Sunday Setlist 07.31.11

Setlist with itunes links:
Hosanna (Praise is Rising)
Our God
Everlasting God
Kingdom Come


Flow Sheet from Planning Center

Also part of Sunday Setlist.

Book Review - The Millennials

The Millennials by Thom and Jess Rainer

Watch out world...here comes the Millennials. The Millenial generation spans from those born from 1980-2000. This book is a study of around 1,500 Millennials born from 1980-1990. These are the current 20-30 year olds in our society. As a church leader, I've been looking forward to reading this book.
I have a huge heart and burden for the unchurched of our culture and the Millennials are easily the most unchurched generation in history.
I think Thom and Jess did a great job in taking a pretty unbiased survey of this generation. It definitely had a Christian slant, naturally, but it felt real. I appreciated the hope that it revealed and, more importantly, the challenge at the end of the book to the Church.

The Millennials are coming! Are we ready for them?

Great job, Thom and Jess Rainer! This was a very challenging book that church leaders need to read.

Follow @TheMillennials on Twitter to see some quotes from the book.

3:16 THURSDAY::::week seventeen

3:16 Thursdays is a series of blog posts focusing on the 3:16 passages throughout the Bible that have really stuck out to me in my studies from Genesis to Revelation.

Colossians 3:16(niv)

"Let the message of Christ dwell among you richly as you teach and admonish one another with all wisdom through psalms, hymns, and songs from the Spirit, singing to God with gratitude in your hearts."

Pure instruction for the Church.

Word Wednesday .::155

Word Wednesday is posted every Wednesday. Each week I post a scripture that I've read that week that has spoken to me in a fresh way. I believe that if we read God's Word every day, He will give us at least one scripture every week that will impact us. Sharing Scripture with each other is like iron sharpening iron. Leave a comment and share a scripture that has impacted you this week.

Here's the scripture that stuck this week:

Mark 2:17 NIV

"On hearing this, Jesus said to them, “It is not the healthy who need a doctor, but the sick. I have not come to call the righteous, but sinners.”

Jesus always brings us into proper perspective. Perspective is vital.

What's your Word?

Sunday Setlist 07.24.11

Setlist with itunes links:
Jesus Saves
For the Glory of the Father
Uncreated One
In Christ Alone
Here I Am to Worship
Mystery
Christ is Risen
Up From the Grave

Flow Sheet from Planning Center

Also part of Sunday Setlist.

3:16 THURSDAY::::week sixteen

3:16 Thursdays is a series of blog posts focusing on the 3:16 passages throughout the Bible that have really stuck out to me in my studies from Genesis to Revelation.

Philippians 3:16(niv)

"Only let us live up to what we have already attained."

People get derailed in their faith, because they lose sight of the truth. As Christians, we have already attained the Truth: Jesus. There's nothing better to live for.

Word Wenesday .::154

Word Wednesday is posted every Wednesday. Each week I post a scripture that I've read that week that has spoken to me in a fresh way. I believe that if we read God's Word every day, He will give us at least one scripture every week that will impact us. Sharing Scripture with each other is like iron sharpening iron. Leave a comment and share a scripture that has impacted you this week.

Here's the scripture that stuck this week:

Matthew 23:25 NIV

"Woe to you, teachers of the law and Pharisees, you hypocrites! You clean the outside of the cup and dish, but inside they are full of greed and self-indulgence."

Wow. Unfortunately, I cannot read this portion of Jesus' teaching without thinking of the attitude in the churches I grew up in. I'm not bashing. It is what it was. There was a lot of cleaning on the outside, but very little cleaning on the inside. God looks to the heart. Spiritual growth happens from the inside out, not the outside in.

What's your Word?

Sunday Setlist 07.17.11

Setlist with itunes links:
Holy
The Earth is Yours
All Glory
Keep the Faith

Flow Sheet from Planning Center

Also part of Sunday Setlist.

The Following Leader

STANDING BEHIND YOUR LEADER
WITHOUT LOSING YOUR VISION

"Dissatisfaction and discouragement are not caused by the absence of things, but the absence of vision." -Anonymous

What is the primary thing that makes a leader?

Followers.

Someone who claims to be a leader, yet has no one following them is just taking a walk by him or herself.

A leader will always have a following. A leader has vision. The best leaders facilitate following leaders who also have vision. These leaders have not only led others, but empowered others. They are not insecure, and therefore power-hungry. They understand that if what they are leading is to be great, it has to be bigger than them. The only way to make something live beyond you is to train up and mentor future leaders.

But what about those who are being mentored and following this leadership? What is their role? How are they supposed to lead when they still have a leader?

I've watched and worked with leaders who have gone down dark paths, because they either weren't taught how to be a following leader or they were just purely selfish. One thing is certain: Before you can lead, you must learn to follow.

I've been blessed to be under a leader who is definitely my authority, yet he allows me to bring some vision to the table. Not everyone is under a leader that empowers them, but everyone who is under a leader has a responsibility to that leadership.

So, how do those following leaders lead under authority without losing their vision?

Here's some things I've learned as a following leader:

Appreciate your Role
What is your role and purpose? More than likely, someone has put you under their authority to fulfill a role. Do that role well. You accepted the role, so own it. Be the best you can be. Your leader should never have to worry about motivating you to fulfill the responsibility that you have agreed to. Usually when people become less than satisfactory in their position, that person has lost the passion for that position. They either need to reclaim that passion or move on. It's not fair to those that you serve, if your heart is not in it. When we quit appreciating our role, we're cheating ourselves and those that benefit from it.

Be Loyal to Your Leader
When I accepted my first position at a church, my Dad's main advice was to be loyal to my leader at all times. Loyalty is all about being on the same team. Loyalty is not about agreeing. It's about support. It's perfectly fine and normal to disagree with your leader at times, but the moment you start telling people about your disagreement, you become disloyal. That disagreement should be between you and your leader. As a following leader, we should be loyal to our leader, even if they're a jerk. It's your choice to remain under that authority. If you can't be loyal, get out of there. Loyalty will open doors for you to be a leader. Your leader will be more receptive to you if they know they can trust you. The vision you have as a leader has a better chance to be manifested in your present situation, if those in authority know you are on their side. If there are sides, make sure you're on the leader's side. Be loyal. I've never regretted being loyal. A following leader owns being a great follower.

Communicate
Loyalty is about being on the same team. Communication is all about being on the same page. Major issues can arise and fester if we don't learn to be great communicators. Never assume people know what you're thinking. Communication breeds expectation. You can't expect those those you're leading to complete a task well, if you haven't clearly communicated it to them. Communicate to those over you and under you. You can never over-communicate. If you have an issue with your leader, let them know. I remember when I first started working for my pastor. I was really the only one that would go talk to him if I had a problem with him. That's also a huge aspect of loyalty. As a leader, wouldn't you rather have those under you come and talk to you if they have a problem with you? If you say no, then you're not cut out for leadership. Communication is not just about giving information. It's also about receiving information. A great communicator is a great listener. You cannot help people unless you know where they are at. Assumption seems to be the trait of someone that doesn't fully grasp communication. When you master the art of communicating your vision, you will lead with impact.

Be Patient
Your time will come. It may not be as swiftly as you would like, but your time to lead and carry out the full vision will come. When you let impatience get the best of you, that's when disloyalty and self-destruction will appear. Those over you are probably where they are because they were patient. They probably had to go through worse things than you have. Timing is everything. I am not a choir director at heart, but I led a traditional choir the first four years of my ministry. Every time I would get fed up with it, I would pray for patience. I'm glad I stuck with it, because I learned so much through that time and I appreciate living in the vision I had then even more now. Patience is a major virtue in leadership. When we wait for our vision to come into fruition at just the right time, it will mean so much more. Be patient.

Enjoy this Time
If you are under someone's authority, then you are not ultimately responsible. They are. Because I am not the main leader, I have the luxury of deferring problems that can only be resolved from the top. There has been many times that I've said, "That's not my problem." This is a luxury of being a following leader. You are not ultimately responsible. Enjoy this time.

Make the Most of this Time
If the vision you have is bigger than your current situation, then take this time to really flesh out, brainstorm and start planning the strategy and way you will eventually carry that vision. This is also a luxury for the following leader. Wisdom says prepare and plan now for what's to come later. One day you're not going to have as much time to sit and dream and brainstorm your philosophy and structure of the vision you have. You'll be too busy trying to carry it out. Make the most of your time now. Don't waste it.

Learn from Your Leader
You are probably somewhat different than your current leader. You've probably said, "If I was the leader, I would..." You probably think different. That's not a bad thing. That also means your leader thinks differently. They may have ideas you would not think of and they certainly have some wisdom you don't have yet. Watch and listen. Learn from their successes.
Also, learn from their mistakes. The comedian Dave Chapelle credits a lot of his success to studying and watching other comics bomb on stage. He learned what didn't work and what wasn't funny. Learning from our leader's mistakes is as valuable as learning from their successes. Not repeating mistakes is major progress.

A great leader will always be a great following leader first. Learn to follow without regrets. It will make you a much better leader when your time comes.

3:16 THURSDAY::::week fifteen

3:16 Thursdays is a series of blog posts focusing on the 3:16 passages throughout the Bible that have really stuck out to me in my studies from Genesis to Revelation.

Ephesians 3:16(niv)

"I pray that out of his glorious riches he may strengthen you with power through his Spirit in your inner being,"

Certainly a prayer for all of us, as it was for this church from Paul.

Word Wednesday .::153

Word Wednesday is posted every Wednesday. Each week I post a scripture that I've read that week that has spoken to me in a fresh way. I believe that if we read God's Word every day, He will give us at least one scripture every week that will impact us. Sharing Scripture with each other is like iron sharpening iron. Leave a comment and share a scripture that has impacted you this week.

Here's the scripture that stuck this week:

Matthew 12:37 NIV

"For by your words you will be acquitted, and by your words you will be condemned."

Words are revealing, not meaningless.

What's your Word?

Album Review - Brokenness Aside

Brokenness Aside by All Sons and Daughters

Integrity Music Description:

July 12, 2011 -- All Sons & Daughters, the Franklin, Tennessee-based duo of Leslie Jordan and David Leonard, released their debut EP Brokenness Aside today. The six-song EP, which features the song "All the Poor and Powerless," is available at all major digital service providers including iTunes and Amazon, with the iTunes EP including a bonus song, "Reason We Sing,"

I really, really like this album. I have found myself listening to this album in the car very often. I can say that I honestly love every song on this EP. I preface this by saying that all the songs are distinct. There are some artists that seem to keep rewriting the same song. This is not the case with All Sons and Daughters. I really can't honestly tell you which song is my favorite. They're all great. I would say that they resemble the feel of The Civil Wars, so if you dig them, you most likely will like All Sons and Daughters.

It's real simple. Just go get the EP and enjoy the whole thing.

Click here for Itunes to purchase "Brokenness Aside" today.

I always laugh at this commercial

3:16 THURSDAY::::week fourteen

3:16 Thursdays is a series of blog posts focusing on the 3:16 passages throughout the Bible that have really stuck out to me in my studies from Genesis to Revelation.

II Corinthians 3:16(niv)

"But whenever anyone turns to the Lord, the veil is taken away."

According to Paul, we are called to be unveiled worshipers of God. With Christ in us, we are to reflect the glory of God.

Word Wednesday .::152

Word Wednesday is posted every Wednesday. Each week I post a scripture that I've read that week that has spoken to me in a fresh way. I believe that if we read God's Word every day, He will give us at least one scripture every week that will impact us. Sharing Scripture with each other is like iron sharpening iron. Leave a comment and share a scripture that has impacted you this week.

Here's the scripture that stuck this week:

Matthew 4:5-7 NIV

⁵ Then the devil took him to the holy city and had him stand on the highest point of the temple. ⁶ “If you are the Son of God,” he said, “throw yourself down. For it is written:

“‘He will command his angels concerning you,
and they will lift you up in their hands,
so that you will not strike your foot against a stone.’”

⁷ Jesus answered him, “It is also written: ‘Do not put the Lord your God to the test.’”

In all the times I've studied this passage, this is the first time I noticed that the devil uses scripture against Jesus as well. A couple things hit me. First, knowing and memorizing scripture isn't the end-all in our spiritual growth. We must be in tune with the Spirit as well. Secondly, this reminds me of those that use scripture for their own purposes, instead of God's. People twist scripture all the time.

What's your Word?

Jim Gaffigan and the 4th of July

Sunday Setlist 07.03.11

Setlist with itunes links:
Open the Eyes of My Heart
Revelation Song
Holy, Holy, Holy
I Give You My Heart

Flow Sheet from Planning Center

Also part of Sunday Setlist.