WHAT IS WORSHIP?

Jesus said to the Samaritan woman, “Yet a time is coming and has now come when the true worshipers will worship the Father in the Spirit and in truth, for they are the kind of worshipers the Father seeks. God is spirit, and His worshipers must worship in the Spirit and in truth.” (John 4:23-24 NIV)

You will find throughout the Word, and then continued throughout history, that when a human heart truly encounters the love of God -- in essence when the created connects with the Creator -- the response is worship, or worth-ship, as we often say. Worship as a response to revelation is displayed through consecrated lives (Romans 12), through wholehearted songs of love and devotion (the Psalms), and by living lives of love and justice (Micah 6:8). Worship is required not in perfection by man's standards, but in truth, by God's standards. He has never been impressed by offerings that look good, but offerings that are good. As the worship of God continues to gather momentum across the earth, so too does the awareness of His power and presence, along with the understanding of the authority that comes with exalting the name of Jesus over all things.

And whether we follow or lead, the ultimate goal of all we pursue in worship is His honor… As Pastor Jack Hayford has said, "Where worship is released, God's presence comes to dwell, and where God's presence abides, there will be power." Let's be committed to seeing the fullness of this word "worship," so that it may reach its potential on earth as it is in heaven. 

-- Darlene Zschech in “The Worshiper Magazine” Summer 2008 

#6450

PEOPLE ON A PLANE AND PEOPLE IN A PEW

EDITOR’S NOTE: Recently I received this photo of my great-nephew in the cockpit of a commercial plane with the pilots behind him. It reminded me of this story from Max Lucado…

 

PEOPLE ON A PLANE AND PEOPLE IN A PEW

People on a plane and people in a pew have a lot in common. All are on a journey. Most are well-behaved and presentable. Some doze, and others gaze out the window. Most, if not all, are satisfied with a predictable experience. For many, the mark of a good flight and the mark of a good worship assembly are the same. "Nice," we like to say. "It was a nice flight / It was a nice worship service." We exit the same way we enter, and we're happy to return next time.

A few, however, are not content with nice. They long for something more. The boy who just passed me did. I heard him before I saw him. I was already in my seat when he asked, "Will they really let me see the pilot?" He was either lucky or shrewd because he made the request just as he entered the plane. The question floated into the cockpit, causing the pilot to lean out. "Someone looking for me?" he asked.

The boy's hand shot up like he was answering his second-grade teacher's question. "I am!"

"Well come on in."

With a nod from his mom, the youngster entered the cockpit's world of controls and gauges and emerged minutes later with eyes wide. "Wow!" he exclaimed. "I'm glad to be on this plane!"

No one else's face showed such wonder… I mostly saw contentment: travelers content to be on the plane, content to be closer to their destination, content to be out of the airport, content to sit and stare and say little…

Do you see why I say that people on a plane and people on a pew have a lot in common? Enter a church sanctuary and look at the faces. A few are giggly, a couple are cranky, but by and large we are content. Content to be there. Content to sit and look straight ahead and leave when the service is over. Content to enjoy an assembly with no surprises or turbulence. Content with a "nice" service…

A few, however, seek more. A few come with the childlike enthusiasm of the boy. And those few leave as he did, wide-eyed with the wonder of having stood in the presence of the pilot Himself…

"Seek and you will find," Jesus promised. (Matthew 7:7)

-- Max Lucado in “Just Like Jesus”  [2000] 

#6449

GRACE AND JUDGMENT: TWO SIDES OF THE SAME COIN

“Consider therefore the kindness and sternness of God…”  (Romans 11:22a)

Grace and judgment are not opposites in Scripture -- they are inseparable truths flowing from the same holy heart of God. Judgment reveals what grace rescues us from. Grace reveals what judgment would have rightfully required. Together they show us the fullness of God’s character: His holiness that will not ignore sin, and His mercy that refuses to abandon sinners.

Judgment is the honest naming of what is broken in us. It is God’s clear-eyed truth about the chasm our sin creates -- truth that refuses to pretend we are fine on our own. (Romans 2:5) Grace is God’s bridge across that chasm, built not by our effort but by Christ’s sacrifice. (Ephesians 2:8-9) Judgment says, “This is the reality of your condition.” Grace says, “This is the remedy I freely give.”

Without judgment, grace becomes sentimental -- kindness without meaning. Without grace, judgment becomes crushing -- truth without hope. But together, they form the gospel: God sees us fully and loves us completely.

The cross is where these two sides meet. Judgment fell on Jesus so grace could fall on us. (1 Peter 3:18) The wrath we deserved was absorbed by the One who deserved none of it. The mercy we could never earn was poured out by the One who earned all of it.

When we speak of grace, we honor God’s love. When we speak of judgment, we honor God’s holiness. When we hold them together, we honor the cross. (John 3:16)

And this is why grace changes us -- it doesn’t ignore the truth about our sin; it transforms us in spite of it. Grace doesn’t erase judgment; it fulfills it. Grace doesn’t deny justice; it satisfies it. Grace doesn’t lower the bar; it lifts us up to it. Let the cross remind you that both truths -- held together -- are the reason you are His. 

-- SOUND BITES Ministry™

#6448

WE ARE CALLED TO BE HOLY

“As obedient children, do not conform to the evil desires you had when you lived in ignorance. But just as He who called you is holy, so be holy in all you do; for it is written: ‘Be holy, because I am holy.’”  (1 Peter 1:14-16 NIV)

Although our God is caring and compassionate, holiness cannot tolerate wrongdoing and evil. They simply cannot coexist. God’s indignation at evil is consuming and complete.

God’s anger with us is assuaged in Christ Jesus, yet we still are called to be holy because God is holy.

Is there anything in your life, past or present, that cannot dwell alongside God’s holiness? Is there anything for which you need to ask forgiveness?

As an act of confession, list your wrongdoings. Confess them to the Lord who “protects those who take refuge in Him” (Nahum 1:7).  Roll up that piece of paper, and throw it away or burn it. Experience the joy that comes from letting God cleanse you from all your sin.  

-- From “The Meeting God Bible (NRSV): Growing in Intimacy with God Through Scripture” 

#6447

HOLY IS THE LORD

“Holy, holy, holy is the LORD of hosts: the whole earth is full of His glory.”   (Isaiah 6:3 NIV)

The idea of holiness is so central to biblical teaching that it is said of God, “Holy is His name” (Luke 1:49). His name is holy because He is holy. He is not always treated with holy reverence. His name is tramped through the dirt of this world. It functions as a curse word, a platform for the obscene. That the world has little respect for God is vividly seen by the way the world regards His name. No honor. No reverence. No awe before Him. 

-- R.C. Sproul in “The Holiness of God”

#6446

WHEN GOD SAYS NO

“But [the Lord] said to me, ‘My grace is sufficient for you, for My power is made perfect in weakness.’ Therefore I will boast all the more gladly about my weaknesses, so that Christ’s power may rest on me.”  (2 Corinthians 12:9 NIV)

There are times when the one thing you want is the one thing you never get…

All you want is an open door or an extra day or an answered prayer, for which you will be thankful. And so you pray and wait. No answer. You pray and wait. No answer. You pray and wait.

May I ask a very important question? What if God says no?

What if the request is delayed or even denied? When God says no to you, how will you respond? If God says, “I’ve given you My grace, and that is enough,” will you be content?

Content. That’s the word. A state of heart in which you would be at peace if God gave you nothing more than He already has. Test yourself with this question: What if God’s only gift to you were His grace to save you? Would you be content?

What if His answer is, “My grace is sufficient,” would you be content?

You see, from heaven’s perspective, grace is enough. 

-- Max Lucado in “In the Grip of Grace”

#6445

GOD’S WORD IN EVERYDAY LANGUAGE

“I have hidden Your word in my heart that I might not sin against You.” (Psalm 119:11 NIV)

Peter Waldo, a business-man in Lyons, France, in about A.D. 1170 became intensely curious as to the content of the Scriptures. But he could not read Latin, and so the Scriptures were a closed book to him.  However, he hired two money-minded priests, who, in violation of strict regulations, translated the Bible for him into Provencal, the language of southern France.  The content of the Word of God made such an impression upon this earnest man that he gave up his business, took upon himself a vow of poverty, and dedicated himself to the simple preaching of the contents of God's Word.

The Latin of the Church only mystified its hearers, [but] Waldo's humble preaching edified the souls of men.  His words were not spectacular but powerful, as he pleaded with them to repent.  Much of his preaching and that of his followers consisted in reciting long passages of Scripture in the vernacular.  Many of them could not afford an expensive handwritten copy of the Bible, and the ecclesiastical authorities could too easily rob them of such a book; but they could not erase the words which were treasured in the heart. 

-- Eugene A. Nida in “God's Word in Man's Language”

#6444

GOD HAS NO GRANDCHILDREN

“To all who received Him, who believed in His name, He gave the right to become children of God.”  (John 1:12)

Decades ago a pastoral colleague of mine shared in a sermon, “God has no grandchildren -- only children.” It wasn’t original to him, but it has stuck with me. Faith isn’t passed down like an heirloom; it’s born fresh in every heart by the Spirit.

That’s why watching my sixteen-year-old granddaughter declare her own faith this past Sunday and step into the waters of baptism filled me with such joy. She wasn’t leaning on her grandparents’ faith or her parents’ faith -- she was answering God’s call for herself. Paul wrote to the church in Rome, “If you confess with your mouth that Jesus is Lord and believe in your heart that God raised Him from the dead, you will be saved.” (Romans 10:9-10 ESV)

Before she was baptized my granddaughter shared her faith journey and concluded, “My worth was no longer determined by how other people saw me, my worth came from who I am as a child of God and from knowing that I am deeply loved by Him… Today I am being baptized to show everyone that I have placed my faith in Jesus Christ as my Lord and Savior because He died on the cross for me.”

One generation telling the next of God’s goodness and love, and each one making their own personal decision to accept the gift and become His child by grace. “For it is by grace you have been saved, through faith -- and this is not from yourselves, it is the gift of God -- not by works, so that no one can boast.” (Ephesians 2:8-9 NIV)

The gospel moves forward not by inheritance, but by personal faith. God has no grandchildren – but I do! 

-- Rev. David T. Wilkinson, SOUND BITES Ministry™

#6443

GOD IS LOVE

“Whoever does not love does not know God, because God is love. This is how God showed His love among us: He sent His one and only Son into the world that we might live through Him. This is love: not that we loved God, but that He loved us and sent His Son as an atoning sacrifice for our sins. Dear friends, since God so loved us, we also ought to love one another. No one has ever seen God; but if we love one another, God lives in us and His love is made complete in us. This is how we know that we live in Him and He in us: He has given us of His Spirit. And we have seen and testify that the Father has sent His Son to be the Savior of the world. If anyone acknowledges that Jesus is the Son of God, God lives in them and they in God. And so we know and rely on the love God has for us. God is love. Whoever lives in love lives in God, and God in them.”  (1 John 4:8-16 NIV)

“God is love” is not the complete truth about God so far as the Bible is concerned. It is not an abstract definition which stands alone, but a summing up, from the believer’s standpoint, of what the whole revelation set forth in Scripture tells us about its Author. This statement presupposes all the rest of the biblical witness to God. The God of whom John is speaking is the God who made the whole world, who judged it by the Flood, who called Abraham and made of him a nation, who chastened His Old Testament people by conquest, captivity, and exile, who sent His Son to save the world,… and who would one day judge the world in righteousness. It is this God, says John, who is love. It is perverse to quote John’s statement, as some do, as if it called in question the biblical witness to the severity of God’s justice. It is not possible to argue that a God who is love cannot also be a God who condemns and punishes the disobedient; for it is precisely of the God who does these very things that John is speaking. 

-- J. I. Packer (1926-2020) in “Knowing God”

#6442

AMAZING, AMAZING GRACE

“For it is by grace you have been saved, through faith -- and this is not from yourselves, it is the gift of God -- not by works, so that no one can boast.” (Ephesians 2:8-9)

God’s grace is amazing because it meets us exactly where we are -- but it never leaves us there. Grace is God stepping toward us when we had no strength, no goodness, and no way to reach Him on our own. It’s the unearned, undeserved, unstoppable love of a God who refuses to give up on His people.

Grace is amazing because it is personal. God doesn’t offer a distant, mechanical forgiveness. He offers Himself. He draws near to the brokenhearted, lifts the weary, restores the sinner, and calls each of us by name. His grace doesn’t just clean the slate; it reshapes the heart.

Grace is amazing because it is constant. We fail, God remains faithful. We wander, He pursues. We fall short, He supplies strength. There is no moment when His grace runs thin or His patience wears out. It is new every morning, steady every evening, and present in every breath.

Grace is amazing because it is transforming. It doesn’t simply forgive what we’ve done -- it changes who we are. Grace teaches us to walk in freedom, to love boldly, to forgive generously, and to live with a hope that cannot be shaken.

Grace is amazing because it is costly -- but not to us. It cost Jesus everything. The cross is the clearest picture of grace: God choosing mercy over judgment, love over alienation, and redemption over ruin. 

-- SOUND BITES Ministry™

#6441

HONORING ONE ANOTHER

“Don’t just pretend to love others. Really love them. Hate what is wrong. Hold tightly to what is good. Love each other with genuine affection, and take delight in honoring each other.”  (Romans 12:9-10 NLT)

We can honor others in one of two ways. One involves ulterior motives. We honor our bosses so they will reward us, our employees so they will work harder, the wealthy so they will contribute to our causes, the powerful so they will use their power for us and not against us. God’s way involves love. As Christians, we honor people because they have been created in God’s image, because they are brothers and sisters in Christ, and because they have a unique contribution to make to Christ’s church. Does God’s way of honoring others sound too difficult for your competitive nature? Why not try to “outdo one another in showing honor” (Romans 12:10 ESV)? Put others first! 

-- From the “Life Application Study Bible”

#6440

FILLED WITH THE SPIRIT

One of the realities of my forty-five-year pilgrimage with Jesus is that the Holy Spirit tends to leak out of me. Take for example, when I’m driving down Highway 41 in Fort Myers, Florida, and all my friends from up north are visiting us during that time of the year we call “Season.” They have the audacity to drive the speed limit in the fast lane when I’m running late for a meeting to do the work of God, and sometimes in my frustration the Spirit leaks out, and then the words come out of my mouth that a follower of Jesus ought not to say. Am I alone? God wants to help the Holy-Spirit-leaking Christ followers like us.

I love this translation of Ephesians 5:18 from The Amplified Bible: “Do not get drunk with wine, for that is wickedness (corruption, stupidity), but be filled with the [Holy] Spirit and constantly guided by Him.” I think it’s awesome that the translation put the word “stupidity” in there. It’s like Paul is saying to us that there are two kinds of spirits, the spirits of wine and the Holy Spirit. We can choose to be drunk or intoxicated with either. To those being intoxicated with wine, he’d say, “That’s stupid.” Instead, Paul invites apprentices of Jesus who leak the Holy Spirit to be “filled with the Holy Spirit and constantly guided by Him.” 

-- Jorge Acevedo in “Everybody Needs Some Cave Time: Meeting God in Dark Places”

#6439

THE GENTLE NUDGE THAT KEEPS YOU IN YOUR LANE

“Whether you turn to the right or to the left, your ears will hear a voice behind you, saying, ‘This is the way; walk in it.’”  (Isaiah 30:21)

After a recent car accident, our car was totaled and we needed to get a replacement. We found that newer cars come with lane‑assist, something we had not had on our previous vehicle. It’s that subtle steering nudge when you drift too close to the edge of your lane. It’s not loud. It’s not dramatic. It doesn’t grab the wheel and take over. It simply reminds you, “Hey… you’re drifting. Come back to center.”

I have found that the Holy Spirit often works the same way. His promptings are usually gentle nudges -- quiet impressions, small checks in your spirit, a tug toward wisdom, a hesitation before a harmful choice, a sudden thought of someone who needs encouragement. They’re not meant to control you; they’re meant to guide you back into the lane of God’s will.

Lane‑assist doesn’t shame you for drifting. It simply helps you realign. The Spirit does too. He nudges because He loves. He corrects because He protects. He guides because He sees what’s ahead long before you do.

And when you learn to trust those small, sacred nudges, you begin to experience the peace of staying centered -- steady, safe, and aligned with the heart of God.

-- Rev. David T. Wilkinson, SOUND BITES Ministry™

#6438

FOLLOW HIS DIRECTIONS

“Your word is a lamp to my feet and a light for my path.” (Psalm 119:105)

God never intended you to be broken and lost. He has specific directions for your life, and if you live according to those directions, life works and you experience life the way it was meant to be lived.

If we ignore or reject His directions, we do so to our own detriment, and we experience much less than He intended. As the psalmist wrote, “Blessed are those who keep His testimonies, who seek Him with the whole heart.” (Psalm 119:2 NKJV)

God’s Word is like the markings on a highway. If we and other drivers drove within the proper lines and lanes, we are more likely to travel safely to our destination. If we go outside the lines, we do so at our own peril.

God did not just create you and me and plop us down here and say, “Happy birthday. Now guess your way through life.” He has given us roadway markings, directions that help to keep us safe on our journey through life.

Open your Bible and follow His directions!   

-- Anne Graham Lotz in “Fixing My Eyes on Jesus”

#6437

DON’T BE FOOLED BY THE FOG

“I have fought the good fight, I have finished the race, I have kept the faith. Now there is in store for me the crown of righteousness, which the Lord, the righteous Judge, will award to me on that day -- and not only to me, but also to all who have longed for His appearing.” (2 Timothy 4:7-8 NIV)

Don’t make the mistake of Florence Chadwick.  In 1952 she attempted to swim the chilly ocean waters between Catalina Island and the California shore.  She swam through foggy weather and choppy seas for fifteen hours.  Her muscles began to cramp, and her resolve weakened.  She begged to be taken out of the water, but her mother, riding in a boat alongside, urged her not to give up.  She kept trying but grew exhausted and stopped swimming.  Aids lifted her out of the water and into the boat.  They paddled a few more minutes, the mist broke, and she discovered the shore was less than a half mile away.  “All I could see was the fog,” she explained at a news conference.  “I think if I could have seen the shore, I would have made it.”

Take a long look at the shore that awaits you.  Don’t be fooled by the fog...  The finish may be only strokes away.  God may be, at this moment, lifting his hand to signal Gabriel to grab the trumpet.  Angels may be assembling, saints gathering, demons trembling.  Stay at it!  Stay in the water.  Stay in the race.  Stay in the fight.  Give grace, one more time.  Be generous, one more time.  Teach one more class, encourage one more soul, swim one more stroke. 

-- Max Lucado in “Facing Your Giants”

#6436

THE MYSTERY OF LIFE

"At present we are… looking at puzzling reflections in a mirror. The time will come when we shall see reality whole and face to face! At present all I know is a little fraction of the truth, but the time will come when I shall know it as fully as God now knows me!"  (1 Corinthians 13:12 Phillips Translation)

The Christian refuses to give their heart to the values or distractions of a world that is passing away. They freely enjoy what is good, beautiful, and true -- not only because God richly provides all things for our joy, but because every temporary pleasure hints at a deeper, lasting reality that will one day surpass anything imaginable.

Yet even with this hope, the Christian admits they do not fully understand the mystery of life. They walk with enough light for the next step, while much remains hidden -- and wisely so. When they say, “One day we will understand,” it is not a cliché but a steady conviction. Our present vision is limited, but when freed from the constraints of this life, we will know as surely as we are now known. 

-- Adapted and updated from J. B. Phillips in “New Testament Christianity”

#6435

THE PARABLE OF THE RICH FOOL – Part 3 of 3

“Do not lay up for yourselves treasures on earth, where moth and rust destroy and where thieves break in and steal, but lay up for yourselves treasures in heaven, where neither moth nor rust destroys and where thieves do not break in and steal. For where your treasure is, there your heart will be also.”  (Matthew 6:19-21 ESV)

In the parable of the rich fool (Luke 12) the man was keeping things to himself. Covetousness had conquered his heart. He was not generous, and he was not rich toward God.

If you haven’t noticed, the parable commends generosity. Why? Several reasons. First, it commends generosity for the simple reason that we can’t keep what we own. We can’t take it with us when we die…

Why else? Because generosity breaks the power of greed and frees our heart from covetousness. Holding our possessions tightly endangers our faith. It constantly temps us to transfer our trust from God to riches… The history of Israel, as seen in Deuteronomy 8, illustrates the truth of this. When Israel was blessed, it started to trust in blessings and not the giver of blessings… they forgot the Lord. They eventually pursued wealth as an end in itself. It became an idol. The longer and tighter you hold on to your possessions, the more covetous you get.

Why else does the parable commend generosity? Thirdly, because riches laid up in heaven are the most secure. They truly last.  D. L. Moody once met a wealthy farmer. Boasting, the farmer said, “Everything you can see for miles is mine. Look to the south. Look to the north. It’s all mine.” Moody pointed to heaven. “How much do you have in that direction?”

When we are rich toward God, what we have can never be taken away. 

-- Excerpted from “How to Finish the Christian Life: Following Jesus in the Second Half” by Donald W. Sweeting & George Sweeting

#6434

THE PARABLE OF THE RICH FOOL – Part 2 of 3

What’s your attitude toward things? As we see in Jesus’ parable of the rich fool, one of the inclinations in the second half of life is to worry about security, to grasp and to stockpile. Many of us hold and store much. We may not have barns, but our closets, basements, and garages are full.

The rich man in the parable made two false assumptions. First, he counted on having many years -- which he didn’t. His life was about to abruptly end. Second, he supposed he could hang on to his stuff, which he couldn’t. God said, “Fool! This night your soul is required of you, and the things you have prepared, whose will they be?” (Luke 12:20 ESV)  The answer: not yours! They will pass into someone else’s hands within the next twenty-four hours. “So is the one who lays up treasure for himself and is not rich toward God.” (Vs. 21)

The man was stingy. He was keeping things to himself. Covetousness had conquered his heart. He was not generous, and he was not rich toward God.

-- Excerpted from “How to Finish the Christian Life: Following Jesus in the Second Half” by Donald W. Sweeting & George Sweeting 

#6433

THE PARABLE OF THE RICH FOOL – Part 1 of 3

“Jesus said to them, ‘Take care, and be on your guard against all covetousness, for one's life does not consist in the abundance of his possessions.’”  (Luke 12:15)

In Luke 12 we find the parable of the rich fool. A man comes to Jesus and asks Him to command his brother to divide their family’s inheritance. Jesus was reluctant to resolve this dispute, but He took the occasion to speak with them about how they handle their possessions. So Jesus interrupts their conversation to tell them to be on their guard against covetousness.

“One’s life,” He said, “does not consist in the abundance of his possessions” Luke 12:15 ESV). At this point He tells them a story about a rich man whose land produced a great crop. The harvest was so great that he ran out of storage. “What shall I do?” he thought. He then decided he must build bigger barns. He would store his produce, and then tell himself to relax, to eat, drink and be merry, for he had ample goods laid up for many years…

We accumulate and never feel we have enough. What we do have, we do not want to let go… What’s your attitude toward things?

-- Excerpted from “How to Finish the Christian Life: Following Jesus in the Second Half” by Donald W. Sweeting & George Sweeting  

#6432

WHEN WORSHIP SENDS US OUT

"Let your light shine before others, that they may see your good deeds and glorify your Father in heaven.”  (Matthew 5:16)

Worship doesn’t end when we leave the sanctuary. In many ways, it begins there.

John R. W. Stott once wrote, “The loving service which God sends His people into the world to render includes both evangelism and social action, for each is in itself an authentic expression of love, and neither needs the other to justify it.”

That truth reminds us that worship is not confined to singing, praying, or listening. Worship becomes real when it shapes the way we live once we walk out the door of the church.

 Worship Sends Us to Speak the Good News

Evangelism is not a task for experts -- it is the natural overflow of a heart that has encountered God. When we leave worship, we carry the story of grace with us. We carry hope. We carry the name of Jesus into conversations, workplaces, neighborhoods, and ordinary moments.

Love speaks. Love shares. Love invites.

Worship Sends Us to Serve with Compassion

Social action is not an optional add‑on to faith -- it is an expression of God’s heart. Jesus healed, fed, lifted, and restored. When we leave worship, we step into a world aching for kindness, justice, and mercy.

Love acts. Love helps. Love restores.

Two Expressions, One Love

Stott reminds us that evangelism and social action are not competing priorities. They are two sides of the same love -- the love that first met us in Christ. One proclaims the gospel of grace; the other demonstrates it. Together they form a life that reflects the God we worship.  

-- SOUND BITES Ministry™

#6431

PREPARING THE HEART FOR WORSHIP

Worship doesn’t begin when the first hymn or praise song starts on Sunday morning. It begins in the quiet, intentional preparation of the heart. When we ready ourselves for worship, we’re not performing a ritual -- we’re opening space for God to speak, move, and transform. These five simple practices help us enter Sunday not as spectators, but as participants in the presence of God.

1. Pray for an Open Heart
“Open my eyes, that I may behold wondrous things out of Your law.”  (Psalm 119:18)

Before we hear God’s Word, we ask Him to make us receptive. An open heart is soft, teachable, and ready to be shaped. This prayer is a way of saying, “Lord, I’m listening.”

2. Pray for Your Pastor and Worship Team
“…that words may be given to me in opening my mouth boldly to proclaim the mystery of the gospel.”  (Ephesians 6:19)

Your pastor doesn’t preach in their own strength, and your worship team doesn’t lead in their own ability. Pray that God fills your pastor with wisdom, power, and anointing -- and fills the worship team with joy, unity, and spiritual sensitivity. Their ministry becomes a conduit for God’s voice.

3. Put Away Distractions
"Therefore consider carefully how you listen…”  (Luke 8:18)

Worship requires attention. When we quiet the noise -- mental clutter, digital overload, anxious thoughts -- we make room for God’s peace. Stillness is not inactivity; it is receptivity.

4. Come Expecting God to Work
“He rewards those who earnestly seek Him.”  (Hebrews 11:6)

Expectation is an act of faith. When you come believing God will speak, bless, convict, comfort, or guide -- you posture your heart to receive. Worship becomes a meeting place between your longing and God’s faithfulness.

5. Attend to Participate
“Serve the Lord with gladness; come before His presence with singing.”  (Psalm 100:2)

Worship is not a performance to watch -- it is a response to give. Sing wholeheartedly. Pray sincerely. Listen attentively. Engage fully. God delights in worship that is active, joyful, and genuine.

Preparing for worship is preparing for encounter. When we pray, quiet our hearts, expect God’s movement, and engage fully, Sunday becomes more than a service -- it becomes sacred space where God meets His people. 

-- SOUND BITES Ministry™

#6430

COMING CLEAN WITH GOD – Part 3 of 3

Don’t make this inward journey without God. Many voices urge you to look deep within and find an invisible strength or hidden power. A dangerous exercise. Self-assessment without God’s guidance leads to denial or shame. We can either justify our misbehavior with a thousand and one excuses or design and indwell a torture chamber. Justification or humiliation? We need neither.

We need a prayer-based confession, like David’s. After a year of denial and cover-up, he finally prayer, “God, be merciful to me because You are loving.  Because You are always ready to be merciful, wipe out all my wrongs. Wash away all my guilt   and make me clean again. I know about my wrongs, and I can’t forget my sin. You are the only one I have sinned against; I have done what You say is wrong. You are right when You speak and fair when You judge.” (Psalm 51:1-4 NCV)

David waved a white flag of surrender. No more combat. No more argument with heaven. He came clean with God. And you?...

“If we confess our sins, He will forgive our sins, because we can trust God to do what is right. He will cleanse us from all the wrongs we have done.” (1 John 1:9 NCV)  Oh, the sweet certainty of these words. “He will cleanse us.” Not He might, could, would, or has been known to. He will cleanse you. Tell God what you did. It’s not that He doesn’t already know, but the two of you need to agree. Spend as much time as you need. Share all the details you can. Let the pure water of grace flow over your mistakes.

-- Max Lucado in “Grace: More Than We Deserve, Greater Than We Imagine”

#6429

COMING CLEAN WITH GOD – Part 2 of 3

What would an X-ray of your soul reveal? Regrets over a teenage relationship? Remorse over a poor choice? Shame about the marriage that didn’t work, the habits you couldn’t quit, the temptation you didn’t resist, or the courage you couldn’t find? Self-imposed guilt lies hidden beneath the surface, festering, irritating. Sometimes so deeply embedded you don’t know the cause.

You become moody, cranky. You’re prone to overreact. You’re angry, irritable. You can be touchy, you know. Understandable, since you have a shank of shame lodged in your soul.

Interested in an extraction? Confess. Request a spiritual MRI. “Search me, O God, and know my heart; try me, and know my anxieties, and see if there is any wicked way in me, and lead me in the way everlasting.” (Psalm 139:23-24)

As God brings misdeeds to mind, agree with Him and apologize. Let Him apply grace to the wounds. 

-- Max Lucado in “Grace: More Than We Deserve, Greater Than We Imagine”

#6428

COMING CLEAN WITH GOD – Part 1 of 3

“If we say we have no sin, we are fooling ourselves, and the truth is not in us. But if we confess our sins, He will forgive our sins, because we can trust God to do what is right. He will cleanse us from all the wrongs we have done.”  (1 John 1:8-9 NCV)

Confession. The word conjures up many images, not all of which are positive. Backroom interrogations. Chinese water torture. Admitting dalliances to a priest who sits on the other side of a screen. Walking down the church aisle and filling out a card. Is this what John had in mind?

Confession is not telling God what He doesn’t know. Impossible. Confession is not complaining. If I merely recite my problems and rehash my woes, I’m whining. Confession is not blaming. Pointing the fingers at others without pointing any at me feels good, but it doesn’t promote healing.

Confession is so much more. Confession is a radical reliance on grace. A proclamation of our trust in God’s goodness. “What I did was bad,” we acknowledge, “but Your grace is greater than my sin, so I confess.” If our understanding of grace is small, our confession will be small: reluctant, hesitant, hedged with excuses and qualifications, full of fear of punishment. But great grace creates an honest confession. 

-- Max Lucado in “Grace: More Than We Deserve, Greater Than We Imagine”

#6427

LOVE IS A JOURNEY, NOT A DESTINATION

“Walk in love, just as Christ loved us and gave himself up for us…”  (Ephesians 5:2)

We often think, at least unconsciously, that when we finally fall in love and decide to share our lives with another person, everything in our lives will fall into place. We'll "settle down," as we say, and, the implication is, we'll stay settled until "death do us part."

I call this the Shoe Box Notion of love. In this view, a relationship is like a shoe box… in which you keep something precious like your wedding bouquet. You wrap the flowers in tissue paper, put them in the box, … and hope the contents will stay just as they are forever and a day.

Unfortunately, this is precisely how many of us think about relationships. We put our love in a shoe box, stash it, and imagine we can retrieve it unchanged anytime we want. We think we don't have to do anything to make sure it doesn't get moldy or moth-eaten.

In truth, however, a relationship is a journey and not a destination. It begins with a love that captures our attention and ignites our passion, and goes through the innumerable and unending undulations and permutations that give it texture, character, and spice, and which, without our necessarily liking or expecting it, shape and reshape the two people who created it…

A relationship is about movement, growth; it is a holy interpersonal environment for the transformation of two souls.

-- Daphne Rose Kingma in “True Love”

#6426

THE ALL-POWERFUL GOOD SHEPHERD – Part 2 of 2

“You prepare a table before me in the presence of my enemies; You anoint my head with oil; my cup runs over. Surely goodness and mercy shall follow me all the days of my life; and I will dwell in the house of the Lord forever.”  (Psalm 23:5-6 NKJV)

King David, who wrote Psalm 23, had taken on a lion and a bear and pounded them into the ground (Samuel 17:34-36). David understood what God said when He promised to be with us through the valley of the shadow of death. Jesus is there in the midst of the pressure with us, and He’s not just standing around with His hands in His pockets. The Good Shepherd is there to rescue us when necessary, to protect us at all costs, and to fill our cups to overflowing. We don’t need to watch over our shoulders anymore. God prepares a table for us in the midst of our enemies. Jesus is watching them, guarding us, so we can keep our attention fully fixed on the face of the Good Shepherd – Jesus, our Savior. 

-- Louie Giglio in “Don’t Give the Enemy a Seat at Your Table” 

#6425

THE ALL-POWERFUL GOOD SHEPHERD – Part 1 of 2

“The Lord is my shepherd; I shall not want.… Yea, though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, I will fear no evil; for You are with me; Your rod and Your staff, they comfort me.”  (Psalm 23:1,4 NKJV)

I grew up in a big church in downtown Atlanta. When I was twelve, I remember being in our seventh-grade boy’s Sunday school room. Tan linoleum floor. Cinderblock walls, also tan. Metal folding chairs. Maps of Paul’s missionary journeys on the wall. A window with blinds -- always closed. And on the far wall a big painting of the “meek and mild” Jesus. You know what I’m talking about? His face was pale. He looked like He hadn’t been outside in a long time. His robe was perfect. His hair was perfect. He had a woolly lamb on His shoulders and a crook in His hand -- and Jesus was gazing off into Foreverland with a faraway look in His eyes. But Olan Mills Portrait Studios Jesus is nothing like the real thing.

He’s your hero. Your defender. He’s the mighty Son of God! When you are up against life and death, when your back’s against a wall, when circumstances are poised to take you out, and when the Devil is whispering lies in your ear, you need to know there’s an all-powerful Good Shepherd with a rod in one hand and a staff in the other. That’s the Jesus of Psalm 23. That’s why we find comfort in His presence. With that staff, the Good Shepherd can grab you and pull you to safety. And with that rod, He can crush any prowling lion or raging bear that charges you. 

-- Louie Giglio in “Don’t Give the Enemy a Seat at Your Table” 

#6424

THE CHRIST STORY

“In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. He was with God in the beginning. Through Him all things were made; without Him nothing was made that has been made. In him was life, and that life was the light of all mankind. The light shines in the darkness, and the darkness has not overcome it.”  (John 1:1-4 NIV)

Much of our preaching is eviscerated because we tell the Christ story as if it began in a Bethlehem stable and ended on the day of the ascension. When all things began, He already was. His story is a story of a crucified carpenter whose death and resurrection long ago and far away give meaning and purpose not only to our individual lives, but also to the whole created universe. "The whole universe has been created through Him and for Him" (Colossians 1:16). If that is true, then there is nothing in all creation, nothing in human experience of joy or pain, nothing in the physical world from the galaxies to the atom that cannot be a theophany, a Christophany, a revelation of God in Christ. 

-- Ian Pitt-Watson in “A Primer for Preachers” [1986] 

#6423

THE PATTERN OF THE CROSS – Part 2 of 2

“So we have stopped evaluating others from a human point of view. At one time we thought of Christ merely from a human point of view. How differently we know Him now! This means that anyone who belongs to Christ has become a new person. The old life is gone; a new life has begun! And all of this is a gift from God, who brought us back to Himself through Christ.”  (2 Corinthians 5:16-18 NLT)

This upside-down pattern of the cross so contradicts the thinking and practice of the world that it creates an “alternate kingdom,” an alternate reality, a counterculture among those who have been transformed by it. In this peaceable kingdom there is a reversal of the values of the world with regard to power, recognition, status, and wealth. In this new counterculture, Christians look at money as something to give away. They look at power as something to use strictly for service. Racial and class superiority, accrual of money and power at the expense of others, yearning for popularity and recognition, these normal marks of human life, are the opposite of the mindset of those who have understood and experienced the Cross. Christ creates a whole new order of life. Those who are shaped by the great reversal of the Cross no longer need self-justification through money, status, career, or pride of race and class. So the Cross creates a counterculture in which sex, money, and power cease to control us and are used in life-giving and community-building rather than destructive ways. 

-- Timothy Keller (1950-2023) in “The Reason for God: Belief in an Age of Skepticism”  

#6422

THE PATTERN OF THE CROSS – Part 1 of 2

Jesus said, “The reason My Father loves Me is that I lay down My life -- only to take it up again. No one takes it from Me, but I lay it down of My own accord. I have authority to lay it down and authority to take it up again. This command I received from My Father.”  (John 10:17-18 NIV)

The pattern of the Cross means that the world’s glorification of power, might, and status is exposed and defeated. On the cross Christ wins through losing, triumphs through defeat, achieves power through weakness and service, comes to wealth via giving it all away. Jesus Christ turns the values of the world upside down. As N. T. Wright, in his book “Simply Christian,” says: “The real enemy after all, was not Rome but the powers of evil that stood behind human arrogance and violence… [On the cross] the kingdom of God triumphed over the kingdoms of the world by refusing to join in their spirit of violence. [On the cross, Jesus] would love His enemies, turn the other cheek, go the second mile.”  

-- Timothy Keller (1950-2023) in “The Reason for God: Belief in an Age of Skepticism” 

#6421

YOUR WITNESS IN WORDS AND DEEDS

“Now someone may argue, ‘Some people have faith; others have good deeds.’ But I say, ‘How can you show me your faith if you don’t have good deeds? I will show you my faith by my good deeds.’”  (James 2:18 NLT)

The single most important factor in your ability to witness for Christ is your own personal faith.  A genuine faith is often shared successfully even when the sharing seems awkward.  Transparent Christian faith is so powerful in its appeal that it is self-commending.

A second vital factor in faith sharing is a passionate and deep caring for others.  Unless you genuinely care about whether or not your friend is brought closer to Christ, you probably will not be motivated to give your witness.  That passion emerges out of your relationship with God and with your friend…

Sometimes we are tempted to believe that deeds, not words, are the most important part of our witness for Christ.  But upon deeper reflection we realize how very important words are.  A record of only the deeds of Jesus would be a treasure, of course.  However, to add His words to the record of His deeds adds infinite richness to our understanding of Jesus.  The words of Jesus help interpret for us His deeds, and His deeds help give credibility to His words.  The same is true of the person who witnesses for Christ.

-- Harold K. Bates in “Witness for Christ”

#6420

I WAS BLIND BUT NOW I SEE

“Jesus spit on the ground, made some mud with the saliva, and put it on the [blind] man’s eyes. ‘Go,’ He told him, ‘wash in the Pool of Siloam’ (this word means ‘Sent’). So the man went and washed, and came home seeing.”  (John 9:6-7 NIV)

After Jesus healed the blind man, others in his town who didn’t understand wanted to debate all sorts of meaningless issues. When several Pharisees accused Jesus of being a sinner, the blind guy told his story. “Whether [Jesus] is a sinner or not, I don’t know. One thing I do know. I was blind but now I see!” (John 9:25)

Even though this newly healed man didn’t know enough to debate theology, he was an expert on one topic -- his own experience. He was blind and now he could see. Everywhere he went, this healed man could tell his story to anyone who would listen, and his changed life was proof of what had happened.

We can do the same. Start with these words: “Let me tell you my story.” Then just fill in the blanks. You might have been forgiven for many sins or saved from a life of addiction. Perhaps you were sick and God healed you, or you were searching for something meaningful in life and your search ended when you found Christ. You may have grown up in church and known about God since Elmo was your favorite furry friend, but you only personally experienced God’s goodness later in life. Even if you don’t feel like your story is powerful or dramatic, God can use it. 

-- Craig Groeschel in “The Christian Atheist: Believing in God but Living as if He Doesn’t Exist”

#6419

IT MAKES ALL THE DIFFERENCE

Jesus said, “The thief comes only to steal and kill and destroy; I have come that they may have life, and have it to the full.”  (John 10:10)

A man in our church [in London] told me recently about how he had come to Christ. He was going through difficulties in his business and had to go to the United States on a business trip. He was not feeling very happy as he rode in a taxi to the airport. On the dashboard of the taxi he noticed pictures of the taxi driver’s children. He could not see the face of the driver, but he asked him about his family. He felt great love coming from the man. As the conversation went on, the taxi driver said to him, “I sense that you are not happy. If you believe in Christ it makes all the difference.”

The businessman said to me, “Here was a man speaking with authority. I thought I was the one in authority. After all, I was paying.” The taxi driver said to him eventually, “Don't you think it's time you settled all this by accepting Christ?” They arrived at the airport. For the first time the taxi driver turned around and the businessman saw his face; it was full of kindness. The driver said to him, “Why don't we pray? If you want Christ in your life, ask Him.” They prayed together and the driver gave him a booklet about the Christian faith. The taxi driver was a modest, unassuming person who was there one moment and gone the next, but he had taken the opportunity to proclaim the good news of Jesus Christ. This changed the whole course of a man's life.

-- Nicky Gumbel in Alpha’s “Questions of Life: A Practical Introduction to the Christian Faith” 

#6418

CREATION SPEAKS OF THE CREATOR – Part 2 of 2

“In the beginning God created the heavens and the earth… God saw all that He had made, and it was very good.”  (Genesis 1:1,31a NIV)

Creation Reveals God’s Beauty. From the delicate symmetry of a snowflake to the vibrant colors of a sunset, to the soft petals of a rose, beauty is woven into the world. “God saw all that He had made, and it was very good.”  (Genesis 1:31)  Beauty is not accidental, it is intentional. It reflects a God who delights in goodness, creativity, and joy.

Creation Reveals God’s Faithfulness. The rhythm of seasons, the rising and setting of the sun, the cycle of seedtime and harvest -- all whisper the same truth: God is steady and dependable. “As long as the earth endures… day and night will never cease.” (Genesis 8:22)  Even when life feels unpredictable, creation reminds us that God is not. He is faithful in every season.

Creation Reveals God’s Care. Jesus pointed to the birds and flowers as living illustrations of God’s tender provision. “Look at the birds of the air… your heavenly Father feeds them.” (Matthew 6:26)  “See how the flowers of the field grow… not even Solomon in all his splendor was dressed like one of these.” (Matthew 6:28–29)  If God cares for sparrows and lilies, how much more does He care for you.

Creation is not God. But it is God’s artwork -- His signature on the canvas of the world. When we pay attention, creation becomes a daily invitation to worship. May your eyes be open today to the God who speaks through everything He has made. 

-- SOUND BITES Ministry™ 

#6417

CREATION SPEAKS OF THE CREATOR – Part 1 of 2

“The heavens declare the glory of God; the skies proclaim the work of His hands.”  (Psalm 19:1)

Creation is not silent. Every sunrise, every crashing wave, every whisper of wind carries a message. The world God made is not merely scenery -- it is testimony. It reveals God’s character, power, and heart. When we slow down long enough to look, creation becomes a sanctuary where God’s fingerprints are everywhere.

Creation Reveals God’s Glory. The vastness of the heavens stretches our imagination. Billions of stars, galaxies beyond counting -- yet God calls each one by name. “He determines the number of the stars and calls them each by name.” (Psalm 147:4) The night sky reminds us that God is both majestic and mindful. If He knows the stars, He surely knows you.

Creation Reveals God’s Power. Mountains that pierce the clouds, oceans that roar with strength -- these are glimpses of His might. “For since the creation of the world God’s invisible qualities -- His eternal power and divine nature -- have been clearly seen…” (Romans 1:20)  Creation is God’s sermon without words. Its power points to a God who is never overwhelmed, never outmatched, never uncertain. 

-- SOUND BITES Ministry™ 

#6416

LET ME INTRODUCE YOU TO MY FRIEND

Jesus said, "I no longer call you servants, for a servant does not know his master’s business. Instead, I have called you friends, for everything that I learned from My Father I have made known to you."  (John 15:15 NIV)

“Now this is eternal life: that they know You, the only true God, and Jesus Christ whom You have sent.”  (John 17:3 NIV)

We talk about God in the third person. We teach about God. However, we don't teach about our spouses or about our good friends. We introduce them, not teach about them. Too often we relate to God as a myth or a theorem to be talked about and not as a friend to be introduced.

-- Adapted from Norman Shawchuck in “A Guide to Prayer for All Who Seek God”

#6415

WHAT KIND OF WITNESS ARE WE?

Jesus said to His disciples, “A new command I give you: Love one another. As I have loved you, so you must love one another. By this everyone will know that you are My disciples, if you love one another.”  (John 13:34-35 NIV)

Sheldon Vanauken (1914–1996) wrote that the strongest argument for Christianity is Christians, when they are drawing life from God. The strongest argument against Christianity? Also Christians, when they become exclusive, self-righteous, and complacent.

Dallas Willard (1925-2013) [in his book “The Spirit of the Disciplines”] wrote, "How many people are radically and permanently repelled from The Way by Christians who are unfeeling, stiff, unapproachable, boringly lifeless, obsessive, and dissatisfied? Yet such Christians are everywhere, and what they are missing is the wholesome liveliness springing from a balanced vitality with the freedom of God's loving rule…. Spirituality wrongly understood or pursued is a major source of human misery and rebellion against God."

-- John Ortberg in “The Life You've Always Wanted”

#6414

A CHILD-LIKE SPIRIT

Jesus said, "Let the little children come to Me, and do not hinder them, for the kingdom of heaven belongs to such as these."  (Matthew 19:14 NIV)

Faith is sometimes equated with credulity, but it can be so equated only when the profound mistake is made of thinking of faith as primarily a matter of intellectual assent.  As the New Testament uses the word, faith is trust, acceptance, commitment, vision.  It is not a belief in this or that creed, it is a quality which lies rather in the realm of intuition than the intellect. Faith has indeed an element of true simplicity; it is one of the qualities -- perhaps the fundamental quality -- of the child-like spirit without which no one can enter the Kingdom of God. 

-- Anonymous, attributed to Charles Wesley, from “Christian Quotation of the Day” 

#6413

OUR HOPE IS IN THE LORD

“Yet this I call to mind and therefore I have hope: because of the Lord’s great love we are not consumed, for His compassions never fail.  They are new every morning; great is Your faithfulness. I say to myself, ‘The Lord is my portion; therefore I will wait for Him.’  The Lord is good to those whose hope is in Him, to the one who seeks Him; it is good to wait quietly for the salvation of the Lord.”  (Lamentations 3:21-26 NIV)

At a time when I thought my world had all but ended, when the realization was hammering at my heart that my daughter's death was not some nightmare from which I would recover but was for all time, a friend came into the room, put her arms around my neck, and said, "Everything's going to be all right."

I thought she was crazy.  And yet.... and yet.... was it possible that she was right?

I had occasion, some years later, to be the consoler of a young woman whose son had lapsed into a coma from which he would not recover, and my words to her were the same.  "Everything's going to be all right." And I felt my friend from that earlier time standing beside me, nodding - See, that's what I told you.

Improbably though it seems when grief first assaults us we do come to learn, though the surface of our life will often be in turmoil, that on a deep and unshakable level there is indeed a confidence that all is well. 

Until that happens, we cling to the testimony of others and take hope: if for them, why not for us, too? 

-- Martha Whitmore Hickman in “Healing After Loss”

#6412