Truth Always Triumphs

, ,

Hebrews 13:8 – Jesus Christ is the same yesterday, today and forever.

Phil Wickham sat in his favorite corner of the coffee shop. The hum of espresso machines and quiet chatter around him were, strangely, a comforting soundtrack.

You see, he had noticed something lately, something that weighed on his heart.

People were searching. Everywhere he looked—at his church, in his family, among his friends—he saw it. Questions bubbling up, doubts creeping in, faith being tested. Some were stepping away hoping to find answers somewhere else.

And Phil understood.

The world felt confusing. What was “true” seemed to shift faster than social media trends. He remembered his own storms. Times when life felt like it was tilting, when doubt whispered louder than hope, and battles felt far greater than he could face alone.

In those moments, God had taught him something that changed everything: speak the truth of Him out loud. Say it until it drowns out the lies. Let it anchor your soul. There was nothing magical about it—just the simple, steady power of God’s Word, alive and unchanging.

Later, Phil sat across the table from Jonathan Smith and Chris Davenport during a songwriting session. As they talked, he realized his friends had been seeing the same thing he had: this swirl of doubt and ache for something real.

They did not even have to discuss the goal for the song. They wanted to write a declaration of faith in Jesus—something joyful, life-giving, and unshakable. A song the Church could sing together and mean every word.

They prayed. They wrestled with lyrics and melodies. They poured themselves into it. When the song was finished, they called it “I Believe.” Its chorus said everything they wanted the Church—and their own hearts—to hear:

“I believe there is one salvation
One doorway that leads to life
One redemption, one confession
I believe in the name of Jesus Christ”

This is not just a song to sing on Sunday. It is a declaration that can hold you steady on Tuesday night when the bills are late or Friday morning when the doctor calls with news you did not want.

It is a reminder that in a world where truth seems to change every day, God’s story stays the same. Phil sings it to remind himself. He sings it because it is true. And maybe—if you are in the middle of your own storm—you could too.

 

LYRICS

I believe there is one salvation
One doorway that leads to life
One redemption
One confession
I believe in the name of Jesus Christ

I believe in the crucifixion
By His blood I have been set free
I believe in the resurrection
Hallelujah His life is death’s defeat

All praise to God the Father
All praise to Christ the Son
All praise to the Holy Spirit
Our God has overcome
The King who was and is and evermore will be
In Jesus mighty name I believe
I believe I believe

I believe in the hope of heaven
He’s preparing a place for me
Far beyond what hearts imagine
Ears have heard or eyes have seen

I believe that a day is coming
He’s returning to claim His bride
Light the altar
Keep it burning
See the Lamb who rose a roaring Lion

All praise to God the Father
All praise to Christ the Son
All praise to the Holy Spirit
Our God has overcome
The King who was and is and evermore will be
In Jesus mighty name I believe
Oh I believe in You

No I’ll never be ashamed
Of the gospel of Jesus Christ
How could I ever walk away
From the One who saved my life
No I’ll never be ashamed
Of the gospel of Jesus Christ
How could I ever walk away
From the One who saved my life
Oh no I’ll never be ashamed
Of the gospel of Jesus Christ
How could I ever walk away
From the One who saved my life

All praise to God the Father
All praise to Christ the Son
All praise to the Holy Spirit
Our God has overcome
The King who was and is and evermore will be
In Jesus mighty name I believe

All praise to God Our Father
All praise to Christ the Son
All praise to the Holy Spirit
Our God has overcome
The King who was and is and evermore will be
In Jesus mighty name I believe
In Jesus mighty name I believe
I believe I believe
I believe I believe

/by

Embracing God’s Grace

, ,

Ephesians 2:8 — “For by grace you have been saved through faith. And this is not your own doing; it is the gift of God.”

Several years ago, I realized I was keeping score. I was keeping a record of wrong that God wasn’t. Not for anyone else, but I was certainly doing this with my own sin.

I was not accepting His grace for me, just for everyone around me. I wanted to try to move past my mistakes, but I constantly attached shame to every sin. Over time, as God grew and matured me, I knew I needed to receive and accept His grace, mercy, and hope for me first.

It’s kind of like the airline’s emergency rule: put on your oxygen mask first and then help everyone else. In the same way, because I was a youth pastor, I needed to accept being a child of God before doing ministry.

I had to practice what I was teaching the students in my care. Even as an adult with adult responsibilities, I had to be His child first. As I got older and became a husband and father, my reliance on God’s grace had to go even deeper.

Because of what Jesus accomplished on the cross, we never have to hold ourselves to some unattainable personal standard.

We confess and give it all to God, and He lifts that burden off us with His atonement and sacrifice. Then, we are not left with guilt and shame, but His righteousness and the reminder that Jesus loved us enough to see our sin, step into our lives, and offer His grace. It’s the divine exchange of our sin for His forgiveness.

We deny God and rob ourselves when we do not allow His full gift of forgiveness. Whether for the first time, or the first time in a long time, God wants you to be able to say, “I see grace … for me.”

— Micah Tyler

 

Lyrics:

I’ve seen shame
The kind that comes from mistakes
The kind that won’t go away
When I turned around
They were right there to remind me

I’ve seen regret
The kind that messes with your head
The failures and the can’t forgets
But standing here now
I’m thanking God it’s behind me

Cause I’ve seen nail scarred hands
Reach out and wipe it all away

Now I see grace
Hallelujah I stand amazed
I’m staring at an empty grave
And the stone that You rolled away
When I was a prodigal
You saw a son
When I left the 99
You saw the one
And just like that
All my past has been erased
When I look back
I see grace

I still hurt
Fall short of what You say I’m worth
And that devil says I don’t deserve
What You did on the cross
And he’s right cause I don’t
But You did it anyway

I see grace
Hallelujah I stand amazed
I’m staring at an empty grave
And the stone that You rolled away
When I was a prodigal
You saw a son
When I left the 99
You saw the one
And just like that all my past has been erased
When I look back
I see grace, grace
God’s grace
Grace that is greater than all my sin
Thank God almighty
Gonna sing it again
Oh grace, grace
God’s grace
Grace that is greater than all my sin

I see grace
Hallelujah I stand amazed
I’m staring at an empty grave
And the stone that You rolled away
I was a prodigal
You saw a son
When I left the 99
You saw the one
And just like that all my past has been erased
When I look back
I see grace, grace
God’s grace (I see grace)
Grace that is greater than all my sin
Thank God almighty
Gonna sing it again

Grace oh grace
God’s grace
Grace that is greater than all my sin

/by

Dear Younger Me

, , ,

Hebrews 12:2 — “Looking to Jesus, the founder and perfecter of our faith, who for the joy that was set before him endured the cross, despising the shame, and is seated at the right hand of the throne of God.”

Bart Millard sat in his living room, watching a familiar face on ESPN. It was a friend he had known for years, now a professional athlete.

When the interviewer asked why he loved baseball, the answer was unexpected. He shared that as a boy the athlete had been abused by babysitters, but the baseball field was the only place they could not reach him.

Hearing that struck Bart deeply. He understood what it meant to need a refuge. For Bart, it was music. Growing up with an abusive father, he had carried shame like a heavy coat he could never shrug off.

After the interview, Bart reached for his phone and sent a message. The words came straight from his heart:

“If I knew then what I know now, condemnation would have no power. My joy and pain would never be my worth.”

He added, “And if I knew then what I know now, it wouldn’t be hard to figure out what I would have changed if I could have heard ‘Dear younger me, it’s not your fault. You were never meant to carry this beyond the cross.’”

His friend replied, “Man, I’m in tears.”

Months later, Bart sat down to write the song “Dear Younger Me.” When he opened his phone and saw that message again, it all became clear. The song was already written. All he had to do was give it a melody.

That moment, where the words fit together perfectly, felt bigger than anything Bart had done before. The lyrics felt like a door opening to a room where he could finally lay down the past—the guilt, the blame, and the suffering.

Pain leaves scars, sure, but what other people did to you, or even what they didn’t do, wasn’t your fault.

God wants to restore you, heal you, and take away your shame. Just like Bart’s friend found safety on the baseball field, maybe you can find your safe place too—at the foot of the cross.

Dear Younger Me . . .

What would you tell your younger self if you had the chance? Email us what you would say:
info@887thecross.com.

 

LYRICS

Dear younger me
Where do I start
If I could tell you everything that I have learned so far
Then you could be
One step ahead
Of all the painful memories still running thru my head
I wonder how much different things would be
Dear younger me

Dear younger me
I cannot decide
Do I give some speech about how to get the most out of your life
Or do I go deep
And try to change
The choices that you’ll make cuz they’re choices that made me
Even though I love this crazy life
Sometimes I wish it was a smoother ride
Dear younger me, dear younger me

If I knew then what I know now
Condemnation would’ve had no power
My joy my pain would’ve never been my worth
If I knew then what I know now
Would’ve not been hard to figure out
What I would’ve changed if I had heard

Dear younger me
It’s not your fault
You were never meant to carry this beyond the cross
Dear younger me

You are holy
You are righteous
You are one of the redeemed
Set apart a brand new heart
You are free indeed

Every mountain every valley
Thru each heartache you will see
Every moment brings you closer
To who you were meant to be
Dear younger me, dear younger me

You are holy
You are righteous
You are one of the redeemed
Set apart a brand new heart
You are free indeed

You are holy
You are righteous
You are one of the redeemed
Set apart a brand new heart
You are free indeed

You are holy
You are righteous
You are one of the redeemed
Set apart a brand new heart
You are free indeed

Songwriters: Barry Graul / Bart Millard / Ben Glover / David Garcia / Michael Scheuchzer / Nathan Cochran / Robby Shaffer

/by

Praising Past the Pain

, ,

Romans 12:12 — “Rejoice in hope, be patient in tribulation, be constant in prayer.”

I never knew joy and grief could sit so closely together. My sister and I were pregnant at the same time, but near the end of her pregnancy, she lost her baby. We planned a funeral. We stood graveside. We cried until we could not cry anymore.

But still, I was carrying life inside me.

It was a strange place to be—rejoicing in one heartbeat while mourning the loss of another. Every smile at my growing belly felt tangled with guilt. Every moment of her sorrow made me ache, because I loved her, and I could not fix what was broken.

I prayed daily for the strength to walk both paths—one of celebration, one of grief—without falling apart. Someone close to us said, “God will make something beautiful out of this.”

At the time, those words felt too far away to reach. But I held them anyway, like a small seed in my pocket, waiting for it to sprout.

The daily battle was hard continued to be hard, but I chose to keep worshiping because deep down, I knew God was still working in ways I could not see.

Looking back, I see beauty in that story where I never expected it. Not because the grief vanished, but because God is so good. He has a way of writing stories where sorrow and hope can share the same page.

Sometimes the greatest breakthroughs come when you keep walking, keep singing, and keep trusting. Because God is a good author, and he know what you and your loved ones are going through.

And long before you know how the ending will turn out, He has the end in mind.

— Kari Jobe

THE BLESSING

The Lord bless you
And keep you
Make His face shine upon you
And be gracious to you
The Lord turn His
Face toward you
And give you peace

Amen

May His favor be upon you
And a thousand generations
And your family
And your children
And their children
And their children

May His presence go before you
And behind you
And beside you
All around you
And within you
He is with you
He is with you

In the morning
In the evening
In your coming
And your going
In your weeping
And rejoicing
He is for you
He is for you

He is for you

Written by Steven Furtick, Chris Brown, Kari Jobe, Cody Carnes

/by

Our God Is Still Stronger

, ,

Romans 8:31 — “What then shall we say to these things? If God is for us, who can be against us?”

Chris Tomlin had written worship songs before—plenty of them. Some had topped charts. Others quietly made their way into small-town churches and across campgrounds, sanctuaries, and stadiums alike.

But this one didn’t start with him.

One day, producer and songwriter Ed Cash sent over a chorus—just a rough draft. “Our God is greater, our God is stronger…” No polish, no bridge. Just a line that wouldn’t let go.

Chris couldn’t explain why, but something in him leaned forward when he heard it. He knew it wasn’t meant to simply sound good or get a crowd on their feet. It was meant to be deeper. These weren’t lyrics for show. They were words for anyone who had ever wondered if God had forgotten them.

As time went on, the team built more lines around the chorus. “God, You are higher than any other.” The song took shape fast. In ministry, not everything does, but this one did.

In the weeks leading up to the young adult conference, Passion 2010, there were flights, rehearsals, and last-minute changes. The usual. The work was constant, but Chris kept circling back to the same prayer—Let them see You, not me.

When the band took the stage in that packed arena, the energy was high. Lights, movement, sound, but what hit hardest wasn’t volume—it was clarity of the chorus.

“Our God is greater. Our God is stronger. God, You are higher than any other.”

That wasn’t just a moment for college students overwhelmed by the weight of their futures. No, it is something that still reaches people now. People like you—who’ve been doing your best to stay faithful in the small, hidden places. Who have carried prayers for years with no answers in sight. Who wonder if God is still paying attention.

So maybe today, instead of mustering up your own strength, you just need to lean on what’s already true:

“And if our God is for us, then who could ever stop us?”

Not because you feel strong, but because He is.

Not because everything is clear, but because He is still certain.

And, like Chris and his friends that day, I hope you’ll find that the same words to sing as God carries you forward.

 

OUR GOD

Verse 1
Water You turned into wine
Opened the eyes of the blind
There’s no one like You
None like You

Verse 2
Into the darkness You shine
Out of the ashes we rise
There’s no one like You
None like You

Chorus
Our God is greater
Our God is stronger
God You are higher than any other
Our God is healer
Awesome in power our God our God

Bridge
And if our God is for us
Then who could ever stop us
And if our God is with us
Then what could stand against
And if our God is for us
Then who could ever stop us
And if our God is with us
Then what could stand against
(Then) what could stand against

—
CCLI Song # 5677416
Chris Tomlin | Jesse Reeves | Jonas Myrin | Matt Redman
© 2010 sixsteps Music (Admin. by Integrity Music)

/by

Fearfully and Wonderfully Made

,

Psalms 139:14 — “I praise you, for I am fearfully and wonderfully made. Wonderful are your works; my soul knows it very well.”

Have you ever walked into a room and felt like you didn’t belong because of what you were wearing? I know I have.

I never really cared much for fashion. My sisters were the shoppers and I would just wear whatever they picked out for me. However, when left to my own devices, I really wish their fashion sense would’ve rubbed off on me a little more.

Everything felt wrong and nothing I tried seemed to work.

Oh, sweet comparison.

In my head I hear words like, “not pretty, too fat, or too skinny, trying too hard, or not trying hard enough.”

I’ve cried too many times about an outfit that I didn’t feel good in. I let those words define me and be my truth when they are not reality.

The reality is that I am fearfully and wonderfully made, not because of my clothes but simply because I’m created by God. My confidence doesn’t come from my shoes (though I love my shoes) it comes from Jesus. Who cares what I’m wearing if I’m walking in that room with Jesus?

Have you noticed that the best people to be around aren’t the ones society might deem “cool?” And it’s not because of their fashion sense or their ability to do all the TikTok dances.

The best people to be around are the ones who don’t care what other people think. They aren’t worried about anything except what Jesus thinks about them.

I want to be someone who walks into a room with confidence because I’m listening to God’s word. I’m His, and that’s all the confidence I need.

I hope you know how much He cares about you. I hope that’s how you think about yourself today.

— Leanna Crawford

/by

The End Is Just the Beginning

, , ,

Isaiah 25:8 — “He will swallow up death forever; and the Lord GOD will wipe away tears from all faces.”

There’s things you try to bury and run away from your entire life.

Bart Millard was only three when his parents divorced. His mom remarried and moved away, and it was decided that he and his brother would stay with their dad, Arthur.

Arthur Millard worked hard and stayed sober, but his temper ruled the house. Small things, like being cut off in traffic, could set him off, and Bart became his favorite target. He spent most of his childhood walking on eggshells, bracing for the next explosion.

But everything changed in high school when Arthur was diagnosed with cancer. The disease weakened his body—and, somehow, softened his heart. He gave his life to Jesus.

Almost overnight, he began to change. Bart, now his caregiver, had a front row seat to the transformation.

He started talking about grace and peace and love like they were more than words, and he lived it. The man who was once a monster became kind, gentle, and apologetic. Bart stopped fearing him and started thinking of him as his best friend.

They found something they never had before—until cancer took it away. And it wasn’t the past that hurt most. It was losing what they’d finally found.

At the funeral, Bart’s grandmother leaned in and whispered, “I can only imagine what your dad’s seeing now.”

That one line became a lifeline. Bart clung to it through grief, scribbling it on scraps, receipts, journals—anything. It gave him something to picture besides an empty house.

In time, Bart and a few others began the band MercyMe, and as they sat down to write one last song of their album he found inspiration in those old journals with “I can only imagine” scribbled across every page.

He wrote the song in just ten minutes, and the rest is history.

But that’s not the end of the story.

Today, when Bart closes his eyes and sings those words— “I Can Only Imagine”—he’s not just remembering what God did. He’s looking ahead to what God will do.

Because the gospel doesn’t stop at changed hearts or even gravesides. It carries on—into forever. Into a kingdom where there are no more regrets and no more goodbyes.

And the truth that steadied Bart through every wound and every loss still stands: if God can write that kind of ending for his father, He can write one for yours too. Or your sister. Or your friend. Or that person you’ve been praying for so long it hurts.

So, believe Him for the future.
Believe Him for your loved one.
Believe Him for what’s still ahead.

Because one day, we will finally see with our own eyes.

Can you only imagine it?

LYRICS  |  I CAN ONLY IMAGINE

I can only imagine what it will be like
When I walk by your side
I can only imagine what my eyes will see
When your face is before me
I can only imagine

Yeah

Surrounded by your glory
What will my heart feel
Will I dance for your Jesus
Or in awe of you be still
Will I stand in your presence
Or to my knees will I fall
Will I sing hallelujah
Will I be able to speak at all
I can only imagine
I can only imagine

I can only imagine when that day comes
And I find myself standing in the Son
I can only imagine when all I will do
Is forever, forever worship you
I can only imagine, yeah
I can only imagine

Surrounded by your glory
What will my heart feel
Will I dance for your Jesus
Or in awe of you be still
Will I stand in your presence
Or to my knees will I fall
Will I sing hallelujah
Will I be able to speak at all
I can only imagine
Yeah
I can only imagine

Surrounded by your glory
What will my heart feel
Will I dance for your Jesus
Or in awe of you be still
Will I stand in your presence
Or to my knees will I fall
Will I sing hallelujah
Will I be able to speak at all
I can only imagine
Yeah
I can only imagine

I can only imagine
Yeah
I can only imagine
I can only imagine
I can only imagine

I can only imagine
When all I will do
Is forever, forever worship you

I can only imagine

/by

This is My Jesus

, ,

Psalms 56:8 — “You have kept count of my tossings; put my tears in your bottle. Are they not in your book?”

It was the kind of pain that makes everything else stop. My brother Jacob had died in a car accident. He was only 23.

I did not know how to process it, but I could write. That was how it started, just me and a journal. At the end of each entry, I would write that God had gotten me through one more day of tragedy.

Years passed, and I began writing songs. One day, I pulled out those old journals and flipped through page after page. That is when it hit me: I had never once in my writing used the phrase “God” or “Lord.” Every single time, I had written, “My Jesus.”

I asked God why. Why that name? Why always that phrase?

And what I sensed—clear as anything—was Him saying, “Because I am yours, and you are mine.”

I remember the sweetness of that moment. The kindness in it.

A few days later, I had a writing session planned. I brought that phrase with me, and it became the starting point for a song called “My Jesus.”

He was the whole reason I had survived those painful years. God had not been distant in my grief. He had been beside me, holding me up every step of the way.

I do not know what you have walked through. Maybe you have buried someone. Maybe you are still trying to breathe through the fog of grief. I want you to know this: Jesus can be personal for you too because he’s not just a name in a book or a distant deity.

He can be your Jesus.

And if all you can manage today is to whisper that one phrase, let me tell you, that is enough.

— Anne Wilson

 

LYRICS:

Are you past the point of weary
Is your burden weighing heavy
Is it all too much to carry
Let me tell you ‘bout my Jesus
Do you feel that empty feeling
‘Cause shame’s done all its stealing
And you’re desperate for some healing
Let me tell you ‘bout my Jesus

He makes a way where there ain’t no way
Rises up from an empty grave
Ain’t no sinner that He can’t save
Let me tell you ‘bout my Jesus
His love is strong and His grace is free
And the good news is I know that He
Can do for you what He’s done for me
Let me tell you ‘bout my Jesus
And let my Jesus change your life
Hallelujah, Hallelujah, Hallelujah, amen, amen

Who can wipe away the tears
From broken dreams and wasted years
And tell the past to disappear
Let me tell you ‘bout my Jesus
And all the wrong turns that you would
Go and undo if you could
Who can work it all for your good
Let me tell you about my Jesus

Who would take my cross to Calvary
Pay the price for all my guilty
Who would care that much about me
Let me tell you ‘bout my Jesus

/by

What Do You Know, Joe

, ,

Psalms 34:18 — The Lord is near to the brokenhearted and saves the crushed in spirit.

Joe came from a well-off family. They weren’t uber-rich, mind you. But they were comfortable. He grew up going to decent schools. He wore high-end clothes. He may or may not have worn monogrammed underwear.

When he turned 18, he was going to join the military like his dad, the officer, wanted. But there is a well known saying in the military, “You can’t make chicken salad out of chicken excrement.” We are who we are.

Joe just wasn’t the military type. He was creative, he wrote poetry, for crying out loud. So he went to college instead.

Turns out, the poet was a great student. And he realized something important during college: He liked teaching.

So he got a job as a private tutor. It was a fun gig. He taught the children of a good family, and life was shaping up nicely.

Things got even better when he met a girl. She was lovely. Charming. They became obsessed with each other, constantly annoying all those around them with PDA.

It wasn’t long before they were engaged. Joe was probably happier than he’d ever been. They started planning the wedding.

Only days before the big event, there was an accident. It all happened so fast. His bride-to-be drowned. The accident happened right in front of Joe. His was the last face she saw.

Joe was catatonic. He had PTSD. Night terrors. He couldn’t stop seeing her face. His friends and family didn’t know whether he would ever get over her.

The worst part of it all, he often said, was the loneliness. Loneliness is the worst sensation in the human experience.

He finally left home for a fresh start. He took a job in a rural town with a tiny population. A town so small they the city-limits signs were nailed to the same post.

He lived in the sticks. He joined a church. Mostly, Joe kept to himself. He was a quiet guy. He spent a lot of time alone in nature.

Also, they say he helped people. He was a handy guy, so he was always at someone’s house fixing something. He was usually helping the disabled folks in town, and the shut-ins.

He earned a reputation for being a hard worker. Locals tried to hire him, but he had a personal rule he followed. Joe would only work for those who couldn’t afford to pay. He accepted no money.

You know. Just a really good guy.

Then he met Catherine. They had an instant connection. It was one of those relationships that just worked. They started hanging out a lot. He loved her so deeply it hurt. And just like that, the loneliness was gone.

They got engaged. It was the happy ending of a very long grief process. A ray of sunlight. But shortly before their wedding, Catherine developed pneumonia. He was at her bedside when she died.

After that, Joe was a wreck. They say he threw himself into the work of helping others, if for no other reason, than to combat loneliness.

He wrote poetry, too. Lots of it. Late one night, while writing a letter, he wrote one such poem.

The page was dotted with drops of saltwater, smearing the ink in little puddles. The beginning verse of that poem went:

What a friend we have in Jesus,
All our sins and grief to bear
What a privilege to carry
Everything to God in prayer!

And anyway, now you know the rest of the story.

— Sean Dietrich

 

 

Lyrics:

What a friend we have in Jesus, all our sins and griefs to bear!
What a privilege to carry everything to God in prayer!
O what peace we often forfeit, O what needless pain we bear,
All because we do not carry everything to God in prayer!

Have we trials and temptations? Is there trouble anywhere?
We should never be discouraged; take it to the Lord in prayer!
Can we find a friend so faithful who will all our sorrows share?
Jesus knows our every weakness; take it to the Lord in prayer!

Are we weak and heavy laden, cumbered with a load of care?
Precious Savior, still our refuge—take it to the Lord in prayer!
Do thy friends despise, forsake thee? Take it to the Lord in prayer!
In his arms he’ll take and shield thee; Thou wilt find a solace there.

-Joseph M. Scriven, 1855
(Tune by Charles C. Converse, 1868)

/by

Jesus Calls Us Back to Life

, ,

John 11:25 — “I am the resurrection and the life. Whoever believes in me, though he die, yet shall he live.”

Have you ever thought about the fact that the primary way that God chose to reveal Himself to us is through story? I think God chose to do this because He knows us best.

One of my favorite stories comes from the dramatic scene in John where Jesus finds Himself at the tomb of His best friend, Lazarus. By the time Jesus got there, Lazarus had been dead for four days.

In Jewish tradition, the soul would hover over the body for three days, but on the fourth, there would be no more hope for any reversal of the loss. This little cultural detail sets up the story to show Jesus faced with an impossible situation.

Surrounded by weeping family and friends, Jesus calls out…'”Lazarus, come out! Take off the grave clothes and let him go.”

This is our story! Apart from Jesus, you and I are without hope, without life, and without promise. No matter how far gone we think we are, we can all still hear the powerful and authoritative voice of Jesus calling out to us.

“(insert your name here), come out! Take off the grave clothes and be free!”

Because, just like Lazarus, He has called us back to life!

— Phil Wickham

 

LYRICS

How great the chasm that lay between us
How high the mountain I could not climb
In desperation, I turned to heaven
And spoke Your name into the night
Then through the darkness, Your loving kindness
Tore through the shadows of my soul
The work is finished, the end is written
Jesus Christ, my living hope

Who could imagine so great a mercy?
What heart could fathom such boundless grace?
The God of ages stepped down from glory
To wear my sin and bear my shame
The cross has spoken, I am forgiven
The King of kings calls me His own
Beautiful Savior, I’m Yours forever
Jesus Christ, my living hope

Hallelujah, praise the One who set me free
Hallelujah, death has lost its grip on me
You have broken every chain
There’s salvation in Your name
Jesus Christ, my living hope
Hallelujah, praise the One who set me free
Hallelujah, death has lost its grip on me
You have broken every chain
There’s salvation in Your name
Jesus Christ, my living hope

Then came the morning that sealed the promise
Your buried body began to breathe
Out of the silence, the Roaring Lion
Declared the grave has no claim on me
Then came the morning that sealed the promise
Your buried body began to breathe
Out of the silence, the Roaring Lion
Declared the grave has no claim on me
Jesus, Yours is the victory, whoa!

Hallelujah, praise the One who set me free
Hallelujah, death has lost its grip on me
You have broken every chain
There’s salvation in Your name
Jesus Christ, my living hope
Hallelujah, praise the One who set me free
Hallelujah, death has lost its grip on me
You have broken every chain
There’s salvation in Your name
Jesus Christ, my living hope

Jesus Christ, my living hope
Oh God, You are my living hope

Songwriters: Brian Johnson / Phil Wickham

/by