What's the story behind Chosen Ones?

Life is all about choices, so they say, and this CD is no exception.

In July 2007, we gave our fans a list of unreleased parodies, and asked them to chose 10 favorites. We then performed the ones they'd chosen in front of a live audience in Lisbon OH on August 3, 2007. In addition, we chose to rerecord two previously released tracks, because we thought our current live versions were better. So all the songs on this CD are chosen ones.

Eternal life is all about choices, too. We have a tendency to think it's all about our choices, but the Bible says it's actually about God's choices.

In John 15:16, Jesus says, "You did not choose Me but I chose you, and appointed you that you would go and bear fruit, and that your fruit would remain, so that whatever you ask of the Father in My name He may give to you." Three verses later, he adds that "I have chosen you out of the world." Jesus specifically calls God's people "chosen ones" in Luke 18:7, reiterating a term used six times in the Old Testament.

Both Peter and Paul echo Christ's words. Peter says believers "have been chosen according to the foreknowledge of God the Father, through the sanctifying work of the Spirit, for obedience to Jesus Christ and sprinkling by his blood" (1 Peter 1:2) and are "a chosen people, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, a people belonging to God" (1 Peter 2:9).

Paul calls believers "God's chosen people" (Colossians 3:12), elaborating in Ephesians 1:11: "In him we were also chosen, having been predestined according to the plan of him who works out everything in conformity with the purpose of his will ..."

Peter and Paul are chosen ones, too, of course, and each has a song representing that on this CD -- "Get a Bite" and "Never Been to Spain (Yet)." Other chosen ones featured prominently here include a famous tax collector ("Hey Zaccheus"), Joshua and the children of Israel ("Kosmik"), and all believers worldwide ("Born-Again Child," "Two-Time Baby," and "Fly Away From Hell.")

Think about it; you chose those songs before you knew the title of the CD or the full content of the parodies. You have chosen wisely. Sounds like we all had a little help from above, doesn't it?