What season of life are you in? What season of life is your family in? Your career? Your church?
There is a season for everything. Are you recognizing the times and seasons that you’re in? Or are you trying to stop the inevitable changes of life? If you resist the seasons you lose. Are you trying to birth something that should die? Build something that should be torn down? Keep something that should be thrown away? Be quiet when it is the season for speaking up?
Check out what Solomon says…
There’s an opportune time to do things, a right time for everything on the earth: a right time for birth and another for death, a right time to plant and another time to reap, a right time to kill and another time to heal, a right time to destroy and another to construct, a right time to cry and another time to laugh, a right time to lament and another to cheer, a right time to make love and another time to abstain, a right time to embrace and another to part, a right time to search and another to count your losses, a right time to hold and another to let go, a right time to rip out and another to mend, a right time to shut up and another to speak up, a right time to love and another to hate, a right time to wage war, and another to make peace. (Ecclesiastes 3:1-8 MSG)
In our lives, there is a season for everything. What season are you in?
]]>There’s obviously many ways to get better as a musician, but here are 10 things you can do that will help you become one.
1. Practice.
Yes, that’s right, ladies and gentlemen. Not everyone loves this word with gleeful passion, but there are always ways to make practice fun. How about bringing a friend along or learning a piece of music with someone? When others aren’t accessible, grab ahold of a good quality album of an artist you love, throw on your iPhone and play to it. The old phrase, “Practice Makes Perfect” is so true. You will never get better at anything you do (let alone music) with without practice and repetition. In our personal practice times is where we really improve our skill and get better.
2. Practice to a metronome or click.
I’ve heard way to many musicians who say that this is just for drummers. This is NOT just for drummers. Everyone, no matter what instrument you play, needs to be able to play on time and in rhythm. I don’t care what level of musician you are, you should always be using a click as much as possible. And DRUMMERS: this is a non-negotaiable.
3. Welcome feedback.
Those that listen to you sing or play will be listening from another perspective and may be hearing something different to what you hear. In fact, they might hear something you’re not hearing at all. They may make suggestions in order to aid the context you’re working in. It’s important to welcome feedback, both for the bigger picture and to keep you learning and gaining experience personally. Besides, it might just be an awesome idea.
4. Find new ways of getting excited about your instrument.
As mentioned previously, there are always ways to make your discipline exciting and not just something that you do for work or service. Find new ways to keep yourself passionate about your instrument. Be creative.
5. Always have a teachable heart.
It is important to remain teachable. No one ever finishes learning in their lifetime. No one ever arrives. There is ALWAYS something new you can learn or improve. You can always glean something from another person, even if it’s a lesson in attitude.
6. Record yourself.
There’s nothing quite like listening back to something that’s been recorded, and saying, “ooh.. that doesn’t sound very good.” Many of us have probably had that happen. Listening back to a part you recorded that sounded off or maybe your vocals were a little flat, or something just did’t mesh. Listening back to a recording can give you an accurate picture of how you did, how you sound, what your tone was, or if you were quite in tune. Listening back to yourself can be a huge tool if used properly, and can help you improve and evaluate what you are doing.
7. Get first-hand experience.
Start playing! Don’t always just play by yourself. Organize some jams with the people you know. It develops confidence, along with feel/groove and unity. Some of my favorite memories are jamming in garageband type of environments.
9. Be generous.
It’s important that we always fill ourselves up, but also that we pour ourselves back out. Be generous with your gift and your service. God works generationally, not just within the small frame of your life span. Those that you give back to inherit what you learnt/experienced, allowing God to work through more and more people.
10. Worship.
Whether you’re not on the stage or not, make sure you are worshipping. When you worship with your gift from a genuine heart, it impacts those around you and helps you lead. You may not even realize it at the time, but when you hand over your gift to the One that gave it to you, it opens a door for people to have a greater encounter with God!
These are just some of the many things you can do to become a better musician. Strive to be your best, and strive to always be improving.
]]>Listen to this… “So let us come boldly to the throne of our gracious God. There we will receive his mercy, and we will find grace to help us when we need it most.” Hebrews 4:16
When I read this, it’s like the word bold jumped off the page right towards me. I felt like God was saying, “Are you bold?” My first thought was like, well yea.. I mean.. sorta.. I mean, sometimes.. well, if it doesn’t make me uncomfortable..
I just found myself making excuses.
I realized I’m not as bold as I think I am.
I realized that I don’t come boldly to His throne enough.
I realized I probably tip-toe into His presence, instead of running towards Him with my arms wide open.
It got me thinking.
I decided look up the word Bold:
Dictionary.com’s definition of Bold is this: not hesitating or fearful in the face of actual or possible danger or rebuff. Not hesitating to break the rules of propriety (propriety means the establishment or good behaviors/manners).
Do you seek God with boldness? Or are you unsure of how to approach Him?
Do you respond to God with boldness? Or are you timid?
Do you worship Him with boldness? Or do you just stand there afraid of what other people are going to think if you raise your hands, or clap, or sing out really loud?
As followers of Jesus we are called to be humble, to put others above ourselves, to have a servants heart. But I think we confuse those attributes on occasion to mean we can’t be outwardly expressive, display confidence or be assured of ourselves and what we believe. I think of Paul, Peter, and John. They are prime examples of people who were bold, brash, and confident. And you know, many people didn’t like that. They ruffled feathers. Especially the religious leaders of the time. They couldn’t stand it. I bet if these guys were living in our time, they would cause quite a ruckus in the church. They didn’t care what peoples perception of them was, only God’s. They weren’t people pleasers. They were themselves. They were bold and confident because of who Christ was and what He did for them.
To often we think that in order to be humble or meek or reverent, we can’t be bold, upfront, direct, confident, etc. When, we absolutely can be humble followers of Christ, yet still be bold and confident of who we are, because of who God is and what He’s done for us.
I think to often we hide behind fear.
Behind pride.
Behind failure.
Behind weakness.
Behind traditions.
Behind what people think.
Behind what we think is right.
Here’s the antonyms of bold…
afraid.
cowardly.
fearful.
shy.
timid.
Yep. I don’t want to be like that. You don’t want to be like that.
God is calling you to come to Him with boldness.
God is calling you to live your life with boldness.
God is calling you to worship and praise Him with boldness.
Remember.. he says, we will receive his mercy, and we will find grace to help us when we need it most.
That means you have permission. He will cover you.
When you need it the most it’s there.
If someone thinks you’re being to audacious, to forward, to brave.. that’s ok.
Maybe that means people don’t understand you.
Maybe that means you ruffle feathers.
Maybe that means you do things differently.
Maybe that means you upset the establishment.
And, maybe it will cost you.
God is calling you to do this.
He expects it. So should we.
Don’t hold back. Serisouly. Don’t.
Be Bold.
]]>1. Learn the parts
Don’t waste your team’s time — prepare beforehand on your own time and come ready to rehearse! Know the songs, know the arrangements and be ready to contribute at a higher level — warm up if you are a vocalist, tune up if you play an instrument, etc.
2. Show up. On time!
As musicians and singers, it’s so easy to think you’ve done the right thing by showing up at all… that song that was running around your head sidetracked you, those lyrics you had to memorize, the latest song that just downloaded to your iTunes account that you just had to stop and listen to…
The truth is though, as a musician you play on a team… there’s no room for lone rangers or late-comers. Respect others enough to turn up when you should and where you should — be punctual! And if you have gear to set up, then arrive earlier! It won’t go unnoticed.
3. Take Lessons
No matter how good you are, keep pushing the ceiling and keep getting better. Not just in your leadership and Christian discipleship but in your skill, technique and musicianship — make every effort to bring your very best every time you play and sing!
4. Cultivate a ‘can do’ Attitude
Try and be one of those people who sees possibility rather than obstacles. Find ways of being able to say ‘yes’, to go the extra mile and to inject yourself into the team. If there are new songs, new ways of doing things, new members to come along side — say ‘yes’ as your default, not ‘no way’… it’s so much easier on your leader!
5. Debrief
Be willing to listen to feedback after services and be committed to continuous improvement. Highlight what others have done well and work on your own shortcomings.
6. Love Jesus
As Christians, prioritize your relationship with the Lord! Be someone who brings depth and authenticity to the platform. Be ready to encourage others — know what God’s challenging you on and be willing to lead pre-service prayer meetings and behind the scenes. Developing spiritual maturity means you will become someone your leaders can count on.
7. Dig for Gold
Help others to see the gifts in themselves. Champion others and look for people in your church who could contribute to the worship team. There’s nothing better than to help people see the talents that God has entrusted to them and help them unearth their potential.
8. Worship off the Platform
When you are sitting in a service, be the type of person who leads worship from your seat! Don’t sit back judging what’s happening but engage in worship like you’d expect the congregation to do if you were leading.
9. Be Helpful
Think about what it takes to make Sundays happen — photocopying, admin, roster confirmations, communication, setting the stage, etc — and then be proactive to do what you need to do quickly. e.g. confirm your rostered positions and offer to help in other areas if and when you have time.
10. Bring food to Rehearsals
Everything’s better with coffee… Or cake… Or chips or chocolate or kale juice… Bring something to share and keep actively building creative community!!
I’m sure there’s a hundred more things we could add to this list, but this is a good start for now.
Why don’t you take some time and reflect on which of these things you’re good at and which ones you might need to grow in? You and your worship team will be better for it, I promise!!
(Great Thoughts by Cass Langton – Global Creative Director at Hillsong Church)
]]>Worship is the act of freely giving love to God. This forms and informs every activity of the Christian’s life. Worship can also be defined as a physical, intellectual, emotional, and spiritual expression of awe, submission, and respect toward God.
Worship is important because we have been created to worship. We are “wired for worship.” Worship is in our genetic code. Therefore, we will worship God or we will worship something else.
We worship by expressing adoration. We praise God simply for who He is. We worship by expressing thanksgiving. We give thanks for what He has done. We worship by confession. We acknowledge sin and guilt to a holy and righteous God.
There are several phases of worship. The first phase is the Call to Worship. It’s like a declaration of intent. The second phase is Engagement. It is the electrifying dynamic of connection to God and each other. The third phase is Expression which is the physical, emotional, spiritual awakening to His presence. This phase can take the form of tears, laughter, jubilation, etc… The fourth phase is Visitation when Almighty God visits His people. It is important to recognize that Visitation is a by-product of worship. We worship not just for His presence but because He is worthy. The last phase of worship is the Giving of Substance. It is when we allow the Kingdom, the dynamic reign of God, to flow through us.
However, before we form a theology over the “What’s, Why’s and How’s,” we must realize that worship is always changing. The content, the expressions, and the manifestations are always changing. If our goal is truly more freedom and intimacy then as we mature and grow so does our worship.
Even though worship is changing, it’s changing into what God always wanted it to be. God has given us a blueprint, a pattern. In Exodus 25 God tells Israel about His pattern the focal verses are verse 9 and 40. It’s a blueprint for a tabernacle. We see a New Testament reference in Acts 7:44-50. It speaks of God’s tabernacle or His dwelling place. I suggest that God’s dwelling place is a place of worship.
You can look at worship from the beginning (Old Testament) or from the other end (Heaven). The Levitical priesthood served as a copy of the heavenly. With the Holy Spirit now actively in the picture, worship on earth is to be a carbon copy of worship in Heaven. Worship in Heaven is holy. It’s expressive. It’s continual. It’s overwhelming. When we picture worship in heaven, we picture the Father! We see the Father as Jesus did. When we see a picture of the Presence, we will see a picture of the Glory. With the glory comes the substance (John 5:19 and Luke 4:18-19).
My favorite definition of worship is an over-simplistic one. Worship is simply singing love songs to the Father. Again, I realize the definition is too simplistic for some. However, I believe it is okay to find and use a simple definition as a foundational framework.
A lifestyle of worship produces an ever-expanding view of worship. As that view grows so does the definition. For instance, I am what you call a Kingdom person. I eat, drink, and sleep the kingdom. As my view of the Kingdom has matured so have my feelings toward worship. The Kingdom is an expression of God Himself. As I become more desperate for the Kingdom I become a more desperate worshiper.
It is important to stress that desperate worship has no formulas and not even a standard definition. Desperate worship is our reaction to that expression of God; His Kingdom. Desperate Worship is when we can say and live …God You’re all I need …God You’re all I want …God You’re all there is.
So let us push toward the Kingdom. Let us push toward the very heart and face of God. And let us worship desperately in the process.
]]>Sometimes we can allow the passion level of who we are with, dictate how we will be. As a worship leader, I succumb to this all too often. I’ll be excited to press into the presence of God and it seems no one wants to come with me.
Do I lead the way with my passion for God or just relax?
What should you do?
“Do not be slothful in zeal, be fervent in spirit, serve the Lord” (Romans 12:11).
I love this verse. Fervent means to have great intensity. Our zeal for Jesus should be burning hot at all times. When it is not, we should cry out to God and press into Him even harder.
Here’s my challenge: Don’t let other dictate your passion level for Jesus. Be a leader. I’ve heard it said to be a thermostat, not a thermometer.
If you live this way, you will bring others to a higher level.
]]>Hello.
I am Jon Lloyd.
Welcome to my blog.
Some of you may know me.
Some of you may not know me.
Some of you may really, really know me.
Some of you may really, really not know me.
That’s ok. I am who I am.
I’m 31.
I’m a son.
I’m a brother.
I’m a husband.
I hope to be a dad.
My wife and I are going through the adoption process.
Our greatest desire is to be parents.
I was born in Illinois.
I grew up in Arizona.
I currently live in Iowa.
Arizona is my home.
I’m a Worship Pastor.
I love what I get to do.
To me, there’s nothing better.
I’ve been leading worship for over 13 years.
I’ve been doing it full-time for almost 8 years.
I believe the Worship Pastor position can be the most scrutinized position in the church.
I believe the Worship Pastor position can be the greatest position in the church.
I do more than drink coffee and play my guitar all day.
I’ve been on staff at two churches with over 2,000 people.
I also helped plant a church with two other people that is now a church of 800 people.
I believe God has called me to lead His people into His presence.
I believe in Isaiah 26:8 with every fiber of my being.
I believe music can take people places words never can.
I believe that we are called to create culture, not let culture create us.
I’m an Artist.
I write my own music.
I’ve released an album.
I’ve toured.
I’ve played camps.
I’ve played conferences.
I like to create.
I like to dream.
I’m passionate.
I tend to look at things differently than most people.
I’m broken.
I stumble.
But I always get up.
I’m forgiven.
I’m redeemed.
I’m free.
I want to make His name more famous.
That’s me. Who are you?
]]>“For God so loved the world that He did not send a committee!” Not sure where I heard that…but its true!
#2 – A desperation for God’s power!
Prayer isn’t a good luck charm that is attached at the beginning or at the end of something…people are legitimately desperate for the power of God. They pray Habakkuk 3:2 prayers every day and…
#3 – They believe that greater things are in store.
They don’t just pray big prayers…but they have a sense of anticipation that is contagious! They don’t read Acts 2 and think “those were the good ‘ole days” but rather they think, “that’s where God STARTED this thing…we should be WAY ahead of this!!!”
#4 – They are full of ordinary people.
God always uses ordinary people to accomplish extraordinary things. Jesus didn’t choose one scribe or Pharisee when He launched the church…and Acts 4:13 talks about how He used ordinary people to absolutely turn the world upside down. The staff LOVE the church…so much so that they would actually attend there even if they were not on staff!
#5 – They leverage technology.
They don’t view technology as of the devil but rather as a tool given by God to reach as many people as possible for Jesus. (Btw…isn’t it funny that some churches are against the use of technology yet all of them rode to their church in a car and their church building has air conditioner?)
#6 – The church is full of passion.
People in the church actually LOVE the church and do not attend because they feel like they have to! (The only reason people get angry with the fact that you love your church is probably because they have no idea what it is like to actually love their church!)
#7 – They take ownership of the great commission.
They REFUSE to be “keepers of the aquarium” and instead embrace the COMMAND of Jesus to reach the world for HIM! (BTW NewSpring Church…it has been SO encouraging to see so many of you come to our evangelism seminar this week! We have one more live one tonight at our Anderson campus – you can sign up here – and, if you cannot join us live for some reason this event will be available online just like our Sunday services…so you can join us tonight at http://www.newspring.cc from 7-9, can’t wait!)
#8 – There is a willingness to change and adapt, even when it means they have to go against the very “innovative” ideas that they themselves once established!
Anyone can change the traditions of the past…but true innovation occurs when we’re willing to change the ideas that we once thought were innovative and ground breaking!
#9 – Generosity is embraced.
The world has never been impacted in a positive way by people that were greedy.
#10 – The people in the church are OWNERS, not merely “members.”
Members have rights, owners have responsibilities. The people in these churches understand that it is not the pastors job to minister to the people but rather the bodies job to minister to the body! And as a result people serve Jesus by serving others instead of sitting on their “blessed assurance” and expecting to be waited on hand and foot.
]]>Last week my father-in-law died and went to Heaven. He loved Jesus Christ and knew Him as his Savior. For sixty some years he served Him faithfully. Before my father-in-law passed from this life, however, he had an incredible experience where God seemed to draw back the veil from this life, and let him see a glimpse into eternity. As he was dying, he suddenly lifted his eyes upward and began to exclaim, “It’s a beautiful place! It’s a beautiful place! Oh, boy! Wow! It’s a beautiful place! Wow!” This went on for nearly an hour. My brother-in-law, Mo Hodge, was present with his father as he was dying and caught these moments on video. We are all certain that God gave this faithful servant of His ‘dying grace’ as he was preparing to leave this life.
By the next morning, my father-in-law’s breathing was very shallow. Mo would bend over and speak into his ear, but his Dad did not give any indication that he was there with him. Before my father-in-law passed, he closed his eyes and two big tears rolled down his cheeks. He then took his final breath and awakened in the arms of Jesus! This experience was truly a great blessing and comfort to the family. Jesus promises us, “Peace I leave with you; My peace I give to you; not as the world gives, do I give to you. Let not your heart be troubled, nor let it be fearful” (John 14:27). My wife’s Dad surely had this peace when he left this life, and embraced his new life in glory!
Have you received Jesus Christ as your Savior? You can, right now. Ask Him to come into your life, forgive you of your sins, and make you a new person. Knowing Christ brings eternal life! When you are ready to die, then you can truly live!
“Eye has not seen and ear has not heard, nor has it entered into the heart of man, all that God has prepared for those who love Him.” 1 Corinthians 2:9
I got a chance to watch the videos that my uncle captured with my grandpa talking about the Beautiful Place. It was incredible. Thank you Jesus for literally revealing your glory. Truly my grandpa was seeing Heaven…
]]>1. Content
Determine what you are going to write about and be confident in it. Find out who your audience is, and write to them, tell them a story, and be yourself. Your readers will appreciate you being you.
2. Consistency
Whether you post everyday, once a week, or once a month, do it consistently. If you don’t think you can post every day, maybe pick one day a week that you can post. The more consistent you are with your posts, the more likely it is that people will follow your blog and read it. People will anticipate seeing a new post from you.
3. Interaction
One of the best ways to grow your blog readership is to interact with the people who stop by and comment. If someone leaves a comment on your blog, respond back to them. It’s a simple way to start a conversation. Also, if you are reading other blogs, comment on those as well. It’s amazing how something as simple as that, can grow into something large.
Thanks to Patti Dykstra for inviting me to be a part of this workshop. Patti did a great job leading and facilitating us today!
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