Steven Curtis Chapman, a multi-platinum artist and five-time GRAMMY® award winner, has returned with brand new music on his latest project Worship and Believe, released on March 4, 2016 with Essential Worship. This is not only Chapman's 19th career studio album in a three decade-long career, but it is his first corporate worship record. The album was co-produced by Chapman and Brent Milligan.

Worship and Believe marks a new season for Chapman. Although he found solace in church songs through a time of intense loss, the time had never been write to lend his own voice to corporate worship. In approaching this unique project, Chapman enlisted the aid of artists like Matt Maher, Matt Redman, Chris Tomlin and members of Rend Collective. The album is also releasing in conjunction with Zondervan's Believe teachings, a church curriculum Chapman encountered as it is a follow-up to the powerful The Story series.

I had the chance to speak with Steven about "Amen."

Please tell me the personal story behind this song.

For years I had been encouraged to make a worship record, but it just never felt like the right time until now. "Amen" is a song I wrote with Gareth Gilkeson and Chris Llewellyn of Rend Collective that essentially declares what God has said about who we are to Him and what He has done for us, and then answers all of it with the only thing left for us to say: "Yes, we agree, Amen!" 

There's so much I could say about this song. There's incredible power in agreeing together. Scripture talks about it. "Where two of you agree about anything, it will be done," Jesus said to us and His disciples. There's a powerful verse in Job that says "agree with God, and you'll be at peace." God, this is what You said, so I'm going to agree with that. 

That's been a theme that's been very important in my life, especially in the last several years as my family and I have journeyed through holding onto the promises of God, anchoring our hearts to what God has said. We are going to hold on to what God has said, we are going to declare it, and we're going to sing it. This song is about declaring, saying, singing out that what God has said in His Word is true. We belong to Him. We've been bought by His blood. Nothing can separate us from His love. His grace has already finished the work. There's nothing we can add to it. This song is about receiving that, believing it, and agreeing with it. God, this is what You said. There's nothing left to say. You have the first word, the last word, and I just have to agree and say "amen."

Which Bible verses connect to the message of the song?

Matthew 18:19 (NIV): "Again, truly I tell you that if two of you on earth agree about anything they ask for, it will be done for them by my Father in heaven."

Job 22:21 (NKJV): "Now acquaint yourself with Him, and be at peace; Thereby good will come to you."

John 1:12-13 (VOICE): "But for all who did receive and trust in Him, He gave them the right to be reborn as children of God; He bestowed this birthright not by human power or initiative but by God's will."

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."

Hebrews 13:8 (NKJV): "Jesus Christ is the same yesterday, today, and forever."

What is the takeaway message?

What an incredible truth. There is a profound peace that we have access to when we simply agree with what God has already declared in His Word. And there is great power and freedom in saying, "God, You are God, and I'm not. You have the first and the last word. I believe what You say is true. Whether my circumstances and emotions line up with it at the moment or not, I choose to believe what You say is true, and I agree with You." God uses us in our weaknesses and in our gifts and our strengths. We are desiring to be those instruments for His purpose and His glory. 

The wave of writing worship songs for the church has been growing, and I can remember the first time I heard the worship songs "I Could Sing of Your Love Forever" by Delirious and "Open the Eyes of My Heart" by Paul Baloche. As much as I've loved singing those worship songs at my concerts, I wondered what my motivation would be to write worship songs. I have been known for story songs like "The Great Adventure" and "Dive." 

In the darkest moments and hours after losing Maria, I didn't know how I was going to get through that and keep breathing and lead my family. In those darkest moments, by God's grace, I kept hearing the truths of God's Word from songs including Scripture. I remember distinctly that when we learned Maria had gone to be with Jesus, in the weight of that moment, the Scripture in Job "You give and take away" that my friend Matt Redman had put to music in "Blessed Be Your Name" came to mind, and over the next weeks and months, and it got me through those times to say, "blessed be the name of the Lord, You give and take away, and I will choose to say, blessed be Your name." Matt sang that song for us at Maria's memorial service. It was an incredible gift for our family.

The power of songs that I can declare and repeat has been a great comfort for me. It has led to a process of being able to drop my anchor in Scripture and trust that God is God and everything He says in His Word is true, and I'm going to bless His name. These worship songs that we sing are a way for us to understand who God is, and these truths from His Word are what I have held onto and what have held us together as a family. I read that Abraham grew in his faith as he gave glory to God. He continued to worship God and believe. The more Abraham gave glory to God, the more he trusted God. I decided to write these worship songs from my experiences and try to teach truth and theology. These songs are about what God has put before me and has been teaching me through the years, what I know is true about God.

Lyrics:
You have given us a new name
The sons and daughters of Your righteousness

And You have taken all of our shame
And given us the gift of holiness
Lord we're crying out for faith
To believe the words You say

You say we are loved
You say we belong to You
Your Grace is enough
Nothing more that we can do
You say we've been bought
By Your blood, by Your blood 
And all that we can say
Is Amen, Amen

You have given us a new hope
An anchor for the soul that shall not fail

Jesus we believe Your truth shines 
Yes in the darkest night You shall prevail
Lord we're crying out for faith
To believe the words You say

You say we are loved
You say we belong to You
Your Grace is enough
Nothing more that we can do
You say we've been bought
By Your blood, by Your blood 
And all that we can say
Is Amen

Amen, Your word is true
Amen, we trust in You
Amen, Your word is true
Amen, we trust in You
Amen, Your word is true
Amen, we trust in You

You say we are loved
You say we belong to You
Your Grace is enough
Nothing more that we can do
You say we've been bought
By Your blood, by Your blood 
And all that we can say
And all the people say
And all that we can say
Is Amen, Amen, Amen, Amen, Amen

Jesus is ever true to His Word. What He spoke on earth, He affirms in heaven. The Word of God is a message of grace. We can all take comfort in the truths expressed in this song which come from God's Word and remember, "Jesus Christ is the same yesterday, today, and forever."

People typically remember songs longer than they remember sermons. I love when an artist can bring the truth of the Bible into their song and we can have it be part of our lives. The lyrics "Jesus we believe Your truth shines, yes in the darkest night You shall prevail, Lord we're crying out for faith to believe the words You say," really drive home the point that God's plans for our future and God's ways will ultimately unfold in our lives as it says in Jeremiah 29:11 (NIV): "'For I know the plans I have for you,' declares the LORD, 'plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future.'"

The Christian walk is about allowing God to be the Lord of your life. He is the definition of perfect love. Allow these words to wash over you, and be secure in God's love. The love of God is perfect, and when we reach out for Him, He's always there. The love of God is all that we have and all that we need. One of my personal challenges to have more faith and find my identity solely in Christ can be found in the lyrics: "and You have taken all of our shame and given us the gift of holiness, Lord we're crying out for faith to believe the words You say." All that I can say is "Amen."

Watch Steven sing the song below.