'You know you have an idol when you have to perform.' Ann Voskamp Earn.Prove.Strive. Perform. Those are the messages, both subtle and overt, at the core of every worldview and religion. Save one. For the Christian, we are invited to rest (Matt 11:30). Rest in an identity already won our identity in Christ. Our performance is as filthy rags so we rest in the 'it is fin...
Keep Reading'The word minister is not a title of power but a designation of servanthood.' - Francis Schaeffer On this team, we are all ministers serving in the area of music. Minister literally meaning, 'one who attends to the needs of others.' And what is the greatest need of the people we serve? To be made right with God. A need we cannot remedy only Christ can reconcile relation...
Keep ReadingThe cross was Jesus' finest hour because it was the hour when He preserved the Father's glory and put it on display, which was the greatest longing of Jesus' heart.' JR Vassar This quote has been stirring in my heart over the last week. God is just (Deuteronomy 32:4). His justice is woven inseparably into the fabric of His character and identity an identity that must d...
Keep Reading'No man ever saw God and lived. And yet, I shall not live till I see God; and when I see Him, I shall never die.' John Donne What a thought that the glory, perfection, and beauty of God that is too much for sinful people to look upon, that dwelt in the midst of His people, that hovered in veiled-separation, that was ushered into unhindered relationship through the cross...
Keep Reading'Everything about Jesus spoke of servitude: if Jesus is our model of leadership there can be no avoidance of the style by pastors.' Eugene Peterson The best leaders are first followers. All believers are leaders in varying arenas whose lives and leadership should flow from a constant communion and submission to the leadership of Christ. What does it mean to be a servant...
Keep Reading'Jesus transforms our hearts by service, not by power.' Tim Keller Jesus came to serve (Matthew 20:28). He could have arrived in setting with a reception befitting His identity, but He did not. Because He came to serve. And it is in His serving His obedience to the will of the Father that we are transformed (Philippians 2:8). As we have been served in Christ, we carry...
Keep Reading'Grateful hearts want to monopolize the tongues of the people for the glory of God.' Spurgeon Gratitude is born in two areas: when we've been given something unexpected, undeserved or extravagant, and when we see a bigger picture past the present moment. Is this not the Gospel story? A grace and love that we do not deserve that moves us out of the present moment into ete...
Keep Reading'Mystery is not the absence of meaning, but the presence of more meaning than we can comprehend.' Eugene Peterson As we gather together for corporate worship, physical eyes only see the surface. Spirit-gifted spiritual eyes sense the mystery. The mystery of who God is, what He's done, who we are, and what is happening as we gather. And a glimpse is all it takes to see t...
Keep Reading'When the pressure of work for Christ is allowed to be the excuse for our not finding time to seek and secure His own presence and power in it, as our chief need, it surely proves that there is no right sense of our absolute dependence upon God; no deep apprehension of the Divine and supernatural work of God in which we are only His instruments, no true entrance into heave...
Keep Reading'I can only point with wonder, amazement, and awestruck admiration and say 'Behold God.' After that, it is you and God.' Tozer What does your serving say to our people? If it says anything other or anything more than 'Behold God,' it's time to adjust. The world has no shortage of wonders just a shortage of attention span and an ability to be captured by what is truly ...
Keep Reading'Sovereign Lord, apart from you I quickly die, bereft of you I starve, far from you I thirst and droop, but you are all I need' Puritan Prayer As independent, self-sufficient people, we hate to admit that we are in need of anything. But truly our greatest need is one that we cannot remedy: to be made right with God (Romans 5:1, Romans 6:23, Ephesians 2:8-9). Once and fo...
Keep Reading'Prepare the preacher before preparing the sermon.' Tim Keller You may not consider yourself a 'preacher' or our songs as 'sermons' but I think the principle still applies to those of us who lead corporate sung worship. Our hearts and lives must be prepared before our songs. Absolutely, know and practice the songs that will NEVER be discouraged! But if our only time in...
Keep Reading'It is a strange infatuation that we. Who have borrowed everything good from our Savoiur, should think of exalting ourselves.' - Spurgeon As we sang on Sunday, everything is a gift from God, the breath in our lungs is placed there by Him (James 1:17, Genesis 2:7, Psalm 139:14)! And if we are dependent on God for something as basic as our ability to breathe, how much more...
Keep Reading'The pressure is off for all of us to make a name for ourselves. Jesus has made a name for us already.' Tim Keller Let's start this year with a clear picture of our identity: known and loved child of God (Ephesians 2:4, Psalm 139, Galatians 3:26). We are those who's names are graven on His hand (Isaiah 49:16), who's hairs are numbered (Luke 12:7), who are called His frie...
Keep Reading"May God grant us a desire for God that supersedes all other desires." AW Tozer What are the things that you desire for yourself, your family, your Gospel Community, your team, your church and your city in 2016? I hope that you have been thinking on and praying through the anticipation and action that comes with a new year. My prayer is that our lives would echo that of ...
Keep Reading'He who communes with God is always at home' Spurgeon Home is a haven of safety, rest, understanding, reprieve, security and belonging. Too often I find myself seeking those things seeking home in relationships and locations apart from God. But for the believer as a 'stranger' and 'alien', our home is a heavenly one, dwelling in right relationship and union with God (1...
Keep Reading'We only find ourselves when we find Him. We lost ourselves at one tree. And only find ourselves at another.' Ann Voskamp We are all on a quest for meaning and significance ultimately identity. And the truth for all people is that true meaning, significance and identity cannot be found outside of Jesus Christ. The same is true for a Believer our identity cannont be fou...
Keep Reading'The only good we do is what He does in us.' John Calvin If servant leadership needed a mantra, I submit the above. Even our righteous deeds [good works] are like polluted garments, filthy, worthless rags in God's sight (Is 64:6). Jesus reminds us that 'none are good but God alone' (Lk 18:19) so truly the only good that we can offer is what His Holy Spirit is working...
Keep Reading'Gratitude is happiness doubled by wonder.' GK Chesterton Gratitude should be the perpetual posture of the servant leader. Happy because 'The Lord has done great things for us; we are glad,' and wonder-filled because 'what is mankind that He is mindful of us?!' (Ps 126:3, 8:4) And at the intersection of happiness and wonder we find gratitude. Servant leaders should be...
Keep ReadingPart 2 - read Part 1 here. 'Our serving doesn't automatically bring glory to God. We can serve with bad attitudes, with impatient hearts, out of expediency, or to impress others. But true worshipers are first of all receivers who know that their serving originates not in themselves, but in God's good gifts. Considering how God enables us to serve transforms our service in...
Keep Reading'For God is not unjust as to overlook your work and the love that you have shown for His name in serving the saints, as you still do.' Hebrews 6:10 Both of our churches are celebrating large transitions for Liverpool, the movement to three Sunday services, for the Wirral the development, growth and assembly of a team to lead corporate sung worship. There is a learning c...
Keep Reading'only he who loves can sing.' - Augustine It is love not teeth-gritting, boot-strapping, forced effort that leads to servant leadership. True love changes you, it changes your thought process, your intentions, and your actions. That love is supernatural and only comes from knowing God (1 Jn 4:8). Hearts that love respond in action. Hearts that love God respond in song a...
Keep Reading'People are often unreasonable and self-centered. Forgive them anyway. If you are kind, people may accuse you of ulterior motives. Be kind anyway. If you are honest, people may cheat you. Be honest anyway. If you find happiness, people may be jealous. Be happy anyway. The good you do today may be forgotten tomorrow. Do good anyway. Give the world the best you have and it m...
Keep Reading'The secret of a servant's life is that he stays in tune with God all the time.' Oswald Chambers Servant leadership, as we've discussed so far is motivated by love for God and others, it is self-sacrificial, it happens in the secret place, it is humble and giving, it is counter-cultural, it is not how we are naturally wired but is ultimately a response to the way that Go...
Keep ReadingThe proud and self-righteous always feel that they are not treated as well as they deserve.' Leon Morris There is no room for pride and self-righteousness in the heart and life of a servant leader. There is no room for pride and self-righteousness in the life of a believer, period Pride got Lucifer kicked out of heaven (Is 14:12-15), banished Adam and Eve from the Gard...
Keep Reading'In the temple and presence and worship of God, everything is worthless that is not pervaded by a deep, true humility toward God and men.' Andrew Murray Servant leadership is not a light switch to flip on when you are playing in the band, and flip off when you are not. It is the continual choice of those who seek to serve as Christ Himself served (Phil 2). Because when w...
Keep Reading'Take time to be in God's presence before you lead people Let Him revive you, then lead others to revival.' Christy Nockels Good leaders are first good followers and good followers are first good listeners. Being a good listener means that we are not quick with our words, but quick to keep our mouths closed so that our ears and hearts open as we get to know the voice, h...
Keep Reading'Try pushing the boundaries of gratitude, you'll find there are none.' Mia Fieldes Having time away I have continually found myself with an overwhelming sense of gratitude. Grateful for the good relationships that challenge, support, encourage and last over country lines and many many years, grateful for what we get to do, grateful for this season on life, and of course ...
Keep ReadingI don't know about you but one of the things I've felt whilst thinking through all that we have discussed regarding servant leadership is 'flip, this is a big ask!' I can see how God is calling us to it and I can see how beneficial it would be for us as a team and for the church. But it just seems too hard. To constantly be thinking about other people's needs and be puttin...
Keep Reading'It's easy to be the most important person in your own life, but worship denies your self-gratitude and makes Him the utmost important One' Thomas Miller Loving ourselves does not have to be taught, we naturally love and value ourselves over others including God. But worship (the right response to God's revelation of Himself) puts us in our proper place. Seeing, knowing...
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