Heart of Worship: 30 Days to Deeper PraiseSample

It’s Sound Chapel, and we are honored to bring you today’s Scripture: Colossians 3:16 (ESV).

“Let the word of Christ dwell in you richly, teaching and admonishing one another in all wisdom, singing psalms and hymns and spiritual songs, with thankfulness in your hearts to God.”

I grew up in a church where we would sing a few worship songs and then the music pastor would instruct us to turn to a certain page in our hymnal. As a child, I never understood the purpose of singing one hymn each week, and if I’m honest, I found those songs to be boring and hard to understand.

Later in life, now as the one leading worship, I find myself returning to many of those same hymns and choruses I grew up on. Why? Not for nostalgia - but because of the depth of wisdom and truth woven into their lyrics.

In this verse, Paul is encouraging the church in Colossae - and us today - not merely to read the Word of Christ, but to let it dwell in us. When Scripture lives in our hearts and minds, it shapes our thoughts with wisdom, our words with grace, and our actions with love.

Interestingly, in Ephesians 5:19 (NIV), Paul uses similar language but focuses on worship: “…speaking to one another with psalms, hymns, and songs from the Spirit. Sing and make music from your heart to the Lord.”

In modern worship gatherings, our songs often fall into two broad categories: songs of encounter (focused on our personal experience with God) and songs of formation (centered on biblical truths and stories). While that’s an oversimplification, it’s helpful to see the balance. These days, many of our songs beautifully connect the human experience with the truth of God’s Word. But in Colossians 3:16, Paul reminds us that the primary aim is to let the Word of Christ form us - and to do so together - through “psalms, hymns, and spiritual songs.”

When we worship, we are asking and allowing God to recalibrate our hearts and minds. Can you remember a moment - in a church service, at a summer camp, during a concert or conference - when you encountered God in a powerful way? When His transcendent presence became tangible in that moment? Perhaps you felt deep joy, tears, or a wave of peace. We cherish those encounters with the living God because they awaken our hearts.

But what Paul offers in Colossians goes beyond a single encounter. He invites us into ongoing transformation through the words of Christ - what Romans 12 calls “the renewing of your mind.” When we dwell on Scripture and sing God’s truth, the Spirit brings about lasting change. Gratitude flows naturally because we recognize that all we are and all we have come from Jesus.

Questions to Consider:

1. Are you creating space in your daily life to not only read God’s Word but to dwell in it?
2. Can you recall a specific song that shaped your understanding of God’s truth? What made it so impactful?
3. How can you prepare for gathered worship in a way that not only seeks God’s presence but also allows the lyrics to form you?