Axios: Come Alive

I don't often share the spotlight with anyone else on this blog. I like to keep things "All David, All the Time." So when I do offer a plug for someone else's project, you should take that to mean that there is a good reason.

On Tuesday, November 27th, my friends and former classmates in the worship band Axios will be releasing their first album, Come Alive. Here are three reasons that you should buy it and listen to it (besides the fact that they are all so good-looking, which I feel is so obvious that it can go unmentioned).

1. I'm not expert in music, but I really like music, and I like to think that I can recognize good music when I hear. And this album is good music. The bits of the album that I've heard absolutely rock. It's the kind of stuff that you can have playing while you're doing your dishes, and maybe you'll do a little jig in your kitchen when you're sure no one is standing outside your apartment's back door looking at you. (Not that I've done that, of course....) But in any case, if you like listening to worship music, or just to music in general, this album is for you.

2. One of my favorite things about Axios' songs is that the lyrics are heavily based in Scripture itself. I think that the Bible should be, not just our guide for doctrine and ethics, but our guide for worship as well. That's one of the great things about some of the classic hymns, and one of the reason that these hymns have remained in church tradition for so long is that they are grounded in the unchanging Word of God. It's a good thing when a worship song can use biblical phrasing and themes, and Axios' songs do that well. When you're singing or listening to these songs, your engaging with texts like Psalm 24, Romans 8, Ephesians 4, and Revelation 4 & 7. It's important for Christians to read, listen to, and study God's Word, and it's a big bonus when we can sing it too!

3. I've been to a lot of churches, conferences, and camps, and one thing I've noticed with some worship bands is that they treat what happens on the stage as the extent of their ministry. That's not how Axios rolls. One of the things I really respect about them is that they understand that ministry is about more than playing songs. They lead worship at a lot of youth camps and retreats, and they spend time getting to know kids and showing love to them, and that's what separates musicianship from ministry, I think. Also, they've partnered with an organization called Blackbox International, which aides boys who are rescued from sex trafficking throughout the world. Twenty percent of the proceeds from Come Alive will go to Blackbox International, so by purchasing a super-good album, you can also partner in that ministry, and everyone wins.

So on Tuesday, get yourself a copy of Come Alive on iTunes, or from Axios' website here. Also be sure to check out the band's Facebook here, their Twitter here, and their Youtube here.