Rising artist Consumed By Fire is made up of brothers Caleb, Josh and Jordan Ward. Raised as pastor's kids, they traveled a lot growing up and were exposed to a variety of cultures and musical styles. They are excited to reveal their debut full-length album Giving Over with Inpop Records. With a theme of ultimate surrender, the band's lyrics for this album were inspired by personal experiences that challenged them to cast aside their own fears and plans and give into the path God paved for them.

The exciting music and hopeful message found in debut single "Lean on Me" mesh seamlessly. The blend of rock, pop, Americana and a smidge of country will make this band's infectious and approachable sound appealing to many. It has quickly become one of my most played and favorite songs of the year. If you like the southern rock sensibilities of NEEDTOBREATHE and Rhett Walker Band, you need to stay tuned to what's next from Consumed By Fire, as they are a band to watch in 2016.

"Lean on Me" was inspired by the brother trio's involvement with ChildFund International, an organization that aims to help equip underprivileged and vulnerable children to change their lives and become young adults who will make a lasting positive impact in their communities. I had the chance to speak with Jordan Ward about "Lean on Me."

Please tell me the personal story behind this song.

We're really big into child sponsorship, and we grew up in a missionary home. Our mom and dad pioneered and pastored churches our whole lives, and they still pastor at a church in our hometown of Wagner, Oklahoma. Ministry has always been a huge part of our lives, not something we just started to do when we formed Consumed by Fire. By the time I was five years old, our dad had been to 18 countries, and now he's been to 35 countries. Medical missions work was something we grew up hearing about. He had worked with the Chernoble children, and in Guatemala.

With all the ministry trips we have taken, we have seen the struggles that our brothers and sisters in the faith go through both in Africa and in our own neighborhoods. The Apostle Paul calls us into action in Galatians by saying "carry each other's burdens, and in this way we fulfill the law of Christ." So because of this, we can't just dismiss the issues because they aren't happening here or to me. We are to be the hands and feet of Jesus. So we should all make this our anthem and sing out with compassion, "When you don't have a home, you can lean on me."

Which Bible verses connect to the message of the song?

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."

Matthew 25:40 (NIV): "The King will reply, "Truly I tell you, whatever you did for one of the least of these brothers and sisters of mine, you did for Me."

1 John 3:16 (NIV): "This is how we know what love is: Jesus Christ laid down His life for us. And we ought to lay down our lives for our brothers and sisters."

1 John 4:21 (NIV): "And He has given us this command: Anyone who loves God must also love their brother and sister."

1 Peter 5:7 (NKJV): "Casting all your care upon Him, for He cares for you."

Psalm 55:22 (NIV): "Cast your cares on the Lord and He will sustain you; He will never let the righteous be shaken."

Galatians 6:2 (NKJV): "Bear one another's burdens, and so fulfill the law of Christ."

What is the takeaway message?

In Matthew 25, Jesus commands us to look out for the least of these brothers and sisters. In Galatians 6, Paul says just because it isn't happening to you, don't act like someone isn't hurting and in need. When you share the burdens of your brother, you are fulfilling the law of Christ. The law of Christ is to love each other as He loved us. This song is all about looking out for the least of these and being the hands and feet of Jesus.

We all sponsor children ourselves. We've seen so many people impacted by the opportunity to sponsor children. We've heard all types of testimonies from people. At our shows, we share about the love of God and His goodness and His healing power and His grace. We want people to understand that we feel that we've been commissioned to do this, and this is something Jesus people do.

The album is called Giving Over, which for us means "I surrender." We found a common theme on each song on the album about surrendering to something bigger than you. One of my favorite songs we've ever written is the title track, which sings "I had a heavy heart, but I laid it down, there was bitterness, but I'm better now." I think there are a lot of people that can relate to that. It's the story of everybody's journey, and that sums up the theme of the album. We are in a season of surrender, and one of our spiritual fathers in the Lord said to us, "when God has called you to do something, no one should need to talk you into it, and no one should be able to talk you out of it."

Lyrics:
Stretch out your arms
It's time to lay down your arms
And help each other
All our sisters and brothers
When will we give up the fight
It never was the fight to hurt each other
All our sisters and brothers
    
When you don't have the words
To explain the hurt

You can lean on me
When the bullets start flying
Lean on me
When you're fighting for surviving
Lean on me
When you don't have a home
You can lean on me

See they say they know
But when have they ever known how
To help each other
All their sisters and brothers
When will we give up the fight
It never was the fight to hurt each other
All our sisters and brothers

When you don't have the words
To explain the hurt

When you're walkin' through the fire
Lean on me
When you're feet are gettin' tired
Lean on me
When you don't have a home
You can lean on me.

To my brothers, for my sisters
Here's my shoulder
You can lean on me
I won't stop trying
Like I won't stop fighting
Here's my shoulder
You can lean on me

When you're walkin' through the fire
Lean on me
When you're feet are gettin' tired
Lean on me
When you don't have a home
You can lean on me

When I first heard this song, 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." 
As the hymn sings, "They'll know we are Christians by our love." The band really says it well with their comments and this song. God explains love in 1st John 4:19: "We love because he first loved us." God's love gave at an outrageous cost, the life of His only begotten Son.  

Not only should we love God because He first loved us, but we should also love others unconditionally because while we were still sinners, Christ died for us. We are to bear one another's burdens to fulfill the law of Christ. The better we know our own hearts and ways, the less we will despise others and the more we'll want to help people.

The key as a follower of Jesus is to walk by faith, and to be guided in your daily walk by prayer and God's infallible Word, the Bible. My personal devotional prayers this year have been to have more faith and to express more love for my brothers and sisters. This song is my heart's cry and anthem to sing daily in praise to the Lord, regardless of my circumstances, doubts or worry, and to live out the words: "To my brothers, for my sisters, here's my shoulder, you can lean on me. I won't stop trying, like I won't stop fighting, here's my shoulder, you can lean on me." Amen to that!

Watch the lyric video below.