Friday, August 22, 2008

I love worship... I don't like 4am

So... we just got back from the Hillsong Conference here in Houston. It was amazing worship tonight! I was crying like a baby while we were singing "Hosanna". And "With Everything" was off the charts... God was off the charts. He totally overwhelmed me tonight with His love and His goodness. I love those moments when God sweeps you off your feet and just surprises you once again with how great his love is. Then when I feel the reality of that love all I can do is tilt my head up until my neck hurts... open my eyes and sing through the ceiling and just shout to heaven. This is worship people!

Any of you guys had an awesome worship experience lately? If so... tell us about it. If not, stop what you're doing right now and just tell God how amazing He is. Then begin to live for this incredible God. That's worship.

I've got to pack now and then go to sleep. We've got a 5am call time and that means I have to wake up around 4am. Fun!

Later gaterz.

-jack

23 comments:

carol09 said...

i have given my life to Christ sat, aug 16th 2008.Ihave grown up going to church but it felt like that saturday was the first day of the rest of my life in christ.i felt a sudden chill over my body,i felt refreshed as if i have just taken a spiritual shower.your music touched my heart as well as lincoln brewster and kutless.i am thankful for the experience of harvest and now i live my everyday in chirst.

Anteneshia said...

i love it when i lift my hands to God like i'm trying to touch Him. I can relate to the tears while singing Hosanna because of what the words of that song mean to me. the best worship is when the world disappears and nothing matters but God because he is the only one there. there are really no words to describe how i feel when i TRULY worship! back in july i was in cedarville, oh for student life camp. we were singing Our God Reigns and the speaker came out and explained that that whole song is about trust. and when we sing it we are telling God that we trust Him no matter what is going on in our lives. Then he said not to sing it if we didnt really mean it. i had a lot going on in my life that was causing a lot of pain. So i told God that i wasnt gonna be fake and sing that song. But then God spoke to my heart and i told Him, that i could not make myself sing that song but He could. so i open my mouth to sing ang automatically just start crying. I could feel God everywhere and i just knew that He held the world in His hands and i can trust Him. worship.

Hannah said...

that's awesome about that!
A good worship experience I just recently had was I got the chance to lead worship for my youth group, earlier in the day when I was planning everything I saw my friend Neil online (he lead worship for a mission trip I went on) and I asked him for some advice on leading worship and he told me "Music is just a tool, worship comes from the heart" which really got me pumped for worship that night. So anyways, while I was leading worship we were on the second song which was the "Famous One" I had a guitar string break. I had no idea what to do so I just stopped playing and laughed and said "so I just broke a guitar string" then the girl that was singing w/ me and I both decided to sing the rest A-cappella and it was definitely an eye opening experience for me and helped me realize that music really is just a tool and that worship comes from the heart. It was amazing to see that even though we didn't have drums, or bass, or guitar everyone was still able to worship the God that created everything. It was definitely an eye opening experience and I wont ever forget it.

Anonymous said...

The kind of worship where everything just disappears into the background. Getting over the presence of people around you. things are almost in slow motion because you are so focused on the lover and capturer of your heart. I adore Him with praise, worship, love. my face muscles get confused because I'm crying and smiling at the same time.

Whitey said...

So one night Kyle Miller, Elijah West, my dad and I all were worshipping in my garage. You know, playing music and all. Well, we did that for like 5 hours. We were definitely in the Spirit. Everyone felt great. We had to cut it because it was late. Well, we get back inside and my mom ended up recording us on her laptop. We listened to what she recorded and it was the last thing we did. It sounded so good cause it sound like war drums and crys. It was sweet. So, we end up praying for one of our parent's friend that was there right before he went to bed. he spent the night. He said that it was the best sleep he had since ever. Well, my parent's and us kids started talking about spiritual stuff and we ened up listening to this song that had a lot of testimonies on it. After the first testimony the music picks up and it's dancy. My parent's went to bed because they were tired. So Elijah ends up dancing first, then I, then Kyle. We get so wrapped up in it that my mom has to see what's up. After she sees what's going on she just goes to bed and falls fast asleep. Well, during the song we end up praying for each other. We prayed for Elijah first, then I got the secind. I was inbetween them and as they started I felt a fire in my heart. I'm talking, physical heat. Hottest I've ever felt inside....it was crazy. Then Kyle was next. After a few seconds he fell and right as he fell I fell. Kyle was crying hard and I was laughing my butt off. Elijah just kept praying for the Spirit and all. After a minute or so I crawl to Kyle and put my hands on his ankles and we both start laughing our butts off. So after we settle down physically Kyle tells us about a vision he had about one of our lost friends coming down the road while we were playing in the garage and she started singing along with us...kind of shy at first then stong. Worshipping. Then Kyle started writing a song. Elijah started talking about how we can spread the fire of the Spirit around and stuff. While he was talking I had a vision of my own. I saw the fire spread among the people fast. Up ahead I saw a brick wall being built to stop the fire. But right as the Holy Spirit got there it just broke down the barrier. So, after the vision Elijah and I go outside and end up singing songs still. After Kyle had finished his song he joined us. We started walking and dancing across the neighborhood. We were going to have warfare with our neighborhood demons. We went and prayed for different people's that we knew houses and stuff. We got to our first lost friend and we started praying at the door and the window and for the cars and such. Here's where it gets interesting. Kyle, he was on his knees crying his eyes out by the doorstep and was drooling. Well, his drool tasted a little bit like oil. So he started wiping it over all the door and such. Elijah had anointing oil that he brought with him and Kyle tasted it and said his saliva tasted just like the oil. We went through the neighborhood like that. Kyle was pretty much out of it and doesn't remember a certain strech of street that we walked. We finished the night walking back to my house tired and jovial.

Gemma said...

A friend passed away a month ago, and I was so sad and depressed that I could hardly get out of bed. I buried my head beneath my pillows and tried to block the sun light out. I reached over and turned my stereo on, "Open Water" by Thrice played, the chorus says "i'm starting to believe that the ocean is much like you, cause it gives and takes away" It ripped my heart out of my chest and suddenly I felt God there, I realised so much and felt God's warmth in the sun, I prayed and thanked God, more honestly than ever. Tears streamed down my face and I kneeled on my bed and buried my head in my hands and just worship God in that pit of despair. It is a moment I will never forget.

Grace said...

Fell in love with your worship music at Harvest in Anaheim. Been a Christian for a zillion years, but there was just something about Leeland---the worship was fresh and real and raw and just jerked me out of my life's fog. I've been just splashing in worship, bought your songs at like 2am, listening all day and just crying out to God and I feel so refreshed in the Lord. Thank you for being you, thank you for being so real!

Anonymous said...

I had a moment like this Saturday and the Harvest Crusades. Specifically during 'Opposite Way'. It is my life's theme song at the moment. I stood in a group of sitting people with my hands out and tears pouring down my face. I don't do that often...in fact I had never done that, publicly. Your music ushers me in to a temple of worship so undeniable. Bless you guys.

Sammi said...

I just graduated from the Honor Academy Internship at Teen mania Ministries. I got the opportunity to be a camp couselor for their Extreme Camps this year, so I also got the opportunity to see your band in concert.
I wanted to tell you, Thank you! Thank you for truly loving God, for making it about Him and not yourselves. I could SEE while you all were playing that you were just inviting us to worship with you, instead of "preform for us." It was so refreshing to see a "Christian Band" that truly loves Jesus. As Leeland was speaking during it, you could tell that the things he was saying only came out of an intimate time with Jesus Christ

You ministered to me so much. Thank you. Also, as you were singing you reminded me of my cousin, who wants to be a "rockstar" He is 18 and very talented at the guitar. I saw that my cousin could be a "leeland," where the only thing that matters is Jesus, to count all as loss for the sake of Christ. I have been praying for my cousin ever since. That he would have a spirit of "leeland."

Thank you for loving Jesus most and challenging others to do the same...

Braveheart said...

It happened to me today by my self at home surfing songs i came across one that as soon as it started playing i knew right then to get up i started shaking and dancing all around with tears flowing and a smile on my face,the dog just knew i was up to it again:)

RandomQUTie said...

Loved hillsong!!! It was great to see u guys there...i enjoyed ur music at jam heaps!! i went and found ur songs on itunes....i love ur stuff. Keep up the gd music!
God Bless

Mona said...

I belong to a somewhat traditional, but transitioning church and the last few weeks we've really been getting into a place of worship that has never been experienced before. I am grateful that God wants to use me to lead the church into a deeper relationship with Him. I am excited about what He's doing with our whole church. You should check us out at W3 dot pv dash bc dot org. It's a little church in a small town doing big things for Jesus.
Love you all, still praying for everyone.

Sarah said...

A lot of my favorite worship moments have come while I was up on stage playing guitar for worship. Something about playing a singing your heart out to God, and seeing the congregation joining you and lifting their hands is just awesome. I am sure you guys experience this a lot. It's more than just your personal praises to God, it is His creation joining together in something we were made to do, which is worship our Creator.

To make you feel a little better about getting up at 4am, I just got off a 12 hour shift at the hospital here from 7pm to 7am, so I was awake to share in your unlike of 4 am ;)

Hope the show went well!

Sarah

Becky Levesque said...

Well my last real worship experience was in July at camp.So it'd been awhile since I felt close to God.

WhiteThunder said...

About a month or so ago I attented the Desperation conference in Colorado Springs. Worship was amazing but there was one particular night when it was just overwhelming. Leeland took the stage and made me drop to my knees when he sang "Enter This Temple" Something had come over me that I had never felt before and I knew that God was with me at that time. It was such an amazing song and worship. God bless Leeland

RedRoxy said...

Gods love is amazing! I almost cried when we went to this church. The pastor just got back from Brazil and he said there was this 12 year old boy who got saved. He said that he went to his families house the next day and he was waiting for the boy to come home from the store and he started to talking to his family and twhen the boy came home the pastor was reading stuff out of there family Bible and thenhe started to read out and then later out of his Bible. and that day 3 generations asked God into there heart. There grandfather was 92 years old. It was an amazing story.

RedRoxy said...

Gods love is amazing! I almost cried when we went to this church. The pastor just got back from Brazil and he said there was this 12 year old boy who got saved. He said that he went to his families house the next day and he was waiting for the boy to come home from the store and he started to talking to his family and twhen the boy came home the pastor was reading stuff out of there family Bible and thenhe started to read out and then later out of his Bible. and that day 3 generations asked God into there heart. There grandfather was 92 years old. It was an amazing story.

Monty said...

That's great! Praise God for what you're doing in Houston. Last night about 100 of us gathered together in a public park to worship and pray; God really touched our hearts with desire to see Christians and churches walk in unity and love, and to see the lost saved.

The mere occurrence was a miracle. Sadly, church leadership was invited and abstained. But you can't keep God's people from worshipping.

Anonymous said...

Praise God for you and your work. God has used your music in my life to melt the coldest heart. You are such a blessing in my life. I am so excited to see you guys live for the first time in concert in Cedarville.
In Him,
~Kerrie

MadManMike said...

I had an awesome day today!

Woke up went to church where the power God was so great that pastor skipped a sermon and all we did was worship. I felt so refreshed and just felt that God had blessed me, all my worries had melted away.

Then tonight I went to the Evergreen FairGrounds and watch you guys play (In the rain :D ). And worshiped right along with you guys.

Overall a great day of worship and loving our Father.

I was very glad to see how much you guys love Jesus. And how real you are. It really touched my heart when you prayed for people to get saved, and how all of you were praising Jesus throughout your concert.

Keep up the great work! and keep loving Jesus...

Blessings,
-Mike J.

Elizabeth said...

Yeah we had a night like that at Elevate a couple of Thursdays ago here at Hillsong....I couldn't even talk to anybody the next day, I was just so smashed(spiritually speaking - haha!)

Anonymous said...

Question- I saw mike and jack there, and i think i might've had lunch with leeland. (at the incredible Hillsong united conference this past weekend,) Was leeland there?

StrongJoy said...

Wow, you're so right about that! If everyone could just get one awesome worship experience, they'd live the rest of their life in search of another one...I guess that is because God inhabits the praises of his people. When we worship, he is THERE! People who haven't experienced it just don't know what they are missing. You know, (besides Tears Of The Saints - I'd say one of the most beautiful songs ever written)one of my favorite of your songs is Count Me In. It reminds me of how WONDERFUL it is to be a Child of The Kingdom and it just makes me want to celebrate the fact that I can sing that along with the rest of the Redeemed. When I stand in a place of Worship or see others in that place, I just want to scream COUNT ME IN!

Thanks for your music, guys - you are encouraging and talented and Godly Musicians are blessed by your stories and songs. Writing and practicing music is hard work and I get tired of trying sometimes, but listening to your music often gives me what I need to get out the guitar and get back to work.

Seize The Day!
-StrongJoy