ChristianDance

Have you ever felt God nudging you toward something more, possibly something way outside of your comfort zone? For Mikey Adebayo, that divine nudge during a ministry trip to his hometown (Birmingham) to minister at a church event also led to this song, "I Must Go (The Apostolic Song)."  Inspired by Acts 1:8, Mikey wrote this song as a prayerful response to God's call. It's not the kind of response that is asking you to listen… It's the kind of response that invites you to move and go where God sends you. That entire weekend, Mikey began to mull over the words "I must go, I must follow, I must serve my Lord, where he leads, Oh I will follow Him to the greatest ends of the earth."   It's easy to have an opinion when someone else receives such a calling, but what do you do when God is calling you? What will our response be? Will it be: "Lord, I will follow you // To the greatest ends of the earth" ?  As I ponder on the words of the chorus, I s...

Tyler Ratcliffe wrote "Bigger & More Beautiful" after a year that felt like standing at a cliff's edge - plans shifting, the future foggy, and faith tested, everything happened at once. Over and over, God showed up in ways that Tyler didn't expect. Instead of offering a tidy fix, the song is about how God met him in the uncertainty, reminding him that He was still holding everything in His hands. The One who set stars in place still knows one ordinary name. In other words, awe and intimacy belong together. The lyrics move from creation to Christ's rescue: wisdom without limits, mercy for the hurting, a Savior who crossed the gap that we couldn't cross and called us "worth the cost" . The refrain lifts our eyes to God, because life isn't balanced on our shoulders; it's held by the King. But most of all, the lyics turns confession into courage, naming our fears, doubts, and even our carefully made plans - and declaring God greater than all ...

God still whispers, “Ask…seek…knock,” but do we slow down long enough to answer? In “Come to You (Radio Edit),” Avery Stafford gives that ancient invitation a modern feel. The chorus cuts through the noise and pretense of self-reliance and says basically that you can tell God anything, “I can come to You and tell You anything…for the rest of my days, I come to You.” God’s love for you shatters the myth of “every man for himself.” Picture the opening scene. “A quiet place where I can see Your face // Not a trace of hesitation — You give me grace,” Avery encourages us to surrender as release, not a defeat! The lyrics are more like a prayer that we already know by heart and feel like second nature. “As the tide rolls away along the golden bay // I wanna stay and never go away.” Then comes the turnaround. A heart once broken now is full of life once more, “Like the mighty lion’s roar, You rock my senses to the very core.” In other words, in our vulnerability, He gives us courage! Who w...

(by Jasper Tan) I've heard of Carli Lessing and her work before, courtesy of another Christian artist that I closely follow. She once collaborated on a song with Mary Ozaraga, a fast-rising Independent Christian Artist from the Philippines. Being a huge fan of Mary's music, I'm quite familiar and fond of her work. I made mention of Mary because Carli's latest song, "You Give Me Rest" reminds me so much of Mary's songs. I guess there's a reason why both of them clicked and collaborated on a song. But this new version of the song is actually an acoustic version of an old song of Carli's. I had to go back and listen to the original version just to have a better feel of how much a three-year-old song had changed. While the original version had so much going on musically (albeit in a good way), this acoustic version totally changed the whole dynamic of the song. This features a more laid-back sound that is piano-driven, which eventually featured a more ...

"How Glorious" by Red Letter Society is a Trinity-focused song that pulls you into worship. Written by Justin Tweito and Jordan West, the song calls us to return to the heart of our faith. The opening line, "How wonderful is the cross of Christ,"  draws us into praise.  The song invites us to repentance and faith, but more importantly, the lyrics magnify the Trinity: the Father's eternal plan, the Son's sacrifice, and the Spirit's ongoing work in us. The song celebrates how every part of God is involved in redeeming us!  Have you ever wondered how a song can feel so unifying? That's the beauty of this song! It calls us, the Church, to stand together in bold praise. Instead of focusing on what divides us, it points us upwards, looking to our God who is glorious in love, power, and purpose. It encourages us to see the love of the Father, the blood of the Son, and how it is applied by the Holy Spirit.  There's no abstract theology in this song… the ...

(by Jasper Tan) John Groves' latest single, "Dwell in Me," is a beautifully written song that takes you on a journey of encountering God and getting to know him deeper as we build our relationship with him. It beautifully highlights one's yearning to get to know God and, at the same time, offers a prayer that God grants us his grace to be able to grow in his love and grace. It's a very honest song that acknowledges one's deficiencies when it comes to understanding the magnitude of God's love. And even with our own will to seek him, it will never be enough until the Holy Spirit dwells within us. And that acknowledgement fuels our hunger to get to know God more. The song is inspired by the book of Ephesians 3:14–21, which started out as a prayer but was arranged beautifully as a song that one can sing. It's a prayer of spiritual strength for believers in Jesus. The song is an acoustically driven track that starts with a calming and chill vibe, with each ...

(by Jasper Tan) I've never listened to a song thus far that feels so inviting and immersive. And I've done my share of listening to different new music releases. Action Worship's "All Praise" changed that. This is the first song I've heard this year that made me feel so immersed and feel as one with the Action Worship team. "All Praise" is one of the twelve songs that the Action Worship team has conceived, which was written and recorded during a Beach House retreat. The first six songs (which include All Praise) were conceived and recorded during Dawn. And another set of six songs will be released in February as part of the Dusk sessions. The Action Worship team, as a Church has been in a season to record some of the songs that they have been playing in their Church. And they set out to do this, holed up in a beach house where they spent writing, arranging, and recording the songs. So this isn't just any ordinary recording, as the songs in this t...