“The motive for loving God is God himself. He is as well the efficient cause as the final object of our love. He gives the occasion for love, he creates the affection, he brings the desire to good effect… Our love is prepared and rewarded by His. He loves us first, out of His great tenderness; then we are bound to repay him with love; and we are permitted to cherish exultant hopes in him.” —  "On Loving God" by Bernard of Clairvaux

SCRIPTURE:
Ephesians 3:16-19, Isaiah 57:15

"Jesus the Very Thought of Thee” was originally penned by Bernard of Clairvaux in the 1100s. The son of a knight, Bernard grew up with wealth, power, and opportunities. Instead of pursuing these things in his adult life, however, Clairvaux abandoned his earthly luxuries and became a monk. In this hymn we can see how devout and sincere Clairvaux was. The text expresses the feeling of joy and bliss that only Christ can provide. - Hymnary

​Echoing the worshipful devotion found in David’s Psalms, “Jesus, the Very Thought of Thee” uses simple language to declare our Savior’s praiseworthy attributes. The hymn invites the worshipper to surrender every worldly care and celebrate the One who gave His life for us.

Bernard of Clairvaux believed in loving God, for who He is, without limitation. This conviction rang true throughout Bernard’s life, whether he was worshiping, teaching, serving, or writing. In one of his most famous books, still in circulation today, Bernard describes his passion for loving God in a way that beautifully illustrates the heart behind his hymn “Jesus, the Very Thought of Thee.”

“The motive for loving God is God himself. He is as well the efficient cause as the final object of our love. He gives the occasion for love, he creates the affection, he brings the desire to good effect… Our love is prepared and rewarded by His. He loves us first, out of His great tenderness; then we are bound to repay him with love; and we are permitted to cherish exultant hopes in him.” — On Loving God
​
Christianity.com

Lyrics:
​VERSE 1
O Lord, our God, to You we come
Will You still hide Your face?
We cry before You and on our knees we pray
How long, O Lord, how long?
VERSE 2
Our sorrows leave us weak and worn
Surrounded by our fears
We look to heaven through feeble faith and tears
How long, O Lord, how long?
CHORUS
Till Your glory fills our eyes
And our faith is turned to sight
Till our thirsty souls are satisfied
How long, O Lord, how long?
VERSE 3
Our foes and enemies rejoice
Injustice seems to reign
Lord, we are shaken and we are losing strength
How long, O Lord, how long?
VERSE 4
But we will trust Your steadfast love
Your grace will be our song
You bring new mercies with ev’ry rising sun
How long, O Lord, how long?

Music and words by Matthew Carpenter, Lisa Clow, Brittany Born, and David Zimmer © 2022 Sovereign Grace Praise/BMI (administrated by Integrity Music). Sovereign Grace Music, a division of Sovereign Grace Churches. All rights reserved.

The Story Behind the Song

LYRICS:
Vs 1
O Most High, King of the ages
Great I AM, God of wonders
By the blood You have redeemed us
Led us through mighty waters
Our strength, our song, our sure salvation

Chorus 1
Now to the Lamb upon the throne
Be blessing, honor, glory, power
For the battle You have won
Hallelujah! Amen

Vs 2
O Most High, dwelling among us
Son of man sent for sinners
By Your blood You have redeemed us
Spotless Lamb, mighty Savior
Who lived, who died, who rose victorious

Chorus 2, 3
Now to the Lamb upon the throne
Be blessing, honor, glory, power
For the battle You have won
Hallelujah! Amen
With every tribe and every tongue
We join the anthem of the angels 
In the triumph of the Son
Hallelujah! Amen

Last Chorus Tag
Sing the victory of the Lamb
Hallelujah! Amen

Vs 3
O Most High, King of the nations
Robed in praise, crowned with splendor
On that day who will not tremble?
When You stand Christ the Victor
Who was, and is, and is forever

Amen, amen, amen
Amen, amen, amen, amen

Christus Victor (Amen)
Words and Music by Matt Boswell, Bryan Fowler, Keith Getty, Kristyn Getty, and Matt Papa
© 2024 Getty Music Publishing (BMI), Messenger Hymns (BMI), LIVINGHYMNS (BMI), Getty Music Hymns and Songs (ASCAP), Love Your Enemies Publishing (ASCAP) (all adm at CapitolCMGPublishing.com)

Lyrics:
1. Am I a soldier of the cross, a foll’wer of the Lamb,
and shall I fear to own his cause, or blush to speak his name?

2. Must I be carried to the skies on flow’ry beds of ease,
while others fought to win the prize, and sailed thro’ bloody seas?

3. Are there no foes for me to face? Must I not stem the flood?
Is this vile world a friend to grace, to help me on to God?

4. Since I must fight if I would reign: increase my courage, Lord;
I’ll bear the toil, endure the pain, supported by thy Word.

5. Thy saints, in all this glorious war, shall conquer, though they die;
they view the triumph from afar, and seize it with their eye.

6. When that illustrious day shall rise, and all thine armies shine
in robes of vict’ry through the skies, the glory shall be thine.

"One of the great theological treasures of our time is the renewed emphasis on seeing Christ throughout all of Scripture. While the lives of biblical characters offer many lessons, their ultimate purpose is to point us to the central figure of the Bible: Jesus Christ. This hymn traces the line of Adam, Isaac, Moses, and David, celebrating how their stories find their fulfillment in the life and work of the Savior." – Matt Boswell

Songwriters: Matt Boswell / Matt Papa / Keith Getty
Christ The True And Better lyrics © Love Your Enemies Publishing, Getty Music Publishing, Messenger Hymns, Getty Music Hymns And Songs

​Scripture References:
1 Corinthians 15, Exodus 5-14, Genesis 22, Genesis 3, Hebrews 3:1-6, Luke 23:45, Mark 15:38, Matthew 27:51, Romans 5:12-21

Lyrics:
Christ the true and better Adam
Son of God and Son of man
Who, when tempted in the garden
Never yielded, never sinned
He who makes the many righteous
Brings us back to life again
Dying, He reversed the curse
Then rising, crushed the serpent's head

Christ the true and better Isaac
Humble Son of sacrifice
Who would climb the fearful mountain
There to offer up His life
Laid with faith upon the altar
Father's joy and only Son
There salvation was provided
Oh, what full and boundless love

Amen, amen
From beginning to end
Christ the story, His the glory
Alleluia, amen

Christ the true and better Moses
Called to lead a people home
Standing bold to earthly powers
God's great glory to be known
With his arms stretched wide to heaven
See the waters part in two
See the veil is torn forever
Cleansed with blood we pass now through

Amen, amen
From beginning to end
Christ the story, His the glory
Alleluia, amen

Christ the true and better David
Lowly shepherd, mighty King
He, the champion in the battle
Where, O death, is now thy sting?
In our place He bled and conquered
Crown Him Lord of majesty
His shall be the throne forever
We shall e'er His people be

Amen, amen
From beginning to end
Christ the story, His the glory
Alleluia, amen

Amen, amen
From beginning to end
Christ the story, His the glory
Alleluia, amen

Christ the story, His the glory
Alleluia, amen

Source: Musixmatch
Songwriters: Matt Boswell / Matt Papa / Keith Getty
Christ The True And Better lyrics © Love Your Enemies Publishing, Getty Music Publishing, Messenger Hymns, Getty Music Hymns And Songs

Joy to the World, written by Isaac Watts in 1719, was originally written not as a Christmas song, not even as a song at all but as a poem based on Psalm 98. It was included in Isaac Watts collection, The Psalms of David: Imitated in the Language of the New Testament, and applied to the Christian State and Worship.  Continue reading for more history of this famous classic.​

A Brief History of Joy to the World  < Click the link to read!

Christmas Carols: Joy to the World < Click the link to read! 
"During Advent we celebrate the threefold advent of Christ in His incarnation, His dwelling in our hearts by His Spirit, and His glorious return at the last day. These three aspects are each portrayed in Watts’ hymn, Joy to the World."

Lyrics:
Joy to the world, the Lord is come;
Let earth receive her King!
Let every heart prepare him room And heaven and nature sing!
And heaven and nature sing!
And heaven . . . and heaven . . . and nature sing.

Joy to the earth, the Savior reigns!
Let men their songs employ
While fields and floods, rocks, hills, and plains,
Repeat the sounding joy! Repeat the sounding joy!
Repeat . . . repeat . . . the sounding joy!

No more let sins and sorrows grow,
Nor thorns infest the ground;
He comes to make his blessings flow
Far as the curse is found!
Far as the curse is found!
Far as . . . far as . . . the curse is found!
​
He rules the world with truth and grace
And makes the nations prove
The glories of his righteousness
And wonders of his love!
And wonders of his love!
And wonders . . . wonders . . . of his love!

History of Come, Ye Thankful People, Come 

 - "In this hymn, Alford used traditional language and imagery of the rural community to lend words of thankfulness for God’s provision and to expand upon Matthew 13:24–30"

- "​Tom Stewart, in his writing, says:
'[The hymn] addresses the common theme of harvest festivals, called in England the Harvest Home, which is celebrated in English churches usually during the month of September. A thanksgiving service would be held in the church, where the bounty of the harvest is collected, displayed with the fall trappings of pumpkins and autumn leaves, and then dispensed to the needy. And, of course, unlike the humanist that is essentially grateful to only himself, a true Harvest Home celebration acknowledges the provision of God, as did the Pilgrims in 1621 and the ancient Hebrews in their Feast of Firstfruits in the spring on the first day after Passover at the time of the barley harvest. (Stewart, 2016, n.p.)' "

Scripture: Matthew 13:39, Mark 4:28, Matthew 3:12

Tune: ST. GEORGE’S WINDSOR

Composer Information: Elvey, George J. (1858)

Author: Alford, Henry (5)