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Welcome to this issue of one24worship - Because worship is a daily lifestyle, one 24-hour day at a time, not just a weekly event.
The one24worship Newsletter is a weekly offering of inspiration, ideas, and insights landing in your email inbox every Thursday... 1-2-4: one verse, two quotes, and four observations at a time.
In 2006, American Book Review (Volume 27, No. 2) published a list of the 100 best opening lines in novels.1
Here is a sampling from that list:
82. I write this sitting in the kitchen sink.— Dodie Smith, I Capture the Castle (1948)
48. He was an old man who fished alone in a skiff in the Gulf Stream and he had gone eighty-four days now without taking a fish.— Ernest Hemingway, The Old Man and the Sea (1952)
12. You don’t know about me without you have read a book by the name of The Adventures of Tom Sawyer; but that ain’t no matter.— Mark Twain, Adventures of Huckleberry Finn (1885)
9. It was the best of times, it was the worst of times, it was the age of wisdom, it was the age of foolishness, it was the epoch of belief, it was the epoch of incredulity, it was the season of Light, it was the season of Darkness, it was the spring of hope, it was the winter of despair.—Charles Dickens, A Tale of Two Cities (1859)
8. It was a bright cold day in April, and the clocks were striking thirteen.—George Orwell, 1984 (1949)
1. Call me Ishmael.—Herman Melville, Moby-Dick (1851)
One of my favorite opening lines comes from a book that didn’t make American Book Review’s Top 100 list.
It is the very first line of Dr. David L. Cook’s 2006 book, Golf’s Sacred Journey. Zondervan later republished the book in 2009 under the title Seven Days in Utopia, and it was adapted into a movie in 2011.
Now, if you don’t play golf, you may not catch the nuance of this short opening sentence. But if you do, or know someone who does, well... here it is, in the form of a question:
“How can a game have such an effect on a man’s soul?”—Dr. David L. Cook, God’s Sacred Journey (2006)
In literature, four elements characterize a strong opening line:
Piques Curiosity — It poses questions that can only be answered by reading further.
Sets the Tone and Mood — It immediately establishes the atmosphere and direction of the story.
Establishes Trust — It assures readers that they are in the hands of a capable storyteller.
Introduces Voice and Imagery — It offers a glimpse into the author’s perspective and invites readers into the narrative.
Of course, the Holy Bible is far more than a work of literature. It is a divinely inspired collection of sixty-six books that reveal God’s redemptive plan for humanity.
That said, the opening sentence of the Book of Genesis contains those qualities of a powerful opening line:
“In the beginning God created the heaven and the earth.”
Genesis 1:1 KJV
The impact of that profound opening was not lost on a certain Palestinian Jew living in the latter part of the first century. Sometime around A.D. 70–90, he began his Gospel account with words that intentionally echoed Genesis.
Those words form our one24worship ONE VERSE this week.
If you and I were to write a strong opening line to start our day today, what would it say?
Enjoy!
“In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God.” John 1:1 ESV
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“[The Bible is] a reliable collection of historical doctrines written by eyewitnesses during the lifetime of other eyewitnesses. Therefore, supernatural events that took place in fulfillment of specific prophecies claim that the writings are divine rather than human in origin.” Voddie Baucham
[Source: Voddie Baucham, Why We Trust the Bible (2 Peter 1:16-21), Posted at HorizonCityChurch.com]
“…God can use our stories to motivate others to help and want to be a part of the mission. Or He can use our stories to encourage them in their own calling.” Bunni Pounds, Stepping Up to Lead
[Source: Bunni Pounds, Stepping Up to Lead: Rebuilding a Nation in the Footsteps of Nehemiah, (Bunni Pounds, Published by Whitaker House, © 2026 Bunni Pounds), pages 94-95]
“God is still calling us to a process and a lifestyle of becoming everything He has created us to become, and by grace, He extends mercy to us every single day.” Louie Giglio, Passion Equip
Article Excerpt: “You can study every other faith system and you'll discover that Jesus is the one that stands out. He's the only one making these truth claims and opening the door to the grace way. To believe means to entrust. It's banking your entire life on Jesus.” 👉 Read More at PassionEquip.com
“Biblical worship, in short, is our response to who God is and what he has done.” Emily A. Jensen
Article Excerpt: “Perhaps you can begin to grasp that if worship is giving God what he’s worth, then it’s more than merely listening to worship music or going to church on Sundays. Worship is more than saying a few words of praise to God now and again or giving a portion of our income to the church. It is both something we do and something that we are.” 👉 Read More at Crossway.org
“The worship of the church isn’t a collection of private or individual devotional moments happening in the same room. It’s the body of Christ gathered together, encouraging one another, teaching one another, singing with one another.” Matthew Skinner
Article Excerpt: “There will always be a place for undistracting beauty and musical excellence in worship. But a song that the congregation can’t truly sing is doing far less for the building up of the church than a simpler song they can sing from the heart. The goal isn’t to put on a performance. It’s participation of the whole body, together, declaring truth to God and to one another.” 👉 Read More at DoctrinalDoxology.com
Written by Peter Burton, AJ Pruis & Matt Armstrong
© 2025 Be Essential Songs; Music of Story House; Sam and Hank Songs; Integrity's Praise! Music; Peter Burton Publishing; Combustion Five; Pruis Not Prius; Story House West Wing Music
Until next week,
“The enemy is always surrounding you with lies. Confusion. Fear. Doubt. But God has already given us what we need to stand firm. Guard your mind with the helmet of salvation and remember whose you are. Your identity is not found in the world — it’s found in Christ.” Jason Curry, Church at Rock Creek
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