Some Worship Resources for You...

It's kind of weird, but as I sit here at my desk and think about what to post about today on the Cultivate blog, it struck me that we talk a ton about books, messages, websites, and a bunch of other cool resources where you can go to help cultivate your personal relationship with Jesus, but we don't really spend a lot of time talking about great worship resources! And a huge part of my job is leading worship! You'd think that would be a little more at the forefront!

Well, I want to make sure that we remedy that, my friends. So, today, I'd like to pass along a few of the worship projects I've been listening to lately that have really been pushing me in a good way worship-wise. I've got a total of 8 hours to and from Cincinnati in my car each week, so I've certainly got some time to listen!

So, what's been playing on my iPod recently, you ask? Well, allow me to share some of my favorites!

1. A Beautiful Exchange, Hillsong Live: It's hard to have a list of some great worship stuff without talking about Hillsong. I think these loveable Aussie worship leaders are on CD project number 4,905,809 now, but I'm not sure. I especially love the song "Forever Reign." The language describing the richness of God's love and the reminder it is always more than enough has really stood out to me in this season.

2. Singalong, Phil Wickham: I actually hadn't listened to this CD for a while, but decided to listen to it today on my ride home. Great choice. It's simply a recording of several acoustic performances on one of his tours, and it's really cool to worship along with. Wickham has this really passionate voice and passionate way of leading, and that stirs up a passion inside of me.

3. The Rising, Charlie Hall: My good buddy Charlie Hall (okay, we're not really friends, but I like to imagine that we are) is a little too artsy for some, but I really like his music and his perspective when he writes. This is his new CD he just released a few weeks ago, with some really cool songs on there. I especially love that I feel like his worship songwriting really takes the form of prayers to God... something very personal that seems to resonate well with me. Maybe it will with you too. Also, if you don't own it already, his earlier release "Flying Into Daybreak" may possibly be the greatest worship CD of the 21st century. Buy that too.

4. Kingdom Come, Elevation Worship: Elevation Church located in North Carolina (Charlotte area, I believe) and has one of the most creative teams of people assembled to lead worship there. All of the songs on this CD were written for use in their church and stem out of the journey into God's story that they are experiencing in their church. If nothing else, the song "The Church" is probably one of the most gripping and compelling songs I've heard in quite a while... it alone makes this CD purchase worth it.

5. Awake, North Point Worship: If you read my personal blog, you probably know about my enormous man crush on Andy Stanley (I still blame Greg for starting it). This is a live worship recording from Andy Stanley's church (my second man crush is probably a tie between either Todd Fields or Eddie Kirkland, both of whom are North Point worship leaders featured on this CD), and it just features a lot of solid songs on here that I really love to worship with. It's like the worship CD version of "Old Faithful" for me. I think you'll find it pretty worth adding to your library.

Honorable mention? Awakening, Passion. Just get it. Trust me.