What is Worship? (A Working Definition)

I have been diving into my current classes, two of which are heavily focused on the act and process by which we worship God. I do not have many comments on the following as I am still chewing on this material. But this powerful definition has challenged my personal and spiritual growth.

Worship is the human response to the self-revelation of the triune God, which includes:
1) divine initiation in which God graciously reveals Himself, His purposes, and His will;
2) a spiritual and personal relationship with the Father through Jesus Christ enabled by the ministry of the Holy Spirit;
3) a response by the worshiper of joyful adoration, reverence, humility, submission, and obedience.

 

 

This three-fold definition unfolds based on the revelation and grace of God, an intimate relationship made possible through each Person of the Trinity, and the natural response of joy and gladness.

Is there anything you would like to add? Anything that should be made clearer? Leave a comment below.
This definition has been crafted by and is intellectual property of Southeastern Baptist Theological Seminary and Dr. Joshua Waggener.

Cherishing Family Before They Are History

Over the span of two months, my family has lost two very important people. My grandma Pauley had a 5-7 year battle with Alzheimer’s, leaving her debilitated and unaware of her surroundings. There are many stories I could share about my time visiting her in institutions, listening to her tell stories, and watching Shirley Temple.

Our final time seeing my grandma before her passing in September. Dad had to keep up with how hungry she was.

Early this morning my grandpa Pauley “Buddy” went to be with the Lord, to be with his wife in perfect bodies. He endured such a long and painful life; he was a tough man, but had a very tender heart. Even in my grandmother’s darkest hour, he was faithful in his love and his affection toward her. He was an abundantly free soul in spite of being paraplegic for most of his life.  In many ways, I want to be just like him and pass on the legacy he established on this earth.

3 generations of Pauley men. Jack Stack, our favorite place to visit in Kansas City, MO. Buddy always got the Poor Russ even if it wasn’t the best on the menu.

One of the last times I spoke with him in person, I was asking about our family history (otherwise known as genealogy). Do not take this lightly! Family history is such a precious thing; your past sets the trajectory of your future because it shapes the man or woman you will be. Cherish the time spent with and the lessons learned from family members. Cherish family this Christmas season because you do not know if this will be your last season together. Yesterday I was able to say one final goodbye to my grandfather. I shared a few sweet memories and a passage of scripture that I have committed to memory, verses I wish to share with you.

Through him we have also obtained access by faith into this grace in which we stand, and we rejoice in hope of the glory of God. Not only that, but we rejoice in our sufferings, knowing that suffering produces endurance, and endurance produces character, and character produces hope, and hope does not put us to shame, because God’s love has been poured into our hearts through the Holy Spirit who has been given to us.

Romans 5:2-5 ESV

Rich Mullins was a Christian songwriter, visionary, and anomaly in the 90’s. He unexpectedly passed away, but he highly valued family roots. In one of his biographies, he said “Until you come to terms with your heritage you’ll never be at peace with yourself.” His lyrics from “First Family” put it a little more poetically. “[My family] worked to give faith hands and feet, and somehow gave it wings.”

To conclude, I am still processing all of this. These are merely a few thoughts to digest this news. I want to encourage you: whatever pain you are in, there is a God greater than our pain. God loves you. This may be the last thing you want to hear because you need time to absorb the pain. But God doesn’t just love you; just like a Good Father, he longs to absorb your pain for you and replace with joy everlasting.

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There are two books that have helped me get a broader of pain as well as family:
An Arrow Pointing to Heaven by James Bryan Smith (Devotional Biography on the life of Rich Mullins). Quoted above on page 14. Available on Amazon.
Stronger: How Hard Times Reveal God’s Greatest Power by Clayton King. He recently shared a sermon based on this book.

My Testimony: A story of the gospel

I grew up in a wonderful home. Granted, no family is perfect but mine seemed better than most. My dad is a worship pastor and my whole family is musical. Jesus and music abilities. What could be better?

Elementary school, I was living in VA Beach where my dad was serving. We were heavily involved in choirs, student events, and everything in-between. I heard the gospel every Sunday growing up; however, one Sunday was different. The pastor was speaking on Hell and what Jesus went through, a “Brimstone and Fire” message if you will, and I felt severely convicted. He was speaking right to me (you know what I’m talking about). I came down front and prayed a prayer of salvation; I knew I was a sinner and that I needed God. To this day I believe God saved me then.

I have moved my entire life. I have lived in 8 cities across 3 states, most cities living in multiple homes. Especially during Middle School, I wondered why my family had to move. Why couldn’t I make friends? Why were all my friends happier than I was? Why does no one like me, think I’m funny, or laugh at my jokes? 
I became isolated. Closed off to trusting others. This was the easiest option, so I thought, because no one had to get hurt. Especially me.

Middle School in Roanoke was bad (7th and 8th grade were the worst). I was classified by others as a band geek, uncertain of who I wanted to be. Most days would be filled with self-loathing, depression, guilt, and suicidal thoughts. Why wasn’t I good enough? Why was I constantly messing up; wasn’t I supposed to be better than everyone else because my dad’s a pastor? I am such a hypocrite!

Middle school ends, high school begins, and we moved again. More of the same. We relocated to Richmond (where I attended Christian school), but this move was different. Back at the age of 9, I prayed a prayer to receive Christ. I was scared of God’s wrath, but I didn’t understand the immensity of this decision. Not only did God save me from Eternal separation from Him, but He bestowed grace and loved me even while I lived in my sin (1Jn 4:9-11; Rom 5:7-9, Eph 2:4-5). God’s love gained another dimension because the people of God treated the world just as Jesus commanded.
Years later, Christians in my youth group had joy and I naturally gravitated to them because I wanted the very same joy! The more I began to ask questions, the sooner they were answered. Simultaneously, my Christian life grew deeper (in trust and obedience) as well as wider (developing a heart for the nations). This is what Jesus meant when he spoke of making disciples.

To this day, I believe that God’s primary plan is to reach the lost world by means of The Church. God acts through his people, and we love others because he first loved us. “Testimony,” a declaration; “Gospel,” good news. “My declaration: a story of the good news.” Having shared part of my story, What good news will you proclaim about God’s work in your life?

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Testimonies will never be the exact same. Every person is uniquely created in God’s Image, and every person has a testimony. Therefore, every testimony will be unique according to God’s Providence in their life.
We love stories. Whatever medium (movies, books, audible, or poetic), we love stories with a redemptive plot. Because we live in a culture of stories, I encourage you to write out your testimony, share it with a friend, or tell an unbeliever about what God has done in your life. If you do not have a testimony about a personal relationship with God, please contact me using the form below. I would love to hear from you and begin a conversation in more detail.

–Landon, SDG

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Coming to a Pause

Change is a necessary part of life. Without change, nothing moves. There is no growth and no advancement apart from change. One of the key problems with change is attitude in response to a situation. We can look to God who is in control or collapse inward and worship our comfort, the idols of the heart.

I feel like the world that I have come to know is screeching to a halt. I contemplate the things that I’ve done right and question the things I have done wrong. There will always be responsibilities I neglected and opportunities I chose to take for granted. I’ve made so many decisions, good and bad, over the years since coming to college. I have joined a church that comforts and challenges me in my faith. I have had the privilege to study who God is, who I am in relation to God, find things in life that make me passionate, and grow as both a leader and a disciple. I have seen exponential growth after seasons of uncertainty and pain, only to realize that God has been working all along. This season will be no different.

My time in the Wake Forest area is going to be put on pause for an unknown amount of time. I have some areas in my life that need attention. In the mean time, I know life will go on without me. Lord-willing, I will continue to grow in every dimension and pursue ultimate joy that can be only found in him.
I’m reminded of a lesson I learned this summer during City Project: my success, day to day, is not found through what I accomplish nor the goals I reach. It isn’t found in career advancements nor money, intellect nor power. My worth and identity is found in Christ; my success is to only be found in Knowing God and Loving Others.

Experiencing Darkness

It had all started as a normal day during City Project. We had arrived in New York City the Saturday before to stay in a shelter, share the gospel with unbelievers, and be trained by strategic missionaries. Most of the training and planning was useless at this point…

A friend and I were assigned a specific Muslim group in Queens. Conversations had to be started, but we had to be authentic. Both of us agreed to go to one of the mosques for the evening salat (prayer) in order to start conversations. We entered the dark building confused and unsure of what would take place.
“Why are you here?” one of the men asked. “We are curious about other religions and want to learn more about Islam,” we responded with deep sincerity. We proceeded through wudu (washings) in order to enter the ceremony. Face, ears, arms, hands, feet, then hands again. With bare feet proceeding to the prayer hall, I prayed with a heavy heart to the only God who has ears to hear our cries. My friend and I sat in the corner to observe (not partake) in the ceremony. With every tick of the clock, my heart grew heavier; my heart literally felt like it was going to burst. Tears began to roll down my face only for me to wipe them away in light of my surroundings. I felt the need to share just a few of my thoughts and burdens.

• How many Christians see these men, young and old, and never share of the redemptive work they have experienced?
• How many Believers, like myself, are more concerned with politics, Soteriology, or personal agenda than the eternity of God’s beloved?
• Do professing Christians truly “[look] to Jesus, the founder and perfecter of our faith, who for the joy that was set before him endured the cross”? If so, why do they walk away and not long to endure the same struggle for unsaved?

Paul said “I have great sorrow and unceasing anguish in my heart. For I could wish that I myself were accursed and cut off from Christ for the sake of my brothers.” Do we bear the same burden as this sinner saved by grace? 

A recognizable pattern in my life and through Scripture is looking to God and leaving with a new sense of purpose. Take Saul who transformed into Paul; Moses and the burning bush; Israel looking to the bronze serpent; or Jacob (Israel) wrestling with God. All of these accounts point to series of darkness/trouble, encountering God, and leaving remarkably changed. I share about this dark experience because in these moments, I was tested to love my neighbor, put their needs before my own, and allow God to bring about salvation. It may not be easy, but it certainly is worth it. James also shows us why we endure trials.

“Consider it all joy, my brothers, when you encounter various trials, knowing that the testing of your faith produces endurance. And let endurance have its perfect result, so that you may be perfect and complete, lacking in nothing. But if any of you lacks wisdom, let him ask of God, who gives to all generously and without reproach, and it will be given to him.”
James 1:2-5

Not everyone is called to live as a vocational missionary to the Unreached People Groups of the world. Some are, but not everyone. Instead, we are called to make disciples of all [tribes, tongues, and] nations. If we don’t go, how will they hear? More importantly, if we do not petition on their behalf nor expect God to move, how can we ever expect God to work through us? Challenge: be willing to experience trials and darkness for someone else’s soul. This example is found in Jesus; is it found in you?

Prayer for CP Taiwan Team

My team is in the air right now on our way to Taiwan! Please pray for us:

Pray that God would use this process to teach us to love Him above all else. (Matthew 22:37-40)
Pray that the nations would come to know Him as Lord. (Acts 17:24-27)
Pray for the field partners, that God would continue use them and give them favor with the people.
Pray God would use us to serve the field partners well.
Pray that the Holy Spirit would go before us and prepare the hearts of the people we will interact with.

New York City: Learning and Growing

Last week, Summit College traveled to New York City to expand efforts to reach the nations. As you may know, New York is a large and diverse city with thousands of languages and representation from every continent. Our mission? Three simple steps.

The gospel changing students.
Our team had a week of orientation; gospel training, evangelism techniques, and studying people groups. But none of that would prepare us for the daily battle for our souls. Nothing can replace the importance of the gospel in our lives first. Without it, we are just another group of people in the big city. No direction, no sense of purpose, and no power to accomplish the work ahead. With the gospel, we’ve been given an identity (child of God), mission (to make disciples of all nations), and the Spirit of God which “[equips] you with everything good for doing his will.” (Hebrews 13:21) This week had a literal transformation on my life.

Part of our daily agenda was to go to individual neighborhoods, love on people, and share our faith. I was with a group in Astoria, Queens, NY. This community is predominantly Bangladeshi Muslim. One day while I was sharing with a friend, I was completely overwhelmed. My pride had gotten the better of me before a conversation filled with rejection and bitterness. I walked away speechless. It took a solid five minutes of prayer and tears for God to teach me something: All my efforts to save people are in vain if the Spirit is not working in my life as well. God may use us, but he changes our hearts in the process.

Orientation week in Durham– Mitch reminding us of the gospel story. 

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Students serving cities.
Our team of over fifty college students traveled to New York City with three primary objectives in mind: encouraging missionaries, equipping local believers, and evangelizing the lost. We stayed at the New York School of Urban Ministry (pictured below) while partnering with Global Gates Ministry. This incredible ministry has a large hand in the gospel being proclaimed in NYC.

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Christ sending laborers.
Christ has sent us to make disciples for our lifetime. This means locally and internationally. Matthew 9:38 reads “The harvest is plentiful, but the laborers are few; therefore pray earnestly to the Lord of the harvest to send out laborers into his harvest.” Already the Lord is preparing the hearts for the gospel to be shared. He simply asks that you obey and be teachable; when we learn and obey, this will produce disciples.

Arab mosque in Astoria, NY–overpacked during one of the five daily prayer times.

Oswald Chambers put it this way:
“If you believe in Jesus, you are not to spend all your time in the calm waters just inside the harbor, full of joy, but always tied to the dock. You have to get out past the harbor into the great depths of God, and begin to know things for yourself—begin to have spiritual discernment… It is a dangerous thing to refuse to continue learning and knowing more.”

Living to the Fullest

“I’m writing this at 3 am; I can’t stop my mind from racing; any person in my situation should be asleep… so why is my heart unsteady? I can’t help but wonder about the frailty of life. I can’t help but think about the fact that my life could have ended.

I was in a car wreck yesterday afternoon. I was driving the speed limit when the SUV in front of me swerved to the other lane revealing a stopped truck. Panic. All I could think of was my life ending, not seeing my family again, not being able to laugh with my college friends, missing out on the milestones of life, and not being able to proclaim the name of Christ to the nations. 

By God’s grace, I walked out of my vehicle unharmed without even the smallest scratch. No airbags deployed, no debris flying through the car, and no major aches or pain. It was because the hand of God was over me. The statement “material is replaceable, but a life isn’t” is now seen is a completely different light.”

Fast forward to May 2014, two months after my wreck. Life is still just as frail, but has it been lived to the fullest? Read my upcoming post about what it means to risk your life.

Facing Opposition

Have you ever known that you screwed up? Had that gut feeling that you were wrong about something? We’ve all been there. If you haven’t, don’t worry because you will.

I’m not talking about the petty opposition from acquaintances or people for whom you have a mutual disliking. I’m talking about the hardest kind of opposition… Opposition from someone that you highly respect and look up to. This is known as rebuking.

Recently, God has given me some epic opportunities to grow as well as majorly screw up. My screw-ups have been in areas such as pride, communication, and lack of respect...

1. Pride — “Pride leads to every other vice: it is the complete anti-God state of mind.” –C.S. Lewis, Mere Christianity
   Time and time again, I recognize a wicked and prideful spirit in my heart. I put what I want above another person… and it always seems to come up to the surface one way or another. 
   I recently received advice about pride: “Confidence can be easily mistaken for pride. Whenever you see pride in your life, Stop. Pray. And Seek Humility.“I want a daily reminder to die to myself; a tattoo of Galatians 2:20 in the original Greek.
   “συσταυρόω Χριστός” (systauroō Christos) which means “I have been crucified with Christ.”
   While there is significance in every tattoo, I prefer that these be words that I live by and live by with reckless abandon (more on that later).
2. Communication — or lack thereof.
   This is a tough one to explain. It boils down to honestly and carefully sharing what I mean in a loving and compassionate way. This includes my tongue. It also includes unintentional and nonverbal methods (subconscious; body language). But that’s why God gave us the ability to control our own bodies. (See James and Psalm 32)
3. Lack of Respect — An unhealthy combination of both characteristics.
   If you think about it, disrespecting someone really comes back to pride and miscommunication. If you’re prideful in the face of authority, that’s disrespectful. If you do not know how to properly communicate with people around you, you are not showing initiative to contribute to that relationship. Ergo, you are being disrespectful.

Let’s be honest… this stuff sucks. Bad. These lessons are terrible to go through when you feel like you’re constantly beaten up.
You would not believe some of the difficult conversations I’ve had over the past month. Even with all the lessons I’ve learned and the growth that I’ve seen, there are still times I am confronted with the fact that I need to just grow up. It’s the never-ending road of sanctification.

The Beauty in it all

Hopefully, if you see these things in yourself, someone else brought them to your attention. This is beautiful because that’s how God designed for the Church to work. God’s people are commanded to love and correct one another. Without correction, there is no love. With passages like John 15 in mind, we are told to abide with Christ and love one another. Because we, the Bride of Christ, abide in him, we are physically responsible to love.

On the topic of opposition; just look at the book of James (especially sections like 1:12). “Blessed is the man who remains steadfast under trial, for when he has stood the test he will receive the crown of life”  Steadfast means “resolutely or dutifully firm and unwavering.” I guess that brings me to ask a few questions:
Are you unwavering when tested with trials? Are you numb to the fact that God wants us to endure until the end? What are some areas you can see that need growth? And who can you go to for an honest opinion about your character/maturity?

What Does It Mean to “Let Go and Let God”?

Cliche. That’s the first thing that comes to my mind when I hear that phrase. Why? Because it’s thrown around, posted on T-shirts, and accepted as our default ‘Christianese’ when life gets bumpy.

But is there some truth in the phrase?

Letting Go. What does it mean to let go? What does letting go look like? If we let go, doesn’t our world just fall to pieces?
No, our life is not over. Letting go means different things in different places. A general definition of “going” means to move or proceed to/away from something. Is there anything worth holding onto in this life? Doesn’t it all just go away in the end?

Here’s the beautiful part. Letting Go is a natural part of life. Friends, family members, careers, churches, schools, you name it! Life changes. There’s a never-ending cycle of change. But the beauty is what happens when we let go of our desires, our needs, our future and security. That’s when God steps in and says “I’m here for you. Rest in me and I will give you the desires of your heart. I’ve found that in my own life, as a Christian man, when I surrender financial security or my future, I’ve seen some of the greatest seasons of fruit.

Think about it for a minute.

God wants to make a beautiful exchange with us.
God wants our messed up-ness for his holiness. How crazy is that?

1 My son, if you receive my words

and treasure up my commandments with you,

2 making your ear attentive to wisdom

and inclining your heart to understanding;

3 yes, if you call out for insight

and raise your voice for understanding,

4 if you seek it like silver

and search for it as for hidden treasures,

5 then you will understand the fear of the Lord

and find the knowledge of God.

Proverbs 2:1-5 ESV

Don’t miss this. These are conditional statements. If you receive/call/seek, then you will understand. God wants us to give up ourselves and admit our helplessness to show HIS glory.

Dying to self (aka “Letting God”)

I will be going into what it means to Die to yourself in other posts, but what does it mean right now? It means taking that abiding and just doing it.

1 John 2:5, 6 says “but whoever keeps His word, in him truly the love of God is perfected. By this we may know that we are in Him: whoever says he abides in Him ought to walk in the same way in which [Jesus] walked.”

You know what Jesus did? He humbled himself. That’s how we’re supposed to abide. That is the change that can happen right now.

Recently, I’ve encountered a fork in the road. The turn of the new year brought about plans for the Spring and Summer seasons. That means I need to plan. I’ve been given a few options, listed by my order of preference.
(a.) Go home/live on my own and work, work, WORK.
(b.) Apply for a paid position at a local Summer camp as a counselor for Middle and High School students… OR
(c.) Apply for “The City Project” to work with my church (the Summit Church in Raleigh/Durham, NC) and be immersed in mission work and intense ministerial training.

I thought I knew what I was going to do until God had people speak into my life. One good friend challenged me to take a step of faith, to search for God like the Proverbs 2 passage says. I was hesitant at first and told him “I’ll pray about it” and consider my options, but that really meant no. I didn’t get it until he approached me again and said “Is the Gospel worth giving up your plans for one Summer?” 
Hit me right between the eyes. My pride and concern for security had left me negligent of the Gospel, the very core of my life.

So far, I have applied for The City Project and my application is being reviewed. I have an interview arranged for this week. But what does that mean?

It means risk. It means insecurity. It means being obedient. Ultimately, it means abiding in Christ and taking it one day at a time.

Thoughts? Similar experiences? Share in the comments below.