Abide
I am the vine; you are the branches. Whoever abides in me and I in him, he it is that bears much fruit, for apart from me you can do nothing. - John 15:5
At the beginning of Family Worship Praise Team practice, I had the kids pair up with two of our regular team members to talk about why they serve in this ministry. The kids shared first, followed by the teens and adults.
Every child gave some version of the same answer: “I like to sing,” or “I want my family to hear me sing too.” Their answers were sweet, honest, and exactly what you would expect from children.
The adults’ answers were different, though very similar to one another. They talked about using the gifts God first gave them to bring Him glory, growing together while serving alongside people with the same passion, and helping others draw closer to the Lord through worship.
So I asked the kids, “Why don’t we invite people on stage every week just to sing secular songs? Why don’t we do this week after week simply for entertainment?” They weren’t really sure how to answer.
I told them, “Because it’s all about the purpose behind why we sing. Yes, singing is fun. Yes, it feels good to hear encouragement or compliments sometimes. But ultimately, I’m not singing for the congregation. I’m here to lead them, yes — but by example. I want every word I sing and every note I play to be praise to Him. I want to draw near to Him. And when we worship like that, the people singing with us are led to do the same.”
Apart from God, my voice has no purpose. My ability to play the keys has no value. My leadership skills accomplish very little on their own. But with God — with my heart fully surrendered and my spirit continually drawing close to Him — He can produce much fruit through those very things.
"Macy, what does the word ‘abide’ mean?”
"It means to be near to someone - to God.”
"That’s right, Macy girl.”
Moments like this remind me that worship ministry is never really about the platform, the music, or the recognition. It’s about abiding in Him first. Because when we stay close to Jesus, worship stops being a performance and becomes an overflow of His presence in our lives.
