Platinum selling artist Mark Schultz is set to release his first studio project in three years with his forthcoming album, All Things Possible, on September 4. During his career Schultz has been widely embraced for his hit songs such as, "He's My Son", "Remember Me", "Letters From War", and "I Am." The album is Schultz's debut release from his new label home, Fair Trade Services.

Originally hailing from Colby, Kansas, Mark Schultz moved to Nashville to pursue his musical ambitions and found inspiration while working as a youth pastor. Schultz booked a show at the city's famed Ryman Auditorium and with the overwhelming support of friends and family, the show was a sell-out. This virtually unheard-of feat for a new artist landed Schultz a record deal where he went on to sell over 1.3 million albums and garner 10 No. 1 singles to date.

 

Schultz is no stranger to possibilities – from selling out the famed Ryman Auditorium in Nashville as an independent artist and youth leader, to biking 3,500 miles across the country raising money for widows and orphans. All Things Possible brings in a fresh perspective into Schultz's writing, as the multi-award-winning artist celebrated becoming a father with the birth of he and his wife Kate's first child earlier this year, and worked with The James Fund, a non-profit that works with aiding widows and orphans around the world. Schultz also took an extended trip this past year to Italy with Kate to work on new music for the anticipated studio project. Produced by Pete Kipley (MercyMe/Phil Wickham) and Seth Mosley (Newsboys), the release boasts new emotionally powerful music from the hit songwriter.

 

"I found when I join God in doing work He says is important to Him, He will use us to do things we once saw as impossible," says Schultz. "This album is a reflection of my journey to embracing possibilities and I hope it encourages others of God's promise that through Him, all things are possible!"

 

I had the chance to interview Mark about his album and current single "All Things Possible." 

 

Please share the background story that led you to write the song.
 

I heard a quote from Bono of U2 where he said, "Stop asking God to bless what you're doing and do what God's doing because it's already blessed." In 2007, I started by dipping my toes in the Pacific Ocean and began a punishing 3,500-mile bike ride across the U.S. to raise money for orphans and widows via the James Fund. We took off from the Pacific and I thought, God is in this. Forty miles into it, I'm out of shape, but I'm thinking, God is still into this. And then I got to the first mountain and I thought, I'm not sure God is into this anymore. My muscles ached and doubts nagged, but I was completely over it after my first concert stop, a church outside Palm Springs, Calif.

There I played for only 400 people and thought we wouldn't raise much money. I did a set list I'd never done before, I told stories I'd never told before. The minister took an offering and afterwards he said, “I don't know what you're used to, but for his little church, it's really good.” They had raised more than $20,000. At that point, I knew God was blessing the trip. Even the days when it was hard to get through and I wanted to give up, the thought of raising money for widows and orphans made all the difference.

 

Matthew 19:26: Jesus looked at them and said, "With man this is impossible, but with God all things are possible."

 

...Matthew 17:20: He replied, "Because you have so little faith. Truly I tell you, if you have faith as small as a mustard seed, you can say to this mountain, ‘Move from here to there,' and it will move. Nothing will be impossible for you."

 

...and James 1:27: Religion that God our Father accepts as pure and faultless is this: to look after orphans and widows in their distress and to keep oneself from being polluted by the world.

 

How has that passage and the message of this song been a part of your life?
 

During that bike ride trip across the country, I realized that when I was relying on my own strength, I was limited with what I could accomplish. When I started to focus on the purpose behind this bike ride, to answer God's call to us to care for widows and orphans, I saw all the amazing paths God would open up for us. Not only did I make it across the country in His strength, we were able to raise more than we had hoped. What is impossible with man is possible with God. I read in James that true religion is about caring for orphans and widows. Not if you are bored or if you have extra time on the weekends, but as a command. I thought, that's a call to action and it's something that God blesses because God tells us to do it. I was adopted when I was two weeks old. I had brought a book with me on the trip with pictures of orphans I had met in Mexico. I would tape their pictures to my handlebars. I would ride for a certain child each day. After a 62 day trip, and raising over a quarter of a million dollars for widows and orphans, I knew that wasn't possible from me, but by having God as my strength.

 

 

Asbury's Bible commentary: "Jesus assures His disciples that those who have forsaken all things to come after Him will be well rewarded, in blessings both of the present life and of the life to come. Thus, many who are first will be last, and many who are last will be first. In other words, those who put themselves first by grasping for earthly things will be last in terms of spiritual and eternal rewards; whereas those who put themselves last by forsaking earthly things to follow Jesus will be richly rewarded by Christ. To be a disciple, then, one must cast aside everything that stands in the way of complete surrender to Jesus. Jesus recognizes that the one thing that was standing between this man and discipleship was love for his possessions. The man's refusal to sell his possessions and give to the poor made discipleship to Jesus, and eternal life, impossible for him."

 

I've been collecting every song by Mark Schultz since his debut self-titled album and his sincere songwriting and pure vocals have always caught my attention. The emotion behind his songs "He's My Son", "When You Come Home", "Letters From War", "Walking Her Home", and "Love Has Come" have all made my regular rotation of my favorite songs of the past dozen years in CCM. On this new album, from the emotional power behind first single "All Things Possible," to his story-songs of encouragement "One Day", "Love Walked In", and "More To You Than This", and the upbeat song "I Gave Up", this album has me singing along in praise to my God and Savior from start to finish.

 

Mark has written another great anthem for the Church that reminds us that under our own strength many mountains we face will seem impossible, but with God all things are possible. The same goes for salvation. We can't earn Heaven, it’s only through complete surrender to Jesus and putting all of our hope in Him can we be saved. As Christians, we all can loudly proclaim the bridge: "My God is strong and mighty / My God is faithful / My hope is in the Lord / For He is able, For He is able." Amen to that!

 

(You can watch a lyrics video here.)