On Tuesday, June 25, 2013, we were honored to host an acoustic house concert featuring
Kerrie Roberts, and opening artist
Chelsea Musick for a night of music and ministry. Having previously hosted VOTA and Jenny Simmons of Addison Road for house concerts, both times with opening band Universal Royalty providing the equipment and sound engineering, we weren't sure if we'd be able to pull off this house concert without God's grace and provision.
Thankfully, although Universal Royalty was away at a youth conference, they graciously provided the sound equipment and my friends Bruce Williamson and Tom Bimson helped out with sound engineering. The night was truly an example of living out Romans 12, where by faith, each of us had to chip in with our Spiritual gifts for the Kingdom. Heather Albert also participated by photographing the entire night.
We were about to leave to cover the Creation NE festival for the next four days, and as a result, we also hosted several staff members of NRT for this house concert, including Marcus Hathcock, Sarah Fine, Michelle Gillatt, Bill Lurwick, Jonathan Francesco, and Kevin McNeese.
Opening artist Chelsea Musick has been singing since she was a little girl, and recently released her album,
Perfectly You. The album has a pop/country musical feel, similar to Taylor Swift and Carrie Underwood, but with edifying Christian messages, which was a wonderful blessing to our crowd of friends, many of whom have young girls. We have three young daughters. One of our consistent prayers for them is that they know that they are "fearfully and wonderfully made" (Psalm 139), and that they don't look to the world for significance, but find their identity from being daughters of God, and made in His image. Chelsea treated us to a great set of songs based on this theme, including
"Perfectly You," "Live It Right" and
"All I Need."
Chelsea shared her own personal testimony of how God whispered to her that she was beautiful while in a trial involving a significant outbreak of acne all over her face. As a young woman and as an artist, Chelsea reflects God's radiance and proclaims God's goodness in her life. Relative to finding our identity in Christ, she shared with us this Bible passage: Ephesians 2:10: "For we are God's masterpiece. He has created us anew in Christ Jesus, so we can do the good things he planned for us long ago."
Chelsea also sang a set of songs about about identity and relationships. The crowd clapped along with her upbeat songs "Give It Up" and "I'm Yours." Chelsea taught us how to yodel which was really fun. Another standout song Chelsea performed was "When You Do This To Me" which is an anti-bullying song. It's a life-lesson Chelsea hopes will resonate with women in similar situations. That message is so important and I'm so glad she addresses it with her song. Chelsea closed with a great rendition of "How He Loves."
Kerrie Roberts is a pastor's kid, and grew up singing at her church in Florida ever since she was a young child, and she always dreamed of becoming a pop song singer. She has big vocals that remind me of Kelly Clarkson and Natalie Grant. She wrote her first songs in high school. Kerrie's songs all reflect the redemptive seeds planted during those years and into her young adulthood. Thematically, her albums explore a thoughtful side of faith, hope and love, the acknowledgment that an authentic life of faith isn't void of suffering, the purpose amidst pain, the promise that a breakthrough is coming, and the motivating power of God's love.
Appropriately, Kerrie opened her excellent set of songs with "Time for the Show." The song rivals "Rolling in the Deep" by Adele as an opener that sets the pace for an album. It has that same rollicking tempo and provides insight into Kerrie's mindset and submission to God as a believer, especially in the hooky chorus where Kerrie emotionally cries out to God, "It's time for the show, turn up your light / it's time for the show, let it shine / because you know who you are and know Who your heart belongs to / they need to know, this perfect love / it comes through us / don't wait another minute let's go / it's time for the show." She clearly loves our Lord and Savior Jesus with all of her heart and wants to celebrate that fact with every song.
Next, we all sang along with "No Matter What." The song, based on the story of Shadrach, Meshach and Abednego in the book of Daniel, is totally inspiring and is a great reminder to have that type of faith and to allow God to use you no matter what. The personal application for me is in the song is found in the lyrics: "Before a heartache can ever touch my life, it has to go through Your hands." God is telling us when we face those fiery furnaces in our lives we need to rely on Him.
In her great new dance tempo song "Sing," Roberts belted out, "And I sing out loud, no I won't be quiet / I sing and shout, I cannot be silent / You put the music in my heart / I'm screamin' now / I feel like jumpin' feel like dancin' for You now / can't keep this Spirit under lock and key / I need to set it free / no I won't be quiet I won't be silent now!"
I sing that line along with Kerrie's gorgeous and powerful voice at the top of my lungs and I find it so uplifting in this troubling time where the earth is groaning, the economy is failing and the only thing that matters is to "sing Praise our God, praise our God, let His praise be heard." Amen to that!
"Middle Of It All" featured Kerrie passionately praying directly to God these profound lyrics—"I'm afraid, but I'll trust You, so I will run into the middle of it all, and I will come when my heart hears Your call, no I won't hide behind the safety of the city walls…I will run into the middle of it all." Kerrie sang about who we are always in God's sight with her next song, the moving ballad "In Your Sight." The song is totally inspiring and is a great reminder as Kerrie prayed, "I will rest, knowing You are holding me, I believe You will never say goodbye, I close my eyes, unafraid of what I cannot see, because I am always In Your sight." We need to have that type of faith that Jesus describes in the Bible, "Blessed are those who have not seen and yet have believed." Amen.
Kerrie also treated us to her song "Lovable" from her Once Upon A Time EP. The lyrics are very uplifting: "So take these words to heart, know that you are... Lovable, Beautiful, Wonderfully made, a child of God, No matter what, the hurt inside of them might say. So hold on to the truth, you are lovable."
"Outcast" was great acoustically, and is a wonderful anthem for Christians to know that we weren't made for this world. "Cause what I believe, is what makes me strong, if I don't belong, I hold onto love, so what if I'm an outcast?" reflects our stories as Christians. We all need to remember the Truth from Romans 12:2 (NKJV): "And do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind, that you may prove what is that good and acceptable and perfect will of God."
"Keep Breathing" is a great and very personal song which Kerrie shared was one of the first songs she'd ever written. Kerrie shares in the song, "so don't give up, don't give in, you are not done yet." Kerrie closed with the up tempo song "What Are You Afraid Of," a surefire hit song in my opinion. It includes the personal and confessional lyrics, "What are you afraid of, show ‘em what you're made of, the shadows that you're scared of, are usually your own, they're not the great unknown, you don't have to wonder, you're not going under, Grace has got your covered, God is in control, go on and let it go, what are you afraid of?" Amen!
Throughout the night listeners were blessed to sing along with these Christian women who shined brightly, like a city on a hill, the radiance of knowing Jesus personally. They are excellent role models for young girls and men and women looking for significance. All of the songs pointed to the truth that we are made in the image of God, and therefore we are all a "Masterpiece." I highly recommend both artists and don't miss any opportunity to worship with them in person.
