Posts with the category “jason-taylor”

The past two years have been a difficult journey for me and my family. In February of 2023 we lost my mother after her three-year battle with cancer. In April of this year, we lost my wife’s mother after she battled cancer for nearly ten years. It has been an 18 month stretch filled with grief, loss, and heartache. Still, we trust in the One who holds tomorrow. We still rest in the hope that we will be reunited with our sweet mommas one day because of our faith in Jesus Christ. Yet, even with that eternal hope, navigating the fluctuating sea of emotions caused by grief and loss bring can be overwhelming. Here are what I hope are some simple but helpful thoughts about grief and what God has to say about it.  Read More

Worship is a sacred space where we as the created connect with the Creator. Yet it's easy to allow our circumstances to overshadow and steal our focus off of Him. Let’s be honest, life can be overwhelming - stressful jobs, personal struggles, and world events can be quick to cloud our hearts and minds. However, worship is meant to be a time of intimacy with the Savior, where we can bring our worries and distractions before Him, but still remain anchored in His presence. I challenged our worship and leadership teams this past Sunday to take our eyes off the barricades that might be in our way and keep our focus solely on the Way Maker as we worship. When we shift our perspective it causes our times of worship – both personal and corporate – to become so much more meaningful. Here are some thoughts on how we can stay focused on Jesus, even in the midst of challenging circumstances.  Read More

You were made to sing. Yes, you! Not only that, you were made to sing with other believers. While the amount of time has varied from time to time and from place to place, on average, churches devote about one-third of the time they spend together each week to congregational singing. But why? What should we sing? And why should we sing together? While there is a vast number of answers to those questions, here are three thoughts to consider.  Read More

“I just can’t talk to people about Jesus without it seeming pushy or awkward.” Ever heard that? Ever said that? Sometimes we make the whole concept of “talking about Jesus” entirely too difficult. Having a Gospel conversation with someone doesn’t mean you have to beat them over the head with the Bible – starting at Genesis and telling the entire story through Revelation.  Read More

Whether her husband serves as the Lead Pastor, Worship Pastor, or any other pastoral role in the church, a pastor’s wife is a special calling.  Read More

Manhood:  strength, fearlessness, bravery, protectors.
These words are what we as men think of when we consider what is expected of us.  We carry ourselves as figures who are always in control and never stymied by any situation or person. We persevere; we are the epidemy of strong and courageous at all times.  And that’s why we struggle so much with being real and genuine.  Because no one can be all of those things all the time.  But we can’t let anyone know, right?  That would give a perception of weakness and that is something men cannot tolerate.  But what if the perception of weakness was just that – a perception?  What if true strength was found in weakness?  In 2 Corinthians 12, Paul quotes Jesus who said, “My grace is sufficient for you, for my power is made perfect in weakness.”  Being labeled as weak, I believe, is what often keeps men from saying things that need to be said.  Here are four common admissions men struggle with:
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Worship is a lifestyle that most certainly reaches far beyond just singing. But as a worship leader, I want to share a few thoughts on the musical aspect of worship. Music is such a powerful medium. Music can inspire and lift the soul like nothing else can. Something happens when a heart that has a genuine desire for God is exposed to music that is designed to worship God. Surely the Lord delights in the joyful noise, but my guess is that He delights in the heart behind the noise even more.  Read More

As a parent, you’ve probably experienced moments where a conversation with your child went deeper than you expected. And it was AWESOME (maybe a little scary at times, but nevertheless, awesome)!! Sadly though, these moments are often few and far between. However, I believe there are some practical ways that we as parents can help foster an environment where those special types of conversations can occur more frequently.  Read More