Tag: song

Casting Crowns – Set Me Free

~ Bob Hayton ~ 6 Comments

I enjoyed my first Christian concert in a large venue last night. I saw Casting Crowns with Tenth Avenue North and Caleb Chapman at the Excel Energy Center in St. Paul. I really enjoyed the concert as Casting Crowns has amassed quite a list of really good, rock solid, God-centered songs over the last several years. Plus I was with some friends from church.

I thought I’d just post a video of my favorite Casting Crowns song, which unfortunately they didn’t do last night. I don’t post video clips often, and its good to have a change of pace every once in a while. Let me know if you like the song. The song is from the perspective of the demonaic of Gadeira in Mark 5. May this song move you like it has me.

Tweeting the Gospel

~ fundyreformed ~ 1 Comment

Twitter is becoming more and more popular these days. One of the things it does is force us to be succinct, which is good. Nine Marks Ministries‘ blog, Church Matters, is challenging all Christian twitterers to share the gospel in 1 tweet. It’s a novel idea, and causes us to focus on the true heart of the gospel. Crafting such a tweet is a good exercise, but it also challenges us to use Twitter for good ends, by challenging those with whom we interact on Twitter, with the gospel.

I enjoyed crafting my tweet, but I would have loved more than 140 characters! Here’s my tweet, and then a better one.

G=S+J<M / Gospel=Sin [spurning God & His law] + Judgment [eternal punishment] < Mercy [Jesus died in our place offering peace with God] #9M

The #9M enters me in the contest, and can be searched easily via Twitter. Take some time to read through the results of that search, and you’ll encounter many other ways to simply declare the heart of the gospel.

My tweet stopped short of calling people to believe this message. But I think the Gospel, when understood, carries the weight of a response within the message itself. When one understands G=S+J<M, he may then value the truth in this message and cherish it. In short, he will come to believe it.

A much better attempt at distilling the beauty of the gospel in a few words was accomplished by songwriter Drew Jones:

Holy God, in love, became / Perfect Man to bear my blame / On the cross He took my sin / By His death I live again

These words form the entire length of The Gospel Song (music by Bob Kauflin). It is one of my favorite songs; learn more about it here.

So what’s your gospel tweet? Post it on twitter, or add it to the comments at the Church Matters’ blog (contest runs through Wednesday night). But please share your gospel tweet in the comments here. 140 comments or less. Let’s rejoice in the clarity of the gospel together.

Music Mondays: “Our Great God” by Fernando Ortega and Mac Powell

~ Bob Hayton ~ 1 Comment

Music Monday posts highlight the music which touched my heart on Sunday. I pray the message of these songs will help us all to live in the spirit of Worship all week long.

Today’s song is one I’ve enjoyed for quite some time now, since I first heard it in church maybe a year or so ago. It speaks of who God is, and calls all of creation to praise His name. I pray it will encourage you this week in your walk with our great God.

Our Great God

Words & Music by Fernando Ortega & Mac Powell

Eternal God, unchanging, mysterious and unknown
Your boundless love, unfailing, in grace and mercy shown
Bright seraphim in ceaseless flight around Your glorious throne
They raise their voices day and night in praise to You alone

Chorus:
Hallelujah! Glory be to our Great God!
Hallelujah! Glory be to our Great God!

Lord, we are weak and frail, helpless in the storm
Surround us with Your angels, hold us in Your arms
Our cold and ruthless enemy, his pleasure is our harm
Rise up, O Lord and he will flee before our Sovereign God

Let every creature in the sea and every flying bird
Let every mountain, every field and valley of the earth
Let all the moons and all the stars in all the universe
Sing praises to the Living God who rules them by His Word

 ©2002 Word Music.

You can listen to the entire song by watching this video clip. The song is also available for a free listen at rhapsody.com. Sheet music can be previewed (and purchased) easily at this link, and a guitar sheet is available for free here (.pdf).

Music Mondays: “Desert Song” by Brooke Fraser

~ Bob Hayton ~ 1 Comment

Music Monday posts highlight the music which touched my heart on Sunday. I pray the message of these songs will help us all to live in the spirit of Worship all week long.

Two Sundays ago I heard this song for the first time. It followed a heartfelt, God-centered, prayer by a man whose wife only has weeks to live. Perhaps it was the juxtaposition of this song following the prayer of that man that made it so meaningful to me. It speaks of why we can praise God even in hard times. If you’re like me, you’ve had a few hard times yourself. May this song minister to you like it did to me.

Desert Song

Words & Music by Brooke Fraser
Arranged by Joel Mott

This is my prayer in the desert
When all that’s within me feels dry
This is my prayer in my hunger and need
My God is the God who provides

This is my prayer in the fire
In weakness or trial or pain
There is a faith proved of more worth than gold
So refine me Lord through the flame

Chorus:
I will bring praise, I will bring praise
No weapon formed against me shall remain
I will rejoice, I will declare
God is my victory and He is here

This is my prayer in the battle
When triumph is still on its way
I am a conqueror and co-heir with Christ
So firm on His promise I’ll stand

Bridge:
All of my life
In every season
You are still God
I have a reason to sing
I have a reason to worship

This is my prayer in the harvest
When favour and providence flow
I know I’m filled to be emptied again
The seed I’ve received I will sow.

 ©2008 Hillsong Publishing (Admin. in U.S. by Integrity’s Hosanna! Music)

You can listen to the entire song by watcing this video clip. There’s also a touching story surrounding the song, one of the performers (or possibly the author??) had just lost a premature baby. The song gave her strength to make it in that tough time.

The song is also available for a free listen at rhapsody.com. Sheet music can be previewed (and purchased) easily at this link. I also stumbled across many comments about the song and its impact at this link.

Finally, this song is a Hillsong production, and is showcased on their This is Our God CD. You can pick up a copy at Amazon.com. Learn more about Hillsong, at hillsongmusic.com.

Music Mondays: “We Will Dance” by David Ruis

~ Bob Hayton

Music Monday posts highlight the music which touched my heart on Sunday. I pray the message of these songs will help us all to live in the spirit of Worship all week long.

I know it’s not Monday, but the sickness around here (3 of us have strep throat) pushed this post out a day.   This song has a Jewish sound to it and an expectant hopeful focus on Heaven.   It becomes an avenue of expressing joy to our Lord and Savior.   I hope the message of the song blesses you all today.

We Will Dance
by David Ruis

Sing a song of celebration
Lift up a shout of praise
For the Bridegroom will come
The glorious one
And oh, we will look on his face
We’ll go to a much better place

Dance with all your might
Lift up your hands and clap for joy
The time’s drawing near
When He will appear
And oh, we will stand by His side
A strong, pure, spotless bride

Chorus:
We will dance on the streets that are golden
The glorious bride and the great Son of man
From every tongue and tribe and nation
Will join in the song of the lamb

Tag:
Sing aloud for the time of rejoicing is near (women echo)
The risen King, our groom is soon to appear (women echo)
The wedding feast to come is now near at hand (women echo).
Lift up your voice, proclaim the coming Lamb (women echo)

 © 1992 Mercy/Vineyard Publishing

To listen to this song, try this you-tube video clip or search for it on Rhapsody.com.   Here is a free guitar chord sheet with the words.

Other great songs we sang Sunday were: