God wants us to remember
When I meet with young worship leaders, I ask them to recount their testimony. It’s concerning how many leaders don’t remember when they became a believer in Jesus Christ as their Savior.  Instead, their reality is as if just growing up in a Christian family makes someone a Christian. This gives me the opportunity to share the gospel or ask questions to help them narrow down the time and place of their salvation. It is critically important for all of us to remember when Jesus called us to follow Him. When did you answer the Holy Spirit’s call to follow Jesus? I would love to have you share your story in the comments.
Next, I ask ministry leaders when God called them to ministry. Ministry is something you do because you are called by God and you can do nothing else, because it is vital work God prepares and calls people for. When young leaders know the time and place of their calling, I urge them to write it down and tell the story to others. If they remember it, they are more likely to stay and finish the work God has started in them. We all need to be reminded of Philippians 1:6:
“For I am confident of this very thing, that He who began a good work in you 
will perfect it until the day of Christ Jesus.”
Examples from the Bible
Scripture is full of examples of men and women God called to do His work. For examples, let’s look at Noah from the Old Testament and Peter from the New Testament. 
Noah - In Genesis 6, God called on Noah to build a giant boat, fill it with animals, his family and food, because it was going to rain.  The earth would flood and mankind would be slaughtered. That’s a crazy calling, but Noah obeyed God. Hebrews 11:7 says, 
“By faith Noah, being warned by God concerning events as yet unseen, in reverent 
fear constructed an ark for the saving of his household. By this he condemned the 
world and became an heir of the righteousness that comes by faith.”
It took Noah many years to build the ark for an event that nobody had ever seen before. He was to do an unbelievable task for God in a godless land. He would have been doubted and scoffed at every day. Can you imagine what it would have been like to spend your lifetime building a giant boat for a catastrophe that nobody could ever imagine happening? Yet, Noah’s faith in the living God gave him the strength and the focus to do God’s will. Noah fulfilled his calling.
Peter - One of the most controversial moves in the book of Acts was when the gospel moves from the Jews to the Gentiles. At the beginning, the new Christ followers believed one had to be a Jew to follow Jesus, because Jesus was a Jew. That was never God’s plan, so would the disciples be willing to take the gospel to the Gentiles? In Acts 10, God is speaking to a centurion named Cornelius and the apostle Peter. Cornelius sees an angel in a vision who tells him to send some of his men to get Peter, because he has a message for him. The next day, when the men were approaching Peter’s city, he went on the rooftop to pray. While waiting for food, he fell into a trance: “He (Peter) saw heaven opened and something like a large sheet being let down to earth by its four corners. It contained all kinds of four-footed animals, as well as reptiles and birds. Then a voice told him, “Get up, Peter. Kill and eat.” “Surely not, Lord!” Peter replied. “I have never eaten anything impure or unclean.” The voice spoke to him a second time, “Do not call anything impure that God has made clean.” This happened three times, and immediately the sheet was taken back to heaven.” (Acts 10:11-16). The vision was a challenge to Peter to include those who were thought to be unclean in the kingdom of God. Jesus has broken down the walls that have divided us. Peter went with Cornelius’ men and Cornelius and all his household were saved. Peter heard the call to minister to the Gentiles and answered the call to serve God (also see Acts 15:6). Peter served God to the end.
To quote a Starr “It don’t come easy…”
Being in ministry is not for the faint-of-heart. Whether it’s a full-time job, volunteer passion, or somewhere in between, it’s hard work. There are hours of planning: fitting songs together by themes, keys and styles; putting the right band members together (if there is a band); staffing the tech team (sound, lights, computer, presentation software).  A worship leader’s job is never done, and it seems the minute Sunday morning is in the rearview mirror, one person’s complaint can knock the wind right out of you. Why do we let that happen?
This week-to-week grind is a reality for everyone in ministry, including the criticism that comes with it. We let the opinions of others gnaw at us until one day we question our call or even our very relationship with the living God. Satan uses the everyday grind to chip away at our calling, and sometimes he’s successful.
Answering the call
You’ve probably heard how trials are compared to gold being heated over a fire. As the gold heats up (the trial) it melts and the impurities (sin) rise up and are scooped off, leaving pure gold (a better relationship with God). The last time I heard that illustration, it occurred to me that “ministry” could replace “trials.” Ministry has been harder than any trial I’ve had, but it’s been more purifying. I’ve been in ministry for 43 years and in pastoral ministry for 33 years. Over those years, the ministry fire has heated up many times and the dross has been cleared off. Ministry is purifying, indeed. My challenge for young leaders is to stay in ministry. If you get out, you don’t purify to the point where you reflect the face of Jesus. Don’t ever give up. The goal is to finish well. 
“His master replied, “Well done, good and faithful servant! You have been faithful 
with a few things; I will put you in charge of many things. Come and share your 
master’s happiness!” Matthew 25:21
We’re Here to Help
Please contact me at pastorjeff@arizonaschoolofworship.com for information on mentoring, coaching or if you need a worship consultant for your church. I’m also here if you feel like giving up. It’s much better to stay.

12-23–24

What you are about to read is not entirely mine.  All of what follows is based on the devotional readings I have come to cherish from a book called, “At His Feet” by Chris Tiegreen.  He has written several other books, and I encourage you to check them out.

Today’s devotional is the fifth of a 5-day miniseries Tiegreen titled, “Fulfilling…”. The whole miniseries is based on John 17, Jesus’ high priestly prayer.  I hope you are as encouraged as I have been by these 5 days, and I hope you take the time to dig deeper.
Day 5 - Fulfilling His GloryJohn 17:20-25
What an appropriate season to reflect on the glory of Jesus!  “Our great honor lies in being just what Jesus was and is.  What greater glory could come to any man?” -A.W. Tozer
What was Jesus? A tiny human, born from a human.  A human boy and man, engaging in being fully human.  Yet, the conception and birth of Jesus was a “divine spectacle” for all mankind to know and for believers to “participate in its heavenly celebration.”  Jesus’ growth in stature and maturity was also a spectacle to behold for those privileged to witness it. And whether His contemporaries realized it or not, they were seeing His glory and graciously sharing in it.  Reading the high priestly prayer through the lens of Christmas invites the life, earthly ministry, death, resurrection and ascension of Christ right into the manger.  It all goes together. We don’t have Christmas without Easter and we don’t have Easter without Christmas. Do you suppose Jesus reflected on His birth, and the glory it gave to God, as He was praying this prayer?  I think it’s safe to speculate that this earnest prayer for His disciples and the wider world must have included snapshots in His mind of the whole of His life, including all of the events and relationships that built it.  Now He is that Son of Man, ready to take on death, the requirement for mankind to share in His glory - that glory "that the Father gave Him.”  “Unworthy as we are…we are called by His name and filled with His Spirit…as a further display of Who He is for the sake of all creation to see.”
“What a privilege!” Thank God for that privilege today.


At His Feet by Chris Tiegreen, September 1, p. 244.

Thanksgiving Devotional 2024

I have taken a break from the “Fulfilling” series to focus on another devotional by Chris Tiegreen centering around Thanksgiving.  In his entry titled, “Eternal Food,” Tiegreen digs deep into John 6:26-27.  The context is the conversation Jesus is having with the crowd who went looking for Him after His departure from them.  My Bible (NIV) titles this section, “Jesus the Bread of Life,” and for good reason.  In His short monologue in verses 26 & 27, Jesus ties in the people’s memory of the recent miracle of the feeding of the 5,000 to explain the difference between physical food that temporarily satisfies and eternal food that eternally satisfies. (“Do not work for food that spoils, but for food that endures to eternal life, which the Son of Man will give you.” v. 27).  Obviously, Jesus is not suggesting that people do not work so that they can eat.  He knows by experience that physical food keeps people alive. No, the point He is making is that as the people had their fill of food, their thoughts should also focus on the “greater blessing” of being satisfied with the food Jesus provides that lasts forever.  There were many in the crowd who followed Jesus, just as “looky-loos”- those whose interest in Him and His miracles ended with only curiosity.  He took the time to connect their experiential interest (being fed) to reveal their need of salvation through Himself, the Eternal Bread of Life.  No wonder people have called our Lord a “master teacher.”  One of the basic principles of teaching effectively, is utilizing the pupil’s frame of reference/life experience to make a connection to a new concept.  This is an example of how Jesus did that exceptionally well.  And Jesus’ motivation behind it all was (and is) His desperate desire that men follow Him.  In another attempt to help the people see that He was the Messiah among them, He appeals to their knowledge of God the Father, Who has put His “seal of approval” on Jesus. (v.27).
May we, like Jesus, pray that “everyone - believer and unbeliever will gaze at the gift of salvation and say, ‘That’s what my heart really desired all along.’”  So, how do we cultivate this perspective in our lives?  Thankfulness.  It’s one thing to go around our Thanksgiving tables, once a year, and have each person recite what they are thankful for, but it is quite another thing to daily “really see the difference” between temporary gratitude for things that don’t last, and eternal gratitude for what does last…the gift of salvation in Jesus Christ.  Meditate on that with your family this Thanksgiving.

11-16–24

What you are about to read is not entirely mine.  All of what follows is based on the devotional readings I have come to cherish from a book called, “At His Feet” by Chris Tiegreen.  He has written several other books, and I encourage you to check them out.

Today’s devotional is the fourth of a 5-day miniseries Tiegreen titled, “Fulfilling…”. The whole miniseries is based on John 17, Jesus’ high priestly prayer.  I hope you are as encouraged as I have been by these 5 days, and I hope you take the time to dig deeper.
Day 4 - Fulfilling His JoyJohn 17:13-19
Day 3, Fulfilling His Fellowship, centered around the holy, living, eternal Name of God. Jesus’ desire and prayer for the unity of His disciples can be backed by no other than The Name.
Fulfilling His joy is in tandem with the joy of the disciples being fulfilled. In verse 13, we get a front row seat witnessing Jesus’ expression of His heartfelt desire that his guys would have the “full measure” of His joy.  As in the previous devotional days of this theme of fulfillment, I am again struck by the desperation and intensity in the appeals Jesus makes to His Father for the well-being of His closest companions.  And we can make the same assumption about ourselves.  Our mission, our prayers, our fellowship, and our joy are covered by the triumphant work of Jesus!  His death, to eradicate the power of sin, is the ultimate act of love for us. Jesus also intends for His joy to be present in the disciples “even while the world hates them.”  Jesus made that clear to the 12, and He has made it clear to us (John 16:33) as we have trouble in this world.
A great question to ponder frequently is, “Do our own failures convince us that we are outside of the gospel of joy?”  Ouch!  That one stung me.  If the answer is yes, then we have taken our eyes off of the “Christ who has overcome the world.”  “God does not offer us joy without a concrete basis for it.”  And what is that concrete basis?  The joy of the very One Who gives it to us.
“The opposite of joy is not sorrow.  It is unbelief.” -Leslie Weatherhead

At His Feet by Chris Tiegreen, August 31, p. 243.

10-16–24

What you are about to read is not entirely mine.  All of what follows is based on the devotional readings I have come to cherish from a book called, “At His Feet” by Chris Tiegreen.  He has written several other books, and I encourage you to check them out.

Today’s devotional is the third of a 5-day miniseries Tiegreen titled, “Fulfilling…”. The whole miniseries is based on John 17, Jesus’ high priestly prayer.  I hope you are as encouraged as I have been by these 5 days, and I hope you take the time to dig deeper.
Day 3 - Fulfilling His FellowshipJohn 17:6-12
Days 1 and 2, Fulfilling His Mission, and Fulfilling His Prayers, respectively, emphasized the model Jesus gives us to stay on mission, and stay in constant communication with God, through prayer.
Tiegreen stays with Day 2’s verses (6-12) of John 17 for this third entry.  These verses are rich with evidence of the care and concern Jesus displays with the Father for His disciples.  Verses 6-8 confirm the transformation the 11 experienced as they heard the words from Jesus that were given Him by God, Himself.  They accepted and obeyed God’s word, they “knew with certainty" that Jesus was sent from God.  What follows is no casual request on Jesus’ part.  The unity of the disciples is critical as Jesus’ earthly time draws to a close, and it is the name of God that seals that unity (v. 11). And Jesus desires that unity for us today.  When we end our prayers with, “…in Jesus’ name,” are we aware just how powerful a force that is?  Where does that power come from?  It is a reflection of the same power that unites the Godhead (v. 11 “…so that they may be one as we are one.”).  Here are my thoughts from my journal as I reflected on this passage:  In today’s entry I have come, yet again, to the reality (yet, still a mystery) of the gift of the Holy Spirit.  Of all things that still humble me and present the awe of a loving, relational God, it is the Spirit.  Time and again, I try to comprehend that the same Spirit that bonds me to God and to others is what bonds the Trinity!  The Spirit hasn’t changed in all of eternity, but the Spirit lives in me.  
There is a message here as well, for the church.  Unity that is threatened within a church or the Church universal, is but illusory.  It is the work of the enemy of God, and it is his top priority.  “That we allow him to do so indicates our lack of understanding of John 17.  We permit the appearance of divisions where we cannot in fact be divided.  The body of Christ is an organic whole.  It cannot truly be divided,” because of the Spirit.  Today, pray that all of your relationships, especially those bound to you by God’s Spirit, are united.  Pray that your choices within those relationships will promote unity.  At His Feet by Chris Tiegreen, August 30, p. 242.

9-21-24

What you are about to read is not entirely mine.  All of what follows is based on the devotional readings I have come to cherish from a book called, “At His Feet” by Chris Tiegreen.  He has written several other books, and I encourage you to check them out.

Today’s devotional is the second of a 5-day miniseries Tiegreen titled, “Fulfilling…”. The whole miniseries is based on John 17, Jesus’ high priestly prayer.  I hope you are as encouraged as I have been by these 5 days, and I hope you take the time to dig deeper.

Day 2 - Fulfilling His Prayers John 17:6-12

Last time, in Day 1, Fulfilling His Mission, we began by exploring the importance of praying for yourself at the outset of your prayer time, remembering that if Jesus found it necessary to appeal to His Father about Himself first, in this most critical of prayers we see from Him, why not me?

Now the work of prayer is ready to include others.  In verses 6-12, Jesus prays for His disciples. “I am not praying for the world, but for those You have given me, for they are Yours.” (v.9) Jesus is explicit about this segment of his prayer centering specifically around the 12 men (11 without Judas) with whom He has spent almost every waking moment for the last 3 years.  He has seen their every reaction and response to His words, actions and silence, much of which brought them to acceptance of Jesus as the Savior, but also represented great confusion among them.  No wonder He prays out of a heart of burden for them.  Reading through this passage through the lens of Christ’s compassionate plea to the Father about these men, gives me a fresh perspective on two things: The close bond Jesus had with the 12 and His deep concern that they thrive after He leaves them; and Jesus, alone, reveals God to us (v.6). Jesus’ closeness with his band of brothers shows up in his knowledge that “the fate of the world is dependent on the faith of those who have followed Him.”  (And Jesus’ prayers are not “scattershot, hoping to hit God’s target,” because neither was His mission, the subject of Day 1).  And the irony about the Son of Man exclusively having the power to reveal God the Father to these 12 is that there was actually a need for these Jewish men to have God revealed to them!  They thought they knew God, but they didn’t.  Jesus had to reveal the Father, a bit at a time, through Himself.

We are no different.  “The gospel mission of the Son of God is still dependent on the disciples He has called.” That’s you and me. And we are not alone.  “The exalted Savior still makes intercession on our behalf at the throne of the Father.” “The Son of God does not have unanswered prayers.”  Rest in that today.

Credit: Chris Tiegreen, At His Feet, p. 241, August 29

9-4-24

What you are about to read is not entirely mine.  All of what follows is based on the devotional readings I have come to cherish from a book called, “At His Feet” by Chris Tiegreen.  He has written several other books, and I encourage you to check them out.

Today’s devotional, my first of hopefully many, is the first in a 5-day miniseries Tiegreen titled “Fulfilling…”. The whole miniseries is based on John 17, Jesus’ high priestly prayer.  I hope you are as encouraged as I have been by these 5 days, and I hope you take the time to dig deeper.
Day 1 - Fulfilling His MissionJohn 17:1-5
Jesus prays for Himself.  Have you ever been taught that it’s selfish to pray for yourself before you pray for others?  I have, and I never really embraced and applied that concept to my prayer time.  My rationale for praying for myself first is that I must come to God as a sinner, in need of renewed, holy thinking before I bring the needs of others to Him.  I don’t see that as selfish, I see it as proactive, surrendering my agenda for myself and others, so that nothing hinders my prayers.  If Jesus found it necessary to appeal to His Father about Himself first, in this most critical of prayers we see from Him, why not me?
These opening five verses of John 17 are Jesus’ mission statement, not declaring what He will do (as modern organizational and personal mission statements do) but declaring what He has done.  The previous chapter (16) narrates the final words Jesus said to His disciples, which is critical to understanding chapter 17.  In 17:1-5 His work on earth is done; He fulfilled His mission.  And now He turns His attention to His Father.
(Note: (v. 1-3) Have you ever wondered why Jesus refers to Himself in the 3rd person?  I spent some time on this and didn’t find a whole lot of helpful commentary.  My opinion is that for this moment that Jesus is appealing to the Father on His own behalf, He is mentally stepping back as fully human, objectively declaring His part in the Trinity as Christ, the One Who saves.  It’s as if His human side is compelled to say out loud that what is to come…His death and resurrection…needs resolution.)
v.4 - Again, praying this prayer helps Jesus seal His mission to be the ultimate, last sacrifice for mankind.  And it all results in glory to God.  Jesus brought glory to God with His work on earth, and now He asks God to glorify Him/return Him to His former glory (v.5).  Staying on mission is what brought Jesus to this point.  We must also stay on mission, each one of us with the specific plan God is working out in our lives.  That’s not easy to carry out, but Jesus is our example.  During His earthly ministry, Jesus constantly left people behind who weren’t healed, didn’t respond favorably to every request, or stay busy for the sake of busyness.  He was laser focused on His mission.  How about you and me?  Do we choose to spend our time based on a focused vision of what God wants to do through us?  That’s hard to answer, but I know for sure what it won’t mean.  It won’t mean that we’re everywhere or everything that others expect of us.  It won’t mean that we worked so hard that we’re sure we managed to accomplish God’s will sometime during all our activity, although we’re not sure when. It won’t mean that we addressed every situation for which we felt sympathy, or gave to every organization that said they needed our financial help (not even ASOW!).  May we be single-minded for the goal of discerning God’s will for our lives and devoting ourselves to accomplishing it by the power of the Holy Spirit.
Credit: Chris Tiegreen, At His Feet, p. 240, August 28

I recently heard a podcast with some old guys (Ok, they were my age) grumping about people changing hymns. The big complaint was that young songwriters were adding choruses and bridges to their beloved hymns. Before I get into the meat of things I need to say, I love these brothers. I listen to this podcast twice per week and will continue, but since we all have blindspots, and mine are bigger than most, I am also not an expert hymnologist. There are people with education degrees in hymnology, and I am at my core a former punk rock drummer who has had the honor of leading God’s people in worship since 1991 as a pastor and before that in many different situations since I was in high school. I’ve been around the block a time or two.
There are benefits to singing hymns, but with that we have to understand that just because a hymn is old, that doesn’t make it good. There are some bad hymns. There are also some hymns that are solid theologically that are difficult to play with a worship team. The melody won’t work if the chords are simplified. The “go to” hymns that we use for memorials and church services when someone says, “we have to have a hymn,” are typically “Amazing Grace” and “How Great Thou Art”. These two hymns are easy for a worship team to play, have solid theology, and they are easy to sing. Like these two, there are many hymns that will work in a contemporary setting. Thanks to Don Chapman with Hymn charts and Nathan Drake with Reawaken Hymns there are a lot more to choose from.
Let's address adding choruses and bridges to hymns. First, hymns have changed throughout the years. Many were written hundreds of years ago, at a time in which the writers didn’t have the ability to record them.  And over time the melodies have changed. I do agree that we should keep to the known melody, but I recognize that lyrically hymns are not scripture and should not be treated as such. To be clear, the gentlemen on the podcast were not saying that hymns are equated with scripture, but I have had many a discussion with people who want to make hymns as sacred as scripture. Secondly, there is an advantage to adding a chorus or bridge to a hymn. These additions should connect the theology of the hymn from the head to the heart of a worship song. 
One way to do that is through a mashup or a medley: Put a worship song the church knows with a hymn to help the church see the hymn in a new light. Paul Baloche does a fantastic job of that with Christmas hymns. A great example is “It Came Upon a Midnight Clear” and “Glorious”. The two songs flow together and singing “Glorious” lifts up our worship and praise to the good news of the birth of our Lord. The trick is to use songs that  complement each other, lyrically and musically, which is not always doable.
'Let the word of Christ dwell in you richly, teaching and admonishing one another in all wisdom, singing psalms and hymns and spiritual songs, with thankfulness in your hearts to God.’  Colossians 3:16
I am thankful that we can have different opinions in the body of Christ and still love each other. 

It’s easy to talk negatively about people in public. There is something about it that just seems natural. It’s the old “Misery loves company” deal. When we are having a tough time with people we want to hear that others are struggling, too. First thing to consider here is that this activity is sin. Proves 16:28 says, “A perverse man sows strife, And a whisperer separates the best of friends.” We are to stay away from speaking negatively of others. We really need to do the opposite, speak positively about others. This is much harder, but works wonders in relationships.

There are two people in your church who you must speak positively about. By the way, these are not in order of importance.

First, always say positive things in public about your Senior/Lead Pastor. I know I have had disagreements with senior leaders, but I haven’t aired my disagreements in public. There are times where it is hard and I can’t claim to be perfect on this one, but you must do your best to keep positive in public and work out your disagreements in private. If there isn’t unity in the church leadership, it is difficult for the church to continue to grow. Truth be told, disunity often causes church splits. Every church has people who are discontent with the way things are run. If they sense a divide in the leadership, they will find the weakness and try to split the leadership to get there way. Stay unified with your senior leadership. Go out of your way to talk about the great things he/she is doing for the church. I’m not telling to lie, but say the things that are true. As you are doing this you need to work toward understanding in private. You don’t have to agree on everything, but you do have to understand and support your Senior/Lead Pastor. If you can’t do that, it’s time for another job. God would not want you to split the church.

The second person in your church you must speak positively in public is your spouse, if you have one. I hear about more affairs in the music ministry than any other part of the church. There is an intimacy that is built up between team members when we sing together. When we worship together we often feel “closer” than we really are. There is a bonding that can be inappropriate. We need to fight against the appearance or even the accusation of an affair with all we have. This is a spiritual battle and the forces of darkness love to take out the worship guy or gal. Think about all the people who would be effected if you cheated on your spouse. It’s too many to count. Do not talk about your marital problems in public or with anyone who isn't helping you work through it. Especially with someone of the opposite gender. It’s not being secretive, it’s just none of anyone else business. Building up your spouse in public does a couple of things. First, it declares to the world that we are off limits. There are those who long to be with a person who has power and they think a ministry leader has just that…POWER. We know that isn’t true. The only power we have comes from Jesus. Second, it reminds you just how much you love your spouse. There is something about saying how much you appreciate your spouse out loud that gives life to your words. When we dwell on the good things your love for your spouse grows.
Today, I giving you an assignment. List three things you appreciate about your senior/lead pastor. Make a list and memorize it. Make a second list with things you appreciate about your spouse. Now, talk about those things to your team. Do it now.

The ONE Thing Worship Leaders Must Do…Lead Worship

A Worship Leader’s job is to lead worship, but what if you just don’t feel like it? Leading worship for a congregation is an important job. It has been said that a visitor to a church will decide in less than 11 minutes if they will ever come back to the church or not. That’s an old stat, it’s much shorter than that. In most churches, that means this determination is done during the opening song of the service. Yes, the job of a worship leader is important for this and many reasons. As a Worship Leader, what do you do if you just don’t feel like you can lead worship? Maybe you are ill or feeling down. Maybe you got in a fight with your spouse on the way to church, or had a blowup with someone on the worship team. What do you do?

The challenge is to lead worship as if nothing is wrong. I can hear the question, “If I do that I’m not being an authentic worshiper.” Yes, you are and here is why. Worship is not about you, it is about God. It doesn’t matter how you feel or what you are going through, God is still the same and worthy of worship. If we don’t worship Him the Bible tells us in Luke 19:40 “I tell you that if these (Jesus’ disciples) should keep silent, the stones would immediately cry out.” God will be worshiped, will you be willing to step outside your problems and do it? When you are feeling like you just can’t lead worship, here are some things to think about.

The following is from christianity.com article written by Chip Ingram

• God is above all things and before all things. He is the alpha and the omega, the beginning and the end. He is immortal, and He is present everywhere so that everyone can know Him (Revelation 21:6).
• God created all things and holds all things together, both in heaven and on earth, both visible and invisible (Colossians 1:16).
• God knows all things past, present, and future. There is no limit to His knowledge, for God knows everything completely before it even happens (Romans 11:33).
• God can do all things and accomplish all things. Nothing is too difficult for Him, and He orchestrates and determines everything that is going to happen in your life, in my life, in America, and throughout the world. Whatever He wants to do in the universe, He does, for nothing is impossible with Him (Jeremiah 32:17).
• God is in control of all things and rules over all things. He has power and authority over nature, earthly kings, history, angels, and demons. Even Satan himself has to ask God’s permission before he can act (Psalm 103:19).
• That’s what being sovereign means. It means being the ultimate source of all power, authority, and everything that exists. Only God can make those claims; therefore, it’s God’s sovereignty that makes Him superior to all other gods and makes Him, and Him alone, worthy of worship.

There are times to step away from leading worship, but make sure it’s for the right reason. I’ve had multiple chronic illnesses since 2001 and have continued to serve as worship pastor, mentor, trainer and coach. I have been on church staff and part time as a church planting team member. God has called me to serve him and clearly did not give me an “out” when the road got tough. I have tried to remember that my life, my calling and my job is to worship God. If I worship God with my life it’s easier to lead God’s people in worship, even if I don’t feel like it.

In the future, I’ll share the moment God called me to serve Him as a Worship Pastor. It was a moment I will never forget.