"Remember Jesus Christ, raised from the dead, descended from David. This is my gospel, for which I am suffering even to the point of being chained like a criminal. But God’s word is not chained. Therefore I endure everything for the sake of the elect, that they too may obtain the salvation that is in Christ Jesus, with eternal glory." 

In chains waiting for his execution, Paul wrote the preceding words to a young Timothy. The letter contains a very warm, fatherly tone as the apostle is passing down his faith. The letter is littered with practical advice for the young leader. However, it also contains rich doctrine. Take for instance the very first sentence. In it you see both the deity and humanity of Christ affirmed: the deity of Jesus in the resurrection and his humanity as a descendant of King David. 

Our church, @thecreekchurch, is just kicking off a series on the resurrection. One of the first things my friend and pastor, Mike Augsburger, taught was that the cross and death of Jesus is meaningless without the resurrection and vice versa. You can't have one without the other. (You know, like love and marriage.) 

To go along with the theme of the resurrection, I have created a playlist that you can use during the series. These are all songs that teach us the impact that the resurrection has on our lives. We will also be playing this list on Sunday mornings as our background music. Let's make listening a collaborative effort. If you have a song that would fit the theme well, shoot me an email at cody@creekchurch.com. Check out the playlist below. 

Sing to him a new song; play skillfully, and shout for joy. - Psalm 33:3

Sing praises to God, sing praises; sing praises to our King, sing praises. - Psalm 47:6

Sing to the Lord a new song; sing to the Lord, all the earth. - Psalm 96:1

Singing songs together is a practice unique to the Christian faith. No other world religion comes together to sing about the joy that resides in their hearts. My guess as to why singing is unique to the Christian faith is because other religions are much more about penance offered to a deity. In contrast, Christianity is about God taking all of the "penance" (i.e. atonement) that was due man. The reality that we serve a God who would pursue us the way that he did is one of the many reasons Christians sing. Because we are seen as forgiven, even though we have no right to be forgiven, we sing. 

Below are a few songs that we have been enjoying together as a church family. Check them out. I think you will find them just as much fun as we do:

Rock of Ages – This is a new version of the old 1776 hymn by Augustus M. Toplady. Dustin Kensrue provides a fantastic modern yet singable version. He also provides unique insight, showing that Christ is both our cleft and was cleft for us. 

Cornerstone - This is a modern arrangement from Hillsong of Edward Mote's 1834 hymn The Solid Rock. This has a great singable melody. My favorite part of the arrangement is the chorus that opens up and really lets you sing your heart out. 

More than Conquerors - This song was written in 2014 by Rend Collective. I love it because musically it has a very victorious feel, combined with a victorious text. It is based on the Romans 8 passage in which Paul writes that, "We are more than conquerors through Him who loved us."