Category: Motivation.

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Motivation. Music.

Don’t go at it alone.

Here we are, the day after Valentine’s Day. The day that many people set aside to honor the one they love. How coincidental that I feel led to write about not being alone.

But don’t worry – it has nothing to do with Valentine’s Day.

Two days ago, I was reading from the book of Joshua about Joshua’s interaction with Gibeon in Chapter 9. The inhabitants of Gibeon had heard of how Israel conquered both Jericho & Ai. They were worried that they were next.

So they devised a plan.

The representatives of Gibeon came to Joshua and convinced Joshua to make a league with them, saying they were from a far country and were sent to make a league with these mighty men. Joshua’s decision is recorded in verse 15:

And Joshua made peace with them, and made a league with them, to let them live: and the princes of the congregation sware unto them.

Joshua 9:15

Within a few days, the people of Israel realized that these men were in fact from a neighboring land and not from a far country. Joshua had made a pact with a group of people of whom they were originally meant to conquer. How could they have been so easily deceived?

The answer is found in verse 14:

And the men took of their victuals, and asked not counsel at the mouth of the LORD.

Joshua 9:14

You see, Joshua had just come out of a great victory. They were on the mountaintop. They just spoke to the Lord, perhaps, the day before… or even that morning. Surely they were spiritual enough to know what to do… without asking. This was a simple thing, right? They knew what to do.

How may times are we guilty of going at it alone?

How many times have we made a decision without asking the Lord, the giver of all wisdom?

How many times do we have to go through hard times to realize that including Jesus in life decisions will help us prevent major heartache?

How many times?

And let’s apply it to our efforts in leading God’s people in worship.

God desires to move among His people. He knows exactly what an entire congregation needs. He knows every individual need and the criticality of those needs.

Why would we want to try to plan a worship service without His counsel? I’m not talking about a perfunctory prayer. “Lord, we need your anointing.” “Lord, what would you have for us today.” Hear me – I’m not criticizing, and I am not judging your sincere efforts. I have been guilty of going through the motions.

But we can’t afford to go through the motions.

We must have the anointing of the Holy Ghost upon every service. Upon every song.

But, you say, last week you told us to know what to play to create the atmosphere. Yes, I did.

And we are guilty of sin if we create the atmosphere without consulting the Lord with what He wants in a service. Could the atmosphere our flesh creates be contradictory to what facilitates the move that God wants?

It’s very dangerous if I play that progression… you know the one… Bbm/G – F/A – Bbm6 – F/C… the one that “really gets people going,” if I don’t feel the Spirit of God moving us in that direction.

But oh what joy when we allow the Lord to work with us. He desires to be in our midst. When we lift His praises, and we look across the congregation as the Spirit of the Lord settles on the faces of His people! When the Spirit of God begins moving during our worship service and people step out in faith for healing or salvation. There’s nothing better than that experience. To know that God has directed the service, and we just allowed Him to flow through us!

I’m reminded of a story that I heard about a well known Apostolic music director. She was used in a mighty way. Anointed to sing, play, write & direct. Yet, she took the road that many have taken, and to the surprise of many, she fell into sin. She left the Truth.

A close acquaintance asked her, what happened? What changed?

Her response: I just stopped praying. I learned how to do it. I learned how to play it just right. I learned how to move people.

As we prepare for our worship services tomorrow, let us be reminded to ask counsel at the mouth of the Lord.

Lord, what do your people need to hear and feel in this service? What songs will take us there? Is it slow? Is it fast? Is it faith? Is it consecration? Ask, and ye shall receive. He wants to tell you, but He wants you to want Him.

Don’t go at it alone.

Categories
Mentorship. Motivation. Music.

Jesus, pick me.

There’s an epidemic that is plaguing our culture and our country.

It’s not the coronavirus. It’s not vaccines or the lack thereof. It’s not even the liberal media (although a strong case could be made for that).

The epidemic that I am referencing is an epidemic of laziness. It’s a get-rich-quick, do-more-with-less, I-don’t-feel-like-doing-it-now, I’d-rather-escape-on-[insert social media platform of choice], whatever-feels-good-do-it kind of epidemic.

This epidemic is the worst kind. It’s the one that will cause people to not stand for anything. It will cause people to fight for privileges without taking the associated responsibilities. It will cause fathers to abandon their wives and children, and it will cause mothers to abdicate their duties to YouTube and mobile apps.

It’s been said many times that a man’s life is known by what people say when he’s gone. Clearly, Kobe Bryant has left a mark on people that will last a long time. Social media, new channels, everyone is talking about this terrible tragedy.

And what are they saying? Koby Bryant was different.

Honestly, I’m not a sports follower. I didn’t follow Kobe Bryant. Never saw him in action. But this quote resonated with me.

I have nothing in common with lazy people who blame others for their lack of success. Great things come from hard work and perseverance. No excuses.

Kobe Bryant

Our society is giving everyone an excuse. There’s a disorder for everything imaginable. Scared of typing in front of people? You bet. We’ll call that Performance Anxiety Disorder.

As a private school administrator, I sat in front of a young lady that had been told all the reasons why she can’t. She was loaded down with excuses as to why she didn’t have to try, focus or work. Why her bad grades and her lack of attention were all dismissable.

Please hear me. People have legitimate issues. I do not discredit those.

But. People will only rise as high as you say they can.

I slid the large file filled with doctor’s reports and individualized education plans across the table, and I said, I believe you can do anything you really want to do.

Tears welled up in this young ladies’ eyes. And this young lady that couldn’t concentrate. This young lady that had almost two year’s worth of work to do in order to graduate… walked across the graduation platform as her parents looked on with pride. Exhausted and with tears in their eyes, but pride, none the less.

There are TOO many stories of overcomers to believe any different. People with severe handicaps. I think immediately of Nick Vujicic, the man with no arms or legs, that has gone surfing, played golf, fathered children and spoken to huge audiences around the world.

And I think of the blind man who nobody knows. He works here in Tulsa, and for fun, he goes out sailing. The only help he needs is navigating out of the dock. Then he navigates the Oklahoma lake with confidence as he depends on his auditory perception to know where he is and where he is headed.

His story? Oh, he must have been born blind. No. He lost his vision as a teenager. And one day, not long after he lost his vision, his mother told him to take out the trash.

But mom, how can I? I’m blind!

His mother’s response was: are you going to let that dictate the rest of your life?

So, what’s your excuse? Why can’t you succeed? Why can’t you pass that class? Why can’t you live for God? Why can’t you improve your skills vocally or on the piano?

The best things in life require hard work.

I hear many young people pray, Jesus use me! I want to be a vessel you can use. Pick me to work in that outreach. Pick me to do something great.

But when it comes to preparation… Learning to play an instrument. Memorizing the Word of God. Giving of your time to help someone in need. No thanks, I’ve got other plans.

You can’t be passive and win the war against laziness. It’s something that requires intentionality. Whatever it takes. Ask a friend. Hire a coach. Do something to tell your lazy flesh NO.

You’ll be glad you did… when you walk across that graduation stage.
You’ll be glad you did… when the Lord uses you to minister through song or the Word of God.
You’ll be glad you did… when you write a blog post telling someone else they can, because you did.

Jesus, pick me.

Categories
Mentorship. Motivation.

Give.

Struggling financially? Is giving to God a part of your “get back on track” or “get out of debt” plan? The One that gave what you have will increase your ability to give when you give of what you have.

Quick story… I was a senior in high school. I was applying to colleges and applying for scholarships. My family did not have the money to help pay for college. I did not want student debt.

I live in the Tulsa, OK area. I applied to Oklahoma University in Norman (120 miles away), was accepted, and through scholarships & grants, school was completely paid for. One last item to do was get approved to live off campus with my aunt & uncle. (I did not want to live on campus due to college culture & my addictive personality. Know thyself. 🤪)

In the meantime, a preacher came by and preached about the Law of the Harvest. God sparked faith in my heart. The preacher challenged us to give $20 to God in every service. He said if we will, God will respond to our willingness to give, and bless us.

So I committed to give.

As I was praying in that service, the Lord spoke very clearly to me. “If you make this commitment, your college will be paid for.” I accepted the word, but… I knew school was already paid for. Still I gladly committed and received the promise.

Fast forward. My request for off-campus living was denied. I ended up attending Tulsa University (private & much more expensive) and signed my name to MAJOR student loans. 😢

It was late September/early October. I received a letter regarding the Gates Millennium Scholarship program. I was selected as a recipient and would be flown to Chantilly, VA for a leadership conference!
I had applied to so many scholarships that I had forgotten about this! I didn’t even know the award amount.

In fact, it wasn’t until my first night at the Leadership Conference that I found out… The scholarship paid for everything! Anything that my other scholarships and federal grants didn’t cover, GMSP made up the difference!!! I couldn’t believe it!

Then (and honestly not until then) I remembered. The Law of the Harvest.

God knew all along. He supplied a need long before I even knew it existed. And because of my act of faith, He came through.

Categories
Mentorship. Motivation. Music.

Welcome 2020.

So I joke with my wife: I’m walking into a new thing.

But it’s not really a joke.

I like to start the year off with three words to summarize my goals for the year. My three words for 2019 were: Conquer. Relationships. Develop.

As I look back at 2019, much of the year was spent in frustration; however, the last quarter was a big turnaround. Through the help of a mentor and family, I was able to conquer a lot of things that I had been struggling with for a LONG time. As a result, I became more aware of the value and importance of relationships, and I began to develop in areas that I didn’t even realize needed development.

It’s funny how things evolved. My ultimate goals were accomplished, but the solution was different than what I pictured, because the problem was different than what I had defined.

It’s important to properly identify the problem.

So, I look forward to 2020 with intense excitement and anticipation. I know, without a doubt, that God has great things in store for me and my family in 2020. Sometimes, you just know.

“The great danger for most of us lies not in setting our aim too high and falling short; but in setting our aim too low, and achieving our mark.”

Michelangelo

My three words for this year are: Build. Strengthen. Love.

Build: My wife and I are building two businesses this year. I am building new positive habits. And I will be building new relationships.

Strengthen: I want to continue to strengthen the positive momentum that I gained in Q4 2019. I want to focus on strengthening myself physically, emotionally and mentally.

Love: I want to love God and love people more than ever before. I want to love my family. I want to love the hurting.

I have a number of exciting things in the works for 2020, and so I am creating this blog to document the journey. I am hopeful that you will find things of interest, and I hope your 2020 planning has been successful. If you didn’t do any 2020 planning – it’s not too late.

Let’s walk into a new thing.