Shouts of praise, exuberant dancing, lifting hands, joyful singing, flag waving… all common characteristics of praise and worship at a charismatic kind of church. For some, it can seem a little too emotional. But is emotional expression in worship really a problem—or could it be part of how God designed us to respond to Him?

To understand the role of emotion in worship, we need biblical clarity.

Here are 3 keys that will help us discern the difference between being led by emotions and using them to glorify God.

We’ve all inherited things from our family line—both good and bad. An AncestryDNA test might tell you where you come from geographically, but it won’t reveal the deeper inheritance: patterns, tendencies, and ways of living passed down through generations.

But here’s the good news: the dysfunctions may not have started with you… but they can end with you. You may not get to choose your family’s past, but through Christ, you can shape your family’s future.

A few years ago, I was leading worship at a church overseas at a service they called “Hunger Night.” It was my first time at this church and I didn’t really know what to expect. Once I started leading worship, however, the hunger for Jesus in the room skyrocketed and we went places in the Spirit that I hadn’t been to that often in corporate worship times. Their hunger put a demand on the anointing in a way that I wasn’t used to. It pulled greatness out of me and called me higher as a worship leader.