1) Take Heart

Words and Music by Joel Houston

I wrote this song on vacation in January of 2009 amidst the doomsday predictions in the aftermath of the global economic crisis, and being bed-bound after a foot injury preventing me from surfing. It seemed like an appropriate time to write a song about hope. I love in John 16:33 where Jesus states, 'in this life, you will have trouble...' He makes no illusions of the fact that being a Christ-follower in no way excludes us from the realities of trial and troubles. But He doesn't end there, '... but take heart, for I have overcome the world.' Because of the cross, all our troubles, our trials and pain, our fear and failure are overcome. We live in a different kind of aftermath - one where we can cling to the light and hope of an empty cross. – Joel Houston

2) Go

Words and Music by Matt Crocker

This is a song of prayer crying out for more of God and asking Him to reveal more of Himself. Unless God takes control of my life, I'm just going to crash and burn so when writing this song it was just me pouring my heart out to God and giving Him the reins. - Matt Crocker

3) Like An Avalanche

Words and Music by Joel Houston and Dylan Thomas

On the first of our writing days for this record we were back and forth on a number of ideas that were going nowhere. Then when all was said and done and we were calling it a day Dylan started playing a guitar part under our conversation. I stopped talking and started tapping on the window. Before we knew it we had a song - a confession and picture of God's relentless grace sweeping over our foolishness and pride, and in response not trying to struggle or fight against it in pursuit of righteousness in and of ourselves, but rather a choice to let go and go with it; completely overtaken. Surrendered. – Joel Houston

4) Rhythms Of Grace

Words and Music by Chris Davenport and Dean Ussher

For the longest time Chris and I wanted to write a God centered song based around a clear biblical thought. At the time I was stuck on Isaiah 45 and the extent that God goes to teach His people that He is the only God. The process in writing this song was our natural response to this thought... shaping several ideas, or images used in the passage to make it more personal. For me it's a challenging confession. You can't hear or sing these lyrics without asking if it's true of you. 'Rhythms of Grace' is more or less a song about putting God in His rightful place, and keeping Him there. - Dean Ussher

5) Aftermath

Words and Music by Joel Houston

The cross is a paradox. What was a symbol of failure and death is now established forever as a symbol of life and victory. The crucifixion was a gruesome and traumatic event and at the moment of surrender as the storm clouds gathered and the skies went to darkness it would have seemed to all who were witnesses, especially His followers, that all hope was lost - the so called 'Son of God' humiliated and tortured, dying as He hung upon a cross. But unlike any historical event that has ever taken place before or after, this moment would change everything - Forever. Because of the cross we no longer have to live entangled in the fallout and the wreckage of our lives, or the worst the world can throw at us. We have been lifted out of the ashes and into the LIGHT of the aftermath. We find hope, peace, freedom, and life, and we can know with assurance that He is with us no matter what comes our way. – Joel Houston

6) Bones

Words and Music by Joel Houston and Jill McCloughry

It had been no more than 5 minutes since the moment I felt for the first time a clear picture of what this project needed to say, when Jill came into the studio and showed me the bones of what would become this song. She sung the first two lines and it all started coming together - not just this song, but the entire purpose and message of this project. I had been thinking a lot about the empowerment of Isaiah 61, echoed and fulfilled in Luke 4 when Jesus got up and read it in the temple; 'The spirit is upon me, to bring good news to the poor, to heal the broken hearted, to bring freedom to the captives and to announce the day of the Lord's favour' but then He goes on and adds to it; 'today, the scripture is fulfilled in your presence', and the beautiful thing is that in the aftermath of the cross, the same Spirit that was upon Him is now ALIVE IN US: empowering us to do all that for which it was upon Jesus to do.

7) Father

Words and Music by Joel Houston

“See what great love the Father has lavished on us, that we should be called children of God.” 1 John 3:1

While writing this song, some close friends of mine were in the process of adoption. My friend himself had been adopted at birth and he and his wife were now looking to offer the same gift to a child who somewhere for whatever reason found themselves abandoned. I'd been thinking about how beautiful that picture is when it comes to our Father. The gift of love we have in Christ means that no matter who we are, where we're from, what we've done or what's happened to us, we are co-heirs with Christ, through the Father's grace, and entitled to share in His inheritance. But it doesn't end there. The reason is not so we can live lavish lives like trust-fund kids squandering our Father’s riches, but rather, that we in turn would give our lives to lavish this love given to us upon others; for every-ONE: His grace enough, forever this means LOVE. – Joel Houston

8) Nova

Words and Music by Matt Crocker, Michael Guy Chislett and Joel Houston

Description: This is one of those large sounding songs that you have to cry out as loud as you can. It's an 'everything and everyone' praise song. Sometimes all you want to do is be a part of a large crowd of people who are like-minded and declare of His glory. As God's glory collides with our hearts and the earth lives can't help but be changed by it. – Matt Crocker

9) Light Will Shine

Words and Music by Matt Crocker and Marty Sampson

Description: This song actually feels light-filled. It's amazing how many times 'light' is mentioned in God's word. The fact is, God is light and His light has the ability to turn the hardest heart from even the darkest of places back to the truth. The song is but a small glimpse of what happens when God's light intervenes, no matter how grim or bad we think the situation might be. – Matt Crocker

10) Search My Heart

Words and Music by Matt Crocker and Joel Houston

Description: This is a song of prayer crying out for more of God and asking Him to reveal more of Himself. Unless God takes control of my life, I'm just going to crash and burn so when writing this song it was just me pouring my heart out to God and giving Him the reins. – Matt Crocker