Pretty fantastic morning with North Side.  John 6, celebrating communion, spontaneous worship, planned worship, and so much goodness.

Jeff’s message concerning God drawing us to Jesus was very powerful.  My salvation is as secure as the hands that hold it.  Loved our time together focusing on the cross.  Felt led early this morning to be doing some worship from the piano as people walked in today.  I gathered Leah and Woody and said, “I’ll start in the key of F, just follow me.”  And they did.  Special time as we entered into his gates with thanksgiving.

Today, we worshiped to:

• Worship Prelude – varied between services, just spontaneous worship around the cross
• Jesus Messiah – Chris Tomlin
• O the Blood – Gateway Worship
• The Power of the Cross – Keith and Kristin Getty
• When I Survey the Wondrous Cross – North Side Worship
• Were You There – North Side Worship
• Victory in Jesus – North Side Worship (11:00 service only cause pastor requested it on the spot )

Tuesday night, I huddled up members of our worship team and shared some direction I’ve been feeling for 2012.  As we completed our last recording project, God had been pressing on my heart a few different things, and over the course of the last couple of months, through prayer and study, I really have fleshed out a direction that I feel like would be honoring to God.

The only problem with sharing it with this group is: the plan sounds kinda crazy.  It’s very different.  It’s pretty ambitious, and there’s a lot that someone could look at say, “There’s no way that’s gonna happen.”

In that meeting, I was shocked to find something completely different.

In that meeting, I found brothers and sisters who affirmed how God was leading.  There was no naiveté in the room – everyone understood what we were up against and yet everyone wanted to jump in and tread through the fire with me.  These talented people that a congregation sees on stage are godly people who have faith big enough to risk something when God asks of them.   And there time off stage completely validates their time on stage.  We sought the Lord, we affirmed each other, and we committed to God in prayer that we will go forward.

I can’t wait to share with you the plans in the coming days.  But until then, today’s plea for you is this – if you want to attempt God-sized goals, you better surround yourself with godly people.  Anyone else will talk you out of it.  You want the type of people around you who would “charge hell with a water gun” believing they could take it.

The relationships you have will make or break you.  It’s as simple as that.  If you feel God leading you to something, you better have some people around you that know His voice so well that can affirm it and walk with you through it.

Today, I’m excited.  I’m expectant.  And, I’m grateful.

What a great day at North Side!  It was such a blessing to be able to lead at North Side for the first time in 2012.  Jeff was back in the house as well from his travels and boy were we in for a great time worshiping Jesus!

His message was plain ridiculous.  It was a great message about Jesus walking on water and how all the people around Him were looking for something other than Jesus.  So, so good.  Listen to it here.

In addition to celebrating some baptisms, hearing a report from United Youth Worship, we also were blessed to hear from Jason Allen who served on our Africa team.  What an incredible testimony of God’s power over there.

Today, we worshiped to:

 

• Desert Song – Hillsong
• It is Well (tag) – North Side Worship
• Beautiful Things – Gungor
• Beautiful – Phil Wickham

We were blessed to have a crew that helped out with United Youth Worship help us today.  What a wonderful day to be the church!

We had an incredible night of United Youth Worship last night.  Still beaming from how these students worshiped Jesus.  Love seeing the shift in the room last night.  Below are some pictures taken by the talented Paige Stumbo.  We will be posting some more pics on Facebook later.

You are more than enough for me, Jesus, more than enough for me.

Wednesday evening, area groups are gathering together for United Youth Worship at North Side.  Details here.

I’m honored to be a part of a collective of worship leaders leading that night.  Very, very excited about our time together.  Leading up to it, Ben and I talked about working on a worship song unique for the event.

In my Bible study, I was recently impacted yet again by the portion of the Levites.  As land was being distributed to the tribes of Israel, the priestly Levites were denied the right to land.  Before you think they got gipped, look at what they got:

“They shall have no portion among their brothers; the LORD is their portion, as he promised them.”  -Deut. 18:2

Did you catch that?  They didn’t have all of the worldly pleasures that their brothers had, but they got the LORD instead!  The song is based upon that idea.  Would we be satisfied if the treasures of this world were kept from us and all we had was Jesus?  Is He really enough for us?

The band, who had never played together, practiced this song Sunday night.  After the 1st time, I was humbled at how it gelled together so well.  On the second pass, we were simply able to worship through the song.  I am praying for a special time as we worship together and praying, even though it is a new song, it’s like we’ve been singing it with our hearts all our lives.

“You can keep all the treasures of this world for You are my Portion,

You can take all the pleasures of this world for You are my Portion,

All I want is You, nothing else will do, for You are my Portion

You are more than enough for me,

Jesus, more than enough for me,

There could never be another to take Your place.”

What a powerful day today!  Band, singers, choir, tech team did awesome today!  All I did was give an announcement and be led in worship by some fantastic people.  Wonderful prayer time.

Loved that one of our host team preached for us today.  Jerry Rentz, door greeter extraordinaire and elder at North Side, brought the Word today!  He did great.  Love his passion and his authenticity.  Learn from him so much!  He shared a lot of what God has been teaching him in 25 years of dedicated service in prison ministry.  When he said that some of the most passionate, godly men he knew were behind bars, it woke me up.

I had someone come up to me after 1st service and say, we better watch out or some church may hire our greeter as their preacher.  He then said, “How could you not hear God speaking to you today?”  I agree.

Today, we worshiped to:

• Pass Me Not – North Side Worship
• He’s Always Been Faithful – Sara Groves
• It Is Well – North Side Worship
• I Give You My Heart – Hillsong

Happy New Year’s everyone!  We started out 2012 in a fantabulous manner at North Side this morning.  I had the privilege of coming and worshiping with my family and being led by some wonderful people!

First off, Ben Hjalmer, our student pastor, preached for us on Jesus feeding the 5,000.  He preached his face off!  I love getting to hear Ben speak because of his genuine passion, but he took it to another level today.  It was fantastic.  I still got my bag, and planning on giving what I got and watch Jesus do amazing things with it!

We also were privileged to be led in worship by our student band.  This group leads at the Peak on Wednesdays.  At North Side, we always include our students in leading worship, but I can honestly say, I have never heard a group so polished and known a group more committed.

I told this to the group afterwards that it’s typical to hear people say: “That group did great for a bunch of teenagers.”  Unfortunately, I can’t say that.  They just did great period.  Teenagers, adults, you name it, they were a great group of worship leaders all around.  As tight as could be, as focused as could be, I closed my eyes and thought these guys could be musicians much older and experienced than what they were.  They love Jesus and are committed to His Church.  They were and are fantastic!

Today, we worshiped to:

• Desert Song – Hillsong
• Jesus Paid It All – Kristian Stanfill
• Your Love Never Fails – Jesus Culture
• Our God – Chris Tomlin

Loved it all the way through.  Hate I’m working myself out of a job!

We had a wonderful worship experience this Sunday as we celebrated Christmas.  Eli especially loved getting to play with all the candles on stage.

We worshiped to:

• Christmas Offering – North Side Worship
• Winter Snow – Audrey Assad
• The First Noel – North Side Worship
• Angels We Have Heard on High – North Side Worship
• Joy to the World – North Side Worship

Wonderful message!  Great leadership from our worship team.  Celebrating Christmas a very joyful worship pastor.

What a powerful night.

I wanted to say huge thank you to all those who helped out last night for O Holy Night: A Night of Worship.  Out of all the encouraging comments that I received from that night, I think the most reoccurring and resounding comment was: “Last night was a picture of our church.  It was us.  We simply focused on worshiping Jesus.”  I cannot say thank you enough to:

• From those preparing the communion for 1000 people
• From those welcoming people at the front doors
• From those who practiced very challenging music and led in worship (15 songs – that’s a bunch to work on!)
• From those who worked behind the stage to make everything look and sound beautiful
• From those elders serving communion
• From staff that had to do so much to prepare for that night
• To each of you who came and worshiped our Savior with us – thank you!

What a wonderful night to worship Jesus together!  May we never take the opportunity for granted that we get to “approach the throne of grace with confidence” (Heb 4:16) in worship with our church family!

Can’t wait to do it again this Sunday @ 11:00.  Hope to see you there!

Last night, we worshiped to:

• When I Survey the Wondrous Cross – North Side Worship
• Were You There – North Side Worship
• Nothing But the Blood – North Side Worship
• I Stand Amazed – North Side Worship
• Christ Has Come for All
• Infant Holy Infant Lowly – North Side Worship
• Silent Night – North Side Worship
• Let There Be Light – Point of Grace
• Sing Noel – Newsong
• O Holy Night – North Side Worship
• Emmanuel – Tommy Walker
• Hark the Herald Angels Sing – Chris Tomlin
• Go Tell It On the Mountain – North Side Worship
• O Come All Ye Faithful – North Side Worship
• O Come Let Us Adore Him – North Side Worship

*Many of these songs are from our Christmas album from North Side Worship.  You can check them out here!

Whoa.

Whoa, whoa, whoa.

This morning at North Side was ridiculous.  Jeff’s message from John 5 was one of the most powerful messages I have heard.  The thought that there are many people complaining about their situations but really don’t want to get well resonated so much today.  Still processing all of that goodness.  If you didn’t get to hear it, check it out here on Monday morning.

Today, we worshiped to:

• O Come All Ye Faithful – North Side Worship
• Go Tell It On the Mountain – North Side Worship
• Mighty to Save – Hillsong
• Center – Charlie Hall

It was such a wonderful time of worship as we centered much of our time together commissioning a mission team leaving from our church in a couple of weeks.  Hearing from missionaries serving in Africa, and then praying for those going to assist them was such a powerful time as we sang over them (medley comprised of Go Tell It, Wherever He Leads I’ll Go, Mighty to Save).

Can’t wait for tonight at North Side!  Don’t miss out on O Holy Night: A Night of Christmas Worship.  Details here.