My all time favorite contemporary Christian group is Casting Crowns.  They have mastered the ability to combine powerful and meaningful lyrics with wonderful melodies.  Their sound is unique and it would seem every song they record is a hit.  There music has been a true ministry in my life and really serves to make sure I’m living my life in the way Christ wants me to.

Stained Glass Masquerade is a song that reveals the truth about the life many Christians unfortunately regularly live in.  Read the lyrics below and you’ll see what I mean.  You can also listen to the song on YouTube. 

Have you traded the altar for a stage?

Is there anyone that fails
Is there anyone that falls
Am I the only one in church today feelin’ so small

Cause when I take a look around
Everybody seems so strong
I know they’ll soon discover
That I don’t belong

So I tuck it all away, like everything’s okay
If I make them all believe it, maybe I’ll believe it too
So with a painted grin, I play the part again
So everyone will see me the way that I see them

*Chorus*
Are we happy plastic people
Under shiny plastic steeples
With walls around our weakness
And smiles to hide our pain
But if the invitation’s open
To every heart that has been broken
Maybe then we close the curtain
On our stained glass masquerade

Is there anyone who’s been there
Are there any hands to raise
Am I the only one who’s traded
In the altar for a stage

The performance is convincing
And we know every line by heart
Only when no one is watching
Can we really fall apart

But would it set me free
If I dared to let you see
The truth behind the person
That you imagine me to be

Would your arms be open
Or would you walk away
Would the love of Jesus
Be enough to make you stay

Chorus x2

Well if the invitation’s open
To every heart that has been broken
Maybe then we close the curtain
On our stained glass masquerade

Is there anyone that fails
Is there anyone that falls
Am I the only one in church today feelin’ so small

Photo by: edbrambley

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Big Daddy Weave’s newest album, What would life be like, came out this past week.  As a huge fan of them I was very excited.  I love the vocal sound of the lead singer Mike Weaver and their songs have deep and powerful meaning behind them.  Trust me, these guys rock.  Head over to their MySpace page to listen to the new song and also hear a bunch of their other big hits.

Below are the  lyrics to What would life be like.  Ever felt like you were less than you were meant to be?  Remember, all you have to do is let Christ live through you and Jesus will let you be all that you can be and more.  Have a wonderful Sunday!

I wish I was more than a man.
Have you ever felt that way?
And if I had to tell you the truth,
I’m afraid I’d have to say
That after all I’ve done and failed to do
I feel like less than I was meant to be.

And what if I could fix myself?
Maybe then I could get free.
I could try to be somebody else
Who’s much better off than me.
But I need to remember this
That its when I’m at my weakest I can clearly see

(CHORUS)
He made the lame walk, and the dumb talk
And He opened blinded eyes to see
That the sun rises on His time,
yet He know our deepest desperate need.
And the world waits, while His heart aches,
To realize the dream.
I wonder what life would be like if we let Jesus live through you and me….Yeah.

What if you could see yourself
through another pair of eyes?
And what if you could hear the truth,
instead of old familiar lies?
And what if you could feel inside
The power of the Hand that made the universe
You’d realize…..

CHORUS

All our hearts they burn within us.
All our lives we’ve longed for more.
So let us lay our lives before
The One who gave His life for us.

CHORUS

ending:
Let Him live through you and me…yeah.

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When I first became a Christian I began listening to contemporary Christian music.  The quality and style of the music was very different then, but a few artists stood out in the crowd and many are still very popular today.  Names to come to mind are Amy Grant, Michael W. Smith, Stephen Curtis Chapman just to name a few.  One other that I’m sure would be on the list if he was still alive was Rich Mullins.  Rich Mullins was my favorite artist and I still enjoy listening to him today.   Unfortunately, Rich was killed in a car accident on September 19, 1997.  He was only 41.

Rich truely captured the essense of Christian music, with smooth, clean vocals, and unique and professional sound and powerful lyrics that really made you think and reminded us of how awesome God truly is.  (btw, Michael W. Smith has incredibly powerful version of Awesome God).

While it’s hard to pick just one favorite song of Rich’s, I guess mine would be Hold Me Jesus.  You can just feel the emotion in his voice.  The song is a great song to listen to when life get’s tough.  Below are the lyrics and her’s a link to the video.

Well, sometimes my life
Just don’t make sense at all
When the mountains look so big
And my faith just seems so small

CHORUS:
So hold me Jesus, ’cause I’m shaking like a leaf
You have been King of my glory
Won’t You be my Prince of Peace

And I wake up in the night and feel the dark
It’s so hot inside my soul
I swear there must be blisters on my heart

Surrender don’t come natural to me
I’d rather fight You for something
I don’t really want
Than to take what You give that I need
And I’ve beat my head against so many walls
Now I’m falling down, I’m falling on my knees

And this Salvation Army band
Is playing this hymn
And Your grace rings out so deep
It makes my resistance seem so thin

You have been King of my glory
Won’t You be my Prince of Peace

Photo by: mareeshastar

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Fellow North Carolinian Meredith Andrews grew up in Wilson, NC.  She started singing in her church when she was six-years-old and would sing southern gospel music with her mother in other churches around the area.  In her high-school years, Meredith learned to play piano, began writing her own music,  and began leading worship at her church.

Meredith attended Liberty University where her initial plan was to major in family and child development.  Her desire in life was to help children and hopefully work in an orphanage.  During her junior year there, she was leading a worship service and God suddenly laid on her heart that this was her calling.  She said it was if God was saying “This is what I want you to do.  This is it.”

Meredith went on to sign with Word Records where she co-wrote every song on her debut album “The invitation”.  She has a clear, pure voice that draws the listener into her songs and points them directly to our heavenly father.   God’s arms are always open to us, and is the primary message that also resonates powerfully on the the ballad “You’re Not Alone.”

Here are the lyrics to You’re Not Alone and you can watch the video on YouTube as well.  Have a wonderful and blessed Sunday.

I search for love
When the night came and it closed in
I was alone
but you found me where I was hiding
and though I’ll never ever be the same
It was the sweetest voice that called my name
singing

You’re not alone
For I am here
let me wipe away every fear
My love I’ve never left your side
I have seen you through the darkest night
and I’m the one that’s loved you all your life
All of your life

You cry yourself to sleep
cause the hurt is real
and the pain cuts deep
All hope seems lost
With heartache your closest friend
and everyone else long gone

You’ve had to face the music on your own
but there is a sweeter song that calls you home
**sayin’

You’re not alone
For I am here
let me wipe away your every tear
My love I’ve never left your side
I have seen you through the darkest nights
And I’m the one that’s love you all your life
All your life

Faithful and true… Forever
For my love will carry you….

You’re not alone
for I… I am here
let me wipe away every fear… Oh yeah
My love I’ve never left your side
I have seen you through your darkest nights
Your darkest nights
And I’m the one that’s loved you all your life
All of your life

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Switchfoot is an American alternative rock band from San Diego, California. Band members are Jon Foreman (vocals, guitar), Tim Foreman (bass guitar, backing vocals), Chad Butler (drums, percussion), Jerome Fontamillas (guitar, keyboards, backing vocals), and Drew Shirley (guitar). Swithfoot has Christian themed music but shuns the “Christian” music label, as they want to heard and listened to by everyone and not placed in a particular box.

Their music has been featured in a few movies, including A walk to remember and more recently The Chronicles of Narnia: Prince Caspian where this song can be heard towards the end of the movie.

Switchfoot is a great group with awesome songs. I hope you enjoy listening to This is home. The lyrics are below and you can watch them perform it here on this YouTube video.

I’ve got my memories
They’re always
Inside of me
But I can’t go back
Back to how it was
I believe now
I’ve seen too much
But I can’t go back
Back to how it was
Created for a place
I’ve never known

Chorus:
This is home
Now I’m finally
Where I belong
Where I belong
Yeah, this is home
I’ve been searching
For a place of my own
Now I’ve found it
Maybe this is home
Yeah, this is home

Belief over misery
I’ve seen the enemy
And I won’t go back
Back to how it was
And I got my heart
Set on
What happens next
I got my eyes wide
It’s not over yet
We are miracles
And we’re not alone

(Chorus)

And now after all
My searching
After all my questions
I’m gonna call it home
I got a brand new mindset
I can finally see
The sunset
I’m gonna call it home

(Chorus)

Now I know
Yeah, this is home

I’ve come too far
Now I won’t go back
This is home

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New on the Christian music scene is a group who calls themselves Tenth Avenue North.  They hail from West Palm Beach Florida and are made up of Mike Donehey on vocals and acoustic guitar, Jeff Owen on electric guitar and backup vocals, drummer Jason Jamison, and Scott Sanders on bass guitar.

Their debut album is Over and Underneath, and features their hit song Love is Here.  Keep an eye out folks, these guys are going to be big.  I hope you enjoy them as much as I do.

Below are the lyrics to Love is Here and you can listen and watch the video on YouTube.

come to the waters, you who thirst and you’ll thirst no more.
come to the father, you who work and you’ll work no more.
and all you who labor in vain and to the broken and shamed:

love is here.
love is now.
love is pouring from
his hands, from his brows.
love is near,it satisfies.
streams of mercy flowing from his side.
cuz love is here.

come to the treasure, you who search and you’ll search no more.
come to the lover you who want and you’ll want no more, no.
and all you who labor in vain and to the broken and shamed,

yeah:

love is here.
love is now.
love is pouring from his hands, from his brows.
love is near, it satisfies.
streams of mercy flowing from his side.

yeah

and to the bruised and fallen,
captives, bound, and broken hearted.

he is the lord
he is the lord,
yeah

by his stripes he’s paid our ransom
from his wounds we drink salvation

he is the lord
he is the lord

love is here.
love is now.
love is pouring from his hands, from his brows.
love is near,
it satisfies.
streams of mercy flowing from his side.
streams of mercy flowing from his side.
cuz love is here
love is here.

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In the early 90s, Contemporary Christian and Gospel singer, Michael English was quickly working his way up the charts. His ability to take a song and make it incredibly powerful through his vocals caused Christian music listeners world wide to turn their heads in a big way. In 1994, he was nominated for and won 2 Dove awards and was #1 on Christian music charts.

May 6, 1994 changed all of that and rocked the Christian music world with a scandal that caught many off guard. Michael English admitted to having an extramarital affair just two weeks after receiving the Dove awards. He was dropped by his record label, removed from all promotions and Christian music stations pulled his songs from play. Within a few days, Michael returned his Dove awards and disappeared from the Christian music scene.

The whole event was incredibly sad. While I understand the Christian music industry not wanting to support his affair, at the same time I wonder what happened to our message of forgiveness and “depise the sin, not the sinner”. I felt the whole situation was incorrectly handled by the industry and us as fans. He and his wife Lisa divorced shortly after the scandal.

I often wondered what would have happened to his marriage and career had we practiced a little more forgiveness and prayer, instead of placing the scarlet letter on him as we did. Don’t misunderstand, what he did was wrong and he deserved some type of penalty, but to completely turn our backs on him and his family just seems wrong to me. What do you think?

Fortunately, thanks to a loving and forgiving God, Michael has remarried, has a beautiful little girl and his slowly rebuilding his career. If you are interested in reading more about Michael’s story, grab a copy of his new autobiography: The Prodigal Comes Home.

Below are the lyrics to In Christ Alone one of my favoriate songs by him. You can watch him perform it on this YouTube video.

In Christ alone will I glory
Though I could pride myself
In battles won
For I’ve been blessed beyond measure
And by His strength alone, I overcome
Oh, I could stop and count successes
Like diamonds in my hands
But these trophies could not equal
To the grace, by which I stand

In Christ alone
I place my trust
And find my glory
In the power of the cross
In every victory
Let it be said of me
My source of strength
My source of hope
Is Christ alone

In Christ alone will I glory
For only by His grace
I am redeemed
And only His tender mercy
Could reach beyond my weakness
To my need
Now I seek no greater honor
Than just to know Him more
And to count my gains but losses
And to the glory of my Lord

In Christ alone
I place my trust
And find my glory
In the power of the cross
In every victory
Let it be said of me
My source of strength
My source of hope
Is Christ alone

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To quote Rocky and Bullwinkle “And now for something completely different!”

This music featured on this weeks Sunday lyrics post is little different than normal, but I’m all for shaking things up a bit and enjoy trying out new styles of music. This weeks song was recommended by a reader, and while not something I would normally listen to, I liked it and the lyrics have a great message.

This weeks song is Captives Come Home by Run Kid Run.

Now you’re lost but found
This sinking sand has closed you in
And brought you down
A struggle that’s beyond yourself
Don’t you know you gotta
Get up get up and find a way back home
So hold on tight let’s go
And leave behind false sense of hope
Where creeping shadows call your name

As I’m waiting for the world to end
I’m clinging on to oxygen
Pulling captives by the hand
Come home
Come home
Come home

Words come and go…. but how will your actions unfold
Your character will be shown when lights go down
Now creeping shadows call your name
Possession is their claim now
Turn it around turn it around

As I’m waiting for the world to end
I’m clinging on to oxygen
Pulling captives by the hand
Come home
Come home

As I’m waiting for the world to end
I’m clinging on to oxygen
Pulling captives by the hand
Come home
Come home
Come home

The world is falling faster falling
So take this step and leave to bring you home from the other side

As I’m waiting for the world to end
I’m clinging on to oxygen
Pulling captives by the hand
Come home
Come home

There’s hope inside that box you close
That only opens when your life explodes
On the other side
Come home
Explodes on the other side
Come home

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As a long time fan of Stephen, my heart goes out to the family. If you have ever spent anytime listening to Steven’s songs, reading about him, or listening to interviews with him, one theme that is always clear is the importance of his family and his children in his life. You can read the official press release on his website along with information about where to give gifts/donations in Maria’s honor.

Please keep the Chapman family, and in particular their teenage son, in your thoughts and prayers. Update: Here is a video my wife found, recorded by Stephen, of him and Maria washing dishes one evening.

In honor of Maria, today’s Sunday lyrics post will be a re-post of the song Cinderella, written by Steven for his 3 little adopted girls. You can listen to Cinderella courtesy of the YouTube video.

She spins and she sways
To whatever song plays
Without a care in the world
And I’m sitting here wearing
The weight of the world on my shoulders

It’s been a long day
And there’s still work to do
She’s pulling at me
Saying “Dad, I need you

There’s a ball at the castle
And I’ve been invited
And I need to practice my dancing
Oh, please, Daddy, please?”

So I will dance with Cinderella
While she is here in my arms
‘Cause I know something the prince never knew
Oh, I will dance with Cinderella
I don’t want to miss even one song
‘Cause all too soon the clock will strike midnight
And she’ll be gone…

She says he’s a nice guy and I’d be impressed
She wants to know if I approve of the dress
She says, “Dad, the prom is just one week away
And I need to practice my dancing
Oh, please, Daddy, please?”

So I will dance with Cinderella
While she is here in my arms
‘Cause I know something the prince never knew
Oh, I will dance with Cinderella
I don’t want to miss even one song
‘Cause all too soon the clock will strike midnight
And she’ll be gone

She will be gone

Well, she came home today with a ring on her hand
Just glowing and telling us all they had planned
She says, “Dad, the wedding’s still six months away
But I need to practice my dancing
Oh, please, Daddy, please?”

So I will dance with Cinderella
While she is here in my arms
‘Cause I know something the prince never knew
Oh, I will dance with Cinderella
I don’t want to miss even one song
‘Cause all too soon the clock will strike midnight
And she’ll be gone

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When you hear the first few lyrics of the song, you think the song is about a mother singing about her child. But as you near the end, you realize the song is really about us as children in the arms of God and how we’ll always be safe in His arms.

When “life happens” it’s so easy for us to panic, worry, and fret. Least we forgot that if we know him, we are always in the safe and loving arms of God. Deuteronomy 31:6 tells us ” Be strong and courageous. Do not be afraid or terrified because of them, for the LORD your God goes with you; he will never leave you nor forsake you.”

Below are the lyrics to this wonderful song I first heard just this week and here is a video on YouTube where you can listen to it.

your baby blues
so full of wonder
your curly cues
your contagious smile
and as i watch
you start to grow up
all I can do is hold you tight

knowing clouds will rage and
storms will race in
but you will be safe in my arms
rains will pour down
waves will crash all around
but you will be safe in my arms

story books are full of fairy tales
of kings and queens and the bluest skies
My heart is torn just in knowing
you’ll someday see the truth from lies

when the clouds will rage and
storms will race in
but you will be safe in my arms
rains will pour down
waves will crash all around
but you will be safe in my arms

Castles, they might crumble
dreams may not come true
but you are never all alone
’cause I will always
always love you

when the clouds will rage and
storms will race in
but you will be safe in my arms
rains will pour down
waves will crash all around
but you will be safe in my arms
in my arms

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