On the heels of his prior release of Suffering Servant, Believin’ Stephen brings us a musical offering that tackles unbelief and how to deal with it. Throughout the Scriptures, you constantly see the threats and manifestations of unbelief, whether it’s a prophet, scholar, or shepherd, it’s something that is known by everyone.
It’s funny how this year God impressed on my heart that He will open my eyes to the grace of God and all its facets, and here’s an album that touches on probably the biggest stronghold/struggle that the grace of God enables us to overcome.
I’ve also personally witnessed the effects of unbelief upon people I care deeply about, and with the times we’re living in, it’s definitely an on-time subject. The album starts with him crying out for his need for God to help him in his struggles of trials that brings him to unbelief. It also includes sound bites from John Piper’s sermon on battling unbelief. In fact, this whole album is based on Piper’s book/sermon on unbelief, as he continues to have a heavy influence on the artists of CHH. Big Juice brought an orchestral feel to the intro, which he has been doing well lately (his “Mayday” remix was a musical score). I liked the way this intro started, yet felt him rapping at the end was unnecessary, especially with the flow he put to it.
Speaking of my issue with his flow in the intro, there were more than a few songs where he tried different flows so that he would have variety, but it just didn’t work well for me. Then, when he found a good flow, like in the chorus of “Cast My Cares,” he kept repeating it in some of his verses AND even in “Voices” as well, which made it lose its uniqueness and took away from a good song. As we move into “Don’t Be Afraid,” the first actual track of the album, Theory Hazit provides him with a perfect east-coast template of a beat. The story of Peter being called out by Jesus to walk on water is a common example of how faith works versus unbelief and the results that come from them both. The message is straightforward, a good dose of encouragement to not be afraid, in spite of what you see.
After “Don’t Be Afraid,” the few other songs that stood out to me were “Mind Wars,” “Promised Land,” and “Battling Together.” Simply put, “Mind Wars” is THE defining song of this whole album for me personally, for Datin’s lyricism and Stephen’s raw reality and flow expressed makes for a poignant expression of the weight of unbelief and its manifestation in the life of a believer. “Battling Together” expresses such an important point; that we need help when we’re going through these trials. He mentions suicidal thinking, which was spoken of in his song “Suicide” in his last album, and speaks on loneliness while single. These kinds of struggles more often than not are gone through alone by many in the body of Christ, which is an unfortunate reality. Isolation is one of the biggest weapons used by the enemy to discourage us in this walk. If anything, as you listen to this album, may this need for encouraging others reach your heart so that you and I can make a difference for someone who’s struggling as you read this.
One thing I appreciated with this album is Stephen’s good use of features. From Selah the Corner to ThaKiddJopp, BumpsInf, and others, they came strong on this project and some even stronger than Stephen himself. The only issue I had with the features was some of the singing/melody decisions made.
The transparent nature of this album cannot be minimized in any way here. To offer any less would’ve done this topic a disservice, yet to do more would’ve made it merely voyeuristic to the listener, so there was a perfect balance there. I appreciated the level of sensitivity Stephen had on all the angles of unbelief and what it does in our lives when it comes against us. Even though I was disappointed in some flow choices, melodies, or even production, I felt that this topic was conveyed in a sober, humble, and sensitive manner. I even found the things conveyed here influenced me as I prepared to preach a sermon on unbelief at a church service recently. For those who are struggling with this very issue right now, you will find comfort in Christ, and this album by Stephen definitely serves as an encouragement to never give up. The importance of this topic had me really looking forward to this album, and I even hoped that my score for this could’ve been higher considering the issues covered are SO necessary, but regardless of the score I know this will be a great help to those who need to hear. To those in this very thing right now, keep fighting the good fight of faith, be intimate with Him, trust in the Lord who loves you, and know that His grace is sufficient towards you.
