In Christ Alone

In Christ Alone

Keith Getty, Stuart Townend

“Jesus answered, ‘I am the way and the truth and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me. If you really know me, you will know my Father as well. From now on, you do know him and have seen him.’”
– John 14:6-7

In Christ alone my hope is found,
He is my light, my strength, my song
This Cornerstone, this solid Ground
Firm through the fiercest drought and storm.
What heights of love, what depths of peace
When fears are stilled, when strivings cease
My Comforter, my All in All
Here in the love of Christ I stand.

In Christ alone! – who took on flesh,
Fullness of God in helpless babe.
This gift of love and righteousness,
Scorned by the ones He came to save
Till on that cross as Jesus died,
The wrath of God was satisfied
For every sin on Him was laid
Here in the death of Christ I live.

There in the ground His body lay,
Light of the world by darkness slain:
Then bursting forth in glorious day
Up from the grave He rose again
And as He stands in victory
Sin’s curse has lost its grip on me,
For I am His and He is mine
Bought with the precious blood of Christ.

No guilt in life, no fear in death,
This is the power of Christ in me
From life’s first cry to final breath,
Jesus commands my destiny
No power of hell, no scheme of man,
Can ever pluck me from His hand
Till He returns or calls me home
Here in the power of Christ I’ll stand.

Songwriter Keith Getty said, “We must have something of substance to say in our worship [services] that reminds us why Christ’s story is so unique and so utterly essential.” With this song, I think he really captures this truth. We’re given an all-encompassing, all-loving, all-our-welcome vision of who Christ shows God to be: a Creator who loves his creation so much, He is willing to set aside the safety of his throne to be among us and show us the confident salvation we have in Him. When singing this song, be reminded of the truth of Christ’s power and love for us.

Click here to download the chord chart

Stand in Your Love

Stand in Your Love

Ethan Hulse, Josh Baldwin, Mark Harris, Rita Springer

“There is no room in love for fear. Well-formed love banishes fear. Since fear is crippling, a fearful life—fear of death, fear of judgment—is one not yet fully formed in love.”

– 1 John 4:18 (NIV)

When darkness tries to roll over my bones
When sorrow comes to steal the joy I own
When brokenness and pain is all I know
Oh, I won’t be shaken, no, I won’t be shaken

My fear doesn’t stand a chance
When I stand in Your love

Shame no longer has a place to hide
I am not a captive to the lies
I’m not afraid to leave my past behind
Oh, I won’t be shaken, no, I won’t be shaken!

 

There’s power that can break off every chain
There’s power that can empty out a grave
There’s resurrection power that can save
There’s power in Your name, power in Your name

Every time I hear this song, I’m reminded of how much of my life is inadvertently spent in fear. Fear of disappointing others, fear of hurt, fear of sin, fear of death. But if we believe what we claim to believe, isn’t an all-powerful / all-loving God enough for us? Yes, though maybe it doesn’t always feel that way, not from moment to moment. Our immediate concerns can be like a giant crack in our glasses, blocking our sight from seeing the beauty just in front of us. When singing this song, be reminded that our vision is flawed, but that God’s love is perfect. -Matt Greene

To download the chord chart: Stand In Your Love – C.

To purchase the song, go here.

Living Hope

Living Hope

Brian Johnson, Phil Wickham

 

“What a God we have! And how fortunate we are to have him, this Father of our Master Jesus! Because Jesus was raised from the dead, we’ve been given a brand-new life and have everything to live for, including a future in heaven—and the future starts now!”

– 1 Peter 1:3 (NIV)

 

How great the chasm that lay between us
How high the mountain I could not climb
In desperation, I turned to heaven
And spoke Your name into the night
Then through the darkness, Your loving-kindness
Tore through the shadows of my soul
The work is finished, the end is written
Jesus Christ, my living hope

Who could imagine so great a mercy?
What heart could fathom such boundless grace?
The God of ages stepped down from glory
To wear my sin and bear my shame
The cross has spoken, I am forgiven
The King of kings calls me His own
Beautiful Savior, I’m Yours forever
Jesus Christ, my living hope

Hallelujah, praise the One who set me free
Hallelujah, death has lost its grip on me
You have broken every chain
There’s salvation in Your name
Jesus Christ, my living hope

Then came the morning that sealed the promise
Your buried body began to breathe
Out of the silence, the Roaring Lion
Declared the grave has no claim on me

Jesus, Yours is the victory!

One of those songs that really speaks for itself. So just read it! And believe it! -Matt Greene

 

To download the chord chart: Living Hope – D.

To purchase the song, go here.

Who You Say I Am

“Who You Say I Am”

Ben Fielding, Reuben Morgan

 

“…whoever did want him,
    who believed he was who he claimed
    and would do what he said,
He made to be their true selves,
    their child-of-God selves.
These are the God-begotten,
    not blood-begotten,
    not flesh-begotten,
    not sex-begotten.“

– John 1:12-13 (The Message)

 

Who am I that the highest King
Would welcome me?
I was lost but He brought me in
Oh His love for me
Oh His love for me

Who the Son sets free
Oh is free indeed
I’m a child of God
Yes I am

Free at last, He has ransomed me
His grace runs deep
While I was a slave to sin
Jesus died for me
Yes He died for me

In my Father’s house
There’s a place for me
I’m a child of God
Yes I am

I am chosen
Not forsaken
I am who You say I am
You are for me
Not against me
I am who You say I am

This song serves as a declarative reminder of our relationship with God. The world says one thing about us, that we are less. That’s NOT what God calls us. Known. Valuable. Family. Special. Beautiful. Treasured. Worthy. LOVED. THAT is who we truly are. When singing this song, remember that your heavenly father is bigger than the lies you believe about yourself. -Matt Greene

 

To download the chord chart: Who You Say I Am – C.

To purchase the song, go here.

Build My Life

Build My Life

Brett Younker, Karl Martin, Kirby Kable, Matt Redman, Pat Barrett

 

“These words I speak to you are not incidental additions to your life, homeowner improvements to your standard of living. They are foundational words, words to build a life on. If you work these words into your life, you are like a smart carpenter who built his house on solid rock. Rain poured down, the river flooded, a tornado hit—but nothing moved that house. It was fixed to the rock.”

– Matthew 7:24-25 (The Message)

 

Worthy of every song we could ever sing
Worthy of all the praise we could ever bring
Worthy of every breath we could ever breathe
We live for you

Jesus the name above every other name
Jesus the only one who could save
Worthy of every breath we could ever breathe
We live for you
Oh we live for you

Holy there is no one like you
There is none beside you
Open up my eyes in wonder
And show me who you are
And fill me with your heart
And lead me in love to those around me

And I will build my life upon your love it is a firm foundation
And I will put my trust in you alone and not retake it

The entire power of this song rests on the bridge. The confidence of the lyrics mixed with the soaring melody make for what we worship leaders are often looking for. This song serves as a stirring reminder of how we should be structuring our life. Whatever we set our lives within and around, none of it will last or matter if it isn’t set upon the firm foundation of Christ’s goodness. When singing this song, commit the base of your world, of single area of it, upon the sturdy ground of God’s love. -Matt Greene

 

To download the chord chart: Build My Life – G.

To purchase the song, go here.

Yes I Will

Yes I Will

Jason Ingram, Kara Tualatai, Stephen Leiweke

 

“He pulled away from them about a stone’s throw, knelt down, and prayed, ‘Father, remove this cup from me. But please, not what I want. What do you want?’ At once an angel from heaven was at his side, strengthening him. He prayed on all the harder. Sweat, wrung from him like drops of blood, poured off his face.”

– Luke 22:41-44 (The Message)

 

I count on one thing
The same God that never fails
Will not fail me now
You won’t fail me now

In the waiting
The same God who’s never late
Is working all things out
You’re working all things out

Yes I will, lift You high in the lowest valley
Yes I will, bless Your name
Oh, yes I will, sing for joy when my heart is heavy
All my days, oh yes I will

And I choose to praise
To glorify, glorify
The Name of all names
That nothing can stand against

The above verses from Luke are incredibly powerful. We see Jesus asking God to take away his fear and pain, a prayer that we each should be intimately familiar with. Yet He also yields his desire to God’s will, trusting that no matter what His momentary troubles may be, God has a our best interest at heart. This song is reminder to each of us to look to God in our lowest moments. So when singing this, remember that the valley we’re in doesn’t change the ultimate goodness of God. -Matt Greene

 

To download the chord chart: Yes I Will – G.

To purchase the song, go here.

Yes and Amen

Yes and Amen

Anthony Brown, Chris McClarney, Nate Moore

“Whatever God has promised gets stamped with the Yes of Jesus. In him, this is what we preach and pray, the great Amen, God’s Yes and our Yes together, gloriously evident.“

– 2 Corinthians 1:20 (The Message)

 

Father of kindness, you have poured out grace
you brought me out of darkness
you have filled me with peace

Giver of mercy, your my help in time of need
Lord I can’t help but sing

Faithful, you are
Faithful, forever, you will be
Faithful, you are
All your promises are “yes” and “Amen”
All your promises are “yes” and “Amen”

Beautiful saviour, you have brought me here
you pulled me from the ashes
you have broken every curse
Blessed redeemer, you have set this captive free
Lord I can’t help but sing

I will rest in your promises
my confidence is your faithfulness
I will rest in your promises
All your promises are “yes” and “Amen”

Life can often feel, and even partly be, completely hopeless. That’s why the promises of God’s kindness and mercy are so important. We don’t have to make our homes in our fears; we can make our homes in God’s love. When singing this song, remember that we’ve only begun to see the fulfilled promises of Jesus. -Matt Greene

To download the chord chart: Yes And Amen – D.

To purchase the song, go here.

No Longer Slaves

No Longer Slaves

Jonathan David & Melissa Helser

“There is no room in love for fear. Well-formed love banishes fear. Since fear is crippling, a fearful life—fear of death, fear of judgment—is one not yet fully formed in love. “

– 1 John 4:18b (The Message)

You unravel me, with a melody
You surround me with a song
Of deliverance, from my enemies
Till all my fears are gone

I’m no longer a slave to fear
I am a child of God

From my Mothers womb
You have chosen me
Love has called my name
I’ve been born again, into your family
Your blood flows through my veins

You split the sea so I could walk right through it
My fears are drowned in perfect love
You rescued me and I will stand and sing
I am a child of God

With our constant reminders, both from within and without the church, that there is death and shame around every corner, I think it’s easy to forget the truth about ourselves. We are not simply a collection of random atoms that serve no purpose and pose no great benefit to existence. We are daughters and sons of Love; not enemies, not acquaintances, not even good friends. Sons. Daughters. When singing this song, remember that whatever fear you have (even fear that is normal and valid) should be no match for the comfort we have in our true identity. -Matt Greene

To download the chord chart: No Longer Slaves – G.

To purchase the song, go here.

Overwhelmed

Overwhelmed

Michael Weaver, Phil Wickham

“In the beginning you laid the foundations of the earth,
    and the heavens are the work of your hands.
They will perish, but you remain;
    they will all wear out like a garment.
Like clothing you will change them
    and they will be discarded.
But you remain the same,
    and your years will never end.“

– Psalm 12:25-27 (NIV)

I see the works of Your Hands
Galaxies spin in a Heavenly dance oh God
All that You are is so overwhelming
I hear the sound of Your Voice
All at once it’s a gentle and thundering noise oh God
All that You are is so overwhelming

I delight myself in You
Captivated by Your beauty
I’m overwhelmed, I’m overwhelmed by You
God, I run into Your arms
Unashamed because of mercy
I’m overwhelmed, I’m overwhelmed by You

I know the power of Your Cross
Forgiven and free forever You’ll be my God
All that You’ve done is so overwhelming

You are Beautiful, You are Beautiful
Oh God, there is no one more Beautiful
You are Beautiful, God you are the most Beautiful
(Repeat: “Wonderful”; Repeat: “Glorious”)

It’s humanly impossible to fully grasp the greatness of God. Even the staunchest atheists and naturalists would have to agree that the wonders of science and creation are so vast and mysterious that it can become overwhelming to fully take in. As Christians, we may have a source for all of this (namely, God), but that doesn’t come close to capturing (and ultimately diminishing) the awesomeness of God’s creation and His unfathomable sacrifice. So when singing this song, let go of your desire for full “understanding”, and release yourself to the sheer awe that you are singing to the creator-God, who loves you. -Matt Greene

To download the chord chart: Overwhelmed – C.

To purchase the song, go here.

Do What You Want To

Do What You Want To

Jacob Sooter, Jason Ingram, Meredith Andrews

 

“Anyone who intends to come with me has to let me lead. You’re not in the driver’s seat; I am. Don’t run from suffering; embrace it. Follow me and I’ll show you how. Self-help is no help at all. Self-sacrifice is the way, my way, to finding yourself, your true self. What kind of deal is it to get everything you want but lose yourself? What could you ever trade your soul for?“

– Matthew 16:24-26 (The Message)

 

It’s Your heart we’re searching for
We want You and nothing more
Let Your glory fill this place
We’re alive in Your presence

We surrender all to You
Do what You want to,
Do what You want to
God we long to see You move
Do what you want to,
Do what You want to

We are standing in Your light
And our hearts are open wide
Let us see more than before
Lord, come have your way here

All consuming fire fall,
Fall on us

 

I love when I come across a praise song that takes a well-worn sentiment and re-words it to give it new life. We’ve all sung about and are familiar with the concept of surrendering all to God, but the idea of telling God “do what you want to” really puts it in a recognizable place. So when singing this song, open your arms, literally or metaphorically, and let God know that you are trusting him to do anything he wants to do in your life. -Matt Greene

 

To download the chord chart: Do What You Want To – A.

To purchase the song, go here.