The Worship Initiative by Shane & Shane represents more than just a praise and worship album to Shane Barnard and Shane Everett. The two men are not only husbands and fathers now, but they're also on staff at a local church in Dallas where they lead worship each month and teach a class at the church's ministry leadership school. After ten previous editions, this is the latest recorded project for The Worship Initiative. 

This is a completely worshipful album in the passionate style that Shane and Shane have become known for. These are worship songs sung with vocal sincerity and reverence with biblically based lyrics. Musically this album is very soothing, and the songs are all edifying, challenging and filled with very biblical lyrics. Harmonizing together on every song, Shane & Shane's personal and vulnerable vocals have never sounded better.

I'm really engaged by the emotional vocals and the deep, prayerful lyrics throughout the album. Opening original track "God of Ages Past" is a beautiful vertical ballad in the style of "Yearn," "Embracing Accusations," "The One You Need" and "That's How You Forgive." It is a moving and sincere offering of praise: "O God of ages past, convince my heart at last, come tell me of all I have in You." I had the chance to speak with Shane Barnard about "God of Ages Past."

Please tell me the personal story behind this song.

I'm always on the lookout in Scripture for these huge truths that my heart resounds with. Also, these huge truths that I don't quite believe yet. One of my favorite Scriptures is Psalm 73, and in the latter part of that Psalm it says "Whom have I in heaven but You? And there is nothing that I desire but You." I read that and say "yes, that is true." But I know my heart desires all kinds of things besides God.

I am constantly thinking about those types of dilemmas and paradoxes, and that's where this song was written from. Jesus said "I am the true Bread and the true drink, and unless you come to Me..." I believe that, and I do not live by bread alone but by every Word of God. But does my life look like that? What do I functionally believe on a daily basis? 

I believe that for my salvation. I believe that for my eternity. Like most worship songs which sing "You are my all in all" and "You are my treasure, My reward, All that I need." I believe that, but what does my life say that I believe? God is my Savior, but what is functionally saving me today? 

If I am lonely today, and that's my functional hell, my functional heaven is that I'm not lonely. What's going to get me from hell to heaven? Are You going to be my Savior, Jesus? Or is something else going to save me? Is food going to save me? Am I going to fill it up with people? Am I going to fill up with any number of sin behaviors? If I'm discontent and that's my hell, what's going to get me from point A to point B? 

In the process of diving into what is real today, it's easy to say "Lord I need You." That's one of my favorite worship songs, and it's easy to sing. It's true. The inner man resounds with that. Is it going to be true on Monday morning? If I have a lack in any area, and I'm looking to not lack there, what am I going to lean on? That's what the verses of this song are about. 

If God is our only hope, if He is our treasure, if He is the only One we need, if He is our true bread and true drink and where we walk is Holy ground because He was there with me, then He has a lot of convincing to do with my hard heart-- this heart of stone that God has come and dwelt in. I have a long way to go to not just believing on a Sunday morning, but on a daily basis believing that God is all that I need.

Which Bible verses connect to the message of the song?

Psalm 73:25-26 (NKJV): "Whom have I in heaven but You? And there is none upon earth that I desire besides You. My flesh and my heart fail; But God is the strength of my heart and my portion forever.'

Psalm 73:24-25 (VOICE): Even though I was angry and hard-hearted, You gave me good advice; when it's all over, You will receive me into Your glory. For all my wanting, I don't have anyone but You in heaven. There is nothing on earth that I desire other than You.

Isaiah 57:15 (NKJV): For thus says the High and Lofty One Who inhabits eternity, whose name is Holy: "I dwell in the high and holy place, with him who has a contrite and humble spirit, to revive the spirit of the humble, and to revive the heart of the contrite ones."

1 John 4:19 (VOICE): We love because He has first loved us.

Psalm 86:12 (VOICE): O Lord, my God! I praise You with all that I am. I will rightly honor Your great name forever.

What is the takeaway message?

If I truly believe that God is all I need, then I don't need anything from anyone anymore. That's a crazy place to live. It makes my marriage completely different when I don't need anything from my wife. I don't need affirmation. I don't need respect. I don't need that, because I have all that I need in Christ. That allows me to love with no need in return. If you can love someone and not look for any return, and if you are just loving and laying your life down because that's what Jesus does-- He doesn't get any return on His investment-- if we can love like Jesus, that's the definition of freedom. 

If I can give a concert without caring what I get in return, but just loving them and wanting them to know the Truth of Jesus, it changes everything. It frees us to live in freedom, truly believing the things we sing: "Lord I need You," "You are my all in all" and "All I need is You." Those are great things to sing, and this song is a specific prayer that if all of those things we say are true, that He would convince me of that, soon. 

The song is pretty simple, and as I was writing the song I was praying for the folks that were attending a conference, and for all of those people like me that truly need to be convinced of that functionally every single day. It continues to be a prayer. My hope is that when someone hears this first song on the album, it serves as a diagnostic. That truly is the intention. 

There are these lists in the verses of who God is. One, is He? Two, would you like Him to be? Coming to that chorus, I think of Isaiah 57, where God tells us He dwells in two places, a High and Holy place, and also with he who is lowly and with contrite spirit. My hope is that many people would realize they also have a heart of stone, and ask God to break that heart of stone and be convinced that God is their only hope and their treasure. Ask God to help you stop putting all of your hope in the treasures that you've created. Put your hope in the Creator of the universe. Expose your heart to God. That's a great place to be. When you see your sin, you see your need.

Lyrics:
If my hope is Christ alone
If where You are is where I'm home
If knowing You is my delight
If in God alone I'm satisfied

Then won't You come and break 
This old heart of stone
Start a fire in these broken bones
Here's my soul it has been exposed
To You
Oh God of ages past
Convince my heart at last
Come tell me of all I have in You

If my bread is Your life laid down
If my cup, Your blood poured out
If in Your midst all joy is found
If where I walk, now holy ground

If You are the One who holds my future
If Your love is what I'm searching for
If You are the One, if You are the treasure
If You are the Lord

There are several instantly sing-able and worshipful arrangements that you'll want to add to your Sunday morning setlist. I especially recommend "Seas of Crimson," "This I Believe," "Scandal of Grace," "Jesus Loves Me," "Christ Be All Around Me" and "Great Are You Lord."  A blend of some of the band's favorite songs, these twelve songs are now together on one album for the first time.

Shane Barnard and Shane Everett write and sing songs with an amazing passion and with unashamed praise and gratitude to our Savior that is very inspiring and emotionally moving. After repeated listens, the songs get deeper into the recesses of your heart with the challenging messages. Whether as an album to set the mood for reflection and worship or for personal times of devotion, I rate The Worship Initiative highly. 

People typically remember songs longer than they remember sermons. I love when an artist can bring the truth of the Bible into their song and we can have it be part of our lives. The bridge of this song really drives home the point that God's plans for our future and God's ways will ultimately unfold in our lives as it says in Jeremiah 29:11 (NIV): "'For I know the plans I have for you,' declares the LORD, 'plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future.'"

We think that we can fix situations in our lives, and God reminds us that we can't fix things on our own without Him. This song beautifully expresses the desires of my own heart of stone for God to "start a fire in these broken bones." I love to sing this song at the top of my lungs and cry out to God how proud I am to be a follower of Jesus. Ask the King and King and Lord of Lords: "Oh God of ages past, Convince my heart at last, Come tell me of all I have in You." Amen to that!

(Watch the band sing the song here.)