I am so honored to share this stellar review from Jonathan Rodgers at The Rabbit Room. Jonathan captures so much about Sing the Bible Volume 2 in fewer words than I could have imagined possible.
Hear, O Israel—
The Lord your God, the Lord is One.
These commandments that I give to you today
Are to be on your hearts.
Impress them on your children.
Talk about them when you sit at home
And when you walk along the road.
When you lie down.
When you get up.
And when you ride around in your minivan, it could have said. And when you’re fixing lunch, and when you’re tempted to plop the kids down in front of the TV just to get them out of your hair for a little while, is that too much to ask?
Randall Goodgame’s Sing the Bible records don’t just offer up that kind of Scripture-saturation as an ideal to strive for; they create the conditions under which it becomes a reality, even a norm. Since I got my copy of Sing the Bible, Volume 2, my car has become a rolling Scripture sauna, where my kids and I breathe the shared air of word-for-word Bible verses…
As parents, we endure brutal, blatant selfishness from our children. We are all selfish, of course. But children have no problem with it. They are shamelessly selfish and it’s our job to point out the problem without putting them to shame.
Do nothing out of selfish ambition or vain conceit. Rather in humility, value others above yourselves. – Philippians 2:3
I love this passage from Scripture because my kids all want the biggest cookie or the biggest piece of cake. They all want to press the elevator button and they all want to go first. This verse leaves no room for argument. Don’t be that way.
In fact, Philippians 2:3 hits the message so squarely on the nose, that it seemed appropriate to communicate the truth in humor – to insure a spirit of grace alongside conviction.
That’s the great Nickie Conley singing “shoob it up” on the intro – Nickie is one of Nashville’s great treasures, both as a vocalist and as a person. She also sang alto on Volume 2’s gospel choir.
I also got a gang of buddies to “politely shout” different lines during the chorus. That was so fun. I can’t wait for you all to hear it!
Sing the Bible with Slugs & Bugs Volume 2 will officially release on March 18th at www.slugsandbugs.com
It’s official! The RELEASE DATE for Sing the Bible with Slugs & Bugs Volume 2 is Friday, March 18th!
Until then, we’ll be introducing the story – why I chose these verses, why they matter to you, as well as who was involved and how the music came to life.
And there’s so much more to come! In 2016, we will release Sing the Bible Volume 2 (March 18), a Slugs & Bugs app with loads of features including a multi-person Scripture memorization game (April/May), a family devotional kit (July/August), and a whole new Sing the Bible with Slugs & Bugs Live Concert!
In short, our vision is grand. We are hoping to revolutionize the way music-listening families absorb and grow in the knowledge of God’s Word. My close friends would tell you, I’m not usually one for bold pronouncements or grand visions. I am generally quiet, low key, and prefer a (very) small group over a crowd. In this case, my confidence comes from the peace in my spirit, and the belief that I have been gifted for and called to this role.
That said, please pray for me. This is God’s business, and I don’t want to fall behind or run ahead, but only to walk in step with the leading of His Spirit. Pray for me to keep my hands open to whatever he brings, be it tears or laughter (although I generally prefer tears of laughter). And pray for my family. They are the quiet and constant Slugs & Bugs life-support system.
Thanks everyone! I’m so glad you’ve found your way into the world of Slugs & Bugs, and I hope you’ll come back soon for the beginning of our story!
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Randall Goodgame is the founder of Slugs & Bugs Family Music. He loves parenting, ping pong, and peanut butter cups. To book a concert or speaking engagement, contact Micah Watson – by clicking here.
To order the Dove Award nominated Sing the Bible with Slugs & Bugs Vol 1 – click here.
Today is Labor Day in the U.S., and many of our countrymen have the day off. However, Ben and I decided to work a few hours, just to stay on schedule.
Also, today may be our last chance to record my daughter, Livi Goodgame. Because of her high school class schedule, cross country schedule, and violin practice/lessons/fiddle group schedule, Livi can be hard to, well, schedule.
She has sung on every S&B CD, and she’s been a huge part of Slugs & Bugs this year, so we spent from 10 to 2 recording Livi and her mom, Amy (my harmoniously gifted wife).
They sang background vocals on Masterpiece and Hear, O Israel. Even though it was technically work on a holiday, we still had a great time. Here’s a few pics and a VERY brief video.
After day three, I came home and played the Ten Commandments song for my kids. Ben and I had taken some musical risks in the production, and I hadn’t felt great about the chorus melody, so I should have seen it coming when my kids responded lukewarmly. That night, feeling disappointment and gratitude in equal parts, I drifted into a fitful sleep.
I woke at 3:37 am wednesday morning, reimagined and rewrote the entire verse (which lists The Commandments) and worked on the chorus melody until I LOVED it. I finished with just enough time to brew the morning coffee and bring a cup to my slowly rising Amy.
I was nervous to bring all this up to Ben, but he took it like a champ and once he heard the changes, we both thanked God for my kiddos and their honest responses. The song is better because of them!
There’s not much else to report about Wednesday because we spent almost the entire day reworking the Ten Commandments song. I added ukelele and tambourine, sang the new vocals and then sent it to our “guest artist” who must not be named, but who may be be named later.
Wait – I can’t believe almost forgot! Frankenstein and Dracula also stopped by and put down some scratch vocals. They only had a minute so we recorded them together. Their vocal tones are very different, but both sounded great on Ben’s old Sony C37-P microphone.
In other news, it was the first day of 2nd grade for our son Benjamin, and he loves his new teacher! Our son Jonah also started this week (at a new school) and so far, so good.
As you may have heard, we’re about to launch our Kickstarter campaign for Sing the Bible Volume 2. We are currently waiting on Kickstarter to approve our page, and then we hope you’ll help us start spreading the word like crazy.
To give you a peek into what’s coming, here are a few of the Scriptures that we’ve already found melodies for. They may not all make the CD, but they are all in the running.
Psalm 90:14
Satisfy us in the morning with your steadfast love,
that we may rejoice and be glad all our days.
Isaiah 41:10
Fear not, for I am with you;
be not dismayed, for I am your God;
I will strengthen you, I will help you,
I will uphold you with my righteous right hand.
Deuteromony 6:4, 6-7
4 Hear, O Israel: The Lord our God, the Lord is one. — 6 These commandments that I give you today are to be on your hearts. 7 Impress them on your children. Talk about them when you sit at home and when you walk along the road, when you lie down and when you get up. 8 Tie them to your hands and wear them on your forehead as reminders. 9 Write them on the doorposts of your house and on your gates.
Psalm 25:4-5
Show me your ways, Lord,
teach me your paths.
Guide me in your truth and teach me,
for you are God my Savior,
and my hope is in you all day long.
Matthew 6:25-26, 28-33
“Therefore I tell you, do not worry about your life, what you will eat or drink; or about your body, what you will wear. Is not life more than food, and the body more than clothes?26 Look at the birds of the air; they do not sow or reap or store away in barns, and yet your heavenly Father feeds them.
28 “And why do you worry about clothes? See how the flowers of the field grow. They do not labor or spin. 29 Yet I tell you that not even Solomon in all his splendor was dressed like one of these. 30 And if God so clothes the grass of the field, which today is alive and tomorrow is thrown into the fire, will he not much more clothe you— o you of little faith?31 So do not worry, saying, ‘What shall we eat?’ or ‘What shall we drink?’ or ‘What shall we wear?’ 32 For the people who do not know God run after all these things, and your heavenly Father knows that you need them. 33 But seek first his kingdom and his righteousness, and all these things will be given to you as well.
Isaiah 40:28-31
Do you not know?
Have you not heard?
The Lord is the everlasting God,
the Creator of the ends of the earth.
He will not grow tired or weary,
and his understanding no one can fathom. 29 He gives strength to the weary
and increases the power of the weak. 30 Even youths grow tired and weary,
and young men stumble and fall; 31 but those who hope in the Lord
will renew their strength.
They will soar on wings like eagles;
they will run and not grow weary,
they will walk and not be faint.
Psalm 32:1-5
1 Oh, what joy for those
whose disobedience is forgiven,
whose sin is put out of sight! 2 Yes, what joy for those
whose record the Lord has cleared of guilt,[b]
whose lives are lived in complete honesty! 3 When I refused to confess my sin,
my body wasted away,
and I groaned all day long. 4 Day and night your hand of discipline was heavy on me.
5 Finally, I confessed all my sins to you
and stopped trying to hide my guilt.
I said to myself, “I will confess my rebellion to the Lord.”
And you forgave me! All my guilt is gone.
Matthew 5:16
Let your light shine so that men might see your good deeds and glorify your father in heaven.
2 Corinthians 5:17
Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, the new creation has come:The old has gone, the new has come!
Mark 16:15
And he said to them, “Go into all the world and proclaim the gospel to the whole creation.
Philipians 2:3
Do nothing out of selfish ambition or vain conceit. Rather, in humility value others above yourselves
2 Corinthians 9:6-7
Whoever sows sparingly will also reap sparingly, and whoever sows generously will also reap generously. 7Each of you should give what you have decided in your heart to give, not reluctantly or under compulsion, for God loves a cheerful giver.
Eph 2:8-10
For it is by grace you have been saved, through faith—and this is not from yourselves, it is the gift of God— 9 not by works, so that no one can boast. 10 For we are God’s masterpiece. He has created us anew in Christ Jesus, so we can do the good things he planned for us long ago.
Ephesians 3:14-19 14 For this reason I kneel before the Father, 15 from whom every family[a] in heaven and on earth derives its name. 16 I pray that out of his glorious riches he may strengthen you with power through his Spirit in your inner being, 17 so that Christ may dwell in your hearts through faith. And I pray that you, being rooted and established in love, 18 may have power, together with all the Lord’s holy people, to grasp how wide and long and high and deep is the love of Christ, 19 and to know this love that surpasses knowledge—that you may be filled to the measure of all the fullness of God.
Isaiah 53:5-6
5 By his wounds we are healed.
6 All we like sheep have gone astray;
we have turned—every one—to his own way;
and the Lord has laid on him
the iniquity of us all.
2 Peter 1:3-4
His divine power has given us everything we need for life and godliness through our knowledge of him who called us by his own glory and goodness. 4 Through these he has given us his very great and precious promises, so that through them you may participate in the divine nature, having escaped the corruption in the world caused by evil desires.
1 John 3:18-20 18 Dear children, let us not love with words or speech but with actions and in truth. 19 This is how we know that we belong to the truth and how we set our hearts at rest in his presence: 20 If our hearts condemn us, we know that God is greater than our hearts, and he knows everything.
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Thank you for helping us spread the word! As you know, in this new world of independent music making, we are all in it together, and you guys are ninjas at crowdfunding. Thanks for being the best supporters in the whole world! We could not make this music without you!
I hope you are excited to see the verses we’ve made into songs, and stay tuned. The Kickstarter launch is right around the corner!!
Randall Goodgame’s Sing the Bible records don’t just offer up that kind of Scripture-saturation as an ideal to strive for; they create the conditions under which it becomes a reality, even a norm. Since I got my copy of Sing the Bible, Volume 2, my car has become a rolling Scripture sauna, where my kids and I breathe the shared air of word-for-word Bible verses…
Today is Labor Day in the U.S., and many of our countrymen have the day off. However, Ben and I decided to work a few hours, just to stay on schedule.
Slugs and Bugs 