2021 Worship Experiences

Experience 10: Sharing

View written study below or download here: 2021_Friday012221_WE.pdf

“If you’ve gotten anything at all out of following Christ, if his love has made any difference in your life, if being in a community of the Spirit means anything to you, if you have a heart, if you care—then do me a favor: Agree with each other, love each other, be deep-spirited friends. Don’t push your way to the front; don’t sweet-talk your way to the top. Put yourself aside, and help others get ahead. Don’t be obsessed with getting your own advantage. Forget yourselves long enough to lend a helping hand.”

Philippians 2:1-4 (MSG)

Sharing. It’s so easy, as we talked about last week, to Share things we are excited about. It is my intention that as we get to Fridays each week, that the previous 4 Powerful Worship Experiences are impacting each of us in positive ways. Maybe, dare I say, “exciting” things are happening in your heart and mind. If you’ve been stagnant in your Following of Jesus, now at the end of our second week together, you are starting to experience growth and movement. You haven’t arrived, but you’re on the right path!

Isn’t that exciting? It is for me!

Would this change be easy to talk about? To Share with someone else?

Do you know anyone involved in a multi- marketing or direct sales company? You know what I’m talking about- you have friends who sell skin care products, or essential oils, or stretchy pants, or some supplements that fix all sorts of health issues. Now don’t check out- and also know I’m not going to bash those folks, so this is a safe place for all my Rodan and Fields friends!

I have noticed that the most effective people, when it comes to Sharing about these products, are those who have experienced the benefits the product boasts about. No one effectively sells the weight loss patch who hasn’t lost weight using it.

Maybe you and I are hesitant to Share about Jesus because we haven’t experienced much if any benefit from Following Him. Or even more likely, we haven’t spent much time evaluating the benefit and learned how to authentically Share it with others. Both issues are likely to improve if you keep with these 40 Days of PWE!

Actions to Take:

• Read our passage for today again.
  
• In your journal, write about all the ways that “his love has made any difference in your life”. Spend 2-3 minutes reflecting on these differences that the Love of Jesus has made in your life.
  
• If you are having a hard time thinking of any differences, then shift toward thinking about why that might be. Shoot me a message and let’s connect: PastorChris@ccof.church.
  
• When you look at your list of differences, which one would be the easiest to Share with a friend or family member? Take a minute or two and write a short letter about this difference. Think of it as a testimonial or online review of the Love of Jesus.
  
• Could you send your “review of the Love of Jesus” to someone today? Even if it’s your best friend or sibling or spouse, take the leap and Share this little piece of good news with someone else.
  

Experience 09: Fasting

View written study below or download here: 2021_Thursday012121_WE.pdf

“When you fast, do not look somber as the hypocrites do, for they disfigure their faces to show others they are fasting. Truly I tell you, they have received their reward in full. But when you fast, put oil on your head and wash your face, so that it will not be obvious to others that you are fasting, but only to your Father, who is unseen; and your Father, who sees what is done in secret, will reward you.”

Matthew 6:16–18 (NIV)

We learned last week that Fasting is a chosen abstinence for a spiritual purpose. How did that go last week? Was it easy or challenging? I hope you will lean into Fasting each week. I have set aside each Thursday for a day of Fasting during this 40 Days of Powerful Worship Experiences. If you are also Fasting on Thursdays, maybe its helpful to know you’re not alone.

Let’s talk about the purpose of Fasting. “For a spiritual purpose” is what our definition says. I think the words of Jesus as recorded by Matthew in Chapter 6 really point to this purpose so brilliantly. And actually, you can find in this single chapter the purpose of all our Worship Experiences, not just Fasting. Matthew records in one place Jesus’ teachings on giving to the needy, prayer, how we treat money, and trust (lack of worry). Could they all be connected?

Why do we pray, re-allocate our finances, skip meals, and work on worry?

It is for the purpose of connecting with our Father.

If you Fast from Facebook simply to be able to post that you’re Fasting from Facebook then as Jesus says, you have your reward. But if you Fast or “choose abstinence” for the purpose of connecting with our Father- well that has amazing potential. Worship Experiences, including Fasting, are simply creating space in our busy hearts, minds, and schedules to explore deeper relationship with God. These are simply the practices any good relationship needs.

When my wife is in the mood for watching a movie that is a little more heartwarming than the Die Hard franchise, I get to decide, do I chose what I want or what will make her happy? Could I choose to abstain from watching a Suns game and spend that time talking to her about her day or playing a game with our daughter? (let’s be honest, our daughter is 15- she doesn’t like playing games with us, but it sounds good—Ha!)

You see, any healthy relationship involves times where I put aside something that I want so that I can connect with another person.

Our Father asks the same of us. What if you could see Fasting through the lens of connection with God?

Actions to Take:

• Read Matthew 6. In your Bible highlight or underline every time the word Father appears. (in the NIV it is 11 times by my count).
• In your journal, describe your current relationship with God your Father.
• Spend 2 or 3 minutes asking God to help you grow in this practice of “chosen abstinence for a spiritual purpose.”
• Look at your schedule for the next few days. What will you choose to abstain from this week and when? Put it in your calendar.
• What will you do instead during those times? Try using that time to read your Bible, pray for friends and family who are going through hard times, or practice Centering Prayer to take your focus off of yourself and put it onto God.

Experience 08: Prayer

View written study below or download here: 2021_Wednesday012021_WE.pdf

This, then, is how you should pray: Our Father in heaven, hallowed be your name, your kingdom come, your will be done, on earth as it is in heaven. Give us today our daily bread. And forgive us our debts, as we also have forgiven our debtors. And lead us not into temptation but deliver us from the evil one.

Matthew 6:9-13

One of the most important, and sometimes confusing, parts in the life of any follower of Jesus is prayer. Right in the middle of Jesus’ most famous teaching, called the Sermon on the Mount in Matthew 5, 6, and 7, we’re given a template of what prayer is all about. Jesus is by no means trying to communicate that the Lord’s prayer (Matthew 6:9-13) is the only way we should pray.

The Lord’s Prayer is a picture of what prayer looks like. The prayer starts by remembering God’s holy name and then asking God for His kingdom to come. The Kingdom of God is any place where what God wants is being done. The follower of Jesus asks for God’s kingdom to come more and more so that they may live and work in it.

Prayer is chiefly communicating with God for the purpose of aligning ourselves with His kingdom.

When we talk to God it can be about any number of things because the life of the follower of Jesus is lived in God’s kingdom. When we’re thankful we give thanks. When we are in awe, we express our wonder. When we are overwhelmed, we ask for strength. When we need a miracle, we pray for one. All these things are prayed within the context of asking God to provide what is best for the flourishing of His kingdom.

It is with this in mind that the follower of Jesus approaches God with prayer; understanding that if God says no, or responds differently than we had anticipated, that it must be for the betterment of His kingdom.

Actions to Take:

• In your journal write down your own definition of Prayer.
• Read the Lord’s Prayer again, this time read it aloud- if you’re in a public setting, try whispering under your breath!
• In your journal spend some time writing a prayer to God, as you communicate with Him ask him to align your life, your heart, and your mind with His Kingdom.
• Ask Him to show you the things that are making alignment with His Kingdom challenging in this season of life. List these in your journal.

Experience 07: Focus

View written study below or download here: 2021_Tuesday011921_WE.pdf

“These words I speak to you are not incidental additions to your life, homeowner improvements to your standard of living. They are foundational words, words to build a life on. If you work these words into your life, you are like a smart carpenter who built his house on solid rock. Rain poured down, the river flooded, a tornado hit—but nothing moved that house. It was fixed to the rock. But if you just use my words in Bible studies and don’t work them into your life, you are like a stupid carpenter who built his house on the sandy beach. When a storm rolled in and the waves came up, it collapsed like a house of cards.”

Matthew 7:24-27 (MSG)

“Words to build a life on”. Man, we need some of those today, don’t we. There used to be words and voices that could be trusted in our society. Used to be.

Jesus presents a pretty clear message: 1. Hear his Words (teachings) 2. Put them into practice 3. Survive the storms of life.

How?

S.O.A.P. is an acronym that has been used by Followers of Jesus for quite some time as a simple system to do exactly what Jesus challenged us to do in today’s reading. Here is what each letter stands for and how S.O.A.P. works:

Scripture- This is pretty straight over the plate- to begin you need to read or listen to a portion of the Bible. If you need a suggestion, start with the Gospel of Mark, it is one of the biographies of Jesus. Most scholars think Mark was a teenager during the life of Jesus and later in his life was very connected to Peter who was one of Mark’s main sources for his writing about Jesus. If you’re more comfortable starting in other places of the story of God and Jesus- go right ahead!

Observation- Write down in your journal what you “see” or notice in what you’ve read. You could consider questions like: What does this passage tell me about God? What does it tell me about people? Don’t worry about getting these right- they are simply your observations. Things I’ve written about lately is how I notice a certain word repeated often in a chapter or section of the Bible. Or maybe you’ll notice in the biographies of Jesus, He often answers questions with short stories or parables.

Application- If this is really God’s word, what changes would I have to make in my life? This portion of S.O.A.P. is the most significant in my opinion. It’s where the rubber meets the road so to speak. It’s the step I often try to step- but I’m reminded of Jesus’ very clear words in our reading from today- “Put My Words Into Practice”. Friends if you aren’t striving to Apply God’s Word into your life, then that decision says, you actually don’t believe them to be God’s Word. Or at the very least, that you know how to make your life work better than He does.

Sorry, if those last two lines stepped on any toes- I was writing myself a reminder of what happens in my own heart!

Prayer- Ok this last step is way easier than the previous one! Whew! Simply ask God to be involved in the things that became obvious during your Observations and Applications. I often write things in my journal like, “God it’s obvious you want me to forgive ______ can you help me remember that when I see them today, or when they email me later?” Maybe it’s even a prayer asking God to give you opportunity to practice your application…be careful with this prayer- he might just answer it.

Actions to Take:

Ok let’s get some S.O.A.P. going today!

• Find your journal and bible. Read Mark 1:14-20
• In your journal write the passage you’ve read at the top of the page with a big S next to it.
• Write an O- and start to record your Observations. What does this passage tell me about God/Jesus? What does it tell me about people? What do you notice?
• Write an A- If this is really God’s word, what changes would I have to make in my life? In just these few short verses you may sense God is directing you toward a change in your life- it could be very simple or quite grand. Don’t worry about how you’ll make this Application happen- just jot down what you sense it is.
• Now write a P in your journal, write a Prayer asking God to help you in putting this Application firmly into your life today. Ask Him to give you opportunity and courage!
• Tell yourself- Good Job! Send me an Email at PastorChris@ccof.church and let me know how this went for you today!

Experience 06: Praise and Worship

View written study below or download here: 2021_Monday011821_WE.pdf

Where can I go from your Spirit? Where can I flee from your presence? If I go up to the heavens, you are there; if I make my bed in the depths, you are there.

Psalm 139:7-8

When someone says, “God is always with you,” is that thought comforting or frightening? I remember hearing from adults as I was a child- don’t forget God is always watching and if you make a mistake, He will see it. Anyone else? It was as if God was this cosmic police officer and was out writing tickets for any sin 

I committed. When you view God this way, 

His Presence is frightening. Psalm 139:1-3 says, “You have searched me, Lord, and you know me. You know when I sit and when I rise; you perceive my thoughts from afar. You discern my going out and my lying down; you are familiar with all my ways.” His Presence isn’t optional- He is everywhere all the time. I have come to find His Presence quite comforting. Our verse today reminds me that when life is going well, God is there. When life is really hard, God is there. He is for me. God is also for you! When you find that hard to believe, and I still find it hard to believe some days, remember Jesus. Jesus is the truest picture of God we have- not the one the adults in my early life gave me. Not the one that preacher on YouTube gives you, not even the one I give as your pastor in this season. Jesus is the truest picture of God- a picture we can all understand and grasp. Jesus’ Presence was always comforting. Jesus is God’s Presence in the flesh. When life is going well- Praise God and thank Him for His Presence. When life is really challenging- Praise God and thank Him for 

His Presence. He’s not waiting for you to mess up so He can jump out around the corner and say, “Gotcha.” However, if you fall, He will catch you, and quite honestly still say “Gotcha,” but it’s quite different than the “Gotcha” I used to wait to hear. Instead of judgment, it’s a “Gotcha” full 

of love. It’s the Presence of God that sustains us in both our Highs and Lows.

Actions to take

• Take some time to ponder the high or lows in your life currently. Take a couple of deep breaths and just think about the Presence of God. 
• Read Psalm 139.
• Wherever you listen to music find the song, “Highs and Lows” by Hillsong Young and Free, or find it here: YouTube
• As you listen to this song- let your heart and mind dwell on the lyrics and how you’ve experienced God’s Presence in your life.

If you need to, listen again.

• Write down in your journal 5 specific ways that you have felt God’s Presence in your life. Make note of which of these times were Highs and which times were Lows.

Spend the rest of your time thanking God for his comforting Presence and how He has shown that to you.

Experience 05: Sharing

View written study below or download here: 2021_Friday011521_WE.pdf

Andrew, Simon Peter’s brother, was one of the two who heard what John had said and who had followed Jesus. The first thing Andrew did was to find his brother Simon and tell him, “We have found the Messiah” (that is, the Christ). And he brought him to Jesus. 

John 1:40-42a (NIV)

And he brought him to Jesus. Some of my favorite words found in the Bible! On Fridays during this 40 Days of Powerful Worship Experiences we are going to dig into Sharing. How can you and I Share Jesus and what Jesus has done with others? 

Before we get to that, is there a something you’ve purchased or experienced lately that was awesome? Or maybe a meal you prepared from a new recipe that just turned out amazing? Did you use your new smoker and just nailed it? Think about something exciting that you couldn’t wait to tell someone else about…maybe you’re a fan of a sports team that won the World Series in 2020…maybe your stock accounts are through the roof…or your kid scored really high on that Facebook IQ test you gave them…what is it for you? 

What is it for you that you can’t wait to Share with other people? I’m not going to say “Bazinga” or “Gotcha” and switch this all around to Sharing Jesus like we do our elk hunt pictures. Well at least not today I’m not! 

It’s an amazing gift that God has given us in life when we find things that are exciting. To have areas of our life that are Sharable is a gift- don’t feel bad about them! Celebrate them. In fact, go grab your journal. 

Actions to Take:  

• Write down 2 or 3 things that are really awesome in your life right now. The things that you love Sharing with other people. 
• Spend a couple of minutes praying, thanking God for the incredible joy and good that these things bring into your life! 
• Ask God to use this 40 Days of Powerful Worship Experiences to help you grow in your willingness and effectiveness in Sharing Him with others. Write this prayer in your journal and then put a timer on your phone for 2 minutes to sit quietly listening for what God has to say to you about this (or anything else he wants, I mean He is God!). 

Experience 04: Fasting

View written study below or download here: 2021_Thursday011421_WE.pdf

Then Jesus was led by the Spirit into the wilderness to be tempted. After fasting forty days and forty nights, he was hungry. The tempter came to him and said, “If you are the Son of God, tell these stones to become bread.” Jesus answered, “It is written: ‘Man shall not live on bread alone, but on every word that comes from the mouth of God.’ 

Matthew 4:1-4 (NIV)

Did you catch that? The verse we just read said, after not eating for 40 days or nights, that Jesus was hungry. You think? 

Fasting- what comes to your mind when you hear that word? Go ahead and write that down in your journal- I’ll wait. 

Fasting can often be a mysterious or intimidating practice. A friend of mine, Alan Heller, says this about Fasting: “The practice of fasting was used by many people throughout biblical history as a way to petition God. Today, we must be intentional about seeking the Lord and making a bit more space for him in our busy lives. Fasting is one way to do that.”

Alan is an amazing counselor and has lots of resources you could check through his ministry Walk and Talk walkandtalk.org

More from Alan: Fasting is a chosen abstinence for a spiritual purpose. While some people fast for health reasons, we are talking about a fast for spiritual reasons. Some people will fast from food. Some choose to fast from all food for a period of time (one day, many days, one meal a day, etc.). Some fast from certain foods (meats, sugars, gluten, etc.). Fasting is used as way of sacrificing something important to you in order to achieve a larger purpose.

Are you willing to experience Fasting over these 40 days? It’s ok if the answer today is no way Jose. But what if you could try it? What would be different in your life if you could be more intentional about seeking God and make more space for Him in your mind and heart? 

Actions to Take:  

• In your journal spend a couple of minutes writing about either your experiences or current thoughts about Fasting.
• Spend 2 or 3 minutes asking God to help you grow in this practice of “chosen abstinence for a spiritual purpose.”
• Look at your schedule for the next few days. Find a mealtime that you could skip eating and put Fasting in your calendar. I recommend a breakfast or lunch.
• When that time comes instead of eating find a place where you can connect with God. Maybe listen to some praise and worship music. Read a couple of chapters of Psalms. Try to slow down your mind and heart- write in your journal any thoughts or questions this time brought to mind. 

Experience 03: Prayer

View written study below or download here: 2021_Wednesday011321_WE.pdf

Very early in the morning, while it was still dark, Jesus got up, left the house and went off to a solitary place, where he prayed.

Mark 1:35

At Christ’s Church of Flagstaff, as well as many other churches, we have used an experience called Rooted to Help One Another Follow Jesus. If you haven’t experienced Rooted yet, you should investigate it. In one of the readings the authors of Rooted wrote this regarding the purpose of Prayer: “When you pray in earnest, you come face-to-face with the God of the universe, the God who shows you grace, the God who adopts you, the God who guides and strengthens you. When you pray, you step into God’s Kingdom, His world- the place where God rules without push back.” 

Prayer has the potential to be so much more in our lives than simply talking to God or asking Him to do things. Neither talking to God or presenting our requests are bad things, but they often become the limit to our experience with Prayer. 

We can experience so much more. Each week of this 40-day journey I want to push the envelope of your experiences in regard to prayer. You may be praying in new ways, ways that seem different than your previous experiences- lean in and see what God has for you. Have you always wondered why it seems that some followers of Jesus seem to hear from Him directly and some don’t? Here’s another quote from Rooted, “When God speaks to us, it is usually when we have slowed down enough to empty our minds of our agendas and things that distract us.” I believe that God speaks to all of us- and some of us hear Him and some of us don’t. Want to hear Him more? Me too. 

Actions to Take:  

• Take a few deep breaths. For reals yo, slow down, breathe in deeply and let that breath out slowly. Repeat a few times. 
• In your heart ask God to help you grow in Prayer over these next few weeks. 
• In your journal spend 3 or 4 minutes writing a prayer to God about something that is on your mind (a problem, concern, need). Now spend 3 or 4 minutes (set a timer on your phone if that helps) asking God if there is anything He wants to say to you.
• Write down whatever you hear God say. 

Experience 02: Focus

View written study below or download here: 2021_Tuesday011221_WE.pdf

There’s nothing like the written Word of God for showing you the way to salvation through faith in Christ Jesus. Every part of Scripture is God-breathed and useful one way or another—showing us truth, exposing our rebellion, correcting our mistakes, training us to live God’s way. Through the Word we are put together and shaped up for the tasks God has for us.

2 Timothy 3:16-17 (MSG)

Focus. If you look up the word Focus in a dictionary, online of course, you find that the word can be both a noun and a verb. If we are using the noun, Focus, we refer to the center of activity, attraction, or attention. However, if we are using the verb, we are talking about adjusting the Focus of an eye or maybe a camera lens. Read the verse for today again. What part of your life do you need to bring into focus? What area of your thoughts, your actions or your emotions do you wish were different? What God has to say can radically change our lives. 

Over the next 40 Days you will have the opportunity to experience activities that help each of us Focus. We will spend time together learning about reading the Bible. We will also investigate practices like meditation and memorization, which can help us shift the lens we’re looking through toward a more Godly perspective. 

Wow- slow your roll man. Memorization is hard! Meditation- that sounds weird- are we going to Sedona and sitting on a vortex? 

Meditation, for our purposes, is simply taking something God says and focusing on it for a few minutes. A verse, a story about Jesus, a phrase, or maybe even one word. It’s not weird or new age. Even though many other religions use the practice, meditation is quite useful in slowing down the hamster wheel in our minds and adjusting our hearts. 

Memorization is daunting for me. I’ve always said, “I’m not good at memorizing things,” then a Bon Jovi song from 25 years ago comes on the radio and I’m belting out the lyrics and my kids say, “How do you know the words to so many OLD songs?” You too? Yeah, I hate to admit, I remember the things I care to remember. What if over the next few weeks, you and I could memorize just 2 or 3 verses together? That would be cool, right? Well let’s go for it! 

Actions to Take: 

• In your journal list 3 or 4 areas of your life that you want to Re-Focus. The more specific you can be the better. 
• Read Psalms 119:9-16. Now Read it again slowly. In your journal the phrases in these verses that resonate with you. 
• Ask God to use this season of Worship Experiences to help you bring His Words and way of life more into Focus within your life. Write a prayer to this effect in your journal. 

Experience 01: Praise and Worship

View written study below or download here: 2021_Monday011121_WE.pdf

Oh, that men would give thanks to the Lord for His goodness, and for His wonderful works to the children of men! He satisfies the longing soul and fills the hungry soul with goodness. 

Psalms 107:8-9 (NKJV)

As we read this Psalm let us be reminded of the Goodness of God. Let’s choose to stop, slow down, and recognize that God is good to each and every one of us. It can be so easy to rush through our day, and consequently our lives, without ever a thought for the mercy and grace of God. It is so easy in days of hardship, bad news, stress, and trouble to forget that God is Good! Not only is he Good but He shares this Goodness with each of us- His Children. Music is a powerful tool that we can use to point our hearts and minds in the right direction. Remember that there are many ways to Worship- many Powerful Experiences we are going to embark on together over these next 40 days together- but we need to start with this foundation: God is Good and He is sharing His Goodness with you! Where do you see His Goodness in your life lately? In our Church? In our Community? Grab your journal or open a note on your phone, get ready to list some specific ways you’ve Experienced God’s Goodness!

Actions to Take: 

• Take some time to ponder God’s grace and mercy. Take a couple of deep breaths and think about the Goodness of God. 

• Wherever you listen to music find the song, “The Goodness of God” by Bethel Music, or find it here.

• As you listen to this song- let your heart and mind dwell on the lyrics and how you’ve experienced God’s Goodness in your life. 

If you need to, listen again. 

• Write down in your journal 5 specific ways that God has shown his Goodness to you. 

Spend the rest of your time thanking God for his Goodness and how He has shown that Goodness to you. 

Introduction

View written study below or download here: 2021_Intro_WE.pdf

What would your life look like if you participated in 40 Days of Powerful Worship Experiences? 

Imagine with me how your life could change if you chose to spend 15 minutes for 40 consecutive days experiencing God through powerful worship. 2020 brought what felt like an avalanche of change and challenge. One of our greatest challenges, as followers of Jesus, was an inability to meet corporately and worship. Unfortunately for many people, Sunday service was their only way of interacting with God and growing spiritually. It became easier and easier to feel stagnant in our walk with Jesus as quarantine continued and our Sunday gatherings were postponed. But what if the Powerful Worship Experiences we’ve come to associate with Sunday church gatherings could be a part of our daily lives? What if? For this to be true we need to understand that worship is not just standing in rows in a church building while we sing songs. To be sure, worship can include those things, but it is not limited to them. Worship was always meant to be any time or action where we consistently and intentionally remind ourselves of the goodness and glory of God. In Revelation 4:2, we find this, “At once I was in the Spirit, and there before me was a throne in heaven with someone sitting on it.” A Powerful Worship Experience is any time or any activity that puts God back on that throne in my heart. Often in my life I find myself sitting on that throne instead of God. When I pray, when I listen to a piece of music, when I take captive a thought (2 Corinthians 10:5), when I forego a meal and spend that time connected to Jesus, when I talk to a friend about Jesus, when I spend a few minutes reading a Psalm, all of these, and so much more, simply put God back on the throne in my heart. 

During the next 40 days you will be challenged to worship daily through specific practices like journaling, prayer, meditation, fasting, and connecting with others. Some of these practices may not be familiar or easy for you. Do them as you can and don’t strive for perfection but progress. The key will be intentionality and consistency. You might find it helpful to set a specific time each day to engage with the devotions. It is so easy for the day to rush by when we aren’t intentional about slowing down and experiencing God’s presence. Creating a consistent schedule helps place powerful worship experiences at the top of your priority list. So let’s start with that!

Actions to take:

Spend a few moments to choose a time where you can consistently engage in these devotional practices for the next 40 days. (If you’re a morning person waking up 15 minutes earlier might be the perfect plan for you. If you’re more of a night owl then you might commit to never going to sleep without first slowing down and interacting with God.)

• Put this time in your calendar Monday-Friday from now until Feb 19th. 
• Ask God to guide you in this season and that any places you find yourself spiritually stagnant will become unstuck! 
• Find a journal or start a note on your phone where you can record things during these 40 days.