Worship Start Day 6

DEVOTION 6 – May My Mind Focus on You

Psalm 121

I lift up my eyes to the hills.
From where does my help come?
My help comes from the Lord,
who made heaven and earth.

The battle for our mind is real. The Enemy, Satan, wants nothing more than for our minds to be distracted away from God. In fact, distraction is often as effective as debate. A few weeks ago, we talked about how tomorrow is Satan’s favorite day. Today, Jordan has put a lot on the plate of "Tomorrow Jordan" (i.e., clean the car, read this book, fast, pray, make memories).

When we pray, "May my mind focus on you," it is a statement of wanting to consider the goodness of God rather than the worries of the world. It is a declaration to set our minds on things above, not on things below.

This takes intentionality. Our minds are prone to drift, become distracted, and distance themselves from God. If we are not careful, we can spend an entire day, week, or month ignoring the spiritual side of life.

We must choose to make our minds focus on God. Just as the people we spend time with affect who we become, what we allow our minds to dwell on affects what we do. That is exactly what marketing companies are counting on. The reason we can recite commercials for Aflac, Allstate, or Liberty Mutual is because we have seen them so many times. All of that exposure causes us to begin thinking about our own insurance coverage.

What is your mind focused on today?

It is Monday morning, so maybe your to-do list is already being built, the problems from last week are still lingering, and your mind is a bit foggy from a busy weekend.

What should your mind focus on today?

Paul encourages the church in Philippi with these words:

Finally, brothers, whatever is true, whatever is honorable, whatever is just, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is commendable, if there is any excellence, if there is anything worthy of praise, think about these things. (Philippians 4:8)

What will you allow your mind to focus on today?

What needs to be banished from your mind because it is not healthy, helpful, possible, or within your control? (We waste a lot of time worrying about "what ifs" that never come true!)

What is one thing that is true, honorable, pure, lovely, or excellent that you can focus on today?

Worship Start Day 5

DEVOTION 5 – May My Ears Hear You

A few weeks ago, I asked the question, "Do you expect anything to happen when you show up on Sunday?"

Do you expect that today could be a milestone day in your faith journey? It could be the day you choose to be baptized, surrender to the Lord, quit that habit, or submit your language, finances, or career to Him.

I think we often show up with very little expectation that anything will happen during the service. Me included.

That is why we proclaim:

As we gather, may my ears hear You.

We all need a word from the Lord.

What if you heard:

• I love you. (Isaiah 43:4 or Jeremiah 31:3)

• I am with you. (Isaiah 41:10)

• I forgive you. (1 John 1:9)

• I have a plan for you. (Jeremiah 29:11)

• You don’t have to worry any longer. (Philippians 4:6-7 or Matthew 6:34)

• You are not going to be alone forever. (Hebrews 13:5 or Deuteronomy 31:8)

• It will get better. (Romans 8:28)

• Stop that habit. (Ephesians 4:22-24)

• Quit that job. (Colossians 3:23-24 – seeking God’s will for your work)

• Reconcile that relationship. (Matthew 5:23-24)

My hope is that each week when we gather, you are able to connect with the God of the universe in a personal way—that the voice of the Lord, whether audible or impressed upon your heart, speaks clearly to you.

The second half of this is moving from hearing to doing. In fact, in Hebrew, the word shema ("to hear") never meant simply to listen, but carried with it the expectation of responding as well.

We are somewhat good at listening to what God says, but do we actually hear it? Do we respond to it? Do we change as a result of it?

May our ears truly hear Him.

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.