The Highest Form of Worship

The Highest Form of Worship

We live in a world addicted to grand gestures. Social media loves it — the dramatic donation, the public apology, the grand act of kindness. But behind the spotlight, it's the small, quiet choices that matter most. The truth is: obedience doesn't trend, it transforms. So, imagine that a young man saves for months to buy his mother a beautiful gift. But when he gives it to her, she smiles and says, 'What I really wanted was for you to spend time with me.' He gave her something costly, but he missed the one thing her heart longed for. Isn't that how we can be with God sometimes?" 1 Samuel 15:22 But Samuel answered, "Which pleases the LORD more: burnt offerings and sacrifices or obeying his commands? It is better to obey the LORD than to offer sacrifices to him. It is better to listen to him than to offer the fat from rams." Samuel spoke those words to King Saul of Israel after he'd disobeyed God. Well, Saul had partially obeyed, but in the end partial obedience is still disobedience. It's so easy to go through the motions, sing songs, lift your hands in worship, drop cash into the offering … and yet, for our hearts still not to be truly "all in". And how can you tell if you're all in? By what you do, by how you live your life. Sacrifices cost you things. Obedience costs you your life. It is better to obey the LORD than to offer sacrifices to him. It is better to listen to him than to offer the fat from rams. In truth, obedience is the highest form of worship. That's God's Word. Fresh … for you … today.

Forever Joy

Your journey from this point through to the end of your life still holds a good many opportunities to walk away from your eternity with God, as the world tries to dupe you into believing that it's all about the here and now; that heaven and hell are merely a figment of your imagination. Here's the plain truth, a truth that I believe with every fibre of my being. God is all-loving, but also just. We've each fallen short of His standard of holy perfection, meaning that none of us can ever deserve or earn our place with Him for all eternity. That's why He sent Jesus into this world - His only Son, so that whoever believes in Him wouldn't perish, but have the gift of eternal life. It's a free gift of grace paid for with a terrible cost - the life of Jesus, crucified on that Cross for you and me. That's the truth. Many believe that truth - perhaps you do too. Yet the opportunities to stumble, to squander this free gift between now and then, are many. But that's no surprise to God. Jude 24-25 Now to him who is able to keep you from stumbling and to present you blameless before the presence of his glory with great joy, to the only God, our Saviour, through Jesus Christ our Lord, be glory, majesty, dominion, and authority, before all time and now and forever. Amen. (ESV) God is more than able to keep you from stumbling. Trust Him. Draw close to Him. Depend on Him. Because He has a plan: to present you blameless before the presence of his glory with great joy. The surest anchor for your soul is the joy of knowing the God who saves, sustains, and who will finally bring you home. That's His Word. Fresh … for you … today.

Joy Beyond Words

You don't have to look far to see it—people are desperate for something real. We're drowning in headlines, chasing dopamine hits on our screens, and yet lying awake at night with an ache in our souls. The false promise of joy is what leads so many people to go looking for it in all the wrong places … which goes a long way to explaining our obsession with our smartphones, hoping for yet another dopamine hit that ultimately falls so far short of real joy. So, let's take a different tack here today, you and I: 1 Peter 1:8 You have not seen Christ, but still you love him. You can't see him now, but you believe in him. You are filled with a wonderful and heavenly joy that cannot be explained. The struggles of those to whom Peter was writing were real, painful, and unjust—ostracism, slander, threats, and possibly the beginnings of state hostility. They weren't being fed to the lions just yet. This was about the daily grinding cost of living faithfully in a hostile culture. And into that, Peter speaks of a joy that their enemies could never steal. "Though you haven't seen Him, you love Him … you're filled with an inexpressible and glorious joy". Not some fragile joy of comfort or approval that perishes like figs left in the sun. No, it's the fruit of the Spirit ripened in the heat of trial, rooted in Christ. The world's joy fades quickly. But the Spirit's joy? It endures through suffering. Because of Jesus, it shines brightest in the darkness. Let your joy be complete. Jesus. That's God's Word. Fresh … for you … today.

Spirit-Grown Joy

Achieving lasting change in your life ain't easy. You want to ditch some bad habit and replace it with a good one, but what a struggle that can be. Yep, producing lasting fruit in your life - good fruit - is quite the challenge! Fruit's a great way to understand the good things we want to cultivate in our lives. Because we know, inherently, that fruit is good. I mean, strawberries, raspberries, and figs are wonderful, aren't they – beautiful, sweet, bursting with promise. And yet, their beauty is short-lived. Strawberries begin to spoil within a day, raspberries collapse into mould almost overnight, and figs last scarcely longer. Their sweetness fades as quickly as it appears. It's the same with the joy we so long for - fleeting, fragile, gone before you know it. But here, the Apostle Paul speaks of a different kind of fruit … the sort that lasts. Galatians 5:22-23 … the fruit that the Spirit produces in a person's life is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, and self-control. That's quite the list, and prominent amongst it is the fruit of joy, because frankly, unless you're enjoying them, new habits are impossible to sustain, wouldn't you agree? Like strawberries, raspberries and figs, every item on that list is inherently good. But would you please notice with me that the fruit Paul speaks of isn't fruit that we grow out of our own strength, but the fruit that the Spirit produces in our lives. And right up there, amidst all the good fruit that God wants to cultivate in your life … is joy. Complete, abundant, eternal joy. That's God's Word. Fresh … for you … today.

The Kingdom of Joy

What are the things, the experiences, the possessions, the aspirations, that you value most? Come on, what are they? Now, let me ask you - and please be brutally honest with yourself here - do they actually fulfil you? Are they delivering what you'd hoped they would … or not? Francis of Assisi was born into incredible wealth and privilege - luxury, fine clothes, banquets, influence. But after being wounded in battle, during his long recovery, he began questioning the emptiness of luxury and privilege. He found himself drawn instead to prayer, solitude and, of all things, serving lepers — people his old life would have despised. Following a profound encounter with Christ, he renounced his inheritance and instead chose a life of radical poverty, preaching, and service to the poor. As much as we may aspire to wealth, comfort, and influence … deep down we know that no matter how pleasurable they appear, they can never satisfy the deepest longings of our soul. Writes the Apostle Paul to the church in Rome: Romans 14:17 For the kingdom of God is not food and drink but righteousness and peace and joy in the Holy Spirit. That was about some disputes in the early church, but it also carries with it this universal truth: that life was never about the things of this world. They're impostors at best, cruel plunders at worst. Francis exchanged the fleeting pleasures of this world for the deeper reality of God's kingdom — righteousness, peace, and joy in the Spirit. God's kingdom - His reign in our lives when we willingly give ourselves over to Him - isn't that of a despotic dictator. No, the kingdom of God is a kingdom of joy. Joy, pure joy, is the defining mark of life under God's reign That's His Word. Fresh … for you … today.