Categories: Preparing for Sunday

Simplicity-Week 4

Dear Friends,

When It comes to simplicity it’s important to clear things away so you can see what really matters.

This Sunday we will try to remember what worship is and how we do it. Sometimes we make such a production of what we call worship the essence of true worship is lost.

We have so much added machinery we start thinking we can’t worship unless we have this or that.

Sometimes our traditions become so set in our thinking worship becomes an empty exercise of religion. Jesus warned us about this.

 

Matthew 15:7-9 “You hypocrites, rightly did Isaiah prophesy of you: 8 ‘This people honors me with their lips, but their heart is far away from me. 9 ‘But in vain do they worship me, teaching as doctrines the precepts of men.’

 

Jesus was saying we can get so comfortable that the heartlessness of our worship is of no concern in fact, when the heart goes out of worship play acting comes in.

What does it mean to worship? How do we worship in the simplicity of spirit and truth?

This is what we will talk about Sunday.

I really hope you come. Let’s learn how to worship simply and honestly together.

Blessings,

Joe

STEPS TO PREPARE

PRAY FOR THE SERVICES AND FOR YOURSELF
AND ME AND THE OTHER TEACHERS.

PRAYERFULLY READ THE SCRIPTURES
AND CONSIDER THE DISCUSSION QUESTIONS.

MAKE PLANS TO ATTEND A PREACHING SERVICE AND A SMALL GROUP.

INVITE SOMEONE TO COME WITH YOU.

PREPARING FOR SUNDAY: SMALL GROUP QUESTIONS

Please attend a small group if possible. Consider the following scriptures and questions before you come.

 

 

What does it mean to worship?

 

 

Share an experience where you really felt you had worshiped God?

 

 

How can place or surroundings help or hinder your worship?

 

 

Are there any limits on where you can worship?

John4:23-24 “But an hour is coming, and now is, when the true worshipers will worship the Father in spirit and truth; for such people the Father seeks to be His worshipers. 24 “God is spirit, and those who worship Him must worship in spirit and truth.”

 

 

Why did Jesus warn us about the danger of hypocrisy in worship?

Matthew 15:7-9 “You hypocrites, rightly did Isaiah prophesy of you: 8 ‘This people honors me with their lips, but their heart is far away from me. 9 ‘But in vain do they worship me, teaching as doctrines the precepts of men.’

 

 

How can someone worship continually?

Psalms 34:1 I will bless the LORD at all times; His praise shall continually be in my mouth.

Philippians 4:4 Rejoice in the Lord always; again, I will say, rejoice!

 

 

Have you tried this?

 

 

What are ways we can help or hinder each other in worship?

Psalms 34:3 O magnify the LORD with me and let us exalt His name together.

James 2:1-4 My brethren, do not hold your faith in our glorious Lord Jesus Christ with an attitude of personal favoritism. 2  For if a man comes into your assembly with a gold ring and dressed in fine clothes, and there also comes in a poor man in dirty clothes, 3  and you pay special attention to the one who is wearing the fine clothes, and say, “You sit here in a good place,” and you say to the poor man, “You stand over there, or sit down by my footstool,” 4  have you not made distinctions among yourselves, and become judges with evil motives?

 

 

What is the most important place to start your worship?

Romans 12:1 Therefore I urge you, brethren, by the mercies of God, to present your bodies a living and holy sacrifice, acceptable to God, which is your spiritual service of

Joe Martin

Senior Pastor - Click Here for full profile