The opening set of tracks are all among the best songs I’ve heard on any album in the past few years. From the beginning notes of “Shadows,” I was hooked by the lyrical and musical intensity of the album. The opener kicks off the musical journey immediately relating to listeners, “We’re born into the longing,” which leads to the confessional chorus—“I’ve been running / chasing nothing but shadows / Oh Lord please come / raise my dead heart...You can keep me from chasing after the shadows.” The great Brit-rock style guitar riffs are found throughout this substantive album. “The Struggle” has more vertical lyrics: “Why do I still give in to temptation…I will trust You, take You at Your Word.” That leads to the freedom we can all proclaim as believers in the sincere chorus, “Hallelujah, we are free to struggle / we’re not struggling to be free / Your blood bought it / makes us children / children drop your chains and sing.” Amen!  “Worn” is a beautiful, confessional ballad highlighted by Mike Donehey’s vocal delivery as he prays, “I know that I need to lift my eyes up…but I know that You can give me rest, so I cry out with all that I have left…let me see redemption win / let me know the struggle ends / that You can mend a heart that’s frail and torn /and all that’s dead inside can be reborn / because I’m worn.” The song has quickly become a prayerful anthem in my daily devotional time.

All of these songs are poignant and powerful with earnest worshipful lyrics. “Losing” is filled with the biblical truth about the need for forgiveness—“Oh Father, won’t You forgive them, they don’t know what they’ve been doing / Oh Father, give me grace to forgive them / ‘cause I feel like the one losing.” Corrie ten Boom was known to say that “God put our sins in the deepest sea and then put up a sign that said, No Fishing.” There is no fishing for our own sins, nor any for the sins of others. As God’s children, He removes our sins from us “as far as the east is from the west” – Psalm 103:12. “You Do All Things Well” is another vertical expression of adoration and includes another great guitar riff. Piano based closing song “Lamb of God” could be added to church worship services. The song features a beautiful choir backed proclamation, “You are Holy, You are Worthy, You are Holy, You’re the Lamb of God.” Amen!

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The Struggle is a great collection of confessional and authentic expressions of faith. It appears that the success of the band has allowed them to creatively express themselves and for me that has really paid off with yet another “best” album. The album’s themes are brokenness, healing, forgiveness and mercy. Once again the songs are poignant and powerful, and in recording the new tunes, the band brings a more seasoned level of musicianship and intensity, on par with Coldplay, Hillsong UNITED and Jars of Clay. For me the stand-out songs are “Shadows,” “The Struggle,” “Worn,” “Losing,” “You Do All Things Well” and “Lamb of God.” With one listen to this album it is obvious Tenth Avenue North is taking another bold step forward on their musical journey.

The Way We Worship is the first new FFH album in over two years. Fans will instantly connect with Jennifer and Jeromy’s signature harmonies and classic FFH pop sensibilities. What may be more surprising is the intense lyrical content of the songs. The best examples are found in the original tracks “As For Me,” “I’m Coming Home” and “Glorious King” which are all highlights. I get swept up in the gorgeous and moving chorus of “As For Me” as Jeromy and his church choir belts out the sincere and challenging lyrics, “As for me I will raise Your banner high / I will shout aloud Your name I won’t deny / Jesus You have given all so I give You my life / I will raise Your banner high.” The song challenges me to think about how I will stand up for Jesus in the face of church persecution and it is a great new worship chorus for the Church. “I’m Coming Home” features Jennifer’s signature vocals layered over Jeromy’s very personal lyrics reflecting the distractions of worldly pursuits of success with the poignant words, “I’ve tried to make it in the system / I almost lost my soul in the mayhem / I’m taking what I have left and my dignity and self respect, and Oh, I’m coming home.”

The album also offers an exceptional set of classic hymns, recorded with fresh new melodies and modern arrangements highlighted by “Come Thou Fount,” “Be Still My Soul,” “Softly And Tenderly” and “In The Garden.” Jennifer sings lead on all of these songs and originally recorded them as songs for their kids to remember from her singing these hymns of the faith over them at bedtime. Jennifer breathes her special vocal gift into these gorgeous hymns. Right from the opening song, I could tell I was in for a treat with this anointed collection of songs. Thank you Jennifer for these offerings of praise to our Savior and for blessing us with your voice.

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During their career FFH has been widely embraced for their songs such as “One Of These Days,” “Your Love Is Life To Me,” “You Found Me” and “Watching Over Me.” I've been collecting every song by FFH since their debut album and Jeromy’s sincere songwriting, singing and Jennifer’s pure vocals have always caught my attention. On this new album, from the emotional power behind first single “As For Me,” to the gorgeous and reverent renditions of “Be Still My Soul,” “Softly And Tenderly” and “Always” to closing songs “In The Garden” and “Jesus Paid It All” this album will have you singing along in praise to our God and Savior from start to finish.

Every song is a highlight for me especially the original Christmas songs by Sidewalk Prophets, Dara Maclean, Chris August and Meredith Andrews. There are also spectacular renditions of  “O Holy Night” by Group 1 Crew, “O Come, O Come Emmanuel” by Francesca Battistelli and “O Come All Ye Faithful” by Big Daddy Weave. There are three original songs that stop me in my tracks, “Bethlehem Skies” by Dara Maclean feat. Dave Barnes, “Jesus, Savior” by Chris August and “He Has Come For Us” which is an amazing medley with “God Rest Ye Merry Gentlemen” by Meredith Andrews. I get goose bumps when I sing along with Meredith at the top of my lungs, this song “He Has Come For Us” is incredibly powerful and proclaims the biblical Truth of Christmas. Each time during the song right after Meredith sings the famous lyrics from the classic Christmas hymn of the faith “God Rest Ye Merry Gentlemen”—“O, tidings of comfort and joy”  she sings the profound worship chorus: “He has come for us, This Jesus, He's the hope for all Mankind, He has come for us, The Messiah, Born to give us life.” That’s the application of the song. Jesus is our “tiding of comfort and joy.” This song is our worshipful response to our endless seeking for true comfort and true joy.

Dara Maclean and Meredith Andrews sing their respective songs with such passion it is hard to not get caught up in the emotion of the songs. Both songs are a fantastic way to witness what it means to celebrate the true meaning of Christmas, which is to worship our King Jesus. Jesus gave of Himself. His gift was free and undeserved. That’s the true meaning of Christmas. When you allow that to sink down from your head into your heart, it changes us and how we respond. It affects all aspects of our lives. My prayer for my life and my family is that we all truly understand that Jesus came for each one of us. Our response is to worship Him and share Him with others who don’t know Him. Amen to that!

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A Very Special Christmas: Bringing Peace On Earth is a truly fresh and catchy set of excellent Christmas songs. Vocally, these sixteen artists, including for KING & COUNTRY, Dara Maclean, Chris August, Sidewalk Prophets, Meredith Andrews, Jason Castro, BarlowGirl and Francesca Battistelli bring such passion and talent to these songs, I can't help but experience the true spirit of Christmas.  I'll be listening to these amazing songs consistently this holiday season. A Very Special Christmas: Bringing Peace On Earth prepares my heart and mind to celebrate and revere the birth of my King.

I have loved the hymns “Joyful, Joyful We Adore Thee” based on Beethoven’s 9th symphony, and “Great Is Thy Faithfulness” since I was a young child. As we ready our hearts to celebrate the birth of our King Jesus, Brenton Brown’s great new recordings and re-writes of these hymns of the faith can be found in these energetic live recordings of “Joyful” and “God My Rock.”

Brown’s great new recording of this hymn of the faith “Joyful” is a wonderful way to lift up your voice in praise and adoration of our Savior. He came to earth to teach us how to be more like Him and to die for our sins to save us. Share the love of Jesus with your unsaved friends and family members and tell them the reason for the “hope and joy” in your heart, Jesus! The album features the great worship anthem co-written with Paul Baloche, “Glorious,” which also appeared on Baloche’s last album. Brown and Baloche have been a prolific songwriting team having also co-written the church standards, “Because Of Your Love,” “Hosanna (Praise Is Rising),” and “Our God Saves.”

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Don’t miss any of these great songs for the Church. Brenton Brown’s best overall work is this excellent new album God My Rock. Brenton’s strength is the strong biblical truth of his songs, and he prays and calls upon our King Jesus in every single song. There is absolutely no doubt Who these songs are about. Brenton enthusiastically sings Brit-rock style praise and worship, and the highlights for me are the excellent live recordings of “Joyful,” “God My Rock,” “Hosanna (Praise Is Rising),” “Glorious,” “Humble King” and the closing medley of “Everlasting God” and “How He Loves.”

Lead single "Come To Me" connects to the biblical Truth found in Matthew 11:28: "Come to Me, all you who labor and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest.” God loves you so much. Lean on Him and He’ll give you strength. If you are a follower of Jesus, you can know for certain that God is singing these words over you: “Come to Me, Come to Me, Leave your troubles at the cross…”  Amen! Many of us feel that we’re not worthy of being near God and that He’s using a checklist to determine our worthiness. That’s not the Gospel.  The Good News of the Gospel which this song perfectly portrays it is that God accepts us no matter what we’ve done.  As the song says, “No matter where you’ve been, Or what you’ve done, There is forgiveness if you’ll only come.” What a wonderful, encouraging truth.

The other standout songs are “Hear Me,” “All Things New (Hallelujah),” “Heaven” and the Easter-themed “The Greatest Tear." They all include more strong statements of faith. Within a culture where it’s easier to keep songs focused on the good and the joyful, Kyle discovered that recording his most honest songs – the Psalm-like “Hear Me,” for instance – was somewhat nerve-racking, but necessary. “It’s scary and vulnerable to say ‘I don’t understand You, God’ or ‘My life is messed up and nothing seems to be changing’ when expressing how we really feel about living out our faith. But it’s been proven over and over that the most relatable music is the most emotionally transparent. It’s been great to experience peoples’ walls breaking down through these songs.” The lyrics of “Heaven” come right from the best-selling book “Heaven Is For Real” by Todd Burpo. The messages of the songs really draw me in as Kyle proclaims in “Hear Me” that it’s okay to be honest with God. God wants us to be honest with Him and speak with our hearts to receive His daily mercies and grace. I like how these songs invite listeners into those Psalm-like questions and allow listeners to settle in for a worshipful journey, allowing the truth of the songs to soak in. I can really hear that Kyle is personally connected to the lyrics and he is consistently emoting the feelings and messages behind these songs with his warm singing style.

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All of these songs are unashamed of the Gospel and Kyle is the type of artist you’ll want to tell others about. The album could come with one of those “satisfaction guaranteed” recommendations as the themes appeal to anyone and musically their sound is extremely radio friendly, especially the standout songs, “Hear Me,” “Come To Me,” “All Things New (Hallelujah),” “Heaven” and “The Greatest Tear." After repeated listens, the songs get deeper into the recesses of your heart with the challenging messages. This is one of the most worshipful, challenging and introspective albums I’ve heard this year. Whether as an album to set the mood for reflection and worship or for personal times of devotion, I rate Hear Me by Kyle Sherman highly for fans of truth telling folk style singer-songwriters like Andrew Peterson, Bebo Norman and Jason Gray.

The stories gave Matthew a window into what his fans had experienced in their lives. And they covered a wide range of human experiences and emotions. “Into The Light” perhaps serves as a capstone to the entire album, describing a woman who escaped an abusive situation and the journey out of the darkness that held her prisoner for so long with these poignant lyrics reflecting the freedom we have in Christ— “No more, no more living in the shadows now / Step into the light.”  Following the great trend already established by Matthew West of completely transparent and vulnerable lyrics, "Hello My Name Is" addresses the truth of how our identities are too often shaped by the world and as believers we are set free as he proclaims in these lyrics inspired by a young man named Jordan: “These are the voices, these are the lies / And I have believed them, for the very last time / Hello, my name is child of the one true King / I’ve been saved, I’ve been changed, and I have been set free / “Amazing Grace” is the song I sing / Hello, my name is child of the one true King.”

The powerful lead single “Forgiveness” chronicles a mother dealing with the death of her daughter at the hands of a drunk driver. The song displays how much God wants us to dispose our hearts to forgive each other. This is not enough, we must seek the welfare even of those who offend us. Let us seek more and more for the renewing grace of God, to teach us to forgive others as we hope for forgiveness from Him. As the song beautifully states, “I want to finally set it free, So show me how to see what Your mercy sees, Help me now to give what You gave to me, Forgiveness, Forgiveness.” Amen to that! Another of the album’s strongest tunes is “Moved by Mercy,” which West wrote about a young woman named Krystal who was a victim of abuse and neglect as a child. As an adult she found her way to Mercy Ministries, a shelter for women and she realized that God had not abandoned her. He had protected her and is working in her life. The female vocalist in the song is Caitlin Evanson and her powerful vocals gorgeously proclaim the beautiful refrain—“Take me far away now / From this broken place now / Somewhere they can’t hurt me / I wanna be moved by mercy / Jesus, I can’t see You / I just know I need You / Help me start a new life / Let my heart be moved by mercy.”

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From "More," "You Are Everything" and "The Motions" to “Strong Enough” and “Forgiveness,” I continue to hear a progression musically and lyrically from Matthew West. Into The Light  is yet another solid album from one of Christian music’s most prolific singer-songwriters.  Certainly "Into The Light, “Hello My Name Is,” “Forgiveness” and “Moved by Mercy” will all get heavy radio airplay and deserve recognition. Those songs all have very strong messages and are all catchy and uplifting. “Forgiveness” is my selection for Song of the Year. If you want to be challenged, moved, and step “into the light” with songs inspired by real life stories, then don’t miss this album. Several of these songs are instant classics and for sure, West will be considered for Pop/Contemporary Album, Artist, and Male Vocalist of the Year.

Opening track “Oh How I Need You” has a NEEDTOBREATHE musical feel reminding me of “The Outsiders” with the rollicking banjo part. The song was co-written with Stu G from Delirious and the opening lyrics are based on writings of Mother Teresa: “Lord I find You in the seeking / Lord I find You in the doubt / And to know You is to Love / And to know so little else.” If you are looking for a fresh new worship song to sing at your church, I highly recommend “Rising Sun.” The message is contemplative and worshipful with the call to worship: “Praise Him all you sinners, sing oh sing you weary / Oh praise Him all you children of God, We lift high His glory / Shown throughout our stories, we praise Him as the children of God” which leads into the worshipful chorus—“Our great Redeemer, Glorious Savior, Your name is higher than the rising sun / Light of the morning, You shine forever / Your name is higher than the rising sun.” Amen to that!

With The Longing, Leonard and Jordan continue to give words to the cries of worshipers everywhere with new songs like the title track “The Longing” which proclaims: “Love is and always was / The longing placed inside my heart / To know You and be known by You.” God speaks to us in different ways and I find myself closest to Him in my times of prayer and reflection, especially with songs of praise and adoration like “The Longing.” For me, this song reflects what's on my heart and my greatest desire as a follower of Jesus is to live out the Gospel and these songs all help me with my walk and challenge me to gain that "righteousness that comes from God and is by faith." Daily we are presented with the choices of how to use our time, lifestyle choices, pursuit of riches, living for today not knowing what tomorrow has in store for us and questioning our loneliness and looking for meaning.  You can take comfort in knowing that “Nothing compares to the greatness of knowing Jesus.” Amen.

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These incredibly anointed songs cause me to worship along loudly with these talented worship leaders at the feet of Jesus and offer Him all of my praise and surrender to His majesty. Don’t miss out on All Sons & Daughters. This 3^rd EP The Longing is compelling and ranks as my favorite of their three EPs. These prayerful sentiments are consistently filled with their personal adoration of God. Several of these songs should be added to your Sunday morning worship set, especially “Oh How I Need You,” “Hear The Sound,” “Rising Sun” and “The Longing.”

The album begins with a new worship classic “To Our God” featuring Brian Johnson, and the energy and enthusiasm of the crowd is infectious. I knew when I started singing and worshipping God along with the live recording that I was in for a real treat. The next hour and all 13 songs kept me hooked with the incredible vocals, stellar guitar playing and the amazing audience participation including two tracks of spontaneous worship, “Everything To You” feat. Jenn Johnson and “I Really Love You” feat. Brian and Jenn Johnson. This is what a live recording is all about. The vertical worship and number of songs I could imagine singing in union with fellow believers in a corporate worship setting is another highlight of this very solid album. Some of the songs that would be great additions to church services are “Our Father” feat. Jenn Johnson, “This is Amazing Grace” feat. Jeremy Riddle, and “You Have Won Me” feat. Brian Johnson which has the expressive chorus, “Jesus You have won me…You are worthy of glory and praise.” 

Other highlights are “In Your Light” feat. Jeremy Riddle, “Freedom” feat. William Matthews and “Closer” feat. Steffany Frizzell-Gretzinger stops me in my tracks as Steffany slays me with her confessional and prayerful vocal style. Similar to “You Know Me” from The Loft Sessions, recently married Steffany offers her devotion directly to God with these gorgeous lyrics—“Your love has ravished my heart and taken me over, taken me over, and all I want is to be with You forever, with You forever / So pull me a little closer, take me a little deeper / I want to know Your heart, I want to know Your heart / Because Your love is so much sweeter than anything I’ve ever tasted, I want to know Your heart, I want to know Your heart.” There is great comfort in knowing Jesus and being known by Him in every detail of our lives. Amen to that!

Don’t miss the epic title track “For The Sake of the World” feat. Brian Johnson. It is an instant classic for the Church in the style of Hillsong worship anthems “Mighty To Save,” “The Stand” and “From The Inside Out.” He has also written and sung the current hit worship song “One Thing Remains” recorded by Passion Worship feat. Kristian Stanfill, Jesus Culture, and others. For The Sake Of The World is the heart cry, and a declaration, by the Bethel Music artists widely known for their passionate, intimate worship.“It’s for the world to see us burning for Him,” says Brian Johnson, sharing the purpose for the album. “There’s a culture that’s contagious within the songs and within the worship in the live moments that people can feel on the live CDs.  That’s really what we’re trying to capture. We’ve seen it throughout history – when there is a man or woman of God that burns for Him, it’s contagious.” Thank you Bethel Music for these incredible musical offerings to Jesus.

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If you like the recent worship classics “One Thing Remains,” “Forever Reign,” “Love Came Down” and “10,000 Reasons” you’ll love the album For The Sake Of The World. If you like Brit-Rock style praise and worship artists Hillsong UNITED, Matt Redman, Tim Hughes and Jesus Culture, then you can’t go wrong with the Bethel Live worship team. Every song on this album has quickly become a staple in my playlist of my favorite worship anthems. Every song is worshipful and catchy. My best description of this incredible album is to remember the first time you attended a worship event that caused you to lose yourself in the prayerful lyrics and you felt God’s presence. If you want to re-live that experience, then you need to get For The Sake Of The World.

Regarding recent number one hit song "He Said" featuring Chris August, complete confidence in and reliance upon the grace of God is the theme of this great new song. God has called Christians to become mature and complete, as first fruits of all He created. This is so high a calling and so valuable an attainment that we may consider even trials along the way pure joy! The three singers blend perfectly and bring home the biblical truth of the song--that God will never leave or forsake us. This song really has an uplifting message and challenges listeners to think about whether they are trusting God in times of trouble. Are we understanding that God won’t give us more than we can handle and know that sometimes trials are meant to refine us and draw us closer to God? Like in the hymn “Refiner’s Fire”—we are meant to be refined to be more like Jesus and as the song reminds us, “Don't you forget what He said!” Amen!

What’s especially cool about “He Said” is how by featuring Chris August in the song, this truly is a departure from the hip-hop style of the band and will remind you of some of August’s hit contemporary songs like “Battle” and “Starry Night” while still featuring Manwell’s and Blanca’s signature harmonies and bold Gospel message. For me, that’s a notable distinction on every song from this great new album. Some of the songs reflecting biblical messages include “His Kind Of Love,” “The Difference,” “Dangerous,” “Fearless,” “Not The End of Me” and “Steppin’ Out.” Each of these songs features lyrics professing reliance on God such as in “His Kind of Love”—“This is our God, He is strong and His mercy is our song.” The blend of Blanca and Manwell’s vocals on “Dangerous” is a highlight as Blanca belts out: “Whatever it takes, I want You to make, make me more like You... I want to live dangerous.” Also in the bridge of “Fearless”—“If You’re with me, who can be against me.” For those looking for Group 1 Crew’s more traditional hip-hop dance style, that can be found in “Goin’ Down,” “Darkest Valley,” which features poignant and personal lyrics based on Psalm 23, “Night Of My Life” and “Freq Dat.”

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Fearless is truly is a departure from the hip-hop style of the band and are musically more in the style of “He Said” and “Walking On The Stars” with Blanca’s strong vocals prominently featured. For me, this is a welcome change as I’ve always enjoyed her vocals and each of these songs is a potential radio hit.  Each song also features a bold Gospel message, like in their hit song “Keys To The Kingdom.” For me, that’s a notable distinction on every song from this great new album. As much as I enjoyed the catchy melodies from Outta Space Love, every song is Gospel message focused on Fearless. As “He Said” rose to the top of the charts, I expect several of these songs to also resonate with radio listeners, especially “His Kind Of Love,” “The Difference,” “Dangerous,” “Fearless,” “Not The End of Me” and “Steppin’ Out.”

Opening song “All Things Possible” gets this great album going with an upbeat reminder of what it means to live in the freedom of God’s grace. Mark has written another great anthem for the Church that reminds us that under our own strength many mountains we face will seem impossible, but with God all things are possible. The same goes for salvation, we can’t earn Heaven, only through complete surrender to Jesus and putting all of our hope in Him can we be saved. As Christians, we all can loudly proclaim the bridge: “My God is strong and mighty, My God is faithful, My hope is in the Lord, For He is able, For He is able.” Amen to that! There are also great hymn re-writes of “It Is Well” and “Be Still.” Like his previous hit song “Love Has Come,” they are both great anthems that I can imagine singing in church with fellow believers. Other highlights on this album include Mark’s song of encouragement “One Day” and the upbeat song “I Gave Up.” Both songs are filled with biblical truth with refrains of  “one day we will touch the Healer’s hand, one day we will be whole again” and “Everything I got ain’t what I’m worth, that’s not the reason I’m living… I’ve got everything I need in life if love’s all we’re taking to Heaven.” Amen!

“Love Walked In” and “More To You Than This” include Mark’s signature storytelling and keep the great musical and lyrical intensity going. For me, these songs are the standout experiences of this stellar album. I find myself hanging on every note of the gorgeous and moving “relationship” song, “Love Walked In.” I’ve been married for eighteen years, and Mark beautifully phrases how to heal and restore marriages as followers of Jesus, “Love walked in through the door, face to face with brokenness, said it’s still worth dying for, met the world with a kiss, walls fell down when Love walked in.” “More To You Than This” is a wonderful song for women about knowing their true identity. I get goose bumps when Mark sings the incredible bridge: “And all the love you need, you cannot find it, inside a magazine, you cannot buy it, don’t let them pull you in, don’t let them sell you, your God died on a Cross, He died to tell you, there is more to you than the lies you believe, they were never true.” I have three young daughters and this year has been marked by several songs by Christian singers about finding their true identity in Christ which all minister to me and my family. My daughters are more precious than anything in the world to me and to their Heavenly Father. This song celebrates the biblical Truth from Psalm 139, that we are “fearfully and wonderfully made.” I break down as I sing and pray along for my wife and daughters to find their true identity in Christ when Mark begins and ends the song with the poignant lyrics “I know you’re compared to some image on a page…but it’s fake.”

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I've been collecting every song by Mark Schultz since his debut self-titled album and his sincere songwriting and pure vocals have always caught my attention. The emotion behind his songs “He's My Son,” “When You Come Home,” “Letters From War,” “Walking Her Home” and “Love Has Come” have all made my regular rotation of my favorite songs of the past dozen years in CCM. On this new album, from the emotional power behind first single “All Things Possible,” to his story-songs of encouragement “One Day,” “Love Walked In” and “More To You Than This” and the upbeat song “I Gave Up” this album has me singing along in praise to my God and Savior from start to finish.