LOSE MY SOUL

LOSE MY SOUL MP3

Today we kicked off our 6-week SOUL WARS series !!! The song service was inspiring, particularly a special performance that we did of TobyMac's "LOSE MY SOUL".  It was really cool because, although it was a performance song, the whole congregation helped out singing the chorus with us:

"I don't wanna gain the whole world and lose my soul"

It was also very fun to rap on this song :) hope you enjoy it !!! You can also check out the original version on youtube below:

"What good is it for someone to gain the whole world, yet forfeit their soul?"

- Jesus

Mark 8:36

WE'VE COME THIS FAR BY FAITH

We sang a traditional Gospel song this past Sunday called "We've Come This Far By Faith" to close out our service - and it has been stuck in my head all day today !!! Seri Murdock helped to lead the song & taught it to all of the part singers in our morning rehearsal before the service started and I have to say that I ABSOLUTELY LOVE THIS SONG !!!  Singing this song definitely makes me excited to explore more traditional gospel music and introduce it to our congregation :)  After looking up this song online I think there are additional lyrics, but we sang the chorus and the main verse so that's a start ;) Hope you enjoy it as much as I do !!!

"For we live by faith, not by sight"

- 2 Corinthians 5:7 (NIV)

LISTEN BY CLICKING THE LINK BELOW:

WE'VE COME THIS FAR BY FAITH

WE'VE COME THIS FAR BY FAITH

Albert A. Goodson

We've come this far by faith

Leaning on the Lord

Trusting in his holy word

He never failed me yet

Woah, Woah, Woah

Can't turn around

We've come this far by faith

SET A FIRE

Hey all !!!

Its been a while since my last post - It was a crazy summer and a last couple months - in a good way !!! :) Today we learned a new song in the NJ Region of the NYC Church called "Set A Fire" by United Pursuit (a worship band out of Knoxville TN).  We have been singing another one of their songs called "Nothing I Hold Onto" for a while but I didn't make the connection that it was the same band until I looked this song up online after my friend Damon emailed me a link to a youtube video of "Set A Fire" suggesting that I teach it at our Sunday worship service.  Our NJ region Fall Theme is SOUL WARS ...

...and there is a great line in this song that goes "set a fire down in my soul that I can't contain, that I can't control" ... So when I checked this song out, I LOVED IT !!! for many reasons.   Its a really accessible and easy to learn worship song, which seems simple at first and yet is so deep and passionate.  Here are the lyrics:

SET A FIRE

Lyrics by Will Reagan & United Pursuit

"There's no place that I'd rather be

There's no place that I'd rather be

There's no place that I'd rather be

Than here in your love

Here in your love

So set a fire down in my soul

That I can't contain

That I can't control

I want more of you God

I want more of you God"

CLICK THE LINK BELOW TO LISTEN TO THE RECORDING:

SET A FIRE

TO DOWNLOAD MP3:
RIGHT CLICK THE LINK ABOVE AND SELECT "DOWNLOAD LINKED FILE"

I hope this song encourages you as much as it has encouraged me !!! Much love !!!

Ross

THE ROAD - NYC CHURCH OF CHRIST CONGREGATIONAL WORSHIP SERVICE

Yesterday, on June 10th, 2012, The New York City Church of Christ held a congregational worship service at the Jacob Javits Convention Center in Manhattan -  IT WAS SO INSPIRING !!! There were over 3,500+ people in attendance from all over New York, New Jersey, and Connecticut to PRAISE GOD & WORSHIP HIM !!!

Our theme for the service was "THE ROAD" based on MATTHEW 7:13-14:

"Enter through the narrow gate.  For wide is the gate and broad is the road that leads to destruction, and many enter through it.  But small is the gate and narrow the road that leads to life, and only a few find it."

Our opening set of worship songs started with the question "Which way do I go?" as we ask God, SHOW ME THE WAY, a song which ends focusing us on Jesus' statement that "I am the way" and that now because of that new way we have through Christ we are able to show others the way !!! Once we know the way, we realize "WOW !!! God's love endures FOREVER and that it is by his GRACE that we are able to journey along the narrow road.  And even as we are WALKING ON THE HEAVEN ROAD, Jesus says he will walk that road WITH us as our FRIEND !!! I am so amazed that I am a FRIEND OF GOD and that he calls me friend !!! Truly I need his friendship as I walk the narrow road, the road that leads to life !!!  Here was our opening worship:

SHOW ME THE WAY

FOREVER

WALKING ON THE HEAVEN ROAD

FRIEND OF GOD

As we continued in our service we switched to a cappella singing as we took communion and remembered Jesus' sacrifice on the cross.  I loved how in JESUS IS LORD it talks about how it is a privilege to CARRY everything to God in prayer - this made me think of us carrying our prayers along the road to present them before our God !!!  I also loved singing about how I WANT JESUS TO WALK WITH ME and how I HAVE DECIDED TO FOLLOW JESUS ! When I was choosing these songs I thought about how we need to both DESIRE and WILL for God to walk with us in our life ... it takes heart and effort to walk in the footsteps of Christ.

JESUS IS LORD

I WANT JESUS TO WALK WITH ME

I HAVE DECIDED TO FOLLOW JESUS

In the spirit of MATTHEW 5-7 / The Sermon on the Mount, I thought it fitting to sing about the Kingdom - SEEK YE FIRST and IN THE KINGDOM both embody to me the heart of a follower of Christ - I love the lyrics of In the Kingdom where the song leader sings out the question: "Are you walking on the road that will lead to heaven?" and the congregation responds "Walking, Singing, Yes I Am !!!"

SEEK YE FIRST

IN THE KINGDOM

Finally, after a POWERFUL sermon by Sam Powell, we praised God, singing LEAD ME TO THE ROCK, asking him to lead us in the higher way - to lead us on that road that leads to the place where he is so that one day we can spend eternity with him !!! AMEN !!!

LEAD ME TO THE ROCK

It was an inspiring worship service - I hope these thoughts and these recordings help you as you journey along your road, as you walk with the Lord in the way everlasting - the road that leads to life

Ross

"ALIENS" - NE CAMPUS MINISTRY RETREAT SUNDAY MORNING WORSHIP

This morning we had an AMAZING time of worship at the FALL 2011 NORTHEAST CAMPUS MINISTRY RETREAT in STAMFORD, CT ! Here are a couple MP3s from our worship service.  I was especially inspired by the energy of the congregation on these two songs, "Forever" and "Men Who Dream" ...

There is one point in "Forever" about 3/4s of the way through the song where the band drops out completely and you hear the whole church sing "His love endures forever" and it just always gives me goosebumps !!! I love hearing the church sing and praise and honor God !!! Truly His love endures forever, amen.

But for some reason I feel like "Men Who Dream" was particularly impacting on a personal level this weekend.  I have heard this song - and loved it - many times growing up, however I don't think it has ever connected me to God the way that it did this weekend.  Lately I have been studying out the books of Isaiah, Ezra, Esther, and Nehemiah in my chronological bible for my quiet times.  In the book of Ezra, after years of captivity, the Israelites were allowed to return to Jerusalem - to their home ! They were finally able to rebuild the temple of the Lord, and after a little bit of drama and a few regal correspondences, they end up not only getting PERMISSION but also getting FUNDING from the Babylonian government to rebuild the temple !!! When you read these books, you feel the passion of these people - Nehemiah, Esther, Mordecai, Ezra, Isaiah - to see the promised restoration...

Fast forward a few thousand years and its amazing how we can still relate to this passage.  Many things have happened in our church in the last 10 years.  We have seen great things and some not so great things.  But sometimes, like how Nehemiah felt about Jerusalem, it breaks my heart to see where the church IS at compared to where it WAS at - to what I have seen that it can be: the zeal, passion, fire, and love.  It has been hard seeing what the church has gone through in the last 7-8 years knowing what the church CAN and SHOULD be.  And AMEN! we know Romans 8:28 says that in "ALL things God works for the the good of those who love him", and that there were much needed changes that had to take place ... but just like the remnant in Babylon longed to see the glory of the temple restored, there are some of us who long like Nehemiah to see the wall rebuilt ... who long like Paul to see the Gospel spread ... to see the kingdom advanced ...

And what was exciting to me was to worship this morning in a room of somewhere in the range of 500 campus students who have this same desire ... To be used by God to see great things happen once again and to see the wall rebuilt ...

"Captives came

Back into Zion

From their freedom

Came a scheme

While the city

It lay in ruin

We believe

They had a dream ..."

Let us never stop dreaming for God ! Amen.

LISTEN BELOW:

FOREVER

MEN WHO DREAM

(NOTE: To download MP3, right click link and select "Download Linked File")

"ALIENS" - 2011 NORTHEAST CAMPUS MINISTRIES RETREAT

I'm currently up here in Stamford, CT helping lead the worship for the NORTHEAST CAMPUS MINISTRIES FALL RETREAT - "ALIENS" (check out the flyer below !!!).  Last night we opened the retreat with a time of worship, and then we got to hear Marty Wilkinson from the San Antonio TX church preach the word !!! IT WAS AWESOME !!!

It has really been a blast so far, but the most enjoyable and inspiring part for me has definitely been the worship ... last night we were able to sing and worship our AWESOME GOD !!! IT WAS INCREDIBLE ... The energy was electric and the singing was heartfelt ... it was truly a time of worship and praise !!! Below are some of the songs that we sang as well as a special song that I did with Alicia Gerald from the Harlem campus ministry.  I hope these songs encourage you as much as they encourage me !!! I will definitely be jamming out to them on my iPod for a while :-)  

LISTEN BELOW:

REJOICE IN THE LAW OF THE LORD

OPEN THE EYES OF MY HEART

HOLY HOLY HOLY

HUMBLE YOURSELF IN THE SIGHT OF THE LORD

I NEED YOUR LOVE

MY LORD MY GOD KEEPS HIS PROMISES

PRAISES HEARD AROUND THE WORLD

"ALIENS" - FEAT. ALICIA GERALD

(NOTE: To download MP3, right click link and select "Download Linked File")

ENTRUSTED

This past summer, the NYC Church held a campus ministry & teen ministry internship with the theme "ENTRUSTED" based on 1 & 2 Timothy and specifically 2 Timothy 2:2:

"And the things you have heard me say in the presence of many witnesses ENTRUST to reliable men who will also be qualified to teach others"

 It is so important as disciples that we remember the magnitude of what we have been entrusted with and that we guard the gospel, just as Paul urged Timothy to do so many years ago !  Here is the theme song from that internship, "ENTRUSTED" !  As I was writing it, I was also thinking about 2 Peter 1:3:

"His divine power has given us EVERYTHING WE NEED for life and godliness through our knowledge of him who called us by his own glory and goodness"

Not only has God entrusted us with salvation, he has given us EVERYTHING WE NEED !!! Sometimes as disciples we feel like we are unprepared and ill-equipped - that we don't have enough.  However the scriptures make it clear that God has give us exactly what we need ... in fact, he has given us the means to be THOROUGHLY EQUIPPED (2 Timothy 3:16-17) !!! Anyways ... heres the song :)

ENTRUSTED

VERSE 1:

Father God I know that you are gracious

Father God I know you’re full of patience

Father God I know you’re full of mercy

Father God I know you’re full of love

Father God I know that you have called me

In a world as dark as night

Father God I know that you have sent me

To be the salt, to be the light

CHORUS:

You have given me everything I need

You’ve entrusted me with eternity

Lord, your salvation

Is for every nation

Give me the courage to speak

VERSE 2:

Father God I know that you are mighty

Father God I know that you are holy

Father God I know that you are awesome

Father God I know that you are strong

Father God I know that you have called me

In a world as dark as night

Father God I know that you have sent me

To be the salt, to be the light

CHORUS

VERSE 3:

Father God I know that you are faithful

Father God I know that you are noble

Father God I know that you are perfect

Father God I know that you are great !

Father God I know that you have called me

In a world as dark as night

Father God I know that you have sent me

To be the salt, to be the light

CHORDS

VERSE

F, C, Bb, F, C

CHORUS:

F, Dm, Bb, C

F, Dm, Bb, C

Dm, Bb, Dm, Bb

Dm, Bb, C

ENTRUSTED

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