Noteworthy Blog

This hymn is known as "The Love Song of the Welsh Revival." It was the central hymn throughout the 12 months of the 1904 revival across Wales. "It was a movement that went uniquely beyond key individuals in one place" (Kristyn Getty). It comprised many people, gathering in little churches all over Wales. There were no advertisements or promotions to draw attention to it. The testimonies of those who witnessed it described it as little fires popping up throughout the landscape with no organization, common spark, or traceable connection. "It was a revival of prayer and song, of repentance, and of confidence in God's Word" (Kristyn Getty). Here Is Love was written, initially in only two verses, by a Welsh independent preacher named William Rees toward the end of his life. Rees was well-known and recognized by his contemporaries for his gift of preaching. But it wasn't until roughly 30 years after his death that his hymn would have an impact still felt

This is an Isaac Watts hymn from 1719. But, as incredible as Watts was at writing hymns, and many hymns he did, we’re not going to look into Watt’s story or the historical events surrounding the time of its writing. We’re not even going to explore how Psalm 72 is the basis of this hymn. Instead, we’re going to examine a story of impact.   A few weeks ago, the 2024 Summer Olympics closed in Paris, France, completing the anniversary games of those held 100 years ago. Time will reveal what becomes the most memorable athletic achievement of these 2024 summer games, but it's likely to be a particular break-dancing athlete. However,  Eric Liddell was most remembered for his part in the 1924 Summer Games one hundred years ago.   If you've seen the movie Chariots of Fire, you know his story. Eric was best at the 100-meter sprint, but he refused to compete because the Olympic heats would be held on a Sunday. His knowledge of the schedule months ahead of the ga

  Some of the greatest songs ever written are born of tragedy and pain. Songs like “Tears in Heaven” by Eric Clapton or “All of My Love” by Robert Plant are just a couple of songs that come to mind from the secular genre that were written because of the pain of loss. One of the most well-known hymns, “It Is Well With My Soul,” is a beautiful song born of the tragic loss of Horatio Spafford’s family.   Authored by English native Louisa M. R. Stead and published in 1882, this hymn speaks of the sweet joy of trusting Jesus. The inspiration for the hymn, however, was the tragic loss of her husband, George. While they, with their 4-year-old daughter, were enjoying a day at the beach, George jumped into action upon hearing the cries of a young boy drowning. After spotting the boy, he went in after him. But, in the struggle, tragically, both drowned. Louisa and her daughter Lily could only watch helplessly from the shore.   The lyrics came from Louisa’s healing proce

The exact origin and author of How Firm a Foundation remains a mystery. First included in John Rippon’s book A Selection of Hymns from the Best Authors in 1787, it has remained a popular hymn ever since. It has been sung at funerals of U.S. Presidents and even played a pivotal role in uniting the American army during the Spanish-American War. In its nearly 250 years of existence, it has been included in over 2,100 hymnals.   In How Firm A Foundation, we find five promises of God in five stanzas, all set to a beautiful, simple, easy-to-sing, and memorable tune. These promises take us on a journey from the sufficiency of God’s word through His presence, comfort, and protection to His never leaving us. And oh, what a beautiful journey through scripture it is. How firm a foundation, ye saints of the Lord,
 is laid for your faith in God's excellent Word!
 What more can be said than to you God hath said,
 to you who for refuge to Jesus have fled?   The hymn begins with the sufficiency of

According to the writers, this modern hymn took shape mostly on a two-hour plane ride from Louisville to Dallas in late 2012. The final version was finished two months later, in January 2013. There are over 160 scripture references that support these lyrics. It truly is a fantastic song. For some context, let me direct you to 2 Corinthians 3 where Paul is calling on the Christian Jews in Corinth to realize the temporal glory of the law of Moses had ended and the permanent glory of Christ had begun. N.T. Scholar Paul W. Barnett writes, “Paul is making two closely related points. On one hand, he is referring to Moses’ own words that the people willfully failed to comprehend the meaning and significance of God’s rescue of them from Egypt. On the other, Paul is implying that, because of this, God did not let them understand the promises made under the Mosaic covenant which would be fulfilled in Christ.” He says, “The veil, which in Moses’ day prevented the Israelites s

 As I write this, it's the day after Easter. He is risen. He is risen indeed! "On the evening of that day, the first day of the week, the doors being locked where the disciples were for fear of the Jews, Jesus came and stood among them and said to them, 'Peace be with you.'" ( John 20:19 ESV ) Can you imagine the startling nature of Jesus simply appearing to you? No wonder he said, "Peace be with you!" In his human body, bones, and flesh, he appeared to the disciples many times after the resurrection. On one such occasion, Mark records the Great Commission. "And he said to them, 'Go into all the world and proclaim the gospel to the whole creation.'" ( Mark 16:15 ESV ) As we see in Acts, the apostles established the church on the foundation of their eyewitness accounts of Jesus's ministry, death and resurrection, and his appearances to them. As Tim Keller once said, "On one hand, the resurrection is a fact to be believed. On the