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If the resurrection is removed from the gospel, everything falls apart

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TEXAS GOSPEL VOLUNTEER

The resurrection of Jesus is not just one part of the Christian message that can be quietly set aside without consequence. According to Paul in 1 Corinthians 15:15, removing it from the gospel does not simply weaken the message, it destroys the integrity of everyone who has ever preached it. If Christ was not raised, then the apostles who gave their lives for this message were not brave men of faith. They were people who died for something that was not true.

But there is something even more troubling than that. If Jesus did not rise, then Jesus himself made promises he could not keep. He said he would rise, and if he did not, then either he was wrong or he was misleading people. That is a thought that cannot be squared with who Jesus claimed to be. The resurrection is not a footnote. It is the hinge on which the whole gospel turns. Take it away and nothing holds together. Keep it, and everything in the Christian life finds its proper place.

But God raised Him from the dead, putting an end to the agony of death, since it was impossible for Him to be held in its power.

Acts 2:24

Understanding Slavery and Service in Scripture

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JEFF TURNER

The tension here is real, and it deserves honest engagement.

Scripture does address slavery as a living institution. Slaves are instructed to obey; masters are called to fairness and care. The Bible does not endorse the cruelty of those systems, nor does it dismantle them outright. It works within them, shaping conduct through the deeper values of kindness, respect, and responsibility. Every human relationship, however broken its structure, is meant to be governed by righteousness.

But there is a second thread running through the New Testament, and this one transforms the image entirely. Believers are called servants, even slaves, of Jesus Christ. Paul himself wears this title with honour. Christ is Master; we belong to Him. Our obedience flows not from compulsion, but from devotion.

Here, the language of slavery becomes a portrait of faith itself, a life of willing surrender, steadfast loyalty, and joyful service to the Lord. The institution, with all its injustice, is reframed as a spiritual metaphor pointing toward something holy.

So the Bible neither celebrates harmful systems nor ignores the world as it was. It speaks into history while reaching beyond it, guiding people to live rightly within their circumstances, and calling all of us to understand our truest allegiance: not to any earthly power, but to Christ alone, the Master worth serving.

 Or do you not know that your body is a temple of the Holy Spirit within you, whom you have from God, and that you are not your own? For you have been bought for a price: therefore glorify God in your body.

1 Corinthians 6:19–20

Something’s Goin’ On: Anthem Edition finds its voice in faith and harmony

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AMY TURNER

There comes a time in every gospel quartet’s evolution when the songs stop being just songs and start being confessions. For Anthem Edition, that moment arrived while they were combing through material for their upcoming Sonlite Records EP, Something’s Goin’ On, out August 28.

“When we started searching for songs to record, each member of the group had songs that truly spoke to where they are in life right now,” says Tim Rackley, the group’s founder and a member since its earliest days as The Old Paths back in 2003. “We knew, if the songs moved us in a powerful way, they would move the listeners as well.”

That’s not marketing language; it’s a philosophy Rackley has clearly built a career on. “You cannot deliver a song fully if you don’t feel it yourself,” he says, and it shows in how the seven-track collection comes together. Three songs have already made their way into the world, including “He Is Who He Is,” which is climbing the charts as we speak. The other four are new, and together the whole project moves like a conversation, up-tempo celebration giving way to something quieter, then rising again.

The EP opens and closes on its most joyful notes, bookended by “He Is Who He Is” and the title track, but the real emotional center lives somewhere in the middle. “He Still Washed His Feet” pulls the group into something intimate and reflective. “Land Of Joy Untold” leans into a relaxed, country-inflected groove. “I’m Another Lazarus” plays like a testimony shouted from the rooftops. It’s a group finding range, not just repeating a formula.

I am saved, I’m a living testimony of His grace
I’m the evidence of what the Blood can change
That sins can be erased
And it’s all because of mercy I am saved
I am saved

Then there’s “I Am Saved,” the project’s focus track and, by Rackley’s account, its clearest statement of purpose. Producer Roger Talley brought contemporary textures into the arrangement without losing what makes a quartet chorus hit the way it does. The lyrics don’t dress up the message:

“Filled with strong songs, great harmonies, and messages that point people to Christ, this project blends the best of Southern Gospel tradition with a fresh sound for today’s listeners,” Rackley says. “From start to finish, these songs encourage, inspire, and remind us of God’s faithfulness. Something’s Goin’ On shows just how far this lineup has come.”

That distance is worth sitting with. What began in 2003 as a trio called The Old Paths, founded by Roark and Rackley, grew into a quartet and eventually national recognition. Signing with Crossroad Music’s Sonlite Records in 2012 led to the breakout album Right Now, two number one hits, and a Singing News Fan Award for Favorite New Quartet. There was a hiatus in 2015, a return to the road in 2017, and then, in late 2022, a full rebrand: The Old Paths became Anthem Edition, with Andrew Utech stepping in on bass. Cameron Edens joined as tenor in the fall of 2023, filling out the lineup that now sings these songs like they mean them, because, according to Rackley, they do.

Something’s Goin’ On is available for pre-save now, ahead of its August 28 release on Sonlite Records.

The grace and wisdom of God go deeper than any words can fully reach

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TEXAS GOSPEL VOLUNTEER

Romans 11:33 gives us the image of depth. Just as no one has ever measured the floor of the ocean, no one has ever reached the bottom of God’s grace. Forgiveness, peace with God, the hope of heaven, new life: all of it available to people who are broken, lost, and without anything to offer in return.

And that is precisely what makes it so striking. This grace is not given to the deserving. It is lavished on the struggling, the sinful, the ones who come to God empty-handed. It reaches into places nothing else can touch. And the more we understand it, the more we discover how much more there is still to understand.

But God, being rich in mercy, because of His great love with which He loved us, even when we were dead in our wrongdoings, made us alive together with Christ (by grace you have been saved),

Ephesians 2:4-5

Chosen Road’s Zach Alvis celebrates arrival of baby Josie

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AMY TURNER

Josie Leona Alvis arrived a little ahead of schedule, and her dad, Zach Alvis of Chosen Road, made sure fans heard the news. Born July 3rd at 6:11 PM, Josie weighed 6 lbs, 6 oz and measured 18.5 inches long.

Alvis shared the news on Facebook with the same heartfelt honesty that colours his music: “It wasn’t the timeline we had planned, but we’re reminded once again that the Lord’s plans are always better than ours. His providence is perfect, and His faithfulness never EVER fails. We’re overwhelmed with gratitude that our baby girl is healthy, Momma is doing well, Jack is the proudest big brother ever and shown once again how God has been so kind to us through it all. We know every good and perfect gift comes from Him, and this sweet little life is a reminder of His grace and mercy.”

Congratulations to the Alvis family on the newest addition to their household.