by Bret Capranica | Apr 1, 2011 | Featured Articles, Pastoral Ministry, Preaching, Worship
Carefully Think Think back on the series we have done on worship and write down how you would answer the question ““ “what defines genuine biblical worship?” What did Jesus mean by “Spirit and truth” in John 4:24? How did you come up with that answer? How does that answer fit with what Jesus and the woman at the well were discussing in the surrounding context? Read through Ephesians 5:18-19. What is the connection between being filled with the Spirit and singing? In addition to edifying one another and adoring God, what other elements about singing do you find addressed in Ephesians 5:19? Prayerfully Meditate Throughout the series on worship, what has been the most impactful truth for you personally? Why? How has your thinking about music changed, been reaffirmed, or been enhanced by thinking through Revelation 4 & 5 and Ephesians 5:19? Consider what “singing and making melody in your heart to the Lord” means and how it should affect your singing when the body of Christ gathers. We all have personal preferences when it comes to singing. List what yours are. What Scriptures would you associate with those preferences? Read through Philippians 2. How would this passage impact the way we view preferential issues in regard to music? Actively Respond Read through Revelation 4 & 5 again and reflect on how these passages should enhance the way you think about our public gatherings on Sunday. Read through Ephesians 5:18-19 with your family and discuss how these verses should impact you when you gather with God”™s people and sing this Sunday. Pray for those who will be leading...
by Bret Capranica | Mar 24, 2011 | Featured Articles, Pastoral Ministry, Worship
Carefully Think Read through Psalms 95-100; 145-150 and make a list of ways the psalmist outwardly expressed what he was inwardly delighted with. Why is music such a controversial element of church life? Read Ephesians 5:19 and list what you learn about the role of music in the life of the church. What role did music play in Exodus 15:1-18; 1 Samuel 16:14-23; 1 Chronicles 15:22; 16:4-6; 23:3-5; 25:1-7; 2 Chronicles 20; Nehemiah 12:42 Prayerfully Meditate How are you living out the expressions of praise you found in the psalms mentioned above? What keeps you from expressing your praise in the biblical ways you see in the Scriptures? How could Ephesians 5:19 affect your approach to singing this week? Actively Respond Pray for those who will be leading the church in our corporate gathering on Sunday. Pray that they will have a focused attention in leading the entire church in a biblical manner. Pray for all those who will be involved in the worship service, from instrumentalists to sound technicians to ushers. Pray that all we do will be done decently and orderly and to God”™s glory, and that we will be free from unnecessary distraction. Meditate often on Ephesians 5:19 and how it should instruct us regarding singing. Meditate on the lyrics to the songs we will be singing this Sunday. If you would like to hear a sample or actually purchase the song, click on the links below. We hope to regularly provide you with audio links to the songs we will sing so you can begin to build a personal library of music we use corporately....
