Tag Archives: authentic

The Paradoxes of Authentic Christian Living

Posted on July 7, 2026 by Mark Cole

Learning to Live God’s Upside-Down Life One of my favorite updated quotes from A.W. Tozer is this: “A real Christian is an unusual person. He feels supreme love for One whom he has never seen, talks familiarly every day to … Continue reading →

Posted in Bible, God, God Adventures, humility, Jesus, Leadership, obedience, Wisdom | Tagged abundance, alive, authentic, Christian, death, dying, exalt, freedom, friendship, fulfillment, gain, give, give up, grace, humble, humility, invisible, joy, lead, life, love, obedience, paradox, power, Presence of God, pride, purpose, riches, servant, serve, service, soul, spiritual, strong, Surrender, treasure, true life, upside down, weak, wealth | Leave a comment

8 Tips On Taking Your Sunday Morning Worship to the Next Level

Posted on June 27, 2026 by Mark Cole

I love leading God’s people in worship. I have been privileged to lead worship teams in my home church and around the world for more than forty years. Along the way, God has taught me many valuable lessons. Here are … Continue reading →

Posted in Bible, Church, God, Holy Spirit, Jesus, Leadership, Teaching, Worship | Tagged about God, All your heart, authentic, bowing, CCLI, change hearts, clap, clapping, dancing, encounter God, focus on God, God first, good example, great example, great songs, great worship, heal, His presence, humility, in-ear, joy, lead, leadership, leading worship, lyric changes, lyrics, media, memorize, musical, new songs, next level, only God, passion, prayer, praying, preparation, prepare, problems, raising your hands, rear projection, rehearsals, repertoire, Rule of D, scripture, shouting, sincerity, sing, singing, songs, sound, sound mix, soundman, Sunday, Sunday morning, tech, to God, Top songs, upbeat, work hard, Worship, worship God, worship Him | Leave a comment

The Father’s Influence: Seven Traits That Shape Generations

Posted on June 22, 2026 by Mark Cole

“The righteous man walks in his integrity; his children are blessed after him.” — Proverbs 20:7 A father’s influence reaches much further than he often realizes. The conversations around the dinner table, the prayers whispered before bedtime, the example set … Continue reading →

Posted in Bible, Church, Family, God, humility, Leadership | Tagged attention, authentic, bear fruit, blessed, build, calling, care, children, correct, correction, discipline, encourage, energy, example, faith, families, father, fatherhood, finish well, follow Christ, follow Jesus, future generations, future spouses, genuine, godly father, grandchildren, guide, I love you, influence, instruct, integrity, joyful, leadership, legacy, life-changing, love, Love God, Love the Lord, mentor, old age, prayer, praying, proud of you, serve, serves, shape, spiritual growth, time | Leave a comment

Why Music Mattered in the Life of Jesus

Posted on May 14, 2026 by Mark Cole

Music was not a small part of life in Bible times. It was woven into worship, celebrations, family gatherings, national feasts, and everyday life. And when we look at the life of Jesus Christ, we discover that music played an … Continue reading →

Posted in Bible, Church, God, Jesus, Leadership, Music, Worship | Tagged authentic, Bible, celebration, celebrations, comfort, Connect with God, cross, dancing, encounter God, feasts, festivals, flutes, hymn, instruments, Jesus, Jewish culture, joy, last supper, love for God, lyrics, Music, musical imagery, musicians, peace, Psalms, restoration, sang, scripture, singing, songs, strength, synagogue, teach, temple, theology, wedding, worship music, worship song | Leave a comment

Lessons From David and Goliath

Posted on April 29, 2026 by Mark Cole

The story of David and Goliath is one of the most well-known accounts in the Bible. It is far more than a story about a boy defeating a giant—it is a powerful picture of faith, courage, obedience, and the greatness … Continue reading →

Posted in Bible, God, God Adventures, Leadership | Tagged action, addiction, authentic, battle, calling, conflict, courage, David, debt, discouragement, experiences, faith, faithful, fear, fears, first step, giant, giants, God's glory, Goliath, humble, illness, Impossible, kind word, obedience, personality, private victories, Surrender, surrendere, testimony, trust in God, trust the Lord, words matter, Worship, your gifts | Leave a comment

“For Many Are Called, But Few Are Chosen”: What Did Jesus Mean?

Posted on February 3, 2026 by Mark Cole

(Matthew 22:14) Few of Jesus’ statements are as sobering—or as clarifying—as this one: “For many are called, but few are chosen.” It appears at the end of the Parable of the Wedding Banquet, and it forces us to wrestle with … Continue reading →

Posted in Bible, Church, God, Jesus, Teaching, Wisdom | Tagged all should come, authentic, blessing, call is urgent, calling, changed life, discipleship, everyone, faith, few are chosen, follow Jesus, follow Me, forgiveness, genuine relationship, Good News, grace, grace is free, heaven, His child, His own, His truth, invitation, Jesus is Lord, lordship, many are called, obedience, parable, preach, produces fruit, question, repentance, respond, salvation, serious question, submit, Surrender, transformed, warning | Leave a comment

From Spectators to Worshippers: Inviting People Into True Participation

Posted on November 29, 2025 by Mark Cole

One of the greatest lessons I’ve learned—first as a choir director and now as a worship leader—is this: the real power in worship isn’t in what the platform does… it’s in what the people do. A choir can sound incredible. … Continue reading →

Posted in Bible, Church, God, Jesus, Leadership, Music, Worship | Tagged all the people, atmosphere, authentic, bow, choir, clap, engage, engagement, invite, joyful noise, lifting their hearts, participation, performance, prompting, shout, sing, sing to the Lord, sing together, singable songs, singing, spectator, unity, Worship, worship leadership, worship matters, worship team, Worshipper, worshippers | Leave a comment

How Genuine Faith Produces Genuine Love

Posted on November 15, 2025 by Mark Cole

Why do we teach, preach, disciple, and pour Scripture into people’s lives? Paul answers that question with crystal clarity in his letter to Timothy: “The purpose of my instruction is that all believers would be filled with love that comes … Continue reading →

Posted in Bible, Church, God, Holy Spirit, Jesus, Leadership, Wisdom | Tagged arguements, authentic, bitterness, clean heart, clear conscience, confession, confidence, deeper love for God, ego, faith, filled with love, follows His voice, genuine, genuine faith, genuine love, give, greater love, hidden motives, humble, humility, lead people, love, main thing, meaningless discussions, miss the point, obedience, peace, preach, Pure heart, real faith, sacrificial, serve, sincere, speak truth, stability, steadfast, teach, transformation | Leave a comment

Living Wisely and Speaking Graciously

Posted on October 25, 2025 by Mark Cole

One of the most practical and challenging pieces of advice in the New Testament comes from Paul’s letter to the Colossians: “Live wisely among those who are not believers, and make the most of every opportunity.Let your conversation be gracious … Continue reading →

Posted in Bible, God, Healing, Holy Spirit, Jesus, Leadership, Teaching, Wisdom | Tagged authentic, calmness, challenges, Christ, conversation, credibility, encouragement, Gospel, grace, gracious, gracious speech, graciously, honesty, hope, intentional, joy, kindness, living wisely, love, opportunity, patience, persuasive, powerful, prayer, prayerful, represent, response, speaking, Spirit-led, tone, truth, warmth, wisdom, words | Leave a comment

“Many Are Called, but Few Are Chosen” — What Did Jesus Mean?

Posted on February 3, 2025 by Mark Cole

The statement, “For many are called, but few are chosen” (Matthew 22:14), is one of Jesus’ most thought-provoking sayings. It comes at the end of the Parable of the Wedding Feast, a story that illustrates profound truths about God’s kingdom, … Continue reading →

Posted in Bible, God, Jesus, Wisdom | Tagged authentic, called, chosen, faith, God's kingdom, grace, gratitude, Holy Spirit, hopeful, humble, humility, invitation, Jesus, message, parable, righteousness, salvation, say yes, the call, transform, yes | Leave a comment

Tag Archives: authentic

The Paradoxes of Authentic Christian Living

8 Tips On Taking Your Sunday Morning Worship to the Next Level

The Father’s Influence: Seven Traits That Shape Generations

Why Music Mattered in the Life of Jesus

Lessons From David and Goliath

“For Many Are Called, But Few Are Chosen”: What Did Jesus Mean?

From Spectators to Worshippers: Inviting People Into True Participation

How Genuine Faith Produces Genuine Love

Living Wisely and Speaking Graciously

“Many Are Called, but Few Are Chosen” — What Did Jesus Mean?

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