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Blog (Page 33)

How Long, O Lord? – Love

This week we continue the season of Advent by lighting the 4th candle, the candle of love.  Our 2011 Advent theme is “How Long, O Lord?” and each week we’ll be looking at a passage of Scripture that focuses on the Second Coming of our Savior Jesus Christ. Our text this week comes from Revelation 19:11-21: 11 And I saw heaven opened,…

How Long, O Lord? – Joy

This week we continue the season of Advent by lighting the 3rd candle, the pink candle of peace.  Our 2011 Advent theme is “How Long, O Lord?” and each week we’ll be looking at a passage of Scripture that focuses on the Second Coming of our Savior Jesus Christ. Our text this week comes from Philippians 4:4-7: Rejoice in the Lord always;…

Biblical Worship 08: Heart-Felt

In my last article on “mind-provoking worship” I pointed you to Jesus’ words in Matthew 22:37.  Let me point you there again, YOU SHALL LOVE THE LORD YOUR GOD WITH ALL YOUR HEART, AND WITH ALL YOUR SOUL, AND WITH ALL YOUR MIND.  Last time I focused on the mind.  This time I want to focus on the heart.  Biblical worship is…

Biblical Worship 07: Spirit-Driven

Today I want to look at the biblical worship essential of being Spirit-driven. In Acts 1 the apostles were commanded to wait and not proceed until prompted by the Spirit of God. The early leaders of the Church in Acts 6 were to be men “filled with the Holy Spirit.” The written revelation of God forming the canon was written by “holy men moved by the Holy Spirit.”…

Biblical Worship 06: Mind-Provoking

As we look at this essential to biblical worship, I want to use Jesus’ words from Matthew 22:37 as the basis.  In Matthew 22:34-38, we see that the Pharisees are questioning Jesus, testing Him, “Teacher, which is the great commandment in the Law?” Jesus doesn’t hesitate in His answer, quoting Deuteronomy 6:5, “ ‘YOU SHALL LOVE THE LORD YOUR GOD WITH ALL…

How Long, O Lord? – Peace

This week we continue the season of Advent by lighting the 2nd candle, the purple candle of peace.  Our 2011 Advent theme is “How Long, O Lord?” and each week we’ll be looking at a passage of Scripture that focuses on the Second Coming of our Savior Jesus Christ. Our text this week comes from 1 Thessalonians 5:1-11: Now as to the…

Biblical Worship 05: Word-Based

The Thessalonian congregation was given a most prestigious commendation from the apostle, “you are an example to all those in Macedonia and Achaia.” They had become the “pattern” to follow in church life. What “pattern” was established by the Thessalonian church? What traps are lurking near the foundations of the church? How can the contemporary church follow this example? Answering this question involves taking a closer look at some of the essentials of biblical worship in the Church. One of the essentials of biblical worship is the priority of the Word of God…

Biblical Worship 04: Sin-Forsaking

It’s countercultural today to talk about sin.  Let’s face it:  the topic of sin is offensive.  In fact, we were ministering in Canada in October through a dramatic presentation of the Roman Road, which of course includes Romans 3:23, for all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God.  A mother of one of the children immediately took her son…

How Long, O Lord? – Hope

This week, we begin our season of Advent.  “Advent” is from the Latin word for “coming” — translated from the Greek word parousia. Speaking of the second coming of Christ, we find parousia translated in the following passages: Matthew 24:3,27,37,39; 1 Corinthians 15:23; 1 Thessalonians 2:19, 3:13, 4:15, 5:23; 2 Thessalonians 2:1,8; James 5:7,8; 2 Peter 3:4,12; and 1 John 2:28.  Typically,…