"Do Not Fear," New Album from @ThousandTongues Now Available

"Do Not Fear," the latest album from Thousand Tongues, is now available for purchase at Bandcamp (Digital Download - name your own price // CD - $13). A text I wrote, "When Sorrow Comes," is featured on the album. The album can be streamed in full here:


Here's the album's description:

Matthew 14:22-27 records the story of Jesus walking on the water. His disciples were in a boat, fighting a fierce storm in the dark of night, when Jesus appeared. When the disciples saw Him they were terrified, for they thought that He was a ghost. Jesus reassured them, saying, "Take heart; it is I. Do not be afraid." Telling them who He was should have been enough to calm their anxious fears, but the disciples were scared not only of a ghost, but also by the storm. When Jesus invited Peter to come out to Him, walking on the water, Peter stumbled in fear because of the wind.

So it is with the Christian life. In times of trial, believers are reassured by these same words of Jesus to remember who He is and the power He wields. But when He calls us from cowering in the boat to face the storms of life head-on we quickly doubt and despair. Our great assurance as we walk out onto the stormy sea is that what holds us up is not the strength of our grip on Jesus' hand, but His grip on ours. While we may doubt, He never ceases to be faithful and powerful, rescuing His children from danger and reminding them of His constant and mysterious love.

This collection of worship songs features the recurring imagery of waves – waves of doubt and grief yet also grace. As you listen and hopefully sing these with your congregation, our prayer is that you would come to trust and love Jesus more deeply, with more and more of your life, including the most guarded and wounded pieces of your story. You will find the Lord to be a powerful guardian, gentle physician, and Father who loves you so much that He can barely contain Himself. And if you haven't met Him for the first time, we hope that your heart will be captured by the grace of God presented in these songs.

And track descriptions:

1. You Are My Righteousness - An acoustic pop arrangement full of the joy of basking in the righteousness of Jesus.

2. My Precious Savior Gave His All - This 12-string guitar driven arrangement with some sparse pedal steel accents serves the lyrics well.

3. Do Not Fear - An electric guitar driven rock arrangement that could easily be the most powerful track on the album.

4. He Alone Is God - This up-tempo song is served up with an acoustic guitar and mandolin duet.

5. I Have a Dad - A solo piano/vocal presentation of this beautiful hymn.

6. Rain - A toe-tapping Americana setting of this song about the Holy Spirit that is sure to engage the body as well as the heart.

7. I'll Never Forsake You - An acoustic rock arrangement of our popular song

8. Come Down - In stark contrast to Ralph Vaugn Williams' traditional choral setting, this song puts a blues twist on the historic text "Come Down, O Love Divine"

9. Uncondemned - A strong acoustic guitar driven presentation of this conversion story song.

10. Wave Upon Wave - Another acoustic guitar and mandolin duet from David and Jake.

11. When Sorrow Comes - A haunting ballad about the sovereignty of God and suffering.

12. Where Is Room - This celtic melody is presented by two acoustic guitars and piano.

13. Complete in Thee - A stand-out track for its' laid back feel (almost like you caught a back-porch session) which attempts to capture the freedom of the lyrics in a bluegrassy setting.

14. For the Sake of His Name - This song is served up with just acoustic guitar and a couple of vocals, but manages to communicate the passion and grandeur of the lyrics despite its' sparse line-up.

----------------------------------
Please visit:

5 Free Songs from @JoePug

Download five free songs from Joe Pug below. (Win an album here.)

New Song: Fear & Sparrows

Jeff Bourque and I collaborated to write this song, "Fear and Sparrows," based on Luke 12:4-6 as a submission for The Gospel Coalition's "Songs for the Book of Luke" project. Though it wasn't selected, we're happy to release it now on the Thousand Tongues website where you can find a demo, lyrics, and chord chart.

Why do you fear the one
With power to kill the body
And after that can do nothing more?
Why do you fear to lose
A life already passing?
Do you fear the one who cannot touch your soul?

Chorus 1:
I tell you: Fear the One
With the power to kill the body
And after death can cast the soul to hell.
I tell you: fear the Judge
Whose law you have rejected;
For His wrath is more than any word can tell.

Do not fear, my friends,
But watch the worthless sparrows -
God cares for them, though they are for pennies sold.
How can you fear when He
Your ev'ry hair has numbered,
Who gave His Son to ransom back your soul.

Chorus 2:
I tell you: Rest in him
Who killed his Son to save you;
Fear not, for he has raised him from the dead.
I tell you: Rest in him
For it is your Father’s pleasure
To give you all his kingdom in the end.

Words by Eric Schumacher, music by Jeff Bourque.
© 2012 ThousandTongues.org, admin Thousand Tongues

"Not in Me" on The Gospel Coalition's "Songs for the Book of Luke" Album

I was honored and humbled to have a song that David and I co-wrote selected for inclusion in The Gospel Coalition's "Songs for the Book of Luke Album." I'll blog on the origin and meaning of the song in days to come.

Free sheet music and learner recordings for the entire album are available here, along with an introduction to the project.

The entire album can be streamed for free or purchased here:

Children of God: Adoption Video

Here's a great adoption video, featuring Third Day's Children Of God:

(HT:Z) 

---------------------

Suggested resources:

• Reclaiming Adoption: Missional Living through the Rediscovery of Abba Father
• Adopted for Life
• Though I Was Born an Orphan

Vote for "There Is No Sin" in the Sweet 16

Thanks to everyone who voted for "There is No Sin that I Have Done" in LifeWay Worship's "March Madness" event. Thanks to your votes, the Reformed Praise song is seeded #2 in their brackets!

Please consider voting for it in their Sweet 16 line-up this week, and help spread the word about Reformed Praise.

And please consider passing the word on to others.

I'll Never Forsake You

Head over to Reformed Praise to have a listen and download the lead sheet.

O soul, are you weary from wave upon wave
Of grief and affliction whom no man can save?
Has sickness surrounded, or unending night?
Uncertainty stolen your joy and your might.

O doubting, o fearful– remember His care,
The helpless and hopeless need never despair
For from your afflictions His glory shall spring–
The deeper your sorrow, the louder you’ll sing!
Remember your Father– His promise, His love:

Chorus:
“I’ll never forsake you, this pain will not break you,
For I will remake you for unending joy;
My promise is faithful though now it is painful;
No power can trample my covenant love.”

Remember your Savior– His grief and His pain,
The lonely affliction, unmerited shame.
Though you had betrayed Him, He died in your place;
The joy set before Him He offers by grace.
Remember your Father– His promise, His love:

Songwriter: David L. Ward

Copyright: © 2011 ReformedPraise.org

“The Songs of Christmas” – 2010 Christmas Choir Devotional

Delivered at the Northbrook Baptist Church Christmas Concert, December 12, 2010.

Our theme is “the Songs of Christmas.” We've heard and sung a lot of songs tonight, whether sung by the choirs or the congregation, played by instrumentalists or read from the Scripture.

The online Merriam-Webster dictionary defines the word song as:

1 : the act or art of singing
2 : poetical composition
3: a short musical composition words and music

But, we know that songs are much more than notes and words. Songs are powerful. Songs stir the emotions. Songs change lives. Songs...

...fill soldiers with courage as they march into battle.
...unite nations and stir them into action.
...put frightened children to sleep.
...win over the hearts of fair maidens.

And the Bible, is full of songs. From the beginning of the Bible to its end, God's people sing. They sing of their God. They sing about their salvation. They sing about the judgment of their enemies. They sing about their joys. They sing about their sorrows. They sing their complaints. They sing their thanksgiving. They sing. And then, they sing some more.

One might get the idea that God likes songs.

Christmas is one of those times of the year when songs take a prominent place in our lives. We have those special songs, “the songs of Christmas,” that we simply must sing.

All of the songs we've sung or heard tonight are essentially songs about the Messiah.

Why is singing so important to God. And, why is it that God wants us to sing about the Messiah in particular? A hundred reasons could be given, but let me offer three reasons we should sing the message of the Messiah.

The message of the Messiah is that Jesus, the Son of God, was born, lived a sinless life, bore the curse due to us in his crucifixion, and was raised from the dead. Through faith in him, we have peace with God. Through faith in him, we have forgiveness of sins. Through faith in him, we are given eternal life.

Apart from Jesus Christ, we are cursed. We are under God's wrath. We are sentenced to eternal death for our sin.

We sing at Christmas because:

Day of Judgment, Day of Wonders

There are not a lot of great songs about judgment day. But here is one.

David Ward has slightly updated and clarified John Newton's hymn text, "Day of Judgment, Day of Wonders," and set it to "WO IST JESUS," the tune to "Stricken, Smitten and Afflicted."

Check out Congregational Songs

If you're looking for fresh songs for corporate worship and rich insight into the same, be sure to frequent Congregational Songs, the blog of Jeff Bourque.

Jeff is the Director of Worship and Prayer Ministries at Grace Community Church in Brentwood, TN. He collaborates at Reformed Praise and contributed to their latest album, Merciful to Me.

"The Lord Is:" A Transforming Hymn Project for Church & Family

Over the next 15 weeks, David and I will be posting our 15 hymns on the attributes of God from our "The Lord Is" project.

Each hymn follows the same three-stanza structure: (1) what the attribute is, (2) how it relates to the Gospel and (3) how it applies to the Christian life. They all can be sung to the tune of "A Mighty Fortress," or one of two newly composed tunes.

I'd encourage churches and parents to consider follow these posts. Consider singing one of these hymns each Sunday morning (and then singing and discussing it as a family after supper each night) for the next 15 weeks. Imagine how it might shape (and reshape) our view of who our great Lord is! 

See details of the project here. The first hymn of the series, "The Lord is One," is up here.

"Already But Not Yet" on Amazon & iTunes

Joshua Otte's "Already But Not Yet," featuring my hymn "He is Risen" is now available on Amazon.com and iTunes.

My Son's Worship Song

My four year old got a guitar for his third birthday. He plays it every day. (He can't form chords yet, but he strums and sings at the top of his lungs.)

His favorite activity is writing worship songs. He has one he sings every day about "him who is the mighty Savior, who died for all our sins."

Today, his 5 year old brother transcribed his latest composition. Here is what we received on a piece of scrap paper (he does not yet use punctuation, spaces or capitals!):

osumlcumtogod
lcumtojsusgod
thlamhoiymgotlo
stinudithgodhas
avdmyfrumtdith

Here is what it says:

Awesome!
All come to God!
All come to Jesus God!
The lamb who I am got lost in a ditch.
God has saved me from the ditch.

This lamb can certain add, "Amen!"