I got a call from my Mom today that her latest PET scan showed “no active lymphoma”. This is the news we’ve been hoping we’d hear for some time. Her journey has helped me to focus in on God and His goodness regardless of the turmoil that can surround us. It’s forced me to own what I say I believe and made me determined that life and all it throws at me can’t budge me from that Truth.

These are the days where words don’t seem like an adequate way to say thanks.

I guess these tears will have to do.

I just finished watching Elevation Church’s “This Is How We Change The World”. You should check it out here.  (it may only be available until Sunday on this site)As I watched I was wrecked by the stories of life change and challenged by the faith of church leaders called by God. After seeing it I initially thought “I need to do less and pray more”. But after watching I’ve determined that I need to do more and pray more. There’s another thing that pounded on my heart after watching this and it’s this:

I. Need. To. Dream. Bigger.

God is too big and His heart is too wide for our city for me to do less. Pray for me that this feeling sticks.

Every week one of my major job responsibilities is crafting services and specifically worship sets. Many weeks I’m leading in multiple venues and for varying demographics. Leading worship is one of my great passions and I love the process of creating worship flows that create spaces for people to connect to God through worship but sometimes it can be challenging. It’s especially challenging if you serve in the same church over a long span of time.

As I was praying through our upcoming services and preparing our sets I thought I’d share the four questions I ask when preparing a worship set. Two of the questions are very practical and two are questions that can only really be answered in prayer. With that said…here’s my 4 Questions for Worship Sets:

1. Do these songs flow together well? (i.e…are they similar in key/feel/theme…am I taking people on a smooth journey or a roller-coaster?)
2. Do these songs support and convey the theme of the day? (this isn’t always easy when doing a series on relationships or some abstract ideal but finding out where the service is ultimately driving people can still help you “set the table” in this way)
3. Will these songs allow the people I’m leading to enter into worship? (are the songs singable, easy to learn, already known & are these the songs that help people engage with God in worship?)
4. Are these the songs that would please God in this setting?

This last one is the most important question I ask and it’s also one of the easiest to skip. I believe God is the focus of and the purpose for our worship. My hope is that every set I have a hand in creating brings delight to God as His people worship Him.

What about you? What questions would you add to the list?

Next month we’re starting our series “Love Defined”.

I’m in the middle of locking down the songs but thought it might be fun to post the songs we’re looking at as I know some other worship pastors out there are probably looking for some love themed worship music for February. Check out this list (most of the songs are easy to find on youtube). Let me know if you use any of these songs or know of even better ones to use.

The One Who Saves-Hillsongs
Love Song-Third Day
Your Love is Extravagant-Darrel Evans
How He Loves-John Mark McMillan
Your Love is Always-Tony Sutherland
Unfailing Love-Tomlin
Love is-Lee McDerment (NewSpring Church)
If I Have Not Love-Adam Herod
Our God is Love-Lee McDerment
Our God is Love-Hillsong
I Love You Lord-Generation Unleashed
How Deep the Father’s Love for Us-Keith Getty
Your Love is Better-Lakeview Church (our theme song)
Love Beyond Measure-Eoghan Heaslip
Where the Love Lasts Forever-Hillsong United
Your Love Never Fails-Jesus Culture
There is Nothing Like-Hillsong United

…wish I was more like someone else and a lot less like me.

…love my family to the point I’m paralyzed with the fear that I’m going to screw it (or them) up.

…dream of successes I’m too afraid to chase.

…wonder why God ever bothered to love me.

…allow laziness to override passion.

…allow sin and selfishness to drive the ship.

BUT sometimes I…

…believe anything is possible.

…give away the love that was freely given to me.

…find wonder and beauty everywhere.

The beauty of Jesus is that there is never a sometimes and always an always. “I have loved you with an everlasting love” is a great consistency to run home to when I’m so inconsistent.

What are some of your “sometimes I…” statements?