by Kimberly | Nov 3, 2017 | Books, Worship
Is worship easy for you? Let me rephrase that – it worship of God easy for you?
Six years ago my life changed. I went from being single in control of my mornings, time to myself, pick the church I want to being married (to a then worship pastor, now someone still involved in worship ministries) and a mom to two littles who don’t always let me run my mornings or my days like I would like.
And Sunday mornings – we all know what Sunday mornings are like. They are crazy. My mister leaves before the the rest of us to rehearse for the morning service. Usually by the time I drop the kids off at church preschool ministries they’ve disobeyed, needed discipline, and I’m not in a “good frame of mind” to worship God.
And we’ve changed churches so much in the last 7 years. So, community and preaching and worship styles and kids ministries and women’s ministries – they all affect my ability to worship on Sunday mornings.
And I’m still working on it. Some Sunday mornings I’m in a better worship mode than others. Some, its just rough from the get-go!
Can any mom relate?
But, of course, worship is not a Sunday morning thing – not exclusively. Being in the Word, singing praise songs, working, cooking dinner, playing with our kids, dating your spouse – all of these can be acts of worship. Tuning Your Heart to Worship is a new book by Lavon Gray (New Hope Publishers) that will help you focus some time in the Psalms. The Psalms is sort of the worship guidebook for the Bible. The psalmists, under direct breath of God, experienced so many of the emotions and daily things that we face. Yet they worshiped.
In this book, there are 100 passages from the Psalms. 100 days for you to spend time in the psalms, reading them, and hearing about worship songs, ministry insights, and application points. The author encourages you to read the whole psalm not just the 1-2 verses that he highlights. The Word of God is living and active. The Word through the power of the Holy Spirit can and will change your heart of worship.
This is also a book full of application. You will be encouraged to think and process as you read through the devotion each day, but you will also be encouraged to do something next. Journal, pray, write, think, share.
I do agree with the author that this is not an academic devotional. It is more personal and one that you might use with a more academic commentary if that is something you desire.
Thank you New Hope Publishers for the book. All opinions are my own.
by Kimberly | Jun 23, 2016 | Shepherding Children, Uncategorized, Worship
We have started to see some exciting things in our boys! They are not only able to learn the Word, but they are eager to do it!
When we moved into our new rental home, we started making a concerted effort to teach our kids the Word. We knew this would not only help us but also help them. We started with “When I am afraid I will trust in you.” Then we have been working on Psalm 23:1 “The Lord is my Shepherd, I have everything I need.” It is so cute to hear them say it, to say it at random times, and to want to say it all by themselves.
Another great way to teach kids Scripture is through music. And Seeds Worship has some great music that teaches kids the Word of God. It is a joy to hear them singing in the backseat as we drive to donut day, to church, or to the park.
One of my favorites right now by Seeds is their Praise CD. Has some great verses on it for kids (and adults) about trusting, our words, and the Word of God. I love singing along to it – and even getting my littles to “dance” in the car with me – so when others look in from the outside they won’t think I’m the only strange one. The songs Sing for Joy and Mighty to Save are two of my personal faves that I just SING LOUD on! I want to teach my children to sing for everything they have – sing with abandon to the God who created them.
If you would like to win the Praise CD from Seeds, just tell me what songs you and your children love to sing. And I’ll pick a winner soon.
Seeds sent me these CDs to listen to and love, but all opinions are my own!
by Kimberly | Oct 4, 2014 | 31days, hymns, Worship
One of the best current or ever hymn writers in my opinion is Stuart Townend. Do all good things come from across the pond?
Most of the songs that the Getty’s sing are co-wrote or written completely by Stuart. And this hymn has been one dear to my husband as of late. I hope you enjoy it as well.
The stanza I chose from this hymn speaks of Christ’s work on the cross. And we boast in that. Even if it didn’t do anything for us in this life – Jesus would still be boast-worthy (1 Corinthians 15) but, it does so much for us in this life. We are welcomed into the presence of the Creator of the Universe by His Son and His work on the cross. We no longer have to be enslaved to a habit, a person, or a way of life because our Savior has risen from the grave. Glory! (One of the pastor’s I served with in Raleigh would always says this – I smile when I think of him saying this).
Live free today. Another newer praise hymn is We Speak to Nations by Israel Houghton – I love it.
by Kimberly | Feb 10, 2014 | Arkansas, Bible, Books, Worship
I’m still reading through the OT and making lists of the God the people of the OT encountered, served, feared, and loved. I am loving seeing how God interacts with his people. I know that He is the same God today as he was 8000 years ago.
Currently, I’m in Leviticus, and its not very exciting reading – but still I see that God talks to his people and tells us how we can please him. I see him showing mercy. Here are seven things that I learned this past week.
1. God has a purpose for color. I saw this as I attended the Bloggers in Bloom event last week and as I await the Arkansas Flower and Garden Show. The reports in Exodus about color is that God intended certain aspects of the temple and of the worshiper’s attire to be a certain color. He is an exact and detailed God. But, how he uses color now for our benefits are different. He uses color to express warmth and invitation. He uses color to express that winter is over and spring is finally here. He uses color to brighten moods and take away frowns. All of these are great reasons to use color in your home, kitchen (in what you cook), and in your wardrobe.
2. God is a free-ing God. The If:Gathering was this weekend, and although I wasn’t able to attend in Texas, I was grateful for one of my friends, Sharon Miller, who posted some of her favorite quotes. I particularly loved this one by Christine Caine: “You came out of Egypt, but Egypt is still in you. But God wants to get Egypt out of you so we can walk into the Promised Land free.” This basically means that we desire so often to return to what God has freed us from. But, how much better life would be if we never turned back and desired the old ball-and-chain!
3. The Lord shows mercy to stiff-necked people. I’m not talking about chiropractic care (though I love mine in Raleigh), but I’m talking about the mercy that he shows us when we refuse to give up our sinful ways, when we balk at his correction, when we settle for every day ho hum when he has called us to live the extraordinary!
4. God gives gifts to people to use for his glory! Let’s take a look at the oil maker in Exodus 37. God gave him the talents and abilities to make oil so that a particular type of oil might be used in the worship of God! That is so cool to me. That God might give me a particular gift that I can use to bring God glory in our home, in the local church, and in the church around the country and world. That gets me excited!
5. The Lord requires sacrifice for sin. I often thought in reading all of the lists for sacrifices that I’m glad that Jesus paid my sacrifice once for all so that I don’t have to sacrifice daily or weekly or yearly or anything to recompense for my sin. The perfect Christ already did that! Oh what a blessing. And this is how we can use the Old Testament, even in Leviticus, to teach others about the beauty of the Gospel and that the whole Bible points us to Jesus!
6. The Lord tells us what is pleasing to Him. He has given us His Word. That Word, the Bible, is sufficient in us knowing what it means to please Him. In one way, we stand before God because the Son has pleased the Father in his death and resurrection. But, we still try to please God in our actions. Not for acceptance. No, but for his pleasure.
7. God shows his glory to his people. He did this many times for Moses, and He dwelt in the Tabernacle with his people. How we might long for that. Do you long for Heaven? Do you long to be worshiping and singing where God and Jesus and the Spirit are front and center? I was reading a Donald Miller article about why he doesn’t feel the need for church and the first paragraph – singing really isn’t my thing – I just don’t like it. It made me sad for him because Heaven will have singing in it. We will get to sing to the Lamb! Moses’ song will be sung there!
How are your devotions going? Do you find them dead and lifeless? Or do you long to meet with God every day? I’m not quite to the last one – but I am finding the more time I am in the Word the more I want to be in the Word.
by Kimberly | Jan 21, 2014 | Bible, Books, mothering, Uncategorized, Women & Books Together, Worship
This is a little late in coming because we were trying to get our home back in order after being gone for two weeks. Its gets harder when you have more clothes to wash (2 little boys and 2 weeks of travel). I definitely thought this was the richest chapter yet and it met the rest of my life as I was reading it. Here are my top thoughts from reading chapter three.
1. Sometimes I wish I had said something. I would never think to refer to the Incarnation – and all the parts of the whole – as an “exquisite mystery”. Maybe this is why I like Elyse so much. She knows how to pen her thoughts in beautiful packages. I was telling my Mister tonight about how the Incarnation seems to be getting more mysterious to me the more I read this book and think upon that doctrine. What parts are more of a mystery to you? The fact that he was God? Or the fact that He was human. For me, its that He was human. But, for me, all I need to know is written in the Word so that I might know Him – and in eternity I will know Him more.
2. This is specifically for moms: do you ever feel like no one knows what your days are like? Like no one really knows you or your trials? Like no one knows what you go through loving on your kids each day (and pulling bubble gum out of hair and peeling spaghetti noodles from the wall and scrubbing marker off of the baseboards? This was very encouraging to me: Jesus lived his whole life in faithful obedience – all 33 years – not just the three in public ministry. “if our understanding of his work pauses after a brief celebration in Bethlehem to resume only at his baptism in the Jordan, we rob ourselves of the comfort that his whole life of isolation, obscurity, and obedience are meant to bring us. Generally ignored, he toiled without complaint, suffering humbly. He wasn’t merely treading water. Jesus’ life of ordinary (yet spectacular) obedience changed everything. He needed to live a full life of joyous obedience in order to save us. He grew from blissful innocence to tested holiness in the crucible of daily life.” How is God shaping you and perfecting you in the crucible of daily life. My mentor and I have been talking about this the past few days. Knowing there is great reward in the daily – seek faithfulness and the glory of God.
3. God’s Word is reliable. Elyse says that – we can believe it. We can believe in the Bible’s reliability not because Elyse says it – but because God says it. Jesus knows the Word. He spoke the Word while He was on earth. God-breathed was the Word that he was quoting in the wilderness – and in many other instances in his earthly life. God gave it to us as a means to know Him – let us love this reliable word.
4. “The Lord Jesus had a practiced habit of exclusive worship of his Father.” Another one of those quotes I wish I had penned. What do you in the ordinary? How do you live your life daily? Do you wait for a trial to come before you pray? Do you wait until you need an answer before you read the Word? Do you wait till you have a Bible study lesson to prepare before you dig into the Scriptures? When trials come – what do you have to cling to? If you are in the practiced habit, like Jesus was, of daily walking with God, His and our Father, then your life will demonstrate that as you face the trials that all of use are going to face in this life.
5. “Recall the perfect obedience of the Son in your place and go on your way in faith.” There is an age old discussion about faith and works. What the Bible clearly says is that salvation comes through Christ alone – by faith alone (and that faith is a gift not of ourselves) and then we are to walk in the good ways that God has for us. So often though as believers, when we are failing and struggling in sin, our minds battle with our assurance of salvation. If we constantly look inward and look to ourselves and our good works as a measure of our salvation – we will never be sure of it. Because we will always be failing. We must look to, rely upon, and rejoice in the perfected work of Christ.
Happy reading!
by Kimberly | Jul 15, 2013 | Books, Uncategorized, Women & Books Together, Worship
I hope you have all enjoyed reading this week’s first chapter in Alistair Begg’s and Sinclair Ferguson’s new gem of a book on the person of Christ. It has been a blessing to me and I’ve been learning much from their study and have thrilled at their writing and teaching style.
How these weekly studies will go, for the next 7 weeks, is this: I hope you will come to each Monday having read the chapter for that week, but if you haven’t, feel free to join in anyway. I guarantee you will get more out of this blog each week if you have read the material. I won’t walk through the chapter, but more offer my gleanings and what I’ve learned in light of the author’s writings. In the comment section, you can either comment on what you’ve read in the book, on the blog, or something else you’ve read in pertaining to the subject matter at hand. Everyone will interact with each other.
Here are some of my reflections on Chapter 1:
1. Why study Jesus?
“They (the names of Jesus) express the incomparable character of Jesus Christ our Savior and Lord. Reflecting on them better prepares us to respond to the exhortations of Scripture, to focus our gaze upon Him, and to meditate on how great He is.” (pg 15)
The study of Jesus greatly enhances our worship. True worship, if you remember John 4, has to be through Jesus. If you look at the hall of faith in Hebrews 11, they were worshiping the Yawheh God through the future faith in the coming and reign of Jesus. My husband has been reading a Dennis Johnson book in preparation for his DMin class on preaching – the entire book is on how the entire Bible points to Christ. The Old Testament, New Testament, the 400 years of silence in between. Jesus has everything to do with our yesterdays, todays, and forevers. According to Sinclair in another sermon, God is a speaking God – and through the person and work of Jesus is one of the primary ways God chose to speak.
There are many types of religious affiliations in the world, that is an understatement. However, one distinct person separates true Christian, gospel-centered worship from every other religion in the world: Jesus. Others have works, ladders, lists, and good deeds, but as a former pastor of mine said, Christianity doesn’t equal DO, it equals DONE. Does your worship, both daily and on Sunday among other believers, center on the person and work of Jesus? If not, something is most definitely missing.
This is what gets a lot of us women in trouble on a daily basis. We are seeking to do everything we need to do: whether our jobs, schooling, motherhood, being a wife, serving others, being a homemaker, etc. in our own strength. However, knowing Jesus and what He has done for us as believers, and daughters and co-heirs, will enable to us to free our minds from a perfectionist mindset and set our hope and our calling on Him.
2. Scripture is more than knowledge, it is doing.
As my husband and I studied the book of James for most of 2012, I read weekly or daily the verses about doing the Word of God, not just listening, reading or knowing it (James 1). This was so convicting. Often times we ourselves, or others in our presence, will spout Scripture, but often times we fail to do what we know.
As the authors talk about Jesus being the Seed of the Woman, the reason the Seed was needed was because of sin. And the action of sin in the garden was not listening and obeying the Word of God. God has spoken very clearly as to what Adam and Eve were to do and not do – however, they both chose to turn away from the spoken word of God and do their own thing. “The distinctive feature of this tree is what God had said about it.” (p 16).
Sweet friends, how do we fight this battle daily – the battle of our minds? We fight this battle daily with some of the following (and think for yourself what some of yours might be): putting our hope in status, a clean house, happy kids, a husband, a successful career, etc. (other than putting our hope in Jesus); worrying and being fearful (this only tends to get worse in our sinful nature once we have children); fighting our own battles (wanting to be the justifier instead of waiting for God to act on our behalf), etc. We need to memorize and act upon the Scriptures that God has so graciously spoken to us. We only do this by choosing to believe in the Gospel every minute of every day.
3. Conflict Resolution.
I once had the opportunity to hear Ken Sande speak at Southern Seminary. A gracious man, he taught his listeners about means of being a peacemaker. There are some helpful resources on his website, so if you aren’t familiar with his ministry, I would encourage you to “google” him.
We have conflict in our lives (between friends, church members, spouses, children, bosses, family) because of a great conflict that was started in the Garden of Eden. This ultimate conflict will eternally be won by Jesus, but there are daily ramifications of conflict for us in this world. “When Christ appeared, he came to undo what the Serpant had done. By His life and ministry and ultimately through his death and resurrection, he destroyed all the works of the Devil.” (p 20)
Oh, isn’t this a happy thought? When there is conflict in our lives, we can rest assured that we know who will be the Victor. I really don’t know anyone who loves conflict; I certainly don’t. In our marriage, we strive to resolve conflict as soon as possible. But this conflict between the Seed of the Woman and Satan has been going on for centuries. And the outcome is still secure – Jesus wil be victorious.
So dear one, when you find it hard to battle the conflict daily – that battle of sin and of the flesh and of the war that Paul speaks about in Romans 6-7 – please take heart that this is not an eternal battle – but one that Jesus has already won!
4. There will be pain.
Since everyone knows this…I can move on from this point. Wait. As I think about the ladies I know who are doing this book study with us here on the blog – I know their stories (most of them). I know the pain in their lives – pain today, pain yesterday, knowing that pain will certainly come in the future. Lost jobs, lost loved ones, unsaved loved ones, difficult family circumstances, family members with lifelong disabilities or illnesses, betrayal of friends, etc. – pain is so real in our lives.
I found much hope in this statement by the authors: “We must not allow ourselves to be tricked into thinking that if things are going well with us, then we can be sure of God’s love. For life can often seem dark and painful. Things do not always go well for us. Rather, we look to the sacrifice of the cross and the demonstration God gave there of His love. This is the proof I need. This is the truth I need to hear if the lie is to be dispelled” (p 33).
This last month of my life has been a very hurtful one. But, I’ve actually had much comfort that has come from friends speaking the Gospel truth into my life – words of hope and life that have dispelled (somewhat, honestly, at this stage in the game) lies. I’ve had a husband and close friends who point me to what God has said about me in His Word and that has given me much hope.
Ladies – there will be hurt. There will be pain. But, as the authors of this book and the glorious Bible has said, Jesus gets the victory. Pain will one day lose all of its sting. Pain can no longer have the victory if we believe in Jesus. That is a great HOPE! In your hurt – where do you find hope?
What have you gained from the book this week? What was your most applicable takeaway? What thoughts have you read here that have triggered some new thoughts in your understanding of this truth about Jesus?
Join us next week as we reflect on chapter 2!
