Song by Song

Worldwide - This is a rock and roll anthem that says, ‘We’re taking over the world.’ It’s wishful thinking because I think the world is never going to fully embrace the gospel. But it’s the attitude we’re going for here - just to get a youth group excited getting out there - taking over the world for Jesus Christ. The song’s theme is an anthem of hope that you can make a difference. What you do with your life is important because the world is dependent upon it.

Church Punks - This is a call to a generation to forget about church politics. It’s a call to save the church and reshape and reform ideas. It’s a song of encouragement to not be afraid because you’re young to stand up and challenge fundamental thoughts. I think we need to encourage our youth to be the leaders of today and not wait until tomorrow to make a difference. Stand up and say, ‘Hey, I think this is the way that God wants us to work. I want to lead this group and I want to be empowered by God right now to be a leader in my community and in my school.’ (1 Timothy 4:12)

Dirty - The church sometimes seems to be getting more and more separated from the world, when it really should be here for the sick and the broken. This song is a call to get your hands dirty and make a difference in today’s society. It’s a call to get involved and meet people around you who might be out of your normal comfort zone, people who don’t believe exactly as you do, or who don’t look the way you look. It gives you an opportunity to tell them about the hope we have as Christians.

Go And Be - We co-wrote this song with Charlie Peacock. It’s basically about letting God mold you and make you who He wants you to be and going wherever He wants to send you. It might be on a mission trip or it might be down the street. The theme is to get out there and be who God wants you to be and it is different for everyone.

Pierced - Tyler and I wrote this song in about five minutes. It’s really a worship song that talks about being pushed to the limit as a Christian. Growing up in Haiti, I saw my parents go through a lot. They moved our family to Haiti and worked hard trying to make a difference in a third world country. And in the midst of that, my sister was diagnosed with Leukemia. There are stories like that from missionaries and God’s servants all over the world. But I think God’s people are at their strongest when they’re broken because God can use them and do incredible things when they give up and say, “I have nothing left to do - all I can do is rely on God.” Pierced is about that - about being broken, being pierced, and being used.

Strong - This is a rootsy, rock sing-a-long. It’s one of the more vertical songs on the record. It’s saying, ‘I’ll be strong, I won’t back down. I want to make you the king of my life, and I’m your servant. I’ll go wherever you want me to go, and I’ll do it with every ounce of energy I have in my body. When I fall down, I’ll get back up again because you’re with me.’ It’s encouraging to a generation that might feel persecuted and broken for their beliefs.

Start a Fire - The public schools across America are the greatest mission fields kids will ever encounter. You’ll never have an opportunity like you have in your school to make a difference and to show those around you how awesome God is. School is a community of people you’re with eight hours a day, and you’re literally doing nothing but hanging out. This song is a little tongue-in-cheek and challenges kids to view their school as a mission field - in a really fun, old-school, heavy-metal sort of way.

Pour Your Love Down - This is a classic Audio Adrenaline ballad. It’s a worship song about how when you’re in the presence of God, His glory comes down and you feel covered by it. You feel forgiven. It’s a song that begs God to come down and show His presence.

Leaving Ninety-Nine - This song steps away from the rest of the album’s theme a little bit, but it’s one of my favorite songs. It’s a beautiful ballad about a lost Christian, or a lost person who has lost their reason to go on and can’t figure it out anymore. God comes in and says ‘I would leave 99, leave them all behind just to find you.’ It’s a reminder to Christians and non-Christians of how much God truly cares about us.

Miracle - For a while, this song was tentatively titled “You Ruined My Life.” It talks about how we sometimes have big plans for our lives and we get so caught up in how we want things to go, we become a control freak. Then all of a sudden everything gets turned upside down, and we think it’s ruined. But in hindsight, we realize that God just had bigger and better plans for us. The thing we thought was ruining our life turns out to be a miracle. It’s an incredibly eye-opening experience to see how God can completely turn around something you think is a disaster. The important thing is to be willing to go.