VOTA, formerly recognized as Casting Pearls, released their self-titled debut album on INO Records.

The album is one to check out if you like Christian pop/rock. I’ve had the privilege of seeing VOTA in concert twice; last year with Sanctus Real and Tenth Avenue North on the We Need Each Other tour and again this year with DecembeRadio and newsboys on the Join The Tribe tour. The guys from VOTA--Bryan, Scott, Case and Riley--are all great guys and will always hang around after shows to meet concertgoers and make new friends. I’ve been a fan of them since I first met VOTA’s drummer, Scott, at my church on the We Need Each Other tour and we had lunch together before the show that evening.

Recently, I got to hang out with VOTA’s lead singer, Bryan Olesen, who also spent time as the guitarist with newsboys before forming Casting Pearls. Bryan has an amazing stage presence and great singing voice and I interviewed him about VOTA’s hit song "Hard To Believe."

Bryan had this to say about the song:

"Often it dawns on me that I am not fully grasping how amazing my salvation is. The God who created the universe says He loves me. He wants to be a part of my day. He wants the best for my life. I realize that when I let worry and fear creep in over something so small I am not fully trusting in God during those moments. If God can hold the sun, moon, and stars in place then He can certainly help me through anything life throws at me. The more I dwell on what I really have in Christ, the more bold and excited I become about life. He loves you and I in a way that’s not shown anywhere else."

Bryan referenced Galatians 3:3-5 relative to reminding himself that in his Christian walk grace and God’s favor is not based on his efforts.

3Are you so foolish? After beginning with the Spirit, are you now trying to attain your goal by human effort? 4Have you suffered so much for nothing—if it really was for nothing? 5Does God give you his Spirit and work miracles among you because you observe the law, or because you believe what you heard?

Here are the lyrics to "Hard To Believe".

Turn my World around

Thought that I could hide
oh how I've wasted time
I spent my life running from You

I just can't say no
Your love won't let me go
my shields are defenseless against You

lost in the dark
till Your love dawned in my heart
You filled all the hollow
and You freed my pent-up soul

(Chorus)
it’s so hard to believe
You're here with me now
make me feel so alive
I've got to let it out

ex-tra-ord-in-ar-y
you're bringing me out
You filled my heart with Your love
and turned my world around

I've been here and there
Oh I've looked everywhere
But nothing can compare to You

You know my heart
I want to be where You are
I'm hopeless without You
How'd you teach this heart to love?

(Chorus)

ex-tra-ord-in-ar-y
You're bringing me out
You filled my heart with Your love
and turned my world around

ohh, you don't need love
you've got yourself
and that's good enough

the fool lives life
for no one else
the slave to love finds real freedom yeah!
(Chorus)

This song is a great celebratory anthem about what it means to have hope in Christ. Sometimes it is hard to believe that God loves us so much He knows us intimately and wants to fill our hearts with love. I love the bridge, which challenges conventional worldly wisdom that life is about selfish desires and living for yourself is good enough. The ultimate message of the song is the last stanza about how the fool lives life for no one else and the slave to love finds real freedom! That’s something to celebrate and embrace as we all need to let down our guard and let God’s love live in us.

You can watch the video for the song here.