Church Experiences Christmas in New Creative Ways through Worship
The following is a helpful report of how one church got really creative in how they utilized their music and arts ministry to reach their community at Christmas 2008. Great ideas as we plan toward Christmas 2009! Guest Post by Frank Nihart, worship pastor at First Baptist Church, Deridder, LA: As a worship leader, it was my first opportunity in a new town and a new church and ministry setting to celebrate the birth of Jesus. I knew that this church had great success in the past with their Living Christmas Tree presentations. But, I wanted to...
read moreChrist Can’t Be Taken Out of Christmas
As much as secular society tries to commercialize Christmas, and no matter how often we see Santa Claus at the mall and on TV, Jesus is still the reason for this season! Do yourself a favor and read the “The Great Christmas Wars” by David Loy. I just came across it today. Below is an except from the article. Click here to read the entire article. - Dwayne “No one is going to take Christ out of Christmas, because no one can remove our King from His throne. The Great Christmas Wars are already won. God saw to that when the...
read morePraise Him In the Furnace
Courtney Beam is a member of The Church at Ross Station, where I have the privilege to lead praise. Her 8-year-old son, Tucker, has been diagnosed again with cancer. (The first time he was only 1 year old.) Courtney herself has recently been diagnosed with cancer as well. Her faith and her family’s faith through all of this will leave you speechless. Below is an excerpt from a devotion she wrote. Go here to read the entire devotional article. – Dwayne At times I feel like we are in the fiery furnace and I allow myself to think that...
read moreCommunion Shows Us What Worship Really Means
OK, I admit I am mentally challenged and stretched every time I listen to or read anything by Ravi Zacharias. I am half-way through his book, Jesus Among Other Gods, and yet again, I find myself reading and re-reading certain paragraphs and sections in order to try to grasp the full meaning of his words. Nonetheless, this book is a powerful thesis on the supremacy of Christ and Christianity — and almost every page jumps out at me with fresh and provocative thoughts. Below is a quote from pp. 99-100. Here Dr. Zacharias teaches a...
read morePraying for Our President-elect
The presidential election of 2008 is in the history books. We have a new President-elect and his name is Barrack Hussein Obama. Now if you voted as I did, you may very well be disappointed with that fact. But while we may be disappointed, let us not be disheartened. It is true, I will not see my candidate move into the oval office but God is still on the throne and He is still in control! Jesus said in John 14:1, “Do not let your hearts be troubled. Trust in God; trust also in me.” As Christians our trust should never be in...
read morePet Peaves about Worship Leaders
Kent Shaffer has highlighted a provocative list of things people hate to see worship leaders do. WARNING: This list is not for the easily offended or closed-minded or convinced-they’ve-got-it-all-figured-out people. I don’t necessarily agree with everything on the list. But I must admit I have been (still am) guilty of some of the “gripes” mentioned here. I challenge us to read through these, carefully asking ourselves if we ever do these things in services. The point is not to change our ways just to please this...
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