Worship Start Day 4
DEVOTION 4 – May My Eyes See You
Do you remember the story of Exodus? The Israelite people were slaves to Pharaoh and suffering tremendously. God’s solution was a fugitive far from town who had been a shepherd for forty years. Through much prodding, Moses returned to Egypt to lead the people out from under the most powerful ruler the world had known.
Read these words:
"But the Lord said to Moses, 'Now you shall see what I will do to Pharaoh; for with a strong hand he will send them out, and with a strong hand he will drive them out of his land.'" (Exodus 6:1)
God assured Moses that he was about to see the power, might, and redemption of God before his eyes. Over the course of his life, Moses would see the glory of the Lord, the presence of the Lord in a cloud and fire, and the hand of the Lord in the ten plagues.
Can you imagine seeing all those things? Do you think your faith would be stronger if you saw God's power and might? I believe so.
Each Sunday, we ask God to give us eyes to see.
For some, that may mean eyes to see His truth on pages we have read countless times.
For others, it may be seeing the direction we should go in a particular situation.
Some need to see areas in life where they are failing to live for God.
Some of us need to see a person who needs our presence or help.
If God illuminated our eyes this week, what do you think we would see, notice, or observe?
Will you pray that today?
God, give me eyes to see what You are doing, where You are working, what I am supposed to do, and who I can help.
Worship Start Day 3
DEVOTION 3 – May My Lips Praise You
Let’s be honest—it is kind of weird that we all gather and sing songs together. Only at a concert by your favorite band would this be normal. Not only do we sing songs together, but we sing songs that may not be our preference and sometimes songs we do not even know.
Imagine walking into a Buddhist temple and being expected to begin singing their songs. You would feel uncomfortable.
So why do we sing?
Last year, I taught on this, but these are the cliff notes:
We are created to sing. (Let everything that has breath praise the Lord.)
We are commanded to sing. (More than 50 times in Scripture we are commanded to sing to the Lord and bless His name.)
We are compelled to sing. (The natural response to many major acts of God is singing. We see this after the Red Sea, in David’s rescues, and even after Peter’s prison release.)
Psalm 149:1
Praise the Lord! Sing to the Lord a new song, His praise in the assembly of the godly.
When we gather on Sundays, singing to the Lord is expected. It does not say that those who are good, musical, or fans of this particular song should sing. All are called and expected to sing.
Do you sing? Do you praise God with your lips? Do you really think God cares whether you are a good or bad singer? We must remember that He made us as we are, so He is neither surprised nor impressed by the skill with which we sing. He wants our hearts, not our talent.
Some of you confess with the congregation, "May my lips praise you," yet spend your time in worship failing to praise. This ought to change.
Some of you confess, "May my lips praise you," yet simply repeat melodic lines rather than worship the Holy One. Singing worship songs is not necessarily worship.
I want us to be a church that doesn’t simply sing but worships.
We don’t merely know songs; we praise God.
We don’t have to sound good; we strive to be authentic.
I have said before that I am not a good singer, but I can be a good worshiper.
This week, when we gather, may your lips praise God for who He is and what He has done. May you be compelled to worship the Holy One.
Worship Start Day 2
DEVOTION 2 – You Are Welcome in This Place
For the past 18 years, I have served on a church staff. I have been a part of good churches, struggling churches, disappointing churches, and dynamic churches. What I love most about the church that we have here in Farmers Branch is that our focus is first and foremost seeking God.
If we gather in our own name, with our own strength, honoring our own preferences, and focused on our own problems, we are missing the point of church. We are a gathered group of believers who are knit together not by city, community, color, or cause, but by our confession that God loves us, died for us, and made a way for us to be with Him.
So, it is only appropriate that we start our service each week by inviting God into this place of worship. This invitation is not required, as Jesus taught us:
"For where two or three are gathered in my name, there am I among them." (Matthew 18:20)
Yet it is purposeful. We do not want to forget why we are here. We are here to connect with God.
We invite God, both individually and as a congregation, to make His presence palpable among us in that moment. For some, this is the only time and space given to God during the week, so we must remember that He is the reason we are here. For others, this is a sweet time to connect with like-minded followers, but the glue that holds us together must be the God we worship.
My challenge to you today is not to wait until Sunday to invite God into your life. Invite God today into your home, your workplace, and the school across the street. Recognize the fingerprints of God even in the simple and mundane areas of life.
What would it look like if God were welcomed into the places you live? Would it make a difference?
Remember these words to Joshua as he began leading the nation of Israel:
"Have I not commanded you? Be strong and courageous. Do not be frightened, and do not be dismayed, for the Lord your God is with you wherever you go." (Joshua 1:9)
The Lord is with you wherever you go, yet there is power in inviting His presence and power to work in the spaces you inhabit.
Worship Start Day 1
DEVOTION 1 – O God, Our God
For over two years, we have started almost every worship gathering with the same confession:
O God, Our God, you are welcome in this place.
As we gather,
may my lips praise you
may my eyes see you
may my ears hear you
may my mind focus on you
may my heart be changed by you
This is a sacred moment; change me in it!
I do not remember exactly what led me to writing this corporate confession, but I am thankful we have it. Sunday mornings can be stressful. For me, it may be a technology problem, a challenging situation, or a last-minute sickness from a volunteer. For you, it may be a bad night's sleep, an argument during the car ride, or an outfit that doesn’t fit right.
Sundays can be hard. The enemy wants us to focus on the hard, not the holy.
Do you feel that?
So, a few years back, I wrote this confession for us to start each Sunday with in the hopes that it would help us center our minds, push away distractions, and be reminded that what we are doing truly is a sacred moment where God meets us.
The opening line is the most important: O God, Our God. The goal of this confession is to start where Jesus starts His model prayer—identifying God.
"Our Father in heaven, hallowed be your name." (Matthew 6:9)
We confess that the one and only God is our God (or, as Jesus says it, our Father). He is not simply for everyone else; He is for me. He is our salvation, our hope, our Redeemer, our strength, our Comforter, and our help.
As the chorus of the congregation states that opening line, we are reminded that everyone in that room is known, loved, and desired by God. Everyone in that room can make Him the Savior from their sin and the Lord of their life.
The God we gather to worship and hear from each Sunday is my God—the God I pray to, the God I seek, the God I follow. But He is not just mine. I hope that He is your God—the God you pray to, seek, and follow.
Here is a glimpse of who our God is:
Psalm 46:1
God is our refuge and strength, a very present help in trouble.
O God, Our God, you are welcome in this place!
Expectations of Self
"And I am sure of this, that He who began a good work in you will bring it to completion..." (Philippians 1:6)
Do you think this should be said of you?
Today, let's focus on this question:
What do you expect your spiritual life to look like?
Have you ever even considered that question?
We ask that about our work, our kids as they grow up, and our relationships with spouses and friends. We even have expectations for our favorite team, our bank account, and our vehicles.
Rarely, do we ask this about our own spiritual life!
What do you expect your spiritual life to look like?
Could it be that the reason so many Christians feel spiritually stagnant is because they have never actually defined what growth is supposed to look like?
We all feel like we are not doing enough, but what are we even aiming at?
Because here is the reality: without a clear expectation of growth, it is easy to settle for maintenance.
In order for there to be growth, there has to be investment. Investment of time, attention, and resources is required.
Most of us already feel a tension arise when I say that because we are too busy, our plates are too full, and our space to add anything new feels nonexistent. Even if we wanted to be more spiritual, we don't know where it would even fit.
So we drift.
We assume spiritual growth happens automatically as we get older.
We assume that staying consistent with church attendance or joining a group occasionally will slowly shape us.
We assume that praying a little more often will eventually solve the problem.
But none of that is enough.
Without direction, intention, and investment, we are not going to grow.
So let’s return to the question again:
What do you expect your spiritual life to look like?
Do you expect to know God better this year than last?
Do you expect to pray with more confidence?
Do you expect to understand Scripture more deeply?
Do you expect to grow in love, patience, generosity, and joy?
Do you expect to become more like Jesus?
Because if you do not expect those things, you will rarely pursue them.
Philippians 1:6 reminds us that God is not passive in this process: "He who began a good work in you will bring it to completion..."
God is committed to your growth.
The question is whether you are expecting it—and participating in it.
So today, consider:
What do I expect my walk with Christ to look like one year from now?
What areas of growth have I stopped believing are possible?
Am I actually expecting God to transform me?