Make a joyful noise to the Lord, all the earth.
Worship the Lord with gladness; come into his presence with singing. Know that the Lord is God.
It is he that made us, and we are his;
we are his people, and the sheep of his pasture.
Enter his gates with thanksgiving, and his courts with praise.
Give thanks to him, bless his name.
For the Lord is good; his steadfast love endures forever,
and his faithfulness to all generations.
Psalm 100 New Revised Standard Version (NRSV)
We Are Connection- We Value…
PEOPLE – Everyone matters to God; no one is disposable.
TRANSFORMATION – Intentional Christ-centered living that makes a difference…
TEAMWORK – Working together beats working alone.
WORSHIP – Praising God for everything God has done, is doing, and will do.
PRAISING GOD FOR EVERYTHING GOD HAS DONE, IS DOING, AND WILL DO
Let everything that has breath praise the Lord.
Psalm 150:6
When the music fades and all is stripped away
And I simply come
Longing just to bring something that’s of worth
That will bless Your heart
I’ll bring you more than a song, for a song in itself
Is not what You have required
You search much deeper within through the way things appear
You’re looking into my heart
I’m coming back to the heart of worship
and it’s all about You, it’s all about You, Jesus
I’m sorry, Lord, for the thing I’ve made it when it’s all about You,
It’s all about You, Jesus
Michael W. Smith, The Heart of Worship
We do not worship primarily to feel moved, though warm emotions frequently arise when we worship God. We do not worship primarily to “get something out of the service,” though we often benefit from what happens when we gather with God’s people for worship. We do not worship primarily for anything having to do with ourselves, though worship is one of the most meaningful and transformational things we do in life.
Why do we worship?….We worship God for God and who God is. We worship because of who God is and what God has done. Our worship is a response to God, to God’s nature and activity.
Mark D. Roberts, Why Do We Worship?
Worship is a declaration of our weakness and God’s strength. I challenge you in your next point of need to make that hard choice to be a worshiper and let the breakthrough God fight your battle for you. When we worship, the invisible God is at work doing invisible and powerful things. We get realigned, refreshed and refueled; we find unspeakable joy and indescribable peace. We discover the breakthrough strength of God, which enables us to walk in the truth, live in His presence and see Him and see Him fight our battles for us. It is how we can put the beauty of the Gospel and display, receive His many blessings and at the same time be a blessing to the world.
Tommy Walker Understanding the Breakthrough Power of Worship
Billy Graham Evangelistic Association, Feb. 27, 2007
“Oh, so you’re a prophet! Well, tell me this: Our ancestors worshiped God at this mountain, but you Jews insist that Jerusalem is the only place for worship, right?
Believe me, woman, the time is coming when you Samaritans will worship the Father neither there at this mountain nor there in Jerusalem. Your worship guessing in the dark; we Jews worship in the clear light of day. God’s way of salvation is made available through the Jews.
But the time is coming – it has, in fact, come – when what you’re called will not matter and where you go
to worship will not matter. It’s who you are and the way you live that count before God. Your worship must engage your spirit in the pursuit of truth. That’s the kind of people the Father is out looking for: those who are simply and honestly themselves before him in their worship. God is sheer being itself – Spirit. Those who worship him must do it out of their very being, their spirits, their true selves, in adoration.”
John 4:19-24 (The Message)
Holy, holy, holy
Lord God Almighty
Early in the morning my song shall rise to thee
Holy, holy, holy
Merciful and mighty
God in three persons, blessed Trinity
Worship is a lifestyle.
Worship is living a life of love.
Love the Lord your God with all your heart, and all your soul, and all your mind, and all your strength.
Matthew 22:37
So here’s what I want you to do, God helping you: Take your everyday, ordinary life – your sleeping, eating, going-to-work, and walking-around life – and place it before God as an offering. Embracing what God does for you is the best thing you can do for him. Don’t become so well-adjusted to your culture that you fit into it without even thinking. Instead, fix your attention on God. You’ll be changed from the inside out. Readily recognize what he wants from you, and quickly respond to it. Unlike the culture around you, always dragging you down to its level of immaturity, God brings the best out of you, develops well-formed maturity in you.
Romans 12:1-2 (The Message)