Tony Cummings reports on singer/songwriter JOHN WALLER'S new album

John Waller

Followers of American CCM will know John Waller, best known for his song "Crazy Faith" featured in the hit Christian film War Room and "While I'm Waiting" from the movie Fireproof. Long-in-the-tooth readers might even remember that before his solo career, John's Georgia-based band According To John played the Cross Rhythms Festival back in 1999. Now he's back with a new album, 'Explosions Of Light', produced by two-time Dove Award-winning Producer Of The Year, Ian Eskelin.

It's been a difficult period for Waller. He admitted, "After touring extensively for 10 years straight, I settled into a rut. I began to survive instead of thrive. Everything I said from the stage was something God did in the past, but hardly ever what God was doing NOW."

Following this period of exhaustion, isolation and even depression, Waller had the opportunity to return to his roots as a worship leader. At the beginning of 2018, he moved with his wife and nine kids (including three adopted children) to Yuba City, California, accepting a position as worship pastor for the congregation at Hope Point Nazarene.

"This has been a huge change for us, but we could not be more happy," reflected Waller. "'Explosions Of Light' was the first song birthed here in California. It was written on my worship team's first writers' retreat. Inspired by something I heard Louie Giglio say once, 'Whenever we say things like "hallelujah" there is literally an explosion of light into the spirit realm!' I hope this song, somehow through the hand of God, might explode into the church and prepare the way for many worship songs to come!

"I don't take for granted the privilege of getting to make music," continued Waller. "After every album I do, I wonder if it could be the last, so I really make sure I put it all out there, investing my whole heart. This is by far the most upbeat and best album I've ever done."

'Explosions Of Light' features not only the light-hearted hit radio single and video, "Awakening (aka The Coffee Song)," which led Waller to launch Crazy Faith Coffee last year which Cross Rhythms wrote about when "Awakening" was released, but also the serious, gut-wrenching songs for which he is best known.

Said Waller, "'Mine' is about my kids and the Father's love for his children. The second verse literally talks about an incident where my 13-year-old daughter had a crush on and was texting with a 16-year-old boy. When I found out, I took that phone away. She doesn't understand the reason I get all like Liam Neeson, but that's a daddy's love for his little girl."

In the upbeat track, "You Say I Am," Waller declares that "because you ARE who You say You are, who I thought I was is blown apart. BECAUSE You are who You say You are, I am who YOU say I am."

Looking back over his long career in music ministry, John said, "God has definitely taught me to completely live by faith. God always provides. He always comes through, and one of the biggest things I've learned is that God's plan for each one our lives is not going to look like someone else's. He has a unique plan for every individual."