Video From My Sunday At Buckhead!

Hello friends!

I was randomly surfing Youtube.com just now and found that someone had taken video footage during last Sunday's worship set at Buckhead. So here is "Above All Else" live from ATL last week!

(And I was totally kidding about my Dad saying music isnt a real job. He's been a huge supporter of me pursuing music and worship, driving me to endless youth worship events in my teens and buying me guitars and amps!! Just a dry, British humor joke!... )

Hearing the lyrics to the song playing on this video, it challenged me again to make sure that I am LIVING the things I SING. Do you ever stop and think about some of the worship lyrics we all sing in church? They are often big statements, huge promises... I want to really put these words into action 24:7, 365. Lord help me.

Often the busyness of life sneaks in and crowds out my view of Jesus. Sometimes even serving Him can get us distracted from spending time with Him. I'm reminded again today of that sobering verse where Jesus' followers come to Him and say "Lord, Lord we did signs and wonders in your Name!" Yet Jesus says, with a broken heart, "step away - i never KNEW you". I've blogged on this Scripture verse before as its one of my most loved and feared in the whole Bible.

Jesus I pray for myself and my readers here, that we would truly lay down everything that challenges Your rightful place as King in our lives and hearts. Be above all else. Be number one. Be the center. Amen.

Lets share honestly here in the Comments section... When did each of us last take stock to re-evaluate whether Jesus truly is above all else in our lives? Lets pause and do it now.... How can we keep Him above every dream, goal and relationship, in our every day lives?

You guys rock.

Love,
Vicky

Comments

[Jonathan]

Wow, Vicky. You're getting to be a bloggin' maniac. :o) Five posts already this week, and it's only Thursday... LOL

You're so right that the most important thing we do, our main passion, our first objective must be to follow Christ.

A couple of weeks ago, I was talking to a friend and had the opportunity to remind them that if we're looking to other people to fulfill us, we're setting everyone involved up for failure. Only if we're first fulfilled in Christ can we truly enjoy all of the other things in life as we were meant to.

I think part of keeping Jesus above every dream, goal, and relationship is done in our thoughts. What do we think about most? This can be difficult for me sometimes; there are so many other things that call for attention. I just need to keep bringing it back to Him.

I think another way we can put Christ first is to be willing to hold everything we have and everything we pursue with an open hand. There shouldn't ever be something that we're not willing to give up if He'd ask us to do so.

Finally, one more way that we can put Christ first is in our time. This one's really tough for me. I love spending quiet time or time at the piano/keyboard with Him, but I find my week can go by all too easily without much time spent alone with Christ.

Thanks for the thought-provoking question! I'm gonna keep thinking about this one...

Jonathan

P.S. Loved the video; you rock too! :o)

[Sha-sha]

Hi Vicky!

I love the way you post challenging thoughts and questions here on your blog. They're thought-provoking and they always want to make me ask myself if I'm really, truly loving Jesus.

Just the middle of last month I took a one-week Student World Mission Course, because your life and love for Jesus has inspired me to do missions and share the "top line" blessing I've been receiving from the Lord all my life and make it a "bottom line" blessing- which is sharing God's love to the nations. i know it's a big dream. but a dream is always bigger than the dreamer himself.

As a worship leader in my church, I was still struggling with whether I was really called to lead worship or not. I went to the missions course with a heavy heart, not knowing I would or someone would later tell me that I have a gift. Glory to the Lord!!! I took it for granted, until someone told me I possess that gift. If I had not gone to that class, I would never know.

Anyway, I went to that class hoping that I would discover what God really has put in my heart. Through that class I discovered that all of us have the same calling. Worship is impossible and useless without compassion. We must put into action the songs and the promises that we sing in church. It made me shudder to think every time I sing "Let My Life be like a Love Song" and the words: " so let justice roll like an endless stream", and yet I realized that God doesn't hear what we sing when our hearts are far from Him.

So, I ask myself, "Do I really know what this song means?" I've sung songs like this and yet I was so stupid not to see the needs of people across the world. A scripture in Lamentations really broke my heart when I saw the news that really described what is happening in Dar fur in Africa, where children are being taken away from their families, torn into pieces, and banged on concrete walls. this breaks the heart of God.I thank the Lord for people like you who indirectly remind me that it is important to live out loud. to live a life that God has called us to live. To have passion for what the heart of God is passionate about.

God has compassion on people, He loves His people, and He will do anything to redeem His people. So, I'm waiting for what the Missions agency will have me do in the next six months. They say they would contact me for Missions related activities. I'm excited to see peoples lives transformed. I'm excited to be a small part of what a Great Big God is doing in the world. I'm excited to see the sick being healed, the poor becoming rich, the captives being set free from bondages. I'm excited to see God's Kingdom come to hearts that have been longing for freedom!

I am simply excited!!! I hope you are, too!

By the way after the course, during our graduation, somebody came up to me after I led worship at church, and she told me I have a gift of "Christ-centered worship." Glory to God! But until now, I don't understand what it means! I apologize. But I was really encouraged and excited to see what that means.( Smiling)

I have so much to tell about what I have discovered and experienced during the course, what I have learned about worship and being a worship leader, but it's going to be too long. So, I just hope to hear from you.

God bless you!

Sha-sha

(Vineyard Community Church-Philippines)

[Matt Huber]

Wow...this very thing has been on my heart lately...just the worthlessness of everything that we do unless it is just covered in Him. The desire I have as one who has the opportunity to lead in worship to be centered on Him, in awe of Him, broken by Him...each and every time I'm before Him.
But I know how many times I go before people to lead them in worship and find myself distracted and not focused. And it breaks my heart, quite honestly. And I wish it broke my heart even more than it already does.
This morning, actually, while I was getting ready (just about to leave to open up the good ol' Starbucks), my prayer was that God would break me - that He would empty me of myself, and that my life would be lived in awe and amazement of Him.
Thank you so much for the reminder...this is something to chew on. Thanks so much for constantly being one who re-focuses us, as a community of worshippers, on the very One that we are worshiping.

[Lucy Geale]

i really like reading you blog. its become something that challenges me everyday, and i love it!
i think that sometimes Jesus dosnt take first place in me is because the world can sometimes look so attractive. i was thinking about this the other day. The world has counterfeits for everything that God has. Everything that you see in the world, God has in a different way. If i'm tempted by something in the world, i know that God has something so much greater that will fulfil me in that exact area that i'm looking for. remembering that helps me to focus back on god.
i think that sometimes i 'get used to god.' i take him for granted almost and i hate that i do that. i love the story in matthew i think, of that lady pouring such expensive perfume over jesus. i frequently ask god to re-ignite me. to help me fix my gaze on only him. i want jesus to captivate my heart that much.
i also wonder if, when things are fine in our lives, and everything seems to be running sooooo smoothly its kind of strange, do we forget to talk to god? i know that when things arnt going well for me, im a lot more reliant on God. im so grateful that he brakes me and i realise, when everything is stripped away, God is all i have, and at the end of the day, all i want.
i guess accontability is a good way to keep in check with how much God is first place in your life. i have a friend who is constantly checking me and pushing me. its really good and i hope that i can do that with someone someday.
i recently took stock of where i was with god, when i heard a song called, 'i dont regret.' its by barlowgirl. it basically says that 'i dont regret choosing you. im not ashamed to say that its you who holds my heart.' and i thought, you know what god. i DONT regret choosing you and i never will.
thank you for your thought provokingness vicks, you challenge me and its definately a healthy challenge :)
love to you
lucy x x x

[Rebecca]

Hey there Vicky,
I love to read your blog , it's so inspiring and refreshing to me.
Thank you for that .
And I just wanted to let you know , ( well I'm sure you already know it but?)
I think the best way to keep Jesus "Above all else" is by praying and reading His Word and having a Godly Mentor.
Best Wishes,
Rebecca

[Adam B]

Hey Vicky,

Wanna learn to cook? Check out this article:
http://lifehacker.com/386143/seven-common-cooking-mistakes-to-avoid

[jon duran]

i think by just staying immersed in scripture daily keeps my heart in proper alignment with His. the word of God is likened to many things in scripture, and a cleansing agent is one of them (Ephesians 5:26). prayer also helps me put on the mind of Christ and focus on the things of Him more. i know that may sounds basic, but i believe it's the "nuts and bolts" that keep the structure held together.

[Lee]

hi vicky...
wonderful song! it resonates with me tremendously. while i was in college, studying engineering, Jesus completely rescued me, calling me away with this phrase, "leave it all behind and follow me." after that, he called me into ministry full time... and 10 years later, i find those same words guiding me. more than a passion for music, more even than my passion for the Church, is this magnetic attraction to Him. it's the most wonderful gravity.

Every good and perfect gift comes from God, and He is the best gift of all.

thanks for the encouragement and the music!
Lee

[jessica do c. anjos do monte]

Jesus really is the centre and this above all else in our lives? This is the big question of my life.

I confess that I am a person destraida hehe ... and for a time in my life that I have other things-without taking the place of Jesus in my life, but my eyes were opened and now I can see what really matters in my life, Jesus the author and consumador of our faith. pra that the Lord is always the center of our lives our communion can not be shaken or broken by anything. Having always Prayer and reading of his words as a basis. I can say that Jesus above all ...
my dreams are the dreams that He has for me, my life belongs to Him that It will be absolute in our lives, amen!

1
So, if already ressuscitastes with Christ, seek the things that are above, where Christ is seated on the right hand of God.
2
Think of the things that are above and which are not on the earth;
3
Why are already dead, and your life is hidden with Christ in God.
4
When Christ who is our life, speaking up, then you also you manifestareis with him in glory.
5
Mortificai therefore your members which are on earth: prostitution, the impurity, the disorderly affection, the vile lust, and greed, which is idolatry;
colossenses 3

Professora Vicky, thanks for putting me get a little thinking hehehe, GOD bleess you so much!!!!!:p paz e amor de Cristo ....

p.s If you don't understand something is to blame the translator! tchau e até logo \o/

[Chad Jarnagin]

from what I can tell, you were a big hit at Buckhead.

hope to see you around soon my friend.

C

[Russ]

Vicky,

Here is a mytube video that gives me the chuckles. Hope you enjoy it - it seems to be wonderful British humor.

"The Front Fell Off"
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WcU4t6zRAKg

Russ

[Russ]

Vicky,

Here is a mytube video that gives me the chuckles. Hope you enjoy it - it seems to be wonderful British humor.

"The Front Fell Off"
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WcU4t6zRAKg

Russ