Worship Styles - Part 2

Yesterday I promised more resources so here I go:

* There is a simple test you can take to determine your worship style.
* Once you have figured out your worship style take a moment and view Gary Thomas' study guide regarding this topic. It will help you to grow the way God designed you.
* You can download the sermon for only $1 and hear all about why it matters. Andy Stanley has an amazing preaching style. I have a tendency to forget I am even watching a sermon!!!

Just to share here are my results:
Naturalist: 8
Sensate: 6
Traditionalist:13
Ascetics: 12
Activists: 21
Caregiver: 18
Enthusiast: 15
Contemplative: 19
Intellectual: 25

Take a second and check off your worship style(s) in the poll on the left.

So why does your worship style matter anyway? In the sermon Pastor Andy warns of some traps we face if we do not acknowledge our style & the value of others with differing styles:
* You may think your way is THE ONLY WAY
* You may judge churches, individuals, leaders & friends if they have a different style.
* You may value someone's style so much that you judge your own as unworthy and it may even cause you to fall away from God as you believe yourself to be a failure.
* You may find yourself leading others using only your style and therefore fail to connect with them leaving them feeling as though God is not for them.

The Bible tells us in Hebrews 10:24 "Let us consider how we may spur one another on toward love and good deeds". In order to do this you will need to consider their worship style above your own and meet them where they are. This may seem contradictory to what Jesus tells us in Matthew 7:14 "But small is the gate and narrow the road that leads to life and only a few find it." But in James 4:8 we are told "Come near to God and he will come near to you".

The New Testament frees us from the laws of the Old Testament and its laws, creating a relationship between God and his people. How do you draw near to your friends, family and others? Is it always the same way? I know in my life I need to reach different people different ways. Some of my friends will only reply to a text, others prefer a facebook post, still others need to be face to face. If this is true of people (who are the image bearers of God) then it is true of our relationship with Him. He knows how he created you "For [he] create my inmost being; you knit me together in my mother's womb." (Psalm 139:13). God wants you to be YOU and to love Him the way he created you to love Him. It takes all styles of worship and all types of people to expand the kingdom of God. Embrace your style, accept & appreciate the styles of others, and be grateful for God's amazing desire to be near to you.

Finally, think about how this affects your friendships, parenting & marriage and try to bear these things in mind as you grow those relationships. Try to discover if different worship styles may be creating conflict in your life and practice grace!

In His Love