VERTICAL CHURCH continued

More of my favorite quotes from "Vertical Church" by James McDonald.....

Chapter 5: Unashamed Adoration
"Worship or adoration is the most powerful expression a human being is capable of, When worship is directed to an unworthy person or object, we call it idolatry. Idolatry, not pride as we are often told, is the root of all sin."

"When you worship, you are saying, 'This one is worth more.' At the same time you are implying, 'I am worth less.'"

"Worship is the actual act of ascribing worth directly to God...Worship is mind, emotions, and will engaged in whole person ascription of worth."

"While God is not enhanced or increased by our worship, He is apparently blessed, and that in itself should stoke the fire of our adoration."

"Why not drill past surface solutions that entertain instead of impact and get back to church as a place where God actually moves. White-hot, unrestrained, whole-congregation adoration is the first step in that direction, and pursuing that kind of worship is the unceasing center of Vertical Church."

"God knows the things about you that make whole-person worship challenging, but He expects you to begin climbing over any limiters in your personality or home of origin to amplify your personal expression of gratitude for the gospel."

Chapter 6: Unapologetic Preaching
"Biblical preaching demands effort, drains energy, and distracts attention away from other things that matter too but demand less."

"Preaching has been the crucible for my sanctification, the thing God has used more than any other to shape my soul I hope it has helped others; I know it has transformed me and continues to."

"Bible explanation is not preaching...If you are unpacking your lexical study and dispensing, biblical accuracy without Holy Spirit urgency, you are not preaching in the biblical sense, which commands a heralding of the message."

"The goal is to actually preach the message of the Bible itself, where a passage is read and what is said about its subject is what the text asserts about that subject, and what is said about those assertions is what the text says about those assertions. Biblical preaching is where passages are expounded for their main points and the points the text makes about those points. In that kind of preaching, people are truly hearing what God is saying to His church by the Holy Spirit and glory comes down."

"When the preacher does not believe that God is speaking through him, sermons become shorter, more horizontal, and consumed with the preacher or the audience rather than the Word of God."

"Preach one passage as often as possible...Sermons should be about one main concept...Be just as conscientious about your application preparation as you are about your interpretation preparation...Challenging application of the truth taught brings you into partnership with the convicting ministry of the Holy Spirit...We must pray with fervency; we must pray in faith..."