​Advent is here!  The long awaited Christmas season is upon us!  A time for merriment, carols, and festivities.  Therefore, let’s make our worship reflect this special season.  Let’s celebrate Christmas by worshiping and adoring the King of Kings!

​To wrap up our month of worship focused on surrender and gratitude, I want to share with you a song that has been speaking deeply to me over the last couple of months.  It’s a call to surrender, a call to make Jesus our everything and all that we’ll ever need.  It’s a prayer, asking God to fill us with more of Himself and less of ourselves.  It’s an anthem to declare to ourselves, reminding us of our mission and purpose.  This is “Fade Away” by Passion Music.

​This simple, classic hymn is one of my favorites.  Penned in 1896 by the little known J.W. Van DeVenter.  This Methodist lay pastor wrote many hymns, but the most well-known one by far is “I Surrender All”.
 

​As we reflect on all that Jesus had done for us and our heartfelt response of adoration and surrender, “Thank You Jesus” by Hillsong Worship came to mind.  Filled with great reminders and truth of what Jesus’ blood has bought for us, this song is a great prayer to sing in your heart to yourself and to your Savior.  It contains statements of what Jesus did for us and our response of gratitude.  

November, a month and season of reflection and thanksgiving.  A time when we can look back over the year and give thanks for the blessings in our lives.  We have so much to be grateful for.  From the clothes that we wear to the cars we drive and homes we live in.  Our lives have been abundantly blessed.  However, as believers, we have an extra layer of blessing.  We know and believe that we have been redeemed and ransomed.  We are no longer slaves to sin but children of God.  And that is something to give thanks for!
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We’ve spent a month glorifying Jesus.  We’ve remembered and pondered the depth of His sacrifice and worshipped Him for who He is and what He’s done for us.  Now, as we come to the end of October and the world around us prepares to celebrate the darkest day of the year, let us magnify Jesus and lift Him up over all else.  

​This past summer, my family and I had the opportunity to spend several weekends away on vacation in a different area from which we live.  During that time, we attended a church we all love and enjoyed times of great worship and teaching.  Over the several weekends we were there, the worship team led a song each service that really stuck with me.  It resonated in my mind and heart so much, that when I got home I quickly looked up the song and learned it.  Since then, I’ve been introducing it to my church and now I want to share it with you.

​Typically, songs used during communion are reflective and slow.  However, I occasionally like to use “Jesus Messiah” by Chris Tomlin which does not fit those characteristics.  While this song is not a prayer, it is a declaration that beautifully walks us through the message of communion.  Therefore, I feel that it is totally fitting for this part of the service.
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​Continuing on in our focus on the person of Jesus Christ, and the worship due Him, today’s song feature is one that the rest of my family actually heard before me.  They were attending a church service in a different town than I was that particular Sunday, and this song was sung.  It deeply touched them and they came home telling me about.  However, it wasn’t until more recently that this song really resonated with me too.

​Welcome to a new month and new worship set!  Over the last two months, we’ve enjoyed focused worship celebrating God’s faithfulness and His power.  This month, God has really laid upon my heart anew the person and sacrifice of Jesus.  Who Jesus is and what He did for us is amazing, slightly unfathomable, and completely worship-inducing.  As we center our minds and remember Jesus’ sacrifice, our hearts should fill with awe, wonder, and heartfelt praise.