Christ

17 December: Tuesday Refocus

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“God is more interested in the workman than the work.” - Warren Wiersbe

Life is as sacred as it is short. The Scriptures compare life to a vapor or mist - here only for a moment (James 4:14). We attempt to make our lives meaningful by following our heroes and historians, social media, and celebrities into earning, achieving, and accomplishing external signs of value, significance, and worth. Even as Christians, we can be tempted to believe that our lives are only as valuable as we have accomplished significant things for the kingdom of God. Yet Scripture teaches that all people are made in the image of God, and therefore their value is God-given, never achieved (Genesis 1:27).

While we are concerned with what we can create to outlast our lives, God is concerned about how we are being conformed to the image of His Son (Romans 8:29). We want a map; God wants to walk with us (Isaiah 41:10). We want to see the way; God wants us to hear and know His voice (Isaiah 31:10, John 10:27).

Father, help us to open our hearts and lives to your work increasingly. Help us lay down our external attempts and value, meaning, and worth, for Your glory and our good. Amen.

Amen,

AB

3 December: Tuesday Refocus

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“Faith is not opposed to knowledge; faith is opposed to sight. And grace is not opposed to effort; it is opposed to earning.” - Dallas Willard

It is grace that saves us, sustains us, keeps us, and carries us - and this grace is not a thing, but a Person. By grace we are invited to cease striving and know that He is God (Psalm 46:10). And by grace we are invited to fight the good fight, to finish the race, to keep the faith, knowing that we have received grace upon grace sufficient for the troubles of this day (2 Timothy 4:7, John 1:16). 

Father, sufficient for the day is the trouble thereof - but so is your grace. May we rest in that reality today. Amen.

Amen,

AB

More Than Sundays

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Sundays are important. I believe they are one of our greatest opportunities for the spiritual formation of the people of God. I believe that we should show up every week expecting that God will move in power, convict us of sin, comfort us, conform us to the image of Christ, grow our knowledge and affection for the person and work of God, and send us out on mission to live like the Gospel is true.

But I also believe that Sundays are insufficient for a whole life of formation for the followers of Jesus.

If our people commit weekly to the corporate gathering of the people of God, that represents one hour out of the 168 hours contained in each week. But the research shows that for many Christians, regular attendance at the Sunday gathering looks like attending a service twice a month - not once a week. That means out of 672 hours each month, many in our congregations give two hours to the corporate gathering. Is it any wonder then that we resort to gimmicks and ‘fire messages,’ and attempt to outdo the spectacle and production week after week in an attempt to get people to walk through the door?

Everything is formation, but ultimately, formation and entertainment are not playing the same game. Because formation is concerned about who we are becoming over months and years, not occupying our attention for minutes and moments. Yes, we should lead and serve with excellence - but not to entertain. We should lead and serve with excellence because the Gospel is true, God is worthy, and we care about making disciples of Jesus. Plan your set lists, choose your songs, lead your team, and speak with clarity and urgency, but never from a desire to outdo last Sunday or last Christmas - but continually put the truth in the hearts, minds, eyes, ears, and mouths of our people.

26 November: Tuesday Refocus

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“Faith is not opposed to knowledge; faith is opposed to sight. And grace is not opposed to effort; it is opposed to earning.” - Dallas Willard

Faith is not blind but is informed by the character of God. As songwriter, Sam McCabe, sings: Faiths a gamble on His faithful history, cause if you want to follow Jesus, you can’t bet on what you see.” As the depth and knowledge of our relationship with God grows, so also does our faith. Faith exists on a spectrum of belief and unbelief, which is why we must make every effort to supplement to our faith and work out our salvation with fear and trembling (2 Peter 1:5, Philippians 2:12).

Father, as we move toward Advent - would you grow our faith and knowledge, affection, and attention in the person and work of Christ? For your glory and our good, amen.

Amen,

AB

19 November: Tuesday Refocus

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‘When I want to pursue humility, whatever happens to me is okay…’ - Gary Thomas 

We love humility… in other people. Experiencing humility in others is disarming and magnetizing. But often, we run from or avoid the very circumstances and experiences in our own lives where humility can take root and grow.

“Humble yourselves before the Lord, and he will exalt you.” James 4:10

Being conformed to the image of Christ means that humility should also deeply mark our lives. Our thoughts of and toward ourselves are based on sober judgment, not thinking more highly than we ought to think (Romans 12:3).

As we move toward the Advent season, one of the realities we are invited to remember is that Christ “…emptied himself, by taking the form of a servant, being born in the likeness of men. And being found in human form, he humbled himself by becoming obedient to the point of death, even death on a cross (Philippians 2:7-8).” And through his humility, he was exalted: “Therefore God has highly exalted him and bestowed on him the name that is above every name, so that at the name of Jesus every knee should bow, in heaven and on earth and under the earth, and every tongue confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father (Philippians 2:9-11).”

Father, would we trust that our lives are safe in your hands. That humility in us is a beautiful reflection of your heart and character. In Christ’s name, amen.

Amen,

AB

17 November: Liturgy & Set List

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  • CREATOR

    Call to Worship: Psalm 27

  • LAMB OF GOD

  • WE FALL DOWN

    Sermon: 1 Corinthians 13:4

    Scripture says, greater love has no one than this, that they would lay down their life for their friend. How do we know what love is? We look to the cross. But Scripture also tells us that when Christ died for us, we were not God’s friends, we were his enemies. And if you are here this morning as someone who has received the saving love of Christ through the cross, you have been called not just to love your family, friends, and the people you like, but your enemies. If God is able to reconcile sinners to himself as a holy God, what a small thing for him to reconcile one sinner to another. But that is not something that we can do in our own strength and ability, we need God’s help to love God, and love others. Let’s respond in song as we ask him to help us do that…

  • JESUS PAID IT ALL

  • YET NOT I BUT THROUGH CHRIST IN ME

    Benediction: Romans 5:8-11

Advent Preparation

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If I have not clarified before, I love the Church calendar. However, one of the ways I find it incredibly useful in the spiritual formation of the people of God is around the idea of longing and expectation. Advent and Lent give us as the people of a God a unique opportunity to grow the muscles of longing and expectation because we live in a world that is impatient and instantaneous. Almost anything can be delivered to our front door within 48 hours. But the seasons of Advent and Lent cannot be rushed - they can be hurried - but not rushed. The slow march to the arrival of Christ - the growing longing for His second coming. The slow setting of Christ’s face toward the cross - the slow longing for our own resurrection. These invitations we find in the Church calendar - but not in a calendar governed by national holidays and school schedules.

As you plan for yourself, your family, your team, and your church to enter the season of Advent, how will you invite them to slow their pace, set their gaze, and ponder in their hearts? These things will not naturally occur, they must be planned, cultivated, invited. This is part of our work as worship leaders, not to use our people to meet our needs and agenda but to bless our people with a clearer view of serving God and His people in the season ahead.

You might also like these other Advent resources:

Hierarchy

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What is the most important area of ministry within the local church? Is it the preaching ministry of the church? Maybe the worship experience? Perhaps children’s ministry? What about missions, outreach, justice, and mercy ministries? Or could it be hospitality and prayer? Or a host of other ministries that honor God, serve His people, and reach the lost?

Likely, your theological convictions have knowingly (or unknowingly) shaped how you, your pastor, and your congregation consider these questions. To that end, I contend that if every area of ministry has its central aim: to herald the Gospel, proclaim the Lordship of Jesus Christ, preach the Word in word and deed, and grow deep disciples of Jesus - there is no hierarchy of ministry. And if those things do not describe the work of ministry within the local church, perhaps the question is not - which area of ministry is most important and vital, rather, why is this not true of every area of ministry?

As worship leaders, this is why our song choices matter. This is why thoughtful liturgy matters. This is why growing as a communicator matters. This is why the local church matters, because everything we do is to: “…proclaim the excellencies of him who called you out of darkness into his marvelous light.” 1 Peter 2:9

Regardless of your area of ministry and responsibility, there is no space for superiority or inferiority complexes within the body of Christ.

5 November: Tuesday Refocus

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“Few souls understand what God would accomplish in them if they were to abandon themselves unreservedly to Him and if they were to allow His grace to mold them accordingly.” - St Ignatius of Loyola

We live with illusions. We believe that by sheer force of will, hard work, and resolve, we can bend our lives, mold our desires, determine our course, and impose our will on the world. But a soul that is abandoned to the Lord says: I am not my own, I was bought with a price, and, my times are in His hand… (1 Corinthians 6:19, Psalm 31:15).  

What a relief to know that when my world is not how I would make it, there is still purpose being worked in my life by the One who upholds the universe by the word of His power (Hebrews 1:3). That he is working all things for my good and His glory (Romans 8:28). What a comfort to know that in abandoning my life, I am freed, in losing my life it is found (Matthew 10:39).   

Father, grow trust in us as we abandon our souls to You fully, daily, again, and again. Amen.

Amen,

AB