ANVIL Spring Retreat May 29-31, 2015

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Servanthood - Chuck Swindoll

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The Dignity of Servanthood 

-  Audio Online/MP3 Excellence in Ministry Series by Chuck Swindoll

"...in the secular world, the word "servant" is a bit of a putdown; but in the christian world, "servant" is one of the highest titles or compliments you can have".   
Charles Swindoll

Insight for Living Broadcast Library

Related: 
> Choosing Church Leaders
> What Does the Bible Say About Women In The Church?

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Ed's Note:  Listen NOW!  For a few days this series is free to hear online, then it requires a special order-paid purchase.

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About Chuck (Wikipedia):
Charles Rozell "Chuck" Swindoll (born October 18, 1934) is an evangelical Christian pastor, author, educator, and radio preacher. He founded Insight for Living, headquartered in Plano, Texas, which airs a radio program of the same name on more than 2,000 stations around the world in 15 languages. He is currently senior pastor at Stonebriar Community Church, in Frisco, Texas.

Swindoll was born in El Campo in Wharton County, Texas, the third of three children born to Earl and Lovell Swindoll. He attended Charles H. Milby High School inHouston. He credits his drama teacher, Dick Nieme, for helping him overcome severe stuttering.^[2] As a member of the school marching band and orchestra, he learned to play all of the instruments in the woodwind section, although the saxophone remained his primary instrument. After graduating from high school, He studied mechanical engineering while working for Reed Roller Bit Company in Houston, Texas. Swindoll then fulfilled his military service obligation with the United States Marine Corps, first in San Francisco, then on the Japanese island of Okinawa. After his honorable discharge in 1959, he attended Dallas Theological Seminary, where he graduated magna cum laude four years later.

He and his wife, Cynthia, have four children.

Sarrafo's Portugal Update - May 2015

 Ed's NOTE:  Fernando was raised in the city of Toronto, but has always had a heart for the nation of Portugal. He spent several years in Portugal to learn the culture and language and to understand the Lords vision for his life and for that nation. While there he met and married Teresa. Since 1996 Fernando and Teresa have been working alongside Portuguese speaking churches in SW Ontario helping families deal with many issues. Their focus now is to bring this proven ministry to Portugal.  In November 2014 we learned of their ministry plans for Portugal, and now they have arrived there, here is their update to us.

Related: Fernando and Teresa Sarrafo  Missionaries to Portugal 

( Posted Nov 2014) 

 

Choosing Church Leaders - Chuck Swindoll

Related Studies:

Reformed Minister Looks at Headship

What Does The Bible Teach about Headship ~ Kostenberger

Headship in the Home

The Church As God Planned It ~ Swindoll

What Does the Bible Say About Women In The Church ~ Swindoll

Peter Lange's Commentary on Choosing Deacons

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Excellence in Ministry: Doing What's Right in the Work of Ministry-A Study of 1 Timothy 1-3

Master Bible teacher, Chuck Swindoll looks at 1 Timothy, and currently is preaching about church LEADERSHIP.  Charles Rozell "Chuck" Swindoll is an evangelical Christian pastor, author, educator, and radio preacher.  Few can say it like Chuck!

Checklist for Choosing Church Leaders - Part 1
Checklist for Choosing Church Leaders - Part 2

View Insight For Living's Broadcast Library - Excellence in Ministry Series

Related: What Does the Bible Say About Women In The Church - Chuck Swindoll

What does the Bible say?

God doesn’t always spell out things in stark, “thou shalt” terms. He did in the Ten Commandments (Exodus 20:1–17; Deuteronomy 5:6–21), but most of God’s Word is filled with stories, prophecies, proverbs, psalms, and biographies. When we get to the epistle of 1 Timothy, however, we discover virtually a whole chapter devoted to a black-and-white list requiring little interpretation but a lot of application. In 1 Timothy 3:1–7, Paul put his finger on the essential qualities God looks for in overseers—qualities as applicable for church leaders in the twenty-first century as they were in the first century. We’ll look at the first two verses in this lesson and the last five in the next message.

Another Look At the Checklist - Part 1
Another Look at the Checklist - Part 2
Another Look At the Checklist - Part 3

You can’t escape it: a Christian’s conduct matters . . . greatly. Christ’s reputation is on the line, and nonbelievers are watching. This makes God’s “gamble” seem crazy—that sinful, Spirit-filled people are called to lead His church. Is it any wonder then that He decrees that His leaders be above reproach? Not at all. In lesson 7 we looked at the first two verses of 1 Timothy 3 and seven character qualities every overseer must demonstrate. In this lesson, we’ll explore verses 3–7 and seven more character traits. Under the inspiration of the Holy Spirit, Paul continued to set forth in plain, uncomplicated language the non-adjustable, non-alterable essentials of God’s standard for church leadership.

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About Chuck (Wikipedia):
Charles Rozell "Chuck" Swindoll (born October 18, 1934) is an evangelical Christian pastor, author, educator, and radio preacher. He founded Insight for Living, headquartered in Plano, Texas, which airs a radio program of the same name on more than 2,000 stations around the world in 15 languages. He is currently senior pastor at Stonebriar Community Church, in Frisco, Texas.

Swindoll was born in El Campo in Wharton County, Texas, the third of three children born to Earl and Lovell Swindoll. He attended Charles H. Milby High School inHouston. He credits his drama teacher, Dick Nieme, for helping him overcome severe stuttering.^[2] As a member of the school marching band and orchestra, he learned to play all of the instruments in the woodwind section, although the saxophone remained his primary instrument. After graduating from high school, He studied mechanical engineering while working for Reed Roller Bit Company in Houston, Texas. Swindoll then fulfilled his military service obligation with the United States Marine Corps, first in San Francisco, then on the Japanese island of Okinawa. After his honorable discharge in 1959, he attended Dallas Theological Seminary, where he graduated magna cum laude four years later.

He and his wife, Cynthia, have four children.

3 Ways to Stoke the Fire of Personal Revival! -Pastor Joe Joe Dawson

JOE JOE DAWSON

Spending time in prayer and reading God's Word will help you stoke the fires of your personal revival. (Lightstock)

So many people ask me how I keep my personal passion for God burning so hot all the time. I tell them its very simple there are three things you must do: Read the Word of God, and pray and fast on a regular schedule. The Word of God is so clear on how we are to keep the fire of personal daily revival going.

Lets start off with Mark 1:35, "Now in the morning, having risen a long while before daylight, He went out and departed to a solitary place; and there He prayed." Before the day even got start the Son of God knew the importance of being ready to face the day and all it had for him. Your early morning prayer time lets you connect with God first thing in the morning without you waking up late and rushing around, honestly if you start your day rushed your rushed all day. So wake up early and start your day as Jesus did with the father.

Psalms 119: 9-11 says, "How can a young man cleanse his way? By taking heed according to Your word. With my whole heart I have sought You; Oh, let me not wander from Your commandments! Your word I have hidden in my heart, That I might not sin against You."

When we have the word of God hidden in our heart it will guide us in all our ways, its truly a light unto our path. The word says people are destroyed for the lack of knowledge. The Book of Proverbs is all about knowledge, wisdom and understanding. Get into the word and remember John 1:1, which says, "In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God."

Or Matthew 6:6, which says: "But you, when you pray, go into your room, and when you have shut your door, pray to your Father who is in the secret place; and your Father who sees in secret will reward you openly." When we have a dedicated time to spend with God the word declares he is already there in the Secret place waiting for us. How exciting is that! 

The King of the universe wants to meet with me on a regular basis. I don't know about you but that makes me feel really important. That makes me feel like he wants to invest in my life and really has a plan and a purpose for me. Here are some good scriptures that encourage me to meet with God daily. Remember Acts 3:20, "Then times of refreshment will come from the presence of the Lord." This means I can have a daily time of refreshing for the Lord? Yes please sign me up for that. And don't forget Psalms 37:7, "Be still in the presence of the Lord, and wait patiently for him to act." When we wait on the Lord he will act and he speak to us.

In Matthew 6:18, Jesus warns "That your fasting may not be seen by others but by your Father who is in secret. And your Father who sees in secret will reward you." When we fast we are saying to God we want to draw closer to you Lord. I personally take every meal time that I would skip and spend that time with God in reading and prayer.

If you really want to know where a huge portion of your time goes, it's eating. We spend so much time and money and it. This is why in Isaiah 58—the fasting chapter in the Bible—says a fast means to abstain from food. It's the number one thing the flesh cries out for.

When we fast, our heart and mind turns back toward God at a greater measure. Consider Ecclesiates 10:10, which says, "If the ax is dull, and one does not sharpen the edge, Then he must use more strength, but wisdom brings success!" When we feel our lives getting dull, it's time to fast and regain our Focus with God.

Finally, meditate on Psalms 119:107: "I've committed myself and I'll never turn back from living by your righteous order. Everything's falling apart on me, God put me together again with your Word."

When we read the Word of God, spend time in prayer and fast, God will keep us and, if necessary, he will put us back on the right track. And fasting will help you like the Word says in Psalms 119:37: "Turn away my eyes from looking at worthless things, and revive me in Your way."

When you have a daily time with God, it makes life work! Read. Pray. Fast.   

Joe Joe Dawson is the president of Burn Texarkana Revival center and House of Prayer. Pastor Dawson also serves as staff evangelist for First Assembly of God in Texarkana, Texas, 

What Does the Bible Say About Women In The Church - Chuck Swindoll

Excellence in Ministry: Doing What's Right in the Work of Ministry-A Study of 1 Timothy 1-3

What About Women In The Church - Part 1
What About Women In The Church - Part 2

Related: Choosing Church Leaders

8Therefore I want the men everywhere to pray, lifting up holy hands without anger or disputing. 9I also want the women to dress modestly, with decency and propriety, adorning themselves, not with elaborate hairstyles or gold or pearls or expensive clothes, 10but with good deeds, appropriate for women who profess to worship God.

11A woman^a should learn in quietness and full submission. 12I do not permit a woman to teach or to assume authority over a man;^b she must be quiet. 13For Adam was formed first, then Eve. 14And Adam was not the one deceived; it was the woman who was deceived and became a sinner. 15But women^c will be saved through childbearing—if they continue in faith, love and holiness with propriety.

1 Timothy 2

"...those who take their cues from the world will have difficulty with this passage.  ...the church is to be different from the world!" 
Chuck Swindoll

• The role of women in the church is a hot issue, best handled with sensitivity and compassion—and maybe a pair of asbestos gloves! This is not because Scripture is controversial but because the role of women in the culture is different from what Scripture teaches about the role of women in the church. So, questions rise like steam from a boiling kettle. What positions should women hold within the church? Can they serve as elders and be ordained to preach? Can women pray in mixed company? Or should they remain quiet altogether? Some say women can serve in the highest office of church leadership. Others muzzle women, treating them as second-class citizens. 

• What does the Bible say?

 LET’S DIG DEEPER 
1. What about Today’s Woman? In 1968, a new cigarette brand was introduced and marketed to young, business-savvy women—Virginia Slims. The tagline was “You’ve come a long way, baby.” It’s true, women had made considerable strides at that time, and women’s rights have continued to advance in the generations since. Let’s examine four general areas of change, some positive and some negative. 

First, in the world, women have become liberated more than restrained. 
Second, on the job, women have become respected more than exploited. 
Third, around the home, women have become assaulted more than supported. 
Fourth, at the church, women have become confused about their roles more than informed and affirmed. 



1 Timothy 2:9–15 2. What Does the Bible Say about Women in Church? (1 Timothy 2:9–15) 

• When the church takes its cues from the culture, the church becomes culturally irrelevant. It loses its saltiness and its light (Matthew 5:13–16). 
• The church is culturally relevant when the church is counter-cultural. And few things are more countercultural than the Bible’s take on the role of women in the church. 

• Several Major Passages Addressing Women in the Church What’s Expected Regarding a Woman’s Appearance and Behavior (2:9–12) Why It’s Expected, Based on the Order of Creation and the Issue of Deception (2:13–15) 
• LET’S LIVE IT The subject of a woman’s role in the church will always be controversial. People will always tend to misinterpret and misapply the clear, sensitive teaching of the Bible. So, we need a few clarifying remarks before we end this message. 
• First, men, these limitations on a woman’s role in the church are to be respected—not exaggerated, expanded, or exploited. 
• Second, women, your positive response to this teaching helps the church maintain its distinctiveness. Women, what, if anything, do you need to change—in your appearance, your attitude, or your actions—to become obedient to Paul’s teaching in 1 Timothy 2:9–15? 
• Third, those who take their cues from the world will neither accept nor appreciate this teaching. 

Just Give Me Jesus - Anne Graham Lotz

  Billy Graham's Daughter speaks on -"Just Give Me Jesus"

Anne Graham Lotz

Talking to the Cults - "The Baha'i Faith" Cult

• Question: What is a Cult?
• Answer:  "...a significant deviation from orthodox (normal) Christianity."
• ...or "a group of people gathered about a specific person or person's misinterpretation of the Bible."

We are continuing our online series on "Talking to the Cults" and this week looking at another non-christian cult called the "Baha'i Faith".

• The above YouTube video features Walter Martin speaking authoritatively on Baha'i Faith.  
• "An impersonal god, and a confusion in terminology ....no where is this better personified than in Baha'ism" 

                                                                      ~Walter Martin

Walter Martin Debates:  Bahai' Faith vs. Christianity

In his authoritative work on Cults, christian researcher  Walter Ralston Martin (1928 to 1989) has looked into this strange cult in his work entitled "Kingdom of the Cults". He first discerned that, although it is Islamic in its origin, Baha'ism has carefully cloaked itself in Western terminology and has imitated Christianity in forms and ceremonies wherever possible in order to become appealing to the Western mind.

Let's let his work speak for itself.  Particularly interesting is the interview he does with a person of this cult.

(Click each page to enlarge for better viewing;  Use your Control key and +/- keys will zoom in and out).

RELATED: 

Jehovah's Witnesses - Part 1
Jehovah'sWitnesses - Part 2
Muslim Clerics views on Cartoon Draw Organizer
Anne Barnhardt On Islam
Islamization

FOX News: Muslim Cleric Makes SHOCKING Statement About ‘Draw Muhammed’ Organizer On LIVE TV

Ed's Note: 

1). We have been running a series on "TALKING TO THE CULTS" researching what they believe ; The following news item from FOX News gives insight into Islamic thinking.  

2). Someone emailed me concerning a christian response to ISLAM; As I indicated in the first of this series (Dec 17/2014), Walter Martin proposed a strategy in dealing with someone caught up in a cult.  Walter Martin was a christian researcher who compiled his work entitled "Kingdom of the Cults" ;  (...because you will not reach these people by arguing); Some of Martin's strategy includes:  

• Develop a personal relationship with them; See them as a person not a project. Keep the conversation firm but friendly.
• Introduce and plant "seeds of doubt" into a conversation in the nicest way.

(As to the rights or wrongs of why Ms. Pamela Geller (head of the American Freedom Defense Initiative) made the decisions to do/not do what she did is beyond the scope of what I care to comment on & not for us to decide here; I am interested in observing/researching/understanding the depth of extremist ISLAM, and this Imam certainly is able to clearly communicate his beliefs.  As christians we are called to love, and be winsome and thus the strategy above is proposed.  Please, feel free to comment and we can learn together.)

RELATED: ANN BARNHARDT on ISLAM

Cleric Anjem Choudary INFO on Wikipedia

Muslim Cleric Imam Anjem Choudary Makes SHOCKING Statement About ‘Draw Muhammed’ Organizer On LIVE TV

Posted on May 7, 2015 by Sean Brown

Pamela Geller, who organized the Muhammed cartoon contest in Texas over the weekend, appeared on Fox News Wednesday night and squared off with a Muslim cleric, and what he had to say is enough to make your blood boil.

Geller, the 56-year-old head of the American Freedom Defense Initiative, argued with Anjem Choudary, a British-based cleric, just days after two Muslims attempted to commit a terrorist act in Garland, Texas, where Geller held her event. Choudary apparently stand with other Muslims who believe Geller should be put to death for insulting their beloved prophet. The explosive segment on the Hannity show was based around the numerous death threats that Geller has received following the contest, which she said has caused her to step up her personal security, and it shows us that even in the West, there are Muslims who believe that Sharia law must be implemented and followed, even by non-Muslims.

Host Sean Hannity first reminded his audience of where Choudary, who is currently out on bail after being arrested for ties to an extremist group, stands in relation to the imposition of Sharia law, then presses the cleric on whether or not he backs the killing of apostates, which he does, of course.

“We believe that the whole world should be governed by divine law,” proclaimed Choudary, before backing the idea that people who leave Islam should also be killed. “The prophet said whoever changes then kill him.”

Hannity then brought up the threats against Geller, and the two discussed her response to this point. She said she hasn’t talked to federal law enforcement yet, but the NYPD counter-terrorism unit is working with her, and she’s increased the size of her security team.

Choudary then defended the outrage by Muslims that Geller dare insult Muhammed, which set off both Hannity and Geller.

“Let’s be absolutely clear. We’re not talking about Mickey Mouse or Donald Duck,” Choudary said. “You’re talking about people who deliberately had a competition to insult the messenger Muhammad … if you saw the cartoons that Charlie Hebdo drew, you would understand the anger.”

According to Choudary, Geller should have known the consequences for committing such an act, despite the fact she’s not Muslim. He believes she should be tried in Sharia court and put to death if she’s found guilty.

Geller, on the other hand, pointed out to the radical cleric that this is in fact America, and in America we don’t submit to their primitive laws. Hannity was also quick to jump to Geller’s defense, calling out Choudary’s “insecure” belief in Islam.

“You support the death penalty, because she had a cartoon contest? Is that how frail you are in your faith that you feel so insecure that your prophet cannot withstand a cartoon being drawn about him?” Hannity asked. ”You want to kill her. You want her to die.”

Geller went on to point out that with other faiths, their laws only apply to believers, but Muslims seem to think they can control everyone through Sharia. It “asserts its authority over non-Muslims” as well, she explained.

After seeing this, it’s hard not to wonder just how many others like Choudary there are out there. Worse yet, how many are in America? Yes, some groups have come forward and condemned the attack in Texas, but with that condemnation has also come victim blaming, saying Geller is at fault for poking the bear.

I agree with Geller, this is America and we do have the First Amendment, and it supersedes any Islamic law out there. If Muslims don’t like Muhammed being insulted, or hell, even drawn as a cartoon, then maybe they’d be better off returning to their third-world hell holes and leaving us alone.

f U n n Y~ g U y ~ TiM LoVeLeSs

Tim Lovelace is a very talented comedian. Here are some YouTube samples:  The first one is on "boys and guitars".

Tim Lovelace Impersonates Ray Charles and many others.




They wouldn't BEND;
                  They wouldn't BOW;
                                   They wouldn't BURN !

...They were Protected by the FOURTH Man in the Fire !

Tim Lovelace mixes it up.

Can you sing "I'll Fly Away" backwards.

Why Do We Lift Our Hands in Worship?

by KATHY DEGRAW

There is biblical and spiritual significance in raising your hands during worship. (Lightstock )

All through the Bible you see scriptures of people bowing down or lying prostrate, yet some of us have had experiences where we were hesitant to lift our hands in worship. When we feel that gentle tug inside; it is the Holy Spirit within us.

We feel like we want to do something such as raise our hands, but then we see our friends and family nearby and we are concerned about what it looks like and if they are doing it. We want to worship the Lord in a new way, but we are scared. We are concerned by fear of the unknown and fear of man.

When you are praying or worshiping in any situation you can lift your hands in praise and adoration to God. When you lift your hands to God in prayer or song you are releasing the Holy Spirit, showing Him you adore Him and you are saying, "God, I am open to you and a touch of Your presence." You are worshiping and exalting Him for who He is, the King of Kings and Lord of Lords.

"Let us come before His presence with thanksgiving; Let us shout joyfully to Him with psalms" (Psa. 95:2). The word thanksgiving (todah), according to Strong's No. 8426, is derived from the verb yadah (Strong's H3034). It means to hold out the hand, an extension of the hand, especially to revere or worship with extended hands. It is to thank and praise God with one's hands extended.

Throughout the Bible it shows us scriptures of the strength and power that comes through our fingers, hands and arms.

Fingers: Our fingers are a symbol of strength and power in our prayer, praise and worship. Look at what God did with His fingers. "Then the Lord delivered to me two tablets of stone written with the finger of God, and on them were all the words which the Lord had spoken to you on the mountain from the midst of the fire in the day of the assembly" (Deut. 9:10). God wrote on a stone tablet with His fingers.

"This they said, testing Him, that they might have something of which to accuse Him. But Jesus stooped down and wrote on the ground with His finger, as though He did not hear." Here, in John 8:6, Jesus used His finger to convict people of their sin and set a woman free from her sin.

"When I consider Your heavens, the work of Your fingers, the moon and the stars, which You have ordained" (Psalm 8:3).

"Bind them on your fingers; Write them on the tablet of your heart" (Prov. 7:3).

When you are raising your hands you are also stretching out your fingers. God gave us commandments through His fingers. What are you releasing into the spiritual atmosphere by raising your hands and extending your fingers?

Hands: Hands are a very important tool in our Christian walk. We fold them or open them up while we pray. We lay hands on others to heal the sick and we extend them for a handshake or hug as a Christian greeting. God also used His hands. "Who has measured the waters in the hollow of His hand, measured heaven with a span and calculated the dust of the earth in a measure? Weighed the mountains in scales and the hills in a balance?" (Is. 40:12).

We know that God used His hands to create. "Blessed be the Lord my Rock, Who trains my hands for war, and my fingers for battle" (Ps. 144:1). Right here God is training our hands for war and our fingers for battle. Raising our hands is warfare worship.

What if by raising our hands in praise to the Lord we are binding the enemy and releasing the praise to combat the attacks? What if by raising your hand you could lift those burdens and heaviness and enter into the presence of God Almighty? Well you can! That is what raising our hands does; it lifts burdens, releases His glory into the atmosphere to combat demonic attacks and helps us enter into His presence.

In Isaiah 19:16, it also shows us the strength of His hand. "In that day Egypt will be like women, and will be afraid and fear because of the waving of the hand of the Lord of hosts, which He waves over it." The enemy cowers in fear because of an upraised hand of the Lord. So, if the enemy cowers in fear beneath the upraised hand of the Lord, then he has to cower in fear beneath our upraised hand because Jesus Christ lives in me and He lives in YOU!

Moses' hands were used to win a war in Exodus 17:11. "And so it was, when Moses held up his hand, that Israel prevailed; and when he let down his hand, Amalek prevailed. But Moses' hands became heavy; so they took a stone and put it under him, and he sat on it. And Aaron and Hur supported his hands, one on one side, and the other on the other side; and his hands were steady until the going down of the sun." I love this verse. Moses' hands were used to combat physical war and spiritual war. We can be victorious by lifting our hands and arms in worship!

Arms: As we raise our fingers and hands we are also lifting our arms. God designed everything to work together, and even our arms have significance when we raise them in praise to the Lord. Regarding Samson, Judges 15:14 says, "When he came to Lehi, the Philistines came shouting against him. Then the Spirit of the Lord came mightily upon him; and the ropes that were on his arms became like flax that is burned with fire, and his bonds broke loose from his hands." Here the Spirit of the Lord came mightily upon him.

Isaiah 11:2 states that, "The Spirit of the Lord shall rest upon you." I want the Spirit of the Lord to rest upon me and rest upon you!

Jesus took the children up in His arms and blessed them. "And He took them up in His arms, laid His hands on them, and blessed them" (Mark 10:16). Jesus used every part of Himself to bless the children, His physical body to hold Him, and His Spirit and Soul, His emotions and the authority of His words to bless them.

Clapping: Clapping is applauding and pleasing to God and biblical. It is praising our God for who He is and what He has done. If we can clap, jump, shout and cheer at a football stadium, concert, or performance, then we should do it for the Lord above, the Creator of the universe.

Psalm 47:1 tell us to clap. "Oh, clap your hands, all you peoples! Shout to God with the voice of triumph!" Clap! Shout! Get excited! Strong's No. 8628 defines clap (taqa') as; to clatter, clang, sound, blow, clap or strike. Here it appears, when they define clap, that heaven is going to be noisy! If you think heaven is going to be boring and somber you are wrong. The angels are singing all day long: Holy Holy Holy! That doesn't sound boring or somber! They are doing it in praise and adoration to our Father. Hallelujah!

We continue to have clapping and joy in Isaiah 55:12. "For you shall go out with joy, and be led out with peace; the mountains and the hills shall break forth into singing before you, and all the trees of the field shall clap their hands." The Bible is instructing us here how to worship. We shall go out with joy. Raising our hands, clapping and singing praise to our Lord gives us joy. How can you stay sad or depressed when you are singing, dancing, clapping and exalting the King of Kings and Lord of Lords?

I am not suggesting you go and do all these hand movements and gestures and remember this list. I am encouraging you to step out of your comfort zone and enjoy your worship time with the Lord. Don't be afraid to open your hands and let the Holy Spirit move through them. Let it happen naturally.  

I remember the first time the Holy Spirit called me to raise my hands. I was in a charismatic church where everyone was doing it. I kind of felt this tugging inside me like I should, but I was afraid. Did I do it? Yes, and I have never turned back. The feeling of love, honor and respect, and intimate feeling I have with the Lord is indescribable.

Be sensitive to the Holy Spirit and try something different in worship, after all we are created to worship Him. Everyone enters into worship differently, but why not be open to the Spirit's leading in case He calls you to do something different.

This article excerpted from Kathy DeGraw's book A Worship Woven Life: Learning to Live a Life of Praise.

Kathy DeGraw is the founder of DeGraw Ministries (www.degrawministries.org). She is a prophetic deliverance minister who is passionate about releasing the love and power of God. She travels hosting conferences, teaching schools and evangelistic love tours. Kathy enjoys empowering and equipping people through writing and is the author of five books.

Want millennials back in the pews? Stop trying to make church ‘cool.’

Opinions

By Rachel Held Evans 

Rachel Held Evans is a blogger and the author of “Searching for Sunday: Loving, Leaving, and Finding the Church.”

Bass reverberates through the auditorium floor as a heavily bearded worship leader pauses to invite the congregation, bathed in the light of two giant screens, to tweet using #JesusLives. The scent of freshly brewed coffee wafts in from the lobby, where you can order macchiatos and purchase mugs boasting a sleek church logo. The chairs are comfortable, and the music sounds like something from the top of the charts. At the end of the service, someone will win an iPad.

This, in the view of many churches, is what millennials like me want. And no wonder pastors think so. Church attendance has plummeted among young adults. In the United States, 59 percent of people ages 18 to 29 with a Christian background have, at some point, dropped out. According to the Pew Forum on Religion & Public Life, among those of us who came of age around the year 2000, a solid quarter claim no religious affiliation at all, making my generation significantly more disconnected from faith than members of Generation X were at a comparable point in their lives and twice as detached as baby boomers were as young adults.

In response, many churches have sought to lure millennials back by focusing on style points: cooler bands, hipper worship, edgier programming, impressive technology. Yet while these aren’t inherently bad ideas and might in some cases be effective, they are not the key to drawing millennials back to God in a lasting and meaningful way. Young people don’t simply want a better show. And trying to be cool might be making things worse.

You’re just as likely to hear the words “market share” and “branding” in church staff meetings these days as you are in any corporate office. Megachurches such as Saddleback in Lake Forest, Calif., and Lakewood in Houston have entire marketing departments devoted to enticing new members. Kent Shaffer of ChurchRelevance.com routinely ranks the bestlogos and Web sites and offers strategic counsel to organizations like Saddleback and LifeChurch.tv.

Increasingly, churches offer sermon series on iTunes and concert-style worship services with names like “Vine” or “Gather.” The young-adult group at Ed Young’s Dallas-based Fellowship Church is called Prime, and one of the singles groups at his father’s congregation in Houston is calledVertical. Churches have made news in recent years for giving away tablet computers , TVs and even cars at Easter. Still, attendance among young people remains flat.

[How to take Christ out of Christianity]

Recent research from Barna Group and the Cornerstone Knowledge Network found that 67 percent of millennials prefer a “classic” church over a “trendy” one, and 77 percent would choose a “sanctuary” over an “auditorium.” While we have yet to warm to the word “traditional” (only 40 percent favor it over “modern”), millennials exhibit an increasing aversion to exclusive, closed-minded religious communities masquerading as the hip new places in town. For a generation bombarded with advertising and sales pitches, and for whom the charge of “inauthentic” is as cutting an insult as any, church rebranding efforts can actually backfire, especially when young people sense that there is more emphasis on marketing Jesus than actually following Him. Millennials “are not disillusioned with tradition; they are frustrated with slick or shallow expressions of religion,” argues David Kinnaman, who interviewed hundreds of them for Barna Group and compiled his research in “You Lost Me: Why Young Christians Are Leaving Church . . . and Rethinking Faith.”

My friend and blogger Amy Peterson put it this way: “I want a service that is not sensational, flashy, or particularly ‘relevant.’ I can be entertained anywhere. At church, I do not want to be entertained. I do not want to be the target of anyone’s marketing. I want to be asked to participate in the life of an ancient-future community.”

Millennial blogger Ben Irwin wrote: “When a church tells me how I should feel (‘Clap if you’re excited about Jesus!’), it smacks of inauthenticity. Sometimes I don’t feel like clapping. Sometimes I need to worship in the midst of my brokenness and confusion — not in spite of it and certainly not in denial of it.”

When I left church at age 29, full of doubt and disillusionment, I wasn’t looking for a better-produced Christianity. I was looking for a truer Christianity, a more authentic Christianity: I didn’t like how gay, lesbian, bisexual and transgender people were being treated by my evangelical faith community. I had questions about science and faith, biblical interpretation and theology. I felt lonely in my doubts. And, contrary to popular belief, the fog machines and light shows at those slick evangelical conferences didn’t make things better for me. They made the whole endeavor feel shallow, forced and fake.

While no two faith stories are exactly the same, I’m not the only millennial whose faith couldn’t be saved by lacquering on a hipper veneer. Accordingto Barna Group, among young people who don’t go to church, 87 percent say they see Christians as judgmental, and 85 percent see them as hypocritical. A similar study found that “only 8% say they don’t attend because church is ‘out of date,’ undercutting the notion that all churches need to do for Millennials is to make worship ‘cooler.’ ”

In other words, a church can have a sleek logo and Web site, but if it’s judgmental and exclusive, if it fails to show the love of Jesus to all, millennials will sniff it out. Our reasons for leaving have less to do with style and image and more to do with substantive questions about life, faith and community. We’re not as shallow as you might think.

If young people are looking for congregations that authentically practice the teachings of Jesus in an open and inclusive way, then the good news is the church already knows how to do that. The trick isn’t to make church cool; it’s to keep worship weird.

You can get a cup of coffee with your friends anywhere, but church is the only place you can get ashes smudged on your forehead as a reminder of your mortality. You can be dazzled by a light show at a concert on any given weekend, but church is the only place that fills a sanctuary with candlelight and hymns on Christmas Eve. You can snag all sorts of free swag for brand loyalty online, but church is the only place where you are named a beloved child of God with a cold plunge into the water. You can share food with the hungry at any homeless shelter, but only the church teaches that a shared meal brings us into the very presence of God.

What finally brought me back, after years of running away, wasn’t lattes or skinny jeans; it was the sacraments. Baptism, confession, Communion, preaching the Word, anointing the sick — you know, those strange rituals and traditions Christians have been practicing for the past 2,000 years. The sacraments are what make the church relevant, no matter the culture or era. They don’t need to be repackaged or rebranded; they just need to be practiced, offered and explained in the context of a loving, authentic and inclusive community.

My search has led me to the Episcopal Church, where every week I find myself, at age 33, kneeling next to a gray-haired lady to my left and various others to my right as I confess my sins and recite the Lord’s Prayer. No one’s trying to sell me anything. No one’s desperately trying to make the Gospel hip or relevant or cool. They’re just joining me in proclaiming the great mystery of the faith — that Christ has died, Christ has risen, and Christ will come again — which, in spite of my persistent doubts and knee-jerk cynicism, I still believe most days.

One need not be an Episcopalian to practice sacramental Christianity. Even in Christian communities that don’t use sacramental language to describe their activities, you see people baptizing sinners, sharing meals, confessing sins and helping one another through difficult times. Those services with big screens and professional bands can offer the sacraments, too.

But I believe that the sacraments are most powerful when they are extended not simply to the religious and the privileged, but to the poor, the marginalized, the lonely and the left out. This is the inclusivity so many millennials long for in their churches, and it’s the inclusivity that eventually drew me to the Episcopal Church, whose big red doors are open to all — conservatives, liberals, rich, poor, gay, straight and even perpetual doubters like me.

Church attendance may be dipping, but God can survive the Internet age. After all, He knows a thing or two about resurrection.