Words on Worship

At Liberty University, we have almost 1300 worship majors.  These students come to us with a passion for worshiping God.  We want to add to that passion a theology and philosophy about worship that runs as deep as the passion itself.  In John 4, Jesus encounters the Samaritan woman at the well.  In this passage, the subject of worship comes up in the conversation.  Jesus tells the woman that God is a spirit, and those who worship Him must worship in spirit and in truth. So what does it mean to worship in spirit?  It means we don't get caught up in things like places or...

I was recently asked to speak to some seminary students on the subject of raising the bar in worship.  I found this subject interesting, because worship happens on two different levels...individually and corporately.  This much I know: If we ever want to experience powerful worship corporately, then it has to happen individually first.  The first step is to pursue a life of holiness.  This will lead to worship that is deeper and more meaningful than just an emotionally charged pep rally. It is this sort of worship that is most honoring to God. Let’s raise the bar in our worship, by lowering ourselves in His presence,...

Today is my father's birthday.  My dad is my hero.  And as I reflect on his life, there is one word that describes him better than any other...faithfulness.  I'm reminded of his compassion as a father, his power as a preacher, his gentleness as a husband, and his integrity as a man, but in all things, he has remained faithful.  For that reason alone, he will finish strong.  You and I also have the privilege of worshiping a faithful Heavenly Father who loves us unconditionally, and who will never leave us nor forsake us.  As we move throughout our days, we need to remember our God...

Holiness is a two-sided coin. On one side of the coin is our position of holiness.  There is absolutely nothing we have done to deserve our salvation in Christ.  He accomplished everything for us because of His sacrifice on the cross and because He conquered sin, death, hell and the grave with His resurrection.  So, we are blessed to be eternally sealed in a position of holiness simply because of the grace of Jesus.  However, the other side of that coin is that holiness is also a process.  It is the personal responsibility of every believer to pursue a life of holiness. The Bible is...

Not long ago, the wife of a friend of mine was diagnosed with cancer.  As I talked with him on the phone, he said, "I guess we are going to have to get used to a new normal around here."  That phrase struck me…a "new normal."  Perhaps as worshipers we could all get used to a new normal.  Can you imagine if the new normal for all Christians was a passionate pursuit of holiness?  How would the pursuit of holiness effect your daily decisions? What kinds of things would you give up?  What sort of things would you start doing? Or what would you stop doing?  Imagine...