Family Force 5 has re-launched with new singer Jacob "Crouton" Olds and new label, recently winning the NewReleaseTuesday.com and The Overflow sponsored Re-launch We Love Award. FF5 joined Word Label Group to release their album Time Stands Still, featuring 15 powerhouse new songs, including "BZRK," "Sweep the Leg" and "Let it be Love."
 
In a previous interview with NewReleaseTuesday.com, guitarist Derek "Chapstique" Mount shared "Our album is a reflection on the liberating, ethereal experience of connecting with the holy. It is an encounter that transcends boundaries, and that eclipses our frailty and our doubts. The man-made constraints of time disappear, becoming irrelevant. It is union. It is perfection. It is eternal. In this moment, time stands still. As we explore the message of Christ, the overwhelming number one thing and most profound statement and command is to love God and love others. We're very inspired by hoping to pass on that message and encouraging people."
 
"From the beginning, Family Force 5 has been called to stretch boundaries, to step outside the box from the way faith based artists have traditionally sounded and looked," Crouton chimed in. "We've received a lot of criticism for the last eight and a half years. Our team has always struggled with the right way to respond." I had the chance to speak with Chapstique in-person at WinterJam about "Show Love."
 
Please tell me the story behind this song.

This was one of those songs that felt really fun to us. We called it the "pirate song" when we first wrote it because it sounds like a sea shanty or something. In fact one of my favorite memories of recording the song was getting in a room and singing gang vocals for days in recording the song. We all just sang the melody together and didn't even worry about trying to harmonize. There is serious lyrical content, but the sound of the song is carefree and fun. People have responded to it as a result because we are kind of known for being fun as a band.
 
The concept of the song addresses our vulnerable and fragile human state. We all goof up regularly and have relationships where no matter how much you love someone, as the saying goes, you hurt the ones you love the most. That's what the opening line of the song deals with: "my feelings are a work of art, a picture frame around my heart, sometimes it falls right off the wall but I'm not damaged goods, I'm understood, I'm one of a kind."  That was a big nod to Psalm 139.

Which Bible verses connect to the message of the song?

Psalm 139:13-14 (NKJV): "For You formed my inward parts; You covered me in my mother's womb. I will praise You, for I am fearfully and wonderfully made; Marvelous are Your works, And that my soul knows very well."
 
Matthew 22:37-39 (NIV): Jesus replied: "‘Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind.  This is the first and greatest commandment. And the second is like it: Love your neighbor as yourself."
 
1 John 4:21 (NIV): And He has given us this command: Anyone who loves God must also love their brother and sister.

What is the takeaway message?

The song starts with that pain when you get hurt, but it immediately switches to the optimistic perspective that we are children of God, that we are each created uniquely and despite any shortcomings we are loved by God.  For us, we've always felt a little misunderstood as a band, or people feel like they have a preconceived idea about us before they get to know us. I think there's a feeling on our hearts that makes us feel like damaged goods, and we just want to be given a chance to shine and connect with people.
 
The song started as an open call to the Church to love one another and love the world. As we looked deeper into it, the original chorus was "I feel like it's my destiny to show the world some love." Then, we wanted to make it more personal, and changed it to "show the world Your love," to talk about showing the world the Love of Christ that is the foundation of love.
 
The biggest part of this picture is that God forgives us from any turmoil we may be experiencing in our relationships. God is the bedrock for our healing, and God can use imperfect people to do amazing things. For us, that's a big part of Family Force 5's ministry. We've been through a lot, and each one of us individually has taken what we've been through and applied it to our ministry. Finally, towards the end of the song, it is a call to the Church to unite and be something that is bigger than the sum of our parts. Let's love this world.
 
Lyrics:
My feelings are a work of art
A picture frame around my heart
Sometimes it falls right off the wall
But I'm not damaged goods
I'm priceless, understood
I'm one of a kind

You won't give up on me
I know You won't give up on me
It's plain to see that
We are one big family
And when I'm on my own
I'm out my comfort zone
My comfort zone

I feel like it's my destiny
To show the world Your love
You always see the best in me
So I'll give You all my love

Push and pull and compromise
I try to improvise
You know I've been through this before
Yeah, we go back a ways
Let's turn a brand new page
Oh, it's time for me to change

You won't give up on me
I know You won't give up on me
It's plain to see that
We are one big family
And when I'm on my own
I'm out my comfort zone
My comfort zone

I feel like it's my destiny
To show the world Your love
 
I have enjoyed FF5's brand of fun alt-rock music for several years now, and I am very entertained by their songs "Kountry Gentleman," "Love Addict," "Earthquake," "Dance or Die," "Cray Button," "BZRK," "Sweep the Leg" and "Chainsaw." What I've wanted to hear more from them in addition to their fun songs are some songs expressing their faith in our "Superhero," Jesus Christ, and how He impacts our daily walks as believers. I am thrilled to hear how the band is using their musical gifts for God's glory to potentially draw more people to the Gospel messages that inspire them, as creatively expressed throughout this great new album, Time Stands Still.
 
God knows every detail of our lives, and He already knows we feel discouraged or down on ourselves. That's a lie that the enemy is telling us. Worrying about measuring up and trying to be perfect are natural feelings. We're supposed to have imperfections to remind us of our need for our Healer and our Redeemer, Jesus. As Christians, we are God's adopted sons and daughters, and we are "fearfully and wonderfully made." Don't let the world tell you who you are. It doesn't matter what you look like if you have Jesus on the inside. That's where we can find our true identities, in Him!
 
When I first heard "Show Love" I was immediately hooked by the message, knowing that it is connected to the two greatest commandments from Jesus to us: "Love the Lord your God with all your heart, and with all your soul, and with all your mind" and "love your neighbor as yourself." In Mark 16:15, Jesus commands: "Preach the Gospel to every creature." There are no conditions or exceptions in that command. It's more of a lifestyle that Jesus calls us to live as Christians. That's our destiny, to preach the Gospel, love God and love one another.
 
As the hymn sings, "They'll know we are Christians by our love." Chapstique and the band really say that well with their comments and this song, especially in the chorus, which is a great takeaway: "I feel like it's my destiny, to show the world Your love. You always see the best in me, so I'll give You all my love." Amen to that!

(Listen to the song here.)