Christian Rock/Pop

Come all ye faithful, and sing along to the kind of loud, proud faith shout-outs you can’t find in a hymn book — these Christian rock and pop heroes aren’t shy about sharing with the world the joy welling up inside their souls. The free-flowing rock energy and pure-pop hooks bursting out of Pocket Full of Rocks’ “Alive” come thundering into your head and heart with enough raw electricity to light up the sky at midnight mass. The world may know MTV darlings the Fray as piano rockers first and Christians second, but the senses-shattering rush of spiritual discovery powering Top 10 Pop hit “You Found Me” leaves no doubt about just which “You” they’re singing to. And if you think you’ve got the sound of Christian rock locked down, prick up your ears for the breathless burst of Rush of Fools’ “Lose It All,” where emo passion meets the alt-rock punch, with a dash of ’80s new-wave zip.

Turn up the volume on faith as you ascend to heavy-rockin’ heaven, in Next Steps.

There are plenty of Christian pop stars in the service of the Lord, but sometimes you want to send the Lord a hip-hop shout-out, or bang your head to some messianic metal mania. GRAMMY®-winners P.O.D. rev up the race for redemption with their faith-fueled fusion of metal and rap on “Youth of the Nation.” Knoxville, TN’s monsters of metalcore Disciple roar out “Romance Me” with words straight from the scripture and some Southern-fried sonic sabotage. But after you’re done praising His name with a raw-throated bellow, do a 180 and catch your breath with the gentle jangle and feathery croon of Sixpence None the Richer, famous for diving dewy-eyed into the mainstream with their frothy, chart-scaling ’90s smash “Kiss Me.”

Lend an ear as punk-pop and crunk-rock summon up the sounds of praise, in Deep Cuts.

Just how many ways can praise fit inside a song? Try counting the snowflakes on a White Christmas Eve and you’ll start to get the picture. One minute, you’ve got former DC Talk singer tobyMac trading verbal volleys with nü-gospel icon Kirk Franklin on “Lose My Soul,” a beat-savvy battle between earthly hang-ups and the kingdom of Heaven. While your head’s still spinning from that soulful salvation, here comes the punk-pop chomp of Hawk Nelson’s “Let’s Dance,” creating an alternate universe where Green Day and Franz Ferdinand get the Spirit in a heaven-sent battle of the bands. And just when you think you’ve heard it all, here comes Family Force 5, a lovably goofy but lowdown funky band of “crunk-rock” kids from Georgia who come on like a converted Beastie Boys break-dancing with Beck on “Get Your Back Off the Wall.”

Next stop: Christian rock/pop paradise, where songs of faith don’t just sit there politely, waiting for an invitation to enter the room — they come crashing through window, sending shards of heavy metal, R&B, folk, punk, and more sailing into your enraptured ears. There’s so much good news coming your way, you’ll feel like the first stop on the Lord’s paper route, because we’ve made a musical pilgrimage for you, panning for ear-grabbing gold in a dizzying swirl of sonic streams. So whether you want to feel the Spirit while turning up the volume on Anberlin’s electrifying emo, DC Talk’s funk/pop/rap cocktail, or the crowd-pleasing, lighter-waving arena anthems of old-school Christian rock kings Petra, you’re in for an extended rush of audio ecstasy right here.