After a three-year departure,
Audio Adrenaline lead singer Mark Stuart and bassist Will McGinniss return with some of their favorite emerging voices of worship as the
Know Hope Collective, a ground-breaking initiative that combines worship music with stories of hope and inspiration. The Know Hope Collective will be an ever-changing group of musicians from a variety of backgrounds who come together to create worship music and share their unique experiences and testimonies. The group introduces new cuts on their debut album
Know Hope including “Attention” and “Jealous God,” and re-works some Audio Adrenaline hits like “Ocean Floor,” “Good Life” and “Hands and Feet.”
I got the opportunity to interview Know Hope Collective member Will McGinniss about their catchy new single “Build Us Back.” Here are the answers to the questions I asked Will.
Please tell me the message behind the song “Build Us Back.” Do you have any personal application regarding your walk as a Christian in writing the song?
Mark Stuart started writing the song based on his experience of personally surviving the earthquakes in Haiti as he was there with his wife during that terrifying event. Many times a year we each visit the
Hands and Feet orphanage we helped build in Haiti, and Mark was there when the devastating earthquakes shook the country. He was in the process of adopting some children. Mark and I are in the same small group of guys who meet for a Bible study. Our pastor encouraged us to write songs about our life experiences. God is the author of our stories, and we’ve used our experiences to mentor younger musicians at our church which led to forming Know Hope Collective. “Jealous God,” “Attention” and “Build Us Back” all came from Mark’s experience in Haiti.
Did you base the song on any Bible verses?
O you afflicted one, Tossed with tempest, and not comforted, Behold, I will lay your stones with colorful gems, And lay your foundations with sapphires. I will make your pinnacles of rubies, Your gates of crystal, And all your walls of precious stones. All your children shall be taught by the LORD, And great shall be the peace of your children.
1 Peter 2:4-5
Coming to Him as to a living stone, rejected indeed by men, but chosen by God and precious, you also, as living stones, are being built up a spiritual house, a holy priesthood, to offer up spiritual sacrifices acceptable to God through Jesus Christ.
How can listeners apply that message in their walks as Christians when they listen to the song and the new album?
We realized after Audio Adrenaline that there are a lot of talented people who don’t fit the traditional Christian music mold. Maybe they like to perform but don’t want a record deal. Or there’s a mainstream artist who loves praise and worship. Know Hope Collective is just a safe place where they can write and play and sing. God was breaking down some walls for us during our sabbatical and through that small group, pulling back pretences and getting us to a gut-level place. We want to take people there as well, so they might be more receptive to God’s Spirit as it moves through worship, give the pen back to God and let Him author our stories. God holds us in our moments when we need Him the most.
We’ve been crumbled, we’ve been crushed
City walls have turned to dust
Broken hands and blistered feet
We walk for miles to find relief
When the thief takes, when our hopes cave
You build us back
You build us back
When the earth shakes, when the world breaks
You build us back
You build us back
We are scared, we are poor
All our safety nets are torn
We’ve been humbled to our knees
From these ruins, we believe
Redeemer, redeem us
Restorer, restore us
Oh build us back
Though the mountains be shaken, the hills be removed
Your unfailing love remains
After all that’s been taken, Your promise, still sacred
You build us back with precious stones
Standout song “Build Us Back” has already been recorded by Newsboys, and you must hear this version as it has completely captivated me and become one of my personal worship anthems. You’ll be singing at the top of your lungs, especially the incredible bridge “Redeemer, redeem us, Restorer, restore us, Oh build us back, Though the mountains be shaken, the hills be removed, Your unfailing love remains, After all that’s been taken, Your promise, still sacred, You build us back with precious stones.” The song literally gives me chills and is a standout worship song. As God promises us in Isaiah 54:11-13, He’ll “build us back” with precious stones. What a great promise from our Redeemer, Restorer and Savior! Amen.
You can listen to the song
here.
