September 9-15, 2026
Welcome to another edition of Christian Music You May Have Missed, our weekly FishWorship feature highlighting Christian music that deserves a little more attention. Each week, we look beyond the songs and artists that are already dominating the conversation to uncover music that you may not have heard yet—or may simply have overlooked. Today, we’re exploring 10 songs and 5 albums worth discovering, with a mix of brand-new releases and current Christian music that we think deserves a place on your listening list. So whether you’re looking for something completely new or a great album you somehow missed, there’s a good chance you’ll find something here worth hearing.
🎵Songs Worth Exploring
Natalie Layne – “Still Running To You”
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Natalie Layne’s “Still Running To You” is a joyful, heartfelt expression of a faith that has remained steady throughout her life. Released September 9, 2026, as the title track of her new five-song EP, the song captures the idea of continually pursuing Jesus and recognizing His faithfulness along the journey. Rather than telling a story of walking away and finding one’s way back, Layne’s song celebrates the desire to keep running toward Him.
One of the song’s most distinctive elements is the way it incorporates the beloved hymn “Blessed Assurance.” The familiar hymn becomes part of a fresh, contemporary expression of faith, connecting Layne’s personal story with words that have encouraged generations of Christians. The result is a song that feels both familiar and new, with Layne’s warm, soulful musical style giving the timeless message a fresh setting.
“Still Running To You” is also a wonderful introduction to Natalie Layne for anyone who may not have discovered her music yet. Her sound draws from contemporary Christian music while incorporating elements of Gospel, R&B, jazz, and soul, giving her music a distinctive warmth and personality. With its joyful message and memorable connection to a classic hymn, “Still Running To You” is exactly the kind of song we’re happy to spotlight through Christian Music You May Have Missed.
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Cory Asbury – “Prodigal God”
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Cory Asbury’s “Prodigal God” is a powerful reflection on the extravagant grace and love of God. Released September 10, 2026, the song introduces a new chapter in Asbury’s music as he returns to worship-focused songwriting ahead of his upcoming album Outsing The Angels. With its emphasis on the character of God rather than our own ability to measure up, the song offers a compelling reminder of the depth of the Father’s love.
The title “Prodigal God” turns the familiar story of the prodigal son in an interesting direction. While the biblical parable centers on a son who leaves home and eventually returns, the song draws attention to the Father whose love is so generous that it can seem almost reckless. God’s grace isn’t something we earn by having everything together; He continues to pursue us, welcome us, and extend His love even when we don’t deserve it.
“Prodigal God” is a particularly fitting discovery for this week’s Christian Music You May Have Missed because it gives listeners an opportunity to hear a familiar artist in a fresh season of ministry. Asbury has been behind some of contemporary worship’s most recognizable songs, but this new release offers another heartfelt expression of his faith and his understanding of God’s grace. It’s a song that invites us to stop focusing on what we’ve done and instead remember the extraordinary love of the Father who is always ready to welcome us home.
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Rend Collective – “Runaway Heart”
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Rend Collective’s “Runaway Heart” is an energetic and joyful new worship song that captures the excitement of a heart continually drawn toward God. Released in September 2026 as the opening track of the band’s new The Evergreen Season EP, the song brings the Northern Irish group’s familiar folk-rock energy to a message about God’s enduring love and our desire to keep pursuing Him.
The song is a particularly fitting introduction to The Evergreen Season, a seven-song project built around the theme of God’s unchanging faithfulness. “Runaway Heart” leads listeners into that theme with an infectious sense of movement and celebration, while the EP’s other songs continue exploring what it means to trust God through different seasons of life. The project also brings together several songs that had already begun finding an audience, including “Evergreen,” “Do It All Alone,” and “Salt and Light.”
For longtime Rend Collective fans, “Runaway Heart” feels like a natural continuation of the band’s ability to make worship music sound joyful, communal, and unmistakably alive. For anyone who hasn’t paid much attention to the band lately, however, this is an excellent place to start. With its upbeat sound and encouraging message, “Runaway Heart” is a song that can put a little joy into your day while reminding us that God’s love remains constant through every season.
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Josh Baldwin – “The Stone Is Rolled”
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Josh Baldwin’s “The Stone Is Rolled” is a triumphant new worship song centered on the resurrection of Jesus and the hope found in the empty tomb. Released September 11, 2026, the song celebrates the finished work of the cross and the victory of Christ over death, while looking forward to the promise of His return. Baldwin has described it as an Easter song, but its message reaches far beyond one particular season of the Christian calendar.
At the heart of the song is the simple but world-changing truth represented by its title: the stone was rolled away, the grave could not hold Jesus, and everything changed because He rose again. That makes “The Stone Is Rolled” more than a celebration of a past event. It is a declaration of the living hope Christians have because Jesus conquered the grave. Baldwin’s worshipful approach keeps the focus on Christ’s sacrifice, resurrection, and authority.
“The Stone Is Rolled” also offers a preview of Baldwin’s upcoming album Worth Everything, scheduled for October 16. The ten-song project is built around simple, wholehearted worship, with songs of surrender, praise, and devotion inspired in part by the straightforward worship songs that shaped Baldwin’s early years of faith. For anyone looking for a fresh worship song with a message at the very heart of the Christian faith, “The Stone Is Rolled” is certainly worth discovering.
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Kim Walker-Smith – “Friends with the Fire (Isabella’s Song)”
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Kim Walker-Smith’s “Friends with the Fire (Isabella’s Song)” is a deeply personal worship song released September 11, 2026. The song is part of a series of recent releases from Walker-Smith that includes songs written as personal expressions for members of her family, giving this particular release an intimate quality that sets it apart from a typical worship single.
The song’s title points to the imagery of being “friends with the fire”—an invitation to draw close to God’s presence rather than simply observe it from a distance. That idea gives the song a sense of surrender and intimacy, encouraging listeners to embrace the presence of God even when encountering Him means being changed, challenged, or taken somewhere unexpected. Walker-Smith’s worship background makes her a natural fit for a song built around that kind of wholehearted pursuit.
“Friends with the Fire (Isabella’s Song)” is an especially interesting addition to this week’s Christian Music You May Have Missed because it gives listeners something more personal than simply another worship anthem. Kim Walker-Smith has been an influential voice in contemporary worship for years, but this new release reveals a more intimate side of her songwriting. For listeners who appreciate worship music that feels personal, reflective, and centered on God’s presence, this is a song worth discovering.
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Tauren Wells & Miles Minnick – “Second to None”
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Tauren Wells teams up with Miles Minnick on “Second To None,” a confident and energetic Christian track that combines Wells’ contemporary pop sound with Minnick’s Christian hip-hop style. The song is built around a message of confidence in who God has called us to be, encouraging listeners to step forward boldly rather than allowing fear, doubt, or the opinions of others to hold them back. Its upbeat production and strong rhythmic feel make it an especially accessible song for listeners who enjoy the more urban side of contemporary Christian music.
“Second To None” carries an unmistakably positive message, but its confidence is ultimately rooted in God rather than self-reliance. The song encourages believers to recognize the value and purpose God has placed within them and to live with the assurance that they don’t have to compare themselves with anyone else. That gives the song an uplifting quality while keeping its focus firmly on faith and identity in Christ.
The collaboration also makes “Second To None” an interesting discovery for FishWorship. Tauren Wells is already a familiar name to many Christian music listeners, while Miles Minnick brings a younger hip-hop perspective that expands the song’s reach. Together, they create something energetic, contemporary, and encouraging—a strong example of the variety found in today’s Christian music and a song well worth discovering if you haven’t heard it yet.
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Hopeful – “Everything Is Better”
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Hopeful.’s “Everything Is Better” is an upbeat celebration of the difference God’s presence makes in our lives. Released in 2026, the song centers on the simple but powerful idea that life is better when we align our hearts with God. Rather than presenting faith as something complicated, Hopeful. turns that truth into an accessible, joyful anthem about the goodness of life with Jesus.
The song carries a message of gratitude and renewed perspective, beginning with the image of waking up to God’s mercy and recognizing that each new day is a gift. That makes “Everything Is Better” feel less like a traditional worship song and more like a musical declaration of what happens when faith changes the way we see everyday life. Its positive outlook is infectious without losing sight of the source of that joy.
Hopeful. brings a distinctive sound to contemporary Christian music, and “Everything Is Better” is a good example of why this emerging artist is worth discovering. The song was also included on the group’s 2026 debut album, The Art of Letting Go, giving listeners an opportunity to explore even more of their music. As a current Christian song that may have escaped your radar, “Everything Is Better” is a fitting addition to this week’s FishWorship playlist.
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Tasha Layton & Ben Fuller – “Meet Me In The Valley”
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Tasha Layton and Ben Fuller come together on “Meet Me In The Valley,” a powerful song about encountering God in the difficult places of life. The collaboration pairs Layton’s soulful, expressive vocals with Fuller’s distinctive country-influenced Christian sound, creating a version that feels both worshipful and deeply personal. Although the song itself originated with Layton, this 2026 collaboration gives it a fresh perspective and introduces it to listeners through the voices of two artists with very different but complementary styles.
The valley is a familiar biblical picture for seasons of hardship, uncertainty, and spiritual struggle, but the song’s message isn’t simply that God will eventually get us out of those places. Instead, “Meet Me In The Valley” points toward the God who is already present there. That makes the song especially encouraging for anyone walking through a difficult season: we don’t have to wait until circumstances improve before we encounter God’s presence, comfort, and faithfulness.
This collaboration is also an interesting example of how a song can take on new life through another artist’s voice. Layton and Fuller bring different musical backgrounds to the recording, but both communicate the song’s central message with conviction. For Christian Music You May Have Missed, “Meet Me In The Valley” is a fitting discovery—a heartfelt reminder that even in the valleys we would rather avoid, God is still there waiting to meet us.
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Forrest Frank – “JESUS IS ALIVE”
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Forrest Frank’s “JESUS IS ALIVE” is a bold, energetic declaration of the most important truth at the center of the Christian faith. Released in May 2026, the song quickly became one of Frank’s biggest successes, eventually reaching No. 1 on Billboard’s Hot Christian Songs chart. Its driving production and infectious energy make the song immediately accessible, but its message is remarkably straightforward: Jesus is alive, and everything changes because He conquered the grave.
What makes the story behind “JESUS IS ALIVE” particularly interesting is how the song became much bigger than a traditional single. Frank launched an open-verse challenge that invited other artists and fans to add their own verses, and the response was enormous. The challenge generated millions of views on social media and ultimately resulted in JESUS IS ALIVE VOL. 1, a 20-track collection featuring Frank’s original song alongside 19 different interpretations and collaborations.
At a time when Christian music can sometimes make its message complicated, there’s something refreshing about the simplicity of “JESUS IS ALIVE.” The song doesn’t need an elaborate explanation of the Gospel; it celebrates the resurrection with enthusiasm and invites listeners to celebrate along with it. That combination of an unmistakably Christian message, contemporary hip-hop energy, and an extraordinary story of how listeners embraced the song makes “JESUS IS ALIVE” an especially fitting current discovery for FishWorship.
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Steven Malcolm & Carly A Taylor – “Safe & Sound”
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Steven Malcolm and Carly Ann Taylor team up on “Safe & Sound (In Your Love),” a song about finding peace, security, and confidence in the love of God. Originally released in September 2025, the collaboration pairs Malcolm’s Christian hip-hop style with Taylor’s warm, country-leaning vocals, creating a blend that feels both contemporary and approachable. The song’s central message is reassuring: regardless of what circumstances may bring, there is a place of safety in God’s love.
The contrast between the two artists works particularly well. Malcolm brings an energetic rhythmic delivery, while Taylor adds a softer vocal presence that gives the song another dimension. Rather than treating faith as an escape from life’s difficulties, “Safe & Sound (In Your Love)” points listeners toward the confidence that comes from knowing God is with us through them. That makes the song especially fitting for anyone who needs a reminder that they don’t have to face life’s uncertainties alone.
Carly Ann Taylor is also an artist worth watching, making this collaboration a particularly good discovery for FishWorship. Her appearance alongside an established Christian hip-hop artist gives listeners an early opportunity to hear the distinctive voice and style that she is bringing to Christian music. For a song that may have escaped the attention of listeners when it was first released, “Safe & Sound (In Your Love)” is a fitting example of exactly the kind of music this weekly feature is designed to uncover.
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💿Albums Worth Exploring
Rend Collective – The Evergreen Season
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Rend Collective’s The Evergreen Season is a brand-new seven-song release that arrived September 11, 2026, bringing the band’s unmistakable combination of joyful worship, folk-rock energy, and heartfelt faith to a project centered on the unchanging nature of God. At just over 20 minutes, it’s an easy project to listen to from beginning to end, while still offering enough variety to make each song stand on its own.
The project opens with “Runaway Heart,” the energetic new song we’re also featuring in today’s collection of songs worth discovering. Other songs include “Evergreen,” “Do It All Alone,” and “Salt And Light,” giving the EP a mixture of celebration, reflection, and worship. The recurring theme of God’s faithfulness makes the title especially appropriate: while circumstances and seasons of life may change, God’s character remains constant.
For longtime Rend Collective fans, The Evergreen Season feels like a natural continuation of the band’s ability to make worship music joyful, accessible, and communal. For anyone who hasn’t kept up with the band recently, it’s also an excellent opportunity to rediscover what makes Rend Collective distinctive. With its fresh sound and encouraging message, The Evergreen Season is a worthy addition to this week’s five album recommendations—and a particularly fitting choice for Christian Music You May Have Missed.
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Natalie Layne – Still Running to You
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Natalie Layne’s Still Running to You is a brand-new five-song EP released September 9, 2026, and a wonderful follow-up to her 2025 debut album, All Joy. Recorded live in the studio with a full band, the project has a warm, organic feel that allows Layne’s soulful vocals and piano-driven musicality to shine. Across just under 16 minutes, she explores themes of faith, perseverance, belonging, and the continuing journey of following Jesus.
The EP opens with “BIG WORLD” and continues through “WHAT HE SAID,” “LOVED BY YOU,” and “YOU STAYED” before arriving at its title track, “STILL RUNNING TO YOU.” That closing song incorporates the beloved hymn “Blessed Assurance,” connecting Layne’s contemporary sound with a timeless expression of faith. The songs collectively reflect Layne’s desire to celebrate the stories of people who have continued walking with Christ over the course of their lives, including those who may sometimes wonder whether their quieter stories of faith are significant.
Musically, Still Running to You draws from Layne’s diverse influences, including ’90s Christian music, Gospel, jazz, funk, and R&B. The result is a project that feels distinctly her own while remaining accessible to a broad Christian music audience. For anyone discovering Natalie Layne for the first time through “Still Running To You,” this EP is a perfect opportunity to hear the bigger picture: five songs united by a joyful confidence in God’s faithfulness and the beauty of continuing to run toward Him.
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The Rock Music – Not Alone
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The Rock Music’s Not Alone is a brand-new eight-song worship project released September 11, 2026, marking another chapter for the Utah-based collective as it enters its third decade of ministry. Produced by Jordan Clark and Joel Pack, the project combines six original songs with two familiar favorites, creating a worship experience centered on God’s presence, grace, mercy, and faithfulness.
The album’s title captures its central message beautifully: whatever circumstances we may be facing, we are never alone because God is with us. Songs such as “Yearning Heart,” “Loved Me at My Worst,” and “Grace Will Come” explore that message from different perspectives, moving between personal vulnerability and confident declarations of faith. Those songs have also been singled out among the project’s strongest moments, highlighting the album’s emphasis on God’s grace meeting us in difficult places.
Not Alone is a particularly worthwhile discovery for anyone who enjoys contemporary worship but may not have encountered The Rock Music before. The project feels worshipful without being confined to one particular musical style, and its focus on God’s reassuring presence gives the entire collection a cohesive heart. For FishWorship, it’s exactly the kind of new Christian music we want to uncover: a fresh project from an established ministry that may not yet be on every listener’s radar, but has plenty to say to anyone who needs the reminder that we truly are not alone.
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Tasha Cobbs Leonard – TASHA Unscripted
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Tasha Cobbs Leonard’s TASHA Unscripted is an expansive new live worship album released September 11, 2026, bringing together 34 tracks recorded before a live audience in Atlanta. Rather than simply presenting a collection of polished studio recordings, the project is built around the spontaneity and freedom of a live worship gathering, allowing familiar songs to take on new arrangements and giving room for unexpected moments of worship to unfold.
The album revisits more than a decade of music from Cobbs Leonard’s remarkable career while bringing an impressive community of guest artists into the experience. William Murphy joins her on “Break Every Chain,” Jonathan McReynolds appears on “For Your Glory,” Mickey Guyton joins “The Church I Grew Up In,” Kierra Sheard contributes to “Fill Me Up,” and Karen Clark Sheard appears on “Put A Praise On It / Hallelujah.” Other collaborators include Israel Houghton, Travis Greene, Le’Andria Johnson, Dante Bowe, Jonathan Nelson, and more.
At more than two and a half hours in length, TASHA Unscripted is certainly a substantial listening experience, but its size is part of what makes the project so interesting. This isn’t simply an album to put on in the background; it feels like an invitation to enter into a live worship experience filled with praise, prayer, testimony, familiar songs, and spontaneous moments. For anyone who appreciates Gospel and worship music—or who simply wants to experience the powerful voice of one of today’s most influential worship leaders—TASHA Unscripted is an album well worth discovering.
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The Protest – The Protest
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The Protest’s self-titled album, The Protest, arrived September 10, 2026, marking the Christian hard rock band’s first full-length studio album since Legacy in 2019. Across its 12 tracks, the band brings its hard-hitting rock sound to songs focused on Christian renewal, spiritual growth, and the ongoing walk with God. For longtime fans of Christian rock, it’s an exciting return from a band that has been part of the scene for more than a decade.
And despite the band’s name, there is an important distinction worth making: The Protest has nothing to do with political or social protests. The album’s “protest” is better understood in the context of faith—a challenge to complacency and a call toward renewal, transformation, and a deeper relationship with God. The songs address the struggles, questions, and spiritual battles that can accompany the Christian walk while ultimately pointing listeners back toward faith and hope.
Musically, The Protest gives those themes a powerful setting. The band’s Christian hard rock approach provides plenty of guitars and intensity without sacrificing the spiritual substance behind the songs. That makes this a particularly good recommendation for FishWorship’s album list: it’s a reminder that Christian music encompasses far more than contemporary worship and Christian pop. If you’re looking for something heavier that still has something meaningful to say about following Christ, The Protest is an album worth discovering.
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