Review

If you're looking for some great worship played on an acoustic guitar, backed by a great live band, then you may find yourself genuinely enjoying this third release in Hosanna's Acoustic Series. And believe me when I tell you, there's a lot here to love. When a worship album features live cuts from Darrell Evans, Lincoln Brewster, Paul Baloche, and Bob Fitts, you can't really go wrong.

What you'll get with Only God For Me is one fantastic, high-energy live worship event that features twelve of today's very best worship leaders performing their own songs in front of an enthusiastic crowd of worshippers.

From the opening track, Falling, you are caught in the passionate strains of the intimate lyrics, 'I am sometimes overwhelmed by Truth / And Your ways / Could it be that I was made for You / I'm blown away / I am falling / I am falling in love / I am falling in love with You...'

Track 2 follows with the title track Only God For Me and you'd have to made of stone not to sing along with 'Who could show me a heart so faithful / What could give me a joy so deep / O Lord my Lord / Who could open the gates of Heaven / Only you have such love for me / For You are God....I say Jesus, Jesus / You're the only God / The only God for me...'

While this isn't a completely 'unplugged' collection of songs, (there are a few electric guitar solos and some rhythm guitar distortion), you'd be hard-pressed to complain very much when the songs are so compelling and the worship so genuine. Nearly everyone would agree that it just wouldn't be right to hear Darrell Evans sing 'Trading My Sorrows' without a high energy electric guitar wailing in the background.

Most of this recording is very much on the quiet side, however, and the overall tone is one of sincere worship, with an emphasis on seeking to worship God with a frail and broken heart. Nowhere is this more evident than when Ed Kerr sings 'We humbly seek your face / We trust you hear our cry / Come touch the barren places / So many here are dry / Fill every hungry heart / Heal every wounded soul / Have mercy Lord revive us / Come make your presence known' on Let Your Spirit Fall or on More Faithful Than I where Lincoln Brewster sings 'I've not a need you won't provide / Lord you're so much more faithful than I /...Even when I am full of doubt / ...You pick me up and pour me out /...And I'm grateful that / Your so much more faithful than I.'

In fact, you could nearly go to any track on this CD and find a song that touches the heart of God and expresses the need of man to worship Him.

When it's all said and done, Hosanna has crafted another fine installment in their new Acoustic Series that sure to please fans of great, live worship.

Review by Keith Giles