Steve Kerr and You!

I have been thoroughly enjoying “The Last Dance” during quarantine. I think it has been one of the best things on TV in long while. This documentary has taking me back in time to my childhood. Wow! yes, I can still say that MJ still is the greatest basketball player of all time, and I won’t apologize to this generation LOL)

Episode 9, without giving it away, was such an inspiring episode. Many know Steve Kerr as the coach of the Golden State Warriors, but a few of us remember him as the white boy in the Bulls who could just straight up shoot. (Mad Love for John Paxon though!) Did you know that Steve Kerr is an eight-time NBA champion? It’s crazy! He won five titles as a player (three with the Bulls and two with the Spurs, and as a head coach he also won three with the Warriors. Did you know that Steve Kerr has the highest career three-point percentage (45.4%)? I say all this because Steve Kerr, wasn’t #23. He only got one college offer. He didn’t sell many jerseys. He couldn’t dunk like everybody else. Is more, Steve Kerr only averaged 6 points per game. But there are two facts that we can say about Steve:

   1.  Steve was a hard worker

       2.  Steve knew his assignment

In 7th grade I tried out for the basketball team. I barely made the team, but I made it. I wasn’t the best dribbler, or shooter, but I want to believe I was the best listener. Not Knowing a lot of English, all I could do was listen. I had to learn to listen in order to play. I learned that in order for me to be successful, I had to listen to coach V. I had to listen to him in practice, and more importantly, I had to listen to him while on the bench. While everybody played, all I was waiting for was for Coach V to call my name.

I remember when coach V called my name, I went crazy. You see, my job was to shoot free throws, I know, how inspiring! But you see, in that particular game, our team won because I was good at free throws. I practiced my free throws all the time, especially at home, by myself. I became one of the best free throw shooters in my team. (I think Jon Seaton and Jeremiah Hetzel were better LOL) But Listen, there will always be somebody faster, stronger, smarter. At times, our job is not to be Lebron James. If you made the team, is because you are good enough, and you have something to offer. When it’s your time to shoot, shoot, when it’s your time to pass, it better be the best pass ever. Be ready when your name is called! Steve’s job wasn’t to be MJ or Pippen, his job was to be Steve Kerr. What’s your assignment?

Worship Time With God

Worship Time with God

A few weeks ago I had the privilege to speak in the worship conference Towdah about my routines in worship prep. What to do before you walk on a stage.

Every worship leader should have a routine,  how they prepare for worship. Some people go for walks, some leaders read books. There are gonna be many ways to prepare, but some things are a must as we prepare for leading worship. 

Two years ago I was blessed with the opportunity to open up for Kari Jobe. I got to watch her, not just as an artist, but as a wife and a mother, before and after her concert. One thing that I can say and I have always seen, is that Kari knows how to usher God’s presence into a room. That night I got the opportunity to watch her prepare before and after her concert. I was blown away. I watched her sit in a room all by herself for one hour before and after the concert. The huge lesson I learned and took with me that night  is called Worship Time With God.

I believe that every worship leader, with their own style, individual abilities, gender, culture, race, age, and gift should walk in these three routines before leading worship.

1. Every worship leader needs to spend time in God’s presence. You need to know what it “Looks” like. Sometimes I spend hours just talking to the Holy Spirit in prayer about what he needs in our services, what he desires in our worship experiences. This is not religion. I ask him to speak to us, to visit our plans, and at times to wreck our plans too. I don’t want our services to look like a worship youtube video, but rather what he wants our services and experiences to look like. I want us, our teams to be different, unique. Wouldn’t it be boring if every house in your neighborhood looked exactly the same?
2. Every worship leader needs to practice “Hearing” God’s voice. The Bible says that his sheep hear his voice and they follow. Sometimes, through journaling, sometimes through his word, sometimes through people, and sometimes in the quiet whispers. (Some think this is creepy, depending on your faith background and culture) but the Bible clearly speaks that God spent time seeking the father. God can speak to you before, during, and after you walk off the platform.
3. Every worship leader needs to know what God’s presence “Feels” like. We worship him in spirit and in truth. His presence is real. God’s presence is tangible. Some worship leaders refuse to feel God’s presence, especially when it comes with power. We cannot just go through the motions. God’s presence is manifested when we are hungry, desperate for him, and when we add our faith walk, our daily faith seeking  routines to our worship experiences. It’s more than just lyrics, it’s deep longing, and his revelation in our lives. Ask yourself this question:  if we turn off the cool lights, the smoke, and the click track, what will we have left over? I pray that we can usher in his presence without these things, but when we add them, it will make our worship experience even more spectacular. 

  Worship leaders, If you have never felt his presence, ask him. I ask him two things every morning: 1. Holy Spirit take me deeper and 2. Take us deeper. If you struggle with this, he is such a gentleman that he will meet you in the shallow. If it’s scary, he is such a father that he will walk with you, step, by step. He’ll take you in knee deep, then shoulders deep, until you are swimming in the deepness of his ocean.