By Chuck Lawless

Too often, we spend little time evaluating our worship service. We may critique based on attendance, but seldom do we review it with intentionality. Use these questions to evaluate your church’s worship service this past weekend—including evaluating whether you chose to truly worship:

  1. Do I see God’s holiness more after attending the service? It’s possible that a worship service directs our attention to the preacher, the praise team, the building, the church’s activities, etc. – but not truly to God. Genuine worship should lead us to kneel before God in awe and wonder, longing to know Him more while also recognizing His holiness.
  2. If I knew only the lyrics of the songs we sang, would I know the gospel? Strong biblical praise can be a great witness, as long as the lyrics lay out the gospel. Did this weekend’s lyrics at your church talk more about God or about the worshipper?
  3. Did I know Jesus better at the end of the service? The story of the early church is centered around Jesus. They talked about Him, preached about Him, and lived for Him. If your service didn’t direct you more intentionally to Jesus, something was misdirected.
  4. Do I know more of the Word of God after attending the service? I trust that most often, the Word of God is central to a service. At other times, it’s simply a “launching pad,” meaning it’s only a perfunctory part of a service because we know we must at least refer to it. Which description best fit your church this weekend?
  5. Did I know how my life should change after hearing the sermon?  Worship ought to lead to action; that is, singing and preaching should clearly show us how to adjust our lives to what God wants. If you had to figure out the sermon application on your own, you’re probably less likely to make those adjustments.
  6. Did my church glorify God by expecting excellence in all things? The worship service provides multiple opportunities to display God’s glory through excellence (e.g., musical performance, sermon preparation, service clarity and direction). The church that settles for second best is saying something about their respect for God.
  7. Do I want to go back to the church because God’s presence among His people is real there? I am convinced that many people will return to worship if they know they will hear a word from God and will delight in His presence. What was your experience at your church this weekend?

Take time now to pray for your church’s worship services next weekend. 

This article first appeared at ChuckLawless.com and was reposted here with permission.