So often within the full-time staff at Next Step we talk about worship being a lifestyle. The guys in our construction department will be the first to say they are actually in the worship department… they simply worship through building. The concept is understood well here at Next Step. We are called to worship God in everything we do. It goes beyond a song, beyond a melody, beyond a prayer. It is a lifestyle.

In Romans 12:1 we read, “And so, dear brothers and sisters, I plead with you to give your bodies to God because of all he has done for you. Let them be a living and holy sacrifice–the kind he will find acceptable. This is truly the way to worship him.” We read the true way to worship the Father is to give ourselves fully to him: to offer our bodies as a living sacrifice.

We were able to experience this firsthand, in action, with no reserve, during the past week in Texas. As we partnered with two specific churches in San Augustine County, we saw acts of holistic worship. We saw members from the local churches involved not only in worship services during the evening (although that was sometimes as many as 50!), but also during the day on the worksite, joining us for meals in the evening, making us meals and dessert, sharing their testimonies, sharing their possessions, sharing their space, and spending time with us during our free day at the end of the week. As this community offered themselves fully for the work of the Lord throughout the week, we recognized what they did truly brought honor and glory to the Father. And isn’t that the point of worshipping, to give Him the glory due to His name?

Psalm 115:1 says, “Not to us, O Lord, not to us, but to your name give glory, because of your loving-kindness and because of your truth”.

Witnessing worship as a lifestyle through the local body of Christ in Texas was a gift. We saw God’s loving-kindness through the community’s actions. We understood His truth through their words. It revitalized the staff that were leading the trip and was a testimony to the students on the trip. Ultimately, it brought Christ’s name glory as we saw Him working through each pastor, family, and kid from the youth group in San Augustine County.