C.J. Mahaney<\/a> to write a foreword, because no one has influenced my life more in the area of leading worship. But C.J. thought I should ask someone who might be better known and not a part of Sovereign Grace. So I asked Matt Redman, a man I respect and appreciate deeply. Matt said he wasn’t able to do it. Then I asked John Piper, another man I respect and appreciate deeply. He couldn’t do it either. I went back and asked C.J. again and he again encouraged me to think of someone who might introduce the book to a wider audience. During that conversation I told him about some recent conversations with Paul Baloche that were encouraging.\u00a0 “What about Paul?”\u009d he asked.<\/p>\nI had thought of Paul previously, but decided against asking him because I critique one of his songs, ‘Above All,’\u009d in the book. I can’t ask someone to write a foreword for my book when I say something critical about one of their songs. \u009d But I’ve known Paul for a few years, and thought I’d ask him anyway, after alerting him to the fact that I used his song as a negative example.<\/p>\n
Surprisingly, Paul agreed to write the foreword. Or maybe I should say unsurprisingly, because Paul is a genuinely humble man. For as long as I’ve known him he has never stopped seeking to grow in his love for the Savior or his commitment to serving God’s people. So he wrote a very kind foreword. And I’m very grateful.<\/p><\/blockquote>\n
What a fantastic example of what a worship “leader” is suppose to be.\u00a0 Were you aware that in the Bible, the word “leader” is seldom used?\u00a0 Instead, the word that is used is “servant.”\u00a0 Praise God for a highly visible leader offering his life to be exactly what he should be, a servant.<\/p>\n