Tag Archive - heart

Why We Are to Fully Worship…Always

June 21, 2011 in Worship with 1 Comment

One weekend, I shared these verses with the worship team:

Sing to the LORD a new song, for he has done marvelous things; his right hand and his holy arm have worked salvation for him. The LORD has made his salvation known and revealed his righteousness to the nations. He has remembered his love and his faithfulness to the house of Israel; all the ends of the earth have seen the salvation of our God. Shout for joy to the LORD, all the earth, burst into jubilant song with music; make music to the LORD with the harp, with the harp and the sound of singing, with trumpets and the blast of the ram’s horn— shout for joy before the LORD, the King. (Psalm 98:1-6)

Sing for joy to God our strength; shout aloud to the God of Jacob! (Psalm 81:1)

Shout with joy to God, all the earth! Sing the glory of his name; make his praise glorious! Say to God, “How awesome are your deeds! So great is your power that your enemies cringe before you. All the earth bows down to you; they sing praise to you, they sing praise to your name.” Come and see what God has done, how awesome his works in man’s behalf! (Psalm 66:1-5)

Come, let us sing for joy to the LORD; let us shout aloud to the Rock of our salvation. Let us come before him with thanksgiving and extol him with music and song. For the LORD is the great God, the great King above all gods. (Psalm 95:1-3)

Shout for joy to the LORD, all the earth. Worship the LORD with gladness; come before him with joyful songs. Know that the LORD is God. It is he who made us, and we are his; we are his people, the sheep of his pasture. Enter his gates with thanksgiving and his courts with praise; give thanks to him and praise his name. For the LORD is good and his love endures forever; his faithfulness continues through all generations. (Psalm 100)

Did you notice anything about these verses? Continue Reading…

The Challenge of the Wait

June 8, 2011 in Ponderings with 3 Comments

We (my family) find ourselves in a season of waiting, and, honestly, these days of waiting can be hard at times.

Image credit: omar_franc @ sxc.hu

Not because we don’t know the presence and provision of the Lord in this time, but because…

  • Not sure of what my/our purpose is in this time.
  • Wondering what I/we should be doing.
  • How should I spend my time?

So, we find ourselves wondering, hoping, longing, and sometimes even feeling discouraged.

Perhaps some of it too is the challenge of not having a place to call our own. We are eternally grateful for the hospitality and community of our friends (and hosts), but it isn’t the same.

Yet, we know that on the other side, God will give us exactly what He has for us and it will be just the right thing at the right time.

Recently, I was reminded of Psalm 40:1 by Dan Wilt, Learning Director of WorshipTraning.com.

“I waited and waited and waited for God. At last he looked; finally he listened.”

He wrote:

Waiting is a game most of us would rather not play. It is difficult for the human heart to find contentment in divine processes that take longer than we would prefer. Yet, somehow, it is in waiting on God that the worshipper’s faith is transformed from being “me-centered” to being “God-centered.” Can you welcome the wait? Allow your worship experience to be heightened as you linger in confident expectation that God will hear the cry of your heart today. When we’ve learned to wait, we’ve truly learned to worship.

True words. I don’t want to take matters into my own hands and accelerate what God has coming. I don’t want my worship to be tainted by discontent and discouragement.

So, we face the challenge of waiting and trust in what God has for us for His glory.

What are you waiting for? Share in the comments, and I’ll pray for you as you pray for us.

[Creativity] Art or Idols?

June 6, 2011 in Creativity, Ponderings with 1 Comment

As artists, there is a fine line between loving art and idolizing art. It’s easy to slip into idolizing creativity, art, and what we do without realizing it. Even in ministry.

Recently, I was challenged in this regard by a post from Gary Molander. Gary is founder and co-owner of media producer Floodgate Productions, and served as a pastor for many years before that. He blogs over at GaryMo.com. Before you start creating this week, take a moment and read what he wrote. Take a moment to reflect and do a heart check.

Then, create this week to communicate the truth of God for the glory of God.

Creating Art or Creating Idols?

The art we create can give us great joy.

The art we create can provide peace.

The art we create can demand our entire focus, over a long period of time.

The art we create can be frustrating.

The art we create can point toward something deeper, stir something uncomfortable, or introduce something unknown.

But there’s one thing our art cannot create. And we need to be extremely careful here. The art we create cannot save.  And when we ask our art to save us in any manner, we’ve created something more than art.

We’ve created an idol. Continue Reading…

Can We Be Anything and Everything We Want to Be? Part 1

May 17, 2011 in Ponderings with 1 Comment

I’ve recently started reading the book StrengthsFinder 2.0 by Tom Rath.  It’s a book that I’ve seen recommended by others, especially a worship minister friend of mine named Jim (Twitter|Blog). I figured that since I’m currently engaged in the search for our next ministry postion, it would be a good time to use that resource. Why?

  • To provide greater clarity of who God has made me to be
  • To be better prepared to answer the inevitable “what are your strengths” and “what are your weaknesses” questions.

I’ve just begun reading, but already resonate with the author. His premise, based on years of interviews, research, and study is that it’s a much better idea to invest and spend time in our strengths than to constantly focus on our weaknesses.

One of the things he addresses is the classic phrase that is hammered into us as children and that shapes our approach to life.

You can be anything you want to be, if you just try hard enough. Continue Reading…

What Inspires You?

February 16, 2011 in Ponderings, Worship with 1 Comment

What inspires you? What causes your heart to race? What causes you to pause and be amazed at the wonder of the world we live in? What moves you to action or to change something? For you it may be the vast expanse of landscape, or the crashing of waves, or the rich colors or a vibrant sunset. Or maybe it’s observing the selfless act of a stranger, or a friend who does something above and beyond for you. Maybe it is the amazing images captured from space or planets, stars, and nebulas. For me, I’m always inspired when I see rays of sunlight beaming through clouds as if the glory of God is falling on the earth.

What does it actually mean to be inspired? If we start with the dictionary, we discover that to inspire is:

-       to fill someone with the urge or ability to do or feel something, especially something creative.

-       to create a feeling, especially a positive one, in a person.

I’m sure that we can all think of movies or books where inspiration played a huge part. A character in that story comes along and inspires others to do something significant, or to rise up against injustice, or to live beyond themselves in a way they never thought possible. And at the end when the character finally realizes what he had done, the music builds and the people cheer.

Inspiration is an important thing in our lives. We are all inspired by something. The question is, what are we inspired by? Is what we are inspired by actually what we should be inspired by? Landscapes, sunsets, and nebulas are all inspiring, but are we more often inspired by these created things or by the One who created them?

David, the great king of Israel and writer of many Psalms, recognized the true source of inspiration. In Psalm 65:8, he said, “Those who live at the ends of the earth stand in awe of your wonders. From where the sun rises to where it sets, you inspire shouts of joy.” Throughout the Psalms we read of the wonder people had toward God. We’re encouraged to declare the great things God is doing and to worship Him, to testify of His greatness in our gatherings. Job was humbled and in awe when God spoke to him at the end of his story. When the Holy Spirit came upon the disciples in the upper room, they were emboldened to go out and declare the amazing things of God. When the risen Christ appeared to Saul on the road to Damascus, he was inspired to turn from his life of persecuting Christians and became a great teacher named Paul.

When we gather, whether on a Sunday morning or as part of a small group or bible study, are these times inspiring to us? Are we looking for the evidence of God at work in people’s lives and celebrating what He is doing and who He is? It can be hard to do this, especially when we’ve had a rough week or our relationship with God is not in a strong place or we don’t place a high value on these times in fellowship. Do we leave with a greater understanding of God and increasing righteousness of character?

As much as a beautiful sunset or a rolling range of mountains can inspire us, our times with the people of God should do so even more. May we not just be inspired by the wonderful things around us, but by the One who has created all and is transforming us. May our times together inspire us to live everyday in His grace and mercy for His glory. May we not take these opportunities for granted, for whenever we gather as the people of God, the Lord’s presence is in us and with us. He beckons us to come and celebrate His goodness.

I’d love to hear some feedback from you. What is the most inspiring movie you’ve seen or book you’ve read? How does being with the people of God inspire and encourage you? What is the most inspiration aspect of God’s creation to you?

Room for God?

January 10, 2011 in Ponderings with 2 Comments

I have this backpack that tends to go most everywhere with me. It’s a nice bag that’s brown with black trim. It has multiple compartments and can hold lots of stuff. It always has my laptop and accessories in it. I’ll carry books, files, and magazines. It has pens, business cards, and other fun stuff.

As nice and roomy as it is, though, there are times I have to make choices about what to put in it. Sometimes I can’t take everything I want to take. Other times I have to ask if I really want to max it out and lug around a heavy bag? Do I need to take something out to make room for another more important thing?

The other day, I noticed the bag was heavy, and I realized it was getting full. I knew it was time to take a look at what was in there. Was it time to remove some things that were no longer essential? I knew I needed to “trim the fat”, so to speak, because there would be other things I would need to put in.

As I thought about that, my thoughts turned to life. How similar is our life to my backpack? We think we have plenty of room for all kinds of stuff, but suddenly realize we are maxed out in life because we’ve kept putting stuff in without taking anything out. Or we find that we’ve taken out some really important stuff to make room for a lot of lesser things. How much sense would it make for me to stop carrying my laptop and accessories (like the power cord) to have more room for old magazines and folders? Continue Reading…

Worshiping in the Hard Times

July 21, 2010 in Ponderings, Worship with 0 Comments

It’s easy to worship God when things are going well. At those times, it is easy to celebrate God’s goodness and rejoice in His greatness. The challenge of worship comes when things in our life aren’t going so well. It’s in those moments that we need to remember that even though our circumstances have changed, God hasn’t.

This is something my wife, Beck (who blogs here), has been learning and experiencing over the past year. This month in our church’s newsletter, I asked her to share some of what she has been learning about worship in the hard times.


“My husband has allowed me to share with you this week about the journey of worshiping in the dark places of our lives. I imagine all of us at one time or another has struggled to worship God in the midst of pain, disappointment, sorrow. Maybe that’s you this week. I understand; I’ve felt the choking burn of tears hovering near the surface and the nagging pull of fear. I’ve struggled with some health concerns in the last year and the doctors don’t have answers. Recently I was talking to Jesus about the concerns and fears in my life; asking for His provision, teaching, empowering. In that moment I heard Him so sweetly say, worship Me. And I did. Romans 11:33-12:2 gives us the reason why He deserves worship at all times.

“Oh, the depth of the riches of the wisdom and knowledge of God!
How unsearchable his judgments,
and his paths beyond tracing out!
“Who has known the mind of the Lord?
Or who has been his counselor?”
“Who has ever given to God,
that God should repay him?”
For from him and through him and to him are all things.
To him be the glory forever! Amen.

“Therefore, I urge you, brothers, in view of God’s mercy, to offer your bodies as living sacrifices, holy and pleasing to God—this is your spiritual act of worship. Do not conform any longer to the pattern of this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind. Then you will be able to test and approve what God’s will is—his good, pleasing and perfect will.”

“As I obeyed and worshiped Him I poured out my heart, my worship, my trust, my need, my love as an act of faith and adoration. I felt like the woman in Luke 7, anointing Jesus feet with perfume, weeping and kissing those precious feet that came in search of me. And I knew that it was the Son who had drawn me to worship and the Spirit that had ignited the desire and ability to worship and the Father that had provided EVERYTHING I needed to worship Him in the first place. I am completely aware that even worship is something I can’t give Him on my own. And as I worshiped He gave to me; peace, joy, rest, His very presence.”

[QOTW] What a Man Leans Upon

May 6, 2010 in QOTW with 1 Comment

“Everything that a man leans upon but God—will be a dart which will certainly pierce his heart through and through. He who leans only upon Christ—lives the highest, choicest, safest and sweetest life.”

- Thomas Brooks

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