You Are What You Worship

The heart of the biblical understanding of idolatry, argues Gregory Beale, is that we take on the characteristics of what we worship. Employing Isaiah 6 as his interpretive lens, Beale demonstrates that this understanding of idolatry permeates the whole canon, from Genesis to Revelation. Beale concludes with an application of the biblical notion of idolatry to the challenges of contemporary life.

Something is missing from our worship today. We are a people with faith but without fruit. We worship with our minds but not with our lives. We sing with our lips but not with our hearts. We've traded knowing God for inconsequently knowing about God. You Are What You Worship is not about worshiping with a song; it's about worshiping with your whole life. It's about beholding the Creator and becoming the creature you were made to be. This is a call for all who wish to follow Jesus and live out their true purpose. It's a call to worship both in spirit and in truth, to value what God values, and to worship as God desires to be worshiped.

You are what you love. But you might not love what you think. In this book, award-winning author James K. A. Smith shows that who and what we worship fundamentally shape our hearts. And while we desire to shape culture, we are not often aware of how culture shapes us. We might not realize the ways our hearts are being taught to love rival gods instead of the One for whom we were made. Smith helps readers recognize the formative power of culture and the transformative possibilities of Christian practices. He explains that worship is the "imagination station" that incubates our loves and longings so that our cultural endeavors are indexed toward God and his kingdom. This is why the church and worshiping in a local community of believers should be the hub and heart of Christian formation and discipleship. Following the publication of his influential work Desiring the Kingdom, Smith received numerous requests from pastors and leaders for a more accessible version of that book's content. No mere abridgment, this new book draws on years of Smith's popular presentations on the ideas in Desiring the Kingdom to offer a fresh, bottom-up rearticulation. The author creatively uses film, literature, and music illustrations to engage readers and includes new material on marriage, family, youth ministry, and faith and work. He also suggests individual and communal practices for shaping the Christian life.

TRANSFORM EVERY AREA OF YOURLIFE THROUGH WORSHIP.Worship is more than music. It is the impetus for everything we do as Christians. It is expressed through every action of our lives and helps us become more Christlike. When we learn to worship God through our life, we become better Christians, ministers, musicians, parents, and mechanics.

“What is at stake is authenticity. . . . Sooner or later Christians tire of public meetings that are profoundly inauthentic, regardless of how well (or poorly) arranged, directed, performed. We long to meet, corporately, with the living and majestic God and to offer him the praise that is his due.”—D. A. CarsonWorship is a hot topic, but the ways that Christians from different traditions view it vary greatly. What is worship? More important, what does it look like in action, both in our corporate gatherings and in our daily lives? These concerns—the blending of principle and practice—are what Worship by the Book addresses.Cutting through cultural clichés, D. A. Carson, Mark Ashton, Kent Hughes, and Timothy Keller explore, respectively:· Worship Under the Word· Following in Cranmer’s Footsteps· Free Church Worship: The Challenge of Freedom· Reformed Worship in the Global City “This is not a comprehensive theology of worship,” writes Carson. “Still less is it a sociological analysis of current trends or a minister’s manual chockfull of ‘how to’ instructions.” Rather, this book offers pastors, other congregational leaders, and seminary students a thought-provoking biblical theology of worship, followed by a look at how three very different traditions of churchmanship might move from this theological base to a better understanding of corporate worship. Running the gamut from biblical theology to historical assessment all the way to sample service sheets, Worship by the Book shows how local churches in diverse traditions can foster corporate worship that is God-honoring, Word-revering, heartfelt, and historically and culturally informed.

Harold M. Best casts a holistic vision for worship that transcends narrow discussions of musical style or congregational preference, corrects errors in how Christians have viewed the arts and misunderstandings about the use of music, and offers instead a more biblically consistent approach to artistic action.

New York Times Best Seller! 1500 5-Star Reviews! From the author that brought you NEW YORK TIMES best selling books The Harbinger, The Mystery of the Shemitah, and The Paradigm selling over 3 MILLION copies Imagine if you discovered a treasure chest in which were hidden ancient mysteries, revelations from heaven, secrets of the ages, the answers to man’s most enduring, age-old questions, and the hidden keys that can transform your life to joy, success, and blessing…This is The Book of Mysteries.

"Tom Kraeuter is one of the most prolific authors and teachers on the contemporary worship scene today. His books are available worldwide in multiple languages. Tom's biblical, practical teaching transcends denominational lines. Nearly 20,000 people have attended his worship seminars, retreats, and conferences in churches all across North America. Worship understood and practiced from a scriptural point of view will affect the entire life of a believer as well as the lives of those he or she encounters. Worship understood and practiced by a church will affect an entire community. With preconceived ideas and cultural familiarity set aside, Tom Kraeuter invites his readers to experience and enjoy the breadth and essence of biblical worship.

What happens when we praise God? What are the benefits of praising Him? Do you know what praise actually means? In Holy Roar, Chris Tomlin and Darren Whitehead share a fresh perspective from the worship practices of the ancient world. They take readers on a praise journey that answers questions and provides valuable insight. After reading Holy Roar, you will: Grow an understanding of praise with Darren's unique insights. Gain a deeper understanding of how to worship. Be inspired as Chris shares how those insights take shape in the stories behind some of your favorite worship songs, including "How Great Is Our God," "We Fall Down," and "Good Good Father." Holy Roar is for: Readers of all ages interested in growing their faith Pastors, worship leaders, and small group teachers leading believers In the ancient world, something extraordinary happened when God's people gathered to worship Him. It was more than just singing; it was a declaration, a proclamation, a time to fully embody praise to God for who He is and what He has done. In fact, in the Psalms, seven Hebrew words are translated into the English word praise, each of which represents a different aspect of what it means to truly praise God.

Performing on the hugely popular American Idol television show in 2007 almost ruined Phil Stacey’s life. Fame, and the temptations that came with it, led this part-time worship pastor to a dark place. Eventually Phil cut through the confusion, realizing that he was created not for entertaining people or for fame but for one thing—to worship God. In Made to Worship, Phil shares the exciting details of his quick rise to fame as well as the resulting emptiness it offered him. You’ll be encouraged as you read how Phil escaped the lure of an empty idol and instead experienced the fullness of God. And you’ll be amazed by how God ultimately used Phil’s notoriety to spread the gospel around the world. You can use your talents and skills to worship God and to share the gospel with others in a unique way that fits you and your family. Read about Phil’s encounter with fame—and how the notoriety from this world-renowned show surprisingly opened doors for Phil to spread the gospel and minister to others. Like Phil, you’ll learn that we only find true fulfillment when we find it in Jesus Christ.