Wednesday, August 31, 2011

PCBC - Behind the Praise - Sunday September 4, 2011




WORSHIP IN THE SANCTUARY


SEPTEMBER 4, 2011


“The Church’s One Foundation”

This hymn was written by Samuel J. Stone (1839-1900). In her series, Stories of The Hymns, Karen Silvis shares this:

In 1866, an influential and liberal Anglican bishop wrote a book which attacked the historic accuracy of the Pentateuch. This caused a widespread controversy throughout the Anglican church. A pastor ministering to the poor of London at the time was deeply disturbed by the debate. He wrote a collection of twelve creedal hymns which were based on the Apostle's Creed. His purpose was to
instruct his people in the truth and to combat the liberal attacks on the Bible. The author of these hymns was Samuel J.Stone and Stone knew that the foundation of the church must be the Lordship of Christ and not the views of the people. His hymn, "The Church's One Foundation" was based on the Ninth Article of the creed, which reads, "The Holy Catholic (or Universal) Church; the Communion of Saints; He is the head of this Body."
It was from this cauldron of doctrinal dispute and crisis over a century ago that one of the great hymns of our faith came into being. Stone's faith in the inspiration of Scripture, his refusal to compromise before the Higher Criticism of his day, and his conviction of the Lordship of Christ has given us this stately hymn.

Click here to listen to this great hymn:
www.youtube.com/watch?v=molBcp8S_Ng

Click here to purchase on iTunes:
The Church's One Foundation - The World of Favourite Hymns

“Crown Him with Many Crowns”

This worshipful text is the combined effort of two distinguished Anglican clergymen, each of whom desired to write a hymn of exaltation to our suffering but now victorious Lord.
Matthew Bridges' version first appeared in 1851 with six stanzas. Twenty-three years later Godfrey Thring wrote six additional stanzas, which appeared in his collection Hymns and Sacred Lyrics. The hymn's present forrn includes stanzas one, two, and four by Bridges and the third verse by Thring.
Each crown in this hymn text exalts Christ for some specific aspect of His person or ministry—

(1) Stanza one for His eternal Kingship;

(2) stanza two for His love demonstrated in redemptive suffering;

(3) stanza three for His victorious resurrection and ascension, and

(4) stanza four as a member of the Triune Godhead ever worthy of worship and praise.

The tune, Diadernata (the Greek word for crowns), was composed especially for this text by George Elvey, a noted organist at St. George's Chapel in Windsor, England, where British royalty often attend.
Click here to read more about this hymn:
http://songsandhymns.org/hymns/detail/crown-him-with-many-crowns

Click here to listen to the song:
www.youtube.com/watch?v=qdK4lzg8gsU

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

Click here to purchase “Crown Him with many Crowns”
Crown Him With Many Crowns - The World of Favourite Hymns

"O Worship the King"

This great hymn was written by Sir Robert Grant. Who would later become the Governor or Bombay. He wrote a hymn which is considered one of the greatest in the English language. Reading William Kethe's translation of Psalm 104 in a 1561 psalm book prompted Robert to write his own version of the psalm, familiar to millions of church-goers.


O Worship the King all glorious above!
O gratefully sing his power and his love,
Our Shield and Defender, the Ancient of days,
Pavilioned in splendor, and girded with praise.

Click here for a guitar arrangement of the song:
www.youtube.com/watch?v=xtytasU9j7Y

Click here for an organ arrangement:
www.youtube.com/watch?v=veDdPLdWugQ

Click here to purchase a version of "O Worship the King"
O Worship the King - 100 Church Classics

“Thou Art Worthy”

Pauline Michael was born on October 13, 1898 in Portland, Indiana. Along with her parents, Otto and Ella Michael, she settled in Stockton, CA. Her mother, Ella was a musician and played the piano and organ. When Pauline's mother was unable to make it to a funeral service to play the organ, she sent Pauline, and that was her first experience of playing for the public. At age 12, she was filled with the Holy Spirit and received 3 gifts...the Word of Wisdom, a Shepherd's heart, and the gift of Music. She then became a pianist for local churches. Pauline played an organ at street meetings. She and her mother were very active in Street Meetings, and Missions. Her mother was very musical and has written several Sacred Songs. She has also written many poems.

In 1920, Pauline was healed by the prayers of Smith-Wigglesworth.

In 1915 she was married to Louis Mills. She had 6 children and lived in Stockton. In 1944 she moved to Los Angeles with her 3 younger daughters, and attended and graduated from L.I.F.E. Bible College with her son, Dick Mills, who was just out of the Air Force.

In 1940 she began to set the scriptures to music, 25 years before the body of Christ accepted them.

In 1975, she was ordained a minister in Los Angeles by L.I.F.E. Bible College. Pauline has ministered by song and speaking across the United States, Australia, and England.

Pauline felt that she was born before her time, because the Lord had given her the gift of writing music to scriptures long before it became received in the churches.

The way "Thou Art Worthy" came about was when Pauline was traveling with her son on an Evangelistic tour. He asked the congregation to send up their favorite scripture and that his mother would write music to the song before the service was over. She did not know that he was going to do this. By the end of the service, she had chosen the scripture from Rev. 4:11, "Thou Art Worthy" and the Lord gave her the music, and she sang it before the service was over. Later the Lord gave her the verse. This song is written in 16 languages.

At the age of 94, on December 18, 1991 she went to join the Heavenly Band.

Click here to listen to the song:
www.youtube.com/watch?v=oJy1yd4f_jg

Click here to purchase the song:
Thou Art Worthy - The Best of the New Songs


"The Solid Rock"

The name of Edward Mote does not often rest on the lips of the church today in the saym fashion as Fanny J. Crosby, B.B. McKinney, Ira Sankey, or other greats in hymnody. However, the testimony of his life is one that should inspire all Christians. Mote was note brought up in a godly home and did not have the advantage of early exposure to Scripture. In fact, his parents managed a pub in London and often neglected young Edward, who spent most of his Sundays playing in the city streets. Of his theological upbringing, he said “So ignorant was I that did not know that there was a God.”

Eventually Mote became exposed to the Word of God, and was baptized at the age of 18. This event, however, did not send Mote immediately into the ministry. He was apprenticed to become a cabinetmaker, a career which he successfully conducted for another 37 years. Eventually, at the age of 55, he became pastor of a Baptist church in Horsham, Sussex, where he did not miss a Sunday in the pulpit for the next 21 years.3 He resigned from this pastorate in 1873 due to ill health, and died the following year at the age of 77.

It was with this background that Mote wrote the hymn we have today, "The Solid Rock." It was during his career as a cabinetmaker that the hymn came into being. One morning in 1834 as he was walking to work, it entered his mind to write a hymn. By the time he got to work, he had the chorus. He wrote four more verses over the course of that day and two additional verses before he was finished.

‘On Christ the solid Rock I stand, All other ground is sinking sand.’

In the day I had four first verses complete, and wrote them off. On the Sabbath following I met brother King as I came out of Lisle Street Meeting…who informed me that his wife was very ill, and asked me to call and see her. I had an early tea, and called afterwards. He said that it was his usual custom to sing a hymn, read a portion, and engage in prayer, before he went to meeting. He looked for his hymn-book but could find it no where. I said, ‘I have some verses in my pocket; if he liked, we would sing them.’ We did, and his wife enjoyed them so much, that after service he asked me, as a favour, to leave a copy of them for his wife. I went home, and by the fireside composed the last two verses, wrote the whole off, and took them to sister King…As these verses so met the dying woman’s case, my attention to them was the more arrested, and I had a thousand printed for distribution.

Click here to listen to an arrangement by the Cadet sisters
www.youtube.com/watch?v=gJnb3l9UuYU&feature=related

Here is a more traditional arrangement of the song on organ:
www.youtube.com/watch?v=7d1QpfGPYTU

Click here to purchase a version of “The Solid Rock”:
The Solid Rock - 25 Hymns of Hope & Heaven


"Take my Life and Let it Be"

Frances R. Havergal wrote the following about how he wrote the song: I went for a lit¬tle vi¬sit of five days (to Are¬ley House). There were ten per¬sons in the house, some un¬con¬vert¬ed and long prayed for, some con¬vert¬ed, but not re¬joic¬ing Christ¬ians. He gave me the pra¬yer, “Lord, give me all in this house!” And He just did. Be¬fore I left the house ev¬ery one had got a bless¬ing. The last night of my vis¬it af¬ter I had re¬tired, the gov¬ern¬ess asked me to go to the two daugh¬ters. They were cry¬ing, then and there both of them trust¬ed and re¬joiced; it was near¬ly mid¬night. I was too hap¬py to sleep, and passed most of the night in praise and re¬new¬al of my own con¬se¬cra¬tion; and these lit¬tle coup¬lets formed them¬selves, and chimed in my heart one af¬ter ano¬ther till they fin¬ished with “Ever, On¬ly, ALL for Thee!”

Click here for a great arrangement:
www.youtube.com/watch?v=HU9Pi4g_3No

Click here for another arrangement of the song:
www.youtube.com/watch?v=Ma-RUB28iYE

Click here to purchase a version of “Take my Life and Let it Be”
Take My Life and Let It Be - 25 Hymns of Prayer and Invitation


“Holy, Holy, Holy”

Holy, Holy, Holy is a hymn written by Reginald Heber (1783-1826). Its lyrics speak specifically on the Trinity as stated in Christian theology. It was written specifically for the use on Trinity Sunday, which occurs eight weeks after Easter The tune used for this hymn, "Nicaea", was named after the Nicaean Council in 325. It was composed by John Bacchus Dykes in 1861 specifically for the lyrics. The composer wrote many tunes to hymns (over 300) and many are still in use today.

Click here to listen to the story behind the song:
http://hymns.lifespringonline.com/?p=13

Click here to read more about the song:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Holy,_Holy,_Holy

Click here to hear a vocal arrangement:
www.youtube.com/watch?v=wTuPeErzEWk&feature=related

Click here to listen to an organ arrangement:
www.youtube.com/watch?v=una7Q2z0WME

Click here to listen to another organ
www.youtube.com/watch?v=LWCXI-b0O54

Click here for an acoustic guitar arrangement:
www.youtube.com/watch?v=XFrhK1n_K9M

Click here to purchase “Holy, Holy, Holy”
Holy Holy Holy - 100 Best Loved Hymns


“A Mighty Fortress is our God”

(German, Ein' feste Burg ist unser Gott) is the best known of Martin Luther's hymns. Luther wrote the words and composed the melody sometime between 1527-1529.[ It has been translated into English at least seventy times and also into many other languages. The words are a paraphrase of Psalm 46.The most popular English version, "A mighty fortress is our God, a bulwark never failing," was translated by Frederick H. Hedge in 1853. Another popular English version by Thomas Carlyle begins "A safe stronghold our God is still."

Click here to read more about this great hymn:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/A_Mighty_Fortress_Is_Our_God

Click here to worship along with Steve Green:
www.youtube.com/watch?v=NRJHKzU_t1M

Click here to purchase a version of “A Mighty Fortress is Our God”
A Mighty Fortress Is Our God - Majestic Hymns

Wednesday, May 11, 2011

Behind the Praise - Sunday May 15, 2011




Handbells “Hear the Bells ringing Christ is Risen”

“The Lord Reigns”
www.youtube.com/watch?v=o5rvEXyaDh8

“Grace”
www.beckenhorstpress.com/audio/1402.mp3

“Your Grace is Enough”
www.youtube.com/watch?v=GI5Yiyv5O0s

“I will Rise”
www.youtube.com/watch?v=CKRF8UihM5s

Handbells – “When I survey the Wondrous Cross”

“The Solid Rock”
www.youtube.com/watch?v=nuSC3qOER58&feature=fvwrel

“You are God alone”
www.youtube.com/watch?v=9xPzTSpbYmk

Handbells – Immortal, Invisible

“You are Good”
www.youtube.com/watch?v=fCpy1Bg255A

Wednesday, February 23, 2011

Behind the Praise - Sunday February 27, 2010




The Lord Reigns
www.youtube.com/watch?v=o5rvEXyaDh8

Excellent Lord
www.youtube.com/watch?v=fAm2qkGVgZc

Mighty To Save
www.youtube.com/watch?v=-08YZF87OBQ

So Good To Me – (3rd & 4th Grade choir)
www.youtube.com/watch?v=-RT4TcBKmmM

Cannons
www.youtube.com/watch?v=r_GNVWAo1pY

God will Make a Way
www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZHOyaG-cJxI

God will make a way Where there seems to be no way
He works in ways we cannot see He will make a way for me
He will be my guide Hold me closely to His side
With love and strength For each new day
He will make a way He will make a way

O the Blood * new song
www.youtube.com/watch?v=iK9H4B5GCsE

Blessed Assurance
www.youtube.com/watch?v=RTQDkK43ohk

I know Who Holds Tomorrow
www.youtube.com/watch?v=PWKZVbG9egQ

Wednesday, February 2, 2011

Behind the Praise - Sunday February 6, 2011

"I Bless Your Name"
www.youtube.com/watch?v=E8UiNxJk_ec

"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

"O For A Thousand Tongues to sing"

Click here to listen to the song:
www.youtube.com/watch?v=HPrnpUWZX_M

"Revelation Song"

Ever had one of those days when, smack in the middle of all the everyday “stuff” that screams for attention, all you wanted was a sure sign that God was present and at work? Worship songwriter Jennie Riddle has.
I gave my life to Jesus back in 1988. There was a new song out at the time entitled, "I Hear Angels" by Gerrit Gustafson. The lyrics read:

I hear angels singing praises,
I see men from every nation,
bowing down before the throne
like the sound of many waters
like the rushing wind around us
multitudes join the song
and a symphony of praise arises
tears are wiped away from eyes
as men from every tongue and tribe all sing…
Holy, holy, God almighty, who was, and is, and is to come
I remember looking up and around, asking, "Where God? I want to see and hear that too!" Those prophetic words from Mr. Gustafson took residence within me, became the lullaby sung over each of my children, and fueled an earnest, decade long prayer to see multitudes gathered around the throne.
Back in 1999, I had just changed my 20,446th diaper (Yes. I count. Don't you? ), when I began singing the aforementioned lullaby over my fourth son, Andrew, as we cuddled in our blue chair. My keyboard was broken down, and I simply didn't have the energy to set it up. It had been a really tough "mommy" day. The guitar (which I didn't really play) was accessible, but the spaghetti dinner I’d yet to cook was screaming my name. But so was the Holy Spirit! I, again, began telling Him how much I wanted to SEE and HEAR all creation worshipping Him. The songs being sung by the Bride at that time were focusing on need. My heart longed to focus on something far greater than my need, knowing that all needs would be satisfied with just one glimpse of Him.
Therefore, I asked the Holy Spirit to help me write a song that painted Him—a song that the angels and creation were already singing, so we could join in with One Voice, as One Bride, to One King. My heart recalled Ezekiel 1:26-28 and Revelation 4:
"And then, as they stood with folded wings, there was a voice from above the dome over their heads. Above the dome there was something that looked like a throne, sky-blue like a sapphire, with a humanlike figure towering above the throne. From what I could see, from the waist up he looked like burnished bronze and from the waist down like a blazing fire. Brightness everywhere! The way a rainbow springs out of the sky on a rainy day-that's what it was like. It turned out to be the Glory of God!” (Message)
"A throne set in heaven, and One sat on the throne. And He who sat there was like a jasper and a sardius stone in appearance; and there was a rainbow around the throne, in appearance like an emerald. Around the throne were twenty-four thrones, and on the thrones I saw twenty-four elders sitting, clothed in white robes; and they had crowns[] of gold on their heads. And from the throne proceeded lightening, thundering, and voices. Before the throne there was a sea of glass, like crystal. And in the midst of the throne, and around the throne, were four living creatures. And they do not rest day or night, saying: ' Holy, holy, holy, Lord God Almighty, Who was and is and is to come!'"
I put the baby down to play with his toys, picked up the guitar, and began to play four chords I had "discovered" the day before. Immersed in those scriptures, the Lord helped me paint what I was seeing through those passages: "Clothed in rainbows of living color, flashes of lightening, rolls of thunder..." The melody stuck. It had the sound of heaven in it. The song wouldn't leave me, and I sang it for weeks. I can still hear the Lord whispering to me that He would carry this song across the world. I remember thinking how cool it was going to be to have a couple of my missionary friends carry it to the natives in the bush to be sung around campfires. I had no idea.
"Revelation Song" made its very first public outing when I introduced it to my local church. That Sunday, the Lord moved in such a way that I felt it was called for, so we offered it unrehearsed and "on the fly." The song resonated with the congregation, and Jesus danced, I'm just sure of it. It quickly became a loved song. Next, it was introduced to my students at the high school. God met us every time we used it from that point on.
The first demo of the song was done for me by Walker Beach a couple of months after I wrote it. Klaus Kuehn helped me do a second demo in 2002. They both remembered it when it came time to select songs for the annual live recording at Christ for the Nations where Klaus was leading worship and Walker was directing the School of Worship. They introduced it to the student body during chapel, and it was decided that it would be sung by Kari Jobe, to release on the Glorious album in 2004. The anointing on those gifted worshippers, the excellent production, the tremendous musicianship, and the glory of God was fully captured in that recording. God met us powerfully that night!
Even though I had been writing songs for years, I had not promoted my music and didn't know how to begin had I wanted to do so. The Holy Spirit kept nudging me and saying, "Give it to the Bride." Finally, determining to send it to the two places that kept coming to mind, I mustered my courage, obeyed, and sent two recording. That act of obedience was my only attempt to "do something" with the song. From there it spread. Encouragement and support materialized from all corners. Lindell Cooley with Music Missions International, the International Worship Institute, Song Discovery, and LeadWorship.com were instrumental in the early grass roots spread of “Revelation Song.”
The most widely circulated version, however, that released the song out to the church at large, was recorded by Gateway Church in 2006 under the direction of Thomas Miller and Walker Beach on the popular Living for You album. The song was signed to Gateway to be administered by Integrity. I was so impressed with the heart of Michael Coleman and all the folks at Integrity. That same year Don Moen placed it on his personal album entitled Hiding Place. That was especially dear to my husband and I as we sang one of his songs in our wedding. In summary, there have now been several different renditions springing up by various artists, colleges and churches, the most recent of which is another brand new version from Gateway Worship again featuring the unmistakable voice of Kari Jobe on their just released Wake Up The World album. The song features a new musical bridge that is absolutely stunning. They have brought the song to a whole new level.
"Revelation Song" has taken on a life of its own, and it has been an intense joy to watch the Father "grow it up” and to hear the Voice of the Bride sing to Jesus. Her voice is so lovely.
I often get asked the song story, and even more often, the question of "how" it got "out there" comes up. My only answer is that God chooses what He chooses. No amount of maneuvering, strategizing, posturing or pitching would have gotten my music "out there." Whatever that means.
I remember telling Jesus with complete sincerity that I could wait until I got to heaven to hear my song sung. Although, I also suggested that it would be a terrific song for the angels and great cloud of witnesses to sing when He comes back for us. In the event that He had not already chosen one for the occasion, I didn't think it would hurt to ask!
Jennie Riddle wrote this powerful worship song: She is housewife from McKinney, Texas who simply heard what some would call a song from the "other side". She said it was between cooking spaghetti and changing one of the kids’ diapers.

You can listen to "Revelation song" on Jennie's myspace, the recording is by Kari Jobe.
www.myspace.com/jennieriddlemusic

This song is sweeping the country and literally being sung around the world.
Click here to listen to the song.
www.youtube.com/watch?v=FObjd5wrgZ8

“Here I Am to Worship”

If songs are like children to their writers, then 25 year-old Englishman Tim Hughes carried "Here I Am To Worship" to full term, letting the reverent tune take perfect shape over a nine-month period. Back in 1999 while still in college, he first sat down to craft a musical response to his reading of Philippians 2:5, which says, "Make your own attitude that of Christ Jesus." And from the start, he had the humility part mastered.
"I was playing around with my guitar when the verse just came out," he modestly recalls. "However, I couldn't get a chorus that I was happy with. The original one was embarrassingly bad!"
Thankfully, Tim recorded the verse into his Dictaphone, and months later during a quiet creative time, he patched it together with another strong melody idea and brought "Here I Am To Worship" to fruition.
"I'd been reading about the cross and thinking through Jesus' amazing sacrifice," Tim says of the lyrical theme. "Sometimes when God meets with us we don't quite know how to respond properly. It's often too much for us to take in. Hopefully in a small way the chorus captures that: 'Here I am to worship. Here I am to bow down. Here I am to say that you're my God. You're altogether lovely, worthy, wonderful.'"
Although the song had been completed, the writer was still not convinced of its potential. Leading worship at his Soul Survivor home church one day, Tim sang "Here I Am To Worship" for his fellow members and was duly advised by his pastor Mike Pilavachi to start using it more often. Since then, Hughes - who built his own chops leading Delirious and Matt Redman favorites - has seen the song take on a life of its own.
It must be a God thing.... People have seemed to really connect with it, and we've had some special times in worship using the song," he admits. "I remember one time at the end of a Worship Together conference in San Diego when we'd been performing the song. The band stopped, and then the congregation just kept singing the chorus for about 15 minutes."

Click here to listen to the story behind the song by Tim Hughes.
www.theheartofworship.org/stories/Story-196-HereIAmtoWorship-Hughes.mp3

Click here to worship along with the Hillsongs ministry:
www.youtube.com/watch?v=klxcJaOooPI

Click here to read more about the composer Tim Hughes
www.crosswalk.com/spirituallife/worship/1227531/

“I can only Imagine"

This song was written by Bart Millard of Mercy Me. Millard's lyrics grew out of a period of tremendous personal pain. In 1991, his father died after a long battle with cancer. When people told him that his dad would choose heaven over coming back, the 18-year-old began thinking about what his dad was experiencing in heaven. After that, he found himself repeating the phrase "I can only imagine." He began writing it on napkins, paper bags, and anything he could find. The phrase resonated in his heart and gave him the strength and hope he needed to move on.

Somehow, wondering about that awesome moment when he too would lay eyes on the Lord helped dull the pain of losing his father. This isn't a permanent separation, he told himself. One day we'll be enjoying God's presence together. Years later, in 1999, when MercyMe was writing songs for its freshman project, Millard stumbled across that simple phrase—"I can only imagine"—in an old notebook. About ten minutes later, the song was written.
"People say it's amazing that it was written in ten minutes, when really it had been on my heart for almost ten years," Millard says. In fact, not many days go by that he still doesn't ask himself those questions that form the chorus of his song:

Surrounded by your glory, what will my heart feel?
Will I dance for you Jesus or in awe of you be still?
Will I stand in your presence, or to my knees will I fall?
Will I sing hallelujah? Will I be able to speak at all?

"I have faith that Christ is real," Millard adds. "Therefore, I ask him questions."

Click here to worship along with Mercy Me:
www.youtube.com/watch?v=0xwzItqYmII


Tuesday, January 18, 2011

Behind the Praise - Sunday January 23, 2010

"Sing to the King"

This song was written by Billy James Foote. The song is based upon the hymn by Charles S. Horne. Here are the original words penned in 1910. Notice the similarity between the Horne's words and Billy's adaptation of the song.

Sing we the King Who is coming to reign,
Glory to Jesus, the Lamb that was slain.
Life and salvation His empire shall bring,
Joy to the nations when Jesus is King.
Refrain
Come let us sing, praise to our King,
Jesus our King, Jesus our King,
This is our song, who to Jesus belong:
Glory to Jesus, to Jesus our King.

In the summer of 2001, I was sitting in my office, in Evergreen, CO, reading through a Baptist Hymnal when I came across an old hymn called Sing We the King, written by Charles Silvester Horne. As I read the first verse I was amazed by the lyrics. There was not a wasted word. I had been working on a melody for several weeks, but did not have any lyrics. Horne’s first verse was a perfect match to the melody I had written. It did not take long to come up with a chorus. The second verse takes two phrases from Horne's last verse including, "satan is vanquished and Jesus is King". Of course, I have documented this on both of my worship projects and try to make sure everyone who records Sing to the King does the same.
My prayer is that this song will remind the church that the King really is coming back. It seems as though we have left this fact out of worship songs for too long. It is encouraging to be reminded that the enemy does not win (Rev. 20:10). We have a hope in the knowledge that the King is going to one day split the sky and the dead in Christ will rise, and believers, who are alive, will be caught up in the clouds to meet Him. I also pray this song will give the church a sense of urgency to win the lost; as Fanny Crosby said, to "rescue the perishing, care for the dying." We must not be idle, but live as those who know the King and know He is coming to reign.

Learn more about Billy's ministry on his myspace website & ministry website:
www.myspace.com/billyfooteband

Learn more about Billy's ministry here:
www.billyfoote.com/

Click here to listen to the Passion version:
http://de.tunesbag.com/music/Candi+Pearson+Shelton/638024-the-best-of-passion-so-far-disc-2/7188463-sing-to-the-king.html


"O For A Thousand Tongues to sing"
Click here to listen to the song:
www.youtube.com/watch?v=HPrnpUWZX_M

"Te Alabo"
www.youtube.com/watch?v=VVNBj-fAIhg

"Love Lifted Me"

www.youtube.com/watch?v=Th_L2IA94Gg

Matthew 14: 30-33 (NASB) But seeing the wind, he became frightened, and beginning to sink, he cried out, “Lord, save me!” Immediately Jesus stretched out His hand and took hold of him, and said to him, “You of little faith, why did you doubt?” When they got into the boat, the wind stopped. And those who were in the boat worshipped Him, saying, “You are certainly God’s Son!”

“Break Our Hearts”

This song was written by Billy James Foote.
Learn more about Billy's ministry on his myspace website & ministry website:
www.myspace.com/billyfooteband

Learn more about Billy's ministry here:
www.billyfoote.com

Click here to listen to the song:
www.youtube.com/watch?v=JBLEckfWPWY

"Starry Night"
www.youtube.com/watch?v=DKdQ6U6dsT4

Wednesday, January 12, 2011


"All Because of Jesus"

Click here to listen to the song:
www.youtube.com/watch?v=rmdylCFUBs8

"I'm not Ashamed"
Click here to listen to the song:
www.youtube.com/watch?v=wmFHq7O9VzI

"Happy Day"
Click here to listen to the song:
www.youtube.com/watch?v=CAq_CVciNSs

"How He Loves"

One night during a prayer meeting, a youth pastor was praying and said, "Lord, I would give my life today if it would shake the youth of the nation. " Later that night, he died in a car accident. John Mark McMillian, a friend of his, soon after his death, became a youth leader and then a youth pastor. Nearly three years later, McMillian wrote this song. McMillian believes that God's gonna use this song and this story to shake the youth of the nation.
Check out John Mark McMillan’s story behind the song on his myspace website:
www.myspace.com/johnmarkmcmillanworship

Click here to listen to David Crowder sing the song:
www.youtube.com/watch?v=TWgeUrD4MHI

"Jesus Paid it All"

The following is from Alex Nifong who wrote the additional chorus:

I have an old hymnal that I frequently play through sometimes during my private times alone with the Lord. I was playing through that song one day in Jan of 05 and I just started praying and singing out the phrase O praise the One who paid my debt and raised this life up from the dead. It was as simple as that. Just a prayer that came right out of my heart.

This is a new arrangement of the old hymn, based on the recording from the Passion album "Everything glorious". It adds a new line "O praise the One who paid my debt and raised this life up from the dead". Check out the composer of the tag on his website www.alexnifong.com/

Here’s a story about the song:The words were written by Elvina M. Hall and the music by John T. Grape on New Year’s night, 1886, some missionaries were holding open-air services in order to attract passers-by to a near-by mission, where meetings were to be held later. "All to Christ I owe" was sung, and after a gentleman had given a short address he hastened away to the mission. He soon heard footsteps close behind him and a young woman caught up with him and said: "I heard you addressing the open-air meeting just now; do you think, sir, that Jesus could save a sinner like me?"The gentleman replied that there was no doubt about that, if she was anxious to be saved. She told him that she was a servant girl, and had left her place that morning after a disagreement with her mistress. As she had been wandering about the streets in the dark, wondering where she was to spend the night, the sweet melodies of this hymn had attracted her, and she drew near and listened attentively. As the different verses were being sung, she felt that the words surely had something to do with her. Through the whole service she seemed to hear what met her oppressed soul’s need at that moment. God’s Spirit had showed her what a poor, sinful and wretched creature she was, and had led her to ask what she must do. On hearing her experience, the gentleman took her back to the mission and left her with the ladies in charge. The young, wayward woman was brought to Christ that night. A situation was secured for her in a minister’s family. There she became ill and had to be taken to a hospital. She rapidly failed and it became evident that she would not be long on earth. One day the gentleman whom she had met on New Year’s night was visiting her in the ward. After quoting a few suitable verses of Scripture, he repeated her favorite hymn, "All to Christ I owe"…and she seemed overwhelmed with the thought of coming to glory…Two hours afterward she passed away.

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

Click here to worship along with a younger generation led by Kristian Stanfill:
www.youtube.com/watch?v=i-OOjfaBGnA&mode=related&search=

You can go here to Kristians' myspace and click on the song just to listen
www.myspace.com/kristianstanfill

WOW - here it is in Spanish
www.youtube.com/watch?v=zRRBtWP_buA

"Battle of Jericho"
Click here to listen to Moses Hogan share how he wrote the song:
www.youtube.com/watch?v=Ks7fLAwzVxY

Thursday, January 6, 2011

Behind the Praise - Sunday January 9, 2010

"For Thou Oh Lord"

Click here to listen to the song:
www.youtube.com/watch?v=PZtDVYOb-fw

"All Because of Jesus"

Click here to listen to the song:
www.youtube.com/watch?v=rmdylCFUBs8

"Our God"

Click here to listen to the song:
www.youtube.com/watch?v=zlA5IDnpGhc

"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:
www.christomlin.com

Click here to visit Chris’ myspace:
www.myspace.com/christomlin

"I Lift My Hands"

Click here to listen to the song:
www.youtube.com/watch?v=WoidtF64JEg


Sunday, January 2, 2011

Behind the Praise - Sunday January 2, 2010


"Take my Life and Let it Be"

Frances R. Havergal wrote the following about how he wrote the song: I went for a little visit of five days (to Areley House). There were ten persons in the house, some unconverted and long prayed for, some converted, but not rejoicing Christians. He gave me the prayer, “Lord, give me all in this house!” And He just did. Before I left the house every one had got a blessing. The last night of my visit after I had retired, the governess asked me to go to the two daughters. They were crying, then and there both of them trusted and rejoiced; it was nearly midnight. I was too happy to sleep, and passed most of the night in praise and renewal of my own consecration; and these little couplets formed themselves, and chimed in my heart one after another till they finished with “Ever, Only, ALL for Thee!”

Click here to hear a newer version of the hymn
www.youtube.com/watch?v=rEzbwcMG9Gc

Click here for a great arrangement:
www.youtube.com/watch?v=HU9Pi4g_3No

“Forever Reign”

Hillsongs music
www.youtube.com/watch?v=au3EGgISYMc


Oh, I’m running to Your arms,
I’m running to Your arms
The riches of Your love
Will always be enough
Nothing compares to Your embrace
Light of the world forever reign


"Jesus Paid it All"

The following is from Alex Nifong who wrote the additional chorus:

I have an old hymnal that I frequently play through sometimes during my private times alone with the Lord. I was playing through that song one day in Jan of 05 and I just started praying and singing out the phrase O praise the One who paid my debt and raised this life up from the dead. It was as simple as that. Just a prayer that came right out of my heart.

This is a new arrangement of the old hymn, based on the recording from the Passion album "Everything glorious". It adds a new line "O praise the One who paid my debt and raised this life up from the dead". Check out the composer of the tag on his website www.alexnifong.com/

Here’s a story about the song:The words were written by Elvina M. Hall and the music by John T. Grape on New Year’s night, 1886, some missionaries were holding open-air services in order to attract passers-by to a near-by mission, where meetings were to be held later. "All to Christ I owe" was sung, and after a gentleman had given a short address he hastened away to the mission. He soon heard footsteps close behind him and a young woman caught up with him and said: "I heard you addressing the open-air meeting just now; do you think, sir, that Jesus could save a sinner like me?"The gentleman replied that there was no doubt about that, if she was anxious to be saved. She told him that she was a servant girl, and had left her place that morning after a disagreement with her mistress. As she had been wandering about the streets in the dark, wondering where she was to spend the night, the sweet melodies of this hymn had attracted her, and she drew near and listened attentively. As the different verses were being sung, she felt that the words surely had something to do with her. Through the whole service she seemed to hear what met her oppressed soul’s need at that moment. God’s Spirit had showed her what a poor, sinful and wretched creature she was, and had led her to ask what she must do. On hearing her experience, the gentleman took her back to the mission and left her with the ladies in charge. The young, wayward woman was brought to Christ that night. A situation was secured for her in a minister’s family. There she became ill and had to be taken to a hospital. She rapidly failed and it became evident that she would not be long on earth. One day the gentleman whom she had met on New Year’s night was visiting her in the ward. After quoting a few suitable verses of Scripture, he repeated her favorite hymn, "All to Christ I owe"…and she seemed overwhelmed with the thought of coming to glory…Two hours afterward she passed away.

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

Click here to worship along with a younger generation led by Kristian Stanfill:
www.youtube.com/watch?v=i-OOjfaBGnA&mode=related&search=

You can go here to Kristians' myspace and click on the song just to listen
www.myspace.com/kristianstanfill

WOW - here it is in Spanish
www.youtube.com/watch?v=zRRBtWP_buA

"Stronger"

Click here to listen to the song:
www.youtube.com/watch?v=sv55FMjeMV0