Sermons on Praise
Matthew and Luke each give us different details and perspectives of Jesus’ birth. For this reason it is helpful to take them both into account in studying and celebrating the birth of Jesus.
Sometimes we find it easy and natural to be grateful and to express gratitude to God for what He has blessed us with. At other times in life, we struggle to find reasons to be thankful, but scripture tells us that God is the same God, in both the good and in the challenging times.…
God created mankind with innate value, worth, and dignity by making us in His image. This gives immense value and worth irrespective of our race, age, socioeconomic status, education, or gender. This necessarily impacts how we see and treat ourselves and others.
Worship is our response to who God is and to what He has done. It is our celebration of He who alone is worthy of our praise. This morning we discuss worship in this shortened message, which accompanied an extended time of worshipping God together.
Often we look to Matthew and Luke’s gospels during the Christmas Season, as they beautifully and powerfully narrate the birth of Jesus and surrounding events. John’s gospel, on the contrary, may not seem very christmasy on the surface, as he does not narrate many of the events surrounding Jesus’ birth. Instead, John goes back to the beginning of time, to creation itself, for his readers to see and understand that Jesus is more than a man. He is Emmanuel, God with us.
Christmas is the celebration of the birth of Jesus. He not only brings hope to a lost world; He is the very hope of God to the world, which all of scripture has been pointing to since the beginning. To celebrate the birth of Jesus is to celebrate God’s faithfulness in fulfilling his promises.
Worship is when we give God His breath back.
– Louie Giglio
Praise is declaration, a victory cry, proclaiming faith to stand firm in the place God has given you. Praise is a proclamation that the enemy’s intent to plunder you will not rock you. Praise declares that you will not be moved by the enemy’s attempt to snatch you away.
– Darlene Zschech
Tehilliah (Teh-Hil-Law)
To extol highly with song
Shabach (Sha- Bawk)
To address in a loud tone or to shout praise
BARAK
To offer blessing, to fall on ones knees.