James 3:17 But the wisdom from above is first pure, then peaceable, gentle, open to reason, full of mercy and good fruits, impartial and sincere.

Proverbs 15:22 Without counsel plans fail, but with many advisers they succeed.

1 Thessalonians 5:21 But test everything; hold fast what is good.

1 John 2:27 But the anointing that you received from him abides in you, and you have no need that anyone should teach you. But as his anointing teaches you about everything, and is true, and is no lie—just as it has taught you, abide in him. *

* Read the chapter to get this in context; he is teaching them and then telling them they can ALSO trust their annointing.

Psalm 69:4 More in number than the hairs of my head are those who hate me without cause; mighty are those who would destroy me, those who attack me with lies. What I did not steal must I now restore?

Psalm 109:1-5 …Be not silent, O God of my praise! For wicked and deceitful mouths are opened against me, speaking against me with lying tongues. They encircle me with words of hate, and attack me without cause. In return for my love they accuse me, but I give myself to prayer. So they reward me evil for good, and hatred for my love. …

Proverbs 9:8 Do not reprove a scoffer, or he will hate you; reprove a wise man, and he will love you.

John 15:18 “If the world hates you, know that it has hated me before it hated you.” – Jesus Christ

Romans 12:2 Do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewal of your mind, that by testing you may discern what is the will of God, what is good and acceptable and perfect.

James 2:18 But someone will say, “You have faith and I have works.” Show me your faith apart from your works, and I will show you my faith by my works.

1 Corinthians 2:1-5 And I, when I came to you, brothers, did not come proclaiming to you the testimony of God with lofty speech or wisdom. For I decided to know nothing among you except Jesus Christ and him crucified. And I was with you in weakness and in fear and much trembling, and my speech and my message were not in plausible words of wisdom, but in demonstration of the Spirit and of power, that your faith might not rest in the wisdom of men but in the power of God.

James 5:16 Therefore, confess your sins to one another and pray for one another, that you may be healed…

2 Corinthians 12:9-10 ⁹ But he said to me, “My grace is sufficient for you, for my power is made perfect in weakness.” Therefore I will boast all the more gladly about my weaknesses, so that Christ’s power may rest on me. ¹⁰ That is why, for Christ’s sake, I delight in weaknesses, in insults, in hardships, in persecutions, in difficulties. For when I am weak, then I am strong.

Today I thought I’d share a few verses that are touchpoints when I think about my motivation for leading worship, and for streaming UkuleleWorship. This is something I try to pay attention to, because in the world there is a real temptation, even an expectation, to see music performance as being about the performer. But these verses remind me that, as a worship leader, it is not about me. This is part 2 of 2, and these verses aren’t in any particular order.

Joshua 24:15 “If it is disagreeable in your sight to serve the Lord, choose for yourselves today whom you will serve: whether the gods which your fathers served which were beyond the River, or the gods of the Amorites in whose land you are living; but as for me and my house, we will serve the Lord.” We used to have a door knocker with that last part on it – but the whole verse is more powerful. This is actually a stark reminder that we choose each and every day, perhaps each and every moment, who our actions will serve. And if we’re not actively choosing God?

Psalm 84:10 “Better is one day in your courts than a thousand elsewhere;
I would rather be a doorkeeper in the house of my God than dwell in the tents of the wicked.” No matter how small my role is, serving God is better than any alternative.

Galatians 6:4-5 “⁴ Each one should test their own actions. Then they can take pride in themselves alone, without comparing themselves to someone else, ⁵ for each one should carry their own load.” When I try to compare myself to someone else, or live up to some standard set by the world (not by God), I can feel the heavy weight of negative thoughts creep in. We each need to take stock of what God has given us, and what God has asked of us, and live up to that only. I shouldn’t try to live outside my genetics, my circumstances, or my values – that will leave me feeling like I never measure up. I shouldn’t try to do what other people think I ought to be doing, or even what other people say God wants me to do. You don’t get a good grade by doing someone else’s homework. I, personally, need to check in with God and find out what my current assignment is, and focus on that.

Today I thought I’d share a few verses that are touchpoints when I think about my motivation for leading worship, and for streaming UkuleleWorship. This is something I try to pay attention to, because in the world there is a real temptation, even an expectation, to see music performance as being about the performer. But these verses remind me that, as a worship leader, it is not about me. This is part 1 of 2, and these verses aren’t in any particular order.

Galatians 6:8 “For the one who sows to his own flesh will from the flesh reap corruption, but the one who sows to the Spirit will from the Spirit reap eternal life.” This verse reminds me that my actions and choices need to come from God. I don’t choose music just because it is popular, but I pay attention to the message. I don’t have the doggie cam just because people like dogs, but it also opens up the door to talk about pet therapy and our call to visit the sick.

Matthew 6:1 “Beware of practicing your righteousness before men to be noticed by them; otherwise you have no reward with your Father who is in heaven.” This is something I try to check in with often. Am I “practicing righteousness before men”, or am I living out who I am in the Lord and not hiding it. I am the “real me” at all times – sometimes off key or forgetting words/chords, sometimes getting caught up in the music, often talking too much. But never trying to act out a level of perfection that isn’t there.

Romans 10:14 “How then will they call on Him in whom they have not believed? How will they believe in Him whom they have not heard? And how will they hear without a preacher?” I can’t be afraid to talk about God and Jesus. For someone, this may be the only place they have heard about them without criticism and derision.

Genesis 1:31 And God saw everything that he had made, and behold, it was very good. And there was evening and there was morning, the sixth day.

Ecclesiastes 8:15 And I commend joy, for man has no good thing under the sun but to eat and drink and be joyful, for this will go with him in his toil through the days of his life that God has given him under the sun.

John 10:10 The thief comes only to steal and kill and destroy. I came that they may have life and have it abundantly.

1 Timothy 6:6-7 “But godliness with contentment is great gain. For we brought nothing into the world, and we can take nothing out of it.”

1 Timothy 5:8 Anyone who does not provide for their relatives, and especially for their own household, has denied the faith and is worse than an unbeliever.

Ecclesiastes 11:2 Divide your portion to seven, or even to eight, for you do not know what misfortune may occur on the earth.

Proverbs 6:6-8 ⁶ Go to the ant, you sluggard; consider its ways and be wise! ⁷ It has no commander, no overseer or ruler, ⁸ yet it stores its provisions in summer and gathers its food at harvest.

Deuteronomy 30:19-20 I call heaven and earth to witness against you today, that I have set before you life and death, blessing and curse. Therefore choose life, that you and your offspring may live, loving the Lord your God, obeying his voice and holding fast to him, for he is your life and length of days…

Joshua 24:15 And if it is evil in your eyes to serve the Lord, choose this day whom you will serve … But as for me and my house, we will serve the Lord.”

Isaiah 55:6-7 Seek the Lord while he may be found; call on him while he is near. Let the wicked forsake their ways and the unrighteous their thoughts.
Let them turn to the Lord, and he will have mercy on them,
    and to our God, for he will freely pardon.

Revelation 3:20 Here I am! I stand at the door and knock. If anyone hears my voice and opens the door, I will come in and eat with that person, and they with me.

Leviticus 19:31 “Do not turn to mediums or necromancers; do not seek them out, and so make yourselves unclean by them: I am the Lord your God.

Deuteronomy 4:19 And beware lest you raise your eyes to heaven, and when you see the sun and the moon and the stars, all the host of heaven, you be drawn away and bow down to them and serve them, things that the Lord your God has allotted to all the peoples under the whole heaven.

Isaiah 8:19 And when they say to you, “Inquire of the mediums and the necromancers who chirp and mutter,” should not a people inquire of their God? Should they inquire of the dead on behalf of the living?

Daniel 2:27-28 Daniel answered the king and said, “No wise men, enchanters, magicians, or astrologers can show to the king the mystery that the king has asked, but there is a God in heaven who reveals mysteries, and he has made known to King Nebuchadnezzar what will be in the latter days. Your dream and the visions of your head as you lay in bed are these…

Acts 16:16-18 As we were going to the place of prayer, we were met by a slave girl who had a spirit of divination and brought her owners much gain by fortune-telling. She followed Paul and us, crying out, “These men are servants of the Most High God, who proclaim to you the way of salvation.” And this she kept doing for many days. Paul, having become greatly annoyed, turned and said to the spirit, “I command you in the name of Jesus Christ to come out of her.” And it came out that very hour.

1 Corinthians 10:21 You cannot drink the cup of the Lord and the cup of demons. You cannot partake of the table of the Lord and the table of demons.

It sounds like a cliche: “the power of positivity”. But it is a Biblical principle, and the world often tries to turn Biblical principles into something to scoff at. Consider these verses:

Psalm 118:24 This is the day that the Lord has made; let us rejoice and be glad in it.

Joshua 1:9 Have I not commanded you? Be strong and courageous. Do not be frightened, and do not be dismayed, for the Lord your God is with you wherever you go.”

Philippians 4:8 Finally, brothers, whatever is true, whatever is honorable, whatever is just, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is commendable, if there is any excellence, if there is anything worthy of praise, think about these things.

2 Timothy 1:7 For God gave us a spirit not of fear but of power and love and self-control.

Colossians 3:16 Let the word of Christ dwell in you richly, teaching and admonishing one another in all wisdom, singing psalms and hymns and spiritual songs, with thankfulness in your hearts to God.