acts like The Fray, OneRepublic, and Keane. He has become one of my favorite writers lately. This song is certainly no exception to that. The lyric of the chorus is a beautiful expression of worship: "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"
"Only a Word" is one of my originals. It is one that I often forget about, but that is always good when we use it. I wrote it on the Amazon River in Brazil, on the way from Santarem to Obidos. It is about the power of God to change things with only a word. The chorus sings, "With only a word stars come blazing forth/Only one verb, and darkness is no more/Only Your voice can pierce us through, O Lord/This world can be transformed with only a word." The band was exceptional on this song, and I think it's the best we've ever played it. I'm really proud of our team. They are so good, and I am so privileged to work with them and to share this ministry with them. God is really bringing us together, and I'm excited about where it's heading.
Jay's message was right on, and Rob Schenck was a great guest speaker. His testimony was very powerful, and he's just a really funny guy. He has been influential in the lives of some of the most powerful people in our country, and he is faithful to Christ's calling on his life. From what he shared this morning, it's evident that the guy has some guts, too.
My throat was really tired this morning, and I was concerned that I wouldn't make it through the service without a major croak, but we made through, and my voice was fine once we were warmed up. Singing for two hours at a benefit show last night was probably not the smartest thing for me to do. However, everything was really tight this morning, and I think everyone came away with a really good feeling about how the morning went. Those are good days, for sure!
Be sure to check out TheWorshipCommunity's Sunday Set Lists page to see what other leaders did this week for worship. There is a great sharing of the minds going on there. Be a part of it!
Until next time,
Bill
This morning at Church at the Mall was a great day of worship. We had Don Piper, author of 90 Minutes in Heaven, as a guest speaker, and he has a pretty incredible story. He was declared dead and covered up with a sheet on the scene of a horrific car accident in which a tractor-trailer semi hit his car head on and drove over his vehicle. After he died, many people, most of whom did not know he was actually dead, were praying for him. After 90 minutes, he came back to life and began singing the hymn "What a Friend We Have in Jesus" along with the pastor who had crawled into the car to pray for him. During those 90 minutes, he had an experience of heaven, and that is much of what he shared. It was pretty amazing. I am a bit of a skeptic, and I was a little unsure of whether or not I would believe it, but he was very down-to-earth, and there was nothing in his testimony which did not align with Scripture, and which was out of the realm of possibility. The time of worshiping through music, both before and after the message, was really enjoyable for me. We were doing some songs that I love and that the church loves, and we had a number of guests this week, who came to hear Don Piper. However, I did feel a little bad for the older folks who clearly didn't know what they were in for when they sat on the front row. They had their ears plugged the entire time, and that's without any stage volume except the drums! I guess that's why we have three services with different options.
Here's the set from this morning:
"God is Alive" [Steve Fee and Eddie Kirkland] "All Because of Jesus" [Steve Fee] "Jesus Paid It All" [Traditional w/ add. chorus by Alex Nifong] "Beautiful" [Phil Wickham] INV - "Mighty to Save" [Ben Fielding, Reuben Morgan] "Lord of All" [Kristian Stanfill]
This morning, we introduced "God is Alive," which is a newer song from Fee's latest release Hope is Rising. It is a high-energy rock song with a powerful and victorious lyric. I think my favorite lines from the song come from the chorus: "Everyone glorify the risen Son/ The Holy One has overcome/ Jesus is alive/ The enemy is broken underneath His feet/ Death is crushed in victory/ Jesus is alive." I love this new song, and we'll be teaching it for the next few weeks.
"All Because of Jesus" by Steve Fee and "Jesus Paid It All" have become standards for our congregation, and it seems we can never go wrong when we sing them together. It's a beautiful thing when the truth and a singable melody come together.
"Beautiful" is yet another great song from the talented Phil Wickham. The selection of this song was a definite God moment, because the last verse tied in PERFECTLY with how Don Piper started his message, the image from Revelation where the Bride of Christ is around the throne of God. The final verse sings, "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 love this song, too. :)
We ended the service with "Lord of All," which is quite possibly my favorite worship song of all time. This, hands-down, is a song that the Church needs to sing. The lyric is so God-focused, so powerful, and so true. It has so many truths that we need to declare together in corporate worship. I would recommend this song for absolutely any church setting, because it translates into any format very well. Following Don's message this morning, the church blew the doors off of the place in worshiping the Great King, singing, "There is none so high and holy/ King of kings, the one and only/ You are adored/ You are the Lord of all." It was an amazing moment that I wish didn't have to end. God is working in a powerful way, and I am privileged to be a part of it at Church at the Mall.
All-in-all, a great morning. Tech-wise, we stayed with the click pretty well, and we had very few mistakes as a team. The lyrics were all correct, and everything worked. Even if that weren't the case, it would have been a great morning, but I think the Spirit is also more free to move when we do our best to stay out of the way. I think it just makes it easier for the people to maintain their focus on the Lord. But that's my opinion, for what it's worth.
I hope you had a great week and a great time worshiping with your church, wherever you are.
Be sure to check out TheWorshipCommunity's Sunday Set Lists page, where worship leaders and team members share their sets and thoughts about their worship experiences at their respective churches. Good stuff.
In the Son,
Bill
Here's our set list for this morning: "You Are" [Todd Fields] "Salvation's Chorus" [Todd Fields] "Happy Day" [Tim Hughes] "Lamb of God" [Bill Horn] "You Never Let Go" [Matt and Beth Redman] "I Want to Love You" [Todd Fields] "True Love" [Phil Wickham]
This morning, Pastor Jay spoke about the times when it's difficult to love God. A great message, coming primarily from Jeremiah. In talking with him, we both agreed that suffering, hurt, and frustration are part of life, even the Christian life. It just seems like Western Christianity has forgotten that fact, and as a result, does not know how to deal with it. Jay's message was right on target on the subject, and I think some people really poured out some of their hurts to the Lord this morning, which was a beautiful thing to witness. People were saved, and we worshiped with our hearts. What more can you ask?
"Salvation's Chorus" has so much energy. I'm really enjoying that song and its message lately. We tried one of my originals, "Lamb of God," in a different key, Ab, which is a half-step lower than our usual key. It had a more somber tone to it, and the vocal felt much more natural there. The key of G was just too low, so we struck a perfect balance there. I think it will stay there in the future and when it's recorded. "You Never Let Go" was a great fit with Jay's message, and it communicates our confidence in God in such a beautiful way. I love that song. "You Are" is another great rocker by Todd Fields, and has a very bold lyric ("You are God, Jesus/ Majesty/ You are life, Jesus/ Saving me/ You are King, Jesus/ All will see that You are God"), which I feel the Church really needs to sing. We often don't go far enough in describing the deity of Christ. Jesus is God, and that is a truth that we need to declare together! Very few songs declare this truth so clearly, and I think that is why I enjoy this song so much.
It was a great day today.We fought with the click a little bit because of some noise in the in-ear channels, but we'll get it figured out. I love worshiping with my band. They are so talented, and they love to be a part of leading the church into God's presence. They are a dream come true for me, and I am so thankful for them.
Check out other worship leaders' set lists and Sunday confessionals at Fred McKinnon's site, The Worship Community.
FINANCIAL INTEGRITY: The FBI is warning of several Haiti charity scams that have popped up in the wake of this earthquake. http://www.cnn.com/2010/LIVING/wayoflife/01/13/haiti.charity.scams/
They are suggesting that donations only be made to organizations monitored and rated by CharityNavigator.org and The American Institute of Philanthropy. Both organizations have given Compassion International their highest approval ranking. Compassion International is the only non-profit in it’s category to receive eight consecutive years of four star rating from CharityNavigator.org.
Links regarding Compassion International’s financial integrity:
FIRST RESPONDER: In this disaster it is crucial that first responders receive support quickly. Because Compassion International ministers through local churches to meet the needs of that church’s neighbors, and because these church partners are respected aid workers in their communities, Compassion is uniquely positioned to assess and meet the needs of it’s sponsored children quickly. This is an advantage of our church-based model in practice for more than 50 years.
IN JESUS’ NAME: Compassion International does not accept government funds which could at times restrict our ability to meet the physical and spiritual needs of children in Jesus’ name. Because of this Compassion International’s primary financial support comes from individual donors.
All funds raised in response to the Haiti earthquake will be used immediately to provide for Compassion-assisted children and families affected by this crisis. Any funds raised in excess will be stewarded by Compassion for additional and future disaster relief efforts.
You can provide immediate relief today.
THANK YOU FOR TAKING TIME TO READ THIS.
BILL
This morning, we had our first really "good" morning of the year. People were back from vacation or Christmas break, and there was energy in the room! I felt really good about how everything went, and we only had a few hiccups along the way. We introduced Phil Wickham's "True Love," which is a fantastic song with a fantastic lyric. It provides a beautiful summation of the gospel, and it is done in a very fresh and thought-provoking way. If you haven't heard it, you need to.
We also brought back a newer song that we taught a few months back, "Salvation's Chorus," off of North Point Live's Louder Than Creation. This is a fantastic lyric with solid, up tempo music. I love this song, even though I get tied in knots trying to keep the lyric straight! I love remembering the idea that the redeemed believers are the only ones who can sing that song to God, not even the angels really get it!
"Let Me Sing" has become one of my favorite songs. The chorus sings: "Let me sing/ Louder than creation to You/ for the pain You bore in Your body/ to bring my soul to You." I love the clear statement about how Christ suffered for us, to bring us to God. Beautiful!
Anyway, here's the set:
"Kingdom" (A) - Kristian Stanfill "Salvation's Chorus" (A) - Todd Fields "Glory to God Forever" (A) - Fee "Mighty to Save" (A) - Reuben Morgan, Ben Fielding "True Love" (C) - Phil Wickham Response: "Nothing But the Blood (Your Blood)" (B) - Matt Redman "Let Me Sing" (Bb) - Todd Fields
It was a great morning of worship, paired with Pastor Jay's message answering the rest of the 48 questions about Hell. It was powerful stuff. There were several people who came forward at the end of the service to profess their new faith in Jesus Christ. Lots of new life around our church. It's a beautiful thing.
Be sure to check out other worship leaders' set lists and comments at Fred McKinnon's Worship Community.
Glory to God!
Bill