The Posture of Convicted Civility

Greetings to All,

Jesus’ convicted civility is most clearly on display in His radical inclusiveness and exclusiveness. Jesus is radically inclusive. He is willing to dialogue with people and engage with them where they are, and as they are. He will dine with sinners and the outcasts without condemning them—He lived freely in the tension that their convictions and lifestyle are in contrast to His own. Yet He maintained truth and standards that demanded total loyalty.

His inclusivity never compromised His convictions as He called for trust in Him exclusively. He invited all into repentance out of their sin. But Jesus also affirmed their value while not condoning the aspects of their lives that did not align with the ethical dimension of the Kingdom of God. This seems so gray and messy, right? Yet Jesus is capable of living in these fuzzy areas. So we must ask, how can we adopt such a posture?

A basic rule of thumb for the posture of civility: “Concentrate on your own sinfulness and on the other person’s humanness.” This posture is cruciform.

The cross brings us to an awareness of our own corruption, rebellion, brokenness and misplaced convictions. It knocks us off any pedestals we might want to prop ourselves up on and we fall onto level ground at the foot of the cross. The cross is radically inclusive, all are welcome and nobody is so foregone as to have excluded themselves from the offer of God’s saving love. The cross also tells us of our immeasurable worth to God. It is because of love that Jesus was willing to sacrifice Himself for us all. The cross is the extent to which God is willing to show us that His love has no bounds. 

Convicted civility is birthed when we focus on the humiliation of the cross for ourselves and the exaltation of the cross for others. It takes root in us when we focus on what the cross tells us about our brokenness, and the value of the person sitting across from us. Christ on the cross is where we must always begin when engaging other people.

The King Who Delights in Us

Proverbs 8:12-31;
Psalm 38:1-21



"Then those who feared the Lord talked with each other, and the Lord listened and heard. A scroll of remembrance was written in his presence concerning those who feared the Lord and honored his name."
(Malachi 3:16)

If you keep a journal to make a record of the Lord's dealings with you, think of it as a "scroll of remembrance" for the King who delights to have your thoughts about Him recorded. The Lord was so delighted with David's thoughts about Him that He incorporated what we could call David's journal - the Psalms - in the Scriptures. It is mind-blowing to think that God used David's intimate record of his experiences and enjoyment of God in His holy Word.

What encourages me particularly is that the King delights not only in David's great thoughts about Him, but also in David's frank record of his failings. The Lord even calls him "a man after his own heart." If we remember this delight of the King that is for us, too, we will be like Peter, leaping out of the boat to meet the resurrected Jesus, instead of like Judas, who hugged his sin to himself, and moved away from Jesus.

He is saying to you and to me at this very moment: "Behold, thou art fair, my love: behold thou art fair" (Song of Solomon 4:1, KJV).
The only significance we can ever need is rooted in the fact that the King delights in us.

Spiritual Warfare -- "What is it?"

Greetings in the Name of Jesus Christ!

It is by His Spirit, says the Lord.  Without the Holy Spirit, we are vulnerable to temptations of this "dark" world.  

Paul writes in 2 Corinthians 4, “The God of this age has blinded the minds of unbelievers” (v. 4). They can't see the Gospel or the glory of Christ who is God. So when you're trying to share your faith and you think, “I feel like I'm talking to a brick wall”—you are.

You feel accused and condemned. Satan wants to make you think you are the worst Christian ever. One of his names in the Bible is Accuser. Some of you have listened to his accusations for so long that you actually think that they're your own, and you think that they're true. Satan lies to you and says, “If you told anybody about that, they would hate you.” He wants to silence you, he wants to isolate you. The last thing he wants is for you to come out into the light and taste the grace of confession, repentance, forgiveness and healing.
You start to doubt God's goodness. When Satan came to Eve in the Garden of Eden in his original attack against humanity, how did he do it? He came to Eve and said: “You know why you can't have that fruit? It's because God knows that you'd become like Him, and He's just cutting you a raw deal.” See what a lie that is against the character of God?
You begin to doubt the goodness of God when you start saying, “I don't know why I'm the only one who has these physical struggles; I don't know why I'm the only one who has this financial challenge; I don't know why I have to be the only one who has a spouse who is this demanding and difficult; I don't know why I should have kids who don't turn out the way I had hoped.” Satan will hand you self-pity like candy.


It involves lies and deceit. Jesus said of Satan in John 8, “There's no truth in him” (v. 44). When he lies, he's just speaking his native language because he's the father of lies. Satan says to you, “Oh, that sin is going to be fantastic.” And you know what? It's not as fantastic as he says it is. He says that God's not there, you haven't overcome that sin yet, so you might as well just stop trying. When you start to follow his lies and choose some of those things that, even in your better moments, you know are foolish and selfish, you end up making a junkyard of your old age. You sit there amidst the twisted wreckage of ruined relationships and horrible choices, and Satan will mock you.

You feel a strong impetus to divide from other Christians. The Bible says, “Don't let the sun go down while you are angry, and don't give the devil a foothold” (Ephesians 4:27). When you and I are hurt by another believer, nurse that wound, don't fully forgive and talk about it, we give the devil a foothold in our life. Or maybe for you the way Satan gets in is in one doctrinal issue. “If I have to tell somebody off over it, I will. If I have to leave this church over it, I will. Because what really matters here is this issue—and I'm right on this issue!” You may end up right on that issue—but you also end up harder, colder and isolated.

How can you win over spiritual warfare?

Some Christians assume that because they're in warfare, they have to lose. But if you do what God's word tells you to do, you will win:


Be protected. Don't use your own approach to self-protection, but instead, as Paul says, put on the full armor of God. God has a way of protecting every part of you if you put it on. What exactly is it that we're supposed to put on? Truth; righteousness; readiness to share the Gospel; faith; salvation; the word of God; prayer. Do we really trust God's armor? Or are we going to respond in our own way that we think is better? 

Be prayerful. Don't deny or ignore this reality of spiritual warfare, but instead, as Paul says, be alert. Always keep on praying. If you think it's spiritual warfare, you should pray. If you think it might be spiritual warfare, you should pray. If you are highly confident it is not spiritual warfare, you should still pray. You and I need to develop a life where intercession for others becomes a natural part of our lives.

Be fearless. You and I should not be too focused on or afraid of the demonic. I love the way Paul lines this section here. He's been teaching Christians in Ephesus that they need to be praying all the time, and then he finishes up and says, “Hey, would you mind praying for me?” Here's what he asks for: “Pray also for me that whenever I open my mouth, words may be given me so that I will fearlessly make known the mystery of the Gospel for which I am an ambassador in chains. Pray that I may declare it fearlessly as I should.” Paul is writing this letter from jail. People want him dead because he is the ringleader of this destructive and illegal religious sect. Satan wants to exploit those fears and get Paul to shut up, get Paul to quiet down, get Paul to stop leading, get Paul to disobey God's apostolic commission and calling on his life. So he says, would you please pray that what God has called me to do, I would do it fearlessly?

When your vision fills up with the greatness of God, you become fearless. You go about whatever it is God has given you to do. Don't flatter Satan's pride by showing interest in his limited and temporary power, but look at the greatness of Jesus Christ. The Bible says the God of peace will crush Satan under your feet (Romans 16:20), that God has prepared an everlasting fire for him and his demons (Matthew 25:41). That rabid dog will no longer continue to menace the children of God—it is going to be put down. So whatever it is that God has given you to do in life, go about it knowing that you can be protected, you can be prayerful and you can be fearless.

WE HAVE A GREAT FUTURE AHEAD OF US.  LET US RUN THE RACE  AND REACH THE GOAL HE HAS SET BEFORE US.   AMEN!

It’s letting God work through each of us to connect with Him both as individuals and as the Church.

Greetings to All!

Who is worship for?

Ultimately, worship leaders are there to help foster moments where individuals can connect with God. And our goal as worshipers is to use that time to connect with God.

Sometimes, I think we get into the mindset that the worship is for the band—that we are present to allow the band to do what it wants or to help us hit an emotional high. There’s a time for high notes and guitar prowess, but it’s a matter of the chicken and the egg. Because those moments aren't all the time. It’s a continual balance of asking, “What is this moment calling for, and what will take us deeper?”

Music seems to be this strange thing that serves as a bridge between the natural and the supernatural. Because of that, our conversations about how to do what we do best involves both the earthly and the spiritual.

It means not getting stale in what we think of as “worship.” But it also means fighting the temptation to judge whether or not the worship was “good” by criteria like, “They sang well” or, “That band was awesome.”

But the most important thing about worship is that it allows us to engage with God. It matters a lot less if everyone hits the right note, or if the band hits the right solo at exactly the right time or even if the particular song is the one you want to sing.

What matters is if worship is providing you a space to connect with God—it’s not a formula or a series of easy answers.

It’s letting God work through each of us to connect with Him both as individuals and as the Church.

Part of the responsibility for true biblical worship falls on the congregant as well

 Greetings and Aloha! 



Are we thinking about what we say to God during worship?

by Adam Woods

You scratch your head, you look around, and you ask your friend, “Wait, what did he just sing?” You just heard a theological lapse from the mouth of the well-intentioned worship leader. Somewhere in the middle of that epic bridge he declared, “Thank You, Father, for dying on the cross for my sins.” Wait, shouldn’t he have said the Son? You stare straight ahead trying to remember if you overslept the morning the church leaders voted to change the church’s position on the Godhead.

We’ve all experienced this to some degree in that dimly lit sanctuary—surrounded by outstretched arms, eyes closed tight, and voices lifted in song. Perhaps our faux pas included something other than an absent-minded misrepresentation of the Trinity: maybe we came just shy of Will Ferrell’s dinner table prayer in Talladega Nights when he praised that sweet little baby boy in a golden manger up there in heaven. We must realize our worship leaders teach us as much about God and our relationship with Him as our preachers do. The only difference—worship leaders use songs, words and prayers.

The words we sing unite our hearts, our minds, and our congregations in the vertical and visceral act of worship. Songs and Scripture serve as vehicles to the throne of the Almighty. Worship leaders have the task of pointing people in the right direction. One of my seminary professors asked, “If a Muslim, Buddhist or Mormon attended your worship service, could they sing the same songs we do about Jesus? Is our worship distinctly Christian?”

In Jesus’ famous conversation with the Samaritan woman at the well, He said the Father desires those who worship “in spirit and truth” (John 4:23). It seems impossible to discuss New Testament worship without including these words in the discussion. Piety and theology must converge for us to properly worship the triune God. It follows that thoughtful, artful, and theologically accurate song lyrics serve as sure-footed vehicles that direct our response to God.

The words spoken from the stage should operate the same way. Too often, worship leaders improvise speeches between songs when the piano or electric guitar players need a break. How many effective preachers stand to preach on Sunday morning without thoughtful, prayerful, and diligent preparation? (Notice I said “effective.”) Words have the power to engage or distract the Christian from pondering the majesty of salvation.

The spoken word serves as an effective tool in worship. Yet the absence of words can carry just as much power as worship leaders embrace silence. The Lord can use times of stillness to reveal Himself to His people. Let the heavy silence hover over a room full of people. Invite the Holy Spirit to get a word in edgewise. 

God’s word is living and active—it is substantive, sacred and most certainly intentional. God revealed Himself through His word: He brought order from chaos in the beginning and light into darkness in the incarnation. Worship leaders who recognize the power of words in song yet choose to speak “off the cuff” waste a great opportunity to continue carrying the congregation to the cross, the throne, and the empty tomb. Christians ought to craft our speech as much as we do our poetry. Do we speak intentionally? Do we need to speak at all? Do we speak truthfully? Theological statements have consequences, and our people hunger for the truth. In song or speech, we must handle the gospel with care.
Some of us brave enough to admit it have stood behind that microphone and scolded the congregation for not “getting into it enough.” Some of us just wanted to take a few moments to absent-mindedly strum the guitar and improvise a sermon on what this next song means to us. Songs and spoken words ought to drive worshipers toward God. These elements invite the church to commune with the Lord in spirit and truth. Even more, these tools instruct (properly or improperly) the church in the attributes, nature, and personality of God. Public prayers can do likewise.

When our leaders pray onstage, they pray on the people’s behalf. “Can I get an ‘Amen’?” Jesus taught His disciples to pray and, in a way, our worship leaders teach our people how to pray, too. Listening to the prayers of my seminary professors and pastors in the classroom, the pulpit, and the coffee shop has shaped my own prayers. The Lord continues to nudge my selfish heart toward a more genuine, loving, and biblically saturated prayer language. The men and women who practice the presence of God in their public and private prayer lives model the communicative relationship between God and His people.

Maybe you have heard (or spoken) prayers that have medaled in mind-bending verbal gymnastics. On the one hand, we want to communicate with God in an honest, intimate, and meaningful way. On the other, we want to avoid the stigma of Pharisaical filibustering. We should invoke the presence of God with a measure of humility, thanksgiving, and accuracy. If we desire the implicit assent of our brothers and sisters when we declare, “And all God’s people said…” we ought to speak rightly before our God and our community.

The worship leader succeeds when he or she facilitates an unencumbered encounter with the living God. Yet part of the responsibility for true biblical worship falls on the congregant as well. The worshiper must find his or herself willing to remember, submit, and ultimately center his or her life on God and the marvelous things He has done. Can proper remembrance, submission, and obedience stem from poor theological content? Should we orient our lives around biblical half-truths?

Songs, speech and prayer function as the worship leader’s tools that teach the church about God and our relationship to Him. When they use these elements effectively, our worship overflows as a response to God in Christ through the Holy Spirit. Biblical worship transcends genre, personal taste, and emotion. May it never transcend the truth.

 Adam Wood is a worship pastor in Dallas where where he lives with his wife, Amy. He is a graduate of Dallas Theological Seminary and has a passion to lead fellow believers in worship by incorporating Scripture and the arts. You can find more information at www.thelazarusblues.com. 

"Why Won't People Express Themselves In Worship?"

Undoubtedly, this is the question that has frustrated worship leaders and pastors for the past several hundred years. Why do some people jump up and down in worship and some won't even open their mouths to sing?

What is the problem? These are supposed to be people who love the Lord. They are supposed to be Christians, right? Who really knows why people act the way they do? The same person who won't move a muscle in church will jump up and down at their favorite sports events cheering on their teams, or kids, with all the emotion of a cheerleader. How are we as worship leaders supposed to lead people and help them get excited about the Lord?


I love reading what David did as they were carrying the ark back to the City of David. Let's look at that passage - "David, wearing a linen ephod, danced before the LORD with all his might, while he and the entire house of Israel brought up the ark of the LORD with shouts and the sound of trumpets.

As the ark of the LORD was entering the City of David, Michal, daughter of Saul, watched from a window. And, when she saw King David leaping and dancing before the LORD, she despised him in her heart. They brought the ark of the LORD and set it in its place inside the tent that David had pitched for it, and David sacrificed burnt offerings and fellowship offerings before the LORD." (2 Sam 6:14-17) Wow! David danced in the raw before the Lord. What did God say of David? He is a man after my own heart. To have the Lord say that of me would be the greatest joy of my life.

I must admit I do not dance before the Lord on a regular basis. It is my desire to give it all to Him, but I have some of the same problems that people in our pews do......... Inhibitions. That's right! Many of us are so worried about what the person next to us is thinking that we fail to worry about what God thinks. After all, He is the one we are worshiping. Right? What about the Michals of the world? We are concerned about what they say about us. How I wish that everyone would let go and worship the Lord the way they really wanted to. That's what I love about our charismatic brothers and sisters. They are going to worship the Lord the way they want to and don't really care what you think. They are more concerned about what they are giving to the Lord. That's what worship is.....it's giving. It's not about us, or what we receive, but about what God receives. When we worship what does He receive from you and your congregation?

Now, I want to look at another type of people for a moment. We are all created different and equipped differently to serve, so are we created different in our worship expression. Some of us clap, others sing, some raise their hands, and others dance. God has created us differently in that way. Our uniqueness when blended together is wonderful in worship. We come before Him in ways that please Him and yet we may do it differently.  I pray that I don't fall into the trap of thinking that if they are not doing it "charismatically" then they are not worshiping. I have made that mistake many times only to have God point it out to me once again.

"Serving with the Right Motives"

"Worship in Music and Arts"

To those who have evident gifts in the area of music and the arts, and are called to the ministry of the local church, I believe that we need to use them if they show a heart of community and are serving with the right motives.

The church needs good talent and has lacked in this area for years. We have operated under the false notion that if they have a heart to minister through music that they should be able to do it. Not realizing that this has hurt the cause more than helped it. I encourage you to hold tough to this and stand firm in your philosophy to use only those who are clearly gifted to serve in the area of music and the arts.

Let's look a bit further to the specific area of worship. I believe that this ministry requires a step further in its qualification to be a part of. There are many talented people serving on worship teams across our country and the world, and they have incredible gifts in music and the arts as well as the natural instinct to use them in worship. After all, they are gifted in music and called to ministry. But, are they called to worship? Are they worshipers? Do they help lead worship? What "qualifies" someone to be a part of a worship team or a part of a worship ministry?

The ministry of worship and the ministry of music are two different things. For the most part, they are the same in presentation. However, the outcome is what makes them different. Worship and leading worship is a specific gift apart from music. Music is only the tool to help facilitate worship. I require of all our worship people to first be worshipers, and then musicians. You may come back with "but the music will suffer!" I disagree.

I still feel that God requires those who lead to be gifted and called. He will gift those He has called to this ministry. It is easy to reason things out by using gifted musicians to lead worship, but the outcome will not be everything that God would have. You will see a difference in your worship participation, because people tend to see through performance as compared to true worship.

If your teams are not worshipers, they will stifle the spirit of corporate worship. You may still achieve worship, but it will not be the same. Pray that God will send you gifted worshipers. He will be faithful if you will be patient and faithful to this standard.