Deepen your understanding of praise and worship with songwriter and worship leader Chris Tomlin and pastor Darren Whitehead as they explore seven ancient Hebrew words that will lead you to a closer relationship with God through praise.

In the ancient world, something extraordinary happened when God's people gathered to worship Him. It was more than just singing; it was a declaration, a proclamation, a time to fully embody praise to God for who He is and what he has done. In fact, in the Psalms, seven Hebrew words are translated into the English word praise, each of which represents a different aspect of what it means to truly praise God.

In Holy Roar, Chris Tomlin and Darren Whitehead share a fresh perspective from the worship practices of the ancient world. Grow in your understanding of praise as Darren offers unique insights. Be inspired as Chris shares how those insights take shape in the stories behind some of your favorite worship songs, including "How Great Is Our God," "We Fall Down," and "Good Good Father." Whether for your own personal use or for use in your church small group, Holy Roar provides insight and encouragement to deepen your practice of praise.

Where is the life God promised us?

Life is busy. We live like slaves to our fast-paced, suffocating schedules. We spend our energy and time in triviality, relegating God to the background. He seems distant to us, and we resist the idea that God wants to give, say, and show us more; we dismiss it as rumor. But Jesus calls us to a better way. Another dream- an unimagined future. Close the gap between what you hear about and what you see.

Rumors is filled with the same forward-thinking spirit that defines its authors, Jon Tyson and Darren Whitehead. ―Louie Giglio, pastor, Passion City Church

Both challenging and encouraging, Rumors of God will reintroduce you to a God worth talking about. ―Gabe Lyons, author, "The Next Christians," founder, Q, coauthor, "UnChristian"

This book invites us to find the rumors of God all around us. Read it, but be ready to be changed. ―Scot McKnight, author, "One.Life: Jesus Calls, We Follow" and "Jesus Creed for Students"

For those who are jaded by the church, or have become cynical about the power of the Gospel in our time, Rumors of God is a great antidote. ―Alan Hirsch, author, dreamer, activist (www.theforgottenways.org)

Foreword by Bill Hybels, founding and senior pastor of Willow Creek Community Church in South Barrington, Ill., and chairman of the board for the Willow Creek Association.

" ""The irony: two upstart Aussies from tiny towns half a world away wind up leading high impact churches in two of the most significant cities in North America. Only God."

"Darren Whitehead and Jon Tyson are deep thinking Christ followers with a bias for action in the world. A rare combination these days. They are both leaders and communicators, visionaries and "get stuff done for God" guys. Extremely rare."

"I have had the privilege of working closely with Darren at Willow Creek Community Church for over 7 years. He is thoughtful, relationally intelligent and one of the hardest working young leaders I know."

"In Rumors of God, Darren and Jon have some how succeeded in slipping 3D glasses over our eyes. The results are that passages from scripture come alive in ways that will impact readers for a long time."

" ""I salute the efforts of these young mates and pray that readers will be as stretched in their minds and hearts as I have been."

In this four-session video Bible study (DVD/digital downloads sold separately), Chris Tomlin and Darren Whitehead share a fresh perspective from the worship practices of the ancient world to show what it really means to praise God. They explain that in the Jewish culture, something extraordinary happened when God's people gathered to worship him. It was more than just singing-it was a declaration, a proclamation, and a time for the people to fully embody praise to God for who he is and what he has done.

In the book of Psalms, the writers used seven distinct words that are translated into English as praise. However, as Chris and Darren point out in this study, each of these Hebrew words actually represents a different aspect of what it means to truly worship God:

- Yadah: to revere or worship with extended hands

- Halal: to boast, celebrate, and be clamorously foolish

- Zamar: to celebrate in song and in music

- Towdah: to give thanksgiving for things not yet received

- Barak: to kneel before God and bless him

- Tehillah: to sing a spontaneous song to God

- Shabach: to commend, glory and triumph

Holy Roar will provide insights and encouragement for group members to deepen their practice of praise and they learn about the deeper meanings of these words and put them into practice.

Sessions include:

1. The Shout of Praise

2. The Posture of Praise

3. The Music of Praise

4. The Expectation of Praise

Designed for use with the Holy Roar Video Study (sold separately).

A collection of traditional and modern day contemporary poetry including villanelles, sestinas and cinquains together with comedic, light hearted poetry. An interesting and fun read. ISBN 978-0-9558576-0-7.