Leadership, Randomness, Reflections & Introspection, Worship & Prayer
The Voices In My Head
One of the questions I get asked pretty often is “who am I listening to now?” I wanted to do a quick journal entry about this very thing. Here are some of the voices in my head. These are not in any particular order… so head over to Youtube and look up some of these artists, leaders, preachers. Also, be sure to also take a look at My Currents – which has an exhaustive list of people to watch out for and Voices that speak to me.
Worship Leaders/Teams I’m Listening To
- Dante Bowe (with Maverick City Music & Bethel Music)
- Will Reagan & United Pursuit
- Hillsong – United, Young & Free, Worship
- Elevation Worship
- Joe & Christian Leaphart
- Tyler & Kennedy Richardson
Preachers & Pastors I’m Gleaning From
- Judah Smith – Churchome – Seattle, WA
- Chad Veach – ZOE Church LA – Los Angeles, CA
- Rich Wilkerson Jr. – Vous Church – Miami, FL
- Michael Todd – Transformation Church – Tulsa, OK
- Billy Humphrey – IHOP Atlanta Missions Base – Lawrenceville, GA
- Robert Madu – Trinity Church – Dallas,TX
- Carl Lentz – Hillsong NYC – NYC, NY
- Priscilla Shirer – Going Beyond Ministries – Dallas, TX
- Jordan Sharrett – Gateway Church – Suwanee, GA
- Christine Caine – A21 Campaign & Propel Women – Sydney, Australia
- Johnathan Key – Johnathan Key Ministries – Unionville, TN
- Jentezen Franklin – Free Chapel – Gainesville, GA
- Chris Durso – Christ Tabernacle – NYC
- Micah Berteau – The House DFW – Fort Worth Texas
- Jonathan David & Melissa Helser – Sophie, NC
- Stephen Chandler – Union Church – Columbia, MD
So there you have it — these are the Voices In My Head ministering to me.. some are near, and some are from afar.
Who are the VOICES in your head?
Carl Lentz, Chad Veach, Chris Durso, Christine Caine, Dante Bowe, Elevation Worship, featured, God, Hillsong, Jentezen Franklin, Jesus, Johnathan Key, Jordan Sharrett, Judah Smith, Micah Berteau, Priscilla Shirer, Rich Wilkerson Jr., Robert Madu, Will Reagan, Will Reagan & United Pursuit
Randomness, Reflections & Introspection, Worship & Prayer
The Day I …
Tired but not knocked out
It was a peaceful night outside… I laid in my bed at midnight listening to some worship music (Never Lost – Rita Springer & Catherine Mullins) on repeat. Anyone who truly knows me knows that I am a repeater – by accident and on purpose. This night, it was on purpose. I even jumped on Instagram to post a picture about the song. About 15 mins go by and something shift in my heart and mind. I was completely discontent with just about everything. I felt like I couldn’t breathe and that I needed to get away. For me, my favorite times with Jesus is when I drive and it’s just him and I. I jumped in my car and start driving while still listening to the worship song on repeat. As I started to drive from my house, it started to lightly rain and drizzle. I ended up at a Walmart. It was here that forever changed my night.
It was about 12:30 am, August 16th, 2017… and I screamed at God. In prayer, I began to explicitly and passionate scream about my situation and how I felt. I laid everything that was in and on my heart. Every feeling, emotion, doubt, brokenness, hurt and concern. I admitted my struggle with not feeling God near in times of uncertainty, lack of faith with seemingly unanswered prayers, feelings of tiredness (mentally, spiritually and physically). It was after this moment that I felt a nudge of the Spirit. I begin singing the song I was listening to as a declaration over my life. The chorus of the song says this:
Wind, listen to the sound of power on my lips
Jesus has broken the curse, He has never lost a battle
Who are you great mountain, that you should not bow low
Jesus defeated the darkness, He has never lost a battle
Immediately started to cry as I began to sing these words not just out of my mouth and heart… but from my spirit. My lamentation slowly became my praise. After about listening to the song all the way through in silence, I changed the song to King of My Heart. I started praising Jesus for the victory before it happens as well as thanking him for what he is doing in my life and what he has already done. I listened to this song two more times before changing the song to a Spontaneous Medley by Daniel Bashta. While leaving from the Walmart parking lot, I felt at peace and was able to go to sleep when I got home. It was probably the best night’s rest in a long time. Fast-forward to 6:30 pm that same day…
My pastor at the church calls an impromptu prayer meeting that he felt the Lord whispering for the church and what was next for our context of ministry. I went in, tired and hungry for the Spirit of God and natural food! I went to the altar just to kneel and sit as I soak in God’s presence. This song that I have never heard, Extravagant by Bethel Music came on. As I was praying and listening to the words I begin to get teary-eyed. One of my best friends came over and just passionately prayed over me hope, strength and fulfilled promises. The song changed to I Need You More by Kim Walker-Smith. I haven’t heard this song in years, so I started to sing it out loud. My pastor came over as I was just sitting down on the floor and laid hands on me. He asked if I would stand and begin to speak life into me. He prayed over me hope, fulfilled promises and endurance for the journey. While all of this was going on, I received text messages from two other best friends who responded to my earlier text about prayer and my experience the night before.
Thank you Jesus
I said all this to say… this journey with Christ is not always easy or even pretty but it is worth it. We have to be vulnerable with Jesus and others we trust. God doesn’t grow apathetic or emotionally disconnected to our situations. God is not easily offended when we approach him with our cares, cries, laughter or even screams. He can take our issues! This was what made King David so near and dear to God, that God called him a man after his own heart. David gave everything to God – good, bad and ugly. In seasons of good & joy, seasons of weakness & failures and seasons of uncertainty, David honored God with being vulnerable and honest. This is what it means to be in an authentic relationship.
As I am writing this is what the Spirit of the Lord is saying:
The voice of fear, doubt, and hopelessness may be screaming loud in your mind but the voice of Jesus whispers a louder word in your heart and spirit. His voice says you are loved, not forgotten and filled with hope. His voice says “I have never lost a battle and I won’t lose one now. I will fight for you and you will overcome – just as I have overcome the world. Keep believing, keep enduring and keep declaring… my faithful son and daughter!”
Bethel Music, Catherine Mullins, COREY GIBSON, Daniel Bashta, faith, featured, God, hope, Jesus, King of My Heart, Never Lost, Pastor Corey Gibson, Prayer, Rita Springer, Screaming at God, worship
Guest Post, Randomness, Reflections & Introspection, Worship & Prayer
Worship: It’s not always what you think!
Guest Blogger, Lucas Lash shares his thoughts on Worship…
What is worship? How and why should we even worship in the first place? Worship is a necessary part not only in church but in our very own relationships with God. Every day, each one of us worships something, whether you believe in God or not. Sometimes we don’t even intend to, but by how we think and how we use our time, we are always focused on something. It’s easy to get misled and worship those things, and by this I mean we tend to get distracted by so many things we come across in our daily lives. We go to school, we go to work, some of us have kids, or we are focusing all our attention on our boyfriend or girlfriend or even our spouses. Our schedules are so full and we cram so many things into our days that we don’t prioritize the time necessary to worship God and spend time with Him. That is crucial for our relationship with Jesus, and I’m guilty of the same thing sometimes. We fill our plate with work, sports, family or friends, and all those things are great and God blesses us with those things, but I think Jesus deserves a little more than the 5 or 10 minutes a day and then moving to the next thing on our schedule.
I wanted to spend some time pondering the question of why we should even worship God in the first place. It seems like such a small question in our faith, but it really is very significant to remember why you are worshipping God. I want to share a verse that has definitely been one of my favorites ever since I first heard it. Romans 5:8 says, “But God demonstrates His love toward us, in that while we were still sinners, Christ died for us.” If you’re a Christian, then you believe Jesus died for your sins, to take the full penalty and weight of your sin and endure the wrath of God so that we don’t have to. It’s very simple, but every time I spend time thinking about this truth it breaks me down and brings me back to the simplicity of why I am a Christian. I chose to follow Jesus because I have witnessed the love God has for all of us, and I want to share that with others and give back to God all that I have. That’s why I worship, and really it’s the only reason we should worship God. Not out of a state of fear or pressure, but out of a revelation of God’s faithfulness and love. Jesus came down to this earth and endured all the pain and suffering that we really can’t even imagine, and Philippians 2:8 says this, “And being found in appearance as a man, He humbled Himself and became obedient to the point of death, even the death of the cross.” I think that is amazing. Jesus was God and He came down to this earth because He loves us, and died the death we deserve, all because He wanted to spend eternity with you and I. So again I come back to the question, “Why should we even worship God?” Well, because I believe He deserves it. He deserves every piece of me; my heart, and my life. And for what God has done for you and me, and what He is doing for us each day, I will worship Him and tell the world how awesome and great He is.
I chose to follow Jesus because I've witnessed the love God has for all of us, and I want to share that with others... Click To Tweet
When you look around the world at different cultures and religions, you see different ideas of worship and what it looks like to worship. The question of how we should worship is a strange one, but I think it’s important to talk about. Each of us are very different people, but we all have the common goal and intention of worshipping a God who deeply loves us. How we worship Him will look totally and completely different. God created us to be unique individuals, He doesn’t want us all worshipping the same way and doing the exact same thing as the next guy. He doesn’t want us to raise our arms just because everyone else is doing it, or fall on our knees at the altar just because it looks like a more meaningful experience. God simply wants us to let our walls down and fully accept His love. Once we do that, we feel that incredible comfort and peace that only comes from Him. We let everything down, and open our heart to God, and in response to that, we worship. We thank Him. We praise Him and show Him how grateful and humbled we are. Showing God our gratitude and showing Him love can come in different forms, and as I said before, it will always look different for each of us. For me, my favorite ways to worship God and to praise Him is through playing music and playing drums. I’m one of the drummers for my church praise band, and I do it because I love God, want to make music for His glory, and of course, because I love playing drums! I love skateboarding and doing art, and those things are even considered worship when you do them with the intention of bringing God glory. Each of us has passions and things we love doing, and that’s great! God gives us these desires and fires us up to do things because He wants us to be happy and enjoy this life, but He also wants us to use those passions to grow the Kingdom, reach those around us, and glorify the God who made us.
Worship is such an integral part of our relationship with God. It’s a way for us to communicate back to Him our response to His love. I definitely think He is worthy of it. Worship looks different for each of us, and I believe that’s exactly what God wants. Worship isn’t always through music or singing but it’s the way we live our lives and what we choose to focus on or direct our attention to. Worship is an amazing thing, and God is always ecstatic to hear your voice, to see your heart and your actions bringing glory to the Kingdom. He is and always will be worthy of our praise.
Worship isn't always through music/singing but it's the way we live our lives & what we focus on Click To Tweet
Lucas Lash is a 23-year-old who currently lives in Wichita, KS. His hobbies include drumming, art and design, skateboarding, and running his faith-based clothing brand “Urban Society Co.“
Clothing Company, featured, Lucas Lash, ministry, Urban Society Company, worship
Randomness, Reflections & Introspection, Worship & Prayer
Set My Heart – 2017 Anthem
I believe I’ve found my anthem for the year…. absolutely LOVE THIS SONG, Set My Heart by Vertical Church Band! Nothing communicates my heart in this moment and season of life than this….
“Quiet the voice of doubt again,
Echo within me every promise,
Let your Word be louder than my fears.
Speak to the void when I can’t see,
Lift up my head in every valley,
Let your joy be greater than my grief.
I have set my heart,
Set my, set my heart on You.
You have every part of me,
I set my heart on You.
Nothing will ever break me, ever slay me, all my hope in you.
Nothing will ever shake me, overtake me, all my hope in you.”
Words cannot express what this song is ministering to me even now as I write this journal. My one focus this year is on Jesus and making his name and glory famous. So I will set my heart to pursue him more intently and fervently. I am eagerly excited to see what God does in me and through me as I continue to lean on his Spirit and draw closer to him. I am believing that 2017 will be a landmark year for me in ministry and in my personal life.
*** Watch the video above or click here ***
Embrace the Worship, featured, Frontiers, Jesus, Set My Heart, Vertical Church Band, worship
Mind Dumps, Randomness, Reflections & Introspection
Father’s Day Mind Dump
First I want to wish my father, Eugene Gibson as blessed Father’s Day. Also wishing all the other dads a blessed day. Enjoy the day. I have a few folks who keeps asking about me and what’s next, so in a effort to keep everyone abreast, here it goes:
- Finishing up my last few weeks here in Kalamazoo MI. Kalamazoo has been good and I have met a lot of lifelong friends but it’s time to move on. I will be moving at the beginning of July to head to Alabama to spend some time with some dear friends for a few weeks resting. The plan is to transition from there to my next assignment and church God calls me to. I fully expect to dig roots and build community wherever God leads me next and that includes longevity in the grace (calling) that God releases over my life..
- I have had some really great interviews over the last 2 months with churches in MI, FL, GA, TX and CA. As of now I have 2 more coming up. I am really, REALLY excited about a possible church and partnering with them to bringing revival to their church, community, city and schools. Praying for God’s best for me and the next church. I always say, “Waiting is the hardest and also the beneficial!”
- I always get asked this in interviews or by other people – “What’s God teaching you in this season of life?” My answer is always – “He is teaching & redefining what a Good Father he is and that he has good gifts/things for me. That it’s okay to ask & seek for those gifts. I am knowing him more personally, beyond what Scripture says and what others say!”
- Often times, when I go walking in the evenings, I am just enamored by his presence while I am worshipping and walking.
- I am clinging to healthy and positive encouragement. I seek that and enjoy it. I have surrounded myself around people who speak life into me and want the best for me. Regardless of family or friendship, this is important to me. This season is proving to shine a light on those who I call friend.
- Staying positive about my schoolwork and completing my Bachelors Degree. This is still a priority and I am excelling at it in my grades.
- I returned home at the end of May to celebrate my birthday with family & interview with a church but more importantly, honor someone who meant a lot to me. She was like a 2nd mother to me for a long time, and I was apart of 2 of 3 sons weddings (Groomsmen & Officiant). I have known their family for 16 years. Still trying to process her death. I know this without a doubt… that if it wasn’t for her and her belief in/support of me, I would not be in ministry today. And for that, I am forever thankful. Thank You Janine A. Owen!
COREY GIBSON, Father's Day, God, Good Father, hope, Interviews, Jesus, mind dump, Pastor Corey Gibson
Leadership, Randomness, Reflections & Introspection
Some Favorite Preachers
I am always asked who are some of my favorite preachers… so I wanted to list some of my favorite preachers right now. This list are preachers outside of my circle of influence. *No particular order…
Favorite Preachers
- Judah Smith
- Chad Veach
- Francis Chan
- Jentezen Franklin
- Matt Chandler
- Priscilla Shirer
- Robert Madu
- Perry Noble
- Carl Lentz
- Rich Wilkerson Jr.
- Robert Morris
- Craig Groeschel
- David Wilkerson (deceased, but his stuff is heart piercing and soul searing)
- Louie Giglio
- John Gray
- Dustin Woodard
- Brian Houston
- Bill Hybels
- John Piper
New Site Launched…
Welcome to the new website for all things Corey Gibson. Here you will find my latest happenings including journals (blogs), speaking request form, current pastors & worship leaders I follow, latest books on my bookshelf or that I am reading and more.
Here I will be doing live Facebook or Periscope Video Journals and more. I am also working on my first book about leadership, ministry and life. Lastly, you can check out my social media and messages I’ve preached.