The Lesson

We finished up our last project in Port St. Lucie, FL this morning. I spent this past week reminiscing about the amazing works that God has done throughout the summer. I have seen God transform the lives of countless people... One of them being me. I was thinking today about what God has taught me through all of this. What is the most valuable lesson I have learned? The answer is worship. It sounds funny even to me. I'm a "Worship Leader". I'm supposed to know all of that stuff already right? Over the past two or three years God has really shown me what it is like to be what I like to call a Romans 12:1 worshiper... One who offers himself to God as a living sacrifice. This summer God has reinforced and even revealed more about that important truth.

This past week I met a group leader from upstate New York. He is the Director of Religious Activities at Ft. Drum army base. His youth group is a little different than most in that the students come from several different denominations grounded in basic biblical doctrine. The churches meet at the worship center at different times and different days of the week. James' heart for the students of these congregations is to unite them as Christ followers while keeping them grounded in biblical truth. His heart is also that of a true worshiper. So when he gave me advice before we left today I listened carefully. "You need to stretch yourself, Kevin." I was sort of taken off guard. "You have a great heart for Christ and great talent but you need to stretch yourself. This is something that God has put on my heart to tell you. And when God puts something on my heart to tell someone, I tell them." I thought about his suggestion for a minute and suddenly it clicked. He wasn't giving me this advice to help me become a great musician or anything like that. He was telling me to stretch myself musically because he has a heart, not only to worship God, but to see other people from all different cultures and walks of life worship God also. It made me ask myself the question, "Do you want that, Kevin. Do you long for others to offer themselves as living sacrifices to God." Sometimes... But not enough. In Romans 9 we read of Paul's sorrow for those who don't experience God the way he does. (v3) "For I could wish that I myself were accursed and cut off from Christ for the sake of my brothers and sisters, my kinsmen according to the flesh." Here, Paul is speaking specifically of the chosen nation of Israel. But the biblical truth that we should long for others to know Him the way we know Him is still apparent.

As Christ Followers are we devoted to seeing others serve, know and worship our great God so that His name may be glorified?