Desperation Band, led by Jared Anderson, Jon Egan and Glenn Packiam, is the youth worship ministry of New Life Church in Colorado Springs, Colorado. All three are associate worship pastors at the church, serving under senior pastor, Ross Parsley. Jared leads worship for the Saturday night service, Jon for _tag (the high school group) and Glenn for theMILL (the college group). In addition to their various responsibilities during the week, they all come together to lead with worship pastor Ross Parsley on Sunday mornings, reflecting the team concept of NewLifeWorship.

Light Up The World is the fifth album from the Desperation Band, writers of “I Am Free,” “Rescue,” “My Savior Lives” and “Counting On God.” Their songs have been covered by Newsboys, Newsong and Phillips, Craig & Dean.

Filled with passionate songs birthed in the furnace of worship, prayer and intercession, Desperation Band’s Light Up The World is a fresh new sound of worship from the Desperation Movement through which thousands of students have taken the Desperation Vow to wholeheartedly follow God. In a special partnership with Heartwork Uganda, this album is dedicated to being a source of mission preparation and funding for the building of orphanages in Uganda.

I got the chance to interview Jon Egan about “You Hold It All.”

Please tell me the personal story behind writing this song.

The album started for me after my mom asked me to watch a Louie Giglio video that included a sermon called “How Great Is Our God,” which is about Creation and the complexity of the galaxy and planets and putting everything into perspective. It was a great perspective about our Creator God. I was holding back tears watching the video. The fact that God Created the universe and also created and loves me really moved me.

Louie ended the sermon by reading Colossians 1:15-18, which is the theme I based the song “You Hold It All.” The song came pretty quickly.

Please tell me about any Bible verses you used to write the song.

Colossians 1:15-18: He is the image of the invisible God, the firstborn over all creation. For by him all things were created: things in heaven and on earth, visible and invisible, whether thrones or powers or rulers or authorities; all things were created by him and for him. He is before all things, and in him all things hold together. And he is the head of the body, the church; he is the beginning and the firstborn from among the dead, so that in everything he might have the supremacy.

What do you consider to be the take-away message for listeners?

The song is full of Scripture. The first verse is based on Isaiah 40:25-26 and Genesis chapter 1. The second verse is based on Luke 19 and the bridge is based on Psalm 27. Luke 19 tells us that Jesus holds the keys to the kingdom. We have no reason to fear because God has all things under control.

Here are the lyrics:

You breathed and the stars arrived
Marching in perfect time
Into the night
You spoke and the light appeared
Marking the days and the years
Of our lives

You hold it all together
You hold it all forever
You hold it all
You started it all
You are my all in all

You loved in the greatest way
Giving Your life away
For all that was lost
You conquered the enemy
Darkness is trembling
You are alive

The Lord is my light
And salvation in my life
I will not fear
I will not fear

As I spoke with Jon about this great song, we realized that the verses and chorus really encompass amazing biblical truths. From the truth of Genesis 1 that “God spoke and the light appeared,” the promise of Psalm 27 that “The Lord is my light and my salvation” and the reflection of Isaiah 40:26: Lift up your eyes on high, And see who has created these things, Who brings out their host by number; He calls them all by name, By the greatness of His might And the strength of His power; Not one is missing.

Jon’s mission is all about singing songs that reflect what it means to have freedom in Christ. This song really sets me in the proper mindset to praise God for His amazing gift of Creation and for loving me so much that He gave His life away for all that was lost. That’s what this Easter season is all about.