3. marandalynn27 asks: You guys are my absolute favorite group. I know you guys tour a whole lot. Is there any time planned in the future for you guys to take a break? I think you deserve one!
Mark: Well actually, we’re not “road dogs.” We travel Thursday, Friday [and] Saturday. I’m still on staff at Eagles’ Landing, but we get breaks. There are other bands out there that are really, really going hard. They are all friends, and we pray for them.
4. MyGodIsEnough asks: What does the name "Casting Crowns" mean, and why did you decide to use it as the band name?
Mark: The Scripture is Revelation 4 where it talks about the 24 elders around the throne, putting their crowns before Him. For me, as a believer, if you’re not careful, little things will rise up in your life and become important. And it will create distance between you and God; and these little kingdoms don’t have to be bad things, sometimes they can be good things. They just take our focus away, and we have to let these kingdoms fall and fall before Him and make sure that we are setting apart Christ as Lord in our lives.
5. Ccmusicman asks: I understand that you’re coming out with a new Christmas project this fall. Are you using familiar Christmas songs or writing new ones?
Mark: Yes and yes, we are doing some originals and traditionals; a lot of different stuff. We are really excited about it. We recorded it in June, which was odd!
6. TorchHeart asks: When you guys are writing songs for a new album, what do you feel is the best inspiration(s) for your music? (i.e.: The Gospels? Personal experiences? Emotions? Relationships with God?)
Mark: Uh, yes! The songs come from the ministry we have here at Eagle’s Landing.
7. ladybuglvr asks: What is your favorite song to perform?
Mark: Right now I would have to say somewhere between “East To West” and “Praise You in This Storm.”
Hector: “What This World Needs,” Jesus and rock ‘n’ roll. (These are a few of my favorite things.)
Chris Huffman: My favorite song to perform is “What This World Needs.”
8. DenimDiva asks: You must get tons of emails, letters, etc. from people who feel like they have no hope. How do you keep it in perspective?
Mark: I’ve been a youth pastor 17 years, so hurting with people is something God has had me in the middle of for a long time. When people come to you hurting, our tendency is to try to fix things. I’m a fixer. I want to solve the problem, but that reminds me that I have to lay them at Jesus’ feet. He calms their storms, or He walks through it with them. The fact that I’m even involved with them, or this person, is because they heard a song that God let me write. So there’s no pressure on me; I didn’t even write the song. In my mind, I’m just the first one who got to hear it. I’m getting to share what God’s doing in their life. It’s not “Mark coming in to save the day.” They’re moving closer to Jesus, and I get to be there.