​Fall is in the air!  Kids are back to school and everyone is starting to get COVID fatigue. With the reality of a new season approaching and another semester of distance learning, many are feeling despair about how long this pandemic will alter their lives.  Add to this natural disasters like wildfires and hurricanes and the pressure becomes too much.  Uncertainty and ambivalence is high along with feelings of anxiety and stress.  And Christians are not immune to these feelings.  We also are trying to plan for the future in a world that is changing on an almost daily basis.  So how can we navigate this season?  How can we refocus our attention on truth?  How can we ease the loneliness, stress, anxiety, and fear that we feel? 

​As we close out the month of July, I would like to give you a gentle call to worship.  Sometimes life gets so busy and overwhelming that we forget how much God has given us, done for us, and won for us and so we forget to just stop and worship.  Worship Him for who He is, what He’s done, and His great faithfulness.  So today, would you take a moment to quiet your heart and mind and let the words of this song flood your soul and become a song in your heart?

​Once in a while, I like to highlight a song I would use for communion in a service.  These songs are special to me because they exalt Jesus, remind us of His great sacrifice, and fill our hearts with gratitude.  Therefore, today’s song feature will be one of these “communion” songs.

​I hope you all had a wonderful time celebrating the 4th of July! Though our nation seems to be spiraling into chaos and more restrictions, we still enjoy great freedom, and it is important for us to remember and celebrate them.  One of the many freedoms we enjoy here in the States is the ability to worship God without hindrance.  Many of our brothers and sisters around the world do not get to enjoy this luxury.  Therefore, we must capitalize on and fully utilize this privilege and not take it for granted.  

Welcome to another week on “Here I Am to Worship”! I hope you were able to catch the powerful message I shared with you last week from Passion City Church.  Worship is an important part of our Christian walk.  Therefore, understanding and learning how to do it well is vital to walking in the abundant fullness of God’s intended design.  So I hope you were challenged to offer to God an extravagant, unrestrained response to His goodness in your life through worship. 

​We’re living in crazy times.  Just when we thought things couldn’t get much worse, they did.  However, in the midst of the crazy, in the middle of the uncertainty and chaos, we have a refuge we can run to.  Proverbs 18:10 assures us that, “The name of the LORD is a strong tower; the righteous man runs into it and is safe.”  Therefore, as we face a season where fear and anger abounds, let us run to our place of safety, the name of the Lord.

​Following along the same vein as last week’s song, today we’re going to focus on a beautiful story song that will rouse our hearts to worship our great Creator and Savior.

​A new week and a new day to celebrate what God has done in our lives.  While it may seem like everything in life has hit pause, God is working in us to shape and refine us.  If anything, He’s doing more work in each of our hearts during this season because we have time to focus on Him.  So don’t be afraid of the extra quiet.  Don’t resent the refining moments as you share close proximity with those you’re sheltering in place with.  Don’t tune out the still, small voice of God as He whispers truth and correction into your heart.  Embrace it, and use this time to grow in the Lord.  

​While many things may seem to be falling apart and on hold, the Church has been growing during this global pandemic in ways that haven’t been seen in years.  While it may seem like the Church is closed since the buildings are mostly empty, God is working through His Church in mighty ways.  As the people of God lean into the Spirit of God and shine brightly during this season, many are coming to the truth.  The Lord is working and moving through His Church, and the gospel is spreading during this time of crisis.  In light of all this, it is appropriate that our worship song for today focuses on the history and purpose of the Body of Christ.

​I hope you all had a blessed Resurrection Sunday!  As we continue to remember and celebrate the finished work of the cross, I have a newish song to share with you.  “He Lives” by Church of the City was released in January of this year.  It’s a powerful anthem celebrating the risen Lord.  Therefore, it’s the perfect one to focus on post-Easter.