Beyond Sunday Worship

Worship Podcast

Wide Awake Study Guide – Chapter 8

INVEST – The Romantic

•    Tell the group about your closest friend. Why do you consider them so close?

•    Read Mark 2:1-12. What does this passage have to do with close relationships?

“A life well lived isn’t about who walks the fastest but about who has the most people walking with them.”

•    The passage says, “When Jesus saw their faith, he said to the paralytic, ‘Son, your sins are forgiven.’” Why do you think his sins were forgiven because of the faith of the whole group?

•    Writing Exercise: Do you have friends you refuse to leave behind? As you pursue your dreams and goals and ambitions, do you have people in your life who are the kind of friends that, if they were not with you, you could no longer define that endeavor as successful? Write down your answer, naming specific people.

“They had moved to the level of living that they found satisfaction in the healing and wholeness of their friend. His success was their success.”

•    Is it easier to ‘do life’ alone? Why or why not?

Review of "Near"

My friend, Socrates Perez, from Orlando, FL recently reviewed my album.

Socrates and I met at the Christian Songwriter’s Conference in California. He is a great musician, worship leader, and songwriter. Very knowledgeable when it comes to the current music scene. Check out his blog.

The Artist's Life

Warren Cole Smith:

“The artist’s life, a helpful college professor once told me, is a vocation, a calling. It should be engaged in to tell the truth about the world, and not just to make money or even to propagate a message. It takes discipline, perseverance, and mastery of the tools of that particular art. Most of all it takes an unsentimental view of what you’ve done and what you’re capable of doing. And it takes the courage to hear the truth about your work. Tough feedback is not a discouragement—it is a gift.”

Wide Awake Study Guide – Chapter 7

ENJOY – The Hedonist

•    What is a simple pleasure you love in life? Coffee? Twinkies? Sunsets? Nintendo Wii? Share yours with the group.

•    Is life for you ‘an endless exploration of beauty and mystery’? Explain why or why not.

•    Think about someone in your life with a contagious personality. What makes them contagious?

“You were created to enjoy, but make sure you enjoy what you were created for.”

•    What is the difference between proper pleasure and destructive pleasure? What kind of pleasure should we be pursuing? Explain your answer.

•    Erwin says that our darkest moments in life will be when our relationships are a mess. Why is this the case? Explain your answer.

•    Read James 1:2. Why can trials be an opportunity for joy? Explain your answer.

•    Why do we conclude that the people who are truly spiritual are the ones who are sober, serious, and joyless? Do you agree?

“The less you enjoy your life, the weaker you will be on your journey. Why? Because the joy of the Lord is your strength.”

Worship Consumers?

As followers of Christ, have we focused on the excellency of our offering more than the brokenness? Worship is not pretty. Surrender is not glamorous. Worship begins at the cross and is expressed in a focused life. We cannot just sing about the greatness of God – we must feel his greatness. We cannot just say we love Him – we must love Him. We cannot simply say…we must be.

All of us look forward to cool “worship experiences”, or “worship concerts”, where there is a gifted worship leader leading great songs and excellent music. It is entertaining, emotional, and fun. This can be a great thing, but if we are not actually loving God than it is pointless. If the band is tight, the songs are catchy, but our hearts are cold towards glorious Truth, we need an awakening.

“Lord, make me a true lover of You today. Keep me from just retaining information and being able to say profound things about you, but have coldness  in my heart. Help me be consumed by You.”