share the inheritance!

When was the last time you really thought about what you received when you accepted Christ into your life? Of course, we have forgiveness of sins, a righteousness that comes from God, abundant life and the other promises from our loving Heavenly Father. A part we may miss if we don’t look close is in the area of sonship. You know, sons and daughters of God, our Father. In fact, in Romans 8:15, Paul shares with the Christians in Rome about the intimacy of our relationship with God and just how close it is to be by presenting the words Abba Father. This relationship that sometimes we try to keep so far is really a very close relationship. Is this important? It was important enough for Jesus to give His life. To make us co-heirs of life eternal with the Heavenly Father had a huge price and we live every day knowing that we have that inheritance.

How does that translate to us as worship leaders? It spurs us on to never take our salvation for granted by distancing ourselves from God. In fact, it does the opposite. It compels us to draw closer and closer to Abba Father and learn from Him through His Word. Honestly, we couldn’t get away from the constant drawing God puts in each of us through the Holy Spirit if we wanted to! Verse 16 says, “The Spirit himself testifies with our spirit that we are God’s children.” God’s children! Wow! That should compel us to run to Him for guidance, encouragement and direction, and to lift up His name in jubilant praise. That is exactly what should happen every time we lead others in heartfelt worship. And by the way, those who know Jesus will respond.

The old chorus “Pass It On” holds a lot of truth for how we should present God as believers. We need to be excited about the ongoing changes God is making in our lives to make us more like Him. We need to encourage others to embrace the promises of God and live in the joy of their salvation. We need to celebrate the inheritance we have as children of God, whether there are good times or bad. We just keep on praising because He is worthy of that praise. As the chorus says, “It only takes a spark to get a fire going.” The Lord in your life is that spark! Receive the good news and celebrate the inheritance. Then share the good news. He is alive, forever, AMEN!

Lighting the match,


The Pilgrimage continues.....

David Warren

a commitment that counts...

Many times we may go through life and wonder just how much our commitment to Christ really counts and if there’s value in it. First of all, yes. You have great value and God’s plan for your life is an important part of His work in the big picture. Every person we meet, everything we do, every word we speak has something else attached to it that will impact something or someone. You are a very important part of the whole equation, and as part of the called, your part counts. The word PART basically means to be an integral portion of the whole that is separate and distinct. Without all parts, the whole is compromised and less effective and the end result is less than what is intended. So you are vital. You count!

Since we all count, we have to make a concentrated effort to stay on course. There is a continual affirmation from God’s Word that encourages us to stay on course, no matter what direction that course may take. Of course, the word commitment drives the whole point home for each of us. Get committed. Stay committed. Don’t get overcommitted. Follow through with your commitments. All of these statements remind us that consistency is a must and knowing the value of our life in God’s service is the affirmation that gives us value based upon God’s attitude toward us.

One of my friends emailed me the other day about their life and how they had made a very firm commitment to serve the Lord through one of their church ministries. He was so excited and wanted me to share in the excitement. I could have said, “Oh, you are no different than anyone else wanting to serve God.” No way would I minimize just how important this commitment was to God and His Kingdom! I told him that God had a great plan for his life and that this was another step in the right direction to do something that counts. That was Paul’s attitude as well. He had so committed to serving Christ with his entire life that everything he did revolved around the great joy of knowing Christ. He had an awesome attitude of gratitude and the end result was a commitment that counted.

Keep your commitments current and thriving and you will come to know a commitment that counts for the Master. May God’s blessings encourage you as you stand in the gap for those who need to know Him.

The Pilgrimage continues......

David Warren

a fully developed fulcrum...

This year will be a great time for all of us to learn to rest on God and His unchanging love. Love that is unconditional and very fulfilling for all who experience it is a fairly accurate description of God’s love. His love for us surpasses all our understanding and gives us the capacity to love others like He does. God’s love is the foundation that we will rest our worship ministry on this year. God will be our fulcrum.

The definition of a fulcrum is the support, or point of rest, on which a lever turns in moving a body. In other words, we will initiate movement in our church body through resting in Christ and His love. We live in a world that has a lot of water under her bridge, and the church has lived through some tough times and continued to stand firm and strong. The strength to live a victorious life is continually shown by God through His great love for us. Let’s rest our future vision on the strong and powerful love of God and He will roll us forward to a new and exciting time of renewal and refreshment. The end result will be even more heartfelt worship times that challenge and convict.

The old rock ‘n’ roll song “We Built This City on Rock and Roll” states a very strong point about a city being built on rock and roll music. Our battle cry will be “We built this ministry on God’s love!” He is our fulcrum. Be willing to let Him turn your heart more toward Him and His purposes. He is the only fully developed fulcrum and we MUST allow Him to do the moving.

The Pilgrimage continues....


David Warren