There's Always More

Use your talent . . . as a tool to minister to people.

Sitting in his bedroom as a teenager writing songs, Daniel Redmond never imagined he would perform his creations in front of thousands of people. He just wanted to put his ideas into lyrics and music. Whether his inspiration came from a sermon he heard, a movie he watched, or his personal walk with God, Daniel wanted to use his God-given talent to bring glory to Him.

And he has done just that. Daniel has written or co-written nine songs, including the title tracks, on The AXIS® Worship Band’s first two albums: i believe: The Album and Hero. And he did it all before his 18th birthday.

Daniel started playing drums when he was 6, wrote his first song at 8, and began playing the guitar as a high school freshman. Seeing people worshipping God to something he wrote brings tears to his eyes.

“It’s really cool to see where God used a situation in my life that could have been bad, and a song came out of it, and that song could help someone who might be going through the same thing,” he said. “It’s nice to be able to point people to God using what you are talented in. Just use your talent—whether it’s in sports, music, drama, as a mechanic, or whatever—as a tool to minister to people.”

Daniel got serious about his relationship with God when he was 15. He is now 20 and knows what a lot of young Christians face today. He said some of the biggest issues young people face other than drugs and sex are peer pressure, trying to please your parents and teachers, and trying to live up to other people’s expectations.

“I wish I could say I haven’t fallen into peer pressure,” he said. “It’s impossible to avoid peer pressure, but you have to be prepared prior to the situation. You need to know what you would do or want to do before the pressure is applied. You’re going to mess up occasionally, but give it to God and leave it in your past.”

Daniel said another way to avoid some obstacles in your relationship with God is to find out what you’re talented at and make it your focus. He mentioned that many weekends while others would be out, he would be at home practicing his guitar and writing songs.

One of the more popular songs he has written is “Hero,” inspired by a message he heard at a youth retreat. He had never thought of Jesus as a hero, but the speaker helped him realize that Jesus had come and truly saved the world. “I knew when I wrote ‘Hero’ that it was going to be something special,” he said. “I think that’s why I spent so much time on that one song. The process of writing it took three months from start to finish. There is a scripture for almost every phrase. It was kind of an experiment to see how much Word I could put in a song.

“Sometimes I write about where my relationship is with God or where I want it to be,” Daniel added. “I don’t think I’ve ever been really happy where I am in my relationship with God. People who are happy with their relationship with Him almost scare me. Wanting more has always been my driving force. When your walk with God is strong or when everything is going wrong, there is always more.

To order copies of Hero or i believe: The Album, call 1-800-54-FAITH (1-800-543-2484).
You can also download individual songs or the complete albums on iTunes, here's the link for Hero and i believe: The Album.