Look Up
by Marcus Kenny, Dana Johnson & Nick Starr
One of the greatest issues facing people today is identity. A poor identity or one that falls short of truth is so common. When the song “Look Up” was birthed, my hope was for children and young people (or anyone, for that matter) to be able to look beyond the opinions of man to discover the truth about themselves. I felt God wanted to say, “If only you could see who I see when I look at you!”
In the chorus, we had three ideas we wanted to get across:
“Look Up” – to see what God is really saying about you.
“Look In” – to see what He put inside you, the special qualities that define who you are and what you’re capable of. “Look Out” – to see where He wants you to go, who He wants you to reach out to.
“Look Up” is all about Jesus. It’s looking to Him, finding yourself in Him, and never letting go.
Gonna Love You
by Dana Johnson & Stephen Petree
Being a children’s pastor is the greatest thing, I think. One Sunday before morning service started, I jotted down a little chorus I simply called, “Gonna Love You.” As we began to sing it with the kids, I felt like we were all telling Jesus, “I know I may let other things get in the way sometimes, but I’m gonna love You with all my heart!” More than just a statement, it became a promise to reach for something more with our Savior.
A few years later, a friend of mine, Stephen Petree, challenged me to make a complete song out of it. He wrote some verse lyrics, I put music to them and here is where we arrived. Do You hear that, God? I’m gonna love You with all of my heart!
How Great Your Love Is
by Dana Johnson
One day, I found myself thinking about trying to measure God. I was almost daydreaming—not really working at it, just wondering what part of nature would be the best comparison. After a few minutes, I started getting serious about it. Trying to think of different things we might measure with. Before long, I got this idea. If I talked about all of God’s creation, could I describe exactly how big God’s love is?
Within a few minutes, I was looking at the lyrics of “How Great Your Love Is.” As grand as creation is, God’s love cannot be measured by it. No matter how big the mountain is, His love is bigger. Even the sound of the ocean’s roar, God’s love shouts louder. Nature has limits; God’s love doesn’t! I initially wrote this song thinking from a kid’s perspective, but have never grown tired of it. Every time I hear it I feel exhilarated—I hope you do too!
One Way (All The Way Out)
by Dana Johnson & Stephen Petree
Several years ago, my wife, Linda, and daughter, Jenni, were working on a theme for a children’s ministry event we were going to oversee. Linda came up with “One Way” as our theme. With that big question on my mind, I had two lines pop into my head and they wouldn’t leave. They were, “I heard Your voice again today. I felt Your heartbeat in the rain.” With that start, I wrote “One Way.” Within a few months, a friend added “All The Way Out” and it became a hit with the kids we were ministering to.
After completing this song, I realized there were some pretty cool lyrical ideas that I didn’t really think out as I was writing it. Jesus knows all the good music! This song is simply a musical (and fun!) way to declare truth. Access to our heavenly Father comes only one way … through Jesus Christ!
Secret Place
by Dana Johnson
Several years ago, shocking news spread across our nation. A boy had gone on a rampage at a high school, shooting and killing other young people. As I read what some of those kids went through, I thought about all the children I knew, and wondered what would happen if they found themselves in that sort of situation. I wondered what I would feel if I’d been there.
I went into my room with my guitar with no plan to write anything. I was just going to strum out a few chords and try to get past feeling sad. Out of the blue, I heard the Lord speak, “He who dwells in the secret place of the Most High abides under the shadow of the Almighty.” (Yes, God quotes Scripture!) I memorized Psalm 91 several years before, but had never understood what the “secret place” was.
As I began to read and write, I saw clearly for the first time that the Psalm 91 “secret place” was one of ultimate security in God. It’s a fortress where danger and violence can’t intrude, where arrows miss their mark and, regardless of chaos around us, we’re safe.
The Psalm 91 “secret place” is reserved for two—God and His child.
You
by Dana Johnson
“You” is a special song to me. I was in Spring Hill, Tennessee, working on my son’s home, making some modifications to it. While I was there, I stayed with BJ and Julie Goss, some dear friends in Nashville. During the days while I was working alone, I had an idea for a song. All I could really be sure of was that on the chorus, kids would be shouting, “You, You, You, only You!” I had fiddled around with some basic song structure, but couldn’t seem to land on anything that felt right.
One night I played the chorus idea for Julie. She said, “You have to finish that song, I can hear kids singing it!” I think the Goss songwriting gift (and persistence!) got on me to stay with it. The rest of the trip, I borrowed a small guitar from Julie’s kids and kept at it. What was originally a construction trip turned into “You”—a song that kids would sing for God. Sweet!
