Sing! Hymnal

On By BrianIn Sing A Song, Songs to Sing

Getty Music and Crossway have released a new hymnal with a great mix of old and new hymns for the church, family, and individual to sing.  New hymns include songs from Getty Music, City Alight, and Sovereign Grace Music.  Most of the new hymns our church sings are in this hymnal, making it a great resource for us.  I received my copy on Friday, and enjoyed an hour paging through it, reading and singing rich lyrics that raise the heart to worship. 

They also have a spiral version that lays flat and includes the chords.  Just ordered two of those for our guitar and piano players.  I’m excited to have simpler music versions that we will be able to use as we lead our church in worship. 

Their website has a page that not only allows you to see what hymns are included but also allows you to listen to a simple piano rendition to help you learn the melody.  As I was paging through the hymnal, I thought that would be a nice feature for the songs I didn’t know, and then I found it!  Super helpful.

This new hymnal is going to be a great new resource for our small church, and I encourage you to check it out.

Doctrine Matters for Our Relationship with God

On By BrianIn PASSION Reflections

What is required to have a growing relationship with God, to know God more and more?  I must learn about Him.  Doctrine teaches us about Him – the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit – so that I might know Him better.

Imagine a young man and a young woman meet, and they want to get to know each other.  What do they do?  They spend time together.  They talk to each other and listen.  They learn about each other.

If you want to get to know God better, you need to learn about Him – who He is, what He has done, what He is doing now, and what He will do in the future.  That’s doctrine.  It’s not dry!  It is relational.  It is exciting! 

And as we learn more about God – His love, His faithfulness, His mercy, and what He has done to save us by becoming one of us to die on a cross – we not only get to know Him better, but we love Him more.  Our love for Him grows.  We learn of His love for us, and we grow in our love towards Him.  Our relationship is not dry, but a loving relationship between God and us.

And as we learn about Him through doctrine, this love then leads to worship.  Theology should always lead to doxology.  Doctrine should always lead to praise.  In Ephesians 1-3, Paul lays out the doctrines of salvation and then closes in 3:20-21 with worship to God.  The same thing happens in Romans.  Paul lays out wondrous doctrinal truth in chapters 1-11, and then closes in 11:33-36 with praise to God.  As Paul reflects on doctrinal truths, he can’t help but break into joyful worship. 

Doctrine teaches us about God, that we might grow in our relationship with Him, loving Him more, and falling down before Him in worship.

Declaring the Glory

On By BrianIn Declaring the Glory

Manido Falls in Porcupine Mountains Wilderness State Park in Michigan

The heavens declare the glory of God,
and the sky above proclaims his handiwork.
– Psalm 19:1

For his invisible attributes, namely, his eternal power and divine nature,
have been clearly perceived, ever since the creation of the world,
in the things that have been made. So they are without excuse.
– Romans 1:20

OT Journey 2.0: Exodus

On By BrianIn OT Journey 2.0

There are 8 studies for the book of Exodus, which you can find below. You can use them to continue leading a study through the Old Testament or to just lead a study on Exodus. Be sure to read the introduction to OT Journey 2.0 at the bottom of the page here for more information. You are encouraged to use the Bible Project overview videos (Exodus 1-18 and Exodus 19-40) at the beginning of Study #1 and Study #5.

Study 1: Exodus 1-5

Study 2: Exodus 6-10

Study 3: Exodus 11-15

Study 4: Exodus 16-20

Study 5: Exodus 21-24

Study 6: Exodus 25-30

Study 7: Exodus 31-34

Study 8: Exodus 35-40

May God bless you as you study His Word!

OT Journey 2.0: Genesis

On By BrianIn OT Journey 2.0

There are 10 studies for the book of Genesis, which you can find below. You can use them to start leading a study through the Old Testament or to just lead a study on Genesis. Be sure to read the introduction to OT Journey 2.0 at the bottom of the page here for more information. You are encouraged to use the Bible Project overview videos (Genesis 1-11 and Genesis 12-50) at the beginning of Study #1 and Study #3.

Study 1: Genesis 1-5

Study 2: Genesis 6-10

Study 3: Genesis 11-15

Study 4: Genesis 16-20

Study 5: Genesis 21-25

Study 6: Genesis 26-30

Study 7: Genesis 31-35

Study 8: Genesis 36-40

Study 9: Genesis 41-45

Study 10: Genesis 46-50

May God bless you as you study His Word!

Sermon Songs: Hebrews 7:23-8:5

On By BrianIn Hebrews Hymns

Behold Jesus saves us completely
The Son of God and the perfect man
Dying, He paid for our sins fully
Now intercedes for us in heaven

Chorus
Fast, Fast, Hold fast
Hold fast to Jesus the Better One
Near, Near, Draw Near
Draw near to God through His only Son

So come into God’s presence boldly
Gasp in wonder at full forgiveness
Gratefully pursue His purity
Hold fast to Jesus your confidence
(Repeat Chorus)

© 2023 Brian J. Mikul

(Sing to tune of “Grace Greater Than Our Sin”)

An Act of Resistance

On By BrianIn PASSION Quotes, Uncategorized

Sabbath rest…says that I don’t need to justify my own existence. It’s an act of resistance against the false god-king of this world who always demands that we do. It’s open rebellion against the systems of this world that demand we do in order to be.

– Adam Mabry in The Art of Rest

Introducing OT Journey 2.0

On By BrianIn OT Journey 2.0

I am excited to introduce you to OT Journey 2.0 this summer. Bible Journey studies and reflections have been on this site for quite a while. This summer I am launching OT Journey 2.0 which is a reworking and revising of that earlier material. It is designed to help you take a group through the entire Old Testament (except Psalms) chapter by chapter in three years (150 lessons). You can find all the details for this new study (as well as the older one) on the Bible Journey page here. I plan to start posting studies next week. It would make a great study to start this Fall with your Sunday School class or small group Bible study.

Sermon Songs: Hebrews 7:11-22

On By BrianIn Hebrews Hymns

The Law of Moses had a defect
Could not bring us into God’s presence
But Jesus our High Priest is perfect
Draws us to God with endless access

Chorus
Fast, Fast, Hold fast
Hold fast to Jesus the Better One
Near, Near, Draw Near
Draw near to God through His only Son

Jesus comes from the tribe of Judah
Comes with an oath and by prophecy
Lives forever by God’s great power
Gives us hope now and eternally
(Repeat Chorus)

© 2023 Brian J. Mikul

(Sing to tune of “Grace Greater Than Our Sin”)

My God Is All I Need

On By BrianIn Sing A Song, Songs to Sing

At our VBS a few weeks ago, we taught the children the kids song, “My God Is So Big,” which CityAlight embedded in their song “My God Is All I Need.” That Sunday we introduced CityAlight’s song, and when we came to “My God Is So Big” we had the kids lead us with the motions. A great way to get the kids involved in the worship service. And great lyrics to encourage all of us.

Lyrics, chord charts, lead sheets, places to listen or buy, and more are available on their site here.