Finish Strong

A leader in urban contemporary worship and praise, Nelson penned the single with Kenneth Shelton. “Finish Strong” captures the message of the whole album—whatever God has for you to do, you must continue to go after it, never give up and finish strong. It is a universal message that will appeal to a broad audience. “I hope people will finish strong in whatever they are assigned to do in life,” says Nelson. “It isn’t about how well you start, but it is about how well you finish. You must run the race and do it with patience and endurance because it’s not going to be easy. You’re going to have some road blocks, detours and delays, but you have to finish strong.” Nelson also hopes to use this song as a platform to promote healthy living, encouraging people to get their “minds, bodies and souls” intact; and he wants to use the universal themes of the song to bring people to Christ.

Nelson co-wrote most of the songs on the CD, which has something for every musical taste, from traditional church songs, to praise and worship, to choir songs. “My dad is more traditional and he always says ‘son, you can’t forget the old people,’” says Nelson. “I also wanted something that my son and daughter will be able to sing and rock to in the car. I want my music to be palatable to everybody, so I like to take a well-rounded approach to gospel music.”

Finish Strong includes “Worked It Out,” a song written by Nelson as a tribute to Walter Hawkins and the Hawkins family. The song features Karen Clark Sheard. “Walter Hawkins left such great music,” says Nelson. “I felt Karen would be the best person to join me on this song to give it that family dynamic that the Hawkins always had.” Nelson believes people will really be blessed by the song, which reassures the listener that everything concerning them has already been worked out by God.