I am getting the opportunity to speak to our kids, over the next two weeks, about worship and prayer. While not an exhaustive list, I thought I’d post here what I’ll be teaching on. If your kids are a part of our church, don’t let them miss it!

Here’s a little taste of what our parents will receive and what I’ll be using as a template to teach the kids.

This weekend we discussed the following with your child: (We are including some corresponding Scriptures to help deepen your discussion with them. Please feel free to use some of your personal favorites as well.)

Why Do We Worship God?
o It invites His presence. (Psalm 22:3)
o God deserves it. (1 Chronicles 16:25-33)
o We desire Him. (Psalm 63:1-4)
o It stops the enemy. (2 Chronicles 20:22)

How Do We Worship God?
o Singing (Psalm 9:11)
o Lifting of Hands (The Act of Praise: Psalm 141:2; The Entering of Agreement: Genesis 14:22-24)
o Shouting (1 Samuel 4:5)
o Making Music (Ephesians 5:19)
o Bowing (Psalm 138:2)
o Dancing (Psalm 150:4)
o Repenting (1 Kings 8:48 & 49)

Where Do We Worship God?
o Everywhere (Psalm 150)

What are some of your favorite worship scriptures that didn’t make my list?

It’s a cloudy, dreary, rainy day here. Not one of the best days to live near a beach. During a prayer, our (great) Children’s Director was praying and she said:

“Lord. Thank You for the rain. Help us to see what the rain brings. Help us to see the results, not just the dreariness and darkness.”

I thought about all the past and present storms in my life. If only I could take that perspective to “look past the rain” and see the results that it is going to bring. It is so easy to focus on the now circumstance and no further.

Father help me today to see past the storm and find the growth and beauty that Your rain is bringing in my life.

Recently I’ve had a friend of mine talking to me about who I’d like to, if given the opportunity, hang out with/learn from. I thought of some names that I’d like to get to know and hear what makes them tick. Israel, Paul Baloche, Tommy Walker, Perry Noble, Fred Hammond, Brennan Manning, Glenn Packiam, Bob Kauflin and some others immediately came to mind. This friend started telling me that it could be a real possibility to meet a couple of these guys. Needless to say, I was pretty pumped and then Monday I had an epiphany. (I am still excited about any of those opportunities should they arise)

I was listening to Tommy Walker’s “Just Worship” and was thinking how much I’d like to meet him. I even thought about how much fun it would undoubtedly be to write with him. I’ve listened to him for some time and would love that. As I was thinking about it, it hit me that, when this life is over the only name that will matter in the end is Jesus.

Now I’m all about networking and exploring relationships that God might have His hand on, so don’t think that I’m saying anything against that. God has been faithful to introduce me to the right people at the right time. I’ve been blessed with many things and I am not the type of guy to go 200 MPH to track down someone I admire. Maybe that’s a fault and maybe it’s not. Most of the time, I’m pretty sure it’s a little of both.

What I am saying is this. Monday, I had an epiphany that is causing me to look differently at others and myself. As gifted as all the guys I’ve mentioned are, we all serve the same God and get our inspiration from the same Holy Spirit. God has given them a platform to share their gifts and He has placed me where He wants in His kingdom. While I am believing God for bigger and better things to best utilize the gifts He’s placed in my heart, I no longer want to be impressed by people. Respect their giftings, callings and wisdom? Yes. Seek out relationships that God could use in my life and use me in theirs? Absolutely. Be blown away by a person? I hope not.

In the end, His name is the name that will matter. When we’re singing “Just Worship” around the throne, I’m not going to be looking for Tommy then. (although maybe we’ll write some there) We’ll all be concentrated on the object of our worship. There’s several people that I would more than welcome the opportunity to meet, work or write with, but ultimately there’s One NAME that matters. His name is Jesus.

One of the great joys of my life is being a Dad. I love being with my kids and especially love when we get an opportunity to talk about the real way God interacts with His children. The other week, my son was forgetting a part of a verse we’ve been praying through every night. I told him that Jesus said the Holy Spirit would help him remember everything that Jesus taught us and had him ask the Holy Spirit for the word. Immediately he said “compassion” with this big look of surprise on his face.

A couple of days later, I was talking to my kids, 4 and almost 7, about hearing God speak to us. I used my son’s example from a couple of days earlier and I was encouraging them to ask the Holy Spirit to speak to them in prayer, give them direction etc. My four year old interrupted me to tell me that she already knew that God wanted to talk to her. She learned it in Sunday School. (big shout out to our 4 year old teachers!) So I asked her if she’d ever heard God speak. Here’s how the conversation played out:

Mercy: Oh yeah.
Me: What does he sound like?
Mercy: Daddy. He sounds just like you.
Me: (muffled sound…trying not to cry)

My wife and I have always hoped to be the kind of parents that our kids would grow up to say, if God is like Mommy and Daddy, then I want to know Him. We’ve also prayed that they would far exceed us in all things pertaining to life and Godliness. Here’s believing that these are just the first in a long line of confirmations that they are well on their way.

Here’s the last installment on Psalm 138. I’ll have a blog up early next week about something family/worship oriented. Please feel free to leave some comments on your thoughts on Psalm 138.

“Though the Lord is on high, He looks upon the lowly, but the proud He knows from afar. Though I walk through the midst of trouble, You preserve my life; You stretch out Your hand against the anger of my foes, with Your right hand You save me. The Lord will fulfill His purpose for me; Your love, O Lord, endures forever-do not abandon the works of Your Hand.”~~Psalm 138:6-9

So, the worshiper moves from a personal choice to worship, to a cry for justice, to a personal prayer. He first acknowledges the Lord’s elevated state and then articulates one of the great mysteries of Diety. That God “looks upon the lowly”. Isn’t it amazing that God takes time to look on us? I find great comfort in this. Knowing that He walks with me in trouble, preserves my life and reproofs the anger of my enemies. What an amazing God.

One interesting warning here is that while God looks on the lowly He “knows the proud from afar”. The psalmist was again looking back to Solomon’s wisdom. This time in Proverbs 3:34:

“The Lord opposes the proud, but gives grace to the humble.”

Sidebar-This is an important point for worship leaders in particular. As musical people we are more naturally inclined to egotism and should be doubly on guard for this. God not only “sees the proud from afar”, but the scripture further teaches that He is in opposition to those that are filled with pride. That’s why Peter preceded his quote of this proverb with “Clothe yourselves in humility toward one another, because…” (1 Peter 5:5) God forbid us from walking in the “I’m better than they are” mentality and competitiveness in worship that actively blocks the Lord’s favor and presence.–Sidebar End

Verse seven is one of my favorites in this passage. This exiled and belittled worshiper realizes that God is not finished! He will accomplish His purpose. The psalmist recognizes, and relishes, God’s authoritative plan and reason for this season of his walk. That the love of God endures forever regardless of what present circumstances would seem to say.

This worshiper sets the tone for those of us who find ourselves suffering under the hands of the unjust. First we choose to worship, then we pray for those causing the trouble, prophesy over them and find our conclusive peace in the fact that God has not forgotten us.

As I’ve studied this passage I am very grateful that they left the last line in. “Do not abandon the work of Your hands.” After this empowering worship time, the worshiper is still checking to make sure that God is still there. I love to see the humanity of the writers of the Psalms. One moment he is prophesying the release from exile and a few verses later reminding God not to forget about him. That makes me feel a little more normal.