Beyond Sunday Worship

Worship Podcast

New Future of Forestry album

Really looking forward to this new album. Future of Forestry is one of my favorite bands. They blend heart, God, rock, experimentation, hooks, and unprecedented coolness into all their stuff. Check out a brand new song on their myspace. And be sure to buy the album on May 5. They are planning to release three EPs every four months through January of 2010.

This is gonna be a good year.

Worshiping is Cherishing

It has been great going through these 40 Days of Consistency with my worship team. It has personally helped me to be driven by Biblical values instead of just a task list. Tasks lists are good, but they must proceed from faith and the Word of God.

Consider the verse for this week:

“I cried to him with my mouth, and high praise was on my tongue. If I had cherished iniquity in my heart, the Lord would not have listened…” (Psalm 66:17).

It is possible to cry to God with our mouth, have high praise on our tongue, and yet cherish iniquity in our hearts. Remember Isaiah 29:13?

“…this people draw near to me with their mouth and honor me with their lips, while their hearts are far from me.”

God does not listen or receive that kind of worship. It is a dishonor to him rather than a cherishing of His name. The essence of worship is cherishing God. He is our treasure. He is our highest value. Growing in our worship means growing in our cherishing of Jesus.

Is He daily becoming more valuable to you? Are your affections for Jesus growing as you worship with your local church or are you worshiping with your mouth and yet cherishing sin in your heart?

"Humility: True Greatness" – C.J. Mahaney

Just finished another great book by C.J. Mahaney. Here are some highlights for me:

  • Humility is honestly assessing ourselves in light of God’s holiness and our sinfulness.
  • If you’re like me, you compare yourself to others and look for opportunities to claim greater importance than them, just as the disciples did.
  • True greatness, biblically defined: Serving others for the glory of God.
  • You should have a practical list to daily weaken pride and cultivate humility.
  • “Fill your affections with the cross of Christ that there may be no room for sin” – John Owen
  • How we begin our morning so often sets the tone for the day. I’m convince that the most decisive time of our day is very often our first waking moments, because they color everything to come.
  • “Have you realized that most of your unhappiness in life is due to the fact that you are listening to yourself instead of talking to yourself?” – Martyn Lloyd-Jones
  • Only those who are humble can consistently identify evidences of grace in others who need adjustment.
  • Some of the greatest manifestations of power I’ve seen are individuals who suffer greatly and yet aren’t complaining.
  • In interacting with you, what is your spouse more aware of – evidences of grace you’ve noticed, or the need for change and growth?
  • If you aren’t faithful to encourage, you can be sure you will eventually exasperate your child.
  • Every conversation has potential. So let us pray, “Lord, help me discern what kind of grace this person needs.”
  • What do your words reveal about your spirit? What report are your words filing about the condition of your soul?
  • Are you regularly informing others of your temptations and sins, or do you present to them a carefully edited and flattering version of yourself?
  • Parenting is about preparation
  • If you’re a parent, don’t celebrate anything more than you celebrate Godly character.
  • I never do anything passively. I’m never just observing. I always seek to impart discernment.

Love Where You Are

The more I observe my generation, and the more I look into my own heart, the more I see how unsatisfied we are. We don’t like our current job situations. We don’t like the ministry opportunities God has given us. We’re longing for the day when it will be better.

What is wrong with this outlook?

It is too easy to miss the moment.

What if we began to adopt a radical view on life where we chose to love where we are? Sure, it is healthy to dream and await the fulfillment of those dreams, but we miss out on the joys of today when we choose to live unsatisfied.

I am personally trying to make this a part of my daily routine – Love where you are! In all my current responsibilities, ministries, and relationships, I will not allow dissatisfaction to take its toll on me. I will invest myself in the purpose of God today and choose to love every minute of it.

There’s an adventure waiting for those who take the challenge.

Guitar Hero Ministry Mentality – Steven Furtick

Just read this great post by Pastor Steven Furtick:

“If my generation isn’t careful, we may fall into a Guitar Hero mentality toward ministry:
Everybody wants to be a rock star, but no one wants to learn the chords.

It’s hard work to study God’s Word.  To pray for breakthrough.  To do spiritual battle on behalf of those we lead.  To charge forward in faith for the cause of Christ.  To run a church with the highest standard of excellence.

Aspiring ministers:
Be willing to pay the price.  Or please go do something else with your life.”