Freedom's Tree by Southville released on October 6th. The independent UK based worship collective's first album features a selection of songs written over the course of 2016. If you like Tree63, Bluetree and Tim Hughes, you'll enjoy this collection of worshipful songs. These prayerful sentiments are consistently filled with personal adoration of God, celebrating the gift of salvation in Christ. Our worship should be Christ-centered, and these songs are all about Jesus.

These songs came from over 20 local church writers as well as input gained from the church congregation at the Elim Church in Yeovil, a unique approach which makes this a particularly unique project that really was composed "by the church, for the church." I had the chance to speak with Tim Williams about "Freedom's Tree."

Please tell me the personal story behind this song.

A lot of this album was a group effort, and there were a lot of people involved in songwriting. This song was quite unique in that process. It was mostly written by me and my senior pastor, Howard Davenport. He was on sabbatical, and he sent through some ideas for verses that he had, and they became the verses for this song. He was trying to share the Gospel from beginning to end in a song. I remember reading it and thinking it was incredible, like a modern hymn. 

Originally as he was writing it, he thought of it as two or three verses and a chorus. There are so many elements in this song, and as I was reading the lyrics, it was getting sung. I was singing the melody in my head, and the song was writing itself. This was a God given song that poured straight out from Him. There are songs you have to write again and again, and this was a song that fell together in place. 

The key verse for me was verse four. I remember when we were talking about people dying for their faith, we felt that in the world we live in right now where Christians are dying for their faith every day, I can't think of a lot of songs that tackle that head on. People are going to die for their faith, but there is hope before us. When Christ returns, they are going ahead of us. I love how that is included in this song. The lyrics and melody came together easily, and we just made sure that theologically it was correct and the Gospel story was told.

Which Bible verses connect to the message of the song?

1 Peter 2:24 (NIV): "He himself bore our sins in His body on the cross, so that we might die to sins and live for righteousness; By His wounds you have been healed."

John 15:13 (NKJV): "Greater love has no one than this, than to lay down one's life for his friends."

Philippians 2:10-11 (NIV): "That at the name of Jesus every knee should bow, in heaven and on earth and under the earth, and every tongue acknowledge that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father."

Ephesians 2:1 (NKJV): "And you He made alive, who were dead in trespasses and sins."

Ephesians 2:6 (NIV): "And God raised us up with Christ and seated us with Him in the heavenly realms in Christ Jesus."

Romans 8:37 (NLT): "No, despite all these things, overwhelming victory is ours through Christ, who loved us."

John 15:20 (NIV): Remember what I told you: 'A servant is not greater than his Master.' If they persecuted Me, they will persecute you also. If they obeyed My teaching, they will obey yours also.
 
John 16:33 (NIV): "I have told you these things, so that in me you may have peace. In this world you will have trouble. But take heart! I have overcome the world."

What is the takeaway message?

The key to this song is the exaltation: at the end of every verse and every step of our journey, we lift our voices to the glorious King of freedom's tree. The theme of this entire album is that everything we go through in life and in every part of our lives, we need to constantly be coming back to lifting our voices to the King and bringing glory to His name. Literally in this song we originally had a different chorus for every verse, but instead wanted to come back to glorifying His name in between every element of what Christ did for. We can't help but pause and praise Him. In every step of our journey we need to lift our voices. We could keep telling His story, but sometimes we need to stop and pause and praise Him for what He's done for us. 

"Every Call" is a key song for us as a church, and the song continually echoes out that Christ is standing with us. We are constantly calling out His name through everything that we do and face. Something we want people to take away from this song and this album is to have those moments where we stop and call out to Him. In everything, lift your voices as an anthem for our lives.

Lyrics:
Once blind and lost, 'Till found by God
When I'd no plan, led me by hand
I choose today, this narrow way
To live for Christ through fire or night

Lift your voices
Christ the Lord is the glorious King of freedom's tree
Lift your voices
Christ the Lord is the glorious King of freedom's tree

The heart of God, broken for us
The pound of nails, the lamb is slain
Thorns cut His brow, but sin dies now
They split His side, my wrong made right

The promise made, that He be raised
To crush death's curse God kept His word
The grave clothes lay, where death has failed
The grave was burst by Christ the first

When Christ returns to 
Judge the world
We'll bow before the King of awe
Some die for faith, their blood cries praise
In whitest robes they'll lead us home

Lift your voices
Christ the Lord says, "welcome servants of freedom's tree"
Lift your voices
Christ the Lord says, "welcome servants of freedom's tree" 

This album lights a fire in Christians to know and proclaim what you stand for, no matter what the world tells you to do. Don't compromise. Don't forsake God or be ashamed of the Gospel. Stand up for what you believe. There is an infectious urgency to this song. As we live in these last days, it is very important to think about what you would be found doing if the Lord were to return today.  Some truths that we can rally behind together as followers of Christ are that God is our Father, He sent His Son Jesus to die for our sins and He rose again and defeated death. We can all say hallelujah and celebrate those truths together while singing along with this song.

This song is a salvation message, moving me to reflect on just how much Jesus endured for His bride to purchase us from the grave. People don't want to deal with Jesus Christ because He requires people to admit they are sinners in need of a Savior. God knows what we need, and loves and cares for each of us deeply. You can make the decision to admit you are a sinner, believe that Jesus is the Son of God and came to die as a sinless Savior on our behalf, and choose to make Him the Lord of your life. This song is about submitting all of ourselves to Jesus and His goodness and allowing His blood to cover us and run through our veins. Have courage and sing along: "Some die for faith, their blood cries praise, in whitest robes they'll lead us home."

The message of this song challenges listeners to think about our own doubts and how Jesus calls us to rely on Him and the power of His resurrection, to remember that He has overcome death and fear. No matter where you are in your walk with Jesus, this song is a salvation message that helps us remember that Jesus truly came to die and rose to set us free. "Freedom's Tree" is an emotive and poetic description of the beautiful picture of what Jesus did for us. You'll want to join fellow believers in singing these words: "Lift your voices, Christ the Lord is the glorious King of freedom's tree." Amen to that!

Watch an acoustic performance of the song below.