Following their successful debut album which included hit song "Let Them See You," also recorded by Colton Dixon on his debut album, JJ Weeks Band has returned with their full length Centricity debut release As Long As We Can Breathe. Musicians David Hart (bass), Jon Poole (drums), Cody Preston (guitar) and JJ Weeks (lead vocals) have honed their collective and individual skills to create a band that is gifted and enduring.

"We want people to know that God has their back. That they can trust Him in the midst of the struggles of life because He loves us," JJ Weeks has said of their mission. The band's songs honestly express the struggles and heartaches of real life, but they do so in a way that points listeners to a loving God as our only hope. I had the chance to speak with JJ Weeks about "Alive in Me."

Please tell me the personal story behind this song.

This is one of those songs that celebrates how awesome God is. What's so cool is how our God is in control of the entire universe, and He could sit on His celestial throne far away and rule and reign and has every right to do that, but that's not how He chooses to rule and reign. He chooses to live inside of us. That's the meaning behind this song. What great truth. 

Matthew 5 rings true to me. I learned a lot of things this year, as I turned 37 and my back and my knees have started hurting. This old body of mine reminds me that we get old. Things that you think aren't going to catch up with you that your mom and dad tell you about start to happen. The biblical truth in Matthew 5 that rings true is that "God allows the sun to rise on the good and the bad, and He also allows it to rain on the just and the unjust." That simply means that hard times in this life are going to come. It is part of life, and there's nothing we can do to dodge that, whether we are a Christ follower or not. 

No matter what we call ourselves, the truth is that hard times come in life. The only difference between somebody who calls Christ Lord and those who don't is that we don't have to face those battles and storms by ourselves. It just so happens that the King of the universe, the God over all, is living inside of us and walking through the storms of life with us.

Which Bible verses connect to the message of the song?

Matthew 5:45 (NKJV): "That you may be sons of your Father in heaven; for He makes His sun rise on the evil and on the good, and sends rain on the just and on the unjust."

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 8:11 (VOICE): "If the Spirit of the One who resurrected Jesus from the dead lives inside of you, then you can be sure that He who raised Him will cast the light of life into your mortal bodies through the life-giving power of the Spirit residing in you."

Romans 12:2 (VOICE): "Do not allow this world to mold you in its own image. Instead, be transformed from the inside out by renewing your mind. As a result, you will be able to discern what God wills and whatever God finds good, pleasing, and complete."

1 Corinthians 2:9 (VOICE): "But as the Scriptures say, No eye has ever seen and no ear has ever heard and it has never occurred to the human heart all the things God prepared for those who love Him."

What is the takeaway message?

For me, when I'm on stage every night I share about how I face the same battles and struggle as everyone else. Just because we are on the stage doesn't mean we have it all together. Our hope is that when we sing these songs, or when someone downloads or buys these songs and albums, they will realize that we are writing and singing songs out of our situations and what we are facing. 

The truth is that when we find those biblical truths that we can stand on, like in Matthew 5 which says that hard times are going to come, to remember another Scripture that says, "Fear not, for I have overcome the world." Why do we fear so much in this world? Why do we fear the government and other countries? The truth is that there is some realism to that fear, but the biblical truth is that we shouldn't fear because Jesus has already overcome the world. The God that has overcome death, hell and the grave is the same God who is living inside of us. That's the excitement and the truth that we hope people hear in this song.

Lyrics:
I may be hard pressed on every side
But I won't be crushed, I'll be alright
I may be doubting the place I'm in
But I know the ending
I know who wins
I may be down, but I'm not out
You're not finished yet

The very same light that pierced the dark
The very same word that stilled the sea
The very same spirit that tore the veil
Is alive in me
You're alive in me

The truth may be that it looks too hard
But the greater truth is who You are
The One who heals, who redeems and saves
Who can turn it around, who can still make a way

The very same light that pierced the dark
The very same word that stilled the sea
The very same spirit that tore the veil
Is alive in me
You're alive in me
The very same power that healed our hearts
The very same love that sets us free
The very same spirit that conquered death
Is alive in me
You're alive in me

It's already won, so whatever comes
I know where I place my hope and trust
I can overcome, 'cause of what's been done
'Cause of what You finished on the cross

The very same light that pierced the dark
The very same word that stilled the sea
The very same spirit that tore the veil
Is alive in me
You're alive in me
The very same power that healed our hearts
The very same love that sets us free
The very same spirit that conquered death
Is alive in me
You're alive in me
You're alive in me

This is one of those songs that I could instantly sing with all of my heart, soul, mind and strength, and I instantly wanted to know the story behind the song. The theme verse of this song about God's resurrection power from Romans 8:11 weaves its way through every song, and it has been a theme verse for me this year. God keeps bringing the Truth of His resurrection power of His Holy Spirit residing in believers to my attention. 

That's the beauty of His Word: it doesn't return void, and it provides a constant source of comfort, guidance and truth of how to draw us closer to Him. You may be going through some of the worst earthly things that you can imagine, but "no human mind can conceive all the things that God has prepared for those who love Him" (1 Corinthians 2:9).

God's resurrection power from The Holy Spirit, that same power that defeated death and raised Jesus from the grave, is available to followers of Jesus. I love the translation of Romans 8:11 (Voice): "If the Spirit of the One who resurrected Jesus from the dead lives inside of you, then you can be sure that He who raised Him will cast the light of life into your mortal bodies through the life-giving power of the Spirit residing in you." We can all make the choice to ask The Holy Spirit to indwell us with His supernatural ability to overcome what the Enemy wants us to think about ourselves.

Are we conforming to the patterns or molds of the prince of this world? That's darkness. Our enemy seeks to destroy us with those patterns or molds. Or, are we praying for the renewing and transforming of our minds so that we can reflect the light of Jesus in our lives? Sing out, "The very same power that healed our hearts, the very same love that sets us free, the very same spirit that conquered death, Is alive in me, You're alive in me." Amen to that!

Watch the lyric video below.