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Because Jesus is alive, the work we do for him is never wasted

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TEXAS GOSPEL VOLUNTEER

It would be easy to read Paul’s teaching on the resurrection and think of it only in terms of what happens after we die, but Paul himself would not allow that. He closes his long discussion of the resurrection in 1 Corinthians 15:58 with a call to action that is rooted in the present. Because of everything that is true about the risen Christ, believers are called to be steady, not shaken, and always giving themselves fully to the work of the Lord.

The work done in the name of Jesus is not pointless effort. Because sin has been paid for and the grave has been conquered. We are not fighting a battle whose outcome is still in question. The victory has already been won. There is no reason we should give up.

Therefore, my beloved brothers and sisters, be firm, immovable, always excelling in the work of the Lord, knowing that your labor is not in vain in the Lord.

1 Corinthians 15:58

The power God has placed toward those who believe is beyond measure

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TEXAS GOSPEL VOLUNTEER

Paul’s prayer for the Ephesian believers in Ephesians 1:19 includes something that is easy to pass over quickly but worth stopping to take in. He prays that they would know the power of God that is directed toward those who believe, and he reaches for a word that means it simply cannot be measured or quantified. This is not a resource that runs low. It is not a strength that fades when drawn upon too heavily. The power of God available to his people is without limit.

That does not mean that following God will mean a life free of difficulty or suffering. Paul himself knew suffering well, and the Bible is honest about the fact that believers walk through hard things. But within all of that, the power of God to accomplish good for his people is not constrained by circumstances or circumstances or anything else. There is no situation so heavy that His power is not greater. There is nothing you are facing that places you beyond the reach of a God whose strength toward you has no ceiling.

Ephesians 3:20

Now to Him who is able to do far more abundantly beyond all that we ask or think, according to the power that works within us,

What Philippians 4:13 actually means when it says you can do all things through Christ

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JEFF TURNER

Philippians 4:13, says “I can do all things through Him who strengthens me.” It is one of the most widely quoted verses in the Bible, and also one of the most misunderstood. It shows up on clothing, jewellery, and motivational content, often used to suggest that a Christian can achieve anything they set their mind to with Jesus on their side. But the context of the verse tells a very different story.

Paul wrote this from a place of hardship, not ambition. He had just been describing his experience of going through seasons of abundance and seasons of having almost nothing, and saying that he had found contentment in both. The “all things” he was referring to were all kinds of circumstances, not all kinds of achievements. His point was that Christ gave him the inner strength to endure anything life brought his way, whether that meant suffering with dignity or enjoying blessing without becoming proud. That is a deeper and more honest kind of strength than the motivational version, and it is available to every believer in the hardest moments of life.

Not that I speak from need, for I have learned to be content in whatever circumstances I am. I know how to get along with little, and I also know how to live in prosperity; in any and every circumstance I have learned the secret of being filled and going hungry, both of having abundance and suffering need.

Philippians 4:11-12

Redemption came at the highest price and was given with great generosity

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TEXAS GOSPEL VOLUNTEER

The word redemption comes from the world of slavery, where a price was paid to set a person free, and the price paid to free us from our slavery to sin was the life of the Son of God himself. Ephesians 1:7-8 tells us that in Jesus we have redemption through his blood and the forgiveness of our wrongdoings, and this was given to us according to the richness of God’s grace, which he poured out on us generously.

What is worth sitting with here is that this price was not paid with reluctance or resentment. God did not free us because he had to, or with any sense of holding back. He lavished this grace upon us, which is a word that speaks of abundance and generosity. If you ever wonder how much your Saviour cares for you, the cross is your answer. The cost was everything, and it was given freely and fully because of how much you are loved.

For you know the grace of our Lord Jesus Christ, that though He was rich, yet for your sake He became poor, so that you through His poverty might become rich.

2 Corinthians 8:9

The King James Boys release new bluegrass gospel single “Everything Heaven Won’t Be”

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TEXAS GOSPEL VOLUNTEER

Some songs bring comfort, the kind that comes from a song that doesn’t pretend life is easy, but reminds you that none of it lasts forever. That’s the territory The King James Boys are working in with their new single, “Everything Heaven Won’t Be,” the latest cut to be pulled from their celebrated record Get A Transfer.

The band, lineup intact since their 1994 formation in upstate South Carolina, isn’t chasing trends. Randy Spencer handles guitar and lead vocals, his brother Cole Spencer rounds out the harmonies on bass, Curtis Lewis carries the banjo work, and Will Hart fills in mandolin and harmony. More than three decades in, they’ve built their reputation on a simple premise: stay rooted in traditional bluegrass, stay rooted in faith, and let the songs do the convincing.

This one was written by Daryl Mosley, a four-time Songwriter of the Year, who says he never expected to hear his own words come back to him in The King James Boys’ voice. “I’ve been a fan of The King James Boys for a long time, so I’m especially excited that a song I wrote has found its way into their repertoire,” Mosley says. “They absolutely made this song their own! I’m grateful they liked the song and their recording truly knocks it out of the park!”

The song itself plays a clever trick. It runs through the everyday jobs and worries that eat up people’s attention, the deadlines, the anxieties, the noise, and then quietly sets all of it against the backdrop of eternity, where none of that weight exists. It’s not a heavy-handed sermon; it’s more of an invitation, nudging listeners toward what Mosley and the band clearly believe sticks around: faith, relationships, and the long view.

“Everything Heaven Won’t Be” doesn’t arrive in a vacuum. It follows a run of singles from Get A Transfer that have already found an audience, including “Glory Ride,” “Ready and Waiting,” “The News That Never Changes,” “The Best Selling Book Of All Time,” and “Power of Prayer.” The album as a whole has quietly become one of the most decorated of the group’s career, landing multiple No. 1 spots on both the Roots Music Report Charts and the Bluegrass Today Gospel Weekly Airplay Chart. “The Best Selling Book Of All Time,” written by Christopher Burton, has gone further still, advancing to the second round of voting on the IBMA Awards ballot.

For a band thirty years into its run, that kind of momentum isn’t an accident. It’s the product of consistency: the same lineup, the same convictions, and a catalogue that keeps finding new listeners without ever needing to chase them.