The Jesus Way

Sing It, Phil!

Phil Wickham delivers the truth spot on, landing it into open ears and hearts and souls from the get-go in this powerful new song.

This week we feature Wickham’s new song, The Jesus Way. I hope you love it as much as I do!

The very first lines of this stunning anthem deliver the goods. Did I really say anthem? Yup! And I think it will be just that — keep on reading, give it a listen, and see if you agree.

You want to know one of the very hardest things to do in all of life?

You know, that zero-option, direct order from the Almighty to His people then, now, and for all time?

You want to know what you are called to do this very minute?

Forgive

Yup. You guessed right. We gotta forgive. Catch Wickham’s lead verse!

If you curse me, then I will bless you — If you hurt me, I will forgive…

And if you hate me, then I will love you

I choose the Jesus way.

Phil Wickham: The Jesus Way

When this song popped up on my Pandora feed yesterday it caught me up short.

Woah. What did you just say, Phil?

Oh, man. That thing. Forgiveness.

Hit me hard, why don’t you brother, right from the get-go?

I’ll tell you what, it got my attention.

Called

And good lyrics should, don’t you think? Good lyrics ought to call us out, call us up, and call us onward.

• We need to be called out of our complacency, our smugness, our self-obsession.

• We need to be called up to accept the challenge — that one we said “yes” to, when we first bowed the knee.

• We need to be called ever onward, forward, into surrender, and into those good works which He has planned for us to do on this earth, while there is time.

We must grow up in Him. We must choose the Jesus way.

All of the lyrics of todays’ Practice of Praise are powerful. Here they are:

“The Jesus Way”

If you curse me then I will bless you
If you hurt me I will forgive
And if you hate me then I will love you
I choose the Jesus way

If you’re helpless I will defend you
And if you’re burdened I’ll share the weight
And if you’re hopeless then let me show you
There’s hope in the Jesus way

I follow Jesus
I follow Jesus
He wore my sin
I’ll gladly wear His name
He is the treasure
He is the answer
Oh I choose the Jesus way

If you strike me I will embrace you
And if you chain me I’ll sing His praise
And if you kill me my home is heaven
For I choose the Jesus way

I follow Jesus
I follow Jesus
He wore my sin
I’ll gladly wear His name
He is the treasure
He is the answer
Oh, I choose the Jesus way

I choose surrender
I choose to love
Oh God my Savior
You’ll always be enough
I choose forgiveness
I choose grace
I choose to worship
No matter what I face

I follow Jesus
I follow Jesus
He wore my sin
I’ll gladly wear His name
He is the treasure
He is the answer
Oh I choose the Jesus way

Phil Wickham

Phil himself finds the words impactful. Look at what he says about this song.

I think this song has already had the biggest impact on my life personally of any song I’ve ever written. It has blessed me and it has certainly challenged me. This song is a line in the sand song. A declaration of who I follow and what that means though I fail and fall short of the goal often and rely so desperately on His grace through it all.

I can not wait to sing this with the church. To stand together for love, grace, forgiveness, humility and righteousness in a world where it feels like those beautiful qualities are in increasingly short supply. This song comes out May 19th and I invite all on the path of following Jesus to join me in singing it as both a declaration of who we are and a prayer for who we want to be.

Phil Wickham, Instagram

By the way, if you are struggling with how to forgive someone in your life (most of us do, actually) take listen to this Chip Ingram message. He shares here some really powerful, practical steps on this important topic.

So that’s it for today! Give it a listen. Who knows? Maybe it will become a powerful new anthem for the church, one we will keep on singing, right up until that day when Christ returns!

See you next time!