@YouToMe - Thank you. Rick and Dr Evans are similar in that they dig deeper into Scriptures, explaining the who, what, when, why, where, and a bit extra. While their personalities are quite different, they do share that one common preaching trait, plus showing how all of that applies to today.
I’ve never heard of Crawford Lortis, though. Where does he preach?

@YouToMe - Excellent! I’ll definitely look into him. I’m always happen to find new pastors and other knowledgeable people who can help people understand the Bible better.

@FoxFire12 - LOL That’s a LOT of churches to cover.

@FoxFire12 - LOL You sure do get around a lot.

@Xbeautifully_broken_downX - *chuckles* I should amend this post by saying that I don’t presently attend AC3 since I now live in Texas. But yes, it’s an amazing group of believers. Of all my churches I ever felt at home at, this is my Home Church.

@NightCometh – Acts 10:9-16.

Don’t think that the AC3 leaders don’t select such secular songs without prayer and discretion. Keep in mind that those in the world face many of the same issues we Christians face. Are we to be so bold to say that God cannot or will not use these non-Christian artists to meet His goals even if those same artists meant nothing of God in their music? I dare say that such an attitude is bordering on arrogance, dear Sis.

Just how many times has one’s evil been a tool for God’s good?

@NightCometh - I should also add that when I originally wrote this article so long ago, I was referencing general artists in the secular world. I’ve not been to every single service, so just maybe they have not sung songs by Pink…whose songs, I do know, tend to be vulgar. Perhaps there is an exception…and it might be such an exception that would be used to illustrate the issue that my pastor would address in his message.

In any case, this is not an endorsement of the artists. But a tool to relate to people. Just because we are Christians – you and I and the rest – does not mean we have not dealt with the problems and pain that, while not Godly in nature, are still as relevant as are depicted in certain secular songs.

The song “Call Me” by Shinedown is an important song to me. I do not endorse the band because I gather they are not God-fearing guys. But their songs that I have heard are not necessarily “bad”. They address life as best they see it. They call out experiences they see in their own lives and the world…and they sing about it. They aren’t trying to incite anarchy or evil. They may not recognize Jesus as Lord…not yet, at least…but they aren’t exactly encouraging evil, either. This doesn’t make them Godly-good. But it does mean they have a certain relevance to the human condition. Things, such as in the song “Call Me”, like broken hearts and acceptance of guilt where it is due. That’s what the song is about.

If you kept reading the article, Sis, you’d see that such a song, while not written from a Christian perspective to my knowledge, helped me to accept the fact that I was greatly at fault for the broken relationship I had with my ex. It also inspired me to write a song of a similar nature – lyric style and tone – to my ex as a heart-felt apology. An apology that she knew was genuine and helped to heal some of the wounds I inflicted on her heart. You can’t tell me that that isn’t something God would frown upon. And it happened because of an “unclean” band.

Through the guidance of the Holy Spirit, AC3 uses such “unclean” songs to relate to the people that the church’s purpose is made of: to reach out to the people! Most non-Christian people don’t GET this whole church thing. It’s odd and foreign to them. They don’t get hymns, they don’t get the praying, they don’t get the BIBLE. But they do get the non-Christian music. For better or worse, they are familiar with that. So, when appropriate, AC3 uses songs that relate to the people and also is connected to an issue that the Bible addresses. The songs are used to connect the familiar Point A to the unfamiliar Point B (B is for Bible…okay, not really, but it suddenly sounded funny to me).

Are you REALLY going to say God can’t use that? Are you going to stop reading my testimony about how effective my church has been because they use unconventional church practices? Have you SEEN the people there and what they came out of? I know of at least a few families who were drug-ridden and abusive to each other and themselves. Somehow, God led them to AC3, and now they even serve in the church. All because of AC3′s unusual and “unclean” practices.

Sis…Amy…I have often praised you for your convictions and faith. And I still believe in you.
But this is one point where you are wrong, and you need to check yourself.
You are my friend and I love you as such. I won’t give up on you so long as you are still somehow in my life (I STILL need to make it to your nick of the woods – I have a TRUCK now, so I can definitely go for a visit given I’m just a few hours’ drive away).
I hope you know that I say this without thinking less of you, as well. I’m still glad to call you friend. Always will be.