Here I am to Worship

Well, can you believe it, I just finished another book! I will be honest with you, this is just a little book! Well, as most of you know, I am currently overseeing the worship here at Calvary Chapel Herborn. This was probably the last thing that I thought I would be doing here in Germany, but I do see how the Lord is using it in a mighty way in my life. Now I want to be honest with all of you, I LOVE WORSHIP!!!! I love listening to it, I love singing it, I love being a part of it, I love playing it, but leading it - this is out of my "comfort" area. So one of the things that I began to do a couple of months ago was begin to invest in this area of worship in my own life. I have been listening to messages on worship by a brother of mine in the Lord, I have been reading through the Psalms in my personal devotion (which is full of worship throughout them), and now I have begun to read books on the topic of worship. To put it plainly, I have so much to learn in this area. If you are a worship leader or a part of a worship ministry, I think you know what I am talking about! There is so much in the area of worship, where do I even start? So as I have already stated, I have started to invest in my own life first before I begin to share with others on this topic.
First of all, I want to thank my bro Dominic Balli for hooking me up with these books on worship. Thanks Dom and Reality Carpinteria for blessing me with these books! Thank you so much.
Ok - now lets get to the point of this little blog. I would encourage anyone who is involved in the area of worship to read this little book by Tim Hughes. This is just a little 160 page book that is very practical for all of those involved with, interested in, are praying about being a part of the worship ministry at your local church. Tim shares very practical steps in the areas of leading worship, leading a band, choosing a song list, musical dynamics, practical tips, small-group worship, and a whole chapter on the area of writing worship songs. In this little book, I was most blessed by the first three chapters that had to do with the ONE THING, SHAPING OF MY HEART, and NEVER LOSING THE WONDER.

Here are a couple of verses or quotes that were shared in these chapters:

Psalm 27:4 "One thing I have desired of the LORD, That will I seek: That I may dwell in the house of the LORD All the days of my life, To behold the beauty of the LORD, And to inquire in His temple."

"Worship pours from the overflow of our hearts. If you squeeze an orange, out of it will come orange juice. If you squeeze your heart, what will flow out of it? Will it be a love for yourself? Will it be your love for a pop band, a football team, a girlfriend or a boyfriend? Will it be your passion for Jesus?...If Jesus isn't the number one priority in our lives, we will never fully worship Him. We certainly won't be moved to share the love of Jesus with others."
Here I am To Worship - Tim Hughes - Pg. 23-24

"If we're not learning how to worship before God on our own. Then how can we stand before others and led them in worship?"
Here I am To Worship - Tim Hughes - Pg. 34-45