First ever, men's Coffee & Christ

What a great time we had at our first ever men's Coffee & Christ fellowship this past Saturday! I had been looking forward to it for months. God has been dealing with me over the need for families to draw closer to Him, now more than ever before. The only way I see that possible is if Christian men will step up and fulfill their duties. So, what better reason to get together with a room full of men that love the Lord and spend some time together?

I was a little nervous that nobody would actually show up on the day I had planned it. I had already moved the time to accomodate some folks that didn't want to get out too early. I had 14 people sign up and out of those only 4 didn't make it. We had a great time and most of all we had some excellent roundtable discussions about issues facing Christian men today. Almost everyone there spoke out about their concerns. It was the first time I had been in a discussion like that with the men of our church.

I think I drank at least 8 large cups of coffee that day and consumed several Krispy Kreme doughnuts! We had a great time and nearly everyone there said they would like to do it again. So, looks like we will be planning more in the future. If you would like to join us, just keep checking back on the church website for announcements: http://www.hbcknox.org/

See all of the pictures from this event HERE.

Below is a video of my presentation to the men concerning "Problems Facing Christian Men."

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The making of a music minister

I've always been proud of my family. I think I was brought up in the best home a person would ever dream of being brought up in. We weren't wealthy by any means, in fact, we were always barely scraping by. If there is one thing I've learned in this old world it is that money and riches aren't worth a hill of beans if you ain't got love. We had plenty of love in my family. We weren't big on hugging or kissing or even saying I love you when I was growing up but there was never any question that we loved each other. I didn't realize it back then but I know it now, the reason we had such love was because we had Jesus in our lives.

We are "church people" through and through. I don't mean that we are religious zealots but that we are people that love God and love the things of God. We love going to His church, we love reading and preaching His Word, and we love singing songs about Him. I come from a long line of great singers. Both of my grandfathers were excellent bass singers. Both of my grandmothers could sing. Granny Spencer played the piano better than anybody you'd ever want to hear and never had a lesson in her life. Both of my parents sing and both of my sisters were blessed with great singing voices and piano playing skills. I've got aunts and uncles stretched across the entire United States and the whole bunch of us can sing or play instruments. I'm proud of that.

I was thinking today about all of the wonderful singing I grew up with. Our home was always filled with music. We had one of those big console RCA stereos with AM/FM and record player. My parents had a huge collection of 33 RPM records, everything from the Chuck Wagon Gang, The Carter Family, Naomi and the Segos, to Hank Snow, Michael Parks, and Johnny Cash. We would sit in our tiny living room and listen to those records and sing along with them. My dad would play the guitar and my sisters would play the piano. As my sisters and I grew older and developed voices that were able to sing parts, we each would learn a part and sing together. My mother had some old song books and we would sing those old Chuck Wagon Gang songs and try our best to imitate them.

Back in the mid-late 1990's, my family all got together and gathered around the piano with the old red back Church Hymnal and a tape recorder. We sang for hours and recorded some of our favorite songs. I uploaded them all today to the Internet (listen to them here) so I could share them with others. I love listening to those old songs. It makes me feel young again and makes me appreciate the great family I was blessed with. My older sister, Pam, is no longer with us and my mother no longer has a piano in her house either. I still have the old memories in my head though and no one can take them away from me.

I never intended on being a "Minister of Music," I was sorta volunteered into the position one time and it just stuck with me. I'm a bass singer and cannot sing very high at all. My aunt Barbara plays the piano for me and lowers all of the songs so I can lead them. I often have people tell me that I do a wonderful job leading. It always embarrasses me because I feel that I do terrible. I hate to hear myself sing when I'm leading. One thing I do love about leading the music though is seeing how God's Spirit moves among the people during Worship. There's not a better feeling in the world.

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If That Isn't Love

I was really proud of the choir this past Sunday when we sang, "If That Isn't Love" for our choir special. It just seemed like everyone was putting everything they had into it. The singing, the music, the Spirit, everything was just lovely. Give it a listen below:

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I've Been Thinking...

This past week at church has been trying. We have several key folks out of town. First, my Aunt Barbara, who plays the piano, is in Texas at M.D. Anderson, undergoing treatments. Of course Uncle Chester, who runs the sound room, is by her side. O.C., our head deacon, and his wife Martha went out of town to visit their son, Oliver, who is in for a couple of weeks from Afghanistan. Our pastor and his wife went on vacation in Myrtle Beach. So, that was 6-key folks that were not at church.

We have managed to push on without them. William preached Sunday night and I preached Wednesday night. Charlotte has been filling in on the piano and doing a great job. We have all pulled together and got things done. It has made me thankful in 2 different ways. First, I'm thankful for the folks that we have that are normally present at each and every service. Second, I'm thankful for folks that are willing to step up and fill the void when called upon.

The message I preached Wednesday night (you can listen from the link below) was titled, "What Moves You?" I've blogged most of the message in a 4-part series on this blog. I made the challenge to our members to not let anything move them. I've drawn a lot of encouragement from that message that God gave me. It seems a lot of times that the messages God gives me are meant for me. I, just like most people, feel overwhelmed at times. I'm not a quitter by any stretch of the means but I have entertained the thoughts of moving on and doing something else. I need encouragement every now and then. Sometimes I get the Elijah complex and start looking for a cave to hide in. But, then the Lord speaks to me and lets me know that I'm not alone.

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Part 4 - What Moves You?

"But none of these things move me, neither count I my life dear unto myself, so that I might finish my course with joy, and the ministry, which I have received of the Lord Jesus, to testify the gospel of the grace of God." - Acts 20:24

In our last post we discussed how it seems that a lot of church members and Christians allow almost anything to move them. They seem to not be "rooted" in Christ. In this 4th and final post we are going to look at some ways we can obtain that unshakable faith that the Apostle Paul had that allowed him to say "none of these things move me."

First, we have to make a conscious decision that it is time we are going to make a change. We are going to hold steadfast to the faith. We are going to press toward the mark. We are going to finish our race. One of the first things necessary in order to overcome a problem or an obstacle is to admit that the problem is there. Let's take a deep long look at ourselves and honestly ask, are we being the type of Christian that God wants us to be? It's pretty safe to say that the biggest majority of us will realize that we are falling short in that area.

Second, we have to turn it over to God. We cannot do it on our own. We must approach it with a Biblical and Spiritual perspective. Let's ask ourselves before we set forth to do something, is it Scripturally sound? If we can't back it up with the Bible, it's not good for anything. Spend time in prayer. Meditate on the Scriptures. Converse with God and ask his opinion. Always remember that God will not lead you to do something that is not Scripturally sound. For example, if someone has a drinking problem, the Lord will not direct you to share the bottle with him to witness to him. If someone is going through marital problems he will not direct you to start dating them in order to counsel them. If you are a saved born-again Christian then Christ dwells in your heart and he wants you to be firmly rooted in his love. Look at Eph 3:17-19:

17:That Christ may dwell in your hearts by faith; that ye, being rooted and grounded in love,



18: May be able to comprehend with all saints what is the breadth, and length, and depth, and height;


19: And to know the love of Christ, which passeth knowledge, that ye might be filled with all the fulness of God.

So, remember to always seek counsel from God and the Bible. The Bible tells us that we have not because we ask not (James 4:2) but it also warns us if we ask for the wrong reasons (selfish, lustful reasons) that we will not receive (James 4:3). Asking for the faith of Paul in order to be a better person, Christian, disciple for Christ, would be for all the RIGHT reasons! So ask Him!

Third, we have to put into practice what we learn and what God reveals to us. You can read, hear, understand, and agree with everything but unless you put it into practice, it's all for nothing. You can follow the example of the Apostle Paul. He would not allow ANYTHING to move him. We should all strive to be more like Paul. Pray with me today: “Father, I come to you now begging for your mercy. Lord, we fail you in so many ways. We want to be a good and faithful servant. Please Lord, show us how. We ask you today to root our hearts in faith and ground us in your love. Lord we commit ourselves to you today. We are going to stand strong in our faith. We will not be moved! For its in Christ Jesus name we pray. AMEN”
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I hope you have enjoyed this sermon series, What Moves You? This was a 4-part series based on a sermon that God gave me to preach. I found that going back and looking over my outlines and notes that it helped me to break it apart and anylize it and apply it to my own heart. You can read each of the post by following the links below:
Part 1 - What Moves You?
Part 2 - What Moves You?
Part 3 - What Moves You?
Part 4 - What Moves You?

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Part 3 - What Moves You?

"But none of these things move me, neither count I my life dear unto myself, so that I might finish my course with joy, and the ministry, which I have received of the Lord Jesus, to testify the gospel of the grace of God." - Acts 20:24

In our last post we discussed some of the things that Paul would not allow to move him. In this post we are going to look a few things that seems to move the average church goer.

We must realize that when we join a church we are in fact joining a family. We are all part of one big family in the name of Christ. We come here to worship together, to pray together, to share testimonies together, and through it all, we spend a lot of time together. When folks spend a lot of time together they get to know each other. Just like a family, we are going to have our differences. We are not always going to see eye to eye with each other. But, just like our family, it doesn’t mean we are going to abandon our church family. I know feelings get hurt. I understand wanting to be loved and accepted, everybody wants that. But, there comes a time in your life when you have to grow up and quit being a spiritual child.

Another thing we must all realize is that we are all human. We call ourselves Christians because we strive to live our lives as Christ would. Unfortunately there is not a single person on earth that could ever live a perfect, sinless life as Jesus did. We are human. We are going to fail. We don’t always do the things we should. We will say the wrong things. We will act the wrong way. We will unintentionally and intentionally hurt each other. But, where do you draw the line as to what moves you? Do you allow anything to move you? Or are you like that tree that’s planted by the water, “I shall not be moved!” Are you so wrapped up into yourself and thinking about yourself, and worried about yourself, that you quit focusing on Christ and the reason we are here? I think we have forgotten that it’s not about US, it’s about HIM. What moves you?

What would the Apostle Paul think about the church today? All of the pain and suffering that he went through just so we would one day have the opportunity to freely worship Christ. Peter, Paul, John, all persecuted. Was their work all in vain? Was Stephen stoned to death for nothing? Did John the Baptist have his head chopped off for the likes of me and you? Did the Apostle Paul endure 195 lashes with a whip so we could wear our feelings on our sleeves?

What moves you today? Are you deep rooted in Jesus Christ? Are you willing to endure? Are you going to be able to say “I fought a good fight, I have finished my course, I have kept the faith”? Is Christ going to say to you, “Well done, thou good and faithful servant” “enter thou into the joy of thy lord”?

In our 4th and final post, we will look at a few things that will help us in our walk with Christ. Some things we can do to insure that nothing will move us!

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Part 2 - What Moves You?

"But none of these things move me, neither count I my life dear unto myself, so that I might finish my course with joy, and the ministry, which I have received of the Lord Jesus, to testify the gospel of the grace of God." - Acts 20:24

Oh, how I desire Paul's passion. How I pray that God would instill in me the kind of desire that Paul had for other people and for the ministry. I find myself falling short in so many areas.

Let's look for a moment at what Paul is talking about when he makes the statement, "none of these things move me."

Turn with me please to 2 Corinthians 11:23-27

23 Are they ministers of Christ? (I speak as a fool) I am more; in labours more abundant, in stripes above measure, in prisons more frequent, in deaths oft.


24 Of the Jews five times received I forty stripes save one.


25 Thrice was I beaten with rods, once was I stoned, thrice I suffered shipwreck, a night and a day I have been in the deep;


26 In journeyings often, in perils of waters, in perils of robbers, in perils by mine own countrymen, in perils by the heathen, in perils in the city, in perils in the wilderness, in perils in the sea, in perils among false brethren;


27 In weariness and painfulness, in watchings often, in hunger and thirst, in fastings often, in cold and nakedness.

Paul suffered for the cause of Christ as much as anyone mentioned in the Bible. When he says he received five times forty stripes save one, this meant that he had suffered beatings with whips. History tells us that in practice among the Hebrews, the number of blows inflicted was limited to 39, just in case there was an accident in counting, the criminal should receive more than the number prescribed in the Law, which only allowed 40 stripes (see Deuteronomy 25:3). They would use whips consisting of 3, 6, or 9 lashes with pieces of metal, bone, or glass attached to the ends that would literally rip flesh from the bodies of those being beaten. (For a good understanding of what these whips may have been like, look here.) This was the same type of beating (scourging) that the Lord Jesus Christ had to endure before he was crucified. Here Paul tells us that he had endured such beatings on 5 different occasions. That would amount to 195 brutal lashings of the worst kind. If you were to look upon the Apostle Paul's back you would be appalled at the scars that he must have had.

Not only was Paul beaten but he suffered many hardships on his journeys; shipwrecks, robbers, hunger, thirst, pain, nakedness, he suffered greatly in order to spread the Gospel. Yet, he says, "none of these things move me."

How many of us sitting in church today in our nice padded pews in a nice air conditioned building with our nice full stomachs, can honestly say we know what it is like to suffer for the cause of Christ? Sunday after Sunday we see church members enter the church with chips on their shoulders just begging for someone to knock it off. Being offended at the least little thing said to them. Somebody looked at me wrong. Somebody said something about me. Somebody thinks something about me. Anything and Everything will move them! I've seen people give up their ministries over the silliest little things. I've even seen people quit coming to church because somebody else got their feelings hurt. It reminds me of a 9-year old child getting mad at their parent’s because they made them mind. “I’ll show them, I’ll just pack up my things and run away!” We’ve got too many 9-year old adults in church today.

In part 3 we will look closer at things that move people today and what the Apostle Paul may think of our modern church.

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Part 1 - What Moves You?

"But none of these things move me, neither count I my life dear unto myself, so that I might finish my course with joy, and the ministry, which I have received of the Lord Jesus, to testify the gospel of the grace of God." - Acts 20:24

Our opening text sums up the character and purpose of Paul. If you took this one passage of Scripture without knowing a single thing of his life, you may not be impressed. But, study the life of this man and you will be astounded.

I've spent many hours studying the Apostle Paul. I have bookshelves filled with books of his life and ministry. I've often wondered what it would have been like to know him personally. What would it have been like to sit in on one of his sermons?

Paul was addressing the elders of the church at Ephesus. He had been with them for 3-years, preaching in the Synagogue, going from house to house teaching about Jesus Christ. The Ephesians had come to know and love Paul. If you read this entire chapter you will find a very touching goodbye. As Paul is poised to board a ship they all join together to pray and weep as they bid him farewell. They thought they would never see their beloved preacher ever again.

As I look at this event I can't help but be stricken with how much passion the Apostle Paul had for people. A man that once had a deep seeded hatred for these same types of people. A man that chapter 9 of the book of Acts says was so full of rage that he was breathing out threatening and slaughter against the disciples of the Lord. He was once eat up with hate! But, here in chapter 20 we see a completely different man. A man that was totally given over to Christ. A man who's heart had done a 180 degree turn. This same man that once was causing others to cry in fear at his presence is now causing men to cry in sadness of his departure. My friend, this is a testimony to the power of Jesus!

Paul, not knowing what the future held for him assumed that this would be the last time he would see his friends. He tells them that he leaves not knowing the things that will befall him. He assumes that he will be killed for preaching the Gospel of Jesus Christ. He wanted to make sure that the church would be able to carry on without him. He warns them of false teachers that would slip into their church, trying to sway them from their beliefs. He tells them to hold fast to the faith. He is more worried about the church than he is his own life. He says that he doesn't count his life dear but his only desire is to testify the gospel of the grace of God.

In Part 2 we will look at Paul's passion and what he is talking about when he says, "none of these things move me."

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Great night of Southern Gospel with 3 4 THEE

It was the first time I had been in Graveston Baptist church since they built the new church. I had visited there a few times in the old building several years ago. I brought my wife and son along with me to spend an evening of Southern Gospel music at 3 4THEE's 3rd annual Fall Gathering.

We arrived 30 minutes early to insure that I would get a good seat close to the stage so I could take photos. The sanctuary was very nice and the individual seats were very comfortable. The host group, 3 4THEE, started things off at 6:30 with a lively rendition of Cast Your Bread Upon the Water, which I really enjoyed. Then they asked soloist, Kelly Henderson, to come out and sing. She sang a 6-song set with my very favorite being Through the Fire, which she said was her testimony song.

After Kelly sang, 3 4THEE came back out and sang 5-songs and said they were trying to get out of the way to allow the other groups to sing. It was the first time I had ever heard this trio sing. I had made acquaintance with the group's baritone, Greg Davis, through email correspondence a couple of years ago. I've been keeping up with the group over the Internet but had never had the chance to hear them sing in person. They did a great job and harmonized well. Lead singer, Jackie Painter, has a very strong and outstanding voice which gives the group sort of a country sounding edge. Tenor, Warren Beeler, and baritone, Greg Davis, also have nice vocals and complimented the sound very well. I didn't ask, but I believe Warren and I may have went to elementary school together at Gibbs way back in the day. My favorite song that they sang was one called, Let's Have Revival. It was very uptempo and the words reminded me of my own experiences growing up in many old-time church revival services.

After 3 4THEE exited the stage, Mike Southerland, stepped up to the mic. He did a good job. His sound is reminiscent of Michael Combs. In fact, he mentioned Combs during his set and sang one of his songs. He sang 6 songs all together with my favorite being the Crabb Family hit, The Lamb, the Lion, and the King. Mike also proudly introduced his toddler grandaughter, who later took to the stage with Michael & Delilah Kitts (see slideshow at end of this post).

Next up, Michael & Delilah Kitts, came out and sang a 7-song set. They were clearly a big crowd favorite. I have always enjoyed hearing them myself and they did an outstanding job as usual. They even invited their daughter, Lauren, to the stage and she did a wonderful job singing lead on, Oh Happy Day. My favorite song of theirs was without a doubt, God Sent His Best.

Up next was one of my all-time favorite groups, the Berry Family. I've been a fan of theirs for many, many years. Ever since I heard them sing at House Mountain Baptist way back when I was just a young boy. I heard them sing, My House Is Full, with a little girl singing lead. I immediately bought their cassette tape and wore that thing completely out listening to that song over and over. I was amazed to see that the same little girl was still singing but was now a grown woman with a family. She still has a very beautiful voice. The whole family is very talented and there is nothing better than that rich family sound. They sang 6-songs with my very favorite being one which I believe is titled, Somebody Prayed. I guess what I liked the most about them was their very obvious sincerity and heart-felt testimonies from the stage. I was happy to also briefly meet and speak with the Berry Family at their product table as I was heading out the door. We swapped business cards and I hope to have them come out to Highland to sing for us next year.

Last on the schedule was a group called, Still Waters. They had a very good sound and sang several songs that were widely known to everyone. I enjoyed singing along with them on nearly every song. This group also had some good testimonies and did a great job. My favorite song of theirs was probably, My Home. I also enjoyed the last song that lead singer, Jason Allen, sang by himself called, Your Cries Have Awakened the Master. It was mentioned by his father that Jason is pursuing a solo career and asked for prayers for him.

The night ended with 3 4THEE coming back to the stage to sing an invitation song. During the invitation a young lady came to the altar for prayer and then a man came up to share his testimony of how God had healed him from a brain stroke. We then ended with everyone singing together on, Lord Prepare Me to Be a Sanctuary. It was a long but great night of Southern Gospel music. I appreciate 3 4THEE inviting me to come. I wish I could have hung around longer afterwards but we had to get home and relieve the babysitter. I wish the group great future success.

Enjoy all of the pictures from tonight's event:

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To have the passion of Paul

If you know me in the least then you know my favorite Bible hero (besides Jesus) is the Apostle Paul. I have very rarely preached a sermon or taught a Sunday school class without mentioning Paul in some way. Just a glance at my bookshelf will reveal over a dozen books written about this great Apostle.

Yesterday during my lunch break I was sitting outside in my Pathfinder studying the Bible. I was reading Acts chapter 20:16-38, where Paul is bidding a tearful goodbye to the church at Ephesus. I couldn't help but get a lump in my throat and a tear in my eye as I read those passages of Scripture. I could just see the scene unfold before my eyes. My, how the people loved Paul and how he loved them. There was so much passion in his words. Not only was his passion for the people apparent but his passion for the Lord Jesus Christ was dominant in the conversation. Chills ran down my spine as I read his words in verse 24: "But none of these things move me, neither count I my life dear unto myself, so that I might finish my course with joy, and the ministry, which I have received of the Lord Jesus, to testify the gospel of the grace of God." I know all of the labor and strife was going through his mind as he testified of his love for Jesus but yet none of those things moved him.

I re-read the above Scripture last night during our family altar time and once again my eyes misted over. I can't get the thought out of my head that Paul must have had twice the amount of passion in his heart for Jesus than I do. I began to wonder if I could have withstood all of the perils that Paul did in his time? It seems that nowadays people make any excuse in the world to stop following Jesus. We wear our feelings on our sleeves just waiting for someone to hurt them. I see so many church members with a chip on their shoulder sitting there just dying for someone to knock it off. Lately I've seen several church members leave the church over getting their feelings hurt. Unlike the Apostle Paul, we let everything move us. Oh, if we only knew what it was like to really have a desire and passion to follow Jesus the way Paul did. I want that passion in my life. I am making a resolution today to push all of my selfish desires out of my heart and try to have more love for other people and for my Lord and Savior Jesus Christ. I'm not going to let anything move me.

Listen to a wonderful sermon by Curtis Hutson - None of these things move me.

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Individual responsibility

I love this quote from a fellow East, Tennessean:

"I have yet to see the first church that remained empty for long where each person entered heartily into the singing of hymns. In order to maintain this equality [between preaching and singing], every individual must be made to feel his responsibility in the singing part of the worship." - Charles Alexander

Read more about this East, Tennessee born music minister here.

Wikipedia page for Charles Alexander here.

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Meet the Claypools

Tonight at church we had the Claypool family as our special guests. Doug and Amanda Claypool are missionaries to Sao Tome and Principe, Africa. Doug started off by presenting a slideshow with pictures from their mission field. He explained the culture differences and the obstacles they had to face in order to present the Gospel of Jesus Christ to a 3rd world country. After the presentation, the Claypool family blessed us with 2 songs in which they sang both English and Portuguese on. It was really a great treat. Then Pastor Doug brought a wonderful message from John 3:5-7: "Ye Must Be Born Again." He explained in detail what it meant to be born again. I had never heard it brought out in such a way before.

I so admire people like the Claypools that are willing to sacrifice everything in order to spread the Gospel. It would be a very scary thing for me to leave everything that I know and love to move to a country where I couldn't speak the language or have any family. I'm glad that God calls folks to fill that much needed ministry.

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For all you listeners out there in radio land...

I was tickled to death to get my hands on an old cassette tape of my papaw, Edd Spencer, doing a WKXV radio broadcast back in 1954. I'm not sure where my aunt June got the tape but she loaned it to my mother and I brought it home and connected my stereo to my computer and used some audio editing software to clean up the tape hiss and voila! I am amazed at how good this tape sounds after 55-years! As a bonus feature, there is a quartet that sings on it and my other papaw, Lorn Chesney, is singing the bass part in it. Man, this is the kind of thing I live for!

Well, enough of my blabbering, if you want to listen to the broadcast, just click on the play link below:

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Revival 2009 - Day 5

Well, as they say, all good things must come to an end, and tonight they did. What a wonderful week of revival we had. I can honestly say it was one of the best revivals I have been in. I was sad to see it have to end. We were expecting a large crowd for the last night and we had a pretty good one. I didn't do a head count but there was well over 100 folks there. I had 18 in the choir.

The choir kicked things off tonight with the lively, "Stand Up." We always sing the first verse and when the chorus starts, everyone stands up to their feet. "Stand Up, if you love Jesus, Stand up and be identified, Stand up, and tell us all about it, Stand up, and testify!" While I had my back to the congregation leading the choir, apparently everyone in the church had also stood up. I turned around on the last repeat of the chorus and was amazed to see over a hundred folks standing with numerous hands being raised across the room. It was such a wonderful feeling. I then immediately led everyone in to 3 verses of, "A New Name Written Down In Glory." After that the choir sang 2 more specials, "Saved to the Uttermost," and "He Touched Me." Then another congregational with, "He'll Take Me Thru," followed up with a fellowship hymn, "Love Lifted Me."

After fellowship and altar prayer, the pastor said that Linda Long, Sis Carol, and Charlotte had a request to sing. They sang, "Thank You Lord For Your Blessings On Me." Then the pastor said he had it on his heart to ask me to sing, "I Thirst." After I sang, Mrs. Langston came up with Preacher Langston and they sang 2 songs with Sis Carol backing them up on piano.

The Pastor told us at the beginning of the service that Preacher Langston had called him and was stuck in traffic around Lenoir City. We were worried that he would be real late. Luckily he made it right after altar prayer. He preached a message tonight titled, "Three Promises From God," you can listen to it HERE. He did a fantastic job, as usual, and kept everyone's attention the entire time. I tell you what, that little man can sure preach with authority. He may be just about 5'7 but when he preaches he's 10 feet tall and bullet proof!

Just as we had been advertising, we had a fellowship dinner immediately following the service. Several people stayed but probably half didn't. It's probably a good thing everyone didn't stay because every single table was filled up with folks. We had plenty of food to go around though and everything was delicious. I had a wonderful time talking with folks. I met lots of new people and also got an invitation from the pastor of Bethlehem Baptist to come and preach at his church in the near future.

Well, I guess this concludes my blogging of Revival 2009. I am taking a mini vacation this weekend and will not be at church this Sunday. It will be weird not to be at Highland but everyone needs a break now and then. I do feel spiritually revived though and am looking forward to working on some new choir music soon.

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Revival 2009 - Day 4

Day 4 of the revival was fantastic! We kicked things off with the choir singing, "City of Gold." We had 15 folks in the choir tonight and everyone really sang out. I had been praying for the Holy Spirit and I got exactly what I prayed for! It was all I could do to keep from ripping into a preaching fit after the first song but I somehow managed.

The first congregational was, "Since Jesus Came Into My Heart." I have always loved leading that song. After that the choir sang, "Saved By the Blood of the Crucified One." Then another congregational with, "I Rejoice In the Lord." For fellowship we sang, "There Is A Name I Love To Hear," and then we had altar prayer.

For special music the pastor asked my mother to sing. She sang the Greater Vision hit song, "Uncommon Garments," and did a great job. I felt bad for her because there was some issues getting her accompaniment CD to play and she had to stand there in a brief moment of awkwardness, but she came through it good. Next up was the pastor's brother, Rex, and his wife. They sang two songs with Rex playing the piano. After that, Rex stood and gave his testimony about all of the problems and addictions the Lord had brought him out of. Then Mrs. Langston sang a song with Carol playing the piano.

Finally it was time for Preacher Langston to step into the pulpit. He started out by pulling some hardy "Amen's" from the crowd and then went into reading Scripture. His message tonight was titled, "Why Should We Get Saved?" You can listen to it HERE. He brought out many wonderful reasons why a person should get saved. He ended his sermon by singing a verse of "How Beautiful Heaven Must Be" and asked the congregation to join in. We then gave an altar call and one person came down to pray.

It was a great service and I'm sad that it will be ending tomorrow night. We are expecting a pretty good sized crowd tomorrow. We will be having food and fellowship tomorrow night after the service and everyone is invited.

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Ah, the life of a music minister...

As I mentioned in a few posts this week. I've had to select 42 different songs to use during our revival services this week. I've written before about the process of song selection and everything that goes into it. Luckily, it hasn't been too awfully bad this week but rest assured it has taken lots of prayer!

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Revival 2009 - Day 3

Well, it was day 3 of our revival and it was a Wednesday night. I was expecting a low turnout and I was right. I believe I counted 31 people in total. Eight people were visitors, the rest were our regular faithful Wednesday night members.

The hardest part for me is picking out the best songs. Of course I pray hard about the song selection and let God lead me but when you have to pick out 42 different songs in a week's time, it is hard. The worst part is not knowing how many people will show up to sing in the choir. I think we only had 12 people plus myself in the choir tonight. I changed one of our specials at the last minute because I didn't feel we had enough people to pull it off. The folks that sang, did a great job and we had a good full sound. We started out with one of our favorites, "Feeling Fine." I then lead a congregational tune, "Victory In Jesus," followed up with another choir special, "He Did It All For Me." I then lead another congregational, "I Want to Know More." After that, Edd Buckner, requested that we sing, "Just A Little Talk With Jesus." We then had fellowship and altar prayer with "Amazing Grace" as our fellowship hymn.

For special singing, the pastor asked Charlotte McCollough to sing. She sang, "Thank You Lord For Your Blessings On Me," with Barbara playing accompaniment on the piano. Me and Elizabeth had several requests to sing so we sang a song my Uncle Ronnie wrote, "A Few More Miles To Go." Then the preacher and sister Carol sang , "But For The Blood."

Preacher Langston did not preach tonight, he stays at his home church where he pastor's on Wednesday nights. Instead, the preacher asked one of his friends, D. J. Brown to preach. He has preached at our church once before. You can listen to his message HERE.

I'm looking forward to tomorrow night. I'm expecting a good crowd for the last two nights. I believe my mother is going to sing tomorrow night and dad has said that he will play the guitar for both services. If you don't have anything to do, why not come out and join us?

Read about Day 2 of the Revival here.

Read about Day 1 of the Revival here.

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Following in the footsteps

Recently, through the power of the internet and Facebook, I have made acquaintance with a family member of Mr. Buckner (one of our deacons). Turns out his niece, Gail, went to Holston high school and so did my mother. So, through that connection, they knew each other, and when I saw her post a comment on my mother's Facebook wall that said Edd Buckner was her uncle, well, one thing led to another and now I'm writing this post.

She sent me some old photos that she had, and much to my amazement, there was Mr. Buckner leading the music! Since he turns 93 this December, that would've made him 52 back in 1968. That's only 8-years oder than I am now. I've always known that Mr. Buckner had a great love for the church music because he and I have discussed it many times, but, for some reason he had never told me he used to be the music leader. I can't wait to see him tonight and tell him that I know his secret!

Thinking about all of this has me appreciating all of those old saints from the past that have done their part to keep the church going and spread the Gospel. I feel honored to follow in the footsteps of such wonderful folks as Mr. Buckner. There are only a handful of the long-time members that are still around these day, Mrs. Haire, Mr. and Mrs. McMillan, the Grishams, all of those folks have been around nearly since the church started. I look up to them and appreciate all that they have done in the past. I am trying to do my part and I hope and pray that the younger generation behind me has the same desire.

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Revival 2009 - Day 2

I was still walking on cloud 9 from last night's service and expecting big things. The choir cranked out a lively rendition of the Kingsmen's hit song, "I'll Live Again," which brought many Amen's from the row of preachers that were sitting on the front 3 church pews. The choir wasn't as large as it was last night, I think we only had about 12 folks but they sang their hearts out and did a great job. Again, support from our regular membership was very poor but we had lots of visitors.

Up next, I led the congregation in 3 verses of "My Sins Are Gone." Man, I love that song and would sing it every single service if I could. After a welcoming and announcements, I had the choir sing, "I Am Redeemed." I just about over sang on that song and felt my throat giving out about half way through. I have to do a recitation on that song and I somehow managed to do it without choking. Then I led another congregational out of the Inspiration Hymnal, "Saved to the Uttermost." After that, we had fellowship and altar prayer and sang "What A Day that Will Be" as our song selection.

For special singing, Linda Long, with the help of Sister Carol and Charlotte McCollough, sang the very beautiful, "Come Morning." They did a fantastic job and I was proud that we have so much talent in our membership. Then the pastor and Sis. Carol sang, "The King and the Beggar," and of course did great as usual. The pastor then asked Mrs. Langston to sing and she had Sis. Carol back her up on the piano. She sang, "I Call It Home," and did a marvelous job. The pastor then asked Preacher Langston to come up to bring the message.

One thing I love about Preacher Langston is his ability to make you laugh while driving home a great truth. He speaks to you on a level that you can understand. The man has been preaching for 53 years and has probably forgotten more Scripture than I'll ever be able to memorize, so if he chose to, I'm sure he could outwit and confuse you if he wanted to, but, that's not how he works. I believe that the Gospel should be understood by everyone, from the very smallest to the oldest and that's exactly how Bro. Langston preaches. He will also pull your sin up by the roots, wave it out in front of you and call you on it. Last night he brought a message about why he lives for the Lord. I wish every member of our church had of been there to hear it. you can give it a listen HERE. His main point was if you really love the Lord, it will show in your life by your church attendance, your willingness to serve Him, and your desire to live for him. My favorite quote from his sermon last night was this: "the reason I'm here is because I want to be here."  He went on to say, "if you want to be here, you'll be here, if you don't then you won't be, you'll be home in bed or somewhere else." He spoke the truth last night and that's a fact.

Preacher Langston won't be preaching on Wednesday night, he will be at his church, but he will be back on Thursday and Friday. I'm really excited about the rest of the revival.

Read about Day 1 of the Revival here.

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Revival 2009 - Day 1

The first night of Revival I arrived at the church around 6:30. I needed to run off some copies of a flyer and get my music straightened up and ready. Folks started trickling in shortly after that and by starting time we had a pretty good crowd of around 100 folks. As I panned the congregation I couldn't help but notice that most people that were there were visitors. We had a very poor showing from our regular members. I tried not to let it bother me but I couldn't help but be a little disappointed.

I had a pretty good choir full, I think 17 or 18 people. They put out a big sound anyway. We kicked things off with Goodbye World, Goodbye. There was a really good Spirit from the get-go. Lots of encouragement from the congregation by means of "Amen's" and shouts, and hand lifting toward Heaven. I was pretty caught up in the Spirit and so excited I thought I was going to jump off of the stage. I managed to settle down enough to lead a congregational and do announcements. After that the choir sang 2 more specials, 'Send A Great Revival" and "I'm Glad I Know Who Jesus Is." Then another congregational of "Power In the Blood," and then we had fellowship singing, "I'd Rather Be An Old-Time Christian." Altar prayer came next and then special singing. The pastor asked me and my family to come up and sing, "Thank You Dear Lord," which Elizabeth leads the verses and we back her up on the chorus. Then, Ray, ( a 78-year old man that has been blind since birth ) got up and testified about how the Lord has always been good to him and he sang, "Where the Roses Never Fade," with help from Preacher Langston and his wife. Then Mrs. Langston sang a song before Preacher Langston came to preach.

At 77-years old, Preacher Langston has more energy and pep than most folks that are half his age. From his opening remarks to his closing prayer he vehemently expounded the Word of God with great authority. He didn't pull any punches, or make any apologies, just straight in your face Bible preaching. His delivery style is reminiscent of the old-time preaching that I grew up listening to in the 70's. You can listen to his sermon HERE.

By the time the night was over, I was worn out but felt very blessed and revived and looking forward to the next service.

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