Worship

A thoughtful new rendition of the old classic hymn “And Can It Be”

October 17, 2011

There are few hymns with richer more meaningful words than “And Can It Be.” Words that celebrate the gospel and dispel our wretched sense of entitlement that bedevils us Western Christians. So how wonderful it was to hear this new music to such an old hymn. I sometimes don’t like new tunes for a hymn [...]

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Praise Must Be Expressed – by John Lanferman

September 9, 2011

This excerpt comes from the Confluence blog: Praise must be expressed. The expression of what you are enjoying is the consummation of it. There is a fulfillment and joy found in sharing your expression. ADMIRATION AND REFLECTION Praise is admiration and reflection. Just wanting an experience is religious existentialism. Worship must be rooted in reality. [...]

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I sing because I am reformed

July 31, 2011

I found this quote on Ray Ortlund’s blog.  It is a great meditation for a Sunday! “Nothing is more characteristic of Reformation theology and few parts of Reformation Church activity have been so neglected as the congregational singing.  It was far from being a pleasant element introduced rather inconsistently into a service otherwise ruled by [...]

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Terry Virgo on the presence of God

May 17, 2011

As I mentioned yesterday, with the release of The Spirit-Filled Church, I thought I would now play catch up with some of Terry’s values videos. Here are some extracts from the video which follows. If you are intrigued by all this, why not book into the 300 leaders conference where you can hear him preach [...]

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Interview with Dr. Jack Hayford – Part Two: Growing people not a church

March 31, 2011

In this second part of the interview, Dr. Hayford speaks about his concerns about modern worship, and we discuss his book Manifest Presence. We also talked about the difference between growing a church and growing people. We discuss discipleship and the Spirit-filled life. In it he explains his view of tongues, which is very similar [...]

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Why is informality a value to treasure in church life? Interview with Terry Virgo

March 25, 2011

Today’s video with Terry Virgo moves onto the fifth of seventeen values that have shaped his ministry for decades. These values are expressed as the kind of church he aims to plant: “A church where God’s presence is prized and where God is enthusiastically worshipped with genuine freedom for men and women to worship publicly [...]

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Faith and Feelings Part Six- It is Impossible to Elevate Emotions Too Highly!

September 23, 2010

The following post is comprised of Piper material I have posted before at PIPER FRIDAY – It is Impossible to Elevate Emotions Too Highly!. “Don’t I elevate the importance of emotions too highly?” While at Wheaton College, Piper read Situation Ethics by Joseph Fletcher, who argued that since love is commanded in the Bible, therefore [...]

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Grace is not earned or deserved – a song by Kate Simmonds

September 22, 2010

One of the many highlights of the Brighton conference for me was that Kate Simmonds was once again with us leading worship, having traveled all the way from Sydney, Australia. She shared with us a song that displays the glorious gospel in a wonderfully fresh way. In these two videos she first speaks about the [...]

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Don’t trust the sweetest frame

September 13, 2010

I want to remind you today of an old hymn and to highlight just one line from one of the verses.  Have a think about what this line means to us today, and starting tomorrow I will begin a series in which I will first share some quotes from others, then write myself about why [...]

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Hear Phatfish and Lou Fellingham live across the UK!

September 8, 2010

Phatfish and Lou Fellingham will be performing songs from their sensational new albums ‘In Jesus’ and ‘Step into the Light’ at venues all over the UK this Autumn. These will be fantastic events where you can enjoy music and be encouraged by faith building lyrics that will draw you to God. Maybe even get a [...]

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TOAM10 – The songs we sung together to our missional God

July 12, 2010

Thanks to the amazing behind the scenes workers at Together On A Mission, I am able to share with you the songs that we worshipped God together with. If someone has the time to edit this list and tell us all which albumns you can find the songs on that would be fantastic. If not, [...]

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It’s not just your tears God wants

June 22, 2010

He wants every emotion you are capable of. He wants them all expressed to him, and most of them directed towards him. Last week I blogged about God’s challenge to me not to be embarrassed about my crying because of him. Today, I want to extend that challenge again to all of us. God does [...]

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Pascal’s experience of God: something many modern Christians miss entirely

June 13, 2010

One fascinating thing that I quote in Raised With Christ is J. I. Packer’s assertion that Puritans were very unlike Christians today in that they liked to talk about their experiences of God. Today I want to share with you the record of a remarkable experience of God had by Pascal. The following quote is [...]

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Jesus is better

May 21, 2010

When a pastor tells you that a certain passage of Scripture has been one of the most influential on his life, and is among the most precious to him you take notice. When he says that it is a passage he thinks about, or makes reference to almost every week your ears should prick up. [...]

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INTERVIEW with Sam Parker of Soul Survivor

April 18, 2010

This interview took place at New Word Alive, where Sam was one of the worship leaders: How did you get involved in leading worship? I joined Soul Survivor when I was eighteen, taking a year out. I got involved in worship.  Worship was always something I was interested in, even since I was five. I [...]

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Not new frontiers

March 15, 2010

The Billy Graham Center in Wheaton has an interesting section on certain aspects of evangelical history. One part that stood out to me when I was there was a series of pictures of a “frontier camp meeting” that took place around 1814. Most of my long-term readers will know that I am part of a [...]

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Are You Sinning by Not Rejoicing?

March 3, 2010

“I think we all sin by needlessly disobeying the apostolic injunction to “rejoice” as much as by anything else.”  C. S. Lewis, The Problem of Pain. Very many Christians give the impression that God orders us to be miserable for him. Some even imply that the more miserable we are, the more holy we are.  [...]

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SERMON: Rejoice In The Lord By Adrian Warnock

December 15, 2009

My final sermon of the year was preached at Jubilee Church, London. You can download audio and video or watch it here: download audio Philippians 4:4 “Rejoice in the Lord always; again I will say, Rejoice.” Speaking about joy—Season of goodwill is upon us—“Happy Christmas” we say, but it can be a stressful and sorrowful [...]

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Don’t You Dare Try and Worship God With Your Hands In Your Pockets!

November 5, 2009

My pastor, Tope Koleoso did not say the words in the title of this post. But they are very consistent with the tone and thrust of the following sermon on worship which follows on from what he said last week. I would strongly encourage you to watch both of these talks as you will find [...]

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Worship His Majesty!

October 27, 2009

It seems to me that us reformed believers run the risk that we recognize God is holy, but it can feel as though he is distant. To us charismatics God may instead feel close, but perhaps not seem glorious. Reformed believers understand something of the sovereignty of God, and his glory. All too often, however, [...]

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