Introduction - Our Spiritual Act Of Worship

I started this "Words of Worship" series at a different phase in my life.  I had a job, but that job consumed me and took priority.  Most of my problems were work related, and these struggles and frustrations informed my writing. However, things have changed for me.  I no longer have this job, but now have a revitalized passion for God and His church. Losing this job has forced me to examine the condition of my life, no longer guided by work ambitions.  It left me with nothing, which pushed me to pursue a stronger relationship with God and His Church.  I have a new desire to live a life of worship to Him.  This means I am starting over in my walk with God and learning to sacrifice and avoid conformation with society.  It means a more focused direction for this series.

Again, I strongly urge you, if you haven't already, to read the first post, "Introduction - A Call to Worship".  This is where I intend to direct my studies, with Romans 12:1-2 the main focus.  Upcoming entries will explore how we can begin to lead a life that worships God, starting with sacrifice and surrender, letting go of the obstacles that keep us from devoting ourselves to Him, followed by studies of faith and trusting God, not being anxious, not falling into routine and relying on our works to save us, learning to look to God and not to ourselves, and recognizing how we reap what we sow in our lives.  From there, I will move to a variety of topics.  You can expect a lot of references to the apostle Paul's letters, because much of this revolves around the spiritual battle in our lives.  As I go through this study, I will be challenging myself and everyone who reads this series to examine our hearts and consider how we need to grow.  When we discuss these matters, I hope to let the biblical passages (not my written words) guide our discussions and hopefully other testimonies will emerge.

In the coming weeks/months, I will take a close look at the key passage that encapsulates the purpose of this blog/series, Romans 12:1-2.  I will write several entries based on the important words and concepts in these verses, with each one including scriptures for further investigation and discussion.  This subseries, "Our Spiritual Act of Worship," will begin by examining God's mercy ("in view of God's mercy"), offering ourselves as living sacrifices, what it means to be holy and pleasing to God, not conforming to the world, being transformed by the renewing of our minds, and understanding God's will.

I hope this new, reborn series will help you in your spiritual development, that you may also experience a rebirth into a life devoted to God, a life that fully worships Him.