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"Because of an overwhelming number of posts on the Our Fave Worship Songs Page, I have decided to create a thread so you may post as many songs as you like! Personally, my fave worship song changes every so often, even on a weekly basis. So why limit posts to one?"
This is the song I presented at this year's TYF Sharing Night…
What Life Would be Like - Big Daddy Weave
The first verse asks a question I find myself often wondering: "I wish I could be more of a man… have you ever felt that way?"
We live lives of fear and failure and try to save them by our own strength. Sometimes, we are disarmed in our helplessness.
But the greatest encouragement is knowing what He has done, and what He does out of love for us. His grace has saved me. I am free of sin, and free to love Him.
“I wish I was more of a man”
Have you ever felt that way?
And if I had to tell you the truth
I'm afraid I'd have to say
That after all I've done and failed to do
I feel like less than I was meant to be
What if I could fix myself
Maybe then I could get free?
I could try to be somebody else
Who's much better off than me
But I need to remember this
That it's when I'm at my weakest
I can clearly see
He made the lame walk and the dumb talk
And He opened blinded eyes to see
That the sun rises on His time
Yet He knows our deepest desperate need
And the world waits while His heart aches
To realize the dream
I wonder what life would be like if we let Jesus live through you and me
What if you could see yourself through another pair of eyes
What if you could hear the truth
Instead of old familiar lies
What if you could feel inside
The power of the hand that made the universe You'd realize
Bridge:
All our hearts they burn within us
All our lives we've longed for more
So let us lay our lives before the one who gave His life for us
He made the lame walk and the dumb talk
And He opened blinded eyes to see
That the sun rises on His time
Yet He knows our deepest desperate need
And the world waits while His heart aches
To realize the dream
I wonder what life would be like if we let Jesus live through you and me
This song, originally by 4Him (I think), is probably one of the few songs where I've heard more than one version, and liked both. So the first video is 4Him's from 1993 o_O :
There's also the slightly-more recent version by Jump5 (with a couple of spelling errors -_-" ):
And just so there's no lyrical conflict, here are the words pulled directly from CCLI SongSelect:
Chorus 1
Why me
I'm just a simple man of trade
Why Him
With all the rulers in the world
Why here
Inside this stable filled with hay
Why her
She's just an ordinary girl
Now I'm not one to second guess
What angels have to say
But this is such a strange way
To save the world
Verse 1
I'm sure he must have been surprised
At where this road had taken him
'Cause never in a million lives
Would he have dreamed of Bethlehem
And standing at the manger
He saw with his own eyes
The message from the angel come to life
And Joseph said
Verse 2
To think of how it could have been
If Jesus had come as He deserved
There would have been no Bethlehem
No lowly shepherds at His birth
But Joseph knew the reason
Love had to reach so far
And as he held the Savior in his arms
He must have thought
BRIDGE
For unto you is born this day
A Savior Christ the Lord
ENDING
Now I'm not one to second guess
What angels have to say
But this is such a strange way
To save the world
This is such a strange way
Such a strange way
A strange way to save the world
Such a strange way to save the world
Whichever one you prefer, it speaks greatly of Christ's humble beginnings (most of us are born privileged compared to Him; and those of us who are of "lesser birth" can relate with Christ Himself). The song always reminds me of Phil Yancey's The Jesus I Never Knew.
"I called
You answered
And you came to my rescue and I
Want to be where you are…"
So simple, yet so encompassing… There is no thread of self-pity left, only the heart-rending difficulty and amazement which comes from seeing what kind of person you really are: someone who needs to be Saved.
I always thought Leeland sung this; but it's actually Downhere. And like Leeland, Downhere is going to be in town for Breakforth at the end of January next year ^_^ …
Like "A Strange way to Save the World", it sings of Christ's humble birth; but instead of telling it from Joseph's perspective, this song is much more personal. The chorus says it all.
And, as per usual, the lyrics pulled directly out of CCLI:
Chorus 1
How many kings stepped down from their thrones
How many lords have abandoned their homes
How many greats have become the least for me
And how many gods have poured out their hearts
To romance a world that is torn all apart
How many fathers gave up their sons for me
Verse 1
Follow the star to a place unexpected
Would you believe after all we've projected
A child in a manger
Lowly and small the weakest of all
Unlikeliest hero wrapped in His mother's shawl
Just a child
Is this who we've waited for 'cause
Verse 2
Bringing out gifts for the newborn Savior
All that we have whether costly or meek
Because we believe
Gold for His honor and frankincense for His pleasure
And myrrh for the cross He'll suffer
Do you believe
Is this who we've waited for
BRIDGE
Only one did that for me ooh
All for me ah ah ah
All for me all for you (4X)
Chorus 2
How many kings stepped down from their thrones
How many lords have abandoned their homes
How many greats have become the least
How many gods have poured out their hearts
To romance a world that is torn all apart
How many fathers gave up their sons for me
Only one did that for me
This year at BreakForth, Mark Hall, the lead singer of Casting Crowns, gave a powerful sharing on this song. Mark told us of his struggles with the voice of the enemy: how it continued to taunt him to that very day, telling him he was not good enough or able to praise God. I was astonished by how his struggle resonated with my own.
Mark then shared on the Voice of Truth, which is God's voice and the Bible's teachings. He said that listening to the Voice of Truth allows us to be free from the enemy and free to pursue God with all our heart.
What an amazing freedom that is. I must choose to listen to the Voice of Truth.
For those of us who were at Breakforth the last time Casting Crowns was here, you'll recall Mark Hall sharing the same story (with a few details added and omitted here and there).
I still remember twelfth grade after Wednesday Vocal Jazz practises, waiting at Westmount Centre for the bus, listening to my Walkman cassette/radio and singing along to this song. That was the year Shine FM Edmonton first came on air, and "Voice of Truth" was one of the first Christian Contemporary songs I had ever heard on the station. I never looked back ^_^ .
Casting Crowns also sang this at Breakforth just as it started hitting the airwaves. I eagerly await the day we sing this in worship. It's the gospel message, as simple as necessary.
Verse 1
One day when heaven was filled with His praises
One day when sin was as black as could be
Jesus came forth to be born of a virgin
Dwelt among men my example is He
The Word became flesh
And the light shined among us
His glory revealed
Chorus 1
Living He loved me dying He saved me
Buried He carried my sins far away
Rising He justified freely forever
One day He's coming
O glorious day
O glorious day
Verse 2
One day they led Him up Calv'ry's mountain
One day they nailed Him to die on a tree
Suffering anguish despised and rejected
Bearing our sins my Redeemer is He
The hand that healed nations
Stretched out on a tree
And took the nails from me
Verse 3
One day the grave could conceal Him no longer
One day the stone rolled away from the door
Then He arose over death He had conquered
Now is ascended my Lord evermore
Death could not hold Him
The grave could not keep Him
From rising again (rising again)
Misc 1
(TAG 1)
Glorious Day
Misc 2
(BRIDGE)
One day the trumpet will sound for His coming
We long for Your coming
One day the skies with His glories will shine
Your glories will shine
Wonderful day my beloved one bringing
My Savior Jesus is mine
Verse 1
I don't mind if you've got
Something nice to say about me
And I enjoy an accolade like the rest
And you could take my picture
And hang it in a gallery
Of all the Who's Who's and So and So's
That used to be the best at such and such
It wouldn't matter much
Verse 2
I won't lie it feels alright
To see your name in lights
We all need an atta boy or atta girl
But in the end
I'd like to hang my hat on more besides
The temporary trappings of this world
Chorus 1
I want to leave a legacy
How will they remember me
Did I choose to love
Did I point to You enough
To make a mark on things
I want to leave an offering
A child of mercy and grace
Who blessed Your name unapologetically
And leave that kind of legacy
Verse 3
I don't have to look too far or too long awhile
To make a lengthy list of all that I enjoy
It's an accumulating trinket and a treasure pile
Where moth and rust thieves and such
Will soon enough (destroy)
BRIDGE
Not well-traveled not well-read
Not well-to-do or well-bred
Just want to hear instead
Well done good and faithful one
ENDING
I don't mind if you've got
Something nice to say about me