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 | Branon Dempsey of Worship Team Training
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 | September 13, 2011 Mark of the Artist Ever heard these statements: "if only my playing is good enough," "if my singing good enough," "if only my service to God is good enough." In each of these statements, there is a measure to be met. It's almost as if we are looking for the acceptance or validation for being "good enough." The real question: What does being "good enough" really look like? and to whom? If and when we achieve a successful outcome, does it really bring the satisfaction we are searching? Does it qualify us any further for doing God's work? Does God love us any more when we succeed? Does He love us any less when we fail? You may lead or participate on a worship team, write songs or enjoy playing music for fun. As artists, we can become too self-critical. When this happens, we compare ourselves to others, get down on ourselves, and/or put limits on our dreams all because we fear that we are not "making the mark." The real truth is you are already good enough in what you do, hence, why God has blessed you with this talent, why He's given you a vision and where He's placed you in service. The "mark" I've found to measure my growth as an artist comes from 2 Timothy 1.6-7: "For this reason I remind you to fan into flame the gift of God, which is in you through the laying on of my hands. 7 For the Spirit God gave us does not make us timid, but gives us power, love and self-discipline." First, God has called us each to a specific art for a specific craft. The only fear to have is the fear of not investing in what God has invested within us. God has not blessed you with a gift to be compared by others, but to be shared with others. We are told in 1John 1, that there is no fear in love because of Christ has perfected His love through us. By His strength and by His shaping, smith-work and the sweat of our brows, he fashions us for good use by the power of the Holy Spirit. This ultimately should help relieve the pressure of measuring up to others. As God lit the flame within, now you fan into flame your talent and gift with the help of the Spirit. Train under his guidance as you set your mind on things above: love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness and self-control. As developing artists, may we live by the Spirit in keeping in step with the Spirit. The only present measure in ourselves is found in the marks of Christ's workmanship - Gal. 5.22-25/Eph. 2.10 Copyright 2011 Branon Dempsey | Worship Team Training | Administered by For His Music. All Rights Reserved. Printed in the United States of America. www.worshipteamtraining.com |
 | August 4, 2011 Leading Worship Leading Relationships Who are the people you are leading in worship? Everyday we are surrounded by many in which God sends. There is a specific reason and a bigger picture of why God has placed where you are today. It goes beyond your ministry, profession and/or music. Leading worship/music forms a trust with people. They believe or test that who you are and what you say/act/sing is truly rooted in Christ. Our leadership is not so much designed for music, but destined for relationships. Ephesians 2.10 tells us that we are the workmanship of Christ - not our gifts, skills and abilities. Why? He does use our calling and trade, but most importantly, He uses the relationships we have with others - in and out of the church. Purpose? To redeem people back to Himself. It's not about your music, it's about the people God has given you. See, I think our true calling as worship/music leaders is to lead people through relationships. If we truly are the workmanship of Christ, then we are etched by His mercy, grace and forgiveness - these are true gifts from God. As we have all wandered in the desert, we have tasted and were quenched by His living water. Many are still in the desert today, how are you leading people to this true and living Water, where no one will ever thirst again? Above all else, may we better use our relationships in leading people back to His redeeming love. Copyright 2011 Branon Dempsey | Worship Team Training | Administered by For His Music. All Rights Reserved. Printed in the United States of America. www.worshipteamtraining.com |
 | June 22, 2011 One Thing Remains By the grace God has given us, we are told to wisely build on the foundation set by Christ (Eph. 3.10). But how does this translate into our lives, ministries and teams? How are we blowing and going through the week? Our days are numbed by set lists, scriptures and scheduling of volunteers? Dodging the fireballs hurled by complaining saints after worship services? Weary of long staff meetings and long stares from the pastor? Isn't there something more? Where did the fire go out? What are the things God has called you to do? What kind of foundation has God called you to build long ago? There's that voice again. It whispers into our souls, reminding us of things that are truly important and things that are not. 1 Cor. 3.11-13 beckons us to lay no other foundation than the one already laid by Christ. What we build on this foundation will either withstand the flames or be consumed. Let's say you had two pick one of two things in your life. What is the one thing that God is calling you to faithfully build? What is the other that He is calling you to burn? Mostly likely, the one thing you desire to save is probably the one thing that deserves your full attention to complete. Take this one thing as an offering to God and let the other(s) burn. Build on this with faith, perseverance, endurance, courage, patience, peace and the fruitfulness of the Spirit. Remove all the other precious gold, silver and costly things that only suffer loss. May what remains be of His workmanship and for the praise of His glory. "These have come so that the proven genuineness of your faith—of greater worth than gold, which perishes even though refined by fire—may result in praise, glory and honor when Jesus Christ is revealed." - 1 Pet. 1.7 Copyright 2011 Branon Dempsey | Worship Team Training | Administered by For His Music. All Rights Reserved. Printed in the United States of America. www.worshipteamtraining.com |
 | June 13, 2011 Monday Mourning Quarterback Worship Leaders, Musicians/Singers and Pastors ask the well-known question: "how can I do it better?" Evaluation may be a key to excellence, but how much is too much before it begins to sidelines you? Play it safe. Before you begin, what's your point? The worship service is His and it's a privilege that He uses us to facilitate His worship. We have a responsibility on two sides, our best we bring to God and our best in which we help others worship. Be open to the areas of things that can improve and learn from them. Overcome negative thinking by the positive working of God. Keep it simple. Sometimes we are so quick to start a laundry list of things gone wrong. I usually try to stick with three points and move on. Let's face it, we can easily think of 10 things, but the most important may be just those two or three. Once the loose ends are tightened, then your ready to move to four through six and so forth. Write it down and right down the good things. Personally, I'm sooo forgetful, making notes help me remember the necessary details. Once it's down, I'm able to review and re-work. Instead of our time being spent too much on what went wrong, focus more on what went right - and build on it from there. What went right? Why did it work so well? Good athletes follow this rule of thumb. This helps secure a positive foundation. As you move ahead, you learn what not to do as you correct the weaker areas. Let the Lord encourage you in these points, especially to the ones He is already showing you. Keep things simple and objective. Enjoy what God reveals you as you're in a better position to stay on your game without worrying about the score. Copyright 2011 Branon Dempsey | Worship Team Training | Administered by For His Music. All Rights Reserved. Printed in the United States of America. www.worshipteamtraining.com |
 | June 9, 2011 Learning to Pause "Nothing is more important than the worship I desire from you." These were the words the Lord placed on my soul this morning. Even in worship, we are in a rush from busy places only to stand still. Our feet may have stopped, but our minds are still running. Does this happen to you too? Ecclesiastes beckons us in chapter 5, verse 1 by these words: "Guard your steps when you go to the house of God." How often do we heed this command? Sometimes, my thoughts, good intentions and even my committed service to God can get in the way of His worship. Silence has a way of both agitating and calming the soul. It irritates our senses because we are so use to the noise that surrounds us, it's difficult to pause. Learning how to be still is a challenge all in itself. Even more so, we become paralytic when we do not know how to pause or what to do in the silence. Maybe we are afraid of nothing to say. Maybe we are afraid of what will be heard. But this is exactly what God desires. In the same passage, now in verse 2, the Author writes, "Do not be quick with your mouth, do not utter anything hasty in your heart to utter anything before God. God is in heaven and you are on earth, so let your words be few." Through silence, how can God grant us a renewed vision of His holiness and wonder? What can help slow our pace and guard our steps so we may be in reverence and not be in distraction? Lord, still our souls so that our worship of You becomes noiseless, soundless and speechless. In the leading of worship, teach us what it means to help others pause, so we as a Body may respond in the manner You desire. Copyright 2011 Branon Dempsey | Worship Team Training | Administered by For His Music. All Rights Reserved. Printed in the United States of America. www.worshipteamtraining.com |
 | June 7, 2011 48 Hours Allot can be said in 48 hours. It's no surprise that much of our time is made up of Facebook, Twitter, Skype, Angry Brids, iPads, iPhones, Youtube and yada, yada, yada. How we interact in person or online can make huge impacts on to others. As leaders living in the blur of the virtual world and the real world, we have both a responsibility and accountability what we model. Hebrews 13.7 encourages us to: "Remember your leaders, who spoke the word of God to you. Consider the outcome of their way of life and imitate their faith." Think about the good leaders in your life who made a significant impact. Was their faith worth imitating? What about you as a worship leader, musician, singer and Christian, is the kind of life you live worth imitating? A great friend and mentor challenged this thought: "In a given 48 hour period, what does your life look like to God? This includes every thought, every word, every keystroke and every action. Would this be the kind of life that others would imitate?" If someone were to see the same 48 hours of your life that God sees, would they want this kind of life? Would they share it with others? Would they take it for themselves or would they give it back? We are told to continually offer to God a sacrifice of praise-the fruit of lips that confess His name (Heb. 13.15). Simply, as Christ’s ambassadors and leaders who live in a watching world, our behaviors and what we model matters in communicating the Gospel, showing esteem for others, forgiving one another and demonstrating mercy. Whether we speak from our iClouds, speak in our communities or speak from the leading platform, may our words be fruitful, stemming from authentic lives - worth imitating. Copyright 2011 Branon Dempsey | Worship Team Training | Administered by For His Music. All Rights Reserved. Printed in the United States of America. www.worshipteamtraining.com |
 | June 2, 2011 Nit-Picking It's so easy to find fault in other things, especially in people. Individuals are easy moving targets from circumstances that hold little to no significant value. But what is truly important...or who? Think about your ministry, volunteers and yes, those who question your every song choice or decision-making after the worship service. Any bells ringing here? Now think about your personal interactions and responses with those around you. How do we show mercy and where do we shun sacrifice? Huh? In Matthew 12.1-8, we read about how the disciples going through the grain fields on the Sabbath, picking and eating heads of grain. Along come the nay-sayer Pharisees to condemn their actions. To end the confrontation, Jesus leaves them with this simple truth: "I desire mercy and not sacrifice." As you look through the fields of your life and ministry, listen to the voice of the One who comes as the Bread of Life. Where is He calling you to show mercy? What are the nit-picking issues that are not worth the sacrifice that hold no eternal value? Also, how is the Lord teaching you to receive mercy from others? How true is the familiar phrase: "When mercy is shown--mercy is given." - Duane Chapman Copyright 2011 Branon Dempsey | Worship Team Training | Administered by For His Music. All Rights Reserved. Printed in the United States of America. www.worshipteamtraining.com |
 | May 9, 2011 Running On Empty Running is something we physically do. It can be referred to as a sport or to an exercise activity. Running is also associated with children chasing each other on the playground. It can also be a response to avoid a hazard, or it can be a reaction to a rapid recourse for help. Running can bring joy and refreshment as well as pain and exhaustion. But as you serve God, there is something important you should know to highly impact your ministry, while helping you avoid burn out. Have you ever been in a place where it feels like someone is chasing you? Maybe it isn't someone, but something. Many worship leaders, pastors and ministers feel like they're always on the run. It could be reasons ranging from all kinds of pressure: the need to succeed, the fear of failure or the fight to survive. Bottom line, stress is the ultimate burden that weighs down those in ministry. Eventually, it ends in burn-out and leaves a person feeling empty, isolated and even devastated. For some, the familiar words like joy and ministry, used in the same sentence seems like an oxymoron. In the midst of confusion and noise, listening for the voice of God becomes a challenge or increasingly faint. Personally, as a worship leader, I have lived these experiences. I am here to tell you what a good mentor of mine told me: keep your tank full because you don't want to end up empty. Elijah was a good runner. Here was a guy who lived on the go; literally, he had nothing but the clothes on his back. He was called by God to turn Israel away from evil and to return to the Lord. But Elijah panicked and was compelled to run because of one thing: fear. In 1 Kings 19, Elijah fled for his life from Queen Jezebel. In verses 1-2, Elijah received word that Jezebel wanted his head. He had to be thinking: now what? All I'm trying to do is God's work, I want out! I'm out of here!! Have you ever felt this way? Elijah was so consumed by fear that it paralyzed his ability to fully judge the situation. The Bible says in verses 2-4, that Elijah ran for his life. In a day's journey, he entered the desert. That's quite a day's sprint! What's surprising about this snapshot, is that Elijah could have ran anywhere else. Instead, he ran into a desert. Well, what is a desert? According to Webster's Dictionary, a desert is an arid, moistureless, empty, lonely, uncharted and barren place. Interestingly, this definition correctly describes Elijah's emotional condition. He was in an internal desert as well. So it makes sense that he would better identify with this environment, rather than any other place. Many of us have either lived through or may be currently in a desert experience. Like Elijah, we get there by many reasons, and when we do, we are often tired, spent and empty. Like the Energizer Bunny, Elijah was going, going and going. Eventually, he came to the end of his road. He was so desperate and overwhelmed that when he got to a place to sit down, the Scripture says that he "prayed that he might die." He even said to God "take my life." Many people, who are at the end of their ministry rope, feel this exact same way. How can this be prevented? The Bible says that Elijah fell asleep and was attended by an angel. There was food and water prepared and he was told "Get up and eat." (v.5). He repeated this one more time, he rested, ate and drank again. Fortunately, Elijah did not get his wish to die; instead, God took over and provided nourishment. What Elijah could not do for himself, God did by filling his tank. It's not often today, that an angel, bread and water instantly appears before your eyes. God uses many other ways to provide help; in this scenario, He gave Elijah what is basic: food, water and rest. When we are in go mode, it's common to skip a meal or lose some sleep. Nonetheless, when we are running, this can be damaging to our physical well-being. A good athlete knows two the fundamental resources: hydration and relaxation. Never will a runner go without water, food and a good rest before the race. The difference in ministry is that we are not in a sprint, but a marathon. We are more like a distance runner, we need to keep our tanks full. We think better, feel better and make better decisions. Anytime the needle veers to the left, its time to refuel in order to re-engage. The Lord still had plans for Elijah and was not through with him. He needed Elijah to be equipped for the next mission. In verse 8, we see him powered by that food and rest as he traveled forty days and forty nights. Now that's a powerbar! What was the first thing he did when he reached his destination? The same as what God did on the seventh day, he rested. There's allot we can learn here by this single example to prevent burn-out. Even when we feel fine, we still need to recharge our batteries. It's funny how a little kicked-in adrenaline can disguise what the body really needs. You've heard statements like "no, I'll be fine, I don't need a break, I just have a little longer to go." Sadly, we think these thoughts to ourselves until it's too late. Don't fall victim to this reality because you'll miss this biggest point of this whole story. After Elijah is powered up, God tells him in verse 11, to go out and wait for His presence to pass by. Soon enough, Elijah expects to find God, but he witnesses a storm, earthquake and fire. It was not until after the cataclysmic events that Elijah did not hear a loud voice, but a small gentle whisper by God. Have you heard this kind of whisper? It's the same whisper and voice that spoke into Creation, that calls to us from Calvary and the Resurrection and still speaks to the waters in saying "peace be still." This same Voice calls to us and says "seek Me and live," (Amos 5.4) as we find our way back to intimacy with the Father. Here's the point. We run all of our lives until the bottom drops out. We're so set on our own courses, driven by fear, ambition or impulse, that we've missed God's directions along the way. Our ability to listen to the Lord is critical as we travel life's roads. We are like Elijah in many ways. Unfortunately, Elijah went too long before he could hear God. The Lord has not designed our bodies, nor life to be lived with the needle in the red. He desires life to be lived to the full, where we are to enjoy all the good of what God brings (Eccl. 5.17-19). In the familiar song "Running On Empty" by Jackson Browne, the lyrics serve as a reflection and reminder: "Looking out at the road rushing under my wheels. / I don't know how to tell you all just how crazy this life feels." The truth is we never have to be running on empty, when we have Christ to help keep our tanks full. Copyright 2011 Branon Dempsey | Worship Team Training | Administered by For His Music. All Rights Reserved. Printed in the United States of America. www.worshipteamtraining.com |
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