1 I will bless the Lord at all times;

    his praise shall continually be in my mouth.

2 My soul makes its boast in the Lord;

    let the humble hear and be glad.

3 Oh, magnify the Lord with me,

    and let us exalt his name together!

4 I sought the Lord, and he answered me

    and delivered me from all my fears.

5 Those who look to him are radiant,

    and their faces shall never be ashamed.

6 This poor man cried, and the Lord heard him

    and saved him out of all his troubles.

7 The angel of the Lord encamps

    around those who fear him, and delivers them.

8 Oh, taste and see that the Lord is good!

    Blessed is the man who takes refuge in him!

9 Oh, fear the Lord, you his saints,

    for those who fear him have no lack!

10 The young lions suffer want and hunger;

    but those who seek the Lord lack no good thing.

11 Come, O children, listen to me;

    I will teach you the fear of the Lord.

12 What man is there who desires life

    and loves many days, that he may see good?

13 Keep your tongue from evil

    and your lips from speaking deceit.

14 Turn away from evil and do good;

    seek peace and pursue it.

15 The eyes of the Lord are toward the righteous

    and his ears toward their cry.

16 The face of the Lord is against those who do evil,

    to cut off the memory of them from the earth.

17 When the righteous cry for help, the Lord hears

    and delivers them out of all their troubles.

18 The Lord is near to the brokenhearted

    and saves the crushed in spirit.

19 Many are the afflictions of the righteous,

    but the Lord delivers him out of them all.

20 He keeps all his bones;

    not one of them is broken.

21 Affliction will slay the wicked,

    and those who hate the righteous will be condemned.

22 The Lord redeems the life of his servants;

    none of those who take refuge in him will be condemned.

1. Kauflin notes: “Worship in the wrong direction is called idolatry. It’s looking to anything other than God for our ultimate satisfaction, comfort, security, or joy…We’re always worshiping something, someone.” (pp. 50-51) Which idols have been rivaling your passion for worshipping God? (It’s time to repent from these idols. Please find some accountability and prayer for this.) 

2. How does Psalm 34 describe God? How can understanding God’s character revealed in this psalm encourage us to worship Him?

3. Drawing from his insights of Psalm 34:1-2, Kaulflin explains worship: “To worship God is to humble everything about the ourselves and exalt everything about him [God].” (pp. 51-52) Does this imply that we need to also know God’s character (attributes) to exalt Him? Which attributes of God have encouraged and expanded your awareness of God’s greatness? Discuss. 

4. How does Psalm 34:3 encourage community worship? To what extent does your LG include community worship? Would you like your LG to include this aspect? Share. 

5. The author of True Worshipers provides practical suggestions for exalting God. We can exalt God in our hearts through our thoughts, love, faith, gratefulness, and longing (pp. 54-60). Which ones do you need to practice more consistently? (choose one)  

6. Christians can also exalt God in our actions through our willing obedience, specific praise, godly speech, grace-motivated serving, and faithful witness (pp. 60-67). Again, which ones do you need to practice more consistently? (choose one)

7. Kauflin links the idea of exalting God to the gospel. “We pursue exalting God because we’ve received the indescribable gift of salvation….When we fail, the gospel reminds us we’re forgiven. When we glorify God willingly, the gospel reminds us to be grateful…In every way and at every moment, the gospel enables us to exalt God’s great name.” (pp. 68) If this is true, then Christians need to reflect upon the gospel on a regular basis, perhaps (even) on an everyday basis, and especially when we gather for corporate worship on Sunday. Discuss.