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Category: musicmonday (Page 1 of 28)

Goodness of God

March 6, 2023 / / 0 Comments

This week we bring back another familiar song. It’s been around for a while but it’s a much needed song some days. We need to take time to just stop every once in a while to see how true this really is. Perhaps your day to pause is today.

Have you ever considered where God has shown up in your life? I don’t mean in the lottery winning, job promotion earning, kids always behaving, marriage filled with all five love languages kind of showing up. I mean in the nasty, dark, cold, lonely, depressing moments of life. This is when we really can see the goodness of God the best, if we only look.

For most of my life, I’ve been pretty blind to the goodness of God. If I’m being honest, it never really was a second thought for me. My life has been filled with many blessings and tons of wonderful memories that I reflect on frequently. This is largely why it is so easy to overlook the goodness of God. When things go well, we don’t really need to think about it. We just live in it to the point we don’t even see His hand moving all around us. Kind of like the whole can’t see the forest through the trees way of thinking.

This week I’d encourage you to just pause. Maybe it’s a few minutes at lunch time or sitting on the front porch or maybe a quick walk around the block. Just stop and listen. No AirPods. No mind filling worries. No stress can come with you in this moment. Just disconnect and listen. Hear the birds chirping. Listen to the wind blow through the trees. Or hear the busyness of the cars flying down the interstate. Just pause and hear the world move around you.

Then think about the goodness of God in that moment. Think about the time he sent that special friend when you were lonely to just check in on you. Think about the unexpected gift when you were stressed about your money. Think about the kind gesture from a neighbor when you just felt down. These are goodness of God moments.

Take a few minutes this week, and every week ideally, and ponder how great – how good – how amazing God’s goodness has been toward you.

In Jesus Name

February 6, 2023 / / 0 Comments

So for people who say they follow Jesus, this should be a given. Should is the operative word in that phrase. But how often is prayer one of the last things on the list? I know for myself it’s not the first thing I run to when I know it should be! It’s disheartening that I can’t seem to get that part of my Christian walk right.

This week we focus on putting Jesus’ name on everything. We do this primarily through prayer. I don’t want to clutter this thing up with too many words so we’ll keep it short and to the point.

Who will you pray for in Jesus’ name today?

What is going on in your life that needs to be given over to Jesus to take care of for you?

Who in your life is hurting and needs to know the Jesus who cares and loves them?

These are just a few things that need Jesus’ name spoken over them. Buying a car? Put the car in Jesus’ name for a day or two before you get it. Changing jobs? Leave it in Jesus’ name for a night or two and see what he says. Having trouble with illness, loneliness, anxiety? Put Jesus’ name on it tonight and sleep knowing he has it.

Look I get it prayer isn’t some magic potion that as soon as we say AMEN everything goes perfect. But something happens inside of us when we place our concerns, loved ones, troubles in Jesus’ name. It’s a faith thing. It’s a trust moment.

So what in your life needs to have Jesus’ name attached to it today? Praying you today friend.

A Thousand Hallelujahs

January 31, 2023 / / 0 Comments

Some people have asked why I do what I do. Maybe they’ve asked you similar things about going to church on Sunday or doing this whole thing called worship or following Jesus? If they have, then you know there is something about it that you just can’t describe.

One of the Bible verses that I love says the rocks would cry out. The reference is that if we didn’t worship then the rocks would worship God. Have you thought of that? The rocks? I mean they’re hard, cold, inanimate. They can’t talk or move. They’re not even alive. But here the Bible says that they would cry out in worship if we didn’t do it.

Now who would be worthy of that kind of praise. Who would be able to cause a rock to cry out? This week’s song tells us that only one is worthy of that kind of action. Jesus is his name.

This is why I do what I do. This is why we get up and worship on a Sunday morning. Jesus is his name.

Just take a minute and listen to the lyrics of this song. He died and rose. He gave himself freely for us. He traded places with us not because we asked him to but because he loved us that much.

He’s worthy of our praise. He’s worthy of even the praise of the rocks and trees. He’s worthy of a thousand hallelujahs to say the very least!

Build A Boat

January 23, 2023 / / 0 Comments

This week is about faith. When everything around you seems to be going in one direction, but you see God moving. God calls you to have faith. It’s like building a boat when it’s not even raining.

Can you imagine being Noah from the Bible? Think about it for a minute. No rain. No large body of water near by. No real prediction of a storm in the meteorological forecast. But you’re supposed to build a boat. What do you do?

The passers by all laugh and point and call you names. Your friends look at you like you’re crazy. What in the world is this man doing? What do you do?

When the world is spiraling in fear and hatred seems to be all the world cares about. But you know there’s a different message. You know there’s a message of love and hope and peace. What do you do?

Today’s Music Monday song says that you build a boat! When the sun is shining and everything looks great, build the darn boat already.

I don’t know what God has laid on your heart or the things holding you back from making the first cut on that board. But I want to encourage you to build the boat. The rain will come. The promise will be fulfilled. You have what it takes. And just like Noah, you’re not building alone. You might have to look a little but you’re not alone.

So grab the tools and get your supplies, it’s time to build a boat.

Same God

January 9, 2023 / / 0 Comments

Have you ever just sat and contemplated the wonder of how big God must be? I mean for those of us who believe in God as Father, Jesus as Savior and Spirit as Comforter, there’s a hugeness to God that is really hard to get our minds around. But not only the idea that God is so big but also that he has so much on His plate that how in the world could he handle my tiny problems?

You know I think this is something that’s pretty cool about the way we understand God in the church where I serve. He’s mighty and majestic and powerful and massive and other worldly. He’s king and savior and creator and Father and all the things for the entire world (then and now). But he’s also that for me today.

There’s a personal nature to God that is something pretty significant. He’s in my corner. He’s for you. He’s in the muck and mire of your crappy day and throwing parties on your good day. He cares about your divorce or your raise. He’s just as present with you today as he has been with anyone, ever!

This week we pause to worship on this Monday morning and reflect that the God we worship is the same God that showed up in mighty ways for Abraham and Moses, Mary and Ruth, Joseph and Paul. He’s the same God who’s been present throughout history. The God of creation is the God present when you are struggling to make it through the day. The God who healed the sick is the same one sitting by your side when you get the cancer diagnosis. The God who raised Lazarus from the dead is the same one standing by your side in your mourning.

The same God is right here with us. The same power, majesty, might, love, presence. All of it. Just as real as it was for the men and women of the Bible, he’s right here and real for you and me today.

As you begin this week, pause and reflect on the God who is the same yesterday, today, and forever.

The Goodness

January 2, 2023 / / 0 Comments

To start off a new year we use a familiar name combined with a newcomer to the music scene. The song is The Goodness and it focuses on the goodness of the God who is in the midst of every part of our lives.

It’s typical to want all sunshine and roses in life. We like the sun to rise with the beautiful pinks and purples. We like the soft glow of full moon. We like the warmth of the sun or the crackle of the fireplace. We love all of these great parts of life! Who wouldn’t right!? And it’s super easy to sing and praise and see God in the middle of these really cool moments of life. But what about the dark days?

The song Goodness shows that even in the darkness and rain God is still active and vibrant and worthy of our recognition and praise. Even in the challenge and pain God is still just as present and doing what God does best – working for our good.

One part of God that’s easy to forget is the fact that he knows what we don’t know. He sees what’s coming around the corner and he often will do things to prevent us from hitting catastrophe head on. Sometimes however that detour is an unwanted illness or day that just flat sucks.

But take time to see that God has used this detour, no matter how terrible and life altering, to shape you for what’s around the next corner. He sees what you don’t only the Goodness of God can do that!

River of Life

November 8, 2021 / / 0 Comments

The past several weeks at the church I serve, we’ve been focusing on an idea called forgiveness. It’s a pretty cool idea if I’m being honest. Forgiveness has two definitions and we’ve really spent some considerable time looking at both sides.

The first side of forgiveness deals with canceling a debt. When you have a debt forgiven it means that you no longer are responsible for the debt. The second side of forgiveness has to do with the emotional aspect of things. It means healing the hurts and getting rid of the anger and resentment that comes when we are offended by someone.

It’s funny how life sometimes just gives you a theme song for what you’re going through in a given season of life. Well this one is it. As I was driving on a recent trip to chat with another past a few hours away, a song popped on the radio that caused me to pay a little more attention. The song is called River of Life.

Now I’ll be honest, I had never heard the song nor have I heard of the artist to my knowledge. And the title of the song didn’t really speak to me at first. The tune was catchy but the words came out of nowhere and really spoke to the series we are in the middle of currently.

The idea is pretty simple. The River of Life isn’t one with banks and shores and water and sand. It’s the river of forgiveness that flows into our lives by Jesus’ life, death and resurrection. I hope you take a few minutes to listen to the song and realize that you too are washed in the river of life.

Scars in Heaven

July 12, 2021 / / 0 Comments
Scars in Heaven by Casting Crowns on Amazon Music - Amazon.com

This past weekend I had the opportunity to be with my family as we paid our final respects to my grandparents. The morning was filled with emotion from so many. There were tears shed, memories exchanged and reunions made. I was asked to provide the message, not eulogy or time of memory but the actual funeral message for my grandparents. It was my honor to be able to do this. However, my words likely weren’t what many expected and that’s honestly ok.

You see in my mind, my role as a pastor at a time of a funeral or Christian burial is to remind those gathered (and in this case remind myself) that our final focus in this service needs to be Jesus. Memories of our loved ones will only take us so far. We’ll be torn with happiness and sadness. We’ll remember the fun times but also wallow in the sorrows of the pains they suffered in their final days or the tragedy of losing them. But when our focus is on the one who beat the day, who changed the outcome of that moment before we even arrived there, our whole focus shifts to something transcendent and beyond ourselves.

A song that I’ve listened to recently is by a group that has always been one of my favorites. The group Casting Crowns, for me at least, has been a powerful truth talking group that often gives us a message that might be hard to hear but is very much needed in the moment. And this song is no different.

As we focus on our loved ones at their funeral services, this song reminds us that we have grown vastly shortsighted. If we focus on the accident, the cancer, the pain, the alzheimer’s, the crippling effects of any illness that claimed our loved ones’ lives, then we are left holding onto scars that don’t really matter anymore. Today we listen to a song Scars in Heaven.

The only scars that we’ll find in heaven. They’re not the ones found on you or me. These scars are from the one that died on that forbidden tree. I pray these words give you comfort and hope in whatever you’re facing today.

Gospel Song

June 7, 2021 / / 0 Comments

It’s the start of a new month and with that comes the need to liven things up a little bit. This week’s MusicMonday is a simple reminder of the power of the message of good news. Just like any type of good news can lift your spirits and make you feel better in the moment, there’s a bit of news that’s better than a promotion at work or a new car. This good news is what we, as Christians, call the gospel.

This gospel message isn’t just some kind of good news. It’s news for today and tomorrow. It’s news that lasts and won’t change. Sometimes we kind of act like we forget this basic good news message. So we’re going to reset today. Reset our thinking. Reset our standard for good news.

So sit back. Crank up the volume on whatever you’re using to listen to this. And stack up the good news message that’s going to flood over you.

Yes He Can

May 31, 2021 / / 0 Comments

We often wonder what is God capable of doing. One of hte best ways to see what someone can do it to see what they have already done. This song is a little fun and it reminds us what God has already done to prove what he really can do.

We ask if he can be with us or if he can overcome our giants or if he can conquer evil or if he can do just about anything. But in reality what has he done?

Did He move every mountain?
Did He part every sea?
Yes, He did
So yes, He can
Did He defeat the darkness?
Did He deliver me?
Yes, He did
So yes, He can
Yes, He did
So yes, He can

If he can move the mountains and part the seas, if he can shine light into darkness then he can do just about anything. That’s the gist of the song. So this week’s musical devotion thought is about challenging you to pray bigger. Ask for more. Not more money or fame or anything like that. Legit ask God for what God does. Ask him to part the waters of the hard decision you have to make. Ask him to light the path before you so you know which way to go. Ask him to give you the strength to move through the mountain that’s right in front of you.

The Bible says we have not because we ask not. So ask for goodness sake. Ask big too! I’m tired of praying pathetic prayers. It’s time to pray the big ones. Pray heavenly missiles that split the angels and leave them in awe. Pray things that only God can do then step back and watch as God does what only He can do.

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