Blog Archives
Cross-Centered Worship Songs: “Oh What Grace”
I have been responsible for leading corporate singing in the church for years. 
I know how frustrating it can be to find songs that are worth singing. Many of the newer songs never mention or even allude to the most important aspect of Christianity: The message of The Cross! To be sure, there are songs out there, but it takes time to find them. I often sift through 40 songs, just to find one new song. (Worship team members have affectionately, and some times derogatorily, nick-named me “The Lyric Police”. Call me old school if you like, but I think the songs we sing to our Savior should be worthy of Him!
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 is an upbeat, rock-style song off the CD “Fuse”. It is called “Oh What Grace” and is by Zach Jones. Read the rest of this entry
Worship Leader Make-over: Laying the Foundation
To this day I believe I was set up! Those who know the truth, may one day come forward and acknowledge what they did. Until then, I will never know for certain.
I was a young Christian, and had just arrived at my second visit to what we called “Mini-church.” It was a home-group, but back in those days, they were very uncommon and this one had 40 people in it.
During my first visit, someone found out I played guitar. Ten minutes before the start of this second meeting, one of my new-found friends approached me with the con: “Jim, our normal guitar player is not going to be here on time, would you mind playing guitar during worship tonight?” Yeah, I would mind , I thought. I don’t know any of the songs, and I don’t have a guitar. Practically reading my mind, he told me that the regular guitar player had “just happened” to leave his guitar at the house we were meeting in and I could use his. Without waiting for my answer, Mike handed me the guitar and pointed me to the back room where the singers and the flute player were running through the songs. I was trapped with no means of escape.
How did it go? In my opinion, it was a horrible train wreck. I did not know any of the songs, and the charts were absolutely no help! So I winged it. Everybody could tell! When the meeting was over, Cathy (the flute player) asked me if I would like to be the regular guitar player. Now I ask, does that seem like a set up to you?
For some reason, I still don’t know why, I said yes! That is how I got started leading worship. Twenty-four years later I have led worship all over the world… Read the rest of this entry
Pray This 400 Year Old Prayer: “Lord, Help Me Live a Life that Honors You!”
The following prayer was first offered back in the 1600’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, “Man’s Great End” along with many others, can be found in a book titled “The Valley of Vision”, by Arthur Bennet… Read the rest of this entry
Cross-Centered Worship: “The Prodigal”
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… Read the rest of this entry
D.A. Carson: Is The Seeker-Sensitive Church Model Hurting The Church?
Is the Seeker-sensitive church model hurting the church? If your one of the millions* of people who read this blog on a regular basis, you know where we stand on this question. Today, I thought it would be helpful to let a man I have the utmost respect for weigh in on the subject. To be fair, D.A. Carson does not specifically call out the Seeker-Sensitive church model by name. However, it is clearly in view. Read his thoughts and let the rest of us know what you think. We would love to hear your comments on this post, especially if you are or were part of this style of ministry. What made you leave? What have you found that is better? Why did you stay? Or What have you learned?
In his book, The Cross and Christian Ministry, D.A. Carson writes:… Read the rest of this entry
The Most Rewarding Exercise / Training Program of 2011
A new year has arrived and it has brung with it the promise of improvement! Of course, I am talking about the resolutions many of us make. I like the idea of regularly reflecting on one’s course in life. Where am I going? What am I doing? What am I building my life upon? Do I need to change course or am I on the right track?
The number one New Years resolution is all about getting in shape or losing weight. If you made any resolutions, the odds are that you made one in this general area. I don’t think this surprises anyone. Our culture values, almost more than anything else, good-looking bodies. January is the most crowded month at the gym. EVERYONE comes in January because of the vows they made in December. But come, mid-February, things are generally back to normal.
Don’t get me wrong, I am not dissing getting in shape…. Read the rest of this entry
“Calling all Worship Leaders” and Top Posts of 2010
Happy New Year to all our readers! Today we are excited to announce a new feature to the blog. It is called “Worship Leader Makeover.” One of my passions in life is the corporate worship meeting of the church. Whether it was as a senior pastor (10 LONG years) or a worship leader, I have been responsible for leading every aspect of the Sunday morning meeting. I have also studied worship in the church extensively. All that to say, I think I have earned the right to comment on the current state of “worship” and to encourage those who lead “it”.
Our “Worship Leader Makeover” will feature a regular post for worship leaders. It will not focus on any technical issues. Rather, I will be sharing foundational things I have learned over the years. My hope is that one by one, I can encourage other worship leaders, and that true Christ honoring worship would be restored in His church. It won’t matter if your congregation uses instruments or not, as the things I share will have nothing to do with that.
Disclosure: I am a full-time musician. A guitar player (what can I say, God loves me!) I run my own teaching studio and have traveled… Read the rest of this entry
A Prayer for The New Year: “Guide Me This Year, Lord”
The following New Years 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, along with many others, can be found in a book titled “The Valley of Vision”, by Arthur Bennet… Read the rest of this entry
Is Worship Music a Gift or Has it Become our God?
Has the Sunday morning “Worship time” become our God? Bob Kauflin recently discussed this topic on his blog called Worship Matters. It resonated with me and I thought those who read this blog would benefit from Bob’s observations. So…… I have included them here! Be challenged!
“Music is a very good gift. The 13,000 songs on my iTunes are testimony to that. My eyes have often welled up in tears as I’ve been affected by a lyric, a chord progression, or a musical texture. I’ve thanked God for the gift of music more times than I can remember.
Whenever I think about my love for music, I’m reminded of what Martin Luther said in a Foreword to a 1538 collection of chorale motets:
“I, Doctor Martin Luther, wish all lovers of the unshackled art of music grace and peace from God the Father and from our Lord Jesus Christ! I truly desire that all Christians would love and regard as worthy the lovely gift of music, which is a precious, worthy, and costly treasure given to mankind by God… A person who gives this some thought and yet does not regard music as a marvelous creation of God, must be a clodhopper indeed and does not deserve to be called a human being; he should be permitted to hear nothing but the braying of asses and the grunting of hogs.”
While we may not want to emulate Luther’s attitude, most of us will readily agree that music is a gift from God… Read the rest of this entry
George Barna: The Seeker-Sensitive Church Model: Dumbing Down Disciples
The Barna Group just came out with a new research report. In it, they describe six mega-themes relating to the state of the church in America. I want to discuss two of those themes here. I believe they have a cause and effect relationship. I also believe that the Seeker-Sensitive church model is directly responsible for the findings detailed in the Barna Report.
Barna says: “Change usually happens slowly in the Church. But a review of the past year’s research… provides a time-lapse portrayal of how the religious environment in the U.S. is morphing into something new.” Stop for a moment and think about what you just read: Christianity in America is morphing into something new.”
Is the American church morphing into something better and more God honoring? The findings in the Barna Report would argue in the negative. Here’s two of them: Read the rest of this entry
A Christmas Prayer: Thank You for The Gift of All Gifts
Merry Christmas everyone!
The following Christmas prayer is from the largely forgotten deposit of the Puritan Movement of the sixteenth and seventeenth centuries. They testify to the richness and color of evangelical thought and language, as well as their devotion to the Savior. They can be found in a book titled “The Valley of Vision”, by Arthur Bennet. I have included them in this blog so that others can use them in their own prayer life as a springboard to a more faithful walk with Jesus. These prayers are 200-400 years old! They were written in old English, but that should not get in the way if you don’t let it.
Following Him together…
Read the rest of this entry
Together For The Gospel
We are brothers in Christ united in one great cause – to stand together for the Gospel. We are convinced that the Gospel of Jesus Christ has been misrepresented, misunderstood, and marginalized in many churches and among many who claim the name of Christ. Compromise of the Gospel has led to the preaching of false gospels, the seduction of many minds and movements, and the weakening of the church’s Gospel witness.
As in previous moments of theological and spiritual crisis in the church, we believe that the answer to this confusion and compromise lies in a comprehensive recovery and reaffirmation of the Gospel – and in Christians banding together in Gospel churches that display God’s glory in this fallen world… Read the rest of this entry
Cross-Centered Worship “All I Have Is Christ”
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,… Read the rest of this entry
Want To Be Challenged By The Early Church? Read This…
Do you ever grow weary of all the new fads and techniques the modern church creates? I do! What is important to us, may not have been important to those who were personally discipled by Jesus Christ and those whom they disicpled.
I am continually challenged when I read the history and the writings of the early church. I am drawn to them over and over again because of how close they were in time to the Apostles. There writings are not scripture, but neither are the writings of Luther, Calvin or John Stott. These writings shed tremendous light on how the Apostles and the early church viewed the Christ event and the implications of it. Anyone who wants to follow Jesus Christ faithfully owes it to themselves to read the writings of these Godly men.
Today, I have included the entire “Didache”, also known as “The Teaching of The Twelve Apostles.” It is one of the most fascinating documents to emerge from the early church. It was probably in circulation somewhere close to the end of the first century… Read the rest of this entry
Jesus, THE Christmas Story
Click on the following link to read why Jesus Christ was born in a manger and died on a Cross. The Reason for The Season.
What is Your Life Centered On?
C.J. Mahaney writes in his book “Living The Cross-Centered Life: Keeping the Gospel THE Main Thing”
“Each of our lives is centered on something. What’s at the center of yours? Think about it for a moment. What’s really the main thing in your life? Only one thing can truly be first in priority; so what’s at the top of your list, second to none? What are you most passionate about? What do you love to talk about? What do you think about most when your mind is free?
Or try this, what is it that defines you? Is it your career? A relationship? Maybe it’s your family or your ministry? It could be some cause or movement or some political affiliation. Or perhaps your main thing is a hobby or talent you have or even your house and possessions… Read the rest of this entry
The Centrality of The Bible
John Piper says:
Cross-Centered Worship: “The Greatest of All”
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 largely because the church wants to be more “sensitive” to those who are not Christians.
With the best research in hand, we are told that non-Christians don’t really want to hear about sin and guilt and being accountable to a holy God. They also don’t want to hear about a Savior dying on a bloody cross for their sins. To reach them, we are confidently told, 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 “The Greatest of All” , we hope you enjoy it. After listening to it, please rate it by taking our quick poll. You will find the poll at the bottom of this post.
The Greatest of All
The costliest purchase price
Father, Your Son’s atoning death
Was given in payment for mine
To buy me back from slavery
To set me free from my chains
Redeemed by the blood of the Lamb
Redeemed through Your infinite mercy
Your child forever I am
You ransomed and saved my soul
Jesus, Your death and Yours alone
Has canceled the debt that I owed
You satisfied the law’s demand
And new life’s been given to me
© 2007 Sovereign Grace Worship (ASCAP) Chorus by Fanny J. Crosby, music and additional words by Pat SczebelAs recorded on Sons & Daughters
Listen to “The Greatest of All”
Download the FREE guitar chart for this song here: http://www.sovereigngracestore.com/productinfo.aspx?QuickAddProductID=M4220-04-57
Listen to other songs in this series:
Cross-Centered Worship Songs: “Oh What Grace”
Cross-Centered Worship: “The Gospel Song”
Cross-Centered Worship “All I Have Is Christ”
Cross-Centered Worship: “The Prodigal”
Cross-Centered Christmas Worship Song: “Glory Be to God”
Cross-Centered Worship: “The Greatest of All”
Back to the Future: Sunday Morning Church Service circa 150 AD
In the movie “Back To The Future”, 17 year old, Marty Mcfly, lives a lousy life. His dad, George, a nerdy scaredy cat, and his mom, Larraine, is an alcoholic, who met George through pity, when her dad hit George with a car. All he has ever known is this reality. The only thing that he can do for fun, is hang out with the local scientist, Dr. Emmit Brown (Doc) who has created a time machine. You know the story. Marty goes back in time and changes how his parents meet. In the process everything that was wrong with his life and family is dramatically changed for the good.
When I contemplate the current state of the American Evangelical church, I wish we could get into that DeLorean and head back in time. If we could, perhaps we would be able to intervene at just the right moment so that today’s church reflected God’s design rather than our own. We can not time travel back to the first century, but we can read their documents to see how they understood “Church.” It is good to look at history to observe how things “were”. We often look at how things “are” and assume that’s this is the way things are supposed to “be”… Read the rest of this entry
A 300 year Old Prayer: “All I Want Is To Know and Serve You, Lord”
The following prayer is drawn from the largely forgotten deposit of the Puritan Movement of the sixteenth and seventeenth centuries. They testify to the richness and color of evangelical thought and language, as well as their devotion to the Savior. They can be found in a book titled “The Valley of Vision”, by Arthur Bennet. I have included them in this blog so that others can use them in their own prayer life as a springboard to a more faithful walk with Jesus. These prayers are 200-400 years old! They were written in old English. but that should not get in the way if you don’t let it.
Following Him together…
SERVICE AND EQUIPMENT
Thou God of my end,
You have given me a fixed disposition
to go forth and spend my life for thee;
If it be your will let me proceed in it;
if not, then revoke my intentions.
Not For Itching Ears 