Life itself


Before the break of dawn
My heart cries out to You
Where I?m surrounded by my night
Here all my weaknesses will wait upon Your mercy
The hope of dawn from black to white
From black to white
I love You more than life itself
Lord, You are so good to me
I need You more with every breath
So won?t You breathe some life in me
Won?t You breathe some life in me
Awakening the dawn, with all my heart
I sing to You
You are the reaSon that I live
Under me, over, all around I know You?re with me
Never condemning: You forgive
No matter where I go
No matter where I stand
Your Spirit always speaks to me
And tells me whose I am
With every breath I take
And every choice I make
My heart will always sing to You





Behind the Song:
"On a hot summer night in Georgia, just after I graduated college, I was lying awake at 4 a.m. and regretting decisions I?d made the day before. I don?t remember what it was specifically that was keeping me awake that night, I just remember knowing it was wrong and being sick about it. I repented, begging God for His forgiveness and redemption, and declaring my intent to change my ways. I knew I was free, and that He gave me that forgiveness immediately, because I John 1:9 says that ?if we confess our sins, He is faithful and just, and will forgive us our sins and cleanse us from all unrighteousness.? However, I still had to live with myself ? wretched man that I am! I also read in the Bible that His mercies are new every morning, and that ?weeping may last for a night, but a shout of joy comes in the morning.? So as I lay there looking out my window?longing for a red line on the horizon, a bird singing, the faintest glimmer of a brand new day?I wrote this song. As the sun finally rose, I was reminded of God?s consistent goodness, His ever-present help in times of need. Most of all, I felt a sense of belonging. It?s not who I am that gives me confidence and hope, it?s Whose I am." - Aaron Shust

Like I never felt before


(Been) training all this time
I?m at the starting line
A marathon I?m gonna have to run
In such a way as if to win the prize
And I believe
Even though I can?t see
All the athletes from days gone by
Are in the stadium surrounding me
And in the days
before the final phase
I sacrificed the things that held me down
And concentratedly I fixed my gaze.
A shot resounds
My heart begins to pound
And I begin to know what it?s like
To run as if I had nobody around
And I feel like I never felt before
I ran through the open door
And I feel like I never felt before
And it seems You?re aware of so much more
Than I gave You credit for
And I feel like I never felt before

Climbing high
I can almost touch the sky
But every time I?m halfway there
I think I?ll never reach the top alive
But I?m aware
I?m safely in Your care
And with Your help I?ll never face a day
That I am unable to bear
You taught me to crawl/ You taught be to stand
You taught me run one step at a time/and watch out for the quicksand
You taught me to live/ You taught me to die
You taught me to spread My wings and how to fly





Behind the Song:
"The author of the book of Hebrews portrays a scene of great excitement and anticipation when describing the life of a follower of Christ. He says that we are a part of a massive race and are surrounded by heroes of great faith in God, cheering us on in our own lives. The Message says it this way: ?Do you see what this means?all these pioneers who blazed the way, all these veterans cheering us on? It means we?d better get on with it. Strip down, start running?and never quit! No extra spiritual fat, no parasitic sins. Keep your eyes on Jesus, Who both began and finished this same race that we are in. Study how He did it. Because He never lost sight of where He was headed?that exhilarating finish in and with God. He could put up with anything along the way: Cross, shame, whatever. And now He is there, in the place of honor, right alongside God the Father. When you find yourself flagging in your faith, go over that story again, line by line, and review that long litany of hostility that He plowed through, for us. That should shoot some adrenaline into your souls? (Heb. 12:1-3)." - Aaron Shust

Long live the king


My heart keeps beating even though I can?t control it.
My lungs keep breathing I admit I don?t know how.
Bring the flood or bring the fire in this lifetime
I?m ready for the altar or the plough
There are always days when I don?t feel like singing
There are always days when I don?t care at all
But I know the King of All Creation reigns completely
Over every moment great and small
Long live the One who gives us
Life and peace and hope for tomorrow
You?ve given everything we needed
From the palm of Your hand
I?ll give my everything to the One
Who pledged to cancel My sorrow
All I have is Yours (Long Live the King)
Humbly we approach Your throne of Mercy
Aware that we?re unworthy of Your Grace
(But) You have offered pardon and forgiveness
Grievances are gone without a trace
You restore our lives even though we don?t deserve it
And You?ve given us a love that?s not our own
You assemble all our broken, shattered pieces:
More beautiful than I had ever known
You Shall Reign Forever and Ever
You Shall Reign, You Shall Reign
Forever and Ever and Ever and Ever and



Behind the Song:
"I was driving to a memorial concert for Rick Pearson, a friend who had died of leukemia at the age of 23. He had everything going for him?he led worship at his church, at camps and at conferences, had recently gotten engaged and everybody seemed to love him. But for reasons that God only knows, Rick?s time on earth was short. I felt like I should turn off the radio and drive in silence. It was a nice September day in Atlanta, and the top was down on my Jeep?I was just trying to enjoy the drive. But my thoughts were stuck on Rick and how God operates in an incredible way during times of apparent tragedy. The chorus to this song just came pouring out in the middle of my drive. Long live the One who gives us life, and peace and hope for tomorrow! Life does not end here! God reigns over all time and eternity, and has invited us to join Him. I?ll give my everything to the One who pledged to cancel my sorrow." - Aaron Shust

Matchless

Son of a man, great I am, King of Heaven
Son of God, You hold the measure of my days
Holy Lamb, spotless Lamb, You are worthy, I am not
Before Your throne I stand amazed

Every tongue confess and every knee will bow
To Jesus Christ the Lord forever, hear our praises now

Your name is matchless, Your name is priceless
Your name means more than I could know
You're so far above me, the way that You love me
Goes further than any love could go

Wonderful counselor, root of David, morning star
You are the way, the truth, the life
Lion of the tribe of Judah, mighty God is who You are
The only perfect sacrifice

Every tongue confess and every knee will bow
To Jesus Christ the Lord forever, hear our praises now

Your name is matchless, Your name is priceless
Your name means more than I could know
You're so far above me, the way that You love me
Goes further than any love could go

In Your name You took the blind man and You gave him back his sight
In Your name You took the dead man and You brought him back to life
In Your name You took this prisoner and You opened up the doors
And I will sing before Your throne forevermore

Your name is matchless, Your name is priceless
Your name means more than I could know
You're so far above me, the way that You love me
Goes further than any love could go

Your name is matchless, Your name is priceless
Your name means more than I could know
You're so far above me, the way that You love me
Goes further than any love could go

More wonderful

God of unending grace
I come to You on my face
I need to hear You speak to me
Won't You make me, new right now?

God of omnipotent power
Visit us in this hour
And may we leave here changed
Because we've met with You, God

You've been more wonderful to me
Than I could have ever imagined
You've shown more love
Than I could show in a thousand years

And although it seems at times
Like it all means nothing to me
You gotta know that I love You
You gotta know that I need You

God of wisdom and love
Settle down from above
Give us all a taste of what
Your Holy Spirit can do

Time and time again we've betrayed
But our debt's already been paid
And all that leaves me wanting
Is to live for You, God

You've been more wonderful to me
Than I could have ever imagined
You've shown more love
Than I could show in a thousand years

And although it seems at times
Like it all means nothing to me
You gotta know that I love You
You gotta know that I need You

When the world crashes
Down around me
I know You'll be there to pull me
Out from the rubble

When my enemy surrounds
And I call on Your name
You'll be there to deliver me
From my troubled soul

You've been more wonderful to me
Than I could have ever imagined
You've shown more love
Than I could show in a thousand years

You've been more wonderful to me
Than I could have ever imagined
You've shown more love
Than I could show in a thousand years

You've been more wonderful to me
Than I could have ever imagined
You've shown more love
Than I could show in a thousand years

And although it seems at times
Like it all means nothing to me
You gotta know that I love You
You gotta know that I need You

You gotta know that I love You
You gotta know that I need You
You're more wonderful

My savior, my God

I am not skilled to understand
What God has willed, what God has planned
I only know at His right hand
Stands One who is my Savior

I take Him at His word and deed
Christ died to save me, this I read
And in my heart I find a need
Of Him to be my Savior

That He would leave His place on high
And come for sinful man to die
You count it strange so once did I
Before I met my Savior

My Savior loves, my Savior lives
My Savior's always there for me
My God He was, my God He is
My God He's always gonna be

My Savior loves, my Savior lives
My Savior's always there for me
My God He was, my God He is
My God He's always gonna be

Yes, living, dying, let me bring
My strength, my solace from this spring
That He who lives to be my King
Once died to be my Savior

That He would leave His place on high
And come for sinful man to die
You count it strange so once did I
Before I knew my Savior

My Savior loves, my Savior lives
My Savior's always there for me
My God He was, my God He is
My God He's always gonna be

My Savior loves, my Savior lives
My Savior's always there for me
My God He was, my God He is
My God He's always gonna be

My Savior loves, my Savior lives
My Savior's always there for me
My God He was, my God He is
My God He's always gonna be

My Savior loves, my Savior lives
My Savior's always there for me
My God He was, my God He is
My God He's always gonna be

My Savior loves, my Savior lives
My Savior's always there for me
My God He was, my God He is
My God He's always gonna be

My Savior loves, my Savior lives
My Savior's always there for me
My God He was, my God He is
My God He's always gonna be

My Savior lives, my Savior loves
My Savior lives, my Savior loves
My Savior lives

One day


One Day I will leave this body
And I will get a perfect one
That day I will see His glory
Shining like the noonday sun
One day, I'll take a walk with Jesus
He might explain the mysteries of life
Some say, I just can't believe it
But I know that one day

We will gather at the Crystal Throne
All these years: we1re finally home
I can actually see His face
And all I can do is say

Holy, Holy is the Lord Almighty
Who was and is and is to come
We lay our crowns before You
Every heart and soul adore You
The God of gods, Almighty One

One day, death will be abolished
And sin will have it's mastery no more
And I know that we will be astonished
At all that our Creator has in store
One day we will meet our Savior
And He will give each one of us a stone
Engraved with our names upon it:
Known by God alone

Runaway


I would leave My world behind
Give up everything that?s mine
If I could know you
I would leave behind My home
Enter your world all alone
If I could find you
It doesn?t matter if you run away
It doesn?t matter if you hide
I would leave my world far behind
This love inside of Me; it?s never gonna die
And I don?t care how far away you roam
No I don?t care how far away you roam
I?ll come running out with open arms to welcome you back home
I?ll come running out with open arms to welcome you back home
I would love to see our name
Engraved upon a picture frame
On my mantle

I would love to see your face
Every morning as you wake up
To see Me
I just wish that I could talk to you
Because I love you more than life




Behind the Song:
"This song was one of my first attempts at the treacherous art form of writing from God?s perspective. What is very interesting to me is how my theology has evolved since the time I wrote it. My original lyric But that won?t happen if you run away changed to It doesn?t matter if you run away. A line that said Until I find you wandering alone changed to I don?t care how far away you roam. I loved this song and wanted to record the original version as a little tribute to the past, but that would have meant singing lyrics that I didn?t really believe anymore. What I do believe is that it doesn?t matter if we run away or hide. I don?t believe that God can?t find us if we run away, and I don?t believe God has to search for us, as if He didn?t know exactly where we are and what we?re doing. Like the father of the prodigal son, He comes running out with open arms and always welcomes His wayward children back home." - Aaron Shust

Stilness (speak to me)


I come to You, oh God, in the stillness of my heart
I need Your healing and Your voice in the stillness of my heart
Speak to me and show me who You are
Rescue me with Your unfailing love and mercy
Speak to me and show me who You are
Hold me tightly in Your arms and never let me go
I hear you calling out my name in the stillness of my heart
Your grace is given me again, now I open my heart
I remember singing praises to Your name every day with all my might
How I long to sing to You again

The name of Jesus


At the name of Jesus every knee will bow
And every tongue confess Him the King of Glory now
It?s the Father?s pleasure that we should call Him Lord
ho from the beginning was the mighty Word
Glory to the Lord on high
Glory to the Son who came to earth to die
Glory to the Spirit who lifts the name on high:
The Name of Jesus, The Name of Jesus
At His voice creation sprang at once to sight
All the angel faces and all the host of light
Thrones and dominations, stars upon their way
All the heavenly order, in their great array
They sang
In Your hearts enthrone Him; there let Him subdue
All that is not holy, all that is not true
Crown Him as Your Captain, in temptation?s hour
Let His will enthrall You, in its light and power



Behind the Song:
"There was a point in time when every creature gave ?glory? ? or positive attention ? and credit to God as the supreme, loving, perfect Being. Can you fathom billions upon billions of angels with perfect voices singing and shouting glory to the very name of Jesus? Glory to the Lord on High! Glory to His Son, who came to earth to die for mankind?s insurrection! Glory to the Spirit, who points all human hearts and minds toward the powerful and majestic name of Jesus! While all of heaven is currently and constantly giving praise and worth to God, I don?t do it often enough, and there are probably millions of people who have never bothered to give any credit to the God of the Universe. Yet one day, every knee will bow and recognize that He is God. One day, every tongue will confess that He is the King of Glory." - Aaron Shust