winter youth celebration.

I am so pumped to lead worship for the Winter Youth Celebration in Portland this year!

The central idea of the conference is to unleash high schoolers on mission.

As a worship leader, I'm always thinking:
How can I help the message?
How can I sing the message?
How can I preach as I sing?
How can I respond to what was just preached as I sing?

The answer to those questions generally determines the songs that I'll select before and after the message.

In this case, they determine the songs for a conference.

One of the songs we will sing together is a song begging God to rescue the world in the HERE and NOW and begging him to help us.

Check it. Learn it.

Here and Now.
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great things. great god.

"Let angels sing for
     sinners repenting,
     prodigals restored,
     backsliders reclaimed,
     Satan's captives released,
     blind eyes opened,
     broken hearts bound up,
     the despondent cheered,
     the self-righteous stripped,
     the formalist driven from a refuge of lies,
     the ignorant enlightened,
     and saints built up in their holy faith.
I ask great things of a great God."

- Valley of Vision, p.9 "The Great God"

What do you pray for?

Little things?
Simple things?
Meaningless things?

I hear myself praying for food. For a good day. For productivity. For energy. For happiness.

What of it?!

I now choose to ask great things of a great God.


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the best thing.

The best thing happened to me today.

Today, I am a married man.

Meet my wife.

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community.

The Gospel of Jesus is a remedy for life alone because it creates a community of people.

This community exists because of the Gospel and to demonstrate the Gospel.

This community exists because the Gospel is true.
This community demonstrates the Gospel is true by:
     Proclamation. (1 Peter 2:9)
     Lifestyle. (1 Peter 2:11-12)
     Love for each other. (1 Peter 2:1)
     Cooperation with each other. (1 Corinthians 12:12)

If you follow Jesus, you join a bunch of other people.

Follow Jesus well.


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oh darling, let's be adventurers.

My fiancé recorded her account of the day I asked her to marry me.

You should read it here.

It is eloquent. Poetic. Beautiful.

This will be the best adventure of my life!



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