Simple Kingdom Songs

This section presents ten samples of worship songs written by Ingrid and myself. They are referenced within the text mostly in chapter 4 where they are used to illustrate various aspects of the craft of songwriting. You can listen to them and other worship songs by us on SoundCloud (https://soundcloud.com/simple-kingdom-worship) and there are PDF leadsheets with chords in the Songs section of our website (https://www.buildplant.org).

Most of the recordings I've made for SoundCloud are "rough cuts" done at home on my iPad using MultiTrack DAW by Harmonicdog (https://www.harmonicdog.com) with a Zoom iQ5 condenser microphone, and playing on either my Yamaha P-121 Digital Piano or my old Simon & Patrick Luthier acoustic guitar. So don't expect studio quality recordings, or professional-sounding playing either. Because I'm still just a novice (and crappy) guitar player and my keyboard playing has gone steadily downhill ever since I sold or gave away my synthesizers many years ago.

But that's the point, isn't it? Anyone who can play three chords on a guitar can lead worship in a homegroup :-)

Song #1: Jesus, In You

Jesus in you is life and joy

In you is peace and rest

In you is all to life's request

I worship you, my Lord

Song Notes:

Ingrid wrote this simple verselet in the mid-80s when we first started homegroups where we modeled and taught about worship, healing, and other things we were learning from the Vineyard. If you were using this song as part of a worship set, you would probably preface and/or follow it with other short songs in the same key (C) like Change My Heart Oh God, Come Right Now, It's Your Blood, and so on.

Song #2: Because you are beautiful

Because you are beautiful

I will seek your face

Because you are wonderful

I will stand in awe

Because you are marvellous

I will lift my hands

Because you are glorious

I will praise your name

Song Notes:

This short song makes effective use of repetition, which makes it easy to learn how to sing it. When I include it in a worship set, I usually sing it twice and then end like this:

Because you Jesus

I will seek your face

Because you Jesus

I will stand in awe

Because you Jesus

I will lift my hands

Because you Jesus

I will praise your name

Song #3: Merciful Father

Merciful Father, merciful God

Holy are you

Oh, holy are you

Oh, holy holy holy is the Lord

Merciful Father, merciful God

Mighty are you

Oh, mighty are you

Oh, mighty mighty mighty is the Lord

Song Notes:

Ingrid and I received a fresh outpouring of worship songs in 2014-16 after I experienced a season of repentance and renewal. Many of the new songs God gave us during this period were a blessing to those who attended the house church we started with our friends Ken and Bonnie Lewis. Ingrid's song here is a good example of a pattern song as you can easily add more verses e.g. Worthy are you, Awesome are you, and so on.

Song #4: Gentle Touch

I love you, I love you

I love you so much, my Jesus

Because your gentle touch

Fills my soul with delight

As your Spirit and mine unite

And so I want to sing in the night

That I love you

I need you...

I want you...

Song Notes:

This song is another pattern song and is quite intimate in the manner it expresses our love for Jesus. I composed it back in the early days of our connection with the Vineyard Movement, and the song expresses the feeling of "first love" that I felt after first encountering Vineyard worship and the teachings of John Wimber.

Song #5: When You Breathe on Me

When you breathe on me

It sweeps away all my pretenses

It breaks down all my defenses

I don't know what to do

When I'm loved by you

My Lord

When you hold my hand

My warfare seems like it's over

I'm layin' down in the sweet clover

Beside the waters still

Where I can drink my fill

Of love

When you come to me

My body starts tremblin' and shakin'

My spirit begins to awaken

Come Lord and love me now

I don't know how

Just love me now

Song Notes:

Can a worship song express too much intimacy? I don't know, but this is one song that I've never had the courage to use when leading worship; I've only sung it during my private times of personal worship. But even though I wrote it many, many years ago, when I try to sing it today I get all choked up because of the truth the song expresses.

Song #6: Like a River in the Night

I love you Lord

Your presence gives me life

Like a river in the night

I see your face

Your glory shining bright

Like a river in the night

Come, sweet Spirit, come

Holy Spirit, come

Song Notes:

Another fairly recent song by Ingrid, sweet and intimate and very easy to learn. Ingrid shares that "This song came to me in the night during a time when we were very busy writing books for Microsoft. It was a challenging time in our life together. I think the Holy Spirit gave it to me to encourage me, to show me that His presence was still with us during this difficult time."

Song #7: I Belong to You

You're the King most high

And I bow before your throne

You're the Lord of all

And I worship you alone

Here I am to do your will

Jesus use me for your glory

You can use me as you will

Jesus use me for your glory

I belong to you

Master, I belong to you

Song Notes:

Very few songs I've written have a bridge; this one works pretty well, I think. When I lead worship and use this song, I sing it through first as above. Then I sing it through again, but I lengthen the ending like this:

I belong to you

Master, I belong to you

Savior, I belong to you

Jesus, I belong to you

Song #8: Help Me Say "Jesus"

Open my mouth Lord

And help me say "Jesus"

Open my mouth Lord

And help me say "Jesus"

I want to love him

I want to serve him

I want to know him

And make him known

Song Notes:

Try singing the Bob Cull's classic worship song Open Our [My] Eyes, Lord a few times, then sing the above as a finale. I think it works!

Song #9: Favored by God

Washed in his blood

Changed by his Spirit

Cleansed thru his Word

We are favored by God

Filled with his love

Sharing his mercy

Sent in his name

We are favored by God

Not for what we have done

But for what he has done for us

In the gift of his Son

We are favored by God

Song Notes:

While Ingrid's lyrics are wonderful, the music God gave me for them might sound generic to some listeners. But maybe that's for the best, because sometimes fancy or elaborate music can draw the worshipper's attention away from the simple truth of what the words of the song expresses. Just something to keep in mind as you write your worship songs. See Chapter 4 for the backstory behind how this wonderful song came to be.

Song #10: Jesus, Jesus, Jesus

Jesus, Jesus, Jesus

You always hear me when I call

You always lift me when I fall

You never turn your back on me

Your mercy everywhere I see

Jesus, Jesus, Jesus...

Your healing power is so real

Your tender mercy I can feel

Your presence drives away all fear

My Lord I know that you are here

Jesus, Jesus, Jesus...

I bow before your awesome throne

I worship you, and you alone

For you are Christ, the Son of God

Savior and Lord, Emmanuel

Jesus, Jesus, Jesus...

Song Notes:

I included this song a few times in my set when I led worship in our very first homegroups, but the song never quite seemed to take with people. I think this might have been because the song really needs a group of about thirty or more people singing, and the lead acoustic guitar needs some additional musical support like an electric bass, a honky-tonk piano, and a tambourine—which is maybe a bit too much for your typical average homegroup since you don't want to annoy your neighbors

About the authors

Mitch and Ingrid Tulloch first encountered the Vineyard movement in the early 80s. Much impacted by the teaching and example of John Wimber, they started home fellowships and began praying for the sick. In the years that followed, they trained and provided oversight for ministry teams in several Vineyard churches and helped support church plants.

In their series of Simple Kingdom books, Mitch and Ingrid share everything they learned about worship, fellowship, discipleship, spiritual warfare, the Bible and other keys for advancing the kingdom of God the way Jesus and his first disciples did. You can download these books for free from their website www.buildplant.org. You can also contact Mitch and Ingrid directly at info@buildplant.org.