Searching for Truth

In our last segment, we looked at worship as a lifestyle. While it is true that worship is something that every Christian offers to God daily, there clearly are times where worship is a corporate experience. The importance of Christians assembling together is underscored by the fact that the word of God tells us to not forsake our habit of assembling together (Hebrews 10:25). A major point of emphasis in the passage is often overlooked as people generally are focused on the command: do not forsake the assembly. The point is that when Christians assemble they are to receive encouragement from one another (Hebrews 10:23-25). The idea of mutually encouraging one another necessarily involves community within the body of believers. Encouragement in spiritual formation and discipleship is accomplished within the body of believers, the family of God. As Christians, we are members of the body of Christ. Every aspect of our life as a Christian is a body issue. Being a part of the body necessit...

Worship is perhaps the single most important activity that Christians participate in. Yet the New Testament teaching about worship is sometimes misunderstood. Worship is not simply an event that one attends or participates in, but rather it is essentially offering one’s life to God. Paul implores in Romans 12:1, “I plead with you to give your bodies to God because of all he has done for you. Let them be a living and holy sacrifice—the kind he will find acceptable. This is truly the way to worship him.” Jesus has said that God seeks a certain kind of worship. Paul speaks in this text of worship that God accepts. Notice some translations of Romans 12:1: •I beg you to offer your lives as a living sacrifice to him. Your offering must be only for God and pleasing to him, which is the spiritual way for you to worship. NCV •Offer yourselves as a living sacrifice to God, dedicated to his service and pleasing to him. This is the true worship that you should offer. GNT •…this is your spiritual...

Our Father in heaven is without equal. He is matchless, unique, and unrivalled in glory, splendor, and power. God is amazingly unfathomable, confoundingly immeasurable, and utterly inexhaustible. The brightest most brilliant stars in the universe pale in comparison to His glory. God cannot be fully grasped by finite human minds. He is at the same time both transcendent yet immanent; He is infinite yet intimate; His anger lasts for only a moment, but His favor lasts for a lifetime; He is all knowing yet capable of forgetting our sins He forgives; and He is both the One who executes justice and the One who pardons by grace. God is loving, merciful, holy, pure, righteous, gracious, kind, good, patient, compassionate and wonderful. He, and He alone is God. A. W. Tozer once said, “What the church needs today is a restoration of the vision of the Most High God.” As we come to understand His more, we are drawn closer to Him. As we behold His glory, we fall down and worship. As He becomes more...

Worship is simply responding to God. As we come to know God, we cannot help but worship Him. To experience the presence and power of God moves us to fall down before Him in thanksgiving and praise to proclaim His worth. 1. What about God’s nature and character causes you to want to worship Him? 2. What are some things that God has done that make you want to worship Him? 3. How might worship and celebration transform your spirit?

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Developing community is sometimes messy. Eugene Peterson writes: Community is intricate and complex. Living in community as a people of God is inherently messy. A congregation consists of many people of various moods, ideas, needs, experiences, gifts and injuries, desires and disappointments, blessing and losses, intelligence and stupidity, living in proximity and in respect for one another, and believingly in worship of God. It is not easy and it is not simple. Not every situation can be anticipated. This is why it is so critical to learn to love. If we are serious about loving God, then we must love people, especially those who are our brothers and sisters in Christ. Love sincerely desires and acts to promote the best spiritual interests of the other person. We must devote ourselves to each other. Paul explained that this was Jesus’ attitude toward others, and that we should emulate it (Philippians 2:1-4). To love one another is simply ...