It sounds rather flippant, but it’s not meant that way. This is actually a very serious question. How are you worshiping? Weekly or weakly. Is your corporate worship life regular and vibrant or is it sporadic and lackluster?
How about your private worship life? Is it filled with Bible study, witnessing, praying, good works, giving? If your answer to that question is no, there’s something else I want you to consider. Read the rest of this entry »
What is private worship? Is there such a thing as worshiping in private? Sure there is. However, private worship is not so much a special thing you do as it is a lifestyle.
Private worship is a personal communion between you and God. A communion which permeates every aspect of your life. Private worship means that everything you do and say should be a service of worship to the Lord. Private worship means that everything in your life brings praise and glory to God. Read the rest of this entry »
How do you meet the mountains in your life? How do you climb them and master their rugged slopes and sheer cliffs? During this mid-week blog series, we are going to look at a variety of life-mountains. During each Wednesday of Lent, we will talk about each mountain and how it can be conquered.
However, mountain climbing can be dangerous. No one should try it before they learn how to do it. Today we will learn how to climb. There’s a right way and a wrong way to climb life’s mountains. To learn the right way, we take our instruction from the master mountain climber, Jesus Christ. From Jesus we will learn that climbing is a three-step process; begin with prayer, climb with love, and always be confident of a God-pleasing victory. Read the rest of this entry »
Worship is one of the six main disciplines of Christian life. Corporate worship happens when the body of Christ comes together to acknowledge, thank, praise, and petition the only and true triune God, Father, Son, and Holy Spirit. Corporate worship is absolutely necessary to the life and well-being of the church. Corporate worship is also absolutely necessary to the spiritual life and well-being of the individual Christian.
Some people will tell you, “I don’t have to go to church to be a Christian.” And, you know what, that’s true. But my answer to that statement is, “Without going to church, how long do you think you’ll remain a Christian?” The odds of never attending church and staying a good, grounded Christian are about the same as the odds of winning the lottery. Read the rest of this entry »
There are two ways to approach this question. First, we should pray because, in Scripture, God tells us to pray. Over and over the Bible tells us who should pray, when to pray, and where to pray. As we read the Bible, we see that Jesus set the example for us. Jesus prayed in private and in public. Jesus prayed before healing people. He prayed to give thanks, like at the Last Super, and he prayed when times were grim, like when he was on the cross. Read the rest of this entry »
Different people pray at different times. Some people pray in the morning, or at mealtime, or at night. Some people pray when they’re in trouble and others when they are thankful. Some people only pray in church. And, sadly, some people hardly pray at all.
So when is the right time to pray? Paul gave some very good advice to the church at Thessalonica on the matter of when to pray. He writes: Be joyful always; pray continually; give thanks in all circumstances, for this is God’s will for you in Christ Jesus (1 Thess 5:16-18).
Pray continually or to say it another way, pray without ceasing. What does that mean? Does that mean that we spend every waking moment on our knees? Does that mean that we have no time for anything but prayer? No. That kind of extremism goes against other Biblical mandates for us to be productive people. Read the rest of this entry »
What is prayer? Many people misunderstand the concept of prayer. You don’t have to look too hard to find people who will tell you that God will give you anything you want if you ask often enough or in just the right way.
At least once a week I get an e-mail that goes something like this: pray the following prayer ten times and then forward this e-mail to ten friends and God will give you whatever you ask. Friends, that is garbage. Our God is not a vending machine god. You can’t just put in the right amount and type of prayer and have silly wishes granted. Prayer is about changing you – not changing God. God does not change. God is the same yesterday, today, and tomorrow. Read the rest of this entry »
God is serious about prayer. God is very serious about prayer. I did a quick study and found that the Bible devotes 423 verses to the subject of prayer. How does that compare to some other Bible topics? Faith is mentioned in 231 verses, love in 280 verses, and hope in 121 verses.
Is God serious about prayer? You better believe it. And if God paid that much attention to prayer when he inspired the prophets and apostles to write his inerrant Holy Scripture, then I think it’s only proper for us to spend this time investigating prayer as it concerns the Christian’s life. Read the rest of this entry »
The law of the Lord is perfect; The statutes of the Lord are trustworthy; The precepts of the Lord are right; The commands of the Lord are radiant; The fear of the Lord is pure; The ordinances of the Lord are sure; They are more precious than gold; They are sweeter than honey; In keeping them there is great reward. Psalm 19:7-11
Is it just me or does it also seem to you like this world, and more particularly this country, has gone completely off course? I mean, look around. What in the world is wrong with these United States of ours?
People are killing each other because the traffic isn’t moving as fast as they would like. Six people found stabbed and beaten to death over a stolen home video game system. Teachers are prevented from maintaining order and discipline in school and now many schools look more like battle grounds than school grounds. And speaking of schools, in the state of Illinois, it is illegal to read the Bible in public schools, but state law requires that every prisoner in a penial institution be provided a Bible. Read the rest of this entry »
I’ll give another definition of a disciple. A disciple is a mind through which Christ thinks. A disciple is a heart through which Christ loves. A disciple is a voice through which Christ speaks. A disciple is a hand through which Christ helps.
Make no mistake, a disciple is a servant. A disciple is not the teacher, he’s the learner. A disciple is not the leader, he’s the follower. A disciple is not the center of attention, he’s the one serving in the background. Jesus is our teacher, our leader, the center of our attention. A disciple is a servant called by God to carry the cross of Christ by living for Jesus in this world. Read the rest of this entry »
