Church Choir, Church Orchestra, Devotionals, Educational
The Disciplined Soldier
“Share in suffering as a good soldier of Christ Jesus. 4 No one serving as a soldier gets entangled in the concerns of civilian life; he seeks to please the one who enlisted him as a soldier. 5 Also, if anyone competes as an athlete, he is not crowned unless he competes according to the rules. 6 The hardworking farmer ought to be the first to… Read More
Church Choir, Church Orchestra, Educational, Teacher Resources, Worship
“I Fired Myself”!
Herb was human resources manager of a multinational textiles firm for forty years. As we were discussing a recent employee who had to be terminated, I asked him if that was tough. “No”, Herb replied. “He fired himself; I just confirmed it!” Whether in business or church life, occasionally it becomes necessary to face the… Read More
Church Choir, Church Orchestra, Devotionals, Worship
Press On
But one thing I do: Forgetting what is behind and straining toward what is ahead, I press on toward the goal…(Phil 3:13 NIV) Several years ago I bought a motorcycle, but I needed some advice on coordinating clutch and gas. So I asked my friend Jim, who had logged over 100,000 miles on his Harley. His response was… Read More
Church Choir, Church Orchestra, Devotionals, Educational
Leading by affirmation
What do you want? Should I come to you with a rod, or in love and a spirit of gentleness? (I Cor. 4:21) In 1971 I was one of a couple hundred young instrumentalists invited to participate in the state college honor band. Our conductor was a well-known band director from a major college, and was… Read More
Church Choir, Church Orchestra, Devotionals, Worship
Like a flock in the Wilderness
He led His people out like sheep and guided them like a flock in the wilderness. (Psalm 78:52- HCSB) Have you ever wondered why God had the children of Israel wander in the desert, rather than through the fertile plains of Egypt? If they had wandered through Egypt they would have had access to the nourishing plains of the… Read More
Church Choir, Devotionals, Worship
Change
“Jesus Christ is the same yesterday and today and forever”(Hebrews 13:8) Recently I posted a picture on Facebook of my wife Ruth and I in 1969, standing on the campus of John Brown University. As interesting as the two figures in the photograph may be, it is what stands BEHIND us that is really significant.… Read More
Church Choir, Church Orchestra, Devotionals, Worship
NOT BY MIGHT
“For You are my rock and my fortress; You lead and guide me..”(Ps. 31:3 (HCSB) I had just been called to First Baptist, Atlanta, and I immediately knew that I was inadequate for the position. From the Atlanta symphony players that were hired each week to play in the orchestra, to In Touch Rallies around… Read More
Church Choir, Church Orchestra, Devotionals, Worship
LOOKING FOR BALANCE
“Then Ezra blessed the Lord the great God, and all the people said AMEN, AMEN!! While lifting up their hands; then they bowed low and worshipped the Lord with their faces to the ground” (Neh. 8:6) Louis Giglio defines worship as “our response, both personal and corporate, to God for who He is, and what… Read More
Church Choir, Church Orchestra, Devotionals, Worship
The WHAT of Worship
Dr. David Hocking suggests several answers to the question “what is worship”: a. It is the reason behind the creation of all things John Piper says, “Worship is what we were created for. This is the final end of all existence-the worship of God. God created the universe so that it would display the worth of His glory.… Read More
Church Choir, Devotionals, Worship
SEASONED WITH GRACE
“Let your speech always be with grace, as though seasoned with salt, so that you will know how you should respond to each person.” (Col. 4:6) When I lived in Bakersfield, California, our home was 67 miles from a grove of Sequoia Redwood trees. I used to love to drive up into the mountains to… Read More