simple like a story

the gospel.

short and sweet.

simple like a story.

"Crack kids, track kids, hookers and robbers, The naked and hungry, mothers and fathers

Abuses, excuses, and guns in your hands, And I even welcome the arrogant man

I welcome you all to the biggest of feasts, A night of no shame, to pause and to breathe

This is a night of love's renovation, A feast I am sure that could change a whole nation

Me, I'm not such an excellent host, I am one who forgives but needs it the most

I found the liar, the killer of hearts, And I ran away with a new way to start

I journeyed a road where a bright man appeared

He looked into me, and my eyes filled with tears

My breath fast and short and my heart burning deep

He gave me new eyes and a new way to see

So come as you are,, as you are, as you are...

I still defiled His great love ways, I felt such a famine when I ran away

I missed the presence, The voice like a song, I was nasty and dirty, I knew I was wrong

But He ran to me like a dream like a Father, This love is not earthly this love must be other

He carried me home and threw me a party, A party so loud like the greatest love story

Oh my dear friends applaud now please, I've invited you here to announce YOU ARE FREE!

He takes your chains, busting you out of prison

Just open your heart, Let your heart come and listen

come as you are,, as you are, as you are...

Who could accept all your pounding and screaming

Your raging, your freaking, cussing, and beating

All while He holds you and always forgiving, This is the story of love and of living

Wipe off your tears and laugh just a little, Come break this bread, celebrate the Forgiver

Raise up a glass, a time to remember, Come break this bread, CELEBRATE THE FORGIVER!!!

(Charlie Hall, Hookers and Robbers)

more of the new songs in our hearts - Passion 2010

Monday I wrote a little about Passion HERE. This morning I wrote some thoughts about the beauty of the new songs in our hearts birthed their from Passion 2010 HERE.
I'm just loving these new songs, so tonight I wanted to post some of the lyrics of these songs that were sung for the 1st time ever at Passion 2010 this past week...
I wish you could hear them. you will soon enough...

I guarantee you these songs are being sung in the hearts of a generation tonight as they put their heads on their pillows. As they go back to their dorm rooms in the next weeks these are the songs that will be resounding in their hearts. These words and the awesome words God spoke through Louie, Piper, Andy, Francis Chan, & Beth Moore will be the words that will change their hearts & God may use to change their campuses... and the world.

Charlie Hall has several new ones he led. This one fit with Passion 2010's "Awakening" theme:

"heaven's light shining bright

come and open up our eyes,
You are Hope and You are Life,

let the earth awake

Heaven's Kingdom coming down,

Your heart beating in us now

Moving in Your power
let the earth awake

Whoa oh, whoa oh, whoa oh, 

LET THE EARTH AWAKE!"

Kristian Stanfill brought a new anthem like a lot of his other of his awesome upbeat songs where you get to shout some!

"Some are chasing the treasures of this world

We run to a glorious reward

The only Name worth living for!

Say, Say, Say you believe it
Sing for the whole world to hear it

We know and we declare it, Jesus is King
Say, Say, Say you believe it

Sing loud, sing like you mean it

We know and we declare it, Jesus is King
We open wide our mouths to praise

Let this generation raise

A song of freedom all our days!

I believe/ (I believe)

Your Kingdom Come (Your Kingdom Come)

Son of God (Son of God)

King of Love (King of Love)"

Here are 2 more new ones from Charlie...

"oh oh, oh oh oh,
King of Heaven come down

oh oh, oh oh oh,

King of Heaven come down

We come together in the wave of God

We stand together in Your great compassion

Pouring out our hearts and lives

Fill us up with an expectation

oh oh, oh oh oh

King of heaven come down...

We'll sing the news of all Your grace
We'll help the broken hearted praise

We'll put Your glory on display

King of heaven"

& this one from Charlie... 

"Just like the sun shines/ You have been our Light

Leading us into beautiful places

We've walked through fire/ but You made us brighter

Leading us into beautiful places

Faithful Jesus/ Healing Savior

Compass Center/ Bread of Life

Faithful Jesus/ Cherished Treasure

Our Portion/ Wisdom/ God's great Life

Just like the star at night You shine in the black of night

Leading us into beautiful places
Just like the atmosphere You have come to surround us here

Leading us into beautiful places

God You are here with us, constantly here with us

You are our Everything, faithful and true"

[I love that!]


Tomlin led this one on the 1st night & then a couple more times throughout Passion 2010. The lyrics are straight up amazing like so many Tomlin songs. I think we'll be singing this a lot:

"We are a chosen generation
Rise up holy nation

God, we live for You

You have called us out of darkness 

and into light so glorious

God, we live for You, we live for You, we live for You 
Our God will not be moved

Our God will never be shaken

We run to You/ We run...

You are everything

More than all we need

God, we live for You
I found this world to be not enough for me

God, we live for You, God, we live for You"

Chris and Christy Nockels led this one a few times together. Beautiful repeat part with Christy.

"We know where the Spirit of the Lord is...

Where the Spirit of the Lord is there is liberty
We know living in Your freedom

Living in Your freedom we see Your glory

We know where the Spirit of the Lord is...

Where the Spirit of the Lord is there is liberty

We're Yours and Yours is the Kingdom!

We're Yours and Yours is the Kingdom!

You are the flame that burns inside

We need Your presence more than anything

You're all that we want

You're all that we need"

And then I'm guessing this song will be called Awakening - awesome song that starts so soft and then builds so big. I'm guessing it will be the title track of the live album. It created a glorious worshipful moment at Passion 2010... I could tell just from watching. It was powerful in me here on my couch!

"Holy Spirit we desire awakening

For You and You alone

Awake my soul, awake my soul...
Your will be done, Your will be done in me

In Your presence, In Your power awaken me

For this moment, for this hour, awaken me

Like the rising sun that shines

Awake my soul, Awake my soul & sing!

From the darkness comes a light

Awake my soul, Awake my soul & sing!

Only You can raise a life
Awake my soul, Awake my soul & sing!

I hear Your voice say 'This is my awakening'"

You'll be hearing these songs soon & I'm sure they'll be resonating in your hearts too.

awesome songs...

Of all these new songs, Do you have a favorite? One that REALLY resonates in your soul?

new songs in our hearts

(I wrote a lot about Passion and Passion 2010 yesterday HERE. Passion 2010 actually ends today.)
One of the awesome things about the Passion Conferences is that it's where all the most amazing, gifted, and "God anointed" worship leaders in the world lead their brand new & fresh songs for the 1st time ever. It's the perfect audience to introduce a new song to.

I can't even remember how many tons of songs being sung in churches all across the world today, I heard the 1st time they were ever sung at a Passion Conference. It's a really awesome thing. Louie talked about that on Sunday. I was right with him agreeing big time.
A lot of the sixsteps guys, along with Louie, got together over the last several weeks to write some brand new songs God had put in their hearts specifically for this Passion gathering.
Tomlin ended up writing one called "Awakening" that's pretty sweet.
There are always so many songs that are exactly what is in the heart of this generation & what we want to say to God!

But I would have to say my favorite new song so far debuted at Passion 2010 has been "Our God Is Greater". Matt Redman and Chris Tomlin have both led it, but I think Chris wrote it.
I wish you could hear it, but for now I just want to leave you with some of this amazing song that is resounding in my heart today:

"There's no one like You; none like You...

Our God is greater/ Our God is stronger

God, you are higher than any other,

Our God is healer/ Awesome in power,

Our God, our God...

And if our God is for us then who could ever stop us,

And if our God is with us then what could stand against..."

Passion

I think I have said a ton of times on this blog how the Passion Movement has had the most radical influence in my life over the past 7 years.
No other thing in my 20s has influenced me more than this movement! After I decided to follow Jesus with my whole life, Passion has been the single most influential thing in my life.
(I won't even bother to link to all the times I've written about this because there are too many...)

The name of this blog even comes from the radical God-centered vision birthed in me through the Passion movement which from the beginning ('97) has been all about Isaiah 26:8...
"Yes Lord, walking in the way of Your truth, we wait eagerly for You; for Your Name and renown are the desire of our souls."

Somewhere around 2004 or 2005 I decided that I would leverage my entire life for 1 thing = God's Renown! Life is all about that. I've traded it all in... the hope of anything else I've ever wanted... all for making God famous... spreading His renown to more and more people! That's what I'm living life for.

And that was birthed in me through the Passion Movement (including following books and talks of guys like Louie and Piper, etc...). I remember that Passion '05 was probably one of the most amazing experiences of my life! I'm a very experiential person and I love spiritual experiences and experiencing God as INTENSELY as I can. That happened for me every time I was at a Passion Conference.

So, Passion has been a major part of my spiritual journey in this era of my life. I am who I am today because of how God has used Passion in my life. So many different people and things influenced me up to my 20s, but for these past 6 years or so I have been largely shaped by the Passion movement... maybe that's a better way to say it.

So, I am a little bummed that I'm not at Passion 2010 today. I wrote about that briefly yesterday. I'm very thankful for technology though that lets me still experience it from my couch. You can click HERE and see the Main Sessions streaming. I hooked it up to my big screen plasma TV & cranked up the volume... listened to my fav speaker of all time bring it in session 1 (Louie) & kind of in session 2 (even tho he wasn't even the speaker, haha. + stoked about Piper coming up in Session 4 i think...

+ I've been worshipping in my living room with my fav lead worshippers - the whole sixsteps crew = Matt Redman, Chris Tomlin, David Crowder, Charlie Hall, Christy Nockels, and Kristian Stanfill + some guests who have been part of the movement directly & indirectly = Steve Fee & Hillsong United (Joel Houston, Brooke Frasor, etc...) We have had an awesome time together as I'm sure it's crazy amazing there in ATL.

So, since it's Passion 2010 this week I might be blogging more often about it. Just my thoughts on what's going down there... as if I were there.

Most of all I am still in constant prayer for God to move in power there like He has so many times before in my life.

I'm praying that he births a passion in so many other 20somethings for His renown just like He did in my heart years ago! 
I'm praying that thousands and thousands follow God to "Do Something Now" and they end up changing the world.
I hope that thousands camp out in the "GO Center" like I did for a few years and go after it with God for the nations...
And most of all my prayer is the same as Louie's last prayer before it started:
"We need You more than ever.  You are everything.  Be happy at Passion 2010.  It’s all for You, Jesus.  Amen"

i wish i were at Passion 2010

i can't believe i'm not at Passion 2010 right now!
i'm hating it.
i wish i were there so bad. This is the 1st Passion gathering i've missed since 2003. Honestly it hurts my heart to not be experiencing the movement at this very moment.

i've had a heck of a day and am physically and emotionally drained, so i'll write more about Passion 2010 tomorrow.
i've been praying for over a week now for the 22K + who are there. Praying that God does revolutionary things for His glory in the lives of peeps there thru these days... just like He's done in my life these past 7 years.

Glorify Your Name God!