Have you ever wondered what it would be like if you were able to talk to your past version of yourself? Or even just thought, “If I knew then what I know now…”? I’ve been leading worship for around 17 years now and I am happy with how I’ve turned out so far (I know there’s more!). But just for the sake of clarity and assurance in my earlier days, I’d want to say a few things. I think these things will help anyone in ministry...wherever they are in the journey.

God is the giver of good gifts! That can be easy to forget when the gift that comes is unusual or far different than we’re used to. It’s usually forgotten when people respond wildly, or manifest, as the power of the Holy Spirit shows up. The atmosphere becomes electric, power is being released, and people’s lives are being changed. But what also happens is - misunderstanding, fear, and even accusations. What we need to remember is: God gives good gifts and He moves in manifestations.

Names are powerful. Culture has shifted over time and Westerners don’t seem to have as much depth and value for the potential in a name...besides the hipsters and Hollywood stars who seem to always name their kids the weirdest names in history (lol jk). Biblical Israel had a rich value for names...and ultimately it was reflective of God, who hides prophetic potential, identity, and function in a name. Good news is it’s not just for Bible times. Your name carries prophetic potential for your life!

Depression, anxiety, stress and fear have taken far too many victims. Crusty religion has brought dullness to the “good news of great joy” proclaimed at the coming of Christ. Joy, on the other hand, is one of the most freeing things in the world! It’s a characteristic of God Himself, it’s ⅓ of the kingdom and it’s meant for the people God to live in! You need it, I need it...the world needs it!

God speaks! And He uses many different ways to do it. The challenge is - are we open to hearing God in new ways? If we have seeking hearts, we’ll be able to receive His messages in more ways than one, and even more ways than we’re used to or comfortable with. Life is always in His voice and we live by the words that come out of His mouth...they just don’t always look like words.

Have you ever felt like your past was chasing you down? It can feel like in the background of your mind there’s this voice reminding you of what you’ve done, who you once were or the things you’re ashamed of. The good news of the gospel is that Jesus makes all things new and God can take the sting out of your past memories! Although you may remember them, the power they had to shame you gets removed.

The power of God is not an option if we want to make an impact in our world. We need the anointing and we need revival. My only challenge is - do we know what we are asking for when we ask for revival and a “double portion”? In other words, many people want the “double portion” anointing, but are they willing to do what Elisha did to get it?

For those of you who serve at a church, do you ever feel that what you’re doing is insignificant compared to the worship leaders who are front and center? Or have you wondered how much of an impact you’re actually making running ProPresenter...or running whatever position you’re in? The truth is, no matter where you’re at - you can lead worship and you can make a huge impact for Jesus.

Several years ago, I went to a worship conference at Christ For the Nations Institute (CFNI) in Dallas, Texas. The keynote speaker opened up the conference with a message entitled “Lord of the Dance.” He spoke how the world had, in some ways, distorted the original design for dancing and prophesied that the Lord was bringing the dance back to the church. As a response to the word, he had the worship team lead us in an extended time of praise - specifically in the area of dancing!

One thing I know about hungry people - they always find a way to eat. Their hunger drives them to seek and satisfy their longing. God is stirring a fresh hunger in His people again. If the early bird gets the worm, then the hungry people always get more of God. Here’s part 2 on hunger.

Hunger is essential. Not only for practical day to day living, but especially in our relationship with Christ. It’s the hungry ones that seem to excel in the things of God. Passion and hunger are pre-built inside of every person - it just needs to be unearthed and/or redirected towards the One who truly satisfies.

“Falling out under the power”, “getting slain in the Spirit”, “going out” and the like have been phrases used to describe when people get overwhelmed by the power of God and end up on the floor. Some people have a hard time with it and others can’t get enough of it! I believe it’s one of the ways God works powerful things in our lives and the fruit is there to prove it. After all, “...our God is in heaven; He does whatever He pleases” (Ps. 115:3).

In our day, we’ve seen some crazy things occur in society - from major moral corruption to an overly narcissistic culture that overloads on selfies. I believe the answer to those epidemics - both large and small - is found in the glorious gospel of Jesus Christ! Specifically in the way that God gives people value and worth through Jesus.

Have you ever been in a time of praise & worship and the leader keeps repeating the same phrase over and over? Maybe you were annoyed...maybe you wondered why...or maybe you were so drawn to the Lord in that moment that repeating the phrase seemed to bring you closer to Him with each repetition!

Have you ever been in a worship service where the passion in the room was epic and the Presence of God electrifying? On the other hand, have you been in a room where it looked and felt like the people were baptized in the spirit of boring? In light of who we’re singing to and the gravity of what He’s done for us, passion should be the norm in our praise.

2019 is a year to go and possess your promises! It’s time to take what is rightfully yours! The challenge is that many people feel imprisoned in the land of their promise and many in the church are over-equipped and under employed. I declare that Jesus is about to walk through your limitations, stand in your midst and release His peace on you. Why? So you can go forth and take what’s rightfully yours with confidence.

In all types of churches, God is restoring the prophetic edge to worship ministry. He is not only bringing awareness through many amazing music ministries out there, but he is stirring a hunger for it. When you make space for the Holy Spirit, it will put a demand on the prophetic anointing. When worship leaders/teams step into the flow, your churches and ministries will begin to experience the Lord in a whole new way!

You may have heard the saying, “It’s not just about the destination, it’s about the journey”...or something along those lines. Although I agree with that, the reality is the journey can be tough! Sometimes it can feel like you’re on a detour to your destiny! And that can create opportunity for despair. God wants to teach you how to defeat despair in your life so your journey isn’t drudgery, it's an overall victory!

Promotion, breakthrough, effectiveness for the Lord - things we probably all want in life! If we’re honest, we don’t want to stay in our current circumstances for the rest of our lives. We’ve got dreams! We’ve got destiny! But the path to your destiny is paved with fire! If you embrace the fire, you’ll see the promotion!

Have you ever felt stuck or limited? Held behind the confinement of fear or shame? Or just suffered from a lack of momentum and feeling spiritually dry? You need an encounter with the Breaker! He’s the One who goes before you, clears out the obstacles, and makes a way for you!