Tim Tebow Interview: God’s role in Football

LOUIE GIGLIO TO RELEASE NEW TALK DVD CALLED SYMPHONY MARCH 13, 2012

 

Just weeks before the Passion World Tour hits Vancouver, and alongside the March 13 release of the Passion: White Flag live album, Passion founder and recent GRAMMY ® nominee Louie Giglio will debut the latest in the 900,ooo+ selling Passion Talk Series, SYMPHONY, I LIFT MY HANDS. As seen by over 200,000 people on the 50-city Chris Tomlin “And If Our God Is For Us… Tour,” SYMPHONY, I LIFT MY HANDS is one of Giglio’s most compelling talks and one that left audiences spellbound.

“It’s staggering when we begin to realize that all creation is singing the praises of the One who fashioned and formed the universe,” comments Giglio about this special new series. “Yet, singing stars and earth’s ovation cannot drown God’s desire to hear your voice. In the midst of a miraculous and immense symphony of praise, God is still mindful of you, going to extraordinary lengths to give you life and breath through His Son.”

The Passion Talk Series has received an astounding 7.5 million views on YouTube. To experience a preview of SYMPHONY, I LIFT MY HANDS, click here.

In addition to the release of SYMPHONY, I LIFT MY HANDS, March 13 also welcomes the debut of Passion: White Flag. Recorded live at Passion 2012, the project features sixstepsrecords’ artists Chris Tomlin, David Crowder*Band, Charlie Hall, Matt Redman, Christy Nockels and Kristian Stanfill, along with the voices of more than 42,000 college students at Atlanta’s Georgia Dome. The Passion World Tour will stop in Vancouver on March 23 and features Giglio, along with Chris Tomlin, David Crowder and Kristian Stanfill with future 2012 dates soon to be announced in Rwanda, Uganda and South Africa.

AUDREY ASSAD’S New Album Heart Sells Over 7,300 Copies In First Week

 

What a week it has been for Sparrow Records singer-songwriter Audrey Assad, whose critically adored sophomore album, Heart, bowed on Valentine’s Day to across-the-board praise and her highest sales-week numbers to date. Heart ranked in at No. 3 on the Christian Soundscan chart, selling over 7,300 units, giving her a 185 percent sales increase over the debut week of her last album, The House You’re Building. The CD also crowned the iTunes ® Christian & Gospel Albums chart and reached No. 18 on the overall iTunes ® Albums chart. In addition, before Heart‘s release, Rhapsody named it one of their “Most Anticipated Albums of 2012.”

THIRD DAY TO RELEASE FREE 4-SONG LIVE EP 1 MARCH 2012

Third Day is getting ready to make all of their Spring Tour shows available as digital audio recordings exclusively available from their website. To launch it, they’ll be making a 4-song live EP available for FREE for a limited time. Today, they announced… “As many of you know, we are always looking to improve our fan’s expierence and come up with new ways to continue to connect with you. Years ago, we had the idea to start recording all of our concerts. Then we thought, “We should share these recordings with people.” So, we started streaming the shows on our website. The one down side to that was that you had to be connected to the internet to be able to listen and could not take the recording with you to listen whenever you want.”
“Well, after lots of work we are excited to tell you that for the spring tour, you will be able to purchase each night’s concert as a digital download on our website! As a little teaser, we will be offering a Third Day Live sampler for free. This 4 song EP will include a favorite performance from the Make Your Move Tour from each of the band members. This sampler will only be available from March 1st – March 15th. Be on the look out for more info on this in the coming weeks.”

JUD WILHITE Guest Post: Getting To A Place Of Honesty With Each Other

In the very beginning of the biblical story, right after Adam and Eve disobeyed God by eating the forbidden fruit and ushering sin and death into the world, they realized they were naked and felt vulnerable. That started the first game of hide-and-seek. Adam and Eve tried to hide from God. They were exposed. And they didn’t want God or their partner to see.

This is a perfect illustration of the daunting challenge of becoming honest with God and each other. It’s like getting naked. It’s the deepest form of vulnerability, dating all the way back to seconds after the Fall.

Most of us carry at least two fears about sharing our pain and struggles with another person. One, we fear being exposed, being truly known by our struggles and faults, not just by the front we usually put forward. Two, we fear being rejected. Like Adam and Eve, we think that if God were to confront us in our total vulnerability, he would be appalled to the point of distancing himself from us and punishing us or shunning us.

So we do what Adam and Eve did. We don’t just hide; we try to cover our nakedness. They did it with fig leaves. We do it by pretending we’re not hurting and putting on a happy face despite feeling dead inside. We do it by trying to
make up for our faults with self-righteousness or lying to cover ourselves.

God did not accept the leaf coverings. They didn’t work. But he didn’t reject Adam and Eve. According to the Bible, he covered them himself using animal skins. The message is vivid and clear. We can be covered, but something must die. God’s providing animal skins to cover the first humans’ nakedness is a picture of God’s providing the sacrifice of Jesus to cover our sin.

The lesson is challenging but simple: if we want to experience the joy of unity, of relational connectedness, of the glory of God, we have to risk showing our true selves to God and others, and we have to be gracious coverers of one another with the good news of Jesus Christ’s sacrifice.

The beauty of this is that the more reliable we are with grace, the more reliable our communities will be with honesty.

THE PRACTICE OF HONESTY
Getting to the place of honesty with each other can be difficult, but there are few things more rewarding-and healing. There is a divine catharsis in unburdening ourselves of sin and painful experiences. It sets us free and allows the burden to be shared, if not lifted. Why do you think they call it “getting something off your chest”?

Of course, this is a risk. It can be a disaster to fall into the hands of insensitive, insincere, or just flat-out mean Christians. Many times we are reluctant to share what’s going on in our lives because we’ve been burned in the past by gossip, judgmentalism, bad assumptions, terrible theology, or even ambivalence or stony silence. Nevertheless, God calls us to know and be known. He wants us to be a living picture of the reconciliation he offers between himself and us. And we can’t do reconciliation if we don’t get real.

You may want to begin by identifying one Christian you can trust with the difficulties of your life. This person could be an accountability partner, an older believer whose wisdom and insight you respect, or perhaps a pastor, counselor, or therapist. Getting one on one is the first big step toward later sharing with multiple people, perhaps in a prayer group or small group or support group of some kind.

Identify cultures of grace. Are there pockets of Christians where you can see that lives have been transformed by the good news of Jesus, where sin is spoken against but sinners feel loved and cared for and not condemned? Can you see acceptance and belonging? Do you see honesty already taking place? Does the place feel warm and welcoming? Hopefully you have located this culture of grace in your own church or at least in certain groups or gatherings within your church.

When life falls apart, to some extent we all feel like we’re the first to experience it. So I know that tentativeness and unease will be there regardless. But take the risk!

If you lead a small group or community group of some kind at your church, or if you work with a group of volunteers, strive to create a safe place for honesty. This probably means you will have to go first. When someone goes first, it breaks the seal of fear and discomfort that prevents transparency. When someone goes first, it immediately tells others in the group that they are not alone. And we are more likely to get honest with others when we don’t feel as though we are alone. But somebody has to go first.

Will it be you?

God is faithful. He will meet you at every point with the grace you need and the healing you long for. And once you can be honest with him and find in him not rejection or condemnation but acceptance, your fear of people will gradually dissipate, giving you the confidence to get real with others too. You’ll be able to let them see how you are
torn, which will start helping you recover.

MARK BATTERSON Guest Post: Learning To Truly Pray

 

I attended the Easter Prayer Breakfast at the Whitehouse this past April and right before walking through the buffet line we paused to pray. I was expecting the typical pre-meal prayer, but it turned into a defining moment for me. A sixty-seven year-old African American pastor began to pray with such familiarity and authority that after he said “Amen,” I turned to Andy Stanley and Louie Giglio, who happened to be standing next to me, and said, “I feel like I’ve never prayed before.”

Have you ever felt that way? Someone prays with such familiarity with God that you feel like you hardly know Him? Or they pray with such authority that you feel like your prayers are impotent by comparison? I wonder if that’s how the disciples felt when they heard Jesus pray. Maybe that’s why they asked Him to teach them to pray in a new way.

I’ve never met anyone who felt like they prayed too much or prayed too effectively. All of us feel like we fall short when it comes to prayer. But that’s exciting because it means there is potential for improvement. There are new dialects, new tactics, new dimensions to be discovered. And if you transform your prayer life you transform your life. Why? Because the transcript of your prayers ultimately become the script for your life. We write the future with our prayers. Or in the words of Walter Wink: “History belongs to the intercessors.”

The Legend

A few years ago, I was reading through The Book of Legends, a collection of stories from the Jewish Talmud, when I discovered the true legend of Honi the Circle Maker. It forever changed the way I pray. I pray more. I pray with more faith. I’ve learned how to pray circles around my dreams, my problems, my family, and most importantly, the promises of God.

A devastating drought threatened to destroy a generation–the generation before Jesus. The last of the Jewish prophets had died off nearly four centuries before. Miracles were a distant memory. And God was nowhere to be heard. But there was one man, an old sage who lived outside the walls of Jerusalem, who dared to pray anyway. His name was Honi. And even if the people could no longer hear God, he believed that God could still hear them.

With a six-foot staff in his hand, Honi drew a circle in the sand. Then he dropped to his knees and raised his hands to heaven. With the authority of the prophet Elijah who called down fire from heaven, Honi called down rain.

Lord of the Universe, I swear before your great name that I will not move from this circle until you have shown mercy upon your children.

Then it happened.

As his prayer ascended to the heavens, raindrops descended to the earth. The people rejoiced over the rain, but Honi wasn’t satisfied with a sprinkle. Still kneeling within the circle, Honi lifted his voice over the sounds of celebration.

Not for such rain have I prayed, but for rain that will fill cisterns, pits, and caverns.

The sprinkle turned into such a torrential downpour that the people fled to the Temple Mount to escape the flash floods. Honi stayed and prayed inside his protracted circle.

Not for such rain have I prayed, but for rain of benevolence, benediction, and grace.

Then, like a well-proportioned sun shower on a summer afternoon, it began to rain in perfect moderation. Some within the Sanhedrin threatened excommunication because his prayer was too bold for their taste, but the miracle couldn’t be repudiated. Eventually, Honi the Circle Maker was honored for “the prayer that saved a generation.” The circle he drew in the sand symbolizes the power of a single prayer to change the course of history. It’s also a reminder of this timeless truth: God honors bold prayers because bold prayers honor God.

The Challenge

We have not because we ask not, or maybe I should say, we have not because we circle not. We give up too easily, too quickly. If God has given you a dream, you need to keep circling it in prayer. You can’t just pray. You need to pray through. You need to work like it depends on us and pray like it depends on God.

Prayer is the difference between fighting for God and God fighting for you. Some of you have been fighting so hard. Maybe it’s time to pray hard. Then God will fight your battles for you.

I’m convinced of this: your leadership potential is directly proportional to your prayer capacity. You can’t do anything until you pray, but when you start drawing prayer circles around your dreams and God’s miracles, all bets are off. With prayer, all things are possible.

You tell me: is there anything more important or more powerful than prayer?

If the answer is no then let’s pray like it.

Start circling!

BRITT MERRICK Guest Post: Learning To Spend Time With Jesus Instead Of Just Doing Ministry

 

The other night at a wedding I ran into an acquaintance, a longtime pastor of a large church. In the course of our conversation, I asked how I could pray for him. Without hesitation he said, “That I would actually spend time with Jesus and not be so caught up in being busy all the time…. You’d think after all these years I’d have that down, but I don’t.”

Isn’t it interesting how the ministry always seems to creep its way between the minister and Jesus? My friend was so busy doing things for Jesus that he didn’t have much time for Jesus.

Ministry flows from intimacy. The primary call on the minister is to be with Christ in an intimate love relationship. When Jesus called the twelve disciples, He appointed them “so that they would be with Him and that He could send them out to preach, and to have authority to cast out the demons” (emphasis mine). Note the order: Jesus ordained that his first leaders be with Him before they attempt to do workfor Him. As Jesus would later teach, He is the source for life and ministry. Without deep connectivity to Him, their ability to live and lead well would crumble beneath the pressures they would soon face as leaders in His kingdom.

The same is true for the Christian leader today. We have been saved that we might have a meaningful love affair with Christ; everything else is subordinate and subsequent to that glorious truth. Tozer wrote, “We are called to an everlasting preoccupation with God.” Yet Christians in general, and often leaders in particular, seem to succumb to busyness and struggle with practicing unhurried intimacy with Christ.

This is a dangerous compromise. Eugene Peterson asserts, “The word busy is the symptom not of commitment but of betrayal. It is not devotion but defection. The adjective busy set as a modifier to pastorshould sound to our ears like adulterous to characterize a wife or embezzling to characterize a banker. It is an outrageous scandal, a blasphemous affront.” “Ouch,” says this busy pastor.

In the book of Jeremiah, the Lord was expressing His displeasure with the southern kingdom of Judah: “The priests did not say, ‘Where is the LORD?’ And those who handle the law did not know Me” (emphasis mine). The word know used here is the word yada in Hebrew, and it means to know relationally and experientially. The Lord’s complaint is that they did not know Him relationally, experientially, and intimately. His rebuke targeted the spiritual leaders who, of all in the kingdom, carried the privilege and responsibility of knowing Him. Though many other sins were prevalent in Judah at the time, the one that seemed to most upset God was their departure from intimate relationship with Him. They were still working for God, but they weren’t really with God.

We sometimes get so caught up in doing good things for God that we don’t have time for God. The danger is that in our zeal and passion for the ministry, we can easily lose the sine qua non (essential condition) of simply knowing Christ intimately. Recall the words of the risen Lord to the church at Ephesus: “I know your deeds and your toil…. But I have this against you, that you have left your first love.” Their many good works were acknowledged by the Lord, but they were a pitiful substitute for relationally loving the Lord.

Our first love is to be our last love. All that would seek to place itself between us and our first love must be dealt with ruthlessly in the life of the leader, lest he or she become weary in the numerous responsibilities facing him or her. These responsibilities, apart from connection to the Object of our service, eventually grind us down to the very core of personal inadequacy. When busyness supplants with-ness we are in trouble.

Christ’s suggested course of action for the church at Ephesus was to repent. This can mean only one thing-that the leader or minister or ministry or church that is engaged in good works while neglecting sincere relational nearness to Christ is on a perilous path and must change course immediately to avoid shipwreck. We all know that the reefs and shores of Christian work are strewn with the wrecks of busy and important, but not intimate, men and women.

The work will always seek to pry its way between Christ and the Christian. The passion of every pastor and leader must be to love and enjoy Jesus with every fiber of his or her being. Authentic and eternally impacting ministry can flow only from an intimate relationship with Christ.

Husband, father, founding pastor of Reality, author and surfboard shaper.

KATIE DAVIS Guest Post: When God Tells One Is Enough

I was angry because I believed, and still believe, that the God who created the universe did not create too many children in His image and not enough love to go around. And I wanted to do more. I wanted to help them all.

God whispered that one is enough. He assured me that He would hold the others while they wait for someone to come along and give them their milk and their medicine. He doesn’t ask me to take them all but to stop for just one, because, as I do it for one of “the least of these” I do it for Him (see Matthew 25:40). I felt deep in my spirit that He was teaching me to care for the one person in front of me. Stop for the little boy with white hair and scabs covering his body; stop for the baby girl with feces covering her dress, so weak that she can’t hold up her head. Stop and love the ones right in front of me and trust Him with the rest. He whispered that it would be okay and that I didn’t have to be angry, I could smile because one less baby was hungry, and that was good enough for that day.

This is a lesson He has continued to teach me. And it is sometimes hard and ugly. Because every time I stop for that one sick child, that one hungry old man, that one new baby girl, my mind races with the statistics of how many more I am not touching, not feeding, not saving. God whispers every time, though, that this one is enough. It is enough that this one is feeling His love and that love is eternal. Eternal.

Today, that anger is gone, though sometimes I still have to sit with the Father in my sadness and brokenness over all the hurt in this world. Sometimes I still have to cry to Him and ask Him why innocent children must suffer and beg Him to move people to action. Still, we as a family just love the ones with whom God has entrusted us as best we can. We let Him hold us as we hold the little ones He has given us to look after. We do what we can do, and we trust Him with the rest.

When I have a rough day, or several rough days in a row, as I did around the time Patricia joined our family, I can easily forget why I do what I do. I used to repeat to myself, “Do not forget in the darkness what you have been promised in the light.” When my days are dark and difficult, I am tempted to look around and think, Why? Why do I do this? Why would I take one more child? Why would we live with less so we can give to others more? Why did I leave family and friends to go to a land of strangers? What am I doing here?

I do not usually forget the answer to all these questions: “For Jesus. Because He called me to this and because He gave His life for me.” This means that it has been granted to me, it is my privilege, not only to believe in Him but also to suffer for Him (see Philippians 1:29). That suffering is not alone, but is with Him, and oh, what a privilege it is just to be able to be in His presence, to share that with my sweet Savior.

This is what it means when I say I do it for Jesus. He loved me first; I love Him back. And sometimes it hurts. But even then it is pure joy to even be considered worthy to share in His suffering. That is the promise: not that He is sorry that it hurts, but that He sees; that He knows; that He is here with us.

I think of various “ones” with which I have been blessed.

I think of Michael, who is back at home with his stepmom, healthy now, but maybe still mistreated. God knows that, in Uganda, as a single woman I cannot legally adopt a little boy, so how my heart could be so knit to his?

I think of a girl named Gloria, whose brain was so damaged from her high fever she may always be in a vegetable-like state. God in His infinite wisdom knew that had I been there a few days sooner, this potentially lifelong damage could have been prevented.

But then I think of fourteen little girls who have a home and food and a mommy, and who know Jesus. I think of sixteen hundred Karimojong children, modern-day lepers in Uganda, singing about God’s love for them and leaving the school with their bellies full. I think of four hundred sponsored children who sometimes show up on Saturday in new clothes because their parents can finally afford to buy them a new dress or shirt, now that Amazima provides for all their basic needs (food, education, medical care).

I see thousands of deep brown eyes and feel thousands of little brown hands and I know that even on the hardest day, stopping is worth it. A life changed is worth it, even if only one. God’s love made known is worth it, even if only to one. I will not save them all. But I will keep trying. I will say “Yes.” I will stop for one.

MIKE FOSTER Guest Post: Don’t Let Past Mistakes Define You

My dignity as Abba’s child is my most coherent sense of self– Brennan Manning

In January 1998, Monica Lewinsky found herself in way over her head. Her face was on the front page of every newspaper, and each new day seemed to bring one more humiliation.  She was 25 years old – and caught in a presidential sex scandal.  She had no idea what was coming.

Today, at the age of 38, she’s still caught.  Single, alone, and running out of options, she’s the butt of jokes, the object of stares – the easy sexual punchline.  Seventeen years later.

Most of us are not former presidential interns.  Most of us haven’t had our decisions scrutinized by pundits and talk-show hosts.  And most of us haven’t had an affair with the most powerful man on the planet. We’re nothing like Ms. Lewinsky.  Or are we?

How many of us live with embarrassment about secrets that got out?  Or betrayal from past lovers and friends?  Or fear that someone will recognize us as a fraud?  Or hopelessness, brought on by repeated failures?  I’m willing to bet Ms. Lewinsky knows what that’s like, and I’m willing to bet more than a few of us do too.

Those of us caught in embarrassment, betrayal, fear, and hopelessness are living with a label that lies. We live branded by things that happened years – maybe even decades – before. And as a society, we are 100% percent OK with letting that label stick.

Maybe you’ve heard or said things like:

“He’s the pastor that was bangin’ his secretary and then ran off with her.”

“Isn’t she the one that was hooked on prescription drugs and went crazy?”

“Remember, that’s the pervert youth pastor that was caught looking at porn at work.”

In our desperate need to understand each other and place people in context, we attach permanent labels – usually from the dirtiest and most controversial part of the story.  Sometimes the label is attached to others, and sometimes it is a label we believe about ourselves.  Either way, the label lies, strips away our complex humanity, and falls short of describing who we really are.

Grace is the second chance that erases labels for others, and it’s the permission to move on that we give ourselves. And yet, grace is so scarce.  It’s disappearing, and its disappearance is leaving an army of wounded “has-beens” and “screw-ups” in its wake.

In grace’s absence, we instead choose to label.  Our culture thrives on devouring the Monica’s, the Haggard’s, and the Michael Vick’s, replaying their past mistakes for a quick fix of pleasure and entertainment. It makes us feel good to think that people have flaws worse than ours; it feeds the insecurity caused by our own labels.

So what can we do?  For one thing, we can stop kicking people when they’re down.  We can start skipping the water cooler, deleting the emails, and raising our voice on behalf of second chances.  When someone seeks to label another soul, we can speak up on their behalf.

We can start risking our own “personal brand” to encourage the downtrodden and defend life’s outcasts.  In fact, People of the Second Chance was started to do just that – tear down the labels of a Vulture Culture and replace them with a culture of grace and second chances.

Of course, this is all utterly impossible if we can’t rediscover our own identity in grace.  Giving someone a second chance starts with giving ourselves a second chance.  It means stripping away the labels that we wear and finding the truth of who we are in grace.  I’m sorry, but you can’t give what you haven’t first received. The strength to forgive others and forgive ourselves comes from finding our identity as the one God forgave first.  In the face of that grace, labels are shattered.  In the face of that grace, dehumanization crumbles.  And in the face of that grace, someone like Monica Lewinsky stops being the punchline.

Kirk Franklin’s Hello Fear certified Gold by RIAA For Shipments Of 500,000 Copies

 

 

 

 

 

 

Kirk Franklin and his chart-topping album Hello Fear just went certified Gold, as reported by RIAA. The announcement follows Franklin’s two GRAMMY Award wins for Best Gospel Album (Hello Fear) and Best Gospel Song (“I Smile”) earlier this week at the 54^th Annual GRAMMY Awards celebration held on Feb. 12 at the Staples Center in Los Angeles. The legendary gospel artist on Verity Gospel Music Group, with these two new trophies, now has nine career GRAMMY Awards. Franklin also performed at this year’s live NBC Network NAACP Image award show Friday, Feb. 17—in which he was nominated for two awards—Outstanding Song (“I Smile”) and Outstanding Gospel Album (Hello Fear).

Franklin’s Hello Fear debuted at #1 on Billboard’s Gospel sales chart and #5 on the Billboard Top 200 when it was released last spring, making the album the fourth highest Gospel debut in Soundscan history. In addition to his GRAMMY wins and NAACP nominations, Franklin was also awarded four Stellar Awards for Hello Fear and “I Smile”—Song of The Year, CD of the Year, Producer of the Year, and Contemporary CD of the Year. Franklin performed “I Smile” on last year’s American Idol finale, and was #1 at Gospel radio for 23 weeks, hitting Urban AC radio at #1. Currently, Franklin stars as Baylor Sykes in the feature film Joyful Noise starring Dolly Parton and Queen Latifah. He also hosts and executive produces gospel talent show Sunday Best, the highest-rated gospel program in BET network history, now heading into its fifth season. 

Kirk Franklin is the #1 selling Gospel artist of all time. For two decades, he has been a pioneer in gap-bridging musicianship, uniting gospel, hip-hop, pop, and R&B audiences. His rhythms have resulted in albums that have consistently topped Billboard‘s Gospel, Christian, and R&B/Hip Hop charts. He is a New York Times best-selling author for The Blueprint: A Plan for Living Above Life’s Storms (Gotham/Penguin). To date, Franklin has garnered nine GRAMMY Awards, an American Music Award, 35 Stellar Awards, 14 Dove Awards (CCM), six NAACP Image Awards, and two BET Awards. 

Franklin was named GQ’s “Best Dressed Men” at this year’s GRAMMY Awards.

Roadside Attractions set to release Blue Like Jazz, the much-anticipated film adaptation of Donald Miller’s best-selling book.

Roadside Attractions has acquired all U.S. rights to the film Blue Like Jazz. Directed and co-written by Steve Taylor (The Second Chance) the film will have its World Premiere in the Narrative Spotlight section at the 2012 South-by-Southwest Film Festival before opening in theatres on Apr. 13. Lionsgate will handle all ancillaries including DVD, VOD, and TV through their output deal.

Blue Like Jazz by Donald Miller spent 43 weeks on the New York Times Best Seller List and has sold over 1.5 million copies to date. The semi-autobiographical story was adapted for the screen by Miller, Taylor, and Ben Pearson.

In the early days of pre-production, the project was forced to be put on hold due to lack of funding, prompting a Web site to be created by fans, for fans, called “Save Blue Like Jazz”. The site urged loyalists to help raise money to fund the movie through Kickstarter, an online matchmaker for filmmakers and financial backers. The campaign went on to raise a record-setting $345,000, more than doubling the original goal of $125,000, allowing the film to start production.

In Blue Like Jazz, Don (Allman), a pious 19-year-old sophomore at a Texas junior college, impulsively decides to escape his religious upbringing for life in the Pacific Northwest at one of the most progressive campuses in America, Reed College in Portland. Upon arrival, Reed’s surroundings and eccentric student body proves to be far different than he could possibly imagine from the environment from which he came, forcing him to embark on a journey of self-discovery to understand who he is and what he truly believes.

The film boasts a cast of rising stars including Marshall Allman (True Blood), Claire Holt (The Vampire Diaries, Pretty Little Liars), and Tania Raymonde (Lost). Blue Like Jazz was produced by Taylor, J. Clarke Gallivan, and Coke Sams for Ruckus Film.

Additional outreach and grassroots partnerships will continue to dominate the entertainment, college, and faith-oriented landscape in the coming weeks with a number of promotional activities:

Blue Like Jazz will have its World Premiere at the 2012 SXSW Film Festival on Tuesday, March 13^th at the historic Paramount Theatre. Film star and Austin native Marshall Allman is expected to attend along with Steve Taylor and Don Miller.

Steve Taylor and Don Miller will kick off a 30-city bus tour on Feb. 29, during which they will host screenings, events and discussions geared towards fans of the book and early supporters of the film. Please visit: http://www.bluelikejazzthemovie.com/ for more information.

4500 Kickstarter backers on record, along with other fans and Blue Like Jazz followers are being organized into ‘street teams’ for the purpose of creating awareness for the film. Over 5,000 supporters are already confirmed to participate with offline and online promotion impressions that are set to reach an estimated 2.5 million potential moviegoers.

An unprecedented promotion with leading Christian culture media outlet RELEVANT commenced Feb. 14. The partnership includes promotion across all print, Web, live event, and social media platforms through the film’s opening.

Christian leadership organization CATALYST has been a supporter of the project at events in 2011 and will continue through its spring opening. The film was featured for a select group of influencers at Catalyst East in October and will be featured at Catalyst West this April.

The international aid organization World Vision will support the film through the launch of its new “act:s” network of creative activism. The film will be a featured campaign on the February launch of this new initiative where followers will be challenged to host screening parties in opening weekend markets.

“Releasing a meaningful and smart film like Blue Like Jazz, which has a grass roots following from both the bestselling book and its successful Kickstarter origins, is a coup for Roadside Attractions,” said co-president Eric d’Arbeloff. “We look for our films to speak to many different audiences, and BLJ’s story of college freshman’s journey speaks to both a faith audience and a young audience in general.”

“Roadside Attractions has been our first choice for a distributor ever since I told Howard and Eric about the project five years ago,” says director Steve Taylor. “They’ve got a great track record bringing eclectic movies to the widest possible audience, and we’re thrilled to be partnering with them.”

The deal was negotiated by Howard Cohen on behalf of Roadside with Taylor and V.T. Murray for Tennessee-based The Panda Fund on behalf of the filmmakers.

Hachett Book Group’s Center Street to publish Jeremy Lin: The Reason for the Linsanity.

Hachette Book Group announced today it will publish Jeremy Lin: The Reason for the Linsanity, an inside look at the life and development of Jeremy Lin as a professional basketball player, by Timothy Dalrymple. The book is scheduled for publication in May 2012 on the Center Street imprint.

Harvard graduate Jeremy Lin recently became a New York Knicks phenomenon and he’s the NBA’s first American-born player of Taiwanese descent. The book will chronicle Lin’s high school, college and early career in the NBA with particular emphasis on the media explosion surrounding his success as starting guard with the Knicks. It will explore how Jeremy’s Christian faith, family, education and cultural inheritance have contributed to his success. The book will also include interviews with basketball experts on Jeremy’s future in the NBA, Asian-American thought leaders on the role of race in Jeremy’s rise to stardom, and renowned Christian athletes and pastors on the potent combination of faith and sports.

Timothy Dalrymple is writing the book and his interviews with Jeremy Lin over the past two years followed the basketball phenom even before his emergence on the world stage. Dalrymple serves as the Director of Content for Patheos.com. He earned his bachelor’s degree at Stanford University, a M.Div. at Princeton Theological Seminary and a PhD at Harvard University.

Dalrymple has interviewed athletes and coaches from Jeremy Lin and Tony Dungy to Michael Chang and Carly Patterson on the role of faith in sports. He has written broadly on the issues of faith and ethnicity as they pertain to sports. Dalrymple has a deep connection to the Asian-American Christian culture: at Harvard University, where he was a doctoral student and a teaching assistant throughout Jeremy’s years there and in the Bay Area, where Lin grew up. He has also served for years in Asian-American ministries and churches.

The book was acquired by Rolf Zettersten, publisher for Center Street.

The Latest Christian News Featuring Donald Miller, Jeremy Lin, John Piper, Lecrae, Kirk Franklin, Lindsay Mccaul

Donald Miller’s Blue Like Jazz Movie Signs With Major Hollywood Distributor.

Hachett Book Group’s  Center Street to publish Jeremy Lin: The Reason for the Linsanity.

Kirk Franklin’s Hello Fear certified Gold by RIAA For Shipments Of 500,000 Copies

PROVIDENT’S LINDSAY MCCAUL Talks About Songwriting, How She Got Her Start In Christian Music And Her New Album

JEREMY LIN Talks About His Favorite Music: I’m A Huge Lecrae And Hillsong United Fan! (VIDEO)

John Piper Interviews Lecrae At PASSION 2012 

GEOFF SURRATT Guest Post: I Felt Alone And Disconnected At Almost Every Church I Visited With My Wife

GEOFF SURRATT Guest Post: I Felt Alone And Disconnected At Almost Every Church I Visited With My Wife

 

 

 

 

When finally given the opportunity to simply attend, and not preside or preach at a given church on Sunday, two notable Christian leaders found out just how difficult it was to fit into and connect to a new church today.

Having no current pastoral obligations, Geoff and Sherry Surratt, who have both served extensively at churches like Seacoast and Saddleback, visited over the past few months nine different churches, attending as anonymous visitors.

“It has been an eye-opening experience,” Geoff Surratt shared on ChurchLeaders.com. Discovering firsthand the obstacles of connecting with a new church, the former Seacoast Church executive pastor shared a few pointers on how to “make your church stickier” and retain visitors.

“None of these ideas are new or revolutionary, but I bet you think your church is a lot better at each one than you really are,” the father of two noted. “Trust me on this; they’re not.”

For example, though most churches thought they were a friendly and welcoming group, in actuality, they had minimal contact with newcomers outside of the front door greeting.

From an outsider’s perspective, a church could come off cold and unwelcoming because more often than not their greetings were never extended beyond the initial exchange.

The only interaction newcomers would get after their first step through the door would be during the “forced greeting time,” when neighbors only acknowledged their presence whe

n they were directed by their leaders to do so.

“Feeling alone and disconnected is the one experience we’ve had at almost every church we’ve attended,” Surratt shared, also stating that his wife, an extrovert, felt the same way.

In order to extend the welcome and “friendliness” of the church, he suggested teaching on hospitality, dividing the congregation into sections with chosen leaders responsible for the people who sat in their section, and creating things like a “gorilla greeter” team, made up of people who purposefully sought to find those who were disconnected and connect with them.

Many people seek connection and relationships when they come to church, but are often left alone and desperate for a friend.

“People want to connect, you want people to connect; let’s put significant time and energy into making this happen,” the Denver resident advised.

Although he was not pushing “consumer Christianity,” he felt that churches should be more like car lots, not in an overbearing or forceful way, but with the mentality of “How can I put you in this car today?”

“If the main reason people are showing up at church is to find relationships, there has to be a way to help them connect today. Not next month, not at the pancake breakfast on Saturday, but today.”

While friendliness and maintaining relationships are important, clear signs and directions are just as vital for first-timers, Surratt stated.

Marking where the parking lots, worship rooms, restrooms, and other places are located while also detailing programs for guests are things that help visitors navigate the church better.

Though regular churchgoers have ingrained the layout and worship schedule into their memories, no longer even needing to think about where to go and what to do, visitors are usually lost from beginning to end without guidance.

“The bottom line is we should do everything we can to make our church at least as easy to navigate as the local Target.”

Additional ways Surratt felt churches could be made “stickier” included better applicable and practical Gospel-centered preaching and more readily accessible volunteer opportunities and resources for newcomers as well.

All in all, Geoff and Sherry Surratt’s reflection on their personal experience with the church today is aimed at creating a warmer environment for the first-time visitor, guest, and attendee who feels lonely, needs comfort, or is discovering God for the first time.

Surratt not only seeks to help newcomers but the church as a whole as well to function in love and unity.

Geoff Surratt is currently a freelance Church Catalyst and Encourager and has written three books including Ten Stupid Things That Keep Churches From Growing. His wife, Sherry, was recently named the new president and CEO of MOPS International beginning January.

John Piper Interviews Lecrae At PASSION 2012

John Piper interviewed Lecrae in the recent PASSION 2012 conference, and Lecrae says that he sees himself as a relevant minister in an urban culture wherein he can share the word of God through songs and music.

WATCH:

JEREMY LIN Talks About His Favorite Music: I’m A Huge Lecrae And Hillsong United Fan!

Jeremy Lin says he’s a big Lecrae and Hillsong Fan

PROVIDENT’S LINDSAY MCCAUL Talks About Songwriting, How She Got Her Start In Christian Music And Her New Album

How did you get your start in music?

Lindsay: Well, I grew up with it. My dad loves singing, so that’s how I started loving music I guess. But when I was attending Moody Bible Institute in Chicago for college– I had started writing songs when I was probably, I don’t know… I think 12 or 13, somewhere around there. So I had just written and written, and when I was at Moody, when I was a freshman, this senior girl (who led worship in chapel) came by my room and she was like, “Hey, I’m about to graduate and I know that you write songs and you play the guitar. I need somebody to fill my spot when I graduate.” And I was like, “I’m not a worship leader. I don’t think that’s such a good idea.” And she was like, “No, I think you’d be a good replacement.” And I was like, “No, no… I really don’t do that.” And she was like, “No, I really think you are. And I actually signed you up for two weeks from now, so you should start practicing.” *laugh* Sooooo that was a little nerve-wracking, but that’s how I started leading worship.

After I graduated Moody and was leading worship there, I came to my church in the suburbs of Chicago called Harvest Bible Chapel, and I was leading worship there and writing. A friend, this guy named Jason Ingram, also came up to Harvest to lead worship every once in a while. He calls it his church away from home. And he called me out of the blue one day and said, “Hey Lindsay, I know you write songs. What do you want to do with those songs?” And I was like, “Umm…. I don’t know… sing them for Jesus?” *laugh* And he’s like, “Well, have you ever thought about maybe working with a record label and getting some more use from your songs other than you playing them by yourself?”

And I was like, “Well… I don’t know. Obviously I’ve thought about it, but I don’t know how to do that.” And he said, “Well, I can help you. Why don’t you pray about it?” And I prayed about it.

So I went down to Nashville, and we just started writing songs together–Jason and I–and he introduced me to the people at Provident, which is where I found my record label home. So Jason was kind of the key piece in doing more of this kind of thing.

It sounds like you just kind of fell into the music thing? 

Lindsay: Well yeah, I’d thought about it. I’d always thought, you know… ’cause I wrote songs. I’d been writing songs for a long time. But well… you know, how many people get to do that? Tons of people write songs and sing. And how many people get to work with a record label? Not very many people do that. So I was like, “well, surely I’m not going to be one of those people that gets to work with a label and tour and do that, so I should just give that up.”

But I had prayed about it. Like, “God, I would love to do that someday.” When I was even in high school, I was thinking about it. Like, “God, if you want me to do that, then you just open the door.” But I didn’t want to just move to Nashville like, “Hey this is what I’m going to do!” if that wasn’t what God wanted me to do. I didn’t wanna decide for myself. I thought surely God is big enough that if He wants me to do that, he can make that happen, and he did!

For me, it was a huge faith-building moment to realize that we can trust God with the desires of our hearts because he knows how to get us. He knows how to fulfill those desires, and He will because He has given us those desires. So that was a really cool moment for me to see that God had fulfilled that dream for me, and I didn’t have to push for it.

So Writing the story songs comes more naturally to you?

Lindsay: Yeah, for sure. Definitely the story songs. Those come out of, you know, any different season that I’m in, I usually find myself thinking about writing a song about it. And actually, usually I feel like God will remind me of a person in the Bible that experienced a little bit of the same situations that I’ve experienced. Does that make sense? (Jen: Mmhm. Yeah, totally.) Like “Take My hand” is about Peter on the Sea of Galilee and that realization we all come to every once in a while that we aren’t in control and that we need Jesus to be with us, to receive him. And my song “If It Leads Me Back” is about Job and his suffering and his decision — even through extreme difficult hardship — he still said to God, “You give and you take away and blessed be your name.” And that’s what I wanted my response to be to the Lord through every situation.

So a lot of my songs come out of seasons where I’m thinking about, like, “Okay, God, this isn’t something that I would have chosen for myself, but obviously you’ve allowed me to go through this season, so what are you trying to show me? What am I missing here? I wanna learn whatever you want me to learn in this situation, because obviously that’s why you brought me here. So don’t let me miss it.” And then he’ll kind of bring a story or a truth from his Word to my heart to just remind me that someone else has gone through something like this before. That is really comforting.

 So how would you describe the sound of your new album to someone who might not know your music?

Lindsay: Hmmm… well, the sound I would hope is… kind of acoustic? Well it’s not really all acoustic. I guess… pop… acoustic pop.

But it’s not all acoustic. *laugh* That’s not a very complete summary.

So what is your personal creative process like? Do you start with music or words? What’s your preferred method?

Lindsay: It varies. It can go either way, but usually I start with song lyrics. And things start kind of coming, usually when I’m trying to fall asleep. That’s the honest truth.

Okay, so you mentioned Sara Bareilles. What are some of your other favorite musicians?

Lindsay: Oooooh, okay… Steven Curtis Chapman is my all-time favorite. I think he is just a genius, lyrically. And Nichole Nordeman. Those are my top two. She is… man, that woman…

Steven Curtis Chapman and Nichole Nordeman both have my favorite songs. I feel like they understand so well how to craft lyrics. Like what I strive to do lyrically, they have. You know, I want my songs to be reflections of their writing, I guess.

Let me see, who else do I love? Um… well definitely Sara Bareilles. Brandon Heath… I love Brandon’s stuff. I think he’s a great writer too. I’m a big fan of Meredith Andrews! (Even though she was my roommate.) I think she’s amazing… she really is. She has one of the most humble, genuine hearts, and her music does reflect that, I feel like. And I think Matthew West is a great writer. Um… I’m not saying this because I’m on tour with them, but I love Casting Crowns. They have incredible music and they are incredible people to match up with their songs, so… yeah!

This Was fun

Yeah, it was thanks for stopping by

No problem.

Hachett Book Group’s Center Street to publish Jeremy Lin: The Reason for the Linsanity.

Hachette Book Group announced today it will publish Jeremy Lin: The Reason for the Linsanity, an inside look at the life and development of Jeremy Lin as a professional basketball player, by Timothy Dalrymple. The book is scheduled for publication in May 2012 on the Center Street imprint.

Harvard graduate Jeremy Lin recently became a New York Knicks phenomenon and he’s the NBA’s first American-born player of Taiwanese descent. The book will chronicle Lin’s high school, college and early career in the NBA with particular emphasis on the media explosion surrounding his success as starting guard with the Knicks. It will explore how Jeremy’s Christian faith, family, education and cultural inheritance have contributed to his success. The book will also include interviews with basketball experts on Jeremy’s future in the NBA, Asian-American thought leaders on the role of race in Jeremy’s rise to stardom, and renowned Christian athletes and pastors on the potent combination of faith and sports.

Timothy Dalrymple is writing the book and his interviews with Jeremy Lin over the past two years followed the basketball phenom even before his emergence on the world stage. Dalrymple serves as the Director of Content for Patheos.com. He earned his bachelor’s degree at Stanford University, a M.Div. at Princeton Theological Seminary and a PhD at Harvard University.

Dalrymple has interviewed athletes and coaches from Jeremy Lin and Tony Dungy to Michael Chang and Carly Patterson on the role of faith in sports. He has written broadly on the issues of faith and ethnicity as they pertain to sports. Dalrymple has a deep connection to the Asian-American Christian culture: at Harvard University, where he was a doctoral student and a teaching assistant throughout Jeremy’s years there and in the Bay Area, where Lin grew up. He has also served for years in Asian-American ministries and churches.

The book was acquired by Rolf Zettersten, publisher for Center Street.

Roadside Attractions set to release Blue Like Jazz, the much-anticipated film adaptation of Donald Miller’s best-selling book.

Roadside Attractions has acquired all U.S. rights to the film Blue Like Jazz. Directed and co-written by Steve Taylor (The Second Chance) the film will have its World Premiere in the Narrative Spotlight section at the 2012 South-by-Southwest Film Festival before opening in theatres on Apr. 13. Lionsgate will handle all ancillaries including DVD, VOD, and TV through their output deal.

Blue Like Jazz by Donald Miller spent 43 weeks on the New York Times Best Seller List and has sold over 1.5 million copies to date. The semi-autobiographical story was adapted for the screen by Miller, Taylor, and Ben Pearson.

In the early days of pre-production, the project was forced to be put on hold due to lack of funding, prompting a Web site to be created by fans, for fans, called “Save Blue Like Jazz”. The site urged loyalists to help raise money to fund the movie through Kickstarter, an online matchmaker for filmmakers and financial backers. The campaign went on to raise a record-setting $345,000, more than doubling the original goal of $125,000, allowing the film to start production.

In Blue Like Jazz, Don (Allman), a pious 19-year-old sophomore at a Texas junior college, impulsively decides to escape his religious upbringing for life in the Pacific Northwest at one of the most progressive campuses in America, Reed College in Portland. Upon arrival, Reed’s surroundings and eccentric student body proves to be far different than he could possibly imagine from the environment from which he came, forcing him to embark on a journey of self-discovery to understand who he is and what he truly believes.

The film boasts a cast of rising stars including Marshall Allman (True Blood), Claire Holt (The Vampire Diaries, Pretty Little Liars), and Tania Raymonde (Lost). Blue Like Jazz was produced by Taylor, J. Clarke Gallivan, and Coke Sams for Ruckus Film.

Additional outreach and grassroots partnerships will continue to dominate the entertainment, college, and faith-oriented landscape in the coming weeks with a number of promotional activities:

Blue Like Jazz will have its World Premiere at the 2012 SXSW Film Festival on Tuesday, March 13^th at the historic Paramount Theatre. Film star and Austin native Marshall Allman is expected to attend along with Steve Taylor and Don Miller.

Steve Taylor and Don Miller will kick off a 30-city bus tour on Feb. 29, during which they will host screenings, events and discussions geared towards fans of the book and early supporters of the film. Please visit: http://www.bluelikejazzthemovie.com/ for more information.

4500 Kickstarter backers on record, along with other fans and Blue Like Jazz followers are being organized into ‘street teams’ for the purpose of creating awareness for the film. Over 5,000 supporters are already confirmed to participate with offline and online promotion impressions that are set to reach an estimated 2.5 million potential moviegoers.

An unprecedented promotion with leading Christian culture media outlet RELEVANT commenced Feb. 14. The partnership includes promotion across all print, Web, live event, and social media platforms through the film’s opening.

Christian leadership organization CATALYST has been a supporter of the project at events in 2011 and will continue through its spring opening. The film was featured for a select group of influencers at Catalyst East in October and will be featured at Catalyst West this April.

The international aid organization World Vision will support the film through the launch of its new “act:s” network of creative activism. The film will be a featured campaign on the February launch of this new initiative where followers will be challenged to host screening parties in opening weekend markets.

“Releasing a meaningful and smart film like Blue Like Jazz, which has a grass roots following from both the bestselling book and its successful Kickstarter origins, is a coup for Roadside Attractions,” said co-president Eric d’Arbeloff. “We look for our films to speak to many different audiences, and BLJ’s story of college freshman’s journey speaks to both a faith audience and a young audience in general.”

“Roadside Attractions has been our first choice for a distributor ever since I told Howard and Eric about the project five years ago,” says director Steve Taylor. “They’ve got a great track record bringing eclectic movies to the widest possible audience, and we’re thrilled to be partnering with them.”

The deal was negotiated by Howard Cohen on behalf of Roadside with Taylor and V.T. Murray for Tennessee-based The Panda Fund on behalf of the filmmakers.

KARI JOBE Talks About Being Single And All That Entails

 

So what is life like for one of the most celebrated Christian artists of the last four years.  Especially life as a single Christian gal?  Well we have answers.

 

In this video below Kari Jobe talks about the challenges and rewards of being single.

(This video goes out especially to all the single guys who are crushing on the beloved Ms Jobe.)

 

WATCH:

 

 

Let Me Feel You Shine (David Crowder*Band) (Deluxe Bonus) Lyrics

This place is trying to break my belief
But my faith is bigger than all I can see
What I need is redemption
What I need is for You for to put me back on my feet

Wha ah ooooh ooooh oooh
Wha ah ooooh ooooh ooh oh

I swear I’m trying to give everything
But I feel I’m falling, oh make me believe
What I need is resurrection
What I need is for You to put me back on my feet

Wha ah ooooh ooooh oooh
Wha ah ooooh ooooh ooh ohhh

If I could feel You shine Your perpetual light
Then maybe I could crawl out of this tonight
If I could feel You feel You shine
Oh let me feel You shine
So beautiful and warm
So beautiful and bright
Like a sun comin’ out of a rainy sky
Oh let me feel You shine Oh,
Let me feel You shine

I lift the knife to the thing I love most
Praying You’ll come so I can have both
What I need is for You to touch me
What I need is for You to be the thing that I need

Wha ah ooooh ooooh oooh
Wha ah ooooh ooooh ooh ohhh

If I could feel You shine your perpetual light
Then maybe I could crawl out of this tonight
If I could feel You feel You shine
Oh let me feel You shine
So beautiful and warm
So beautiful and bright
Like a sun comin’ out of a rainy sky
Oh let me feel You shine
God I need a Savior
O come Generous King
O God I need a Savior
To come rescue me

Oh let me feel You shine Your magnificent light
Then maybe I could crawl out of this tonight
If You let me feel You feel You shine
Oh let me feel You shine
So beautiful and warm
So beautiful and bright
Like a sun comin’ out of a rainy sky
Oh let me feel You shine

Let me feel You shine
Let me feel You shine

No Turning Back (Chris Tomlin) Lyrics

I will follow You
I will follow You
no turning back
no turning back
no turning back
no turning back

Verse 1:
This is my heart cry
Though none go with me
The cross before me
The world behind me
(Repeat)

Chorus:
I will follow You
I will follow You
No turning back
No turning back
No turning back
No turning back

Verse 2:
This is my anthem
My life for Your fame
My every move bring
Glory to Your name
(Repeat)

Bridge:
The cross before me
The world behind me
I will follow
I will follow

10,000 Reasons (Matt Redman) Lyrics

(CHORUS)
Bless the Lord, O my soul
O my soul
Worship His holy name
Sing like never before
O my soul
I’ll worship Your holy name

The sun comes up, it’s a new day dawning
It’s time to sing Your song again
Whatever may pass, and whatever lies before me
Let me be singing when the evening comes

CHORUS

You’re rich in love, and You’re slow to anger
Your name is great, and Your heart is kind
For all Your goodness I will keep on singing
Ten thousand reasons for my heart to find

CHORUS

And on that day when my strength is failing
The end draws near and my time has come
Still my soul will sing Your praise unending
Ten thousand years and then forevermore

CHORUS

Mystery (Charlie Hall) Lyrics

Verse:
Sweet Jesus Christ my sanity
Sweet Jesus Christ my clarity
Bread of heaven, broken for me
Cup of salvation held up to drink
Jesus the Mystery

Chorus:
Christ has died and
Christ is risen,
and Christ will come again
Christ has died and
Christ is risen,
and Christ will come again

Verse
Chorus

Bridge:
Celebrate his death and rising
Lift your eyes, proclaim his come
Celebrate his death and rising
Lift you eyes, lift your eyes
(Repeat)

Chorus

The Only One (Chris Tomlin) Lyrics

I believe every heart needs a healer
Someone to walk through the fire
All I need I have found
Everyone is looking for a Savior
When it feels like the world is going under
All i need i have found

Chorus:
In my life, Jesus
More of You, Jesus
You are the One
You are the One
In everything, Jesus
My heart sings, Jesus
You are the One
You are the only One

Verse 2:
Everyday there’s a hope to remember
Yesterday’s been washed in the water
All i need I have found

Chorus

I believe every heart needs a healer
Someone to walk through the fire
I have found

Chorus

Sing Along (Christy Nockels) Lyrics

From babies hidden in the shadows
To the cities shining bright
There are captives weeping
Far from sight
For every doorway has a story
And some are holding back the cries
But there is One who hears at the night

Great God
Wrap Your arms around this world tonight
Around the world tonight
And when You hear our cries
Sing through the night
So we can join in Your song
And sing along
We’ll sing along

From the farthest corners of the earth
Still His mercy reaches
Even to the pain we cannot see
And even through the darkness
There’s a promise that will keep us
There is One who came to set us free

Great God
Wrap Your arms around this world tonight
Around the world tonight
And when You hear our cries
Sing through the night
So we can join in Your song
And sing along
We’ll sing along

So let Your song rise
And fill up the earth
Let Your hope ring out
Let Your heart be heard

So let Your song rise
And fill up the earth
Let Your hope ring out
Let Your heart be heard

Great God
Wrap Your arms around this world tonight
Around the world tonight
And when You hear our cries
Sing through the night
And we will join in Your song
And sing along
We’ll sing along

We’ll sing along (x6)

Great God
Wrap Your arms around this world tonight
Around the world tonight
And when You hear our cries
Sing through the night
And we will join in Your song
And sing along
We’ll sing along

Great God
Wrap Your arms around this world tonight
Around the world tonight
And when You hear our cries
Sing through the night
And we will join in Your song
And sing along
We’ll sing along

Yahweh (Chris Tomlin) Lyrics

Chorus:
Yahweh
Your name alone be exalted
Yahweh
Our hearts are Yours forever

Verse 1:
You have no rival to Your throne
In majesty You stand alone
There is no end to Your reign
Now all Your works shall praise Your name

Pre Chorus:
As far as this
From east to west
There’s no other
There’s no other

Chorus

Verse 2:
The Great I am
Your breath in us
Our God, Our King
You’re glorious
For all the world Your love displayed
Now all Your works shall praise Your name

Pre Chorus
Chorus

Bridge:
Holy, Holy
Your name alone is holy
Holy, Holy
Your name alone is holy
The name above all name

Chorus

One Thing Remains (Kristian Stanfill) Lyrics

Chorus:
Your love never fails
It never gives up
It never runs out on me
(x3)
Your love

Verse 1:
Higher than the mountains
That I face
Stronger than the power
Of the grave
Constant in the trial and the change
One thing remains
One thing remains

Chorus

Verse 2:
Because on and on and
On and on it goes
It overwhelms
And satisfies my soul
And I never, ever,
Have to be afraid
One thing remains
One thing remains

Chorus

Bridge:
In death, in life
I’m confident and covered
By the power of Your great love
My debt is paid
There’s nothing that can separate
My heart from Your great love

You Revive Me (Christy Nockels) Lyrics

Chorus:
You revive me
You revive me Lord
And all my deserts are rivers of joy
You are the treasure I could not afford
So I’ll spend myself till I’m empty and poor
All for You
You revive me Lord

Verse 1:
Lord I have seen Your goodness
And I know the way You are
Give me eyes to see You in the dark
And You race shines a glory
That i only know in part
And there is still a longing
A longing in my heart

Chorus

Verse 2:
My soul is thirsty
Only You can satisfy
You are the well that never will run dry
And i’ll praise You for the blessing
For calling me Your friend
And in Your name I’m lifting
I’m lifting up my hands

Bridge:
I’m alive
I’m alive
You breathe on me
You revive me

Lay Me Down (Chris Tomlin & Matt Redman) Lyrics

With this heart open wide
From the depths, from the heights
I will bring a sacrifice
With these hands lifted high
Hear my song, Hear my cry
I will bring a sacrifice
I will bring a sacrifice

I lay me down I’m not on my own
I belong to You alone
Lay me down, lay me down
Hand on my heart, this much is true
There’s no life apart from You
Lay me down, lay me down

Letting go of my pride
Giving up all my rights
Take this life and let it shine
Take this life and let it shine

I lay me down I’m not on my own
I belong to You alone
Lay me down, lay me down
Hand on my heart, this much is true
There’s no life apart from You
Lay me down, lay me down
Lay me down, lay me down

It will be my joy to say
Your will, Your way
It will be my joy to say
Your will, Your way
It will be my joy to say
Your will, Your way
Always

It will be my joy to say
Your will, Your way
It will be my joy to say
Your will, Your way
It will be my joy to say
Your will, Your way
Always

I lay me down I’m not on my own
I belong to You alone
Lay me down, lay me down
Hand on my heart, this much is true
There’s no life apart from You
Lay me down, lay me down

I lay me down I’m not on my own
I belong to You alone
Lay me down, lay me down
Hand on my heart, this much is true
There’s no life apart from You
Lay me down, lay me down
Oooh
Lay me down, lay me down

All This Glory (David Crowder*Band) Lyrics

In the middle of the mess, there is majesty
In the middle of my chest, is the King of Kings
While the world was waiting on
A change to come along
Light broke in
Coming like a song

All this glory
All this glory
All this glory
In the middle of the night, all this light
In the middle of the night, all this light here

In the middle of the night, You are majesty
To the middle of our plight, came the King of Kings
While we were waiting on, Your love to come along
Light broke in
Coming like a Son

All this glory
All this glory
All this glory
All this glory
In the middle of the night, all this light
In the middle of the night, all this light
In the middle of the night, all this light
In the middle of the night, after all is quiet

Jesus, God with us
Jesus Christ has come, and I’m undone
Jesus, God with us
Jesus Christ has come, and I’m undone

All this glory
All this glory
All this glory
All this glory
Here

Jesus, God with us
Jesus Christ has come, and I’m undone
Jesus, God with us
Jesus Christ has come, and love has won

How I Love You Jesus (Christy Nockels) Lyrics

How I love You, love You, Jesus

How I love You

How I love You, love You, Jesus

Yes, how we love You, how we love You

How I love You, love You, Jesus

How I love You, love You, Jesus

How I love You, love You, Jesus

Jesus Son of God (Chris Tomlin & Christy Nockels) Lyrics

Verse 1:
You came down, from heaven’s throne
This earth You formed, was not Your home
A love like this, the world had never known
A crown of thorns, to mock your name
Forgiveness fell upon Your face
A love like this, the world had never known

Chorus:
On the altar of our praise
Let there be no higher name
Jesus Son of God
You laid down Your perfect life
You are the sacrifice
Jesus Son of God
You are Jesus Son of God

Verse 2:
You took our sin
You bore our shame
You rose to life
You defeated the grave
A love like this, the world has never known
(Repeat)

Chorus

Bridge:
Be lifted higher
Than all You’ve overcome
Your name be louder
Than any other song
There is no power
That can come against Your love
The cross was enough
The cross was enough

The cross was enough
The cross was enough

White Flag (Chris Tomlin) Lyrics

The battle rages on
As storm and tempest roar
We cannot win this fight
Inside our rebel hearts
We’re laying down our weapons now

We raise our white flag
We surrender
All to You
All for You

We raise our white flag
The war is over
Love has come
Your love has won

Here on this Holy ground
You made a way for peace
Laying your body down
You took our rightful place
This freedom song is marching on

We lift the cross
Lift it high lift it high

Not Ashamed (Kristian Stanfill) Lyrics

The power of Your love
Running through my heart
Shame has lost it’s grip on me
The glory of Your cross
Shining on my soul
Grace has got a hold on me
From the rooftops sing

Chorus:
I’m not ashamed of the One
Who saved my soul
I’m not ashamed of the One
Who saved my soul, my soul
This fire inside of me
Is burning for Your name
I’m not ashamed (Hey! Hey!)
No I’m not ashamed (Hey! Hey!)

Verse 2:
The flame is getting stronger
The song is playing louder
We can’t hide this love away
There’s nothing to fear now
Send us in Your power
Jesus take us all the way
From the rooftops sing

Chorus

Bridge 1:
From the rooftops sing
From the rooftops sing
From the rooftops sing
I’m not ashamed
I’m not ashamed

Chorus

Bridge 2:
We’ll be that city on the hill
Burning brightly
We’ll be a light to the world
Shining Your glory

Joy Come In Lyrics Sarah Macintosh

We will weep and we will cry
But joy comes in the morning
Though the tears may flood our eyes
Joy comes in the morning

Though we may feel we’re on the run
Though life may deal a crushing blow

Hold out for hope
Allelu, Allelu
Raise up your head
Allelu, Allelu
Look to the dawn
Allelu, Allelu
Cause joy comes in yes it’s moving in

We may kick and we may shout
But joy comes in the morning
Though our voice grows weak and sore
Joy comes in the morning

Hallelujah!
Hallelujah!

Calling, Calling Lyrics Sarah Macintosh

When the road is long
And the mountain steep
Let my mouth find words
Any word that I could speak
To find myself calling after you

If my words had a meaning
If my life pulled away
Then I would find the mountains
Move move move
If I spoke with assurance
If my heart joined my head
Then I could tell you
How to breathe breathe breathe

Cause light is brighter
Air more fragrant
Hope is here in my hand
Life will be without end

Changer, chameleon
I will be red and then I’m green
Let my heart find strength
Any strength so I will keep
And find myself waiting on you

You’re Coming Lyrics Sarah Macintosh

You’re coming
It’s a promise I am holding You to
Things aren’t right
They’re just not right Without You
And this darkness has been stalking me here Gotta take flight Gotta take flight away
Can You find me even when I am running
Gotta pull away While I watch and wait for rescue
And Your melody that sings us to You
La la la la la

Hey! Like a flash of light And we will see You coming
Then while the skies retreat Your glory fills our eyes
Shouts, building with the wind Your people they are calling
Gloria! Gloria!
You’re coming

Make ready I will live and walk and breathe life a new
Never be a day When I cannot say I’ve loved You And its strength into the weakest of bones Gotta stand straight Gotta stand up and take
All the words that You have carefully left me Close my eyes
You’re there inside my heartbeat
And Your melody that leads me to You
La la la la la

Awake awake
All that have been waiting
The wind holds your instruction awake!
Awake awake
Your Savior He is calling
Your heart can start is beating awake!

Hiding Place Lyrics Sarah Macintosh

There in the dark you see me
Hidden from all You say my name
You know and You see
How I have cried and crumpled
There at Your feet To soak You in
Where You surround me

I’ll, I’ll close my eyes to things
They are pulling, pulling on me
And then, then I’ll find breath the breath and
I’ll say

You are my hiding place
You are my hiding place

Close with Your arms around me
Though it is dark I know You’re near
Your thoughts are of me
Words from my heart have found Their way to Your mouth
I know You sing
You’re prayers are for me

There in the dark you see me Hidden from all You say my name
You know and You’ll see

The Damaged Lyrics Sarah Macintosh

Red is the color of my heart as it cries – hush hush
Pouring like the river torn apart as it pleads – hush hush
Keep stepping further from the scene whisper softly – hush hush
Wreckage scattered wildly crumbling look away and – hush hush

I don’t want to be the one whose broken
I don’t want to be the one who falls apart
I don’t want to be damaged

Keep binding, sewing, mending no one notice – hush hush
Stitches gather wounds and keep them clean mine are numbered – hush hush
Face twitching sweaty palms are tells mine are screaming – hush hush
Eyes down and waiting for the gale start the tipping – hush hush

Galaxy Former Lyrics Sarah Macintosh

Beautifully known, mystery made
Small and delicate a galaxy former
You’re Brilliantly seen, silently heard Gentle and meek but the greatest protector its You.
Jesus my Savior its, You

Powerfully won, gracefully held
Perfect provision of love given out by You Peacefully kept, wonderfully made
Sacrificed for me so I could fathered by You.
Jesus my Savior by, You

You make all things right
You make all things right
I am kept in the palm of Your hand
You make all things right

Impossibly close, tenderly held
I am surrounded yes I am surrounded by You

Laughter Comes Upon Us Lyrics Sarah Macintosh

I’ve wept until I made a visible trail
This path has not been kind or ever friendly
But if I thought I’d want it another way
I’d surely find that nothing else is for me

Cause He is closer to me this way
Drawn by the tears and pouring rain
Right here clutched in His embrace
Whispering breath against my ear
Tucked up against His scarred ribcage
Right here is where I want to stay

Laughter comes upon us like its lightning
Striking without wind or cloud or change
I knew that if I’m with Him it’d be this way
Cause promises are promises to Him

Hope Lyrics Sarah Macintosh

From the ashes
We will sing Of a Savior’s Rescuing
Bound and broken Heavy laden
Eyes set forward Heaven’s near

We have hope We have hope
Let our mourning Spread Your Glory!
We have hope
We have hope
Let our mourning Spread Your Glory Lord!

We will meet you
Skies will hold us
Heavens glory Draw us near

We will run We will laugh We will dance We will shout When You’re back for us
You’ll come back for us!

Take It All Lyrics Sarah Macintosh

Take one step
Move away and don’t look back
You said I Look a lot like Your lost child
Cause I give up Gonna lay this body down
No, I can’t believe that you choose to hang around

Ohhh Ohhh You can take it all
Ohhh Ohhh You can take it all Just give up

Just give up I will give those burdens back
You said I Am Your safe and rescued child
Cause I give up Gonna lay this body down
No, I can’t believe that you choose to hang around

I will be found
I will be found I will be found In You

We Should Run Lyrics Sarah Macintosh

I waited till the morning
Looking for every sure sign
Listening for footsteps
For whenYou will take me outta here
People keep on asking
When will we regain life
With the One who’s for us
Rescue won’t You come

Cause we should run we should be laughing
We should look and see that He is lifted
high
We should shout we should be dancing
We should call and find a Savior who’s alive

Someone says Your building You pull and stretch this old life Re-shaping what I’ve broken Till I can see thatYou’ve been here People started smiling Lives are being made right With the One who’s for us RescueYou have come!

Now we will run we will be laughing
We will look and see that
You are lifted high
Yes we will shout we will be dancing
We will call and find our Savior,You’re alive

Now our feet will run
Yes our eyes they see
And our hearts rejoice
How Your people sing
Hear Your people sing

Current Lyrics Sarah Macintosh

Set us free, take us away
Face of love, tear us away
Cause we are Yours to carry away
We’re carried away We’re carried away

Life is a current
Pulling us out to the sea where we can’t see
And danger waits for us
Preying on those who hold closely and tightly Love, say that you won’t let go

Let’s take heed and go far away
Heart of love, tear us away
Cause we are Yours to carry away
We’re carried away We’re carried away

Love, say that it will be so Love, say that you won’t let go
Don’t let go, Don’t let me go

We’ll Sing Forever Lyrics Andy Cherry

VERSE 1

Though storms around us rage
We are not afraid
We have found our peace
In Christ our victory

VERSE 2

We are not alone
You never let us go
We will rise to sing
In Christ our victory

CHORUS

Halleluiah
Bless the Savior
Halleluiah
We’ll sing forever

VERSE 3

We are not enslaved
To powers of the grave
You bought our liberty
In Christ our victory
CHORUS

Halleluiah
Bless the Savior
Halleluiah
We’ll sing forever

BRIDGE

Nothing, nothing is impossible
Nothing, nothing is impossible
Nothing is impossible for you

Divine Embrace Lyrics Andy Cherry

VERSE 1
If ever a light were seen its You
The marvelous change from old to new
Bursting from darkness Jesus you are Majesty

Reigning in Zion, Jesus You
Perfect in power, love, and truth
Drawing near to us as we draw near to You

CHORUS
We are desperate for Your presence
Longing for the sweet divine embrace
Knowing You’re faithful to your promise
That those who call upon Your name are saved

VERSE 2
If ever a hope were found its you
The one who is making all things new
The king of salvation Jesus you are all we need

Giving your children strength to trust
Cleansing the broken with your blood
Breathing freedom, Bringing Justice, Singing love

BRIDGE
Send Your power
Send Your healing
Send Your Spirit Lord

Beautiful Morning Lyrics Andy Cherry

VERSE 1
I need nothing, I need nothing,
But Your love, but Your love

CHORUS
Your love is a strong and mighty tower
Your love is a quiet voice
Your love is the dawn approaching
Bringing the new day the beautiful morning

Verse 2
I am nothing, I am nothing
Without Your love, without Your love

BRIDGE
You are the beautiful morning

VERSE 3
I want nothing, I want nothing, but Your love
I want nothing, I want nothing, but Your love

He Has Done It All Lyrics Andy Cherry

Oh my fear tells me
I will always be
Trying to be redeemed

But love tells me
Stop striving
All your working
Finds you needing
Love tells me

It is finished He accomplished
What no one could, He has done it all
Everything has been made complete
In Him I belong He has done it all

Shame is telling me
I am not worthy
To stand before a king

But love tells me
Stop doubting
You belong here
In this freedom

Love love love saves me
Love love love heals me
Love love love, you are enough