Mark Lowry is known for his hilarious antics, silly stories and goofy faces as a leading Christian comedian. But there's also a deeply spiritual, deep thinking side to Lowry. Known as the writer behind one of the biggest Christmas songs in a generation, "Mary, Did You Know?" Lowry has as much emotional punch as a musician as he has witticism as a comedian. 

In everything he does, though, Lowry is committed to presenting the joy of the Lord in all its many facets, and with new project What's Not To Love, he does just that. We recently asked Lowry to share a little bit about each of the new songs--some he wrote, others simply captivated his heart--and about why they need to be heard at this time. 
 
1. Why Don't We Sit & Talk?
It's about my favorite things to do--sit and talk! If I'm on the back porch with a friend, or on the road with other artists, anybody who might know something about Jesus that I don't, I love to hear their stories. And I love talking about the goodness of the Lord; that's the best.

2. What's Not To Love?
What's not to love about Jesus? That says it all! It goes on to explain our relationship with Him, how in His eyes we're His favorite... all of us are.

3. I Know When I'm Hearing From Home
For years, I've said I know when I'm hearing from home, and I know when I'm hearing ca-ca.  But there's something in all of our DNA that remembers Eden, remembers God, and when you hear from home through a good sermon, through a movie, a good song, a book, it's like our "E.T. light" goes off. ET phone home... remember that movie? When you start thinking about the goodness of God, or how wonderfully redeemed we are by His blood, you just know when you're hearing from home.

4. Love Is The Golden Rule
This is one of the songs that made me want to do this project. It just talks about all the chaos going on in the world and if we would really love our neighbor as ourselves, we wouldn't have these problems.

5. No Room For Hate
This really goes hand in hand with "Love Is The Golden Rule."  We don't have any room for hate around here; no criticizing, judging, gossiping, all that hate stuff. Love's the only language that is spoken here!

6. What If He Meant What He Said?
This song just asks the question, "What if Jesus actually meant what He said?" What if He really meant to turn the other cheek, and to love your enemies?  What would it look like if we actually took those words to heart and followed through with them?

7. So You'll Know How To Pray
This is a humorous song that's all about gossip. You know back in the day you'd hear, "I'm not meaning to gossip, but this is just so you'll know how to pray." That's where this song comes from.

8. Mama Prayed
I told Reba Rambo and Dony McGuire that I wanted to write a song about my mom, who went home to be with the Lord in 2013. I came in with the first line, "She could sing like Patsy Cline, and preach like Billy Graham," and Reba's face lit up. This one has become one of my favorites to sing.

9. Feels Like I'm Already There
You know that scripture that says God won't put more on you than you can bear? This song explores the times when it feels like, "Lord, I'm already there, I've reached my limit." I love that it doesn't tie up in a pretty bow at the end, because some trials in life don't. But there's hope offered in the line, "I know you're there; that's why I'm reaching." Even in those times, God hasn't left you, He's still there for you to reach out for Him.

10. Didn't I Walk On The Water
I heard this song and it starts off in the middle of the darkness, in the night, it looks like there's a big battle ahead of me Lord, and it seems like this time You're not going to come through. But the Lord starts saying, "Didn't I walk on the water, didn't I calm the raging sea?" reminding you that He always comes through.

11. Only Jesus
This is a big choir anthem that talks of the grace and mercy that only Jesus can bring, and the lives that He changed through time.  And the great part is that He's still touching people today!

Check out the new album, What's Not To Love, on Spotify, iTunes and at Daywind Records.