Praise the Lord it’s Friday! Here is this week’s countdown:
10. Crowder f/Dante Bowe – God Really Loves Us 9. Ben Fuller – Who I Am 8. Zach Williams – Heart of God 7. for King and Country f/Jordin Sparks – Love Me Like I Am 6. Mac Powell – New Creation 5. MercyMe – Then Christ Came 4. Katy Nichole & Big Daddy Weave – God is in This Story 3. Rachael Lampa f/TobyMac – Perfectly Loved 2. Elevation Worship – Same God 1. Colton Dixon – Build a Boat (6th week at #1)
Today, we praised God for some beautiful spring weather in January! Emma and I also shared some encouraging devotions as the stormy clouds approached the WNZR studios.
Emma continued her devotional series “Wellbeing: An Invitation to a Flourishing Life”. You can find the link here!
Jonathon shared one of his devotionals from 2022, entitled “Running On Empty” by Kimya Loder.
Q: How many band members are currently a part of Newsong?
A: Five!
Congratulations to Deanna of Mount Vernon for winning this week’s WinterJam 2023 trivia!
We started Artist News Day with the announcement of Natalie Grant’s Spring Tour. The tour is called It’s Time, she will also be joined by Naomi Raine, Tasha Cobbs Leonard, and TAYA! The tour will kick off on April 25th and ends on June 1st. Ticket information is available here.
Lifeline 2023 is coming soon! Lifeline 2023 will be from March 29th trough April 3rd. Our theme this year is God is in This Story based on the song by Katy Nichole and Big Daddy Weave and this year’s verse is Isaiah 41:10 which reads, “So do not fear, for I am with you; do not be dismayed, for I am your God. I will strengthen you and help you; I will uphold you with my righteous right hand.
We then continued our Artist News Day with CAIN soon to release their highly project Honest Offering. This six-song live worship EP is to release on Friday, February 24th. The project’s pre-sale begins today and you can listen to the project’s single “Friend In Jesus” now.
We are playing Winter Jam 2023 Artist Trivia for your chance to win passes to any Winter Jam in 2023! Congrats to Jen from Howard she won our Winter Jam Artist Trivia. The question today was, Francesca Battistelli’s Husband matt is the son of a member from which other Winter Jam band? The correct answer is Newsong, Matt Goodwin is the son of Billy Goodwin of Newsong and Francesca and Matt met for the first time during a Winter Jam Tour. If you want more info on Winter Jam 2023 click here!
Today we honor the life of Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. by sharing a devotional from Pastor Victoria Curtiss, written as a tribute to him.
Matthew 5:43–48
“You have heard that it was said, ‘You shall love your neighbor and hate your enemy.’ But I say to you, Love your enemies and pray for those who persecute you, so that you may be children of your Father in heaven; for he makes his sun rise on the evil and on the good, and sends rain on the righteous and on the unrighteous. For if you love those who love you, what reward do you have? Do not even the tax collectors do the same? And if you greet only your brothers and sisters, what more are you doing than others? Do not even the Gentiles do the same? Be perfect, therefore, as your heavenly Father is perfect. (NRSV)
Jesus said that anyone can love those who love them in return. What distinguishes people of God is the way we treat those who oppose us—our enemies. Just as God shows love to everyone, so are we to show love to everyone. This inclusivity is the meaning of “be perfect” as God is perfect.
What a fitting scripture for the day we honor Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. The key to the life of Dr. King is found in his Christian faith. He responded to violence with nonviolence, to hate with love. Dr. King was always looking toward reconciliation after the battle, because his approach was grounded in the gospel. He wrote, “It was the Sermon on the Mount, not a doctrine of passive resistance, that inspired the Negroes of Montgomery to social action. It was Jesus of Nazareth that stirred [them] with the creative weapon of love.”
Martin Luther King recognized that the heart of the gospel proclaims that love can really change a situation of conflict and enmity: love reaching out toward the oppressor, love pushing negotiation, love offering forgiveness and newness. It wasn’t that he lacked an appreciation for the persistence and power of evil. It was rather his evangelist’s faith. He really believed that the intolerant and prejudiced sheriffs and politicians were sheep who had strayed from the fold, who had the potential to be converted. However powerful evil is, love is more powerful still. “Remember him,” said Coretta Scott King, “as a man who refused to lose faith in the ultimate redemption of [humanity].”
Prayer
Thank you, God, for the witness of Martin Luther King Jr. Guide me as Christ’s follower to love as you love—everyone without exception. I lift up my enemies to you and pray for their well-being. Amen.
Praise the Lord it’s Friday! Here is this week’s countdown:
10. Crowder f/Dante Bowe – God Really Loves Us 9. Zach Williams – Heart of God 8. for King and Country f/Jordin Sparks – Love Me Like I Am 7. Ben Fuller – Who I Am 6. Mac Powell – New Creation 5. MercyMe – Then Christ Came 4. Rachael Lampa f/TobyMac – Perfectly Loved 3. Katy Nichole & Big Daddy Weave – God is in This Story 2. Elevation Worship – Same God 1. Colton Dixon – Build a Boat (5th week at #1)
Also, Winter Jam 2023 is quickly approaching! Make sure you don’t miss the best deal of the year in Christian music. Click here for more info.
Congratulations to Daniel from Gambier for winning this week’s Name That Tune! The song this week was Mac Powell with New Creation. Daniel wins a Casting Crowns CD including songs like Desert Road, Scars in Heaven and more!
today in 1908, President Teddy Roosevelt declared the Grand Canyon as a national monument
the Grand Canyon National Park covers 1,217,403 acres
tomorrow (Thu 1/12) is National Hot Tea Day
it takes around 2,000 tiny leaves to make one pound of finished tea
this week is also the anniversary of Thomas Paine’s pro-independence pamphlet, ‘Common Sense.’ It was published six months before the Declaration of Independence was signed
I was born January 11, 1963 in Winona, Minnesota
I started training to swim when I was 9 years old
I competed for the first time at nationals in 1976
I would have swam in five events in the 1980 Olympics, but the US boycotted the Games
I enrolled at the University of Florida and kept training
I captained the US Women’s Swim Team in the 1984 Olympics and won 3 gold medals
When I retired, I held five world records and 63 American records
I married Mark Stockwell, an Australian swimmer who also attended Florida
I now hold dual citizenship in the US and Australia
I am…Tracy Caulkins
Congratulations to Dawn from Fredericktown, who wins the CeCe Winans CD, ‘Believe for It.’
Driving Notes 