Psalm 23

On Sunday, we began a new teaching series for the summer, ‘HOLY ROAR’.

For many of us, praise has become synonymous with singing. Yet throughout Scripture, praise is far bigger, deeper, louder, and more transformative than a song. This summer series invites us to rediscover seven biblical expressions of praise. Each word reveals a different response to who God is and what He has done: surrender, celebration, reverence, creativity, thanksgiving, spiritual warfare, and hope.

In this talk, we explored Psalm 23, a journey with God as our shepherd, moving from being led, through difficulty, into welcome and home.

• BEING LED
  “The Lord is my shepherd… he leads me… he refreshes my soul.”
  The invitation is to trust the shepherd. Like sheep, we wander and struggle to rest. We often trust things that fail, but only God is truly worthy of trust. He provides what we need and restores our souls. The sheep rest not because life is easy, but because the shepherd is present. Who are you following? Where are you looking for nourishment?

• BEING TESTED
  “Even though I walk through the darkest valley… you are with me.”
  Following God does not remove hardship. Valleys of grief, loss and anxiety are expected. But faith changes how we walk through them. We are not alone. The shepherd walks with us, protects us and rescues us. Even in the hardest moments, his presence is our comfort.

• BEING WELCOMED
  “You prepare a table before me… my cup overflows.”
  God goes ahead of us and prepares what we need. He honours us and pours out his blessing. As we stay close to him, he fills us again and again until our lives overflow with his love and grace into others.

• COMING HOME
  “I will dwell in the house of the Lord forever.”
  The shepherd’s goal is not just to guide us through life but to bring us home. He leads us, stays with us, restores us and one day welcomes us home.

  
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Psalm 01

In this talk, we explored Psalm 1 and Jesus' promise of living water.

• PUTTING DOWN ROOTS
  “That person is like a tree planted by streams of water, which yields its fruit in season.”
  Psalm 1 invites us to consider our own spiritual lives and where we are looking for strength and nourishment.

• THE PROMISE OF LIVING WATER
  “Let anyone who is thirsty come to me and drink.”
  Jesus promises living water to those who believe in him. This is the work of the Holy Spirit within us. The promise of living water is for every single person in all of their circumstances; this promise is not for a few people. It is for every believer.

• TURN TO HIM
  “We need to face our sin, face the things that we've done wrong and offer them to God.”
  Jesus calls us to repent, turn to him, inviting the living water to flow freely.

• FRUITFUL LIVES “He promises wonderful fruit this year as we turn to him.”
  God does not promise easy circumstances, but he promises his presence. As we put our roots down into him, we can be fruitful in every season. If we are ready and willing to welcome the promise of God's Holy Spirit to flow within us, then we are promised lives that are fruitful, even in challenging circumstances.

  
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Psalm 139

In this talk, we explored Psalm 139 and the truth that God knows us completely.

• GOD KNOWS US
  “You have searched me and know me.”
  God knows every thought, word, and part of our story. Nothing is hidden from him, yet he chooses to dwell with us and hold us close.

• GOD IS WITH US
  “Where can I go from your Spirit?”
  There is nowhere we can go beyond God's presence. Whether in the heights, the depths, or even the darkness, God is there.

• FEARFULLY AND WONDERFULLY MADE
  “I praise you because I am fearfully and wonderfully made.”
  God created us intentionally and lovingly. Before we took our first breath, he knew us, loved us, and created us for a purpose.

• MERCY FOR A BROKEN WORLD
  “The world is corrupted by sin, but God will bring justice and reconciliation.”
  The world is broken by sin, but God has not abandoned it. Through Jesus' death and resurrection, he offers mercy, forgiveness, and new life.

• SEARCH ME AND LEAD ME
  “Search me, God, and know my heart.”
  The psalm ends with a prayer of surrender. We are invited to let God search us, shape us, and lead us in the way everlasting.

Catch-up on the talk here.

Psalm 91

In this talk, we explored Psalm 91 and the hope that God is our refuge, his arms are open, and he walks with us through every season.

• GOD IS OUR REFUGE
  "God, you're my refuge. I trust in you and I'm safe."
  A refuge is a place of protection, of shelter. We can try and find security in a whole list of places, but the deepest refuge that we can ever have or go to is actually God himself.

• UNDER HIS WINGS
  "His huge outstretched arms protect you. Under them, you're perfectly safe."
  Psalm 91 doesn't pretend that those fears don't exist. It tells us his arms are already open. He welcomes us, he loves us, and he invites us into his family.

• CALL ON ME AND I'LL ANSWER
  "I'll be at your side in bad times."
  God is not one who abandons or ignores. Again and again, the Bible points us to the God who comes near, the God who shares our joys, our sorrows, our suffering. When we put our trust in him, our story doesn't end with fear. It ends with joy and with hope and life with him.

Catch-up on the talk here.

(hah-LAHL) - Joyful, wholehearted praise

Halal is the Hebrew word that gives us Hallelujah, ”Praise the Lord!” It describes joyful, exuberant praise that celebrates God’s goodness without restraint.

David halal-praised God as he danced before the ark, caring more about God’s presence than his own reputation (2 Samuel 6). The crowds welcomed Jesus with joyful praise (Luke 19), and in Revelation, heaven resounds with a great chorus of “Hallelujah!” Joyful praise is not just an earthly response; it is the sound of heaven.

In a world that can often feel heavy and cynical, halal is a holy act of resistance. It declares that God is good, faithful, and worthy of our praise.

(yah-DAH) - Praise with open hands.

Yadah means to praise with outstretched hands. It is a picture of surrender, thanksgiving, trust, and dependence on God. Open hands remind us that before God changes our circumstances, He often changes our posture.

Throughout Scripture, lifted hands express a heart that is saying, “God, I trust You.”, just as a little child puts their hands up to their parent. They are hands that surrender control, receive God’s grace, and give thanks for His faithfulness.

(zah-MAR, teh-hill-AH) - The sound of worship

Zamar is praise expressed through music and song, while Tehillah is a new song of spontaneous praise that rises from the heart. Together they remind us that worship is creative because our God is the Creator. Whether through music, singing, poetry, painting, writing, or another creative gift, God delights when we use what He has given us to declare His glory.

We see after God rescued His people through the Red Sea, Moses and Miriam responded by singing a brand new song of praise (Exodus 15). The early church encouraged one another through psalms, hymns, and spiritual songs (Colossians 3:16). In heaven, God’s people continue to sing a new song before His throne (Revelation 5). Creativity has always been part of the worship of God’s people.

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(bah-RAK) - Praise equals humility.

Barak means to kneel in worship. It is a posture of reverence, awe, surrender, and honour before the King of Kings. It reminds us that worship isn’t centred on us—it begins with recognising who God is.

Throughout the Bible we see people respond to God’s greatness with humility. The woman who anointed Jesus’ feet knelt before Him in love and gratitude (Luke 7). Paul tells us that one day every knee will bow before Jesus (Philippians 2), and John’s vision of heaven is filled with worshippers falling before God’s throne in awe (Revelation 4).

(shah-BAHK) - The Roar of Victory!

Shabach means to praise God with a loud voice. It is bold, confident praise that declares God’s greatness and victory, even before we see the answer. Sometimes worship sounds like celebration, and sometimes it sounds like spiritual warfare.

Throughout the Bible we see God’s people lifting a shabach. The walls of Jericho fell as the people obeyed God and gave a mighty shout (Joshua 6). The psalmist calls us to clap our hands and shout to God with joyful praise (Psalm 47). Blind Bartimaeus refused to be silenced when He heard that Jesus was passing by. Even when the crowd told him to be quiet, he cried out all the more. His loud, faith-filled cry brought him face to face with Jesus, who healed him (Mark 10:46–52). Sometimes the greatest act of faith is refusing to let your praise or your prayers be silenced.

(toe-DAH) - Praise gives thanks before the breakthrough comes.

Todah is the praise of thanksgiving. It is gratitude offered not only after God has answered our prayers, but before the breakthrough comes. It remembers God’s faithfulness in the past and trusts Him with the future.

We see Todah throughout the Bible. King Jehoshaphat sent singers ahead of the army, thanking and praising God before the battle had even been won (2 Chronicles 20). One healed leper returned to thank Jesus, recognising the Giver as well as the gift (Luke 17). Hebrews 11 reminds us that faith trusts God’s promises before they are fully seen. Todah is thanksgiving that says, “God, I trust You because You have always been faithful.”