Lakeside Christian Church Blog

Prayer and Worship Matthew 6:9-13 Our Father, who art in heaven, Hallowed be thy name; Thy kingdom come; thy will be done; On earth as it is in heaven. Give us this day our daily bread. And forgive us our debts, as we forgive our debtors. And lead us not into temptation; But deliver us from evil. For thine is the kingdom, The power and the glory, Forever.  Amen.   Scripture Reading – Psalm 98   Have you ever asked the question: “how do I pray” or “how should I worship God?” Jesus teaches us to pray beginning with God’s character—His holiness, His kingdom, His will. The Lord’s Prayer grounds us in dependence: daily bread, forgiveness, protection, and deliverance. It reminds us that prayer isn’t about informing God but aligning our hearts with His reign. Psalm 98 calls all creation to break forth in joyful praise because the Lord is righteous, mighty, and faithful to His people. When these passages sit together, they shape us into worshippers who trust God’s goodness a...

The Light Shines   John 1:1–5 In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. He was in the beginning with God. All things were made through him, and without him was not any thing made that was made. In him was life, and the life was the light of men. The light shines in the darkness, and the darkness has not overcome it.   Scripture Reading – Psalm 97   This week’s reading in John 1:1–5 lifts our eyes to the eternal Christ—the Word who has existed from the beginning, who is fully God, and through whom all things were made. John tells us that Jesus is the Light shining in the darkness, and the darkness cannot overcome Him. Psalm 97 echoes this truth by declaring that the Lord reigns in radiant glory, with righteousness and justice as the foundation of His throne. When we hold these passages together, we see a stunning picture: the eternal God who reigns with majesty is the same God who steps into our darkness as the Light of the world. His ...

Anchored Worship   1 Peter 1:3–4 Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ! According to his great mercy, he has caused us to be born again to a living hope through the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead, to an inheritance that is imperishable, undefiled, and unfading, kept in heaven for you…   Scripture Reading – Psalm 96   Peter reminds us that our hope is not fragile or fading—it is anchored in the resurrection of Jesus Christ and secured in an inheritance that can never perish, spoil, or fade. Psalm 96 calls all creation to worship the Lord because He reigns with righteousness and faithfulness. Together, these passages lift our eyes beyond the instability of the world to the unshakable kingdom of God. We worship not because life is easy, but because Christ has given us a living hope. When we declare His glory among the nations, we are bearing witness to a salvation that is both present and future, a gift held securely by God Himself. This hope fue...

  November 7, 2025 – Make a Joyful Noise Hebrews 2:9-10 –  But we see him who for a little while was made lower than the angels, namely Jesus, crowned with glory and honor because of the suffering of death, so that by the grace of God he might taste death for everyone. For it was fitting that he, for whom and by whom all things exist, in bringing many sons to glory, should make the founder of their salvation perfect through suffering. Scripture Reading – Psalm 95   In the ESV, the psalmist starts out by calling us (twice) to “make a joyful noise.” Is this just a reassurance for those of us who aren’t gifted vocally or musically? It seems more likely that it is alluding to a kind of posture and action to have in worship, one of humility with joy and thanksgiving. Sometimes we may be tempted to get distracted by either the experience (how we are affected) or the presentation (performance) of worship.  Worship isn’t...

Secured, Redeemed, Sent   Revelation 1:5–6 To him who loves us and has freed us from our sins by his blood and made us a kingdom, priests to his God and Father, to him be glory and dominion forever and ever. Amen.   Scripture Reading – Psalm 94 Jesus Christ, the faithful witness and King of kings, loves us and has freed us from our sins by His blood. Revelation 1:7 declares, “Behold, He is coming with the clouds, and every eye will see Him, even those who pierced Him, and all tribes of the earth will wail on account of Him. Even so. Amen.” One day, Jesus will return to set all things right. Until that day, we live in the freedom He purchased, knowing He has made us a kingdom and priests to serve God. This truth reshapes our identity and gives purpose to our lives—we are not just forgiven, but commissioned to reflect His reign in a world still waiting for redemption. Psalm 94 echoes this, showing God as both refuge and judge. In a world of injustice and uncertainty, we stand no...

Magnify the Lord   Psalm 34:3 Oh, magnify the LORD with me, and let us exalt his name together!   Scripture Reading – Psalm 93 In Psalm 34:3 the Psalmist begins with an invitation to worship that is communal and compelling. Psalm 93 shifts the scene from invitation to foundation, the enthronement of God—he rules; his majesty surrounds the world; his faithfulness establishes the seas and the world. Together these texts move us from an active call to praise into confident submission to a reigning God. When we join voices to magnify the Lord, we do more than sing; we acknowledge that the One we praise is supreme over chaos, unshaken by storms, and worthy of our trust. This posture—public praise rooted in private confidence—shapes how we live, speak, and go about the work of mercy and mission. The songs we sing together direct our hearts to complementary truths.  Christ Be Magnified  centers the life of the Christian around the Lord’s exaltation—our joys and sufferings p...