Behind the Praise - Sunday April 20, 2008

"You never let Go"

This powerful new song by Matt Redman has been described as follows from Christianity Today:
"You Never Let Go" begins with a quiet piano and moody atmospherics that mirror far-from-ebullient lyrics based on Psalm 23: Even though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death/You're perfect love is casting out fear/And even when I'm caught in the middle of the storms of this life/I won't turn back, I know you are near…The chorus is a loud, exultant proclamation that God will never let go of us and in it Redman uses the minor-key construction to subtly (and maturely) declare that God's love is still valid, even in the midst of pain.
Click here to listen watch the video
www.youtube.com/watch?v=SIAdgLR1ZGw
Click here to read more about Matt Redman on his myspace - you can play the song directly from his stand-alone player and can buy the song from his website
http://profile.myspace.com/index.cfm?fuseaction=user.viewprofile&friendID=120781688

Lyrics:
Even though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death
Your perfect love is casting out fear And even when I’m caught in the middle of the storms of this life
I won’t turn back I know You are near And I will fear no evil For my God is with me
And if my God is with me Whom then shall I fear? Whom then shall I fear?

Oh no, You never let go Through the calm and through the storm
Oh no, You never let go In every high and every lowOh no, You never let go
Lord, You never let go of me

And I can see a light that is coming for the heart that holds on
A glorious light beyond all compareAnd there will be an end to these troubles
But until that day comes We’ll live to know You here on the earth

Yes, I can see a light that is coming for the heart that holds on
And there will be an end to these troubles But until that day comes
Still I will praise You, still I will praise You



"Let there Be Joy"

This song is by Israel Houghton. Israel shared the following on how he began a worship leader.

While I was in college, I got connected with my church's worship team and they just asked me to start leading. I was 19, and I was pretty out of touch with what it took to be a worship leader. It wasn't until I really got alone with God and began to hear his sound and his signature and his affirmation that I began to discover that I was born for this, created for this, called to this. And I haven't looked back.

I really should have been one of those abortion statistics you read about. My mother became pregnant with me when she was 17. My mother's white and my biological father's black. Her family wasn't supportive of their relationship and gave her the choice to have a back-alley abortion or to be disowned. I'm here because of the decision she made-and because of her conversion shortly after that.So when I lead worship I'm crazy. I realize how fortunate I am to be called by God and to be protected, to be covered by him.

Click here to listen to the song:
www.imeem.com/people/nEaIIC//music/wP7es76s/judy_jacobs_let_there_be_joy/




"You are My All in All"
Dennis Jernigan has written many of the worship songs we sing including "Who can Satisfy", "We will worship the Lamb of Glory", "I belong to Jesus", "When the night is Falling" and "You are my all in all".
Here are some links that will share more about Dennis' ministry.
Click here to listen to Dennis share about the song;
http://shareyourstorynow.org/2007/09/19/dennis-jernigan-jesus-worth-every-struggle/
Click here for an article about Dennis:
hwww.okbu.edu/news/view_article.php?id=1127
Click here for Dennis' website:
www.dennisjernigan.com/
Click here to hear Dennis ministering in Brazil * must see:
http://mickey.tv/r/Video.aspx?v=B_O6TUAMWIw&key=Dennis+Jernigan
Click here to sing through the song with Dennis Jernigan:
www.youtube.com/watch?v=zC617kE1maU



"Softly and Tenderly"
I came across this podcast on the life of Will L. Thompson the composer of this great hymn. The podcast runs for about three minutes and has a recording of the song at the end, it is well worth the listen like some podcasts you have to listen to a commercial at the beginning
http://hymns.lifespringonline.com/?p=24

Click here for an arrangement by Cynthia Clawson:
www.youtube.com/watch?v=LsZae1DwG7o
Click here to listen to Anne Murray:
www.youtube.com/watch?v=dresvqIg9nA&feature=related
Click here to listen to a solo piano:
www.youtube.com/watch?v=EAxELgZAL_4&feature=related
Click here to listen to Sara Groves:
www.youtube.com/watch?v=bFKYH00VSdo




"Sweet Mercies"

We'll begin Sunday with the song "Sweet Mercies" by David Ruis,
click here to hear his story behind the song
www.theheartofworship.org/stories/Story-238-SweetMercies-Ruis.mp3
Click here to learn more about David's ministry
www.davidruis.com/
Click here for the lyrics
www.mixed-up.com/lyrics/worship/sweet-mercies
Click here to worship along with the Passion band:
www.imeem.com/soldev/music/xstxA7vl/sweet_mercies_passion_band/




“In Christ Alone”

This song was written by Keith Getty & Stuart Townend
Townend and Getty both admit they are motivated by the idea of capturing biblical truth in songs and hymns that will not only cause people to express their worship in church, but will build them up in their Christian lives. “I’ve been amazed by the response to this song,” says Townend. “We’ve had some incredible e-mails about how people have been helped by the song through incredibly difficult circumstances.” One e-mail described how a U.S soldier serving in Iraq would pray through each verse of the song every day, and how the promises of God’s protection and grace helped to sustain him through the enormous pressures and dangers of life in a war zone.

Click here to read more about how the song was composed
www.crosswalk.com/1275127/
Click here to worship along with the Newsboys
www.youtube.com/watch?v=8welVgKX8Qo
Click here to worship along with Natalie Grant
www.youtube.com/watch?v=MA9WbEn-Nj8&feature=related

Sermon topic Sunday "Favor Even after Failure" 2 Chronicles 33:1-17

Offertory Sunday will be the Mens' quartet "Low Down Chariot"