Day 1 - Worship is a Way of Life

[twc_admin]

Hello Worshipers,

Welcome to the first day of our time together in "Pure Praise" - a heartfelt Bible Study on Worship.

Day 1 is called: "Worship is a Way of Life"

What points stood out to you in this opening teaching? Did the Scriptures open your eyes to anything?

In the end, we're asked as part of the "My Surrender" segment
"Ask God to reveal any of your actions or attitudes that are not honoring to him. Write them down; then ask the Lord to forgive you and help you worship Him in everything you do."

If there are things you'd like to confess openly here in the group, (yes, this is a public forum, so it can and will be seen), attitudes that you'd like to confess, or prayers that you'd like to offer, go for it.

Please keep everything in this thread - do not start a new thread.

[sblawrence]

Nice introduction to the study. I like the idea of taking one story in the bible and seeing what truths can be discovered from it. I'm anxious to get more into the meat of the study, though.

Leading worship yesterday, I was struck by a quote from Andy Stanley "Leadership is a stewardship...and your accountable." I looked out over my congregation and was struck with the fact that I am accountable to them. Not that I think they can't worship without me of course, but I'm responsible for creating an atmosphere conducive to worship. The weight of that is HUGE. I've felt more like a band leader than a worship leader, so this study comes at a great time for me. I can't wait to press into this study and become more of a worship leader than just a guy with a guitar on the stage.

[Klampert]

Gotta tell ya it was the most basic of studies. It was like a duh!

Of course we need to be praising god 247 and in all things...

but with that said I could not have read that at a more opportune time.

This weekend was a tough weekend. Church to me was on a scale of 1-10 like 1.5 and our youth meeting while good I walked away frustrated beyond belief.

If worship is about bowing down in reverence before our God and maker then the continual act of worship is as basic as sacrificing your own issues and shortcomings, laying them before the throne of God and asking Him to take over. Asking him to be Lord in all you do and are.

I pray that God forgives what a moron I am and thank Him that he can work in spite of my sometimes artificial actions.

[cynthiacullen]

This study is going right along with my commitment this year to re-tool my life life is every area. It is the most basic thought that we all know that worship is on-going and not event-based, but how easily it is for me to forget that. Becoming a mother of 2 in the last 5 years has rocked my world. Learning how to best use my time and worship through all the multiple ways I am being pulled as a wife, mother, daughter, friend, worship leader, staff member is an on-going struggle. Today, God, I worship you through what is in front of me regardless the task...in everything today, you are God and I worship You.

[twc_admin]

I was immediately drawn to the story of this "Marty" guy - I wanted to be in worship with him. I thought to myself, "I want to be that guy - the guy who effortlessly flows in worship, the guy who can just sit down, spontaneously, and lead for 30-40 minutes of spontaneous, genuine, praise". That only comes from living it, folks.

Many of us here are worship leaders. How much time during the week do we spend just "playing our instrument and worshiping before the Lord"? As opposed to ... meeting, planning, blogging, twittering, eating, watching TV, etc.

The final questions could get some practical answers - I'd love to hear some of ours:

"So, what does this kind of worship look like in everyday life"?

I think of taking a quick time out of my busy schedule to stop and talk to the kids about God, maybe to pray, and have a little Bible story. Does that bring pleasure to God? Does He see that as worship?

[Joshua]

I think the key point I take from this today and something that I am aware of but quite often need reminding of is what Dwayne says about worship. "Worship is not just something we do on Sundays at church....It involves everything we do and think and are" I think I could use to constantly re-evaluate my attitude torward worship.

When we do things for others, pray with our families, and love someone unconditionally I think we must be worshipping. Also, just sitting alone playing my instrument and worshipping privately is important. I think when we allow all of these forms of worship to overflow into our worship services on Sunday, God really shows up.

Yesterday I led a worship service, but somehow didn't feel connected to God as much as usual. I told my pastor that I thought something was missing somehow. Her response was that the music sounded great and we were really rocking. Lots of people complimented on the music, but not one person walked up to me and said they really felt the presence of God in the service. Hopefully this study will help our music team re-evaluate our attitudes torward worship on Sunday mornings.

[church_piano_lady]

The book asks us to confess that which gets in the way of being true worshippers. For me, it's busyness. I'm "too busy" to worship continually (or too tired after a long and busy day). I'm a part-time worship leader and have a pretty demanding "day job" along with a host of other family issues. I know that the evil one will do what he can to impede my becoming a 24/7 worshipper, including trying to dupe me into this kind of mentality. He'd like nothing better than to keep me from being what God intends for me to be as a worshipper and worship leader.

My husband and I drove to visit my parents yesterday. It's an hour & 45 minute drive one way from our house. They are in their 80s and struggling. My dad is facing possible surgery next week to remove his spleen because he can't stabilize the platelet counts in his blood, requiring numerous hospital visits over the past few months. After bring some meals to them, making supper, and going over health care decisions with them, I left with a heavy heart. I felt a bit like Jehoshaphat facing the battle. One of my brothers (also the pastor of the church I serve) is recuperating from surgery he had last week. I spent his surgery day at the hospital with him and my sister-in-law and talk to him daily on the phone or in person to see how he's faring.

How do you worship in this context? Well, as He often does, God spoke to me in the car - on the way home from my visiting my parents last night. I plugged my iPod into the car and began listening to some of Fernando Ortega's music, when the song title "I Need Thee Every Hour" popped into my head. I felt compelled when I got home, although it was late, to find out the background of the song and to get a piano score for it so I can play it during worship this Sunday. Both of which I did. I'm also planning to do some writing around the lyrics and my interpretation of them.

So here's my worship - recognizing my need for God, not just on Sunday or once in a while, but every day, every hour, every minute. Maybe I'll write a new version of "I Need Thee Every Minute." As an artist/worshipper, I'll pour my heart out to Him in a variety of ways, using this hymn as a jumping off point, just as the Israelites did as they faced the battle. I'd normally try to figure out how to control the situation myself, but it is in God's hands. I have no choice but to worship Him as the Almighty One who knows what's best and will reveal His perfect plan. Amen.

[jdlynne]

We know the plan of the enemy is to put things in our way/view and to get us off-track and out of kilter. During these times and at all times, we must remember and focus our thoughts and feelings upon the LORD in an attitude and action of praise and worship. Yes! I Praise Him today and thank Him that these battles are not mine! Lord, I "Position myself, i stand still, and I wait to see the Salvation of the Lord who is with me! Whereever I go, whatever I do, I will stand and will not fear or be dismayed for the Lord is with ME!

[russhutto]

One of my favorite quotes from this study is this:

People have asked me, "isn't the Christian life really just a bunch of 'Thous shalt nots'?" To which I reply, "No, the Christian life is actually one big 'Thou shalt'...love God." It's really simple: Worship him completely.

I've heard that before. I love the simplicity. As humans we tend to over think things and look at things from the wrong perspective. Jesus came and most everything He said was "backwards" from the religious status quo.

Although we know that is was actually "forwards" and it was the religious status quo was what was backwards.

I love all the different perspectives coming through on this study here!

I'm with Cynthia, I've really made an attempt to streamline my life a bit this year and this is a great step in going forward.

Thou Shalt love God completely.

Word.

[ErikaMichelle]

Hello Everyone,

I do agree with what many of you have said so far. It was a basic study, but I think we needed that for the opening of this study in all of our lives - lay down the foundation, so to speak.

Many of us here are worship leaders and I think that we can all agree that our time in worship on Sundays is VERY different from our personal worship time at home. I am our worship leader and music director, so on Sundays, I, we, have a job to do. We need to make sure that we are flowing with our Pastor, are the monitors working, is the band all flowing in the same key, are the congregants responding to the songs, do they even like the song, are the singers flat etc. etc. etc. and the list goes on. We all love that job or else we wouldn't be doing it. HOWEVER, I miss those "Marty" sessions of worship - Just me and the Lord.

It is so important to take that time EVERY DAY to have one on one time with the Lord. As a writer, the best songs come out of those times of worship and intercession.

Dwayne mentioned some definitions of worship according to Strong's Concordance. He didn't mention the Greek definition of worship, however. One of the words used to describe worship in the Greek is "To Kiss". I LOVE THAT. In worship, we kiss the face of God. There is an intimacy that comes when we give all honor to the Lamb upon the throne. That is what I love about worship and that is what I seek to do every day.