Believers in Jesus can talk about God's faithfulness, but not all can sing well the praise of their redeemer. Don't miss the next HAVEN Today as Charles Morris is joined by a new artist from Colorado who sings praises to her Lord and King. Be sure and listen to a second day with Shannon Wexelburg on a program called Faithful God. That's the Great Story on the next HAVEN Today.


April 12, 2007

Faithful God Part 2 w/Shannon Wexelberg

Families are always breaking up today. Even Christian families have the same number of breakups and it’s never pretty. I’m Charles Morris and welcome to Haven Today, telling the great story that’s all about Jesus. There’s one family though that doesn’t break up and that’s God’s family. And what God brings together never breaks up. This is the second day when we’ll be joined by music artist Shannon Wexelberg and a program we’re calling by the title of her new album, “Faithful God”. Yesterday we heard about Shannon and her husband’s prayers to have a child and how God works in our lives through times when we don’t know his answers. If you missed the program you can listen again on our website at haventoday.org. You can also see her new CD called “Faithful God” and even listen to audio samples. That’s haventoday.org. Before we speak with Shannon again I’d like you to hear one of these brand new songs from her just released album, a song of worship called, “Here in the Shadow”.

Song: Here in the Shadow
Performed by: Shannon Wexelberg

It’s by Shannon Wexelberg who’s on with us on a special Haven Today where we’re getting to listen to a new album, a new project she’s just released. Shannon, we’ve talked a lot about marriage and you and Mark being married almost 14 years, God giving you Christian – that was already his name, you just got to add Mark’s name as part of his name – and we’re all adopted in Christ. Now I know, you and I talked about family and you have some pretty strong views about family and did that kind of come from your own family background?
SW: Well, I did grow up in a Christian family but my parents did divorce when I was 12. And so that obviously impacts a child a great deal. And it actually, it can do one of two things, it can make you not want to get married or feel negatively about family or it can drive you the other way and make you all the more committed to making your marriage and your family more Christ like. And thank the Lord, that’s what it’s done for me and for Mark, and Mark comes from a really great Christian family as well. So we’re obviously, we go through problems and arguments and that kind of thing like any couple does but boy, I tell you, I don’t know how people make it without having Christ as the center, because he’s such, he’s that true north, you know, when you’re going through a situation you just, you look in the Word and you go, well, what does God have to say about this? “Love is patient, love is kind, love believes the best, love hopes all things,” and when you look at that and you see the example of Christ it just humbles you, you know, and it puts your priorities in line.
CM: Well, I guess because you feel so strongly about the family, and Mark does as well, and you have your first child now, Christian, you’re a praise and worship leader too, and how does worship figure into you’re being a Christian, not just when you’re doing your job but in your life as a whole and in your family too?
SW: Well, worship has always been a huge part of my life, since I was 12 I was on the music team at church and played piano and sang. And it’s always been a part as far as the musical worship aspect. But worship in general, obviously, is not about just music. We use that as a tool but we should be worshippers in our lifestyle. And I think that’s one of the biggest things that the Lord has challenged me on is, you know, when leave the platform am I going to worship him when I’m stuck in traffic or am I going to get a grumbly attitude or whatever. Just learning to rejoice in the Lord always through each situation I think is a challenge for all of us Christians. And worship and songwriting and all those things were such a powerful tool for me and really the book of Psalms is all about David going through hills and valleys and all kinds of stuff and choosing to say, “I will bless the Lord at all times.” And so it doesn’t mean that you don’t feel icky or that you’re not frustrated or that you not upset, it just means that in the midst of that valley you’re making a choice to lift your eyes and say, “I will bless you Lord,” so worship’s, you know, played an important role in my life in that regard.
CM: Shannon, you’ve got a brand new album, and we’re going to hear some of that today on this program. I’ll tell people how to get a copy of it in a little bit and I wish the Lord’s blessings on your new album too because I’m really enjoying it. But tell me about, there is a song on here and I guess how does this tie in with just our need to worship and where we center our worship. And I’m thinking about that song called, “Come, Worship the Lord”. It’s a simple title, but even simple titles can have profound effects on us, can’t they?
SW: They sure do. That song was written kind of as a call to worship for my own congregation, where I am the worship leader, and I think so many times we even come into a worship service at church or just our own lives and we feel such a spirit of heaviness. And the Lord says that he’ll give us the oil of gladness and the garments of praise for our spirit of heaviness. And so this song is just about kind of a call to worship, saying, make the choice to come and worship the Lord and offer that sacrifice of praise. It might not be easy. You might not feel like it but as a result he will bring such a spirit of joy and he’ll fill your heart with his presence like nothing else can. There’s no other substitute for it.

Song: Come, Worship the Lord
Performed by: Shannon Wexelberg

This is Haven Today, we’re coming to you from Denver and Shannon Wexelberg is with us. And she has a new album out, we’ll tell you how to get that in just a little bit but, Shannon, we got to hear a moment ago, “Come, Worship the Lord” a powerful song. And you write your own music, I know and you also sing it. Would you mind leading us all in prayer? We’ve just got a few more minutes, and just lead us in prayer that we would all worship the Lord in the beauty of his holiness and not what we want to worship.
SW: Father, I just thank you so much for this time together Lord. I just thank you for each life, each set of ears, Lord that is listening. Father, I pray that some part of this message today would minister to each one. Lord and I thank you so much for your faithfulness in our lives, Lord. I thank you for your faithfulness to us in our families, Lord, I thank you that you care about our families and our children and our spouses and each situation that we’re going through Lord. I thank you that you are faithful as we look to you, Lord to answer our deepest cry Lord, not necessarily always the way we think it’s going to be answered Lord, but Lord you have a perfect plan for each one of our lives. Lord, I have seen that in my own life and I thank you for it and each life that’s listening Lord. And Father I pray for those of us who are going through difficult times even now Lord where we don’t see an answer and we don’t understand what’s going on Lord. I just pray, Lord for a spirit of joy, Lord that the oil of gladness and a garment of praise, Lord that we would choose to put that on Lord. Father and I pray Lord that you would give a new sense of hope and peace to each one Lord and that you would remind them that every one of your promises are true in Christ Jesus Lord and they are yes and amen. And so Father, we just thank you for this time together, Lord. I pray that you would bless each one in your mighty name, amen.

Song:
Performed by: Shannon Wexelberg

May I add my “amen” to the prayer of Shannon Wexelberg here on a Haven Today called, “Faithful God”. You know I haven’t really talked about this in a while, but Haven Today is a ministry that’s bathed in prayer. We’ve got a long history of prayer. And if you didn’t know that, may we pray for you? I’d like to include you as well in our prayer ministry. Maybe you are going through a crisis in your life right now and you’re just wondering how faithful your God is. We’d like to pray for you. May we? Here’s how you can get in touch with us. If you’ll go to our website, haventoday.org, there in the upper right hand corner is a little button that says, “Prayer”. If you’ll just go there, someone will read it very shortly after you send it. And we will pray for you. We pray for every prayer request that comes in the door. You can call us if you want and leave a prayer request, even if it’s after hours. Our toll free number in North America is 1-800-654-2836. Some people like to write. They can put their thoughts, their words down on paper easier than what they can send by telephone or they don’t even have access to the internet. Let me give you our mailing address in the United States and Canada and you can mail your prayer request to us as well. We’re:
Haven Today
Box 79997
Riverside, CA 92513
That’s:
Box 79997
Riverside, CA 92513
In Canada you can send your request to:
Haven Today
Box 6800
Vancouver, BC V6B4C9
That’s:
Box 6800
Vancouver, BC V6B4C9
I hope you’ve enjoyed the music of Shannon Wexelberg these last two days and if you want to know more information about Shannon and her brand new album, “Faithful God”, you can go to that same website, haventoday.org and there on our home page you’ll see a picture of the album. Go there, you can even listen to audio samples of this new album, and know that if you’d like to get a copy through Haven Today, you’ll be helping tell the great story of Jesus all around the world, every day as well as on your local radio station. So thank you in advance for giving to support us and to receive this new CD by a remarkable young artist, Shannon Wexelberg, haventoday.org. Or call us at 1-800-654-2836, 1-800-65-HAVEN. Thank you in advance for everyone who gives above and beyond the suggested gift amount. I’m Charles Morris, thanks for being with me. Come back again tomorrow. We’ll tell the great story again and we’ll do it together on Haven Today.