Telford Minster Podcast

God has not called us simply to attend church. He has called us to be the Church. As we pursue our vision of Lives Renewed. Communities Restored. Church Alive. In Jesus' Name, every one of us has a part to play.Belonging creates community.Prayer fuels mission.Serving releases gifts.Giving expands the Kingdom.This series is about activating the gifts of the gathered community to support us to become the kind of church we believe God is calling Telford Minster to be…

תּוָֹדה (Toe-DAH) - Thanksgiving before the breakthrough comesTodah 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.”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.

שַָׁבח (shah-BACK) - 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.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.

בַָרְך (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).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.

זַָמר (zah-MAR) - Skilful and musical worship.תְִּהָּלה (teh-hill-AH) - A new or spontaneous song of praise.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.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.

הַָלל (hah-LAHL) - Joyful, wholehearted praiseHalal 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.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.

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.

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.