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Passionate Worship

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“How lovely is your dwelling place, O Lord of hosts! My soul longs, faints for the courts of the Lord.” Psalm 84:1-2

“Let my people go so they can worship me.” Exodus 8:1

Scripture

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The Samaritan Women at the Well John 4:13-24

Scripture

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“But the time is coming—indeed it’s here now—when true worshipers will worship the Father in spirit and in truth. The Father is looking for those who will worship him that way.” John 4:23

Scripture

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Jesus

Tax collector in the temple: “This man went home justified.” Luke 18:14

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VII. Above all sing spiritually. Have an eye to God in every word you sing. Aim at pleasing him more than yourself, or any other creature. In order to do this attend strictly to the sense of what you sing, and see that you heart is not carried away with the sound, but offered to God continually; so shall your singing be such as the Lord will approve here, and reward you when he cometh in clouds of heaven.

John Wesley’s Directions for Singing

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“And so, dear brothers and sisters, I plead with you to give your bodies to God because of all he has done for you. Let them be a living and holy sacrifice—the kind he will find acceptable. This is truly the way to worship him.” Romans 12:1-2

Scripture

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Isaiah’s Call Isaiah 6:1-8

Scripture

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Worship

Isaiah:– Saw God – Saw his need for God – was touched by God– guilt removed and sin forgiven– was sent by God

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Worship

Worship describes those times we gather deliberately seeking to encounter God in Christ. God uses worship to transform lives, heal wounded souls, renew hope, shape decisions, provoke change, inspire compassion, and bind people to one another.

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Passionate

The word passionate expresses an intense desire, an ardent spirit, strong feelings, and the sense of heightened importance.

Congregations who practice Passionate Worship offer their utmost and highest; they expect worship to be the most important hour of the week.

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Passionate Worship

Through the personal practice of Passionate Worship, we learn to love God in return. Followers of Christ develop patterns of listening to God, allowing God to shape our hearts and minds through prayer, personal devotion, and community worship. We love God.

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Passionate Worship is Contextual

Has many shapes, styles, formsAlways life-changingAlways leading people to experience the presence of God

A-Ha moments

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Worship is church’s optimum environment for conversion.

God expects lives to change in worship.

Attendees become disciples of Jesus Christ

Crowd becomes Body of Christ

Passionate Worship

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Passionate Worship

Obligation rather than joyPerformance rather than authentic

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Everyone has a role in fostering passionate worship.

Passionate Worship

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Questions

How does the congregation encourage pastor, staff, laity and musicians who lead worship to give adequate time to preparation of sermons and music so as to enhance excellence?

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Questions

How does congregation make children feel welcome in worship? Youth?

How does your congregation teach and practice prayer? How do you pray for one another, the church, the world?

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Questions

What practices shape your own personal devotional life?

How do you prepare for worship?

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Passionate Worship

“Let us think of ways to motivate one another to acts of love and good works. And let us not neglect our meeting together, as some people do, but encourage one another, especially now that the day of his return is drawing near.”

Hebrews 10:24-25