Newcomer David Funk uniquely intertwines his personal story of transformation with unending gratitude for the sacrifice of Jesus on “The Blood.” While Funk didn’t write the powerful declaration — penned by Jenn Johnson, Dante Bowe and Mitch Wong — it feels tailor-made for his airy vocal and genuine delivery.
The breezy first verse lazily glides into a chorus of exultation before exploding into a full-on heart-racing anthem that marries timeless truth with modern language:
It’s never been about performance, perfection
Or striving for acceptance
Let me tell you, it’s only by the blood
It’s never been about deserving or earning
It’s a gift that’s freely given
Let me tell you, it’s only by the blood
Funk has led the moving selection around the world alongside everyone from Johnson and kalley to Amanda Cook and UPPERROOM, proving the story of “The Blood” belongs to everyone. It’s the story of how we weren’t deserving of a Savior’s rescue, but He saved us in spite of our sin, regardless of our human condition.
Funk’s latest collaborative version of the track appears on Housefires’ “Chapel Sessions (Vol. 2),” where a piano-led rendering of the ballad, performed in partnership with the Atlanta-based collective, seamlessly transitions into familiar hymn “Nothing But the Blood of Jesus.”
The Georgia native grew up watching his dad play piano at his hometown church. Following in his father’s footsteps, Funk picked up the guitar and began leading worship as a high schooler. The “Rest on Us” singer has since written songs with Matt Redman and Gateway Worship’s Zac Rowe. Funk currently resides with his wife and young son, Milo, in Redding, California, where he continues to be an instrumental part of his local church’s worship team each week.
“I love leading worship, and I love doing it with my friends,” he recently shared on Instagram after completing a nationwide tour. “We get to prepare a space for the Lord to show up together as a tight-knit community, and…He is always so faithful and generous to show up and change lives; not least of which, ours.”
