October 20, 2025 • 44 mins
Pastor Lance begins a new series on praise, and he illustrates from Scripture why praise is our ultimate calling and our privilege.
For more messages and resources, visit www.ccc-online.org.
Mark as Played
Transcript
Episode Transcript
Available transcripts are automatically generated. Complete accuracy is not guaranteed.
(00:00):
31 years ago this month, a groupof people had gotten together
and they started they wanted to start a church and thus Christ
Community Church was was born 31years ago this month.
And that group of people got together because they wanted to,
(00:22):
they wanted to, to go on a journey, a journey by which they
would learn to glorify and, and magnify the name of Christ.
They were fixed on doing that. So when we gathered together,
they, they made it very clear that from the very beginning,
(00:44):
they, they wanted to come to know and understand the Christ
more than anything. And so we said that we would
make it our, our passion to pursue Christ.
Then they said they, they wantedto make sure that not only do we
(01:05):
know Christ, but that we were able to demonstrate and show
Christ to other people. So we said, not only will we
make it our, our, our passion topursue Christ, we will make it
our, our priority to portray Christ.
And then they said, well, we want to make sure that we, we
(01:27):
teach people the gospel and tellthem about Christ.
So we made it our purpose to proclaim the Christ.
And then they said, as we do allthat, we need to make sure that
we, we magnify and, and praise his name.
(01:51):
So they made sure that we made it our practice to praise
Christ. And that began the mission
statement for our church 31 years ago.
And over the next several weeks,I want to talk to you about our
(02:14):
practice and what it means to give praise and glory and honor
to the Christ. It is a journey that is a
lifelong journey. That's why we call it a practice
(02:36):
because it's not going to be perfect our praise, but yet we
are called by God to praise his glorious name as a church.
We we are a priesthood of believers.
First Peter 29 says that we are a chosen nation, a people for
(02:59):
God's own possession. We are a royal priesthood
revelation. One tells us that we are a
Kingdom of priests, and sometimes I I think that we
forget that part of the identityof the believer is that he is a
priest in God's Kingdom. And what a priest do priest
(03:25):
offer sacrifices to their God. And that's why the writer of
Hebrews said this way in Hebrews13 verse #15 through him, then
let us continually OfferUp a sacrifice of praise to God.
That is the fruit of lips that give thanks to His name.
(03:52):
Praise is a sacrifice. As a Kingdom of priests, we are
to offer sacrifices to our God, and the key component to our
sacrifice is praise to God. Because praise is costly.
(04:12):
Praise is costly because most ofthe time my will does not want
to praise the Lord. My emotions don't feel like
praising the Lord when things don't go the way I think they
should go or the way I prayed that God would make them go.
I have a hard time offering praise to God.
(04:35):
But yet the Bible says that we are to continually offer a
sacrifice of praise to God. It's the fruit of our lips.
David understood that. And so in Psalm 57 he says these
words, Be gracious to me, O God,be gracious to me.
(04:58):
For my soul takes refuge in you and in the shadow of your wings.
I will take refuge until destruction passes by.
I will cry to God most High, to God who accomplishes things for
me. He will send from heaven and
save me. He reproaches him who tramples
(05:19):
upon me. God will send forth His loving
kindness and His truth. Then he says, My soul is among
lions. I must lie among those who
breathe forth fire, even the sons of men whose teeth are
Spears and arrows and their tongue a sharp sword.
(05:41):
Be exalted above the heavens. O God, let your glory be above
all the earth. They have prepared a net for my
steps. A soul is bound.
My soul is bowed down. They dug a pit before me.
They themselves have fallen intothe midst of it.
My heart is steadfast. O God, my heart is steadfast.
(06:05):
I will sing. Yes, I will sing praises.
Awake, my glory, awake harp and lyre, I will awaken the dawn.
I will give thanks to you, O Lord, among the peoples.
I will sing praises to you amongthe nations, for your loving
kindness is great to the heavensand your truth to the clouds.
(06:28):
Be exalted above the heavens, O God, let your glory be above all
the earth. David and Psalm 57 knew that he
was surrounded by those who wanted to destroy his life, but
he knew that the answer to that was to give praise and glory to
his God, to sing to his God. And he was a sweet psalmist of
(06:50):
Israel. So he knew that the key to his
life in handling the difficulties of that he was
facing was to give praise to God.
He offered a sacrifice of praiseto his God because that's what
priests do. And as the Kingdom of priests,
(07:13):
which we are, we are to offer those sacrifices unto the Lord.
So I thought that beginning today and into the holiday
season of Thanksgiving and Christmas, we are going to take
a journey along the pathway. We're going to call it the
pathway of praise, and we're going to begin to look at the
(07:37):
different aspects of praise thatneed to be practiced by us every
single moment of every single day.
So this journey will take us through the holiday season, but
it will help us learn that our praise to God doesn't just come
at Thanksgiving, or does it justcome at the Christmas season?
(07:58):
It comes all year around becauseour lives are marked by a
sacrifice of praise to God. Now, you must understand that
when you get to heaven, this is what you're going to do.
(08:18):
You're going to give praise to God for eternity.
So it's best to practice now what you're going to be doing
perfectly in heaven. In fact, I like the way Charles
Spurgeon said it. He said it this way.
(08:40):
He said when you step into heaven, you may take your place
among the singers and say, I have been practicing these songs
for years. I have praised God while I was
in the world of sin and suffering and when I was weighed
(09:02):
down by a feeble body. But now that I am set free from
earth, from sin and the bondage of the flesh, I take up the same
strain to sing more sweetly to the same Lord and God.
(09:25):
When you get to heaven, you'll be filled with praise and you
will do this for eternity. It's hard for us to comprehend
that that goes way beyond any kind of human understanding.
What do you mean praise God for eternity?
(09:46):
Read Revelation 4, Revelation chapter 5.
Read Revelation Chapter 11. Read Revelation chapter 15,
Revelation chapter 19. It's all about the glory and
Hallelujah and praise given to God in heaven by those who are
there. The four living creatures that
(10:09):
are around the throne give praise to God day and night,
saying holy, holy, holy is the Lord God Almighty who was and is
and is to come. Holy, holy, holy is the Lord God
Almighty. And they said the same refrain
(10:30):
over and over and over again. And these are the four living
creatures who have eyes all around them.
These are angelic cherubim. And yet they can't stop praising
the God they serve. They've been doing that since
they were created. And they will be doing that for
(10:52):
eternity. And we will one day join them in
the course of praise. Because when you get to heaven,
God is so overwhelmingly majestic, and so you will be
overwhelmed by His glory, and you can't help but praise Him
(11:15):
just for the opportunity to be in His presence for eternity.
So I thought today we would begin with the privilege of
praise. As we journey along the pathway
of praise, let's begin with the privilege of praise.
(11:37):
Why is praise a privilege to thepriests in God's Kingdom?
Well, number one is that praise verifies my identity.
Praise verifies my identity. The verse Isaiah 43 verse #21
(12:06):
which says the people whom I have formed for myself will
declare my praise. God makes it very clear that the
people that I form for myself, they will do one thing.
They will give praise and glory to me.
(12:28):
They will honor my name. I have created them for my
glory, and therefore they will praise my glorious name.
The Bible says in Proverbs 2225 from you comes my praise.
(12:50):
I'm sorry, that's Psalm 2225. From you comes my praise.
In other words, because of God, and God is in me, comes forth my
praise to Him. The psalmist says in Psalm 40
verse #1 These words. I waited patiently for the Lord,
(13:11):
and he inclined to me and heard my cry.
He brought me up out of the pit of destruction, out of the miry
clay, and he set my feet up on arock, making my footsteps firm.
He put a new song in my mouth, asong of praise to our God.
Many will see in fear and will trust in the Lord when God takes
(13:36):
you and brings you up out of themiry pit.
He puts a new song in your mouth, a song of deliverance
that causes you to want to praise his glorious name.
The Bible makes it very clear that the identity the believer
(13:57):
is wrapped up in his praise to God way back in.
In First Samuel, I'm sorry, Second Samuel chapter 23, David
gives his last literary masterpiece.
We know that 73 of the Psalms are directly attributed to
(14:18):
David, and so as he sings this last song to his son to help
encourage him in his leadership,listen to what David says and
then listen to what he doesn't say.
Second same of 23 verse #1 Now these are the last words of
(14:39):
David. David, the son of Jesse,
declares the man who was raised on high, declares the anointed
of the God of Jacob and the sweet psalmist of Israel.
David is describing himself to his son, and he described
(15:01):
himself as the one who was raised up on high, who was
anointed by God, that God had called him and commissioned him.
And notice the very next thing he says.
He doesn't say he commissioned him to be the king of Israel.
He doesn't say he commissioned him to be a warrior for his God,
(15:24):
a soldier for his God. He identifies himself as a sweet
psalmist of Israel because when God called him, God called him
to sing praises to his name, to lift his name on high.
And that was more important thanbeing the king of Israel.
(15:45):
It was more important than beinga warrior for God.
It was to be able to praise His glorious name.
And David recognized that. And at the end of his life, he
helps his Son understand that this is what we do.
This is what people who are kings do.
They give praise to God because that's their identity.
(16:06):
Nothing verifies the identity ofa believer.
Then the person who gives praiseto their God, no matter what.
That's very, very important #2 not only does praise verify my
identity, but praise is that which ratifies my loyalty.
(16:33):
There's something that ratifies the fact that I am loyal to God
and that is fruitful lips that sing forth praise.
Listen to what the Bible says inPsalm 145 verse #1 I will extol
you, my God O King, and I will bless your name forever and
(16:59):
ever. Every day I will bless you and I
will praise your name forever and ever.
Great is the Lord and highly to be praised, and His greatness is
unsearchable. One generation shall praise your
works to another, and shall declare your mighty acts.
(17:20):
Notice he says, I will four times.
I will extol your name. I will praise your name, I will
lift your name. I will do this because I am
loyal to the King. He recognized God as his King
and as a loyal subject to his King.
(17:40):
He's going to not only obey his King, he's going to give glory
and honor to his King. He's going to praise His
glorious name. So nothing ratifies my loyalty
to God more than my willingness to praise His glorious name.
The psalmist said in Psalm 22 verse #26 those who seek Him
(18:08):
will praise His name. Those who seek Him will praise
His name. If your passion is to pursue
Him, your practice will be to praise Him.
Why? Because those who seek Him can't
help but praise His glorious name.
(18:31):
And so it's important for us to realize that that praise is that
which verifies my identity, ratifies my loyalty, and #3
praise is that which beautifies my personality.
Praise is that which beautifies my personality.
(18:54):
Listen to what the psalmist saidin Psalm 147 verse #1 praise the
Lord, for it is good to sing praises to our God, for it is
pleasing and praise is beautiful.
(19:19):
Maybe your text says praise is becoming, or maybe your text
says praise is fitting. No matter how you cut it, praise
beautifies every scene, every circumstance, every situation.
(19:43):
So when you begin to praise God amidst hardship and difficulty,
broken dreams and promises you are, you are shining light in a
sphere that's dark. And by giving praise to God,
your personality is simply beautified, because God is
reflecting himself in and through you to those all around
(20:06):
you who somehow need to see the glory and splendor of God.
So when a man or woman gives glory to God, they are
reflecting the righteous radiance of a God who dwells in
unapproachable light. So therefore, when you give
praise to God, you are shining down in the darkness of human
(20:29):
souls, in human circumstances and showing how Christ is the
only answer. There's nothing that beautifies
the personality more than praise.
So many times our lives are marked by depression in
(20:50):
darkness. Our lives are marked by a dreary
and dreadful attitude, by bitterand unwelcomed attitudes.
But praise, praise changes all of that.
When you recognize that God is in control and God's in charge
(21:14):
and you want to give Him glory because of that, praise is that
which verifies my identity, ratifies my loyalty, beautifies
my personality. That's what the psalmist said in
Psalm one O 3 verse #1 Bless theLord, O my soul and all that is
(21:36):
within me. Bless His holy name, because He
wanted everything within him, His soul, His mind, His heart,
everything to give praise to HisGod, knowing that the beauty of
His life was determined by His praise #4 Praise is that which
(22:04):
clarifies my priority. Praise is that which clarifies
my priority. Psalm 146 verse #1 says Praise
the Lord, praise the Lord, O my soul, I will praise the Lord
(22:27):
while I live. I will sing praises to my God
while I have my being the priority the psalmist was as
long as I live, I will praise the Lord.
Psalm 119 verse #175 Let my soullive that it may praise Thee.
(22:53):
The psalmist says, I only want to live if I can praise your
name. So let me live that I might do
that. Let me live that I might sing
praises. Be grateful, be thankful all the
days of my life. The psalmist knew that praising
(23:14):
God sustained him. The psalmist knew that that
praising God strengthened him. So let me live that I might
praise your glorious name. That is that which clarifies
one's priority. Remember Job?
(23:35):
Job, chapter one, verse 21. The Lord gave and the Lord is
taken away. Blessed be the name of the Lord.
He lost everything. He lost his kids, his business,
(23:56):
his home, everything. He said.
Blessed be the name of the Lord.He spoke well of God's name.
He praised God's name. The Lord has given, and the Lord
has seen fit to take it away. Recognizing God's sovereignty,
(24:19):
recognizing God's plan, blessed be the name of the Lord.
And Job never cursed his God. Amidst all of his suffering,
amidst all of his hardship, he was one who wanted to bless and
honor his God. That's why he was a unique
individual. David was the man after God's
(24:40):
own heart. He was marked at the sweet
Psalmist of Israel. Job was the greatest man on the
planet by God's testimony, and he lived a life of blessing and
honoring his God. How about you?
How do you handle your situations?
(25:02):
How do you handle your difficulties?
How do you handle your hardships?
How do you handle the dark days?Are they filled with praise and
glory to God? Because it's a sacrifice you
offer. It's a sacrifice of praise to
God that priests offer. And we are a priesthood of
(25:25):
believers. Therefore we offer a sacrifice
of praise to our God continually, day by day, never
ceasing to honor our God. So praise is that which verifies
my identity, ratifies my loyalty, beautifies my
(25:49):
personality, clarifies my priority.
Praise is that which specifies God's generosity.
Praise is such a privilege because it specifies God's
generosity. You know the verse Psalm One O 3
(26:13):
Bless the Lord, O my soul, and all that is within me.
Bless his holy name. Bless the Lord, O my soul, and
forget none of his benefits. What of His benefits?
Who pardons all our iniquities? Who heals all our diseases?
Who redeems our life from the pit?
Who crowns us with loving kindness and compassion?
(26:35):
Who satisfies our years with good things, so that your youth
is renewed like the eagles. That's blessing the Lord.
That's praising the Lord. It specifies His generosity.
Praise is very specific. Praise is not general.
(26:56):
It's specific because of the things that God has done for His
own. Psalm one O 7 verse #8 Oh, that
men would give thanks to the Lord for His goodness and for
His wonderful works to the children of men.
And, and the next one follows right on the heels of this.
(27:17):
Not only is is a privilege of praise a privilege because it
specifies his generosity, but ittestifies to God's ministry.
It testifies to God's ministry. In other words, when I when I
give praise to God, I am giving a a testimony to the ministry of
God in my life. Listen to what the psalmist says
(27:40):
in Psalm 76. In you, O Lord, I have taken
refuge. Let me never be ashamed in your
righteousness. Deliver me and rescue me, and
climb your ear to me and save me.
Be to me a rock of habitation towhich I may continually come.
(28:00):
You have given commandment to save me, for you are my rock and
my fortress. Rescue me, Oh my God, out of the
hand of the wicked, out of the grasp of the wrongdoer and the
ruthless man, For you are my hope.
O Lord God, You are my confidence from my youth.
By You I have been sustained from my birth.
(28:23):
You are he who took me from my mother's womb.
My praise is continually of You.I've become a marvel to many,
for You are my strong refuge. My mouth is filled with Your
praise and with Your glory all day long.
(28:46):
So you see, he testifies to the ministry of God in his life.
Who's going to deliver him? Who's going to rescue him?
Who is this rock and stronghold no matter what the circumstance?
And he offers a, a continual praise to God day after day
after day. And the Bible says these words.
I have become a marvel to many. Why?
(29:11):
Why has he become a marvel to many?
Because who praises God when everything is negative?
But those who believe in God, those who who verify their
identity, those who ratify theirloyalty, those who beautify
their I, their their personality, those are the ones
(29:32):
who who specify his generosity because they clarify their
priority. So therefore they testify to
God's ministry in their life. And that is a privilege of
praise. Many marvel at me.
They don't understand. And why would they?
(29:54):
The world doesn't get this. The world doesn't understand why
you would praise your God amidstall your negativity.
They can understand why you would give praise to glory and
God when when all things are going good, when your team wins
or you win the game because you hit the home run or you get a a
(30:14):
pay raise or, or you get some kind of recognition at work and
you give glory to God. Well, of course you give glory
and praise to God because everything is good.
But what about things that when they are bad, when they are
negative and you're downcast andthings are very difficult in
your family, in your workplace, in your physical life, Is there
(30:39):
a voice that says, I praise you,God, for what you've done in my
life? I praise you for all the
sickness. I praise you for all the
negative circumstances. I praise you for the loss of my
job. I praise you in the midst of my
divorce because somehow, God, you are doing a work and I'm
(30:59):
going to lift your name on high because I am a priest in the
Kingdom of God and I will offer a sacrifice of praise to my
king. That's the privilege of praise.
If you're counting, it's #7 if you're not counting, it is still
(31:23):
#7 #7 is this praise? This is so good.
Purifies me from iniquity. Did you know that?
One of the keys to living a pureand holy life is to give praise
(31:43):
to God. It's said this way in Ephesians
chapter 5 verse #3 pulses. But immorality or any impurity
or greed must not even be named among you, as is proper among
the Saints. And there must be no filthiness
(32:03):
and silly talk or coarse jestingwhich are not fitting, but
rather giving of thanks, being grateful, praising God, thanking
(32:24):
him for who he is. These things should not even be
named among you. Paul says you shouldn't even be
mentioning them, but what you should be doing is giving thanks
to God for what He has done in your life.
I love what Ephesians chapter 1 says is if you got time to just
(32:46):
to go back and read it. It talks about God saving us and
how he does it. And three times he says to the
praise of the glory of his name.God does what He does for the
praise of the glory of His name,the glory of His character, the
glory of His person. He wants to be praised and
(33:08):
honored among His people and we.As priests are his.
People. So what do we do?
We. We do.
What priests do we We offer a sacrifice of praise continually
to our God, no matter what the circumstance, no matter what the
situation, because we want to honor his name and.
(33:29):
Praise is that which? Purifies me from iniquity.
If I just learned to to give thanks to God my focus, that is
on him, right? It's not on my.
Own self. My own.
Needs my own wants. It's, it's on God.
So all the impure thoughts and all the, the immoral thoughts
and all the course gisting and all the silly talk that goes
(33:49):
away because my thoughts are noton those around me, nor is my
thought on me. It's on God himself.
And therefore I I live a life ofthankfulness to God, a life of
praising Him for what He's done,and it purifies me from my
iniquity. Next. #8 Praise is that which
(34:14):
glorifies His Majesty. It glorifies His Majesty.
That's what a psalmist said in Psalm One.
O 3 Bless his holy name, the holiness of God.
Back in Exodus chapter 15, Miriam would lead the song of
(34:35):
praise after Pharaoh and his army was cast into the sea and
Israel was able to pass by on dry land.
And it says that Exodus chapter 15 verse #21 Miriam answered
them. Sing to the Lord, for he is
highly exalted, The horse and rider he has hurled into the
sea. You.
(34:58):
You. Want to glorify His?
Majesty, you want to glorify hisroyalty, you want to magnify his
name, and that's what that's what praise does over in
Revelation Chapter 19. Revelation Chapter 19 you had
the fourfold Hallelujah, it saysafter.
(35:20):
These things I heard. Some something like a loud voice
of a great multitude in heaven saying Hallelujah.
Salvation and glory and power belong to our God because his
judgments are true and righteousFor His judge, the great harlot
who was corrupting the earth with her immorality, and he has
avenged the blood of his bond servants on her.
(35:44):
The second time they said Hallelujah, her smoke rises up
forever and ever. And the 24 elders and the four
living creatures fell down and worshipped God who sits on the
throne saying Amen, Hallelujah. And a voice came from the throne
saying, Give praise to our God, all you his bond servants, you
who fear him, the small and the great.
(36:07):
Then I heard something like the voice of a great multitude, and
like the sound of many waters and like the sound of mighty
peals of Thunder, saying Hallelujah for the Lord our God
the Almighty reigns. That that's what heaven is.
It's the it's the Hallelujah chorus of the of the Saints and
priests of God who are his bond servants.
(36:31):
So the voice that of heaven says, Give praise to His name,
for praise glorifies His Majesty#9 praise is that which
magnifies His sovereignty. It magnifies His sovereignty.
(36:52):
Paul says in Romans 11. O the depth of the riches both
of the wisdom and glory of God. How unsearchable are His
judgments, and unfathomable His ways.
For who has known the mind of the Lord, or who became His
counselor, or who has first given to him, that it might be
paid back to him again? For from him and through him and
(37:13):
to him are all things. To him be the glory forever.
Amen. Paul lifts.
Praise to God. Because of His sovereignty, it
magnifies that even Jesus, Even Jesus would magnify the
sovereignty of God. Listen to what Jesus says.
(37:36):
Matthew 11 verse #25 At that time Jesus said, I praise you,
Father. I praise you, Father.
Lord of heaven and earth, that you have hidden these things
(37:56):
from the wise and intelligent and have revealed them to
infants. Yes, Father, for this way was
pleasing in your sight. He magnified.
The sovereignty of His Father inHeaven.
I praise you, Lord, for you havehidden these things.
(38:20):
You have hidden this gospel fromthe intelligent and the wise,
and you've opened the the minds and the hearts of the lowly that
they might receive the gospel and believe the gospel.
He's magnifying God's sovereignty and salvation.
Even Jesus gives praise to his Father because he wants to
magnify his sovereignty. That's the privilege of praise.
(38:47):
So if you're taking notes because all spirit filled
Christians take notes, you know that the privilege of praise
verifies my identity, ratifies my loyalty, beautifies my
personality, clarifies my priority, specifies God's
(39:08):
generosity, testifies to God's ministry, purifies me from
iniquity, glorifies God's majesty, magnifies his
sovereignty, and lastly, intensifies, intensifies my joy.
(39:30):
It intensifies. My joy.
Listen to the Psalmist in Psalm 63.
Psalmist. Says oh God, you.
Are my God. I shall seek you earnestly.
My soul thirsts for you, my flesh yearns for you in a dry
and where we land where there isno water.
(39:52):
Thus I have seen you in the sanctuary to see your power and
your glory, because your loving kindness is better than life.
My lips will praise you, so I will bless you as long as I
live. I will lift up my hands in your
(40:14):
name. Why?
My soul is satisfied, as with Morrow and fatness and my youth.
Or, excuse me, my mouth offers praises with joyful lips.
Praise intensifies my joy it. Makes it so it.
(40:41):
Is all consuming in my life so. Many times we live.
Lives joy joylessly, and that should.
Never be the case. And then the psalmist says these
words over in Psalm 18 verse #1 I love you, O Lord, my, my
strength. The Lord is my rock and my
(41:02):
fortress, my deliverer, my God, my rock, and whom I take refuge,
my shield and the horn of my salvation, my stronghold.
I call upon the Lord who is worthy to be praised, and I'm
saved from my enemies. I'm saved from my enemies.
He's my rock, my refuge, my strength, my fortress, my
stronghold. And then over in Psalm 9 verse
(41:23):
#1 I will give thanks to the Lord with all my heart.
I will tell of all your wonders.I will be glad and exalt in You.
I will sing praise to your name,O Most High, and then over.
In Psalm one O. 4 Psalmist says these words in verse #33.
(41:50):
I will sing. To the Lord as long as I live, I
will sing praise to my God whileI have my being.
Let my meditation be pleasing tohim.
As for me, I shall be glad in the Lord again.
(42:13):
The psalmist knew that. His gladness and his joy came
from his praise. That is the the privilege of
praise as we. Journey along this.
This pathway of praise we will instruct you more and more and
how it is we are to offer a sacrifice of praise as priests
(42:39):
in the Kingdom of God. Let's pray together.
Father, we thank you for this day and the opportunity you give
us to spend a brief moment in Your word.
We pray, Lord, that we would be a people of praise, a people who
magnify your name, a people who sing unto your name, a people
(43:00):
who glorify your name, a people who live in the realm of praise.
You are a great God. We thank you.
For your salvation. And.
As priests in your. Kingdom, we want to.
Be those who continually. Offer up a sacrifice of praise
(43:22):
to our King, to our God, to the majestic.
Holy one of. Israel, Jesus Christ our Lord, I
pray. For those today who?
Are going through difficult times I pray Lord that you would
strengthen them and. Help them to offer.
A sacrifice of praise, knowing that they might not feel like
(43:46):
it, they might not even want to,but they know it's a sacrifice.
So they lift their voices in praise to their God for who you
are and what you have done. And may their joy be intensified
all the more simply because of you.
(44:08):
And our gladness comes from the Lord Jesus.
We pray this in your name, Amen.
31 years ago this month, a groupof people had gotten together
and they started they wanted to start a church and thus Christ
Community Church was was born 31years ago this month.
And that group of people got together because they wanted to,
(00:22):
they wanted to, to go on a journey, a journey by which they
would learn to glorify and, and magnify the name of Christ.
They were fixed on doing that. So when we gathered together,
they, they made it very clear that from the very beginning,
(00:44):
they, they wanted to come to know and understand the Christ
more than anything. And so we said that we would
make it our, our passion to pursue Christ.
Then they said they, they wantedto make sure that not only do we
(01:05):
know Christ, but that we were able to demonstrate and show
Christ to other people. So we said, not only will we
make it our, our, our passion topursue Christ, we will make it
our, our priority to portray Christ.
And then they said, well, we want to make sure that we, we
(01:27):
teach people the gospel and tellthem about Christ.
So we made it our purpose to proclaim the Christ.
And then they said, as we do allthat, we need to make sure that
we, we magnify and, and praise his name.
(01:51):
So they made sure that we made it our practice to praise
Christ. And that began the mission
statement for our church 31 years ago.
And over the next several weeks,I want to talk to you about our
(02:14):
practice and what it means to give praise and glory and honor
to the Christ. It is a journey that is a
lifelong journey. That's why we call it a practice
(02:36):
because it's not going to be perfect our praise, but yet we
are called by God to praise his glorious name as a church.
We we are a priesthood of believers.
First Peter 29 says that we are a chosen nation, a people for
(02:59):
God's own possession. We are a royal priesthood
revelation. One tells us that we are a
Kingdom of priests, and sometimes I I think that we
forget that part of the identityof the believer is that he is a
priest in God's Kingdom. And what a priest do priest
(03:25):
offer sacrifices to their God. And that's why the writer of
Hebrews said this way in Hebrews13 verse #15 through him, then
let us continually OfferUp a sacrifice of praise to God.
That is the fruit of lips that give thanks to His name.
(03:52):
Praise is a sacrifice. As a Kingdom of priests, we are
to offer sacrifices to our God, and the key component to our
sacrifice is praise to God. Because praise is costly.
(04:12):
Praise is costly because most ofthe time my will does not want
to praise the Lord. My emotions don't feel like
praising the Lord when things don't go the way I think they
should go or the way I prayed that God would make them go.
I have a hard time offering praise to God.
(04:35):
But yet the Bible says that we are to continually offer a
sacrifice of praise to God. It's the fruit of our lips.
David understood that. And so in Psalm 57 he says these
words, Be gracious to me, O God,be gracious to me.
(04:58):
For my soul takes refuge in you and in the shadow of your wings.
I will take refuge until destruction passes by.
I will cry to God most High, to God who accomplishes things for
me. He will send from heaven and
save me. He reproaches him who tramples
(05:19):
upon me. God will send forth His loving
kindness and His truth. Then he says, My soul is among
lions. I must lie among those who
breathe forth fire, even the sons of men whose teeth are
Spears and arrows and their tongue a sharp sword.
(05:41):
Be exalted above the heavens. O God, let your glory be above
all the earth. They have prepared a net for my
steps. A soul is bound.
My soul is bowed down. They dug a pit before me.
They themselves have fallen intothe midst of it.
My heart is steadfast. O God, my heart is steadfast.
(06:05):
I will sing. Yes, I will sing praises.
Awake, my glory, awake harp and lyre, I will awaken the dawn.
I will give thanks to you, O Lord, among the peoples.
I will sing praises to you amongthe nations, for your loving
kindness is great to the heavensand your truth to the clouds.
(06:28):
Be exalted above the heavens, O God, let your glory be above all
the earth. David and Psalm 57 knew that he
was surrounded by those who wanted to destroy his life, but
he knew that the answer to that was to give praise and glory to
his God, to sing to his God. And he was a sweet psalmist of
(06:50):
Israel. So he knew that the key to his
life in handling the difficulties of that he was
facing was to give praise to God.
He offered a sacrifice of praiseto his God because that's what
priests do. And as the Kingdom of priests,
(07:13):
which we are, we are to offer those sacrifices unto the Lord.
So I thought that beginning today and into the holiday
season of Thanksgiving and Christmas, we are going to take
a journey along the pathway. We're going to call it the
pathway of praise, and we're going to begin to look at the
(07:37):
different aspects of praise thatneed to be practiced by us every
single moment of every single day.
So this journey will take us through the holiday season, but
it will help us learn that our praise to God doesn't just come
at Thanksgiving, or does it justcome at the Christmas season?
(07:58):
It comes all year around becauseour lives are marked by a
sacrifice of praise to God. Now, you must understand that
when you get to heaven, this is what you're going to do.
(08:18):
You're going to give praise to God for eternity.
So it's best to practice now what you're going to be doing
perfectly in heaven. In fact, I like the way Charles
Spurgeon said it. He said it this way.
(08:40):
He said when you step into heaven, you may take your place
among the singers and say, I have been practicing these songs
for years. I have praised God while I was
in the world of sin and suffering and when I was weighed
(09:02):
down by a feeble body. But now that I am set free from
earth, from sin and the bondage of the flesh, I take up the same
strain to sing more sweetly to the same Lord and God.
(09:25):
When you get to heaven, you'll be filled with praise and you
will do this for eternity. It's hard for us to comprehend
that that goes way beyond any kind of human understanding.
What do you mean praise God for eternity?
(09:46):
Read Revelation 4, Revelation chapter 5.
Read Revelation Chapter 11. Read Revelation chapter 15,
Revelation chapter 19. It's all about the glory and
Hallelujah and praise given to God in heaven by those who are
there. The four living creatures that
(10:09):
are around the throne give praise to God day and night,
saying holy, holy, holy is the Lord God Almighty who was and is
and is to come. Holy, holy, holy is the Lord God
Almighty. And they said the same refrain
(10:30):
over and over and over again. And these are the four living
creatures who have eyes all around them.
These are angelic cherubim. And yet they can't stop praising
the God they serve. They've been doing that since
they were created. And they will be doing that for
(10:52):
eternity. And we will one day join them in
the course of praise. Because when you get to heaven,
God is so overwhelmingly majestic, and so you will be
overwhelmed by His glory, and you can't help but praise Him
(11:15):
just for the opportunity to be in His presence for eternity.
So I thought today we would begin with the privilege of
praise. As we journey along the pathway
of praise, let's begin with the privilege of praise.
(11:37):
Why is praise a privilege to thepriests in God's Kingdom?
Well, number one is that praise verifies my identity.
Praise verifies my identity. The verse Isaiah 43 verse #21
(12:06):
which says the people whom I have formed for myself will
declare my praise. God makes it very clear that the
people that I form for myself, they will do one thing.
They will give praise and glory to me.
(12:28):
They will honor my name. I have created them for my
glory, and therefore they will praise my glorious name.
The Bible says in Proverbs 2225 from you comes my praise.
(12:50):
I'm sorry, that's Psalm 2225. From you comes my praise.
In other words, because of God, and God is in me, comes forth my
praise to Him. The psalmist says in Psalm 40
verse #1 These words. I waited patiently for the Lord,
(13:11):
and he inclined to me and heard my cry.
He brought me up out of the pit of destruction, out of the miry
clay, and he set my feet up on arock, making my footsteps firm.
He put a new song in my mouth, asong of praise to our God.
Many will see in fear and will trust in the Lord when God takes
(13:36):
you and brings you up out of themiry pit.
He puts a new song in your mouth, a song of deliverance
that causes you to want to praise his glorious name.
The Bible makes it very clear that the identity the believer
(13:57):
is wrapped up in his praise to God way back in.
In First Samuel, I'm sorry, Second Samuel chapter 23, David
gives his last literary masterpiece.
We know that 73 of the Psalms are directly attributed to
(14:18):
David, and so as he sings this last song to his son to help
encourage him in his leadership,listen to what David says and
then listen to what he doesn't say.
Second same of 23 verse #1 Now these are the last words of
(14:39):
David. David, the son of Jesse,
declares the man who was raised on high, declares the anointed
of the God of Jacob and the sweet psalmist of Israel.
David is describing himself to his son, and he described
(15:01):
himself as the one who was raised up on high, who was
anointed by God, that God had called him and commissioned him.
And notice the very next thing he says.
He doesn't say he commissioned him to be the king of Israel.
He doesn't say he commissioned him to be a warrior for his God,
(15:24):
a soldier for his God. He identifies himself as a sweet
psalmist of Israel because when God called him, God called him
to sing praises to his name, to lift his name on high.
And that was more important thanbeing the king of Israel.
(15:45):
It was more important than beinga warrior for God.
It was to be able to praise His glorious name.
And David recognized that. And at the end of his life, he
helps his Son understand that this is what we do.
This is what people who are kings do.
They give praise to God because that's their identity.
(16:06):
Nothing verifies the identity ofa believer.
Then the person who gives praiseto their God, no matter what.
That's very, very important #2 not only does praise verify my
identity, but praise is that which ratifies my loyalty.
(16:33):
There's something that ratifies the fact that I am loyal to God
and that is fruitful lips that sing forth praise.
Listen to what the Bible says inPsalm 145 verse #1 I will extol
you, my God O King, and I will bless your name forever and
(16:59):
ever. Every day I will bless you and I
will praise your name forever and ever.
Great is the Lord and highly to be praised, and His greatness is
unsearchable. One generation shall praise your
works to another, and shall declare your mighty acts.
(17:20):
Notice he says, I will four times.
I will extol your name. I will praise your name, I will
lift your name. I will do this because I am
loyal to the King. He recognized God as his King
and as a loyal subject to his King.
(17:40):
He's going to not only obey his King, he's going to give glory
and honor to his King. He's going to praise His
glorious name. So nothing ratifies my loyalty
to God more than my willingness to praise His glorious name.
The psalmist said in Psalm 22 verse #26 those who seek Him
(18:08):
will praise His name. Those who seek Him will praise
His name. If your passion is to pursue
Him, your practice will be to praise Him.
Why? Because those who seek Him can't
help but praise His glorious name.
(18:31):
And so it's important for us to realize that that praise is that
which verifies my identity, ratifies my loyalty, and #3
praise is that which beautifies my personality.
Praise is that which beautifies my personality.
(18:54):
Listen to what the psalmist saidin Psalm 147 verse #1 praise the
Lord, for it is good to sing praises to our God, for it is
pleasing and praise is beautiful.
(19:19):
Maybe your text says praise is becoming, or maybe your text
says praise is fitting. No matter how you cut it, praise
beautifies every scene, every circumstance, every situation.
(19:43):
So when you begin to praise God amidst hardship and difficulty,
broken dreams and promises you are, you are shining light in a
sphere that's dark. And by giving praise to God,
your personality is simply beautified, because God is
reflecting himself in and through you to those all around
(20:06):
you who somehow need to see the glory and splendor of God.
So when a man or woman gives glory to God, they are
reflecting the righteous radiance of a God who dwells in
unapproachable light. So therefore, when you give
praise to God, you are shining down in the darkness of human
(20:29):
souls, in human circumstances and showing how Christ is the
only answer. There's nothing that beautifies
the personality more than praise.
So many times our lives are marked by depression in
(20:50):
darkness. Our lives are marked by a dreary
and dreadful attitude, by bitterand unwelcomed attitudes.
But praise, praise changes all of that.
When you recognize that God is in control and God's in charge
(21:14):
and you want to give Him glory because of that, praise is that
which verifies my identity, ratifies my loyalty, beautifies
my personality. That's what the psalmist said in
Psalm one O 3 verse #1 Bless theLord, O my soul and all that is
(21:36):
within me. Bless His holy name, because He
wanted everything within him, His soul, His mind, His heart,
everything to give praise to HisGod, knowing that the beauty of
His life was determined by His praise #4 Praise is that which
(22:04):
clarifies my priority. Praise is that which clarifies
my priority. Psalm 146 verse #1 says Praise
the Lord, praise the Lord, O my soul, I will praise the Lord
(22:27):
while I live. I will sing praises to my God
while I have my being the priority the psalmist was as
long as I live, I will praise the Lord.
Psalm 119 verse #175 Let my soullive that it may praise Thee.
(22:53):
The psalmist says, I only want to live if I can praise your
name. So let me live that I might do
that. Let me live that I might sing
praises. Be grateful, be thankful all the
days of my life. The psalmist knew that praising
(23:14):
God sustained him. The psalmist knew that that
praising God strengthened him. So let me live that I might
praise your glorious name. That is that which clarifies
one's priority. Remember Job?
(23:35):
Job, chapter one, verse 21. The Lord gave and the Lord is
taken away. Blessed be the name of the Lord.
He lost everything. He lost his kids, his business,
(23:56):
his home, everything. He said.
Blessed be the name of the Lord.He spoke well of God's name.
He praised God's name. The Lord has given, and the Lord
has seen fit to take it away. Recognizing God's sovereignty,
(24:19):
recognizing God's plan, blessed be the name of the Lord.
And Job never cursed his God. Amidst all of his suffering,
amidst all of his hardship, he was one who wanted to bless and
honor his God. That's why he was a unique
individual. David was the man after God's
(24:40):
own heart. He was marked at the sweet
Psalmist of Israel. Job was the greatest man on the
planet by God's testimony, and he lived a life of blessing and
honoring his God. How about you?
How do you handle your situations?
(25:02):
How do you handle your difficulties?
How do you handle your hardships?
How do you handle the dark days?Are they filled with praise and
glory to God? Because it's a sacrifice you
offer. It's a sacrifice of praise to
God that priests offer. And we are a priesthood of
(25:25):
believers. Therefore we offer a sacrifice
of praise to our God continually, day by day, never
ceasing to honor our God. So praise is that which verifies
my identity, ratifies my loyalty, beautifies my
(25:49):
personality, clarifies my priority.
Praise is that which specifies God's generosity.
Praise is such a privilege because it specifies God's
generosity. You know the verse Psalm One O 3
(26:13):
Bless the Lord, O my soul, and all that is within me.
Bless his holy name. Bless the Lord, O my soul, and
forget none of his benefits. What of His benefits?
Who pardons all our iniquities? Who heals all our diseases?
Who redeems our life from the pit?
Who crowns us with loving kindness and compassion?
(26:35):
Who satisfies our years with good things, so that your youth
is renewed like the eagles. That's blessing the Lord.
That's praising the Lord. It specifies His generosity.
Praise is very specific. Praise is not general.
(26:56):
It's specific because of the things that God has done for His
own. Psalm one O 7 verse #8 Oh, that
men would give thanks to the Lord for His goodness and for
His wonderful works to the children of men.
And, and the next one follows right on the heels of this.
(27:17):
Not only is is a privilege of praise a privilege because it
specifies his generosity, but ittestifies to God's ministry.
It testifies to God's ministry. In other words, when I when I
give praise to God, I am giving a a testimony to the ministry of
God in my life. Listen to what the psalmist says
(27:40):
in Psalm 76. In you, O Lord, I have taken
refuge. Let me never be ashamed in your
righteousness. Deliver me and rescue me, and
climb your ear to me and save me.
Be to me a rock of habitation towhich I may continually come.
(28:00):
You have given commandment to save me, for you are my rock and
my fortress. Rescue me, Oh my God, out of the
hand of the wicked, out of the grasp of the wrongdoer and the
ruthless man, For you are my hope.
O Lord God, You are my confidence from my youth.
By You I have been sustained from my birth.
(28:23):
You are he who took me from my mother's womb.
My praise is continually of You.I've become a marvel to many,
for You are my strong refuge. My mouth is filled with Your
praise and with Your glory all day long.
(28:46):
So you see, he testifies to the ministry of God in his life.
Who's going to deliver him? Who's going to rescue him?
Who is this rock and stronghold no matter what the circumstance?
And he offers a, a continual praise to God day after day
after day. And the Bible says these words.
I have become a marvel to many. Why?
(29:11):
Why has he become a marvel to many?
Because who praises God when everything is negative?
But those who believe in God, those who who verify their
identity, those who ratify theirloyalty, those who beautify
their I, their their personality, those are the ones
(29:32):
who who specify his generosity because they clarify their
priority. So therefore they testify to
God's ministry in their life. And that is a privilege of
praise. Many marvel at me.
They don't understand. And why would they?
(29:54):
The world doesn't get this. The world doesn't understand why
you would praise your God amidstall your negativity.
They can understand why you would give praise to glory and
God when when all things are going good, when your team wins
or you win the game because you hit the home run or you get a a
(30:14):
pay raise or, or you get some kind of recognition at work and
you give glory to God. Well, of course you give glory
and praise to God because everything is good.
But what about things that when they are bad, when they are
negative and you're downcast andthings are very difficult in
your family, in your workplace, in your physical life, Is there
(30:39):
a voice that says, I praise you,God, for what you've done in my
life? I praise you for all the
sickness. I praise you for all the
negative circumstances. I praise you for the loss of my
job. I praise you in the midst of my
divorce because somehow, God, you are doing a work and I'm
(30:59):
going to lift your name on high because I am a priest in the
Kingdom of God and I will offer a sacrifice of praise to my
king. That's the privilege of praise.
If you're counting, it's #7 if you're not counting, it is still
(31:23):
#7 #7 is this praise? This is so good.
Purifies me from iniquity. Did you know that?
One of the keys to living a pureand holy life is to give praise
(31:43):
to God. It's said this way in Ephesians
chapter 5 verse #3 pulses. But immorality or any impurity
or greed must not even be named among you, as is proper among
the Saints. And there must be no filthiness
(32:03):
and silly talk or coarse jestingwhich are not fitting, but
rather giving of thanks, being grateful, praising God, thanking
(32:24):
him for who he is. These things should not even be
named among you. Paul says you shouldn't even be
mentioning them, but what you should be doing is giving thanks
to God for what He has done in your life.
I love what Ephesians chapter 1 says is if you got time to just
(32:46):
to go back and read it. It talks about God saving us and
how he does it. And three times he says to the
praise of the glory of his name.God does what He does for the
praise of the glory of His name,the glory of His character, the
glory of His person. He wants to be praised and
(33:08):
honored among His people and we.As priests are his.
People. So what do we do?
We. We do.
What priests do we We offer a sacrifice of praise continually
to our God, no matter what the circumstance, no matter what the
situation, because we want to honor his name and.
(33:29):
Praise is that which? Purifies me from iniquity.
If I just learned to to give thanks to God my focus, that is
on him, right? It's not on my.
Own self. My own.
Needs my own wants. It's, it's on God.
So all the impure thoughts and all the, the immoral thoughts
and all the course gisting and all the silly talk that goes
(33:49):
away because my thoughts are noton those around me, nor is my
thought on me. It's on God himself.
And therefore I I live a life ofthankfulness to God, a life of
praising Him for what He's done,and it purifies me from my
iniquity. Next. #8 Praise is that which
(34:14):
glorifies His Majesty. It glorifies His Majesty.
That's what a psalmist said in Psalm One.
O 3 Bless his holy name, the holiness of God.
Back in Exodus chapter 15, Miriam would lead the song of
(34:35):
praise after Pharaoh and his army was cast into the sea and
Israel was able to pass by on dry land.
And it says that Exodus chapter 15 verse #21 Miriam answered
them. Sing to the Lord, for he is
highly exalted, The horse and rider he has hurled into the
sea. You.
(34:58):
You. Want to glorify His?
Majesty, you want to glorify hisroyalty, you want to magnify his
name, and that's what that's what praise does over in
Revelation Chapter 19. Revelation Chapter 19 you had
the fourfold Hallelujah, it saysafter.
(35:20):
These things I heard. Some something like a loud voice
of a great multitude in heaven saying Hallelujah.
Salvation and glory and power belong to our God because his
judgments are true and righteousFor His judge, the great harlot
who was corrupting the earth with her immorality, and he has
avenged the blood of his bond servants on her.
(35:44):
The second time they said Hallelujah, her smoke rises up
forever and ever. And the 24 elders and the four
living creatures fell down and worshipped God who sits on the
throne saying Amen, Hallelujah. And a voice came from the throne
saying, Give praise to our God, all you his bond servants, you
who fear him, the small and the great.
(36:07):
Then I heard something like the voice of a great multitude, and
like the sound of many waters and like the sound of mighty
peals of Thunder, saying Hallelujah for the Lord our God
the Almighty reigns. That that's what heaven is.
It's the it's the Hallelujah chorus of the of the Saints and
priests of God who are his bond servants.
(36:31):
So the voice that of heaven says, Give praise to His name,
for praise glorifies His Majesty#9 praise is that which
magnifies His sovereignty. It magnifies His sovereignty.
(36:52):
Paul says in Romans 11. O the depth of the riches both
of the wisdom and glory of God. How unsearchable are His
judgments, and unfathomable His ways.
For who has known the mind of the Lord, or who became His
counselor, or who has first given to him, that it might be
paid back to him again? For from him and through him and
(37:13):
to him are all things. To him be the glory forever.
Amen. Paul lifts.
Praise to God. Because of His sovereignty, it
magnifies that even Jesus, Even Jesus would magnify the
sovereignty of God. Listen to what Jesus says.
(37:36):
Matthew 11 verse #25 At that time Jesus said, I praise you,
Father. I praise you, Father.
Lord of heaven and earth, that you have hidden these things
(37:56):
from the wise and intelligent and have revealed them to
infants. Yes, Father, for this way was
pleasing in your sight. He magnified.
The sovereignty of His Father inHeaven.
I praise you, Lord, for you havehidden these things.
(38:20):
You have hidden this gospel fromthe intelligent and the wise,
and you've opened the the minds and the hearts of the lowly that
they might receive the gospel and believe the gospel.
He's magnifying God's sovereignty and salvation.
Even Jesus gives praise to his Father because he wants to
magnify his sovereignty. That's the privilege of praise.
(38:47):
So if you're taking notes because all spirit filled
Christians take notes, you know that the privilege of praise
verifies my identity, ratifies my loyalty, beautifies my
personality, clarifies my priority, specifies God's
(39:08):
generosity, testifies to God's ministry, purifies me from
iniquity, glorifies God's majesty, magnifies his
sovereignty, and lastly, intensifies, intensifies my joy.
(39:30):
It intensifies. My joy.
Listen to the Psalmist in Psalm 63.
Psalmist. Says oh God, you.
Are my God. I shall seek you earnestly.
My soul thirsts for you, my flesh yearns for you in a dry
and where we land where there isno water.
(39:52):
Thus I have seen you in the sanctuary to see your power and
your glory, because your loving kindness is better than life.
My lips will praise you, so I will bless you as long as I
live. I will lift up my hands in your
(40:14):
name. Why?
My soul is satisfied, as with Morrow and fatness and my youth.
Or, excuse me, my mouth offers praises with joyful lips.
Praise intensifies my joy it. Makes it so it.
(40:41):
Is all consuming in my life so. Many times we live.
Lives joy joylessly, and that should.
Never be the case. And then the psalmist says these
words over in Psalm 18 verse #1 I love you, O Lord, my, my
strength. The Lord is my rock and my
(41:02):
fortress, my deliverer, my God, my rock, and whom I take refuge,
my shield and the horn of my salvation, my stronghold.
I call upon the Lord who is worthy to be praised, and I'm
saved from my enemies. I'm saved from my enemies.
He's my rock, my refuge, my strength, my fortress, my
stronghold. And then over in Psalm 9 verse
(41:23):
#1 I will give thanks to the Lord with all my heart.
I will tell of all your wonders.I will be glad and exalt in You.
I will sing praise to your name,O Most High, and then over.
In Psalm one O. 4 Psalmist says these words in verse #33.
(41:50):
I will sing. To the Lord as long as I live, I
will sing praise to my God whileI have my being.
Let my meditation be pleasing tohim.
As for me, I shall be glad in the Lord again.
(42:13):
The psalmist knew that. His gladness and his joy came
from his praise. That is the the privilege of
praise as we. Journey along this.
This pathway of praise we will instruct you more and more and
how it is we are to offer a sacrifice of praise as priests
(42:39):
in the Kingdom of God. Let's pray together.
Father, we thank you for this day and the opportunity you give
us to spend a brief moment in Your word.
We pray, Lord, that we would be a people of praise, a people who
magnify your name, a people who sing unto your name, a people
(43:00):
who glorify your name, a people who live in the realm of praise.
You are a great God. We thank you.
For your salvation. And.
As priests in your. Kingdom, we want to.
Be those who continually. Offer up a sacrifice of praise
(43:22):
to our King, to our God, to the majestic.
Holy one of. Israel, Jesus Christ our Lord, I
pray. For those today who?
Are going through difficult times I pray Lord that you would
strengthen them and. Help them to offer.
A sacrifice of praise, knowing that they might not feel like
(43:46):
it, they might not even want to,but they know it's a sacrifice.
So they lift their voices in praise to their God for who you
are and what you have done. And may their joy be intensified
all the more simply because of you.
(44:08):
And our gladness comes from the Lord Jesus.
We pray this in your name, Amen.
Popular Podcasts
Las Culturistas with Matt Rogers and Bowen Yang
Ding dong! Join your culture consultants, Matt Rogers and Bowen Yang, on an unforgettable journey into the beating heart of CULTURE. Alongside sizzling special guests, they GET INTO the hottest pop-culture moments of the day and the formative cultural experiences that turned them into Culturistas. Produced by the Big Money Players Network and iHeartRadio.
Dateline NBC
Current and classic episodes, featuring compelling true-crime mysteries, powerful documentaries and in-depth investigations. Follow now to get the latest episodes of Dateline NBC completely free, or subscribe to Dateline Premium for ad-free listening and exclusive bonus content: DatelinePremium.com
Stuff You Should Know
If you've ever wanted to know about champagne, satanism, the Stonewall Uprising, chaos theory, LSD, El Nino, true crime and Rosa Parks, then look no further. Josh and Chuck have you covered.