Pop artist Colton Dixon's seventh-place finish on Season 11 of American Idol was one of the most surprising and memorable Idol cuts of all time, but it was only the beginning for the artist.
Colton released his debut full-length album, A Messenger, featuring the hit songs "You Are" and "Never Gone." The album title comes from the Bible passage John 13:16: "Very truly I tell you, no servant is greater than his master, nor is a messenger greater than the one who sent him."
Colton returned with a new set of songs on his sophomore album, Anchor, including the singles "Through All Of It" and “More of You." After a string of hit singles, which includes “All That Matters,” and “The Other Side,” Colton returned with the Colton Dixon EP, which includes the hit song, “Miracles.” Shortly thereafter, he released the hit single, “Made to Fly.” I had the chance to speak with Colton about his new hit single, “Build a Boat.”
Please tell me the personal story behind this song.
Now more than ever, people need Jesus—whether they realize it or not. God wants to reach people where they are. This song was originally written by some guys in Sweden. It was more of a relationship song about escaping the world with your person in life and settling down somewhere away from the chaos. I heard the song and wanted to change its meaning to something even more profound. I was immediately taken to the Noah story in the Bible. They allowed us to rewrite the song.
“Build A Boat” is an anthem for anyone willing to stand up or step out for what they believe in. Faith can look a little crazy sometimes. Noah stepped out in faith to construct an ark in the middle of a drought.
Coming out of a season as we all have from the pandemic these past couple of years, I think more than ever the light is getting lighter and the dark is getting darker. If you’ve been going through the motions, it’s time to ride the wave and start paddling, it’s time to sink or swim.
Like Noah, if we know there’s a storm, we need to get into the boat—even if we miss out on earthly opportunities. I hope this song encourages people to go behind what's comfortable to experience the reward waiting on the other side of crazy faith.
What Bible verses connect to the message of the song?
Philippians 4:13(NKJV): “I can do all things through Christ who strengthens me.”
Jeremiah 29:11(NIV): "For I know the plans I have for you," declares the LORD, "plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future."
Romans 8:28(VOICE): "We are confident that God is able to orchestrate everything to work toward something good and beautiful when we love Him and accept His invitation to live according to His plan."
Hebrews 11:1(NLT): "Faith is the confidence that what we hope for will actually happen; it gives us assurance about things we cannot see."
Genesis 15:6(NLT): And Abram believed the LORD, and the LORD counted him as righteous because of his faith.
Romans 4:3(NLT): For the Scriptures tell us, "Abraham believed God, and God counted him as righteous because of his faith."
James 2:23-24(NLT): And so it happened just as the Scriptures say: "Abraham believed God, and God counted him as righteous because of his faith." He was even called the friend of God. So, you see we are shown to be right with God by what we do, not by faith alone.
What is the takeaway message?
When God asks you to step out and do something big, He’s not trying to rob you of anything. He wants to give you something greater. He has plans to give you hope and a future.
You might be going through a tough season right now. But God has a season of reaping and harvesting ahead for you. This song is meant to encourage how you get through your daily life, the decisions you make, and even the why behind those made choices.
Ultimately, when everything is stripped away, it comes down to faith. Crazy faith isn't about saying, "what kind of crazy thing can I do?" It's about walking with God to do the impossible. It means going into the unknown, where He's the only one who can get you across that mountain or that ocean that separates you from what He's called you to do.
Lyrics
I’ve been wandering through the desert Ain’t seen a cloud in forever Over me, but I believe The rain is coming I’ve been hangin’ on to high hopes Cuz you’re the one who’s making dry bones Come to life You’re the light I put my trust in
Every word you say’s gonna come true You will lead me to the promised land Everything you said’s gonna happen Even though I haven’t seen it yet
I will build a boat in the sand Where they say it never rains I will stand up in faith I’ll do anything it takes With Your wind in my sails Your love never fails or fades I’ll build a boat in the desert place And when the flood And the water starts to rise Yeah, I’ll ride the storm Cuz I got you by my side With your wind in my sails Your love never fails or fades I’ll build a boat so let it rain
You’re the map, you’re my compass You help me navigate the current Under me, take the lead I surrender
Every word you say’s gonna come true You will lead me to the promised land Everything you said’s gonna happen Even though I haven’t seen it yet
I will build a boat in the sand Where they say it never rains I will stand up in faith I’ll do anything it takes With Your wind in my sails Your love never fails or fades I’ll build a boat in the desert place And when the flood And the water starts to rise Yeah, I’ll ride the storm Cuz I got you by my side With your wind in my sails Your love never fails or fades I’ll build a boat so let it rain
Closing Thoughts
“Build a Boat” reminds me that we need to have the type of faith that Jesus describes in the Bible: "Blessed are those who have not seen and yet have believed." Being a Christian means that you walk by faith, not by sight.
Remember the definition of faith in Hebrews 11:1: "Faith is the confidence that what we hope for will actually happen; it gives us assurance about things we cannot see." If you think about the type of faith we are called to have as believers, it is described as the faith of a mustard seed.
Faith requires us to rely on the unseen. We walk by faith every day. Walking by faith and not by sight helps us to learn to trust God with our lives. Have faith. Ask Jesus in prayer to help you walk by faith. Meditate on God's infallible Word, the Bible, to help you keep perceptive on faith.
We want to control outcomes and want things to always go our way. Do you want to be in control? Or do you want God to reveal His plans for you? Waiting on God isn’t an easy endeavor, for sure. But it’s important. To help you on your way, ask yourself: are you waiting on you to work things out, or are you waiting on God to reveal Himself?
Colton's mission is all about writing and singing songs that reflect what it means to have freedom in Christ. “Build A Boat” sets me in the proper mindset to praise God for loving me so much that He gave His life away for all that was lost.
This upbeat song reminds me how much God loves us and that He is still with us, as we continue to walk through the coronavirus pandemic together. Are you allowing the Holy Spirit to work in your life? Are you spending time listening to Him? He'll make you free. He wants to hear from you. With everything going on in our world, we need the encouragement that God is with us and we're not alone.
“Build a Boat” connects to Romans 8:28 and the exhortation: "We are confident that God is able to orchestrate everything to work toward something good and beautiful when we love Him and accept His invitation to live according to His plan." That's what Colton Dixon’s music ministry is all about, loving God with all his heart, expressed in one catchy song after another.
God loves you so much. Lean on Him and He'll give you strength. We’re called as Christians to believe in the freedom that we have in Christ. Jesus came to die for us so that we can all truly live in Him—free from our baggage: addictions, insecurities, perfectionism, you name it.
“Build A Boat” is about submitting your worries, anxieties, and stressors to God and letting Him be your guide. He wants to walk beside you, and He wants you to be bold and unafraid.
Abraham was called a friend of God. He chose to not choose when he allowed his nephew Lot to choose which way to go, and Lot chose by sight. Then Abraham chose to walk by faith and not by sight, and God credited that to him as righteousness.
Righteousness comes from faith in the unseen, as Abraham displayed in the Bible. His "crazy faith" is why he is called a "Friend of God." That's the blessed hope we all share in God's Kingdom.
This song is for God's glory. When we are in communion with God, it’s joyful and not a burden. We’re all united in our struggles and spiritual warfare, and our desire for truth and relationship.
The Lord wants us to spend time with Him every day. This song is a great reminder to spend time reading His Word, The Holy Bible, and to have a relationship with Him in prayer.
This song encourages me to have crazy faith. Believe and sing along, “Every word you say’s gonna come true You will lead me to the promised land/Everything You said’s gonna happen/Even though I haven’t seen it yet.”Amen to that.
NRT Lead Contributor Kevin Davis is a long-time 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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