worship Archives - Called To Worship

How to Overcome a Root of Bitterness in Worship

Is your worship more like honey or wormwood? When we allow a root of bitterness to grow in our hearts, our worship can become just as bitter as wormwood. Scripture: Hebrews 12:14-16 (NIV) Make every effort to live in peace with everyone and to be holy; without holiness no one will see the …

Paralyzed by Fear: How to Keep Pressing On

Have you ever been so afraid that you've literally been unable to think, talk or move? Did it feel like you were paralyzed by fear? What would move you to the point of immobility? Is it a fear of death, failure, man or even success? Scripture: Psalm 143:4-6 (NIV) I am losing all hope; I …

How to Worship When You Don’t Feel Like It

Have you ever felt like staying in bed on Sunday morning? Do you wonder if God would be mad if you admitted that you don't feel like worshipping Him? It sounds sacrilegious for a devoted Christian to say this, but the reality is all Christians face days, weeks, months and sometimes years where we …

God of This City: Discovering God’s Heart for Our Cities

Do you wonder how Christians are supposed to respond to the city in all its glory and with all its problems? Are you interested in seeing how our worship reflects our passion for the city? Our church just began a three part series on God’s call to the city. The series is called “Lost and Found: …

Heartistic Worship: The Role of Biblical Artistry in Worship

Do you wonder about the role of art in worship? Have you wrestled to understand the connection between art and the heart? The Bible reveals many things about the connection between truth and beauty. (Here are some thoughts I shared in a previous article.) In this post, I’d like to briefly explore …

Renewing the Soul: Finding Refreshment in the Daily Grind

Do you find the life of faith monotonous or uneventful? Do you find yourself asking with the psalmist, "How long, O Lord?" Psalm 90 is ascribed to Moses, the Man of God. He understood monotony and seeking to find God in the daily grind. After growing up in the lap of luxury, benefiting from the …

Praying the Lord’s Prayer: Our Father, Who Art in Heaven

What’s your prayer life like? Do you primarily pray in arrows? You know what I mean. It’s like Nehemiah before approaching the king for permission to return to Jerusalem to inspect the city (Neh. 1). He thought he would lose his job—or worse, his life—so he prays a quick prayer and submits to …

Called to Worship: God is a Missionary God

Do you wonder why some pastors say that God is a missionary God? Are you confused when some people call America a Christian nation? Doesn’t Scripture talk about people from every nation being part of God’s family? How do we reconcile this? What does it have to do with worship? Let's consider some …

Worship in the Storms: 5 Benefits of the Gospel Found During Life’s Storms

Have you ever lived through a tornado or hurricane? How about an earthquake, blizzard or tsunami? Maybe an extreme drought, windstorm or flood? No matter where you live, the threat of natural disaster always looms. Most of us go through our lives without great concern for these storms--until one …

Worship after Easter: 10,000 Reasons to Praise God for the Gospel

Have you suffered the post-Easter duldrums? It sounds heretical, but I'm not talking theologically. Many pastors and worship leaders experience a natural let down after the proper focus we place on the Holy Week and especially Resurrection Sunday. It always happens for me after any major …