Welcome to God’s Playlist! Yes, you may notice that this is no longer God’s Porch. Yes, the Porch still exists! Just look for the tab on the homepage. However, now I’m shifting Godly Gears and wondering what music the Maestro of Miracles might listen to if there was music playing on His Porch. What miraculous medley of melodies would inspire the Creator of the Universe and also our own hearts and homes?

The most important thing is that whether you imagine being on God’s Porch, listening to His Playlist, or praying in your Closet, Car, or the Wilderness of your daily life, may your eyes, ears and heart be opened to God’s beauty that surrounds you and is within you.

While there are thousands of songs to choose from for this new series, these are most my favorites. If I miss some of your favs, please let me know. I’ll add them the Divine DJ mix. And hopefully, one song will lead you to many others that will help you create your own mortal magnificent music collection.

Matthew West is one of my favorites. His songs do more than inspire me when I listen to them. They tell powerful stories that renew hopes, dreams, make me cheer, cry and shout for joy. I hope they will do the same and even more for you.

Time to push play!

A Brand New Day

Each day each of us stand at the gate of new opportunities and oppositions. Some are content to just gaze through the gate, while others are ready to run confidently through it into a new day full of promise. There are others whose hurts cause them to hesitate. They do so because someone, or something crushed their confidence. Their potential is now paralyzed by the fears and failures of the past. Some feel so broken by the mistakes of yesterday, or last week or last year, or even decades ago that they don’t dare or cannot even glance through the gate and see what they are missing.

Rebel With A Cause

If you’ve read the stories in the Bible, then you know that it is most often the “rebels, prodigals, the humble, the weak, and misfit heroes” that God has used to bless this world! So, whoever and wherever you are in life, that should give you give you hope for a better, brighter future. There’s still hope “for sinners like me and you” because that’s who hope is for!

Come on in! Yes, YOU!

We all make mistakes, but the worst mistake is believing that you are no longer loved and needed in God’s kingdom. You may feel you don’t have anything to give God that’s not already broken. Give it to Him anyway. Because whatever gates of doubt, despair and brokenness are keeping you isolated from the happiness God wants to bless you with, it’s time to let the light and love of Jesus Christ throw them open so you can live and love again.

Guitars Without Gutters

Many mortal verses ago, I had a paper route. Each morning at 3AM I would deliver hundreds of newspapers to neighborhoods still sleeping. If anyone was awake, they may have heard the inspiring sounds of my music as I drove past their houses. I wasn’t blasting or blaring the music, but it was loud enough for both my ears and hearts to hear. For some reason contemporary Christian music kept me more awake and more alert than blasting any other genre of music, including rock. Of course I had my favorite rock stations and songs, but listening to songs about The Rock, delivered more encouragement and strength for my midnight missions.

The Porch and the Playlist

As my encouraging collection increased, I wanted to share it with others. The opportunity presented itself as I was writing my weekly column for the local newspaper, “God’s Porch.” The idea came from a conversation I had with a loved one about what would it be like if we could sit with God on His porch and just talk about life. Later in life, As I was still jamming to Jesus music, I felt like writing about the songs would be a great addition to the collection of columns about how God wants to be a part of our lives—not just at church—from traffic jams and cramped cubicles to school, work, the boardroom, living room and every place in between.

Press Play

What you will read here each week is a specific song that has inspired me over the years and I pray it will inspire you, too. I know not every song will be for every person and every situation. Some are slower, others are faster. And for some songs, you will discover that the lyrics are even more meaningful and powerful than the accompanying accompaniment. I am certain you will be inspired no matter where you are traveling, or what you are experiencing and enduring in your daily life. As such, I hope you will find some great new musical companions and an entourage of encouragement among (even above) all the other songs and playlists for your life.

Alright, that’s the intro to God’s Playlist! Now it’s time to begin receiving, reading and listening to the lyrics, music and the Spirit of the Lord in your heart to help inspire you through your everyday journeys and verses of your life!