Categories
Bible Blogging Christian Church God Ministry Scripture

Sunday Scripture

Earlier this year I added “Singer” to my vast church résumé. It was another one of those situations within my 14½-year church experience where I was invited (asked) to do something by the Lead Pastor, and I said “YES !” without even thinking about it. So I joined our Praise & Worship team. (I affectionately refer to us as “the band”.)

Our Lead Pastor actually invited two of us to sing with him while our Praise & Worship Pastor was incapacitated. (He broke his leg skiing). Once he recovered enough to resume his duties a few months later he asked us to stay, so now it’s him and his wife, and the two of us recruited earlier this year to belt-out 3 or 4 contemporary worship songs. We’re a 4-piece band. I’m a back-up singer. I just try to blend-in with the others.

Aside from Karaoke on cruise ships, singing loudly and boldly at home, at work, and in my car, and singing a few times during some of my earlier sermons that I’ve preached – I have no real singing experience. I’m not that good of a singer. I barely have 1 octave. I’m actually a much better dancer than singer (if you can believe that). I have far more experience dancing than singing, but I left most of that behind almost 20 years ago in the trance and techno clubs. I’m 54 now. I can no longer dance like a 20-year-old in his mid-30s.

One of the songs that we’ve been singing often on Sunday mornings (almost every week) is “Way Maker”. Michael W. Smith scored his biggest radio hit since the late-1990s with his cover version of the song. (It peaked at # 3 on my own chart.)

“Way Maker” is a crowd favorite on Sunday mornings. From the stage I see the eyes of my brothers and sisters light-up, and I see smiles during the opening chords. I see and hear joy as we all sing together the words of “Way Maker” to our Way Maker.

Sometimes we need a reminder that when we sing – we don’t do so for our own entertainment. We’re not singing to each other. We’re singing to our Lord & Savior Jesus Christ. He is our Way Maker. He is our Miracle Worker. He is our Promise Keeper. He is our Light in the darkness. He is our God. That is who He is.

I am the LORD – your Holy One – Israel’s Creator and King. I am the LORD – who opened a way through the waters – making a dry path through the sea. (Isaiah 43:15-16)

Thank you for reading my blog for this day, and may:

The LORD bless you, and keep you.
The LORD make His face shine upon you, and be gracious to you.
The LORD lift up His countenance upon you, and give you peace.

In the name of the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit. AMEN.

All rights reserved (c) 2021 Christopher M. Day, CountUp Ministries

Categories
Blogging Christian God Ministry Music Radio

My Top 10 Hits – Week 233

Every Monday I post my all-new Top 10 Christian hit music chart based on personal preference and influenced by radio airplay from the previous week. It’s the continuation of a weekly hobby that goes back 40+ years. Here’s this week’s chart:

COUNTUP MINISTRIES FOR THE WEEK ENDING SUNDAY AUGUST 01ST 2021 WEEK 233
TW LW WKS SONG TITLE ARTIST / SITE
1 3 17 Gospel Song
[1ST week @ # 1]
Rhett Walker
2 1 10 Be Alright Evan Craft X Danny Gokey X Redimi2
3 2 13 Yes He Can Cain
4 5 10 When We Fall Apart Ryan Stevenson Ft. Vince Gill & Amy Grant
5 6 3 Into The Wild Josh Baldwin
6 7 3 What If Matthew West
7 4 9 Until Grace Tauren Wells Ft. Gary LeVox of Rascal Flatts
8 9 4 My Jesus Anne Wilson
9 1 Brand New Coby James
10 1 House Of The Lord Phil Wickham

# 1 This Week In:
2020 – “No Impossible With You” – I AM THEY
2019 – “Raise A Hallelujah” – Bethel Music
2018 – “Dream Small” – Josh Wilson
2017 – “Wonder” – Hillsong United

NEW # 1 SMASH – Rhett Walker’s 2ND hit on my chart is his 1ST # 1 smash, as “Gospel Song” reaches the pinnacle in its 17TH week. It’s remarkable in that it kind of just lingered around at # 6 or below from April to July. Last week it suddenly made a big move to # 3, and this week it claims the top spot. It’s getting what I call “The 2:20 Treatment” on K-LOVE. That means it gets played (like clockwork) every 2 hours and 20 minutes day and night. That’s 10 times per day, or 70 times per week. Ain’t nothin’ like a “Gospel Song”. Makes me wanna sing it all day long !

NEW AT # 10 – Phil Wickham is back with his 5TH hit on my chart, and he’s praising and worshiping his Lord & Savior Jesus Christ – the God who was – the God who is – the God who evermore will be. He’s the God who heals – the God who saves – the God who always makes a way.

Here’s the official music video for “House Of The Lord”:

CHART BUSTING just outside of my Top 10 this week are 2 emerging hits from Chris Tomlin and Mike Donehey. Chris Tomlin is with his country music brothers Thomas Rhett and Florida Georgia Line in a vibrant track titled “Thank You Lord”. Mike Donehey – formerly of Tenth Avenue North – is solo with his post-band debut “All Together”. Look for both of these uplifting tracks to debut on a future chart.

This blog is # 74 worldwide on the Top 80 Christian Music Blogs and Websites in 2021 chart. Thank You for including us Feedspot !

This concludes another weekend of blog posts. I’ll do it again this upcoming weekend – with 4 new entries on Thursday, Friday, Sunday, and Monday. I don’t blog on Saturdays. That’s my day of rest.

Your likes, follows, and comments are always appreciated. Thank You for being part of my online ministry to share God’s Good News and win souls for Christ through His music. I’m also on Twitter and Flickr.

Be blessed my friends !  May the God of hope fill you with all joy and peace as you trust in Him, so that you may overflow with hope by the power of the Holy Spirit.

All rights reserved (c) 2021 Christopher M. Day, CountUp Ministries

Categories
Bible Blogging Christian Church God Ministry Scripture

Sunday Scripture

As a Pastor – looks don’t matter to me. I don’t care what you look like. I don’t care what you’re wearing. I don’t care where you came from. I don’t care what you’ve done. Everyone is welcome into our church family.

That guy in the middle – rough around the edges – is closest to God. He knows God. He’s getting closer to God by reading more of His Word. I can work with him. I can use him as a teacher. I can use him to lead others – like those two guys to the left of him – who aren’t as close to God as they think. Putting on nice clothes and looking prim and proper on Sunday mornings won’t get you to Heaven. Persecuting others for the way they look won’t lead to eternity with God. She thinks she is Christian.

The four of them should get together after church service for Lunch and get to know each other and learn from each other, and then learn more about God together as brothers and sisters of the church family.

I’ve been a part of 2 church families over the past 14½ years, and neither church family would’ve rejected that guy in the middle. He would’ve been welcomed with open arms. He would’ve been used as a church leader to teach others how to have a heart for Christ – how to have a heart filled with The Holy Spirit. I know that many churches would frown upon or even outright reject that guy in the middle. I myself would reject the church that rejects anyone.

I want that guy in the middle to bring his friends with him for Sunday morning service. I want that guy in the middle to preach God’s Good News to anyone who will listen to him.

But the LORD said to Samuel, “Don’t judge by his appearance or height, for I have rejected him. The LORD doesn’t see things the way you see them. People judge by outward appearance, but the LORD looks at the heart.” (1 Samuel 16:7)

Thank you for reading my blog for this day, and may:

The LORD bless you, and keep you.
The LORD make His face shine upon you, and be gracious to you.
The LORD lift up His countenance upon you, and give you peace.

In the name of the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit. AMEN.

All rights reserved (c) 2021 Christopher M. Day, CountUp Ministries

Categories
Blogging Christian God Ministry Music Radio

My Top 10 Hits – Week 232

Every Monday I post my all-new Top 10 Christian hit music chart based on personal preference and influenced by radio airplay from the previous week. It’s the continuation of a weekly hobby that goes back 40+ years. Here’s this week’s chart:

COUNTUP MINISTRIES FOR THE WEEK ENDING SUNDAY JULY 25TH 2021 WEEK 232
TW LW WKS SONG TITLE ARTIST / SITE
1 1 9 Be Alright
[3RD week @ # 1]
Evan Craft X Danny Gokey X Redimi2
2 2 12 Yes He Can Cain
3 6 16 Gospel Song Rhett Walker
4 4 8 Until Grace Tauren Wells Ft. Gary LeVox of Rascal Flatts
5 3 9 When We Fall Apart Ryan Stevenson Ft. Vince Gill & Amy Grant
6 7 2 Into The Wild Josh Baldwin
7 8 2 What If Matthew West
8 5 27 Fires Jordan St. Cyr
9 9 3 My Jesus Anne Wilson
10 10 4 Sunday Morning Feeling Apollo LTD Ft. Ryan Stevenson

# 1 This Week In:
2020 – “No Impossible With You” – I AM THEY
2019 – “Raise A Hallelujah” – Bethel Music
2018 – “Grace Got You” – MercyMe
2017 – “Wonder” – Hillsong United

SLOW CLIMBER AT # 3 – Rhett Walker continues his amazing climb up my chart to enter the Top 3 this week in his 16TH week. “Gospel Song” is also a slow climber nationally at U.S. Christian radio. It just reached the Top 5 in its 19TH week at big market stations, and in its 18TH week at small market stations. It’s his biggest hit ever, and it’s his follow-up to his previous biggest hit ever – “Believer” – which hit # 4 on my chart in December 2019.

Here’s the official music video for “Gospel Song”:

CHART BUSTING just outside of my Top 10 this week is a cool-sounding tune from a 19-year-old by the name of Coby James. When I first heard “Brand New” on K-LOVE – I had to look it up to see who was singing the gem that brought back memories of mid-1980s British smooth pop that I danced to when I was 19-years-old. It’s a “Brand New” song, but it sounds RETRO. It reminds us that each morning is the start of a “Brand New” day to live for Christ. It’s like rising-up from the water. It’s living in the light You’ve called me into. #Hallelujah

This blog is # 74 worldwide on the Top 80 Christian Music Blogs and Websites in 2021 chart. Thank You for including us Feedspot !

This concludes another weekend of blog posts. I’ll do it again this upcoming weekend – with 4 new entries on Thursday, Friday, Sunday, and Monday. I don’t blog on Saturdays. That’s my day of rest.

Your likes, follows, and comments are always appreciated. Thank You for being part of my online ministry to share God’s Good News and win souls for Christ through His music. I’m also on Twitter and Flickr.

Be blessed my friends !  May the God of hope fill you with all joy and peace as you trust in Him, so that you may overflow with hope by the power of the Holy Spirit.

All rights reserved (c) 2021 Christopher M. Day, CountUp Ministries