STEADY GROUND MINISTRY BLOG Jan 22 26

 

 

My devotional book today focused on a word that all of us have trouble with—I know I do!   The word is:   SURRENDER.  Easy to talk about, hard to do.

 

We as humans have problems with surrendering just about anything:  Money, decisions, even accepting Christ as your Lord and Savior.

 

In both the Old and New Testament, many verses are written about surrender:

 

Proverbs 3:5-6 (NIV): "Trust in the Lord with all your heart and lean not on your own understanding; in all your ways submit to him, and he will make your paths straight".

 

Psalm 63:1 (NIV): "...earnestly I seek you; I thirst for you, my whole being longs for you, in a dry and parched land where there is no water".

 

Proverbs 23:26 (NIV): "My son, give me your heart, and let your eyes observe my ways".

 

Job 11:13 (NIV): "Yet if you devote your heart to him and stretch out your hands to him". 

 

Matthew 11:28 (NIV): "Come to me, all you who are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest". 

 

James 4:7 (NIV): "Submit yourselves, then, to God. Resist the devil, and he will flee from you".

 

Romans 12:1 (NIV): "...present your bodies as a living sacrifice, holy and acceptable to God, which is your spiritual worship".

 

Luke 9:23 (NIV): "Then he said to them all: 'Whoever wants to be my disciple must deny themselves and take up their cross daily and follow me'".

 

Galatians 2:20 (NIV): "I have been crucified with Christ and I no longer live, but Christ lives in me...".

 

These inspired verses talk about surrendering your HEART, your LIFE, your BEING, to Jesus Christ.

 

You can do this in 2 easy steps:

 

1.   Simply pray to ask Jesus to forgive you of your sins, and come into your heart and life.   This is being repentant for the sins you’ve committed.  No one is excluded from being a sinner, and no one is excluded from God’s GRACE to forgive you.

2. Thru prayer, Bible study, and surrounding yourself with fellow believers in church, continue seeking His Will and ask him to take what the Bible calls the “old man”, the carnal self, out of your heart, and replace it with his Holy Spirit.   This commitment can be the start of an even deeper relationship with Christ.

 

Both steps require SURRENDER.   While I know Jesus has forgiven me of my sins, I have to pray, study my Bible and other spiritual resources, and surround myself with others working on their spiritual journey just like I am.

 

It’s a daily work.   But, the daily rewards--especially answered prayers when I commit what I do in my daily walk with Him--enable me to love Christ and love others.   

 

Not to mention the ultimate reward—HEAVEN!

 

Find YOUR STEADY GROUND with Christ!

 

 

STEADY GROUND MINISTRY BLOG written Jan 19 2026

 

Part of what God had laid on my heart in our Steady Ground Ministry, is also to create a platform where Christians, whether seasoned in their faith or newbees, can get encouragement in music.

 

The very beginning of what’s now called Contemporary Christian Music, came out of the Jesus Movement in the 1960’s.   A recent movie entitled “The Jesus Revolution” (2023) chronicled the late 1960s spiritual awakening in Southern California, focusing on pastor Chuck Smith, hippie preacher Lonnie Frisbee, and a young Greg Laurie as they launch a movement bringing hippies to Christ through Calvary Chapel.

 

That movement went on to do several great things for Christ:

 

1. It won more people to Christ by using a different type of music to attract followers to Him.

2. It began what we now call Contemporary Christian Music, a genre of music that continues to inspire us today.

3. It allowed what is now several generations of Christian music artists, to write, sing, and take Contemporary Christian Music to new levels.  That in turn attracted new believers.

 

The trailblazers of Contemporary Christian Music, such as Larry Norman, the 2nd Chapter of Acts, Dallas Holm, Phil Keaggy, Sandi Patty, Roger Breland’s group Truth, and others, plowed the ground for further generations of CCM artists.   Amy Grant, Michael W. Smith, Point of Grace, Avalon, Rich Mullins, Petra, Carman, dc Talk, and many others, built on what the trailblazers had done.

 

While it’s difficult to find a lot of this music, I’ve been able to find—and continue to discover—that what I’m calling legacy CCM music is available.   

 

I want to bring that music to those who heard it in the 70’s, 80’s, 90’s, and early 2000’s, to both those generations and new generations of listeners.

 

This is how what I’m calling “Steady Ground Replay” was born.  It’s a 2-hour syndicated radio show featuring such music, to encourage, inspire, and uplift believers.

 

And, along the way, we also share some 60-second features with content from our Steady Ground Ministry Podcasts, to further encourage your faith and relationship with Christ.

 

We’ve just contacted both commercial and religious stations asking them to air the show on a Sunday.   We’ll let you know on our web site, what stations carry the show and at what times.   Many of them stream so you can hear it on your computer or smartphone if you’re not in their market.

 

I’m excited about what God has in store for this ministry:   Thru our Steady Ground Ministry podcasts we continue to record, as well as our new “Steady Ground Replay” syndicated radio show.  Pray that more stations will pickup the show to bring this encouragement thru music and sharing stories of believers from our podcast features.

 

As we say in the radio business:   Stay tuned!

It’s the start of a new year and a new beginning for many of us.    Many that are my age (70) as well as on both sides of that decade birthday, the new year ends one chapter of my life and begins another.   I sold my radio station group in August of last year, and officially began retirement after 52 years in the radio business and 43 in ownership, on January 1.

 

From my devotional book I’m reading called “Blessed Assurance, Jesus is Mine” by Paige DeRuyscher (Dayspring, 2021), God brought me just the thought I needed to meditate over.   Let me share some passages from today’s devotional focusing on the hymn “There’s a Wideness in God’s Mercy”:

 

….”Observing others can motivate us to consider new perspectives or try new things.  Many of us would admit that we find comfort in the familiar, and as we age, we may cling to our preferences more tightly, with little desire to consider other options.  We may be less likely to think outside the box, let alone step into unfamiliar territory.  

 

“But when we consider the endless possibilities in this marvelous universe we inhabit, we realize how much we miss when we refuse to leave our bubble.  God knows that sometimes a new experience is just what we need, especially when we seem to be stuck in a rut.

 

“Being open to possibility can feed the spirit.   Not only does it grow us, but it also helps connect us more deeply to our fellow humans—to consider their perspectives, to understand what brings them joy, and maybe even to learn to love something that we can do together.

 

DeRuyscher then quotes Romans 11:36 (NLT):  “Everything comes from Him and exists by His Power and is intended for His Glory.”  She then says that our new opportunities to find joy and connection are His good gifts for us.

 

The devotion wraps up by quoting a verse of the hymn “There’s a Wideness in God’s Mercy”:

 

For the love of God is broader

Than the measure of man’s mind;

And the heart of the Eternal

Is most wonderfully kind.

 

As my wife and I venture out of our bubbles into finding new friends, building new relationships, and showing God’s love to them, may we all—no matter what place you are in life—remember that God WANTS us to find new opportunities to show His love to others!