I can do this WITHOUT You

A few years ago, I was leading worship at a Friday night service. Everything was fine—rehearsal went smoothly, the transitions were tight, the band was in sync.

But something was missing.

I couldn’t feel it.
I couldn’t find the fire.
I was leading… but I wasn’t burning.

That night, I went home, sat in the dark, and said out loud:
“God, I know how to do this without You… and that scares me.”

We talk a lot about love in ministry—how love looks like service.

But let me flip it around: The fuel of service is love.

When your heart is on fire with the love of Jesus, service flows like a river.

But when the flame dies down, you have to start pumping water manually—and the whole thing starts to feel heavy. Like scraping for the last drips of oil in a barrel. That grating sound… ugh.

To avoid that…

As worship leaders, we become master tacticians—tight rehearsals, perfect set lists, polished transitions, tracks, loops, lights, videos, you know… stuff.
We think that’s leadership. And sometimes, it is.
But it can also become a substitute for fire.

We can do it without Him. (at least we think we can)

“But Lord, didnt we lead well-prepared worship sets, and people said they loved it when we led worship.”

Like Martha, we get caught in the swirl of doing.
But Jesus said it clearly: Mary chose the better thing.

Worship is flame to flame.
It’s not just presentation—it’s presence.

Even the most stripped-down set—one guitar and one voice—can sound like heaven when the heart behind it is burning.

Maybe leading worship is less about leading songs and more about igniting people. It only takes a spark..

I’ve realized that when my heart is cold, I obsess over details.
I stress about the flow, the keys, the tracks, the lyrics.
But when I’m burning… even a broken chord can break the room open.

We think congregations want excellence.
But deep down, they’re craving encounter.
And you can’t fake a burning heart.

Lovers will always outwork workers.
Because they’re not doing it for approval.
They’re doing it out of overflow.

So here’s the question:
Are you working from love or for love?
Are you connected… or just compliant, just getting the job done, another weekend in the bag?

If your heart feels cold, don’t panic.
Just get close to the fire.

Spend time with Him. Not with your Spotify worship playlist. With Him.

Get around people who burn.
Let their flame strike yours like a match.
Draw near to Jesus—whose eyes are like fire.

Add technique later. Best practices matter, sure. But they should come after your flame is lit.

We don’t need more leaders who know the worship playbook.
We need leaders who live in the presence.
Who make us hungry—not for intimacy and the experiential knowledge of God.

Be a burning one.

Not to produce more.
Not to build your platform.
But because He is your Father.
And He misses you.

Let’s show the world what that looks like.

Don’t just be busy.
BURN.

Don’t strive to burn. 
Just draw near.
He’s eagerly waiting.