Author Archives: Jim
Christ-Centered Worship Songs: “Perfect Lamb of God”
We have noticed a disturbing trend in the corporate worship songs of the church. Perhaps you have too? It seems that we sing very little about the main point of Christianity. This is due, in large part, to church leaderships desire to be more “sensitive” to those who attend the service but are not Christians.
The research tells us (we are told), that non-Christians don’t really want to hear about sin and guilt and being accountable to a holy God. Hearing about a Savior dying on a bloody cross for their sins is not high on their priority list. To reach them, we must eliminate these topics from our sermons and our songs. Sadly, much of the Evangelical church has mistakenly signed on to this approach. We could not disagree more strongly!
The message of a crucified and risen Savior and the reconciliation that this can bring is the only message the church has! It is the one and only message the church has been entrusted with and that the lost so desperately needs to hear.
As one who has been responsible for leading corporate singing for years,…
I can attest to how frustrating it has become to find songs that are worth singing! There are many out there, but it takes time to find them. Because of this, we have started a new feature at Not For Itching Ears. Each week, we will post one worthy (at least in our opinion) worship song for you to listen to. We will post the lyrics as well as the Mp3 along with a chord chart when possible. This weeks selection is “Perfect lamb of God”, by Adam Sacks. We hope you enjoy it. Caution: The first time I heard this song I hit the skip button. It has a Jewish flavor to it, and the intro to the song made me falsely assume that I would not like it. I was wrong! Read the lyrics first and then Read the rest of this entry
The God of Calvinism and A Calvinists translation of John 3:16-18?
I thought I might stir things up a bit today. A friend wrote this story and titled it “The God of Calvinism. He didn’t add the question mark, that was my addition. Is this the God that true Calvinism depicts? Read this story by Kurt Dahlin and share your thoughts. Read the rest of this entry
Get This Must Have Book On Early Church History
The Dictionary of Early Christian Beliefs by David W. Bercot, is a must have book for anyone interested in learning what the early church fathers taught. Extremely informative and very easy to read and use! I am thrilled that I found it about 3 years ago. So much so, that I wanted to let you all know about it.
Most evangelical disciples of the 21st century have had their theological views shaped primarily from the arguments of the 1500’s. That is 1500+ years removed from the actual events. Wouldn’t it be nice to be able to go back and read what the early disciples taught about these matters? Of course, you can, but it has been a tedious endeavor. Up until now. This book is written in a format that allows simple and easy access to the writings of the early church fathers of the first 300 years of church history (The Anti-Nicene Fathers).
How did the disciples of the Apostles and their disciples view original sin, the trinity, free-will, predestination, God’s sovereignty and fore-knowledge, worship, music in church services, parenting, salvation, eternal security or Read the rest of this entry
Christ-Centered Worship Songs: “Through the Precious Blood”
This column, “Cross-Centered Worship Songs”, was started as a way to serve my many worship leading friends. I hope to introduce some of the lesser known songs out there that you may not have heard.
We will be posting songs from different genres: hymns, a capella, contemporary rock, etc. We will post the lyrics as well as the Mp3 along with a chord chart when possible. I hope you find it helpful. If you do, please let us know! This weeks selection “Throught the Precious Blood” is a medium tempo song in 6/8 time. Read the rest of this entry
Worship Leader Make-Over: Choosing New Songs Wisely
There was a time, not to long ago, when choosing a new song for corporate worship wasn’t that difficult. There weren’t that many out there to choose from! Christian Radio wasn’t much help. If you walked into a Christian bookstore, you would find an 8′ x 4′ section dedicated to contemporary music. You heard that new song at a friends church or a conference, and that was it. Then, in the 80’s, Hosanna Integrity and the Vineyard began producing bi-monthly worship tapes. They were very succesful and their success helped catapult the fledgling contemporary christian music scene into what it has now become.
Finding new songs to choose from is no longer difficult. They are everywhere. Finding great new songs is a more tedious task. If you are responsible for leading the corporate singing time of your congregation, you are well aware of this challenge. So how do you go about choosing new songs for the congregation? What process do you use to help weed out the mediocre or poorly written songs, or do you have a process? What criteria should you use?
Allow me to share the number one thing I do to help me in this process. Over the years it has helped me more than anything else I could share. It is simply this: Read the rest of this entry
Is Using Instruments in Corporate Worship A Violation of the New Testament? An Argument from 1864
“I prefer reading books written by dead men!”, an old man of God once told me. When I asked him why, he told me that books by great men of God who are no longer with us, are not influenced by our current cultural trends. Their understanding of God’s word is not colored by the same issues that affect us in our day. Many of the issues we face, were not even around back then. It is refreshing to read books by people who do not have a horse in the race, so to speak. Over the years, I have come to appreciate that perspective and have adopted it as my own.
On a recent trip to the Goodwill, I found a very old commentary on the Book of Acts, written by J.W. McGarvey in 1863. (I bought it at for .99 cents!) As I read it, I began to tear up. “Where are these men today Lord?” I asked out loud.
I did a little research on the man who wrote the commentary. One of the things I found was this very interesting article titled “Instrumental Music in Churches.” He was against it and argued from the Scriptures that instruments were not to be used in the Church era. He wrote this article in 1864, at a time when most churches Read the rest of this entry
Christ-Centered Worship Songs: Leading Worship at a Funeral
It was the most difficult “worship” service I have ever had the honor of planning or leading. On a cold January morning, the pastor called me into his office. One of the young ladies in our congregation had died in a horrible car crash. She was only 20. “Jim,” the pastor said, “we’ve been asked to lead worship for her service. I am putting you in charge.” Nicole had been “The Girl of The West” which was a very big deal out here in Colorado. Because of this, her memorial service had to be moved to a much larger facility. We expected over 500 people to attend. I was overwhelmed by the assignment!
Leading worship at a funeral for a genuine believer is no small task. Yes, we gather to celebrate their life, but the emotion present in those gathered is not celebratory. It is grief, gut wrenching heartache, over the loss of someone they love. Few people feel like singing. In addition, many who attend the service will not know the Savior. If you are asked to lead worship in this situation, you will need songs that help people express their pain and their hope in the resurrection. You will also need songs that call unbelievers attention to the Savior.
I don’t remember the songs we chose for Nicole’s service. I do recall there were several drafts, and that I was not completely happy with our final choices. I wish I had known about Read the rest of this entry
John Piper: “Don’t Waste Your Life”
“It is possible to waste your life. Few things make me tremble more than the possibility of taking this onetime gift of life and wasting it. Every morning when I walked into the kitchen as a boy I saw hanging on the wall the plaque that now hangs in my living room: “Only one life, twill soon be past, only what’s done for Christ will last.” And now I am almost 58, and the river of life is spilling over the falls of my days with tremendous speed. More and more I smell eternity. And oh, how I want to use my life well. It is so short and so fragile and so final. You get one chance to live your life. And then the judgment. I speak as a father who has children your age, and I am jealous with Jesus that they and you not waste your life. “
“What is the unwasted life? What does it look like? What is the essence of the unwasted life? Read the rest of this entry
A 300 year Old Prayer: “Father, Occupy the Throne of My Heart”
The following prayer was first offered back in the 1700′s. It is from the largely forgotten deposit of the Puritan Movement of the sixteenth and seventeenth centuries. These people knew God and they certainly knew how to pray. We can learn a lot from them. They are written in old english. I have updated a few outdated words and changed the Thee’s and Thou’s to make it more 2011. However, they still have the feel of that era. This prayer, titled ‘Regeneration’, along with many others, can be found in a book titled “The Valley of Vision”, by Arthur Bennett. Read the rest of this entry
Cross-Centered Worship Songs: “The Father’s Love”
This column, “Cross-Centered Worship Songs”, was started as a way to serve my many worship leading friends. I hope to introduce some of the lesser known songs out there that you may not have heard. We will be posting songs from different genres: hymns, a capella, contemporary rock, etc. We will post the lyrics as well as the Mp3 along with a chord chart when possible. I hope you find it helpful. If you do, please let us know! This weeks selection “The Father’s Love” is an up-tempo, guitar driven song written by Joel Sczebel. A Gospel saturated song that calls us to rejoice in what God accomplished at Calvary. Read the rest of this entry
Worship Leader Make Over: So You Want The Congregation to Sing More? Try this…
One of the most common complaints a worship leader has when leading worship, is that the congregation doesn’t sing as much as they should. Of course, there are exceptions to this but by and large it is the most common critique of the congregation. Often times, we put the blame on the congregation, thinking that they are not as spiritually mature as they should be, or that they just don’t get it. But could we be pointing our fingers in the wrong direction?
Over the last two years as I have visited 30+ congregations, I have noticed a disturbing trend: The bands are better, but the people are singing less and less. What I often observed is a top quality musical performance on the platform, and a completely disinterested response in the pews. Why the disconnect? Is it because the people in the congregation don’t love Jesus or don’t think He is worthy to sing to? That may be the reason for the unsaved, but not for those who are faithfully following hard after their Master.
Consider this: According to national surveys, fear of public speaking is America’s greatest fear, surpassing fear of illness, fear of flying, fear of terrorism, and amazingly, the fear of death itself! Fear of singing in public for someone who only sings at church might play a significant role in their non-singing. (Our current poll appears to support this. When asked “What is your favorite element of corporate worship?” 15% of respondents chose singing. See and take the poll here.)
So You want the Congregation to Sing More? Try this….. Read the rest of this entry
Cross-Centered Worship Song: “O Great God”
Welcome to our “Cross-Centered Worship Songs” column. It was started as a way to serve my many worship leading friends. I hope to introduce some of the lesser known songs out there that you may not have heard. We will be posting songs from different genres: hymns, a capella, contemporary rock, etc. We will post the lyrics as well as the Mp3 along with a chord chart when possible. I hope you find it helpful. If you do, please let us know! This weeks selection “O Great God” is a modern hymn based on a 400 year old prayer. It was written by Bob Kauflin of Sovereign Grace Ministries. It is a beautiful piano based song that reminds us how God took the initiative to redeem us from our sin. Read the rest of this entry
Get Your Free Audio Copy of the New Testament on MP3
In my search for an audio copy of the New Testament, I stumbled across the “Faith Comes By Hearing” website. I was familiar with their ministry, having taken our church through their very edifying listening program a few years back. I was stunned to find out that they give away, completely free of charge, the Bible in Mp3 format. I downloaded the ESV version and I must say, I am completely thrilled. I just listened to 1 John while I was driving.
Here is a statement from their website, followed by a link to get your own free audio copy of the New Testament on Mp3:
“Faith Comes By Hearing is committed to reaching the nations with the Word of God in audio, offering the Bible in a format that will connect with the world’s 50% illiterate population. To accomplish this enormous task, the Lord has assembled a group of committed leaders and dedicated servants of His Word to develop into a reality the vision of bringing His church together and making disciples.The word nation is the Greek word ethnos, which means “of the same language and people group,” not the political borders of a country. The worldwide Bible translation and distribution ministries have determined there are 6,809 ethnos, or nations, in the world, most of which cross many Read the rest of this entry
Bob Kauflin: What it Takes to be a Worship Leader
If there was one gift I could give to every person responsible for leading corporate worship, it would be Bob Kauflin’s book “Worship Matters: Leading Others to Encounter the Greatness of God” It is a very readable book, and dives deeply into the subject.
Much of what I have learned about leading worship over the years has come from trial, error and a LOT of study. How I wish that someone would have given me this book 20 years ago!
For those of you not familiar with Bob Kauflin, Read the rest of this entry
Why Should Our Songs Be Cross-Centered?
In the video below, CJ Mahaney lays out four compelling reasons for having cross saturated songs. I have summarized the points here, but you should listen to CJ’s explanation.
1.The cross is fundamentally central to the storyline of God, thus it should be fundamentally central to the corporate life of God’s people, especially when expressed in worship.
2.We sing cross-centered songs because it reminds us that we cannot come to God on our own. We are in desperate need of a mediator, and singing about the cross reminds us of what Christ has done for us to reconcile us to the Father.
3.The cross isn’t just the center of the story this side of heaven, but for all of eternity! Heaven doesn’t ever get over the cross. Rev. 5:1-14 shows us that we will be singing about what Jesus did on the cross for all of eternity. Thus it is a picture of Heaven when we do it.
4.Singing songs that are filled with the gospel message is an opportunity to preach to yourself. In fact, it may be one of the only times during the entire week that a believer gets to hear himself proclaim the truth of the faith that he received by grace. It is vitality important to your soul to hear the gospel and be reminded of the gospel and this most certainly happens when singing. Read the rest of this entry
Cross-Centered Worship Songs: “The Glory of The Cross”
This column, “Cross-Centered Worship Songs”, was started as a way to serve my many worship leading friends. I hope to introduce some of the lesser known songs out there that you may not have heard. We will be posting songs from different genres: hymns, a capella, contemporary rock, etc. We will post the lyrics as well as the Mp3 along with a chord chart when possible. I hope you find it helpful. If you do, please let us know! This weeks selection “The Glory of The Cross” is a medium tempo, guitar driven song written by Bob Kauflin. A Gospel saturated song that calls us to rejoice in what God accomplished at Calvary. Read the rest of this entry
A 400 year Old Prayer: True Love Was Defined Here – Thank You for The Cross!
The following prayer was first offered back in the 1700′s. It is from the largely forgotten deposit of the Puritan Movement of the sixteenth and seventeenth centuries. These people knew God and they certainly knew how to pray. We can learn a lot from them. They are written in old english. I have updated a few outdated words and changed the Thee’s and Thou’s to make it more 2011. However, they still have the feel of that era. This prayer, titled ‘Love Lusters at Calvary’, along with many others, can be found in a book titled “The Valley of Vision”, by Arthur Bennett. Read the rest of this entry
Questions About Corporate Worship: “Why Do We Clap Our Hands?”
Kristin, from PrayForMeOnline posed a great question in response to one of our recent articles Worship Leader Make-Over: Defining the Goal of a Worship Leader. Here it is:
I like the question for one simple reason. It made me think about something we do in corporate worship all the time. Why DO we do it? Do we do it just because that’s what we do? There was a time not too long ago, when you would be challenged with a powerful phrase if you advocated something others were not sure about. Some of you remember that phrase because you’ve been following Christ 20 plus years. The phrase? “Chapter and Verse!” “Show me where it says that in the Bible, give me the exact address of where it says that in the Bible. Give me the Chapter and Verse.” If it could not be done, discussion over.
Great question Kristin! Here’s my answer, including the Chapter and Verse! Read the rest of this entry
Would the Apostle Paul Plant a Seeker-Sensitive Church?
The most effective means of bringing people to Christ is planting new churches. At least that is what the experts tell us. There was a time when I believed this with all my heart, but I am not so convinced anymore. Many of todays “modern” church plants are extremely ineffective.
This week alone, approximately 100 new church plants will begin holding public services in America. Most of these new church starts are based upon a seeker-friendly or purpose driven style of ministry. In simple terms, the seeker-sensisitve church model is based on designing a service for the non-christian. It has to be attractive, appealing and most of all “relevant” to the unchurched. The unchurched decides what is relevant for them, and they have decided that a message about a cross, their sin, a God that holds them accountable for their lives, hell or how to make peace with God is not relevant. They want nothing to do with that type of message. They want to know how to raise their kids, how to have a better marriage, how to be succesful. Essentially, they are interested in anything that will make their life better now. Today’s modern church plant is striving to give them what they want, at the expense of what they truly need.
This model can attract large crowds, but it is not effective in leading large numbers of people to true faith in our crucified and risen Savior. Still, it is the most popular model among today’s church planters. Which begs the question: Is it a correct model? Is it a biblical model? Should we be using it? The Apostle Paul was a prolific church planter. If he were planting churches today, would he be using this seeker-sensitive model? If you read his works, and study what he did, you would walk away with one clear conclusion: Read the rest of this entry
My Authentic “On The Border” Salsa Recipe (Just like the Restaraunt)
This is my authentic “On The Border” restaurant Salsa recipe.
Disclaimer: (I did not break into official headquarters at night and “borrow” this recipe. I did it in broad daylight, because that is how I roll!)
It all started with Kolten, (thanks Kolten) one of my sons friends. While visiting our home one day, he made a great salsa. I couldn’t believe how easy it was to make! I thought “with a little tinkering, this could taste like my favorite “On The Border” salsa recipe.” (Of course my favorite salsa recipe is El Tarasco’s in Manhattan Beach, California. Only the most blessed people on earth know what that tastes like!)
So the tinkering began. After months of trial and error, the following recipe is what I think comes closest. Everyone loves it. Try it, but beware, you never make enough!
This post is a very large departure from our typical posts, but I thought I would share something from my kitchen instead of my library today. Read the rest of this entry
Not For Itching Ears 