 |
|
|
|
On Worship...
A Call to Intimacyby Steve Pruitt God's desire is for us to be intimate with him, but there is a condition to intimacy. That condition is holiness. The real praises of God come from a kingdom of people who are pursuing holiness...Abandoned Worshipby Steve Pruitt Athletes have a phrase they often use to describe their intensity of play. It is "Leave it all on the field." All the conditioning, weight lifting and studying the play book have brought you to game time...Brokenness in Worshipby Steve Pruitt Brokenness is essential when approaching God. Though we may approach him boldly we should never go into his presence presumptuously as though we have earned the right to be there...Chosen to Proclaimby Steve Pruitt We are to publish the praises or excellencies of him who called us. Our means of publication is not only what we say or write but also how we live...Contemporary or Traditional?by Steve Pruitt The style of worship music we use is not the stimulus that moves the heart of God. It is our willingness to suffer for the cause of Christ and be obedient to his call on our lives. The question of authentic worship is not, "Do we use contemporary or traditional music?" but rather, "Are we willing to die?"...
Designed by God for Godby Steve Pruitt The Father was not caught off guard; he was not totally surprised as we were. He not only knew about it, he planned it. He didn't just merely allow it to happen; he squeezed it into shape; he formed, framed and molded it like a potter does a vessel. And he did it for a specific purpose...
God is Sprouting Praiseby Steve Pruitt God didn’t just create a people knowing that one day they would declare his praise, he created them for the express purpose of declaring his praise. He predestined them for such a purpose. Is God Hungry?by Steve Pruitt God is self-existent and does not need any outside source to assist him in sustaining life. However, though he is not physically dependant on food, there is a burning hunger in God that he actively seeks to satisfy...Name Above Allby Steve Pruitt The chief end of our lives is to exalt God's name above all others. By living holy, obedient lives accompanied with outward expressions of adoration we can demonstrate the supremacy of God in all things and give him the glory due his name...Open Heart What!?by Steve Pruitt I recently underwent open heart surgery to replace an aortic valve which had been defective since birth. The entire ordeal took our family quite by surprise as I was not initially aware of any symptoms of a heart problem. Here is how the events unfolded...Praising God for His Mercyby Steve Pruitt Are we willing to look foolish to make it clear to the world that we are praising the God of our affections? Have we really understood God's merciful kindness toward us?...Psalms, Hymns and Spiritual Songsby Steve Pruitt There are the "all hymns" churches, the "no hymns" churches, the "hymns-other stuff" churches, then you have the "no music-just voices" churches. Who's right? Who's wrong? Who cares? Just Worship!!...Rejoice and be Gladby Steve Pruitt If we as earthly parents receive an abundance of pleasure watching our children rejoice over the presents we give them, how much more pleasure does the heavenly Father receives when we rejoice over the presents he gives us?Run Don't Walk!by Steve Pruitt We must be thirsty for God alone and realize that his right hand (power) is the only thing which sustains and satisfies our soul. And we must be willing to express or display our passion for his person and presence...Sacrificial Praiseby Steve Pruitt Worship doesn't depend on the outward appearance of the worshiper or his circumstances, but on the greatness of the one who controls the circumstances and the work he has done on the inside of the worshiper...Thanksgiving in Worshipby Steve Pruitt In modern day worship services there is a popular trend of lifting and even waving hands. Many do it just because it's popular, but doing something because it's popular doesn't make it worship...The Center of Worshipby Steve Pruitt The greatest miracles occur each time God takes a filthy, rotten heart and makes it clean; all because of the blood of Jesus. And if what Jesus did on the cross doesn't cause us to worship him with abandonment then we are at least one step removed from the center of worship...The Dynamics of Corporate Worshipby Steve Pruitt Corporate worship should never be hurried. Pliny the younger wrote to the emperor Trajan that the first century Christians would frequently worship far into the night singing chorus after chorus for hours at a time...The Fountain of Satisfactionby Steve Pruitt In many churches ritual has taken the place of repentance and righteousness; works have taken the place of true worship. We have become more concerned with preserving our dignity that we have with praising our Deity...The Glory of Godby Steve Pruitt The church is desperate for the glory of the Lord to once again fill the temple. When his glory comes, his manifest presence, people change. Once we have experienced the wonder of his glory we will be ruined to everything we have known as church...The Pleasure of Worshipby Steve Pruitt It is God's desire that we experience the pleasure of his presence. He finds pleasure in filling us and visiting us with his presence. So, who gets pleasure from our worship? Both the Father and us...The Power of Songby Steve Pruitt Song contains the power to not only change attitudes, but influence actions. The forces behind many of these songs are aware of their power and many listeners have succumbed to their bondage...
The Praise of His Graceby Steve Pruitt God's election, choosing and predestining of us is totally based on his love for us. If God's choosing of us was based on our eventual choice to choose him we would have reason to boast. The Restoration of David's Tabernacleby Steve Pruitt David's tabernacle was erected in a conspicuous place; Mount Zion. All who entered the city could see the glory of God and hear the praises of God. That is what our praise and worship accomplishes; it takes a huge God that seems so far away to some folks and brings him nearer for them to see...The Wrath of Manby Steve Pruitt All of the rage of the nations and the plotting of the rulers exist for this purpose; to fulfill the plan of the Almighty God to exalt his name above every name and to be made much of among the nations.To the Least of Theseby Steve Pruitt I am convinced that these acts of kindness shown toward our family were in deed acts of worship toward Christ. Any act, for good or ill, that we perform toward members of Christ's body is rendered unto Christ...Why Do We Worship?by Steve Pruitt The purpose of our worship however is not to experience the hand of God it is to see the face of God. Worship is for God! He is the giver and the receiver of worship. All true worship has God at its center. It's all about Him...Worship and Reverenceby Steve Pruitt Should we expect God to manifest his glory if we do not give him the honor and reverence due his name? We cannot expect God to permit us to come into his presence with an attitude of disrespect...Worship is a Love Thingby Steve Pruitt God is to be loved and adored for who he is, not merely for what he has done for us. However, it is proper to display our affections toward him for the goodness he has shown to us. No expression of our affection toward him goes beyond what is worthy of him, even to the laying down of our very lives Worship is Transformingby Steve Pruitt Transformation comes as we spend time in God's presence listening, heeding his words and worshiping his person...Worship: A Bi-dimentional Experienceby Steve Pruitt As we worship we are joining thousands of other created beings. We are but one small part of creation that is worshiping its creator...Worship: A Way of Lifeby Steve Pruitt A true worshiper has no life of his own. He has been bought with a price. He has died to the right to have his own needs met in order to meet the needs of his Creator. The true worshiper does not exist for himself, but for his Creator...Worship: An Overflow of Revelationby Steve Pruitt Worship becomes our obvious response when we get a true revelation of the creator. Without a revelation of God it is impossible to worship Him...Worshiping in Spiritby Steve Pruitt A true worshiper will have an ongoing relationship with the Holy Spirit. This relationship will produce new worship responses because the Spirit continually gives fresh revelations of the Creator...Worshiping in Truthby Steve Pruitt Until the truth God has revealed about himself through his word and his Son becomes truth that is written in our hearts, our worship will be stale and lifeless...Worshiping the Fatherby Steve Pruitt True worshipers are not ashamed to show their affection to the Father regardless of who is watching. They are so overwhelmed with his love for them that fear of looking foolish is no deterrent...
|
|
|
