I don’t watch television much, but I keep up with a few shows. One of those is Brooklyn Nine-Nine. In the final shot of the latest episode I noticed something that immediately made me think of Common Ground by Julianna Zobrist from Shatterproof (2016).

In Casecation (s6 e12), Jake and Amy have a marital dispute. The final shot of the episode features them leaving in an elevator, as Jake says “common ground.” the elevator doors converge on a background image of someone wearing a cross..

I’m not saying it’s a clear reference to Common Ground, but I am saying that it’s odd this particular arrangement made it into the show, because nothing you see in television and cinema is by accident.

I see that look in your eye,
The one that says you know you’re right,
You know you’re right,
Because we’ve argued this a million times,
But never seeing eye to eye.

Is this a bridge worth dying on?
A hill to crucify upon,
Our bitterness will never save us,
We’ve gotta find some common ground…

‘Cause when all is said and done,
Doesn’t matter who has won,
When clarity is found,
He is,
The common ground.

We are the same here, you and me,
Standing underneath the tree,
And clarity is found,
He is,
The common ground.

We’ve got a husband and wife relationship and an argument, just like Jake and Amy. But then a search for common ground, and in a Christian marriage that comes from Christ, as both parties bow at the foot of the cross.

We were raised so differently,
And being mean is so easy,
It’s so easy,
But if we lay our guns aside,
We’ll finally start to realise,
We’ll realise…

We have no bridge worth dying on,
No accolade to stand upon,
Our righteousness will never save us,
We’ve gotta find some common ground…

By the great mercy of Christ,
He offered up a sacrifice,
And in His light, we are found,
He is the common ground.

Common Ground – Jullianna Zobrist

Given how much I listen to Don Francisco it’s surprising one of his song’s hasn’t been on here before. Over the past week I’ve been thinking about Holiness, and been listening to Holiness by Don Francisco from Holiness (1984).

My thoughts have centred how I live my life, I’m spending more time in God’s Word, more time thinking about Him, and more time learning about Him. And the things of this world are slowly fading away.

When God took His people to the promised land,
He gave them their freedom and He gave a command,
He said, “West of the Jordan you can have all you see,
But beware of their idols and be holy to Me.”

Holiness, holiness,
It’s the only life that the Lord can bless,
Holiness, holiness,
It’s the Lord’s command, not the Lord’s request.

They heard the command, but did not obey,
They hardened their hearts and wandered away,
From the goodness of God and the blessings He gave,
To traditions of men and the yolk of a slave.

I don’t think there’s much I can add to the lyrics, but I’m not growing closer to God by following rules and laws. I’m growing closer to God because the more I see and learn about Him, the more I want to say “Yes.”

Jesus is calling you, come take my hand,
I’ll lead you away from this wilderness land,
To a place full of goodness as far as you see,
But remember who brought you and be holy to Me.

Holiness, holiness,
It’s not your food or drink, it’s not the way you dress,
Holiness, holiness,
It’s to hear the Lord, to answer yes.

Holiness – Don Francisco

A few weeks ago I heard a song on the radio that I should’ve know, but I didn’t and it annoyed me. Last week I heard another song on the radio, I really liked it, especially because I was able to remember that it was Song Of Hope (Heaven Come Down) by Robbie Seay Band from Give Yourself Away (2007).

This song is cool for two reasons, the guitar riff and the word ‘eaven. I’m not sure if the dropping of the H in heaven is deliberate or not, but I think it’s very cool and memorable.

All things bright, and beautiful You are,
All things wise, and wonderful You are,
In my darkest night, You brighten up the skies,
A song will rise…

I will sing a song of hope, sing along,
God of heaven come down, ‘eaven come down,
Just to know that You are near is enough,
God of heaven come down, ‘eaven come down.

All things new, I can start again,
Creator God, calling me Your friend,
Sing praise my soul, to the Maker of the skies,
A song will rise…

Song Of Hope (Heaven Come Down) – Robbie Seay Band

A few weeks ago I got an email from World Wide Fund for Nature (WWF). Animals and nature are created by God and my role is to steward it well. WWF do a great job of reminding me to steward God’s creation well. Anyway, the email I received from WWF told me that today is Manatee Appreciation Day. So there’s only one song that I can share with you today, Endangered Love by VeggieTales from King George and the Ducky (2000).

I can’t be fully serious, so be prepared for some silly comments that have varying degrees of seriousness.

Barbara Manatee,
You are the one for me,
Sent from up above,
You are the one I love.

I’m not sure it’s wise falling in love with fictional characters…

BIll:
Please don’t cry Barbara,
You’re a nice Manatee,
You’ve been so good to me,
But I must go into the world and do noble things for the good of all,
And you can’t come because you don’t speak French.
Au revoir!

I didn’t know speaking French is a requirement for doing noble things…

Barbarra:
But if you leave Bill, who will take me to the ball?
Who’s going to take me to the ball, Bill?
I have a new dress and shoes, a new Manatee lipstick,
Who will take me to the ball?

Is Manatee lipstick made from Manatee’s, designed for Manatee lips, or a Manatee colour?

Barbara: Please don’t go,
Bill: I must,
Barbara: Please don’t,
Bill: Must must,
Barbara: Don’t don’t,
Bill: Must must.

I love watching Larry’s eyes here, just like a table tennis match.

Barbara: Bill, I’ve learned French!
Bill: You have?
Barbara: Me oui. Je’si manatee. See?
Bill: We we monami,
I always knew you could,
I really hoped you would,
Now can we go into the world and do noble things for the good of all?
Barbara: Yes! But first Bill, will you take me to the ball? O Bill, will you take me to the ball?
…
Bill: I can’t dance.

If it’s a tragic tale for Barbarra Manatee, why is Larry surprised that Bill can’t dance

Barbara: You can’t? I must go,
Bill: Please don’t go,
Barbara: I must,
Bill: Don’t go,
Barbara: Must must,
Bill: Don’t don’t,
Barbara: Must must.

But at least we have a happy ending.

This has been silly songs with Larry. Tune in next time to hear Bill say…
Bill: Barbara, I’ve learned to dance,
Barbara: O Bill.

Endangered Love – Silly Songs with Larry

Last week we looked at Psalm 2 in Bible Study, and despite our deep conversation all I could think about was The Lord Is King by Colin Buchanan from 10, 9, 8 God Is Great (2002). Also, I’m going to a Colin Concert this weekend, so listening to Colin before the concert was always going to happen.

You might’ve seen bad things happening on the TV news,
You might be worrying bout the world and wonder what’ll happen to you,
Put your trust in God alone cos He’s still on His mighty throne…

The Lord is King, He’s gonna look after everything, everything,
The Lord is King, He’s gonna look after everything,
Every single thing in this world, cos this is His world.

The child in me loves Colin, and the adult in me still loves just sitting there and listening to Colin. His songs are fairly simple to get kids engaged, but I find they are great reminders of simple truths that we so often forget. Sometimes we need to return to childlike faith.

You might get sad and wonder why there’s so much pain,
Why we let the same mistakes happen over and over again,
Sinful ways will always fail, but God and His ways will prevail…

You kings be wide, you rulers hear the Lord’s decree,
He sees, He knows, He’ll judge, in fearsome majesty,
But blessed are all who find their place in the shelter of His grace…

That last bit is Psalm 2 in case you were wondering.

I’ve got this clip for two reason, firstly there isn’t much Colin on YouTube and secondly, it’s Colin giving you the story around why he wrote The Lord Is King.

The Lord Is King – Colin Buchanan

I heard a song on the radio, I loved it! And hated it! When I hear a song on the radio I am often able to name it, this was different, I couldn’t. And it was so annoying because I knew I knew it, but couldn’t think of it. I got out of the car, having no idea I had just heard Hope Will Leads Us On (2012) by BarlowGirl, and unable to find out for a few hours of bible study…

But I forgot everything about it during that time. I couldn’t remember any lyrics and my song search ended empty handed. And then as I was ready for bed, I remembered and found it.

Rise up again, shake off the shadows,
Unlock the doors and let hope live once more,
‘Cause up from the ashes a fire is woken,
‘Cause those who were broken are becoming the chosen…

As I listened to the song I realised that I can easily relate to being broken, quite beyond repair I thought. But every time I’ve felt like that God has been there and slowly (sometimes slower than others) He has lead me out of my despair. And now I really do hope that my fire leads others to Him.

So lift up your eyes, cause we’re not forgotten,
And hope will lead us on.

Our hearts come alive, with every moment,
Become the flame that shows us the way,
Sing out your freedom, sing it out loud,
Cause though we are broken, we’re becoming the chosen

So lift up your eyes, cause we’re not forgotten,
And hope will lead us on,
Oh we pray for the dawn, and we reach for the morning,
And hope will lead us on.

Oh the day will come, as we press on,
When the battle’s won…

Also, morning is an appropriate greeting all day.

Hope Will Lead Us On – BarlowGirl

Every night I play music as I go to sleep. I also pray before I go to sleep. During the week, as I was ready for sleep, The Words I Would Say by Sidewalk Prophets from These Simple Truths (2009) started playing. It gave me simple words to pray for friends that I don’t see often, but are regularly on my heart.

Three in the morning and I’m still awake,
So I picked up a pen and a page,
And I started writing just what I’d say,
If we were face to face,
I’d tell you just want you mean to me,
Tell you these simple truths…

Be strong in the Lord,
And never give up hope,
You’re gonna do great things,
I already know,
God’s got his hand on you,
So don’t live life in fear,
Forgive and forget,
But don’t forget why you’re here,
Take your time and pray,
These are the words I would say.

There are many friends and family that I want to pray for everyday, but often I forget. Sorry. Listen to this.

Last time we spoke you said you were hurting,
And I felt your pain in my heart,
I want to tell you that I keep on praying,
That love will find you where you are,
I know cause I’ve already been there,
So please hear these simple truths…

From one simple life to another,
I will say come find peace in the father,

Another thing, while I immediately thought of praying for others, it occurred to me that others are also praying for me. It’s comforting to know that there  are friends and family who pray for me. Thank you.

The Words I Would Say – Sidewalk Prophets

As I’ve shown before, I struggle with fear, there are many circumstances where I’m afraid, most involve meeting new people. In starting a new job I’ve encountered numerous (okay, not numerous, probably five or six) new people. This is scary, I could definitely use more confidence, which is why I’ve been listening to Unstoppable by Red from Gone (2017).

VERSE TWO
I break down, only alone I’ll cry out loud,
You’ll never see what’s hiding out,
Hiding out deep down, yeah,
I know I’ve heard that to let your feelings show,
Is the only way to make friendships grow,
But I’m too afraid now…

I’ll put my armour on,
Show you how strong I am,
I’ll put my armour on,
I’ll show you that I am…

I’m unstoppable, I’m running with no brakes,
I’m invincible, I win every single game,
I’m so powerful, don’t need batteries to play,
I’m so confident, I’m unstoppable today!

It’s not mentioned here, but I think it’s alluded to. Strength, power and confidence come from God. I need to look to Him for the confidence I need. I need to put on the armour of God (found in Ephesians 6) and rest in His ultimate power.

A few years ago I had a thought, I can’t die unless God allows it. At the time I was young and naive, but I think my past self is exactly right. And I need that sort of confidence again.

Unstoppable – Red

Over the past week I’ve seen God move in many people, sometimes in people I know well, other times in people who have no idea I’m watching, and even in myself. Greatness Of Our God (2019) by Newsboys United* is what I’ve been listening to this week, and it has reminded me that God is always at work and He reigns.

First off, I feel I need to address the asterisk. I’ll give a better description at the bottom, so here I’ll just sum up. I’m not sure if I need ‘United’ to differentiate this from Newsboys.

I was so excited to hear about a Newsboys mix of old members and current members. I wanted to hear this song straight away, but when I did, I didn’t quite know what to think. It sounds like Newsboys, but which one? I’ve separated Newsboys into two separate eras, the Peter Furler era, and the Michael Tait era. But this song has both! I’m not sure I can handle it!

From the dawn of creation,
This world has been crying out for hope,
For a hero to save us,
We long for the supernatural,

But there is only one God,
Who can save the day,
So clear the stage,
Prepare the way,
Cause Heaven and Earth are singing,
Glory, Hallelujah,
Let the whole world see…

The greatness of our God,
In awesome wonder,
He reigns forever,
We know, the greatness of our God,
His power is endless,
He lives within us,
We know, the greatness of our God,

I find it easy to get overwhelmed with ideas and new ways to do things, but I’m finding God keeps pulling me back and reminding me it’s not about what you do or how much you do, it’s all about God. It’s all about what He has done through Christ.

There’s no one above Him,
Only our Saviour wears the crown,
There’s none who can stop Him,
Not even the grave can hold Him down,

We stand in awe and wonder,
All the honour is yours,
Jesus.

Greatness Of Our God – Newsboys United*

*I’m not sure if they’re using ‘United’ officially. This song is done by the present Newsboys members and a few past members. I’ve seen ‘United’ used as a way to distinguish this group as combining current and former Newsboys members, but ‘United’ isn’t always there.

On Monday I was browsing my music collection looking for a nice guitar riff. My search lead me to Sanctus Real. I found a cool guitar riff, but I found something even better. I found a song which inspired me greatly years ago, Lead Me, by Sanctus Real from Pieces Of A Real Heart (2010).

Back when I first fully trusted God with my life I decided to start my day with a bible reading every single day. Because I wasn’t in the habit of getting up at a regular time I decided to set an alarm on my phone. When I set alarms or ringtones I choose songs, and for this alarm to wake me up and get me to read the bible, the song was Lead Me.

I look around and see my wonderful life,
Almost perfect from the outside,
In picture frames I see my beautiful wife,
Always smiling,
But on the inside, I can hear her saying…

Lead me with strong hands,
Stand up when I can’t,
Don’t leave me hungry for love,
Chasing dreams, what about us?
Show me you’re willing to fight,
That I’m still the love of your life,
I know we call this our home,
But I still feel alone.

I see their faces look in their innocent eyes,
They’re just children from the outside,
I’m working hard, I tell myself they’ll be fine,
They’re independent,
But on the inside, I can hear them saying…

Unfortunately the bible reading habit didn’t form, but this year it has. Most mornings I’ve been reading the bible before breakfast (there have been times when it hasn’t been before breakfast, but it’s always sometime during the day). Well, on Monday I forgot. So I’m glad this song was there to remind me.

So Father, give me the strength,
To be everything I am called to be,
Oh, Father, show me the way,
To lead them,
Won’t you lead me?

To lead them with strong hands,
To stand up when they can’t,
Don’t want to leave them hungry for love,
Chasing things that I could give up,
I’ll show them I’m willing to fight,
And give them the best of my life,
So we can call this our home,
Lead me, ’cause I can’t do this alone,

Father, lead me, ’cause I can’t do this alone…

Father lead me, ‘cause I can’t do this alone… That line, right at the end of the song, is always the line that sticks out for me, now and all those years ago. It brings me back to a reliance on God throughout today and every day.

Lead Me – Sanctus Real