Preparing for Sunday: How Joyful is Our Noise?

Carefully Think

• Read through Psalms 95-100; 145-150 and make a list of ways the psalmist outwardly expressed what he was inwardly delighted with.
• Why is music such a controversial element of church life?
• Read Ephesians 5:19 and list what you learn about the role of music in the life of the church.
• What role did music play in Exodus 15:1-18; 1 Samuel 16:14-23; 1 Chronicles 15:22; 16:4-6; 23:3-5; 25:1-7; 2 Chronicles 20; Nehemiah 12:42

Prayerfully Meditate

• How are you living out the expressions of praise you found in the psalms mentioned above?
• What keeps you from expressing your praise in the biblical ways you see in the Scriptures?
• How could Ephesians 5:19 affect your approach to singing this week?

Actively Respond

• Pray for those who will be leading the church in our corporate gathering on Sunday.  Pray that they will have a focused attention in leading the entire church in a biblical manner.
• Pray for all those who will be involved in the worship service, from instrumentalists to sound technicians to ushers. Pray that all we do will be done decently and orderly and to God”™s glory, and that we will be free from unnecessary distraction.
• Meditate often on Ephesians 5:19 and how it should instruct us regarding singing.
• Meditate on the lyrics to the songs we will be singing this Sunday.  If you would like to hear a sample or actually purchase the song, click on the links below.  We hope to regularly provide you with audio links to the songs we will sing so you can begin to build a personal library of music we use corporately.