What a very special day of worship at North Side!  In addition to recognizing our graduates, we also commissioned six college students who will be spending their summer in West Africa as North Side missionaries.  God orchestrated a very appropriate and powerful service to send them off.

Jeff’s message from John 12 was specifically directed towards ministers.  For all those who minister the Word of God to others, there are times when our souls become troubled.  Jesus showed us how to speak the Word with grace and truth.  For this message to fall in this week with these ladies being commissioned was a powerfully God-ordained moment.

Today, we worshiped to:

• I Will Boast – Paul Baloche
• Always – Kristian Stanfill
• Yana Da Rai – West Africa Worship Song
• How Great is Our God (World Edition) – Chris Tomlin

It was another powerful day of worship.  The first two songs were huge responses of worship by our congregation.  It was the first time we had led “Always” and people were singing out by the second line (great hint of being a great worship song).

As we commissioned these students, we led in “Yana Da Rai” which is a worship song from West Africa.  While the verses were hard to grab, I was impressed by how much the entire church sang out on the chorus.  It was awesome.

I then began to sing “How Great is Our God” in the same language, as the team began to sing it in English.  It was great to worship “alongside” our brothers and sisters there and a very powerful moment for our missionaries and our church who are praying for these people so much.

“Halleluja, Yesu Mu Yana da rai, Zan yabe shi Don yana da rai” (Hallelujah, our Jesus he has life, I will praise him, for he has life).

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Special day at North Side!  We had some info on promotion Sunday (June 3rd), family dedication with 9 families, great time of worship, great interview video on “who was Jesus,” and a wonderful message!  Jeff’s teaching on John 12 was so good.  So much to take in considering how we are to lay our lives down just as Christ was anticipating his sacrifice for us.

Today, we worshiped to:

• Enter His Gates – North Side Worship (released mid-June)
• Made Me Glad – North Side Worship
• When I Survey the Wondrous Cross – North Side Worship
• Amazing Grace (My Chains are Gone) – North Side Worship

Loved hearing everyone sing out today.  I love it when I hear the congregation way over what I hear from the band on stage, and today was one of those days in both services.  Such heartfelt worship.  Love how “Enter His Gates” is only 2 weeks old at our church, and people jumped right in today.  Can’t wait for the release next month!

I think it’s pretty special that God has allowed us to do a lot of composing and recording lately.  It’s pretty unique to have set lists with all songs that your church has recorded.  Very grateful to God for that opportunity.

Also, thank you to everyone who helped out this morning.  I love that we have moms serving on our music team, tech team, and host team that didn’t try to get out of service, but said they would rather be pointing other people to Jesus than sitting out this day on Mother’s Day.  We are so blessed with what is going on in our church.

No related posts.

Special day at North Side!  We had some info on promotion Sunday (June 3rd), family dedication with 9 families, great time of worship, great interview video on “who was Jesus,” and a wonderful message!  Jeff’s teaching on John 12 was so good.  So much to take in considering how we are to lay our lives down just as Christ was anticipating his sacrifice for us.

Today, we worshiped to:

• Enter His Gates – North Side Worship (released mid-June)
• Made Me Glad – North Side Worship
• When I Survey the Wondrous Cross – North Side Worship
• Amazing Grace (My Chains are Gone) – North Side Worship

Loved hearing everyone sing out today.  I love it when I hear the congregation way over what I hear from the band on stage, and today was one of those days in both services.  Such heartfelt worship.  Love how “Enter His Gates” is only 2 weeks old at our church, and people jumped right in today.  Can’t wait for the release next month!

I think it’s pretty special that God has allowed us to do a lot of composing and recording lately.  It’s pretty unique to have set lists with all songs that your church has recorded.  Very grateful to God for that opportunity.

Also, thank you to everyone who helped out this morning.  I love that we have moms serving on our music team, tech team, and host team that didn’t try to get out of service, but said they would rather be pointing other people to Jesus than sitting out this day on Mother’s Day.  We are so blessed with what is going on in our church.

No related posts.

What a great morning.  The boys normally go to soundcheck with me, but birthday boy Obadiah was extra rowdy on the drums this morning.

It was such a powerful time of worship today at North Side.  I can’t begin to tell you how much the Holy Spirit united the service today.  There are times when we plan elements together and it’s great to watch them fall, and then, today, I listened to Jeff preach his sermon and use words that were verbatim of the last song we were going to do after his message on Mary anointing the feet of Jesus.

I figured he had looked at the flowsheet and studied the lyrics, but something also told me that maybe this was a God orchestrated thing.  Turns out he didn’t know what the lyrics of the last song were, but as he preached in his message about “focusing on the gift instead of the Giver…Giver of every perfect gift…being satisfied in only Jesus…”  It was wild.

Today, we worshiped to:

• Brethren We Have Met to Worship – North Side Worship
• Enter His Gates – North Side Worship (on upcoming “Enter His Gates” release – June)
• Knowing You – Graham Kendrick
• It’s You – North Side Worship  (on upcoming “Enter His Gates” release – June)

We did two new songs today.  I’m normally against that much new songs, but the service called for them.  Both “Enter His Gates” and “It’s You” will be on the next North Side Worship album entitled “Enter His Gates” which will be out in June!  I was amazed at how much people were singing out to the first one and overwhelmed at the sincerity in people for the second one.  Love how God is putting our worship together and, after such an incredible message on worship, I pray God continues to grow us and shape us into a worshiping body.

“If there’s one thing I can’t get over, it’s You.”

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John 11:49 But one of them, Caiaphas, who was high priest that year, said to them, “You know nothing at all. 50 Nor do you understand that it is better for you that one man should die for the people, not that the whole nation should perish.” 51 He did not say this of his own accord, but being high priest that year he prophesied that Jesus would die for the nation, 52 and not for the nation only, but also to gather into one the children of God who are scattered abroad.

What a wonderful text that led our worship time today!  We focused on Jesus’ selfless sacrifice today and that is always time well-spent!  Jeff’s message was plain ridiculous.  The thought that we could possess a faith not to “offend Rome” really challenged some introspective time in my own life.  Powerful!

Today, we worshiped to:

• Victory in Jesus/Power in the Blood – North Side Worship
• All Things Are Possible – North Side Worship
• Make Me Holy – North Side Worship
• Are You Washed in the Blood? – North Side Worship arrangement
• Nothing But the Blood – North Side Worship

We had such an eclectic time of worship.  It’s really fun to look above and notice that all the songs led today are either originals are original arrangements of hymns.  From full band songs to very stripped down vocal songs, it was all so different yet felt like it went together.  Today, I led from the guitar, piano, guitar, then ukulele!  I had someone tell me that their teenager saw it and said, “Aw, look, Travis is playing one of his kids’ guitars.”  Just for clarification: the ukulele is not a toy, it is a serious instrument with happy strings

We were also blessed to have Craig Scott share a powerful testimony of how his and his family’s lives are being changed at North Side.  His appeal for others not to settle for a worship service but to get connected was so powerful!  I have already talked with two people who said his testimony has them coming to Connect next Sunday!  Awesome times!

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This week’s bad church sign says:

“WHOEVER STOLE OUR AC UNITES KEEP ONE IT IS HOT WHERE YOURE GOING.”

Let’s just say that you were the person who stole that unit.  You went to that church intentionally because you know you could easily acquire them.  You either needed the money or you wanted the cool relief in your home.  You decided stealing was your best option and the catalyst could have been a many different issues.

As you drive by this church after the robbery, you notice this sign.  It is intended for you.  What do you think this message accomplished for the thief?  Love to hear your thoughts.

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Powerful.  I’ve been looking forward to this Sunday for a while now.  For one, I haven’t led worship at North Side in 2 weeks, and I’ve missed it!  Two, we had some really powerful moments in today’s services.

In addition to an incredible message from Jeff concerning the resurrection of Lazarus, we were also blessed to have a good buddy of mine, Cole, a Lander student, do a monologue sketch from Lazarus’ perspective.  As he was concluding this unbelievable scene (with grand awesomeness), we went into “I will rise when He calls my name, no more sorrow, no more pain.”  Pretty neat.

Today, we worshiped to:

• My Savior Lives – New Life Worship
• New Doxology – Gateway Worship
• I Will Rise – Chris Tomlin
• All Things Are Possible – North Side Worship (from upcoming Jesus album)

We concluded the service with “All Things Are Possible.”  This was a brand new one today written by our worship team.  It is the 3rd song offering that we have sung at North Side from the upcoming Jesus album.  You have heard a song for the crucifixion (It is Finished) and the resurrection (Risen), this song was an attempt to summarize the miraculous nature from Jesus’ ministry.  While we sing, “all things are possible,” we added the line that really summarizes people’s reaction to Jesus then and now, “Lord, we believe, please help our unbelief.”  Loved being able to sing it with you today!

Just a reminder: the Dads and Lads event is in less than 3 weeks.  You heard about this event in the service today.  You can get more info and sign up here.

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It was great to be back at North Side this week!  We had a wonderful day focusing upon the first part of John 11 on the death of Lazarus.  Jeff’s message was so good!  He talked about how Jesus loved Lazarus and his family and yet he still waited to come.  He could have come and healed his body, but he wanted them to experience the glory of God even more!

We were blessed to have the Erskine College Gospel Choir lead us in worship today!  Their director, Tobe Frierson, is also an admission counselor at the school and has been leading this choir for a few years now.  Many of those students worship with us at North Side and some of them are a part of my Wednesday night group.  They did incredible!  Love their sound and their passion for Jesus!  If you are interested in hearing them again, their concert will be held at Erskine on Sunday, May 6th.

Today, we worshiped to:

• Agnus Dei – Michael W. Smith
• The Anthem – Jake Hamilton
• Let It Rise – William H. Murphy
• I’ll Fly Away – Hezekiah Walker
• O Happy Day – Sister Act
• You Are Good – Israel Houghton

Got some special stuff in store next week for the conclusion of this passage.  Can’t wait for next week!

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Once again, with the arrival of my daughter over the weekend, I was unable to lead worship physically on Easter Sunday, but I really loved planning the service.  I heard amazing stuff from the services.  I especially heard great words concerning the stone “rolling away” during the new song “Risen.”  Hope you have liked the 2nd song now from the Jesus album.

Today, we worshiped to:

• It is Finished – North Side Worship
• Risen – North Side Worship
• Victory in Jesus – North Side Worship
• In Christ Alone – Travis Cottrell
• When I Think About the Lord – Jason Breland

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I was unable to lead worship on Good Friday, since my daughter was morning, but I heard they didn’t miss me at all.  I heard it was an incredible service of worship, prayer, communion, Scripture, and remembering the cross.

Good Friday worship set:

• The Cross Medley
• O the Blood w/Revelation Song
• Agnus Dei
• May Your Life Be - North Side Worship
• Jesus Loves Me - North Side Worship
• It Is Finished – North Side Worship
• The Power of the Cross
• The Power of the Cross (Getty version)
• No Greater Love - Travis Agnew

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