worship Archives - Page 2 of 4

The Hunger Games: 5 Things Church Worship Leaders Can Learn from The Hunger Games

The Hunger Games movie will be released in theaters this week. Culturally sensitive worship leaders should be aware of this. If you don't have teenagers, it's possible that you've missed this trilogy. Don't let the target audience keep you from reading this (and definitely read it before going to …

Valentines Day and Worship: 4 Ways Churches Should Focus on Valentines Day

February 14 is indelibly marked on the minds and hearts of millions of women (and hopefully men) across America and the globe. Most women look longingly toward Valentines Day as an occasion where their "man" or suitor will forget his brutish ways and pull out all the stops on romancing her …

Reading for Worship: 5 Books to Fuel Your Faith

I've read or started reading 5 books in the last month that have fueled my faith and challenged my thinking in good ways. None of these are "worship" books, but they all relate to lifestyle worship. 5 Books to Fuel Your Faith 1. Everyday Prayers by Scotty Smith Scotty Smith is a well-known pastor …

The Drama of Worship: 5 Ways to Improve Your Gospel Storytelling in Worship

Why do our children find themselves bored in our worship services? Is it because we don't have enough cool videos or tantalizing children's sermons? No. It's because we've lost the art of storytelling. Children love to hear and watch great stories repeatedly--I have dozens of worn out videos to …

Phil’s Top Ten Lists: 10 Things to Make 2012 Memorable

The end of a year always provides a chance for analysis and forecasting. While it's an arbitrary marker in certain respects, it allows us a chance to evaluate our work and lives. John Piper recently released his end of year report for Desiring God Ministries. In this 9 minute video, he describes …

Worship As Story: Crafting Worship Services that Rehearse the Gospel (An Album Review)

I love a great story. I especially like seeing a great movie or musical. Even now I can hear the haunting music as the tension rises only to be released in a moment of ecstatic joy. Characters facing overwhelming challenges only to be rescued by a lover or a friend. Villains chasing their …

God With Us: 5 Implications of the Incarnation for Corporate Worship

I love singing Advent songs like "O Come, O Come Emmanuel" and "Come Thou Long Expected Jesus." They help me remember the longing Israel felt as they waited for God's promised Messiah. Check out the two cool arrangements of these songs I've linked above. Before Christ's arrival, Israel knew God's …

Excellence in Worship: 7 Ways to Overcome the Tension Between Excellence and Performance

If you're a church musician, I'm sure you've heard, said or been a victim of one of the following statements: "Worship is not a performance, so stop showing off every Sunday." "God is more concerned about our hearts in worship, so you don't need to practice as much for worship as you might for …

Finding Songs for Worship: 7 Sets of Questions to Answer When Selecting Worship Songs

Do you wonder why some songs become instantly popular in your church and across the country, while others fall flat? If you're a worship leader, do you have a systematic way for evaluating new songs or do you just look at the latest CCLI top 25 to find song ideas? Thoughts about CCLI I think the …

Obstacles to Worship: Facing Down Life’s Giants

How do you handle life's major challenges? Where do you turn for help when your enemies overwhelm you? Fear can be a major obstacle to our worship. I've been reading about the Christians who were slaughtered under Nero's tyrannical reign. They didn't fear for their lives, but placed their trust in …

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