In the style of southern rock bands like NEEDTOBREATHE, Third Day, All Things New and Finding Favour, Georgia-based August Rain recently released their new single "Highway" from their album American Jesus. "Highway" is a celebration of salvation and redemption, with lyrics that glorify the Father for His amazing grace and salvation through His Son Jesus and featured vocals by Dara Maclean.

Their sound blends high-energy, worshipful pop and southern rock, while encouraging listeners with messages of hope and encouragement. August Rain formed as Frank Bowen (drums), Denise Bowen (keyboards & background vocals) and front man Matthew Janzen (lead vocals, acoustic and bass) led worship together in their church. They began recording and touring in 2007. I had the chance to speak with Matthew Janzen about "Highway."

Please tell me the personal story behind this song.

Our drummer Frank, who is the spearhead for the band, and the guy who used to sing for the band originally wrote this song together. It was one of the first songs we ever wrote as a band. As I joined the band and we would rehearse and record together, this song has a catchy, southern rock feel, which I enjoy. We are from Georgia. I liked this song immediately, and I played bass guitar for the band at the time. 

We grew up in the Pentecostal church, and we still have that in is. It has a feel and gets people moving. It is a song about deliverance. Growing up in church, we hear testimonies about people being delivered from a number of things, and they cry and lift their hands. They are so excited and feel so overwhelmed and are so thankful that they are not bound to what they were struggling with before. That's what the song is about. The song is also about salvation and the good feeling that comes from being delivered by our Heavenly Father.

Which Bible verses connect to the message of the song?

Psalm 46:4 (VOICE): A pure stream flows-- never to be cut off-- bringing joy to the city where God makes His home, The sacred site where the Most High chooses to live.

John 7:38 (NKJV): He who believes in Me, as the Scripture has said, out of his heart will flow rivers of living water.

John 14:6 (NIV): Jesus answered, "I am the way and the truth and the life. No one comes to the Father except through Me."

Isaiah 43:19 (NLT): For I am about to do something new. See, I have already begun! Do you not see it? I will make a pathway through the wilderness. I will create rivers in the dry wasteland.

2 Corinthians 5:17 (NKJV): Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation; old things have passed away; behold, all things have become new.

Revelation 22:1 (NLT): Then the angel showed me a river with the water of life, clear as crystal, flowing from the throne of God and of the Lamb.

What is the takeaway message?

We were almost ready to call it quits as a band. There was a lot going on in our lives. We sat down and decided that everything that we had been through, and a lot of it was very heart-wrenching, I think we learn the most about grace and mercy and forgiveness and love when we go through hard things in our lives. I'm a changed man because of what I've gone through. I'm a different person from who I used to be, by His grace and His mercy. 

Every song on this album and this new rendition of "Highway" stemmed from what we went through. This album is tearing our heart open and letting people climb in and see what we've been through. When Frank sent me the song "Grace," that song really hit me. There are a lot of Christians who maybe don't feel the deliverance we celebrate in "Highway," and maybe they feel good for a while and then fall back into sin. They are sorrowful and want to be well, but they have a constant struggle like Paul talks about in Romans 7, where they want to do good things but evil is always present and who is able to rescue us? We thank God through Christ. In this album we celebrate the deliverance from sin, and if we are honest, all of us are still struggling in some way.

Grace and mercy is a huge theme throughout this album. We want people to know that salvation is found in Jesus, and not based on a checklist of what they are doing well. At the end of the day, salvation is found in a broken heart and contrite spirit and His finished work and our faith in what He has already done for us.

Lyrics:
I've been delivered
Mended my ways
Ain't no more going down
The road called lost highway
I'll keep believing
There's a right way 
To go on through my life
Without losing my faith
I've been delivered
I've been delivered

I've been to the river
I've been baptized
My sins forgiven
Soul satisfied
I met the Savior
He showed the way
Now I am travelin'
On Yahweh's highway

I've been delivered
Can't climb this mountain
It looks so high
There's rocks and ledges
Doubt in my mind
But I won't lose my pace
I see the other side
And when I reach the top
I raise my hands up and say
"I've been delivered!"
I've been delivered
I've been delivered

I've been to the river
I've been baptized
My sins forgiven
Soul satisfied
I met the Savior
He showed the way
Now I am travelin'
On Yahweh's highway

Take me to the river,
Take me to the river
I've been delivered
Take me down to the river
Wanna go in the water
With my brother and my
Sister and my father and
My mother
Take me to the river

I've been to the river
I've been baptized
My sins forgiven
Soul satisfied
I met the Savior
He showed the way
Now I am travelin'
On Yahweh's highway

I've been delivered
I've been delivered

The energy and infectious enthusiasm of the musical feel and celebratory message of this song causes me to worship along loudly "in Spirit and in Truth." This song is a gorgeous offering of praise to the only One who has power to save: Jesus. I love singing about how Jesus is the Way, the Truth and the Life, and no one comes to the Father except through Him as He declared in John 14:6. That's the Way Jesus makes for us to be saved and be with Him in Heaven for eternity. Once you adopt the words of this song into your heart, then you will remember the Truth that Jesus has always been, He is today and He always will be the One who makes a way for us, even when it seems impossible. That's something to remember and rest upon.

The chorus "I've been to the river, I've been baptized, my sins forgiven, soul satisfied. I met the Savior, He showed the way, now I am travelin' on Yahweh's highway" does an excellent job of celebrating what grace is all about. My pastor uses the acronym "Gods Riches At Christ's Expense" to define grace. Grace washes us clean, and we become a new creation in Christ.

The picture of God's grace being poured out like water is a beautiful and biblical image of the water and the blood that poured out of our Savior Jesus Christ when He hung on the Cross to provide God's riches to us at His own expense. That's when His love washed over us, and when you've put all of your hope and trust in Jesus for your salvation, you can't help but want to celebrate that free gift of undeserved and unmerited favor from God.  

Songs are an inheritance to share in victory together. God's Word doesn't return void, and He wants us to have victory. "Highway" is an uplifting, catchy and encouraging song. As a follower of Jesus, you'll want to join in and sing out: "I see the other side, and when I reach the top, I raise my hands up and say, I've been delivered!" Amen to that!

Watch the lyric video below.