The First Sunday of Christmas: Christ Is Our Hope

Isaiah 11:1-5, There shall come forth a Rod from the stem of Jesse, And a Branch shall grow out of his roots. The Spirit of the LORD shall rest upon Him, The Spirit of wisdom and understanding, The Spirit of counsel and might, The Spirit of knowledge and of the fear of the LORD. His…

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More on Worship

Praise ye the Lord. Praise ye the name of the Lord; praise Him, O ye servants of the Lord. Psalm 135:1 In Children’s Sunday School, we told the children that we were going to teach them how to sing in the Jewish language – Hebrew. Then we all sang this very familiar chorus. “Hallelu, hallelu,…

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Pilgrims with Palms

Revelation 7:9-10 Palm Sunday is a traditional celebration with Scriptural foundations. What is the meaning of this day? Why is it important? What should catch our attention as we think about this special day, one week before Resurrection Sunday? Is it enough to merely enjoy the greening of the grasses with the anticipation of the…

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A Few Thoughts on Worship (2)

Our fathers worshipped in this mountain; and ye say, that in Jerusalem is the place where men ought to worship. Jesus saith unto her, Woman, believe me, the hour cometh, when ye shall neither in this mountain, nor yet at Jerusalem, worship the Father. Ye worship ye know not what: we know what we worship:…

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A Few Thoughts on Worship (1)

God is a Spirit: and they that worship Him must worship Him in spirit and in truth (John 4:24). During the week, how much time do you think you personally spend in worship? When you attend church, how often do you actually worship? Worship Defined by Others Worship is nowhere defined in Scripture, yet aspects…

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Avoiding the Extremes: Worship in the Cold and Heat

Recent discussions about restricting indoor worship sparked my curiosity. Some places allow limited outdoor gatherings, but these are only effective in moderate weather locations. Some places, like the city where I live, have glorious summers that very rarely suffer through extreme heat. Even in our hottest days, outside worship could be tolerable if we were…

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Entertained or Edified?

Recently I watched an intriguing YouTube video by bass player and composer Adam Neely called “Learning to Like Contemporary Christian Music (the music I hate).” Adam takes us on a interesting journey as he studies the style and form of some of the big names in modern contemporary worship. I agree with much of what…

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“We” or “Me” in Church?

Americans have always placed a premium on individualism. But, in the Coronavirus pandemic, we have carried individualism to a new level. To avoid going out, some people are trying to get “off the grid” by generating their own power, planting their own gardens, or doing anything else imaginable. We see this same problem in our…

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