Does Your Pastor Know?

Great challenge today from Perry Noble during the Unleash closing session.
He was calling out pastors to be leaders who were on fire for Jesus. That goes for senior pastor AND for worship leaders, children's pastor, youth pastors, etc. Are you a leader like that

And then he called out the staff - does your pastor know that you've got his back? Does he go into a major fight, take on a major challenge knowing that you, his staff, will stand in the corner with him?

He needs to know that. If you have an issue with your senior pastor, HOW CAN YOU LEAD THE WORSHIP ON SUNDAY? (That's from me, not Perry.) If you haven't taken the time to reconcile with your worship leader (senior pastor), and you are harboring something toward him, your worship on Sunday is crap. It is a foul stench to our God and a BOLD FACE LIE to our congregation. FIX IT!

Once you do, and once you can put yourself in the position to do so, let your pastor know that you will stand with him, that you have his back. He NEEDS to know and he DESERVES to know. It's not an ego thing - it's a respect thing!

Take the time this week to do this. Stand with him and be for him!
We've tell Pastor Bill all the time that we would go off the cliff with him. We won't go behind him - we'll go side by side, because we love him and believe where God is calling him to take us.

So let me ask again...does your pastor know?

See ya in church...

Worship IS The Point!

Why do we do what we do on Sundays? (Or Saturday, Friday...whenever you have worship times) Why do all these people all around the world gather?

I know, it's sounds like it should be a simple, straightforward answer. And yet...

Here's what I still hear coming out of today's churches:

• "We can't 'worship' with anything but the hymns."
• "We can't 'worship' with drums banging in the room!"
• "We can't 'worship' unless we do this, that and the other thing I like."
• "You can only do communion (or other ordinances) when the by-laws say we can."
• "It HAS to be done this way, or else we just can't 'worship'".
• "I'm not going to give anything until I like what we're doing."
• "I just didn't get anything out of 'worship' today."

Not once has anyone raised an argument about this with me and said, "I think what GOD WANTS us to do in worship is..." It is ALWAYS about what 'WE' want and what 'WE' think 'WE' need to worship. Oh, and not to beat a dead horse - WORSHIP IS NOT JUST MUSIC, IT'S A FORM OF WORSHIP! Okay, I feel better.

When will we, as Christians, finally realize that in order for worship to be what God intended it to be, we have to get out of the way and get obedient?

• The kind of worshippers that God desires worship Him in spirit and in truth.
• The true kind of worship ALWAYS carried with it a sacrifice - it cost us something.
• The kind of worship that impacts people is the kind that reveals sin, offers forgiveness and points us to the hope of the cross - to Jesus!
• Worship must have a sense of expectation, an eagerness to meet God at some point.
• The worshipper who is obedient to God and all He calls us to finds his/her worship to be freeing, convicting, inspiring and challenging. The 'outcome' of worship should be a renewed heart, mind and soul with a new found strength to accomplish all that God calls us to do!

The point of our worship HAS to be about what He wants - that's it. How we go about it may change as the culture around us changes, but he message is always the same: giving glory, honor, praise and adoration to God.

What does that look like for you, personally? Is your private worship different than the worship you share with the body? (There should be some similarities) What holds you back from engaging in and expressing yourself in your corporate worship time?

Take some time to wrestle with the question: what do I need to do to change my understanding of who and why I worship?

Hope it's as fun for you as it has been for me...keep me posted!

Mad At Church

We are live! If you're driving around Pocatello, you're going to see a couple of billboards up that have this web address: www.madatachurch.com

Let me ask you a question: have YOU ever been mad at the church? If you're honest, we would all have to answer that with a YES! Somehow, somewhere in our lives, the Church has hurt us. And it is a different for hurt for each and every one of us. But the church, the one that Jesus died for, is supposed to be a place of healing, hope and grace. Unfortunately, it's 'operated' daily by imperfect, sinful and selfish people. ( I can say that because I work in a church!)

So, starting March 22nd, we're going to talk about four key areas where the church has really hurt people, both in the church and outside the church. I invite you to visit the above mentioned web site and hear what it is we're up to, as well as see what we're going to talk about in that time leading up to Easter. Bring your questions, bring your hurt, bring your doubts. Let's see if God can't take those and turn them into something incredible for His glory!

Should be an interesting journey. In the meantime, if you have comments, thoughts, questions, whatever about madatchurch, feel free to drop a note here or at my email karl@fbcpoky.com.

See you in church...

Sunay Done...

WHAT A DAY! God did some amazing stuff today and if you missed it, I hope you don't miss out next week. I think God is up to something pretty amazing at FBC, Pocatello!

• Aaron and the team did a killer job leading us in worship with music. Great set, great sound and in incredible heart!
• We introduced our "10 Minute Party" for our guests today. This is a time set aside after the first 10 minutes of each service JUST FOR OUR GUESTS to meet Pastor Bill and ask questions. Had some great response today...thank you to FBC family for honoring our guests with this time!
• Yes, I did call the church hypocrites today. I meant it. I don't care what excuse you have for not wanting to be all that God called you to be. Get this - He called you, He died for you, and now you need to live for Him if you claim to be a Christian. START LIVING LIKE IT!
• And yes, I did also say that if you weren't willing to kill bitterness and forgive others, stop calling yourself a Christian. You're really just a hypocrite.
• And I meant every word in love, seriously. But if the church can't get out of it's own way when they feel like they've been wronged and forgive, then we need to close the doors and walk away. That should make Jesus real happy, huh???
• Asked folks to surrender themselves today, to let God have first place in their lives. Several hands went up, especially second service. I'll be praying for you all - that God would be able to take His rightful place and direct your life.
• I challenge all of you who are reading this to go and start the process of reconciliation with the person you are still bitter about. Start the conflict resolution process right away. I'd like to be able to pray for you as you do this...so if you can send me an email with a date and time when you're going to have that conversation, I'll be praying. I don't need the details...just when. Send me a note at karl@fbcpoky.com

I seriously cannot wait to see what God is up to. If we could all begin to TRULY LIVE like Christ-followers, this valley would never be the same. This valley would begin to experience revival like it's never seen before.

Hope you'll join my in praying for just that...see ya in church!

Idaho Worship Workshop Update

Okay...here is what we have to date. We'll be getting a link up to a site with registration and payment options at the beginning of next week.

DATES: May 1st and 2nd
LOCATION: King Fine Arts Center in Burley, Idaho
FEATURED ARTISTS: Carl Albrecht, Leann Albrecht, Ed Kerr
WHO SHOULD ATTEND: Worship Leaders, Vocalists, Keyboard players, drums/percussionist
COST: Early registration - $45. At the door $60
SCHEDULE: Friday, Concert/General Session 7 to 9 pm. Saturday, 9 to 3 clinics.

The link will have the workshop information on it as well as directions, lodging info, etc.
MAKE PLANS TO BRING YOUR ENTIRE TEAM! Seriously, this is something that you get when you go to a Christian Musician Summit or an event at Saddleback, Granger, Willow, etc. These folks are tops in their fields and have a heart for helping the local artist be all that God created us to be - all without the ego!

You can email me at karl@fbcpoky.com with questions/comments or post it here. I'll get to you as soon as I read it.

See ya in Burley...

Bitterness and Worship

In case you haven't figured it out yet, these two things cannot coexist and still bring glory to God.

And yet, week in and week out I watch some of our own people struggle with this very issue. We've all been hurt before, but scripture is VERY CLEAR on what we are to do with those who sin against us - let's face it, that's what it really is!

I'm preaching with our youth director, Chris B, this weekend and the topic is bitterness. As I did the research, study, word study and so on, one thing kept coming back to me. It was the words of that long haired hippee dude we follow...you know, J.C.

He was teaching this huge crowd about prayer and gave a sample of what prayer should be like. He could have said anything fluffy, spiritual, or whatever. But His words were very simple and direct, especially in one particular area. Look at what he had to say in Matthew 6:12, and tell me that Jesus doesn't give us clear direction on one of the main causes of bitterness. Forgiveness is not an optional practice in our lives. If we are going to call ourselves Christians and let God use our lives as examples to point others to Jesus, then we have no choice but obedience.

• I'm sorry they hurt you so bad. You don't get the choice to hold onto that hurt anymore if you're a Christ follower. "Forgive as Christ forgave" means we LET IT GO and LOVE.
• I've been seriously, seriously hurt by many people - both outside and INSIDE the church. You know what I've found? The ones inside hurt me the MOST! LET IT GO and LOVE.
• Stop making excuses as to why you should be allowed to hold on to the pain. You have no excuses if you are truly a Christ follower.
• You can't TRULY WORSHIP God and still hold bitterness in your heart.
• You CANNOT TRULY WORSHIP God and still HOLD BITTERNESS in your heart. You are a hypocrite and God will NOT accept your worship.

Truly worship God with ALL your heart, mind, soul and strength. That all has to come from a place of COMPLETE SURRENDER. Have you done that yet? Have you forgiven others, just as Christ forgave you? (Remember - he throws our sins into the deepest part of the sea, never to be seen or heard from again.)

See ya in church...

Regional Worship Workshop Coming May 1st and 2nd

I am just a little jacked up this morning in a good way! We are in the finalization phases of bringing some much needed training to the northwest region for worship teams.

If you follow Integrity music much, you've heard of Carl Albrecht, LeAnn Albrecht and Ed Kerr. These are some of the top musicians in their field, who have incredible hearts for God. We are putting together a day and half of workshops and clinics to get the churches in our region some much needed help and encouragement.

Here are some of the tentative offerings:

• Carl will be leading workshops on drums and worship band technique.
• Ed will be leading workshops on keyboards in worship, as well as (perhaps) some arranging ideas.
• LeAnn will be leading workshops on vocals and the worship team element.
• In addition, I will be leading a workshop on the Pastor-Worship Leader relationship and the impact that it has on the team, worshp and the church.

Keep watching here for a link to more information. We will be hosting this event in either Pocatello or Burley, Idaho. We have access to an incredible performing arts facility (2nd largest in the state) in Burley that will make this more centrally located for many churches.

Talk to your teams - get them to reserve that date. Cost will be very nominal, so don't let that be an issue.

God is GOOD and God is AMAZING! Can't wait to see what He does with this...

Sunday Redux

So it got HOT in church today! Message was on anger and Pastor Bill brought it!

AND, we had some interesting and exciting physical expressions of worship going on. From clapping and even some 'light' dancing (whatever that is), to tears of joy and confession.

I know it may have seemed odd that there was a flash going off in worship, but we're trying to get some 'live' shots for our use in the future. Trust us!

Had a cool moment at the beginning where I got to welcome home one of our very own from Iraq - Ira Pray! Glad he's back safely with his family and with us. God kept him safe!

It was a powerful time of musical worship, as well as a powerful time of the word in worship:

• Anger is NOT a sin. Says so in scripture.
• We should be angry about some things - kids/women sold into slavery, poverty, etc.
• We need to be able to forgive as Jesus forgave. Tough - but not impossible with Him!

This is the beginning of our series called 'Toxic Emotions' which will run into mid-March. Pray for me this next week as I get to preach on bitterness. I will be team teaching with Chris Boblit, our Student Ministries Director. It'll be his first time preaching, so pray for him too!

This is a touchy and tough subject for all of us. We like to hold a grudge. We like to talk about 'the situation' with other people, hoping they will see our side and join us in our view. Bitterness is a nasty little booger that we just want to wipe out of our lives. With God's help and a change of heart, we can do just about anything. So we'll see where God takes us as we prepare.

See you in church...

Wanted: Real Worshipers

What kind of worshipers does God want? According to His Word, those who worship in spirit and in truth (John 4?23). So do we have any of those in our churches today? What about your church? Does the body of people that gather each Sunday worship from a real, honest and genuine place?

Worship Leaders - we have been called by God to lead His church into that place where together we can worship and honor God with our lives. If you are too caught up in pleasing people, or pleasing the past, you have failed God. You cannot and will never be able to make the church happy. And guess what - it's not your job to do so! So don't try!!!

What kind of worship allows you to be real, honest and genuine before God? Start there and let that be the catalyst for building your worship for next Sunday. YES - it will be risky. YES - it will be scary if you've never 'broken the mold' in your church. But here is the promise - that's the kind of worship that GOD is looking for. If you piss some people off, okay. Find out what they didn't get and turn that into a teaching moment. Your 'job' is to teach about worship to the church, as well as to lead them in corporate worship on Sundays, so don't let them down.

Artists (of all kinds) - we have been called by God to help others see the creativity, beauty and grace of God through our art. SAME MESSAGE! If you are trying to please or impress people, do the church a favor and STEP DOWN until you figure out that it's not about you! Seriously!

God has given each of you a gift that is very unique - and He gave it to you so that you can bring glory to Him. Listen to His direction. Express what He has put into your heart - and don't be afraid of the outcome. If it is from Him, it will bring honor and glory to Him. And you get to teach the church about worship in its creative art form. How cool will that be?

Pastors - shepherd God's people from the heart, not the head. Don't get caught up in 'big church' stuff and let your head get big. How does glorifying YOU bring glory to HIM? Lead with humility, integrity, courage, tenacity and vision. When you do, your church will jump off the cliff with you. Not behind you - but beside you, hand in hand. When you lead the way He has called you, you too are leading from a place of spirit and truth - real worship. Share your journey with your staff and leaders as a way to encourage others. Share your failures as a way to encourage others. When you're real, it helps others to see that you are a real person (I know - shock!).

If the church in America would just be real and not worry about tradition, denominational 'rules', history (to the point it hurts the church), or simply trying to please a certain group of people - America would never be the same. So what will it take for your church to be real this Sunday?

Ask God to show you - and then do it!

Worship - Not (Just) About Emotion

We had a great rehearsal last night! We went over some stuff from this past weekend, sort of rehashing the service and the response (which we usually do). But this week was a little different for a couple of reasons:

1. We didn't have a drummer Sunday due to illness, so we didn't have the 'driving beat' in the room. Keep that thought in mind...
2. Pastor Bill brought the BOOM to church in his message.

So what does all this have to do with worship? Great question!

I think that we, as a church, sometimes get too used to having certain elements in our music. And if they're not there, then we just can't seem to 'worship' the way we normally do. Folks, that's a CROCK! You don't need any particular instrument to help you worship. Do the drums help? Yes. Does rockin' out on the guitar help? For most, yes. But let me ask you this - is that worship coming from the right place? If you don't have the drums, can you still worship from a very deep, personal place? The answer has to be yes.

Our worship needs to come from the place where we meet God and recognize just how BIG and AWESOME He is in our lives. THAT should motivate our worship. We talked in our team last night about how we CANNOT respond to how the congregation does NOT respond. It cannot ever be about how they are or are not getting the music we put out. We have to be worshipers ourselves FIRST, then we can lead. It's up to them to follow.


And when I said Pastor Bill brought the boom to worship, he did. (Check out a couple of his key points at his blog here.) The message was on tithing and it landed hard on a lot of people - all of us who were there. It came straight from God's Word and it wasn't sugar coated. Do you think that brought out any emotions? Oh yeah!


When we get our world 'rocked' by something in God's Word, it should take us back to that place where we remember how BIG and AWESOME God is. Instead, we sometimes curl up in the fetal position and wish the big bad pastor guy would just shut his pie hole. Why? Because his words are reminding us of how far away from God we have gotten in a particular area of our lives.

The Church in America has gotten so caught up in the wrong ideas of tithing that is has really hurt worship in the church. Remember, worship is not just music. It's all the elements that we use to point people to God, including the preaching/teaching of His Word. So when the Pastor nails a point home, it's going to impact their response to the rest of the service. We cannot, under any circumstances, 'judge' how worship is going by how the people in the crowd respond. Worship is a personal event, even in a corporate setting.
So don't let it be about anything but the relationship you have with your Creator. He is BIG and AWESOME, and He wants so much for you (it would make your head spin to know how much)! Celebrate Him. Celebrate His grace. Thank Him for your victories and your trials. Worship from THOSE places and see what God does. Emotions will come out of it - but your worship won't be about them!


See ya in church...