Why Your Church Needs You to Sing – Rural Reset 14/21 [16]

08/26/24 • 23 min

Host: TJ Freeman
Summary: This episode of Back to Rurality, hosted by TJ Freeman, addresses the common reluctance many experience towards singing in church. Freeman highlights the biblical imperative to sing as an act of worship, encouragement for others, and a reflection of genuine faith and transformation through the gospel.

Key Points:

Why People Aren't Singing: There are various reasons why people might feel uncomfortable or disinterested in singing, ranging from lack of musical knowledge to personal insecurities about one's voice.
Who Should We Sing For: Singing is not a personal preference, but instead is an act of worship. Congregations sing not for themselves, but for each other and for the glory of the Lord. Believers sing because their hearts have been transformed by the gospel.

Listener Takeaways:

Prepare before church on Sunday. Ask a pastor for the list of songs to be sung on Sunday and listen to them. Pray through the songs as well.
Remember the mnemonic device, 'SING': Sacrifice of praise, Inspiration, New song in our hearts, and Glorifying God.
Participate energetically in church singing as a vital expression of faith and community worship.

Connect with Us:

Website: backtorurality.com
Social Media: Facebook

Key Points:

Why People Aren't Singing: There are various reasons why people might feel uncomfortable or disinterested in singing, ranging from lack of musical knowledge to personal insecurities about one's voice.
Who Should We Sing For: Singing is not a personal preference, but instead is an act of worship. Congregations sing not for themselves, but for each other and for the glory of the Lord. Believers sing because their hearts have been transformed by the gospel.

Listener Takeaways:

Prepare before church on Sunday. Ask a pastor for the list of songs to be sung on Sunday and listen to them. Pray through the songs as well.
Remember the mnemonic device, 'SING': Sacrifice of praise, Inspiration, New song in our hearts, and Glorifying God.
Participate energetically in church singing as a vital expression of faith and community worship.

Connect with Us:

Website: backtorurality.com
Social Media: Facebook

Previous Episode

How to Know if a Church is a Good One – Rural Reset 13/21 [15]

Host: TJ Freeman
Summary: This episode of the Back to Rurality podcast, hosted by TJ Freeman, focuses on how to wisely invest in a local church, especially in rural areas where options may be limited. Freeman acknowledges the challenges of finding a healthy church and discusses the pitfalls of approaching church selection with a consumerist mindset.

Key Points:

The Problem of a Consumerist Mindset: Freeman addresses that choosing a church based on their friendliness, look, music selection, or any other nonessential reason is not how to pick a good church home.
Understanding and Teaching the Gospel: If a church does not proclaim the truth of the Gospel it is not a church. If the truths of the gospel are not taught regularly and believed by the members then it is not a church worth investing in.
Faithfully Preaching the Word: The pastor does not have to be the next Charles Spurgeon, but he does need to open his Bible and teach the congregation the best he can the emphasis of the text.
Administering Sacraments Regularly: The church needs to take part in regular baptism and the Lord's Supper. The regularity can vary, but the church is required to have them.

Listener Takeaways:

Just go visit a church. If it meets the three qualifications talk about here, then go to membership class and try to get to know the members.
Listen as carefully to the preaching as you expect the pastor to be preaching.
Pray and ask the Lord to grow your church in other healthy ways.

Connect with Us:

Website: backtorurality.com
Social Media: Facebook

Next Episode

How Can I Know God’s Will? – Rural Reset 15/21 [17]

Host: TJ Freeman
Summary: In this episode of Back to Rurality, host TJ Freeman discusses the challenge of making big decisions, especially for Christians living in small towns. He explains the common struggle of wanting direct guidance from God to make decisions easier. Through recounting his own experience of deciding whether to move from Florida to Pennsylvania, he emphasizes the importance of delighting in the Lord, seeking counsel from others, and trusting God's plans.

Key Points:

Wisdom from Psalm 37: The more one delights in the Lord, the more their desires will be aligned to His will.

Listener Takeaways:

Talk to a trusted Christian friend or pastor about your decision and seek their guidance and wisdom.

Connect with Us:

Website: backtorurality.com
Social Media: Facebook

Back to Rurality - Why Your Church Needs You to Sing – Rural Reset 14/21 [16]

Transcript

Tell me if you've ever had this experience. There you are in church and it's time for the singing and you're kind of dreading it. Have you ever found yourself just staring blankly at the screen or down at the hymn book during church, waiting for the music to be over? Maybe you're one of those that just kind of mumbles through the songs.

Thinking they're like the pre game show or the warm up before the sermon? Or maybe you stay quiet because you feel uncomfortable letting others hear you