This edition of storytellers from the Overcome album focuses on a song called “Present Help.” This is the 3rd recording project this song has been used on. I actually wrote this song in college. I started working on it in the piano lab around 1999 or 2000 (whoa, I’m getting old).
Another wonderful Sunday at North Side as we continued in our “Ancestors” series through key figures in Genesis. I had planned a service based on Jeff preaching from Genesis 37 with Joseph and Potipher’s wife. Instead, he felt led to go in a different direction:
For the sake of comfort, most people pass over Genesis 38, but Judah’s story is too similiar to situations today. Many people are living for the moment without a thought concerning responsibility. No matter how hard we try, our sin will find us out just like it did Judah.
I’ll be honest, when I saw what direction he was going, I just started praying that it would connect and not keep people’s mind in the gutters when he went to that passage.
Last week, I had the privilege of brainstorming with the Sherwood Pictures Team and LifeWay leadership for the upcoming “Courageous Bible Study” based on the Courageous movie coming in September 2011. I was humbled when they asked me to be a part of the writing process, and I am even more humbled after spending a week working on this material.
I can’t go into too many details concerning the film or the curriculum, but I can share some things with you so you can make this a matter of prayer:
[Yesterday, I preached on a message at North Greenville‘s Chapel I am loosely calling “The Little Engine That Could God.” I wrote out the intro in manuscript form. It was a message on the omnipotence of God. I’ve been praying about writing a book on the attributes of God by looking at a negative image of God, then correcting it through the Scripture’s teachings. Writing Freshman 15 for college students was very challenging but also very rewarding (you can learn more about the book here or order it on Amazon here). Praying about it and would love you to pray with me about if I should go further. Here is the intro:]
“I think I can. I think I can. I think I can.”
We all remember this iconic phrase from the children’s classic The Little Engine That Could. This favorite tale recounts the story of a train hauling toys up the mountain to some needy children. When the train is unable to make the steep trek, the toys try to chorale other passing trains to carry them up the mountain. Either due to disinterest or inability, all the trains refuse the responsibility of carrying this load. Eventually, a little blue engine comes by who is unsure if it is able to pull the load up the mountain. Seeing the disappointment in the toys‘ eyes, the engine decides to give it a shot. Repeating that famous phrase over and over again, the engine eventually musters up enough strength to help those out in need.
Many of us follow The Little Engine That Could God.
No one would readily admit to following that God, but we prove it by our actions. When encountering difficult situations in our lives with what seems to be insurmountable odds, we look for the best and the brightest to come to our rescue. We research and poll people concerning what they would do. We seek direction from doctors, teachers, preachers, counselors, and every expert you can imagine. Once we exhaust all of our human resources, have made meager attempts of our own, we address the King of kings and Lord of lords and utter one of the most tragic phrases resonating in our churches today, “All we have left to do now is pray.”
“Worship is a way to live rather than something to do. Walking with the Lord makes us overflow with His praises!” -Angela McCall As lead vocalist on this track, Angela has really taken this song to another level. She has brought so much passion and direction for the song. The song was written as a desire to write a …
Another great day at North Side as we were in week 3 of “Ancestors” as we focused on Jacob. Jacob was born persistent. While that persistence got him into trouble, it also paid off from him at times. His wrestlings with God reveal a man who struggled in life but who never gave up on being blessed by God. Great …
Today’s storytellers is the song “Immanuel.” I wrote this song back in 2006 and recorded it in house, but rerecorded it on my “Coming Home” solo project released earlier this year. The song fit too well with the “Overcome” theme not to include it. So we remixed it and took away my background vocals and let Jodie Shirley add her …
Our entire band’s favorite track on “Overcome” is one that none of them played on – it’s track #11, “Don’t Give Up.” This track, is a sermon remix to a message Jeff preached on May 23rd entitled, “The Hope for the Suffering Church.” On that day, a conversation between John Kennerly and myself solidified the “Overcome” focus for the album. …
While the “Overcome” CD is officially released, I wanted to continue to share some of the stories behind the songs. “Never Seen the Righteous Forsaken” was literally a last minute song to add to the project. During the mix, we decided to remove one song from the lineup which provided a musical vacuum towards the end of the project. Written …
Words can’t even begin to express my joy from Overcome last night. God showed up big, and I was just humbled at how worshipful the event was last night. Where do I begin to say thanks? Jesus – You are the true Overcomer. You bring hope to the hopeless, and You were the guest of honor last night. We were …
I am blown away by what God did tonight. I am humbled that I serve along such quality people. I love being a part of His church. We will overcome.
As our team prayed and collaborated on what songs should be on this album, God began to unite these songs under a single theme: in this world we will have trouble, but we will overcome. In the months of this recording process, we have seen over and over why God gave us these songs in order to minister to those …
What a great day at North Side as we were in week 2 of Ancestors. Only one chapter, Genesis 26, in the bible is totally dedicated to Issac. Issac is a man that spent most of his life either in the shadow of his father Abraham or his son Jacob. But no man has ever stood taller than he did …
“Nothing is Impossible” was written during our adoption process. As we looked at the huge obstacles concerning timing, situation, circumstances, finances, etc., the process seemed impossible…for us. But with God, there was nothing to it. “For nothing is impossible with God.” -Luke 1:37 Amanda, Obadiah, and myself would often play this melody on the home piano and remind ourselves of …
11:59 started as a joke. I make up songs for the boys all the time. As we were praying for all the details to get ironed out concerning Eli’s homecoming, Obie and I wrote this song. Some details concerning the adoption were huge obstacles to overcome plus I had been praying about other big circumstances in some people’s lives. As …
Guest Blogger: John Kennerly “Wait for the Lord” was one of those songs that seemed to write itself. At the time, I had no idea that I would be throwing it into the hat for inclusion in what would become North Side’s Overcome recording project and how well it would fit into the overarching theme of the project. It truly …
When North Side started the “5 Things That Will Kill This Church” series, I wanted a worship song for a church to sing together. Most worship songs are written to sing together, but I really wanted it to be something you sang acknowledging those singing around you. To write it, I went to the descriptions of the early church in …
“The Cross of Calvary” was a song written with the purpose of writing a modern day hymn. I wanted to show how the cross was not an afterthought but was a part of the whole plan from the beginning. The cross was the plan from the very start. I did a lot of phrases in the chorus that showed the …
We started a new series called “Ancestors” today focusing on the second half of Genesis and looking at our spiritual heritage to learn from the mistakes and failures of those gone before us. From the very beginning, our spiritual family was rooted in faith in God. Before the Law was introduced, Abraham proved to be a prototype for us to live …
There are songs that seem to write themselves and there are songs that require a lot of work. ”Worthy” was one of those work songs. While certain parts of it came easily, other parts, I could never find the right balance of making it dynamic yet congregational friendly. I put it on the shelf for a while and revisited it …
As the songs for the next recording project came together, it was evident that God had brought about a theme. All the songs that were coming together had to do with the fact that life is hard, but we will make it. As I started to put the songs all on paper, I realized there wasn’t a big opener anthem. …
In the days leading up to the “Overcome” worship night, I wanted to present you with some of the stories behind the songs. Each day, I will give a little background on the song and also give you a snippet to listen to. Sunday, Peggy led us in a song entitled “Hold On.” I have been messing around with this …
It’s hard to believe that Overcome is less than 2 weeks away. Our worship event is coming together to be an unbelievable night of worship and celebrating the fact that we have true hope. It all begins at 6pm on Sunday evening, October 10th at North Side Baptist Church. Here’s some important info: Invite – Spend some time getting people …
At the Tower of Babel, a coalition formed in an attempt to reach God. More than a historical architectural attempt, this event reveals the pride in mankind’s heart. We think we can reach God on our own terms. God often has to remind us that he is still God and we are not. What a great day at North Side …
Many Christians engage in certain practices that seem possibly loose but claim they have the right due to “Christian liberty.” The verse that they are casually quoting comes from 1 Cor. 6:12 where Paul says: “All things are lawful for me.” But most people don’t finish his thought where he states that not all things are beneficial. He also states …
My favorite part of my day is playing outside with my boys in the evening. We ride cars and push wagons and play ball. After we have sweated a ton, we eat a popsicle on the kitchen floor and get ready for bed. As we have been learning to catch and throw and kick, something interesting has happened lately. I …
What a great Sunday at North Side! Today, we worshiped to: New Doxology – Gateway Worship (Beach) Overcome – North Side Worship (Agnew) [will be released 10.10.10] Nothing Is Impossible – North Side Worship (Agnew) [will be released 10.10.10] I have to give it up to our worship team this morning. We had so much sickness and crazy stuff happen …
I’ve been a slave driver to North Side Worship the last few months, but it’s going to be well worth it. In addition to extra worship leading events, we’ve been cranking it out in the studio. As final mixes are being tweaked today and tomorrow, I want to provide you with a track listing of the tunes on the project. …
Satan’s tactics in the Garden of Eden are the same he uses today. His attempt was successful at luring Adam and Eve away from God’s Word, and his goal with us is the same. But even in the garden, there is hope and there is a promise. My friend and mentor, Dr. Chuck Lawless came and preached for us this …
Sunday, we introduced a worship song entitled “Worthy” that will be on our upcoming “Overcome” release (10.10.10). There are songs that seem to write themselves and there are songs that require a lot of work. “Worthy” was one of those work songs. While certain parts of it came easily, other parts, I could never find the right balance of making …
Many of you have been following the news of Sherwood Pictures’ next film, Courageous. The talented crew that made such films as Fireproof and Facing the Giants is releasing a new film on the need for fathers to rise up. And I got a role in it. To be clear, they have not called upon my acting abilities. My face …
What a great day @ North Side! We started a new series called Origins as we study through Genesis 1-11. Today, we worshiped to: God of Wonders – City on a Hill How Great Thou Art – Paul Baloche Worthy – Travis Agnew The Stand – Hillsong It was great to be able to lead the new song, “Worthy” today. …
So excited to see Greenwood buzzing with all the new and returning Lander students this week! As you guys get back in the groove, I wanted to let you know about a few things for college students: RELI 101 – I still have some openings at TR 1:15-2:45 for my Religions course I teach. Would love to see you in …
What a great day as we concluded “Solitary Confinement.” We’ve encouraged people to join community groups, but we’ve never really expected people to join. If God expects us to grow, and he uses relationships to help us grow, then shouldn’t we make Christian relationships a priority? Versus hyping people up today and trying to get them to join a community …
A Night of Worship and Hope Come join us on October 10 at 6:00 p.m. here at North Side Baptist. This will be a time of worship through music, prayer, and testimony. Come and find out what it means to Overcome! This night of worship will help people who need hope find the next step. We are inviting all types …
As a part of the training I provided at the Worship Summit this weekend, I put together this video from my phone to show what a week looks like as I prepare a bunch of musicians, vocalists, and technicians to prepare to lead worship. Watch the behind the scenes footage of how North Side Worship gets ready to lead each …
We had an absolute blast at the Worship Summit this weekend. I am still processing all that took place. Our team, North Side Worship, got to lead worship 4 times for a training event for worship leaders all over the state. I then taught 4 sessions (5 Things That Will Kill Your Worship Team, The Big Idea, Cookie Cutter Worship, …
While there are varying degrees of PDA (public displays of affection), and you and your spouse’s personalities should definitely be considered, how visible is your love for your spouse? Many people will say, “We don’t have to do all that stuff to show how much we love each other.” That’s true, but it’s not a bad addition. If your children …
What a great Sunday at North Side as we continued through our 2nd week of “Solitary Confinement” as we focused on the big idea of “Authentic Christian Community.” Some of us struggle to grow in our walk with Christ because we fail to get in the right environments. In authentic Christian community, God uses other believers to strengthen us. Are …
Gear is packed, presentations ready, and our team is rowdy as we leave for the Worship Summit this afternoon. I was honored and humbled when our group was asked to lead worship and I was asked to do the training at a worship training event for the South Carolina Baptist Convention. Today and tomorrow, our North Side Worship group will …
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