Matt Papa: The Easter EP

Artist: Matt Papa

Record: The Easter EP

Rating: 4/5

Similar artists: Third Day, Delirious

Genre: Alternative Rock, Worship
Release Date: April 2014
Length: 27:00

Matt Papa is a minister and recording artist based in North Carolina, U.S.A. He is currently an artist-in-residence and worship leader at The Summit Church, Durham. Matt has been writing and recording songs for over a decade and has released six albums. His music is characterised by deep and powerful lyrics with strong scriptural ties. He says that he treats each song as a sermon that people are to remember.

His latest release, The Easter EP, is appropriate in addressing important and often over-looked questions around Easter time.  The album deeply contemplates God's overwhelming act of love and the implications that this has on humans today.  To me, the album made be rethink the time of Easter and consider questions such as, how do we respond to the story of Christ? Has Easter been reduced to a time of chocolate bunnies and mundane, 'over-told' sermons about Jesus' death on the cross? Can this story ever be 'over-told'? Am I living as if Jesus is alive?

The third track on the EP, This Changes Everything is of a happy tone but when listening closely, I found a sense of urgency raised by the lyric, 'Did we miss something? Are we not supposed to cry when so many don't know that Jesus is alive?' Does the story of Jesus really change the way we view and respond to Grace in our daily lives?

While the album raises these important, introspective questions, it is also a joyous and celebratory expression of Jesus'overcoming! What happy, uplifting songs of worship! I thoroughly recommend that y'all go download this EP from Noisetrade (link) and play it while you're hunting for your eggs ;)

I pray that you have a happy and meaningful Easter!

Sammy

Run River North: Run River North

Artist: Run River North

Record: Run River North

Rating: 4/5

Similar Artists: Matthew Mole, Glen Hartmann, Sons of the East

Genre: Indie-folk rock

Release Date: 25 February 2014

Length: 43:48

Upon listening to this record for the first time, Run River North’s music bears a striking resemblance to that of, Of Monsters and Men, from the vocal harmonies to the subdued guitar lines and captivating choruses. When it comes to music, there are some albums that sound organic; they tap into a pure, unspoiled well of emotion that creates something spectacular. Albums such as these that sound abnormal are a rare treat.

Southern California indie folk group Run River North have dug deep and managed to produce a self-titled debut that taps into the roots of traditional folk blended with a grand, ensemble sound.

With the indie folk scene booming the way it has been lately, with so many good, new bands sprouting up every day, it is hard to stand out from the rest in terms of sound and musical quality. Run River North have not only been able to produce a professional and mature sounding album, they have also managed to provide listeners with heart felt lyrics, upbeat highs and thought-provoking lows, but as far as musicality goes, this is the kind of quality you would expect from a mature and long running band.

Run River North have managed to produce a debut record that is of the highest quality that is sure to act as a ‘spring board’ ready to catapult them into a very exciting and fruitful future in the music industry. I personally am really excited to see what is to come for them in the next couple of years.

Song of the Week has to be: ‘Excuses’

Stay fly guys

D

Song of the week 12 April 2014

Get the party started this weekend. Hillsong Young and Free with "Wake"

 

Travel steadily

 Psalm 37:34 says “Don’t be impatient for the Lord to act! Travel steadily along His path. He will honour you, giving you the land”. What a beautiful thought. How comforting it is to acknowledge that we can simply live our lives according to His plan knowing that everything will work out perfectly. How comforting it is to know that we can be blissfully patient, without fear, worry or concern. 

God, the Ruler of Universe, the Creator of Heaven and Earth is guiding our path and patiently setting up a great future for us. Literally, He created the entire universe, and He holds our whole life in His hands... How crazy is that?? There is no way we will ever comprehend that, but if we can just begin to understand how awesome it is, we can calm down and relax knowing “He’s got this”. I mean, I respect someone so much if they can create anything – whether it’s hand-made clothes, art… even creating a tasty meal out of a bunch of ingredients is something I admire! But creating the entire universe??? Wow, God has my eternal respect, admiration and trust!!! 

We do not need to rush His plans. We do not need to fear when we are in a rough patch that is seemingly lacking in direction, because that is only a short term scenario. We do not need to fear when we are in a job that does not satisfy us, or studying a course that feels irrelevant. Because a lifestyle in line with the path of Jesus, mixed with prayer and an openness to God’s voice will reveal His plan for our lives. “Travel steadily”, be open to God’s will, and it will come.

That is why I am currently content. I had lived a relatively directionless life since leaving school, but since the door closed on medicine, I feel a new sense of hope that God is working in a big way for my future. I have hope that His plans for me far exceed what would have been possible if I was confined to life as a medical student and eventually a doctor. That seems to be a bizarre statement… but I truly believe that even if we are in a great profession, and it is not where we are called to be, it will not satisfy us.

 I am still unsure of His plans, which is the difficult part because I do not have a fully logical answer when people ask me what career I am pursuing. But it is important that I present the same peace to others as I have within my heart; A comforting peace that says I am patient and trusting in the Lord, seeking wholeheartedly to follow His path, knowing that He will honour me because my life is dedicated to honouring Him.

I am now doing a Postgraduate Diploma in Business Management, and I truly feel that this is the right place for me to be in. I’m not sure how God is going to use me in the business world, but I know that He will use me and I’m excited for the possibilities.

I know this is a journey that so many students are on. There are many reasons why we have decided to study the degree we are; sometimes it’s because that’s the only degree our matric marks allowed for us, sometimes it’s because of pure uncertainty post-matric, and sometimes we just think it’s a degree that sounds good (what sounds more prestigious than medicine??). But I’m a firm believer that it’s better to do something than to do nothing… along the journey God will reveal our true passions and talents to us, and we will be able to use past experiences to help us when we find our true calling.

So don’t fear if you feel uncertain of your path now… simply “travel steadily along His path”, and I am certain that He will honour you, so that you can honour Him.

 Peace amigos!

 Jordz

Unshakeable

My mom and dad both had different tactics to wake my siblings and I up in the morning for school. My mom would gently wake us up with a greeting. My dad would normally give us a gentle shake. On occasion one of my siblings, or me, would be tasked to wake the others up. If that was the case we’d get an earth rattling shake to ensure we woke up in time for school. It was not always a pleasant way to wake up, but it was effective.

I think every now and then God wants to shake us up. Once in a while I can tell that God is testing the foundations of my faith, just to make sure that they are strong. Like any good house, our faith should be built on something of substance, something hard and strong. If our faith is built on nothing, then when God tests us, our faith crumbles.

God uses these moments to reveal something about Himself to us. This something may be how loving He is, or it could be a reminder about His mercy and grace. Whatever the reason, I find it comforting to know that God is in control of the earthquake in my faith. The reason is normally something personal and relates to each of us based on where we are in our walk with God. We don’t go through life without God in control, without God there to comfort us in times of need. We experience a life knowing God is with us through every tremor in our faith and every calm moment.

Jesus never said that we would have an easy life as Christians. In fact, He said quite the opposite. However, we can take comfort in the fact that He understands what we are going through. Jesus experienced all kinds of sorrow and pain, as well as happiness and joy when He walked this earth two millennia ago.

Whenever I feel God shake me at my foundations it always takes me a while to restore my faith, to build it back up again, but it gets there. It may take weeks, or months, sometimes it takes years. I’ve learned over time to be patient with these things, not to rush to find an answer. God doesn’t see you any different because your faith has been shaken. He still loves you and wants you to know you aren’t going through this alone. Draw close to God; He doesn’t want you to run away, but run into His open arms and embrace Him.

“We often don’t always know why things happen to us and others in a given circumstance, but we know why we trust God who does know why.” – Dave Brown

Stay awesome everyone.

M

Song of the Week: 4 April 2014

So I just got back from LIV Village..that INCREDIBLE place I'm sure you've heard me speak about before. We ran the children's holiday club and we sang this at least twice a day...so here we go!

I couldn't find a version similar to the one we sang, but this is close enough!

The Remission Flow: Rhythms of Grace

Artist: The Remission Flow

Record: Rhythms of Grace

Rating: 4.5/5

Similar artists: Rend Collective

Genre: Alternative Rock
Release Date: 22 April 2014
Length: 42:42
Label: 7Core Music

“Take my life and do with it as you please”… This line from their song “Trust and Obey” encompasses who The Remission Flow is as God-following musicians. Their second studio album, Rhythms of Grace, is filled with a message of surrender, honour and love.

We had the incredible privilege of interviewing Darren Mulligan, the lead singer of the band. What started off as an interview focusing on their new album soon turned into a time of ministering and prayer.  We quickly realised that this band is unlike any we’ve encountered before.

Never before have we met a band that places so little emphasis on the music itself – it seems as if this is almost a by-product of their incredible desire to serve and honour our Loving Father. The humility with which Darren speaks, is the same humility that resonates through each and every song. Many of the lyrics communicate human weakness and the awe that is the Power of God.

Their goal for producing the album is to create a deep and intimate connection between the listeners and the heart of their songs. Darren’s voice has a distinguishably deep colour and quality which, when combined with the instrumentals, creates a unique sound made up of build-ups, breaks, open space and emotive choruses.

There could not be a more perfect song to end off this album than “It is Well”. Words cannot do justice to this... It is pure and it is true. Give it a listen.   

We strongly encourage you to buy this album and listen to it from start to finish….and then repeat!

Peace and Love

A