Devotional

Serving Is Worship

My first ministry job out of high school was to lead music at a small church in our community. I remember going in there and knowing nothing but how to play guitar and sing. While the church needed a worship leader they got a song leader. There is a difference.

A song leader is someone who is musically capable of leading songs and does just that. Nothing wrong with that, a lot of churches have song leaders. A worship leader takes things a bit deeper. A worship leader is a worshipper first. Their main priority to to lead others to worship God. When they sing they have a unique ability to create an atmosphere where people feel comfortable and safe to focus on the Lord and His glory.

Both the song leader and the worship leader can look and sound the same but there are subtle differences.

Song leaders focus on the music first. Worship leaders focus on spiritual things first.
Song leaders allow the focus to be their performance. Worship leaders focus on God and his purposes.
Song leaders evaluation is on perfection. Worship leaders evaluation is on transformation.

As I look back I realized that in my life there was a transformation from song leader to worship leader. At that first church they had to suffer through my performance and pride. I was young and didn’t know any better until I started cleaning toilets.

My job was part time and I needed more hours so when a janitor position at the church opened up I said I would do it. So I was song leader on Sunday and janitor on Monday and Thursday. There were many times I said to my self “this stinks” and it did literally, I was cleaning toilets! And thats how I looked at it until a church member said. Alright Brandon you are really a Levite! That what the temple priests did. They led the congregation in worship and cleaned the temple. Serving is worship.

This thought came to my mind...

“If cleaning toilets is beneath you then leading on stage is above you.”

After finding some scripture to back up his claim, my tune changed. I began to see my serving as worship. Making sure that there were no distraction on campus to people being able to enjoy church and worship.

They gathered their brothers and consecrated themselves and went in as the king had commanded, by the words of the Lord, to cleanse the house of the Lord. 16The priests went into the inner part of the house of the Lord to cleanse it, and they brought out all the uncleanness that they found in the temple of the Lord into the court of the house of the Lord. 2 Chronicles 29: 15-16

26 Not so with you. Instead, whoever wants to become great among you must be your servant, Matthew 20:26

It is easy for pride to take front seat and think there are certain things that are below us. When this happens we can find ourselves getting frustrated that we are no farther along. But here is the thing, if it helps people come closer to Jesus it is not beneath you.

God in his great wisdom has this great plan to make us into usable vessels, its called sanctification. We are reminded…

“And I am sure of this, that he who began a good work in you will bring it to completion at the day of Jesus Christ.” Philippians 1:6

He is not done with us. He will continue to transform us into who he wants us to be until that final day we see Him face to face. I am so thankful he is still working.

So where of you find yourself today?

Serving is worship.
Do things even though you think they are beneath you. Your dedication to the Lord should be greater than your pride.

June 5, 2024 by Brandon Phillips | Comments Off

Devotional, Music

Ponder this

It is good to ponder…

We often feel overwhelmed and busy with our everyday lives that it can be hard to find the time to sit and think. We just go from one task to the next. If your a parent you go from one event to the next being the family taxi is a full time job!

While that does not leave much time for meditation, that is exactly what we need. We need to think of our place in all of this cosmic chaos. To understand that we are not in control can give us some relief from the pressure we place on ourselves to have it all together.

Ponder on this today…

Psalm 8: 1-4

O Lord, our Lord, how majestic is your name in all the earth! You have set your glory above the heavens. Out of the mouth of babies and infants, you have established strength because of your foes, to still the enemy and the avenger. When I look at your heavens, the work of your fingers, the moon and the stars, which you have set in place, what is man that you are mindful of him, and the son of man that you care for him?

We have the privilege to look to the Lord and see HIS greatness. To put things into perspective helps us see God for who HE is. When we look at the sky we can easily see his creative and HIS vastness. Yet he still chooses to care for us.

May 8, 2024 by Brandon Phillips | Comments Off

Devotional, Music

God’s Amazing Grace

Grace is defined as getting something you don’t deserve. If there is one word that describes the Christian faith the best it is grace.

Grace - we don’t deserve forgiveness.

Grace - we don’t deserve to be loved by God.

Grace - we don’t deserve Jesus sacrifice.

Grace - we don’t deserve the blessings he bestows.

Grace - We don’t deserve to be in a personal relationship with THE holy God.

Grace - because of our sin, we don’t deserve anything but death.

That is why grace should be a word that makes us crumble in humility before God. I know what kind of man I am, the natural thoughts of my heart apart from God’s intervention are only evil continually(Genesis 6:5). But because of His grace I can have a new heart (Ezekiel 26:36). With that new heart I can praise Him although imperfectly. I can still praise him and thank him for HIS grace that he has poured out on us lavishly. (Ephesians 1:3-6)

3 Blessed is the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who has blessed us with every spiritual blessing in the heavens in Christ. 4 For he chose us in him, before the foundation of the world, to be holy and blameless in love before him.[c] 5 He predestined us to be adopted as sons through Jesus Christ for himself, according to the good pleasure of his will, 6 to the praise of his glorious grace that he lavished on us in the Beloved One. Ephesians 1:3-6

Grace is easy to sing about because when we truly grasp the weight of the word we can’t help but praise HIM. As you worship today, remember it is a lifestyle (Romans 12:1-2). A lifestyle lived by grace through faith(Ephesians 2:8-9), not because we deserve it or earned it. Let’s be an example of grace to those around us. Pointing others to the amazing grace of God.

May 2, 2024 by Brandon Phillips | Comments Off

Devotional, Music

Battle Belongs

We live in a very defensive society. In today’s climate you have to be very careful what you say as to not offend someone. It does feel like we are in a battle with serious consequences. A battle of moral and ethical implications. Biblical values vs world values which are normally diametrically opposed.

We can work ourselves up with fear and anxiety worry about the outcome of this war. There will be victories on both sides but each time we feel like we are loosing it can be overwhelming as we wonder “where is God in all this?”

The answer. Right where he has always been.

Jesus Christ is the same yesterday today and forever Hebrews 13:8

Even though scripture says that and factually we know God is there sometimes we can feel like the psalmist in Psalm 69…

Save me, God, for the water has risen to my neck. I have sunk in deep mud, and there is no footing; I have come into deep water,
and a flood sweeps over me. I am weary from my crying; my throat is parched. My eyes fail, looking for my God.

It is very easy when we feel this way to gear up and fight. But it is God that will fight our battles. We can have confidence that when we go to God on our knees he will hear us. When we are humble and submit to His plan he is always faithful to work things our for our good. (Romans 8:28) Maybe not how we want it but, His way is always better.

May 1, 2024 by Brandon Phillips | Comments Off

Devotional, Family

Kingdom Mindset – Merciful

Looking at attitudes that are befitting of those who follow Christ, I hope you notice that there is a strong sense of humility in each one. Humility is a quality that Jesus exhibited most frequently and at great cost. It was a model that he wants us to follow.

Mercy is a byproduct of being in right relationship with others. The Hebrew word for mercy, (Hessed) that is used here talks about a loyal love that is reserved for one’s closest to you. The challenge for believers is that this is the mercy that is expressed to everyone. When you express mercy to everyone then they should respond in kind to you as well.

If you really fulfill the royal law according to the Scripture, “You shall love your neighbor as yourself,” you are doing well.

James 2:8

The problem is our version of mercy today is so conditional. We only give mercy if we think the other person is worthy of our mercy. We hold grudges and condemn. It is rare to find someone who give mercy freely.

When we do not give mercy freely, we are holding on to a poison that can be toxic to our soul. The person whom we are withholding mercy or forgiveness from probably doesn’t even realize the stress we are under. We must be careful to guard against that and let go of the wrong and forgive and move on.

“Holding a grudge doesn’t make you strong; it makes you bitter. Forgiving doesn’t make you weak; it sets you free. “ Dave Willis

When we consider and apply this to our thoughts on mercy we can begin to feel a sense of how special giving and receiving genuine mercy can be to both parties.