ChristianDance

When did you last open the one book that actually has the answers? “Pick Up That Book” by Presence Music is an energetic call to stop searching in the wrong places and start finding life in the right one.  The song opens with the following lines: “Are you walking around in circles to prove // you can fill up the void that’s in you // But everything you try just leaves you empty.” Sound familiar? Many people sit in church, listen to the sermons, and still walk out wondering whether and how all of this applies to their lives. Mistakes pile up. Feelings of unworthiness grow. The gap between who we are and who we want to be feels impossible to close.  But here’s the turn: “Missteps and regrets holding you back // From leaving your burdens and hurts in past // Like you deserve a life long sentence // He intended a grace filled lesson.” Think about this for a moment. This way of looking at your life changes everything, because you were never meant to carry that weight forever and ...

What if the most powerful thing you could do before you go to sleep is to simply ask God to guard you through the night?   “Ere Waning Light” by Mike Rathke answers this question with a 1,700-year-old hymn by St. Ambrose that reads like a prayer. Mike discovered this hymn, written somewhere in the 4th century, and set the words to a pop-alternative melody. Going back in history, we know that Ambrose wasn’t an ordinary “churchman”. When the bishop of Milan, an Arian, died in 374, the people demanded that Ambrose become the bishop, but Ambrose wasn’t ordained or even baptized! He was promptly baptized and ordained, and he remained bishop of Milan until his death. He was one of history’s most fearless defenders of orthodox faith — resisting emperors and heresy alike. He knew real danger, inside and out, and how to hand off all of his worries to God. This context adds extra meaning to the message of the song. “Guard from our foes, without, within — outward danger and inward sin.” Amb...

What do you do when the waiting feels unbearable?  “Wait” by Colonial Heights Worship offers a powerful perspective on waiting. Life can break people. Seasons arrive that can leave you exhausted, hollow, and desperate for relief — and you may feel that God is distant. The writers of this song knew that feeling quite well. “Wait” is a song for those moments: the pain, the broken places, the tears, the mourning. The song doesn’t dismiss the suffering, but acts as a compass that helps you get through it.  Colonial Heights Worship names the struggles, “In the pain, in the broken // In tears, in the mourning.” Immediately followed by a declaration that changes everything: “Your love will never fail.” That’s the key message of the song, based on scripture. “But they who wait for the Lord shall renew their strength; they shall mount up with wings like eagles; they shall run and not be weary; they shall walk and not faint.”  — Isaiah 40:31 (ESV)  Waiting on God isn’t passive. I...

What if the thing holding you back is what you’re still wearing? “Grave Clothes” by Jonathan Duff is a bold and energetic song about one of the most powerful moments in a Christian’s life… It’s not just about being set free, but maybe even more important… when you actually choose to walk in that freedom! Written after a late-night worship event with songwriter Tyler Philip Ratcliffe, the song was inspired by the idea that many people have been called out of the grave spiritually, but they still carry around the fear, shame, and identity of who they used to be. It’s like Lazarus who stepped out of the tomb still wrapped in burial cloths… We can be alive and still dressed for death. Jonathan sings: “Oh child, tear off the grave clothes, ’cause you don’t need those anymore.” That’s not a suggestion. God isn’t asking you to tidy up your old life. He’s telling you to take it off entirely! Let’s look at John 11:44: “The man who had died came out, his hands and feet bound with linen strips, ...

The key message in “FULL” by Chidiya Ohiagu is that we don’t need to wait for perfect circumstances to celebrate. The song jumps in with both feet — upbeat, unashamed, and completely anchored in joy. The key takeaway of this song is found in Philippians 4:4–5 and reminds anyone who is going through a hard season that God is still good, near, and very much worth praising. The lyrics open honestly: “Yeah, I’ve been down, all torn up time after time.” That can be any of us, real life, and Chidiya doesn’t pretend that this won’t happen to us as Christians. The message of the song doesn’t stay there. Instead, it turns upward — because when we lift our eyes, we find God already waiting, arms open, reminding us who He is.  So, how do you “choose joy” when you can barely find words to pray? Chidiya answers with conviction: “I’ll always be full of joy in the Lord — I say to myself, again I will say, rejoice.” That’s the heartbeat of this song. Joy in the Lord isn’t a feeling you wait for, ...

Have you tried everything and still come up empty? “Try Jesus” by Sam Casias was written for the people carrying pain quietly—the ones battling anxiety, loneliness, addiction, or regret. The ones who’ve built walls so high they feel completely surrounded — and still think no one knows. Sam shares, “‘Try Jesus’ came from a very real place in my life.” Sam’s clear: “when everything else fails, try Jesus.” Maybe you’ve tried searching for peace in places (the world) that never truly heal you. Maybe you trusted people who let you down, or walked through church doors only to leave feeling more hurt than when you came in. That’s exactly what the second verse is about: “You trusted in the people, but they left you feeling hurt.” This kind of pain has a way of making your doubts feel louder than hope. It’s the kind of pain that brings you to your knees. But here’s what this song keeps reminding you of… Jesus sees you! Not a cleaned-up version of you. Not the face you show to everyone else. H...

What if the peace you’ve been searching for can’t be found in the world?  “Tranquil” by Josh Alvarez is a song born out of real struggle… years of noise, pressure, and looking for peace in all of the wrong places. What came out on the other side is a beautiful testimony. Josh wrote this song after finally experiencing what it feels like when God brings calm to your mind and your heart. The lyrics beautifully describe that moment: “I see the flowers gently swinging through the breeze caught up in a glorious ecstasy // sparkling in the morning dew, Lord it makes me think of you // and now my spirit dances with the wind as I take in your glorious creation.” The next verse continues: “Now my spirit takes flight with the eagles, my strength renewed.” This is a man describing what surrendering to God actually feels like. That image that Josh uses points directly to Isaiah 40:31, “They who wait for the Lord shall renew their strength; they shall mount up with wings like eagles.” Waitin...