Worship means more than singing but never less. The last book of the Bible, Revelation, reveals scenes in heaven filled with lots of singing! While Revelation isn't all about singing and dancing, the creatures of heaven and earth sing because Jesus is King, and everything will be made well. It's clear that we are meant to worship and sing even when life is tough.

Acts 2 reminds us that while we can and do worship alone, the best worship happens when we're together! The Bible offers no picture of the day when heaven comes to earth when we'll be off on our own as individuals! We'll stand, kneel, and bow with the millions who have called Jesus LORD.

The church got off to such a start; 3,000 people were stirred to trust Jesus, worship together, and then opened their homes to each other! Watch what God does when people worship!

The world misses out on so much worship! God does amazing things daily, yet we often shrug our shoulders, thank our 'lucky stars,' and keep our foot on the pedal. Not Miriam!

Miriam understands that worship happens when people notice what God has done, find words (and tambourines), and get up and dance in celebration of God's good gifts.

Is worship an optional activity for religious people? Why does worship matter? The truth is that we all worship—it's just a question of who or what we worship. The story of Cain and Abel shows us that who we worship forms our hearts, guides our actions, and determines our lives. Worship really matters!

Paul's letter to the Ephesian church reminds them of how we are made alive in Christ, transformed by His grace into a new creation. We are able to live life with a new purpose and identity as a masterpiece of God's design.

Outdoor Christian Educator and guest speaker Ryan Lamoureux will use the monarch butterfly from God's creation to illustrate this transformational process.

Paul finishes his letter to the church in Rome with a list, not exactly best-seller material. His aim wasn't literary acclaim, although his work became influential; instead, he was interested in fostering and fortifying connections.

Reflecting on Paul's list may have you thinking about your own list: the people God has used in your life to bring you closer to Him.

Paul never recovered from God including the Gentiles in the salvation invitation.

Like some of us, perhaps, he felt like some people should be excluded by virtue of where they were born or how badly they have behaved.

More than included, Paul instructs that former 'outsiders' should be treated as precious insiders, treated even better than we would treat ourselves. What would it look like if love came to town?

Human beings need reminders about how to get along, and Christians are no exception. We especially need reminders about how to love each other while we disagree. Paul draws the believers' hearts and minds back to what Jesus has done, and that paves the way for loving each other well through conflict.

How do we live with Jesus in a society that opposes him? Paul tells us to wake up to our resurrection hope. When we do that, loving others and rejecting sin in our own lives makes sense.