Tag: Southern Gospel Radio

Kingdom Heirs Mark 40 Years in Gospel Music and at Dollywood

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JEFF TURNER

This year marks a significant milestone for the Kingdom Heirs, one of Southern Gospel’s most enduring quartets. The group is celebrating 40 years as a full-time ministry in gospel music, along with four decades of performances at Dollywood in Pigeon Forge, Tennessee.

Drummer Dennis Murphy, who has been with the group for more than 35 years, recalls how the partnership with the theme park began long before it carried Dolly Parton’s name. “We were already in place at the park before it became Dollywood,” he says. “We started as a part-time gospel act in the early ’80s when it was still Silver Dollar City. After a couple of years singing on weekends and special events, management offered us a full-time position in 1985. From there, it became an incredible way to share the gospel with people from all over the world.”

The group’s theater at Dollywood holds about a thousand people, giving the Kingdom Heirs the chance to reach audiences far larger than many touring groups could sustain. Their performances have become a fixture for both first-time visitors and loyal season pass holders, helping to establish their reputation as one of the most recognizable names in the genre.

To commemorate the anniversary, the Kingdom Heirs are releasing Fortieth Anniversary, a collection of newly recorded versions of fan favorites. The album revisits songs from across their career, including a medley of three of their best-known numbers — “He Lifted Me,” “I’ve Passed Over,” and “He Locked The Gates.” Alongside these classics are fresh arrangements that highlight the group’s variety, from traditional quartet numbers to a country waltz, a soulful ballad, and other styles that showcase the breadth of their catalog.

Murphy credits the group’s longevity to the many singers and musicians who have passed through its ranks. “During our forty years we’ve been fortunate to have some incredibly talented men come through the group,” he reflects. “Our current lineup is a crowd favorite, and this project captures both the history and the energy of the Kingdom Heirs today.”

As much as the album is a look back, it also serves as a reminder of the group’s mission. “Some will recognize every song, while others will be hearing them for the first time,” Murphy adds. “Either way, these songs carry the same message they always have — one that has touched countless hearts and lives over the years.”

The Fortieth Anniversary album is scheduled for release on October 10.

Trusting God’s Love in the Middle of Life’s Storms

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AMY TURNER

In Mark 4:35-41 we’re told of a dangerous storm striking as Jesus and his disciples cross the Sea of Galilee. The boat begins to fill with water, and the disciples, filled with fear, wake Jesus from sleep. In their alarm, they ask him, “Don’t you care if we drown?”

Jesus then rises and commands the wind and waves to be still. Instantly, the storm calms. Afterward, he questions his disciples, asking why they are so afraid and whether they still lack faith. The heart of this account is not about whether Jesus could calm the storm — his power was never in question. What mattered was the disciples’ trust in him.

Their words show us their doubt. Not doubt in his ability, but in his concern for them. Faith involves more than believing in God’s strength; it requires confidence in his constant love.

God is our refuge and strength,
A very ready help in trouble.

Psalm 46:1

What the New Earth Might Be Like

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JEFF TURNER

Some people imagine heaven as a place filled with clouds, harps, and endless singing. However, the Bible gives a different picture. In Revelation 21, it describes a “new heaven and a new earth,” and this new earth shares some similarities with the one we live on now.

One key difference is that the new earth will not have seas. Currently, water covers about 75 percent of the planet. The future earth will be different. Nothing in the description mentions a water-based world. This apparent change could reflect a return to how the earth was before the flood described in Genesis. That flood reshaped the world through rain and underground waters, forming oceans and continents as we know them today.

The new earth might resemble the Garden of Eden, a place of beauty, rivers, and balance. Although we can’t know all the details, it’s likely the new earth will be full of life and peace, free from the destruction of past disasters.

and He will wipe away every tear from their eyes; and there will no longer be any death; there will no longer be any mourning, or crying, or pain; the first things have passed away.”

Revelation 21:4

You Will Know Them by Their Fruit

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JEFF TURNER

You’re probably familiar with the phrase, “You will know them by their fruit,” from Matthew 7. It’s often used to judge whether someone’s faith is real, with the idea that a true Christian must prove their salvation through visible results. Some go so far as to treat this as a command to doubt every profession of faith until evidence is shown.

But this passage isn’t meant to test believers. In its context, Jesus is warning about false teachers, not questioning the salvation of sincere followers. His focus is on protecting people from spiritual deception, not urging them to challenge each other’s faith.

Jesus is talking about false prophets, that is, those who appear genuine but teach lies. They will show signs of who they really are. Their actions, morals, and even their followers can reveal their true nature. These outward signs are what expose their falsehood.

Beware of the false prophets, who come to you in sheep’s clothing, but inwardly are ravenous wolves. You will know them by their fruits. Grapes are not gathered from thorn bushes, nor figs from thistles, are they?

Matthew 7:15–16

The Certain Return of Christ and the Call to Prepare

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AMY TURNER

The Bible clearly teaches that Jesus Christ will one day return to the earth. Revelation 1:7 tells us that he will come with the clouds, and every person will see him — including those responsible for his death. People from every nation will mourn when this happens because it will mark the moment of final judgement.

This event will be public and undeniable. Christ will not return in secret or as a distant idea. His coming will be visible and real, and it will affect every human being. No one will be able to avoid this moment. We’re told in 2 Corinthians 5:10, “For we must all appear before the judgment seat of Christ, so that each of us may receive what is due for the things done while in the body, whether good or bad.”

Doesn’t knowing this truth call for a serious response from each of us?

because He has set a day on which He will judge the world in righteousness through a Man whom He has appointed, having furnished proof to all people by raising Him from the dead.”

Acts 17:31