My Daily Pause

Whether or not to attend worship services is a spiritual decision you will have to make today (or the Sunday after you read this.) If you think you will not be missed, then you are mistaken. Others are coming because you are. Your voice is needed in song. You need to remember Christ’s life death and resurrection. You need to give. This list goes on.

The fact is, when you became a Christian you made a commitment. When you identified yourself with your congregation, you made a commitment.

You committed yourself to serve the kingdom in any way that helps it grow. If you need more study on the matter, here are the reasons you need to be in church today:

• To seek God’s kingdom (Matthew 6:33)
• To worship God (John 4:24)
• To edify the other saints (Hebrews 3:13)
• To sing praises to our God (Colossians 3:16; Ephesians 5:19)
• To pray (1 Timothy 2:1-8)
• To partake of the Lord’s Supper (1 Corinthians 11:23-29)
• To give as we have prospered(1 Corinthians 16:1, 2)
• To study (2 Timothy 2:15).

These are all items that are part of your service to God, but there is a compelling reason you need to go for yourself. Just like a coal loses its glow when it is removed from the fire, your spirit will be quenched when it is removed from the congregation. Just like that coal needs the fire’s heat to continue consuming the fuel, your faith needs God’s word to grow.

See you in church!

Daily Bible reading for August 11

Psalm 9
Judges 21
Jeremiah 37
Mark 7:1-8:26

Influence Through Consistency

Ecclesiastes 5:1 KJV says to “Keep thy foot” when you go into the house of God. It’s a shame that later versions changed that. Keep thy foot is an expression of maintaining yourself in your usual pattern of life. In the context of Ecclesiastes 5:1-7, Solomon’s instruction was to be godly all the time. Not just when you enter worship.

In fact the heading on my Bible in that spot say Fear God. That’s as good of a summary as can be given of the paragraph.

As we plan our day, remembering how we carried ourselves into worship and looking for ways to apply the lessons we learned is a great way to “Keep our feet” before others. We are after all, to be the salt of the earth by flavoring the world with our influence. (Matthew 5:13)

And to freshen up … going back often to God in prayer and reading from his word is a great way to keeping that godly attitude all week.

Daily Bible reading for July 8

Ecclesiastes 5:1-7
Joshua 6
Jeremiah 1:11-19
Matthew 17

As we plan and mentally prepare for our next worship, let’s ask ourselves if we have a heart fit for the Spirit to dwell in it. (Ephesians 3:16-17)

That heart – one that is grounded in love – is the vessel for the “fullness of God.” (Ephesians 3:18-19) Our time with the rest of the body of Christ will give us the tools to enlarge that vessel.

The word Worship is mentioned more than 100 times in the Bible. As you plan to go the next worship services, consider how important what you are about to do is. A proper worship, done in spirit and truth is the only way God will hear it.

Consider these:

1. Jesus teaches worship – John 4:19-26
2. Paul preaches on worship – Acts 17:22-31
3. The second recorded sin of man is over worship – Genesis 4

Daily Bible reading for April 14

Psalm 104
Leviticus 11
Isaiah 9:8-10:34
2 Corinthians 6:11-7:16

Worship service is not a time of entertainment or a social event. It is a time to direct out attention to God. Here are the five ways I worship as a New Testament Christian.

1. Singing to God with grace in my heart. (Colossians 3:16, Ephesians 5:19)
2. Praying with thanksgiving (Philippians 4:6)
3. Giving as I have purposed (planned) (2 Corinthians 9:7-8)
4. Communing with the Lord (1 Corinthians 11:23-26)
5. Teaching and Learning God’s word (Acts 10:42, Acts 20:7)