No great thing ever happened in the history of Christendom that wasn’t preceded by humble submission to God through prayer.  

Consider the Businessmen’s Revival during 1857 and 1858. Jeremiah Lanphier, a layman, was hired by the North Dutch Church in New York City and tasked with reaching people in the marketplace. Lanphier began before the Lord in humility and prayer. “Lord, what would you have me do?” 

From a prayer that amounted to the widow’s mite, God gave Lanphier a simple strategy: Open the doors of the church at noon each day so businessmen could enter and pray. The first meeting was Sept. 23, just three weeks before the Bank Panic of 1857. Six attended the first week, 20 the next, then 40.  [Read more…]

Students engage in worship during Glow Weekend at First Baptist Church, Goodlettsville.

During the past few months, I have become involved with the youth group at our church, serving as the drummer for the Wednesday night worship gatherings and as a de facto chaperone at youth events.

These roles have been a blessing for me, especially since my oldest son, Jonah, is in sixth grade and is now officially a member of youth group. (It doesn’t seem possible to me that he is old enough to be in the youth — I mean, didn’t he just start on solid food a few weeks ago??  — but that’s a topic for another day). 

In any event, Jonah and I both recently attended Glow Weekend, which is our church’s version of Disciple Now.  [Read more…]

EDITOR’S NOTE: The following column is Part II of a three-part series. The other two parts are available online: Part I and Part III. 

Should We Sing Those Songs?!

NOTE FROM THE WRITER: In Part I, we were introduced to the new “worship war,” a debate about the suitability of worship music based on a song’s origins. We explored the issue’s importance, highlighted some theological concerns, and assessed the root argument as well as some counterarguments. In Part II, we’ll continue our investigation.

Another objection is that by singing songs with problematic sources, churches sanction that source. In other words, by singing “Graves into Gardens,” churches show tacit support of Bethel Church. By singing “Shout to the Lord,” they give Hillsong their stamp of approval.

Others allege that by leading or singing a song, they approve of that song. Nothing more, nothing less.

Plus, there’s another angle to consider. When a pastor quotes a theologian, does that quote endorse the totality of the theologian’s life and beliefs? I’ve heard teetotalers quote Martin Luther though he was unabashedly a heavy drinker. John Calvin is cited often in sermons, but these pastors don’t sanction the execution of Servetus? I’ve even heard pastors quote non-Christians, not because the sources are infallible, but because they wrote or spoke something deemed beneficial to the gathered body of believers. [Read more…]

Have you ever noticed people at a college football game? When their team runs on the field they cheer. When their band plays, they clap and sing along. When their team scores a touchdown and wins the game, then all bets are off as to how excited the fans will be. 

In fact, some people get so excited over their team that they can barely contain themselves on Saturdays while at the football stadium. 

However, when you take these same people to church on Sunday, they barely speak to anyone, they won’t sing songs or hymns, they never clap along with the band, and when the pastor makes a particularly good point in his sermon, rather than say “Amen,” they yawn and look at their watches. Where is the excitement? Where is the praise? Where is the joy? 

A little boy had attended church on Sunday morning with his parents for the first time in a while. That night he knelt to say his prayers before going to bed. The little fella prayed, “Dear Lord, I sure had a good time at church today. I sure wish you could have been there!”

Wow! No truer words have ever been spoken. When we were created by God, we were created to worship Him. The word worship is literally translated as “worth-ship.” We are to live our lives to prove God’s worth-ship, and that He alone is worthy of our praise. I’ve been thinking about why we give God so very little worship in our daily lives.  [Read more…]

One of my favorite times in worship at church is when we observe the Lord’s Supper. Each week we sing together, pray together, hear God’s Word together and take the Lord’s Supper together. After the sermon, as the church sings, each member walks to the front to receive the wine and the bread. After we all return to our seats, a pastor then leads us as together we eat the bread and drink the wine.

Some say that taking the Lord’s Supper so often leads us to take it for granted. I don’t buy that. Speaking of the supper, J. C. Ryle once said ,“By receiving it we publicly declare our sense of guilt, and need of a Savior — our trust in Jesus, and our love to Him — our desire to live upon Him, and our hope to live with Him.” For me, it is good in a regular and public way to declare my guilt, acknowledge my need, profess my trust, recommit my desire to live for him and proclaim that Jesus is my only hope for life with God.

Each week we observe the Lord’s Supper acknowledging that we are sinners who are saved by the work which Christ has accomplished. By walking to the front and receiving the elements, we communicate to everyone watching that we are in need of a Savior. We profess our trust in Jesus. We recommit our desire to live for Jesus. We proclaim that Jesus is our only hope. [Read more…]