The Call of Abram – Music Story

God called Abram to a new identity. His sense of self, of who he was, was to change. Abram was to have a new allegiance, one not based on nation or people group. Abram was to leave his country and his father’s household and go to the land God would show him. God promised to make him a great nation. All the peoples on earth would be blessed through him. Abram’s identity was to be based on God’s promise. But it would take a miracle for him to become a great nation. He was seventy-five. His wife was sixty-five, childless, and barren. Yet, Abram believed God and went as the Lord had told him! And so began the great story of redemption.

In the call of Abram we see rudiments of the story:

·         A calling

·         A land

·         A promise

·         New identity

·         A child

·         A miracle birth

Through one man’s act of faith God would bless all.

From the album “Redemption” this video is scrolling playback of God’s call to Abram from Genesis 12.

Kathy

Click here to read the call of Abram.

Print (PDF) and/or digital (MusicXML) sheet music is available for The Call of Abram.

Click here for PDF.

Click here for MusicXML.
(MusicXML™ is the standard open format for sharing digital sheet music. Check the help files in your music notation app for directions on importing MusicXML files.) 

Hannah’s Song – Music Story

Hannah prayed for a child.
And the LORD granted her petition.
Then Hannah prayed and said,
“My heart rejoices in the LORD … there is no Rock like our God.”

From the album “Sing” this video is scrolling playback of her prayer set to music.

Kathy

Click here to read Hannah’s prayer.

Lead sheet music (PDF) is available for Hannah’s Song.

Click here for PDF.

Blessed – Music Story

Crowds of people were following Jesus. He was in the public eye, being sought out. Were his disciples basking in the limelight? Finding pleasure in fame?

When Jesus saw the crowds, he went up on the mountain and sat down. His disciples came to him, and Jesus described to them the person who is to be congratulated, to be envied. He explained the best way of living, the one that gives the greatest rewards today and tomorrow. The person who accepts the demands of God’s Kingdom, that person truly finds happiness and well-being.

What Jesus taught his disciples is known as The Beatitudes and is found in The Sermon on the Mount.

From the album “Sing” this video is scrolling playback of a song based on Numbers 26:24-26 and Matthew 5:3-16.

Kathy

You can read The Beatitudes here.

Print (PDF) sheet music (lead sheet) is available for Blessed.

Click here for PDF.

Romans – Music Story

Something is wrong with the world.

We live in a violent world. War is raging on every continent. In fact, thirteen major wars are being fought right now, including the civil war in Myanmar that forcibly displaced over a million people. As the military was seizing power, my niece evacuated on one of the last planes out of the country.

We live in an asylum-seeking world. Thousands of Mexican migrants with their belongings stuffed into one bag are bussed to “sanctuary cities” in the U.S and simply dropped off. In a major city just a few hours from my home they fill a third of the already overwhelmed family homeless shelters.

We live in a world battling over orthodoxy. In a neighboring state, an education law resulted in the removal of hundreds of books from public schools, classic works of fiction, nonfiction history books, even Pulitzer Prize winning contemporary novels!

The apostle Paul explains the root of the problem in the New Testament book of Romans.

Three songs from Romans

1.      The Mind of God

We originated in the mind of God. We are created by, through, and for a triune God to reflect his unity and diversity.[1]

2.      Bad News! Good News!

The problem is personal. We don’t reflect God’s unity and diversity. We have fallen short of the glory of God. We are sinners. God’s solution to the problem was personal. God sent his Son, Jesus, to demonstrate that he loves us. We are forgiven and made right with God through Jesus’ death.[2]

3.      The Love of God

Surrounded by violence? Forcibly displaced? Seeking asylum? On the wrong side of orthodoxy? For those who have accepted God’s solution, nothing can separate them from the love of God.[3]

Kathy

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[1] Romans 11:33-36

[2] Romans 1:2-6, 3:10-18, 5:1-11, 10:5-13

[3] Romans 8:31-39

Titus – Music Story

The verses behind the songs.

Before Time Began

Read Titus 1:1-5 and Titus 2:11-14. Who wrote the letter? To whom is it written? Why? What preaching was entrusted to the writer?

Compare Titus1:1-3 and Titus 2:11-14 in the Amplified Bible and The Message. What did God promise before the beginning of time? To whom was it promised? When did God fulfill the promise? What does that mean for you?

Listen to the song. Does it capture the message of these verses? Why? Why not?

Ordinary Lives

Read Titus 1:6-9 and Titus 2:1-9. What is Titus to teach? (Titus 2:1) How are leaders to live out that teaching? Older men? Older women? Young women? Young men? Slaves / employees? What happens when people live out the teaching? (Titus 2:10)

Listen to the song. What are ordinary clothes? How would you say it differently?

The Hymn of Salvation by Grace

Read Titus 3:4-7. Summarize these verses.

Compare Titus 3:4-7 in the New International Version and The Passion Translation. What title does The Passion Translation give this section? Why? (See the callout in verse 4.) In which translation does the cadence of the words best reflect the title given to this section?

Listen to the song. Does putting the passage to a beat help you remember it? Why? Why not?

Kathy

Moses' Genealogy

There are lots of genealogies or family trees in the Old Testament. The Genesis 5 family tree lists descendants from Adam to Noah. The Genesis 11 family tree lists descendants from Seth to Abraham. Moses’ family tree is found in Exodus 6.

The genealogies use the Hebrew word יָלַד (yā·lǎḏ) which means “have a child.” It is translated “bore” or “begat.” Unless we understand how Moses used the word יָלַד (yā·lǎḏ), the Old Testament genealogies will not make sense. They will be absurd. They will be impossible. Let me explain.

This twelve-minute presentation examines the impossibility of Moses’ genealogy.

Kathy

An expanded version of this presentation is available as a 72-page PDF.

Click here for PDF.

I Stand Firm – Music Story

Paul pictures the Christian life as a battle. A battle against doubt, fear, deception, darkness. Paul instructs us to “Put on the full armor of God, so that when the day of evil comes, you may be able to stand your ground, and after you have done everything, to stand.”

Doubt and Fear vs. Pursuit of Holiness

When we experience pain, problems, and stress, we are tempted to pursue happiness. The battle we face is internal, a battle against doubt and fear. When life doesn’t go as we wish, Paul instructs us use the Word of God as a sword. We are to let God’s Word pierce us and transform our pursuit, from happiness to holiness.

Deception vs. Liberty

We live in a post-truth culture, a culture in which feelings trump facts. Jesus, not how we feel, is truth. His teachings are under attack. This battle is external, a battle against deceptive cultural norms, claims based on feelings. This battle is fought in the public arena for the right of Jesus followers to express truth. And after doing everything we can, Paul instructs us to stand our ground.

Darkness vs. Life

Jesus is the light. Darkness seeks to extinguish the light. Darkness rules where Jesus and his teachings are banned. When the day of evil comes, followers of Jesus may experience loss of property or livelihood, imprisonment, torture, even death. In the day of evil Paul instructs us to put on the full armor of God and stand firm.

From the album “Main Street” this video is scrolling playback of a song based on Ephesians 6:10-18.

Kathy

Click here to read Ephesians 6.

Print (PDF) and/or digital (MusicXML) sheet music is available for I Stand Firm.

Click here for PDF.

Click here for MusicXML.
(MusicXML™ is the standard open format for sharing digital sheet music. Check the help files in your music notation app for directions on importing MusicXML files.)