Converge 2012 – One Heart, One Voice

It’s been a pretty full-on couple of months for me helping out with the Converge organising committee. Never in my life would I have thought that I’d be trying to bring in worship teams from all over the city for the one purpose of exalting the name of Jesus over our City. There have been […]

Authenticity Attracts

Here is another brilliant thought from Pastor Benny Ho’s sermon yesterday at Faith Community Church: Authentic people attract. Weird people distract. And he was talking about the church! I think we’ve all seen our fair share of weird Christians. I certainly have, especially because in most of my early years growing up in the church, […]

The Art of Midflight Song Changes

This post (like the previous one) was also inspired by my emerging worship leader friend whilst unwinding after a game of tennis. He made the remark that he really doesn’t like it when worship leaders make a habit out of changing songs at the last minute (e.g. on the morning of the worship service). I […]

Worship Leaders Who Talk Too Much

I had just finished a couple of hours of tennis with some friends of mine, some of whom actively serve in church worship. One of the guys (a young, upcoming worship leader) made the observation that sometimes, worship leaders spend too much time talking at the start of the service. In fact, he said, at […]

In Christ Alone

Darkness. Doubt. Fear. Broken promises? Death. Silence…. Stillness. And then the stone moved. Light came bursting forth from darkness! Silence was broken with angelic shouts of victory! Promises fulfilled. Hope replaces despair. Doubt to faith. Fear to freedom. Death to life. Jesus is not here. He is risen! See the place where they laid Him. Those […]

God Works Great Miracles When Things Seem the Most Hopeless

I don’t think God’s ever had a day when He thought “well, I never saw that one coming”. Even though we may have. Even though things seem messy. And uncertain. And hopeless. Andy Stanley writes: If we asked Jesus’ disciples months after he was crucified what their darkest moment had been following Jesus and when […]

Worship/Idolatory

St Augustine: Idolatry is worshipping anything that ought to be used, or using anything that ought to be worshipped. As worship ministers, this is something which we are especially prone to – worshipping the music and the musicianship rather than using the music to worship God. It’s a fine line which is easily crossed if […]

Christ’s Sacrifice, God’s Masterpieces

I read this recently which really spoke to me about how we, as a Christian community, ought to treat our fellow believers. It’s by John Burke (pastor of Gateway Church) in an essay entitled “God is For You” in Craig Groeschel (ed) What is God Really Like (pp 68ff): Jesus gave his life so that […]

Heavenly Commission

David Livingstone said: If a commission by an earthly king is considered an honour, how can a commission by a Heavenly King be considered a sacrifice? That’s a profound thought, isn’t it? Sometimes, we serve God as if our sacrifice can somehow be held to the same light as His. Juanita Bynum once said something […]

Blessings Reel – March 2012

Psalm 23:5-6 says: You prepare a table before me in the presence of my enemies. You anoint my head with oil; my cup overflows. Surely your goodness and love will follow me all the days of my life. The Message versions says His “beauty and love chase after me every day of my life!” What […]