In previous epidosdes, we’ve talked about having hard conversations with your pastor, musicians, and church members. But conversations with yourself may be the hardest conversations of all. Why do we do what we do? What motivates us to do better? What’s going on when we aren’t excited about serving the church anymore? In this episode, Bob and David explore the conversations every leader will have to have with themselves if they aim to please Christ in all they do.

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If you’re a leader in the church, at some point you’re going to have people who have problems with the way you’re doing things. It might be the music, the song choices, or the volume. It might be people in your church who just don’t like to sing. Or it might be the overly enthusiastic member who wants to encourage you but leaves you feeling slightly awkward. Whatever the situation, God wants to give us grace for those conversations, and that’s what David and Bob dive into on this episode of Sound Plus Doctrine.

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Some leaders love to know and plan every detail of the Sunday service in advance. Others prefer finding out what God will do spontaneously in the course of the meeting. Wherever we fall on the spectrum, both planning and spontaneity are an important part of engaging with God genuinely as we gather. In this episode, Bob and David explore those dynamics and suggest that those who are prepared to be spontaneous will have more opportunities to glorify God.

Referenced in the Episode:

Showing the Spirit  – D. A. Carson

Paul, the Spirit and the People of God – Gordon Fee

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Christians who come out of a hyper-charismatic or pentecostal background are often wary of any talk about God’s presence. But Psalm 105:4 encourages us to “seek the LORD and his strength; seek his presence continually!” What does it mean to “seek God’s presence continually” and how can we be committed to the authority, sufficiency, and inerrancy of God’s Word but still desire to experience the active presence of God when we meet on Sunday mornings? That’s the topic David and Bob talk in this episode of Sound Plus Doctrine.

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God’s people are uniquely defined by God’s presence. It’s a sign of his favor, mercy, and covenant love. But bad things happen when we start to speak about God’s presence in a way that makes it sounds like we can control it, or worse, profit financially from it. In this episode, Bob Kauflin and David Zimmer explores the pitfalls that can accompany a genuine desire to know God’s nearness.

Referenced in the Episode:

Showing the Spirit  – D. A. Carson

Paul, the Spirit and the People of God – Gordon Fee

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There is something profound about a church that faithfully carries out its meetings with a steady consistency, week after week, month after month, year after year. It testifies to the unchanging truths we trust in, rely on, and cling to. But what happens when leaders realize there’s something they could do something better or differently? What if God reveals an area that could be shored up, strengthened, added, or done away with? That’s the topic Bob and David tackle on this episode of Sound Plus Doctrine.

Referenced in this episode: 

Getty Sing Hymnal

Church Planting is for Wimps

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It can be discouraging to attend a worship conference where everyone seems to assume your church has a large staff, several music teams, and an unlimited budget. For most of us, that situation is far from reality. In this episode, Bob and David talk about how to make the most of limited resources, maintain a strong faith in God’s plan, and serve with contagious joy.

Referenced in this episode:

“Christian worship is the God-enabled response of his redeemed people to His self-revelation that exalts God’s glory in Christ in our minds, affections, and wills in the power of the Holy Spirit.” – Bob Kauflin

“Corporate worship is God’s Spirit-enabled and Word-governed gift, initiated by the revelation of God in Jesus Christ, for his covenant people to gratefully assemble in space and time to witness to the worth and work of God in Christ by the Spirit through proclamation, prayer, singing, and the sacraments, as they receive from Christ, act in him, and long for him to come again.” – Devon Kauflin

The Cross and Christian Ministry by DA Carson

Music Through the Eyes of Faith by Harold Best

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We’re grateful for every person who wants to write songs for their church. But how do you avoid the common mistakes that many beginning songwriters fall into? At a recent songwriter camp, we developed a list of potential errors to avoid, and thought it might be helpful to share with others. We hope it’s an encouragement to you as you seek to serve the Church with your songwriting gifts!

Mentioned resources:

Related episode: How Do I Know if I Should be Writing Songs?

Conference seminars on songwriting

A Godward Life by John Piper

And Now Let’s Move into a Time of Nonsense by Nick Page

Song Editing Checklist – S&D

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If you lead a team of musicians in your church, you’ve no doubt dealt with problems that need fixing. Lack of skill. Musicians who don’t practice. Vocalists who look disengaged when they sing. Or worse, character issues that need to be addressed. Those conversations can be difficult. In this episode, Bob, David, and Devon talk about the importance of building a godly culture and how to approach those hard, but necessary, conversations with grace and clarity.

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What do you do when you lead the singing in your church, but it’s obvious that you and your pastor have disagreements? “My pastor isn’t involved.” “My pastor micro-manages everyone around him.” “My pastor wants me to lead songs I’m not very excited about.” In this episode, David, Devon, and Bob take some time to talk about helpful and unhelpful ways of having those hard conversations.

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