The Morning Thing Friday Favorites this week focused on NEW Music of 2020. Each host shared their favorite new song release this year.
Rachel loves the song “Together” from for King & Country, Tori Kelly and Kirk Franklin
Click HERE to hear Rachel talk about this amazing song.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lR1Hk0FVi_k
Marcy loves the song “Like You Love Me” from Tauren Wells.
Click HERE to hear Marcy talk about the message of this song.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HHrxS4diLew
For our Morning Thing Fave 5 this week, we shared our favorite Christmas songs.
Marcy Rinehart loves for King & Country (and drums).
Trevor Moore likes a classic Elvis song.
Daria Swisher likes a song that reminds her of her days in the school choir.
Hunter Sutyak likes a kid’s classic Christmas song.
Wesley Boston’s favorite is at the top of the all time most loved Christmas songs.
WNZR’s Ellie Parker talked with Luke Smallbone of the group for King & Country about their new album, “Burn the Ships” and their “Little Drummer Boy” Christmas tour.
Click HERE to hear Luke share the passion behind this new album and how the writing process was very personal for him and Joel.
Luke also shares what is on his Christmas list!
WNZR is giving you a chance to win tickets to “The Little Drummer Boy Christmas Tour” with for King & Country and Zach Williams
Tune in to The Morning Thing and The Afternoon Drive all this week for your chance to win tickets to “The Little Drummer Boy Christmas Tour” with for King & Country and Zach Williams! We will play “Name that Tune” with for King & Country songs.
We will play a short section of a song from for King & Country and if you can be the first person to correctly name the song title, you win 2 tickets to see the show on Saturday, December 8th.
*If you have won in the past 30 days, you are ineligible to participate in this ticket giveaway.*
Little Drummer Boy – The Christmas Tour features for King & Country and special guest, Zach Williams.
Location: Schottenstein Center (555 Borror Dr., Columbus, OH)
Date: Saturday 12/8/18
Time: 6 p.m. – Doors open, 7 p.m. – Concert begins
VIP ticket price seat purchasers will receive a pre-show Q&A session that begins promptly at 5:30 p.m.
Tickets are on sale now. Ticket information HERE. Please call 1-800-745-3000 to order your tickets by phone.
Today on the Morning Thing, we shared stories of Tragedy turned to Triumph from some of your favorite artists and the songs that they inspired.
Although it was written a few years prior, Natalie Grant’s More Than Anything became her “anthem” during her cancer scare. Click HERE to hear Natalie talk about the story behind the song. Click HERE and HERE to read about Natalie’s cancer scare and how God lead her through.
Citizen Way’s Ben Calhoun wrote their song When I’m With You about the miscarriage of their son, Jeremiah. Click HERE to hear Ben talk about how God brought the Calhoun family through one of their darkest times.
Jeremy Camp wrote the song I Still Believe about the tragic loss of his first wife, Melissa, to cancer. Although his faith was tested, God helped him rise above it. Click HERE and HERE to read more.
Danny Gokey also lost his wife during a routine heart surgery right before he began as a contestant on American Idol, which inspired the song Hope in Front of Me. Read about how God used the death of Danny’s wife Sophia HERE and HERE.
Steven Curtis Chapman tragically lost his five-year-old adopted daughter Maria when she was accidentally struck by her brother’s car in the family’s driveway. And yet he managed to rise above it and wrote the song Heaven is the Face. Click HERE to read more.
Mandisa wrote her album Out of the Dark about the aftermath of the death of her friend Kisha. Kisha’s loss to breast cancer nearly lead Mandisa to end her own life, but you can read about how God used those around her to lead her out of the dark HERE. Mandisa had also been praying for her brother’s salvation for decades. When he finally accepted Christ, she wrote the song Good News. Listen to her talk about the song HERE.
for King & Country’s Joel Smallbone dealt with an illness that put him out of commission for months and could have taken his life. As a result, the brothers wrote the song Shoulders. Click HERE to hear them talk about the song and HERE to read more.
Ryan Stevenson, a former EMT, definitely knows what it’s like to be in the Eye of the Storm. Click HERE to hear him talk about the story behind that song.
Plumb dealt with debilitating anxiety while growing up and still struggles with it today. She also saw her marriage come back from the brink of destruction through the grace of God. All this inspired her to write her song Need You Now. Click HERE to hear her talk about the song and HERE to read more about how God brought her through heartache.
Take heart and be encouraged, for God is with you!
“Be strong and courageous. Do not be afraid or terrified because of them, for the LORD your God goes with you; he will never leave you nor forsake you.”
-Deuteronomy 31:6
As always, thanks for listening!
On The Morning Thins this morning we featured to conversations our staff had with the two christian artists performing at The Ohio State Fair this year. If you would like to listen in to Rachel Rinehart talking with Joel Smallbone of For King and Country click HERE.
And if you would like to check out Eddie’s conversation with Zach Williams, click HERE.
In addition to sporting events, coffee shops, and naps, Christian concerts are my favorite place to be. I love being in a high energy atmosphere that is entirely centered on our Creator and in an atmosphere where I am surrounded by people of all ages who are having the time of their life worshipping and enjoying the presence of our Lord. Plus, I LOVE music! So for me, there is not a better way to spend my free time.
This past weekend I was in my element. I had the opportunity to attend Winter Jam 2015, and I can’t begin to describe the amount of joy I experienced at this event. Traveling with close friends to experience the Lord with thousands of brothers and sisters in Christ was unforgettable! As a pastor’s kid who grew up in the youth group, I have been to many, many WinterJams and each year they continue to blow my mind. Each artist and band work hard to share their love of music and God with every person in the audience. No one should leave the stadium without feeling the hand of God at work in the arena.
Unlike most concerts, WinterJam brings ten artists to the stage to share their story with the audience. Artists such as for King and Country, Jeremy Camp, Family Force 5, and Newsong shared their music with thousands. Though each artist had an incredible message, two of them really hit home with me this weekend, and I hope they will encourage you as well.
Francesca Battistelli performed her new song “Write Your Story” reminding me that we are all an open book for God, and He writes our story. As a college student, I am in the midst of confusion and chaos surrounding my future. I do not know what I will do after graduation, how I want to use my major, who I will marry, where I will live, or what I want to do with the rest of my life. These decisions and many more are constantly swarming through my head. Though some would say I still have time to decide, that time is quickly slipping away. Because of this, I am often stressed about the future and apprehensive about the present, but Francesca reminded me that He knows my name, and He has written a story for me, far better than I could imagine.
I’m an empty page
I’m an open book
Write Your story on my heart
Come on and make Your Mark
Author of my hope
Maker of the stars
Let me be Your work of art
Won’t you write Your story on my heart
-Francesca Battistelli’s Write Your Story
The last band to take the stage was Skillet, a Christian Rock band that often travels with secular groups. John Cooper, the lead singer of Skillet, shared his love for God and his desire to spread the gospel in everything he does. Cooper shared with us that managers and band members of secular groups often tell him that Skillet could be one of the most successful rock bands if he would stop talking about God. Cooper’s faith and love for God is more important than material possessions. God has called him to live out his faith and share God’s love above all else. John Cooper often quotes Romans 1:16 “For I am not ashamed of the gospel, for it is the power of God that brings salvation to everyone who believes.” This hit home for me. I want to live my faith in such a way that people tell me to stop talking about God. I want others to know through my actions and words that I am a Christian, and I love the Lord with all of my heart.
I’m at war with the world cause I
Ain’t never gonna sell my soul
I’ve already made up my mind
No matter what I can’t be bought or sold
When my faith is getting weak
And I feel like giving in
You breathe into me again.
-Skillet’s Awake and Alive
As you can tell, my time at WinterJam 2015 was amazing, and I am thankful for the opportunity to experience the love of God with so many others. I hope you have or will know the energy and excitement of thousands of Christians gathering together for one purpose – to know and worship the one true God.
– Jenna Potts
Rise and Shine 