✗ Crazy In Love (Beyoncé) | Kadebostany ✗

✗ Strength of rest in the chaos... ✗

september has not been the friendliest month... and don't get me started on oct! changes and pile ons that does not seem to have an ending... yet His grace is somehow filling in the gaps where i may doubt it's existence. seems like i am also being greeted with all kinds of newness... unexpected and definitely timely. there are still hurdles to conquer, but that will be a daily and momentarily affair.

through it all, i am finding strength in resting in the chaos. and if peace does not reign here, i am not going anywhere. xxx

✗ The Space Between | SoYou x Kwon Soonil x Park Yongin ✗

✗ Fooled Around and Fell in Love | Elvin Bishop ✗

✗ Unstoppable // Still going.. ✗

✗ Fifty Shades Of Grey | Official Trailer ✗

✗ 05-88, this is home ✗

even in the midst of fast cars and rw, my heart has given up on searching for a home. think i have experienced the zone of 'settling' rather than truly getting what you really want and deserve. but, sunday came and changed everything, and i mean everything. what we nearly gave up hope for, came back to life. and now, it is ours.

so this is what it is like walking through the valley, and relying on His hand of grace which is our only guidance and trust among the chatterbox and all things of impossibilities that our flesh would doubt heavily in. God is able. He came for my family as well as for M.

this is us, giving Him some praise. xxx

✗ Steady Heart | Steffany Gretzinger ✗

✗ No Other Name (Item) | Hillsong ✗

✗ Dreams occupied... ✗

"Dreams become the real estate that God occupies."

Bill Johnson

✗ #Unstoppable... (Pt. 5) ✗

"See the invisible work of God in your visible circumstances."

Christine Caine

✗ How to be insanely awesome | Rich Langton ✗

You want to be insanely awesome, right?
And you want to do God’s will.
You believe He has big things for you.
But the problem is, you don’t know where to start.

To make things even more difficult, you don’t want to think too highly of yourself.
Or maybe you’re not even meant to be insanely awesome?
You know you could be, but it’s not about you, is it?

Here’s the facts:

Fact: The Christian life is obviously more about how awesome God is and what He’s done, rather than you or I being insanely awesome.

Fact: Where, or how you spend eternity, isn’t determined by whether you are insanely awesome. It is about calling on the name of Jesus.

But…

Fact: After you discover Christ, you're responsible for how you live, for what your life amounts to, and for the way you share the Gospel.

Life after accepting Jesus as Lord is about living under His Lordship.
You can choose normal, ordinary, and boring.

Or

You can choose “insanely awesome”!
That decision will change everything!

What do I mean by insanely awesome?

Call it what you will; being faithful, on fire, full on, living to your potential.
It’s all about a life that constantly points people to Jesus.
It means you share the Gospel with your words and your actions.
It means you reflect God and His goodness in everything you do.

Insanely awesome, means you steward your life, you don’t waste it.
It means you care about all the little details that other people say don’t matter.

Being insanely awesome is a choice to be different.
Absolutely different!

It’s about taking on Godly qualities, Godly wisdom, and Godly ways.
Complete abandonment to Him.
Doing that will set you apart from most people.

Most Christians could be insanely awesome, but they’re not.
Most people aren’t prepared to do what it takes.
Most people settle for ordinary and NOT insanely awesome!

Think about the people you admire. They’re not on your ‘insanely awesome list’ by chance.

If you want to take the challenge of being insanely awesome it won’t be easy, but it is possible.

Here’s 11 qualities you’ll need to become insanely awesome:

1. Know What You Believe and Why.

If you’re going to do amazing things for God, to be insanely awesome, then it’s going to take deep conviction. You’re going to need more than an average faith, the truth of Jesus is going to have to burn in you!

You’ll need to become like the prophet Jeremiah who couldn’t hold the word of God in. In Jeremiah 20:9b it says;

“…his word is in my heart like a fire, a fire shut up in my bones. I am weary of holding it in; indeed, I cannot.”

2. Know Who You Are and Who You’re Not.

People who are insanely awesome don’t try to be something, or someone they’re not. They know who they are in Christ. They’re not perfect, but they are new in Him. The old has gone and the new has come. Old behaviour, old thinking, old ways are gone.

‘So from now on we regard no one from a worldly point of view. Though we once regarded Christ in this way, we do so no longer. Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation; the old has gone, the new has come!’ – 2 Corinthians 5:16-17

3. Be Super Confident, But Incredibly Humble.

You’re going to need to walk in super confidence, but also manage the tension of incredible humility. This confidence isn’t in how great you are, but how great God is. And, this humility comes from knowing how great you’re not!

‘Come, let us bow down in worship,
Let us kneel before the Lord our Maker;
For he is our God
And we are the people of his pasture,
The flock under his care.’ – Psalm 95:6-7

4. Make Excuses Something You Don’t Relate To.

Anyone can see problems. Only the insanely awesome amongst us get about finding solutions. Most people make excuses. Insanely awesome people don’t even think about making up a reason why not to help, or why not to get involved, they look beyond limitations and think bigger.

‘I can do all things through him who strengthens me.’ – Philippians 4:13

5. Leave Fear Behind You.

Most people fear from time to time. But to be insanely awesome this needs to become a thing of the past. Why would you fear if the God who created all things, and rules over all things, is with you? You have no need to fear. Even death is subject to our God. Nothing, even the worst of things, can stand in the way of His will being outworked. Leave fear behind you!

‘So do not fear, for I am with you; do not be dismayed, for I am your God. I will strengthen you and help you; I will uphold you with my righteous right hand.’ – Isaiah 41:10

6. Have a Crazy, Impossible Plan.

To be insanely awesome you are going to need a crazy, impossible plan. A dream so big that you know you can’t do it without God. In fact, a dream so big that everyone knows that God has to be in it if it’s going to happen. And when it does, all the glory automatically goes to Him.

‘Now to him who is able to do immeasurably more than all we ask or imagine, according to his power that is at work within us, to him be glory in the church and in Christ Jesus throughout all generations, for ever and ever! Amen.’ – Ephesians 3:20-21

7. Love People More Than Your Crazy Plan.

Insanely awesome people make plans that serve, care for, and bring hope to others. Their crazy plans aren’t for their own benefit. That’s what makes them insanely awesome people. They don’t see their plan, their dream, or what they’re doing as more important than loving God and serving others. That’s what being insanely awesome takes!

‘For God so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son, that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life.’ – John 3:16

8. Be Outrageously Consistent.

Insane awesomeness comes at the price of day in, day out, consistency. It’s this building a life of outrageous consistency that will make you insanely awesome. It’s choosing to make the right choices over and over again. To avoid sin. To make plans, but to seek God in all the little decisions along the way. It’s about seeing everything as His. All of it. Every step. It’s about walking the talk.

‘The heart of man plans his way, but the Lord establishes his steps.’ – Proverbs 16:9

9. Determine to Be Fruitful, No Matter What.

Fruit grows on healthy plants. To be insanely awesome we need to have a determination to grow fruit. This is a choice to remain healthy. To stay connected. It doesn’t matter what others do. It doesn’t matter what choices they make. To be insanely awesome you are going to have to choose fruitfulness every time. The God kind of fruit. Despite what others say to you, or about you, remaining connected to the true Vine and being fruitful is the only choice for insane awesomeness.

‘I am the vine; you are the branches. If a man remains in me and I in him, he will bear much fruit; apart from me you can do nothing.’ – John 15:5

10. Think Long Term, Live Short Term.

To be insanely awesome you’ll need to plan, strategise, think, and pray about the future. Your earthly and eternal future. Yet, even with this long term view, you’ll need to live day to day. The difficulty is in the tension of doing the daily without losing sight of the big picture. The daily is often full of routine. Routine can become boring and hard work if the long term isn’t kept in good perspective. Each day is a building block for the next. An insanely awesome life is one where the days aren’t wasted and they end up building a magnificent structure of a life.

‘Now listen, you who say, “Today or tomorrow we will go to this or that city, spend a year there, carry on business and make money.” Why, you do not even know what will happen tomorrow. What is your life? You are a mist that appears for a little while and then vanishes. Instead, you ought to say, “If it is the Lord’s will, we will live and do this or that.”’ – James 4:13-15

11. Never, Ever, Ever, Give Up.

It’s easier said than done, but giving up, for the insanely awesome, is not an option. To give up in any area, would be to admit defeat. To admit that something other than the power of God in us has triumphed. This is not to say you can’t change tack along the way. It’s the attitude that matters. Insanely awesome people keep their eyes firmly fixed on Christ and everything else is secondary. Never for a minute is giving up on anything that God has ordained what insanely awesome contemplate. They press on!

‘I press on toward the goal to win the prize for which God has called me heavenward in Christ Jesus.’ – Philippians 3:14

I know what you’re thinking.
You may have gotten this far and are thinking, ‘who could ever do any of that?’

You can!

That’s the point. Being insanely awesome isn’t easy, comfortable, or normal, but you can do it.
Empowered by the Holy Spirit, you can do it!

In His power and strength, you can be all God wants you to be and do all He intends you to do.
It may take everything in you.
It will take hard work, determination, and grit.

In the end though, would you rather finish your life having done your absolute best and having become insanely awesome, or would you prefer to settle for a half hearted, ordinary, normal, even lukewarm, average kind of life?

God deserves more than average.
You’ve got more than average in you.
He deserves you to be insanely awesome, so go for it!

Over To You...

✗ There's no limit ✗

"God said in Numbers 11:23, “Moses, is there any limit to My power?” He was saying, “Moses, you saw Me part the Red Sea, stop the sun for Joshua, keep three Hebrew teenagers safe in a fiery furnace, don’t you realize that I can bring water without rain?"

There’s no limit to God's power.

Joel Osteen

✗ Victory | Hillsong College ✗

ahhh, finally it's out. been close to a year, but my ears never fails to be enlightened once again. xxx

✗ Waiting | Younha ✗

✗ Servanthood Pt. 4 ✗

✗ God Will Give You Everything You Need | Holley Gerth ✗

“The Lord is my shepherd, I lack nothing. He makes me lie down in green pastures, he leads me beside quiet waters, he refreshes my soul.” Psalm 23:1-3 (NIV)

The women sit in a circle around the table. Some are young moms who have just dropped their children off in the nursery. Others are retired grandmas transitioning to a new season. Every age and stage of life is represented. Together we’re getting ready to begin a weekly study.

Before we start, the leader says, “Let’s go around the group and everyone share how they’re feeling this morning in one word.”

The universal answer: tired.

That happened years ago, and yet I often think of the answer those women gave that morning. I remember it when I get together with a group of friends and we talk about our busy schedules. I recall it when looking at social media updates. I ponder it while watching TV when I see the hectic pace our world asks us to keep.

We are tired. And when life brings challenges, the little bit of margin we may have is quickly taken up. We find ourselves weary and then wonder why it’s so hard to enjoy our lives.

Although we love our independence, the truth is we need someone to watch out for us, to tenderly care for us, and make sure we get our rest. In other words, we’re like sheep in need of a shepherd.

Without the care of a shepherd, sheep would soon get in trouble. If sheep followed other sheep, the flock would be worn out, in danger, and deprived of what’s needed to survive.

The same thing happens to us. When we let the world around us define our need for rest, we put our hearts at risk.

The good news is we have a Good Shepherd. His Name is Jesus. He doesn’t want to drive us so hard that we fall down from exhaustion. He doesn’t want to force us to go through life without nourishment and refreshment. When we are exhausted and feel like we’re just “doing what we have to do,” He invites us to pause and rest.

The Bible speaks of God as our Shepherd. And as I read Psalm 23, my tired heart longs for such tender care: “The Lord is my shepherd, I lack nothing. He makes me lie down in green pastures, he leads me beside quiet waters, he refreshes my soul” (Psalm 23:1-3a).

A full schedule and an empty heart are a sure sign it’s time to stop and consider if I’m following other sheep or finding the Shepherd. Usually, I’m following the wrong lead and realize the need to draw closer to the Shepherd again. He’s promised I will lack nothing, and I discover that afresh each time I come close.

Our Shepherd knows this about sheep: They’re prone to stray. They don’t even mean to much of the time. They get distracted by what looks good and can easily take a long walk that wears them out.

If that’s happened to you, it’s okay to ask the Shepherd to come get you and bring you home. Tell Him your heart is hungry and thirsty. Tell Him you need to lie down (yes, go take a nap!). Tell Him your soul needs to be restored.

You’re not going to be in trouble. Shepherds understand sheep. Yours already knows where you are and what you’ve been through, and it brings Him joy to care for you.

Lord, I’m so grateful I belong to a good and faithful Shepherd like You. Thank You for watching over me and caring for all my needs. You understand me even better than I understand myself. In Jesus’ Name, Amen.

TRUTH FOR TODAY:

Psalm 62:1-2, “Truly my soul finds rest in God; my salvation comes from him. Truly he is my rock and my salvation; he is my fortress, I will never be shaken.” (NIV)

✗ Nah uh... ✗

✗ Megachurch With a Beat Lures a Young Flock | The NY Times ✗

LOS ANGELES — A toned and sunburned 32-year-old Australian with the letters F-A-I-T-H tattooed onto his biceps strode onto the stage of a former burlesque theater here and shouted across a sea of upstretched hands and uplifted smartphones: “Let’s win this city together!”

The crowd did not need much urging. Young, diverse and devoted to Jesus, the listeners had come to the Belasco Theater from around the city, and from across the country, eager to help an Australian Pentecostal megachurch that is spreading worldwide establish its first outpost on America’s West Coast.

The church, Hillsong, has become a phenomenon, capitalizing on, and in some cases shaping, trends not only in evangelicalism but also in Christian youth culture. Its success would be rare enough at a time when religion is struggling in a secularizing Europe and North America. But Hillsong is even more remarkable because its target is young Christians in big cities, where faith seems out of fashion but where its services are packing them in.

Powered by a thriving, and lucrative, recording label that dominates Christian contemporary music, it has a vast reach — by some estimates, 100,000 people in the pews each weekend, 10 million followers on social media, 16 million albums sold, with its songs popping up in churches from Uzbekistan to Papua New Guinea.

Founded 30 years ago, Hillsong has churches in Amsterdam; Barcelona, Spain; Berlin; Cape Town; Copenhagen; Kiev, Ukraine; London; New York; Paris; and Stockholm, as well as multiple campuses in Australia and, now, an embryonic congregation in Los Angeles.

The Hillsong empire might appear to be a musical powerhouse first and a church second. It is, after all, a multimillion-dollar enterprise, drawing large crowds to arena concert performances; one of its bands, Hillsong United, is even the subject of a documentary scheduled for release by Warner Bros. next year.

Its songs, with a folk rock sound and simple, accessible lyrics, pervade theChristian charts and have transformed the Christian songbook.

“They are without a doubt the most influential producers of worship music in Christendom,” said Fred Markert, a Colorado-based leader of Youth With a Mission, a Christian organization. And Ed Stetzer, the executive director of LifeWay Research, an organization based in Nashville that studies practices in American Christianity, declared in an analysis of Hillsong, “In sensory stimulation, Hillsong’s productions rival any other contemporary form of entertainment.”

But its critics, and there are many, deride Hillsong as hipster Christianity, suggesting that its theology is thin, its enthusiasm for celebrities (Justin Bieber is among its fans) unbecoming, its politics (opposition to abortion and a murky position on homosexuality) opaque.

“It’s a prosperity movement for the millennials, in which the polyester and middle-class associations of Oral Roberts have given way to ripped jeans and sophisticated rock music,” said R. Albert Mohler Jr., the president of the Southern Baptist Theological Seminary. “What has made Hillsong distinctive is a minimization of the actual content of the Gospel, and a far more diffuse presentation of spirituality.”

For young Christians in cities where Hillsong has churches, it has become a magnet, combining the production values of a rock concert, the energy of a nightclub and the community of a megachurch. Many of the worshipers say they are drawn by the music but have stayed because of the opportunity to be with other young Christians, and because they believe that the churches can help transform cities, both through prayer and through direct social services.

“I want to be part of something bigger than myself,” said Tricia Hidalgo, 29, who said that she first heard Hillsong music played in her childhood church in Ontario, Calif., and that as a young adult she gave up studying to be a teacher to move to Australia to attend Hillsong’s Bible college. Now, she is volunteering for the church in Los Angeles.

“We’re going to love the city, love the people, and, to me, I feel like love can break any walls,” she said.

Amanda-Paige Whittington, 32, recalled hearing Hillsong’s first huge hit, “Shout to the Lord,” as a girl in a Southern Baptist church in Mississippi.

“I told my mom, ‘One day I’m going to Hillsong,’ ” said Ms. Whittington, who also attended Hillsong’s Bible college in Sydney and now lives in Orange County. “The music drew me to the church.”

Hillsong Los Angeles, as well as Hillsong New York, which opened four years ago, is an example of a growing phenomenon in global Christianity: big church brands taking on big secular cities. This year, Saddleback Church, the Orange County megachurch led by Rick Warren, opened its own campus in Los Angeles, while several years ago, Willow Creek, the megachurch based in South Barrington, Ill., opened a campus in Chicago.

“There’s no question there’s a real current of evangelical enamorment with cities,” Mr. Stetzer said. “Evangelicals have been a rural people historically, and the cities were the places where sin was. But cities are also where the people are.”

Ben Houston, a son of the Hillsong founders and pastor of Hillsong Los Angeles. By some estimates, 100,000 people are in the assorted Hillsong pews around the world each weekend.CreditMonica Almeida/The New York Times

Hillsong chooses cities not only because of population density, but also because of their impact on culture.

“These are tough, hard, dry towns for contemporary churches,” said Brian Houston, the Sydney-based senior pastor of the Hillsong empire. “We want to be strategic, and really impact cities of influence, so that the influence can reach far beyond.”

Hillsong has critics who monitor speakers at its conferences, and utterances by its leaders, for deviations from Christian orthodoxy (of concern to the right) or evidence of social conservatism (of concern to the left). Its financeshave been scrutinized by the Australian news media; its preaching is tracked by a critical blog. This year, Mr. Houston issued a clarification after being criticized by other evangelicals for suggesting that Christians and Muslims serve the same God.

Hillsong, founded by Brian Houston and his wife, Bobbie, has been anti-abortion and has described gay sex as sinful. But recently, church leaders have moderated their tone; the pastor of Hillsong New York, Carl Lentz, passed up two opportunities this year to express a view on same-sex marriage, in interviews with Katie Couric and The Huffington Post.

In the United States, Hillsong is nondenominational; in Australia, it is associated with the Australian Christian Churches, which is an affiliate of the Assemblies of God. For a time, Mr. Houston was the head of the denomination, and in 2000, he fired his father, Frank Houston, who was serving at another church, after the elder Mr. Houston acknowledged having abused a boy decades earlier.

One of Brian Houston’s sons, Joel, is Hillsong’s creative director, performs with Hillsong United and serves as a pastor at Hillsong New York. Another son, Ben, is the pastor of Hillsong Los Angeles. Ben has the “Faith” tattoo on one arm, as well as tattoos of the characters +=♥ (Jesus Is Love) and the names of his three daughters, surrounded by images of flowers and butterflies, as well as that of a lion, “to remind me I’m a man.”

Hillsong’s worship style is charismatic, meaning there is an emphasis on the Holy Spirit and on divine healing, but there is little speaking in tongues, which is seen at more conventional Pentecostal churches.

The Houstons like to say that worship should be enjoyed, not endured. Services are often held in dimly lit concert venues: In New York, the church started at Irving Plaza and then relocated to the Grand Ballroom at the Manhattan Center; in Los Angeles, a debut was held at 1 Oak, a West Hollywood club. There are lines to get in, and fewer seats than worshipers. Some worshipers share images and thoughts on social media during services.

The sound has evolved over the decades, but is now sometimes compared to U2’s. Tom Wagner, an ethnomusicologist at the University of Edinburgh, said Hillsong’s music was characterized by rich orchestration, but simple harmonies, and was often regarded by listeners as “spiritually anointed.”

“They’re very good at writing songs that are catchy,” Mr. Wagner said. “They know what works.”

✗ "My Faith, My Strength" | Brian Houston ✗

"God does not need our gifts, but He does treasure them. Because if we give, it is because we understand something about His heart.

We give because it reminds us that He is our provider, and that He blesses us in the way that we cannot, and continue to do so because He is faithful to His word."

Robert Fugerson

-----

• Resilient robust faith is like a spiritual muscle and you got to exercise it by strengthening it
• Faith is not in faith but it is in Jesus and we exercise that faith every time an opposition and challenge comes
• Hebrews 11:33-34
• Courageous faith is only tested when it’s tested
• If there is nothing to conquer or overcome, there is no reason for us to be more than conquerors or be overcomers

Through faith subdual kingdoms

• Joshua 1:6-9 “Be strong and courageous…”
• How do you overcome 31 kings? One at a time.
• Often when the enemy attacks, he does not come just on one side, he comes from every side
• It’s like all hell breaking lose because he loves to keep you confused
• Focus on the battle just one at a time, it is just amazing how faithful God is

Performing acts of righteousness

• Treating people right and having the right convictions are simple ways to preform righteousness
• Make God look good – Be people who represent Jesus well
• Not reacting but responding
• Obtain promises
• God is the promise keeper – He keeps His words
• God keeps covenant for thousands of generations
• God is incredible at becoming faithful if you just trust Him and put Him first in your life

Stop the mouth of lions

• "Through faith we can shut and stop the mouth of lion..."
• 1 Peter 5:8
• The greatest thing you can decide is the enemy may not
• You need to shut the mouth of the lion of what he plans to rob you of
• The bible doesn’t teach us not to flee the devil, but draw near to God and resist him and he will flee from you with his plans and strategies in your life
• What God has got for us is far too important to rip you of because he is a deceiver
• He is not a roaring lion, he just goes about like a roaring lion
• The roaring lion is not the one to worry about, but the dangerous lion is the one that is waiting where you run to
• We tend to run away from the roar, but we have to stand up against the enemy by drawing near to God, knowing the power of worship
• Worship is not just pretty songs but set on who God is and focuses on the greatness of God
• When we sing, we magnify the Lord – If God is becoming bigger, what is happening to your problem, doubt, fear and insecurity?
• We get smaller and He gets bigger and God gets the glory – Have robust faith to stare down the enemy
• Jesus has given us the victory and the enemy is a defeated foe
• We don’t just serve a King but King of all Kings so He can subdual any king, anytime, any place
• Sometimes we have to stop the mouth of the accuser
• There is something about condemnation – You just entertain it, it won’t go away, It does not have an expiry date
• Decide the accusation is pasted it’s date and it has no place in your life

Stop the mouth of the tempter

• When it comes to temptation, see where it comes from
• God does not tempt anyone nor let any temptation to come against us that He does not have the strength to subdual
• Temptation is a part of life – You are not the only one
• Temptation does not hold power over us but we hold power over it that we can live a victorious life
• Instead of facing temptation, we give ourselves that greater is He that is in us that is greater than the temptation

Stop the mouth of doubt

• Doubt comes in a way which may seem caring and protective, but when God puts a word in your heart, not just believe for that, triple it and don’t let anyone underline it with doubt and start believing courageously
• God has an overwhelming capacity that can do more in your life than you can imagine
• God loves you just as he loves anyone else
• It is an incredible thing serving the Lord
• If you build God’s house, He’ll build your house

Quench the power of the fire

• There is something about Jesus – He knows how to quench the fire
• God will give you a word of wisdom and with that you can quench the power of the fire
• Answering a question with a better question

Escape the edge of the sword

• It is incredibly how He can turn around if we just trust Him
• Proverbs 5: “Remove your way far from immorality...”
• Live your life with Godly decisions
• Don’t give your years, future, inheritance to the cruel one (Regret)
• Don’t live your life that should be yours and that someone else is occupying your place
• We can live our lives where we live the Godly decisions and causing alien armies to flee
• Our faith is not strong because of our faith, but because of Jesus

✗ 10 Things I've Learned About Worship Leading | Taya Smith ✗

1. The difference between preparing and not preparing is MASSIVE.

Apart from knowing the songs and learning the lyrics, setting aside time to prepare my heart before God is the most important thing - it allows the Holy Spirit to speak, puts a verse on my heart, and gives me ideas.

2. Receive constructive feedback. 

From those around you who have been doing this for longer than you. I want to lead people the best way I can each time, plus I don't know everything so I need to remain humble and teachable.

3. Have a plan. 

If you don't play an instrument, grab the Music Director, or a musician and together, figure out the keys of the songs you've chosen, any potential creative moments you might have, specific transitions, etc. That way you have a plan in place that has been practiced, but you also have flexibility to change if you feel to do so.

4. Have an opinion. 

Especially if you're a co-worship leader. When the senior worship leader asks you what you think of a song, idea, or moment - have something to contribute! You could have a great idea that no one has thought of yet.

5. Run your song list by someone else. 

I always get a second eye to look over my list, just to make sure it's the strongest and most relevant it can be. This can mean you may need to tailor a song list to a specific service and then tweak it slightly for the next one.

6. Don't strive when you lead, but don't step back either. 

Lead with the authority that has been given to you. Yes, there is a spiritual weight to the platform, which includes the responsibility we have to lead people to Jesus, but lead confidently knowing you've been given the platform and entrusted by your pastors.

7. You will have a train wreck and you will be okay. 

A close friend and mentor told me this and a week later, I had a beauty! Don't stress - it keeps you humble and you learn from it, plus they make for great stories!

8. Watch, listen and learn every chance you get. 

We never graduate from learning.

9. Your primary service to the church is to lead them to the presence of God. 

 
Don't think for a second that worship leading is your moment to shine or preach, especially when you are taking 'the gap'. If it adds to the service and allows you to arrest the atmosphere, then do it; but if it takes away from Jesus and what your primary purpose is, leave it out.

10. Be yourself. 

You are unique and God speaks to each of us differently, so lead accordingly. God has put something on your life, so lead from that place.

✗ You and I | Lady Gaga ✗

✗ Only You... ✗

as i rest... i am leaving it all to You... it's Your air time to work Your magic... going to wake up to a greater day... and a brighter moment... where You take what is entirely impossible as Your starting point...

here's to a miracle in progress... xxx

✗ Breathe (Chinese Ver.) | S.M. The Ballad Vol. 2 ✗

✗ All About That Bass | Meghan Trainor ✗