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The Importance of Song Texts

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BibleAs a worship pastor, I make it a matter of priority to read through the texts of songs planned for upcoming worship services. Even if I know a song well, I usually read through the text to make sure there isn’t something I haven’t caught before. Believe it or not, it’s easy to gloss over things in songs we’ve sung many, many times. There are several reasons I do this, but the main reason is that I want to make sure the text is theologically solid and declares the truth of the gospel. The music we sing in corporate worship gatherings is far more than a “warm-up” for the sermon. It–and everything else we include in the worship gathering–must proclaim truth just as fervently as the sermon does. If any component of worship does not “preach,” it does not belong in worship.

At The Blazing Center, Stephen Altrogge has a post entitled “Why Words Matter in a Worship Song.”

Truth matters. Sound doctrine matters. Our songs should be saturated with truth. It doesn’t please God when we sing false things about Him. It pleases Him when our songs are packed with Biblical truth.

Thanks, Stephen, for reminding us of the importance of this concept.

Impacting the Kingdom Through Worship,
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Spirit and Truth

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John’s declaration that “God is spirit, and those who worship him must worship in spirit and truth,” renews the idea that worship is not confined to a specific place or time. God himself is not limited to a specific place and time because he is omnipresent; therefore, our worship of him can take place in our homes, in our offices, in our vehicles, or in any other place where we quiet our hearts and listen for his “still small voice.” Worship can take place in the difficult times when we want to cry out to God, [Read more...]

Worship is about the Seeker

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“True worshipers will worship the Father in spirit and truth, for the Father is seeking such people to worship him.” We don’t hear the phrase “seeker sensitive worship” much anymore. It was a fad a few years ago where churches attempted to make church enjoyable for those who might have never been to a church or those who might have been turned off by church. [Read more...]

Worship Matters to God

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As worship leaders make final preparations for this weekend’s worship gatherings, this quote from Bob Kauflin’s excellent book Worship Matters: Leading Others to Encounter the Greatness of God, should be at the forefront of our minds as we go about the task to which we have been called. [Read more...]

Pray for Steven Curtis Chapman and His Family

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Our prayers for comfort ascend to an almighty God on behalf of the family of Christian recording artist Steven Curtis Chapman. Chapman’s five year old daughter died after a tragic accident in which the Chapmans’ teenage son ran over his sister in the driveway of the family’s home outside of Nashville, Tennessee.

Impacting the Kingdom Through Worship,
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The Lunar Eclipse

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Lunar Eclipse IITaking up a new hobby like photography gives you a chance to see things you might not have seen before. I’ve always loved watching nature, especially the big explosive parts like hurricanes and tornadoes and other bad weather phenomena. I often tell people in advance of something like big storms that God’s going to put on a show. Wednesday night, we were reminded yet again how awesome God’s creation is. [Read more...]

Today's Worship Hits?

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Today's Worship HitsI understand we live in a country where capitalism is lauded as a way of life. And I’m grateful to live in a country where freedoms are something we don’t ever have to think about. Or rarely have to think about. Although some might argue that our freedoms are slowly eroding [Read more...]

Our Victory vs. God's Holiness

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Last night after everyone else was quietly tucked in bed, I spent some time reading Jerry Bridges’s The Pursuit of Holiness and came across a quote that made me stop and think. Bridges recounts some of the problems we have in our Christian faith, problems with sin and problems with holiness. [Read more...]

His Enemies Come Cringing

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I was fortunate enough growing up that I never had to deal with bullies. Reading news reports tells me the problem is increasing steadily. More often than not when news breaks of a shooting spree like Columbine, we later hear that the shooter had been bullied and finally snapped. These indviduals spend their lives afraid of someone else and they eventually take matters into their own hands.1 Fear is a powerful factor in our lives. [Read more...]

That's My Boy!

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My son doesn’t appear to be a natural when it comes to sports. He’s played city league soccer and he currently plays basketball in a Christian sports league. More often than not, he’s more interested in running around the field or court than he is in focusing on the task at hand, whether it’s drills or actual execution of the game. But he recently gave me yet another glimpse of the great passage in Zephaniah where we’re told God shouts over His children. [Read more...]