We are all a work in progress. Have faith and let God "work all things together for good." Spend time with God and let Him redeem and restore you. We are not at the end of our stories. God's still writing our stories of redemption. God wants us to know that He's faithful to complete what's He's started in all of us who've put all of our hope and trust in Jesus for our salvation. We all need to remember that Earth isn't our permanent home and our freedom from the restlessness of this world will come when we enter the true rest that can only come from living eternally with Jesus Christ.

 

New band Finding Favour has found a home with Gotee Records and it has never felt sweeter. "We're so excited to be a part of such an amazing team at Gotee," said Blake NeeSmith, lead vocals for the band. "This is where God's been leading us for years and now we know we're home. We pray that our hearts and songs will shine bright into the darkness and together make an extraordinary difference!"

 

Comprised of Blake NeeSmith (lead singer/vocals), Dustin Daniels (bass/guitar/vocals), Josh Duckworth (drums) and Allen Dukes (guitar/vocals), this South Georgia-based group is making their debut with the emotionally powerful single, "Slip On By."

Produced by Christopher Stevens (TobyMac, Sanctus Real, Mandisa) the single was written by the members of the band along with Stevens based on Neesmith's conversations with his grandfather encouraging him to not let the blessings of life pass you by. 

 

"Once in awhile you hear a special song that immediately takes you somewhere," said Toby McKeehan, Gotee Records co-founder and president. "It causes you to think and feel. And without preaching at you, it reminds you of the things that really matter. 'Slip On By' by Finding Favor is one of those songs. It grabbed my heart and stirred some emotion in me that made me want to live differently.

 

I had the great opportunity to interview lead singer Blake NeeSmith about "Slip On By."

 

Please tell me the background story behind writing the song.
 

We live in Nashville now, and for me anytime I get home to Georgia, I love to see all of my family members. I miss them a lot when I'm gone. I called my grandpa and asked if he'd like to go fishing with me. He was really excited. We planned the trip and we rode out to our fishing hole and jumped in the boat. I could tell some things were really bothering him that day. We were out in the middle of the water, and he looked at me with tears in his eyes. He had those "grandpa tears." He said, son, I lost my wife when she was only 53. I lost my son at a young age. There are so many things I wish I could do differently. More than anything, I wish I could hold my wife right now. I wish I could tell my son how much I love him. What I can tell you is love your wife and your family because we're not promised tomorrow. We're not even promised our next breath. What we have is right now. I went home and knew I had to write a song based on that conversation. It's tough but at the same time I believe the world needs to hear it.

 

Please tell me about the Bible verses you used in writing the song. 
 

James 4:14: "Whereas you do not know what will happen tomorrow. For what is your life? It is even a vapor that appears for a little time and then vanishes away."

 

...John 15:12: "This is My commandment, that you love one another as I have loved you."

 

...and Deuteronomy 30:19: "This day I call the heavens and the earth as witnesses against you that I have set before you life and death, blessings and curses. Now choose life, so that you and your children may live."
 

After you read Bible verses like those, it really makes you think about how you are living your life. I believe the heartbeat of Jesus Christ was to seize the moment. When He was here on this earth, living as a human being, He took opportunities to seize the moment. He didn't let opportunities slip on by from Him. He was obedient. He loved. He served. He gave. That's exactly the example of how we should be living. Like Jesus.

 

We received a message from a guy who told us that he and his wife were at the point of ending their marriage. He packed up his things in his truck and drove off not caring if he saw his wife or his kids again. He took off, and he was so numb he decided to listen to music while he was driving away from his family. He turned on the radio, and our song was playing. He said after the song finished, he turned his truck around and drove home. He decided to start fighting for his family. He started fighting for his wife and his kids. I sat back and said "Wow God, You really speak through songs." I'm honored and it is my pleasure to serve God in that way.

 

 

I get goose bumps when I listen to this song. I can't get enough of the musical hooks, Blake's vulnerable and sincere vocals and the extremely poignant lyrics. This is one of the best songs of the year for sure and really exemplifies the strong combination of catchy music and moving lyrics and vocals.

 

I can perfectly relate to every word Blake wrote and sings in this song. I've been married for eighteen years and we have three beautiful daughters and a safe and lovely home. The tendency as a believer is to focus on the blessings we've received from God and this song is a gut check of my faithfulness. If all of those things were removed from me, would I still understand that I'm blessed and cling to God for my security and hope? In America, there is a tendency to look to God for prosperity and think if they are faithful, they'll receive gifts. That's true, but they may not look like the American dream. 

 

This song is a prayer of thankfulness to God for what He's given us. As believers, putting all of our hope and trust in Jesus as our Savior brings the gift of eternal life. Remember the truth of Deuteronomy 30:19:  "Now choose life, so that you and your children may live." This song helps me pray to live every day for God's glory! We all need to be unashamed of our faith in Jesus and we all need to be bold in expressing our faith. You are doing friends and family members who aren't believers a disservice to not fully share the Gospel. 

 

The great challenge in the song to me, and hopefully for other men as well, is every time I hear and sing the song I ask myself, "what kind of man am I?" Not yesterday, not tomorrow, but what kind of man am I today? Have I invested in my family emotionally, spiritually the way that God has called me to reach out to them and to lead them? 

 

I am extremely moved by the song and pray daily for God to lead me so that I can lead my family.  As the song says, "We're only here for a little while, and God gives us only so much precious time. Don't let it slip on by." Amen.

 

(You can watch the lyric video here.)