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

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.

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.

Reckless Love

Reckless Love

Caleb Culver, Cory Asbury, Ran Jackson

 

“Suppose one of you had a hundred sheep and lost one. Wouldn’t you leave the ninety-nine in the wilderness and go after the lost one until you found it? When found, you can be sure you would put it across your shoulders, rejoicing, and when you got home call in your friends and neighbors, saying, ‘Celebrate with me! I’ve found my lost sheep!’ Count on it—there’s more joy in heaven over one sinner’s rescued life than over ninety-nine good people in no need of rescue.“

– Luke 15:4-7 (The Message)

 

Before I spoke a word, You were singing over me
You have been so, so good to me
Before I took a breath, You breathed Your life in me
You have been so, so kind to me

Oh the overwhelming, never ending,
reckless love of God
Oh, it chases me down, fights ’till I’m found,
leaves the ninety nine
I couldn’t earn it I don’t deserve it
Still, You give yourself away
Oh the overwhelming, never ending
reckless love of God

When I was Your foe, still Your love fought for me
You have been so, so good to me
When I felt no worth, You paid it all for me
You have been so, so kind to me

There’s no shadow You won’t light up,
mountain You won’t climb up, coming after me
There’s no wall You won’t kick down,
no lie You won’t tear down, coming after me

 

This is a worship song that serves as much as a reminder to us as it does a praise song for God. God is well-aware of his own reckless love; how it climbs walls, crosses oceans, denies rejection and defies human logic just to make itself known to us. What’s important when singing this song is to remember that truth, and to then thank Him for that caution-to-the-wind love that has given us eternal life. -Matt Greene

 

To download the chord chart: Reckless Love – F.

To purchase the song, go here.

Come Alive (Dry Bones)

“Come Alive (Dry Bones)”

Lauren Daigle, Michael Farren

 

“He said to me, ‘Prophesy over these bones: “Dry bones, listen to the Message of God!”‘

God, the Master, told the dry bones, ‘Watch this: I’m bringing the breath of life to you and you’ll come to life. I’ll attach sinews to you, put meat on your bones, cover you with skin, and breathe life into you. You’ll come alive and you’ll realize that I am God!’

I prophesied just as I’d been commanded. As I prophesied, there was a sound and, oh, rustling! The bones moved and came together, bone to bone.”

– Ezekial 37:4-8a (The Message)

 

Through the eyes of man it seems there’s so much we have lost
As we look down the road where all the prodigals have walked
And one by one the enemy has whispered lies
and led them off as slaves
But I know that You are God, Yours is the victory
We know there is more to come that we may not yet see
So with the faith You’ve given us
we step into the valley unafraid
You call out to dry bones, come alive, come alive
You call out to dead hearts, come alive, come alive
Up out of the ashes, let us see an army rise
You call out to dry bones come alive
God of endless mercy, God of unrelenting love
Rescue every daughter bring us back the wayward sons
And by Your spirit breathe upon them
show the world that You alone can save, You alone can save
So breathe, oh breath of God
Now breathe, oh breath of God
Breathe, oh breath of God
Now breathe

I love how this song, a song that is big on CCM radio right now, is not only catchy and emotionally stirring, but theologically strong and biblically centered. As Christians, we know there is a future implication to the words in Ezekiel about God calling forth the dead to live. However, there’s a not-so-subtle implication for the present. So when singing this song, cry for the life-giving breath of God to restore purpose and drive to the walking dead among us…which could include ourselves. -Matt Greene

To download the chord chart: Come Alive (Dry Bones) – G.

To purchase the song, go here.

Amazing Grace

Amazing Grace

John Newton

“Now God has us where he wants us, with all the time in this world and the next to shower grace and kindness upon us in Christ Jesus. Saving is all his idea, and all his work. All we do is trust him enough to let him do it.”

– Ephesians 2:7-8 (The Message)

Amazing grace how sweet the sound
That saved a wretch like me
I once was lost but now I’m found
Was blind but now I see

It was grace that taught my heart to fear
And grace my fears relieved
How precious did that grace appear
The hour I first believed

Through many dangers, toils and snares
I have already come;
It was Grace that brought me safe thus far
And Grace will lead me home.

When we’ve been there ten thousand years
Bright shining as the sun
We’ve no less days to sing God’s praise
Than when we first begun

 

What is there to say about this piece of classic perfection? It’s melody is simple and soaring. It’s structure builds with anthemic brilliance. It’s theology is sound and timeless. And it’s message of God’s goodness overwhelming our failures is as powerful today as it was centuries ago, and will be for centuries to come. When singing this, join in the retroactive chorus of broken saints everywhere singing out our praise for a God whose grace is all we need. -Matt Greene

To download the chord chart: Amazing Grace – G.

To purchase the song, go here.

Over and Over Again

Over and Over Again

Adam Palmer, Matthew Hein, Jonathan Smith, Stephanie Kulla

“For the Son of Man came to find and restore the lost.”

– Luke 19:10 (The Message)

 

Wake me up from my slumber, oh God
Take these shaking hands and hold them still
Wake me up from my slumber, oh God
Lift my eyes to Yours, where my help comes from

Over and over again,
Your love and Your mercy begin
No matter how far, You find me where I am

When my fears chase my failures, oh God
Oh when heaven’s glow, seems so far
Wake me up to Your glory, oh God
Draw my eyes to Yours, where my help comes from

In my suffering and in my weakness and
When from You I ran, You find me
In the dark of sin, When I’m there again
You find me, You find me

Wake me up to Your glory, oh God
Lift my eyes to Yours, where my help comes from

 

God is a stubborn character. While we find our way to Him and then away from Him over and over again, He brings us into His mercy and love even more. So when singing this, just use it as a prayer of thanks that God’s mercy is stubborn and never-ending. -Matt Greene

To download the chord chart: Over and Over Again – E.

To purchase the song, go here.

Good Good Father

“Good Good Father”

Anthony Brown, Pat Barrett

“What marvelous love the Father has extended to us! Just look at it—we’re called children of God! That’s who we really are.”

– 1 John 3:1a (The Message)

I’ve heard a thousand stories of what they think You’re like
But I’ve heard the tender whisper of love in the dead of night
You tell me that You’re pleased and that I’m never alone

You’re a good, good father
It’s who You are, it’s who You are, it’s who You are
And I’m loved by you
It’s who I am, it’s who I am, it’s who I am

I’ve seen many searching for answers far and wide
But I know we’re all searching for answers only you provide
‘Cuz You know just what we need before we say a word

You are perfect in all of your ways
You are perfect in all of your ways
You are perfect in all of your ways to us

Love so undeniable I can hardly speak
Peace so unexplainable I can hardly think
As You call me deeper still
As You call me deeper still
As You call me deeper still
Into love

If you’ve ever held a theological conversation with me, you may have heard me say that 1 Corinthians 2:2 is by far my favorite verse: “For I resolved to know nothing while I was with you except Jesus Christ and him crucified.” It’s so tempting and easy to be weighed down by the minutiae of our beliefs, the hard to ignore contradictions in our faith, the differences we all hold to as “truth”. I’m constantly having to re-center myself on the simple truth found in that verse. Jesus, the human example of God’s perfect Fatherly love, showing us what true love looks like by changing our relationship with God and our very identity. When singing this, block out all other ancillary thoughts and hone in on the fact that you are a child of Perfect Love. -Matt Greene

To download the chord chart: Good Good Father-G.

To purchase the song, go here.

New Every Morning

“New Every Morning”

Audrey Assad, Matt Maher

“The steadfast love of the Lord never ceases;
    his mercies never come to an end;
they are new every morning;
    great is your faithfulness.”

– Lamentations 3:22-23 (ESV)

In the beginning, You hovered over the water
You broke an unbroken silence
You spoke light into darkness
And there was light
In the beginning, we were made in Your image
And we were naked without shame
Till we fell for the darkness
And there was night

Your mercies are new, Your mercies are new
New every morning

In the beginning, there was the Word and He was God
And the Word was with God, and He dwelt among us
And there was life
Oh, in the beginning, the Lamb of God was broken
And His blood was poured out for the sins of the world
And there was life

At the cross, at the cross
Where I first saw the light
At the cross, at the cross
I received my sight
At the cross, at the cross
Where You laid down Your life

There’s a lot to appreciate in the song: the calm beauty, the soaring melody, the tasteful yet powerful dynamics. However, what I really love is how biblically based the lyrics are. It pulls from all over both testaments, creating a story whose every moments points towards the truth of God’s endless mercy. So when singing this song, praise God for his steadfastness, and remember that You cannot stop his furious love from reaching you each day.  -Matt Greene

To download the chord chart: New Every Morning-A.

To purchase the song, go here.

In The River

“In The River”

Chris Quilala, Joshua Silverberg, Mark Alan Schoolmeesters, Ryan Williams

“Anyone who drinks the water I give will never thirst—not ever. The water I give will be an artesian spring within, gushing fountains of endless life.”

– John 4:14 (The Message)

 

There is a river where goodness flows
There is a fountain that drowns sorrows
There is an ocean deeper than fear
The tide is rising, rising

There is a current stirring deep inside
It’s overflowing from the heart of God
The flood of heaven crashing over us
The tide is rising, rising

Bursting, bursting up from the ground, we feel it now
Bursting, bursting up from the ground, we feel it now

We come alive in the river
We come alive in the river
We come alive in the river
We come alive in the river

Break open prison doors
Set all the captives free
Spring up a well, spring up a well
Spring up a well in me
Nothing can stop this joy
We’re dancing in the streets
Spring up a well, spring up a well
Spring up a well in me

“River: a large natural stream of water flowing in a channel.” Based on the very definition of the word, a river is something that MUST flow. Think about a river…it’s a seemingly endless flow of life that cannot be stopped. Even when we dam a river, it doesn’t “stop”, it just moves differently. The Love of God is a wild river, unconcerned with what it sweeps up, only focused on taking us towards Oceans of His Peace. When singing this song, pray that we don’t fight the current; may we stretch out our arms and come alive in His River. -Matt Greene

 

To download the chord chart: In The River-A.

To purchase the song, go here.