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Song By Song: Little Heart Beats

Earlier this year, I was asked by a pregnancy resource center to be a part of their annual fundraising banquet. I was, at the time, writing for Glory: A Call to Worship at Christmas, and the Christmas story was at the forefront of my mind. I realized that the Christmas story is the most profound pro-life story there is.  By choosing …

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Song by Song: Do Not Be Afraid

I knew when I started writing for this Christmas album, I wanted to have a song that connected Jesus’s birth to His death and resurrection.  The audacity of God’s choice to redeem the world in this way and knowing that He is now with us through the Holy Spirit should give us courage to tackle any obstacle that comes our way! …

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Pre-order for Glory: A Call to Worship at Christmas starts today!

Hi friends! I’m beyond excited to announce a new project that has been nearly a year in the making: Glory: A Call to Worship at Christmas! Pre-orders begin today, and the album will release November 1st.  The album will release on CD, Digital, and a very special premium package that includes hand-painted artwork by my wife Hannah Pickering. Speaking of …

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New lyric video for “Come Find Rest”

I’m really excited to share this new lyric video for “Come Find Rest.”  It features the painting The Good Shepherd by turn of the century American artist Henry Ossawa Tanner, who was the first African American painter to gain international acclaim.  The son of an AME Church bishop, he frequently painted Biblical themes, and his work here is so beautiful that I wanted …

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Spirit of the Living God, fall afresh on me

“Spirit of the living God, fall afresh on me.” I haven’t thought about this hymn for a long time, but God brought it to mind today. It was written in 1926 by a Presbyterian music minister from North Carolina who attended a revival in Orlando. Hearing a sermon on the Holy Spirit, he found his way to a church there …

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10 Things Every Worship Leader Should Do Before the Service

There’ a simple pre-flight checklist that I try my best to go through every time I lead worship.  None of these things are all that complicated, but it helps each service go smoothly and minimizes distractions.  Ultimately, as worship leaders, our job is to connect the congregation to the heart of God, and the more we can do to minimize …