Louder Than The Music

Song Stories:
Click a song title below to read
Ian's thoughts behind the songs...

1 An Introduction
2 Good News
3 Burning For You
4 Trusting In You
5 The Lord Is Here
6 You Found Me
7 Freedom
8 The Cross Changed Everything
9 New
10 The Father's Love
11 You Are Here

TRACK 1: AN INTRODUCTION
I really love this opener.

I heard this amazing quote from Robert F. Capon on the album it is said by John Crowder.
When I heard I thought “that so fits with the theme of the album”. It’s pretty deep and I think it’s a powerful start to an album to say “that the good news is the announcement of the end of religion”.

The last 2/3 years have been a rediscovering of what is the good news? Is the good news good? It’s been a fun journey! One thing I’m sure of is that it’s better than I thought! If the good news doesn’t sound to good to be true we haven’t heard it right.
The Jews said it was a scandal and a stumbling block and the Greeks thought it was absurd and utter nonsense (1 cor 1:23 AMP) and Paul said that all would be judged according to his interpretation of the gospel (Rom 2:16 AMP) - Paul also said that the good news was the glorious message of the glory of the Happy God (1 Tim 1:11 EPH) - the good news is a glorious message! An incredible message! This album is my small offering, my hope is that these songs help shed light and truth on this glorious message.

TRACK 2: GOOD NEWS
This song is the title track on the album. I really wanted to convey that the good news is really and truly GOOD! God loves this nation! God loves this nations people! God loves the whole world (Christian basics one would think) But there seems to be a belief in this world that God is against the world, God wants to punishes us, God has a big stick and wants to hurt people.

These beliefs grieve me - they make me sad, because this isn’t the God I know. This isn’t the God I live for. This isn’t the God I read about in light of the finished work of the cross.

In this broken and hurting world there is GOOD NEWS. One of my hopes with this song is that people realise that God is a God of Love. Everything about Him is love and He loves His creation

TRACK 3: BURNING FOR YOU
Originally this song was going to be one of the free singles but we felt it was more suited to the album. This song is basically saying that nothing can compare to God, nothing can compare to His brilliance, to His awesomeness. I love this song, it’s got a great feel and vibe. I’m really happy how this track turned out.

TRACK 4: TRUSTING IN YOU
This is a personal and deep song. Sometimes life throws us massive curve balls. Life throws death, pain, hurting, sorrow at us. Most of us have experienced or are experiencing some pain, loss or form of hurting. This song is a song of faith, a song of declaration saying, God I don’t understand right now, I don’t know why all this stuff around me is happening. BUT, I am going to trust You. I’m going to believe that you will get me through, I believe you know my pain, you know my questions, right now I’m not sure what to do but I’m going to put my trust in You.

Personally for me and my wife (Kate) this song came out of a time when Kate lost her Dad to a 5 year battle with lung cancer. We all believed God would heal him, many people prophesied that he had many years left, also he believed he had years left and that it wasn’t his time to go.

But it was. We may never understand the stuff that happens around us, but we can trust in God and believe He will get us through. This song has come out of a number of life situation I (we) have been through. One thing I know is that I (we) can ALWAYS trust in God

TRACK 5: THE LORD IS HERE
Very often my songs have been asking God to come or do something. (My intention has been good) but maybe He has already done it.

As I’m growing, learning and searching for fresh revelation I’ve come to the conclusion that I can’t ask God to come any closer or be nearer, because I am already IN Christ! I’m seated in heavenly places (eph 2:6) and the fullness of God dwells within me! (Col 2:11-15)
A lot of the time it seems I’m (We’re) asking God to come but maybe He is already here inviting me (us)....

This song started off at Elim conference 2011 Canon Andrew White (Bishop of Baghdad) mentioned that at the beginning of every service his church say. “The Lord is here, His Spirit is among us”. I wrote that down and the song was birthed, The verse is a powerful declaration of faith: The Lord is here, His Spirit is among us. His presence is with us, His favour is upon us. This song went through a few re-writes even while using it at church. Originally the chorus said ‘He’s breaking off’ rather than ‘He’s broken off’

After a number of conversations with people I decided to settle with ‘He’s broken’ I feel this is a powerful statement. I guess the question is - does God break our chains, are they already broken or is it a bit of both?!?

He’s broken off is a statement of faith for me, believing that it is already done. That at the cross the chains were broken. I’m not saying that we can’t ask God to break the chains that are effecting us, rather what I’m saying is that I’m believing that at the cross Jesus broke the chains, He broke the power of sickness, depression, rejection. If I believe that these thing are broken, they are broken, They have no power over me.

I have friends with depression and I’ve struggled with rejection. This is not saying those things aren’t real. This is a song of faith. A song believing in the power of the cross. Believing in the finished work of the cross. Believing in what Jesus has done

Singing / declaring / believing that God has broken the power of the things that we struggle with, we respond with worship and thanksgiving.

The song goes on a journey from a corporate setting to a personal setting. I believe there is power declaring that He has broken off my chains, He has broken off my shame, He has broken my rejection, He has broken my depression. He pours out His love on us

TRACK 6: YOU FOUND ME
This song started out in an Elim Sound writing session with me and Sam (Blake) - Sam had the lyric “When all around is sinking sand You’re the rock on which I stand, You’re the rock on which I stand”. We basically just worshipped God using this phrase and within 20 mins the majority of the song was there. It was an incredible moment! At the time I’d been reading a lot from Song Of Solomon. In Ch 4:9 the groom says to the bride “you’ve stolen my heart”, some translations say ravished or captivated or captured. As we we’re worshiping I just flipped that around to say God You found me, You’ve stolen my heart, You’ve awakened my heart.

It was a beautiful moment and we decided to stay with it. The other part is: “in the pain and suffering, He is stretching out His hand.” For me this is a beautiful deep picture that in the reality of life, even though there is pain, heartache, loss, suffering God is stretching out His hand to heal, to comfort, to restore.

This song has been an amazing live and we’ve seen people really encounter Gods healing, comfort, restoration through it. For me it’s really personal and deep on so many levels. Again on the surface quite simple but I feel there is more depth to it then I know

TRACK 7: FREEDOM
This is a really fun song! A joyful song, again it’s full of awesome truth!
The good news is a message of joy, a message of freedom, a message that is to ‘good to be true’ this song is jammed packed with gospel truths. In this awesome new covenant relationship we can stand in full confidence, (Eph 3:12) clothed in His righteousness (Is 61:10). The glorious truth that we can drink His new wine (SOS 5:1), feast upon Him, that we are purchased, secure, adopted as His children.(Gal 4:5)

It’s so amazing!
He took all our burdens, all our cares, every ounce of wrath and judgement we deserved (Is 53)
How can we not be flowing in His joy, in His goodness,
How can we not be happy! After all He has done for us!!

TRACK 8: THE CROSS CHANGED EVERYTHING
About 3 and half years ago while on holiday I was reading a book by Joseph Prince called ‘Destined to Reign’ This book started me on a new journey of knowing who I really am ‘IN’ Christ. From that I wrote the song ‘We Are Righteous’ and we used a sample of Joseph Prince on the track.

The sample ended with the line “and, the cross changed everything” I remember thinking I need to write a song with that line in it.

The song finally came after a lot of perspiration and development. I really wanted to capture something fresh and new about what has changed because of the cross and really dig into what are identity truly is because of the incredible work of the cross.
2 things that really stuck out:
Who I am now (Heb 10:14) (Col 1:22) and (2Cor 5:21) I am righteous, holy, perfect ‘IN’ Christ.

John Crowder states in his talks and his books about how we we’re nailed into union with Christ, based upon ‘we we’re crucified with Christ’ (Gal 2:20) (Rom 6:6)

The verse is pretty simple lyrically on the surface but contains a depth which we may never fully comprehend. The beauty of being nailed into union with Christ, being co-crucified, and therefore we no longer live but Christ lives in us. Because of Christ and what happened at the cross we are holy, righteous, completely clean, even perfect.
Personally I want to live in this reality. I want to live in what the bible says about me and also how the Father sees me. I’m really passionate about this message!
And to top it we are free (John 8:36)

TRACK 9: NEW
This song maybe seen as a little dangerous, again lyrically it may seem simple on the surface but holds amazing truth!

Again this song is all about our identity ‘IN’ Christ. This is the good news. We are ‘IN’ Christ.

I’ve read a lot and heard a lot about we are being made new or ‘God make me new’ or thank God for a second chance or my 1000th 2nd Chance. This song brings out a different take. That we are already made new, once and for all.

When you look at (2 Cor 5:17) ‘We are New Creations’ the word New in the greek is ‘Kainos’ this actually means ‘Properly NEW’ ‘NEW IN QUALITY, ‘NOT FOUND EXACTLY LIKE THIS BEFORE’ It’s a NEW kind, unprecedented, uncommon, unheard of, previously non-existent, far different from what it was before. This NEW is superior to what it succeeds. One of the best illustrations I’ve heard is comparing it to a car. So you we’re a standard fiesta but now you are super car far surpassing a Ferrari, in-fact the car flys, it goes on the water it’s far superior to the average car.

When we believe In what Jesus has done, we become NEW! God doesn’t give us a newer model of the same old self, i.e 12 plate fiesta instead of an 02 plate He gives us a complete upgrade!
Our identity isn’t a newer model of the old self given another chance, Our identity is ‘IN’ Christ. You can’t get any better! Our identity is no longer a sinner. (In Romans 6 Paul is so clear about this)

We are completely ‘NEW’ it was once and for all. (Heb 10:10) On the cross. This is why the good news is so good! God gives us a completely new identity ‘IN’ Christ. An identity where ‘All Things are possible’ (Phil 4:13)

TRACK 10: THE FATHERS LOVE
This song was birthed at an event in Liverpool where Mark Stibbe came to preach.
He was sharing on the Father’s heart and the Fathers love for the world and for this nation he confirmed a lot things I’d been thinking. At the meeting I started writing some of the thoughts and the song was born.

It’s a song declaring How the Father longs for His children (believers and non believers) to know His love. He is desperate for His creation to know Him and be in a relationship with Him.

It also throws in the good news that God actually enjoys His creation, He actually celebrates His creation. There are so many broken lives in the church and outside the church, so many people who have lost hope, so many that have never known the love an earthly father.

They say this is a fatherless generation, This song is a small offering of hope to the world that there is a Father who loves them, enjoys them, celebrates them and He is longing for them to receive His unconditional, incomparable love.

TRACK 11: YOU ARE HERE
As said before most of us go through pain and suffering at times in our lives, non of us are immune from tough and painful times.

The verses of this song came out of a time of spontaneous worship. Again rather than asking God to come I’ve started believing He is already here. His presence is with me wherever I go. Since this I’ve experienced Gods presence stronger than ever before. I’ve always been someone hungry for the more of God, desperate to see His glory, crying out for His glory but the last 9 months I’ve changed a lot of my thought process to that of God You satisfy me, Your glory is here, Your presence is here.

It’s changed my approach massively. I’m convinced more than ever that I am in constant union with the fullness of God. If thats my state and condition then His presence is with me everywhere I go. If that’s in church, in the car, on the street, in work wherever I am He is there.

The rest of the song is a song of faith and declaration that no matter what we are facing and we all face crazy stuff in our lives God is always with us, through His Spirit. He is our comfort.

I also read that an unnamed mystic once heard God say to her ‘I am closer than the air you breathe’ this really resonated with me. He’s closer than the air I breathe, because I have been made one with Christ we were nailed into union. The fullness of God dwells within us. I really believe that no matter what we face, or come up against God is always with us!
He is our comfort, He is our strength, In Him we find true rest.