Growing up in the Bible Belt of the Deep South, I occasionally heard this phrase when I would attend a friend’s church. The pastor would be praising God for all He had done, and then would suddenly say, “Can I get a witness?”. He was asking if anyone in the congregation would stand up and share something that God had done in their life…

O Holy Night is a reflection on the miracle of Christ’s birth and a call to respond in worship. The song also has quite the vocal range, allowing virtuosos to showcase their gifts and talents. As a musician, I love picking up on musical cues that are meant to imitate and emphasize the message of the song.

"Hark the Herald Angel Sing!" These lyrics are familiar to us during this time of year and constantly remind us of Jesus' miraculous birth. Charles Wesley, the author of this hymn, wrote over 6,000 songs during his ministry. His mission was to transform profound theological truths into musical pieces for the poor and uneducated, reflecting his heart of servitude.

Come, thou long expected Jesus, born to set thy people free;

From our fears and sins release us, let us find our rest in Thee.

Israel's strength and consolation, hope of all the earth Thou art;

Dear desire of every nation, joy of every longing heart.

John is, for sure, a different sort of gospel: both in tone and content. You can tell from the first chapter (where John launches into a breathtaking, poetic prologue that starts before creation and previews the incarnation, rejection, mission, and triumph of Jesus) that this is going to be something distinctive…

When is the last time you were thankful for hard things?

Have you ever been a part of the Thanksgiving tradition of sitting around the table and taking turns saying something that you are thankful for? Let’s try it out! Right now - go. Think for a second, what are you thankful for this year?

Something I have struggled with all of my life is fear. From when I was a child I was always afraid something bad would happen to my family. When I was a teenager I was afraid that I would not be good enough at sports or smart enough in school or liked enough to be popular…

Today I’m going to be telling you the story about how God changed my life. How he has always been pursuing me and leading me towards His grace and mercy…

Well, it depends on who you ask.

If you ask friends from school or your soccer team, you may get a variety of answers. Some will say people are born that way and have no control over it. Others may answer that everyone deserves to love whoever they choose.