Over the last few posts, we've been looking at why worship is so important. As we continue our look at Psalm 96, I want to point out something that jumped out at me: Worship isn’t just passively acknowledging the greatness of God. It requires us to be actively engaged with him. As you read Psalm 96, notice these commands … Sing to the Lord Praise his name Proclaim his salvation Declare his glory among the nations Ascribe to the Lord glory and strength Worship the Lord in the splendor of his holiness Say among the nations, “The Lord reigns.” Worship is not a spectator sport, something that you come to watch. Worship is a verb. It is something you do. It's not that God needs our worship. He certainly isn't suffering from low self-esteem. Yet throughout the Bible, we find passages just like this one where God calls us to…

When you think of worship, what do you think of? Outdated songs? Overly dramatic prayers? Irrelevant sermons? In some cases, that might be true. But it still doesn’t answer our question: What is worship? In Psalm 96, we find the essence of worship is this: giving God the honor he deserves and learning to applaud his greatness! Psalm is the longest book in the Bible. It’s found in what we call the Old Testament and is often referred to as the hymnbook of the early church. Many of the individual psalms were written by King David. His writings reveal a deeply personal relationship with God. In fact, he is referred to as a “man after God’s own heart.” It's one reason why when I want to be reminded about the true place of worship, I often find myself returning to the psalms. 1 Sing to the Lord a new song; sing…

Stephen Hawthorne, a leader in Christian missions, said there is a major difference between dogs and cats. Not only do they look different, they think differently, too. Dogs think like this: “You feed me, you care for me, you walk me -- you must be God.” Cats, however, think this way: “You feed me, you care for me, you clean my litter box -- I must be God!” Truth be told, we are a nation of cats. Everyday we hear messages like these … have it your way you deserve a break today be all you can be do what makes you feel good it’s all about you As a nation of cats, we see the consequences of selfishness all around us. Indifference on the one hand; oppression on the other. Relationships suffer. Marriages become battlegrounds. As you likely know, it's hard to herd cats -- they each want to…

On first day at Opportunity Camp, I woke up and my phone was unable to connect to WiFi. Unable to check Facebook and see what new pictures of Grumpy Cat had emerged over night, I just knew it was going to be a horrible, rotten, no good day. Not being able to connect to WiFi while at camp, that’s a first world problem. Here are a few others … When the barista puts too much milk in your macchiato. When the gym on the cruise doesn’t have a squat rack and it’s leg day. When your teenager wants a Kate Spade wallet but can’t decide what color. Here in the United States, most of us have “rich people” problems. Don’t believe me? Have you ever … Stood in closet and thought you didn’t have anything to wear? Had one of your kids complain of having “nothing to eat” with plenty…

In 2 Corinthians 5:7, Paul spells out a basic principle of how to live and move as a Christ-follower: “For we live by faith, not by sight.” When you walk by sight, you’ll find yourself saying one of two things: Let’s Go Back. When you walk by sight, you will focus on circumstances rather than the vision God has for your life. Although they had been slaves, the Israelites were willing to return to Egypt rather than wait for the Promised Land. Let’s Stand Still. In the midst of an opportunity, those who walk by sight will become paralyzed. There is a time to pray and reflect but there is also a time to act. Here's the truth about standing still: Churches don’t ever really stand still; they either make progress or they fall backward. Christians do not stand still; they either grow or they decline in their spiritual life.…