Search - Sovereign Grace Music :: Worship God Live

Highest Recommendation: Cross-Centered, God-Glorifying Album

Jacob Hantla | Chandler, AZ United States | 06/20/2006

(5 out of 5 stars)

"I have to admit, the first time I listened to Worship God Live, after I downloaded it from SovereignGraceStore I was not extremely impressed. If I recall correctly, I actually told my wife that I was disappointed with the cd. The second time through, as I learned the words, I began to worship along with the congregation and worship band on the live cd. That same day I played it a third, and then a fourth, and then a fifth time through. That fifth time through, track ten, "The Perfect Lamb of God" brought me to the foot of the cross:



The light of day was cloaked by night

And heaven closed its eyes

Wrath unspared for countless sins

The guiltless crucified

Hands of kindness driven through

Back on splintered beam

The holy curtain torn in two

Atonement made for me



Insults mock the Son of God

The angels are restrained

But all the cup must be endured

For sinners to be saved

Can grace prevail in such a day

Of scandal and of scorn?

But with a cry "Forgive" You claim

Traitors as Your own



As You drew Your final breath

My debt was satisfied

And love divine in glorious might

Would vanquish death and rise



... Love unrivaled here displayed

Calls my heart to praise

The perfect Lamb of God





I found my heart in the place that I covet to be, humbled, seeing little but God's love in the face of my sin. Then track eleven, "Grace Unmeasured" hits and I am forced to stop everything I am doing and sing and cry unashamedly with all my might and out-of-tune voice, "Grace amazing, pure and deep that saw me in my misery that took my curse and owned my blame so I could bear Your righteous name...Grace! Grace paid for my sins and brought me to life..."



Over the more than 50 more times that I have been ushered into the presence of God with this live album recorded over two days at Covenant Life Church in Gaithersberg, I have found similar experiences to be common places. My understanding of this album is that it is the best-of the song-writing efforts of some of Sovereign Grace's most talented songwriters, so there is absolutely no filler among the 14 songs. Each and every one of them is in the top 40 of my most-played tracks according to iTunes (among more than 6500 tracks in my library which I've been listening to for a lot longer than this album).



All songs are written to declare God-glorifying truth and to elicit the proper response. The lyrics alone will lift your heart in praise. Never is truth declared for the sake of being theologically correct. At the same time, the songs avoid singing praises to God for some unnamed reason. The songwriters preach truth that then leads to praise, and more often than not, this is a cross-centered truth: Where God's love, mercy, justness, holiness, righteousness, wrath, goodness, and patience are most clearly seen.



There are only a handful of albums that I can recommend with as much enthusiasm as I do this one."

God-exalting worship

Jeff Ballein | SF Bay Area | 02/26/2007

(4 out of 5 stars)

"Sovereign Grace music has a certain type of sound. This is it. Big vocal choruses and emotive Christ-honoring, God-exalting lyricism. You can tell it is a live album. That's not a bad thing. It's reflexive of the Sovereign Grace style of worship. It's good; you will enjoy and worship God along with this album. My faves are "Endless Praises," "Count it all Joy," and "Jesus, Thank You." Powerfully stirring worship appropriate for an Almighty Savior.



Only because of grace,

--Jeffrey"