Philippians 2:1-4
So if there is any encouragement in Christ, any comfort from love, any participation in the Spirit, any affection and sympathy, complete my joy by being of the same mind, having the same love, being in full accord and of one mind. Do nothing from selfish ambition or conceit, but in humility count others more …
English Standard Version
Usually on this site I spend time writing about the grace of God and who we are in Christ. Occasionally I write something on leadership, administration or technology. However, today I wanted to take a few minutes and talk about the English Standard Version of the Bible today. I don’t know how often this shines …
Archives: Why We Accept You in our Ministry
This entry was originally posted on October 21, 2011 And since they did not see fit to acknowledge God, God gave them up to a debased mind to do what ought not to be done. They were filled with all manner of unrighteousness, evil, covetousness, malice. They are full of envy, murder, strife, deceit, maliciousness. They are gossips, slanderers, haters …
Esau Attitudes
When Esau was forty years old, he took Judith the daughter of Beeri the Hittite to be his wife, and Basemath the daughter of Elon the Hittite, and they made life bitter for Isaac and Rebekah. (Genesis 26:34-35 ESV)But the words of Esau her older son were told to Rebekah. So she sent and called Jacob …
Creating a Podcast
For those of you who read on a regular basis, you’ve probably seen a shift from “how-tos” and gear recommendations to a more devotion driven blog. I love the Word… and I’m in a great season of receiving, but I’m still a creative… so I thought I would break out from the devos and help you …
First Thessalonians 2 – Ministry 101 pt5
And we also thank God constantly for this, that when you received the word of God, which you heard from us, you accepted it not as the word of men but as what it really is, the word of God, which is at work in you believers. For you, brothers, became imitators of the churches …
First Thessalonians 2 – Ministry 101 pt4
You are witnesses, and God also, how holy and righteous and blameless was our conduct toward you believers. For you know how, like a father with his children, we exhorted each one of you and encouraged you and charged you to walk in a manner worthy of God, who calls you into his own kingdom …
First Thessalonians 2 – Ministry 101 pt3
Nor did we seek glory from people, whether from you or from others, though we could have made demands as apostles of Christ. But we were gentle among you, like a nursing mother taking care of her own children. So, being affectionately desirous of you, we were ready to share with you not only the …
First Thessalonians 2 – Ministry 101 pt2
For our appeal does not spring from error or impurity or any attempt to deceive, but just as we have been approved by God to be entrusted with the gospel, so we speak, not to please man, but to please God who tests our hearts. For we never came with words of flattery, as you …
First Thessalonians 2 – Ministry 101 pt1
This week, I’m going to be walking through 1 Thessalonians chapter 2. After reading this a few weeks ago, I saw the obvious lessons for ministers. So we’re going to take it a few lines at a time this week. But though we had already suffered and been shamefully treated at Philippi, as you know, …
Things that don’t work out.
And we know that for those who love God all things work together for good, for those who are called according to his purpose. (Romans 8:28 ESV) Sometimes things don’t work out. Sometimes things go wrong. But that’s a surface observation. God is working out great things on your behalf. Maybe you’re working at a church …
Why We Accept You in our Ministry
And since they did not see fit to acknowledge God, God gave them up to a debased mind to do what ought not to be done. They were filled with all manner of unrighteousness, evil, covetousness, malice. They are full of envy, murder, strife, deceit, maliciousness. They are gossips, slanderers, haters of God, insolent, haughty, …
No Pleasing Man
Galatians 1:10 ”For am I now seeking the favor of men, or of God? Or am I striving to please men? If I were still trying to please men, I would not be a bond-servant of Christ.” Jesus spoke of serving two masters… I believe He was speaking in terms of God and Satan… However, let …
Imitation Discipleship
1 Corinthians 11:1 ”Be imitators of me, just as I also am of Christ.” Discipleship does not happen in classes. I’m sorry to un-fog your glasses. It’s happens when people are cared for and led… regardless of the last book you read. Shoulda been a rapper! For real though… Discipleship happens when people are with us. …
Get some KNOW HOW
1 Cor 11:6 “but even if I’m unskilled in speech, yet I am not so in knowledge.” Paul was such and interesting individual. If not for the great revelation of grace, he might not have been able to live with himself as a convert. He carried some serious issues around with him. It can’t be …
A Baptism of Relevance
Acts 2:8 Sometimes it’s good to break out of the “programming” of our minds. We’ve been programmed to look at this passage of scripture as the cornerstone text for Pentecost. However, there is a unique idea in there… The word native. Native means “being the place or origin of a person or thing.” As we …
A Safe Place
Psalm 12:5 ”Because of the devastation of the afflicted, because of the groaning of the needy, Now I will arise,” says the LORD; “I will set him in the safety for which he longs.” What a wonderful promise! My wife and I… as well as many of you… come from what many would call devastating circumstances. I …
Turn Off The Email
Today I’m going to share a new practice of mine. I’ve been doing this for about two months now. I’ve turned off email on my phone. Well, it’s still there… but it will not push (auto retrieve) any messages from the server anymore. If I want to check email on my phone, I have to …
Things I Did Not Know
Job 42:3 ’Who is this that hides counsel without knowledge?’ “Therefore I have declared that which I did not understand, Things too wonderful for me, which I did not know.” Have you ever just start spouting off at the mouth towards someone (or even God) about something you don’t understand or have all the facts about? …
A Stone’s Throw
Luke 22:41 And He withdrew from them about a stone’s throw, and He knelt down and began to pray… It’s true. Publicized fasting, prayer and personal discipline is more to the benefit of the one doing it than those seeing it. Frankly it’s called showing off. That’s bad. But I was caught by the phrase “stone’s throw …
But the Disciples Were
John4:1 Therefore when the Lord knew that the Pharisees had heard that Jesus was making and baptizing more disciples than John 2 (although Jesus Himself was not baptizing, but His disciples were), “Discipleship doesn’t happen in a class, but by them being with us.” – Jason Mayfield I am thoroughly convinced that discipleship is experienced hands …
Their Perception vs My Reality
John 7:28 Then Jesus cried out in the temple, teaching and saying, ”You both know Me and know where I am from; and I have not come of Myself, but He who sent Me is true, whom you do not know.29 ”I know Him, because I am from Him, and He sent Me.” John 7:41 Others were …
What’s Next?
My friend and mentor Jermaine Rodriguez has told me ofter you have to schedule time to do nothing but think. Your next step is depending on you thinking it through. What is next for you? How are you getting there? Take some time today and put everything on hold to figure out your next step. …
Rest, the Best Medicine
Recently I had a full two days of sickness. I hate being sick… but I was reminded of something. REST is still the best healer. I am a worker. I can start in the morning and end the following morning. I can go from idea inception to completion over night. I love to work… there …
Know What You Want
Matt 20:32 And Jesus stopped and called them, and said, ”What do you want Me to do for you?”33 They said to Him, “Lord, we want our eyes to be opened.”34 Moved with compassion, Jesus touched their eyes; and immediately they regained their sight and followed Him. What would you say if Jesus asked you this question? If …
God of the Living
Matt 22:32 “He is not the God of the dead, but the God of the living.” # ways I lead worship in a life-giving and exciting way. One of my core values is the worship should be life giving… When we come together and begin to celebrate in worship, it should make a positive impression …
Who You Want
Mark 3:13 And He went up on the mountain and summoned those whom He Himself wanted, and they came to Him. Jesus knew the power of team. He had many followers, much like our music ministries… they are everyone is welcome ministries. However, the inner workings of the ministry are comprised of smaller teams… teams that …
Stock Your Kitchen
On Sunday, I will be flying to Atlanta to work with Tony Sutherland on his live recording that we will be recording on Wednesday. This got me thinking about flowing in worship. Tony has got flow… and I like to think I’ve picked it up from him. Because I’m a planner, I like to have …
Thorn Bushes
Matt 7:16 You will know them by their fruits, Grapes are not gathered from thorn bush nor figs from thistles, are they? (NASB) One of the most important things we must do as leaders and ministers is appropriate our time. The bottom line is that people, task and programs want more time from you then …
Favorite Things – Apple iPad
Whenever I see someone with an iPad I ask, “What do you use it for?” Mostly because I always want to make sure I’m getting the more out of it. Actually, I’m not totally sure the iPad has found it’s place yet. It’s use will look different a year from now. Today, I want to …
You Can’t Win
Matt 11:18 ”For John came neither eating nor drinking, and they say, ‘He has a demon!’ 19 ”The Son of Man came eating and drinking, and they say, ‘Behold, a gluttonous man and a drunkard, a friend of tax collectors and sinners!’ Yet wisdom is vindicated by her deeds.” Jesus shows us in these few words a lesson …
A Quick Proposal
Let’s be honest… No matter how gifted… how frugal… how knowledgeable… how deep… how amazing you might be, performance arts is expensive. That’s the bottom line. To do what you need to do well, you need money. Some of the figures music and media members work with today look like this… Sound Console – $10,000 …
More with Less
There are two accounts in the Gospel of Matthew where Jesus feeds the multitude. In Matthew 14, He feed 5,000. Over in Matthew 15, He feeds 4,000. An interesting fact is that when feeding the 4,000 Jesus used Seven loaves of bread and a few (more than two) small fish… but when feeding the 5,000 …
Favorite Things – Cyberduck FTP
This is the seldom discussed often used tool in my arsenal. Cyberduck is my FAVORITE way to access files on all of my web servers. I have set up directories on my dreamhost account that I use to share files with my worship team as well as other worship pastors that I collaborate with. I …
Favorite Things – Capo App
Capo is a great tool for changing a songs tempo and key. I have used the app for about a year now, and I thought I’d share my major uses for the app. Transcribing Sometimes I just can’t figure something out, and I need to slow it down and listen closely. The tempo adjustment allows …
Favorite Things: WordPress Plugins
I love WordPress. This is no secret. A few years ago I made the decision to stop using WP stickily for my blog, but as a content manager. This is a decision I have yet to regret. One of the great things about WP is the plugins. Just about everything you could need is already …
Mentorship is Crucial
I’ve been reading a book called The Power of Focus that one of my mentors (Jermaine Rodriguez) recommended to me. It’s a life changing book that I highly recommend. For the past several years I have grown significantly through mentorship. The men speaking into my life are phenomenal. I count them as a gift! I …
Favorite Things: Snapz Pro
Online training… it’s super easy to create. A few weeks ago I talked about training with a Flip Cam. Today I want to give you a great option for training with screen shots. It’s called Snapz Pro (SP). It can make images of your screen (or sections of it), but you can do that with Mac …
Forget Your Plant
Remember the story of Jonah… other than the Moby Dick part? Here’s the basics… God tells Jonah to go announce the destruction of Nineveh to the people of Nineveh. After much fighting, running and hiding… and Moby Dick, Jonah goes and announces the destruction of Nineveh to the people of Nineveh. THEN, the people of …
The Pomodoro Technique
A few weeks ago I started implementing a new system to keep myself more focused and more productive. It’s called the Pomodoro Technique.. yeah the tomato timer. I first learned about it on MichaelHyatt’s blog. This technique has greatly improved my efficiency… here’s the basics on how it works. 1. Set the timer for 25 …
LegalSounds.com + iTunes
Last week I spoke with you about using LegalSounds.com – which I think is incredible. Today, I’m going to show you my process for managing the files. 1. Create a specific folder for LegalSounds. (mine is in the music folder) 2. Make sure you have the LegalSounds Download Manager. 3. Change the LegalSounds music folder …
Evernote
I have tons of notes. I’m always writing stuff down. Usually it’s only a few lines… but it’s always important. Also, I lose everything. I’m not a good paper sorter. I have a pile on my desk… when I’m tired of it, I will throw it away. That’s about as good as it gets! That’s …
Connecting with Your Team
One of the most important (and for me, most difficult) aspects of your music ministry is a personal connection with every member of your team. You will have deeper connections with some, but on some level you need to connect with all of them. I’m not the connection guru, you’d be much better talking to …
Favorite Things: LegalSounds.com
Two words: CHEAP MUSIC. I need music, but we are pretty frugal around the Mayfield house. (We won’t to be free of all debt.) LegalSounds.com (LS) has been a great way for me to freely spend money on music. (I spend about $30/mo… $25 is my budget, but I’m bad!) It’s a fraction of the …
Favorite Things: JumpDesktop App
Jump Desktop is probably my favorite app on iOS. It is a SIMPLE remote desktop application that connects using nothing more than a gmail account. I don’t tend to buy $20 apps, but this one was worth it. I use several computers in my department at the church, all mac and then one lonely …
Creative Spaces
Creative spaces help me this focus. I love certain colors and items in my work spaces. I thought I’d share some photos and thoughts with you about creative spaces. I’m going to pack my fair share of stuff into this post. First let me show you my former offices. I’ve moved into new spaces now …
Communicating with Music Ministry
Communication is one of the most important ingredients in a successful music ministry. Let me share a few things that you ought to be communicating to your music ministry/worship team/whatever you call them… Encouragement Let them know when they do a good job. Find more to encourage than you do the correct. I’m pretty meticulous, so …
Online Trainings with a Flip Camera
Recently, I’ve started making our tech trainings available via video on the internet. This is an incredible way to distribute valuable information to our multiple team members. Here’s a small look into how I do it. Flip camera. I don’t use our big expensive cameras. Once I’ve got the big camera out, I’ve started producing …
How is blogging helping me?
For the past few weeks I’ve been blogging six days a week. I’m doing this for a few reasons that I thought would be worth sharing with you. It’s improving my brand. I want to make sure that when people visit my site they see activity. Hopefully the quantity:quality ratio will make them (and you) …
Review: Interactive Worship Live
InteractiveWorshipLive.com has become one of the secret weapons in my arsenal. Most of our readers come to jasonmayfield.com as a result of the Creating Click Tracks Series. I am a proponent of making your own tracks. However, the life of the church music director can quickly become bogged down with video, media, meetings and an assortment …