If you've been keeping up for long, you've figured out that I'm a fan of Sovereign Grace Music. Our music at Grace Evan has benefited greatly from them, and it wasn't long ago that I recommended one of Sovereign Grace's children's albums on this blog.
And now they've made another one, called To Be Like Jesus. The entire album is built around the theme of the fruit of the Spirit, and it all centers on knowing and living for Jesus.
I love their reasons for making this album:
*Why another kids' CD? A few reasons:Our Song of the Week is "Because You First Loved Me" (track 2), based on the Spirit's fruit of Love. The message for kids (and adults!) is fantastic. I love this line: "Jesus, set me free to love You more than me!"
- We think there’s a need for more children’s songs that aren’t simply adult songs with kid’s voices.
- We’d like to see more kid’s songs that proclaim truth rather than express love for God, which many children don’t have yet.
- We wanted kids to see that God wants us to be joyful, loving, faithful, gentle, etc., because that’s the way he is.
- We also wanted kids to see that it’s impossible to be joyful, loving, faithful, gentle, etc. apart from believing the gospel and being empowered by God’s Spirit.
- We wanted to serve children’s ministries and families who are looking for contemporary worship songs with substance for kids.
(iTunes and Amazon will likely offer this album soon, but for now, you can hear samples and get the CD or mp3's directly from Sovereign Grace. They also offer free lyric sheets and music charts for this and all other albums.)
Because You First Loved Me
By Doug Plank
Love is patient, love is kind
Everywhere and every time
It gives its place in line to serve another
But my heart it struggles so
I need Your grace to grow
Lord, help me give and show this love to others
Jesus, set me free to love unselfishly
Because You first loved me
I can love You with all my heart
Because You first loved me
I’ll love others too, the way You do
I’ll love them too
When I love, it looks like this:
It always gives and gives
To God and then it lives to help my neighbor
That’s a love I haven’t got
It’s me I love a lot
Stuck here I’m tied in knots, I need a Savior
Jesus, set me free to love You more than me
