Casting Crowns Lifesong Study

Casting Crowns Lifesong Study A study on Life and Worship 2006 Overview 1 Foundation for Worship Week 1 Lifesong Week 2 Praise You In This Storm Week 3 Father, Spirit, Jesus The words in these songs will never come close to, and were never intended to come along side, the Scripture, as if God's word needed any help. 2 Missing the Point of Worship Week 4 Stained Glass Masquerade Week 5 Does Anybody Hear Her? Week 6 While You Were Sleeping 3 Worship in Action Week 7 Love Them Like Jesus Week 8 Prodigal Week 9 Set Me Free The text of this study has been taken directly from the Casting Crowns CD, Lifesong. All copyrights, implied and otherwise, belong to them. This study guide was compiled by Jim Walton of for the purpose of a small group study and is distributed for that purpose. 4 Free to Worship Week 10 In Me Week 11 And Now My Lifesong Sings Week 12 The Reality of Worship

Foundation for Worship Week 1 LIFESONG Worship is so much more than the songs I sing. Instead, worship is in the heart that lifts the song. If you think about it, worship began when I woke up this morning. My life purpose is to give God glory through everything I do. If my life does not worship Him, my songs don t either. Matthew 15:8-9 Matthew 23:25-28 Galatians 2:20 Colossians 3:17 LIFESONG Empty hands held high Such small sacrifice If not joined with my life I sing in vain tonight May the words I say And the things I do Make my lifesong sing Bring a smile to You Let my lifesong sing to You Let my lifesong sing to You I want to sign Your name to the end of this day Knowing that my heart was true Let my lifesong sing to You Lord I give my life A living sacrifice To reach a world in need To be Your hands and feet So may the words I say And the things I do Make my lifesong sing Bring a smile to You Hallelujah Hallelujah Let my lifesong sing to You

Foundation for Worship Week 2 PRAISE YOU IN THIS STORM If there ever were a test of our faith if there ever were a test of the motives of our worship it is when a storm rolls into our lives. We watched and prayed for a precious little girl named Erin Edwards struggle with a deadly disease for several years. The courage, the witness, and the worship of Erin s mother, Laurie inspired this song. Sometimes God calms our storms. Sometimes He chooses to ride them with us. Romans 8:28 2 Corinthians 4:16-18 Psalms 42:5 Psalms 121:1-2 Job 1:20-21 Daniel 3:16-18 PRAISE YOU IN THIS STORM I was sure by now That You would have reached down And wiped our tears away Stepped in and saved the day But once again, I say Amen and it s still raining As the thunder rolls I barely hear You whisper through the rain I m with you And as Your mercy falls I raise my hands and praise the God Who gives and takes away Chorus: I ll praise You in this storm And I will lift my hands For you are who you are No matter where I am Every tear I ve cried You hold in Your hand You never left my side And though my heart is torn I will praise you in this storm I remember when I stumbled in the wind You heard my cry You raised me up again My strength is almost gone How can I carry on If I can t find You Chorus I lift my eyes unto the hills Where does my help come from? My help comes from the Lord The Maker of Heaven and Earth Repeat Chorus

Foundation for Worship Week 3 FATHER, SPIRIT, JESUS He has rescued us from the dominion of darkness and delivered us into the kingdom of the Son He loves. We sing a song that the angels can t sing the song of the redeemed. Romans 4:7-8 FATHER, SPIRIT, JESUS Lord, the worship we bring Is more than songs that we sing It s a reflection of our ever-changing lives The best we have to offer We don t just lift up our hands Lord, we lift up our lives For we know that You are worthy of our praise To You our lifesongs raise Rescued from darkness We are walking in marvelous light For we are children of the King! SING! You are worthy of our honor Glory, praise and power King of the nations You are holy God almighty Clothed in brilliant majesty Father, Spirit, Jesus

Missing the Point of Worship Week 4 STAINED GLASS MASQUERADE I don t think it bothers the world that we sin. I think it bothers the world that we act like we don t. There are times that instead of being myself and exposing my own weakness and hurt, I portray a character of the person that I know I should be. But when I expose myself as weak and frail at times, it frees the Body of Christ to restore me as it should and invites others to unmask as well. Matthew 23:25-28 Matthew 7:1-6 John 8:7-9 Galatians 6:1 1 John 1:9 1 Corinthians 15:9 2 Corinthians 12:9 Romans 14:1 STAINED GLASS MASQUERADE Is there anyone that fails Is there anyone that falls Am I the only one in church today feelin so small Cause when I take a look around Everybody seems so strong I know they ll soon discover That I don t belong So I tuck it all away, like everything s okay If I make them all believe it, maybe I ll believe it too So with a painted grin, I play the part again So everyone will see me the way that I see them Chorus Are we happy plastic people Under shiny plastic steeples With walls around our weakness And smiles to hide our pain But if the invitation s open To every heart that has been broken Maybe then we close the curtain On our stained glass masquerade Is there anyone who s been there Are there any hands to raise Am I the only one who s traded In the altar for a stage The performance is convincing And we know every line by heart Only when no one is watching Can we really fall apart But would it set me free If I dared to let you see The truth behind the person That you imagine me to be Would your arms be open Or would you walk away Would the love of Jesus Be enough to make you stay Chorus x2 Well if the invitation s open To every heart that has been broken Maybe then we close the curtain On our stained glass masquerade Is there anyone that fails Is there anyone that falls Am I the only one in church today feelin so small

Missing The Point of Worship Week 5 DOES ANYBODY HEAR HER? They are all around us. To become numb to their pain is to become numb to the very heart of God and the suffering of His only Son. Romans 10:14 Acts 5:20 Matthew 28:19-20 1 Peter 3:15 2 Corinthians 5:20 DOES ANYBODY HEAR HER? She is running A hundred miles an hour in the wrong direction She is trying But the canyon s ever widening In the depths of her cold heart So she sets out on another misadventure just to find She s another two years older And she s three more steps behind Does anybody hear her? Can anybody see? Or does anybody even knows she s going down today Under the shadow of our steeple With all the lost and lonely people Searching for the hope that s tucked away in you and me Does anybody hear her? Can anybody see? She is yearning For shelter and affection That she never found at home She is searching For a hero to ride in To ride in and save the day And in walks her prince charming And he knows just what to say Momentary lapse of reason And she gives herself away If judgement looms under every steeple If lofty glances from lofty people Can t see past her scarlet letter And we never even met her

Missing the Point of Worship Week 6 WHILE YOU WERE SLEEPING I set out to set the classic hymn Oh Little Town of Behlehem to new music and, in the process, rediscovered the song and its message. They slept through it. Bethlehem missed the birth of the Savior of the world. Jerusalem did the same with Jesus ministry among them. Seems crazy til we as a nation look in the mirror. Matthew 25:5 Read the story 1 Thessalonians 5:4-8 Romans 13:11 Luke 13:34-35 Matthew 25:13 Matthew 26:41 Ephesians 5:8-14 1 Thessalonians 4:16-18 Isaiah 53:6-7 WHILE YOU WERE SLEEPING Oh little town of Bethlehem Looks like another silent night Above your deep and dreamless sleep A giant star lights up the sky And while you re lying in the dark There shines an everlasting light For the King has left His throne And is sleeping in a manger tonight, tonight Oh Bethlehem, what you have missed while you were sleeping For God became a man And stepped into your world today Oh Bethlehem, you will go down in history As a city with no room for its King While you were sleeping While you were sleeping Oh little town of Jerusalem Looks like another silent night The Father gave His only Son The Way, the Truth, the Life had come But there was no room for Him in the world He came to save Jerusalem, what you have missed while you were sleeping The Savior of the world is dying on your cross today Jerusalem, you will go down in history As a city with no room for its King While you were sleeping While you were sleeping United States of America Looks like another silent night As we re sung to sleep by philosophies That save the trees and kill the children And while we re lying in the dark There s a shout heard cross the eastern sky For the Bridegroom has returned And has carried His bride away in the night America, what will we miss while we are sleeping Will Jesus come again And leave us slumbering where we lay America, will we go down in history As a nation with no room for its King Will we be sleeping? Will we be sleeping?

Worship in Action Week 7 LOVE THEM LIKE JESUS This song is a sequel an answer to the questions posed in Here I Go Again. When I fear what to say, I ve taken my eyes off Jesus. He will restore. He will THIS SECTION LEFT INTENTIONALLY BLANK. rebuild. He will answer the questions. My place is just being there, loving them and pointing them to the Father. Matthew 11:28-29 1 Corinthians 3:7 Isaiah 55:10-11 Phillippians 2 2 Corinthians 4:7-18 2 Corinthians 12:9 1 Thessalonians 4:13, 16-18 Hebrews 4:14-16 Matthew 11:28 JUST TURN THE PAGE------------->

HERE I GO AGAIN LOVE THEM LIKE JESUS Father, hear my prayer I need the perfect words Words that he will hear And know they re straight from You I don t know what to say I only know it hurts To see my only friend slowly fade away Chorus: So maybe this time I ll speak the words of life With Your fire in my eyes But that old familiar fear is tearin at my words What am I so afraid of? Cause here I go again Talkin bout the rain And mullin over things that won t live past today And as I dance around the truth Time is not his friend This might be my last chance to tell him that You love Him But here I go again Here I go again Lord, You love him so You gave Your only Son If he will just believe He will never die But how then will he know What he has never heard? Lord he has never seen mirrored in my life Chorus: But here I go again Here I go, here I go Chorus: This might be my last chance To tell him that You love him This might be my last chance To tell him that You love him You love him, You love him What am I so afraid What am I so afraid of? How then will he know What he has never heard? The love of her life is drifting away They re losing the fight for another day The life that she s known is falling apart A fatherless home, a child s broken heart You re holding her hand, you re straining for words You trying to make sense of it all She s desperate for hope, darkness clouding her view She s looking to you Just love her like Jesus, carry her to Him His yoke is easy, His burden is light You don t need the answers to all of life s questions Just know that He loves her and stay by her side Love her like Jesus Love her like Jesus The gifts lie in wait, in a room painted blue Little blessing from Heaven would be there soon Hope fades in the night, blue skies turn to gray As the little one slips away You re holding her hand, you re straining for words You re trying to make sense of it all They re desperate for hope, darkness clouding their view They re looking to you Just love them like Jesus, carry them to Him His yoke is easy, His burden is light You don t need the answers to all of life s questions Just know that He loves them and stay by their side Love them like Jesus Lord of all creation holds our lives in His hands The God of all the nations holds our lives in His hands The Rock of our salvation holds our lives in His hands He cares for them just as He cares for you So love them like Jesus, love them like Jesus You don t need the answers to all of life s questions Just know that He loves them and stay by their side Love them like Jesus Love them like Jesus

Worship in Action Week 8 PRODIGAL I ve come crawling back with the stench of my old life still in my clothes. Thank You, Father, for your love and patience for the prodigal in all of us. Luke 15:11-12 1 John 1:9 PRODIGAL Living on my own, thinking for myself Castles in sand, temporary wealth Walls arefalling down, storms are closing in Tears have filled my eyes, here I am again And I ve held out as long as I can Now I m letting go and holding out my hand Chrous: Daddy, here I am again, will you take me back tonight I went and made the world my friend, and it left me high and dry I drag Your name back through the mud That You first found me in Not worthy to be called Your son Is this to be my end? Daddy, here I am Here I am again Curse this morning sun, drags me in to one more day Of reaping what I ve sown, of living with my shame Welcome to my world, and the life that I have made WHere one day you re a prince, the next day your a slave Chorus

Worship in Action Week 9 SET ME FREE This song follows the account in Matthew of the man full of demons until he met Jesus. Mark 5:1-13 Ephesians 2:1-10 Romans 8 Revelation 1:18 SET ME FREE It hasn t always been this way I remember brighter days Before the dark ones came Stole my mind Wrapped my soul in chains Now I live among the dead Fighting voices in my head Hoping someone hears me crying in the night And carries my away Chorus: Set me free of the chains holding me Is anybody out there hearing me? Set me free Morning breaks another day Finds me crying in the rain All alone with my demons I am Who is this man that comes my way? The darks ones shriek They scream His name Is this the One they say will set the captives free? Jesus, rescue me Chorus As the God man passes by He looks straight through my eyes And darkness cannot hide Chorus 2: Do you want to be free? Lift your chains I hold the key All Power on Heaven and earth belong to me (Repeat) You are free You are free You are free

Free to Worship Week 10 IN ME God does not need us. He wants us. To fear is to take our eyes off Jesus Thanks to John Michael Hall for his kickin awesome solo. 1 Corinthians 1:24-28 2 Corinthians 12:9 1 Corinthians 4:20 2 Timothy 1:7 IN ME If you asked me to leap Out of my boat on the crashing waves If you ask me to go Preach to a lost world of Jesus saves I ll go, but I cannot go alone Cause I know I m nothing on my own But the power of Christ in me makes me strong Makes me strong Cause when I m weak, You make me strong When I m blind you shine Your light on me Cause I ll never get by living on my own ability How refreshing to know You don t need me How amazing to find that you want me So I ll stand on Your Truth, and I ll fight with Your Strength Untill You bring the victory, by the power of Christ in me If you ask me to run / And carry your light into foreign land If you ask me to fight / Deliver your people from satan s hand I ll go, but I cannot go alone Cause I know I m nothing on my own But the power of Christ in me makes me strong Makes me strong Cause when I m weak, You make me strong When I m blind you shine Your light on me Cause I ll never get by living on my own ability How refreshing to know You don t need me How amazing to find that You want me So I ll stand on Your Truth, and I ll fight with Your Strength Untill You bring the victory, by the power of Christ in me To reach out with Your hands / To learn through Your eyes To love with the love of a savior To feel with Your heart and to think with Your mind I d give my last breath for Your glory Cause when I m weak, You make me strong When I m blind you shine Your light on me Cause I ll never get by living on my own ability when I m weak, You make me strong When I m blind you shine Your light on me Cause I ll never get by living on my own ability How refreshing to know You don t need me How amazing to find that You want me So I ll stand on Your Truth, and I ll fight with Your Strength Untill You bring the victory, by the power of Christ in me The power of Christ in me

Free to Worship Week 11 AND NOW MY LIFESONG SINGS When God s hand of grace extends to us the unearned and undeserved hand of grace all we have left to do is worship. Not as debtors who could ever begin to repay our Father, but as children who merely respond to Him with our lives. Our new and everlasting lives. AND NOW MY LIFESONG SINGS I once was lost, but now I m found I once was lost, but now I m found So far away, but I m home now I once was lost, but now I m found And now my lifesong sings I once was blind, but now I see I once was blind, but now I see I don t know how, but when He touched me I once was blind, but now I see And now my lifesong sings And now my lifesong sings And now my lifesong sings I once was dead, but now I live I once was dead, but now I live Now my life to You I give Now my life to You I give Now my life to You I give Hallelujah Hallelujah Let my lifesong sing to You Galatians 2:20 Colossians 3:3-4 Luke 15:32 Romans 5:1-11 Ephesians 2:1-10

Free to Worship Week 12 THE REALITY OF WORSHIP