Raw - Let's get Real with each other

How many times do we struggle and think we are the only ones that do. These songs ask those hard questions - questions that I think a lot of us ask ourselves but don't share with others. We think we are alone in our questions and our failures. It brings shame and isolation. We put on a brave face because we think we are the only one that doesn't have it figured out so we hold back - the problem is that it simply keeps us trapped. Sin likes isolation, it likes darkness. What we need to do is bring it into the light. We need to share and lift each other up. We need to choose to be vulnerable with each other. We need to open up to others and we need be a safe place for others to share.

I Choose to Believe - Chord Sheet

I Choose to Believe

Words and Music by Doug Bessert

Key G

Capo 3 to play Key Bb

V1-C-V2-C-BBBB-V3-C-Tag

Verse 1

G D C G

Sometimes oh Lord, I feel so alone, Sometimes I feel unworthy of love

G C AM G

I ask myself, why am I here, do I even matter, do I matter at all

G EM AM

I have a choice to make, do I believe those lies

D G

Or do I trust in Your word that You love me so

Chorus

C G

I choose to believe I’m loved by the Lord of Lords

C D

I choose to believe I’m never alone

C G

In the struggles and the pain, You are always by my side

C D

And when I can’t go on You carry me

G C G C

I choose to believe, I choose to believe, I choose to believe

Verse 2

G D C G

Sometimes oh Lord I feel frustrated, Sometimes I can feel the anger grow

G C AM G

I ask myself, why do bad things happen are you really there, are You really there

G EM AM

I have a choice to make, do I believe those lies

D G

Or do I trust in Your word that you are by my side

Chorus

C G

I choose to believe I’m loved by the Lord of Lords

C D

I choose to believe I’m never alone

C G

In the struggles and the pain, You are always by my side

C D

And when I can’t go on You carry me

G C G C

I choose to believe, I choose to believe, I choose to believe

Bridge

EM D

I do believe, help me overcome my unbelief

Verse 3

G D C G

Sometimes oh Lord I am defeated, Sometimes oh Lord I completely fail

G C AM G

You look at me and say You love me still, that You always have and You always will

G EM AM

It doesn’t make any sense, why would You love me so

D G

That You would die on a cross just to save my soul

Chorus

C G

I choose to believe I’m loved by the Lord of Lords

C D

I choose to believe I’m never alone

C G

In the struggles and the pain, You are always by my side

C D

And when I can’t go on You carry me

G C G

I choose to believe, I choose to believe, I choose to believe

Tag

C G C G

Oh---h, that choice I make, I make every day, I choose to believe

What does it mean when you say I choose to believe? If you break it down, faith is a choice - you either choose to believe or you don't. It doesn't mean your faith is so strong at the beginning that you never have doubts. But as you grow in Christ, the strength of your faith should grow. Your own experiences show you how God is always there and how He will carry you through life no matter what comes.

It's easy to believe or have faith in God when things are going well. Let's be real with each other though - life quite often doesn't go well. Things aren't like roses all the time and we don't always feel fuzzy and warm. Far too often the opposite is reality. These are the time when you decide - do I believe ----- no matter what. These are also the times when we can grow the most in our faith and our relationship with Christ. Some times we are alone, sometimes anger builds up and gets in the way and then there are times when we completely fail. Burt what about our faith? at these times do we let emotions rule or do we choose to believe?

I first introduced this song to kick off a morning service. No one had heard the song before and no one but the pastor knew I wrote it. I was almost taken back by the reaction of other as the room became so still and quite. If a sing something at the start the service, there are those still finding their seat while others continue conversations. Not that day - dead silence. It was as if they heard the words of the song and those words resonated with them.

Weeks went by and a few that were missing the first day kept asking me to sing it again after hearing about the song from others.

Originally the song only had 2 verses when I sang it that first time. Do you ever struggle with sins - simply disobeying God? That is me from time to time. A month or so later, I had one of those days where I simply failed God and needed to confess to Him. Out of this experience came the third verse. I Went to bed feeling defeated and in the middle of the night God woke me up and started working on me. So, in the middle of the night there I was with guitar in hand and the third verse just started flowing out. No sleep until it was finished.

Faith is simply that choice. Believe it or not. It is not our emotions, it is that choice you make. God doesn't turn his back on us even though it is something we do so easily and quite often more than we should.

The question then is -- what do you believe? What is your choice?

Why - Chord Sheet

Why

Words and Music by Doug Bessert

Key G

V1-C1-V2-C1-V3-C2-C2-Tag

Verse 1

G C

Here I am down on my knees again

G D

I feel the shame every time I give in

G C

I don’t understand I return again and again

G D

There is no lasting joy it just brings me down

Chorus 1

G D

Oh, why do I struggle why all the shame

C AM

Why do I chase the world while you call out my name

G D

Why do I find myself doing what I don’t want to do

C D

Lord, please don’t give up on me

C G C

Oh lord, please don’t give up on me

Verse 2

G C

The world knows just what my flesh wants to hear

G D

It feeds me all kind of lies when I turn my eyes from You

G C

I chase other things that seem pleasant for a time

G D

It’s like I’m watching myself through someone else’s eye

Chorus 1

G D

Oh, why do I struggle why all the shame

C AM

Why do I chase the world while you call out my name

G D

Why do I find myself doing what I don’t want to do

C D

Lord, please don’t give up on me

C G C

Oh lord, please don’t give up on me

Verse 3

G C

Now, You had a plan from before I was born

G D

A plan without shame yes, a plan for good

G C

And You have the power over sin over shame

G D

Your grace and forgiveness brings the freedom we all crave

Chorus 2

G D

You have power over struggles You give freedom from shame

C AM

May I chase after You while you call out my name

G D

Show me what it is You want me to do

C D

Lord, please don’t give up on me

C G

Oh lord, please don’t give up on me

Tag

C D

Yes Lord, please don’t give up on me

C G

Oh lord, please don’t give up on me

Do you struggle with sin? I believe there is a lot more of that struggle going on than what people would like to discuss. We tend to try bottling it up when we are around other. We come to church, bottle our struggle up, and put on a happy face. Not realizing the one you are talking with is going through struggles of their own that were bottled up before walking through the same church doors that you did.

There is a song that talks about stained glass windows. That is what we try to be when we come to church or talk with other Christians we may know. We but on a brave face and try to be something we think others would like to see while all the time we are broken inside.

Through the years, I had a simple prayer that I would say "Lord, please don't give up on me". Honestly, I said it a lot over the years. All those times I struggled, all those times I sinned and all those times I failed God in one way or another. Yet, if someone was to look at me they may have never noticed what I was going through - simply because I never shared and always tried to put on that brave face - tried to look like one of those stained glass windows. All the while crying out to God not to give up on me when I was alone. I'm going to guess that I haven't been the only one to do this at one time or another.

Struggles come and go through the many days of our lives. The one constant is Gods love for us. sometimes it doesn't make any sense - why would God still love me after all the times I failed. God is the one capstone that the rest of our life should be built on. The capstone is the strongest point - one that hold the most weight and everything is built from. The wall or ceiling does not come first. If they did, there is no support.

God is our strength. He Hold us up, carries us through and yes, He does not fail us.

So, if you need to send that simply prayer "Lord, please don't give up on me" Don't just say it - mean it. And then do something about it. Change your heart and mind to align with God - it is a process and may take awhile. That is why we need to break down the walls and share with others and in turn life them up with the struggles they face.

Wide Open Arms - Chord Sheet

Wide Open Arms

Words and Music by Doug Bessert

Key G

V1-C1-V2-C2-V3-B-B-C2

Verse 1

G EM AM D

Just who am I I thought I knew Why am I here I'd like to know

C G C G

Is there more to this life, just what are Your plans for me

G EM AM D

Why do I care what others say it hurts so bad I close my eyes

C G C G

Do I face it or do I run away, Can I run to Your wide-open arms

Chorus 1

EM C

I was searching most my life for a love to fill that void deep inside my soul

G D G

When all along you were right there in front of me, with wide-open arms

EM C G

With wide-open arms, Your wide-open arms, now wrapped around me

Verse 2

G EM AM D

Why didn’t I care like I should You died for me You paid my debt

C G C G

With those nails that pierced Your hands, on those wide those wide-open arms

G EM AM D

You hung on that cross You bled for me if I open my heart maybe I can see

C G C G

See you standing right in front of me, with those wide those wide-open arms

Chorus 2

EM C

Oh, You died upon the cross to fill that void deep inside in my soul

G D G

and all along you were right there in front of me, with wide-open arms

EM C G

With wide-open arms, Your wide-open arms, now wrapped around me

Verse 3

G EM AM D

Did I waste my life is it really too late now that I can See I’m not the only one

C G C G

who hurts who hurts like me, who needs those wide-open arms

Bridge

G C

Lord help me see, see through Your eyes, Lord help me be, be who You need

G C

Lord help me see the hurting and the lost, Lord help me be Your hands and Your feet

Chorus 2

EM C

Oh, You died upon the cross to fill that void deep inside in my soul

G D G

and all along you were right there in front of me, with wide-open arms

EM C G

With wide-open arms, Your wide-open arms, now wrapped around me

This song begins with 'Who am I and why am I here". Have you ever asked yourself those same question? My guess for most of us would be yes and let me tell you - you are not the only one no matter what it looks like. We are all searching for something? There is a void deep down in our very core, our very soul that things of this world could ever begin to fill.

We search and search yet nothing satisfies. Nothing from this world that is - see nothing of this world can fill that void deep inside our souls. Nothing that is until we respond to Jesus. We can say that we were seeking something in our life but in reality, it was God who was seeking us first. God knew us before we were ever born. He has a plan for our lives before we take our first breath.

Jesus's arms were stretched out wide as he hung on that cross - as He freely gave up His own life in order to pay a price that we ourselves could'n pay.

Have you run into those wide open arms - those loving arms.

Bad things happen in this world and we can't explain them. When these bad things happen, what do you do? Do turn your back because you don't know why these bad situation were allowed to happen. After all, God can do anything, can't He? -- Yes He can. We don't understand why a loving God would allow such a thing. Right now, we simply can't understand things the way God does - He sees from the beginning of the world until the very end. What we need to do is strive to be more like Jesus - to be transform in the likeness of Him.

The more you experience God, the more you run into those wide open arms - the more you are able to see as He does. That doesn't mean we will always like what we see or even understand why some things still happen but we can be sure that God is in control and He has us no matter what. We may even be able to see the previous choices that help to keep our current situation from being worse than it could be.

Those wide-open arms are the place of peace, comfort and strength. They can bring so much peace when everything around you is out of control. The question now is, do you share that peace with others? When we see others, do we see them as the world does or as God does?

Do you want God to use your, eyes, hands, feet and heart in order to point others to Him?

Raw - Let's get Real with each other

I Choose to Believe - Chord Sheet

Why - Chord Sheet

Wide Open Arms - Chord Sheet

Grace Free Methodist Church

Richland Free Methodist Church