The 2017 theme for Piney Grove is 'Acceptable Worship,' focusing on how God desires to be worshipped, with emphasis on the month’s topic 'For the Love of Worship.' It critiques the modern approach to worship, which can often be superficial or performance-driven, and calls for worship to stem from genuine love and reverence for God. True worship should be a joyful expression of honoring God rather than a routine obligation or entertainment-seeking experience.

1. NEW PINEY GROVE
2017 THEME
ACCEPTABLE
WORSHIP

2. This year’s theme is Acceptable Worship,
designed to learn more about how God
desires to be worshipped. There will be
different focus each month. This month’s
focus is “FOR THE LOVE OF WORSHIP.”
The First Christian Church was known for
gathering together in fellowship and
worship. This became known as the Agape
or “Love Feast.” When we focus on God’s
love for us, worship will be spontaneous.

3. For many who profess Jesus as LORD,
worship has been reduced to a “tourist
mind set.” Worship is a visit to an attractive
site when we can fit it into our already busy
schedule. For some it is a weekly visit to
church to check our “I went to church
box.” For others, worship is an occasional
visits to special services. Then there are
those whose attendance at worship
depends upon the quality of entertainment
or famous, well-known personality.

4. We go to see a new personality, to hear a
new truth, to get a new experience
expecting, to bring life to our boring lives.
We'll try anything until something else
comes along. But worship is much more
than about us and our preference. Worship
is about paying honor to the God of
creation, who redeemed us from eternal
damnation and total separation from Him. A
child of God should not need any special
stimulants to motivate proper worship.

5. As Christians, everything we do in life
should be centered on pleasing God.
Hence, we ought to be excited and joyous
about coming together as a church family
and the Body of Christ, to physically
express His worthiness. True worship
begins with a deep respect or reverence for
God. But the motivation has to come from a
heart of love for Him. Any "act" of worship
is an act proceeding from a heart of love.
That is, “For The Love Of Worship!”