Psalms of Discipleship. Principle #41. (Worship) June 29, 2014

Hello my dear friends! Much grace to you today. Is is possible that we can worship God but do it for all of the wrong reasons? I believe it is not only possible but very likely IF we worship Him for the wrong reasons.

Today's reminder from Psalms of Discipleship is to make certain that our worship is authentic, not artificial.

Learning with you,

Denny

Psalms of Discipleship—Principle #41

Life Principles For Those Who Choose To Follow Jesus And Live The Discipled Life

Key Scripture: Exalt the LORD our God, And worship at His holy hill; For holy is the LORD our God. Psalm 99:9

Core Value: Worship

Worship is more than an action. It is also an emotion. Some people believe that “just doing it” will appease God and add another point to their ever-growing list of brownie points. It is entirely possible to worship God and yet have your heart far from Him.

The Lord says: "These people come near to me with their mouth and honor me with their lips, but their hearts are far from me. Their worship of me is made up only of rules taught by men. Isaiah 29:13 (NIV)

6 Jesus replied, “You hypocrites! Isaiah was right when he prophesied about you, for he wrote, ‘These people honor me with their lips, but their hearts are far from me. 7 Their worship is a farce, for they teach man-made ideas as commands from God.’ 8 For you ignore God’s law and substitute your own tradition.” Mark 7:6-8 (NLT)

The kind of worship Jesus is after comes from the heart. It is a worship of love and adoration of Him.

Jesus replied, “‘You must love the LORD your God with all your heart, all your soul, and all your mind.’ Matthew 22:37 (NLT)

May our worship be authentic and not artificial.

Principle #41 & Personal Application: Quality disciples exalt the Lord our God.

• We worship the LORD

• We worship the LORD our God

• We worship the LORD, a holy God

Reflect & Respond: Some Really Good Questions To Ponder…

God would never require me to do something I could not do. What does it mean to exalt Him?

In what ways does His holiness impact the way I worship God?

Prayer:
Lord Jesus, it is by faith that I exalt You, the Lord my God. May my worship of You be received as an act of reverence and awe for Who You are: for You are holy and my God
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You can learn how to live as a Quality Disciple and a DiscipleMaker4Jesus by visiting my website at www.dennybates.com and my teaching blog at http://thequalitydisciple.blogspot.com
 
Do you like to read? Here is a list of my favorite books on leadership and discipleship. Check it out on the link below:
http://www.dennybates.com/#!great-reads-for-the-leader/cq20

Psalms of Discipleship (Worship) Principle #39--May 3, 2014

Hello my dear friends. No matter how much the world changes around us, one truth remains the same: we love and serve a God who is holy. It is entirely possible that we can drift away with the currents of "if it feels good do it" and "everyone does right in their own eyes." What keeps us from becoming a shell of who we need to be? We need to be keeping our focus upon our God who is holy. The Psalmist gives us a wonderful template on how it can be done, through grace.

Learning with you,

Denny

Psalms of Discipleship—Principle #39

Life Principles For Those Who Choose To Follow Jesus And Live The Discipled Life

Key Scripture: 3 Let them praise Thy great and awesome name; Holy is He. 4 And the strength of the King loves justice; Thou hast established equity; Thou hast executed justice and righteousness in Jacob. 5 Exalt the LORD our God, And worship at His footstool; Holy is He. Psalm 99:3-5

Core Value: Worship

It has been said that we live what we believe. Or do we? We believe it is against the law to break the speed limit when we drive our car, but many of us do it anyhow (sometimes). We would agree that eating too much of the unhealthy foods we love to consume is bad for us, but we do it because we like it (a lot).

As disciples of Jesus we would agree that God is holy and because He is this truth should influence what we say, what we think, and what we do; but does it? This is the grace-empowered goal for us: to live in a way where His holiness makes a difference in us and then through us. How is it done?

Perhaps this will help:

But grow in grace (undeserved favor, spiritual strength) and recognition and knowledge and understanding of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ (the Messiah). To Him [be] glory (honor, majesty, and splendor) both now and to the day of eternity. Amen (so be it)! 2 Peter 3:18 (AMP)

Grace is the portal towards a greater worship of God. Step on in.

Principle #39 & Personal Application: Quality disciples worship an awesome God: Holy is He

• We worship a God who is great and has an awesome name: Holy is He

• We worship a God who loves justice: Holy is He

• We worship a God who is exalted: Holy is He

• We worship a God who is worthy of all praise: Holy is He

Reflect & Respond: Some Really Good Questions To Ponder…

When I focus upon the word “Holy” what kinds of thoughts come to my mind?

What kinds of feelings rise upon inside my heart when I focus upon His holiness?

How does my focus upon a holy God influence what I say . . . what I think . . . what I do?

Prayer:
Lord Jesus, may I ever seek to praise Your great and holy name. I thank You that You love justice and are righteous in all Your ways. I thank You for the honor of being able to exalt You, sit at Your footstool and worship You. May the confession of my mouth always be: Holy is He.

Dr. Denny Bates & Something New Christian Publishers © 2014 All rights reserved.

Looking for a wonderful companion tool for Psalms of Discipleship? Check out this link:

Dr. Denny Bates | Leading with Quality in Mind | Psalms of Discipleship

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Psalms of Discipleship. Principle #38 (Worship) April 19, 2014

Hello my dear friends. As we experience this Holy Weekend of Easter and The Resurrection of our Lord Jesus, the Psalmist reminds us of the greatness and glory of God. Only a great God can reign. Only a great God can save us from our sins. Only a great God can die and rise again.

He is risen!

Denny

Psalms of Discipleship—Principle #38

Life Principles For Those Who Choose To Follow Jesus And Live The Discipled Life

Key Scripture: 1 The LORD reigns, let the peoples tremble; He is enthroned above the cherubim, let the earth shake! 2 The LORD is great in Zion, And He is exalted above all the peoples. Psalm 99:1-2

Core Value: Worship

Frequent obstacles to a greater faith can discourage many of those who follow Jesus. The choices to trust in the Lord or give up and quit come every day. Big problems require a bigger God. When we see our God as a small god, our problems overwhelm us. When we lift up our eyes of faith and gaze upon the One who reigns over all, we gain a fresh perspective and rise above our obstacles. This is the way of worship: thinking upon Him, instead of them.

What obstacles are holding you back from experiencing His victory and His peace?

8 Finally, brethren, whatever is true, whatever is honorable, whatever is right, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is of good repute, if there is any excellence and if anything worthy of praise, dwell on these things. 9 The things you have learned and received and heard and seen in me, practice these things, and the God of peace will be with you. Philippians 4:8-9 (NASB)

Principle #38 & Personal Application: Quality disciples are in awe of the majesty and glory of God

• We serve a great God who reigns over all the earth: even over our heart

• We have an awesome respect for the One who makes the earth shake: holding us together when our heart has been shaken

• We have a great heritage: we are connected by our Great Lord with every believer—present, past, and future

Reflect & Respond: Some Really Good Questions To Ponder…

What spiritual discipline helps me to focus upon God’s greatness?

When do I sense the Lord’s greatness the most?

Prayer:

Lord Jesus, You are great. You do reign over all of the earth. You reign over every nation. You reign over my heart. May my worship of You this day give You all glory and all praise.

You can learn how to live as a Quality Disciple and a DiscipleMaker4Jesus by visiting my website at www.dennybates.com and my teaching blog at http://thequalitydisciple.blogspot.com
 
Want to experience Psalms of Discipleship in book form? Check out this link and learn how to purchase your copy today.

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Dr. Denny Bates & Something New Christian Publishers © 2014 All rights reserved.