Behind the Praise - Sunday February 1, 2009

"Your Grace is Enough"

Matthew "Matt" Maher is a singer/songwriter/worship leader originally from Newfoundland, Canada, who later relocated to Mesa, Arizona. He has written and produced 3 independent albums, The End and The Beginning (2001), Welcome to Life (2003), and Overflow (2006). All three albums were produced by Maher, with Welcome to Life and Overflow both being co-produced by Maher and Nashville engineer Jeff Thomas.

Matt is most known for his song, "Your Grace Is Enough" which Chris Tomlin recorded on His 2004 Gold release, Arriving. The two met at a Youth Specialties conference held in Phoenix when Tomlin's band was asked to "back" Maher up. Tomlin instantly fell in love with the song. Since then, the song has become a popular worship anthem. Matt recorded a new version of the song, combining both his and Tomlin's versions, for the album "Empty and Beautiful". The song was released as a single on iTunes in March 2008, and reached #2 on Billboard's Adult Christian Contemporary Chart, where it remained in the top ten for over 8 weeks.

Click here to learn more about Matt Maher:
www.mattmahermusic.com/index.php

Click here to visit Matt’s myspace:
www.myspace.com/mattmahermusic

Click here to listen to how the song was written
www.youtube.com/watch?v=QIgGHA27nG4

Click here to worship along
www.youtube.com/watch?v=wtnE_e1LylY

"Grace will always be greater than Sin"

The worship choir and orchestra will share this song with soloist Rose Jacobson.

Click here to learn more about the Hoppers who wrote this song:
www.thehoppers.com/

Click here to worship along with the Hopper family:
www.youtube.com/watch?v=VdQTIb1v6wM

“Love the Lord Your God”
Lincoln Brewster
This powerful worship song was written by Lincoln Brewster while his church was going through the study “40 days of purpose”. He was asked to write some songs based upon the scriptures that coincide with each study. The first passage Mark 12:28-30 dealt with worship.

(NIV, Mark 12:28-30)
One of the teachers of the law came and heard them debating. Noticing that Jesus had given them a good answer, he asked him, "Of all the commandments, which is the most important?" "The most important one," answered Jesus, "is this: 'Hear, O Israel, the Lord our God, the Lord is one. Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind and with all your strength.'

Click here to worship along with Lincoln Brewster
www.youtube.com/watch?v=CV7qTD_X0Rk&feature=related

Click here to listen to Lincoln share about how the song came about:
www.theheartofworship.org/stories/Story-358-LovetheLord-Brewster.mp3

Click here to sing through the lyrics
www.christian-lyrics.net/artist/lincoln-brewster/track/love-the-lord-lyrics.html

Click here to read more about Lincolns’ ministry:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lincoln_Brewster

"Still"

… the challenge of the Church is to keep worship accessible to all people - Rueben MorganRueben wrote the song "Still" as a reminder to "be still and know that I am God". Reuben has a passion to see the church and the world inspired to worship God. A worship pastor on the Hillsong church leadership team, Reuben works alongside
Darlene Zschech to create an atmosphere of praise and worship that draws
people into God’s presence and helps soften hearts to Jesus’ salvation message.
Reuben is an integral leader of the Hillsong church worship team, teaching often
at the Worship and Creative Arts program. Leading worship on a weekly basis at
Hillsong church, Reuben was the youth Music Pastor who helped to establish
‘Hillsong United’- currently one of the most sought after youth praise and worship
bands having appeared at Creation, Edmonton and Soul Survivor in 2003. He
was one of the major producers on four of the United albums including Everyday,
Best Friend, King Of Majesty and To The Ends Of The Earth. With a congregation
of over 15,000 people, Hillsong Church in Sydney, Australia is potentially the
nations largest local church with a TV program that reaches over 125 different
countries across the globe. Hillsong has been instrumental in

Click here to worship along with the Hillsong version
www.youtube.com/watch?v=Qk8horRi3_E

Click here for another arrangement:
www.youtube.com/watch?v=FPtZRnQyzSM

"Christ Beside me"

Christ beside me, christ before me, christ king of my heart
Christ behind me, christ within me, never to depart
Christ on my right hand, christ on my left hand
In my sleeping, in my waking , christ light of my life
In my rising, in my going a shield in time of strife

Timothy Dudley-Smith
Click here to learn more about Timothy Dudley-Smith
www.timothydudley-smith.com/

"Here in your Presence"

Jon Egan wrote this song after meditating on the presence of God. He said that as he leads worship for the youth, he sees what a few moments spent in the presence of the Lord can do for people.Click here to listen to Jon Egan share how he wrote the song, scroll down to the song:www.theheartofworship.org/stories.shtml

Found in Your hands, fullness of joy Every fear suddenly wiped away here in Your presence
All of my gains now fade away Every crown no longer on display, here in Your presence
Heaven is trembling in awe of Your wonders
The kings and their kingdom are standing amazed
Here in Your presence, we are undone Here in Your presence,
Heaven and Earth become one
Here in Your presence, all things are new
Here in Your presence, everything bows before You
Wonderful, beautiful, glorious, matchlessin every way
Wonderful, beautiful, glorious, matchless in every way

Click here to worship along with the New Life worship team:
www.youtube.com/watch?v=PFZyT2fEK3I

"Through"

When I saw what lay before me,
Lord I cried what will You do?
I though he would just remove it,
But he gently led me through
Without fire, there’s no refining
Without pain, no relief
Without flood there’s no rescue; without testing no belief

Through the fire, through the flood
Through the water, through the blood
Through the dry and barren places
Through life’s dense and madd’ning mazes
Through the pain and through the glory
Through will always tell the story
Of a God whose pow’r and mercy will not fail
To take us through.

Steve Brewer will share this powerful song as the offertory. This song was written by Bill & Gloria Gaither. www.gaither.com

Behind the Praise - Sunday January 25, 2009

"The Lord Reigns"

Here is Klaus' testimony in his own words:

There are moments in each person’s life that shape us and cause us to change our course. One such moment in my life happened in the spring of 2003 at an “Encounter” event in Mexico. I attended the conference to help with worship and ended up with an encounter that would change my life. The word I received that weekend from Lindell was that I had not been forgotten, the Lord had need of me in this hour, and that a fountain for the nations was about to open up. Soon after, I received an invitation to be the Worship Leader at Christ For The Nations Institute in Dallas, Texas. From the fall of 2003 through the spring of 2005 I had the privilege of entering into the presence each morning with about 1000 students who were hungry to see God move in their life. That season also opened up the opportunity to produce two CFNI Worship projects,"Glorious" and "Overtaken". I was born in Germany, but by the time I was ten, my family ended up in Canada after several years in Chicago and Michigan. At the age of five I began taking piano lessons and continued training in classical and jazz until I was about 18. I remember hearing Keith Green for the first time and being captivated by the sound of his heart. A lot of other influences weighed in to shape my musical mindset. In 1984 I left Canada and moved to Dallas, Texas to attend Christ For The Nations, Institute. Soon after graduating, I married Julie, who is an amazing woman and my best friend. We have three children, Candace, 11, Aaron Judah, 2, and Olivia Grace, born June 20th of last year.After a number of years in music ministry in Plano, Texas, we felt a season of change coming into our lives. In 1995 I left the church where I was leading Worship and began getting involved with real estate and remodeling homes. Through the years I have continued traveling and Leading Worship while building custom homes in McKinney, Texas. In the spring of 2005 I left Christ For The Nations and started Pure Worship Ministries. We are producing Worship that I believe, touches the heart of God and ministers to His people. The best is yet to come.

Click here to learn more about Klaus Kuehn:
www.klausmusic.com

Click here to listen online:
www.imeem.com/atst/music/c1gewWR1/klaus_kuehn_the_lord_reigns/

Click here to worship along with Klaus:
www.youtube.com/watch?v=eaWrJtY4fYY&feature=related

"Lord, You're Holy"

This song is by Karen Wheaton. Born Karen Harris, she grew up in a Pentecostal family, the younger of two daughters, in Hamilton, Alabama where she was active in church music from an early age. In the late 1970s Karen toured with Thurlow Spurr's Festival of Praise, a pioneering Christian touring choir and band. In the early 1980s Karen traveled with her own band, which included her first husband and former Nashville keyboard player, DeWayne Wheaton. Karen and DeWayne later joined Jimmy Swaggart Ministries with Karen as one of the ministry's featured soloists and DeWayne sharing in keyboard responsibilities. Several of Karen's early gospel albums identify her as either "Karen Harris" or "Karen Harris Wheaton".Wheaton, though involved in ministry in a variety of ways including her youth group, Chosen, is probably most noted outside of the Pentecostal Church for efforts to record and promote a vanishing form of gospel music, namely the Mississippi Delta sound that is fused with blues, urban contemporary gospel, and bluegrass gospel influences. She is also known for including the type of dramatic, gospel songs of the genre made popular by Sandy Rios, Kathy Sullivan, the Rev. Sharon Daughtery, and others prior to the advent of Contemporary Christian music in the late 1970s.Wheaton's album Remembering (1993) was an effort to bring together negelected Pentecostal songs such as ''I'm Feelin' Mighty Fine with new songs in the same spirit. Her 1998 album, My Alabaster Box'' also features a number of old standards alongside dramatic new songs such as the title cut. Wheaton has never written music of her own though she often arranges the vocals of her songs and is very involved in the engineering and production of her recordings. Wheaton's voice is a strong, dramatic alto.Wheaton is considered an interesting and important fixture on the contemporary theological scene in the American south as she represents the long-standing Pentecostal tradition of women having strong roles within the clergy and also as she continues the convention of "singing preachers" who incorporate aspects of sermonizing into actual songs. In many ways, Wheaton a rare breed to continue traditions of conventional southern revival-style preaching in her music. Wheaton's live version of "For Every Mountain", from her album Church is a prime example of this genre.Wheaton currently lives in Hamilton, Alabama with her daughters and aside from touring and recording her music, runs The Ramp and its associated youth outreach programs.

Click here to listen an arrangement of the song:
www.youtube.com/watch?v=fR5n6vggADw

"Everlasting God"

Brenton Brown wrote this song after both he and his wife had being diagnosed with fibromyalgia. Brown described their illness in the following excerpt from Christianity today. Brown: It's called fibromyalgia, a form of Chronic Fatigue Syndrome. What defines it are the symptoms, the most obvious ones [being] fatigue. You feel jet-lagged most of the time. There are other symptoms like nausea, muscle pain, muscle aches. There's no known cure. Basically it was just like waking up one day and finding out that I had someone else's body. Very strange. I wasn't thinking as clearly. And over the last three years we've basically had to relearn how to live life with our new bodies. It's been a challenge. Chronic Fatigue is a little bit like having mono[nucleosis]. You feel very fatigued, very drained. And no matter how much you sleep, you're still going to feel tired. You can never shake off that tired feeling. I just kept going for six months. And then my pastor, the board of our church and the group of doctors that I was seeing all decided, "This is not working. You're not going to be able to force your way through this." Brenton Brown, born in South Africa, is a Christian songwriter and worship leader. He left South Africa for Oxford, England in his early twenties on a Rhodes Scholarship. While studying politics, philosophy and theology he joined the Vineyard music (UK), serving as worship pastor at the Oxford Vineyard, UK, and eventually as coordinator of the Vineyard (UK) Worship Development Team. His songs, Lord Reign in me, All who are thirsty, Humble King, Hallelujah [Your love is amazing] and Holy were recorded on the popular Vineyard UK projects during this time. He has since left the UK and now lives in Malibu, California with his wife, Jude. Brenton is an artist on the worship label Survivor and in 2006 released his first solo album, Everlasting God with Survivor in the UK and rest of the world, and with Sparrow in the United States and Canada.

Check out Brenton’s ministry here:
www.brentonbrownmusic.com/

Click here to listen to him share about how the song came about
www.youtube.com/watch?v=YePOcs88kqw

Click here to listen to Lincoln Brewsters' arrangement
www.youtube.com/watch?v=jP2nz6PG8KM&mode=related&search=

Click here to listen to Brenton Brown & Paul Baloche
www.youtube.com/watch?v=9bLWwnVBuF8

"Your Name"
This song is by Paul Baloche. Paul is a native of Camden, New Jersey, and is currently the worship pastor at Community Christian Fellowship in Lindale, Texas.

You can learn more about Paul on his myspace, and can listen to the song on his myspace standalone player:
http://profile.myspace.com/index.cfm?fuseaction=user.viewprofile&friendid=70931079

You can read more about Pauls’ ministry on his ministry website.
www.leadworship.com/

Click here to worship along with Paul:
www.youtube.com/watch?v=E5i2pELpqBg

"It is Well"

Click here to read the story of how the song was written along with the rest of the story http://exchristian.net/exchristian/2003/09/it-is-well-with-my-soul.php

Click here to watch the Gaither video version with David Phelps
www.youtube.com/watch?v=wPFVijGcLtI

Click here for more background information:
www.en.wikipedia.org/wiki/It_Is_Well_With_My_Soul

To listen to the song click here:
www.cyberhymnal.org/htm/i/t/i/itiswell.htm

Behind the Praise - Sunday January 18, 2009

"I'm Counting on God"

This song of declaration was written by Jared Anderson of the New Life worship ministry in Colorado Springs, Co. Jared wrote the following on the song:This song has come to the forefront in the life of our church because of the recent trials we've had to face. The testing of our faith has made us more resolved to endure and overcome the sufferings for the all-surpassing glory of God. It is not only our obstacles that will be defeated, but the Kingdom of our God will overtake the kingdom of this world. This song helps us put our battles into proper perspective. The evidence that this is taking place is seen in the transformation of our lives and community. We are nothing like we used to be. - Jared Anderson

Click here to worship along with the New Life Worship Band:
www.youtube.com/watch?v=Nz6bxExXwwQ

"Thou, O Lord"
This is one of our Choirs' favorite anthems, based upon the Psalm 3

Psalm 3A psalm of David. When he fled from his son Absalom.

1 LORD, how many are my foes! How many rise up against me! 2 Many are saying of me, "God will not deliver him." 3 But you, LORD, are a shield around me, my glory, the one who lifts my head high.4 I call out to the LORD, and he answers me from his holy mountain.5 I lie down and sleep; I wake again, because the LORD sustains me.
6 I will not fear though tens of thousands assail me on every side.7 Arise, LORD! Deliver me, my God! Strike all my enemies on the jaw; break the teeth of the wicked. 8 From the LORD comes deliverance. May your blessing be on your people.

Click here to hear the Brooklyn Tabernacle choir minister the song:
www.youtube.com/watch?v=y284YvkYrZo

Click here to hear the Lee University Campus choir minister the song:
www.youtube.com/watch?v=A0yOfnwPNd4

"Mighty To Save"

This is another song from the Hillsong music ministry in Sydney Australia. This song is by Reuben Morgan & Ben Fielding. This song has a great re-occuring text. "OUR GOD IS MIGHT TO SAVE". This is taken from the passage in Zephaniah 3:1717 The LORD your God is with you, he is mighty to save. He will take great delight in you, he will quiet you with his love, he will rejoice over you with singing."
Click here to read more about Reuben Morgan
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Reuben_Morgan

Click here to worship along with the song:
www.youtube.com/watch?v=tXCAhKDZRlo

Click here to worship along with the song:
www.youtube.com/watch?v=sR8rlTIU8_Y

"From the inside out"
This powerful worship song is by Joel Houston. Joel Timothy Houston (born September 19, 1979) is a song writer and worship leader at the Hillsong Church in Sydney, Australia. He is employed as the producer of Hillsong's youth band, Hillsong United. He is the oldest son of Hillsong Church's pastors Brian and Bobbie Houston and grandson of Frank Houston. He has two siblings, a brother Benjamin and a sister, Laura.

Click here to worship along:
www.youtube.com/watch?v=Tv0qZl_Qu84

Click here to listen online:
www.last.fm/music/Hillsong+United

“The Wonderful Cross”

ISAAC WATTS & CHRIS TOMLINThe original song was written by Isaac Watts, the new chorus was written by Chris Tomlin. Isaac was born in 1674 and Chris was born in 1972. Even though they are separated by three hundred years, there is no separation between their passion and commitment to leading God's people in worship. WOW! The past meets the present.

Click here to hear Chris Tomlin talk about how this new arrangement came about. www.theheartofworship.org/stories/Story-306-TheWonderfulCross-Tomlin.mp3

Click here to learn more about Chris Tomlin
www.christomlin.com/

You can listen to more of Chris Tomlins' music on his myspace website.
http://profile.myspace.com/index.cfm?fuseaction=user.viewprofile&friendID=94631118

Isaac Watts (July 17, 1674 – November 25, 1748) is recognized as the "Father of English Hymnody", as he was the first prolific and popular English hymnwriter, credited with some 750 hymns. Many of his hymns remain in active use today and have been translated into many languages.
Click here to read more about Isaac Watts.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Isaac_Watts

This is an interesting read on Isaac Watts.
www.cyberhymnal.org/bio/w/a/t/watts_i.htm

Isaac is best known for his emphasizing the role of music in worship, where the congregation actually began to sing with the choir. Watts became the congregation's pastor in 1702. Just five feet tall, he was an unprepossessing figure in the pulpit. Health problems continued to plague him, and an assistant had to be appointed to fill in for him after a severe bout with illness in 1703. Despite these problems, Watts was a powerful preacher. The Mark Lane congregation outgrew its quarters and twice had to move to larger facilities, and Watts' sermons began to be collected and printed. Part of his success was due to his emphasis on the role of music in worship. A minister, he felt, should not only write sermons but should seek to involve his congregation in worship through music.

"His eye is on the Sparrow"
The following is taken from Civilla D. Martin's journal.Early in the spring of 1905, my hus­band and I were so­journ­ing in El­mi­ra, New York. We con­tract­ed a deep friend­ship for a cou­ple by the name of Mr. and Mrs. Doo­lit­tle—true saints of God. Mrs. Doo­lit­tle had been bed­rid­den for nigh twen­ty years. Her hus­band was an in­cur­a­ble crip­ple who had to pro­pel him­self to and from his bus­i­ness in a wheel chair. De­spite their af­flict­ions, they lived hap­py Christ­ian lives, bring­ing in­spir­a­tion and com­fort to all who knew them. One day while we were vi­sit­ing with the Doo­lit­tles, my hus­band com­ment­ed on their bright hope­ful­ness and asked them for the se­cret of it. Mrs. Doo­lit­tle’s re­ply was sim­ple: “His eye is on the spar­row, and I know He watch­es me.” The beau­ty of this sim­ple ex­press­ion of bound­less faith gripped the hearts and fired the imag­in­a­tion of Dr. Mar­tin and me. The hymn “His Eye Is on the Spar­row” was the out­come of that ex­per­i­ence.Civilla MartinThe next day she mailed the po­em to Charles Gab­ri­el, who sup­plied the mu­sic. Sing­er Ethel Wa­ters so loved this song that she used its name as the ti­tle for her au­to­bi­og­ra­phy.
Why should I feel discouraged, why should the shadows come,
Why should my heart be lonely, and long for heaven and home,
When Jesus is my portion? My constant friend is He:
His eye is on the sparrow, and I know He watches me;
His eye is on the sparrow, and I know He watches me.

Click here to listen to Lauren Hill:
www.youtube.com/watch?v=k7Pk5YMkEcg

Click here to worship along with Mahalia Jackson:
www.youtube.com/watch?v=1gta4B1MBU0

Click here for the arrangement from Sister Act 2:
www.youtube.com/watch?v=1gta4B1MBU0

Click here to listen to Lauren Hill:
www.youtube.com/watch?v=k7Pk5YMkEcg

Behind the Praise - Sunday January 11, 2009

"I'm Counting on God"

This song of declaration was written by Jared Anderson of the New Life worship ministry in Colorado Springs, Co. Jared wrote the following on the song:

This song has come to the forefront in the life of our church because of the recent trials we've had to face. The testing of our faith has made us more resolved to endure and overcome the sufferings for the all-surpassing glory of God. It is not only our obstacles that will be defeated, but the Kingdom of our God will overtake the kingdom of this world. This song helps us put our battles into proper perspective. The evidence that this is taking place is seen in the transformation of our lives and community. We are nothing like we used to be. - Jared Anderson

Click here to worship along with the New Life Worship Band:
www.youtube.com/watch?v=Nz6bxExXwwQ

Click here to purchase "Counting on God"


"Something Happens"

The worship choir with Jennifer Reynolds will share this powerful song.Meditate on the lyricsJesus Something special Supernatural about your nameJesus Something happens when I mention your nameDemons have to flee when I say Jesus (Jesus)Sickness has to heal when I say Jesus (Jesus)Every knee shall bow beforeand every tongue proclaimWith worthy praise that matchless name of JesusWhen I call upon Your name the very atmosphere will have to changeWe'll be transformed We'll never be the same By the power of Your Holy name

Worship along Kurt Carr:
www.youtube.com/watch?v=sCfInYK_9Vg

Worship along with the Marcus Pointe worship choir:
www.youtube.com/watch?v=S0NhSITwd4o

"My Savior Lives"
This is a new song by Jon Egan & Glenn Packiam of the New Life Church in Colorado Springs, Co. When asked about writing songs for the church in an interview Jon shared the following.

Those songs were written out of innocence just to equip our own church. I think that probably is the reason for the success. The heart of these songs, the heart of us as worshippers or worship leaders, has always been to help our people in our spheres of influence. The fact that it's equipped the Church beyond our church is overwhelming, wonderful, and humbling. Jared: We weren't really following anyone into it; we were just excited about what God was doing. We started to try our own songs at times other than Sunday morning. We just put it out there to see if it would live. It began that way, and it crept into the culture of Sunday morning.

Click here to listen to the song:
http://profile.myspace.com/index.cfm?fuseaction=user.viewprofile&friendid=139038586

Click here to worship with the New Life church:
www.youtube.com/watch?v=R_SB-SpNm00&feature=related

"Break Through"
This is a great song by Tommy Walker, you'll want to listen to this one you can find the song here:

Break through, break through all my doubts
Break through, break through all my fears
Break through that I may worship You
Break through, break through all my pain
Break through, all my guilt and my shame
Break through like only You can do

You are brighter than my darkest night
Stronger than my toughest fight
Just one touch from You my King, my friend
And I’ll never be the same again

Click here for worship along:
www.youtube.com/watch?v=pXa6fyBtkMw

Click here for another arrangement:
www.youtube.com/watch?v=X6VsZOUxa6Y&feature=related

"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