There are two proven methods for having a successful mission trip: 1.) Putting your relationship with God as your number one priority 2.) Creating a playlist of mission trip tunes. As I’ve traveled I’ve been inclined to put together a playlist of songs to listen to as we have driven, flown, or even a playlist of songs to consider for a video recap of a mission trip. Most of the time my lists includes some clean “secular”songs, but this list will only include songs from those artists who have articulated their Christian faith in public.
1. I’ll Be the Light by Colton Dixon
Favorite Lyric: “I'll be the light when there's nothing but night. Till now you've had to feel your way through the honest lies of yesterday.”
2. God’s Not Dead (Like a Lion) by Newsboys
Favorite Lyric: “Let love explode and bring the dead to life. A love so bold to see a revolution somehow. Let love explode and bring the dead to life. A love so bold to bring a revolution somehow.”
3. Do Something - Matthew West
Favorite Lyric: “I just couldn’t bear the thought of people living in poverty, Children sold into slavery. The thought disgusted me. So, I shook my fist at Heaven said, ‘God, why don’t You do something?’He said, ‘I did, I created you’”
4. Meant to Live by Switchfoot
Favorite Lyric: “We were meant to live for so much more. Have we lost ourselves? Somewhere we live inside”
5. Keep Your Eyes Open by Needtobreathe
Favorite Lyric: “If you never leave home, never let go. You’ll never make it to the great unknown Open up your eyes, keep your eyes open.”
6. Direction by High Flight Society
Favorite Lyric: “Tell me who I need to be. Tell me where I need to go. Like a vessel lost at sea I've been drifting for so long. I am desperate now to hear you. I’m desperate for your voice. I’m desperate for direction.”
7. We Will Follow by Jars of Clay
Favorite Lyric: “Set us free. Trust the mystery. Until our eyes are clear enough to see You. Where You lead us, we will follow. Where You lead us, we will follow You.”
8. Do You Feel by The Rocket Summer
Favorite Lyric: “I guess my mind wanders off from time to time. Sometimes I convince myself that all this fight in the world it's not mine. Why should I have to try to fix things I didn't create or contrive.”
9. Live it Out by Abandon
Favorite Lyric: “Can it fill the urgency now? It's time for us to love out loud. Take the world we know and live it out and live it out.”
10. Build Your Kingdom Here - Rend Collective Experiment
Favorite Lyric: We seek Your kingdom first. We hunger and we thirst. Refuse to waste our lives, for You're our joy and prize. To see the captive hearts released. The hurt; the sick; the poor at peace. We lay down our lives for Heaven's cause. We are Your church, We pray revive this Earth.”
Well, there you have it. If you have a mission trip coming up that you are planning maybe consider adding some, if not all, of these songs to your mission trip playlist. I’ll be praying for you to have successful mission trips as you go. Please share any mission trip updates here in the comment section below. Looking forward to hearing from you.
