Over the past few weeks, we’ve been talking about the Worship Gathering. We’ve discussed the importance of worship in general, singing, and the sermon, and today we’re going to discuss two incredibly important elements of the Worship Gathering.
Read MoreThis summer I worked at a Christian summer camp called Pine Cove. Sharing and teaching the gospel through my actions and words was my only job, be it through Bible Study, crazy cheers, or one-on-one hang times. Over the course of the summer I got the blessing of seeing fourteen of my 6th and 7th grade guys give their lives to Jesus. Coming back to New Orleans, I was confident that the Lord would continue to work in a powerful way.
Read MoreDuring the past thirty-five years I have heard more than three thousand sermons. Since I have worshiped in Bible-teaching churches all my life, most of those sermons did me some spiritual good. Yet I wonder how many of them helped me as much as they should have. Frankly, I fear that far too many sermons passed through my eardrums without registering in my brain or reaching my heart. –Derek Thomas
Read MoreIt happens over and over again throughout life: As elementary school wraps up, we move on to junior high. Then high school. Then college. Then maybe more college. Then a career. Then maybe a new city. At some point, maybe marriage. Then kids. The list goes on and on…
Read MoreTragedy. It is something that strikes without warning, shaking us to our very core and causing us to question our foundations whenever it occurs. This is the way I felt living just outside of New Orleans when Hurricane Katrina struck in the fall of 2005. Our property was damaged, people’s lives were lost, and the city continues to rebuild a “new normal” in the wake of the storm from almost 10 years ago.
Read MoreOver these next few weeks on our Vintage Press blog, we are discussing the “worship gathering.” Just by the definition of ‘worship’ (worth-ship), we can know it is the act of giving worth, of bringing or placing honor. Musical worship, a specific type of worship and the subject of this blog, is defined as giving worth to and placing honor on the Lord through song. Musical worship, whether in a corporate community setting, as we’re talking about, or in private, is a response of praise (giving worth) and position of our hearts (placing honor) toward Jesus.
Read MoreIn our last blog, we defined calling as the inclination and affirmation of the intersection of passion, opportunity, and peace towards a specific place for a specific function under the leadership of the local church. Sorting through your emotions and rationale as you seek out your calling can be difficult, and I’ve written more about that here (insert link to second blog on calling). Central to this whole definition, however, is the involvement of the local church. You’ve probably heard it said, “No man is an island.” The same is true in discerning one’s calling, and it is to our benefit when we submit to the spiritual leadership that God has placed over us in his institution of the local church.
Read MoreWhen we look around, we recognize that each of us is unique and individually different. However, at the same time, we also realize that we hold much in common with others. These commonalities don’t appear to be accidental, but rather seem as though they were purposeful, as if Someone created us with these similarities. If we are aware of it, as we look around, we can recognize one very important similarity among all humans: we are worshippers. Countless attitudes and behaviors are often taught to us and, in time, become assimilated parts of our lives. Yet worship is different. Worship seems to boil up inside us, coming from somewhere deep within our souls. The English word for worship originates from the Old English word, weorthscipe, which literally refers to “actions motivated by an attitude that reveres, honors, or describes the worth of another person or object.”<sup>1</sup> The object of worship doesn’t have to be the same thing for all of us to be worshippers. The reality is that we as humans are often drawn to and naturally compelled to worship something. Nevertheless, why are we worshippers?
Read More“God has called me to ____________.” If you have been engaged in a church community, chances are you have heard someone say something like this before. But what does it mean? Unfortunately, it seems we often simply attach the word “calling” to whatever it is we plan on doing at a particular moment. This isn’t necessarily because we’re being intentionally dishonest. Instead, without a clearly defined understanding of what “calling” is, we risk doubting our obedience “like a wave of the sea that is driven and tossed by the wind” (James 1:6).
Read MoreOver the past several weeks, we have been looking at the various spiritual disciplines we as Christians should be working to practice. We have finally reached the end of our “TRAIN” series, where we will be looking at evangelism. Below is an excerpt on evangelism from We Are Vintage, a book Pastor Rob Wilton and I wrote. Also, at the conclusion of this post are links to the previous blogs in this series. We pray that these blog posts have been both encouraging and helpful for all of us pursuing God through the spiritual disciplines.
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