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Excellent | Posted September-18-2010
Usually I don't go for the contemporary style of music (It's cool just not my favorite) but Casting Crowns truthful lyrics shine through the genre. The beautiful "Stained Glass Masquerade" is sadly very true in the North American church. We all wear masks to hide our pain when the Bible (and psychiatrists)tell us to share our burdens with each other. "Love Them Like Jesus" gently shows us how to love those in grief and troubled times. "Set Me Free" was especially powerful to me because of the struggles I have faced (and continue to face) in my journey. And finally, I truly enjoyed worshiping to "Lifesong" which reminds me how small and broken we are and how big and perfect God is. I'm not liking the direction Casting Crowns seems to be going lately...I think they are starting to lose the cutting edge honesty that makes them so unique. However, this album has remained one of my favorites and gives me hope for the church and for us, broken, stumbling, Christians.
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The Big Finale | Posted July-10-2010
An amazing end to an amazing era for the Newsboys! Honest and original lyrics coupled to the fresh unique sound from Australia. Wow! "My Friend Jesus" and "RSL 1984" blew me away with their thought-provoking words. "The Way We Roll" made me understand and empathize with their life on the road as a band and how that in fact humbles them! "No Grave" is a song about death that is the opposite of depressing - speaking about the fact that no grave will hold our spirits down. The only thing I didn't like about this album is that they took a song from Hillsong United (a practice common to Christian artists today) and one that, in my opinion, really needs a female vocalist to really pull it off; "Lead Me to the Cross". Other than that, this CD did not come out of my CD player for a good month!
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Changed My Perspective | Posted July-10-2010
As someone who has gone to church her whole life, I got to say this book shook up the way I viewed this religion called Christianity. Jesus used to be a concept to me rather than a person because I heard so much about him but had never experienced the personhood that is Jesus. Once you seriously dive into the teachings of Jesus and match them up to the teachings of the North American church, your perspective is turned upside-down! I honestly could not put it down (and that doesn't happen often with a non-fiction book). This book also made me realize my fascination with theology and looking deeper into the text culturally & personally as opposed to reading it superficially.
If you are a "lifer" in the church or if you are a seeker looking to find the essence of this mysterious person named Jesus, I recommend this book!
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Incredibly Helpful | Posted June-10-2010
This book was very helpful to me when I was running my own bible study and also when I came on board as an assistant in children ministry. I really appreciated his honesty and humility throughout the book. I loved how he addressed the book as if it was a conversation in a restaurant so that it wasn't as if he was up high preaching down to me.
Trying to be a godly leader in this world where leadership is only seen as being "the boss" is challenging and this book helped me to see the kind of person God wants as a leader; a servant. I'd recommend this to anyone who wants to become a better leader within any ministry.
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Two Words: Epic Win! | Posted March-25-2010
This album is an amazing combination of beautiful sounds and clever lyrics. My favorite songs have got to be "Come On" and "Anchor". I don't think their songs will ever come out of my head now...and I don't think I want them to :)
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It Rocks but Needs More Noise! (as in God) | Posted September-05-2008
When I first heard this, I was shocked by the fact that Krystal had switched to a pop/rock blend. After a while though, I got into it and listened to the words. I was confused in some of the songs on whether she was talking about her boyfriend or God, which isn't too good..and I really was confused by some of the words since one or two songs jumble them up a bit. Compared to her last CD these lyrics are alot weaker in their spiritual origin, and I had to look closely for a message in a few. The vocals on this are great, I love it when her voice fades into the piano! The effects on this CD are amazing, there's a surprise in each song that I loved!!! But I hope her next CD might focus on the lyrics rather than the tune.
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chococherub's Music and Book Reviews 
