Does your Demeanor encourage Worship?

Posted on by Tanner Royalty

Think back to an awkward moment you’ve experienced where you watched a person speak and through their actions, attitude, or demeanor you could even tell from your perspective that they didn’t truly believe what they were saying. Maybe you are thinking of a politician or a public speaker… but how many of us thought of believers? Do people see that we believe what we say, sing, and preach?

Take a moment and think about it.

What is weirder than a joyless Christian leader? How is the way that we carry ourselves in front of others impacting the way they look at our beliefs? We may believe everything we say and stand for, but if our demeanor doesn’t reflect that belief then we are fighting an uphill battle when evangelizing or speaking about Christ. We certainly aren’t going to kindle a fire or joy inside others while our hearts remain cold and our attitude and faces remain joyless.

How amazing is Christ? We’ve ben given the gift of grace and we have the privilege to sing about the good news!

How can we remain stone-faced?

Philippians 4:4 says,

Rejoice in the Lord always; again I will say, rejoice.

Are we expressing joy? I dare to say that we live in a narcissistic culture, and we often fall into the temptation of placing the emphasis on ourselves and because of that our worship has the tendency of turning inwards. How many selfies are posted on social media everyday? What is worse is then people will turn around and check back on their own picture to see how many people have liked or complimented it!

There are many obvious problems with this inward focused attitude that we have developed, including the fact that an inward focus in worship cannot provide pure genuine joy because we are placing our joy in the hands of our culture and circumstances.

Where do you gather your self-worth? The world? Your friends and family? Or Jesus?

Matthew 6:21 says,

For where your treasure is, there your heart will be also.

What are you treasuring? Where does your joy come from or what does it depend on?

Does your demeanor from stage properly reflect the fullness of joy which you have in Christ? How can we show it?

  • Truly develop a heart for Worship

I fully believe that we sometimes get too bound up with the technical aspects of worship and forget the relational side of it. Technology is a great thing! Providing an atmosphere for our worship is a good thing too! But… when we allow our focus to shift or our emphasis to waver from why we are doing what we do then our joy becomes dependent on the execution of the technical aspects of our worship. When things don’t go as planned or we feel like something wasn’t “up to par” then our joy suffers.

Then what are we truly worshipping? Are we worshipping the way we do worship? Or are we worshiping God who is worthy of our worship?

We may admonish our praise teams to hit all the right notes and say, “Don’t forget to smile while your doing it.” But often times the emphasis is still on the execution and not the hearts of the worshipper. I believe that genuine worship truly begins when we get our hearts right and because of that we can sing, play, dance, etc.

There is a difference between great worship and a great concert. We leave great concerts unchanged… but worship calls us to move.

  • Have a Joyous and Worshipful Attitude

When it comes to a worshippers attitude it is important to understand who we are worshipping and why.

Acts 17:24-25 tells us exactly who we are worshiping and puts God in perspective to us when it says,

God who made the world and everything in it, since He is Lord of heaven and earth, does not dwell in temples made with hands, as though He needed anything, since He gives life, breath, and all things.

The purpose of our worship is to glorify, honor, praise, exalt, and please God our Creator who is in need of nothing we can give, but who delights in our praise. The fact that our God delights in anything that we do should provide enough reasoning and joy to worship continually. If that alone isn’t enough we must remember that our worship is a way that we can show our adoration and loyalty to God for His wonderful undeserved gift of grace in which He provides us with the way to escape the bondage of our sin.

Our worship should occur with a joyous attitude because it should cause us to reflect on the majesty and graciousness of God and Christ, in contrast to our own unworthiness.

God does not have to have our worship, but we should be joyful that He gives us the fact to worship Him.

  • Express your Joy through your Face

This should be a given. When we are joyful we smile, and it is through that smile that our joy becomes contagious.

Have you ever seen a person and just felt that there was something different about them? Maybe they were just positive all the time? Maybe you’ve never seen them without a smile on their face?

I guarantee you that their life isn’t perfect… so why are they smiling? Through Christ we have much to be thankful and joyful over, and we should place those things above our circumstances.

Let’s face it… people don’t want to sing along with a worship leader about the joy of salvation while the worship leader remains unexpressive. How is that believable? An even better question is: How is that possible?

Don’t be afraid to show your emotion.

Keep your circumstances in perspective and smile on! It will be beneficial for not just you… but also for your congregation.

  • Make sure your Joy is Genuine

Worship comes from deep within. We simply cannot fake authentic worship. When we worship our God it appears on our faces, in our voices, and is evident in our demeanor. As worship leaders it should be our goal every time we lead to truly worship our God.

Did you catch that? We should truly worship God. It is personal.

When we can truly worship our God while leading, others around us will benefit. Our worship isn’t about us. It is about God, and in the end we are nothing more than “lead worshippers.” We can’t make people worship… but we can provide the opportunity and a God-honoring Biblical example.

I will leave you with the words of John 15:9-11,

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.

Have you received the love of the Father? If you believe that you have then your face and demeanor will show it.

Check the Ego at the Door

Posted on by Tanner Royalty

Everyone has dealt with someone who is a “know-it-all” before. Large egos are easy pretty easy to spot and are typically pretty difficult to deal with. Problems with the human ego or an inflated “self-worth” or importance have been around a long time… in fact, I would argue that ego problems go back nearly almost to the beginning of creation. I think we can find our first ego issue in Genesis 3:1-7 where it says,

Now the serpent was more crafty than any other beast of the field that the Lord God had made. He said to the woman, “Did God actually say, ‘You shall not eat of any tree in the garden’?” And the woman said to the serpent, “We may eat of the fruit of the trees in the garden, but God said, ‘You shall not eat of the fruit of the tree that is in the midst of the garden, neither shall you touch it, lest you die.’” But the serpent said to the woman, “You will not surely die. For God knows that when you eat of it your eyes will be opened, and you will be like God, knowing good and evil.” So when the woman saw that the tree was good for food, and that it was a delight to the eyes, and that the tree was to be desired to make one wise, she took of its fruit and ate, and she also gave some to her husband who was with her, and he ate. Then the eyes of both were opened, and they knew that they were naked. And they sewed fig leaves together and made themselves loincloths.

I find it quite interesting that one of the very devices (ego) manipulated to deceive Eve in the Garden was the very thing that caused Lucifer to fall in the first place. Isaiah 14:12-15 paints us a picture of a self-absorbed Lucifer with an ever growing ego who desired to be seen as more than he really was.

Isaiah 14:12-15 says,

How you are fallen from heaven, O Day Star, son of Dawn! How you are cut down to the ground, you who laid the nations low! You said in your heart, ‘I will ascend to heaven; above the stars of God I will set my throne on high; I will sit on the mount of assembly in the far reaches of the north; I will ascend above the heights of the clouds; I will make myself like the Most High.’ But you are brought down to Sheol, to the far reaches of the pit.

Obviously we can see by the end of that verse what the outcome of that thinking was… A man named King Solomon, who people say could be the wisest man to have ever lived, said in proverbs 16:18 that,

Pride goes before destruction, and a haughty spirit before a fall.

Now obviously we have a lot more at play here with the fall of both Lucifer and man than just a human ego issue… but I think we can see a self-importance or self-inflation issue displayed in the Garden of Eden when Eve is deceived by Satan into believing that she could “be like God.” So… we have our very first example of an ego problem.

So… what is the problem with a little confidence? Nothing… if found in Christ.

But… an ego is an entirely different monster. We see in Scripture that the Biblical model for Believers is actually quite opposite to having an ego or inflated sense of confidence in self. The Biblical model or Christ standard is one of humility and of dying to oneself.

Luke 9:23 says,

And he said to all, “If anyone would come after me, let him deny himself and take up his cross daily and follow me.”

So… for those like myself who like to be involved and love to serve within the Body of Christ and may struggle with pride, ego, or over inflated confidence… what do we do? How can we continue to serve and make sure that the attention is being directed in the right place and that we are staying “in-check?”

  • Check your motives.

Where is our focus? Ourselves? Or others? Matthew 22:37-39 says,

And he said to him, “You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind. This is the great and first commandment. And a second is like it: You shall love your neighbor as yourself

In this verse Jesus teaches us that the greatest commandments were to love God with all we are and to love our neighbors as ourselves. When we truly strive to keep these commandments it is impossible to have an ego issue because we are essentially removing all the focus from ourselves and placing it where it should be… Jesus and others. That’s what it’s all about in the end anyways right?

Our insecurities are often manifested as excess confidence and the desires of the flesh and this world scream out for attention, acknowledgement, and praise but for those of us who have been reborn in Christ we no longer are enslaved to those desires and we no longer must give them dominion over us.

Galatians 2:20 says,

I have been crucified with Christ. It is no longer I who live, but Christ who lives in me. And the life I now live in the flesh I live by faith in the Son of God, who loved me and gave himself for me.

Galatians 5:24 says,

And those who belong to Christ Jesus have crucified the flesh with its passions and desires.

  • Live humbly.

Lets face it… none of us are the best thing since sliced bread or two-ply toilet paper. Without Jesus we are worthless because it is in Him that our only worth is found.

A humble heart has no room for an ego because it recognizes that all we have and all we are comes solely from God. In 1 Corinthians 4:7 Paul gives us a very serious reminder that all we have: our talents, successes, wealth, knowledge, gifts and abilities, etc… come from God and because of that we have nothing of our own to boast of.

1 Corinthians 4:7,

For who sees anything different in you? What do you have that you did not receive? If then you received it, why do you boast as if you did not receive it?

It is reassuring to know that all we have we have been given and that the Lord’s work isn’t dependent on our talent, skill, or anything else other than our obedience. God hasn’t called us to be the best, most adorned, highly skilled and praise worthy leaders… He has called us to be humble servants.

Micah 6:8 says,

He has told you, O man, what is good; and what does the Lord require of you but to do justice, and to love kindness, and to walk humbly with your God?

1 Peter 5:5-6 says,

Clothe yourselves, all of you, with humility toward one another, for “God opposes the proud but gives grace to the humble.” Humble yourselves, therefore, under the mighty hand of God so that at the proper time he may exalt you

Indeed, Jesus Christ is to be the example for how we should live and He Himself lived humbly. In Matthew 11:29 Jesus says,

Take my yoke upon you, and learn from me, for I am gentle and lowly in heart, and you will find rest for your souls.

Psalm 51:17 says,

The sacrifices of God are a broken spirit; A broken and a contrite heart, O God, You will not despise.

We aren’t called to be experts. We are called to be humble servants.

Romans 12:3-5 says,

For by the grace given to me I say to everyone among you not to think of himself more highly than he ought to think, but to think with sober judgment, each according to the measure of faith that God has assigned. For as in one body we have many members, and the members do not all have the same function, so we, though many, are one body in Christ, and individually members one of another.

If the answer to your problems is yourself then you haven’t addressed the biggest problem of all. Don’t let your ego be your idol… check it at the door.

How are we to use our Authority?

Posted on by Tanner Royalty

Many of us have been given a position of authority. What’s yours? Are you a pastor? Supervisor? Sunday School teacher? Politician? Parent? Etc… You’d be surprised how many of us have been given some amount of authority that we brush off, don’t think about, or don’t even realize we have. Some of us may feel qualified… others maybe not so much. So… what do we do with this authority? We recognize that without leaders and without authority the world around us would be in shambles and chaos, but there is harm if we use our authority incorrectly or for the wrong reasons as well.

I find it interesting that in 2 Corinthians 10 while Paul is both describing himself and defending his ministry he says what we find in verse 8:

Authority, which the Lord gave for building you up and not for destroying you.

Wow. As much as I have loved and read the letters of Paul this one verse never has stood out to me as much as it does in light of having been entrusted with some authority. Let’s take a second to evaluate… how often do we use our authority as a weapon to get things done the way we “want them” or to make things fit our preferences? Do we find it necessary to win every argument or to make our opinion or say known? Is it our way or the highway? Do we lord over people with our authority or do we use our authority to enable them, to build them up, and to create growth in other’s lives?

Let’s take a second to evaluate our authority and how we can use it for the building up of others and the success and growth of the Kingdom of God.

  • Have a humble spirit.

All of us have known a “know it all” and I would be willing to bet that all of us detested that very thought or attitude. How do we carry ourselves as leaders? Do we know it all or are we open to admitting that we don’t know all the answers and maybe there are other ways of accomplishing tasks other than our own?

Philippians 2:3-4 says,

Do nothing from selfishness or empty conceit, but with humility of mind regard one another as more important than yourselves; each of you should look not only to your own interests, but also to the interests of others.

I believe there is a difference between an authority figure and a leader. I also believe that we as believers should strive to be the latter of the two. A leader understands that they don’t possess all the answers and uses the people around them to collectively achieve success. A leader empowers and enables the people around them to help them reach their full potential in a task, position, or job. There is a whole lot more to leadership than simply providing the tools necessary to complete a job.

When asked what the qualifications for becoming a “leader” were John Quincy Adams said this,

If your actions inspire others to dream more, learn more, do more and become more, you are a leader.

  • Celebrate the successes of the team.

Have you ever worked for someone who only noticed when you fell short on a task or didn’t complete it in the way they had envisioned? They only noticed the negative when you are faithful and diligent one hundred percent of the time. It stinks.

A good leader uses their authority wisely by recognizing those around them for what they do for the “team.” In every application it is easy to feel “under-appreciated” or not needed, but when a leader “brings to the light” or raises awareness of what others are doing it in turn reminds every team member that they are an important.

We are well aware that 1 Corinthians 12:14-26 says,

For the body does not consist of one member but of many. If the foot should say, “Because I am not a hand, I do not belong to the body,” that would not make it any less a part of the body. And if the ear should say, “Because I am not an eye, I do not belong to the body,” that would not make it any less a part of the body. If the whole body were an eye, where would be the sense of hearing? If the whole body were an ear, where would be the sense of smell? But as it is, God arranged the members in the body, each one of them, as he chose. If all were a single member, where would the body be? As it is, there are many parts, yet one body. The eye cannot say to the hand, “I have no need of you,” nor again the head to the feet, “I have no need of you.” On the contrary, the parts of the body that seem to be weaker are indispensable, and on those parts of the body that we think less honorable we bestow the greater honor, and our unpresentable parts are treated with greater modesty, which our more presentable parts do not require. But God has so composed the body, giving greater honor to the part that lacked it, that there may be no division in the body, but that the members may have the same care for one another. If one member suffers, all suffer together; if one member is honored, all rejoice together.

Using your authority for the benefit of those around you will go a long way to encouraging your team and achieving excellence, and when we do receive praise as the “leader” it is important to acknowledge the contributions of the team.

A solid leader needs no other praise than that of achieving, encouraging, enabling, and inspiring.

When Dwight D. Eisenhower was asked to define leadership he did so like this,

Leadership: the art of getting someone else to do something you want done because he wants to do it.

  • Replicate yourself.

Proverbs 11:14 says,

Where there is no guidance the people fall, But in abundance of counselors there is victory.

Good leaders or authority figures aren’t afraid to train up replacements for themselves! That may seem crazy but a successful leader uses authority as an opportunity to help others gain insight and abilities.

If you aren’t replicating yourself by pouring into others around you then you need to evaluate what your motives behind leadership and authority are.

An effective leader doesn’t worry about team members around them surpassing them in knowledge, skill, or ability. Instead they recognize that the success and enablement of others is what creates overall success. If we aren’t working to build our kingdom, but rather the kingdom of God, then it shouldn’t be a concern anyways.

John Buchan said,

The task of leadership is not to put greatness into people, but to elicit it, for the greatness is there already.

So… we all have a choice to make. Will we use our authority to our advantage, or will we humble ourselves and use our experiences, intelligence, and position to encourage, enable, and build up those around us?

Will you use your authority to build others up or destroy them? The choice is yours.

Proverbs 29:2

When the righteous increase, the people rejoice, But when a wicked man rules, people groan.

Am I Afraid of Change?

Posted on by Tanner Royalty

How many people does it take a light bulb in church? Four. One to install it and three to reminisce about how good the old burnt out one was.

All joking aside… there is some truth to this joke. Are we as a church stagnant? Who is to blame for our prolonged lack of movement? Are we really doing everything right or in the best way possible… or are we just resistant to change?

We certainly fear change in the church. One of the most popular and commonly used phrases within the church is “we’ve never done it that way before.” Because… obviously the way we’ve always done it is the best way possible to accomplish the task. The word change has become a “new-age” curse or trigger word in the mouth of many within religious organizations all over the world. Why is it that it has become so off limits?

I personally have been warned many times throughout my ministry so far (I did start fairly young) to not be so “headstrong” or quick to rush into “relevance” or change. In fact, one of the first lessons I learned, the hard way, was that when entering into a new ministry you must avoid immediate big changes at all costs until the “honeymoon” wears off. Let’s face it… at first we must wear our “mittens” because we are indeed handling someone else’s “baby.”

If you are reading this and are envisioning me voicing all my rants about “tradition” please erase that from your mind and hear me out. Let’s think together here. Everyone likes routine. I’m the poster child for routine! I order the same dishes at the same restaurants every time I visit them. I make a list on the first day of every workweek and stick to it. But… in an age of constant “upgrades” and change in the social, political, technological, and work worlds I find it hard to believe that our church “traditions” or ways of doing things are never in need of updating.

Tradition does indeed have value and it runs deep. Comfort is exactly that… comfortable.

Change is hard. Change is often necessary. Let’s venture into this topic a little bit and see what happens…

  • Some things never change.

Malachi 3:6 says,

For I the Lord do not change; therefore you, O children of Jacob, are not consumed.

I believe this first point is the most important point of all… some things NEVER change. Our hope of eternal life through Jesus Christ will never change. It is the same today, as it was yesterday and the same as it will be tomorrow, and for eternity. God’s love for us never changes. The Gospel does NOT change.

1 Samuel 15:29 says,

He who is the Glory of Israel does not lie or change his mind; for he is not a human being, that he should change his mind.”

In fact Romans 8:38-39 tells us of our security found in God’s steadfastness in the things that do not change. It says,

For I am sure that neither death nor life, nor angels nor rulers, nor things present nor things to come, nor powers, nor height nor depth, nor anything else in all creation, will be able to separate us from the love of God in Christ Jesus our Lord.

So… in the midst of changing times, methods, and techniques we can rest assured that the important things have stayed the same. In the midst of our “changing” we should build our foundation on the Gospel and promises of God that do NOT change. In fact, we can make the changes that need to be made because we are grounded in the Gospel of Jesus Christ.

James 1:17 says,

Every good gift and every perfect gift is from above, coming down from the Father of lights with whom there is no variation or shadow due to change.

  • God is not afraid of change.

 In 2014 Pope Francis said,

God is not afraid of new things. That is why he is continuously surprising us, opening our hearts and guiding us in unexpected ways.

Don’t we serve a God of change? Think of the salvation and change that occurred in Saul of Tarsus to make him into the man of God, Paul, that we know of today. Think about when you met Jesus… what changed? Hopefully everything.

We serve a God who calls us to change! Often we are called to repent and change our ways. Repentance without change is not repentance… it is just remorse.

Acts 2:38 says,

And Peter said to them, “Repent and be baptized every one of you in the name of Jesus Christ for the forgiveness of your sins, and you will receive the gift of the Holy Spirit.

Acts 3:19 says,

Repent therefore, and turn back, that your sins may be blotted out.

Another huge example of change comes from a story of Jesus Himself. In John 14 scripture reveals to us a scene in which Jesus is talking with his disciples and preparing them for a change. All they had known in their ministry alongside Jesus was going to be different… Jesus was going to be physically gone. Crucified.

Like all of us good “church-folk” the disciples did not want things to change… some of us would say that they were scared or intimidated by the possibility of change. I mean… let’s face it; things were good when they were with Jesus. They most likely felt safe, they were in good fellowship with each other, and daily they got to sit at Jesus’ feet and be taught, as well as see Him perform miracles, signs, and wonders.

The disciples would not understand it at the time, but the change that was about to take place was going to change the world. It is because of this change that we have hope, guidance through the giving of the Holy Spirit, and much of Scripture itself! The disciples would venture out because of this change and spread the message of Jesus and the Gospel, the church would spread and take root. Without this change where would we be?

Albert Einstein defined insanity as:

Doing the same thing over and over again and expecting different results.

As a church are we insane? Our results will stay the same as long as our method does. Let’s face it… change is a good thing.

  • Things were never as “good” as you remember.

Have you ever shuddered at the words, “back in the good ole days…”? So many of us like to dwell in the past. We like to glorify the ways things used to be. Having good memories of the past is great! But… those memories shouldn’t shackle down our future.

All of us like to remember the times when things were going well and the church was relevant and thriving, but the reality is that we mix our memories with our fantasies and the “good ole days” were never as “good” as we remember. Sure… sometimes things were working, but sometimes our stories are like a good fisherman’s tale. The fish keeps getting bigger and bigger.

There have always been problems and obstacles to overcome, but always looking or reverting back to the ways of the past isn’t going to solve the issues we face today. The world has changed… so why is our method the same?

We cannot allow our fantasies of “better times past” and our irrelevance to lead to our death. It is a death that is slow and agonizing, and definitely not glorifying to the Creator and Inventor of change… God. Invest in your future and create positive change!

  • The mission never changes… but the field does.

All of us should agree on this point… times are changing and we have to change with the times in order to minister within them. We cannot be afraid of change.

In order to reach people in the 21st Century we need to make some changes, not changes to our message, we should never water down our message, but changes to how we get our message out there.

We are called to be “Fishers of Men” (Matthew 4:19) and like any good fisherman we must change our bait according to our surroundings, context, and goal. There isn’t a “one-size-fits-all” and with that mentality we aren’t going to get very far.

Just like overhead projectors and cassette tapes, some of the ways we are continually doing things are just outdated. Look for an upgrade!

  • Change requires sacrifice.

Some of us may be resistant to change because of the work it entails. Change isn’t easy! Our routines get jacked up, our methods get tossed out, and we have to be constantly learning.

Even though I say all of this, I will also say… the work is worth the outcome.

Change takes an investment of time, money, and effort. No good thing comes without sacrifice. We are willing to sacrifice our money to buy the newest iPhone… so why are we so quick to clench our fists when we see an area that obviously needs improvement within our church? Sometimes our “improvements” may flop, and sometimes the things we do take a long time to complete. Never stop moving. Use God as your guide and head to the finish line… changing your route as needed.

  • Don’t change for changes sake.

Lastly, after all of this thinking and talking on change it is important to note that we don’t need change for changes sake. There are a lot of churches that will change their worship style, lights, logos, names, sign, etc… to increase attendance, entertainment value, and marketing potential. We shouldn’t be changing just so we can seem modern and cool. Being on the “cutting-edge” isn’t always the best use of time and resources. Find what works for you, make it happen, and constantly be looking for areas to improve.

All of us may not be in the most “modern” church… but that shouldn’t be because we are fearful of change. When change is thought out, prayed about, and done for the good of the Gospel then it is beneficial and God-honoring.

How to be an Impactful and Effective Volunteer

Posted on by Tanner Royalty

One thing that no church is lacking for in the need category is volunteers. It doesn’t matter how big or how small the congregation… there is always a need.

I have heard it said that in 100% of churches 20% of the congregation does 80% of the work. How does that math work out?

Honestly, there are so many things within the church that are almost entirely dependent on volunteers and so often many of those things go unnoticed by those who aren’t made aware of the task.

Imagine a Sunday without volunteers. It would be a train wreck, and many of us would probably be quick to be negative or complain… well, to be honest, we have no room to talk if we aren’t part of the solution. Complaints go nowhere in fixing the problem at hand.

Where are all the volunteers?

Think about it… who runs the sound that we all tend to enjoy while the band is playing or the pastor is speaking on Sunday morning? It sure would be interesting without it. What about the camera for the churches that broadcast or live stream? Most of us would agree that first impressions are vital when it comes to welcoming newcomers… well, who welcomes guests and passes out bulletins to people as they enter your church? Who watches your kids? Who teaches your classes?

The list could really go on and on… but I think you are getting the point.

At New Hope Community Church (where I serve) we have the hardest time recruiting dedicated media volunteers to run the computer that projects our lyrics on Sunday mornings. But… interestingly enough I get more complaints about words being messed up, delayed, or jumbled from people than anything else.

So… you may be reading this and asking yourself, “where do we go from here?” To that I would like to answer with a challenge: Serve your congregation out of worship to God.

Don’t become involved merely just to build an organization or program, or because you think you are expected to. Become involved out of a desire to influence, change, and help your friends, family, and neighbors.

Ministry is important… and you don’t have to be a “minister” to do it.

1 Corinthians 12:12-25 says,

For just as the body is one and has many members, and all the members of the body, though many, are one body, so it is with Christ. For in one Spirit we were all baptized into one body–Jews or Greeks, slaves or free–and all were made to drink of one Spirit. For the body does not consist of one member but of many. If the foot should say, “Because I am not a hand, I do not belong to the body,” that would not make it any less a part of the body. And if the ear should say, “Because I am not an eye, I do not belong to the body,” that would not make it any less a part of the body. If the whole body were an eye, where would be the sense of hearing? If the whole body were an ear, where would be the sense of smell? But as it is, God arranged the members in the body, each one of them, as he chose. If all were a single member, where would the body be? As it is, there are many parts, yet one body. The eye cannot say to the hand, “I have no need of you,” nor again the head to the feet, “I have no need of you.” On the contrary, the parts of the body that seem to be weaker are indispensable, and on those parts of the body that we think less honorable we bestow the greater honor, and our unpresentable parts are treated with greater modesty, which our more presentable parts do not require. But God has so composed the body, giving greater honor to the part that lacked it, that there may be no division in the body, but that the members may have the same care for one another.

You see, the church functions as a body. Each part, no matter how small, is equally valuable to the health of the whole body. Each part performs different duties in relationship to its contribution to the body. God has equipped each individual differently, with different spiritual gifts, backgrounds, talents, personalities, and abilities… but all have an important role to play.

There are a few ways to get off on the right foot as far as your volunteering goes. Below I will outline a few ways to be an impactful and effective volunteer because a person without a strategy often stumbles and struggles.

  • Dedicate your time.

This may seem obvious… but service takes time. Nothing is more irritating to an organizer than volunteers who are consistently late to their commitments. As a Worship Pastor it definitely makes my job more stressful when I don’t have my media team or sound engineers on time to rehearsals or services. As volunteers we should aim to take the stress and workload off of those around us. Weight is more easily distributed among several different carriers than if it is placed all on one.

Be a servant and carry some weight!

  • Practice your responsibilities.

Everyone expects the music and preaching to be polished and ready to go on Sundays and that requirement carries over to volunteers as well.

Believe it or not… your service is your worship and should be done with excellence.

As volunteers we should be “well-rehearsed” in the same way a musician would be before stepping in front of people. There are several things we can do to become better in our volunteer services…

If we are greeters we can dedicate time to learning the names and faces of those within our congregation so that we can more easily connect and assist when we see them. This also makes it easier to visibly find guests and make them feel welcomed with a personalized greeting.

If we are serving with children or in Sunday School classes or groups we can look over our material and prepare our rooms, areas, or spaces before hand. We can also find material to read and invest our time in to make us better in our service.

If we are musicians, media teamers, or sound engineers we can practice our craft alone so that we are ready to go on a Sunday. Time invested into service beforehand will always make things run smoother when the time comes to perform our duties in front of others. This can also mean getting familiar with the songs and communicating beforehand so everyone is one the same page on Sunday (as far as lights, sound, and projected lyrics go).

  • Develop a proper attitude of service.

A major attribute in becoming a successful worker or volunteer is developing an attitude of willingness and sacrifice. Many times it is easier to believe in something and aggressively pursue it as long as it doesn’t cost us anything…. but the most effective workers are those who willingly sacrifice for the good of the body.

We hear of the sacrifices of following Jesus in Luke 9:57-62,

As they were going along the road, someone said to him, “I will follow you wherever you go.” And Jesus said to him, “Foxes have holes, and birds of the air have nests, but the Son of Man has nowhere to lay his head.” To another he said, “Follow me.” But he said, “Lord, let me first go and bury my father.” And Jesus said to him, “Leave the dead to bury their own dead. But as for you, go and proclaim the kingdom of God.” Yet another said, “I will follow you, Lord, but let me first say farewell to those at my home.” Jesus said to him, “No one who puts his hand to the plow and looks back is fit for the kingdom of God.”

I find it hard to believe that in light of this passage many of us don’t have it in us to sacrifice a single service a month to serving in some aspect within our churches.

Work to develop an attitude of service. At first it might not be easy… but I promise that the more you serve to glorify the Father the easier it will become.

  • Commit yourself to being flexible and reliable.

Want to make it easier on those around you or those “in charge?” Well you are in luck! Reliability is an organizers best friend.

Let me ask you a question… how long would we stay employed if we were late every other day and sometimes just didn’t show up to work at all without notice. Probably not very long. What about if we came in every following day with a sob story or excuse? It wouldn’t matter.

If we can dedicate ourselves to working reliably in the world and for the world why is it like pulling teeth getting reliable and diligent workers to work in the church for God?

How many of us would drop everything instantly if our boss called us in for a special favor? I would say many of us would because of the possibility of rewards that could come along with that sacrifice of time or plans. Well… what about the rewards that Christ promises?

Be flexible and reliable!

Tardiness, last minute cancellations, and “no shows” ARE a hindrance to your “ministers” spiritual preparation and focus. This carries us into our last point…

  • Communicate.

Just like in every other aspect of life… communication is key! As ministerial staff we understand that life gets busy and hard at times… we aren’t exempt to that. But with a little help and communication we can make or churches and ministries more efficient and effective. Be willing to communicate in times good and bad. It is never too late to ask for help or to learn something new… all you have to do is ask.

Volunteering is WAY underrated and under-appreciated. Remember who and why you are serving and know that you are valued even when it seems otherwise.

Be a volunteer that is impactful and effective.

Colossians 3:22-24 says,

Bondservants, obey in everything those who are your earthly masters, not by way of eye-service, as people-pleasers, but with sincerity of heart, fearing the Lord. Whatever you do, work heartily, as for the Lord and not for men, knowing that from the Lord you will receive the inheritance as your reward. You are serving the Lord Christ.

What is your mouth filled with?

Posted on by Tanner Royalty

The topic this week is one that I think all of us need to hear and be reminded of on a regular basis. As worship leaders, worshippers, and believers in general the world views and makes judgments about us based on several things: how we act and handle ourselves, and how we speak and interact with others. Are we compassionate? Encouraging? Quick to speak and slow to listen and think? Or do we use our words as a way to force our agenda or tear down others for personal gain, enjoyment, or even naturally or unintentionally?

All of us probably are well aware that the Bible doesn’t shy away from, or hold any blows, when it speaks of the tongue and how we as believers must interact with each other and the world. Scripture is pretty clear that we must tame our tongues at all costs. In fact, the word “tongue” (which is often used interchangeably with the word, language) is in the 1611 version of the KJV Bible 160 times! Think about it! That is a LOT! We have 66 books in our Protestant Bible and if we were to divide up those 160 times that the word “tongue” is used throughout those books it would appear almost 2.5 times in every book! Obviously God’s will is that we pay close attention to what the Word says about our tongues…

James 3:2-10 says,

For we all stumble in many ways. And if anyone does not stumble in what he says, he is a perfect man, able also to bridle his whole body. If we put bits into the mouths of horses so that they obey us, we guide their whole bodies as well. Look at the ships also: though they are so large and are driven by strong winds, they are guided by a very small rudder wherever the will of the pilot directs. So also the tongue is a small member, yet it boasts of great things. How great a forest is set ablaze by such a small fire! And the tongue is a fire, a world of unrighteousness. The tongue is set among our members, staining the whole body, setting on fire the entire course of life, and set on fire by hell.

James 1:26 says,

If anyone thinks he is religious and does not bridle his tongue but deceives his heart, this person’s religion is worthless.

What I get from reading passages like the ones above is that the tongue isn’t something to be taken lightly. In reality our tongue makes up such a small part of who we are, but yet it determines so many things like: how we are perceived, how easy or hard we are to work with, whether or not people enjoy being around us or interacting with us, etc. With our tongues we hold the power to encourage and build up, or to tear down and destroy.

Proverbs 18:21 says,

Death and life are in the power of the tongue, and those who love it will eat its fruits.

Proverbs 15:4 says,

 A gentle tongue is a tree of life, but perverseness in it breaks the spirit.

What does your tongue demonstrate and give? Life or death?

So… how does our tongue affect our weekly and congregational worship? Believe it or not, the worship that happens on Sundays in our churches is actually determined by far more than what happens during the music or preaching of God’s Word. We all know that our worship isn’t determined by or limited to the sound or words of a song, but rather that worship is an active lifestyle that inhabits all we are, think, say, and do, and that brings pleasure to the heart of God! This means that our actual worship happens more frequently off the stage than on because we interact with others each and every day and our corporate worship may be limited to 1 or 2 times a week on the stage!

How is the way you interact with those on and off the stage building a Christ-like character within them? Are you encouraging and building them up with your interactions and words or are you sowing a seed of darkness and death in their lives and souls?

I am convicted personally, and I think we should all be, when I think that although I may enter into corporate worship with the correct heart and mind I may be failing every other day to demonstrate God-honoring worship by the way I interact with those around me. The 2 or 3 times I may get to lead or participate in corporate worship fails or falls short in light of 5 or 6 other 24 hour days that I may be sowing death with my words.

I love this quote I found… it says,

What takes us years to build with our talent can be destroyed overnight by our character; and, what takes time and effort to build with our worship team efforts can be destroyed by the power of the tongue.

Let’s face it… we have great responsibility. As believers, especially in today’s time, we are under the microscope of the world. Everything we do has an audience and if we can’t speak out of the grace and love we have been given then what does that say about the value we place in that precious gift we are so freely given?

Our talents, abilities, and more importantly our words and actions carry great weight! The way we interact with and influence people daily can bring great blessing to the heart of God and our ministries or they can bring great destruction, deceit, and death.

An example of worship being halted by the work of the tongue is Miriam. If you are unfamiliar with the story it comes from Exodus. Chapter 15 verses 20-21 says,

Then Miriam the prophetess, Aaron’s sister, took a tambourine in her hand, and all the women followed her, with tambourines and dancing. Miriam sang to them: “Sing to the LORD, for he is highly exalted.”

Miriam was a worship leader and a person of influence that was used by God. However, we see that later on she allowed her language of worship to be replaced with divisive language. Numbers 12 records this,

Miriam and Aaron began to talk against Moses because of his Cushite wife, for he had married a Cushite. “Has the Lord spoken only through Moses?” they asked. “Hasn’t he also spoken through us?” And the Lord heard this. (Now Moses was a very humble man, more humble than anyone else on the face of the earth.) At once the Lord said to Moses, Aaron and Miriam, “Come out to the tent of meeting, all three of you.” So the three of them went out. Then the Lord came down in a pillar of cloud; he stood at the entrance to the tent and summoned Aaron and Miriam. When the two of them stepped forward, he said, “Listen to my words: “When there is a prophet among you, I, the Lord, reveal myself to them in visions, I speak to them in dreams. But this is not true of my servant Moses; he is faithful in all my house. With him I speak face to face, clearly and not in riddles; he sees the form of the Lord. Why then were you not afraid to speak against my servant Moses?” The anger of the Lord burned against them, and he left them. When the cloud lifted from above the tent, Miriam’s skin was leprous—it became as white as snow. Aaron turned toward her and saw that she had a defiling skin disease, and he said to Moses, “Please, my lord, I ask you not to hold against us the sin we have so foolishly committed. Do not let her be like a stillborn infant coming from its mother’s womb with its flesh half eaten away.” So Moses cried out to the Lord, “Please, God, heal her!” The Lord replied to Moses, “If her father had spit in her face, would she not have been in disgrace for seven days? Confine her outside the camp for seven days; after that she can be brought back.” So Miriam was confined outside the camp for seven days, and the people did not move on till she was brought back.

Miriam’s name literally means “bitterness” or “rebellion.” She recorded in the Bible as being a co-leader of one of the most powerful and influential worship services in the history of Israel. But we soon find her being used by the enemy to bring accusation against God’s leader, bring division among the people, and cause the progress of an entire nation to be halted in the middle of a desert.

Don’t allow yourself or the words you speak to be the halter within your congregation or body.

So… how do we do this? How do we build the body with our words?

  • Choose to speak out of grace.

Colossians 4:6 says,

Let your conversation be always full of grace.

Did your parents ever tell you to “think twice and speak once?” Or, “If you have nothing nice to say then don’t say anything at all?” Both of these statements speak such truth! The often quoted verse out of James 1:19 immediately comes to mind here,

Know this, my beloved brothers: let every person be quick to hear, slow to speak, slow to anger.

But really it isn’t always that simple… but if we are to be constantly conforming ourselves to the image of Christ then we must speak out of grace because it is through Christ that grace has been given. If we’ve ever been given a second chance (which we all have through Christ) then we owe it to others to be understanding and gracious in our interactions and words.

  • Choose to bring life through the things that you say.

Sticks and stones may break my bones but words can never hurt me… they can destroy my mentally, spiritually, and emotionally. I am guilty of living and speaking towards others with that mentality.

If our mouths and words convey messages about us and our hearts then what kind of message are we conveying each and every day as we speak and interact with others?

In Matthew 12:34 Jesus speaks to the religious people of his day in this way,

You brood of vipers! How can you speak good, when you are evil? For out of the abundance of the heart the mouth speaks.

That may seem pretty harsh but the truth there can rattle you if you pay attention to it. Too often we equate our speech or make excuses for our detrimental interactions with others to our upbringing or personality but this makes it out to be more than that… it is a heart issue. Just because you aren’t a “people person” doesn’t excuse your heart for being the ammunition to a dangerous weapon used to cut others down.

In the battle of words choose to speak life to others.

Deuteronomy 30:19 says,

I call heaven and earth to witness against you today, that I have set before you life and death, blessing and curse. Therefore choose life, that you and your offspring may live.

Romans 14:19 says,

So then let us pursue what makes for peace and for mutual upbuilding.

1 Thessalonians 5:11 says,

Therefore encourage one another and build one another up, just as you are doing.

  • Choose to be accountable for your tongue.

No more excuses. It really is that easy. Find an accountability partner and be serious in reforming your language in the same way that you have transformed and reformed your mind and heart.

Jesus has done His part in us and now the ball is in our court. Choose to speak in a way that glorifies the Father. Create times of worship in your interactions with others by speaking life and grace.No longer do we have to be careful about who we say what to… because ALL we say is going to be said out of worship to the Father.

This week’s blog was hard because I was writing to an audience of one… me. If you have taken anything at all from this rambling please commit yourself alongside me to speaking life to others in the name of Jesus.

Psalm 100:4 says,

Enter his gates with thanksgiving and his courts with praise; give thanks to him and praise his name.

Let’s not allow ourselves to be like Miriam. I will end with a reminder out of Deuteronomy 28:47-48. It says,

Because you did not serve the LORD your God with joy and gladness of heart, for the abundance of all things, therefore you shall serve your enemies, whom the LORD will send against you, in hunger, in thirst, in nakedness, and in need of all things.

What is your Platform: Using our Opportunities Wisely

Posted on by Tanner Royalty

Many of us would say that we have been blessed with many opportunities. Do you recognize those opportunities? In what ways do those around you receive blessing through the opportunities that you are given?

Some of us are full-time ministers. Some are students. Others of us interact with people each and every day… maybe you are a: police officer, school teacher, mechanic, maintenance man, waiter or waitress, etc. We all have different talents and abilities and different ministry fields that we have been given the opportunity to serve in.

On a side note: If you aren’t a minister then I would say to you that you have a a wonderful opportunity to live as Christ in front of others! People expect “holiness” from clergy… and unfortunately many expect hypocrisy from “average” church-goers. I would challenge you to not be “average.” Use your opportunities wisely!

Romans 12:1 says,

I appeal to you therefore, brothers, by the mercies of God, to present your bodies as a living sacrifice, holy and acceptable to God, which is your spiritual worship.

What part(s) of yourself can you give? What part(s) are you holding back? What opportunities have you been given? What is your sacrifice? Opportunities sometimes can be hidden, misconceived, or unidentified… but I promise they are there. How are you serving?

If you’re a Christian, God has given you at least one spiritual gift. And those gifts aren’t just for your own benefit; their purposes are to bless the entire Body of Christ. When you discover your spiritual gift(s) and use them everyday in your particular ministry field and in your local church, you’ll see amazing growth take place in your life, ministry, and in your congregation.

1 Peter 4:10 says,

As each has received a gift, use it to serve one another, as good stewards of God’s varied grace.

You see… your gifts aren’t really for you at all. They are for God and others. If you think your talents or gifts are simply ways in which you can be successful, make a lot of money, and please yourself then you’ve missed the point of your life… and I am afraid many of us have missed it and we don’t even realize it. God has given us talents to benefit others, not ourselves, and believe it or not, it will recipricate because God has given other people talents that benefit us.

We all have different opportunities and gifts and each part matters. There are no insignificant people in the family of God. You were created, formed , and placed to serve God and bless others.

Your gifts, talents, and opportunities matter to God.

1 Corinthians 4:1-2 says,

This is how one should regard us, as servants of Christ and stewards of the mysteries of God. Moreover, it is required of stewards that they be found faithful.

Are you using what God has given you for the benefit of others and your congregation and to make the world a better place? Or are you just wasting them or using those talents to benefit yourself?

Below I will outline a few steps to finding and using your opportunities and gifts to honor and glorify God.

  • Being willing

The first step in discovering and using our opportiunities and gifts to glorify God is to be willing to do so. This sounds simple, but it might not be as easy as you think. What is our reaction going to be when God presents an opportunity for us to scrub toilets, visit a nursing home, or do maintainence work around an elderly person’s home? Many of us might shrink away form the idea of serving “behind the scenes” in inconspicuous ways. We might think that God has got more “in-store” for us than that. I would tell you that no job is too lowly for a servant of Christ, and maybe that this service is a test form God to see how we will handle a forefront job or position. Don’t just look fort the glorifying jobs… because they are all glorifying in God’s eyes. Hopefully it’s the Father that you are trying to please and bring glory to anyways right?

Serve. Use your opportunity.

  • Being available

I don’t know about you, but I consistently find myself wondering where my day has gone. Time is precious… and SO many of us over-commit ourselves and get busy with things that we shouldn’t be so concerned with. It is because if that point that I think one of Satan’s best fiery darts is busyness.

Ephesians 5:15-20 says,

Look carefully then how you walk, not as unwise but as wise, making the best use of the time, because the days are evil. Therefore do not be foolish, but understand what the will of the Lord is. And do not get drunk with wine, for that is debauchery, but be filled with the Spirit, addressing one another in psalms and hymns and spiritual songs, singing and making melody to the Lord with your heart, giving thanks always and for everything to God the Father in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ.

We see Paul here in Ephesians calling us as believers to see the way in which we use our time as important. Paul says to us, “Look carefully then how you walk, not as unwise but as wise, making the best use of the time.” God urges us to use our time wisely and to take advantage of our every opportunity to serve, honor, and glorify Him before those opportunities disappear.

We can use our time wisely when we put God’s will into action in our lives, caring for one another, spreading the good news of salvation, and anything else that gives glory to God.. Ask yourself, “What can I do today to glorify my Savior Jesus Christ?”

Therefore… time is a precious commodity that runs out.

  • Being prepared

Anyone who has read any of my blogs previously knows that I am huge on preparedness. I think that in any task, no matter how medial, we should be prepared and equipped to do the job at hand with excellence. , I have noticed that in my particular area, corporate worship, we can too easily develop or encourage a mindset that if we are not “worship leader” we can kick back and place the our weight on someone else in “leadership.” But, let me clarify one thing, as servants of the Lord we are all “worship leaders” in different areas. How are you leading?

Being prepared can make a world of difference. Being early to practice running sound, projected lyrics, or lights can make services run smoother and more effectively. Spending time preparing in prayer can wage war against the spirits that fight for our souls on Sundays and every other day. Preparing by training and investing time into others can keep someone struggling anchored to a Christian body of believers or help reveal a personal spiritual gift to someone who may be unaware of it.

Every time you serve, whether it is in the front or back, interior or exterior of the church, you have the privilege and opportunity to encourage and lead others to worship God. So use everything you have to point people to Jesus.

Prepare yourself. Prepare others.

How are you using your opportunities and gifts? What are you holding back?

Watch out for Booby Traps!

Posted on by Tanner Royalty

Scroll through your Twitter or Facebook feed. What do you see? Opinions, rants, soapboxes, humor, advice, etc… Social media is an ever-growing network of people voicing their every thought. Take a look! Facebook asks a simple but dangerous question right at the top… it says “What’s on your mind?” That simple question lays in wait for an unsuspecting “scroller” to post before it ensnares them like a booby trap in a battleground.

Far too often we see people we know entangled in pointless online “battles” over the most meaningless things. I just don’t understand it… how is arguing with someone online that is 500 miles away beneficial ever? But… many of us fall into this snare consistently.

Christians… beware of what you say online.

Be an example. Show some restraint. Know what you believe and stand by it, and if necessary the time will come when you can voice your opinion or belief in a way that is beneficial to you and those around you.

Matthew 15:18 says,

But what comes out of the mouth proceeds from the heart, and this defiles a person.

That being said… don’t be defiled! The same Jesus who lives in your heart can change the way you speak and the way you respond to and correspond with people.

Social media isn’t an entirely bad thing though! Many churches (the one I serve at included) use social media to their advantage. How can we turn such a negative breeding ground into a ministry that shines bright on Jesus and glorifies the Father?

  • Guard your tongue!

Matthew 7:16-20 says,

You will recognize them by their fruits. Are grapes gathered from thornbushes, or figs from thistles? So, every healthy tree bears good fruit, but the diseased tree bears bad fruit. A healthy tree cannot bear bad fruit, nor can a diseased tree bear good fruit. Every tree that does not bear good fruit is cut down and thrown into the fire. Thus you will recognize them by their fruits.

Luke 6:43-44 says,

For no good tree bears bad fruit, nor again does a bad tree bear good fruit, for each tree is known by its own fruit. For figs are not gathered from thornbushes, nor are grapes picked from a bramble bush.

As believers we are to be recognized for our fruit, and believe it or not that doesn’t exclude our online alter-ego. We should work hard to guard our tongues in the same way online as we do in reality.

James 3:6 says,

And the tongue is a fire, a world of unrighteousness. The tongue is set among our members, staining the whole body, setting on fire the entire course of life, and set on fire by hell.”

Psalm 34:13 says,

Keep your tongue from evil and your lips from speaking deceit.

The way I look at it is if I couldn’t imagine myself saying it in person, face-to-face, in a loving non-confrontational way then I shouldn’t voice it at all until a God-honoring way to do so is revealed to me.

That doesn’t mean we can’t stand for things and be actively involved in our world…because I absolutely believe that is necessary. As Christians we should actively support causes we believe in, but those causes should be moral and Biblical issues, not personal agendas or meaningless quarrel laden discussions. In the end, we should be seen in light of Jesus. After all, it is Jesus that we are compared to by the world!

Don’t be known as a keyboard warrior, a political loudmouth, or a misinformed ignoramus. Be known first and foremost as a disciple of Christ.

  • Be an encourager!

Ephesians 4:29 says,

Let no corrupting talk come out of your mouths, but only such as is good for building up, as fits the occasion, that it may give grace to those who hear.

It is rare for me to log onto a social media outlet and logout feeling encouraged. I would say that is true for most of us. The world can be depressing. As we watch the world slip through the cracks to Hell we all need encouragement and a reminder that our Savior lives!

How about instead of spamming your friends and online acquaintances with yet another “shared” page or news article we post something about Jesus. It’s a revolutionary thought! If we are to be all about Jesus then how come it is rare for our online accounts to reflect that?

Let’s challenge ourselves to leave a positive mark online before we log-off each and every time.

  • Learn and provide great online resources to your friends.

The internet is a vast and interesting place, which makes it hard for me to believe that the only thing believers nowadays can find to post about or share are typically fake or entirely incorrect internet articles meant solely for stirring up conflict.

Just as a side note… if you see a story about aliens landing, Tupac or Elvis being alive, a fan-favorite celebrity dying, or an asteroid heading towards earth please check your sources before posting! If no major news sites are covering the story then it isn’t true!

I just really don’t understand how we as a generation can have so much information directly at our fingertips and can still be so ignorant and find time online to argue or post about pointless things! Use your time and resources wisely… and share useful things with other believers and the world. Make a case for Christ!

I challenge each of you to use your time on the internet wisely. Limit your social media and increase your studying of God’s Word and the many theological resources available online from many or the world’s greatest known and wisest theologians.

The internet can be a wonderful thing and another resource to be used in developing a greater understanding of God! Use it to its full capabilities to make disciples and not to stir up conflict.

Beware of online traps. Watch what you say online.

I’ll leave you with the words of Jesus in Matthew 12:33-37,

Either make the tree good and its fruit good, or make the tree bad and its fruit bad, for the tree is known by its fruit. You brood of vipers! How can you speak good, when you are evil? For out of the abundance of the heart the mouth speaks. The good person out of his good treasure brings forth good, and the evil person out of his evil treasure brings forth evil. I tell you, son the day of judgment people will give account for every careless word they speak, for by your words you will be justified, and by your words you will be condemned.

 

Move on Over.

Posted on by Tanner Royalty

How do we make our worship less about ourselves, and more about Jesus?

There are just some performers who can capture an audience with their show or act. Whether it is a musician or band that executes their sound flawlessly, or an actor that causes you to enter into the plot or setting right beside them. Everything that they do serves a purpose. That purpose is to put on a breathtaking show that leaves the audience wanting more. Nothing happens on accident, and they are prepared for everything that will take place during that time.

Would it surprise you that I think that we should share some commonalities with secular performers when we worship on Sunday mornings? Hear me out… because we will get to the differences, but lets hit the similarities first. Like a well-tuned performer, everything that we do when we worship should work to serve one ultimate purpose: to Glorify God. Every word, thought, and action should work towards that purpose.

Also, like a performer we should be prepared. An actor doesn’t show up without having read through their lines and gotten into the mindset of their character, the same way a musician doesn’t show up and try to learn their instrument on the spot.

How prepared are we when we take the stage before God?

I believe that one of the primary problems with the worship in our churches is the lack of preparation. Do we understand what we are doing when we worship? I’m not sure that we do… because if we did then we would surely want to prepare. Here is an excerpt from one of my blogs from a few weeks ago that talks about preparation.

It is of absolute importance that we take time to prepare our hearts to worship God before we set foot in the sanctuary on Sunday morning. True spiritual preparation takes time and effort and isn’t done in the fifteen-minute gap between sound check and service.

In fact, God made this crystal clear when He gave the law in Exodus 19. Verses 10- 11 say,

The Lord said to Moses, “Go to the people and consecrate them today and tomorrow, and let them wash their garments and be ready for the third day. For on the third day the Lord will come down on Mount Sinai in the sight of all the people.

God called the people to prepare to come into His presence, or even near His presence when He came down onto the mountain where He would speak to Moses. The people weren’t even on the same mountain and they had to prepare! We are actually approaching and entering into the Lord’s presence with our worship… we should seriously prepare! We see consistently throughout Scripture and history that God wants His people to get ready to come near to Him, to prepare themselves for an encounter with Him.

Are you truly preparing yourself? Your worship team? Your congregation? Some of us might be receiving a well-deserved gut-check here… but I think it is time that we return to our original question and topic.

How do we make our worship less about ourselves, and more about Jesus?

Below I will provide a few thoughts and elaborations. Know that they are not exhaustive and take some time to think for yourself before just taking my “word” for it.

It’s about more than music.

The musical portions of our services are probably what comes to mind for the average church attender when they here the word “worship.” When in fact the music portions are just one avenue of our outpouring of worship to our marvelous God.

When that is misunderstood or not communicated and music is seen as a means to encounter God, worship leaders and musicians are elevated in a way that is entirely incorrect. What ends up happening is our worship leaders take on the role of being the ones who bring us into the presence of God taking the place of Jesus who has already fulfilled that role. Let’s remember: Our worship isn’t dependent on the music or sound. The musicians are there to accompany the congregation, not vice-versa.

Get out of the way by providing a correct understanding of what worship is and who it is too and through. It’s not about us or anything we have done… it is all about Jesus.

Don’t do anything to call attention to yourself.

I’m probably going to step on quite a few toes with this point… but please hear me all the way out. We are not rockstars, we are not actors… we are servants. A servant serves their master in a way that reflects well upon the one in which they serve. When a maid is hired to clean a house they don’t expect the credit from the work in which they were called to do. The next day when the guests arrive I guarantee you that the first thing off the guests lips isn’t about how well the maid did, but rather, they will be about how well the house looks. We are to be that type of servant. The work in which we do should make God look great… not us.

You may be thinking… what is the application to this? Well… think about what you do when you worship. Does it cause people to look at YOU? Admire YOUR skill? Be drawn to the way in which YOU worship? It’s a hard balance. How far can we go?

In my particular area or setting of worship we are completely contemporary in using modern instruments, songs, etc. I often times have to be careful at not looking too much like the world, because at first glance our stage and instrument set-up looks just like a U2 or George Strait concert. There is nothing wrong with that, but you get the idea. When we are rehearsing or playing we also need to be conscientious of the things we are doing and how they are contributing to the worship. Is there a need for 3-minute guitar solos that leave everyone’s jaws on the floor? Probably not.

My rule of thumb is… if it causes people to divert their attention to me then it isn’t necessary or useful to what I am trying to accomplish. Be tasteful. Use the skillsets you have been given by God wisely to point back to Him. I’m not saying we should be bland or boring, we have skills… but we also have a greater stage and responsibility in which to use them.

Sing about God… not about yourself.

What are we singing about? How directed are our lyrics? It isn’t uncommon to find lyrics that are shallow and repetitive, that focuses on self and not God being used widely in our local and national churches.

One way to move out of the way and focus our worship on God is to focus our songs on Him and His greatness and glory. God has given us creativity, skill, and hundreds of thousands of words in the English language to describe His glory, beauty, works, etc.

My personal thought about this is… why do we need to sing about our reaction to God. Live it. Allow your reaction or response to God to be evident in your life. If we merely sing about what we are going to do and don’t follow through in doing it then we are just using empty words and phrases to deceive ourselves. God isn’t fooled.

Let’s be picky when it comes to what we are putting before people to sing. Let’s decide now to sing about God and not about ourselves.

Keep the congregation focused and involved.

If we claim that our worship is about God, then why would we include something in our services that doesn’t focus entirely on God?

I have said it before and I will say it again… our entertainment saturated culture has soaked into the church and our corporate worship of God has been devolved into a talent show filled with praise and applause of man. Biblical worship involves the whole congregation, prompted by worship leaders, focusing on and responding to God. Every believer present should engage in worship, not observe it. So sing God’s praises together, read Scripture together, and pray together.

The platform at church isn’t for just the “best” worshippers to “perform” while others watch. It is for the leading of God’s people. There is great weight and responsibility that comes along with it. We should guard it with all that we are!

Now obviously I am not saying that everyone should be allowed to “lead” just because their heart is right… we must balance and weigh the costs carefully. No two situations are the same.

What I am saying is… we should focus our time together on God alone. We must lead… not perform.

Make the reason you gather known!

This probably should be able to go without saying… but unfortunately we miss this point far too often. Why do we gather together? Why do we sing? Why do we do any of the things we do in “worship” to God?

We should be pouring into each other and as leaders we should be pouring into our congregations, and part of that is focusing our limited time together. I’m sure at some point in most of our services a visitor or moderate churchgoer probably thinks, “Oh, this is about God!” But… what about someone of another religion, or someone that knows nothing about the Gospel or Christianity? How are we informing them? It is a shame that we meet together and rarely state why we are there. Do our actions show it? I hope so. Now let’s say it with words.

Let’s decide together right now to move out of the way and be transparent worshippers. Those in our congregations should see directly through us and to Jesus. It’s not about us or anything we do… it’s all about God.

Picking up the Wreckage

Posted on by Tanner Royalty

What do you do when in the middle of leading worship you have a train wreck? Things are going smoothly and then suddenly the service flies off the rails. Everybody has had it happen, and some “catastrophes” are worse than others… but all of them make us feel helpless and, dare I say it, embarrassed.

Some Sundays we leave feeling as if everything went perfectly, no technical malfunctions or difficulties, no slip-ups or word vomit, and the music sounded well rehearsed and prepared. And then there are the Sundays where you feel like you take giant steps backwards in the opposite direction of perfection or excellence.

When it feels like you can’t do anything right what do you do? The train is “off the tracks” so, now what?

Look to Jesus.

It is true that God commands the pursuit of excellence, but there are times that even the most prepared individual messes up.

2 Peter 1:3 “…as His divine power has given to us all things that pertain to life and godliness, through the knowledge of Him who called us by glory and excellence…”

Colossians 3:23-24 “And whatever you do, do it heartily, as to the Lord and not to men, knowing that from the Lord you will receive the reward of the inheritance; for you serve the Lord Christ.”

Our best-laid plans can be laid to waste in an instant. But, the good news is that God’s strength is perfected in our weakness. When things don’t go as planned, people are able to see more clearly our humanity and fallibility.

God commands excellence, but forgives in the coming short of perfection. To strive for excellence means to do our best, and to be content to leave the rest for God; to be perfectionistic means that we aren’t ever truly satisfied with the results of something that we do.

The only perfect thing on this side of the fall to ever be will be Jesus.

Godly Biblical excellence allows us to live at peace with God, knowing that we are giving our best effort with His aid; to be perfectionistic means to live anxiously, always worrying about the flaws in what we are doing or that are in our past. To strive for excellence means to humbly depend on God for our abilities, strength, and results, and to give Him glory. If we could ever be “perfect” then why would we need God? It is because of our lack that we can see our NEED for Jesus.

My encouragement to all of us today is that our worship is not about professionalism and perfection. Neither of those things are necessary. Worship must always be about the lifting up of Christ.

Yes, we must seek to improve in every area. We can seek help or practice and study more. But in spite of what happens we must NEVER take our eyes off Jesus, or we have missed the point and purpose. Offer areas that you continue to struggle with to God in prayer, and then you give thanks for what happens. We must trust that God will be glorified in all the things that we do, the good and the bad, the excellent and the “not-so-much.”

So, this week, while we will work towards getting the songs right, I hope that we work towards getting to know Jesus better even more. If we deliberately prepare and still make mistakes, the world isn’t going to leave its orbit. God won’t smite us.

Christ will be lifted up, Christ will be honored, and we will be transformed. In the end, we will eventually have PERFECT worship… in eternity with Jesus.

Remember, God can continue working, even through our mistakes.