Beyond Sunday Worship

Worship Podcast

#59: Dustin Smith On Being A Song Chronicler, Preparing For Spontaneous Worship, & Loving People

dustin-smith_july2013Genuine worship is marked by powerful transformation. It’s impossible to truly worship God and not be changed.

The more we see Jesus, declare His promises, and place our faith in His goodness, the more we’ll be the kind of people He wants us to be.

This (and much, much more) is what Dustin Smith and I talk about in this interview. Dustin is a worship pastor at World Revival Church and a songwriter with Integrity Music.

This conversation ebbs and flows from songwriting to spontaneous worship to loving people and Dustin’s new album. Dustin is filled with wisdom about worship and has some seriously great one-liners in this interview.

I promise you – you will be stirred and encouraged by Dustin’s heart.

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5 Strategies For Worship Leaders To Connect Songs And Create Flow In A Setlist

3581097887_0dbe837775_zThe most important dynamic of your setlist isn’t your songs.

It’s more about the fire in your heart, the anticipation in showing up, the wide eyed wonder of your gaze, and bringing others along to do the same.

But there’s a way to craft your setlist that will distract or engage the room.

When crafting a worship set, you want to frame an experience that will stick with people long after the worship service is over. It’s not just about emotional highs, cool music, and happy sing-a-longs.

We’re after God’s heart, right?

We want to experience His very near, very real presence.

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#58: David Garratt On Worship Music in the 60s, Scripture in Song, & Being Led By The Holy Spirit

Screen Shot 2014-09-17 at 11.11.28 PMHave you ever thought – what was worship like before it was cool?

Today’s conversation is with David Garratt – veteran worship leader and songwriter who has been making records since 1968 before it was common to do so.

David paved the way for thousands of artists today and continues to inspire. It was such an honor to talk with him on the podcast.

We talk about some very interesting subjects ranging from introducing drums and guitars in worship before it was an “acceptable” practice, what makes a great song, what God was doing in the charismatic revival in the 60s, and what worship leaders are missing in their leadership.

Don’t miss it!

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Why Vulnerable Worship Is Scary, Necessary, And The Best Way to Lead

“It’s not that you shouldn’t lead worship.

It’s just that your passion to lead others has overwhelmed the necessity of leading yourself.

The best worship leaders are those who are in tune with the Holy Spirit – so engaged in the Person of Christ – that they help others to be vulnerable. They lead with an honest, open heart – freeing others to surrender all.”

Microphone in spotlightWhen I first wrote that, I was preaching to myself. I felt God challenging me to step up my leadership.

I mean, how could I lead a room in worship if I was unwilling to lead myself?

Lead myself in worship – that’s something we don’t think about right?

But when your personal times with God drift to few and far between, when you’re more excited for the things of this world, and when your passion revolves around the spread of your own name and influence, something needs to change.

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#57: How This Couple Wrote & Recorded Their First Worship Album From Scratch [Podcast]

3404680446_edd198c96a_zWith no label to back them up, and no massive budget to make it happen, Jordan & Kristin Rippy decided to record their first worship album.

Which is exactly why I love this story.

They didn’t wait for permission. They didn’t wait for an angelic visitation. They stepped out in faith and pursued their dream.

The end result?

A really fantastic EP of fresh, well-written, passionately delivered worship songs. Jordan & Kristin have a gift and I’m ecstatic they’re sharing it with the world.

In this podcast, we talk about the heart of the album and the step by step details of how they used Kickstarter, hired a producer, finished their songs, and saw their dream come to pass.

My hope is that this conversation would encourage you in pursuing your creative dream.

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