Worship That Pleases God

Worship That Pleases God: The Passion and Reason of True Worship is a comprehensive book ranging far beyond the sanctuary to the private altar, to the heart of the worshiper and even to the workplace. Whole-life worship is the kind that pleases God. "...let us continually offer to God a sacrifice of praiseÉAnd do not forget to do good and to share with others, for with such sacrifices God is pleased (Hebrews 13:15, 16 NIV). A worship leader for more than thirty years, Dr. Phifer, brings a passionate writing style and sound biblical interpretation to this search for the meaning of "spirit and truth" worship (John 4:24). Dr. Phifer believes that True Worship establishes the Kingdom of God in our hearts, our homes, our places of worship as well as in the workplace and the marketplace. This book is about much more than what happens on Sunday morning. "Righteousness, peace and joy in the Holy Spirit," the three characteristics of the Kingdom of God found in Romans 14:17, form the themes of each section of the book. Section One, Righteousness, deals with a biblical theology of worship. Dr. Phifer offers biblical definitions for the essential elements of worship and he presents seven biblical models for worship. Section Two, Peace, presents the priority of worship as the factor of church life that is intended to bind generations and cultures together in a bond of peace. Section Three, Joy, treats the daily life of the believer dealing with issues of craftsmanship, creativity and the spiritual warfare of private worship. Paul urged the Roman church to "...present your bodies a living sacrifice, holy, acceptable to God, which is your reasonable service (of worship)" (Rom 12:1 NKJV [NIV]). Worship That Pleases God is a passionate book presenting that reasonable service of worship to God.

Worship That Pleases God: The Passion and Reason of True Worship is a comprehensive book ranging far beyond the sanctuary to the private altar, to the heart of the worshiper and even to the workplace. Whole-life worship is the kind that pleases God. "...let us continually offer to God a sacrifice of praiseÉAnd do not forget to do good and to share with others, for with such sacrifices God is pleased (Hebrews 13:15, 16 NIV). A worship leader for more than thirty years, Dr. Phifer, brings a passionate writing style and sound biblical interpretation to this search for the meaning of "spirit and truth" worship (John 4:24). Dr. Phifer believes that True Worship establishes the Kingdom of God in our hearts, our homes, our places of worship as well as in the workplace and the marketplace. This book is about much more than what happens on Sunday morning. "Righteousness, peace and joy in the Holy Spirit," the three characteristics of the Kingdom of God found in Romans 14:17, form the themes of each section of the book. Section One, Righteousness, deals with a biblical theology of worship. Dr. Phifer offers biblical definitions for the essential elements of worship and he presents seven biblical models for worship. Section Two, Peace, presents the priority of worship as the factor of church life that is intended to bind generations and cultures together in a bond of peace. Section Three, Joy, treats the daily life of the believer dealing with issues of craftsmanship, creativity and the spiritual warfare of private worship. Paul urged the Roman church to "...present your bodies a living sacrifice, holy, acceptable to God, which is your reasonable service (of worship)" (Rom 12:1 NKJV [NIV]). Worship That Pleases God is a passionate book presenting that reasonable service of worship to God. HR ALIGN=LEFT

This articulate booklet discusses biblical worship and instructs Christians on restoring God to His proper place as the center of worship. Part of the Today's Issues series.

Sacred Pathways reveals nine distinct spiritual temperaments--and their strengths, weaknesses, and tendencies--to help you improve your spiritual life and deepen your personal walk with God. It's time to strip away the frustration of a one-size-fits-all spirituality and discover a path of worship that frees you to be you. Experienced spiritual directors, pastors, and church leaders recognize that all of us engage with God differently, and it's about time we do too. In this updated and expanded edition of Sacred Pathways, Gary Thomas details nine spiritual temperaments and--like the Enneagram and other tools do with personality--encourages you to investigate the ways you most naturally express yourself in your relationship with God. He encourages you to dig into the traits, strengths, and pitfalls in your devotional approach so you can eliminate the barriers that keep you locked into rigid methods of worship and praise. Plus, as you begin to identify and understand your own temperament, you'll soon learn about the temperaments that aren't necessarily "you" but that may help you understand the spiritual tendencies of friends, family, and others around you. Whatever temperament or blend of temperaments best describes you, rest assured it's not by accident. It's by the design of a Creator who knew what he was doing when he made you according to his own unique intentions. If your spiritual walk is not what you'd like it to be, you can change that, starting here. Sacred Pathways will show you the route you were made to travel, marked by growth and filled with the riches of a close walk with God. A Sacred Pathways video Bible study is also available for group or individual use, sold separately.

Worship leading is a great privilege and challenge. It is great to be able to point people to God through Worship. Learn to grow in your singing, playing and leading. Learn to hear God's Spirit as you lead. Be passionate in your love-relationship with God, and for the people in your Worship team and congregation.

We live in a visual culture. Today, people increasingly rely upon visuals to help them understand new and difficult concepts. The rise and stunning popularity of the Internet infographic has given us a new way in which to convey data, concepts and ideas. But the visual portrayal of truth is not a novel idea. Indeed, God himself used visuals to teach truth to his people. The tabernacle of the Old Testament was a visual representation of man's distance from God and God's condescension to his people. Each part of the tabernacle was meant to display something of man's treason against God and God's kind response. Likewise, the sacraments of the New Testament are visual representations of man's sin and God's response. Even the cross was both reality and a visual demonstration. As teachers and lovers of sound theology, Challies and Byers have a deep desire to convey the concepts and principles of systematic theology in a fresh, beautiful and informative way. In this book, they have made the deepest truths of the Bible accessible in a way that can be seen and understood by a visual generation.