No greater love

I was sitting in front of the piano one day just playing around in personal worship...

Suddenly the chorus came to me. The words was so basic, but yet it was the summary of what is sung in heaven 24/7 - HALLELUJAH!
My heart was flooded with the amazing thing Jesus truly did for us when he became flesh…I hope you enjoy the song!

Some members of the South African Youth Choir joined on the recording, but hope to make a great recording of this one day with a massive choir!

Flawed

A song that sort of wrote itself from the seed of a lyric from a cheesy gospel song.

“I got flaws / but I’m yours” (Fingerprints - Joakim Arenius & Praise Unit: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yNY-1cnFiRw)

Verse 1:
I am flawed
But I am yours
I am broken
But you have spoken healing

Verse 2:
Jesus
You pick up my pieces
You take my
Ashes and make them beautiful

Chorus:
Thank you
For your Grace
For the Cross
For salvation’s story

Thank you
Yes you have
Set me free
To live for your glory

Tag:
I love you Lord
You alone are worthy
So I give my all
Give it all to you

The Only Place

A simple song about how good and praiseworthy God is...

Obviously the recording is all very (ahem, very) rough and ready BUT please do let me know what you think, especially open for suggestions about the lyrics - I’m still not sure if the rhymes are just too blatant and cheesy.

At your feet is the only place that
I find mercy I find grace
In your love is the only place that
I find strength to run this race

There’s no other I can run to
with my troubles with my strife
There’s no other whose almighty hands
are holding my whole life

Lord you’re the only one the only one
Who’s praise-worthy
Boundless your love boundless your power
Yours is all authority

Forgive us Lord when we run to places other than your feet

Found

Originally by Hillsongs, recorded at the Albans's wedding, beau song of truth that I really connected with and thought I'd share

Lyrics:
Amazing love, now what else shall I need
Your name brings life, it’s more than the air I breathe

My world was changed, when Your life You gave for me
My purpose found and all that You want for me

And I’ve found myself in You, Jesus
And I’ve found myself in You.

So take me to a place where I can see You face to face
and all I wanna do, yeh all I wanna do is worship You

Learning

A simple song about being a disciple - constructive criticism very very welcome

When everything crumbles in my surroundings
That’s when I know to you I must cling

I’m learning You are faithful
I’m learning You are true
I’m learning You are worthy of the praise we bring to You (we bring to you)

(I’m learning You will catch me when I fall)

When I can’t see forests for all the trees
You whisper reminders of Your love for me

We’re learning…

The Righteousness Of God

This was written over a year ago, but it's taken over a year for me to finish, it's celebrating God's justice for those who have faith. It stars kamal, viv, ralph and pete darling (although they do not know it).

Musically this song is very average for a congregational song, it’s not breaking any conventional boundaries. But the words have been seriously thought about (but open to revision - perhaps the middle section).

I have tried to strictly keep it to one theme throughout, using it as a bit of a conclusion to what I’ve been studying about the righteousness of God (and how this relates to us).

The verses dwell on the bigger perspective (based on Ephesians 1) and by the chorus it narrows down to the implications of/reasons for God’s righteousness revealed (centred on romans 1-4). On the way the pre-chorus section summaries Ephesians 2 in general where both views of what is called “new” and “old” perspective on righteousness are laid out right next to each other. The bridge brings in the implications of our own righteousness from Romans 5 and by the end it refers to Old Testament promises fulfilled.

Verses:
Praise to the God and father of Jesus Christ,
Who has blessed us with every blessing in his son, in the highest. (Eph 1v3)
He restores the world. (rom 8v21)

He unveiled his sovereign plan to save the world, his promise to Abraham, (Gen 12v3)
To gather up everything in His son, when the fullness of time has come. (eph 1v10)
He restores the world.

Pre Chorus
For we’ve been freed not to carry on in sin, for we’ve died and come alive in him. (Rom 6v1-11)
And we’ve been called not to live our life by ourselves but as one to be the light of the world. (Eph 2v13-16, 3v10)

Chorus:
For the righteousness of God has been revealed,
Through the faithfulness of Christ for those who believe. (Rom 1v17, 3v21)
So that the promises of God my rest on grace, guaranteed to every race. (Rom 4v16)

Verse:
He chose us before creation of the world, to be holy and blameless,
and carried our sin and shame to the cross, we share in his faithfulness. (Eph 1v4,7)(Phil 2v8)
He restores the world.

Middle:
We’re in the right, we’re in the right, we have peace with God through Jesus Christ. (Rom 5v1)
We share his death we’ve died with him, and now he’s raised our vindication. (Rom 4v25, 6v4-5)
And surely the day has come for the raising of David’s son.
We will leap like calves from the stall, when God is all in all. (2 Sam 7v12, 1 Chr 17v11, Mal 4v2,1 Cor 15v24-28)

Enjoy!

Baptism Song

New song

This is a song I started to write about a year ago, trying to express the experience of baptism in a personal way and the power of the symbolism, and trying to put across some of the truths of Romans 6. It stayed as one verse and an unfinished chorus for over a year, and then a few weeks ago all the rest of the verses tumbled out in one sitting as I was worshipping.

Vocals and acoustic guitar are me, all additional instruments and production is by my friend Ben Trigg, general musical whizz kid and very talented chap. 

We Trust In You Alone

A re-worked version of a song I uploaded a while ago. Spent some time changing it with my brother and this was the result...

We trust in you alone

VERSE 1:
Jesus, You chose the cross
You gave Yourself, Instead of us
Jesus, the sin You bore            
It was not Yours, It was ours

CHORUS:
And so we love you
Because you loved us first    
We trust in you alone
We lay our lives down
In sacrifice to you
We trust in you alone

VERSE 2:
Lord God, You’ve chosen us
Adopted us, As your sons
Saved by grace, through faith in You
Your Glorious love made us new

BRIDGE:
Holy Spirit
Speak to us, strengthen us
Holy spirit come

Nights on Snowdonia

Affectionately called as I intentionally set out inspired by the cowboy rock of Muse's 'Knights of Cydonia'!

That’s as far as the plagiarism goes though. Fun project from a couple of years ago. It’s a bit truncated and could maybe do with a chorus!

Silence has gone away my friend,
My friend
Buildings too many without end,
Without end
The hunger is there inside
Inside
How does it feel being alive,
Alive

The World is growing but I’m getting smaller now

Buried in a shallow grave
Shallow grave
Do you believe in the resurrection of the dead?
Of the dead
The struggles, they lurk deep inside
inside
Face the truth: You have to pick a side

The world is growing but I’m getting smaller now