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

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

THE HABIT OF WORSHIP

"Let us not give up meeting together, as some are in the habit of doing, but let us encourage one another -- and all the more as you see the Day approaching."  (Hebrews 10:25 NIV)

My wife and I had a dinner conversation with a couple who said that they left their church as a result of a pastoral change, had tried another church with no success, and now were not worshipping anywhere. They acknowledged it was far too easy to get out of the habit.

Worship is not just an event, it’s a habit -- a rhythm of grace that shapes the soul. Let me encourage you to be in the habit of worshipping every Sunday, not just when you feel like it, not just when you're in town, not just when the kids have Sunday school. The habit of worship is not about routine -- it’s about relationship. Each time we come together, we rehearse eternity: the family of God united in praise. Make it your habit to worship, and when you do you'll find that God has made it His habit to show up as well.

Lord, teach me to make worship my habit, not my option. Let my heart be drawn to Your presence and my life shaped by Your praise. May I never grow weary of gathering with Your people, for in worship I find You again. Amen.

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

#6388

DON’T SETTLE FOR LESS

“Praise be to the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who has blessed us in the heavenly realms with every spiritual blessing in Christ.”  (Ephesians 1:3)

What are you settling for in your life? What are you willing to compromise for comfort? For happiness? For prestige or wealth?

It’s far too easy to settle for less. Less than the fullness of God’s blessing. Less than God’s purpose for your life. And soon what matters to others seems more important than what matters to God.

Surfing the Internet becomes more important than reading your Bible. Going to the gym seems more important than early-morning prayer. A good tee-time is suddenly the priority over worship time.

Jesus opened His heart to His Father and prayed, “And now, Father, glorify Me in Your presence with the glory I had with You before the world began” (John 15:5). Jesus was asking His Father to give Him more! More glory! More blessing!

Don’t settle for less than everything your Heavenly Father wants to give you.

– Adapted from “Fixing My Eyes on Jesus” by Anne Graham Lotz

#6370

OFFERING AS AN ACT OF WORSHIP

“When one of the Pharisees invited Jesus to have dinner with him, Jesus went to the Pharisee’s house and reclined at the table. A woman in that town who lived a sinful life learned that Jesus was eating at the Pharisee’s house, so she came there with an alabaster jar of perfume. As she stood behind Him at His feet weeping, she began to wet His feet with her tears. Then she wiped them with her hair, kissed them and poured perfume on them.”  (Luke 7:36-38 NIV)

In Luke’s Gospel, we read the story of a woman who brought to Jesus a jar of expensive perfume which she broke open and poured out on Him… as an offering. She did not have to give it, but she made a choice. She did not give from obligation, but an open heart. She did not come for an hour, put her offering in a basket, and immediately leave to go back to her daily activities. She stopped. She wasn’t too busy or distracted by the world to surrender her thanksgiving and linger with her Savior as an act of worship. This outpouring of her time cost her, but it would be repaid by an outpouring of mercy and peace from Jesus.

There are many contrasts in the passage. The Pharisees were religious and educated. The woman was sinful and wasn’t allowed to study. The Pharisees were there to question Jesus. The woman was there to worship Jesus. The Pharisees were prideful. The woman was humble. The Pharisees shunned the sinful woman. Jesus showed her mercy. Because the woman was willing to come before Jesus with her broken offering, she received wholeness and redemption. What a moment. 

-- Excerpted from “Altar’d: The Transforming Power of Surrender” by Susan O. Kent

#6366

BUSYNESS AND THE CHURCH

We Christians in America often pride ourselves on being busy with church activities. It is a compliment to say So-and-so is “active in church.” In some megachurches it is almost possible to spend all one’s nonworking, nonsleeping hours at church.

That isn’t necessarily bad. We need fellowship with other Christians, and church activities are better than many secular alternatives. But it might be healthy to consider our motives for remaining busy with church activities. According to 1 Corinthians 13, doing a lot of things is no substitute for genuine Christian love -- even though a loving Christian will, of course, do good works.

In my youth in Germany, my impression was that churches are places of worship, not activity centers. Europeans (whose rates of church attendance are much lower than Americans) still puzzle that American churches schedule so many activities outside the worship times. Personally, I like busyness, since it dispels the notion that Christianity is strictly a Sunday morning affair. Bible studies, fellowship times, prayer groups, etc., are wonderful things. My chief criticism of church busyness is this: We can bury ourselves in activities and withdraw from a world that needs to hear the gospel. Busy churches can be like monasteries – beehives of activity, but forgetful of Jesus’ mandate to “go and make disciples” (Matthew 28:19). We can’t “let [our] light shine before others” (Matthew 5:16) if our lights only shine within the church fellowship hall.

-- George Strumpf and J. Stephen Lang, quoted in “Side by Side: Disciple-Making for a New Century,” Steve and Lois Rabey, General Editors 

#6364

SPIRITUAL FITNESS FOR THE NEW YEAR

“Train yourself to be godly. For physical training is of some value, but godliness has value for all things, holding promise for both the present life and the life to come.   (1 Timothy 4:7b-8 NIV)

A new year invites us to reset our priorities. Many of us will focus on physical health -- dieting, exercising, or finally using that gym membership. Paul reminds us this has value, but he also points us to something far more lasting: training in godliness.

John Ortberg writes in "The Life You've Always Wanted" that if we want to grow spiritually, we must “stop trying and start training.” Trying depends on momentary effort. Training builds steady habits that shape us over time. Spiritual growth doesn’t happen by accident; it grows through intentional practices that open our hearts to God’s transforming work.

This year, consider simple rhythms that strengthen your soul: Prayer as a daily conversation with God. Scripture as nourishment for your soul and guidance for the journey. Worship as a posture of reverence and gratitude. Community as the place where we support one another and grow best.  Devotional reading as the source of encouragement from those who are spiritual trainers. These practices are the gymnasium of the soul. And the promise is clear: godliness brings blessing not only for eternity, but for the life you’re living right now.

If you know of someone like you who would like to be part of a daily spiritual fitness routine this year, encourage them to follow this blog or subscribe to this e-mail through the link at the bottom of the column to the right.

As you step into the new year, may you train -- not try -- and may Christ be formed in you more deeply with every step.   

-- SOUND BITES Ministry™  

#6276

BLOCKING AND TACKLING

EDITOR’S NOTE: I recently heard from a subscriber who wrote, “After 20 years of subscribing to SOUND BITES, I continue to be fed. Thank you for your dedication to this ministry!” That, and the fact that we are in the midst of the football season, reminded me of this quote from a former pastor and colleague of mine that I have shared before -- the importance of sticking to the basics and doing them daily.  – DW

BLOCKING AND TACKLING

“They devoted themselves to the apostles’ teaching and to fellowship, to the breaking of bread and to prayer.”  (Acts 2:42 NIV)

If you and I want [our lives] to be marked by a very real newness within, we would do well to review some of the ancient practices which good people have found to be helpful over the centuries.  I pastored in Green Bay, Wisconsin during part of the period that Vince Lombardi was coaching the Packers to football immortality.  Mr. Lombardi was often asked about trick plays and the secrets of coaching; he always answered that it was simply a matter of blocking and tackling.  There were no new, clever ideas that really mattered unless one mastered the fundamentals of the game.

I've concluded that the same thing is true of the spiritual life.  Books, retreats, and religious conferences are constantly promising us some new formula for spiritual vitality.  Some of them may stimulate us for a time.  But in the end, we'll need to come back to "blocking and tackling" -- such basic matters as Bible reading, prayer, group worship and sharing, and good devotional reading. 

-- J. Ellsworth Kalas (1923-2015) in “Reading the Signs”  

#6223

A CRESCENDO OF PRAISE

"Praise the Lord. Praise God in His sanctuary; praise Him in His mighty heavens. Praise Him for His acts of power; praise Him for His surpassing greatness. Praise Him with the sounding of the trumpet, praise Him with the harp and lyre, praise Him with timbrel and dancing, praise Him with the strings and pipe, praise Him with the clash of cymbals, praise Him with resounding cymbals. Let everything that has breath praise the Lord. Praise the Lord."  (Psalm 150 NIV)

Psalm 150 doesn’t whisper… it shouts. It’s the final note in the Psalter’s symphony, a call to worship that echoes through every corner of creation. There’s no mention of struggle, lament, or petition here -- just pure, unfiltered praise.

The psalmist invites us to praise God everywhere (“in His sanctuary… in His mighty heavens”), for everything (“His acts of power… His surpassing greatness”), and with everything (“trumpet… harp… dancing… cymbals”). It’s a full-bodied celebration of who God is and what He’s done.

But this isn’t just about instruments -- it’s about intention. Whether you’re a musician, a writer, a teacher, or a parent, your life can be an instrument of praise. The question isn’t whether you have breath -- it’s what you’re doing with it.

Praise isn’t confined to Sunday mornings. Let your daily routines become sacred rhythms of worship. Use your gifts -- writing, photography, design, music -- to reflect God’s glory. Every medium can become a melody of praise. Are you using your breath to complain, criticize, or compare,… or to praise, encourage, and uplift? Let everything that has breath praise the Lord -- everyone, every way, everywhere, every breath. 

-- SOUND BITES Ministry™, compiled from a variety of sources

#6220

WORSHIP AND WORK

“Then the Lord said to Moses, ‘Behold, I have chosen Bezalel son of Uri, the son of Hur, of the tribe of Judah, and I have filled him with the Spirit of God, with wisdom, with understanding, with knowledge and with all kinds of skills -- to make artistic designs for work in gold, silver and bronze, to cut and set stones, to work in wood, and to engage in all kinds of crafts.’”  (Exodus 31:1-5)

To behold is to see beyond sight. I think of beholding as a participation in divine perceptivity. God creates, and God beholds. As divine image-bearers, we do the same. It's what we were made for.

This is precisely what artists do. Artists have a sense of vision beyond eyesight. They see what can't be seen, and they bring it into visibility through acts of creation so we can see it too. They behold, and in creating something for us to see, they train us to behold -- to see beyond our limited sight.

Behold -- the first art project in the kingdom of God is an installation of creativity that will point us not to the artist, nor to the art, but to God Himself. This is the divine calling of a holy artist -- to forge and fashion the vision of "on earth as it is in heaven" through every medium imaginable by all manner of creative work. I think I may have stumbled onto a definition of worship from the back side.

What if all work were approached in this same way? When work is done as worship -- which is to say, from a place of beholding -- it causes all work to rise to the level of art. It becomes a thing to "behold," which points us to the God of glory. There is a word for this kind of awakening: renaissance.

-- Excerpted from “Wake-Up Call” with J. D. Walt 

#6175

WORSHIP AND STUDY GO TOGETHER

Now we must not worship without study for ignorant worship is of limited value and can be dangerous.  We may develop "a zeal for God, but not according to knowledge" (Romans 10:2) and do great harm to ourselves and others.  But worship must be added to study to complete the renewal of our mind through a willing absorption in the radiant Person who is worthy of all praise. 

Study without worship is also dangerous, and the people of Jesus constantly suffer from its effects, especially in academic settings.  To handle the things of God without worship is always to falsify them.  In worship we are ascribing greatness, goodness, and glory to God.  It is typical of worship that we put every possible aspect of our being into it, all of our sensuous, conceptual, active, and creative capacity…

Worship nevertheless imprints on our whole being the reality that we study.  The effect is a radical disruption of the powers of evil in us and around us. 

-- Dallas Willard (1935-2013) in “The Divine Conspiracy”

#6174

THE VALUE OF WORSHIP

“Praise be to the Lord, for He has heard my cry for mercy. The Lord is my strength and my shield; my heart trusts in Him, and He helps me. My heart leaps for joy, and with my song I praise Him.”  (Psalm 28:6-7 NIV)

At the height of the Civil War the need for hospital facilities became so great that many schools and other public buildings in Washington, D.C., were made into temporary medical centers. Dr. Phineas Gurley, pastor of New York Avenue Presbyterian Church, determined that the sanctuary of his church should be turned over to such needs, by placing a "floor" over the pews upon which hospital beds could be placed.

When Dr. Gurley announced to his congregation that there would be no more church services in New York Avenue until further notice, President Lincoln was present. Though not a member, Lincoln worshiped at that church most Sundays. The announcement was hardly complete before Lincoln stood to his feet. "Dr. Gurley," he said, "this action was taken without my consent and I hereby countermand the order. The churches are needed as never before for divine services." Needless to say, the President's order was obeyed. 

Mr. Lincoln realized that when mankind's needs are greatest, no need is greater than one’s spiritual sustenance. The most pressing problems of a critical time do not take precedence over the primary ministry of the church; they only accentuate its importance. For what is our profit if we have gained the world -- or saved our lives, economy, and health -- and have lost our souls? 

-- J. Ellsworth Kalas, in the newsletter of First United Methodist Church of Madison, Wisconsin, May 4, 1972

#6159

GOD’S EVERLASTING LOVE

“For as the heavens are high above the earth, so great is His lovingkindness toward those who fear and worship Him [with awe-filled respect and deepest reverence]. As far as the east is from the west, so far has He removed our transgressions from us.”  (Psalm 103:11-12 AMP)

The big news of the Bible is not that you love God but that God loves you; not that you can know God but that God already knows you! He tattooed your name on the palm of His hand. His thoughts of you outnumber the sand on the shore. You never leave His mind, escape His sight, flee His thoughts. He sees the worst of you and loves you still. Your sins of tomorrow and failings of the future will not surprise Him; He sees them now. Every day and deed of your life has passed before His eyes and been calculated in His decision. He knows you better than you know you and He has reached His verdict: He loves you still. No discovery will disillusion Him; no rebellion will dissuade Him. He loves you with an everlasting love. 

-- Max Lucado in “Come Thirsty: No Heart Too Dry for His Touch”

#6148

GOD’S POWER AND SUFFICIENCY

The Lord said, “My grace is sufficient for you, for My strength is made perfect in weakness.”  (2 Corinthians 12:9 NKJV)

We worship because God is worthy, not necessarily because we "feel" like it.  In the midst of a crisis, if we only do what we feel like doing, we could remain stuck in a cycle of self-pity.  But when we worship, we get our eyes off of ourselves and our sorrow or problems.  We focus them on God, and this puts our difficulties into proper perspective.

Most of us think of worship as a Sunday-morning activity in which we gather in a church, sing some songs, and listen to a preacher.  Genuine worship, though, is when what flows out of our lips and out of our lives are words and works that glorify God and honor Him for who He is and what He has done.  We worship when we reflect His Glory -- His character and likeness -- to others in the way we live.  And doesn't it seem that everyone around us is watching especially closely when tragedy strikes in our lives?

Surely our worship in the midst of pain and sorrow is particularly precious to God -- because it costs us so much.  Worship is not made easier, but it becomes all the more meaningful when offered from a heart that is hurting.

The truth is, worship during these times can be some of the most meaningful worship we ever experience.  Perhaps we are more fully equipped to worship than ever before because we are acutely aware of our desperate need for God and our own incapacitating weakness.  We have our helplessness and inadequacy in proper perspective to God's power and sufficiency. 

-- Nancy Guthrie in “Holding on to Hope”

#6043

PASSIONATE WORSHIP

"How lovely is Your dwelling place, O Lord of hosts! My soul longs, indeed faints for the courts of the Lord." (Psalm 84:1-2)

Vibrant, fruitful, growing churches offer Passionate Worship that connects people to God and to one another. People gather consciously as the Body of Christ with eagerness and expectancy; encounter Christ through singing, prayer, Scripture, preaching, and Holy Communion; and respond by allowing God's Spirit to shape their lives. Lives shaped by God's Spirit become the nucleus for congregations with extraordinary warmth, graciousness, and belonging. People are searching for worship that is authentic, alive, creative, and comprehensible, where they experience the life-changing presence of God in the presence of others. 

-- Robert Schnase in “Five Practices of Fruitful Congregations” 

#6041

EXPRESSING PRAISE IN WORSHIP

“Lift up your hands in the sanctuary and praise the Lord. May the Lord bless you from Zion, He who is the Maker of heaven and earth.”  (Psalm 134:2-3 NIV)

Our entire being is fashioned as an instrument of praise. Just as a master violin maker designs an instrument to produce maximum aesthetic results, so God tailor-made our bodies, souls and spirits to work together in consonance to produce pleasing expressions of praise and worship. When we use body language to express praise, that which is internal becomes visible.  

-- Lamar Boschman in “A Heart for Worship” 

#6040

THE PRIMARY MINISTRY OF THE CHURCH

“For what will it profit a man if he gains the whole world, and loses his own soul?”  (Mark 8:36 NKJV)

At the height of the Civil War the need for hospital facilities became so great that many schools and other public buildings in Washington, D.C., were made into temporary medical centers. Dr. Phineas Gurley, pastor of New York Avenue Presbyterian Church, determined that the sanctuary of his church should be turned over to such needs, by placing a "floor" over the pews upon which hospital beds could be placed.

When Dr. Gurley announced to his congregation that there would be no more church services in New York Avenue until further notice, President Lincoln was present. Though not a member, Lincoln worshiped at that church most Sundays. The announcement was hardly complete before Lincoln stood to his feet. "Dr. Gurley," he said, "this action was taken without my consent and I hereby countermand the order. The churches are needed as never before for divine services." Needless to say, the President's order was obeyed. 

Mr. Lincoln realized that when mankind's needs are greatest, no need is greater than one’s spiritual sustenance. The most pressing problems of a critical time do not take precedence over the primary ministry of the church; they only accentuate its importance. For what is our profit if we have gained the world -- or saved our lives, economy, and health -- and have lost our souls? 

-- J. Ellsworth Kalas in the newsletter of First United Methodist Church of Madison, Wisconsin on May 4, 1972, www.ellsworthkalas.com

#6038

A NEW YEAR’S RESOLUTION

Making a proactive decision about your church attendance can yield significant spiritual benefits. The Bible emphasizes the importance of Christians gathering together to support each other’s growth. Hebrews 10:25 encourages us, “Let us not give up meeting together, as some are in the habit of doing, but let us encourage one another.” Whether it’s a formal church service or an informal small-group meeting, gathering isn’t about adhering to a strict rule; it’s about embracing a vital opportunity for spiritual development. We never know when God might move powerfully in a gathering where two or three or more are gathered together in Christ’s name (Matthew 18:20), touching our hearts and transforming us from within. If we adopt a casual attitude and think, “It’s raining today, so I won’t go to my small group,” or “we’re on vacation, we don’t need to go to worship,” we risk missing out on God’s potential work in our lives.

I’ll admit that throughout my life I have attended numerous church services and small groups where it seemed nothing extraordinary was happening within me. However, I’ve also experienced moments in similar settings where my heart was profoundly changed, or as John Wesley testified “strangely warmed,” and my life was turned around. There’s no way to predict when God will choose to use a gathering of His people, the teaching of His Word, corporate worship, or personal testimonies to impact us uniquely and powerfully. Only by deciding in advance to consistently join with other Christians can we ensure we’re in the right place at the right time to receive God’s gifts of grace, guidance and growth. Now that’s a New Year’s Resolution worth making and keeping. 

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

#6021