'worship' Tagged Posts
Worshiping with Joy
What brings you joy? For some, it may be time on a vacation. Others might say that the start of college football season (WHOOP WHOOP), certain family or friends, a drive through the country in a particular car, time at a spa, music, or movies are what bring you joy. As you think about things that bring you joy, is worship something that is included on your list? Many of the other things that bring us joy evoke an emotional…
Swept Away
What’s the difference between being “swept up” in something and being “swept away” by something? It’s a minute change of words, but a clear difference in meaning. Google will tell you that being swept up means: to be carried by the momentum of something bigger than yourself. Some experience this feeling in different modes of entertainment. Perhaps an emotional performance, an inspiring movie, or even a moving piece of music swept you up in a moment of intense meaning. We can…
Idol Talk
One of the most prevalent teachings in the New Testament is the teaching against idolatry. Idolatry is condemned as a work of the flesh (Galatians 5:20), an activity that elicits the wrath of God (Colossians 3:5-6), an activity that will prevent one from inheriting the kingdom of God (1 Corinthians 6:9), and an activity that results in one being sent to “the lake that burns with fire and sulfur” (Revelation 21:8). As a result, we are expected to “flee from…
A Cautionary Tale
As defined, a cautionary tale is a story told in folklore, to warn its hearer of a danger. These stories are often told by parents or caring adults to younger children to teach them valuable lessons on what to do and what not to do in certain situations. One trademark part of these tales is the over-exaggerated details and consequences that are made up to stress the impact of the lesson being taught. From the danger of swallowing watermelon seeds…
Imbalanced Worship?
In John 4:24, Jesus said, “God is spirit, and those who worship Him must worship in spirit and truth.” In context, Jesus was not preaching a “sermon” about worship; instead, He was having a personal and intentional conversation with a Samaritan woman about her spiritual condition. In other words, He wanted to talk about something else. When the woman realized that the conversation was getting a little TOO personal, she changed the subject – like so many people still do…
DEVOTED TO THE LORD’S SUPPER
In Acts 2:42-47 we are given a glimpse into the life of the first century church, and this section begins with the simple phrase “they devoted themselves to.” And as the church’s story unfolds throughout the book of Acts it becomes apparent that their measurement of growth was not based on numbers but on one’s level of devotion to God. So, in this series of articles, we are exploring what the first century church devoted itself to so that we…
THE WHY SERIES – WHY DOES THE CHURCH OF CHRIST LACK MUSICAL INSTRUMENTS IN THEIR WORSHIP SERVICES?
One of the most distinctive characteristics of the Churches of Christ is the absence of musical instruments in their worship service. Since the New Testament nowhere explicitly condemns the use of musical instruments in the worship assembly then why do these congregations refrain from using them? The issue of whether or not musical instruments should be used in the worship assembly of the church ultimately is an authority issue. In other words, we must ask, “Did God authorize the use…
LOOPHOLE HUNTERS – Episode One
Last week, we came face-to-face with the unfortunate truth that we, as God’s people, are often guilty of reducing His Word into mere “external observances.” We were forced to admit that we are often best known for turning the Bible into some kind of “checklist,” denying its real power (2 Tim. 3:5). We have an undeniably long history of taking God’s teachings, robbing them of their rich depth, and limiting their potential to change our lives from the inside out.…