Tag: Southern Gospel Radio

Exploring the Story Behind You’ll Find Him There with Ernie Haas

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JEFF TURNER

In a recent interview with Texas Gospel, Ernie Haas shared about his musical journey and his song You’ll Find Him There. The single is featured on the Ernie Haas and Signature Sound project Live in Memphis. Originally written in 2016 for the Clear Skies project, the song was created by Haas, Joel Lindsay, and Wayne Hahn. Despite being part of a successful album, it did not receive much focus at the time. Haas explained that the new recording allowed the song to fit better within its spiritual context, reflecting the heritage of Southern Gospel music.

(Link provided to YouTube by The Orchard Enterprises)

Haas mentioned that many industry professionals thought the song must have come from one of the old-time Gospel groups. “A lot of the industry people are reaching out to us saying, where’d you find that song? Thinking that maybe I had it on an old cathedrals or statesman recording, and I’m and I was happy to smile and say, you know, the Lord gave us that song, and I’m glad that you like it!”

He appreciates the positive response and enjoys sharing that it is an original song. He added that some listeners prefer old songs and often request new music with a timeless quality. He finds it rewarding to see You’ll Find Him There achieving that goal.

The song is inspired by a well-known Old Testament passage where Elijah hears God’s voice as a still, small sound rather than in dramatic natural events. Haas said this story guided the message of the song, which encourages listeners to pause and listen for God amid life’s chaos.

(Photo Erniehaase.com)

“God is a gentleman,” Haas noted. “He’ll never scream at you. Love is always calling in a whisper, and you have to be still to hear it.”

Haas also discussed the songwriting process. He finds joy in collaborating with trusted colleagues like Lindsay and Hahn. For him, the process of creating something new with supportive partners is meaningful. After completing a song, he often shares it with his wife, Lisa, whose feedback helps him gauge how it might connect with a broader audience. He values her honest and constructive input.

Haas noted that life’s distractions and overwhelming noise can make it hard for people to hear God. He compared this to biblical accounts where Peter lost focus during a storm, looking at the waves instead of Christ. The song’s message is about finding peace in God’s presence, even during difficult times. Haas believes that challenges help people grow spiritually, focusing on Christ rather than personal comfort.

Haas concluded by emphasising that the goal of the song is to help listeners connect with Christ. He described the result of faith as a personal relationship with God, where both the believer and God are content together. “I need help. And the end result is Christ Himself, our hope, our glory. The end result isn’t what we think we need in life. We are very needy people, but the end result is Christ Himself, the still small voice, love himself, looking at us and us looking at him, and together, we are happy.”

You’ll Find Him There aims to encourage reflection and faith in a world filled with distractions.

God’s Eternal Perspective

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JEFF TURNER

Unlike humans, God does not dwell on the past, nor is He limited by the present or anxious about the future. He sees all of history—past, present, and future—simultaneously and vividly. From the creation of the world to the call of Abram, from the rise and fall of Israel to the life of Christ, and even the moments of today, all of time is before God’s eternal gaze. For Him, nothing is forgotten or filed away. As Psalm 90:4 reminds us, “For a thousand years in your sight are like a day that has just gone by, or like a watch in the night.”

This truth teaches us something profound: God is eternal. To say that God is eternal means He is not bound by time. Time, like all creation, is His workmanship, and as the Creator, He is above it. Unlike us—creatures limited by an unchangeable past and an uncertain future—God exists outside of time. His existence is timeless, standing above all He has made.

Understanding God’s eternal nature gives comfort and perspective. It reassures us that He sees the whole story of our lives, and nothing is beyond His reach or care. His eternal presence reminds us that while we may feel confined by time, we worship a God who is limitless and unchanging.

The Book of Matthew

The Call We Often Ignore

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TEXAS GOSPEL STAFF

Many Christians today find comfort in their Sunday routines – singing hymns, taking communion, and worshiping with fellow believers. While these practices are important, Jesus gave us a much bigger responsibility.

In Matthew 28:19, Jesus commands His followers to “Go, therefore, and make disciples of all the nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and the Son and the Holy Spirit.” This wasn’t a suggestion – it was a direct order from our Savior.

But how many of us actually follow this command? We often limit our Christianity to comfortable activities like attending church or making online donations to missionaries. While supporting missions through giving is valuable, Jesus’s instructions were personal and active: He told us to go ourselves.

The real question each believer must answer is: “Have I personally shared the Gospel? Have I stepped out of my comfort zone to tell others about Jesus?” Is sitting behind a keyboard or sending a fulfillment of the Great Commission? Jesus calls us to do more – to actively participate in spreading His message to all creation. Does Matthew tell us to send others, or did Matthew tell us to go?

Artist Spotlight: The Kingsmen

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SPECIAL CROSSROADS RECORDS

For more than half a century, no other group has secured such a far-reaching legacy as that of The Kingsmen Quartet. Since 1956, this group has risen from humble beginnings in the mountains of western North Carolina to become one of the most beloved and innovative groups in Christian music. Countless renowned artists have been a part of this great lineage, such as Eldridge Fox, “Big” Jim Hamill, Ray Dean Reese, Squire Parsons, Johnny Parrack, Anthony Burger, Ernie Phillips, Gary Sheppard, and a host of others. The momentum has not stopped as this group continues to help define the Southern Gospel genre for a whole new generation of music lovers, perhaps more so than any other group.

In the mid-fifties, brothers Raymond, Reese, and Louis McKinney formed a gospel group, traveling locally throughout the western part of the Carolinas and completing dozens of recordings by the late 60’s. By the early 70’s, area natives Eldridge Fox and Ray Dean Reese joined this emerging quartet and in 1974 released their first live recording, “Big & Live” consisting of Fox, Reese, Jim Hamill, and Johnny Parrack. This Dove award winning album brought to gospel music, fresh arrangements and catchy melodies that would later become southern gospel classics, such as “Glory Road,” “Look for Me At Jesus Feet,” and “Love Lifted Me.” This would be the start of many legendary live albums for the Kingsmen. Traveling with a live band, the Kingsmen became one of few groups during this era to be able to perform with three to five musicians, granting them individuality and innovation in the industry.

Always seeking to have a creative edge, they began introducing themselves as, “The Ton of Fun.” Through the late 1970’s and 80’s, more hits were churning from albums such as “Chattanooga Live,” “Live Naturally,” & “Live at The University of Alabama.” These albums combined with high energy and up-tempo music brought music lovers an exciting brand of showmanship. Songs like, “Old Ship of Zion,” “Shake Hands with a Poor Boy,” “Beautiful Home,” “Saints Will Rise,” and “Child, Child” became gospel music staples. In 1981, “Excuses” became the Kingsmen’s biggest hit of that era; it was steady at number one for 18 months, making it the longest running number one song in Southern Gospel Music history.

The successes of The Kingsmen have led to many prestigious opportunities. In 1977, The Kingsmen performed on the south lawn of the White House for President Jimmy Carter and in 1982 they performed at the opening ceremony of the World’s Fair in Knoxville, TN which was broadcast on local and regional TV, with President Ronald Reagan present to open the fair. The Kingsmen was also the first group to film and record a live performance at the famous Grand Ole Opry in Nashville and in 2000 they were inducted into the Gospel Music Hall of Fame followed by the Christian Music Hall of Fame in 2008. They’ve garnered multiple dove awards and numerous Singing News Fan awards including favorite bass vocalist, tenor, baritone, lead, instrumentalist, video, the 1992 favorite song “Wish You Were Here” as well as favorite album by the same name, male quartet of the year, and group of the year. The Kingsmen band was voted favorite band a record 17 times making this quartet one of the most awarded groups in Southern Gospel Music.

The Eternal God and Our Salvation

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JEFF TURNER

Understanding God’s eternal nature goes beyond just knowing He will exist forever. As described in Revelation 1:8, He is “the Alpha and the Omega,” existing outside of time itself while holding all of time in His hands.

This eternal nature of God has profound implications for our salvation. When God accepts someone into His family, He already sees their entire life – past, present, and future. His decision to save isn’t based on our future performance or dependent on whether we might fail Him later. Instead, God sees all our future failures and sins at the moment He chooses to save us, and He loves us despite knowing everything that will happen.

This is why we can be confident about eternal security for believers. God’s acceptance isn’t a temporary decision that might change based on our actions. His eternal nature means His plans and promises are unchangeable. When He promises to save us on the final day, He already sees that day as present reality, making His promise as good as fulfilled from the moment He makes it.

This truth gives us tremendous assurance – our salvation depends not on our performance but on the unchanging love of our eternal God.