The title track from rock band Building 429's latest album, Listen to the Sound, has quickly made an impression with fans, who have embraced the song as the best since “Glory Defined.”

The song has become a personal worship anthem for me with the very inspiring lyrics, “You’ll never know what faith is, till you don’t understand. Sometimes it takes the silence to finally hear HIS plan. So listen to the sound of Hope that’s rising.”

I had the great opportunity to interview lead singer Jason Roy about "Listen to the Sound."

Please tell me about the background in writing the song “Listen To The Sound.”

I started doing life with people. I’ve started plugging back into the church and I started getting fed again. When I became a leader of a worship group that’s 80-plus people, I started seeing that all the things that I learned on the road were actually able to elevate what we were doing at home in the church.

Life is just not pretty. Before I took the job as a worship leader, I thought some people had a perfect life. The more I’ve gotten into a pastoral role, the more I walk through life with people, I learn how we are all trying to make sense of our lives. We also try to figure out how God fits into our lives and what His plans are for us. That’s how the writing of “Listen To The Sound” began.

What I did with the band fed what I did in church. And now, when we made this new record, what I did at the church--the life that I live there and the mentoring and the people that mentored me and the spiritual depth that has come from that--is now feeding the Building 429 thing. I never saw that coming.

Collectively the songs on Listen to the Sound acknowledge life’s struggles, but point to the hope, grace and love of God. I think what this record does is it makes you take a look at your life and say I’m connected to it because it’s the truth that I don’t tell anybody else about. This is where I am. This record keeps coming back to the point that this is not what we were made for, that this is not our home. It is hitting people in the midst of a struggle, but it’s doing it in this pop kind of thing that makes you smile while you listen to it.

Do you have any Bible verses you used in writing the song? Any life verse?

Ephesians 4:29: “Do not let any unwholesome talk come out of your mouths, but only what is helpful for building others up according to their needs, that it may benefit those who listen.

What do consider to be the take-away message for listeners?

“Listen To The Sound” is a perfect title track not only because it’s catchy, but also because it embodies the thought process of this record in so many ways. Why listen to the sound? Most of us are so busy talking, social networking, and working that we have lost the ability to hear the voice of God. Economic downturn has put our world in a frenzied pace that leaves little time for solitude and listening. But if we could stop for just 15 minutes, slow down and listen, maybe we would be able to hear God saying, “my grace is sufficient for you.” There’s a line in this song that I think is HUGE: “You’ll never know what faith is, till you don’t understand / Sometimes it takes the silence to finally hear HIS plan / So listen to the sound of Hope that’s rising.” That’s what this record is about, hope rising over your old horizon. So listen to the sound.

Here are the lyrics:

Are you in over your head
Are you in water so deep you're drowning
Do you think you've been left
And there is no one to feel your hurting
Well, everybody has been there
And everybody's felt lost
If you're in over your head
Lift it up, lift it up

Oh, listen to the sound of hope that's rising
Up over your horizon
Listen to the sound, listen to the sound
And listen to the sound of a new beginning
Oh, this is where the old is ending
Listen to the sound, listen to the sound

I hear you say you're alone
I hear you saying that you'll never make it
I've got to tell you you're wrong
‘Cause I have been down this path you're taking
You never know what faith is
‘Til you don't understand
Sometimes it takes a silence
To finally hear His plan

Amazing Grace, how sweet the sound
I once was lost, but now I'm found
Amazing Grace, how sweet the sound
I once was lost, but now I'm found

His Grace is reaching for us
His Grace is reaching out
Listen to the sound, listen to the sound
Wherever you are

Here’s Matthew Henry’s commentary on Ephesians 4:29: “Filthy words proceed from corruption in the speaker, and they corrupt the minds and manners of those who hear them: Christians should beware of all such discourse. It is the duty of Christians to seek, by the blessing of God, to bring persons to think seriously, and to encourage and warn believers by their conversation. Be kind to one another. This sets forth the principle of love in the heart, and the outward expression of it, in a humble, courteous behavior. Mark how God's forgiveness causes us to forgive. God forgives us, though we had no cause to sin against Him. We must forgive, as He has forgiven us. The body will be redeemed from the power of the grave at the resurrection day. Wherever that blessed Spirit dwells as a Sanctifier, He is the earnest of all the joys and glories of that redemption day; and we should be undone, should God take away His Holy Spirit from us.”

Listen To The Sound is the band’s crowning achievement in my opinion. If you’re looking for some songs that you’ll love to sing along with at high volumes and in praise to our Savior, then you’ll totally want to “listen to the sound” of Building 429. This is truly a band worthy of being named after Ephesians 4:29 as this excellent album is helpful for building others up according to their needs, that it may benefit those who listen.

Sometimes a band has an uncanny ability to connect with a listener and I truly had that experience listening to this album. Listen to the sound. Allow God to speak to you. Amen.