Category: Worship Wednesday

Why I worship

For I will pour water on the thirsty land,
and streams on the dry ground;
I will pour my Spirit upon your offspring,
and my blessing on your descendants. -Isaiah 44:3

The thing I love about worshiping God is that it’s an exchange. As you surrender yourself to Jesus and let the Holy Spirit envelope you; as you pour your life out as an offering he fills you up to overflowing more than you gave.

When we take our eyes off of God and begin to worry about this or about that we let God’s peace fade away. Worry never accomplishes anything other than to steal our peace and joy. So why would we choose to be miserable when we can choose to seek God and his solution. Because he does provide if we just trust him and look for his solution instead of our own.

If God asks you to give up something especially if its your worry, trust that he has something better. You can’t out give him; so stop worrying about what your giving up and starting focusing on what he’s doing in and through you.


Photo by Courtney Clayton on Unsplash


Love is a choice

God is endless in his pursuit of us, each and everyone of us has our own special place in his heart. We matter to him.

Even when we feel like no one sees us, hears us or knows us. He does.

He loves us and will pursue us to our last breathe. He will always seek to show us how much he cares, how much he loves and how much he gave to be with us.

But he is never forceful.

The gift he gave us was choice. We can choose to let him show us his love for us. We can choose to only let him into certain parts of our life. Or we can choose to believe he doesn’t exist or doesn’t care. Regardless of our choice he will always be there waiting for us to allow him to love us.

What could be more loving then the right to choose?

You never know

Everything in life starts small. Humans as babies, plants as seeds, companies all have a day one. Everything starts somewhere and its all the little things that make the big things happen.

Don’t be discouraged if you haven’t reached your dreams yet.

David beat Goliath with a stone. When he got up that morning all he intended to do was bring food to his brothers. Even after that David still waited years till the word spoken over him to be king came true. Big dreams rarely happen overnight.

It’s the little things in life that make us who we are. The everyday things that make an impact. The little everyday things prepare us for the big things later.

For David it was the time spent daily shepherding sheep that prepared him to follow God’s plan in God’s time that made him who he was.

It was the time that Jesus spent each day with Father God that gave him the wisdom to know what to say, when and where to go and who to talk to.

We need those same moments each day where we let God lead us and direct our steps, the turn in our drive that helps us avoid the car accident or the mom with screaming kid that we open the door for. It’s the little things that make the difference.

Ask God what the little things are that we can do each day that will make the big things happen. You never know what one stone can do till you see a giant fall.

When we feel broken

No matter how low or lost we feel God is always right there waiting for us to turn to him. 

We can feel worthless and unworthy but that is not how God sees us. He sees who he made us to be. Who he paid the price for us to be.

He sees the opportunity to reach people through our healed scars, not our old wounds. He sees us. Not our past, not our mistakes but our future.

 â€śBehold, I am making all things new.”  Rev 21:5b

Amazing Grace

Amazing Grace, the classic song that most people know, is one of my favorites because of what it means. God’s amazing grace that saved, a wretch like me. Every time I hear this song, I want to sing it.

Everyone who has ever lived, except Jesus has done something wrong at some point in their life and needs forgiveness for something. God’s grace does just that. He forgives us for everything we have ever done wrong. He wipes our slate clean and makes us white as snow before God.

I know I’ve done plenty of things wrong in my life, but he forgave me and made me new in him. Because of His forgiveness I get a do over, a fresh start, I get to be new in him.

Often I find memories of my past that try to come back to haunt me. But I know that, that person died on the cross with Jesus. I am no longer that person, because Jesus makes me new and clean with His grace and forgiveness.

Next time you find yourself caught up in your past mistakes, surrender them over to Jesus and let him remind you that, that person died on the cross with him and that Jesus lives through you.

Praise HIM

The first exegetical (which simple means using the whole text and in context) sermon I ever preached was on Psalm 150, the last of the psalms. It cries out the heart of the book of psalms Praise HIM, no matter what, no matter how you feel, Praise HIM.

Praise HIM everywhere in every way, all the time. With singing, with instruments, with dancing, with focus and undivided attention.

Praising God isn’t about the perfect song or if the band is on key, or if you sit, stand, kneel, dance or jump about. It’s about your heart.

Worship is about God, not us.

Are your words and your actions reflecting God? Are you shining glory on him? Are you taking time to solely focus on God, thanking him, praising him and giving him the glory? That’s what he deserves.

How are you praising HIM?

Psalm 150

Praise the Lord.

Praise God in his sanctuary;

   praise him in his mighty heavens.

Praise him for his acts of power;

   praise him for his surpassing greatness.

 Praise him with the sounding of the trumpet,

   praise him with the harp and lyre,

 praise him with timbrel and dancing,

   praise him with the strings and pipe,

 praise him with the clash of cymbals,

   praise him with resounding cymbals.

 Let everything that has breath praise the Lord.

Praise the Lord.

Spiritual thirst

For I will pour water on the thirsty land,
and streams on the dry ground;
I will pour my Spirit upon your offspring,
and my blessing on your descendants.
Isaiah 44:3

Feeling like we are dry spiritually or not hearing God is often because we are not making time for him or listening for the answer. We may be too busy or overwhelmed with all our obligations and responsibilities.


Photo by Vlad Tchompalov on Unsplash

But if we take the time to give God time he makes those obligations and responsibilities easier and even joyful.

Spending time with God and letting him fill us with his presence gives us joy, peace, love and perspective. When we look to him moment by moment he changes things.

The change he brings may not be a change of location, job or responsibilities, but a change of perspective, of how we view and react to those same situations.

The thing I love about worshipping God is that it’s an exchange. As we surrender ourselves to Jesus and let the Holy Spirit envelope us; as we pour our lives out as an offering he fills us up to overflowing more than we gave.

We can’t out give God. So stop worrying about what your giving up and starting focusing on what he’s doing in and through you.

What fills you?

Soaking is a term meaning to literally sit in God’s presence and soak it in. You don’t have to pray or sing or do anything. Just sit and let everything go, all your worries all your concerns, all your pain and frustration and just let him be enough for it all.

If you’ve never tried it, I want to encourage you to put on your favorite worship music and just let everything go and let God fill you up with his peace, joy, love and presence. Let the words flow over you like a river and let God melt away and your worries and concerns. Because he is more than enough!

God’s Love Endures

About midnight Paul and Silas were praying and singing hymns to God, and the other prisoners were listening to them. –Act 16:25

The love of God is so overwhelming that even in prison his disciples still worship. You have to wonder what is so great about God’ love that people would be willing to be imprisoned for it and still praise him in that prison.

When I read the book Heavenly Man, the true life story of a leader of the underground church in China and the multiple imprisonments he endured, beating and mistreatment. I was moved by how he still shared God’s love with the very men that beat him, enough to know that I would be willing to endure the same for the gospel. But that’s God’s love, it endures everything and anything.

Jesus was falsely accused, beaten and died the death of a murderer for all for us, because he loves us.


Photo by KEEM IBARRA on Unsplash

That love is worth sacrifice.

God’s love endures.

It endure our constant rejections, abuse, neglect and straight opposition.

His love endures.

No matter what his love for you never changes, no matter what you say or do he loves you and it is that love that holds us together.

His love endures all things

If his love can endure all, isn’t it worth giving him the chance to love you?

Abide in Jesus

 “I am the true vine, and my Father is the vinedresser.  Every branch in me that does not bear fruit he takes away, and every branch that does bear fruit he prunes, that it may bear more fruit.  Already you are clean because of the word that I have spoken to you. Abide in me, and I in you. As the branch cannot bear fruit by itself, unless it abides in the vine, neither can you, unless you abide in me.  I am the vine; you are the branches. Whoever abides in me and I in him, he it is that bears much fruit, for apart from me you can do nothing.  If anyone does not abide in me he is thrown away like a branch and withers; and the branches are gathered, thrown into the fire, and burned.  If you abide in me, and my words abide in you, ask whatever you wish, and it will be done for you.  By this my Father is glorified, that you bear much fruit and so prove to be my disciples.  As the Father has loved me, so have I loved you. Abide in my love.  If you keep my commandments, you will abide in my love, just as I have kept my Father’s commandments and abide in his love.  These things I have spoken to you, that my joy may be in you, and that your joy may be full.

John 15:1-11

Abiding in the vine, in Jesus, changes us. It changes our wants, our desires, and the way we think. If we abide in the vine, we abide in the love of God. Jesus’s desires become our desires.

So that keeping his commandments is out of love, not status or achievement.

Abiding in the vine is about, literally growing as a branch to reach out and grow fruit. If we are each a branch then how many could we reach.

We are stronger when we abide together in the vine to bear fruit.

It’s great to have alone time with God but we draw so much strength from gathering together too.

Abide in the vine that is Jesus. Abide in his love and you will bear his fruit.

The unknown doesn’t have to be scary

God fights for us even when we don’t see it. He works things out before we even know them and builds a path for us to walk that we cannot see. It can be scary to go where you haven’t been.

My husband and I have lived in nine different states in the nine years we’ve been married, in each place, he put people in our lives for us to reach, love and encourage in their faith in God. And people have influenced us too. Because no matter how long or short we we were somewhere God had gone before us and prepared a place for us, he built connections for us and prepared our way, we were simply willing to go.

God may not be calling you to move across the country or to move around the world. He may only be asking you to walk across the street. But whatever he has called you to, he has prepared the path ahead for you. Are you willing to follow where He leads you?

Trust in the Lord with all your heart
    and lean not on your own understanding;
 in all your ways submit to him,
    and he will make your paths straight

Proverbs 3:5-6

Rejoice in Jesus

‘O Come, O Come Emmanuel’ heralds what Jesus came to do, to set us free!

How often we forget or even take for-granted the freedom Jesus has given us.  The freedom to be free of guilt and shame. To know his peace, his joy, his grace and his love without bounds. Jesus came to set us FREE!

So let’s rejoice! Jump, dance, sing, declare who Jesus is and what he’s done for us all!

Count Your Blessings Instead

When we get down about ourselves or our circumstances we have to remember to count our blessing instead. There is always something we can be grateful for. Even if it’s the simple things. Do you have somewhere to sleep? Be grateful. Do you have food to eat? Be grateful. We often take the simplest things for granted but there are many in this world that have an empty stomach and no where to sleep. If we allow ourselves to get lost in our sorrows we only make things worse and solve nothing.

But when we fix our eyes on Jesus he changes our perspective.

I’ve know two people that had the struggle of hunger and a safe place to sleep on a regular basis and they both had the sweetest disposition, were more focused on others well being then their own and they exuded the presence of Jesus. Our happiness isn’t dependent on our circumstances. Its dependent on whether we are focused on Jesus.

Love and acceptance

People do a lot for acceptance. We are all easily influenced when we are searching for acceptance. It’s easy for us to make choices we normally wouldn’t on our own when surrounded by others, others that want us to be like them just for them to accept us.

We can feel welcomed and accepted by a group initially but as time goes by those people will influence who we are, we can make compromises to maintain or strengthen those relationships. 

But we if we change who we are, just to be loved and accepted there will always be something in us that is searching for that unconditional acceptance.

Jesus is that unconditional acceptance. He loves us whether we love him or not. He made us and he knows how to fulfill us.

I know from experience. I tried to fill that need for acceptance with the approval of others and never found peace, fulfillment, contentment or unconditional love.

Only once I gave my life to Jesus did I find what I had been looking for. In the moment that I was at my worst, he was at his best. I didn’t have to try to do or be anything he just surrounded me with his love.

We all have that same opportunity anywhere, any time, at any moment.

Give God a chance to show you his unconditional love.

When you’re at your lowest

Even when we feel we at our worst, God is always all we need.

We tend to want the be alone when at our darkest moment but that’s when He shines most (in the darkest places). That’s when we need Him most and that’s when we should turn to Him.

Only He can truly deliver us from our worst moment because only He can make us new.

We are never beyond Jesus reach, if we let Him in.

How he changes you

I’m different then I used to be. Growing up I was shy and insecure, but knowing God changed that.

Knowing who is and who he made me to be gives me confidence, boldness and fearlessness, because I know who he is.

No matter where I go, he is with me. I’m never alone because he is with me, comforting me, inspiring me, teaching me, guiding me, protecting me, he is always with me. So I am never alone, and he is where I draw my confidence from, because I know who he is.

He loves each and everyone of us and he wants to do the same for us all. To show us who he is and who he made each of us to be.

God changes everything

Worship can change everything, our attitude, our demeanor, our perspective and our mood. Worshiping God shifts our focus from our problems to his possibilities, his strength, his power and his provision.

God changes everything and that why we worship him. Because he saves us, he changes us and turns all thing out for good.

And we know that in all things God works for the good of those who love him, who have been called according to his purpose. -Romans 8:28

So whatever your dealing with surrender it to God. Give it over to him surrender and let him be your solution.

Stand up for God

Jesus makes me brave. The love and protection I know He has for me, makes me know that I can move mountains and nothing can stand against me because God is for me.

If He has called you to something or someone nothing can stand in your way God will protect and provide for you to do what He has called you to.

No matter what your facing or how impossible it seems or even if you feel surrounded, remember the God of heaven is backing you, He surrounds those that surround you, He is on your side.

David knew he could defeat Goliath because God had anointed him to be king and he wasn’t king yet, he was still just a shepherd boy. We can stand on the promises God has given us.

He calls each one of us to a mission, He has deemed for us, and nothing can stop us as we follow the leading of the Holy Spirit in the pursuit of that which He has called us too.

No matter how impossible a situation, if God has called you to it, He will make a way.

That’s why He make me brave.

That’s why I stand up for God, because he stands up for me.

Anywhere, Anyway, Anytime

Jesus is always seeking you, always pursuing you, always longing for you. He is always happy to see you, speak to you, share His love for you, with you.

You don’t have to clean up your act, or get to a better place to come to Him.

Go to Him anywhere, in any state; because He will go to you anywhere, in any state.

Just surrender to Him and let His love wash over you.

He is always there longing to be with you. He always wants to have relationship with you.

He always wants you.

Weakness is strength

Hear my cry, O God;
    listen to my prayer.

 From the ends of the earth I call to you,
    I call as my heart grows faint;
    lead me to the rock that is higher than I.
 For you have been my refuge,
    a strong tower against the foe.

 I long to dwell in your tent forever
    and take refuge in the shelter of your wings.

Psalm 61:1-4

Even on our worst day, when we feel we have nothing left, we always have God. He will be our strength when we are weak. He will lead us to the firm foundation that lifts us up and shelter us from the storms.

Jesus did not fear weakness, he fasted for forty day and forty nights because he knew that Father God would sustain him. He allowed himself to be beaten and killed because he knew God would raise him. Showing vulnerability shines God even brighter when he lifts us up, he gives us the strength and stamina to continue to share him with others despite our own iniquities.

God is always listening to us, always ready to answer our call for help, for wisdom, for protection, for strength and for shelter.

People often see weakness as a sign of failure. I see it as a sign of strength. The bravery to be vulnerable enough to show your weakness is strength. But its what we do with that weakness.

Do we just curl up in a ball and call it quits or admit our weakness and ask God for his strength. Strength is knowing that the smallest amount of God’s strength can out due us on our strongest day. Knowing where your strength comes from, makes being vulnerable easy.

Photo by Kylli Kittus on Unsplash

You can’t surprise God

It’s easy to feel alone and like no one understands, because no one really knows what every moment of your life is like.

But God does…

…He knows because he was there with us whether we realize it or not. God is the only one who can and does understand, but we often feel afraid to go to him because we’re worried about what he would think. But he already knows it all so there is really nothing we can hide from him.

And even in knowing everything he still loves us.

We don’t have to be afraid of him, because he is love. Nothing about God is something that we should ever fear.

Because he is love, joy, peace, patience, kind and good.

So what about that is scary?

He is the one that we can always turn to no matter what.

So no matter what is running through your head or your heart, you can’t surprise God. But you can let him in.

How I Fight My Battles

Surrounded (fight my battles) by Michael W Smith may be the simplest lyrics ever written but they are powerful. The song talks about our times of struggle when we feel a heaviness, no way out, surrounded by nothing good or positive. We fight with praise. We fight by rejoicing in Jesus, the only one who is always constantly there for us, always fighting for us.

The simple repetition of theses lines

“It may look like I’m surrounded but I’m surrounded by You”

“This is how I fight my battles”

Over and over again has such power in it because it reminds us that we don’t fight with anger, hate, malice and judgment.

We fight with love, joy, peace and patience.

That’s why when we feel surrounded, we fight by giving praise to God.

We shift our focus to the one who fights for us, so that we can allow the Holy Spirit to speak to us and to show us the true perspective.

When I was in Honduras, we were working at a Christian school that also hosted youth nights. One night when we were praying before one of the youth nights a mob came to both of the gates of the fenced in facility and tried to break down the gates.

Our pastor told us what was going on and our response was not panic or worry but to pray. We trusted that God had brought us there to make an impact for Him and that He would protect us and He did.

As we were praying the Holy Spirit showed showed me a vision of the compound surrounded by 30 foot angels guarding and protecting us.

Not for one moment did I feel fear or worry because I knew God would protect us. The mob eventually dispersed and we were able to have the youth night.

God always provides for His children when we turn to Him.

So no matter where you are, what your doing, or how hopeless you feel you can always count on God to be there for you.

God KNOWS You

God’s presence is the place where we find ourselves. He sees the mess and gives us the grace to overcome it and get out of it. He doesn’t want us to shove it aside or stuff it deep inside or try to fix it on our own. He wants it to be resolved and no longer affect us. So we don’t have to be ruled by our past mistakes or even the mistakes of others.

We get to choose.

Choose to let God’s grace be enough for us and for others. When we forgive, we free ourselves from being slaves to bitterness, anger, resentment and rage. It can no longer have power over us; because we won’t let it.

Finding our identity in Jesus makes us more us than we were before. He uniquely designed each of us and He know exactly what gifts and talents He gave us; to be and do what He designed us for.

When we choose to let God’s grace to be enough we are free to be who He intended us to be. To be loved, strong and confident and not held down; but to soar above the storms.

Your only a song away

No matter what your day was like or what you’re going through.

You can depend on one thing. That God loves you regardless of how you feel.

And because of that love we praise him. Nothing helps you change your focus, mood or perspective more then giving praise to God.

Let the gruff of the day fall off and let your praise rise.

Worship & Prayer

I love introducing people to ministries they may not have heard of I.H.O.P. is one of those, no, not the pancake place. The International House Of Prayer. They have worship and prayer 24/7. This video is of Misty Edwards at their 15th anniversary celebration.

worship in Thanks

Thanksgiving is tomorrow!

One of my favorite days of the year.

I love gathering with family and helping prepare a huge meal for us all.

A thought, is to go into this season with thanksgiving to God for the family and friends he’s given you.

Don’t shy away from talking about him tomorrow, in fact I highly encourage trying to make him the focus of your thanksgiving. Maybe even take time out to sing a song of worship to him.

A family I hold dear to sings “O’Come let us adore him” before family meals.

It sounds weird but it brings so much joy and peace into the atmosphere of the room.

Try something different this year, be bold for Jesus and make him the center of the day of thanksgiving.

Here’s a song to start off

Treat everyday like Christmas morning

Seeking God just for who is, not for what he’s done or what you want him to do but just for who he is.

Spending time with him just because of who he is. Seeking him as a long lost friend you haven’t seen in a long time, with the joy and anticipation of his arrival, the nervous joy that builds up, the disregard for decorum when you embrace them at first sight.

We should seek God the same way each day, when we wake, treat each day like your a kid on Christmas morning, looking for the gifts he has for you that day, the joy of being in his presence the delight in opening up the surprises he has for us and the relief of being able to just rest in his presence.