Alabama’s Big Daddy Weave—Mike Weaver, Jay Weaver, Jeremy Redmon, Joe Shirk, and Brian Beihl—have each learned what it means to truly live by faith and to trust in a God who makes all things new.
Without a doubt, the band loves God. You can see the evidence when the perform at their worshipful live shows. You can tell it when you listen to their hit songs, "Redeemed," "Overwhelmed," "The Lion and The Lamb," and "My Story,"
True to form, When The Light Comes reflects real life and emotion, from longing and struggle to breakthrough and gratitude. Every song on this stellar collection displays the band's heart behind what they do, leading people in worship. The album itself demonstrates the passion and energy that have made Big Daddy Weave one of Christian music's most compelling acts.
“All Things New,” a song from this album, is catchy, relevant, and worshipful like their previous hit songs. I had the chance to speak with band leader Mike Weaver about “All Things New.”
Please tell me the personal story behind this song.
We wrote “All Things New” as a prayer over my dad. At the time, he was dealing with pulmonary fibrosis. He was my hero. I’ve heard all kinds of dad stories. I know many people who had absentee or abusive fathers who served in ministry but didn’t serve their family.
I feel so blessed to have the kind of dad that I had in my life. He exemplified what it means to be in relationship with Jesus. We belonged to a church. But, I don’t recall going to church to learn something about God. I learned from my dad modeling a relationship with Jesus, not a religion.
I have many fond memories of my dad. On a Saturday, I remember looking for him and asked where he was, and I found out he was in his closet praying where he could get down on his knees and pray for me and my brother and our family. I know that anything good that has happened in my life is from a well that I didn’t dig.
We’ve had a powerful season of ministry for about the past seven years. Then my dad got his pulmonary fibrosis diagnosis. I went to write a song with David Leonard (from All Sons & Daughters and Jackson Waters). We wrote this song together as a request and a prayer, “God of mercy and love, do what only You can do, You make all things new.”
Which Bible verses connect to the message of the song?
Isaiah 61:3 (NKJV): “To console those who mourn in Zion, To give them beauty for ashes, The oil of joy for mourning, The garment of praise for the spirit of heaviness; That they may be called trees of righteousness, The planting of the Lord, that He may be glorified."
Revelation 21:5(NIV): He who was seated on the throne said, "I am making everything new!" Then He said, "Write this down, for these words are trustworthy and true."
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.”
John 3:1-8(NKJV): There was a man of the Pharisees named Nicodemus, a ruler of the Jews. This man came to Jesus by night and said to Him, "Rabbi, we know that You are a teacher come from God; for no one can do these signs that You do unless God is with him." Jesus answered and said to him, "Most assuredly, I say to you, unless one is born again, he cannot see the kingdom of God." Nicodemus said to Him, "How can a man be born when he is old? Can he enter a second time into his mother's womb and be born?" Jesus answered, "Most assuredly, I say to you, unless one is born of water and the Spirit, he cannot enter the kingdom of God. That which is born of the flesh is flesh, and that which is born of the Spirit is spirit. Do not marvel that I said to you, ‘You must be born again.' The wind blows where it wishes, and you hear the sound of it, but cannot tell where it comes from and where it goes. So is everyone who is born of the Spirit."
Lamentations 3:22-23 (NKJV): “Through the Lord’s mercies we are not consumed, because His compassions fail not. They are new every morning; Great is Your faithfulness.”
Romans 15:13(NIV): “May the God of hope fill you with all joy and peace as you trust in Him, so that you may overflow with hope by the power of the Holy Spirit.”
Ephesians 3:17-19 (NIV): “And I pray that you, being rooted and established in love, may have power, together with all the Lord's holy people, to grasp how wide and long and high and deep is the love of Christ, and to know this love that surpasses knowledge--that you may be filled to the measure of all the fullness of God.”
What is the takeaway message?
My mom said my dad listened to this song’s demo over and over. Little did I know that “All Things New” would be the last song I wrote that my dad would get to hear, on this side of heaven.
My dad knew where he was going. He was really struggling. It was Christmas morning when he went to heaven. On Christmas Eve, the night before he passed, my dad laid his head on my chest, as I sang praise songs over him. And, my dad, he trusted God with every breath.
I believe the moment he took his last breath was just the beginning of how real the song’s meaning was for him now in the very presence of Jesus. We sang this song over my dad. Even though he didn’t heal that Christmas morning, he got to see Jesus.
When you experience loss, in that moment when you really believe, heaven seems so much closer. In the middle of what we’ve all been through in this pandemic, this song has taken on another meaning. I’d say sing this song as a declaration of a new day: God makes all things new.
Because of what Jesus has done for us on the cross, our broken places are not the defining words spoken over us. Our brokenness is an incredible opportunity for the redeeming work of Jesus to be shown in our lives. So, even in the darkest moment, we can say in faith, from the ashes, from the dust, I will rise again because of Jesus who makes all things new.
Lyrics
I've heard You can take What's broken and Make it whole again Well, here's the Pieces of my heart What can You do with them 'Cause I can't hold them All together anymore So I let them fall Surrendered to the floor
You make all things new You make all things new God of mercy and love Do what only You can do And make all things new
Only You can bring Such beauty from the Depths of all my pain Only You can take this Shattered heart and Make it beat again Oh, You hold us all together In Your hands I surrender all I have And all I am
You make all things new You make all things new God of mercy and love Do what only You can do And make all things new
From the ashes, from the dust I will rise up, rise up Out of darkness into the light I will rise up, rise up From the ashes, from the dust I will rise up, rise up Out of darkness into the light I will rise up, rise up
You make all things new You make all things new God of mercy and love Do what only You can do And make all things, all things You make all things new
Closing Thoughts
Our worship is an offering, but God is the one who made the way for us to be with Him. Worship is about giving God our best, offering ourselves to Him.
Submit yourself to Him and His goodness. Allow His blood to cover and run over you. Give everything you have to Him. As God's Word in Jeremiah 29:13 puts it, search for God with all your heart, and you will find Him.
For Pharisee Nicodemus, the concept of not being part of God's kingdom unless he was personally born again was a revolutionary idea. Like Nicodemus, we must examine Jesus for ourselves; others cannot do this for us.
If you believe Jesus is who He says, you will want to speak up for Him. On the inside, Christians are made anew. The Holy Spirit gives them new life and are not the same anymore. This means that we are the new creations. We are the ones who need to live as children of God.
God is looking for spiritual growth from His followers. He wants us to be born again. "All Things New" celebrates the freedom we have in Christ when we’re born again. It’s a personal testimony about the power of redemption. In today's culture, it is radical for people to accept heaven’s entrance requirements—repentance and spiritual rebirth.
Are you allowing God to grow you spiritually? Look at the fallen world around you. Lift your eyes up to God. And, put all your faith and hope in Him. For the saved in Christ, as Revelation 21:4 puts it: “God shall wipe away all tears from their eyes; and there shall be no more death, neither sorrow, nor crying, neither shall there be any more pain: for the former things are passed away."
We serve a loving and merciful God who accepts us as we are, not who we pretend to be. I love singing this song back to Jesus, telling Him plainly that I need no other than Him. Pray along, “You make all things new/You make all things new/God of mercy and love/Do what only You can do and make all things/All things, You make all things new.” Amen to that.
NRT lead contributor Kevin Davis is a longtime fan of Christian music, an avid music collector, and credits the message of Christian music for leading him to Christ. He lives in Pennsylvania with his wife and three daughters.
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