Singing From the Heart: God’s Way of Worship

When you think about worship, what comes to mind? For some, it’s the sound of a choir, the swell of an organ, or the strum of a guitar. For others, it’s the simple, unaccompanied voices of Christians singing together. But instead of asking, “What do I prefer?” or “What sounds good to me?”—the better question is:  “What does God want?”

That question takes us straight to Ephesians 5:19, where Paul writes:  “Speaking to one another in psalms and hymns and spiritual songs, singing and making melody in your heart to the Lord.”

This one verse says a lot about God’s desire for worship, and if we take it seriously, it challenges us to think deeply about how we praise Him.

If we add in what Paul wrote in Colossians 3:16, “Let the message of Christ dwell among you richly as you teach and admonish one another with all wisdom through psalms, hymns, and songs from the Spirit, singing to God with gratitude in your hearts”, the emphasis becomes even clearer:  New Testament worship is built upon words, shared in song, flowing from hearts filled with Christ.

God Asked for Singing

Notice Paul doesn’t say “play” or “strum.” He says “sing.” The Greek word used here (ado) means just that—to sing with the voice. This is not an accident, nor is it vague. God chose His words carefully. When He wanted instrumental music in the Old Testament temple, He told the Levites to play (2 Chronicles 29:25). But when He described Christian worship under the new covenant, He told us to sing.

If I invite you to dinner and say, “Please bring dessert,” I don’t mean for you to also bring a pot roast and a bag of chips. I specified dessert. In the same way, when God specifies singing, that is what He expects.

The Instrument Is the Heart

Paul doesn’t stop there. He adds:  “making melody in your heart to the Lord.”

The Greek word psallō once referred to plucking strings, but by Paul’s time it had shifted in meaning—it meant “to sing praise.” To make sure there was no confusion, Paul points out the instrument:  the heart.

This is beautiful. God doesn’t want the twang of a string or the beat of a drum—He wants the melody of a heart devoted to Him. Anyone can make noise on an instrument, but only a surrendered heart can make music that pleases God.

Worship on God’s Terms, Not Ours

Now here’s the part that pushes against modern thinking:  worship is not about our preferences. We live in a world where people shop for churches the way they shop for shoes—looking for what feels comfortable, stylish, or entertaining. But worship is not about what entertains me; it’s about what honors God.

Think about it. If Noah had decided to build the ark out of oak or cedar instead of gopher wood, would God have been pleased? No—because God specified. In the same way, God has specified singing. Adding instruments may feel natural to us, but if He didn’t ask for it, is it really worship to Him?

Jesus put it plainly:  “God is Spirit, and those who worship Him must worship in spirit and truth” (John 4:24). Worship in truth means worship on God’s terms, not ours.

The Witness of History

History backs this up. For the first several centuries after Christ, Christians sang without instruments. Clement of Alexandria (around 200 A.D.) warned against instruments, saying they belonged to pagan feasts, not Christian worship. Augustine said the true instrument of worship is the heart. Even the word “a cappella” literally means “in the style of the church.”

So, not only does the New Testament leave instruments out, but the early Christians understood it that way too.

Why It Matters

Some might say, “But instruments make worship richer!” Maybe they sound beautiful to us—but worship isn’t about pleasing us. It’s about pleasing God. If we love Him, shouldn’t we want to give Him what He asked for, not what we think He might enjoy?

Think of it like a gift. If your spouse asks for something simple and heartfelt, but you insist on giving them something flashy and expensive instead, who are you really thinking about—you or them? Worship works the same way. The question isn’t, “Do I like it?” but “Does God want it?”

Conclusion:  The Music God Loves

Ephesians 5:19 paints a clear picture:  God wants His people to lift their voices in song, making melody in their hearts. This is worship that is personal, spiritual, and God-centered.

When we obey Him in this, we’re not missing out—we’re actually stepping into the purest form of praise, the kind the apostles knew, the kind the early church practiced, the kind God desires.

So, the next time you lift your voice in worship, remember:  you are holding the only instrument God ever asked for—the heart. Play it well, and God will be pleased.

Christ and His Church: Getting the Order Right

When you hear the word "church," what comes to mind? A building? A group of people you’ve grown up around? A denomination? A social group with a religious focus? For many, the church is familiar. But in that familiarity, something vital can be lost—namely, what the church is, who established it, and why that matters deeply.

Let’s begin with a foundational truth:  Jesus Christ—not man—founded the church.

In Matthew 16:18, Jesus said to Peter, “...on this rock I will build My church, and the gates of Hades will not prevail against it.” That claim matters. He didn’t say, “I’ll inspire others to build a church,” or “You go ahead and build something for Me.” He said, “I will build My church.”

That means the church doesn’t belong to a preacher, a movement, a modern ideology, or even a faithful group of people—it belongs to Jesus. It exists for Him, through Him, and because of Him. It is the result of His sacrificial death and victorious resurrection.

And that’s why this conversation matters.

Because over time—even with sincere hearts—we can start talking and thinking about the church as if it were ours to shape, name, or redefine. But when we add to or take away from what Christ established, we are no longer “continuing in the apostles’ doctrine” (Acts 2:42)—we’ve stepped outside of it.

That’s not just a doctrinal problem. That’s a relational one. Because the church isn’t a human structure—it’s the body of Christ (Ephesians 1:22–23). To step away from what Jesus built is to step away from Him.

A Word About Names

There’s an important caution here, even in how we refer to ourselves. The Bible says the disciples were first called Christians in Antioch (Acts 11:26). That name means something:  it points to Christ as our center and identity.

When we start putting things before or after that name—like “Baptist Christian,” “Catholic Christian,” or even “Church of Christ Christian”—we may be unintentionally saying something that changes or even divides what was never meant to be split.

Language like this can create categories Jesus never made. It risks turning a living relationship with the Savior into a label for a religious party. We must be cautious, not because we’re trying to win arguments, but because we want to stay true to Christ.

The Church Isn’t Ours to Modify

Imagine someone giving you a priceless heirloom—a handmade, beautiful piece of craftsmanship—and saying, “This is yours to keep, but please don’t change it. It’s exactly as it should be.” Now imagine someone sanding it down, painting it, adding logos and decorations. Is it still the same piece?

That’s what can happen when we start shaping the church around our preferences. Jesus has already defined what the church is:

• It is His body (Colossians 1:18)

• It is made up of the saved (Acts 2:47)

• It worships in spirit and truth (John 4:24)

• It exists to glorify Christ, not itself (Ephesians 3:21)

If we add to it—new names, new doctrines, new organizational structures—then we’re not “adjusting” the church. We’re stepping into something separate from what Jesus established. That’s serious.

Unity Through Submission

The goal here isn’t to elevate “our group” or put others down. It’s to lift Christ up and return to the simplicity and beauty of what He built.

The early church didn’t have marketing strategies, denominational branches, or voting conferences. They had Christ. They had the gospel. They had the Scriptures. And that was enough.

Our unity is found not in wearing the same label, but in submitting to the same Lord. In following His pattern, not our preferences. In calling ourselves Christians—not because it Is tradition, but because it declares that we belong to Jesus.

So What Should We Do?

We examine everything by the standard of God’s Word. We ask:

• Are we following Christ as He leads the church—or are we following a tradition?

• Are we wearing His name alone—or one we’ve created?

• Are we part of His body—or have we built something else?

The good news is this:  Jesus still calls people to Himself. And those who come to Him in obedient faith—believing, repenting, confessing, and being baptized—are added to His church (Acts 2:38–47). Not by a committee, not by vote, but by the Lord Himself.

That’s the church we want to be part of. That’s the church that will last.

And that’s the one that still belongs to Christ.

Trusting In A Two-By-Four

Most of us know, and can easily identify a piece of lumber known as a “two-by-four” when we see one. I’ve been around them in one way or another since as far back as I can remember. They are seen everywhere, and people use them to build almost everything. In fact, you are probably within a few feet of one right now, though it might be hidden from view behind sheet rock or plaster.

Every carpenter and contractor out there would identify the same board as a “two-by-four”. Two-by-fours are a mainstay and building block, so to speak, of the construction industry. If you want to go into carpentry and can’t identify a two-by-four when you see one, I think it would be good idea to consider choosing a different line of work.

Not only do professionals and Do-It-Yourself guides identify the piece of wood as a “two-by-four,” also, if asked, almost anyone will tell you it gets its very name because of the measurements attributed to it – two inches by four inches.

I find it interesting that so many of us know a two-by-four when we see one, and yet few of us know that it isn’t really a two-by-four at all.

“What do you mean?” I can hear you say. Well, let me explain . . .

Though we all call it a “two-by-four”, if you were to measure it, I am confident that you will find the measurements to actually be one-and-a-half inches by three-and-a-half inches. Try it.

You may have known this little fact all along – especially if you have had to measure projects accurately, and have had to make accommodations for the actual size of the wood. But, I am safe in saying that most people don’t know that the common “two-by-four” is really an imposter.

How has this come about? Rest assured, it isn’t a conspiracy by the people at Home Depot, or some long standing joke to get at the ignorance of the woodworking novice. Before being milled at the saw mill, the rough piece of wood actually does measure two inches by four inches. In the milling process, the piece looses a quarter-inch of material in both directions.

“So what?” you say. “Who cares?”

Probably no one in particular; as long as the people building with them know their real size, there is really no big issue. However, how many other “truths” have you come to accept because you have never bothered to check their “measurements?”

I truly believe that most religious error has not come from intentional deception, but by the same means that a two-by-four is named a “two-by-four” -– convenience –- and a lack of attention to details. Some time in the past, someone decided it was much easier to say, “Hand me another two-by-four,” than to say, “Hand me another one-and-a-half-by-three-and-a-half.” I can’t say I disagree; it’s a mouthful, for sure. But, exchanging the more complex “baptism” found in scripture, for the more convenient “Sinner’s Prayer”, for instance, is another matter entirely.

Though we may never see anyone actually watching over our shoulders, we need to be responsible in how we handle the Word of God. Who knows when it maybe you, taking a break from your diligence, that begins to call a one-and-a-half-by-three-and-a-half a “two-by-four!” Where would we be today if Timothy had not heeded Paul’s words when he wrote to him in 2 Timothy 2:15: “Do your best to present yourself to God as one approved, a workman who does not need to be ashamed and who correctly handles the word of truth.”

Personal “measuring” is a must. Hadn’t scholarship been telling you the boards were “two-by-fours”? Hadn’t history and even common knowledge lead you to believe it? What is it that has changed your mind about them? -- Holding them up to a standard – a measuring tape.

“All Scripture is God-breathed and is useful for teaching, rebuking, correcting and training in righteousness, so that the man of God may be thoroughly equipped for every good work.” -   

2 Timothy 3:16-17

Let the Word of God always be the standard by which we measure all things – as it was for the Bereans. “Now the Bereans were of more noble character than the Thessalonians, for they received the message with great eagerness and examined the Scriptures every day to see if what Paul said was true.” - Acts 17:11.