I’m coming up to a big milestone in my life – 50 years of knowing God and being part of the Vineyard church movement. It all began when I was a 17 year old university student. I was invited to attend a Vineyard worship service and that was the beginning of a major transformation.
I was a shy kid who only played my guitar in my bedroom. A year into this new journey, I was leading worship in a small group, and soon after that, in larger groups.
My life would be strongly shaped by and marked by the Holy Spirit through worship music. More importantly, my reason for living made a major shift.
I started asking myself and God, “how can I serve him; what should I do with my life, what occupation is God calling me to?”
It was a step-by-step process that eventually became a vocation as a minister, worship leader and song writer. Over the years I’ve tried to seek God’s kingdom first, taking small steps of obedience.
My wife Linda and I have 8 adult children and 6 grandchildren. Family life has been a huge blessing and also challenging. Being married and having kids has grown me and matured me. Marriage and parenthood has brought my faults to the surface and I think I’m slowly maturing.
I’m starting a series of posts on Instagram, Youtube, Facebook and TikTok that are motivated primarily by a desire to share with people in their 20’s and 30’s anything I can that will be helpful in surviving and thriving in young adulthood. But I think these thoughts will apply to anyone. I’m committed to being a lifelong learner and helping others do the same.
A life of worship is about so much more than music. Looking back, I see many reasons why survived and thrived in life. First, the goodness and grace of God, second, I have an amazing wife who is tremendously faithful to me and our children. Third, I’ve tried to follow Paul’s encouragement to “offer my body as a living sacrifice of worship”. Which means I’ve tried to develop habits and priorities that honor God and invite his formation in my life. Fourth, I’ve allowed myself to be shaped by the wisdom and fellowship of friends and mentors. And I’ve been inspired by reading and listening to authors from every era of church history. Kenn Gulliksen, the pastor of the first Vineyard church I was part of, taught us to abide in Christ so that we would bear fruit that remains.
Fifty years into this journey I am just as filled with vision and anticipation for the coming years as I have ever been. I have enjoyed many powerful breakthrough moments of revelation from God but I know that what has enabled me to keep going is the long obedience in the same direction fueled by daily contact with God. The last 6 years has been marked by tremendous times of intimate fellowship with God.
Life in the Kingdom of God is about freely giving to others what we have freely received, whether that is showing kindness to my family members or serving the poor in my community or visiting a distant nation to share my time and gifts.
Some of the themes I'll be talking about in this series of three-minute talks are
Daily stoking the fire of your love for God
Trusting God in all situations
Growing with God through times of suffering
Taking steps of faith and risk in your journey with God
Learning to hear from God in all kinds of different ways
Knowing who you really are in Christ and living from that place
Making love for others your highest goal