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Matthew Westerholm

Matthew Westerholm is Associate Professor of Church Music and Worship at the Southern Baptist Theological Seminary

Those Dragons Underneath Our Beds

Those Dragons Underneath Our Beds

How we approach a situation reveals what we expect to find. Imagine it is 2 A.M. and I’m asleep. My wife taps my shoulder and says, “I heard something. I think there’s an intruder downstairs.” My mind immediately kicks into…

Serving Appetizers: Worship Services That Keep Their Promises

Serving Appetizers: Worship Services That Keep Their Promises

As a worship pastor, I am saddened to read polls reporting young people leaving our churches. True, this happens in each generation (remember the Boomer-angs who returned to church in the 1990s?), but how can service planners encourage the continued…

Make the Switch in Life and Worship

Make the Switch in Life and Worship

During a ferocious winter storm, I awoke in the middle of the night to find my house without electricity. A quick glance out the window revealed that our entire block was entirely dark. I called our power company. “Yep,” they…

The Extraordinary Work of Ordinary Means

The Extraordinary Work of Ordinary Means

As a brand new worship leader, I loved choosing songs. I loved finding a new song that pounded my heart and changed my world. I loved arranging that new song so that the big key change would bring the shekinah…

Three Reasons to Attend Corporate Worship

Three Reasons to Attend Corporate Worship

“Why do we have to go to church again?” Children ask this question on a semi-regular basis. And then sometimes, so do we.

Worship on a Bad Day

Worship on a Bad Day

In the middle of a brutal situation, it can be hard to feel the difference faith makes. How can God’s promises help us through difficult circumstances?

Your Prayer Life Is Better Than You Think

Your Prayer Life Is Better Than You Think

None of us prays as frequently and fervently as we’d want. We often consider our prayer lives disappointing and discouraging, but perhaps we’re overlooking something.

Why Sing Sad Songs When I Don’t Feel Sad?

Why Sing Sad Songs When I Don’t Feel Sad?

Because of the sin and brokenness of our hearts, and in our churches and world, we have reason to lament. And because of the love of our rescuing God, we have an invitation to bring our mournful sadness as protest and appeal to our God.

The Most Important Ear in Worship

The Most Important Ear in Worship

Whatever the ambient volume of the sanctuary, there is a more critical matter of volume and understanding at play. And it is one of the most glorious truths in the universe. It is implicit in our worship, but too seldom is it mentioned.

The Simple Prayer Our Songs Forgot

The Simple Prayer Our Songs Forgot

All believers ought to remember that the church’s final hope is a person. It is neither a political party, nor is it a pragmatic paradigm. It is not a popular program. It’s a person.

Not on Earth as It Is in Heaven

Not on Earth as It Is in Heaven

Worship in the Church Age

One significant obstacle to worshiping now as if we are already fully in heaven is this: we are not actually there yet.

Blessed Are the Undistracted

Blessed Are the Undistracted

Five Tips for Focus in Worship

With phones vibrating, children crying, and the week’s troubles intruding, how can we truly worship God in a room full of distractions.

Unashamed to Sing

Unashamed to Sing

Lesson from a Cubs Fan

When fans are united in the euphoria of victory, they’ll celebrate in whatever way possible. Why doesn’t describe more of us in corporate worship?

Disappointing Worship Services

Disappointing Worship Services

Sunday morning is more like a dinner in with family at home than like a dinner out at an expensive restaurant.

One More Time? Three Ways to Worship in Repetition

One More Time?

Three Ways to Worship Through Repetition

Repetitive worship lyrics need not be mindless. In fact, we have unique opportunities to worship in repetition that we don’t find in more word-heavy songs.

Battle Hymns for the Fight of Faith

Battle Hymns for the Fight of Faith

When death is near and your mind is fading, what songs will you wish you’d etched most deeply into your soul?

Lament Like a Christian Hedonist: How Joy in God Bears Real Pain

Lament Like a Christian Hedonist

How Joy in God Bears Real Pain

Glorifying Christ is the path to the greatest possible human joy, no matter how hard the path may be.

He Was Taken into Heaven

He Was Taken into Heaven

Three Ways to Worship on Ascension Sunday

Christ was taken into heaven for a time, but he will return to the joy of those who waited for him and the horror of those who didn’t.

Three Ways to Help Your Worship Leader

Three Ways to Help Your Worship Leader

Worship pastors don’t need to be shown how their performance did or didn’t measure up. They need to be shown how Christ is working through them.

The Gospel Lobbyist: Thomas Cranmer (1489–1556)

The Gospel Lobbyist

Thomas Cranmer (1489–1556)

Thomas Cranmer led England from Roman Catholicism and shaped England’s theology perhaps more than any other Reformer.

Waiting for God to Text Back

Waiting for God to Text Back

We celebrate quick victories, immediate healings, and fast-answered prayers. But God moves slower than we want for his own glory.

Should Non-Christians Lead Worship?

Should Non-Christians Lead Worship?

The sanctuary is not a concert hall for people with great voices, but for redeemed people with a great Savior.

Evaluate Your Day Before It Begins

Evaluate Your Day Before It Begins

We don’t need to wait until an anxious evening of evaluation to determine whether we had a good day. If God is for us, today is already very good.

The Benefit of Bad Sermons

The Benefit of Bad Sermons

If we tune out during another boring sermon on Sunday, it may say less about the preacher’s ability and more about our spiritual maturity.

What God Chooses to Forget: The Greatest Sermon Nature Ever Gave

What God Chooses to Forget

The Greatest Sermon Nature Ever Gave

God sees all things, knows all things, and remembers all things, except the sins he promises to forget.

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