Be sure to watch Jeremy's Devotional Video for There Will Be A Day (link below)
Interlínc’s northwest regional director, Chris Renzelman, was able to sit down with Jeremy during a break at Creation West, and talk story. Here’s a bit of their conversation.
Jeremy: I feel like a new artist with these songs on the new album, Speaking Louder Than Before, and I am so excited. I feel so refreshed; God has been giving me a new vision. I cannot wait to get this new album out to show people what God has done. Being a father has changed my priorities completely; God has taken my heart and has done a lot of much-needed molding and shaping.
Chris: Tell me a little about the Family First Ambassador Award.
Jeremy: I’m from Lafayette, Indiana – which is an hour away from Indianapolis. So I’m a big Colts fan. Coach Dungy won this award one year. The Family First Ambassador Award is for people who have gone all over the country and shared Biblical principles about family. I didn’t think I was doing that. This award confirmed and encouraged me to continue to go out and share the Word of God (every time I play I share the Word of God), and to share about my family. Every night I tell stories about my kids, what they have done, and what God has done in their lives. Tony Dungy sent me a letter congratulating me and inviting me to a banquet for it. The award was a real honor.
This has been an exciting year in many ways, just on top of what the Lord has done. People sometimes ask me about what some of my most exciting experiences are. The first thing that pops in my head are the most joyful times and the peace I have in the presence of God, just spending time with Him. Things of this world are always fleeting. Things that are eternal are the exciting things that I remember. I’m being honest—I’ve thought about this. I have two little girls, Isabella and Arianne. Isabella just recently asked Jesus into her heart! I
was really skeptical, I was like, “Does she know the five points of salvation?”
Chris: How do you manage the challenges of being on the road and being the dad and the husband that you need to be?
Jeremy: It’s a challenge, for sure. I have been very busy on the road and writing the record, so my wife and I were butting heads the other day. I was like, “What’s going on?” and she said, “We just haven’t connected.” We are great now because we talk – communication is key. We have great communication. This season has been a little bit tougher, but it’s been the best because it has brought us closer.
Being involved in our church is really important to us. My wife is the worship leader. We meet with the pastor and his wife often. I am at church almost every Sunday – if not, we meet with our pastor to make sure we are having fellowship. I always bring my family with me if we are on a run that is more than a week. We did a three-week tour with tobyMac, so we took a family bus. The girls get a little stir crazy in a small area, but it’s so worth it that it doesn’t matter.
My wife is amazing; she loves to hear me talk about what I do. She loves to hear my testimony, she is a huge supporter and she understands. She is my prayer support—she gets on her knees.
Chris: What would you like to share with the youth leaders reading this interview?
Jeremy: I was reading recently in Mark 16 about going to all the nations and preaching the gospel to every creature. I started seeing the world in a place of desperation; it hit me heavily. I started thinking about my kids growing up in this society. I felt this sense of urgency and desperation for this generation. So I wrote “Speaking Louder Than Before” – the record’s title track.
“You are the light of the world...” Jesus said, because we are His representation. I wonder if we have really been representing the love of Christ. There has been such a departure from the Word of God, and people trying to use other things. The Word of God is living and active, and pierces through hearts. Some people really want to speak the truth, but there is no love involved. There are also those who don’t want to step on toes. If someone loves me and I am doing something that is very wayward, I want him or her to tell me. There is a lot of watered down stuff that is going on. I want to share with this generation to be grounded in the Word of God, to share your faith, but share it in love and serve. Christ was the ultimate example of serving, and the ultimate example of love. He spoke the truth, but He did it in love. “Actions speak louder than words” is true. However, if you also speak and share the truth, it speaks more loudly. That is the main point of this album, is to speak louder than before. Speak up, speak now, speak loud! |
