Stars Go Dim recently released their self-titled debut album, Stars Go Dim, an album which earned a We Love Award nomination for The Hook Award (Pop Album of the Year). Joining with Word Records for their debut, the Tulsa-based band members Chris Cleveland, Michael Cleveland, Kyle Williams and Josh Roach have all been involved in music for years. The team of worship leaders joined together nearly four years ago, and their 14-song debut album released to much acclaim.

Stars Go Dim has made waves as their debut radio single, "You Are Loved," has resonated with listeners and surged up the charts. You may have heard them sing the song last year at Winter Jam and other festivals. I had the chance to speak with Chris Cleveland in person at Creation Festival about follow-up single "Walking Like Giants."

Please tell me the personal story behind this song.

We wrote this song a couple of years ago, and it was one of the first songs we wrote together as a full band, which was fun. It's an upbeat song, and when we were trying to decide which song would be our first single, I thought it would be this one. Josh thought it would be "You Are Loved." He was right. I think this is a fun song, where you can roll down your windows and enjoy it. 

All of us go through something where we are facing an uphill battle, where we are surrounded on all sides and feel like we are facing insurmountable odds. It can be finances, work, relationships with others or our health. It can be our kids. Sometimes doing life and keeping up can be overwhelming, seeing past what is right in front of you. In Joshua 1, God talks with Joshua and tells him He's never going to leave or forsake him. Anyone who comes up against him won't succeed, because God was with him. He tells him to be bold and courageous, because the Lord "your God will be with you." He says it three times, which really stuck out to me. He says the same thing in the New Testament. How much greater is the hope we have in Jesus. Be bold because of the hope we have in Jesus.

Which Bible verses connect to the message of the song?

Joshua 1:9 (NKJV): "Have I not commanded you? Be strong and of good courage; do not be afraid, nor be dismayed, for the Lord your God is with you wherever you go."

Matthew 19:26 (NIV): Jesus looked at them and said, "With man this is impossible, but with God all things are possible."

2 Corinthians 12:9 (NKJV): "And He said to me, 'My grace is sufficient for you, for My strength is made perfect in weakness.' Therefore most gladly I will rather boast in my infirmities, that the power of Christ may rest upon me."

Hebrews 12:1-2 (NIV): "Therefore, since we are surrounded by such a great cloud of witnesses, let us throw off everything that hinders and the sin that so easily entangles. And let us run with perseverance the race marked out for us, fixing our eyes on Jesus, the Pioneer and Perfecter of faith."

Hebrews 13:6 (NKJV):  So we may boldly say: "The Lord is my helper; I will not fear. What can man do to me?"

1 Timothy 6:12 (NKJV): "Fight the good fight of faith, lay hold on eternal life, to which you were also called and have confessed the good confession in the presence of many witnesses."

2 Timothy 4:7 (NKJV): "I have fought the good fight, I have finished the race, I have kept the faith."

What is the takeaway message?

I've been telling the story from stage. One of the ways I've had to be bold and courageous in my life is that I was born with a tumor in my left year. At 18 months old I had my first surgery, and I can't imagine what my parents went through. I kept having ear surgeries every year growing up and into my adulthood. I thought it was normal for everyone to go the hospital once a year and have a surgery. They found more of the tumor every year, and they would try to repair and reconstruct it. 

At this point, I'm still deaf in that ear, and I keep up as best I can. I'm dreading going again for another surgery. It's scary as an adult when you have a sense of control in your life and you have to give that up. The crazy part is that for some reason God has allowed me to have this gift of music, which seems so unconventional for someone who can't hear that well. To be able to go on stage and sing is only by the grace of God and the boldness and courageousness that He gives us. Every one of us has something like that. Whether it is finances or loss, God has promised us a few things. Wherever we are, He is. We are told to live boldly and courageously in Jesus. That's what this song is about. We're going to live by faith, stand tall and walk through life like God is right beside us.

Lyrics:
Life seems like a uphill battle
Like more than you can handle
But we have a hope that it's real
And there's power that lives inside us
We were made with hearts like lions
We're not given a spirit of fear
His strength inside us, we are fighters
Made to rise, with faith alive
We're standing Ten-Feet high

We're not giving up, when struggles come
There're not big enough
There's no stopping us, we're fearless inside
We're walking like giants
We're not giving up, with every step
He's still here with us
Whatever comes our way
We'll be walking like giants
Walking like giants

It might seem like the biggest mountains
Got you surrounded
But there's a God above it all
No fear, we keep moving forward
Ya, we're marching on like soldiers
No such thing as impossible

We're not giving up, when struggles come
There're not big enough
There's no stopping us, we're fearless inside
We're walking like giants
We're not giving up, with every step
He's still here with us
Whatever comes our way
We'll be walking like giants
Walking like giants

Whatever may come, we're rising above
Through fire or rain, nothing's stopping us

We're not giving up, when struggles come
There're not big enough
There's no stopping us, we're fearless inside
We're walking like giants
We're not giving up, with every step
He's still here with us
Whatever comes our way
We'll be walking like giants
Walking like giants

Whatever may come, we're rising above
Through fire or rain, nothing's stopping us
Whatever may come, we're rising above
Through fire or rain, nothing's stopping us

This song is all about having a strong faith. Without faith it is impossible to please God. Sometimes we have a tendency to think we can try to know everything. God tells us in the Bible that with faith, we can do anything in Christ. We can't know everything and we are not in control, but trusting God gives us assurance that we don't have to be afraid. God will be there to pick us up when we fall. A challenge for me when I listen to this song is pick an area of my life that I've been trying to control and instead put all of my hope and trust in God. 

As the song declares, "Whatever may come, we're rising above. Through fire or rain, nothing's stopping us." We need to walk by faith, not by sight. What's awesome about this upbeat song is that it provides encouragement and personal motivation to fight the good fight of faith and finish running the race of life strong. The band has written another great anthem for the Church that reminds us that under our own strength many mountains we face will seem impossible, but with God, all things are possible. The same goes for salvation. We can't earn Heaven, it's only through complete surrender to Jesus and putting all of our hope in Him that we can be saved. As Christians, we all can loudly proclaim: "We're not giving up, when struggles come. There're not big enough. There's no stopping us, we're fearless inside. We're walking like giants!" Amen to that!

Watch the lyric video below.