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Planning for Worship (part 2): 9 Questions to Help Plan a Worship Service

When you’re planning a worship service do you wait for your preaching pastor to tell you what the Scripture says? Do you lean on the commentaries exclusively?

I don’t intend to undermine the authority of your senior pastor or devalue the expertise of the commentators. Instead, I join the Reformers who called us to study the scriptures for ourselves. After you’ve studied the passage alone, you’ll be better prepared to enter a communal discussion on the implications for your life and church.

During seminary a couple of my professors, including Reggie Kidd, introduced me to a series of questions that I find immensely helpful before I start reading commentators or discussing the passage with others. It can take 15-30 minutes to answer these questions (longer, if you have the time). It also doesn’t require seminary training to answer these questions.

In a certain sense, you are taking on the role of an investigative reporter who asks: who, what, when, why, where and how. I always try to ask these questions as I prayerfully discern the Spirit’s designs for an upcoming service.

9 Questions to Ask When Studying a Passage

NOTE: These questions can just as easily be used as a starting place in sermon preparation.

  1. What are your initial impressions (gut reactions)?
  2. Lay out the basic flow of the passage (outline, perhaps?).
  3. Are there basic words, phrases, or logical connectors that need further investigation? Key words…
  4. What literary devices are used?
  5. Does the author draw comparisons or make contrasts that matter?
  6. Does any of this passage show up elsewhere in Scripture?
  7. Do we know anything about the context that sheds light on its meaning?
  8. What are the pastoral implications of this passage? What idol structures does it address? How should I pray for my congregation?
  9. How does this passage connect to the story of redemption?

I have inserted below an example of a worksheet I did for Psalm 130. Notice that the questions are slightly different form the above list. I had adopted the questions for the Psalms. That should give you encouragement to adopt the questions for your own use (and the portion of scripture you’re studying). Also note that I did not revise this sheet after consulting commentaries or discussing the passage with others. In other words, this is raw data. I typically never share these notes because they could be misconstrued by my congregation. I only provide it here as an example.

I know there are many bible study methods on the market. I’m sharing this because I have found immense value as I look for themes and heart connections. Often this will suggest songs I would not have considered or complimentary passages.

One of the songs I did connected to Psalm 130 was the Indelible Grace rendition of Martin Luther’s hymn based on this passage.

I also like Sovereign Grace’s version seen here:

Psalm 130 Worksheet

  1. Initial Impressions (Gut reactions) 
    • This is a heartfelt cry for mercy coming from a deep place.
    • The psalmist seems to have confidence that God will listen to his cry.
    • When someone understands the depth of their sin, they realize there is no way to stand before God.
    • God doesn’t forgive lightly. He forgives on purpose and for a purpose—his glory.
    • It doesn’t make sense to talk about waiting on the Lord in the context of guilt, forgiveness and desperate cries for mercy. Yet, that seems to be the foundation of the psalmist’s appeal to Israel (and the Church) to seek plentiful redemption.
    • The psalmist waits on God for forgiveness. He knows that God’s word promises he will be compassionate. He waits on God to do what he has promised.
    • The promise of complete redemption is amazing.
    • The Message –
  1. The bottom has fallen out of my life. That’s what it feels like when guilt overwhelms you. It leads to shame.
  2. “My life is on the line before God” – that’s what waiting on God means. An absolute dependence.
  3. He’ll buy Israel back from captivity to sin. This is deep bondage.
  4. Hope for the guilty is God’s abundant redemption.
  5. From the depths of despair. Wow this pit is deep!
  6. The psalmist asks God to pay attention to his prayer. Don’t ignore me. I’ve felt ignored for too long.
  7. Who could survive God’s searching eyes if he were to keep a record of our sins?
  8. I depend on the Lord, I count on him and I long for him.
  9. More than sentries long for the dawn, more than sentries long for the dawn.
  10. He will redeem Israel from every kind of sin (what does that mean “all his sin”?)
  1. Lay out the basic flow of the psalm (outline, perhaps?)
    • I desperately ask God for mercy (vs. 1-2)
    • My guilt condemns me, but God is a forgiving God (v.3-4)
    • My soul depends on God and longs for him more than watchmen wait for morning (v.5-6)
    • As I wait for the Lord for my salvation I call on my neighbors, friends, and world to call on him for his abundant mercy. (7-8)
  1. Are there basic words, phrases, or logical connectors that need further investigation? Key words…
  • “Depths of woe”
  • “pay attention” vs. 2)
  • iniquities
  • who could stand
  • forgiveness
  • forgiveness leads to fear God (worship)
  • wait
  • hope
  • steadfast love
  • watchmen for the morning
  • plentiful redemption
  • “all his iniquities”
  • Repetition
  • Intensification
  • Rhetorical questions
  • Complimentary parallelism
  • Exageration – all his iniquities
  1. What literary devices does the Psalmist use?
  • Repetition
  • Intensification
  • Rhetorical questions
  • Complimentary parallelism
  • Exageration – all his iniquities
  1. Does the Psalmist draw comparisons or make contrasts that matter? 
  • Metaphor – watchmen waiting for the morning – an expectancy, longing and dependence on God. Can you imagine being a security guard in everlasting night?
  • Our guilt is so great that we can’t possibly stand before him.
  • Steadfast love (unfailing love) – chesed
  • In his word I hope
  • It’s part of the psalms of ascent
  • There are people coming each Sunday who put on their game face, but are hiding all kinds of guilt, regret, anxiety and fears. If they were to stand before God as judge, they would be silenced.
  • There are people who are feeling trapped in a marriage, a career, a life stage as a mom, or wondering if they are making a mistake with their major.
  • Finals – people will bear the consequences for how they have performed this quarter.
  • Wondering about that “secret sin”
  • Jesus and the woman caught in adultery – where are your accusers?
  • 10 virgins – wait for the Lord, be ready.
  • 10 lepers – only one came back to worship Jesus after being forgiven.
  1. Does any of this passage show up in the NT?
  • Verse 8 – Tit. 2:14; Rev. 1:5
  • Titus 2:14 – Jesus Christ, who gave himself for us to redeem us from all wickedness and to purify for himself a people that are his very own, eager to do what is good.
  • Rev. 1:5 – To him who loves us and has freed us from our sins by his blood. 
  1. Do we know anything about the context for this psalm that shed light on its meaning?
    It’s part of the psalms of ascent
  1. What are the pastoral implications of this psalm? How to pray?

    • There are people coming each Sunday who put on their game face, but are hiding all kinds of guilt, regret, anxiety and fears. If they were to stand before God as judge, they would be silenced.
    • There are people who are feeling trapped in a marriage, a career, a life stage as a mom, or wondering if they are making a mistake with their major.
    • Finals – people will bear the consequences for how they have performed this quarter.
    • Wondering about that “secret sin”
  1. How do we see Jesus in this psalm?

    • Jesus and the woman caught in adultery – where are your accusers?
    • 10 virgins – wait for the Lord, be ready.
    • 10 lepers – only one came back to worship Jesus after being forgiven.


November 8, 2011 By Phil Mershon

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