If you have the opportunity, don't miss the chance to see Sanctus Real and their energetic and worshipful set, including their standout hits, "I'm Not Alright," "We Need Each Other," "Forgiven," "Lead Me" and "Lay it Down." Popularly known for its captivating recordings and live performances, Toledo, OH-based Sanctus Real is all about living out their lives as "real" Christians, not only on the stage and as they interact with fans, but in the quieter moments of their lives as husbands, fathers, and fellow believers. The band creates compelling, authentic music that lives up to the meaning of their name: to be Holy (Latin meaning of "Sanctus").
Dustin Lolli replaced Matt Hammitt as the band's lead singer and recent hits include "Confidence," "Unstoppable God," and "Lazarus" from their album Unstoppable God. They recently released new singles, "My God is Still the Same," "Rebel," and "How Many Times." Every song they've recently released is a testimony to the grace and love of Jesus Christ and a creative musical expression. I had the chance to speak with Dustin Lolli and Mark Graalman about their catchy and encouraging new single, "My God is Still the Same."
Please tell me the personal story behind this song.
Dustin: This song is our direct response to a world that has been shaken around us. It's a reminder that as Christians we do not have to fear, because we serve a God who never changes. He still moves mountains.
Mark: Now more than ever we know the message we want to share. If there's one bit of good news we have during uncertain times, it is that God is the same today as He was yesterday, and that is a hope worth sharing.
Which Bible verses connect to the message of the song?
1 John 3:1 (NLT): "See how very much our Father loves us, for He calls us His children, and that is what we are! But the people who belong to this world don't recognize that we are God's children because they don't know Him."
Philippians 4:6 (VOICE): "Don't be anxious about things; instead, pray. Pray about everything. He longs to hear your requests, so talk to God about your needs and be thankful for what has come."
Hebrews 13:8 (NKJV): "Jesus Christ is the same yesterday, today, and forever."
Philippians 4:7 (NKJV): "And the peace of God, which surpasses all understanding, will guard your hearts and minds through Christ Jesus."
Philippians 2:14-16 (NIV): "Do everything without complaining or arguing, so that you may become blameless and pure, children of God without fault in a crooked and depraved generation, in which you shine like stars in the universe as you hold out the Word of life--in order that I may boast on the day of Christ that I did not run or labor for nothing."
Romans 8:28 (VOICE): "We are confident that God is able to orchestrate everything to work toward something good and beautiful when we love Him and accept His invitation to live according to His plan."
Romans 8:38-39 (NKJV): "For I am persuaded that neither death nor life, nor angels nor principalities nor powers, nor things present nor things to come, nor height nor depth, nor any other created thing, shall be able to separate us from the love of God which is in Christ Jesus our Lord."
What is the takeaway message?
Dustin: It would be easy to think of these times as uniquely difficult. For the most part a lot of what we're experiencing is something totally unseen before by our generation. There were so many questions without answers as the weeks and months of 2020 passed by with what seemed like an unending amount of bad news. Chris and I knew we had to write about God's steadiness throughout the ages to encourage people right now. There was one thing we felt we could communicate with certainty no matter how quickly everything around us had changed -- that our God is still the same.
Mark: Our hope is that this song will inspire people to remember the goodness of God in their lives, how He's always been there, bringing them through any difficult circumstance they've ever experienced. God is faithful to His loving and caring nature. We can trust we will continue to see His kindness toward us and experience His grace again and again.
Lyrics:
Just ask the waves
If they are stilled
At the mention of His Name
They'll say my God
Is still the same
Ask the walls
If they still fall at
The mighty sound of praise
They'll say my God
Is still the same
When did He break His promise
When did His kindness fail
Never has, never will
My God is still the same
When did He lose His power
When did His mercy change
Never has, never will
My God is still the same
My God is still the same
Just ask the words
You prayed in desperation
If they're heard
They'll say my God
Is still the same
Just ask the grave
If its strong enough
To keep hope in its chains
It'll say God
Is still the same
When did He break His promise
When did His kindness fail
Never has, never will
My God is still the same
When did He lose His power
When did His mercy change
Never has, never will
My God is still the same
My God is still the same
Not once did He ever stop moving
Not once has He ever let go
Not once did He ever stop proving
Our God is in control
Not once did He ever stop moving
Not once has He ever let go
Not once did He ever stop proving
Our God is in control
When did He break His promise
When did His kindness fail
Never has, never will
My God is still the same
When did He lose His power
When did His mercy change
Never has, never will
My God is still the same
Not once did He ever stop moving
Not once has He ever let go
Not once did He ever stop proving
Our God is in control
Not once did He ever stop moving
Not once has He ever let go
Never has, never will
My God is still the same
My God is still the same
Closing Thoughts
This is a great message and song for us to celebrate our freedom based on our faith in Christ Jesus. The song has a very catchy and worshipful musical style with a holy energy and vitality pulsing through every word. "My God is Still the Same" is also an amazing reminder of how we are called to be a light for Jesus, every day, "without complaining or arguing."
This song is all about submitting to God all your worries, anxieties and stress and letting God be your guide. God wants to walk beside you, and He wants us to be bold and unafraid. "My God is Still the Same" is a daily prayer, asking God to come and change our hearts and our lives. Change in such a way that our behavior and our lifestyle flow from God, living inside His believers. Only Jesus can give us our identity. What a powerful expression of what it means to accept that God never leaves or forsakes us. He's all we need. I sing this song to God with all my heart, soul, mind, and strength. This song is all about submitting to God all your worries, anxieties and stress and letting God be your guide. God wants to walk beside you, and He wants us to be bold and unafraid.
I have found that by being washed by the water of the Word, I am strengthened with the Truth that fear, worry and being anxious is not God's plan for our lives. As followers of Jesus, we know that we can trust God's Word. I realize that Jesus commands us to trust God's Word completely, no matter our circumstances. So many people struggle to apply God's Word to their lives. If we learn to build our lives on scripture, we would all have a rock as our foundation, in how we navigate our lives. The Good News of the Gospel, which this song perfectly portrays, is that God accepts us no matter what we've done or what we are going through.
"My God is Still the Same" gives me more conviction to not feel worthless or afraid. With many areas in our lives, we spend a lot of time worrying. We need to let that go and let the Lord be our redeemer. Our thoughts are constantly under attack by the enemy, and this song is a great way to submit to Him and commit to ourselves and to God. God's Word assures to trust in what God says about us, no matter how we feel about ourselves. If you've put all your hope and trust in Jesus, there is nothing that can separate you from His love. God sees us as He sees His Son. He makes something out of nothing in each of us. That's reason to sing this song at the top of our lungs in gratefulness to Him: "Not once did He ever stop moving/Not once has He ever let go/Not once did He ever stop proving/Our God is in control/Not once did He ever stop moving/Not once has He ever let go/Never has, never will/My God is still the same." Amen to that.
NRT lead contributor Kevin Davis is a long-time fan of Christian music, an avid music collector, and credits the message of Christian music for leading him to Christ. He lives in Pennsylvania with his wife and three daughters.
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