This was the second time that Jimmy Needham held his concert here in the Philippines and I make sure never to miss the opportunity to catch him live every time he has a concert here. Two years ago, his concert was held at CCF (Christ's Commission Fellowship), Pasig City, Philippines entitled "Jimmy Needham - Guy, Guitar + Gospel Tour" on April 9, 2014 and it was a blast. This year's concert was held at The Monochrome, Nuvali Santa Rosa, Laguna entitled "Worship Night with Jimmy Needham. The place was jam-packed and full of people ready to worship God and listen to Jimmy Needham's doctrine-based songs.
Before I tell you my amazing experience in the concert, let me introduce and tell you first who Jimmy Needham is. Jimmy Needham is a contemporary Christian artist known for chart hits such as "Clear the Stage", "Forgiven & Loved" and "Yours To Take." This Texas-born singer and songwriter crafts soulful, socially conscious, faith-based, eclectic and fresh songs with hints of funky Rhythm & Blues, classic Americana, contemporary Pop, and undertones of Reggae.
Two weeks before the concert, my good friend Kyle gave me a free VIP ticket together with some of our friends from the Church. I was really excited because for the second time, I had the opportunity to watch Jimmy Needham's concert again. I started to listen yet again to all of his old and newly-released songs and memorize all the lyrics.
Friday Night with Jimmy Needham
All the way from my office in Makati City, we drove to Santa Rosa, Laguna and praise God we were there on-time and the concert hasn't started yet. After a few minutes, the light was dimmed which means the front act was about to start. I was amazed because the front act was Victory Worship, they are the worship team from Victory Church that has recently released their newest album. I'm very familiar with their songs because I listened and downloaded all their songs in iTunes. I was really captivated with the lyrics and melodies of every song while worshiping God in the form of music.
After 5 songs led by Victory Worship, finally, Jimmy Needham came in and all the people went wild and loud. The audience became more lively when he sung his first song which is Moving to Zion. Since his genre is more of contemporary pop and not the typical Christian worship band like Hillsong or Planetshakers wherein you need to stand up to worship God through songs, but with Jimmy Needham's concert, we're all sitting in our seats and listen to his cool and doctrine-based songs. At the middle of his concert, he shared to everyone the message of the Gospel of how Jesus died on the cross for us sinners to have an opportunity to be with our Father in heaven. It's not enough that we're just good people because most of the good people who died are now in hell. Relationship with Jesus Christ is the key for us to have an eternal life. It was two hours of feel-good music from Needham himself and a best way to spend my Friday night.
Top 5 Performances of the Night from Jimmy Needham
Since it's really hard to pick the best performance of his concert, I listed down my personal top five choices of his many best acts that night.
5. Dearly LovedThis song was included in his first major studio album "Speak". This song talks about how God love us unconditionally but the problem is we don't know who God is and how capable He is. Jesus died on the cross to save all of us and that is the greatest truth that we need to hear.
4. FireflyBehind the Song:
"This is a song celebrating my wife. It's quirky. It's fun. It's my way of saying, "You make me happy to be alive!" - Jimmy Needham
3. Forgiven and LoveBehind the Song:
"You can't give what you don't have. The thing I struggle with most in my relationship with God is the ability to receive His love and forgiveness. For some reason, I have this crazy notion that if I work really hard I will finally put a smile on the Father's face. What I have failed to understand is that the only thing that truly pleases God is God himself. It's true that there is now no condemnation for those in Christ Jesus, but the amazing part of that statement is that it is not based on our deeds which we have done in righteousness, but according to His mercy. May each of us as believers be able to say with confidence that we are in fact forgiven and loved." - Jimmy Needham
2. Clear the StageThis is one of my favourite songs in his fourth studio album entitled "Clear the Stage". The main message conveyed in the song is that we need to clear the stage for God, who truly deserves it: "Cause you can sing all you want to / But still get it wrong / Worship is more than a song / We must not worship something / that's not even worth it / Clear the stage and make some space / for the one who deserves it". It also addresses what are idols in our lives that we must cast away for true belief: "Anything I put before my God is an idol / Anything I want with all my heart is an idol / Anything I can't stop thinking of is an idol / Anything that I give all my love is an idol". Jimmy Needham also released a music video displaying the lyrics of the song.
1. The Story (A Spoken Word)An epic poem, complete with throwback organ and drums that would be welcome on any Beck album. Here Jimmy Needham introduces a hero and a villain who trace the gospel narrative that culminates in the truth that "the solution to all our pharisaical tendencies isn't any more complicated than the Good News of who Jesus is and what he's done for us."
Indeed! It was an awesome night. I just prayed for those people who have heard the message of the gospel will truly come to Jesus and have a relationship with Him. I praise God for using Jimmy Needham to reach out to all the lost through his music.
Gallery:
Comments
comments
