I'VE NOTICED IN OUR WORSHIP CULTURE TODAY, THAT OFTEN WE ARE EITHER STUCK IN THE PAST, OR SO FOCUSED ON THE NEWEST THING THAT WE ARE OFTEN LEAVING SOMEONE OUT. I GREW UP IN A CHURCH WHERE MODERN WORSHIP SONGS WERE ALMOST NEVER INCLUDED, WHICH IS WHY I HAVE SUCH A KNOWLEDGE OF THE OLD HYMNS. THAT BEING SAID, I'VE ALSO BEEN IN CHURCHES WHO NEVER SANG A HYMN AND THOUGHT THEY WERE NOT LONGER RELEVANT. IN BOTH OF THESE SITUATIONS I WAS ALWAYS LEFT WANTING MORE. THOSE EXPERIENCES HELPED SHAPE THE WAY I LEAD WORSHIP AND PUT TOGETHER A SET LIST.

          I TRY TO ENGAGE EVERY GENERATION. FROM SENIOR ADULTS ALL THE WAY TO ELEMENTARY STUDENTS, AND IF EVERYTHING ELSE FAILS, "JESUS LOVES ME" IS UNIVERSALLY SOMETHING MOST PEOPLE KNOW. IT'S ALSO SOMETHING WE NEED TO HEAR FROM TIME TO TIME. HAVE YOU EVER REALLY THOUGHT ABOUT THAT SIMPLE CHORUS?

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"Yes, Jesus Loves Me, Yes, Jesus Loves Me, Yes, Jesus Loves Me"  DO YOU KNOW THAT JESUS LOVES YOU? I MEAN DO YOU REALLY KNOW THAT THE CREATOR OF THE UNIVERSE LOVES YOU? IS YOUR LIFE DIFFERENT BECAUSE YOU ARE WALKING IN THE FREEDOM THAT COMES FROM THAT SIMPLE STATEMENT?

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"The Bible Tells Me So" HOW DO WE KNOW THAT JESUS LOVES US? BECAUSE THE BIBLE TELLS US OF HIS GREAT LOVE. THE GOSPELS TELL US HOW JESUS WILLINGLY LAID DOWN HIS LIFE TO SAVE US, AND SET US FREE.

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         YES, IT'S A SONG THAT WE LEARN AS A CHILD, BUT IT'S AS TRUE WHEN YOUR 80 AS IT IS WHEN YOU'RE MIDDLE AGED AND WHEN YOU'RE A CHILD. SO YOU SEE, JUST BECAUSE SOMETHING IS OLD DOESN'T MEAN ITS BROKEN. I FEEL IT IS IMPORTANT THAT NO MATTER WHAT GENRE OF MUSIC I'M LEADING, IT SHOULD GLORIFY CHRIST. FROM HYMNS ALL THE WAY TO MODERN WORSHIP!

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                                                                                                - NATHAN PARRISH