Act of Worship

Dr. Jonathan Michael Jones discussing Psalm 2 as part of The Psalm Project

Dr. Jonathan Michael Jones discussing Psalm 1 as part of The Psalm Project

            A common topic of debate is human depravity. Certain beliefs arise surrounding the topic. Human logic does not want to suggest a radically evil human race; yet, Scripture seems to point in such a direction. Why then is total depravity so difficult to admit? Perhaps, we do not want to believe we are as evil as we actually are. To truly grasp the extent of G...

            The Apostle Paul instructs believers to walk by the Spirit and then suggests that the effect is a proclivity not to gratify the flesh (Gal 5:16). Many Christians see the commands of Scripture, however, as hindrances to freedom. It is often said and suggested that freedom only exists in Christ. Why then do many Christians feel enslaved rather than free? Why...

            Many evangelical Christians were raised in churches that gave a weekly invitation, i.e. a time of response usually placed at the end of the worship gathering. I am such a person even as my dad pastored a church that employed such an act. Currently, however, and for various reasons, the so-called traditional invitation is being removed in many evangelical w...

            In the past decade, the importance of trinitarian worship has been deeply engrained in me. Its vitality cannot be overstated. God is triune in nature; therefore, the worship of God must also be triune. Believers often speak of the three persons of the Godhead but with limited knowledge and understanding and without an appropriate application in the context...

            Each year traditional Western Christianity observes Epiphany January 6. Also known as Theophany, Epiphany, as the name suggests, celebrates the revelation of God as incarnate man in Jesus Christ. [1] The celebration of Epiphany often comes on its eve while the Sunday after (or on) the day is named Epiphany Sunday. Themes and scriptures surrounding Epiphany...

            A serious issue in many modern contexts of Christian worship is their often-flawed basis. Rather than building upon centuries of scrutiny, trial, and error, much of what occurs in modern worship is based upon external human factors, e.g. personal opinion, emotion, and seeker-sensitive decisions. Worship must surely have a more substantial basis than humanm...

            The Nicene Creed emphasizes a belief in one holy catholic and apostolic church. Often, Protestants seem to grow uncomfortable or even disassociate with such a statement likely because of misunderstanding its meaning. Catholic, in the context of the Nicene Creed, simply means universal; apostolic means originating with the Apostles of Christ. With such an u...

            Intentionality is surely required for worship to be pleasing to the Lord. Without intentionality, churches risk human motivation, selfish desires, and false teachings through worship practices. Nevertheless, for an intentional approach to occur, an intentional method must be employed. Even in a free tradition, a useful method is liturgy. Whether utilizing...

            A vast benefit of liturgy is its inherent declaration of the full counsel of God. God, his story, and the story of his work in the lives of his people is innately presented through liturgy. Whether new, old, modified, or adapted, liturgy is readily available to all contexts for use in worship and to aid God’s people in proclaiming his full counsel. The mos...

            Christian worship tells the story of God, his people, and his work within his people. Nonetheless, the story of God is not yet complete, for God still works within his people today. Thus, worship should not only tell the story but allow God’s people to participate in that story, i.e. there subsists a connection between the worship of God and his work in th...

            I come from a tradition, which recognizes the importance of missions. Many believers are passionate about missions and devote their entire lives to God’s call to the task. I contend, however, that the purpose of missions is often lost in the church. If one-hundred different people are asked to describe the purpose of Christian life, one-hundred different r...

Dr. Jonathan Michael Jones presents commentary on his song, "History Repeats."

            An apparent truth in the Christian life is the reality of the battle between spirit and flesh. Similar to the Apostle Paul, Christians find themselves constantly fighting and waging war on the flesh. Thankfully, God’s righteousness has already been imputed to believers making them positionally righteous; yet, actual righteousness is also a reality and one...

            Jesus says that his people will be able to do even greater things than him (John 14:12). Various interpretation exists surrounding this statement. Being careful not to misinterpret or misrepresent what Jesus says, believers should understand the possibilities of what he means. I believe there are two primary meanings behind Jesus’ words, which should be ca...

            Today is Mother’s Day. As such, many churches (particularly American churches) will honor mothers. While there is nothing wrong with honoring mothers, believers should question the approach churches should take in doing so. Moreover, Christians should consider whether to employ any secular holiday in the context of worship. Certainly, one may celebrate a s...

The Gospel of John possesses a unique perspective on the life and ministry of Christ. Although the book presents a disparate chronological order to the events in Jesus’ life, the primary difference lies more in substantive material. While composed in an abundantly simplistic manner, the spiritual depths held within the book are inarguable. The author of John clearly describes the purpose in compos...

John’s Gospel communicates that prior to Pentecost, the Holy spirit had not yet been freely given to God’s people (John 7:37-39), i.e. there is a chronological order to trinitarian work (Morrison, 2007, p. 36): the Son proceeds from the Father and the Spirit from both the Father and the Son. All three members of the Godhead are in agreement with such work as the one triune God. As such a chronolog...

John’s Gospel communicates that prior to Pentecost, the Holy spirit had not yet been freely given to God’s people (John 7:37-39), i.e. there is a chronological order to trinitarian work (Morrison, 2007, p. 36): the Son proceeds from the Father and the Spirit from both the Father and the Son. All three members of the Godhead are in agreement with such work as the one triune God. As such a chronolog...

Of all Old Testament genres, lament is perhaps one of the least understood and misrepresented. A lament, while surely a complaint, possesses a deeper root of understanding about God and his sovereign power. One who laments should have in mind not a mere complaint about undesired external circumstances but the purpose of God’s action to allow such circumstances. The book of Lamentations is perhaps...

Of all world religions, Christianity and Islam are two of the most prominent. Although derived from the same origins, both faiths have diverged into manifold differences with respect to worldview. The consequences of both Christianity’s and Islam’s worldviews are extensive in nearly every culture of the world. Those who do not understand the foundations of both faiths might incorrectly claim the G...

Of the necessary adjustments attributed to the Reformation, congregational participation is perhaps one of the most all-encompassing and lasting. In a Western society which discouraged participation in corporate worship, Reformers gave hope to believers by implementing the vernacular language, music accessible to the common person, and a biblical canon in the language of the people. Congregants we...

Future generations tend to possess greater insight into the impact of significant movements throughout history. With the advantage of seeing the events in hindsight, such movements may be analyzed and considered based on their both benefits and drawbacks. The Protestant Reformation is such a movement which may be considered with the advantage of future knowledge. To properly judge the impact of th...

Today is the last Sunday after Pentecost or the last Sunday or Ordinary Time, also known as Christ the King Sunday. Next Sunday begins Advent. Today, however, is a day to recognize the authority of Christ over all dominion, i.e. all principalities and powers, human and otherwise. He is certainly the King whether people realize it or not; one day, however, all will recognize his kingship and bow to...