Personal Worship

https://www.lavistachurchofchrist.org/cms/wp-content/uploads/2013/10/2012Fall3PersonalWorship.mp3 by Rob Speer God and I

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Are singing and prayers during mid-week Bible study worship?

Question: Dear Brother, I am a member of the Body of Christ. I have a question that I hope you can answer for me. After midweek Bible class everyone gathers and we sing songs, offer up prayers, a short sermon is given, and an invitation is extended. Is this worship? I know it is not…

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Should a church have time in worship for members to pray quietly?

Question: I am a member of the Church of Christ in a local congregation. Of late, when we pray in the church, we do allow individual members some time to say their prayers adding that we should not speak loud. I am perplexed now. Answer: I don’t blame you for being perplexed. Such prayers would…

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Can a short service be held in a shut-in’s home?

Question: I have a dilemma. Our elders have recently approved of an “abbreviated service” on Sunday afternoons at the home of one of our members who is home-bound and dying. This includes singing, prayer, and the Lord’s Supper. They are encouraging other members to join them for this service. We have other members who are…

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Does a long service affect one’s relationship with God?

Question: Does long Christian liturgy affect one’s relationship with God? Are they good or is it a sin? Answer: “Liturgy” is just a fancy word for the public worship service. There is no fixed length for how long a worship service is to be. The usual teasing reminder that preachers point out is that Paul…

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Why are singing, praying, communion, and giving called worship?

Question: I have been doing a study on worship in the New Testament and although there are about 75 references with the word, none of them are tied in with singing, praying, communion, or giving.  So, I was wondering if you knew of a historical notation where, for the first time, worship is described as…

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Spiritual Worship

 Text: Psalm 95 I.         A critical danger that happens to most Christians is approaching the worship of God by rote.             A.        We go through the motions of worship, but our minds are not fully engaged.                         1.         With their hearts not involved, worship becomes a drudgery                         2.         We understand intellectually that is not right, but we wonder how do we…

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What authority do we have to lead a prayer?

Question: What authority do we have to lead a prayer? Where in the Bible does it talk about this practice? Answer: I Corinthians 14:26-33 tells us the importance of church services being orderly. People are not to be talking at the same time. In that same discussion, there is mention of someone saying “Amen” when…

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Did the early church meet on any other days than Sunday?

Question: According to Hebrew 10:25, is there any example from the early churches meeting on any other days for Bible study or the like other than Sunday worship service? Answer: “So continuing daily with one accord in the temple, and breaking bread from house to house, they ate their food with gladness and simplicity of…

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How do you worship God Monday through Saturday?

Question: How do you worship God Monday through Saturday? Answer: Singing psalms, hymns, and spiritual songs (Ephesians 5:19-20), praying (I Timothy 2:8), and even studying God’s Word (I Corinthians 1:18) are all forms of worship. Whenever a person is participating in these activities, which are not limited to the first day of the week, he…

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Is the Lord’s Sabbath on a Saturday or Sunday? What hour does it begin?

Question: Is the Lord’s Sabbath on a Saturday or Sunday? What hour does it begin? Answer: The Sabbath is the seventh day of the week, which is currently called Saturday in English speaking countries. The Sabbath was designated as the day of worship for the Israelites living under the Old Law. “The LORD our God…

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Does worship have to be on Sunday?

Question: I was discussing with someone about coming to church on Sundays. What day should we meet? Does it matter which day during the week? Under persecution, you might not be able to meet Sundays, so I was wondering: does it matter the day the church meets? I do know that it states they came…

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Notes on Worship

What is worship? Worship is something distinctly done. Worship is not accidentally given. – Matthew 2:11; 4:8-9; 9:18; John 4:20; Revelation 9:20 Jesus’s definition of worship – John 4:21-24 It requires a worshiper (the existence of a rock is not worship. Animals do not worship). It requires an object of worship Worship must only be…

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Parallel Worship (Children’s Church)

by Bob Berard Some elderships with announced good intentions have introduced the practice of excusing children and a few members from their congregation’s Sunday evening worship services for a special program called “children’s church.” While the remainder of the church engages in a worship assembly wherein are conducted the same worship activities as in the…

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Does God put a yearning in our hearts for Him?

Question: Does God place a yearning for him in our hearts so that we seek Him?  Is this yearning misunderstood by us and we start trying to fill this void with worldly things?  Why is it that some people know early in life what that yearning is, and seek Him right away while the others, either never find…

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The “Worship Wars”

by Wayne S. Walker In an article headlined “Understanding the ‘worship wars’” from World Magazine’s website on October 16, 2009, Warren Cole Smith began, “A recent Religion News Service dispatch caught my attention. Under the headline ‘Missouri Synod Leaders Declare Worship Wars “Sinful”’ came an article announcing the conservative Lutheran Church-Missouri Synod’s eight-page ‘Theses on Worship.’…

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Is Peter the rock of the church?

Question: In Matthew 16:18 Jesus said to Peter: you are a rock, and on this rock foundation I will build my church, and not even death will ever be able to overcome it. Does Jesus give any guidelines as to how and when his followers or Christians should worship God? Answer: “He said to them, “But…

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Sing with Understanding

https://www.lavistachurchofchrist.org/cms/wp-content/uploads/2011/06/SingWithUnderstanding.mp3 Text: I Corinthians 14:15-20   I.         Singing is an expression of joy – James 5:13             A.        It is form of worship and a way of teaching – Ephesians 5:18-20; Colossians 3:16-17             B.        Of course, people sing things all the time without thinking about what they are saying – just ask kids today what are the lyrics to…

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How was worship conducted in Israel when the temple was destroyed?

Question: I have a question regarding the Tabernacle and the first Temple in the Old Testament: Was the Tabernacle the dwelling place of God and was the Temple the place of worship for the people? If so, when the first Temple was destroyed and tabernacle removed, how did the people worship God if there was…

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Does the whole church need to hear the whole sermon?

Question: Is there some biblical passage where it is mentioned that in the primitive church all listened to the preacher and all were present during the whole worship? Answer: “And they continued steadfastly in the apostles’ doctrine and fellowship, in the breaking of bread, and in prayers” (Acts 2:42). “Take heed to yourself and to the doctrine. Continue in…

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Can we worship and praise the Holy Spirit?

Question: A question was raised in class about worship and praise to the Holy Spirit. Can you give any passages that say we are to do so? I couldn’t find any that give a specific yes or no. There are some that infer it and we can be condemned by blaspheming Him. Answer: Worship is…

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If God gives us talent, then can we not use that talent to worship God?

Question: I witness the following conversation between two brothers and it went like this: Brother A stated, “We are not to worship or praise God on this side of the cross with instrumental music.”  Brother A went on to state “This applies to the first day of the week during corporate worship or praise and…

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Did Amos curse those who introduced instrumental music into Hebrew worship?

Question: Is it true that Amos pronounced a curse upon those who, like David, introduced instrumental music into Hebrew worship? Answer: David did not introduce instrumental music into Israelite worship, God did. Long before David lived God commanded the Israelites to blow trumpets as part of their worship (Leviticus 23:24; Numbers 10:10). Prophets used instrumental…

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Does the Bible say the church worshiped on Sunday?

Question: I have a few questions and comments concerning the texts given as proof of Sunday worship outlined in the article: “Is sex on the Sabbath a sin?” The verses are Acts 20:7 and I Corinthians 16:1-2. Acts 20:7 speaks of an act that is done on any day and nowhere does it say that…

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Why don’t you meet daily?

Question: I have another question, at the end of chapter 2 in the book of Acts, it is written that the church met daily.  Where you worship does the body meet daily?  If not, can you explain why not? Answer: “So continuing daily with one accord in the temple, and breaking bread from house to…

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What do you think about partaking of the Lord’s Supper after dinner?

Question: At our congregation, we take communion on the first day of each week. Our preacher has decided to have small groups meet in homes and have a potluck dinner and again partake of the Lord’s Supper, calling it an agape feast. This is causing a division in the church. He is using a lot…

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Worship: The Emotional Component

by Warren E. Berkley “God is Spirit, and those who worship Him must worship in spirit and truth,” (John 4:24). Every element of true worship involves some emotional component. The emotional component is not driven by a direct operation of the Holy Spirit (as in Calvinism) or “getting the Holy Spirit” (as in Charismatic practice). The…

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Where does the Scripture mention buying a building?

Question: I visited your web site; it is very nice and helpful. My question is: Where, in the Scripture, does it mention buying a building for church worship? I could only find house worship. Answer: The command to assemble is “And let us consider one another in order to stir up love and good works,…

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Should Christians sing during the Lord’s supper?

Question: Should Christians sing during the Lord’s supper? Answer: I wonder what is next — singing during prayer or singing during the sermon!? I really don’t understand why people think that the Lord’s Supper needs some kind of “crutch” or “support” to make it meaningful and relevant to Christians. When the Lord gave the bread…

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Is it a sin to go to a youth group or chapel service during the week?

Question: I saw that the church only met on the first day of the week to gather and worship. Does this mean that I sin if I go to youth groups on Wednesdays (while still going to church on Sunday), or if my school has weekly mandatory chapel services on Thursdays? Answer: There are various…

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