Worship

Goodness (A Good Friday Blog)

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Why is it called Good Friday if Jesus suffered and was crucified?

“Good” in this sense can also mean “Holy”, which is why you may also hear it as “Holy Friday”. And goodness in Greek, agathosune, can be defined as an uprightness of heart and life (for the benefit of others). So when we think of today and all that happens, we see that Jesus lived a life and died a death that shows this kind of holiness in action.

We could not have Easter without Good Friday (because death is needed before resurrection) and, likewise, we could not have Good Friday without Easter (because His story doesn’t end with tragedy). So when we take a step back and look at this day as a whole, we see the significance and necessity – that Jesus, with the love of God, was sent to the earth in order to take our sins to the cross, suffer, and die. We could take James 1:17 quite literally when it says, “Every good and perfect gift is from above, coming down from the Father of the heavenly lights…” Jesus Christ was the perfect gift and the perfect sign of love.

All the way to His death, Jesus was humble and obedient. He exemplified this holiness, this goodness, this agathosune, for all to see. He was selfless. And as we prepare ourselves to be the same, especially today, we look to the cross where Jesus died for our sins. In fact, 1 John 2:2 says that as the atoning sacrifice for our sins, Jesus died for the sins of the whole world!

So even though Easter Sunday (Resurrection Sunday) is right around the corner, let’s pause for a moment today to contemplate the cross. Jesus, the perfecter of faith, endured the cross and scorned its shame (Hebrews 12:2). It’s a suffering and death we deserve but He bears it all for us, even descending into hell before raising up from the dead.

What an amazing sacrifice made for us today! It always amazes me when I think about the meaningfulness and symbolism of this day. And even though it would be easy to see today in terms of tragedy, suffering, death, and all-around horribleness, we know that leading up to Resurrection Sunday it really is a Good Friday.

Reflection Song: Here I Stand

Week 1 | Week 2 | Week 3 | Week 4 | Week 5 | Week 6 (Palm Sunday) | Good Friday | Easter

Lent, Week 3: Joy

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Do you ever regret giving something up for Lent? Whether or not fasting is fairly new to you, it’s easy to lose sight of why we do it.

Yet, Lent is a time to fast with joy. There may be times where you feel like you are fasting grudgingly, reluctant to continue or maybe even start! But remember why we are are doing all of this as we make our way towards Easter: preparing a way for the Lord. This isn’t a time to be somber or grim – it’s a time to find joy in the cross! A joy that brings freedom by the power of Christ’s sacrifice and resurrection. (“Shout for joy, Hallelujah! He has overcome!”)

I imagine it this way… Say you are burdened with carrying a ton of heavy textbooks in your backpack. This weight, this burden, is then lifted and you experience walking like you’ve never felt before – that release, that freedom, that joy! The same is with our sins or the things that detract us from Jesus. When we let go of these things and know that the power of the cross releases the hold of sin and death in our lives, our walks are forever changed and we are set free! That ought to stir up some joyful response in us!

Remember what Jesus said in Matthew 6:16-18 about fasting: “…do not look somber as the hypocrites do, for they disfigure their faces to show others they are fasting… But when you fast, put oil on your head and wash your face, so that it will not be obvious to others that you are fasting, but only to your Father… who sees what is done in secret…”

This week, try to tap into that joy in your life and walk with the Father. He knows what you’re doing and wants the best for you as you strive to resemble Christ. Lent isn’t about feeling sad or regretful – be joyful as you fast and prepare with spiritual gladness this Lenten season as you are with God and as He is with you. Keep going strong with the joy of the Holy Spirit!

Create in me a pure heart, O God, and renew a steadfast spirit within me. Do not cast me from your presence or take your Holy Spirit from me. Restore to me the joy of your salvation and grant me a willing spirit, to sustain me. – Psalm 51:10-12

Reflection Song: He Has Overcome

Week 1 | Week 2 | Week 3 | Week 4 | Week 5 | Week 6 (Palm Sunday) | Good Friday | Easter

Perfect Love (A Valentine’s Day Blog)

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The other day at our church small group, a few of us were talking about the unfortunate lack of communication these days and how that’s impacted our signs of affection. It’s gotten to the point where we aren’t sure what “I like you” means anymore because some feel the need to differentiate “I like you” with “I like like you”! That’s some real emphasis there!

With Valentine’s Day so imminent, those who have a date may be getting ready for whatever’s planned – but those who don’t may be wondering “does he/she like like me?”, much like the classic “he loves me / he loves me not” flower petal plucking…

But I think it’s great that Valentine’s Day lands on a Saturday this year because the following day is Sunday, the day we gather together to worship the One who truly loves us. And in case you aren’t sure how much God loves you, let’s take a look at the very famous verse, John 3:16:

“For God so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son, that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life.”

You see, God showed His love for us on the cross with His one and only Son, Jesus Christ. There’s no doubt about it after reading that verse that it’s because of God’s perfect love. And in case you need that extra emphasis or clarification, take a closer look: “For God so loved the world…” – that’s like saying, “For God loved loved the world”! That’s quite some love! It’s the same perfect love that casts out fear and insecurity (1 John 4:18)… the perfect love that helps heal & cure… perfect love that we are made aware of and get to experience every day.

So whether you’ve got plans or you’ve got plans to stay at home, God so loves you… in fact, God is love and His perfect love is unconditional, unmatched, and unmeasurable.

Reflection Song: One Thing Remains

Top 10 Posts Of 2014

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As this year comes to an end, we want to thank you for keeping in touch with us. Your tweets, messages, Instagram comments, etc. encourage us and we hope that our posts do the same for you. Here are our most visited entries of 2014:

  1. Hand Of God
  2. The In-Between: Transitions In Worship (As seen on The Church Collective)
  3. Honesty Is The Best Policy
  4. The Father Heart Of God
  5. Endless Love
  6. Jesus Saves
  7. The Day After The Most Depressing Day Of The Year
  8. True Love (A Valentine’s Day Blog)
  9. Multitasking God
  10. Masks And Make-Believe

And here are last year’s top posts. Thanks, everyone, and Happy New Year!

What Am I Worth?

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What do you base your self-worth on? We look around and see competitions on television, whether it’s for singing, unique talents, funny videos, or even “beauty”. We see online posts and determine their merit based on the number of shares or likes… And this culture of ratings affects us.

When we start to come up with unrealistic expectations for ourselves, we start to feel disappointed and unworthy. Perhaps you feel that way right now because your week wasn’t what you expected or things just didn’t pan out the way you had hoped today. But instead of hanging onto the disappointments and things that bring you down, consider those in your life that lift you up & encourage you; consider the moments that bring you joy, the things that actually make you feel valuable. Philippians 4:8 says, “Finally, brothers and sisters, whatever is true, whatever is noble, whatever is right, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is admirable—if anything is excellent or praiseworthy—think about such things.”

Don’t get hung up on the value of material things and how they can affect your worth. With Black Friday just a week away, we look so far in advance all of the deals and promotions going on… how to get the best bang for your buck – for great discounts you’d stand on line for hours. You see this kind of desire and may feel like you’re not “worth it”, but God will tell you otherwise.

The Lord your God is with you,the Mighty Warrior who saves. He will take great delight in you; in his love he will no longer rebuke you, but will rejoice over you with singing. – Zephaniah 3:17

Whether it’s something someone said to you, or the way you feel about yourself after a long hard day at school/work, know that you are loved by our almighty God in heaven! See yourself the way that the Father sees you. It may be hard at first, but be encouraged that the amount God loves you far outnumbers any racing negative thoughts you may have. “How precious to me are your thoughts, God! How vast is the sum of them!” (Psalm 139:17).

If you’re looking for somewhere to start, start by looking to your family, your friends, those that are close to you… they love you too! You’re probably thinking of a few people right now. And, of course, don’t forget to look to God! You were bought with a price, you are worth it – God showed His great love for us with the sacrifice made on the cross with His son Jesus Christ, our Lord & Savior. So in this Thanksgiving season let’s be grateful, giving thanks and praise to God our Father who has redefined our worth. It’s because of Him we have life and everything within it, so going forward let’s continue to give Him our lives and everything we have, showing Him that He is worthy of it all!

Reflection Song: Unending Praise

Multitasking God

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It’s all the craze these days: How many programs can you run at once? Does your current internet browser support tons of open tabs? Can your smart phone split screens between apps? Multitasking is second nature to us, isn’t it? We might even (dare I say it) multitask God.

I’m sure we’ve all heard the phrase “too busy for God” before. But I think Psalm 34:1-10 says it well: “I will extol the Lord at all times; His praise will always be on my lips.” If we are to extol/praise the Lord at all times, I think it’s pretty clear: we ought to praise the Lord… always!

The other day at our church I challenged people to reflect upon their life and how God fits into it. Now, obviously, God is bigger than that time slot. Yet, we even limit that amount of time when we’re “busy”, trying to negotiate & bargain our time with Him. So I want to ask you the same question today: How does God fit into your life?

A popular verse in the Bible that’s written all over the gospels is probably familiar to you, either from reading it or even as a song: “Love the Lord your God with all your heart, and with all your soul, and with all your strength, and with all your mind.” How can this be if we only offer up some of our heart, some of our soul, some of our strength, and some of our mind? This leads me back to this idea of our band name, Shameless Plug.

Not too long ago someone asked me about the meaning, the purpose, the origin of our band’s name. If you’re unfamiliar with it, you can read about our story here. But when we multitask to the point where even we don’t know what we’re exactly juggling day-to-day, then we’ve lost sight of the important things – like the most important One of all, Jesus Christ. When we live life making Him known and famous, He becomes our shameless plug and we get to (not have to) praise Him at all times! Doesn’t that sound better than stressing out about your 15 errands today?

God is bigger than we let Him be. And maybe that’s especially true for you today. God, who is the ultimate multitasker (being the God of over 7.25 billion people in the world today), is our one True and Living God who sent His One and only Son, Jesus Christ, to show us His love and mercy. That’s actually one… huge… task. I think we’d all say that He’s worth all of our attention and being at the top of our list of priorities.

Let’s not cheap out on God by giving Him a discount of our time. Let’s give Him our all like we were intended to do. You can multitask your iPhone apps or your shopping lists, but let’s not turn our faith into a statistic. God is the One who deserves the praise, deserves the extollment, deserves the magnification and attention. Reflect upon your life again and what role God plays. Know that even in the hectic schedule you may have, God is in the midst of it. But don’t juggle him like one of your tasks. Give Him your best and give Him your all.

Reflection Song: All To You

Back To School (Keep God’s Commands)

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Back to school. Three words you wish you didn’t have to hear every September… yet it’s that time of year again! What are you aiming for this year? Ambitions? Hopes? Goals? With a new year comes new challenges and new ways to grow in your relationship with the Lord.

The other day I gave a sermon at our youth group on keeping God’s commands. I illustrated that “keep” is such a funny word in the English language. We can “keep” His commands in our pocket (a travel Bible, Bible app, etc.) or we can “keep” His commands just like how we “keep” promises. We would stay true to them, remain in them, and carry them out. In John 14:15-21 Jesus says that whoever loves Him will keep His commands. In Greek, the word “keep” can also translate to “watch over”, “take care of”, or “guard”.

It’s funny though because we don’t really see ourselves as much of a guardian (or maybe you do?). But if anything, I feel like God’s Word is guarding me!

I know schools have their own lists of rules & guidelines, but following what God says is a whole other story. If we love the Lord and follow His commands, it is said that we will be given the Holy Spirit! That’s a nice bonus for being obedient, isn’t it? As we live in accordance with God’s will, we ought to do so with love and obedience.

There’s a popular video circulating around the internet these days involving Victoria Osteen and Bill Cosby. In this particular clip she says things along the lines of, “When we obey God, we’re not doing it for God… we’re doing it for ourselves.” …Unfortunately when we do things for ourselves, I think we’ve lost the big picture – like when the world once believed that the cosmos was geocentric instead of heliocentric. We aren’t the center of attention; God is!

When we love God… keep His commands… obey Him… we don’t do it for our own benefit or pleasure. This is part of our worship of Him, our God who is the center of all attention, the center of our lives! So this year as we seek to grow in our walk with Him, remember that we aren’t following after Him because we’re going to get an “A” on an exam or because it’ll look good on our heaven “transcript”… It’s because if we love Him then we keep His commands.

So with the new school year, with your new friends, even with your new life challenges, remember to stay in God’s Word and to guard it just as He guards you, promising us His Spirit of truth to be with us and to be within us. Let’s continue to give God all the glory because He alone deserves the attention and the honor.

“Whoever has my commands and keeps them is the one who loves me. The one who loves me will be loved by my Father, and I too will love them and show myself to them.” – John 14:21

Reflection Song: Only You

Happy Birthday! Free Downloads!

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With all that’s been going on recently, we completely forgot to wish our own Robin & Andy a very happy birthday! Just like last year, we want to give you all something special this month. Until August 14th, every order will get a free download of our recent single “Unending Praise (Young Weather Remix)“!

If you place an order between now and 8/14/14, we’ll include one of these (physical card if you order something mailed, or download code if you order something digital):