Throughout Scripture, several consistent themes are used to describe our fallen condition away from God: We are “lost,” “blind,” “helpless,” and even “dead.” Seeing that is meant to drive us away from self-reliance and self-salvation. But it is far from a negative picture. Seeing our condition is meant to make us stand in awe of […]
We have all experienced times when we are desperately needy, crying out for God to hear, to help. Sometimes, we can be left wondering if He is going to act on our behalf at all. At such times, God invites us to come with our requests. He is, after all, our perfect Father and Savior. […]
As we begin to see more and more of the beauty and the goodness of Jesus Christ, as we learn to enjoy worshipping Him in Spirit and in Truth, there can be a great desire to simply stay where we are. To soak up more of the good things, to feast on Him….and to withdraw […]
One of the great promises of the gospel is that, through Christ, God has taken down the hostility and fear that separated us from Him. We can now approach His very presence boldly and without fear (Hebrews 4:14-16)! But boldness and fearlessness should not lead to presumption. Do we have any idea whose presence we […]
“The more I study the unfolding history of worship in the Bible, the more I am forced to conclude that many times, when we’re enjoying worship, God is barely enduring it. Man’s glory has replaced God’s glory as the heart of worship. Man’s pleasure has taken precedent over God’s pleasure as the goal of worship. […]
For weeks, we have been asking the question, “What kind of worship is God seeking?”, and we are starting to see what qualities should mark worship that pleases our God. But what about when our hearts have wandered away to other loves and other worship? Where does that lead us? And how does God bring […]
We have been asking the question, “What kind of worship is God seeking? What worship does He desire to find?” But we really don’t have to imagine the answer. Scripture gives us a picture of the worship that is going on right now around the throne of God! How should our worship be informed and […]
There is no area of the Christian life that is more defined by our preferences, our likes, and our expectations than the area of worship. But in our preoccupation and our lists, we can easily miss out on the beauty and the purpose for which God has ordered His worship. Text: 1 Corinthians 14:20-33 (with […]
We are going to spend several weeks unfolding and marveling around an amazing concept: That God is desiring and seeking our worship. He doesn’t need it; He is not lacking without it. But He does seek it and invite it…because He wants us to enter into the beauty and amazement and blessing of who He […]
Guest Speaker: Rev. Lynn Downing