Words on Worship

Over the last few days I have tried to give you some food for thought about worshiping with our eyes…but how about our ears?  Stephen Covey said in his famous book 7 Habits of Highly Effective People that "Most people do not listen with the intent to understand; they listen with the intent to reply."  I've been guilty of that a million times! In essence, I was more interested in what I had to say, than in the words of the one sharing with me. Believe it or not, even when Jesus spoke, many did not listen.  Jesus often spoke to people in...

Millions of us have sung that well known song by Paul Baloche "Open the eyes of my heart…I want to see You."  The words of this great song are a direct reference to Ephesians 1:15-23, where the Apostle Paul is praying over the Ephesians that they might embrace the Word of Truth with their hearts. There is a direct connection between the eyes and the heart.  What we see enlightens us to truth.  And the heart is the channel through which God imparts that truth into our lives.  I want to encourage you today to open the eyes of your heart....

It's St. Patrick's day.  And for many of us, that mainly just means we need to wear some green so no one will pinch us today.  But to the Irish, this day has a much deeper meaning. St. Patrick was a man who faced many trials in his life, but who also lived with a deep sense of destiny and calling.  At 16 years old, he was captured, brought to Ireland, and sold into slavery.  But it was in this time of slavery that Patrick became completely devoted to Christ.  After 6 years, Patrick escaped from his captors, only to...

It is true that where my eyes are, is where my attention lies.  For instance, if my child is talking to me and my eyes are on my phone, then the phone is still winning my attention over my child.  Luke 11:34 says, "Your eye is the lamp of your body. When your eyes are healthy, your whole body also is full of light. But when they are unhealthy, your body also is full of darkness." In other words, if we keep our eyes on that which is holy, our lives will be a light in a dark world; but if we...

Albert Einstein once said "He who can no longer pause to wonder and stand rapt in awe, is as good as dead; his eyes are closed."  How long has it been since you took just 15 minutes to pause and open your eyes to the beauty of God's creation around you?  Whether it be the majesty of the mountains, the glorious vastness of the oceans, or the simple fluttering of a butterfly...the beauty and wonder of creation is all around us, pointing praise to our Creator.  Let me encourage you to open your eyes to the splendor in your midst...