Diary of a First Time Major Concert Tour Promoter – Facing The Giants

Lead by Coach Grant Taylor, the Shiloh Eagles were huge underdogs. Everyone told them that they would fail. Everyone told them that it was impossible, they could not do it.

But Grant Taylor was more than just their coach, he was their spiritual leader and they committed themselves and the football program to God and for His glory and by the time the credits roll, The Shiloh Eagles had won, not one, but two state football championships.

Win or lose, not matter what, we praise God and give Him the glory.

D.L. Moody said, “When God is on your team, dream big.”

As I completed a particular spiritual journey in 2008; I told God, if He would allow me that I wanted to attempt big things for Him, for His kingdom. Not for my fame, not for my glory, but for His. I live to make God famous and to make Him known.

I love to tell the story, the redemption story that God did in me through the cross of Jesus Christ. I’ve often said that if I ever write a book about my life long journey it will be entitled “Preaching With Shadows – A True Tale of Sin and Forgiveness; Heartbreak and Redemption.” – Perhaps one day.

God knows me better than anyone. He knows where my heart is, he knows my ideas and he knows I desire, above all else, to give Him the glory. I’m not bragging, not on me, but I want to brag on my Savior, Lord and King.

When Hannah approached me with the idea of bringing BarlowGirl to First Baptist Richwood I was excited and ready to face the challenge.

In the beginning, all we really wanted was an acoustic night with just BarlowGirl. Small, simple, just BarlowGirl for an acoustic night of music and ministry.

By the time Hannah and then I talked with Brandon from GOA, we had not just BarlowGirl, we had BarlowGirl’s Love & War Tour featuring BarlowGirl, Stellar Kart and Vota.

WOW! Are you kidding me? Are you serious? Yeah baby!

Was I scared? Not for a second. Was I excited? Absolutely yes.

A lot of people thought Hannah was crazy as she talked about this even before my arrival in Richwood. Some people thought I totally lost my mind. “We can’t do this” they said.

I told them, “Watch God show up and watch Him show off.”

I never questioned if we could because I know with God anything and I mean ANYTHING is possible.

People said “Richwood is just a farming community, you’re just a small church” “You’ll blow the windows out, the building will fall down.”

satan did everything he could to try to discourage and distract and interfere with this outreach event. But one thing satan forgot…we were not operating under our own power or authority, but under the power and authority of almighty God.

I had many restless and sleepless nights; I stressed, a lot at times. Every time I was in the sanctuary I tried to envision a successful event and played it all out in my head over and over again.

God brought together a wonderful, incredible, amazing, awesome, talented team of people to use to work on this event. I know those are a lot of power adjectives but God knew He could not just use anyone for this mission, He alone had to call a select few; Just like He did with Joshua and Caleb when God gave them the promised land.

Despite naysayers and the onslaught of satan we prayerfully moved forward. I am sure that any gray hair Ruth has was caused by me and poor Paul, all of his hair just fell out.

Along the way, I re-discovered this scripture that gave me a sense of peace: Zechariah 4:6 ““Not by might not by power, but by My Spirit, says the Lord of hosts.””

I knew that if this event were going to be successful that it would only come through and by the Hand of Almighty God who would not let us fall or fail because He is the one who called us to this in the beginning.

When I first met the pulpit committee of First Baptist Richwood in February 2009, God already had a plan and knew we would be working on this event for Him.

So after meditating on Zechariah 4:6 and after thinking about Joshua and Caleb and then applying my own personal life verse Isaiah 41:10-11 – “So do not fear, for I am with you; do not be dismayed, for I am your God. I will strengthen you and help you; I will uphold you with my righteous right hand. All who rage against you will surely be ashamed and disgraced; those who oppose you will be as nothing and perish.”

After God put this combination on my heart, I had no doubt that what was about to take place was something that God foreordained and that the results were completely up to Him alone and WOW! Did God ever show up and show off!

The anxiety and fear and nervousness just left me and the people from BarlowGirl, Stellar Kart and Vota were wonderful, Godly, Christian men and women and it was indeed a beautiful ending to a process that brought so many of us closer to each other and closer to God.

This was not just about the concert or the tour. It was about making God known and about bringing people to the cross, but it was also used by God to build His family. When this started, I called most of these people my friends and some of them I barely knew. Now that it’s over, I truly call them my family because of the work that God has done in each of our hearts by using us and making us useful and by blessing us and making us a blessing.

Now, think about this. If God used us to bring the Love & War Tour to Richwood; and because we know that God is not finished with us…just imagine what God will do through us now that He knows without a doubt that we truly are willing to follow Him wherever He leads us.

It’s gonna be big, it’s goona be huge, I can barely contain my excitement because, while we don’t know yet exactly what it will be, We know that God is going to reign down over us and do mighty things through His people and through His church. It will be awesome, it will be amazing and it will all be at the mighty, outstretched hand of God because we stood and faced the Giants, but we gave the battle to God who gave us the victory through our Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ! Praise Adoni!

Advertisement