| WORSHIP |
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What should
I expect at "worship"?
In a general sense worship is any activity directed toward God for
the purpose of glorifying him. One should worship God individually
in his private life (Matt. 6:5-6; Rm. 12:1), but we also must worship
God collectively with other believers. A major reason for church
assemblies is to worship God together (1 Cor. 11:17-18, 20, 33-34;
14:26).
Sunday morning worship begins in the auditorium at 10:30am CST.
Members will be happy that you visited and will try to get to know
you, but you will never be singled out. Please give us the opportunity
to know you better by filling out a visitor's card, which will be
collected towards the end of the service. Worship will vary slightly
from Sunday to Wednesday. However, we pray that you will be edified
and drawn closer to God as we worship, which is centered on the
following elements:
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Prayer: The
early Christians continued steadfastly in prayer (Acts 2:42). At times,
the church is pictured as assembling specifically for the purpose
of prayer (Acts 12:5, 12). Prayer was a part of the regular assembly
in Corinth (1 Cor. 14:15-17). You will hear prayers and prayer requests.
Prayer to God changes things! |
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| Preaching:
The Bible is full of preaching because "all Scripture is God-breathed
and useful for teaching, rebuking, correcting and training in righteousness,
so that the servant of God may be thoroughly equipped for every good
work" (2 Tim. 3:16-17). Worship is where we bow and honor God,
but hearing his Word is how God primarily changes and strengthens
us. Timothy was told to "devote yourself to the public reading
of Scripture, preaching, and teaching" (1 Tim. 4:13). When we
hear and read the Bible, God is speaking. |
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Lord's Supper:
Every Sunday we assemble to share the Lord's Supper with one another and our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ. This is not only a unifying event, but it honors Jesus for his work of salvation and proclaims his death and resurrection until he returns. The Lord's Supper was practiced by all Christians, such as those in Jerusalem (Acts 2:42), Troas (Acts 20:7), and Corinth (1 Cor. 11:17-34). The Lord's Supper was one of the central elements of the church's corporate life. |
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| Singing: Given
the didactic nature of Christianity, it is no surprise that the church
loves to sing. Christ sang at the institution of the Lord's Supper
(Mt. 26:30). Christians sang praises to God whether happy (James 5:13)
or distressed in jail (Acts 16:25), as well as in the assembly (1
Cor. 14:15, 26), and a mixture of assembly and private life (Eph.
5:19; Col. 3:16). In heaven the angels and the redeemed sing songs
of praise (Rev 5:9; 14:3; 15:3). In this life, one result of being
a Spirit-filled Christian is singing and making melody with your heart
to the Lord. We pray that our a cappella singing of psalms, hymns,
and spiritual songs will admonish you. |
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Giving: Christians
are to be good stewards of their possessions since everything on the
earth belongs to God (Ps. 24:1). Giving honors God as the creator
and owner of all things, and acknowledges him as the source of every
blessing. People in the Bible gave 10%-100% of their material blessings
from God, and Christians today, who are showered with grace, should
give no less. Giving to meet the needs of others and spread the gospel
was and should continue to be a central element of the church (Acts
4:32-5:11; 2 Cor. 8:1-9:15). Though visitors may have to pass the
collection plate to the person next to them, they are never expected
to give. |
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