Bebo Norman’s “Nothing Without You” is another one of those songs that I can remember hearing it for the first time. I was driving back from a hospital visit in which the patient was not going to live much longer. I was melancholy and needed a word from God. I drove home in silence for sometime and then turned on the radio and this song was just starting. It turned my day around and I often listen to this song when I’m down. It’s a great reminder that really, REALLY, literally we are nothing without You, God.
In the spirit of Thanksgiving this is a song that inspires me to just give thanks. The first time I heard it a few years back it moved me to simply praise God. Musically and lyrically it doesn’t get much simpler than this. Maybe that’s why I like it so much. Giving thanks and praise to God does not take a lot of thought or “instrumentation.” We’re going to try this at church sans keyboard and drums so it won’t sound anything like Crowder…but then again, God wants to hear our voices, not our imitation of another’s.
This is actually a cover of a Sinead O’Conner tune with some lyric tweaks so that it is God-centered.
Again, another song that reminds me to share my faith. Some people will never read a Bible but they will see us. Are we a “Living Word” to them? I admit I fall short so often. This song reminds me to choose love…even when it’s hard.
I remember seeing All Star United at Summer in the Son back in the late 90s when this was their staple song. “Bright red carpet” is a metaphor for heaven, like the red carpet celebrities walk on as they enter an award’s ceremony. I like it’s rocking groove, but what’s inspiring about it is that it always reminds me to think about which people in my life may not be on Heaven’s “bright red carpet” when I get there. This song has led me to be more conscious of sharing my faith with those I love most and know best. I was always disappointed in the video (below) because it really didn’t visualize the song at all. Here’s the chorus:
Will you be there when they roll out
Bright red carpet?
Will I see you by my side?
Will you be there when we walk on
Bright red carpet?
Will I see you by my side?
Like last week’s inspiration, this is a new song that I just heard. I think the music is good…but the message again, broke me. So watch (the video is well done) but more importantly, listen to the words. And tell me what you think. Would this be a good song to learn at your church? Why or why not?
It’s not often that I hear a song the first time and I am competely moved. Normally I like the music or some lyric and want to listen again. But recently I heard a song that just broke me. I was in my office and I got a link to listen to this new song from an online worship organization. When I say it broke me, I mean to say that I found myself on my knees worshipping God as tears we’re coming down my face. For some reason, this song just spoke to my soul and gave me words in which to worship. I thought to myself, “I would love to do this with our worship band…but it breaks so many of my ‘corporate worship song rules.’” So I put it out of my mind until 2 days later when Jennifer called me while she was driving. She had just heard this new song on the radio and she said, “I’ve got a new song for the band to do.” Now you have to understand that my wife rarely asks for or suggests new songs for us (this was probably the second time in many years). I said, “OK…what is it?” She said, “Not sure what it’s called but it goes like this….(and she began to sing the song that I had just fallen in love with a few days before).”
So I decided to break my “worship rules” and have the band learn it. We messed around with it Wednesday…and oh man we loved it. So I am pumped to see how others respond this coming Sunday when we teach it to the congregation. In the meantime, below is a video of the song and the bottom one is Matt Maher’s video on what inspired him to write it.
The promise behind this song is all about the grace of God in our lives. It doesn’t matter if you wander from the fold, Jesus will search for you. It doesn’t matter if there are 99 others in a comfortable place. Jesus left the comforts and riches of heaven to pursue you, to have a relationship with you. Stop running and let Him find you.
My parents warned me about a lot of things. They taught me many good things. But there’s one thing they forgot to mention. Parenting isn’t easy. I’m not even talking about the complexities of raising kids in our current culture, how to discipline, etc.
I’m talking about something more basic: LOVE is hard. Sometimes I wonder if I love my kids TOO much. No, I’m not talking about spoiling them. And I’m far from a perfect dad. It’s just that my kids are still relatively young and I feel like their lives are passing me by as fast as wind-blown sand on the beach. I’m realizing that I don’t really have much time with them. And there’s so much I want them to learn from me. I believe that I balance my life as much as possible to leverage my life into their’s. But it doesn’t seem enough. And sometimes that creates sorrow in my heart…
…until they get off the bus and I’m waiting for them. We skip home. I pour the milk. They grab the cookies. We sit and eat. Sometimes in silence. One of them giggles. I laugh. And we talk…sometimes just about silly stuff…and sometimes about life or what it means to die or deeper things. My sorrow goes away. For I love being and talking with my kids.
And then I get them off for another day…
What about you? What makes parenting difficult or easy for you?
Here’s a song that I can’t stop listening to. It sums up much better than I can describe in words what I’m feeling.
Are you married? If so, you know how important it is to have a solid marital relationship. You can’t put it on auto-pilot and it works best if God is at the center and is the focus of your marriage. I’m so grateful for my wife Jennifer. She’s my best friend.
Even if you’re not married, all relationships need to be built on Christ’s foundation.
Here’s the original video of “Two Sets of Jones,” a song Jen and I have loved since it first came out many years ago. I still can’t listen to it without tears coming to my eyes. May it encourage you in your relationships.
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