We are getting ready to start in on a new teaching series this Sunday. We’ve been working for months together on a catchy title and subtitle to appeal to my creative sensibility. We landed on the title… “worship” Catchy huh? 🙂
That was a joke actually 🙂 I just learned yesterday afternoon that this was the direction God was leading our senior pastor to teach about. 🙂
When I got the email, I’m not gonna lie… I thought… wow… teaching on worship seems a bit generic, especially given the place we are in right now as a church family. Haven’t we talked about worship enough over the years? I think our people get it. From that moment and for the rest of the afternoon, my mind was fixed on vision laced concepts that we could and should be talking about.
Then… today I woke up with worship on my lips. Ha. Funny how God works. I felt compelled to turn on my favorite new song by Bryan Torwalt, “Praise will be my song” as I drove my youngest son Cooper to school. It is such a simple and sweet song. I’m still listening to it now actually as I type. It’s been on repeat since I stepped out of my car nearly an hour ago. I just want to stay in this place all day.
Here are the lyrics…
When all I have is just a whisper
You breathe in me a new song
You take me back and I’ll remember
The joy of my first love
Praise will be my song
How can I contain it?
I cannot contain this love
For what we lacked
Your blood has covered
What we get is what You paid for
‘Cause through Your death our lives reborn
The joy of our salvation
I’ll shout out I will sing of
Your love for me As
You reach out I can feel You all around
This morning has been such a great reminder that this is what I was created to do. There is no place I’d rather be than in this place of worship. Our great God so loves it when we are fixed on Him. He so loves when we sit in His presence and sing songs of worship and soak in His Glory. Everything good flows out of worship and why I’m convinced now that there is no other thing we should be focusing on and talking about right now more than worship.
As we start in on a new fall ministry season and a new school year, there is so much business. I needed this morning to be drawn back in to the presence of God. I feel filled up and alive.
If your tank is on empty, grab a chair and push play. If your life has been consumed recently with business and tasks and people issues, I encourage you spend some time at the feet of Jesus.
Focus for as long as you can on his goodness and all He has done for you and How much He loves you. Tell Jesus what you’re feeling and that you need Him. You’ll be amazed at what happens. You’ll be amazed how he floods you with his love and acceptance and confidence to face the day.
PSALM 145
I will exalt You, my God, O King,
And [with gratitude and submissive wonder] I will bless Your name forever and ever.
Every day I will bless You and lovingly praise You;
Yes, [with awe-inspired reverence] I will praise Your name forever and ever.
Great is the Lord, and highly to be praised,
And His greatness is [so vast and profound as to be] unsearchable [incomprehensible to man].
One generation shall praise Your works to another,
And shall declare Your mighty and remarkable acts.
On the glorious splendor of Your majesty
And on Your wonderful works, I will meditate.
People will speak of the power of Your awesome acts,
And [with gratitude and submissive wonder] I will tell of Your greatness.
They will overflow [like a fountain] when they speak of Your great and abundant goodness
And will sing joyfully of Your righteousness.
The Lord is gracious and full of compassion,
Slow to anger and abounding in loving-kindness.
The Lord is good to all,
And His tender mercies are over all His works [the entirety of things created].
All Your works shall give thanks to You and praise You, O Lord,
And Your godly ones will bless You.
They shall speak of the glory of Your kingdom
And talk of Your power,
To make known to the sons of men Your mighty acts
And the glorious majesty of Your kingdom.
Your kingdom is an everlasting kingdom,
And Your dominion endures throughout all generations.
The Lord upholds all those [of His own] who fall
And rises up all those who are bowed down.
The eyes of all look to You [in hopeful expectation],
And You give them their food in due time.
You open Your hand
And satisfy the desire of every living thing.
The Lord is [unwaveringly] righteous in all His ways
And gracious and kind in all His works.
The Lord is near to all who call on Him,
To all who call on Him in truth (without guile).
He will fulfill the desire of those who fear and worship Him [with awe-inspired reverence and obedience];
He also will hear their cry and will save them.
The Lord keeps all who love Him,
But all the wicked He will destroy.
My mouth will speak the praise of the Lord,
And all flesh will bless and gratefully praise His holy name forever and ever.