ChristianDance

We've all experienced times in our lives when everything feels impossible, and it feels like God is nowhere near. Tasha Layton sings about that very struggle in her song, "Meet Me in the Valley." Tasha calls out those painful moments and places them in the context of promises that you can read in Psalm 23. God promises that goodness and mercy will follow us, even through life's darkest seasons.  Tasha shared the main takeaway of this song on her Instagram account: "You are not forgotten. You are not alone. God meets you right where you are."   We often aren't able to recognize His grace until we're desperately needing it, and honestly, we often don't appreciate what we have (and what He has given us) until everything falls apart. But instead of dwelling in despair, Tasha reminds us to look upwards, and ask for His help: "In the middle of the war // Tell me that I'll make it // When I'm not sure // You'll be faithful." We...

(by Jasper Tan) Julia Igwe’s latest single, “Who Am I,” is a song that seeks to understand God’s amazing love for us, that even if we don’t deserve it, He still gives it freely. That by offering His life for us, we are saved from our sins. It is because of this that we are sometimes left to ask ourselves if indeed we are deserving of God’s gift of salvation. We are left in awe upon realizing that even if we don’t earn it all, God still chooses to simply love us with all His heart (and even at the cost of His life). God’s grace is a free gift from Him, and as our way of reciprocating His love, we give our lives fully to Him, embracing our identity in Him and resting in the truth that we belong to Him and our God loves us so. As Julia shares, “This song is a great reminder to me that the greatest thing I can do in life is be fully His and be fully surrendered to Jesus. Everything else comes second!” Julia also further shares that one of the biggest questions that she had after being save...

Have you ever stood beneath a starlit sky and felt both tiny and treasured? That's the starting scene of "Psalm 8 (Majestic)" by Red Letter Society, the eighth song in their bold project to musicalize all 150 Psalms.  This song is an invitation to lift your eyes to "the heavens" and "mountains and seas," echoing David's awe and wonder: "Oh Lord, our Lord, how majestic is your name in all the earth." Our God spins the galaxies into place and still knows and whispers our name, "To think that you'd be mindful of me… that you would know my name." The same Voice that spoke mountains into existence knows your name. Let that sink in for a moment! Our God "crowned us with glory," reflecting His image. The mystery deepens… "You wore the crown of my shame," so we might wear His glory. Psalm 8 is just as relevant today as it was in David's days. It calls us to exchange doubt for worship. So go ahead and li...

One of the hardest truths to hold is the fact that God's kindness remains when your life seems to be falling apart. Josh Bissell's acoustic cover of Cory Asbury's "Kind" delivers this message with courage and honesty.  The key message of the song is that it is okay to be real! The lyrics don't flinch from reality: "Sometimes marriages don't work. Sometimes babies die. Sometimes rehab turns to relapse." The pain that you feel is very real and needs to be acknowledged and handled… Yes, it is okay to give voice to your hidden wars, to wonder if God is real, to question why healing seems to be selective, angry at heaven with "fist raised to the sky," or simply feeling that His amazing grace seems to be "for everybody else."   After more than a few Sundays smiling through pain, pretending that all is well, this song finally names the pain and struggle. But more importantly, it points us to the cross. Instead of offering quick fix...

"We Worship You I AM" by Doyin Teru is a relatively simple song with a massive vision and message behind it. The song was born in a moment of prayer. In Bolaji Teru's own words: "Few minutes into the prayers, I knelt down on my knees with the consciousness that God is present and must be revered. In a moment, tears began to flow from my eyes as I heard the song in my spirit as if it's being sung by thousands of others. So I joined them to sing the song and right after, took my phone, recorded the song and gradually began to develop and produced it." In other words, this isn't just another worship track; it's an invitation to join in with a heavenly chorus.  The song repeats a few core phrases: "We worship Your Majesty," "We worship Your Royalty," and the declaration, "We worship You, I AM." Instead of crowding the song with many words, it leans on the weight of God's revealed name  —  "I AM," the Etern...

(by Jasper Tan) I have always been a huge admirer of Mary Oz's music. Since the moment I discovered her songs, without fail, I've always made it a point to add them to my playlists. If there was one CCM artist from the Philippines who deserves to be heard on a global scale, then my vote belongs to Mary.  Her latest single, "Dancing On Water" (which is a part of her forthcoming album), is a pure acoustic folk/rock song that talks about breakthroughs from grief. As Mary shares, "Grief can swallow you whole, but it's not a life sentence. The morning will come, and with it, Joy." This is a very empowering statement that seeks to inspire her listeners to take courage, rejoice, leave the sadness behind, and just conquer their fears.  What I love about Mary's songwriting is her deep metaphorical lyricism that makes her songs stand out among the clutter of songs in this age of digital music. You'll definitely know that her songs are very well thought of...

(by Jasper Tan) Marcus & Jalyn McGill's new single "Joy of The Lord" offers an upbeat and energetic sound to a worship song that is rooted in gratitude and the power of praise. Written during a SongLab retreat last January, it is a song that speaks about healing, breakthrough, and being moved by the Spirit as we give thanks to the Lord. It features a very driving groove that brings excitement and energy as we worship the Lord. You could definitely feel the joy of Marcus and Jalyn when they wrote and performed this song. The chorus is a simple statement of giving honor to the Lord, as his happiness is the one that gives us strength, and which will eventually bring joy to our lives. It might be an understatement to some, but there's really nothing truer than to make our life a living testament of God's love and grace. Make it a part of our prayer for God to give us strength as we live our daily life, where his life can also be reflected in the way that we live. ...