For the Sake of the World

The presence of God is palpable on this album. Bethel Church consistently publishes worship albums of high caliber and this is no exception. For the past month it has been on repeat in my car. In addition to planned songs, there are also several tracks of spontaneous worship. Brian & Jenn Johnson and Jeremy Riddle anchor the roster with contributions from William Matthews and Stephanie Frizzell. Frizzell is very emotive in her singing and on the song "Closer" you can feel her heart as she engages with God.

The album has a mixture of songs of praise and adoration, declarations of truth, and heart cries to God. Musically the style is primarily rock oriented with a few tender songs and lots of vamping in the spontaneous worship moments. Towards the end of the album, songs such as "In Your Light," "Freedom," and "This is What You Do" taking on a more pop sound oriented towards opening a set at church rather than the deeper engaging songs in other parts of the album. Personal favorites on album are: "For the Sake of the World," "Closer," "Forgiven," "To Our God," "Everything to You," "Who You Are," and "Our Father" which is a great version of the Lord's Prayer put to music.

I highly recommend the album whether you're looking for something to facilitate personal worship time or just enjoy really good music. Check it out on Amazon at: For the Sake of the World.