Thinking Right and Worship

 

Worship is an essential part of the Christian life. It is the act of recognizing and praising God for who He is and what He has done. Worship is not just singing songs or attending church services; it is a way of life that centers on the recognition of God's greatness and our utter dependence on Him.

N. T. Wright, in his book Simply Christian wrote,

"Worship is at the very center of all Christian living. One of the main reasons that theology (trying to think straight about who God is) matters is that we are called to love God with all our heart, mind, soul, and strength. It matters that we learn more about who God is so that we can praise him more appropriately." (pp. 148-49)

In this quote Wright highlights the importance of theology in worship. He points out that the more we understand who God is, the more we can love and praise Him.

This idea is supported by Jesus' teach ing on the most important commandment found in Mark 12:30 (CSB):

Love the Lord your God with all your heart, with all your soul, with all your mind, and with all your strength.

In other words, to mature in our worship of God, we must engage our entire being, including our intellect. Our love for God is not just an emotional response; it is grounded in a knowledge of who God is and what He has done for us.

Theology, the study of God and His character, helps us understand God's nature, His attributes, and His actions.

As we learn more about God, our worship becomes more meaningful and authentic. To properly worship God we need to grow in our understanding of who God is. This allows us to praise Him for His holiness, His love, His mercy, His justice, and His faithfulness. Theology informs our understanding of God so we can sing songs that reflect those truths and offer prayers that are in line with His character.

Good theology also helps us avoid false worship. It helps us discern between true and false teachings and helps us avoid worshipping idols. It reminds us that our worship is not just about what we want or feel but is primarily about honoring God.

Worship is not a passive activity but a vital aspect of the Christian life. To worship God fully, we must engage our heart, soul, mind, and strength.


Theology is not an activity reserved for academics, but it is a vital part of a Christian’s worship of God. Theology helps us understand who God is and what He has done, which empowers us to praise Him more fully and avoid worshipping a false god created in our own image.

As we continue to grow in our knowledge of God, our worship will become more authentic, meaningful, and life-giving. We shouldn’t neglect theology, but instead we need to let it inform our worship of God.

Sunday Prayer: Joy In Our Hearts

 

Father in Heaven,

On this day, we lift our hearts to you in gratitude and joy. We thank you for the beauty of your creation that surrounds us, For the sun that warms our skin, and the breeze that refreshes our spirits.

We thank you for the blessings you have bestowed upon us, For the love of family and friends, and the joy they bring into our lives.

We ask that you fill us with your joy, A joy that is not dependent on circumstances or possessions, But a joy that comes from knowing Jesus and trusting in his sacrificial love.

May this joy overflow from our hearts and spill out into the world around us, May it be a light that shines in the darkness, a hope that brings comfort to those in need.

May we find joy in the simple things of life, In the laughter of children, the beauty of a sunset, and the taste of good food.

May we find joy in the challenges we face, Knowing that they will develop our character and help us become more like Jesus.

May we find joy in the moments of stillness, When we can rest in your presence and know that you are with us always.

Bless us, Heavenly Father and Creator of life, with your joy and your peace, And may we live each day with hearts full of gratitude and joy.

In the mighty name of Jesus we pray, Amen.

Finding Freedom in Jesus

 Christ has come to set us free! 

Galatians 5:1 (CSB)

For freedom, Christ set us free. Stand firm, then, and don’t submit again to a yoke of slavery.

Freedom is what we all desire, and it is, at least for Americans, a right for all people. We want to see people live in freedom rather than in oppression. 

God, too, desires that we be free! God’s desire for our freedom is seen in the life, death, and resurrection of Jesus Christ. 

The news that Jesus brings freedom to our lives is Good News.

We desire freedom, and God desires that we be free. So what is the problem?

The problem is our definition of freedom and God’s definition of freedom aren’t the same. 

Too often, we see freedom as the ability to decide how we want to live. 

To be free from the expectations of authorities, families, and other social restraints. 

To have the financial freedom to go and do what we want to do. 

For us freedom is defined by having complete control of our lives.

According to the Bible, God’s definition is different. In fact, the writers of the New Testament, who experienced the freedom Jesus gives, described themselves in an interesting way. 

In Romans, the Apostle Paul writes, "Paul, a servant of Christ Jesus, called as an apostle and set apart for the gospel of God…" (Romans 1:1, CSB).

James, the half-brother of Jesus, wrote, "James, a servant of God and of the Lord Jesus Christ." (James 1:1, CSB). 

And the Apostle Peter wrote, "Simeon Peter, a servant and an apostle of Jesus Christ." (2 Peter 1:1; CSB).

In each of these cases, we would understand the type of servant Paul, James, and Peter called  themselves to be a slave.

It is obvious that these men did not equate autonomous control of their lives to the freedom found in Jesus. They believed they were free, but that freedom led them to surrender to the authority of  King Jesus. 

In our thinking, being under the authority of someone else is not freedom. But these men, who said they were slaves of King Jesus, lived with a greater freedom than what we can understand.

Now I have this question to ask you: Is your life better or more complicated since you have been in control of making the choices on how to live? 

In this country and in this period of time, we have had great freedom to choose the direction of our lives. 

We have the freedom to choose our careers, the freedom to choose our spouses, the freedom to choose friends and other relationships, the freedom to do what we want with the money we make, and the freedom to believe what seems true to us.

Even with all this freedom, many of us feel trapped and enslaved. 

We feel trapped in a job that we hate. We feel trapped in a marriage that we no longer want. We feel enslaved by the expectations and whims of our friends. We feel enslaved to the massive amount of debt that we have accumulated. We feel trapped and enslaved by the empty promises of humanistic philosophies. 

When we are free to decide how we want to live, we often end up being trapped and enslaved by the choices we made.

Thankfully Jesus brings freedom to us trapped in prisons made up of our own decisions. He offers a life free from the curse and condemnation of the Law. He offers a life free from the addictions of sin. He offers a life free to live in the spontaneity of love for God and people. 

Jesus’s freedom allows us to be free to use our money to help people in need, to be free to use our blessings to be a blessing to our neighbors, to be free to hope in the midst of hopelessness, and to be free to give our lives away to God and His Kingdom.

Are you living a free life  or are you enslaved to your addictions? 

Are you living free life or are you enslaved to the expectations of other people? 

The only way to truly experience freedom is to give your life to Jesus. He guides us out of the chains of bad choices and the enslavement to addictions and into his Kingdom of freedom.

The path towards freedom that Jesus offers is the path of surrendering your life to him. Freedom is found in stepping off the throne of your life and making Jesus King in your place.

Following Jesus to New Life

 

Following Jesus is a journey of faith that leads to the transformation of our lives. This journey is available to anyone, no matter what kind of life they have lived or how many wrong choices they have made, as long as they trust Jesus to be their guide.

In his book, Seizing Your Divine Moment, Erwin McManus wrote, "No matter what kind of life you've lived, no matter how many wrong choices you've made, the next moment is waiting to give birth to new life."

This quote is a powerful reminder that following Jesus is about looking forward, not backward and trusting that He can transform our lives, no matter what our past looks like.

One passage that teaches this truth is John 8:1-11, where a woman caught in adultery is brought before Jesus. The religious leaders demand that she be stoned, as required by the law of Moses. However, Jesus responds in a surprising way. He says, "Let any one of you who is without sin be the first to throw a stone at her" (John 8:7).

The crowd disperses, and Jesus speaks to the woman, telling her that He does not condemn her, but He also commands her to "go and sin no more" (John 8:11). This encounter shows us that no matter how far we have strayed from the path of righteousness, Jesus is always ready to forgive us and give us a new start.

Following Jesus requires leaving our past behind and embracing the new life He offers us. It means recognizing our mistakes, confessing our sins, repenting, and turning to God for forgiveness. When we do this, we experience the transforming power of the Holy Spirit  in our lives, which enables us to move forward with confidence and hope.

Another benefit of following Jesus is that we discover a sense of purpose and direction. When we commit to following Jesus, we commit to living a life that is guided by His teachings and His example, as we trust His death and resurrection for hope and new life.

Living a life guided by Jesus's teaching is to live with love, compassion, forgiveness, and generosity. It means working to conform to the image of Jesus by doing the disciplines He did (prayer, fasting, solitude, service). This is the way we align our lives with God's will.

Faith is crucial to following Jesus. To have faith means we trust Jesus more than we trust ourselves. We trust that He will forgive our sins, help us overcome the sin and the doubt that plague our lives, heal our wounded hearts, and make us new creations. Living with faith in Jesus moves us to believe that no matter what kind of life we have lived, He has the power to forgive us and make us into brand new people.

Following Jesus is a journey of transformation, maturity, and renewal. This journey is open to anyone, no matter who they are or what they have done. So let's seize the divine moment and commit to following Jesus, trusting that He will transform our lives and give us a new future full of faith, joy, hope, and love.

Proper Worship

 

In his book The Air I Breathe Louie Giglio wrote:

You only have one life. And you only have one life of worship. You have one brief opportunity in time to declare your allegiance, to unleash your affection, to exalt something or someone above all else.

"Don't waste your worship on some little god, squandering your birthright on idols made only with human imagination. Guard your worship...and carefully evaluate all potential takers.

Louie Giglio's quote reminds us that worship is not just a Sunday morning activity, but a way of life. It is a declaration of our allegiance, an unleashing of our affections, and an exaltation of something or someone above all else. However, we must be careful not to waste our worship on "little gods" or idols made only with human imagination.

The Bible also speaks to the importance of guarding our worship and carefully evaluating all potential takers. In Matthew 6:24 (CSB), Jesus says, 

"No one can serve two masters, since either he will hate one and love the other, or he will be devoted to one and despise the other. You cannot serve both God and money."

Money, success, power, and other things can easily become idols in our lives. We can start to place our trust and hope in them, thinking they will bring us happiness and fulfillment. However, they will always disappoint us because they cannot satisfy the deepest longings of our hearts.

In Psalm 115:4-8 (CSB), the psalmist writes, 

"Their idols are silver and gold, made by human hands. They have mouths but cannot speak, eyes, but cannot see. They have ears but cannot hear, noses, but cannot smell. They have hands but cannot feel, feet, but cannot walk. They cannot make a sound with their throats.Those who make them are just like them, as are all who trust in them."

We must guard our worship and make sure that we are not placing our trust in anything or anyone other than God. He alone is worthy of our worship and devotion. We must evaluate all potential takers of our worship and make sure that we are giving it to the One who deserves it.

We only have one life and one life of worship. We must guard our worship and carefully evaluate all potential takers, making sure that we are giving it to the One who deserves it. Let us not waste our worship on "little gods" or idols made only with human imagination. Instead, let us exalt God above all else and declare our allegiance and affection for Him alone.

EDC Wednesday: Creating an EDC

 

All of us have an Everyday Carry. Most of the items we carry on a daily basis are there by default: wallet, keys, and phone. We wouldn’t get very far without those things.

For me, EDC is taking things to the next level. It isn’t just about what I need to take along with me, but thinking about what items would actually be helpful in our daily lives. The basic level of EDC is the items we have by default, and the next level of EDC is the items we have by choice.

Creating an Everyday Carry (EDC) is a personal process that involves selecting the items that will best suit your needs and preferences. Here are some general steps that can help guide you through the process:

Determine the purpose of your carry.

I believe that you should think in terms of purpose rather than need. The reason for this is that, for many of us, the items that we “need” on a daily basis are small; in fact, they are covered by our default carry. As a pastor, I have no need to carry a knife, multitool, or flashlight on a daily basis. From a need standpoint, my EDC is impractical.

This is why determining the purpose of your carry is crucial. Having a purpose to your carry moves things from being impractical to serving a purpose. In my mind, there are two main philosophies when it comes to purpose: Functional or Preparedness.

A Functional Carry would mean carrying items that are helpful for your job or daily life. For example, I grew up on a farm, and in my high school and college years, I began carrying pliers with me because they were helpful for a variety of tasks (plus my dad did). I know that if I were a farmer, I would carry with me: a pair of pliers, a heavy-duty multitool (Leatherman Surge), a solid budget knife (Ontario RAT 1), a flashlight, and a pencil or Sharpie. All those things would prove useful throughout the day and reduce the need to run back to the shed to get what I need. There are certain jobs for which it makes sense to build your carry based on its functionality on a daily basis.

A Preparedness Carry would be carrying items based on being prepared for what circumstances might arise during the day. This is my philosophy when it comes to EDC. A preparedness carry is based on thinking through the most likely circumstances you might face during a normal day, rather than trying to be prepared for every potential event that might happen. 

I carry the Leatherman Skeletool because most of the maintenance tasks that might pop up at home require nothing more than pliers or a screwdriver. I carry the Olight i3t eos flashlight for those times when I might need to look under the couch or other dark place in search of a Lego that dropped there. I carry the Victorinox Tinker Swiss Army knife because of its tweezers that I have used to get splinters out of the kids’ hands. I carry the Zebra Telescopic pen for those times I am out and need a pen to jot a note or sign my name. I carry the Civivi Baklash for opening boxes and packages. I don’t need any of these on a daily basis, but during a regular week each of these items will get some use.

Understanding the purpose behind your carry will help you determine the items you want to include in your carry.

Make a list. 

There are common items associated with EDC, such as a knife, multitool, flashlight, and pen. However, remember that you are creating a list based on your purpose. While it is tempting to copy someone else's carry or obtain cool gear, we may end up accumulating gear that doesn't fit our purpose.

The best place to start when creating a carry is with what you already have. There is no need to buy a new knife or multitool when you probably already have one lying around. By carrying items that you already have, you can get a feel for what you would like to include in your EDC, what you might like to upgrade, and what items don't interest you.

It is important to create a list of EDC items based on what works well for you rather than what other people say is useful or cool.

Research and choose your items. 

This is part of the fun of EDC. There are many YouTube videos and blog articles that discuss EDC and review different items. What I like to do is look for budget items that are of high quality. With a little bit of research, it is possible to assemble a carry that consists of quality items but is fairly inexpensive.

Consider your carry method. 

For me, EDC mainly involves the items you carry on your person. With this in mind, you don't want your pockets to be filled with a bunch of loose items. There are different pocket organizers available that allow you to keep your items organized. I have organizers that hold my pen, flashlight, and mini-multitool.

A keychain might be another option for small items. Many of the smaller flashlights and multitools have attachments that allow them to be put on a keychain. Personally, I don't like the bulk of a keychain, but it is a possibility.

Test and adjust. 

Once you have assembled your EDC, test it out and make adjustments as needed. You may find that some items are more or less useful than you initially thought, or that you need to switch out certain items for different situations. You will also discover what you like and don't like in knives, flashlights, multitools, and other gear. This will give you confidence as you seek to upgrade and finalize your carry.

Remember, creating an EDC is a personal process, and there is no one "right" way to do it. The goal is to create a collection of items that will help you be prepared for whatever challenges you may encounter in your daily life.

Hebrews: Don’t Neglect the Gift

 

The book of Hebrews was written by a pastor who had a deep concern for Jewish Christians. He wanted them to continue to follow Jesus and not give in to the temptation to change the Gospel in order to avoid persecution.

At the start of chapter 2, the pastor gives this warning:

"For this reason, we must pay attention all the more to what we have heard, so that we will not drift away. For if the message spoken through angels was legally binding and every transgression and disobedience received a just punishment, how will we escape if we neglect such a great salvation? This salvation had its beginning when it was spoken of by the Lord, and it was confirmed to us by those who heard him. At the same time, God also testified by signs and wonders, various miracles, and distributions of gifts from the Holy Spirit according to his will." (Hebrews 2:1-4, CSB)

In these verses, the pastor urged the readers to pay attention to the message of salvation that they have received and to not allow themselves to drift away from it. He reminded his friends that the Gospel was not just any ordinary message, but it was the message declared by Jesus, the Messiah, and confirmed to be true by the first disciples. God also bore witness to the truth of this message by performing signs, wonders, and miracles through Jesus and his followers by the power of the Holy Spirit.

This warning comes after the pastor's defense of Jesus's superiority over the angels in chapter 1. In Judaism, it was a common belief that the Law came to Moses through the angels. If people are determined to be guilty based on whether or not they keep the Law, which came to people through angels, how much greater will the guilt be for ignoring the Gospel that came to people through God's Son?

We should not ignore this warning.

What can we learn from these verses?

First and foremost, we need to pay attention to the message of salvation that we have received. This message is not something to be taken lightly or ignored. It is the very message that has the power to save us from our sins and give us eternal life. We cannot afford to neglect it. This means we have to study it, meditate on it, pray over it, and obey it. We become good stewards of the Gospel when it influences our lives.

Secondly, we need to recognize the incredible privilege that we have in being the recipients of the Gospel. Many of us have heard the Gospel our entire lives, and that familiarity makes it easy to take it for granted. Remember, the Gospel is the message that Jesus came to proclaim: "Repent, for the kingdom of heaven has come near." (Matthew 4:17; CSB). God confirmed the truth of Jesus's message not only through the miracles that he performed but most importantly for us today, through his resurrection. The Gospel is a great gift, and we should treat it as such.

Finally, we need to be aware of the consequences of neglecting this great salvation. The pastor to the Hebrews reminds us that every transgression or disobedience received a just punishment. If the people under the old covenant did not escape the curses of breaking the Law, then we should not expect to escape the consequences of neglecting the Gospel. We need to take it seriously and live our lives in light of its truth.

Hebrews 2:1-4 is a powerful reminder that we need to be good stewards of the Gospel. It is not enough for us to simply hear the message of the Gospel; we have to live the message. We cannot afford to neglect it or take it lightly. After all, this is the very message that Jesus came to give us.