New Song Devo: New Wine

New Wine

There’s usually a lot of feelings surrounding the word new. Excitement, longing, fear, uncertainty. Whether you’re talking about big things like a new job or a new family member, or little things like a new sequel to your favorite movie or a new (to you) piece of secondhand furniture, newness implies change. Something is now different than it was.

Our God is very keen on new things. All throughout Scripture we see examples of God creating and re-creating people and hearts and kingdoms and ideologies. In the Old Testament He gave Israel a New Law, which was good and beneficial for them. Many years later Jesus came to bring a New Covenant that would replace the need for keeping the Law. As believers, we look forward to the day when Christ will return to establish his New Kingdom.

Newness may be beautiful, but it’s not always easy. Scripture uses analogies of refining fire (Prov. 25:4), the vine and the branches (John 15), and the potter and clay (Isaiah 29:13-16) to explain the process of becoming new, and to show the challenges that come with it. But it’s when God takes us through these processes that we ultimately become more useful to him.

My favorite lyric in the song New Wine, is “when I trust You I don’t need to understand”. My whole life I’ve struggled to be obedient and submissive to things I don’t understand. There’s a level of control that needs to be given up and that can be super painful. But ultimately if we have complete trust and confidence in the One who is shaping and making us into something to be used for His purpose and glory, we really don’t need to fully understand. Rather we can embrace the newness and the pain of change and loss with joy and confidence knowing that our Creator God works all things for the good of those who love him (Romans 8:28).

As we are moving into a marked new season of life and ministry is the weeks and months to come, I’d encourage you to be looking for ways that God is making something new – in the Calvary ministry as a whole and in you personally – and to embrace it wholeheartedly. As always, I look forward to worshiping with you all on Sunday!

Emma Prong

Isaiah 43:19

See, I am doing a new thing! Now it springs up; do you not perceive it? I am making a way in the wilderness and streams in the wasteland.

Isaiah 64:8

Yet you, Lord, are our Father. We are the clay, you are the potter; we are all the work of your hand.

2 Timothy 2:21

Those who cleanse themselves from the latter will be instruments for special purposes, made holy, useful to the Master and prepared to do any good work.

New Wine

In the crushing in the pressing

You are making new wine

In the soil I now surrender

You are breaking new ground

So I yield to You and to Your careful hand

When I trust You I don't need to understand

Make me Your vessel

Make me an offering

Make me whatever You want me to be

I came here with nothing

But all You have given me

Jesus bring new wine out of me

'Cause where there is new wine

There is new power

There is new freedom

And the kingdom is here

I lay down my old flames

To carry Your new fire today

CCLI Song # 7102397

Brooke Ligertwood

© 2017 Hillsong Music Publishing Australia (Admin. by Capitol CMG Publishing)

For use solely with the SongSelect®. Terms of Use. All rights reserved. www.ccli.com

CCLI License # 702888

New Song Devo: He Will Hold Me Fast

This tune has been around for a while now, gaining popularity as a modern hymn. I first heard it at a conference a few years ago, singing in a crowd of several thousand voices, and was struck by the sense of peacefulness it brought. Strong themes of God’s sovereignty and great love seemed to envelop the room and rest over each one present, their confidence growing as together they were reminded of the character of this God they worshiped.

One of the first times I fully felt the weight of God’s love for me was when a close friend challenged me in the midst of a season of great self-doubt by saying, “Jesus paid the highest cost to hold your heart – don’t you think you can trust him with it?” 

What a great way to sum up the Christian walk! Am I willing to trust Christ to lead my life? My emotions, my fears, my choices? If his love for me is so great that he was willing to take on the wrath of God and be murdered instead of me (Isaiah 53:4-5), is he not worth trusting? If he is one with God the Father (John 17:21), the creator of everything seen and unseen (Gen 1) who knit me together in my mother’s womb (Psalm 139:13), does he not hold my life in his hands for the purpose of his glory?

I don’t think it’s accidental that the songwriter chose to put the lyric He will hold me fast practically every other line. How greatly we need to be reminded of this truth! 

When my faith is weak and I’m consumed with self-doubt, he will hold me fast. 
When I’m overcome with worry about current events, he will hold me fast.
When temptation seems like it’s going to win again, he will hold me fast.
When the cloud of depression hangs heavy in the air, he will hold me fast.
When my family seems to be falling apart, he will hold me fast.
When I one day leave this life behind, he will hold me fast.

As we prepare to worship together with this song on Sunday, I encourage you to meditate on the lyrics and corresponding Scripture passages and to listen to the recording. May you be strengthened and encouraged as you are reminded of the faithfulness and love of our sovereign God. I look forward to worshiping together this Sunday!

Emma Prong

Verse 1

When I fear my faith will fail
Christ will hold me fast
When the tempter would prevail
He will hold me fast
I could never keep my hold
Through life's fearful path
For my love is often cold
He must hold me fast

Chorus
He will hold me fast
He will hold me fast
For my Savior loves me so
He will hold me fast

Verse 2

Those He saves are His delight
Christ will hold me fast
Precious in His holy sight
He will hold me fast
He'll not let my soul be lost
His Promises shall last
Bought by Him at such a cost
He will hold me fast

Verse 3

For my life He bled and died
Christ will hold me fast
Justice has been satisfied
He will hold me fast
Raised with Him to endless life
He will hold me fast
Till our faith is turned to sight
When He comes at last

CCLI Song # 7016161
Ada Ruth Habershon | Matthew Merker
© 2013 Getty Music Publishing (Admin. by Music Services, Inc.)
Matthew Merker Music (Admin. by Music Services, Inc.)
For use solely with the SongSelect®. Terms of Use. All rights reserved. www.ccli.com
CCLI License # 702888

But God, who is rich in mercy, because of his great love that he had for us, made us alive with Christ even though we were dead in trespasses. You are saved by grace! He also raised us up with him and seated us with him in the heavens in Christ Jesus, so that in the coming ages he might display the immeasurable riches of his grace through his kindness to us in Christ Jesus.

Ephesians 2:4-7 (CSB)

The Lord delights in those who fear him,
    who put their hope in his unfailing love.

Psalm 147:11 (NIV)

But the Lord is faithful, and he will strengthen you and protect you from the evil one.

2 Thessalonians 3:3 (NIV)

Where can I go from your Spirit?
    Where can I flee from your presence?
If I go up to the heavens, you are there;
    if I make my bed in the depths, you are there.
If I rise on the wings of the dawn,
    if I settle on the far side of the sea,
even there your hand will guide me,
    your right hand will hold me fast.

Psalm 139:7-10 (NIV)

To him who is able to keep you from stumbling and to present you before his glorious presence without fault and with great joy— to the only God our Savior be glory, majesty, power and authority, through Jesus Christ our Lord, before all ages, now and forevermore! Amen.

Jude 24-25 (NIV)

New Song Devo: Give Us Your Heart

Give Us Your Heart Devo

When “Give Us Your Heart” first played on a new Spotify album I was streaming, I didn’t think much of it. The lead vocalist had a nice voice, the melody had a nice hook. It was another nice song in the midst of many other nice songs. But as I re-listened to that particular album over the new few weeks, the lyrics started to catch my attention. 

// oh give us Your heart / let the light of heaven shine / as we step into the dark //

Isn’t this just the epitome of discipleship? As Jesus followers, isn’t our highest calling to declare His glory? Not just by singing praises in the comfort of our church walls (though this is a very important thing as well), but by living day-to-day, week-to-week with a heart like Jesus? Romans 12:1 says, “Therefore, I urge you, brothers and sisters, in view of God’s mercy, to offer your bodies as a living sacrifice, holy and pleasing to God—this is your spiritual act of worship.” 

// all to see Your kingdom come and death depart / oh give us Your heart //

As a staff team, we’ve been working through a study on missional living where we’ve explored the idea of mission as simply declaring the rule and reign of God – in the way we treat people we know and don’t know, the way we handle our finances, the way we spend our free time, mission influences everything we do. This song seemed to reinforce that idea for me – a cry to become more like Jesus and live in a way that declares God’s kingdom already here and yet to come. This was something we needed to be singing at Calvary.

I especially love that this song is an ask. It’s not a statement of having already arrived or achieved perfection. The verses give us a reminder of the heart of God, while the chorus and bridge remind us of our goal. And woven all throughout is the prayer, “make us like You Lord”. Philippians 3:12 says, “Not that I have already obtained all this, or have already arrived at my goal, but I press on to take hold of that for which Christ Jesus took hold of me.”

As you prepare to worship as a church family this week, I’d encourage you to take a listen to the recording of “Give Us Your Heart”, either through the video linked below or on our “This Sunday At Calvary” Spotify playlist. The song lyrics, as well as some corresponding Scriptures are listed below for use in your personal worship time. It’s my prayer that your heart would be softened to this challenge throughout the week so that when we come together as a family your worship would be authentic, genuine, and that you would be energized by sharing in that worship with others. I look forward to our time of worship together on Sunday! 

– Emma Prong

Give Us Your Heart

Verse 1

Your eyes are on the lowly though others look away
Your feet run to the broken, Your hands are quick to save
Make us like You Lord

Verse 2

You walk with the forgotten and offer them a home
Adopting the unwanted and calling them Your own
Make us like You Lord

Chorus

O give us Your heart, O give us Your heart
Let the light of heaven shine as we step into the dark
O give us Your heart, O give us Your heart
All to see Your kingdom come and death depart
O give us Your heart
O give us Your heart

Bridge

Let justice flow like a river in the desert
Let the nations know that You will reign forever
As the earth beholds the glory of the Savior
Let justice flow

---

2 Corinthians 4:6
For God, who said, “Let light shine out of darkness,” made his light shine in our hearts to give us the light of the knowledge of God’s glory displayed in the face of Christ.

Psalm 34:18
The Lord is close to the brokenhearted
and saves those who are crushed in spirit.

Amos 5:24
But let justice roll on like a river,
righteousness like a never-failing stream!

Ephesians 1:4-6
For he chose us in him before the creation of the world to be holy and blameless in his sight. In love he predestined us for adoption to sonship through Jesus Christ, in accordance with his pleasure and will—to the praise of his glorious grace, which he has freely given us in the One he loves.

CCLI Song # 7080403
Jake Richards | Jordan Merritt | Melanie Tierce | The Emerging Sound
© 2016 Tent Peg Music (div. of New Nation Music [Admin. by Music Services, Inc.])
The Emerging Sound Publishing (div. of New Nation Music [Admin. by Music Services, Inc.])
For use solely with the SongSelect®. Terms of Use. All rights reserved. www.ccli.com
CCLI License # 702888