THE LATEST PROJECT
KOREY: "We have some new members in the band. I'm actually fairly new myself, although I've played with the band for two years. We've got a new guitar player and a new drummer. So, John's the only original member. We're getting to know each other, and we've been praying together.

"The theme running through our new album is this: As Christians we can live victoriously over sin. We're not supposed to be weak Christians. We're supposed to be victorious. There's no condemnation for us now. God is powerful, and we can be invincible through him. We're supposed to be influencing the world, not being influenced by the world. 'Best Kept Secret,' 'Come on to the Future,' and 'Invincible,' are all songs about the unchanging, unstoppable purposes of God."

TOUCHING LIVES
"I read the e-mails the band receives. Kids tell us, 'When you guys did "Shout to the Lord," (we do worship songs in our show, too) I sensed the presence of God. I've never felt him like that before.' As a band, we'd like to see more of this.

"There's a great story about a girl who was planning to kill herself. She started playing one of Skillet's CDs, and when she heard the song 'Saturn,' she changed her mind. The song talks about how you can't necessarily prove that God exists, but by faith you believe it's true. Instead of committing suicide, she rededicated her life to the Lord, and she's doing great. She still stays in touch with us.

"We get e-mails from kids who tell us, 'I see your passion for God. I want that so much, but how do I do it?' It's amazing, and it challenges us. It's so encouraging to know that God's using us like that.

"Many kids also tell us that they're lonely. They're Christians, but they're lonely. They want to know how can they live for God. They want to know what they need to do. They're trying, but they feel something is missing. We hear that a lot, and we want God to move through us to help them."

WORSHIP
JOHN: "There are a couple of things that come to mind when I think about our group over the years. The first is this: I think God has really used us to teach people how to worship. What I mean by that is, a lot of Christians haven't really been around worship. They haven't really been at the kind of service where you give everything you've got to God, raising your hands and everything. I think worship is exactly that, giving everything to him.

"I think many Christians aren't familiar with the Holy Spirit in general. I think God's really using us in that area. Worship is the key to getting to know the Holy Spirit and feeling him move. So I guess you could say God has used us to inspire or provoke Christians to really live radically for God and to not just be lukewarm Christians.

"The other area, which is the most exciting to me, is that God has used us to bring people into the kingdom. People have been saved at our shows. They've made serious decisions for God at our concerts. Even people who were saved have rededicated their lives to God. We've gotten just tons and tons of amazing testimonies, which is really cool, because it confirms to us God's using us.

"In the past we've done a two-month worship tour. We sing our songs and then have a time of worship. During our next tour we're probably going to do more music than we used to. It'll be a bigger production. And then we'll have a time in the show when I really preach hard and share the gospel."

THE MUSIC
"Growing up in the church, I always thought we were a bunch of weak Christians, and all we were doing was holding on until the day when Jesus comes back to get us. And then I heard we were supposed to be mighty and influential in the world. Man, I was totally blown away.

"So I think that's why I decided it's time for me to start writing about our true identity in Christ. This whole idea has changed my life as a Christian. I got saved when I was five years old, but this is what really changed my life. I think Christians need to know who they are.

"And what I would love to see happen is for non-Christians to hear our songs and say, 'Man, there's really something there I could give my life to and be a part of.' I think the world just thinks getting saved means you're going to have to live by a bunch of rules now. But I'd like them to hear our songs and have the Holy Spirit show them there really is a kingdom and they can be a part of it. That's my prayer."

DISCIPLING YOUTH
JOHN: "I'd love to be a home group leader in my church some day—my wife and me. I have always liked working with teenagers. I'd love to organize an evangelistic team at my church, too. I think Korey and I will always be involved in worship and definitely be involved with worship at our church.

"God's really been speaking to us about exercising the power of the Holy Spirit in our lives and in the band more than ever before. We want the power of God to move in us so kids will know that he's real."