What's up with modern Christian music?

Austin and Kamryn talk about all things modern Christian music!

Transcript

SPEAKER_01 0:00

We're back with another Sunday School dropouts. Um, the internet did not kick us off yet, so we are back.

SPEAKER_03 0:06

We are back. Yeah, it's it was so nice we decided to do it at least twice. Maybe we'll continue. Maybe we'll continue. Possibly. We don't know.

SPEAKER_01 0:15

Um we'll see how long the internet lets us continue.

SPEAKER_03 0:18

Spotify and Apple. If you're listening to this, Spotify and Apple did not kick us off. And YouTube. It's very true. Wherever we're putting this.

SPEAKER_01 0:24

You should let us know where you're listening. Um Spotify, Apple, YouTube.

SPEAKER_03 0:27

Yeah, give us a review while you're at it. Five stars. That always helps.

SPEAKER_01 0:31

Five stars.

SPEAKER_03 0:32

Five stars, four stars, three stars, two stars, one star.

SPEAKER_01 0:35

No five stars. Just five stars. Five stars. Yeah, don't do anything else. Five stars and nothing else. Absolutely. Um, man.

SPEAKER_03 0:42

I was the five stars and still tell us that we suck.

SPEAKER_01 0:45

Yeah, I was I was the heretic in the first episode.

SPEAKER_03 0:47

Now I'm I'm narcissistic in this one. So that's fine. Yeah. We're gonna hit all the seven deadly sins by the episode two.

SPEAKER_01 0:53

I think so. And this is why we're getting canceled, guys. But anyway. Um, no, we were talking about off mic, we were talking about uh some stuff we should talk about, and Christian music is definitely up there. Oh man.

SPEAKER_03 1:05

Um man, I I think the current Christian music scene, um Yeah, you definitely are gonna have a lot more ticks because for those that don't know, I'll plug it because I know he won't. Uh Cameron is a worship artist. I am. He has he has music on Spotify. Apple will just look up Cameron A. Yep. Also First Love Worship, which is our worship collective. Yeah. He runs it. I'm kind of like the behind the scenes man. Yeah, do a lot of the like sound and whatnot and lyric, want to run lyrics when we don't have people. Yeah. And kind of run our volunteer crews and whatever we got. Absolutely. You do everything that is operational. Yeah, pretty much. Yeah. Yeah. Director is my the director of operations. Director of Operations of the Irish. For a long time, I my title changed every single show we did, which was funny.

SPEAKER_01 1:51

Yeah, it was really just it was a joke. I'd tell that story quick because we would we would play shows. We were on a tour, um, our encounter nights part two tour. It was a counter. We um invited Austin, because you you had come up to us after a show and you were like, You want to be a part of this.

SPEAKER_03 2:08

Yeah, it was uh I was just running lyrics on one. Yeah, okay. And uh you had me come in and it was your it was the first night on the tour. Okay. And you were like, hey man, do you just want to run lyrics for us? And I'm 99% sure I was supposed to run well two or three, like only two nights really did lyrics. Yeah. And you actually got somebody. I was supposed to run lyrics for both, but the second night, because of the conversation we had on the first one, you ended up getting somebody else from that church to do your lyrics. Uh that's what it ended up happening. But I was so like, like, between the process of like seeing ever how everything came together, helping out, and also seeing where the Holy Spirit and God like moved in that that night. I told I told Cameron in the truck because we we took the U-Haul back. Oh, yeah, the U-Haul. That was crazy. Like the ride there was also just as crazy. Insane. We probably won't talk about that because some stuff was said that I think Cameron wants to keep private. Absolutely. Um, so we won't talk about that. I'll tease you a little bit in case he ever does talk about it publicly. I'll tease you a little bit, but uh uh the ride back. I just looked at Cameron and I said, I don't know what God has planned for this. I just know that it's big, I don't know exactly what it is, and I went in. I was like, I want to I don't care what you need me to do, I don't care if it's like a like if you genuinely in that moment, I was so pumped up. If you looked at me and you said you had to learn, I had to sit there and learn every single instrument that you had, I would have figured it out. That's funny. I was so pumped. I was like, if you need me to like really learn guitar, bass, and drums, I'll do it. Like I'm I was pumped. I was like, I this is where like I felt such a calling, like go do this. Yeah, and um, so yeah, I've just been the behind the scenes guy every single time. I used to do the welcomes um too. I did the welcomes every night from then on. Uh-huh. Um, now we kind of let the pastors do it since it's their house. Yeah. Um, whatever pastor we're doing in the church, we kind of like let them do it because it it is their house. We don't want to overstep and let kind of like overtake their place. We really do want to give reverence to the pastors differently all the time.

SPEAKER_01 4:26

Like we never kind of run the same format. Yeah. All of our shows are so different. Some of them are more worship nights, some are more concert-like. Yeah. Like, man, really, like, first of all, worship the collective has been just all over the place, even in like the music we ran stuff. But yeah, as Austin was saying, um, there's a lot of big stuff, fun stuff coming in the future. And you're 100% right. I won't talk about it publicly. Yeah, we'll uh we'll we'll talk about it when it happens. When it happens, uh not right now.

SPEAKER_03 4:50

But anyway, uh Christian music, bro.

SPEAKER_01 4:53

I yeah, I do. I love talking about this topic because yeah, not only a worship artist, um, I started my label Cameron A Studios.

SPEAKER_03 5:01

Cameron A Studios. She this is true.

SPEAKER_01 5:04

And I just a huge passion for worship music.

SPEAKER_03 5:06

And if you're a worshiper and you want music studios and you need help, give this man your business.

SPEAKER_01 5:13

Oh, thank you. He does great.

SPEAKER_02 5:15

Sweet. I know, right?

SPEAKER_01 5:16

I uh stubbed like working on a lot of stuff. Um and um Yeah, it's just a lot of crazy stuff that I got in the works. An artist I'm working with, um working man, like I don't want to plug, I don't want to plug too much and I don't want to say too much because I think 2020, what are we in 2026? 2027 might be a pretty big year for um first love worship music. Um I mean we're we're working like plugging away at a big project right now.

SPEAKER_03 5:45

So and if you want to know what that is, uh follow first love worship. That's very true. Is it FLW is it f L Worship Co on Instagram?

SPEAKER_01 5:55

I think so.

SPEAKER_03 5:56

If you just look up First Love Worship, it should be on there.

SPEAKER_01 6:00

Yeah, the Instagram handle is FL Worship Co.

SPEAKER_03 6:03

Yep. And we're and we're experimenting with tons of stuff. I know Evan uh has been doing his prayer request Mondays. That's very true. She's been rocking it and she's been killing that. Yeah. Um I never really asked. Well, maybe we'll talk about it off to off off pod about engagement on those. I'm very curious what the engagement on that is. Being the so being the uh director of operations. Yeah. Um anyway, like we've we're we're doing a lot of stuff. We're trying new things. Bunch of stuff, really. Keeping the keeping the things that are working going and going and putting it at 100 miles an hour. Absolutely. We just um seeing what we can do with everything else.

SPEAKER_01 6:41

And we just signed uh signed a little uh dealio too. Um Do you want to talk about that? No, I'm not on the live. I was like, I live at you in the opposite. Yeah, I was like halfway through the sense of like everybody should be talking about that kind of stuff. Yeah, yeah, no, I shouldn't, I shouldn't pop, I shouldn't pop that out of here. But um good stuff.

SPEAKER_03 7:01

Anyway, continuing on. Shout out first Larser Cove. Um, what is okay? Here's here's something. Maybe we can use this as a segue. Give it what artist, Christian artist, can you remember being like a fan of first? Oh, first Michael W. Smith, bro. Was it Michael W. Smith? Absolutely. See, for me, it was Chris Tomlin. Really? I loved like my that was my mom. Chris Tom, I found Chris Tomlin and Casting Crowns. Oh, wow. Right around the same time.

SPEAKER_01 7:26

What era, like how great is our goddamn?

SPEAKER_03 7:27

I was a child, yeah.

SPEAKER_01 7:29

Um or like um who's that um Chris Tomlin? Yeah, because he had that uh I will not fear the album, I think, right?

SPEAKER_03 7:36

Something about love. Is that first album he had?

SPEAKER_01 7:40

Oh well, yeah. I mean Chris Tomlin, man, it's a lot of it.

SPEAKER_03 7:42

It was the one that had it was the one that had sing sing on it. Oh, bro. Because that was my that was my jam as a kid. Yeah, that's that's that album dating back, bro. That album was the first one, and then uh for casting crowns, it was the one that has like it you the dude in the tuxedo that's holding the book. Yeah, yeah, exactly what you're talking about. That album was the casting crowns one.

SPEAKER_01 8:04

Yeah, Chris Towns. Oh, you were talking about Hello Love, yeah, Hello Love, yeah, yeah, yeah.

SPEAKER_03 8:08

Jesus Message. Oh my god. That was the album that I remembered. Bro, I will rise.

SPEAKER_01 8:13

I used to lead I Will Rise.

SPEAKER_03 8:15

That was also my first that was also my first concert ever, was a Chris Tomlin concert. Really? My mom had tickets and she took me and my brother. And it was Chris Tomlin, and I can't remember who opened for him, but it was another dude. I cannot remember who opened for him. But it was at Hershey Park, it was at Giant Center in Hershey. Wow. Shout out. Now people are gonna know closer to where we live. You're pinning the still. People are gonna find out. Yeah, I don't care.

SPEAKER_01 8:43

Um, yeah. But dang, that was that's uh that's pretty throwback. I Chris, uh, what was the Michael W. Smith um song? That's a shout-out, too.

SPEAKER_03 8:52

That's a that's a throwback. Michael W. Smith.

SPEAKER_01 8:53

I I remember All the Rise. Um, All the Rise at the name. That's that's such a good song. Um, what was the um Pika Rose Trample on the ground? Yeah, oh and thought of me. Above all, above all, okay, yeah, yeah, yeah. So that was really like my f my peek into worship music as a whole. Okay. So fun fact, a little story about me. I probably don't know if I ever shared this shared this with you, but I got Cameron A um out of Michael W. Smith. Um my aunt used to my my aunt used to like kinda say how I was you know, I obviously I don't sound like Michael W. Smith, and nor would I claim to have ridden music like him. But she always thought because I love playing piano and singing worship music, yeah, that it's like, oh, I'm Cameron A. Furlough.

SPEAKER_03 9:45

See, now that you now that you say it, yeah, I can hear the Michael W. Smith like influence in your piano. Now that you're saying it, and I'm like yeah, I can see the influence in your piano style from him.

SPEAKER_01 10:01

Yeah, absolutely. And I mean, in my man, in my songwriting, not at all. I feel like he was very ballady.

SPEAKER_03 10:09

You kind of like the uh you like like you there's ballads, you've written ballads. You definitely enjoy the like storytelling or the um sing songgy dance vibes. It's kind of I'm sure it's kind of your kind of up your alley. You like a party.

SPEAKER_01 10:26

I do like to party. The Christian party kind.

SPEAKER_03 10:29

Christian party kind. Yeah, we drink we drink uh can you say Kool-Aid on this podcast? Well, after the last time a church function drank Kool-Aid in the 80s. Solve it. Yeah. Um No, we drink grape juice. Grape juice, that's for communion.

SPEAKER_01 10:48

That's very true.

SPEAKER_03 10:49

Communion.

SPEAKER_01 10:49

Yeah. But um Modern Christian music. It's kind of crazy because I'm like kind of writing it and I'm kinda you're in it. Um I don't I'm definitely not saying I'm shaping modern Christian music at all because I'm nowhere near a Brandon Lake or Forrest Frank, but who would you say is like the top Christian music artist right now?

SPEAKER_03 11:10

Who would you say?

SPEAKER_01 11:11

Oh, right now it's obviously Brandon Lake.

SPEAKER_03 11:12

Well, like they're I mean like a ranking. Like like who would you say is probably like in the top five?

SPEAKER_01 11:16

Uh Brandon Lake, Forrest Frank, uh Elevation Worship, Elevation Rhythm.

SPEAKER_03 11:21

Oh, those are two. Would you consider them different?

SPEAKER_01 11:23

They're two different bands, yeah. Are they? Yeah, Brandon Lake, Forrest Frank, Elevation Rhythm, Josiah Queen, and Elevation Worship.

SPEAKER_03 11:31

Okay.

SPEAKER_01 11:32

That's my that's my that's what I think the top five are right now. Now, I'm not quite sure exactly that's true. I mean, obviously, I'm just going based off of I definitely agree.

SPEAKER_03 11:41

I definitely agree with the um Brandon and Forrest. Yeah. I think Phil Wickham's probably up there still, too. Really?

SPEAKER_01 11:47

You think Phil Wickham's up? Yeah, he's never there.

SPEAKER_03 11:49

He's got he's got that homestick for heaven song that's playing all over the place.

SPEAKER_01 11:54

Okay, so here, check this out. Wow. This is crazy, man. What's the no no? Billboard, hot Christian songs right now. Okay. Number one, Demons by Josiah Queen.

SPEAKER_03 12:06

Solid, which is a solid song. Josiah Queen's great. Um I love he's he's he did he did Dust on our Bibles, right? Is that just a big one? Yeah, Dust on Our Bibles is Dusty Bibles by.

SPEAKER_01 12:15

I love that song. Um, second is Your Way is Better by Forge Frank. Solid. Bro, so this is crazy. I think I have like slightly naming all of them right now. Yeah, you kind of you kind of nailed it. Third is Hard Fault Hallelujah by Brandon Lake.

SPEAKER_03 12:30

Just Brandon Lake or the Jelly Roll version?

SPEAKER_01 12:32

Yeah, it just says just Brandon Lake.

SPEAKER_03 12:34

Good, because that's the version's better. Sorry, Jelly. I agree. I love you. Yeah. But just the Brandon Lake version is better.

SPEAKER_01 12:39

100% with you, man. Uh, number four is God I'm Just Grateful by Elevation Worship. Okay. And then number five is Washed by Elevation Rhythm.

SPEAKER_03 12:46

Dude, you nailed it. Not the right like order, but you nailed the top five. Yeah.

SPEAKER_01 12:52

But you know, top Christian albums right now, you got it. Phil Wickham's number five for the Song of the Saints album. I was gonna say Phil Wickham.

SPEAKER_03 12:59

Which were uh Homesick for Heaven comes in. Yeah, so Phil Wickham's still there because I think his tour with Brandon helped him a lot too. 100%, bro. Brought him back into the stratosphere. Well, I mean, in uh not that he left. No, because I think Phil Wickham was always been a huge artist. Absolutely, but uh that definitely brought him. It brought Phil Wickham into the Gen Z space. You know what? I agree with that.

SPEAKER_01 13:21

I give that to you. I 100% agree.

SPEAKER_03 13:23

Gen Z kids probably definitely didn't know who Phil Wickham was. There was no way. I mean unless you're like an older Gen Z kid like I am. Yeah. Who I was born in 1999. So I'm like right at the early stages because Gen Z is 97 to 2012. Yep. I believe. I know. So you're a Gen Z as well? Yeah. Shout out. Shout out, Gen Z. Um so but like I'm an I'm an elder Gen Z. Elder. Um, so like I have that like 90s, 2000s stuff under my belt. Yeah, like a lot of people don't forget. Like that some Gen Z kids, like my fiance, for instance, who was born in 2002. It's crazy. I was born in 99, she was born in 02. But our like childhoods and stuff were so different. It's so weird to me. Like she there was so like there's some stuff that she but like she doesn't know like a lot of stuff. Like she didn't know I think she didn't like she didn't know what Wonder Pets was.

SPEAKER_02 14:20

Oh wow.

SPEAKER_03 14:20

And I loved the Wonder Pets as a kid. Yeah. And she didn't know like she knew the song, but like she was like, I didn't watch it as a kid. Uh-huh. And I'm like, what? Yeah. Anyway, besides that. Side sorry, sidetrack. Yeah.

SPEAKER_01 14:32

That was my my ADHD kicked in. Absolutely. There'd be a lot of that on this podcast, guys.

SPEAKER_03 14:36

Oh yeah. I go on trails constantly.

SPEAKER_01 14:40

That's the issue. We get talking and we just don't shut up.

SPEAKER_03 14:42

So like the moment my brain thinks of something, I'm like, I have to say this out loud now.

SPEAKER_01 14:46

That's why we have no clue how long these uh episodes are gonna be.

SPEAKER_03 14:48

Nope. We could release a four-hour pod one day. That's very true. And we would probably just be like, eh, whatever. Yeah, right. It's four hours. Who cares?

SPEAKER_01 14:54

Yeah. Well, so Christian music, yeah. I I man, these guys are like the top five that are rolling right now. But I mean, yeah, man, I don't know. I don't see Brandon Lake, I mean I feel like Brandon Lake is definitely my current, like I don't want to I I hate saying he's my current fixation because that sounds horrible. That sounds like I say that's a bad but he definitely is like my like he's on my top five of people that inspire me. Can't even lie.

SPEAKER_03 15:22

Inspiration, yeah, not your fixation. You don't have to be a bit of a few. Yeah, inspiration, definitely.

SPEAKER_01 15:26

I mean, he's up there in the top five. I don't know if he's number one. I think my number one inspiration is Ben Hastings. Oh, okay. Um from Hillsong. Guy is uh goaded, and the songs that he writes are truly from his heart, and he writes pure poetry on a page, bro. Yeah, he's great. Yeah, absolutely insane.

SPEAKER_03 15:41

He's definitely like one of the best songwriters. 100% for sure in in that space. Like you can tell that he really takes his time and like just writes what not only what God is sharing with him in that moment, but what he's feeling in that moment as well. Yeah.

SPEAKER_01 16:00

Yeah. But you know what is crazy? Another crazy thing is I I love that, but I also one of my other favorite songwriters is Corey Asbury. Oh, okay. Yeah. And by the way, Corey Asbury's just making a comeback. Now I don't know when this podcast is gonna be released. I was gonna say he just released a song, didn't he? This podcast is being recorded, what is today? It's like May 26th of 2027. Day after Memorial Day, shout out. True. Um, like he just released a song called Uh Out Sing the Angels. Yes. And like, bro, that that song rips. It's like, it's more reckless than Reckless Love, man.

SPEAKER_00 16:31

Mm-hmm.

SPEAKER_01 16:32

And it the song, the lyrics, the power that it carries, and the invitation to worship it holds, man, it's powerful. I love it so much. And I inspire to write daring songs like him.

SPEAKER_03 16:41

I liked his uh song he did Kind. Oh, yeah. He did what, just like a year or two ago. You know what I mean? That song wrecked me. That song wrecked me.

SPEAKER_01 16:49

Kind. Um Good for Nothing is another one of my favorite Corey Ansbury songs.

SPEAKER_03 16:54

Yeah. Um his Instagram bot his Instagram feed is odd. Yeah. His social media is a little strange. I don't understand what he's going on.

SPEAKER_01 17:01

You know, it's crazy because Corey was at Bethel when I was at Bethel.

SPEAKER_03 17:06

Really?

SPEAKER_01 17:06

Um back in I don't even remember.

SPEAKER_03 17:09

Plot twist for those who didn't know that Cameron at one point went to Bethel.

SPEAKER_01 17:12

I did. I was a member of uh Worship Ministry School there.

SPEAKER_03 17:16

And I went to I didn't go to college.

SPEAKER_01 17:20

I uh got to be um at the live recording of Homecoming, the album.

SPEAKER_03 17:25

That's cool.

SPEAKER_01 17:26

Yeah. I'm also a vocalist on um the the studio album that Bethel Music College did too. Sang in the choir. Um pretty cool stuff.

SPEAKER_03 17:42

He was choir boy number 43.

SPEAKER_01 17:44

Absolutely. You know, I was choir boy number 85 on the Maverick City tour.

SPEAKER_03 17:48

Oh, yeah. Yeah. There was an actual they actually listed like numbered you guys?

SPEAKER_01 17:52

No, I just wanted to see what you'd say.

SPEAKER_03 17:54

Okay, cool. I was like, no. I I believe that. I just made up of 43.

SPEAKER_01 17:58

Yeah. I just made up the number. But I was on the Maverick City tour. I believe yeah. With uh Brandon Lake, Kirk Franklin, um Lizzie Morgan, I think was on the tour. Shout out. Um Chandler. I don't know if Dante was there, but yeah, Maverick City is a you know crazy, crazy team to think of too. They're kind of I mean, they're all over the place right now. I can't even lie. Um, I don't even know who is Maverick City anymore. Um I don't think I'm gonna be able to do that.

SPEAKER_03 18:21

I don't think Maverick City knows who Maverick City is anymore.

SPEAKER_01 18:24

That's possibility. We're not gonna get into that subject though. Um I don't know.

SPEAKER_03 18:28

Well maybe we might.

SPEAKER_01 18:29

Yeah, I don't know, man. But I I mean obviously I think they're doing the great things for the Lord. Like I think their music is impacting people and generations and impacting a culture. Um and I I just true I truthfully think that they are impacting a generation in a very unique way. Um man, it's just I'm confused following them.

SPEAKER_03 18:46

And see, my thing, my thing with worship is I also listen to different genres. Like oh yeah, me too. I definitely listen to like I listen to like I would say CCM. Really? The least.

SPEAKER_01 18:57

Oh, me too.

SPEAKER_03 18:58

I I would out of like and I mean like those like I I consider Brandon Lake and all them like in the CC, like anything that's like.

SPEAKER_01 19:04

I was really surprised when I was like, I was getting really shocked when you said I listen to CCM and then you paused, and I'm like, You listen to CCM?

SPEAKER_03 19:10

It doesn't sound like you. I listen to the I listen to it the least. Oh yeah, well, my um definitely my biggest like worship songs I listen to. I listen to a lot of Christian metal.

SPEAKER_02 19:20

Oh yeah.

SPEAKER_03 19:21

And I listen to a lot of Christian hip-hop.

SPEAKER_02 19:23

Okay.

SPEAKER_03 19:23

Like I love Indie Tribe and like No Big Deal and The Cray. Yeah. And like I love those guys and like the Christian hip hop scene. Um, but then like Christian Metal is my GM. Convictions, yeah, Meet Your Maker, Confessions of a Traitor, Wolves at the Gate, Impending Doom, Shout Out, Face Down Records just as a whole. Um love, love, love that stuff. Just because that's just my that's what I listened to like as a kid. Yeah. Was that rock metal stuff? Um, in fact, like even as a child, even when I didn't necessarily follow the Christian beliefs, I still loved bands like Skillet and Fly Leaf and Disciple. That's great. And all those bands. And so did I. Tons of in 2010 warp tour, there were tons of Christian metal bands at the time that the people didn't even realize were Christian metal. 100%. Unless you like were older, like Devil Wars Prada, Under Oath, Gideon. Um for today, still killing it. Maddie Maddie Montgomery just came back with a blood on Bloodlines, shout-out bloodlines. Um yeah, that's kind of like where my thing is.

SPEAKER_02 20:32

Yeah.

SPEAKER_03 20:32

But the reason I listen to that stuff more is because uh maybe should we start the hot takes? Fire 'em. Or do you want to?

SPEAKER_01 20:42

No, just fire them.

SPEAKER_03 20:43

I'm not a big fan of like modern Christian worship songs.

SPEAKER_01 20:50

So I can wait, worship songs or Christian music?

SPEAKER_03 20:53

I mean, Christian music as a whole.

SPEAKER_01 20:54

I would I would say your worship songs.

SPEAKER_03 20:56

I guess Christian music would be more.

SPEAKER_01 20:57

Your modern worship songs are like God I'm just grateful. I think there's a difference. Yeah, hallelujah.

SPEAKER_03 21:03

I think there's a difference now.

SPEAKER_01 21:04

Yeah.

SPEAKER_03 21:05

Yeah. And there used to not be.

SPEAKER_01 21:06

But no, I agree. And I think there's, and this is this, if any worship leaders are listening, this is a hot take to some of y'all, but you need to get it under your belt right now. Mm-hmm. Is that there are songs that are meant to be led on a Sunday morning, and there's songs that are meant to be played in your car, and some that are meant to be played in your car aren't meant to ever see the stage on a Sunday morning. Correct. And I I'm sorry, but if if you're singing those songs that are just very, very meme me focused kind of deal, like That's my thing with it.

SPEAKER_03 21:32

I'm not I'm not for it. That's my problem.

SPEAKER_01 21:35

Yeah.

SPEAKER_03 21:36

Is it is too self-centered. I agree. There's I I have never heard more music coming out of the Christian space that uses the word I so much. 100%. And I'm like, that's isn't isn't the point of a Christian song supposed to be like God centered, God focused, and not like.

SPEAKER_01 22:00

And and there's a space for the eye. Yeah, there's a space for it. I think there's beautiful stories, beautiful songs that are written that are not meant to see the Sunday morning stage. But I think the gray area is a lot of worship leaders just think because it's a good song, it has to be sung on a Sunday morning.

SPEAKER_03 22:14

Yeah.

SPEAKER_01 22:14

And that's absolutely not the that's not the case whatsoever.

SPEAKER_03 22:18

Yeah.

SPEAKER_01 22:18

There are some good songs, but you would never catch me singing Dusty Bibles on stage in church.

SPEAKER_03 22:24

Absolutely not.

SPEAKER_01 22:25

Maybe you'll catch me singing a song like um praise by elevation or God I'm just grateful. Yeah. Like all these songs that are, you know, talking like testimonies of the Lord and like saying how worthy He is, His Holiness. But like if I'm like I'm singing a song on this year, so we got dust on our Bibles, and I'm like, What why would that be a song you sing from stage? Like this doesn't make sense at all.

SPEAKER_03 22:51

Yeah. Now if a pastor would say something like that, yeah, I would okay it. I would okay that if a pastor's trying to call out his church. 100%.

SPEAKER_01 22:59

And and I think that's and that's a and that's a you know place for it. I think on Sunday morning worship, guys, it should be vertical. It can't be, it can't be horizontal.

SPEAKER_03 23:07

Exactly. I feel like And that's my biggest thing. And I also I struggle a lot with it as well because nowadays it's so hard to tell who's genuine and who's not.

SPEAKER_01 23:19

Well, and yeah, and I mean the the lyrics speak for themselves. Like I think that lyrics you should if you're a worship leader, if you know if you're just congregant, you know, is like have any say in what your church is singing, I don't know what you're doing, but whatever. Um, you gotta like really think about what you're singing on a Sunday morning, yeah, and what you're declaring over the body and the congregation. Like, this is man, this has been a struggle for me. And this is a song that dates back to the time of when I was at Bethel. Brandon Lake, before he got really famous, wrote a song called Too Good to Not Believe. Pre-Leather Pants? Uh I don't even really know.

SPEAKER_03 23:55

Pre-Leather Pants, Brandon Lake.

SPEAKER_01 23:57

Man, I don't remember much about Brandon when I was in college, other than the fact that one time he got COVID and he taught a class over a Zoom call.

SPEAKER_03 24:04

Yeah.

SPEAKER_01 24:05

Uh that's about all I remember. And I really enjoyed homecoming.

SPEAKER_03 24:08

I really enjoy Too Good to Not Believe.

SPEAKER_01 24:10

See, but I have a hard time. I think it's a great song. I really like that song. But I don't, I don't I have a hard time singing it in front of a congregation.

SPEAKER_03 24:17

I can understand that. I can understand that.

SPEAKER_01 24:20

Because to be honest, I have not seen metal plates dissolve.

SPEAKER_03 24:24

Yeah, it's a it's his personal testimony. It's his personal testimony.

SPEAKER_01 24:27

It's personal testimonies, and I think it's great for Brandon to sing, man. But I struggle singing that congregationally. Now, I think if you wanted to change it to make it more prophetic and say, we'll see cancer disappear, we'll see metal testimony.

SPEAKER_03 24:39

We will see it, however. Yeah, yeah.

SPEAKER_01 24:41

But I'm like, man, that's a that's a thing to like in front of the congregation. I'm like, it's tough because the chorus is great, man. Um Oh I believe you're the wonder working God. Yeah. And you're too good to not believe, bro. That's a powerful, yeah, powerful declaration. But I struggle singing that song, man. And I've sang it before in worship like on a Sunday morning.

SPEAKER_03 24:59

He I've seen interviews that he was on uh George Janko's show. Was he okay, yeah? Doesn't impress me. Shout out if you've if you've never seen that episode, that's good because he also tells you. George Janko show is great. George Jenko show is fantastic. Um uh look at us on a pod telling you to go listen to another pod. Absolutely.

SPEAKER_01 25:15

That's what two white boys with mics do.

SPEAKER_03 25:17

Two white boys with mics, shout out. Yeah, um giving a well, I would say giving another white boy credit, but he's not not really shout out Georgenko. Anyway, yeah, can't do it. He talked about it on his show where he said like he wrote that song because on one of his concerts he watched a woman. Like they're like one of his like PAs were like, You gotta hear this girl's story, you gotta hear this girl's story. Uh-huh. She's like bawling, openly weeping, on the front of the stage, kneeling at the stage, yeah, like bawling to where even Brandon can hear it over his in-ears. Uh-huh. And they're like, You gotta hear the story, you gotta hear the story. And they said that she had like, I can't remember if it was like a sickness or like an injury or something like that, but she basically had like rods placed in her legs. That's crazy. For her to be able to walk again. And she said, like, she said, all she's been praying for was to be able to. I'm probably butchering this. Go listen to Brandon talk about it. Yeah. Um, but he's he she said, All I've been praying for was to be able to kneel at the altar and worship God again.

SPEAKER_02 26:23

Wow.

SPEAKER_03 26:24

And she had metal, like she couldn't bend her legs. Wow, wow, wow. And she was telling him this story. Yeah. And mind you, while she's saying this, she's kneeling at the altar. That's crazy, bro. Talking about like how this is all she wanted to do. And he said that was the inspiration that night on why he wrote that story. Like why he he said metal plates dissolve. I'll have to. Because he literally saw the rods in the legs, uh like they were gone. Like she went to the doctor the next day, and they were like, What metal rods? That's there's nothing in there, and that was kind of his inspiration. So, like, it's his testimony.

SPEAKER_01 26:58

Yeah, and it's I think it's great for him to sing. But like, man, I just struggle sing that congregationally, can't even lie.

SPEAKER_03 27:04

Yeah. Um and there's just too many cash grabs that are going on now. Like, I don't want to name her because I I don't want to be mean, but I watch I saw a reel the other day of a Christian artist who took, and I guess she has an an album out now of this, where she was like, what if what if Brandon Lake went punk? What if Brandon Lake went pop punk and basically took this guy's song and created it in a genre that it was never written in. Yeah. And it no offense to her, because you're a great, you're a great artist and I love your heart for it. I love pop punk. Yeah. It was not good. Because the well, because that song was not meant to be in that style. Yeah. So it just sounds like the moment you hear it, it's like this doesn't feel genuine. Even though it might be for her, yeah. Um, she might really like that song, and that's just the style of music that she does. She wanted to do a song that she really liked and make a cover of it, which is fine. People do that all the time. But to me, it was the way it was the reel was shot, and also the way like it was a on a clearly like a studio, like a music studio set. Yeah, she filmed it. And the guy's like weaving in and out, like filming stuff, like clearly, like it was like this felt for this felt like you did this for one of two reasons or two reasons monetary gain and attention. And that immediately takes out the dis the genuine yeah, it makes it feel disingenuous. Um, feel free, do whatever you want. This is America. Um, but you know, that's been that's like my issue, and you see it all the time. That's just one example. There's tons of it. You know what I mean? Forrest Frank just came out with a song, or 19 versions of the same song, I should say, uh-huh. Where it's like, and it's the same thing. It's like because he put this challenge on, there's some artists that are on there that got pulled out that the songs don't feel genuine because it's like, are you just writing this to win a contest to be featured on probably one of the biggest Christian artists' albums? Yeah, I don't know.

SPEAKER_01 29:29

I mean, and that's and that's that's a hard place because obviously, like it's God's place to judge. Yeah, and like as much as you know I felt righteous anger listening to some of them. Yeah, I don't know. I I don't know. I and I know exactly like who you're talking about in the first instance too, and the way I mean I feel about it. I mean, I'm obviously I really don't care because I think it's just some people's expression of worship. It's not for me, nor do I think it was really, you know. I man, I I know all the ins and outs of monetary farming. Yeah, um that's what it felt like. I yeah, I mean, I I would say maybe that's a little bit what it felt like, and I truthful. I there's another guy that kind of does the same thing. Um I think I know what you're talking about. Yeah, and I'm just like it just kind it kind of strikes me the wrong way. And maybe, hey, maybe we're just wrong. Maybe it's our personal just vibes.

SPEAKER_03 30:17

It might just be my taste. Like I was I wasn't a fan of it.

SPEAKER_01 30:20

I mean, but hey, we're just we're just shooting opinions, and yeah, I mean, sorry, like it I just I don't know, just the way it comes across to us. But um, obviously, not naming any names. Um we're not gossiping about anyone.

SPEAKER_03 30:35

Um but you'll know I I will say you probably will know who we're talking about because I of the cadence is the way I said it, is the exact way that she said it in a reel.

SPEAKER_01 30:47

Yeah, no, I I know exactly who you're talking about. But there's another, like I said, there's another guy that's kind of similar to the same thing where it's like, I mean, I just don't really feel it. Like, I just feel like this is just studio produced like gaining views, and like this is what you're doing. And I feel like it's just over the streets. Yeah, that's another thing.

SPEAKER_03 31:00

It's like, did the label put you up to this? Yeah, yeah, man. That's another question.

SPEAKER_01 31:04

Like, these labels are like demanding crank outs of like the newest modern thing that's gonna win money. And that's why, bro, I've committed my life, and I and I I mean it, I've committed my life to never signing myself to your label. Yeah, I don't want to, man. Unless if it's unless if someone comes along that runs a true, genuine Christian label that I know, that's why I never sign.

SPEAKER_03 31:29

That's why in the Christian metal space, I love face down records. Yeah. Because it's there, there's not they like people who are signed to FaceDown, uh huh, A, they say it's a full-on family. Uh-huh. Is which is so which is so cool. That's amazing. But the number one thing that that person, the guy who runs the label, whose name I'm escaped is escaping me at the moment, yeah, make sure before he signs anybody, uh-huh, are these guys Christian? That's great, bro. Do they do they believe the things that we are trying to promote here? Yeah and like actually believe it. And if you listen to bands that are signed to that record, like for example, for today, which is probably the biggest, like for today broke up and stopped becoming stopped being a band because Maddie Montgomery became the head pastor of a church in California.

SPEAKER_02 32:18

Uh-huh.

SPEAKER_03 32:19

Like he clearly believes in the things that he's saying.

SPEAKER_02 32:22

Yeah.

SPEAKER_03 32:22

You know, and so a record label like that, I would say, is a fantastic label. But unfortunately, not every record label is face-down records.

SPEAKER_01 32:35

Yeah. You know? Well, and and don't get me wrong, like as a Christian songwriter, like sometimes I feel the pressure to write and release what's going to be popular, but I never want to sacrifice what's genuine.

SPEAKER_03 32:45

That's always in the back of everybody's mind. Yeah, it sucks. Will this take off?

SPEAKER_01 32:49

Yeah, it absolutely sucks. And I wish I didn't think like that. And one of the things that I've really, you know, been doing a lot recently with my writing is just becoming more, I feel like writing from my heart and not what I want people to say. It's just what I'm saying. Like, yeah, and some of these songs that I'm writing recently, I just heard a new song that I'm recording in the studio called Please God. And it's literally about um like the wilderness season of your life and how life just sometimes seems unfair and life just sucks. And the whole chorus is like saying, Please God, save me from the person that I don't want to become. Like that's what the person like that's what the chorus is of like this man is like chasing everyone else's dreams. Like in the song, the guy is like wondering why he doesn't have what other people have. Yeah. But our prayer should be, please God, don't let us become them, let us become us.

SPEAKER_03 33:44

Yeah.

SPEAKER_01 33:45

And man, I just I've been writing, wrote that song in a couple of days, and I've been recording it right now, and I maybe we'll release it before the end of the year. I don't know. But um a lot of this, like a lot of the stuff I'm writing right now is kind of in that same atmosphere as like I feel like it's more my language and not what I think other people should say. And I think some of my older songs, like um, I I don't know. I I have as I am out there that co-wrote with Evan Tinsman.

SPEAKER_03 34:10

Shout out Evan.

SPEAKER_01 34:10

Yeah, shout out Evan.

SPEAKER_03 34:12

And um maybe he'll be on the pod one day. Very true, we don't know. Like, I mean, you have to no, I'm kidding. I was gonna say you have to be a Sunday school dropout to be on the pod because that's the name. But no, we could our guess will be fine.

SPEAKER_01 34:23

I guess I guess it'll be fine. Anyway, I wrote that song with him and I feel like it was generic for the church. It was a good story. It was a good Sunday morning worship song, and I love that kind of stuff, and I and I know the Lord, man, I know the Lord's doing so many, so much through that song. The amount of testimonies um that we received when we released that song were insane. Um, and I know the Lord's doing stuff through that, but like, man, my burden right now is just to write stuff that's real. Like, yeah, I and I unfortunately just don't vibe with the ungenuine worship, bro. Yeah, like I think there's obviously, like I said, there's a space and there's a time and a place for the songs like Dusty Bibles, and I think they're great. It's not a Sunday morning stage. The Sunday morning stage belongs to songs like King of Kings, um uh Yes I Will, like Praise, Alleluia. Nope. Um, and I think another great example is like um like Abby Gamboa wrote a song called There Goes That Man. Yep. Um, and I think that's great for the radio, and I think it's great for your personal space or a concert. Some like I I I love the song and I love the meaning, and I think it's absolutely beautiful. One of the best songs she's ever written. But I just don't think it's a space for Sunday morning worship.

SPEAKER_03 35:35

Yeah. And that's why I said earlier, I think there's a difference now between worship songs and Christian music. Christian music. There's a huge difference now because it's like, you know, and there used to not be.

SPEAKER_01 35:47

I feel I well, I I I always think there was a where always was a divide. However, I think the line has gone blurrier and blurrier in the past and it's becoming more solid clear now.

SPEAKER_03 35:57

Where do you think that that uh started?

SPEAKER_01 36:01

Where do I think it started? Yeah, man, I don't know. Uh people hated on my boy Corey Asbury when he wrote Reckless Love. Yeah. Like Well, because people are like, God's love's not reckless. Absolutely. And I mean, but it's crazy because before then, like you have all these great anthem songs like How Great Is Our God? Um, but I I don't know. Like the 2000s worship, um, I think is probably maybe the 2010s is where it started. I mean that's definitely when you're gonna be able to do that. You think of the big the big anthems of the 2000s where How Great Is Our God, Blessed Be Your Name, Revelation song, You Are My King, Lord I Lift Your Name On High, like all of these songs.

SPEAKER_03 36:45

Oh God, you just opened up a whole like Revelation song. You just ripped up a whole thing in me right there. I was like, man, I've not heard that song in forever.

SPEAKER_01 36:55

And but that's that's what's that's what happened. And I mean, I think from there you kind of went into I think the 2010s is like where it kind of became a little more, a little more the line kind of started dividing because I mean you have your songs like Oceans, like um Ten Thousand Reasons, big was a big one. Good Good Father, Reckless Love. Yeah. Um You Say by Lauren Dagle. Like, I don't know, that's that's one another one I challenged leading on a Sunday morning. Um there's actually a song out by First Love Worship called Overtake that I struggle leading on a Sunday morning if I ever lead it. I've led it once in my life, and I it it was just for the situation of the Sunday morning service that I was at. But yeah, it's like the song is talking about all these things, and I'm just like, man, it doesn't pertain to everyone. And it's a great song, it's a personal testimony, and for a while was our number one hit. Yep. Um, and I think there's a beautiful space for that song, but it's for our concerts and not for a Sunday morning worship service. Now, we wrote a song, our number one hit right now is called You're Worth It. Yep. And that is absolutely a number, like a Sunday morning worship. And I mean, man, like the the the chorus is is nice, uh congregational, uh, you know, nothing can and nothing ever will. Silence my worship because you're worth it. And it talks in the bridge like a sing cuz you're faithful, sing cuz you're good. Um, like all these things that you can be declaring with your congregation. Mm-hmm. Um, I think it's a great vertical worship song.

SPEAKER_00 38:32

Yeah.

SPEAKER_01 38:32

But hey, something like Overtake is another popular song we have where it's just not meant for the Sunday morning stage. Yeah. And so I mean, I think that's where the issue lies. I think it's how I I don't think it's in the artist who are releasing this stuff. I think it's how it's being used.

SPEAKER_03 38:44

Yeah. Okay. Yeah.

SPEAKER_01 38:45

And personally, that's just my like pet peeve on that. Yeah. Because I'm there's not a lot of bad stuff out there. I mean, there's some songs where I'm just like, ooh, ooh, like I mean your current stuff that is being put out, like, I mean, I don't know. The Forrest Frank album, the 19 songs, different, different styles. Like, I I don't I personally am not a fan of Forrest Frank. I I love his heart. I've been to his concert real quick.

SPEAKER_03 39:12

There's certain songs I like of him, but I don't I'm not a huge, huge fan of Forrest Frank.

SPEAKER_01 39:18

And I and I went to I went to Forrest Frank concert. I love the experience, and I and I thought his his concert concert was pure, genuine worship.

SPEAKER_03 39:25

To me, the most powerful thing Forrest Frank did was his testimony on his back being healed. Yeah.

SPEAKER_01 39:30

Not his music. Well, yeah. Well, I agree. Um, it was a powerful story. Um, but man, it's like I think he's one of the most genuine people out there. Forrest.

SPEAKER_03 39:42

Yeah, he seems like a cool guy. And I I think his music is just not my vibe. And yeah, it's not for me.

SPEAKER_01 39:47

But it's not for a Sunday morning stage either. Yeah. Like, I don't know, bro. I this church that I that I co-lead worship at sometimes, and sometimes I lead worship at, it's it's funny because they one time did Your Way is Better by Forrest Frank as a Sunday morning worship song. Interesting. Yeah, I don't really know how I felt about that one. Well, I actually do know how I felt, but I do feel good about it. Um yeah. What else? Do you have any other hot takes on CCM? Like big stuff? Like what's going on?

SPEAKER_03 40:14

I mean, that was kind of the my big thing. I mean, there's also the whole um I know CCM took a real, real, real big hit when all that stuff with Hillsong came out. Oh gosh.

SPEAKER_01 40:27

So you know what's the funny thing about Hillsong is that they're no longer like a a worship group, but all their artists are just releasing music under other names.

SPEAKER_03 40:34

Yeah, pretty much. Um you have they're all they all went solo, essentially. They're not they're not under Hillsong anymore.

SPEAKER_01 40:40

You have Brooke Lidgertwood who's pumping out some great ones. My most most recent Brooke Lidgetwood song that I've been in love with is um I think it's called I'll Wait for the Lord. Yeah, um, or maybe it's called Um Yeah. No, it's called Watchmen. That's what it's called. Yeah.

SPEAKER_03 40:56

Um and I think the I think personally to me um what this leans into with uh uh another hot take, I guess I should have. Yeah. Now I am a musician too. I just don't have anything out, um, per se. And I songwrite a lot, but I'm not I've I'm not I guess confident in my abilities as a musician to where I feel where I can put anything out like under me, if that makes sense. You know? Um and that's just that's something I have to deal with. Um and who knows, maybe I'll get better and you'll hear hear it someday. Um but we yeah I know you and I have had conversations about pastors as a whole, how pastors of a church need to be are supposed to be held to a higher standard. Absolutely uh than like your typical person in like a congregation. Yeah. And I do think, and you can I don't know if you'll agree or disagree. Throw it up. I think worship leaders sh are also held to that standard. Absolutely, I agree. They're pastors, and but people don't realize that with worship leaders. I 100% agree with you. They think that they they're just there to sing the songs and get everybody feeling good in the morning.

SPEAKER_01 42:14

Bro, that's because half the churches in America sing Christian karaoke. Oh I'm sorry, guys.

SPEAKER_03 42:25

We're not we don't have a camera. I physically winced when he said that because I felt that hard.

SPEAKER_01 42:30

Man. Man, I'm I mean it hard too, bro.

SPEAKER_03 42:32

It's my kid. Christian karaoke is crazy.

SPEAKER_01 42:35

Uh throw out against worship leaders in modern American churches is that you guys just sing Christian karaoke. And I'm sorry, but getting up there and leading a song just simply is not enough. Like you just can't sing the song, play your guitar, and get on with life. The congregation sings along. That is not the point.

SPEAKER_03 42:52

Yeah.

SPEAKER_01 42:52

I'm sorry. I could get up there and play Purple Rain, and uh, it could be the same effect. Yeah, bro, but I'm saying it would have the same effect as you guys singing How Great Is Our God. It's just Christian karaoke session. And that's what these songs you're singing, like one of one of the songs that I've I've really like been, you know, hearing a lot on Sunday on Sunday mornings. Um, I I've been hearing some great some great anthems, like praise is a popular song. Um man, I've I've uh definitely been hearing gratitude. I think these are these are all popular songs, but man, what's the what's the one that uh Archers just led the Sunday?

SPEAKER_03 43:33

It's the highest place. Oh, what a god, yeah, what a god. Yeah, what a god. That one's awesome.

SPEAKER_01 43:36

I've led that before and I love it. Um these are great songs, guys, but this isn't your chance to sing um and just sing a song you like. Yeah, it is man, when I lead worship, the amount of thought that I put into a set list, bro, it's insane. I will pray and ask the Lord to reveal things to me about the set and just see what he wants to do in the room, and then I know. Know when I lead a providence, I'm sure my like I'm positive my worship leaders are praying too because I'll send them an idea and they're like, Man, I don't really think that's where the Lord's at this week.

SPEAKER_00 44:10

Yeah.

SPEAKER_01 44:10

And it's a song I really like, and a song I want to sing, but sometimes I sacrifice the songs I really want to sing. Well, I shouldn't say sometimes, I do it all the time. I sacrifice what I want for what is happening. And the issue is we just sing all these new modern worship songs, and we we just think that if we sing what's popular, what's new, we can get the congregation singing. No, what will get the congregation singing is you actually worship it.

SPEAKER_03 44:33

Or it's the complete opposite. There's a lot of churches that refuse to sing the modern stuff anymore. Yeah. Like I uh quick side story. When I was first getting back into the faith, um, I didn't go to the church that I go to now right away. I actually went back to my childhood church because that was the church I knew. And would you not believe I couldn't stand the worship in that church because every single week they sang Hosanna. Yeah, really? Every single week. If there was a female singer on that stage, they were singing Hosanna. That's crazy, bro. Every week, and I now I now have absolute ire for that song.

SPEAKER_01 45:25

That's funny.

SPEAKER_03 45:25

Because I have trauma.

SPEAKER_01 45:27

I I think you told me that when we did that for the worship night.

SPEAKER_03 45:29

Yeah, and the crazy thing is, when I went back, okay, what was the first song? Now, mind you, I had not stepped foot in that church in probably 10 to 15 years. What was the first song they started?

SPEAKER_01 45:44

Rosanna, that's crazy.

SPEAKER_03 45:45

And I was like, you guys have not learned any new songs in the decade I've been gone. Are you serious? And like, I think like that's another like just church worship in general. Yeah. Well, they just get too comfortable in their like what they like. Absolutely. And I think we need that blend. Like, we should be singing what a god on a Sunday. Yeah. Like sing What a God, and then maybe throw in an old school hymn after that.

SPEAKER_01 46:15

Well, and exactly, and I think the Lord in every congregation, the Lord is gonna speak to your worship leaders differently. Yes. And each congregation has their own specific needs. But I don't think that, man, and it it's so rough because man, I just truthfully don't think that an old hymn sing is as powerful as worship leaders who sit and pray and pray and fast and seek the Lord's face on what the Lord wants them to sing that weekend because you do not know the stories that can come out of a room. Like, I I I tell I tell this story occasionally because I was leading worship the one weekend um at our home church, Providence community.

SPEAKER_03 46:51

Shout out Providence Community.

SPEAKER_01 46:52

Um, the best church I've ever been a part of in my life. Great church.

SPEAKER_03 46:55

Um shout out Nathan.

SPEAKER_01 46:56

I yeah, Nathan Herndon, the best pastor.

SPEAKER_03 46:58

Shout out Nathan, shout out Tyler. Very true. Shout out Victor, Victor who else is on past, who else is on staff?

SPEAKER_01 47:04

Shout them all out. I think it's all the pastors.

SPEAKER_03 47:06

I was just saying who's on staff. On staff? Yeah, I want to shout, we're gonna shout them all out.

SPEAKER_01 47:10

Ed?

SPEAKER_03 47:12

Sure. Shout out Ed. Shout out Ed. Um Allie. Allie, you weren't on you weren't on staff, you're not on staff anymore, I don't believe, but you were for forever. Shout you out too.

SPEAKER_01 47:22

Yeah, Allie's the goat. Allie's great. Um, yeah, but all these guys, powerful, powerful, powerful um leaders in um our church. And there was a Sunday morning where I I had the privilege to lead worship alongside um our one and only Bethany and um Tyler. And so uh that Sunday morning I wanted to lead um, I think a brand new song. I wanted to lead a brand new song. And what was crazy about it was that all my ideas kept getting tossed down the drain. And in the group chat of worship leaders, all my ideas just kept tossed down the drain. And I really didn't understand.

SPEAKER_03 47:57

By like every by like everybody or by just one specific Okay, by everybody. Okay.

SPEAKER_01 48:01

Um where and it wasn't really bad. They weren't weren't saying you know anything mean about that. It's just like I truly just don't think the Lord's there this weekend, right? Um, and so I I was throwing out some ideas and stuff and it's felt like nothing, and I finally just I finally just said in the group chat, um, here's a list of songs I can sing and keys I can sing them in. I I trust that I trust that the Lord is leading you guys, and I'm just not seeing the vision right now.

SPEAKER_03 48:23

You just send a list of like 20 songs to pick one.

SPEAKER_01 48:26

Absolutely I did. Well, and that's and that's kind of how it went down. And I said, you know, I just trust that like the Lord's speaking to you in a deeper way than he's speaking to me at the moment, and I and I submit myself to your leadership, yeah, and I say, you can pick the song I sing, tell me what key, uh, or I'll give you the key, right? So they picked the blood, and which personally I don't think I sound that great singing.

SPEAKER_03 48:47

Um interesting.

SPEAKER_01 48:49

And I was like, man, it's just a song I really can't sing. Well, here's a little backstory is that the night previous or the week previous, I was facing some horrible abdominal pain.

SPEAKER_03 49:04

Interesting.

SPEAKER_01 49:05

Yeah. And I um the night before that that day, I was up I probably only slept for four hours, maybe not even four hours, three hours at the most, um, because I was up sick to my stomach. And it was too late to call out, and I felt like the Lord telling me to go. So now, look, the powerful testimony that happened was I had I was up on stage singing about the blood of Jesus and how it heals and how how it works in wonder, and I'm as sick as a dog, bro.

SPEAKER_03 49:36

Right.

SPEAKER_01 49:38

Like, that's crazy to me that like the timing of that. And I'm declaring the blood of Christ over myself. Yeah, and that was the first time that whole day when I was declaring the whole blood over myself that I just felt like I could. And like I just felt like I could actually live and move, and like I was in tons of pain, I was very sick, I felt like I was gonna throw up the whole time I'm singing, but as I declared the blood over my life through that moment, right, like bro, like I was finding healing right in that moment when I was leading the song.

SPEAKER_03 50:13

Yeah.

SPEAKER_01 50:13

Now, if they would have let me sing O Praise the Name, and I would have gone off on my um, you know, little extra tag that I love to do with Oh Praise the Name, you do. All creatures of our gone king, shout out. Shout out. Um, I think it's like verse three or something goes really hard with O Praise the Name. Um, He shall return that part. And man, it's just powerful. But if I would have gotten my way and I sang that song or whatever the heck I was singing to singing, like I, man, I don't know where I would have been.

SPEAKER_03 50:39

Yeah, Tommy would have still hurt.

SPEAKER_01 50:41

But you know, it's crazy because like the Lord, but it's crazy because the Lord was healing me in that moment as I was singing about the blood of Christ, I'm declaring it over myself, and man, I don't know what's going on in the room, but testimonies were bursting out in the room too.

SPEAKER_00 50:54

Yeah.

SPEAKER_01 50:55

Like that's absolutely mind-blowing, just how like with prayer and seeking the Lord and listening to Him on a Sunday morning when you sacrifice your desires, yeah, and you just um give the Lord what he wants.

SPEAKER_03 51:07

Yeah, you're not afraid to say yes, even if it makes you even if you're in an un even if that yes puts you in like an uncomfortable position.

SPEAKER_01 51:15

Absolutely. And I just think that's where the worship industry is at, bro. Comfortable. And I I don't know. This I agree with this is a call to get uncomfortable.

SPEAKER_03 51:23

Ending, like little pain. Yeah, the Christian music scene is just too comfortable. Absolutely, bro. I agree with that.

SPEAKER_01 51:30

And I applaud Corey Asbury for outsing the angels. I applaud him for Reckless Love. I applaud Brandon Lake for King of Hearts. Yeah. Like these guys are writing songs declaring things that are quote unquote dangerous in the worship industry.

SPEAKER_03 51:44

We got I we have tons of like I said, uh the Christian metal scene. If you read the lyrics, there's there are more right now at hot take. There are more Christian metal artists that are writing biblically lyrics, yeah, biblically sound lyrics than a lot of considered popular Christian artists right now. It's crazy. There's tons, like one of my favorite songs of all time uh is Stigmata by the band Convictions.

SPEAKER_02 52:12

Okay.

SPEAKER_03 52:12

And right before the breakdown part, uh-huh, he screams, I won't deny my father's crown, so you can crucify me upside down.

SPEAKER_01 52:21

Dang.

SPEAKER_03 52:22

Right away. And like that whole song is about like the stigmata, how his scars are true. Yeah. No matter what you like, basically he's being like, I am so I believe so much in the stigmata and the belief of Jesus that you can kill me for it. Bro, come on. And I'm like, yeah, not to mention it's seven string guitars and it makes you want to punch a wall. Right.

SPEAKER_01 52:44

Yeah. It's crazy, man. But I think I think that's funny. But man, I think that's where the worship culture needs to go. I think it needs to be more uncomfortable. And man, I don't know if Corey Asbury will even listen to this, but bro, you are an absolute hero in the worship industry. And keep writing songs that challenge the church, bro. Because I love it and the Lord loves it, man. Uh, it's powerful.

SPEAKER_03 53:09

And any other artists that we mentioned, if you're for some reason listening to this, right? Uh do the same.

unknown 53:15

Right.

SPEAKER_03 53:16

Do the same. Let's keep, let's keep, I don't want to say challenging the status quo.

SPEAKER_01 53:20

No, but challenging true, genuine worship, bro.

SPEAKER_03 53:24

Yeah, let's get let's get back to the heart of like what does it what does worship mean? Absolutely. And let's let's get back to let's get back to making it an altar and not a stage. Oh let's get it back. Let's make it an altar, which is what it was supposed to be the whole time.

SPEAKER_01 53:38

And if you need any inspiration, your boy Corey Asberry or Benjamin William Hastings. Their latest records, we'll show you.

SPEAKER_03 53:45

Anyway, I think that's it. Yeah, I think that's a good that's a solid, solid episode two. Yeah. Yeah, yeah, guys. Just remember Jesus loves you. We do also. Absolutely. Thank you so much for listening.

SPEAKER_01 53:57

We'll see you next time on the Sunday School dropouts.

SPEAKER_03 54:01

Bye.

SPEAKER_01 54:01

Peace out.