Where Does Faith Come From?

Posted on December 9, 2014 by Mark Cole

Do you lack faith?

Faith comes from hearing the message, and the message is heard through the word about Christ. ~ Romans 10:17 NIV

How do I please God?

And without faith it is impossible to please God, because anyone who comes to Him must believe that He exists and that He rewards those who earnestly seek Him. ~ Hebrews 11:6 NIV

Screen Shot 2014-12-09 at 6.53.11 AM

How do I grow my faith?

Let us fix our eyes on Jesus, the author and perfecter of our faith, who for the joy set before Him endured the cross, scorning its shame, and sat down at the right hand of the throne of God. ~ Hebrews 12:2 NIV

Do you feel like you are being attacked?

Take up the shield of faith, with which you can extinguish all the flaming arrows of the evil one. ~ Ephesians 6:16 NIV

What is the purpose of the problems I am going through?

Now for a little while you may have had to suffer grief in all kinds of trials. These have come so that your faith–of greater worth than gold, which perishes even though refined by fire–may be proved genuine and may result in praise, glory and honor when Jesus Christ is revealed. ~ I Peter 1:5-8 NIV

How do you stay strong?

Be on your guard; stand firm in the faith; be men of courage; be strong. ~ I Corinthians 16:13 NIV

What should be our goal?

But you, man of God …. pursue righteousness, godliness, faith, love, endurance and gentleness. ~ 1 Timothy 6:11 NIV

What is faith?

Now faith is being sure of what we hope for and certain of what we do not see. ~ Hebrews 11:1 NIV

What do I need besides faith?

If I have a faith that can move mountains, but have not love, I am nothing. ~ 1 Corinthians 13:2 NIV

How can I be saved?

For it is by grace you have been saved, through faith–and this not from yourselves, it is the gift of God. ~ Ephesians 2:8 NIV

What should my reaction to my problems be?

When troubles of any kind come your way, consider it an opportunity for great joy. For you know that when your faith is tested, your endurance has a chance to grow. So let it grow, for when your endurance is fully developed, you will be perfect and complete, needing nothing. ~ James 1:2-4 NLT

How can I do what Jesus did?

I tell you the truth, anyone who has faith in Me (Jesus) will do what I have been doing. He will do even greater things than these, because I am going to the Father. ~ John 14:12 NIV

Check out my new book.. “Leading Worship ~ Notes from a Grand Adventure’ available in Kindle or Soft Cover Editions.  This is a great gift for the musician or worshipper in your life.

Posted in God, Jesus, Leadership, Wisdom | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , | Leave a comment

My Favorite New Worship Songs

Posted on December 4, 2014 by Mark Cole

I love new songs of worship to God. I often get asked by worship leaders about the new songs that I’m leading. Here is my current list of newer songs. I’ve put links in the titles to YouTube. Let me know what you think! What are your favorites?

sing-to-the-lord-a-new-song-psalm-96-1

Great Are You Lord ~ David Leonard | Jason Ingram | Leslie Jordan

Jesus Loves Me ~ Ben Glover | Chris Tomlin | Reuben Morgan

Open Up The Heavens ~ Andi Rozier | James McDonald | Jason Ingram | Meredith Andrews | Stuart Garrard

This I Believe (The Creed) ~ Ben Fielding | Matt Crocker

Holy (Jesus You Are) ~ Jason Ingram | Jonas Myrin | Matt Redman

Cornerstone ~ Edward Mote | Eric Liljero | Jonas Myrin | Reuben Morgan | William Batchelder Bradbury

Forever (We Sing Hallelujah) ~ Brian Johnson | Christa Black Gifford | Gabriel Wilson | Jenn Johnson | Joel Taylor | Kari Jobe

10,000 Reasons ~ Jonas Myrin | Matt Redman

Holy Spirit ~ Bryan Torwalt | Katie Torwalt

Christ Is Enough ~ Jonas Myrin | Reuben Morgan

Love Came Down ~ Ben Cantelon

Praise Him ~ Matt Crocker | Nathan Finochio (I leave out the opening whoa)

Set A Fire ~ Will Reagan

The Same Power ~ Ben Cantelon | Nick Herbert

This Is Amazing Grace ~ Jeremy Riddle | Josh Farro | Phil Wickham

Waiting Here For You ~ Chris Tomlin | Jesse Reeves | Martin Smith

Yahweh ~ Dustin Smith | Kyle Wayne Lee | Michael Farren

Here For You ~ Jesse Reeves | Matt Maher | Matt Redman | Tim Wanstall

Check out my new book.. “Leading Worship ~ Notes from a Grand Adventure’ available in Kindle or Soft Cover Editions.  This is a great gift for the musician or worshipper in your life.

Posted in Church, God, Jesus, Music, Worship | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , | 1 Comment

Do You Need Wisdom?

Posted on December 2, 2014 by Mark Cole

 If any of you lacks wisdom, you should ask God, who gives generously to all without finding fault, and it will be given to you. ~ James 1:5 NIV

Don’t be impressed with your own wisdom. Instead,  fear the Lord and turn away from evil. ~ Proverbs 3:7 NLT

giphy

Teach us to number our days, that we may gain a heart of wisdom. ~ Psalms 90:12 NIV

Fear of the Lord is the foundation of true wisdom. All who obey His commandments will grow in wisdom. ~ Psalm 111:10 NLT

If you are wise and understand God’s ways, prove it by living an honorable life, doing good works with the humility that comes from wisdom. ~ James 3:13 NLT

Pride leads to disgrace, but with humility comes wisdom. ~ Proverbs 11:2 NLT

God gave these four young men an unusual aptitude for understanding every aspect of literature and wisdom. And God gave Daniel the special ability to interpret the meanings of visions and dreams. ~ Daniel 1:17 NLT

Wisdom is shown to be right by the lives of those who follow it. ~ Luke 7:35 NLT

The wisdom from above is first of all pure. It is also peace loving, gentle at all times, and willing to yield to others. It is full of mercy and the fruit of good deeds. It shows no favoritism and is always sincere. ~ James 3:17 NLT

Be very careful how you live—not as unwise but as wise, making the most of every opportunity, because the days are evil. Therefore do not be foolish, but understand what the Lord’s will is. ~ Ephesians 5:15-17 NIV

Listen to advice and accept discipline, and at the end you will be counted among the wise. ~ Proverbs 19:20 NIV

Getting wisdom is the wisest thing you can do!
And whatever else you do, develop good judgment.
If you prize wisdom, she will make you great.
Embrace her, and she will honor you. ~ Proverbs 4:7-8 NLT

Question: What are your favorite quotes on wisdom?

Check out my new book.. “Leading Worship ~ Notes from a Grand Adventure’ available in Kindle or Soft Cover Editions.  This is a great gift for the musician or worshipper in your life.

Posted in God, Jesus, Leadership, Wisdom | Tagged , | Leave a comment

He Is Mighty To Save

Posted on November 30, 2014 by Mark Cole

He Is Mighty To Save

Posted in God, Music | Tagged , , , , , , | Leave a comment

When Your Own Songwriting Disappoints You

Posted on November 27, 2014 by Mark Cole

This is an article that resonated with me from Bobby Gilles:

It’s happened to all of us. We have an idea that seems grand—even transcendent—in the mind. But once it is on paper, we feel like telling anyone who might read it, “I guess you had to be there.” “There” meaning “the spot in my mind.”

11.26.SONGWRITING-331x221

Author/songwriter/Sovereign Grace pastor Stephen Altrogge says,

“One of my big principles is that I’m OK with writing trash. To be good at writing anything, you need to do it a lot. In the process of doing it a lot, you’re bound to write a lot of total garbage. So I’ve written lots of lame songs, sentences and blog posts. And that’s OK. I think I’ve written some decent ones too. Some people get so hung up on being perfect that they never finish anything.”

I can identify. Whenever I write a song, I think, “This is my best ever.” That’s just the euphoria talking. It might last a day; it might last a week. I obsessively read and listen to my new song, far beyond that which is helpful. Inevitably within a week, a reverse-euphoria sets in. I think, “This is the worst song I’ve ever written. This is horrible. Maybe I’ve lost it. Maybe I’ll never write a good song again.”

A day or two later I realize I’ve read, listened to and edited my demo so many times that I can’t see the forest for the trees. At this point I simply have to trust outside opinion, because I have no idea if the song is my best, my worst or something in between.

And what if outside opinion confirms that my latest effort is middling or worse? In times like these I remind myself of a G.K. Chesterton quote:

“You could compile the worst book in the world entirely out of selected passages from the best writers in the world.”

Some of your songs will be better than others. This is true of everyone. Charles Wesley wrote 6,500, most of which time has forgotten. And Fanny Crosby wrote 8,000, the bulk of which even serious hymnologists never read or sing.

No one bats 1.000. Just keep trying. Meanwhile, ask yourself if you’re “filling your palette.” Good writers are good readers. Good songwriters are good listeners. And all good creatives have abundant curiosity. Singer-songwriter/worship leader Allie Lapointe says,

“Fill your word palette by reading great prose and poetry. Fill your theological palette by studying the Word and listening to sermons. Fill your emotional palette by living life fully, listening to people’s stories and fully engaging in your own. Fill your artistic palette by engaging in culture—attend concerts, art shows and community events. Keep your idea radar up at all times—songs are hiding in people’s prayers, newspaper headlines and Bible pages.”

Bobby Gilles has written several of Sojourn Music’s popular worship songs for albums like The Water And The Blood, Over The Grave and Before The Throne. He is content manager for sojournmusic.com and has mentored songwriters and led many Sojourn songwriting workshops.

More from Bobby Gilles or visit Bobby at http://mysonginthenight.com/

Check out my new book.. “Leading Worship ~ Notes from a Grand Adventure’ available in Kindle or Soft Cover Editions.  This is a great gift for the musician or worshipper in your life.

Posted in Music, Wisdom, Worship | Tagged , , , , , , , | Leave a comment

Trust God

Posted on November 21, 2014 by Mark Cole

Let the morning bring me word of Your unfailing love,  for I have put my trust in You. Show me the way I should go,  for to You I lift up my soul. ~ Psalm 143:8 NIV

Trust God

Those who know Your name will trust in You,  for You,  LORD, have never forsaken those who seek You. ~ Psalm 9:10 NIV

He put a new song in my mouth, a hymn of praise to our God. Many will see and fear and put their trust in the LORD. ~ Psalm 40:3 NIV

When I am afraid, I will trust in You. ~ Psalm 56:3 NIV

Trust in the Lord with all your heart; do not depend on your own understanding. Seek His will in all you do, and He will show you which path to take. ~ Proverbs 3:5-6 NLT

This is what the Sovereign LORD, the Holy One of Israel, says: “In repentance and rest is your salvation, in quietness and trust is your strength. ~ Isaiah 30:15 NIV

The LORD is good, a refuge in times of trouble. He cares for those who trust in Him. ~ Nahum 1:7 NIV

Jesus ~ “Do not let your hearts be troubled. Trust in God; trust also in Me.” ~ John 14:1 NIV

I pray that God, the source of hope, will fill you completely with joy and peace because you trust in Him. Then you will overflow with confident hope through the power of the Holy Spirit. ~ Romans 15:13 NLT

My old self has been crucified with Christ. It is no longer I who live, but Christ lives in me. So I live in this earthly body by trusting in the Son of God, who loved me and gave Himself for me. ~ Galatians 2:20 NLT

Let us hold tightly without wavering to the hope we affirm,  for God can be trusted to keep His promise. ~ Hebrews 10:23 NLT

Though He slay me, yet will I trust Him. ~ Job 13:15 NKJV

Check out my new book.. “Leading Worship ~ Notes from a Grand Adventure’ available in Kindle or Soft Cover Editions.  This is a great gift for the musician or worshipper in your life.

Posted in God, Jesus, Wisdom | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , | Leave a comment

Do You Like Contemporary Worship Music?

Posted on November 18, 2014 by Mark Cole

 I recently had an online conversation with an old friend (and very good musician) about today’s worship music. He doesn’t like it and is not crazy about the guitars taking over. He went on to say that because of the music he rarely attends church anymore.

He also sent me a link from a blog that reflected his opinion:  My Journey Away From Contemporary Worship Music

praise_worship

Here is my reply:

Thanks for sending the article.. it’s an interesting topic…

From my perspective… people tend to like the music and songs that were popular when they were in their teens and twenties.

That article praises some of the hymns. The hymns that we use are the ones that have survived. Those hymns are usually the best of the best that have survived. There were lousy hymns that were written and didn’t survive, just the same as there are lousy contemporary songs that are written today and won’t survive.

For me, it’s not whether a song is old or new… just that it is well written and still causes our hearts to worship God. There are still great songs that are being written today; one just has to search them out.

As per the style of songs.. frankly.. I want to see the church use music that relates to my kids and grandkids. I don’t need the church to serve my preference in music. I want them to use the music that causes the current younger generation to lift their hearts to God.

My desire is to be one that supports churches by serving the next generation. For me, that is regular Sunday participation. Some Sundays I am leading contemporary worship songs on guitar and some Sundays I am playing keys for guitar players.

And when I’m not playing or leading, I’m helping set up and serving in whatever way I can. It’s all about serving, not merely being served. I want to be one of those people who is always found in the house of God, worshiping the Lord and loving and serving people.

Question: What do you think about this topic? Can you still worship God when the style of song is not your favourite? Have you lost your desire to serve? If so, why?

Check out my new book.. “Leading Worship ~ Notes from a Grand Adventure’ available in Kindle or Soft Cover Editions.  This is a great gift for the musician or worshipper in your life.

Posted in Church, Family, God, Music, Wisdom, Worship | Tagged , , , , , | Leave a comment

The Power Of Worship

Posted on November 17, 2014 by Mark Cole

Have you ever read the story of when Paul and Silas were severely beaten and thrown into jail? Then they were put in an inner dungeon and their feet were put into stocks. What a terrible situation!

But what they did next was incredible! They started praying out loud and worshipping God in song! Amazing! They took their attention away from their terrible circumstances and put their faith and hope in God.

Worship focus

Do you know what happened next? God sent an earthquake that opened every door in the prison and the chains of every prisoner fell off! Totally amazing!

There is such power in taking our eyes off our circumstances and putting them on the living God! Singing and worshipping God turns our focus from our problems to the greatness of our Redeemer.

Do you need the chains that are holding you back to fall off? Then turn your heart towards God in worship. Do you need miracles in your life? Then start worshipping the One who does the impossible. With God all things are possible!

Paul and Silas were severely beaten, and then they were thrown into prison. The jailer was ordered to make sure they didn’t escape. So the jailer put them into the inner dungeon and clamped their feet in the stocks.

Around midnight Paul and Silas were praying and singing hymns to God, and the other prisoners were listening. Suddenly, there was a massive earthquake, and the prison was shaken to its foundations. All the doors immediately flew open, and the chains of every prisoner fell off!

The jailer woke up to see the prison doors wide open. He assumed the prisoners had escaped, so he drew his sword to kill himself. But Paul shouted to him, “Stop! Don’t kill yourself! We are all here!”

The jailer called for lights and ran to the dungeon and fell down trembling before Paul and Silas.  Then he brought them out and asked, “Sirs, what must I do to be saved?”

They replied, “Believe in the Lord Jesus and you will be saved, along with everyone in your household.”  And they shared the word of the Lord with him and with all who lived in his household.  Even at that hour of the night, the jailer cared for them and washed their wounds. Then he and everyone in his household were immediately baptized.  He brought them into his house and set a meal before them, and he and his entire household rejoiced because they all believed in God.

Acts 16:22-34 NLT

Check out my new book.. “Leading Worship ~ Notes from a Grand Adventure’ available in Kindle or Soft Cover Editions.  This is a great gift for the musician or worshipper in your life.

Posted in God, Jesus, Music, Worship | Tagged , , , , , , , , , | Leave a comment

Have You Been Treated Unfairly?

Posted on November 16, 2014 by Mark Cole
  • Sometimes in life you will be insulted… Trust the Lord.
  • Sometimes in life you will be snubbed… Look to God.
  • Sometimes you will be mistreated…. Remember, God is your defender.
  • Sometimes you will suffer injustice…. Trust God to be your justice.

unfair

Joseph was sold into slavery by his brothers and through it millions of people were saved… He later said to his brothers ‘You meant it for harm, but God meant it for good!”

The three men in the fiery furnace were sentenced to burn to death because they refused to worship idols. But they said “God will rescue us… But even if He doesn’t, we want to make it clear to you, Your Majesty, that we will never serve your gods or worship the gold statue you have set up.” Then God sent His angel into the fire to rescue them and they were later promoted to higher positions.

Paul and Silas were in put in prison for preaching about Jesus. Yet at midnight, they sang praises to God. Then God sent an earthquake that broke open the doors of the prison. Through that divine intervention, the jailor and his whole family came to know Jesus.

Job suffered the loss of his children, possessions and health. Yet through it all, he kept his heart right with God. He said, ‘Though He slay me, yet will I hope in God’ God later restored and healed Job and doubled everything he had lost.

James, the brother of Jesus said, “When troubles of any kind come your way, consider it an opportunity for great joy. For you know that when your faith is tested, your endurance has a chance to grow. So let it grow, for when your endurance is fully developed, you will be perfect and complete, needing nothing.”

Jesus said, “Blessed are those who are persecuted for righteousness’ sake, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven. Blessed are you when others revile you and persecute you and utter all kinds of evil against you falsely on my account. Rejoice and be glad, for your reward is great in heaven.”

When Jesus hung on the cross, some of his last words were: “Father, forgive them, for they don’t know what they are doing.” Jesus now sits on the right hand of the throne of God.

God has not forgotten about you. God sees and knows your needs. Forgive those who have mistreated you. Trust God. He can bring good out of bad situations. He is able to do more than you could ask or think!

It’s how you approach life. You can get bitter, or you can say, “This is not going to defeat me; it’s going to promote me. It’s not going to hinder me; it’s going to help me.” God wouldn’t have allowed it unless He had a purpose. ~ Joel Osteen

Question: How you do usually deal with people who have treated you unfairly? Can you trust God even when you are insulted and betrayed?

Check out my new book.. “Leading Worship ~ Notes from a Grand Adventure’ available in Kindle or Soft Cover Editions.  This is a great gift for the musician or worshipper in your life.

Posted in God, God Adventures, Jesus, Leadership, Wisdom | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , | Leave a comment

Learning To Transcribe and Write Music

Posted on November 12, 2014 by Mark Cole

I recently transcribed the toughest piece of music that I have ever been asked to do. The Christmas medley entitled ‘Christmas Songs’ is almost 11 minutes long and includes a full symphony orchestra and choir with two soprano soloists. It’s from a recording entitled ‘A Carnegie Hall Christmas’. Parts of it were so fast that I had to slow it down in Garageband so I could listen to all the parts going on.

A Carnegie Hall Christmas

This is the time of the year that I often get asked to transcribe and rearrange music for Christmas concerts and productions. This year has been especially busy. I’ve done almost twenty different Christmas and worship arrangements for various organizations. Some have only taken me a few hours to do and the toughest one (Christmas Songs: 307 bars & a full symphony orchestra) took me almost 2 weeks.

Over the years I have become quite good at transcribing music. I’ve done Country, Rock, Gospel, Jazz, Big Band, Classical, Worship and Pop styles. Sometimes the arrangements are just for solo with a rhythm section, some are for full vocal sections, some are with brass and string sections and some with full orchestras.

If you want to begin to understand how different styles of music work, transcribing music is one of the best ways to learn. If you want to understand the intricacies of how to write for a rhythm section, string section, brass section, woodwinds, percussion and vocals; transcribing music is an invaluable practice.

Transcribing music is also a great way to develop your musical ear. When you transcribe music, you begin to hear chord progressions and the inner workings of songs. If you want to become better at playing music ‘by ear’, try transcribing some of your favourite songs. It will develop your ‘ear’ and musical sensibilities like no other endeavour will.

One of the secrets of transcribing music is to first listen to the bass line. The bass line will give you the foundation of the chord structure. Next, listen to the melody and then fill in the chords.

One of the best ways to double-check your transcription is to play along with the song after you’ve finished writing it out. I usually put on headphones and play along with the chord chart. If you really listen, you will quickly pick out any inconsistencies between your chart and the original recording.

Question: Are you ready for a new challenge? Are you ready to take your musicianship to another level? Try transcribing music. You will learn so much!

Resources:

Check out my new book.. “Leading Worship ~ Notes from a Grand Adventure’ available in Kindle or Soft Cover Editions.  This is a great gift for the musician or worshipper in your life.

Posted in Church, Music, Worship | Tagged , , , , , , , , , | Leave a comment