DAY FIVE

TODAY'S MAIN IDEA:

Learning to experience God in worship is a process that can be aided by

seven simple words:

Creation, Grace, Love, Response, Expression, Presence, and Experience.

Each upcoming week will be given to one of these words and how it relates to the theme of worship.

A summary of our study --

"Each of us was created by God for relationship with Him, but we can only enjoy that relationship by God's grace. God's great love for us, demonstrated in Christ Jesus, initiates our response. The only reasonable and adequate response is our expression of worship. As we worship, God has promised His presence. We can always experience God in worship!" (p. 29, workbook)

Harland gives a definition to each of these seven words. Was there one word that you look forward to understanding more deeply in the coming weeks? Tell me...

I'm so thankful that God has always been the initiator and all we have to do is respond. I look forward to growing in Him and learning with each of you over the next seven weeks.

If you're behind or haven't even begun the study, don't worry--just start this weekend, you won't regret it!

Have a great weekend and I'll be back on the blog bright and early Monday morning as we begin our second week in our study.

As always, feel free to comment, share what God is doing in your life as well as what you're learning through this study! I am truly blessed by all of the comments already and look forward to hearing more as we study God's Word together.

Looking forward to worshiping with you on Sunday!

Blessings,

Ken

DAY FOUR

GOD INHABITS OUR WORSHIP...

Today's main idea is that when we worship, God has promised to be present. Isn't that wonderful, amazing, and humbling! Our God is there when we worship Him.

I woke this morning thinking about one thing: God wants a deeper, personal, relationship with each of us! This is something worth getting out of bed, stretching upward and giving praise to God in our first waking moments of the day.

Mike Harland tells us, once again in today's study, that "God has revealed and continues to reveal Himself to us--who He is and what He has done--and His presence is real and available to us today. Worship is our only reasonable response to God's revelation" (p.25 workbook).

He goes on to say that "something wonderful happens as we worship: we make a place for God to dwell in our midst. When we worship, we actually invite the presence of God to be manifest among us...As we spend time in God's presence, He directs us and empowers us to respond, and we experience Him in new and glorious ways. Entering into worship, whether individually or corporately, is a surefire way to experience God" (p. 26 workbook).

Have you experienced wonderful moments of corporate and individual worship? Tell me about one.

When we worship, we should expect God to be there, for He said that He would be; we should praise Him for His faithfulness, steadfastness, and daily mercies.

Lamentations 3

²² Because of the LORD's great love we are not consumed,

for his compassions never fail.

²³ They are new every morning; great is your faithfulness.

²⁴ I say to myself, "The LORD is my portion; therefore I will wait for him."

²⁵ The LORD is good to those whose hope is in him,to the one who seeks him;

Praise the Lord throughout this day...

For the Lord is good! His faithful love endures forever!

Blessings,

Ken

DAY THREE

We are free to worship God because of Jesus' sacrifice.

Isn't it humbling to know that the God of the Universe, Creator of all, not only wants a relationship with us, but gives us the choice to decide if we want it with Him. His love is unfathomable and it must hurt Him so when we make wrong choices and turn in a wrong direction, especially when He knows the outcome and it's not the best for us (which is what He so strongly desires).

(Let me emphasize the scripture at the bottom of the picture again...)

Romans 3:10

As it is written:

"There is no one righteous, not even one;

In our human weakness (and to me, real stupidity) we are more naturally inclined to turn our affections toward something or someone else rather than the Father. Yet, praise be to God, who allowed His Son to be sacrificed so that through His life, death and resurrection, we have been given freedom to enter into God's presence! It is through Jesus, "the perfect sacrifice, [that] we have been made righteous--worthy to encounter God personally."

Romans 6:18

¹⁸You have been set free from sin and have become slaves to righteousness.

2 Corinthians 5:21

²¹God made him who had no sin to be sin for us, so that in him we might become the righteousness of God.

Aren't these wonderful verses. You were supposed to reflect on these two verses today--what are your thoughts?

Lord, transform me, renew my mind daily so I may move from one level of glory to another--surrendered to Your will!

Amen

Praise the Lord! I'm free to worship and serve my God!

Have a wonderful day with the Lord! See you tonight at rehearsal.

Blessings,

Ken

Day Two

WEEK ONE -- DAY TWO

Yesterday in our study, Harland said that "Worship is the key to experiencing God....Our worship provides a place of meeting with God--a place for us to encounter His very presence and embrace His invitation to join Him as He works."

As I said yesterday, God wants a relationship with each of us. We were created for this relationship! It's alarming and upsetting to think that something so special to God is so hard for us to give of our time and energy each day--throughout the day.

His never-ending desire is to enter into a deeper relationship with each of us. Let's together pray that we will daily give Him a place of prominence in our lives; giving Him praise and honor throughout the day in all that we do.

Lord, help us to not be so busy that we move you out of our daily lives. We want you to give you thanks, honor and praise from the first moment of each day to our last waking moment in the night. Reveal yourself to us today through your creation, Word and the Holy Spirit. Teach us how we may love you with all our heart, soul, mind and stren

gth. In Jesus name, Amen.

TODAY WE STUDIED GOD'S REVELATION AND OUR RESPONSE

The main idea today is that "worship is our only reasonable response to God's revelation."

Do you remember the worship definition that the author told us yesterday?

"Worship is our response to God's revelation of who He is and what He has done."

Take time this week and memorize this.

Do you have another definition? Here are some of my thoughts --

"Worship an active response to God whereby we declare His worth."

"To worship God is to ascribe to Him supreme worth, for He alone is worthy."

Harland spoke about his own personal "experiencing God" story. Do you have an experiencing God story? If so, share it with me.

In conclusion, Mike shares that we all have so many compelling reasons to set aside all else and worship Him. Do that today and then tell me about it.

Bless you,

Ken

Our first day!

Today is the first day of our new worship study. I am truly excited about the opportunity that we have in participating in this new worship study together. I have been praying for this time together for over six months -- that God may grow us as worshipers as well as Worship Leaders through this eight-week study. My prayer is that as we come together each Sunday, we will continue to give God authentic worship through "praise, adoration, celebration, and thanksgiving to God in response to who He is and what He has done in our lives."

God desires for us to be doers and not merely hearers. "Be diligent to present yourself approved to God, a worker who does not need to be ashamed, rightly dividing the word of truth." (2 Timothy 2:15 KJV)

God wants us to have a consistent lifestyle of worship--not just a worship "experience" every Sunday.

(John 4:23)

This study has a three-fold purpose:

1. To help you gain a clear revelation of God and His desire for worship to be the focal point and passion of our lives (Romans 12:1).

2. To give you a solid understanding of the biblical foundation that leads us to become true worshipers (John 4:23-24).

3. To encourage you to enter into increased freedom in your worship expression as you respond to God's revelation.(p. 6, workbook)

I encourage you to make the most of this study. If you get behind, catch up; make it a priority in your life for the next eight weeks. Read and meditate on each Scripture. Pray for revelation and breakthrough --for yourself and each person in our choir and media ministry who is doing this study. "As you increase in understanding of who God really is and what He has done in your life, consistent and fervent worship will be your natural response. And as you worship, God will inhabit your praise and impact your circumstances" (p. 5, workbook).

ABOUT THIS BLOG:

I welcome your thoughts. Please feel free to share what God is revealing to you about Himself through this study. You may comment each day, weekly or even just once in awhile. Each day I will share the day's highlights and then my thoughts. I encourage you to step out of your comfort zone and share freely about what the Lord is teaching you about worship.

NOW LET'S BEGIN: WEEK ONE -- "THE HEART OF WORSHIP"

"God created and equipped us for a lasting relationship with Him." From the first book of the Bible to the last, God makes it clear that He desires a relationship with us. He truly wants us to know who He is and what He has done for us. He loves us so much and wants a lasting personal relationship with each of us and all He desires for us to do is respond and as we do, "we can experience God each and every day as He works through us to accomplish His will" (p. 13 workbook).

Worship is the Key to Experiencing God!

Author Mike Harland is eternally correct when he says "I believe with all my heart that the key to breakthrough, the key to experiencing God in our own lives and having a personal relationship with Him, is found in developing a lifestyle of worship" (p.14). Wow! From creation, God has been about relationship--revealing Himself to us through His character and essence.

For this study, here is our working definition of worship:

"Worship is our response to God's revelation of who He is and what He has done."

Meditate on this -- Memorize this!

Harland simply states that "we are called to respond to all that God has revealed about Himself and to His never-ending desire to enter a deeper relationship with each of us.

How does He reveal Himself to us?

Through creation, His Word and the Holy Spirit!

Our response to today's study? ----

He wants us to really focus on who He is and what He has done as we are worshiping--to help change our perspective.

Do these thoughts cause you to want to worship? They do for me!....Take time today, throughout the day, and praise God for all the ways that He reveals Himself to you.

--------------------

I'm looking forward to studying the scriptures and reading through this study with you. My prayer is that God will truly reveal Himself in ways that will change your life forever and bring you to new heights as you worship Him.

See you tomorrow!

Blessings,

Ken

"I will praise the name of God with a song, and will magnify Him with thanksgiving." Psalm 69:30

Welcome To Seven Words of Worship

Hello All! Welcome to the new "Seven Words of Worship" Blog. This will be updated daily, and you all are encouraged to participate daily! Give us your input.

thanks!

dave