On Spirituality

I’ve been spending a lot of time reading for the two classes I am currently taking, Systematic Theology and New Testament Intro, and I came across a very thought provoking passage that I just had to share.

The passage comes from the Evangelical Dictionary of Theology, 2nd edition, edited by Walter Elwell. The article on “Spirituality” was written by J.M. Houston.

…[E]vangelical Protestants are largely secularized by their politics, their obsessions with growth, and their interests in administration and parachurch activities. The loss of the practice of prayer, the ignorance of the rich traditions of spirituality, and the need to develop a cultural framework for the practice of devotion are challenges worthy of the most serious consideration at present.

This was a part of the author’s conclusion when looking at what he describes as sprituality (the state of deep relationship to God).

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Colossians 3:2

In lieu of setting a New Year’s resolution for myself this year, my desire is to make Colossians 3:2 the filter through which every part of my life is strained through.

Set your minds on things above, not on earthly things. Colossians 3:2 

I want my life, actions and thoughts to constantly be centered on Christ as I move through the new year. We all have personal goals, objectives and even resolutions for ourselves and our families. But most importantly, let my life, goals and my very being be set on bringing honor and glory to Christ.

And whatever you do, whether in word or deed, do it all in the name of the Lord Jesus, giving thanks to God the Father through him. Colossians 3:17

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Corporate Worship Q&A with John Piper and Bob Kauflin

I don’t typically like to post links to videos and media on the website, but when I find something as good as a video Q&A with John Piper & Bob Kauflin, I have to share it.

Q&A with John Piper and Bob Kauflin on Corporate Worship

After you watch the video, you should check out desiringgod.org for more resources from the ministry of John Piper, and worshipmatters.com for resources and information from Bob Kauflin.

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Change

This year has been a year of change. Lots of change.

My wife was able to get a better job at the company she already worked for. We found ourselves going back to the church my wife had attended before we got married five years ago, and falling in love with the community of believers there. We even took the leap of starting grad school at Liberty University to earn our Master’s degrees.

Even in the midst of these changes, God has seen fit to make adjustments and “tweaks” along the way. The biggest of these changes, for me, was feeling God reaffirm His call to ministry in my life, and opening the door for me to pursue an advanced degree in Worship Studies at Liberty University (where my wife and I are/where already enrolled for the Master’s in Accounting program).

These are no small changes in our lives, and we have had many prayerful discussions about each and every one. But as I sit and reflect on my upcoming birthday, the Christmas season and New Year’s, I feel that God still has one more change He wants us all to undergo. He wants to change our hearts.

Create in me a clean heart, O God; and renew a right spirit within me. (Psalm 51:10 KJV)

Even in the midst of all the changes from this past year, I found myself longing for the opportunity to make a change in my current job situation. I even went to the extent of applying for other positions, justifying in my own mind that a change would be good for us on a number of levels. I continued to tell myself, and to pray, that if the door was not opened, that was God’s way of telling me it was not meant to be. As the doors continued to close, it dawned on me that my continued pursuits were on the line of insanity (doing the same thing over and over again, expecting different results). When I finally took the time be still, I could feel God’s spirit impressing on me that this season of “meantime” is more important than a job, and more relevant than a career or even “official” ministry title. He wants to use this season in my life to teach me, mold me, and make me into who He desires for me to be, so that I can be ready and equipped for when that “next step” comes.  (There is great wisdom on this season of “meantime” in Pastor Luke Jackson’s message titled “Surrender”. An audio recording of this message is currently available under the media link at www.mtzionwesleyan.com.)

God does not need me to change jobs or make a major career move to be useful in His kingdom. Matthew 6:33 says all He asks is that we seek first His kingdom, and He’ll take care of the rest.

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In The Company Of…

I recently conducted an unofficial survey of the internet (spent 20 minutes Googling) to see how many worship leaders and musicians have active blogs. While my data is severly incomplete, I could only find a handful of blogs. I know there must be more out there, but there is no “worship music blog” directory out there.

That being said, the ones that I did find are most excellent. I am planning to add to the list of worship sites I have on here, as well as share any good info I find.

Next time you have some time on your hands, do a Google search on “worship music blogs” and see what comes up.

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Thankful

This is my first official blog post from my iPad. I must admit, it’s a little odd typing on a glass surface without feeling the actual key press, but the convenience factor far outweighs any oddness.

In the past few weeks I have had the honor of playing and leading worship in a few different locations (one for a youth outreach in Hillsville, VA; the other for a friend’s youth group in Greensboro, NC). No matter how much time passes between opportunities, I always find myself being thankful to God for the chance to share His great love with others through music and song. It is easy to take your own gifts and abilities for granted if you are not careful, but when you have the chance to exercise those skills for the glory of God, that is when we ALL benefit the most.

So much to be thankful for…let us not take any of His bounty and blessings for granted.

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Matt Brady and Not Shaken at The Battleground

I will be playing in Hillsville, VA next weekend, so you are all invited to come out! Details below, and available on Facebook & Reverb Nation as well. While you are at it, check out the music player here on the website and visit my Facebook page.

Facebook: Matt Brady and Not Shaken at The Battleground Reverb Nation: Matt Brady and Not Shaken at The Battleground

 

Time
Saturday, November 5 · 7:00pm - 10:00pm

Location

Carroll County Intermediate

1036 N. Main Street
Hillsville, Virginia

More Info
Doors open at 7. $2 entry!
for more info call 704-796-2491 or email battlegroundministry@gmail.com

 

 

 

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Solomon’s Example

Check out the example from 2nd Chronicles that Solomon sets  before Israel. He kneels, lifts his hands, and prays. How amazing would it be if leaders today did that?

http://bible.us/2Chr6.13.NLT

He stood on the platform, and then he knelt in front of the entire community of Israel and lifted his hands toward heaven. He prayed, “O Lord, God of Israel, there is no God like you in all of heaven and earth. You keep your covenant and show unfailing love to all who walk before you in wholehearted devotion.

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Importance of Prayer

I read the following from the book “The Power of Prayer”. This quote goes straight to the heart of things.

Some people express surprise that professing Christians today are so little like their Lord, but when I stop to think how little time the average Christian today puts into secret prayer the thing that astonishes me is, not that we are so little like the Lord, but that we are as much like the Lord as we are. ~R.A. Torrey

It is easy to come up with any number of excuses in the life of following Christ, but how often do we think that the answer may be that we need to spend more time in prayer?

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Oops!

Ok… so apparently I managed to delete an entire website in the process of creating a new one. This is fine, except for the fact that I was not intending to delete the old one right now!

If you are looking for Matt’s Money Blog, I’m sorry. In my haste to get my personal blog running and on it’s own, I managed to wipe out the Money Blog.

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