shareyourstorynow.org

JONATHAN DOUGLAS(?): A lot of the songs our church has written through the years have been based on scriptures that our church has been taught on. So some of the key kind of scriptures from our church have been ones like Psalm 100 and Psalm 84, and things that were important to our church would come out of that. So scripture isn’t just something that we use to kind of make our songs sound better, it’s where our songs actually come from, it’s where they’re birthed from, from those Psalms which we believe were the worship songs of their day, you know what I mean? So we take a lot of those and apply that into what we write as well.

JAD GILLIES(?): And some of the songs, like some of the prayer songs are like anthems, you know, songs like “Tell the World” are speaking–you know the verses at the end of the gospels where Jesus was saying, “Hey, you’ve experienced this, now go and tell the world, go and make disciples.” And so I think there’s an opportunity, particularly in speaking to this generation, the goal is that you’re speaking out of what is going into your heart through the Gospels or whatever you’re reading in the Word, and then presenting it through the music so it connects with young people and the Word’s really getting into their hearts.

JAD GILLIE: Proverbs 3:5-6, “Trust in the Lord with all your heart and lean not on your own understanding; in all your ways acknowledge him, and he will make your paths straight,” that for me has just really helped me along the way because there’s so many things in life, even in my relationship with God and the journey, is that I just don’t understand, but there’s confidence and I’ll get such encouragement from reading a verse that’s saying, “Hey, even when you don’t understand stuff just trust in God, commit your ways to Him and he’ll make your path straight.” And I know just in so many areas that has just really kind of helped me, and it’s one of the most foundational things that kind of keeps me going.

PHIL DOOLEY (Youth Pastor): I love Ephesians 3:20 which says, “Now to Him who is able to do exceedingly, abundantly and above all that you ask or think according to the power that works within you.” To me, that just kind of personifies how, when we truly commit our lives to Christ, how what his plan for each of us is beyond even what our dreams could be. I just take great strength and comfort from that, and I think a lot of young people do also because sometimes they’re feeling lacking in hope or wondering, “Could my dreams be possible?” I think when you let the Word get inside of you and you understand the power of it, it really does give you that strength to know God’s with me, and maybe what I dreamed is more than possible with Christ.