In Christ Alone (dust&grooves 2)

I recently released a new album called “dust&grooves”. This is the second part of an album I released a few months ago. This is the last song on this album and the last two songs on this album are unique because I didn’t use old hymn words nor did I write them myself, but used newer contemporary lyrics to then write my own tunes over them. This one is the words by Stuart Townend & Keith Getty of the famous worship song, “In Christ Alone”. I still play the original for corporate worship services but had fun revamping these words to my tune. Here’s my version in full.

 In Christ Alone 

In Christ alone our hope is found, our Cornerstone, our solid ground

He is our light our strength our song, firm through the fiercest drought and storm

In Christ alone, who took of flesh, this gift of love and righteousness

Fullness of God in helpless babe, scorned by the ones He came to save.

(Chorus 1)

What heights of love, what depths of peace,

When fears are stilled when striving cease!

Our comforter, Our all in all, here in the love of Christ we stand

 

There in the ground His body lay, light of the world by darkness slain

Then bursting forth, in glorious day, up from the grave He rose again.

No guilt in life, no fear in death, from life’s first cry to final breath

This is the power of Christ in me, Jesus commands my destiny

 

(Chorus 2)

Till on that cross as Jesus died, the wrath of God was satisfied

For every sin on Him was laid, here in the death of Christ we live

And as He stands in victory, sins curse has lost its grip on me

For I am His and He is mine, bought with the precious blood of Christ

               

No guilt in life, no fear in death, from life’s first cry to final breath

This is the power of Christ in me, Jesus commands my destiny

 

(Chorus 3) 2x

No power of hell, no scheme of man, can ever pluck us from His hand

Till He returns or calls me home, here in the power of Christ we stand

 

I had to revamp the original words structurally so the rimes landed right. And I changed most of the first person phrasing (me and I) to congregational (us and we) setting. This is one of my favorite newer hymns. I didn’t change anything because I thought it was insufficient, I just loved these lyrics so much that I wanted to be able to sing them more and in a different way. This song is so heavily biblically saturated that I’ll have to give a simplified explanation here. But it is a beautiful song on the work Christ did for us on the cross and our future hope in him!

The first verse really sums up the whole song, “In Christ alone our hope is found, our cornerstone, our solid ground”. I could teach a whole sermon on just this first line. But the song does a great job at expounding on this point. First verse drives home the point of Christ being everything and all to us because He has done all things for His Children. The first chorus dives into the fact that Jesus is our safety, peace, joy and satisfaction. The second verse begins the journey of Christ and the cross. I love this because the song never assumes we know all the glorious truths of the Gospel. This is something I’ve been doing for many years because even when we know the Gospel, we so easily forget. The second chorus continues with Christ death and resurrection.  The last verse and last chorus talk our standing in the view of Jesus. We are His and nothing can take that away! God is good!

Here are some scripture references if you want to go deeper, and you should: 1 CORINTHIANS 15: 28 ·  ACTS 2: 32-33 ·  COLOSSIANS 1: 27 ·  EPHESIANS 2: 20 ·  EPHESIANS 3: 18 ·  ISAIAH 53: 5 ·  JOHN 1: 5 ·  JOHN 10: 28 ·  JOHN 15: 26 ·  MATTHEW 27: 42 ·  PHILIPPIANS 2: 7-8 ·  ROMANS 5: 9 ·  ROMANS 8: 1-2 ·  ROMANS 8: 38-39

Listen to song and download album here!

 

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Did Christ O’r Sinners Weep (dust&grooves 2)

I recently released a new album called “dust&grooves”. This is the second part of an album I released a few months ago. The lyrics are from an old hymn, revamped to fit my melody and set to a song I created. The original hymn was written by Benjamin Beddome in 1780. Here’s my version in full.

Did Christ O’r Sinners Weep 

Did Christ over sinners weep, and shall our cheeks be dry?

Let floods of rules and grief, burst forth from every eye

Behold the Son of God in tears, the angels wondering see.

O my soul, He shed those tears for me e ee e

(Chorus)

He wept, that we might weep, each sin demands a tear.

In heaven, alone no sin is found, and there’s no weeping there.

 

Joy beams in every eye, and fills each holy heart

All join to sound the trumpet high, in praise to bear their part

In praise to bear their part, in praise to bear their part,

In praise to bear their part.

(Chorus)

 

This is a fun song. It’s different thematically than even the hymns I chose to do. It’s a serious topic but also one that believers can find joy in. The song starts with the fact that Jesus himself, while a man on earth, wept over sin and loss. And that’s how much we need to make of sin. It breaks our communion with God and hurts us. This is why it’s so tragic. God isn’t giving us rules and has “created” sin because He’s a mean unjust God. Quite the contrary. God didn’t create sin, in fact, sin isn’t a created thing. It is literally the breaking of Gods law. It is darkness being brought in from opposing His will. Sin isn’t tangible. The effects are but sin is disunion with the perfect and holy Creator.

But Christ has fixed this. He has put death in its grave and now those whom He’s chosen have now believed and will be in glory with Christ forever!

Scripture references are Psalm 51, Psalm 119:136, Jeremiah 1:9, Joel 2:17, Matthew 23:37, Luke 19:41-42, Romans 2:4, Philippians 3:18

Listen to song and download album here!

Thy Will Be Done (dust&grooves 2)

I recently released a new album called “dust&grooves”. This is the second part of an album I released a few months ago. The lyrics are from an old hymn, revamped to fit my melody and set to a song I created. The original hymn was written by Charlotte Elliott written in 1834. Here’s my version in full.

Thy Will Be Done

My God, my Father, while I stray, far from my home in life’s rough way,

O teach me from my heart to say,

“Thy will be done.”

Though dark my path, and sad my lot, let me be still and worry not,

Or breath the prayer Divinely taught,

“Thy will be done.”

Let but my fainting heart be blest, with Your sweet Spirit for its Guest,

My God, to You I leave the rest;

“Thy will be done.”

Renew my will from day to day, blend it with Yours, and take away

All that now makes it hard to say,

“Thy will be done.”

This hymn is really a prayer. It is asking for Gods strength to align our desires, wills, and whole lives with His. It is a constant struggle as our mortal flesh wants everything opposed to Gods will. The song starts with a very relatable (at least to me) confession of, “I am far from you, and feel it”. I am living a life of hardships and need to trust in You. Then the song moves to a complete resting in Gods love.  Totally surrendering to Him. Then the last verse is a prayer to continue to keep me close and right minded. It’s a really great song lyrically and a fun tune God gave me to put to it.

There’s many verses to read about this topic in Scriture, here are a few:

Psalm 143:10, Matthew 6:9-13, Matthew 26:42, Luke 11:2, Luke 15:11-24, Luke 22:42, Acts 21:14, 1 Corinthians 10:10, Hebrews 10:36

Listen to song and download album here!

Blessed Be Your Name (dust&grooves 2)

I recently released a new album called “dust&grooves”. This is the second part of an album I released a few months ago. The last two songs on this album are unique because I didn’t use old hymn words nor did I write them myself, but used newer contemporary lyrics to then write my own tunes over them. This one is the words by Matt Redman of the famous worship song, “Blessed Be Your Name”. I still play the original for corporate worship services but had fun revamping these words to my tune. Here’s the words in full.

Blessed Be Your Name

Blessed be Your name, in the land that is plentiful

Where Your streams of abundance flow, blessed be Your name.

Blessed be Your name, when I’m found in the desert place

Though I walk through the wilderness, blessed be Your name

Pre-Chorus:

Every blessing You pour out, I’ll turn back to praise

When the darkness closes in Lord, still I will say.

(Chorus)

Blessed be the name of the Lord,

Blessed be Your name

Blessed be the name of the Lord,

Blessed be Your glorious name

 

Blessed be Your name, when the suns shining down on me

When the worlds all as it should be, blessed be Your name

Blessed be Your name, on the road marked with suffering

Though there’s pain in the offering, blessed be Your name

Pre-Chorus:

(Chorus)

Bridge:

You give and take away, You give and take away.

My heart will choose to say Lord, blessed be Your name

(Chorus)

 

As you listen to the song you’ll realize you can pretty much sing along with it as the original melody with a couple of tweaks. The bridge melody is totally original. But I enjoy hearing words that I know so well but in a different light. I believe it brings new life and meaning back to them. Love the original tune but had a lot of fun making this one. You can just google Mr Redmans reason for the song. But the point of it is being able to say “Praise you God in any circumstance because all I need is you”. That no matter what, God is good and whatever He’s doing in and around your life, you can trust that He is sovereign (in control) and working all for your good and His glory.

You can listen to song and download album here!

 

Take the Pain Away (dust&grooves 2)

I recently released a new album called “dust&grooves”. This is the second part of an album I released a few months ago. This song isn’t as biblically saturated as the other songs I’ve done. Here are the words in full.

Take the Pain Away

On we go same thing, never change but you

Have all the control you do

Your name in vain is the way

You live your life it’s not only what you say

(Chorus)

Take take take the pain away, say

Take take take the pain away, say

Take take take the pain away, say

Take the pain away

 

It’s time you know the truth

And what you have to do, what you really have to do

Get your knees and pray, lift your hands and pray

You’ll find it, find your way

(Chorus)

 

This song isn’t as biblically saturated as the other songs I’ve done. I wrote this over 10 years ago. It was written to express some tension and help with some dark places that I saw in myself and in others. It’s pretty ambiguous but I’ll explain it.

I start it off with the frustration I felt and saw in the regular church goer, a need for more. The “routine” and “going through the motions” plague, was alarming to me. But we have the control to change. If we choose to live a life of “Christendom” in name say only then we might be fooling ourselves that we have the Spirit of God living in us at all. The chorus is just a plea to take away this ever nagging tug on my heart, that it is time to change but also to take away the hurt I know I am causing myself and God. Second verse is the coming of some answers in my own heart and mind. Again, super ambiguous and it was really just written to be as such.

Listen to song and download album here!

Whatever Gain (dust&grooves 2)

I recently released a new album called “dust&grooves”. This is the second part of an album I released a few months ago. This song was inspired by Philippians 3:1-11. Here are the lyrics in full.

Whatever Gain

 I told you once, I told you twice, look out for the dogs

The ones who put their pride in flesh, and confidence in the law

I have all reason to boast, a man among all men

I tore you down, to raise me up, and I could do it all over again

(Chorus)

Whatever gain I had I count as loss

For knowing You I would pay all it costs

 

Let me be clear when I boast in my confidence

It’s not in me, it’s not in men, but in the resurrection

I was on top, high on top, at the top, the gain above all gain

I was strong, in myself, no one else, by myself

But now I have to say

Bridge:

For His sake I have suffered the loss

Of all things and count them rubbish

 

I wrote this from Philipians 3. I have always loved this passage. The first half of Philippians 3 is Paul giving evidence or almost bragging in a way. He is telling the Philippian church that he had everything you could want in this life. He had power, money, knowledge, honor and wisdom. He had no reason to ever give up his lot in life. But he goes on to say that he has suffered the loss of everything for the sake of Christ. Everything he had that was good and comfortable, even what defined him, he lost so that he could follow Christ. And you know what he says about losing it all? He counts it all as rubbish, vile, trash, in comparison to knowing Christ. This is a great reminder and a truth to be reaching for each day.

Listen to song and download album here!

 

It is Not Death to Die (dust&grooves 2)

I recently released a new album called “dust&grooves”. This is the second part of an album I released a few months ago. The lyrics are from an old hymn, revamped to fit my melody and set to a song I created. The original hymn was written by Cesar Malan in 1832. Here’s my version in full.

It is Not Death to Die

It is not death to die, to leave this weary road,

And join the saints on high, who’ve found their home with God

It is not death to die, to close the eyes with tears

And wake before the Throne, delivered from your fears

(Chorus)

Oh Jesus conquered the grave. Your precious blood is to save.

Those who trust in you will find it is not death to die.

 

It is not death to fling, aside this earthly dust

And rise with noble wings, to live among the just

It is not death to hear, the key unlock the door

Set free from mortal fears, to praise You evermore

(Chorus)

 Jesus prince of life, Your chosen cannot die.

We wait and wait in strife, we want our home on high.

 

I love the theme of this song. It is very different than the music you hear on Christian radio today. Scripture references for song are Psalm 116:8, Psalm 118:17, John 6:39-40, John 11:25-26, Philippians 1:21, 2 Timothy 2:11-12, Revelation 22:5.

The song is basically describing the hope we have in Christ that even when we die, we don’t really die. In fact, our bodily death is really just the beginning of our true lives in Christ. God is building us up, to get us ready for an eternity of glorifying Him! It helps us set our sights on the eternal and not just the mortal. We weren’t meant to live here for ever. We were meant for a eternal life with the One who created us!

Checkout song and Download album here!