Worship Podcast
Christ came:
“to give light to those who sit in darkness and in the shadow of death, to guide our feet into the way of peace” (Luke 1:79).
What if our songs were so drenched in passion for Christ, exalted Biblical visions of Christ, and so magnified Christ that they helped accomplish this verse in people’s lives?
As I travel through life, I’m realizing more and more how important it is to be focused. Without vision and discipline, life is a frustrated conglomeration of events. You begin to settle for the lesser things in life. You live below what you are capable of. You may become too dependent on leisure if there is not a focus that is governing your everyday life.
As a focused person, you begin to key in on what is most important to you, aiming your life towards a goal. This type of living makes your life more productive and fulfilling. Especially as a Christian, you shouldn’t get quite as discouraged by momentary setbacks because you know God is fighting for you and trials are what they are – momentary. I think we all need to ask these questions:
Allow yourself to dream big dreams. Live a life that is focused for the glory of God.
If you have not heard, Delirious is calling it quits. Read the farewell article here. I will miss their music. As a tribute, I am posting the most amazing Delirious performance I know of. You really do need to watch this. The guitar solo is liberating.
DREAM – The Artist
• What were your childhood dreams or fantasies? What would the world look like if they became a reality?
• Dreams must be aligned with talent. What are your unique talents?
“God is not going to invest himself in a dream fueled by greed, arrogance, self-indulgence, and self-centeredness. Your passions fuel your dreams. God doesn’t say ‘yes’ to everything we ask because our dreams need to be fueled by the right things.”
• Where are your dreams coming from? Who or what is informing your dreams? Erwin says God gives God-sized dreams to people with God-shaped hearts (21).
• Have you ever courageously pursued a dream?
• Have you ever been discouraged on the path of pursuing your dream because of opposition, trials, and
difficulty? Tell us about your experience. Have you viewed these difficulties as God’s process for you?
• Are there lies you’ve believed that you need to face head-on in order to pursue your dream? Have you been so discouraged along the journey that you’ve given up?
For our Young Adult group this fall, I’ve written a simple study guide based on the ‘Wide Awake’ book. I will do a series of posts with questions for each chapter. If you are reading the book, I pray this will help you process the material and make it practical to your life*.
Intro: AWAKEN – The Artist
• What are you excited about in beginning this study just by looking at the title?Read the ‘AWAKEN’ introduction together and answer the following questions:
• Are you dissatisfied with your life? Describe why you feel that way.
• What did Erwin say is the difference between fame and greatness (pg. Xiv)?
• What do you want to get out of this study? Write down your answer.
* All quotations (besides Scriptures) are by Erwin McManus, taken directly from the book.