Can’t believe this is the last post of 2025, how the year has flown by. I have really enjoyed my year of discovering new artists and also revisiting some old favourites.
I want this blog to be a tribute to the ministry of Seventh Day Slumber and their work reaching out to people who are hurting and struggling with life and even contemplating taking their own lives. They are my band in the spotlight today.
I have heard the testimony of the lead singer Joseph Rojas, he came from a very troubled background, contemplating suicide at the age of 12, using cocaine by 14 and was in and out of jail and institutions up until he gave his life to Jesus. He knows only too well how hard life can be at times and what a lot of young people especially, go through.
Joseph is the President of the non-profit ‘Teen Hopeline’ and is very much aware of what so many are struggling with in their lives. Their aim as a band is to bring hope into these young people’s lives. Joseph Rojas always gives his testimony during a concert and makes an altar call Through the rock music and songs he is able to connect with, and reach, far more young people than he would ever be able to normally. People that would go to a rock concert may never have set foot in a church.
Joseph often gets messages from people that are struggling and as he puts it ‘barely hanging on’ and as he has been in that place personally it gives them even more motivation to keep on spreading the good news of hope in Jesus.
Sadly though a lot of Churches are not accepting their ministry as they don’t like how they look, they don’t fit the mould, they don’t like the distortion on the guitars or the way they play the worship songs, but those are actually the things that are initially attractive to people.
To me it’s not the look or the style of music that is the issue it’s what the songs are saying. Rock bands in the mainstream often encourage self harm and suicide in their songs but Seventh Day Slumber is far from that. Their songs are positive and bring help and encouragement to people going through hard times. Their songs often tackle difficult issues that bring help to many that listen to them.
I personally love their style of music and the way they have covered various worship songs, but even more I applaud the work that they are doing in bringing hope to the hopeless. I’ll leave you with one of their songs called ‘Run To The Father’ here.
Well, that’s all for 2025, I’ll see you again in 2026…
The Church at Hiraeth 