Pick Jesus – Mike & Jon’s Christian Rock Collection

This project has been 30 years in the making, spanning all the way back to the writing and recording of our first track, “I Believe in Angels” in 1996 to its planned public release in 2026. Every note, chord, rhythm, lyric, melody and second spent in the studio to create this album has been an absolute gift from God and we give all praise and glory to Him for the material contained within it. We are only the vessels blessed by God to deliver His message (Isaiah 64:8). At its core, the sole purpose of this music is to uphold the Great Commission and draw listeners in to know our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ and make disciples of all the earth (Matthew 28:18-20).

Listen to a preview of the Pick Jesus tracks below, and get ready to praise the LORD! If you keep scrolling, you can also read our musical testimony, which gives special insights into each song included in this album along with how they directly reflect the stages of our spiritual maturity in Christ! We pray that our spiritual and musical journey might inspire you to grow closer to God and do something great for Him as well!

In the Beginning…

1. “I Believe in Angels” (1996)

As new believers starting a new band, we wrongly let our fear of man overpower our love for God. We wanted our music to appeal to the broadest audience possible, and didn’t want to be considered “Jesus Freaks.” We shared God’s message of loving each other, knocking down racial barriers, living in hope, having faith, and how He could set us free if we let Him; however, we did this without mentioning the name of Jesus.

2. “Man in the Clouds” (1996)

– Theme Verse: Romans 8:31

In this song, we continued to share the underlying message of God’s strength and how, when we’re with Him, no one can be against us. We expressed the fact that He will always be there for us, even when our lives are falling apart, and how we just have to believe in Him and His power to make it through the tough times. But again, as bashful babes in Christ, we made no mention of His glorious name, thinking it best if we carefully led our listeners to the water.

Plodding Along

3. “Wonderful Day” (2000)

– Theme Verses: Lamentations 3:22-23

This song is a powerful testimonial of what it’s like to live with the Holy Spirit inside you. “Wake up in the morning… feeling free” is the opening line, speaking to the unmatchable freedom that’s found in having a relationship with Christ, whose mercies are new everyday. “Wonderful Day” is a song of tremendous praise and gratitude to our Lord, giving Him thanks for the love, magic of His creation all around us, and the fact that heaven’s not far away.

4 & 6. “I Believe in Angels” (2000 & 2006)

A new, remastered version of our first track, this second stylization of “I Believe in Angels” was musically revamped but lyrically identical to its predecessor. It spoke to the same themes as before, obviously, but still shied away from Jesus’ name. We were still committed to Christ—in fact, closer than we were four years earlier—but we weren’t at the point that we wanted to be particularly open about it. This version of the song accounts for two tracks in the album because we’ve included an in-studio recording as well as a recording from a live performance in 2006.

5 & 7. “Man in the Clouds” (2000 & 2006)

Like “I Believe in Angels,” we redid “Man in the Clouds” for our Tiki-Town CD, a compilation of our first eight years of music making. Our style changed, but nothing else. If we were Led Zeppelin, our 1996 versions were like “Rock and Roll” while our 2000 remixes were closer to “Kashmir.” Overall, we again neglected to add Jesus’ name directly. Similarly to what we did above, we showcase this version of the song twice in the album, again having both a studio and live recording.

Looking to the Lord

8. “Mother Mary” (2011)

The lyrics for “Mother Mary” were produced by our Aplethora singer, Bobbi. As she came from a Catholic background, she wanted to pay homage to the Virgin Mary. Within the song, you will hear the theme of repentance and the messages of the forgiveness of sin and the saving of souls through faith in God and what He’s accomplished on the cross. While we were still not a “Christian” band at this time, we were definitely beginning to warm up to the idea of being full-blown for Jesus.

9. “I’d Love to Change the World” (2011)

– Reference Passage: Genesis 3

Throughout the history of Mike and Jon Music, we’ve not been ones to cover songs very often; however, we were uniquely inspired to do a rendition of this Alvin Lee song in our own tone and style. Lee’s lyrics speak of the broken world we live in, which, from our Christian perspective, we attribute to the original sin and the subsequent fall of man. We might not be able to change the world how we would like to, but we can leave it to God and know that He will take care of it all in the end! So while not a true original of ours, it just seems to work as one of the tracks for the Christian Rock Collection.

10. “I Believe in Angels” (2011)

– Theme Verses: 1 Corinthians 9:24; 2 Timothy 4:7

By far in the forefront of all songs Mike and Jon have written, and so much fun to produce, we couldn’t help but recreate it yet again, though we added some additional lyrics and instrumentation this time around. We added background vocals and new instrumentation this time around, holding the rock-steady beat through the guitar solo rather than speeding the song up. In our personal opinions, no matter how you record it, this song is an incredible gift from God. It speaks to the state of this world and the need for a firm trust in God if we hope to make it through and finish the race well. We would love to hear it recorded in several languages.

Eyes Fully on Him

11. “Just Be” (2023)

Beginning in 2023 and extending into 2024, we began to write our most openly God-centered tracks to date at our newly finished Sandbox Studios. We have been overjoyed throughout the process as we’ve expressed our love for the LORD in our music, unrestrained as we once needlessly felt. “Just Be” is directly inspired by a man Mike met at church. He was a struggling addict who had recently become a new believer, and he wrote a few words down on a piece of paper that described his journey to becoming sober. The crux of his process was simply to cease striving, submit to God, and let Him do the work. With God’s magic, this song is what came from that brother’s struggles.

12. “Safe at Last” (2023)

This song came from our drummer, who grew up in a Jewish home. He was returning from his father’s celebration of life when the lyrics popped into his mind. He quickly grabbed a napkin and wrote the words down during his flight home. When he shared the lyrics with us, we saw they were a divine gift, providing comfort during a time it was so desperately needed. With God’s blessing, this song was completed a week later.

13. “Down That Road” (2024)

– Theme Verse: John 14:6

Over the years, our music has become more God-focused, but up to this point we’ve never composed a piece truly dedicated to worshipping Christ. Mike prayed and asked God for the ability to write something that he personally felt could qualify as an actual praise song to our Creator.  The Lord’s response was “Down That Road,” giving praise to God for his guidance and loving Him and the fact that His way is the only way. Of course, after so many years of shying away from His name, Mike uses His names all over it—LORD, God, Jesus! God is so faithful and gracious that He even blessed Mike with some of his best vocal work as well. Praise and glory be to God!

14. “The Magic” (2024)

After 30 years, Mike and Jon had finally matured enough in their walks with Christ to proudly share with people the truth of Jesus and how they need Him in their lives. “The Magic” describes the truly awesome experience of living with and for Jesus, and it’s aim is to bring others into the fold and make heaven crowded. It rounds out our Christian Rock collection, and we praise God that he has allowed us the time, patience, and skill to produce something that we hope can point other to Christ and make those who know Him draw closer still!

Conclusion

The beginning of this album was 30 years ago, but it feels like we’re just beginning. May God’s will be done to bring people to Him through music that honors Him and attests to His great and awesome power. May those who know him already, love Him, praise Him, and grow closer to Him every single day as they sing and glorify His name. Amen! Amen! Amen!

Stream the full album on Spotify and experience the music for yourself. And for the latest updates, behind-the-scenes glimpses, and more music from Mike and Jon, be sure to follow them on Instagram @mikeandjonmusic.