Blog
The Magnificat of the Old Testament
Some Bible teachers have called Hannah’s song of praise in 1 Samuel 2 “The Magnificat of the Old Testament” because of its parallels to the Magnificat of the New Testament (Mary’s song in Luke 1:46-55). If you recall, God had closed Hannah’s womb (1 Samuel 1:5) until the time was right, and then she gave birth to baby Samuel. She broke into beautiful singing, and I want to point out a few God-revelations we can find in her hymn of gramercy, her song of thanksgiving. Abba God delivers [...]
Faithful in Small Things
Jesus taught—and teaches still—many countercultural principles. He said that if a person wants to be first, his aim should be to keep going to the back of the line; that if a person wants to be a leader, she should aspire to be a humble servant to everyone she meets; and that to enter the Kingdom of God, one must “grow down” until his hearts resembles a child’s heart. He also taught, “One who is faithful in a very little is also faithful in much, and one who [...]
Leading Effective Rehearsals
Few would disagree that the quality of a worship team’s rehearsal directly impacts the Sunday ministry itself—and over the years, I’ve been part of some refreshing, powerful rehearsals and some pointless, ineffective rehearsals, as I’m sure you have. What’s the difference? What makes a good rehearsal good? For this piece, I’m specifically writing to worship pastors and music team leaders… but this is something I hope would be of benefit to whole worship teams. So please, read on! And I want to start by stating the obvious: Rehearse. [...]
The Son of Man
In John 12, we find that as Jesus was teaching the crowds, they asked Him, “We have heard from the Law that the Messiah will remain forever, so how can You say, ‘The Son of Man must be lifted up?’ Who is the ‘Son of Man’ ” (verse 34)? Today, this is not a difficult question. Many people would be able to answer confidently, “Jesus is the Son of Man,” and they would be right. But what does it mean? Why is it such a significant moniker—that He [...]
The Power of Praise
As congregations around the earth are beginning to gather together once more after serious regulations during our worldwide pandemic, I wanted to write a note of encouragement to worship leaders and worshipers alike. If you’ve been reading my writings for a while, then you know I love teaching about worship and empowering worship leaders. What we do, friends, is so, so crucial! Here’s a powerful—and well-known—reminder on the importance of leading worship and on praising our good God. “After consulting the people, Jehoshaphat appointed men to sing to [...]
Justice, Mercy, and Humility
Hey, friends. I was gung ho to release a writing I had been working on about leading worship, one of my favorite topics to teach on, but I changed my mind. I’ll save that one for next time. Instead, I want to look at something different. “With what shall I come before the Lord and bow down before the exalted God?” Micah asks in Micah 6:6-8. “Shall I come before Him with burnt offerings, with calves a year old? Will the Lord be pleased with thousands of rams, [...]
Revival
Hey, friends! If you keep up with goings-on in the church world, you have probably heard a handful of prophecies from credible, global Church leaders about a third (and final) “Great Awakening.” Those words sound to me like they have the fabric of Heaven woven into them. Of course—yes, of course—God wants to cascade His light and hope throughout the earth, welcoming as many prodigals home as supernaturally possible. Personally, I believe that there will be another divine, possibly wild, outpouring of the Holy Spirit into the Church [...]
Another Side of Jesus
When I received Christ as a child, it was because of a revelation of His compassion. It was in a dream that He appeared to me, and I was flooded with the sensation of His warmth and mercy. Scripture even tells us that God’s kindness leads us into repentance (Romans 2:4). It was a no-brainer for me to accept Him as my Savior with childlike faith. Paul the Apostle’s conversion process was not nearly as mushy-gushy as mine was. You don’t find giggles or rainbows or pinky promises—you [...]
The Humanity of Christ: A New Perspective on Life
Perhaps you have wondered, like me, why God had to send Jesus to us as a human—as an ordinary, blue-collar, working-class man. A simple man. A man who sweat, felt hungry, needed haircuts, and had a mom. If Jesus died on the cross and was resurrected still wrapped in divinity, but not in humanity, would it have accomplished the same thing? Why is the incarnation of Christ such a non-negotiable tenet of the Christian faith? And what difference does it make? The answer is arguably much deeper than [...]