Well, this Sunday should be special - I will baptize my 6-year-old daughter, Audrey. She certainly holds a special place in my heart, and she knows it! The other day she told me "You're a softie, Daddy!" (As in, "I sure can get away with a lot more when you're around than Mommy!") Well, I suppose it's true - but that can't be all bad, right? (I'm sure it will really hurt me when she's a teenager!) But come on, just look at this picture - who can refuse such a sweet face? Well, I am proud, and very excited about hearing her confess your love for Jesus on Sunday!First Baptist Church of Euless – BEHIND THE PRAISE
Worship Songs
April 26, 2009
"The Solid Rock"
The name of Edward Mote does not often rest on the lips of the church today in the same fashion as Fanny J. Crosby, B.B. McKinney, Ira Sankey, or other greats in hymnody. However, the testimony of his life is one that should inspire all Christians. Mote was not brought up in a godly home and did not have the advantage of early exposure to Scripture. In fact, his parents managed a pub in London and often neglected young Edward, who spent most of his Sundays playing in the city streets. Of his theological upbringing, he said “So ignorant was I that I did not know that there was a God.”
Eventually Mote became exposed to the Word of God, and was baptized at the age of 18. This event, however, did not send Mote immediately into the ministry. He was apprenticed to become a cabinetmaker, a career which he successfully conducted for another 37 years. Eventually, at the age of 55, he became pastor of a Baptist church in Horsham, Sussex, where he did not miss a Sunday in the pulpit for the next 21 years. He resigned from this pastorate in 1873 due to ill health, and died the following year at the age of 77.
It was with this background that Mote wrote the hymn we have today, "The Solid Rock." It was during his career as a cabinetmaker that the hymn came into being. One morning in 1834 as he was walking to work, it entered his mind to write a hymn. By the time he got to work, he had the chorus. He wrote four more verses over the course of that day and two additional verses before he was finished.
‘On Christ the solid Rock I stand,
All other ground is sinking sand.’
“In the day I had four first verses complete, and wrote them off. On the Sabbath following I met brother King as I came out of Lisle Street Meeting…who informed me that his wife was very ill, and asked me to call and see her. I had an early tea, and called afterwards. He said that it was his usual custom to sing a hymn, read a portion, and engage in prayer, before he went to meeting. He looked for his hymn-book but could find it nowhere. I said, ‘I have some verses in my pocket; if he liked, we would sing them.’ We did, and his wife enjoyed them so much, that after service he asked me, as a favor, to leave a copy of them for his wife. I went home, and by the fireside composed the last two verses, wrote the whole off, and took them to sister King…As these verses so met the dying woman’s case, my attention to them was the more arrested, and I had a thousand printed for distribution.”
Click here to listen to an arrangement by the Cadet sisters
www.youtube.com/watch?v=gJnb3l9UuYU&feature=related
Here is a gospel arrangement by the:
www.youtube.com/watch?v=kkGv-2Yb8a4&feature=related
Here is a more traditional arrangement of the song on organ:
www.youtube.com/watch?v=kkGv-2Yb8a4&feature=related
Click here to purchase Avalon’s arrangement of “The Solid Rock”
“Holy is the Lord”
Chris Tomlin wrote this song after meditating on Isaiah 6. He was intrigued by the passage where the angels called to one another. The phrase “Holy is the Lord and the earth is filled with his glory” kept ringing in his mind. He met up with Louie Giglio who had been meditating on the passage in Nehemiah where after Israel rebuilt the wall they built a wooden tower and opened the word of the Lord. When this happened the people stood and lifted their hands, then also bowed down. Louie was struck by the picture in his mind and wrote the following phrase in his journal:
“It’s rising up all around, it’s the anthem of the Lord’s renown”
Click here to listen to Chris & Louie Giglio talk about how the song came about:
www.youtube.com/watch?v=Nv6hSdbfo2E
Click here to worship and sing-along
www.youtube.com/watch?v=HSKN5PX_3a0&feature=related
Click here to worship along with Chris Tomlin
www.youtube.com/watch?v=3X4CwGGJQMI
Click here to purchase "Holy is the Lord"
"Blessed Assurance"
The story behind the writing of "Blessed Assurance" is simple, yet interesting. One day Miss Crosby was in the home of her friend, Mrs. Joseph F. Knapp. In the Knapp home was installed what was believed to be the largest pipe organ ever placed in a private dwelling. However, on this particular day Mrs. Knapp called her guest over to the piano to listen to a new melody she had just composed. After playing the tune a few times she asked, 'What do you think the tune says?' "Blessed assurance, Jesus is mine", answered Fanny Crosby, and then, drawing from her vast storehouse of Scripture knowledge, continued with “Oh what a foretaste of glory divine, Heir of salvation, purchase of God, Born of His Spirit, washed in His blood. In a very short time a new sacred song was born with words by Fanny Crosby and music by Mrs. J. F. Knapp. Although written as far back as 1873, “Blessed Assurance” still remains a firm favorite with Christians everywhere.
Click here to read more about Fanny Crosby
www.sermonaudio.com/hymn_details.asp?PID=blessedassurance#history
Click here for an arrangement by the Isaacs:
www.youtube.com/watch?v=xE7AGB5nXTs&feature=related
Click here to purchase Alan Jackson’s "Blessed Assurance"
"HOW GREAT IS OUR GOD"
This worship song was written by Chris Tomlin. Chris said he almost apologized to the Lord for writing such a simple song, but felt that the English language could only go so far in describing the greatness of our God. After writing the song he felt in his spirit that he had written a song that would be embraced by the church around the world.
Chris received his first guitar from his father, Connie, at the age of eleven after contracting a case of mono. Then, Tomlin wrote his first worship song at age fourteen. He entered college planning to study medicine, but he stated that he felt God's calling to something else and did not pursue that career.
In the mid-1990's Tomlin spent time leading worship at the Dawson McAllister Youth Conferences, as well as at various camps around the state of Texas.
Following college, at Texas A&M University, Tomlin continued to play and write songs, and in 1997, Louie Giglio asked if he would be interested in working with the Passion Conferences. Tomlin agreed, and he has played a key role ever since. His first nationally released solo project, entitled The Noise We Make, was released in 2001, which saw the emergence of songs "Forever" (his most famous song other than "How Great Is Our God"), "Be Glorified", and "Kindness", all of which made the top 200 in the CCLI 2005 top 500 worship songs.
According to Christian Copyright Licensing International's list of the top 25 worship songs in the United States as of August 2007, Tomlin held 5 spots with songs he has either written or co-written with other songwriters: "How Great Is Our God" (#1), "Forever" (#5), "Holy Is the Lord" (#7), "We Fall Down" (#12), and "Indescribable" (#22).
Click here to listen to the story behind the song:
www.theheartofworship.org/stories/Story-302-HowGreatisOurGod-Tomlin.mp3
Click here to listen to Chris share about how the song came about on Newsong Café:
www.youtube.com/watch?v=JpfKli_4LQ0&mode=related&search=
Click here to worship along with Chris:
www.youtube.com/watch?v=jjxPG_mRHDs&feature=related
Click here to learn more about Chris’ ministry:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Chris_Tomlin#Biography
Click here to visit Chris’ website:
http://www.christomlin.com/
Click here to visit Chris’ MySpace:
www.myspace.com/christomlin
Click here to purchase Chris Tomlin’s version:
"When I Don't Know What To Do"
This song is by Tommy Walker – interestingly enough, Tommy was four years old before he spoke a word. Here are the lyrics:
When I don’t know what to do
I’ll lift my hands
When I don’t know what to say
I’ll speak Your praise
When I don’t know where to go
I’ll run to Your throne
When I don’t know what to think
I’ll stand on Your truth
When I don’t know what to do
Click here to sing through the song:
www.youtube.com/watch?v=8COm-pvbHA0&feature=PlayList&p=4258BA170FE1265F&playnext=1&playnext_from=PL&index=13
Click here to purchase Tommy Walker’s version:
“At The Cross” (Hillsong music ministry)
Here’s another worship song written by Darlene Zschech and Reuben Morgan. Here’s a short portion of her testimony and how God delivered her from bulimia.
Darlene's no stranger to troubled teen years. Outwardly her childhood seemed glamorous—she was singing and dancing on a weekly children's television show in Australia, Happy Go 'Round, at the age of 10. But when she was 13, her parents divorced. The pressures of television, combined with the emotional turmoil of her parents' divorce and the custody battle that ensued, took their toll. By age 14, bulimia reared its ugly head. But in 1980, God intervened: Darlene's father rededicated his life to Christ and started taking Darlene to church, where she asked Jesus into her life at 15. While there she also met Mark, her husband of 16 years, with whom she shared faith in Christ. Darlene and Mark dated for a year and a half and married one week after she turned 19.
Click here to learn more about Darlene:
www.darlenezschech.com/
Click here to worship along with the Hillsong music ministry:
www.youtube.com/watch?v=HRjXBbtbEpM
Click here to worship along in Spanish with the Hillsong music ministry:
www.youtube.com/watch?v=3l8_5WXEpF0
Click here to purchase the Hillsong’s version:
“All Because of Jesus”
Giver of every breath I breathe
Author of all eternity
Giver of every perfect thing
To You be the glory
Maker of Heaven and of Earth
No one can comprehend Your worth
King over all the universe
To You be the glory
And I am alive because I'm alive in You
It's all because of Jesus I'm alive
It's all because the blood of Jesus Christ
That covers me and raised this dead man's life
It's all because of Jesus I'm alive
I'm alive, I'm alive
Click here to learn more about Casting Crowns:
www.castingcrowns.com/
Click here to worship along with Casting Crowns:
www.youtube.com/watch?v=IQ9HDBJDRvg
Click here to listen to the Steve Fee version:
www.youtube.com/watch?v=rmdylCFUBs8
Click here to purchase the Steve Fee version:
“Everywhere That I Go”
This stirring worship song was written by Israel Houghton:
Nearly Disposed – Israel’s Testimony
My mother became pregnant at the age of 17 in Waterloo, Iowa. You can imagine how this is shaping up. She was given the choice of a back-alley abortion or being disowned by her family. Thank God she chose the latter. Ultimately, she was disowned, abandoned by my biological father, and ended up in San Diego, California. Picture this. It was 1971 and my mother was 8 months pregnant, all alone, thousands of miles from home, and forced to enter reality unprepared – pretty bleak. One day while walking down the street, a lady pulled up in her Volkswagen Bug, got out, and respectfully yet boldly, began to share the Gospel with her. Words of life and hope began to overtake the words of rejection and abandonment she had grown accustomed to. There on a street corner, she ended up on her knees and cried out to God-committing her life to Jesus Christ. The lady gave her a bible and that's how I got my name. My mother started reading at page one and well, you know-you have a bible, my name's on every page!
I'm often asked by skeptics or the stoic, why I'm as passionate about worshiping God as I am. The answer is simple for me. In this age of disposable relationships, I could have easily become a statistic and at best, a distant memory of a youthful mistake. Instead, a Sovereign God rescued my mother and me and gave us hope, a future, and a testimony of the providence of God. The very least I can do is enter into His gates with fresh thanksgiving, His courts with a passionate praise, and eventually bow before His throne in intimate worship. As far as leading worship goes (which is my passion and calling), I now realize that there have been demands put on me from every part of my experience since day one - culturally, emotionally, musically, and more. So things tend to sound cross-cultural, cross-denominational, and cross-generational. I like to call it, "The Sound of New Breed Worship." I tend to lead from an internal platform founded in Psalm 124:2, "If it had not been for the Lord who was on my side"....where in the world would I be? In an age of disposable relationships, maybe we should be asking ourselves that question a lot more often. I am confident that we would worship with far more conviction, intensity, and overwhelmed gratitude if we did. It is my delight to encourage you today.
Click here to learn more about Israel:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Israel_Houghton
Click here to worship along with the Lakewood Church:
www.youtube.com/watch?v=d0W0oCGcu8k&feature=related
Click here to listen online:
www.imeem.com/pickurnose/music/fEmluTVP/everywhere_that_i_go/
Click here to purchase Lakewood’s version of "Everywhere That I Go":
“All Who Are Thirsty”
All who are thirsty
All who are weak
Come to the fountain
Dip your heart in the stream of life
Let the pain and the sorrow
Be washed away
In the waves of His mercy
As deep cries out to deep
(We Sing)
Come Lord Jesus Come
Holy Spirit Come
This song was written by Brenton Brown and Glenn Robertson.
Like everyone, Brenton has an unusual story. He grew up in Cape Town, South Africa, studied in Oxford, England, and now lives in Malibu, California. So how did this all happen? Brenton first came to the attention of the wider church, as one of the young worship leaders on the first Vineyard UK recordings, “Come Now is the Time” and “Hungry.”
His songs “Lord, Reign in Me”, “All Who Are Thirsty” and “Humble King” joined songs like “Come Now is the Time”, “Be the Centre” and “Hungry.” It wasn't a bad start to a recording career! But though these were his first recordings as a solo artist, Brenton had been leading worship in his home town in South Africa for a number of years.
Click here to learn more about Brenton Brown: www.brentonbrown.com/bio.html
Click here to learn more about Brenton’s co-writer, Glenn Robertson: www.theglennrobertsonjazzband.co.za/about_us.php
Click here to worship along on the song:
www.youtube.com/watch?v=lAdr6dJ5DOI
Click here to purchase “All Who Are Thirsty”
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