Worship Leading Principles and Choosing Songs

How Would Jesus LEad worship?

Humble servant - Luke 9:23-25

Leader with Authority – Luke 4:31-32,36

Creative communicator – Luke 13:18-19

Reliant on the Spirit – Luke 10:21

Which of these do you think is easiest for you, and which hardest?

Which is your church best at, and which needs more work?

WHY Sing?

“Let the message of Christ dwell among you richly as you teach and admonish one another with all wisdom through psalms, hymns, and songs from the Spirit, singing to God with gratitude in your hearts.” Col 3:16 NIV

Truth-dwelling

WHY Sing?

Singing unites us

“Let the message of Christ dwell among you richly as you teach and admonish one another with all wisdom through psalms, hymns, and songs from the Spirit, singing to God with gratitude in your hearts.” Col 3:16 NIV

WHY Sing?

Singing unites us“Something extremely rare happens whenever a congregation sings to its Maker. For not only are there ten or fifty or five hundred individual voices giving their unique gift as they open their mouths and sing: there is also the unique blending of high and low voices, sharp and flat, sophisticated and rough-tongued, male and female, old and young. The chances are that never again will every one of these people be in exactly the same place singing these particular hymns and songs… So if we can sense it, every time a congregation sings, it is offering and absolutely one-time-only gift to its maker. It is important that every song sung is offered to God with that sense of uniqueness. God is worth it.” John Bell, The Singing Thing, p 80-81

WHY Sing?

“Don’t get drunk on wine, which leads to wild living. Instead, be filled with the Spirit by reciting psalms, hymns and spiritual songs for your own good. Sing and make music to the Lord with your hearts.” Eph 5:19, WPV

Spirit-filling

Putting together A Song-Set

• Your favourite songs?Church’s favourite songs?Songs that all have the same key?Songs that pop into your head when you pray?Songs that fit the sermon?Songs in the same book?

• Same first letter?

Worship service based on...


• Who is there?• Bible passages and themes?• What else is happening?• What times given to singing?• What band/singers have you got?

Think of the journey:


• STOP AND PRAY!• Plan a journey.



• Gathering people (Ps 95:1-2)Remembering God’s acts (40:1-3, 78:1-4)Placing trust in God (25:1-3)Coming quietly to listen (95:6-7)Lament and sorrow (22:1-2)Confession and absolution (51:1-17)Intercession (67:1-7)

Worship in the Psalms


• STOP AND PRAY!• Plan a journey.• Then put your songs in.



• Old and new• “I” and “we”• Information and stimulation, or

revelation and response• Your tradition and songs from outside

of that• Easy and challenging• etc….

Consider a balance of:

Spiritual

Worship Leading Principles and Choosing Songs