Hi friends,

In this post, I’m stepping out on a limb a bit to share a certain aspect of my life and walk with Christ that, for the most part, only those who are close to me are significantly aware of.  When I was first saved in 1978, at age 18, I had the desire to learn to play guitar and use it for worshiping God, privately and in the home fellowship I was a part of.  After I learned about three chords, I asked the Lord if He would help me write a song for Him.  I didn’t know anything about songwriting, could barely play the guitar, and my lack of ability to carry a tune and sing on key was painfully evident.  But I had the faith to believe He could help me.  The next day as I was going about my business, I began to sing a little song in my heart.  I went and got my guitar and figured out the three chords I needed to play it.  Within a very short time, three more verses were added and, voila!, my first song, “Revival”, was written by the grace and inspiration of the Lord!

Over the years, that list of songs has grown to over one hundred, and by His grace, I’ve learned to play a few more chords, and even somewhat be able to carry a tune! 😉  Most of these songs have been expressions of and for my personal devotion to the Lord and for sharing with those I’ve been close to in fellowship.  I’ve never done much more with them than that.

Within the past year, I’ve felt the Lord stirring me to be a better steward of this gift and to begin to record a number of them so that they could be shared more broadly with others for their edification.  Many of the songs He has inspired me to write are portions of Scripture put to music, which is a wonderful way to enter into the Spirit of God’s Word and for His Word to enter into our spirit.

Recently, I’ve been able to record a number of these and have chosen ones, especially, that have related to blog posts that I’ve published the past few months.  I’ve begun attaching them to the bottom of the posts as a further expression and affirmation of their content.  I’ve also added them to the permanent section on this blog, Original Poems/Songs, under the Creative Expressions section.  (I will be adding additional songs to this section as I am able to, so please check back every so often!)

I wanted to introduce these new additions to the blog by giving a little background and also share the links to the recent posts I felt that they complemented.  Each of these songs also have their own separate pages with their lyrics and an mp3 player attached, which are linked below as well.

At the bottom of this post is a playlist/player comprising all eight songs for continuous play.  (I was originally planning on only seven, but in writing this post, I thought it might be fun to also include the first song, “Revival”, as well. So, I recorded it and teed it up as the first song on the playlist. 🙂 )

Please know that these are simple, acoustic recordings (just me and my guitar), are not professionally or studio recorded (just a microphone, laptop, and some Audacity software) and are meant for quiet meditation on Scriptural truths.  I would ask that you consider listening to them when you have time to quietly soak in the truths of these Scripture-based songs (and, if possible, with headphones or earbuds as that is the best way to enjoy them. 😉 )

Finally, just to cover the legal aspect, although these songs are copyrighted, please feel free to use them for personal and in small group settings if you so desire.  I ask that they not be shared over the internet except by linking directly to this post or other page(s) on this blog where they are posted (see below.)  Thank you for respecting that!  (If anyone would like chord sheets or possibly further permissions, you may contact me at david[at]christcenteredchristianity[dot]com to request such and/or discuss further.  Thanks.)

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And so, without further ado, here are the links to the individual pages for each song, along with the posts they have been attached to (for context.)

Below these is the playlist/player of all eight songs!

Enjoy!

“Revival” – by David Bolton

Divine Healing – by Andrew Murray (free audiobook)
“I Would Have Despaired” – by David Bolton
“They That Wait” – by David Bolton

“Life Together” – by Dietrich Bonhoeffer (limited-time free audiobook offer)
“Behold How Good and How Pleasant” (Psalm 133) – by David Bolton

Five Dynamics of the Spiritual Life
“He Must Increase” – by David Bolton

Call to a (Virtual) Solemn Assembly – [UPDATED with follow-up report]
“The Sacrifices of God” – by David Bolton

When God Does a New Thing – Part 1: Preparation
“We’re Going Up” – by David Bolton

When God Does a New Thing – Pt. 3: Misapprehension
“Pressing On” – by David Bolton

Original Poems/Songs

Creative Expressions