Psalm 103 is a great Psalm of praise.

In its familiarity, we sometimes overlook an important word in verse 2. The word is “benefits.”

The scripture begins with “Bless the Lord, O my soul!” Before you read further, take a moment to just “bless the Lord.” Tell him how much you love him. Thank him for his steadfast and unending love for you. Acknowledge him as your strength and your provider.

Verse 2 says, “Bless the Lord, O my soul, and forget not all his BENEFITS.” The following verses spell out some of those benefits.

vs 3: He FORGIVES all your iniquity.
vs 3: He HEALS all your diseases.
vs 4: He REDEEMS your life from the pit.
vs 4: He CROWNS you with steadfast love and mercy.
vs 5: He SATISFIES you with good so that your youth is renewed like the eagle’s.

Stop. Read. Listen.
Take a few minutes to read and absorb Psalm 103. God can use his scripture to draw you near to him in a personal time of worship. As you read, consider his greatness. Consider all that he has done for you.

Bless the Lord, O my soul!

Buying your first guitar? Looking to upgrade? It’s extremely hard to exhaust the considerations, but here are some things to think about:

- Price
The first thing to think about is price. Remember that with guitars, as with most other things in life, you get what you pay for. Also, take it from a guy who has had MANY guitars, the less you go through to find the one you love, the more money you save in the end. All that aside, decide how much you can afford, save for your investment, DO NOT go into debt for a guitar, and make an informed purchase.

- Style
There are several styles to choose from, and the style of guitar stems from the style of music you’re trying to play. This matters so much, and requires a lot of research to figure out what you like. What do your favorite guitar players play? Do you know the difference between different pickups? Brands? If your favorite band is RED, then you might like an Ibanez, possibly some EMG pickups (both known for hard rock). If your favorite band is the Chris Tomlin band, then you’ll be pretty safe with a Gibson Les Paul (or similar).

- Quality
As someone who has bought (and sold) many guitars, I know that quality is another HUGE issue. Quality not only affects the sound, but how well it plays and stays in tune, three factors that are extremely important. WHERE the guitar is made makes a difference. Mexican-made guitars are close to the bottom of the quality list, American-made is considered the best, but Japanese and Korean-made guitars are considered by many to be close to American standards (Chinese-made is close to Mexican-made). This doesn’t mean you can’t get a fantastic Mexican-made guitar, it just means the consistency is bad, where Mexican guitars may be 1 good guitar out of 10, American would be 9 out of 10 (for example). Fender guitars under $1000 (including Squires) are by-in-large made in Mexico, while the rest are generally made in America. Gibson guitars are generally made in America, while their cheap counterpart Epiphone is made in China. [It’s hard to keep up with every guitar and where it’s being made, so you may need to do your own research for your specific guitar to find out] You can try to buy a cheap guitar and try to swap out some components to make it sound better, but most of the issue lies in the wood itself. This is where you find out that you get what you pay for.

Keep up with the blog, and I’ll continue to dive deeper into the mess that is guitar-buying!

Sidenotes
- Some guys get a kick out of using low-quality guitars and trying to make them sound good. You can probably tell that I am not one of them…

As worship leaders, it is so important that we are confident in what we do.
Vocalists ~ know your words and the melodies or harmonies
Instrumentalists ~ know your chords, notes, music
Sound operators ~ know your board, your room, the vocals and instruments
Media (screens) ~ know the songs, the words, the flow, the order
Lead Worshiper ~ know the congregation, what they know, where you are going, etc.

Everyone, spend time in God’s word and in prayer as you prepare each week.

As you prepare to lead this week…
…be grateful for those God has brought your way.
…be grateful for the talent he has given you to lead others.
…be grateful for your relationships.
…be grateful for the opportunity to point others to Jesus through worship.

Comment here if you have more ideas of how worship leaders should be prepared so they will be more confident as they lead.

I am the true vine, and my Father is the vinedresser. Every branch of mine that does not bear fruit he takes away, and every branch that does bear fruit he prunes, that it may bear more fruit. John 15: 1-2 (ESV)

If you lead others, it is important that you are bearing fruit. It is important that others see the fruit of your ministry, not just your actions and words.

Take a moment and reflect on the fruit of your ministry. Then, take a moment and reflect on the fruit from YOU.

Read the following versions of the same scripture. Then, with an obedient heart, ask God to show you how to grow closer to the vine (Him) and ask him to bear more fruit in you and in your ministry.

I AM the True Vine, and My Father is the Vinedresser. Any branch in Me that does not bear fruit [that stops bearing] He cuts away (trims off, takes away); and He cleanses and repeatedly prunes every branch that continues to bear fruit, to make it bear more and richer and more excellent fruit. (Amplified)

“I am the Real Vine and my Father is the Farmer. He cuts off every branch of me that doesn’t bear grapes. And every branch that is grape-bearing he prunes back so it will bear even more. You are already pruned back by the message I have spoken. (the Message)