“For all Your goodness I will keep on singing; 10,000 reasons for my heart to find.”
On Tuesday, July 12, Matt Redman released his fifth album, 10,000 Reasons (live). The writer/co-writer of worship songs like: Blessed Be Your Name, The Heart of Worship, Remembrance, Once Again, You Never Let Go, and more, has offered 11 tracks in this collection of live worship music.
The first track released was Never Once. A song previously released in the 2011 Passion : Here For You album is the track, Here For You. Other songs include: We Are the Free, Holy, 10,000 Reasons, Fires, Where Would We Be Without You, We Could Change the World, Magnificent, O This God, and Endless Hallelujah.
Sticking with our recent reviews, we will review each song based on it’s use in local church worship services and also include a brief thought or two on the selection. Scoring one to five stars, five stars would be a perfect song to use in the local church’s worship service; likewise, one star would be a good song, but not widely-used in the local church’s worship service.
1. We Are The Free (★☆☆☆☆) Based on Matthew 3:11, 2 Corinthians 5:17 and Galatians 2:20 this song is written by Matt Redman and Jonas Myrin. This is a strong, up-tempo worship selection that is fast-paced. This isn’t the best selection for the majority of the local small church, but could be a great selection for youth worship, camp, or youth choir.
2. Here For You (★★★☆☆) Based on Psalm 33:1, Psalm 145:19, & Matthew 3:11 this song is penned by Matt Maher, Matt Redman, Tim Wanstall and Jesse Reeves. Also released on the 2011 Passion release as the title track. I like Redman’s version much better than the Passion release.
3. Holy (★★★★☆) Based on Exodus 3:5-14, 2 Timothy 4:1 and Revelation 1:16, these lyrics are written by Matt Redman, Jonas Myrin and Jason Ingram. “What heart could hold the weight of Your love, and know the heights of Your great worth? What eyes could look on Your glorious face, shining like the sun?” This is a nice song from Redman and his crew. Redman asks some wonderful questions in verse 1, answers them in verse 2 and reflectively looks at the second coming in verse 3.
4. 10,000 Reasons (★★★★☆) Based on Psalm 30:4 & Psalm 103:1, this is a great ballad written by Redman and Jonas Myrin. Here are some lyrics to the title track: “The sun comes up, it’s a new day dawning. It’s time to sing Your song again. Whatever may pass and whatever comes before me, let me be singing when the evening comes. Bless the Lord, O my soul, O my soul, worship His holy name. Sing like never before, O my soul, I’ll worship His holy name.”
5. Fires (★☆☆☆☆) Based on Psalm 23:4, Matthew 3:11, 1 Thessalonians 5:19 and Luke 3:16, this song was written by Matt Redman and Jonas Myrin. This song has a driving beat in the verse and a singable chorus. This wouldn’t be a widely-used congregation song, but one a youth choir or ensemble could easily do.
6. Never Once (★★★★★) Based on Psalm 23:4, Proverbs 6:22, Isaiah 40:31, and Deuteronomy 7:9 this song is written by Matt Redman, Jason Ingram, and Tim Wanstall. This is my personal favorite on the entire album. We have already sung this as a theme song at our summer Student Ministry camp as well as corporate worship at HBC. This is a powerful and moving ballad, yet very singable. “Scars and struggles on the way but our hearts can say, never once did we ever walk alone.”
7. Where Would We Be (★★★★☆) Based on John 8:12, 2 Corinthians 4:6, 1 Peter 2:9 and Luke 19:10, this song is penned by Matt Redman, Jonas Myrin and Jason Ingram. “Where would we be without Your love? We’d still be lost in darkness. Where would we be without Your cross? You made a way to save us.” This song poses such thought-provoking questions in an age where sometimes strong Theological lyrics are at a minimum, this song offers insight to who Jesus is and the sacrifice He made without just singing the names of God over and over.
8. We Could Change The World (★★★☆☆) Scripture references include 1 Corinthians 1:25, 2 Corinthians 9:14 and Mark 12:30. This song was written by Redman, Jonas Myrin and Jason Ingram. Again, Redman poses wonderful questions for the verse, opening the minds of the singer, worshiper, and listener. “…Could we live like this? Yes, our God is all He says He is. Jesus in Your name we could change the world.”
9. Magnificent (★★★★☆) Based on Isaiah 28:29 and Revelation 4:8, this song is written by Matt Redman and Jonas Myrin. Magnificent is a nice selection on this CD. Credit should be given to Redman and Myrin for using a word that isn’t used much at all in worship music lyrics today. For example, only 23 songs registered in the CCLI database (under a lyric search with lead sheets) came up with the word, magnificent, in its lyrics.
10. O This God (★★★☆☆) Scripture references for this lyric are: Psalm 24:8, Philippians 2:15, Jeremiah 29:11, Isaiah 2:5 and Psalm 119:105. This song is written by Matt Redman and Jonas Myrin. “O this God, is our God, even ’till the end. Standing strong over us time and time again, even ’till the end. Leave the old behind, it will not define us, no. Yesterday is gone, anything is possible.”
11. Endless Hallelujah (★★★★★) Based on Revelation 21:4, Revelation 19 and Revelation 7:17, this song was penned by Matt Redman, Jonas Myrin, Tim Wanstall and Chris Tomlin (this is the only song featuring lyrics co-written by Chris Tomlin). This is my second favorite selection on the CD. It took me a few times listening to it, but each time it grew on me. It is such a powerful selection. In today’s modern scene of worship music, little is written about Jesus coming again and us going to be with Him. Redman, Tomlin, Myrin, and Wanstall do an amazing job with these lyrics. “No more tears or broken dreams, forgotten is the minor key, ev’rything as it was meant to be.”
Check out song devotions here and chord charts here for each song selection…all FREE from Redman’s website. Also, LifeWayWorship.com has a “super chart” available for each song ($1.99 per copy). Download FREE lead sheets to Never Once, Holy, O This God, and Here For You from WorshipTogether.com.
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