Unbroken Praise – Matt Redman
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Matt Redman, with the possible exception of Chris Tomlin, is arguably the most influential worship songwriter that the modern church has been blessed with. He chose to record his latest album live in front of an audience of about 300 (who participate in the live worship by singing along), at the legendary Abbey Road studios in London. The album cover features the signatures from everyone who made the album possible (songwriters, musicians, producers, technicians, etc.). Redman stated “”Unbroken Praise reveals a heart not wanting to be beaten down by the things of life, but to actually increase worship in those moments.”

Below are brief comments on each of these wonderful new songs:

Louder – an upbeat song to start the worship, featuring the chorus:

We lift our voices, lift our voices

Make Your praise so glorious, glorious

It is Well with My Soul – features the chorus from Horatio G. Spafford’s 1873 hymn.

Flames – compares our praise offerings to the flame of a fire.

Let all our hallelujahs be Yours

All our hallelujahs be Yours

From the altar of our hearts, O God

Let flames of worship rise

Unbroken Praise – a last minute addition to the recording.

We give our praise unbroken, praise unending to God forevermore

Abide With Me – co-written with Matt Maher. The song also appeared on Maher’s excellent Sinners and Saints album. This is probably my favorite new song of 2015 thus far.

King Of My Soul – an upbeat song that will be good for contemporary worship services. Redman’s desire is to let our lives be undivided in our worship of God.

Songs In The Night – a wonderful song that speaks of the sovereignty of God in the midst of storms. We will wait on the Lord praising Him, confident because He is our peace in the storm.

No One Like Our God – a song that speaks clearly about how there is no one like our God and Savior. His blessing and His love is great. A joyous song that will be wonderful for congregational singing.

The Awesome God You Are – a song that first appeared earlier this year on the Passion Even So Come album. Features the worshipful chorus:

God, let hope arise

And faith become

The fortress of my heart

I will lift my eyes

And see You as

The awesome God You are

Believe You as

The awesome God You are

No Longer I – Uses the refrain from Isaac Watt’s 1707 hymn “Alas! And Did My Savior Bleed” (sometimes known as “At the Cross”), changing the last line from “And now I’m happy all the day!” to “Now, no longer I but Christ in me”. The refrain was not actually written by Watts, but by Ralph E. Hudson in 1885.

Majesty Of The Most High – a mostly acoustic song. We bow before the majesty, holiness and amazing grace of the Most High God. Just one glimpse of God and we will be changed.

Redman has done it again. He is so very talented in giving the church the gift of songs that we can sing in worship of our God. I’m sure these wonderful songs will be sung in worship services around the world very soon.

• Top 10 Lecrae Songs. Artist Direct has compiled this list of Lecrae’s top 10 songs. What do you think? Agree? Disagree? What songs would be on your list?
• Chris Tomlin Christmas Album. Tomlin recently spent two nights recording his second live Christmas album. I can’t wait!
• For the Church: Singing Come, Thou Savior, Spread Thy Table. Randall Van Meggelen continues his series looking at the songs from the new Glory to the Holy One album from Jeff Lippencott and R.C. Sproul. You can listen to the song and follow along with the lyrics in this article.
• Stretch of the Highway. Did you see James Taylor perform this song off of his new album Before the World on The Tonight Show?

This week we look at “How Deep the Father’s Love for Us”, written by Stuart Townend in 1995.

How deep the Father’s love for us,
How vast beyond all measure
That He should give His only Son
To make a wretch His treasure

How great the pain of searing loss,
The Father turns His face away
As wounds which mar the chosen One,
Bring many sons to glory

Behold the Man upon a cross,
My sin upon His shoulders
Ashamed I hear my mocking voice,
Call out among the scoffers

It was my sin that held Him there
Until it was accomplished
His dying breath has brought me life
I know that it is finished

I will not boast in anything
No gifts, no power, no wisdom
But I will boast in Jesus Christ
His death and resurrection

Why should I gain from His reward?
I cannot give an answer
But this I know with all my heart
His wounds have paid my ransom

Music Quotes

• Jesus doesn’t love me because of my perfect character, He loves me because of His. Lecrae

What you say you believe about God doesn’t matter if it doesn’t make a meaningful difference in how you live. KB