10 Questions with ... Shane Barnard

BRIEF CAREER SYNOPSIS:

Members:

• Shane Barnard
• Shane Everett

Discography:

• 1998 - Rocks Won't Cry, Shane Barnard (solo)
• 2001 - Psalms, Shane Barnard (solo)
• 2001 - Window to the Inner Court, Shane Everett (solo)
• 2002 - Psalms, Inpop
• 2003 - Carry Away, Inpop
• 2004 - Upstairs, Inpop
• 2004 - Clean, Inpop
• 2005 - An Evening With Shane & Shane, Inpop
• 2007 - Pages, Inpop
• 2008 - Glory in the Highest: A Christmas Record, Inpop
• 2009 - Everything Is Different, Inpop
• 2011 - The One You Need, Fair Trade Services
• 2013 - Bring Your Nothing, Fair Trade Services

1. Brief History....birthplace, childhood, schools, jobs, current hometown

I was born in Placerville, California and moved around the West Coast until elementary school when I landed in Texas. I was the son of a construction worker, so I did a lot of road construction growing up and some janitorial work as well. As far as schools go, I attended Texas Tech and transferred to Texas A&M, where toward the end of my time there, the Lord threw me a curve ball and helped me to play music for Him. I currently live with my wife, Beth, and two daughters, Lucy and Haven, outside of Dallas.

2. What does a normal day at home look like for you?

Every day is a little bit different-there's no real set routine. Typically, I wake up and spend some time with the Lord every day. I also usually take an hour or so several days a week to write music. I spend a good amount of the morning and evening with my family-playing with my two girls, whether it be building blocks, jumping on the trampoline, or working on our tree house. Right now, I am preparing something I call "Lucy's Kingdom." It's a monstrosity with a big old fort, playground, swing, sandbox and climbing wall!

3. What's the song that you just can't get out of your head right now? Why do you like it so much?

This is going to sound funny, but if I'm honest, it's probably going to be the theme song from Disney's "Little Einsteins." Literally, I used to hear it all the time having a one and a three-year-old. I can't get it out of my head.

4. How do you juggle life on the road with wanting to be home? How much do you travel, what are the challenges?

It's hard to juggle. There's no way around it being really hard, and so what we try to do it beg the Lord to open up the possibility to be at home more, and we feel like He's doing that. It also gives us the opportunity to be more involved in our local church, which is something Shane and I have felt called to for some time now.

5. What's the biggest "God moment" that you've ever experienced, personal or professional?

My biggest "God moment" would involve my father, who came to know the Lord when he was 65 years old. You would have to know my dad... he was this rough, John Waynesque person. It was truly awe-inspiring watching the scales fall from his eyes and heart, as he was being completely transformed by the saving power of Christ.

6. What's the last book you read?

"The Pursuit of God by A.W. Tozer." It was about how possible and essential it is to understand and know the manifest presence of God.

7. Tell me about how you became a believer. What caused you to want to serve God in full time ministry?

I became a believer in high school-completely out of the blue. I wasn't looking for God; I had never heard the Gospel. Late one night on top of my roof looking at the stars God started to draw me. So, I began to sneak away to my friend's church. He and I started to attend youth group together on Wednesday night, and I would tell my mom that I was going to go play basketball. Once I was there, I saw the love of the body and heard the Gospel, and the rest was history.

I never felt called to full-time ministry in the sense that we know it-as vocational ministry. I knew that I was going to be a minister of the Gospel all my days because that's what the Bible tells us to do.

8. Take us through a few of the songs on the latest Shane & Shane project, Bring Your Nothing. What's the "story behind the song"?

Well, the title track really is just a new way to say "grace." I think we will forever be trying to come up with new ways to speak/sing of the Gospel of Grace. Here's the deal: we come with NOTHING; He gives us EVERYTHING. In fact, that is what He requires ... NOTHING!

There's also a song called "You Loved my Heart to Death." It's taken me some time to REALLY believe that when Jesus said "It's done," He MEANT it. There is such a default setting in me that wants to earn my way to being loved by God. There is also a default setting in me that thinks I can un-earn my way to being loved by Him. Both, by His grace need to constantly be re-set by the Gospel of Grace. He loves me. Now. Even while the "old man" remains. He loves me. He loved my wretched heart to death.

Our first radio single, "That's How You Forgive," is a simple doxology of sorts, a meditation on Psalm 145. It's a corporate worship song that claims the truth of what we believe. "The Lord is gracious and compassionate, slow to anger and rich in love" (v 8). "The Lord is near to all who call on him, to all who call on him in truth. He fulfills the desires of those who fear him; he hears their cry and saves them" (vv 18-19). His AMAZING GRACE! The chorus of this song declares it: You lived the life I could never live/You died the death that I deserve/You rose to life and now You live!/That's how You forgive. The Gospel empowers us. Not just at one moment in our lives, but every day, every hour. Because of what He did, we are free! Free to live. Free to fail. Free to love. Free to give without return because all of the return we would ever need is found in Him! The response by radio to this song has been fantastic.

9. If you could go back and change three events/decisions in your life, what would they be, and why?

I can't think of any decision that I regret. Even though I have made some really stupid decisions, God has used those decisions to keep me humble. What the enemy meant for evil God has used for good.

10. Person you'd most like to have a discussion with, living or dead.....Deities are excused from this question

I would have to say Charles Spurgeon. He has been very influential in helping me to understand scripture, and I love and admire his unbelievable resolve in life.