The Library
A growing collection of articles exploring worship, doctrine, and the Christian life—written to equip the mind and stir the heart.
12 articles
Article
Why a Broken Heart? (An Excerpt from Create in Me a Clean Heart)
Matt Boswell
Why is a broken heart so significant in the eyes of God? The first reason God delights in brokenhearted worship is that "a broken heart is the handiwork of God; a heart of his own preparing, for his own service; it is a sacrifice of his own providing." Just as God provided the lamb for the offering when Abraham took Isaac up the mountain to worship, so God provides the necessary offering in all his people: hearts broken under the weight of conviction, now laid bare before him in contrition and repentance.
Article
5 Ways to Confess Sin in Your Services
D&T Team
One of the most misunderstood and overlooked elements of worship is the confession of sin, where God’s people admit their sins to the Lord, ask for his forgiveness, and return to him in obedient faith. Here are five ways our church practices confession of sin as a congregation.
Article
O God, Be Merciful to Me (Psalm 51)
Matt Boswell
Psalm 51 Helps Us Sing In the middle of Scripture is a hymnal. This hymnal is full of psalms meant to be sung. The psalms proclaim glorious truths about God. They help us understand what it means to be truly human. They…
Article
Teach Your People to Pray—By Praying Well
Rich Penix
Public prayer is one of the most visible and formative elements of corporate worship. And yet, it is often one of the least intentionally developed. Most pastors would affirm that prayer is central to the life of the…
Article
How to Pick Songs for Your Church
David Ames
Pastors and song leaders all know the joy (and sometimes struggle) of choosing Sunday’s songs each week. But before doing that task, ministry leaders have to do the important work of curating the list of songs that will…
Article
We Are Sons Before We Are Servants
Kyle Worley
I rushed out of my jiu jitsu class crying. Trying to get out before anyone saw the tears. Don’t misunderstand me: I wasn’t hurt or injured. Nobody had bullied me. All things considered, it had been an unusually…
Article
The Worship Leader and His Bible
Chris Groat
The songs you lead on Sunday morning teach your congregation about God’s attributes and character. Worship leaders aren’t just musicians; we’re theologians too. And the songs we sing can either promote the truth of God’s Word or distract from it. Do you know your Bible well enough to determine whether what you’re singing is theologically sound?
Worship
Dampening Self to Amplify Praise: Five Marks of Gentle Worship Leaders
Ryanne Molinari
True gentleness is mastery tempered by meekness. It is using our gifts not to distract or drown out others, but to support them in confident praise. Here are five marks of gentle worship leaders—leaders who are musical forces to be reckoned with, but who temper their strengths toward Christlike service.
Congregational Singing
5 Surprising Ways to Increase Congregational Singing
Matt Boswell
Churches that value congregational participation are constantly considering how to strengthen the people of God in song. Here are five surprising lessons.
Worship Leading
Stop Saying the Same Old Thing
Daniel Renstrom
Our responsibility as worship leaders is not only to hold up the Truth, but also to have wisdom in our economy of words, extending beyond just the same old thing.
Worship
Thinking Pastorally About Emotions in Worship
Zac Hicks
Emotions in worship are a touchy subject. There are two extremes, neither of which are healthy or biblical, and both of which should be avoided through pastoral wisdom and grace.
Worship
The Reformation of Worship
Ron Man
We usually think of the Reformation in terms of doctrinal renewal. But we also owe the Reformers a great debt for the renewal of worship.