The Stories Behind the Songs
Every song on The Narrow Gate album tells a story — born out of prayer, reflection, and real struggles of faith. Each track connects a biblical truth to the human journey of doubt, surrender, hope, and redemption.
Track 1 – The Narrow Gate
Theme: Choosing the path of faith and sacrifice, even when it’s difficult
Bible Passage: Matthew 7:13–14
Song’s Backstory:
The idea for The Narrow Gate traces back to one of Kyle and Aaron’s first late-night conversations in Aaron’s dorm room—not long after Kyle gave his life to Christ. They were talking about what it really means to follow Jesus when the world pulls you in every other direction. That moment stuck with Kyle for years. When it came time to write the title track, he wanted to capture the heart of that conversation—the realization that faith isn’t meant to be easy or popular, but real and personal. The song became a reminder of that defining choice every believer faces: to follow the crowd, or to follow Christ.
Track 2 – Runaway
Theme: The longing for home, redemption, and returning after being spiritually lost, a “prodigal” theme.
Bible Passage: Luke 15:11–32 (The Prodigal Son)
Song’s Backstory:
Runaway was born out of one of the most defining moments in Kyle’s life. During his freshman year of college, when he was far from God and chasing everything the world had to offer, Aaron invited him to a Campus Crusade meeting. That night, the speaker told the story of the prodigal son — a son who ran, fell, and finally found his way home. The message struck a chord deep within Kyle’s heart. It was there, in that moment of conviction and grace, that he surrendered his life to Christ. Runaway became the first song he ever wrote as a believer — a raw reflection of that homecoming, and a reminder that no matter how far we run, God’s love is always chasing us with a desire to bring us back home.
Track 3 – Broken Strings
Theme: When we feel too broken or unworthy to be used by God, His grace meets us there—restoring what’s damaged and bringing redemption through imperfection.
Bible Passage: 2 Corinthians 12 : 9
Song’s Backstory:
Broken Strings was written during a difficult stretch in the band’s early journey, when exhaustion, self-doubt, and setbacks made it feel like everything was coming undone. One night after practice, Caleb sat staring at his guitar, frustrated that he couldn’t get the sound right—until one of the strings actually snapped. That simple moment sparked a thought that turned into a prayer: What if God still plays through broken strings?
In colaboration with Caleb, Kyle later turned those words into a song that captured the heart of what they were all learning—that God doesn’t wait for us to have it all together. He uses our cracks, our weakness, and our scars to let His grace and strength shine through.
Track 4 – Ashes and Embers
Theme: When everything feels lost or destroyed, be it dreams, relationships, or even faith, God can still breathe life into what remains. From the ashes, hope begins to rise again.
Bible Passage: Isaiah 61 : 3
Song’s Backstory:
This song was born from Hannah’s personal story. After a painful relationship and an even more painful breakup, she felt like her life and faith had crumbled. The person she’d become didn’t reflect the faith she’d grown up with, and she carried deep shame for drifting so far from who she wanted to be.
One night, sitting across from Kyle after practice, she opened up about everything, the heartbreak, the emptiness, and the quiet sense that maybe God was done with her. But instead of judgment, Kyle offered compassion, reminding her that ashes aren’t the end of the story. Together, they began writing Ashes and Embers, a song about how God can bring to life what we thought was long dead.
Its haunting melody mirrors the ache of loss, but as the song builds, it captures the miracle of renewal, when grace flickers back to life like a faint coal glowing beneath the ruins.
Track 5 – Still Waters
Theme: Finding peace and hearing God’s voice amid the noise and chaos of life — learning to be still when everything around you feels overwhelming.
Bible Passage: Psalm 46 : 10 & Psalm 23 : 2
Song’s Backstory:
The idea for Still Waters began one morning during the band’s devotion time. Aaron was sharing about a season in his life when he struggled to hear God’s voice, not because God wasn’t speaking, but because the noise of life had grown too loud. Between busyness, expectations, and his own self-doubt, he realized how easy it was to mistake silence for absence.
As he spoke, he admitted that he’d been working on a quiet, reflective melody at the keyboard, something that felt peaceful and steady, almost like a prayer. Kyle immediately recognized it as the foundation for a song about learning to be still before God.
Together, they shaped Still Waters into a reminder that faith doesn’t always roar; sometimes, it whispers. It’s about finding calm in the midst of life’s storm and rediscovering the quiet voice of the Shepherd who leads us beside still waters.
Track 6 – Wilderness Within
Theme: The struggle of spiritual dryness — learning to trust that God is still present and guiding us, even when we can’t feel His presence.
Bible Passage: Psalm 13 : 1–2
Song’s Backstory:
Wilderness Within was born during a quiet moment at a band retreat. Jordan had opened up about a season in his life when he felt spiritually empty, like every prayer he prayed was just bouncing off the ceiling. He spoke about how he related to the Israelites during their forty years in the wilderness, wandering, waiting, and wrestling with obedience while wondering if God was still with them.
That reflection struck a chord with everyone in the room. Out of his honesty came the heart of the song, an acknowledgment that faith doesn’t always feel strong, and sometimes the hardest act of worship is simply choosing to trust when you can’t see or feel the way forward.
The track captures that quiet perseverance, the sound of someone walking through the wilderness, step by step, believing that even in silence, God is still near and still leading the way.
Track 7 – Shifting Shadows
Theme: Wrestling with doubt, fear, and the remnants of a broken past, learning to stand firm in faith even when darkness creeps in.
Bible Passage: Psalm 42 : 11 & Psalm 23 : 4
Song’s Backstory:
Shifting Shadows was born out of Kyle’s early years after finding salvation during college. Though his life had changed, he was still learning what it meant to walk in that new light. The guilt of his past often came back to haunt him — old habits, lingering shame, and the fear that if he couldn’t live up to God’s standards, maybe God would turn away from him.
During one late-night conversation with Aaron, he opened up about that inner battle — how faith sometimes felt like standing between light and darkness, between who he used to be and who he was becoming. “It’s like the shadows never stay still,” he said. “You think you’re past them, and then they move again.”
That moment became the seed of the song. Shifting Shadows is a reflection on the tension of early faith — the fear, the doubt, and the quiet voice of the enemy whispering that you’re still not enough. But it’s also a declaration that God’s light doesn’t waver, even when our hearts do.
It’s a reminder that grace holds steady, even when we walk through the shifting shadows.
Track 8 – Shattered Crown
Theme: Laying down pride and surrendering control, letting Christ take His rightful place as King of our hearts.
Bible Passage: Mark 8 : 35–36 & Matthew 6 : 19–21
Song’s Backstory:
The inspiration for Shattered Crown came early in the band’s journey, during one of their group Bible studies. The passage they were reading focused on surrender, how Jesus calls His followers to deny themselves and take up their cross daily. It led to a deep discussion about what it truly means for Christ to be King in our lives.
Hannah used the image of giving Jesus control of the car, letting Him sit in the driver’s seat instead of just riding along. Caleb took it a step further. He said that before we find salvation, most of us are quite content being “the king of our own little kingdom.” We wear our own crown, pride, ego, and self-sufficiency, and we sit on the throne of our heart, ruling life our own way.
But when we encounter Christ, His truth shatters that crown. It exposes how fragile and empty our self-made rule really is. The band kept coming back to that image, of the crown falling, breaking apart, and being replaced by something eternal.
Shattered Crown became an anthem of surrender, a declaration that true strength begins when we step down from the throne and let Christ reign.
Track 9 – Torchbearer
Theme: Carrying the light of Christ into a dark world, being bold in faith and standing in the gap for those who are still lost.
Bible Passage: Psalm 119 : 105 & Matthew 5 : 14–16
Song’s Backstory:
The inspiration for Torchbearer came one quiet morning as Kyle and his wife, Elena, sat together on their balcony, sipping coffee and watching the sunrise. They spoke about the light of Christ — how, like the rising sun, His light reaches far beyond what we can see, piercing even the darkest corners of the world.
Their conversation turned to the responsibility believers have to carry that light forward — to fight in prayer for the lost, to stand in the gap, and to bring the hope of the gospel to those still living in shadows. As Kyle reflected on their talk, he felt a strong conviction: that the world doesn’t just need spectators of faith, it needs torchbearers — people willing to carry God’s truth wherever He calls them.
That morning, as the sunlight spread across the sky, Kyle began writing the first lines of Torchbearer. He wanted it to be more than a song — an anthem of courage and calling. A reminder that faith was never meant to be hidden, but carried boldly, shining light into the darkest places.
Track 10 – Love Pursued Me
Theme: God’s relentless pursuit of our hearts, and our call to pursue others with that same love.
Bible Passage: Psalm 40 : 2 & Romans 5 : 8
Song’s Backstory:
The idea for Love Pursued Me was born late one night after a concert. As the band packed up their gear, they started talking about some of the stories fans had shared — people who said the songs had helped them through heartbreak, addiction, or a return to faith.
That conversation turned unexpectedly personal. Caleb opened up first, talking about the life he’d lived before Christ — how he had felt the call of God many times but kept running, afraid of what might be exposed if he surrendered. “I thought freedom meant doing things my way,” he said, “but really, I was building my own prison.”
Jordan nodded, sharing his own struggles and moments of rebellion before faith finally broke through. Then Kyle added his story. He spoke quietly about his past — about growing up feeling unwanted, unworthy of love, and believing God couldn’t possibly want someone like him. “But He chased me anyway,” Kyle said. “No matter how far I ran, He wouldn’t let me go.”
Later that week, Kyle couldn’t shake the memory of that conversation. He called Caleb and Jordan and said, “We need to write this down — because that’s what grace looks like.” Together, they turned their stories into Love Pursued Me — a deeply personal anthem about the relentless, redemptive love of God that finds us in our darkest places and calls us home.
But as the lyrics took shape, the song grew into something more — a reminder that once we’ve been found, we’re called to become pursuers ourselves. The same love that chased us down now compels us to chase the outcasts, to reach the broken, and to be God’s hands and feet in a world that’s still running.
Track 11 – Sing Me Home
Theme: Longing for home, for family, and for the voice of God that guides us through life.
Bible Passage: Psalm 42 : 8
Song’s Backstory:
The story behind Sing Me Home was born out of Kyle’s love for his family. During long stretches on the road, while driving the tour bus late at night as the others slept, Kyle often found his mind wandering back home. The miles between cities were filled with quiet reflection, memories of his wife, and especially his youngest daughter, Aubrey, whose laughter and the little tunes she would hum around the house echoed in his heart.
Those memories became a source of strength on the hardest nights, reminding him why he kept going, not just for the band, but for the family he missed deeply. The simple joy of remembering Aubrey’s humming sparked something more profound in him: the realization that just as her voice spurred him onward, God’s voice does the same for every believer.
Though the song carries the heart of a father missing his family, its deeper message is one of faith, a longing for the day when we finally hear the Father’s voice calling us home. Sing Me Home is both a melody of love and a prayer of endurance, a reminder that, even across the miles, God’s song still leads us forward.
