If you’re looking to download the messages from WorshipGod11, both the main message and seminars can be downloaded from the Sovereign Grace Ministries blog.

With so many worship conferences going on, why come to WorshipGod11? Here are twelve reasons why I think you (pastor, worship leader, musician, songwriter, techie) should join us:

1. Biblical, practical, engaging preaching. Guys who love to preach God’s Word and serve local churches will be explaining why gathering together as God’s people matters. We’ll get to hear from Ray Ortlund, Jr., Bryan Chapell, Thabiti Anyabwile (pictured here), & Craig Cabaniss. And me. Here’s a clip of John Piper from WG2009.

2. Skilled church musicians who love God, his gospel, his Word, and his church. Everyone who leads at the conference may not be a household name (although Enfield and Sojourn Music should be), but that’s okay. They’re leading because, like you, they know what it is to serve in the church week in and week out, with volunteers who want to serve the church more faithfully. And they do it really well.

3. Live album. Friday night we’ll be recording back to back sessions of our new album, The Gathering. And you can be on it! The songs will be designed around a gospel-shaped liturgy. If you’re registered, you’ll receive MP3s of the songs 2 weeks in advance of the conference to learn them. Should be a rich time.

4. Lots of free stuff. in 2009 we gave away a midi keyboard, a $300 Sweetwater gift certificate, a copy of Sibelius, a guitar amp, some iPods, and a bunch of other stuff. Who knows what we’ll give away this year? Besides free, we also do cheap albums and books pretty well.

5. Like-minded worshipers. You’ll meet over 1500 people who are passionate about doing what you do and want to do it better for the glory of Jesus.

6. One responsibility: take it all in. Enjoy 3 whole days where you don’t have to arrange any of the songs, lead any of the rehearsals, practice any of the riffs, or show up early for any of the sessions. Of course, if you’re a conference junkie, you can come early to watch the rehearsals and stay up till 2AM hanging out.

7. Forty seminars and two pre-conference intensives. You get to pick four seminars, and can download the rest later for free. Grow in your musical chops, become a better leader, learn how to fight sin with worship, test out sound/band equipment, grow as a vocalist, understand creativity better, simplify your spiritual life, etc. The two 3 hour pre-conference intensives focus on playing the piano (I’m teaching that one) or rehearsing with Ken Boer and the conference choir. More info can be found here.

8. Theology, character, and skill. That’s what we focus on at each WorshipGod conference. Because all three matter.

9. There is a time to laugh (Eccl.3:4). And we make sure we find it at WorshipGod. We take worshiping the Savior very seriously. Ourselves, not so much. Here’s one example. And here’s another. And one more.

10. Spanish seminars and translations. So this one only really matters if you speak Spanish or know someone who does. The main sessions will be translated and we’ll have one seminar each session in Spanish as well as another that’s translated.

11. It’s cheap. Until April 1, students get in for $90, groups of 5+ are $120, and individuals are $150. That price includes lunch both days, a binder with all the outlines, 6 sessions, and 4 seminars. Did I mention the snacks and drinks during the day and after the evening sessions? And the free stuff? We’re practically paying you to come!

12. Encountering God. If you’ve attended a WorshipGod conference in the past, you know that it’s about much more than receiving solid teaching, singing great songs together, and growing in your skills. God never fails  to change, inspire, convict, and encourage hearts as we behold his glory together (2 Cor. 3:18).

So there’s my pitch. If you’ve been to a WorshipGod conference in the past, feel free to leave a comment as to why someone should think about coming this year.

So WorshipGod08 was barely over when we took a hard look at our conference schedule. We knew it would serve a number of people (especially our conferencing staff) if we moved the WorshipGod conference to the odd years. So here we are a little over five months away from WorshipGod09. It’s hard to believe…

This year’s conference asks how we can pass on the most important aspects of corporate worship from one generation to the next. As I’ve read, studied, traveled around, and talked to people about congregational worship, it’s clear that one of the most challenging areas is benefiting from those who’ve gone before us while continuing to serve those who come after us, remembering all the time that it’s not about us anyway.

At a time when many churches are offering different services to suit varied musical tastes, it’s wise to take a fresh look at the biblical reasons for gathering together as God’s people. What unites us? What role does the church play in worship? In the life of a musician? What role do musicians play in the church? I’ve invited a few friends to help me answer those questions.

John Piper will be taking the first two main sessions to speak on the importance of passing on both truth and passion. His life and writings have been an example of both to me for years, and I’m thrilled that he’s able to join us.

My good friend, Jeff Purswell, will be speaking Thursday night on why the church needs musicians in each generation. His biblical precision, clear thinking, and pastoral heart have been a highlight of past WorshipGod conferences. I doubt that this year will be any different.

Last year, Thabiti Anyabwile was one of the most appreciated speakers. At WorshipGod09 he’ll be addressing the role of the church from generation to generation. His book, Nine Marks of a Healthy Church Member, is filled with biblical and practical wisdom on how to glorify God as part of a church. I’m looking forward to what he has to say on this crucial topic.

On Friday night, CJ Mahaney and I will be talking about what we’ve learned over the past 30 years, 20 of which we’ve worked together at conferences or in the same church. I’m confident that along with covering a broad variety of topics, we’ll have loads of fun. We always do when CJ’s around.

On the last morning I’ll be tackling the topic of serving generations to come. I haven’t totally decided on the specific focus, so I’d appreciate your prayers.

Along with the main speakers, I’m also excited that Keith and Kristyn Getty, Shai Linne, Don Whitney, Ben Gowell, and others will be joining us this year.

Hope to see you there.

Bob Kauflin

All of the main session messages (except Friday night) are now available for free download by clicking here.

During his main session message, David Powlison mentioned finding out that his daughter had suddenly become ill. A number of folks wondered how things turned out. Here’s the rest of the story from an email I received from David:

Dear WorshipGod attenders,

Many conference attenders came up to me asking in concern about my daughter, Hannah, after I used her story during my talk on Psalm 28.  Thank you so much for the care and concern expressed, and the prayers lifted up on her behalf.

But I forgot to complete her story in my public words. I’d intended to also use her story in a second way, to illustrate the gratitude and joy of the end of the psalm. Her story is not only an illustration of the sense of dire need and the bringing of our own particular troubles to God.

Behcet’s Syndrome is quite mysterious, both cause and cure. It turns out that in 30% of the cases there is no recurrence of outbreak over the following two years… and then, as far as the doctors can say, it was a one-off. It was a mysterious occurrence with no recurrence, and so she’s considered healed. There’s been no recurrence now for 5 years, which is greatly to God’s praise, and fills us with gratitude.

So, thank you to the many of you who were praying for her, and I do also ask you to lift up gratitude for God’s goodness to her and to us.

Blessings,

David Powlison

Here are the songs we sang at WorshipGod08. Most of the songs and CDs have links. I hope to provide the rest of the links over the next few days.

Wed PM – Bob Kauflin
The Lord Is – Psalms
Praise the Lord – Psalms
Jesus Shall Reign – traditional
Ps. 145 – Ryan Ferguson
God Shall Arise – Psalms
Oh the Deep, Deep Love – Come Weary Saints
Praise God – Upward

After: Glorious – Come Weary Saints

Thurs AM – Pat Sczebel
Come Thou Fount – Traditional
You are Good – You and You Alone
The Greatest of All – You and You Alone
Jesus Thank You – Worship God Live
The Lord Is – Psalms
It is Well – Mars Hill

After: To You, O Lord – Sacred Journey (Graham Kendrick)

Thursday PM – Devon Kauflin
God Over All – Looked Upon
Great is the Lord – Beauty in the Broken (Starfield)
Nail My Glory – Looked Upon
Ransomed – Looked Upon
Here is Love – Traditional
Blessed is the One – Psalms
All I Have is Christ – Looked Upon

After: In Christ Alone – There is a Hope (Stuart Townend/Keith Getty)

Friday AM – Joseph Stigora
Praise the Lord – Psalms
God Shall Arise – Psalms
Trust in You – You and You Alone
Ps. 96 (leader-response song)
Hallelujah, What a Savior – Upward
More Love to Thee – Traditional

Pre-message: Ah, Holy Jesus – Traditional
After: As Long as You Are Glorified – Come Weary Saints

Friday PM – Bob Kauflin
O God Our Help – Traditional
Praise the Lord – Psalms
Happy Day – Holding Nothing Back (Tim Hughes)
Ps 100 (spontaneous songs)
The Lord Is – Psalms
Ps. 25 – Ryan Ferguson
Out of the Depths – Psalms
Spontaneous song for those who feel life is “on hold”
I Will Cast My Cares on You – In a Little While
Let Your Kingdom Come – Valley of Vision

Saturday AM – Jon Payne
Blessed Be Your Name – Blessed Be Your Name (Matt Redman)
God Shall Arise – Psalms
God Over All – Looked Upon
Glorious and Mighty – Psalms
Blessed Is the One – Psalms
All I Have is Christ – Looked Upon

Yesterday I posted answers to two questions I asked the speakers who will be addressing us next week at the conference. The questions were: “What do you hope will be filling people’s minds and hearts as they walk away from your message?” and “How do you hope your message will change the way they think about the Psalms and worshiping God?”

Today I wanted to share two more responses, this time from Mark Dever, pastor of Capitol Hill Baptist Church, and David Powlison, author and biblical counselor with the Christian Counseling and Education Foundation.

Mark Dever (Glorifying Christ with the Psalmist)

I pray that people will see how great Jesus Christ is, and how gloriously He is displayed in the Psalms.

Popularly, I think we go to the Psalms often for empathy in our own individual experience with God. We go when we’re happy & want to express joy, and we go when we’re sad and want to express sorrow. I hope that we will continue to do that, but also see the psalms more Christocentrically. I hope that we will exalt Jesus Christ because of the insight we gain from the Psalms.

David Powlison (Enduring Hardship with the Psalmist)

I hope people will be thinking, “The psalms are ABOUT what life is about. And life is always playing variations on a theme: the human predicament, the hardships of sin and suffering, the Lord our God who intervenes with mercies, who reveals Himself so that we know Him and abound in hope. That’s so for me. It’s so for every person gathering here to worship.”

One change I hope to see is that worship leaders will bring a greater “emotional range” to their leadership. It’s easy to become monochromatic, defining “worship” as one particular emotion or experience, rather than as many complementary and nuanced experiences. A related change I hope to see is that worship leaders will learn how to more effectively help worshipers to personalize what they sing. So much truth flies by so fast. It’s a challenge to rivet truth to the heart so that it becomes effective in producing honest worship.

David will also be teaching a workshop on Psalm 131: A Calm and Peaceful Heart in which he’ll provide hope for our ongoing battle against sins like pride, envy, and anxiety. He answered the same questions for his seminar:

I hope people will have already memorized the psalm! — and will have a half-dozen immediate personal applications in mind. Any time a sinner is placed in any kind of leadership position/role, it can prove to be fertile ground for mutant things to grow up inside us. Psalm 131 is sanity. Psalm 131 expresses sanity, rolling back all the insanities.

One change I hope to see is that worship leaders will slow down. This is a take-it-slow psalm, and it rewards those who are willing to poke along, who take time to think, who learn how to ponder truth carefully and fruitfully. Our culture doesn’t allow many opportunities for a “slow food meal” and thoughtful engagement with one thing at a time. Worship is a place the church can become refreshingly countercultural for people living in a fast-food, sound-bite, snap-decision, multi-tasking milieu. A related change I hope to see is that worship leaders will become more conscious and more effective in making the movement from “first person” (what’s going on inside them) to “second and third person” (what’s going on in gathered worshipers). Psalm 131, like many psalms, starts out first person, and then reaches out to draw in my brothers and sisters.

What I hope all these answers make clear is that listening to God’s Word being preached is just as much “worship” as singing is, and provides as much, if not more, opportunity for God to work in our hearts. Which I’m praying he’ll do for everyone at the conference.

Blogging is minimal at the moment as I’m preparing for the conference next week. With 45 seminars and 6 main sessions, I think the 1600+ people who are coming will have plenty to chew on. But what I’m most anticipating is God encountering folks in ways that are unique to their situations. Encouraging a leader who’s grown weary. Convicting a musician of self-exalting pride. Strengthening relationships between team members, husbands and wives, pastors and worship leaders. Equipping a keyboardist to serve her church more effectively. Hopefully even healing some who are physically ill. I’m grateful that even though I don’t know every person’s situation, God does.

A while back I asked the main speakers two questions about the message they’ll be sharing:”What do you hope will be filling people’s minds and hearts as they walk away from your message?” and “How do you hope your message will change the way they think about the Psalms and worshiping God?” Here are the responses from the first two speakers. I found them encouraging and trust you will as well.

Craig Cabaniss (Knowing God with the Psalmist)
I hope that people will walk away from my message with a fresh awareness of the greatness of God. I plan on preaching Psalm 33 which is a hymn of praise that begins with calling us to passionately praise God, transitions to giving reasons for praising God, and then concludes with a compelling description of trusting God. What I love about the Psalms, and this one in particular, is that they describe God specifically. Never vague in their language, the Psalms vividly detail God and his works. In my laziness, I can find it all too easy to pray and sing in response to general notions of God. Psalm 33 will have none of that. David calls for exuberant worship in response to our God who has acted in specific ways. I pray that God will use this Psalm to elevate our perception of him so that we see him more nearly as he is and respond as the text calls for with joyful celebration and confident trust.

I think the Psalms are a favorite portion of Scripture for a number of reasons. One clear reason is that the Psalms intersect with daily life. All of Scripture is relevant for life, but the Psalms reflect daily experience in a unique way. No matter what I am going through in life, I can find a psalm that voices my experience of God. How many times have we read a Psalm and thought “that is exactly how I feel?” My hunch is that we are often drawn to the Psalms because of this relatability factor. I think, however, that there is a far more important reason for studying the Psalms. The glory of the Psalms is not that they understand me, but that they enable me to understand God. In my session, “Knowing God with the Psalmist,” I hope to make the point that the power of the Psalms is found in the God they reveal. We will worship with a heart like the psalmists as we encounter the God of the psalmists. I also hope that God will meet us in this session and throughout the conference spotlighting Christ and him crucified from the Psalms.

Thabiti Anyabwile (Expressing Emotion with the Psalmist)
For years now, I’ve been drawn to the Lord’s words in Mark 12:30—“Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind and with all your strength.” Jesus tells us that this is the greatest commandment. The Lord God is worthy of all of our love—indeed all that we are we joyfully owe to God in love. I pray that my talk on worship and the emotions leaves people thinking and feeling and pursuing the happy realization of this commandment in increasing measure. I pray that we all leave thinking and feeling, “Yes! I want to love God that way!”

I hesitate to venture a guess about how the Spirit of God might change His people through this talk. I pray that He would bless His word, and I’m confident He will. But if I could ask one thing in prayer it would be that we would be freed to love, serve and pursue God in an emotionally vibrant, congregationally edifying, truth embracing, Christ exalting way. My heart is too often colder than I would like. I pray that biblical passion for the Savior would overwhelm people like me and that that passion would be lasting so that our churches would be affected deeply. I can’t think of a better book than the Psalms for cultivating that kind of passion. And I can’t help but think that, should it please the Lord, seeing the psalmist’s emotions as our own through Christ would change how we view the book and how we live with Christ. That’s my prayer.

I’ll share thoughts from Mark Dever and David Powlison tomorrow.