Jesus knew that His followers would need help learning how to pray, so He taught the fundamental principles of prayer in the Sermon on the Mount. Those principles are recorded in the model prayer Jesus said in Matthew 6:8-13. So, what are those principles? The first is that prayer builds relationships. Throughout the model prayer, … Continue reading Pray In This Way
Worship
They Came Together
One of my favorite things about visiting my family is simply being around them again in person. Phone calls, video chats, or texts are fine, but they do not come close to being there with them. And when we consider the life of a Christian and the local church, the same can be said. There … Continue reading They Came Together
A Thought on Church Attendance
Preparing To Worship
In Exodus 19, God tells Moses to prepare the people for Him to speak to them. What an amazing event that must have been — to hear God speak directly to you! But notice how such an event was not casual. Preparation was required. While we are not the ancient Israelites, we can learn some … Continue reading Preparing To Worship
We Worship an Unchanging God
Every morning I receive in my inbox a verse of the day from the makers of my Bible study software. This morning was Malachi 3:6, I appreciate that this verse was sent to me on this Lord's day because it reminded me, and all of us, that we do not worship a philosophy, a system … Continue reading We Worship an Unchanging God
The Devil Hates Music
While looking for a particular quote by Martin Luther I found another one that really struck a chord with me. On the power of music, Martin Luther said, Music is hateful and intolerable to the devil. I truly believe, and do not mind saying, that there is no art like music, next to theology. It … Continue reading The Devil Hates Music
When We Assemble
We sing a hymn from time to time called "True Worship" (HFW #178). The hymn is a prayer to God to help us never lose sight of what is important in worship. God and giving praise to Him. But how do we praise Him? What are the acts that give praise to Him? The New … Continue reading When We Assemble
True Worship
John 4:1-26 records a conversation between Jesus and a Samaritan woman. This conversation is significant for many reasons. For one, Jesus being a Jew, is conversing openly with a Samaritan and treating her as any other person (John 4:9). Another significant fact about this conversation is that Jesus does not compromise truth (John 4:17-18). But … Continue reading True Worship
Preach The Text 