#consumerism

Resisting Consumeristic Temptations

Resisting Consumeristic Temptations: How’s that for a snooty title for an article? But the article itself is not so snooty. I’ve been reading John Temple’s little book Family Money Matters and found a handy list of ways to resist the temptations of living in our high-pressure world of advertising and consumerism. It seemed worth sharing. Here is what he suggests. Do not read the glossy “good-life” magazines. These are filled with temptations to buy or consume what may not be …

Worshipping Worship

This evening I began reading Worship by the Book which is edited by D.A. Carson. Just thirty pages in I found a great quote that I thought I would share. Carson is talking about (obviously) worship and expanding on a rather lengthy definition he provides of the term. I should point out that he is not condemning contemporary worship any more than he is questioning what is right and wrong in traditional worship. What follows is from Carson: “In an …

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Thoughts on Worship

I wanted to write something about worship today. I started thinking about what I would write while I was sitting in church watching the band practice for a few minutes before the service. I got no ideas from watching them. During the service, though, I began to think about whether people view worship as an “appetizer” or a “dessert.” Is worship something we do on Sunday to gear up for a tough week or is it a reward for a …

Day Eight – Planned For God’s Pleasure

I was planned for God’s pleasure. With this sentence Rick Warren begins day eight of The Purpose Driven Life and his discussion of the first of my five purposes. The first purpose of my life is to bring enjoyment and pleasure to God. As the crowning achievement of His creation, I can bring Him pleasure like nothing else. Bringing pleasure to God is called “worship.” Therefore, anything that I do that brings Him pleasure is an act of worship. The …