Last year, as I began write songs for a new worship album, I was reminded of Jesus’s words to his disciples as he was meeting with them for the last time in the upper room.

John 13: 34-35

“I give you a new command: Love one another. Just as I have loved you, you must also love one another. By this all people will know that you are My disciples, if you have love for one another.”

That verse always stops me in my tracks.  It’s convicting, really.  Jesus is essentially telling his disciples to show the kind of love that he showed to them, and this would be the defining mark by which people would recognize them.  When I read this verse I began wondering, what kind of love is that, anyway?  What kind of would cause someone outside the faith to look at the way I treat others and say, “There’s something different here.  This person must be a follower of Jesus.”

A love of that kind certainly isn’t what comes naturally.  Jesus is patient, kind, gentle, and humble, but not me.  My tendency is to be hurried, short-tempered, selfish, and clumsy.  Without God’s grace, our hearts bend naturally towards serving ourselves and ignoring those around us.  Thankfully, Christ’s sacrifice enabled us to live with bold, courageous love.  His desire is to fill us up to overflowing with the same kind of love that he showed to his disciples. It’s a love that brings hope instead of despair.  It brings healing where there is brokenness.  It shows forgiveness instead of causing shame.   It’s a love that gives freely even nothing is received in return.  It’s relentless, life-changing, and destiny altering.

Together with fellow worship leader James Tealy, I wrote the song “The Way You Love” as a prayer that God will fill us up with his perfect, character-defining love.  It basically says, “God, teach me to be a better reflection of who you are.  Show me how to love like you do.”  That’s our challenge as God’s church: to show His love, a love that never fails.

Dear friends (especially those who lead worship),  I’m really excited to tell you about some free resources for you to download.  You can find them at http://wespickering.com/resources.  I’ve already uploaded chord charts to all of my worship songs and have also begun adding PowerPoint files for each as well.  My plan is to begin recording tutorials on how to play the guitar and piano parts as well as add devotionals for lots of the songs.

I hope that this can be a valuable resource in your church, youth group, or worship team.  If there is anything else you’d like to see here, please add a reply and let me know! You can also reach me on Twitter @wespickering

To all my friends in the Nashville area (and those who don’t mind driving a bit), I’m doing a CD release party for The Way You Love on January 31st at 6:30p at Longhollow Baptist Church in Hendersonville TN in the chapel.

It will be a full band show, featuring some incredible musicians.  Please join me for this special night of music!

Here’s a Facebook event for the show where you can RSVP and invite others: http://www.facebook.com/events/576247515735478/

Here’s map of the location:

View Larger Map

I’m really excited to to let you know about my latest album, The Way You Love.  My goal for this record was to create something that would sound incredible for personal listening but with songs that could just as easily be plugged into your church’s worship service this Sunday, and I’m really excited about the results.

You can but the album direct from my website for $10 (in the download format of your choice).  You can also get it on iTunes, Amazon, and many other fine purveyors of digital music!

Check out the lyric video for the title track “The Way You Love”

Click here to preview the entire album now!

Help spread the word!
Once you’ve got you own copy of The Way You Love, help get the word out to others.

 Share a link to the album on twitter.

 Share a link to the album on facebook.

Pass the album along to your church’s worship leader.

Please feel free to share The Way You Love with your church’s worship leader.  I would love for the songs to be become a part of your church’s worship services. In the coming days, I will be adding free worship leader resources right here on the website so that your church will have everything they need to start playing the songs.

I would love to come lead worship for your church, event, or youth group.

One of the things that I enjoy doing the most is leading others in worship, and I would be thrilled to be a part of what God is doing at your church or youth group.  If you are interested in having me out to lead worship, let’s make it happen!  Click here to get more info about booking.

Today I joyfully celebrate two years of marriage to the most wonderful person I know.  God has truly been good to me, and I am forever grateful.

Here are a few pictures from the Noel Tour:

There are lots more photos on the #NOELtour Pinterest board. Go check it out. Also, if you were at one of the shows and took photos, I’d love to see them. You can tweet them to me @wespickering or share the with me on facebook.

Rehearsal for #NOELtour with @wespickering instagr.am/p/Rxq8JRBkXM/

— Josh Wilson (@joshwilson) November 8, 2012

I’m proud to announce that I will once again be joining Josh Wilson for the Noel Christmas tour this year.  Full dates and ticket info can be found at http://joshwilsonmusic.com/tour

I also recently sang on Josh’s new Christmas CD and co-arranged two of the songs on the album, also called Noel.

My great friends @joshrosenthal and @wespickering both sang on the new Christmas record. Check it out here: smarturl.it/JWNoel

— Josh Wilson (@joshwilson) October 9, 2012

Like so many of my songs, “Until It Gets Better” was written with a close friend in mind.  My friend’s husband of almost 50 years died suddenly, and his passing left her with a pain and emptiness beyond anything she knew she was capable of feeling.  When loved ones die, or somebody we care for suffers through illness, it can be difficult to feel God’s presence.  It’s hard to know where God is in the midst of a storm, and the aftermath can leave us feeling lonely and aching.

But God promises he will never leave us, and he promises us that all things will be made right in his timing.  Revelation 21:4 says this about the last day:

He will wipe every tear from their eyes. There will be no more death or mourning or crying or pain, for the old order of things has passed away.

What a promise!  As disciples, we are to hang on tightly to that promise.  We are to recognize that God is reconciling all things, and that on the day he returns, every sickness will be healed and death itself will be no more.

But Christianity is more than just waiting around for Jesus to return.  We’ve got work to do!  Have you ever heard someone ask, “What is the meaning of life?”  Well, as Christ followers, the answer is pretty simple.  We find it in a prayer that most of us have had memorized our whole lives:

Our Father in heaven,
hallowed be your name,
your kingdom come,
your will be done,
on earth as it is in heaven.

That’s why we’re here: To live as Christ lived. To do as he did. To love as he loved. To be his Kingdom.  To do God’s will. To be heaven on earth.

Here’s the video for “Until It Gets Better”

Lyrics

You hold on
You keep it
Locked up inside
But isn’t this the time for breathing out
And breathing in?

A moment
A memory
Is where you live
You’re holding on so tight
But now it’s time for moving on

And I wish that I could promise
That you’ll never hurt again
But I’m holding on to hope
That it gets better
Because I know we have a promise
That we’ll never hurt again
And so I’m holding on until
It all gets better

So take it or leave it
It’s what we have
But blessed are the ones
Who never see
Yet still believe

Until that day is here
We live to be a kingdom
On the earth

So take it or leave it
It’s beautiful
Oh blessed are the ones
Who never see
Yet still believe

You can purchase “Until It Gets Better” on the album HOPE  here in the music store or on iTunes.  To watch the video on YouTube, click here.

First up, my great buddy (and best man at my wedding) Josh Wilson has a new live EP: Live from the Carson Center.  In general, I love live records, and this doesn’t disappoint.  It’s a collection of some of Josh’s best songs backed by a killer band.  The EP opens with a great, driving version of “I Refuse” that captures the real energy in that song.  There’s also (finally) a live recording of Josh’s arrangement of “Amazing Grace.”  I’ve heard him play that hymn hundreds of times now, and it still gives me shivers every time I hear it.  The whole EP is a reminder of what a great artist Josh is.   You can grab it on iTunes; I highly recommend it.

Secondly, Andrew Osenga is one of the best musicians and songwriters I know, and I’m proud to call him my friend.  He recently spent a few months building a spaceship (really!) in an old warehouse in Nashville.  He moved his studio gear in and recorded the story of Leonard the Lonely Astronaut. Pardon the terrible pun, but this record is out of this world!  When Andy started this record, he told me that it felt like he was going back into the studio for the first time like when he was a teenager, and that excitement shines through in the lyrics and passion in the music.  Andy’s songs are beautiful and haunting, and this is some of his best work ever.  Do yourself a favor and buy a copy.