LoveCollide is the newest offering from the sister duo LoveCollide. Lauren and Brooke DeLeary previously released an album as The DeLearys.

Why "LoveCollide"? Lauren and Brooke explain: "Everything boils down to the cross. The cross is where God's incredible LOVE for us COLLIDED with our wretched sin! When you finally understand that kind of love you cannot help but fall more in love with Him and that is when real abundant life begins! We also have a passion for others to see who they truly are in the eyes of Christ and to find their identity in Him. When you begin to see how much He loves you, it changes your life forever."

From my first listen, I was totally singing along with these talented sisters during this album. "Sold Out" for God singing is found throughout the album as the sisters consistently phrase biblical truth in vertically directed songs to encourage and edify listeners to live for God. 

The gorgeous harmonizing resembling BarlowGirl is just one of the many attractions to savor about this upbeat and sincere vertically focused pop album. The standout song "War Cry" causes me to sing along loudly with these prayerful lyrics directly to God: "Give me a faith that never dies out Give me a hope that conquers all doubt You are my Rock, my Strength in this fight, this is my war cry and I'm gonna cry out." Brooke hits a note when she sings "this is my war cry" that gives me goose bumps.  I had the opportunity to interview Lauren and Brooke about the "War Cry."

Please tell me the personal story behind this song.

Brooke: I wrote this song after I found out about my cousin, who is also the inspiration for our song "Through Your Eyes." She was struggling, and I was struggling with the fact that she was struggling. I wasn't angry but I had all of these emotions coming out of me. It really came out of me that I wanted to not have any doubts about God. I could tell that I was getting down about her and other people who are hurting and this song was basically my cry at that moment.

I had read a lot of Psalms and I saw how David would switch from saying I praise You, God to my enemies are after me. They are happy and then sad. That's where the switch happened for me. Whenever you have doubts, you need to cling to God. It is natural to cry out to God, "Am I alone here? I need You here with me. I need someone to fight with, because I can't do this on my own!"

Part of crying out to God is knowing that He's there. You won't have to do it alone. If you do the war on your own, you're going to lose and there is no war cry to sing. The song is a cry out to God, but it is also a war cry. Because we are God's people, and His children, when you cry out to Him, people will know which side you are on. I think a lot of people can relate to the song and want to not let anything or any demons attack them. The song is about crying out to God to not let situations overcome me. Give me a faith that never dies out. Give me a hope that conquers all doubt. It was something that was really on my heart during that time. I wanted to cry out these words to God.

Lauren: In Ephesians 6, it says to put on the full armor of God so you can take a stand. In this song we sing about wearing our tarnished armor. We are all called to be warriors. As warriors, we are called to be fighting. There are all kinds of battles we are fighting daily. Whether those are personal battles through insecurities or fears, or political battles, standing for and fighting for what is truth regardless of what society says. There are also spiritual battles and there is an invisible war taking place. We have to fight there as well. There are multiple battles that we are all called to be fighting.

You need to know you are drowning or need help before you seek God. You need to know that you need saving. God is never far from us, but sometimes we separate ourselves from Him in times of doubt or fear. The song is called "War Cry" and encompasses all aspects of those battles we are fighting: personal, political and spiritual.

Which Bible verses connect to the message of the song?

Ephesians 6:13-17 (VOICE): And this is why you need to be head-to-toe in the full armor of God: so you can resist during these evil days and be fully prepared to hold your ground. Yes, stand--truth banded around your waist, righteousness as your chest plate, and feet protected in preparation to proclaim the good news of peace. Don't forget to raise the shield of faith above all else, so you will be able to extinguish flaming spears hurled at you from the wicked one. Take also the helmet of salvation and the sword of the Spirit, which is the Word of God.

Psalm 22:24 (NIV): For He has not despised or scorned the suffering of the afflicted one; He has not hidden His face from him but has listened to his cry for help.

2 Corinthians 10:2-5 (NIV): I beg you that when I come I may not have to be as bold as I expect to be toward some people who think that we live by the standards of this world. For though we live in the world; we do not wage war as the world does. The weapons we fight with are not the weapons of the world. On the contrary, they have divine power to demolish strongholds. We demolish arguments and every pretension that sets itself up against the knowledge of God, and we take captive every thought to make it obedient to Christ.

What is the takeaway message of the song and album?

Brooke: We have verses in this song that come from Psalm 22:24. David recognizes in that psalm that even with enemies all around, God hears his cry for help. The first verse talks about personal battles. The second verse is about how we are warriors for God and the Kingdom. I sing about God being the Commander of the army. The pre-chorus is about how you can't go into a battle without having a Commander. I pictured it in my head as putting on God's armor, and asking God to tell me what to do.

The one reason we are here on this earth is to give glory to the Lord, and to show His people to Him and direct people to His Kingdom. The point of a song like "Sold Out" is for people to see that we're not meant to just live an okay Christian life. We are meant to live sold-out, without any regrets or hesitations or fears, but to go out and spread His name and glorify Him in everything that we do, and to not look back at all. You can't be sold out unless you are overtaken by the Lord and completely in Him. You need to be dead to yourself and live for Him every day. The whole album links together from song to song.

Lyrics:
I march along with tarnished armor weighing me down
The enemy so close I feel them all around
I'm standing at the front lines staring into my doubt
I feel like this is it, but I'm not bowing out

My God, have You gone away?
Oh God, are You still here with me?

Give me a faith that never dies out
Give me a hope that conquers all doubt
You are my Rock, my Strength in this fight
This is my war cry
And I'm gonna cry out out out
And I'm Gonna cry out, out, out
And I'm gonna cry out

I draw my sword ready to face the sin in my soul
Take all thoughts captive
Lord, I'm under Your control
The earth will tremble at the sound of Your command
I am a warrior
God, I raise my shielded hand

My God, I'm nothing without You
Oh, God, I need You to come through

Give me a faith that never dies out
Give me a hope that conquers all doubt
You are my rock, my strength in this fight
This is my war cry
And I'm gonna cry out out out
And I'm Gonna cry out, out, out

This is my war cry
And I'm crying out for You
This is my war cry
This is my war cry 

Like their female pop counterparts Britt Nicole, Kerrie Roberts, and Natalie Grant, Brooke and Lauren DeLeary have strong vocals and you can immediately identify with their catchy and upbeat lyrics. LoveCollide is a completely worshipful album, loaded with biblical truth and sincere and powerful vocals. This is an inspirational and soul nourishing album by promising newcomer LoveCollide, easily the standout new artist of the year for me. They have an incredible heart for ministry and are excellent role models for listeners looking for truth and encouragement.

I have three young daughters that I'm trying to raise to be unashamed of the Gospel of Jesus Christ and to find their identity in Jesus. With my personal connection to the biblical messages in Christian music having led me to a saving faith, and as a dad of girls, when I heard this album with songs about Christian identity, being bold about faith, and finding truth and love in God instead of from the world, I wanted to shout those messages from the mountaintops along with Brooke and Lauren.

Persecution of our church in America is coming. Certainly we face daily spiritual warfare. The Lord also tells us about sifting wheat and chaff in His Word. This album lights a fire in Christians to know and proclaim what you stand for, no matter what the world tells you to do. Don't compromise. Don't forsake God or be ashamed of the Gospel. Stand up for what you believe. There is an infectious urgency to this song. As we live in these last days, it is very important to think about what you would be found doing if the Lord were to return today. 

Like "Never Alone" by BarlowGirl where they sing, "I cry out with no reply," this song is also about crying out for God with a yearning for His presence and guidance and an admission that "I am nothing without You." A lyric I've thought about ever since I heard it has become my personal prayer, "Take all thoughts captive Lord, I'm under Your control." Any believer can identify with the emotional lyrics of this song, "My God, I'm nothing without You, Oh, God, I need You to come through. This is my war cry, and I'm crying out for You." Amen to that!

(Listen to the song here.)