Monday Memories

Every Monday here at FishWorship, I take a little journey into the past. In Monday Memories, I dive into some of my most cherished memories connected to Christian music—songs, artists, concerts, churches, Bible studies, and the people who helped make those musical memories such an important part of my life. Some of these memories go back decades, but I’ve discovered that the music has a remarkable way of bringing those moments right back to life.

Today’s memory takes me back to Metro Bible Study in Atlanta. For me, Metro was far more than a weekly Bible study. It was a place where I grew spiritually, made lifelong friendships, discovered and experienced Christian music, and became part of a community of young believers who were trying to figure out what it meant to follow Jesus.

The history of Metro Bible Study actually goes back well before my own involvement. The ministry began with Charles “Dad” Ellis, who started a small interdenominational Bible study in his basement. As word spread, that little gathering outgrew the basement and moved to Griffin Middle School. By the late 1970s, hundreds of teenagers and young adults were gathering every Tuesday night. The music was an important part of the experience, with groups such as the Pat Terry Group providing contemporary Christian music. Eventually, Metro moved to First Baptist Church of Smyrna, where attendance grew to roughly 1,200 people.

One of the great teachers in those early years was Dan DeHaan. Dan had a tremendous gift for communicating the Gospel to young people, and Metro continued to grow under his leadership. Tragically, in the summer of 1982, Dan was killed when the airplane he was flying crashed near Paint Rock in North Alabama. When Dan went missing, Dad Ellis and several men from Metro Bible Study traveled from Atlanta to North Alabama and joined the search. They eventually found the crash site and Dan’s body. It is one of those heartbreaking chapters in Metro’s history that I think is important to remember, because it reminds me that Metro wasn’t simply an organization—it was a community of people who cared deeply about one another.

After Dan’s death, John Riley became the teacher of Metro Bible Study. It was during John’s years teaching Metro that I became involved. By then, Metro had become a huge gathering of young people, eventually moving to Mt. Paran Church of God as attendance continued to grow. Some accounts put the attendance under John’s leadership at around 1,500, while others who were involved in the music ministry remember the weekly attendance eventually reaching several thousand.

My involvement during the John Riley years became much more than simply showing up on Tuesday nights. I became an integral part of the Metro Bible Study leadership, and some of my closest friendships came from those years. I quickly became friends with Sonny and Randy, who were part of the music ministry, as well as Cheryl, one of our keyboard players. The music was such an important part of Metro, and being around those people gave me the opportunity to experience Christian music not merely as something I listened to, but as something I could participate in.

I also took responsibility for leading the official singles group at Metro. We called ourselves Metro Singles, and there was always something going on. On Tuesday nights after Bible study, I would organize activities for the group. Sometimes restaurants would actually invite us to come and host our group after the Bible study, which made those Tuesday nights continue long after the teaching and music were finished.

Our activities weren’t limited to Tuesday nights, either. I organized weekend activities for Metro Singles, including basketball and volleyball at the facilities of Mt. Paran during the colder months. When the weather warmed up, we moved outside for softball. Those activities became another important part of the Metro experience for me. We weren’t just people who met once a week—we were friends who spent time together, played together, ate together, laughed together, and encouraged one another in our faith.

And every now and then, I even had the opportunity to perform music myself at Metro Bible Study. Several of my friends did the same. That was another special part of Metro for me: music wasn’t something happening somewhere far away on a stage. It was something that many of us could participate in. We sang it, played it, shared it, and experienced it together.

Looking back now, I realize just how special those Tuesday nights were. Metro Bible Study brought together teaching, friendship, fellowship and some of the most memorable Christian music of that era. The songs became part of the soundtrack of my life, and decades later, hearing some of them can still take me right back to those Tuesday nights in Atlanta.

So for today’s Monday Memories, I want to share some of those songs with you. These are ten of the praise and Christian songs that help me remember what made Metro Bible Study such a special part of my life.

Michael W. Smith – “Great Is The Lord”

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“Great Is the Lord” is one of the songs I remember singing the most during my years at Metro Bible Study. There were so many songs that were part of the music at Metro, but some of them just seemed to become part of the fabric of our Tuesday nights, and this was definitely one of them. Whenever I hear it today, I can almost picture myself back there with all those people singing together.

What I remember most isn’t simply the song itself, but the way it sounded when a large group of young people sang it together. There was something powerful about being surrounded by hundreds of other college-age and young adults, all singing the same words and lifting our voices in praise. It wasn’t a concert where we were watching someone else worship—it was something we were all participating in together.

Looking back, “Great Is the Lord” is one of those songs that reminds me why the music at Metro was so important to me. The songs gave us a common language for our faith, and they helped create an atmosphere that made those Tuesday nights so memorable. Decades later, this is still one of the first songs that comes to mind when I think about singing at Metro Bible Study.

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Terry Clark – “He Has Made Me Glad (I Will Enter His Gates)”

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I always loved it when Sonny would fire up the drum machine for the rhythm accompaniment as he and Randy led the music at Metro. And when the drums and that familiar intro to “He Has Made Me Glad (I Will Enter His Gates)” started, you could feel the excitement build. This was one of those songs that everybody seemed to know and love, and it was just plain fun to sing. You knew right away that we were in for an energetic few minutes of praise, and I can still remember how much I enjoyed those moments.

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Maranatha! Music – “I Will Call Upon The Lord”

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“I Will Call Upon the Lord” was another one of those songs that was just so much fun to sing at Metro Bible Study. It had that energetic, almost infectious quality that made it hard not to get caught up in it when everyone around you was singing along. These were the kinds of songs that could get a room full of young people really engaged in the music, and I remember how much I enjoyed being part of it. Looking back, songs like this are a big part of what made the music at Metro so memorable for me.

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Angel Smythe – “We Bring the Sacrifice of Praise”

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“We Bring the Sacrifice of Praise” was another one of those upbeat songs that was just a lot of fun to sing at Metro Bible Study. It had a great energy to it, and when we started singing it together, you couldn’t help but get caught up in the excitement. I remember how much fun we had with songs like this—there was a genuine joy in the room as we sang, and it was another great example of how the music at Metro could bring all of us together in praise.

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Twila Paris – “We Will Glorify”

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“We Will Glorify” is another song that takes me right back to my years at Metro Bible Study. Twila Paris wrote several of the songs that we experienced regularly at Metro, and her music became an important part of the Christian music landscape during those years. There was something especially meaningful about hearing these songs sung by a large group of young people week after week, as they became familiar parts of our worship together.

For this one, I’ve chosen to present Twila Paris’s own recording of “We Will Glorify” rather than a version performed by a praise team. I think there’s something special about hearing the songwriter sing her own song, and Twila’s recording gives us a chance to hear the song in the way she originally envisioned it. For me, though, the words will always carry me back to those Tuesday nights at Metro and the many times we sang them together.

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Maranatha! Praise Band – “He Is Exalted”

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“He Is Exalted” was another very popular praise song that we sang many times on those Tuesday nights at Metro Bible Study. By that point, songs like this had become so familiar to us that the opening notes could immediately bring everyone into the music. I remember the sense of unity we had as we sang these songs together week after week. Looking back, “He Is Exalted” is another one of those songs that is forever connected in my mind with the music, fellowship, and worship that made Metro such a special part of my life.

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Maranatha! Music – “In Moments Like These”

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“In Moments Like These” was one of those songs that could completely change the atmosphere at Metro Bible Study. As we sang it, I remember seeing the crowd gently swaying back and forth, with many of us raising our hands toward Heaven and simply embracing the moment. The energy and excitement of the upbeat praise songs would give way to something much quieter and more reflective.

It was during moments like these that we often felt the Holy Spirit moving most strongly among us. There was no need for a lot of activity or excitement. We could simply stand together, sing, worship, and focus our hearts on the Lord. Those quiet moments of worship are some of my most cherished memories of Metro Bible Study, and “In Moments Like These” will always be connected to them in my mind.

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Maranatha! Music – “Father, I Adore You”

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“Father, I Adore You” was another beautiful, worshipful song that became part of those special quiet moments at Metro Bible Study. It was the kind of song that encouraged all of us to sing along, close our eyes, and simply take in the warmth of the Holy Spirit’s presence. There was something very intimate about standing together in a large crowd and yet feeling as though, for those few moments, we were each having our own personal time of worship with the Lord.

Those are the moments I remember so fondly. The room would become quiet and reflective, and we could put aside everything else for a little while and just focus our hearts on God. Songs like “Father, I Adore You” helped make those moments some of the most meaningful and memorable parts of my Metro Bible Study experience.

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Maranatha! Vocal Band – “Jesus Name Above All Names”

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“Jesus Name Above All Names” was another worshipful song that invited us to move beyond simply singing and into a time of prayer and reflection. I remember how many of us would raise our hands, close our eyes, and just let ourselves be fully immersed in the moment. There was something very peaceful about standing there with so many other people worshiping together.

Those moments seemed to invite us to slow down and focus completely on Jesus. We weren’t concerned about what was happening around us; we were simply worshiping. I remember feeling the warmth of the Holy Spirit washing over us as we sang, and those quiet times remain among my most cherished memories of Metro Bible Study.

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Maranatha! Praise Band – “He Is Lord”

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I have chosen “I Love You Lord” as the final song in this collection, not because it is the least important, but because it is, in many ways, the most important. Our love for Jesus is what drives us, fills us, guides us, and frees us. It is through Him that we find salvation, hope, and the promise of a life transformed by His love.

I remember this song being sung on many occasions at Metro Bible Study, and it always seemed to draw us a little closer to God. As we sang those simple words, we were reminded of why we were there in the first place. We weren’t simply gathering together to hear a Bible study or to sing some good Christian music. We were there because we loved Jesus and wanted to know Him more deeply.

For me, “I Love You Lord” represents so much of what made those Tuesday nights special. It brings back memories of a room full of young people worshiping together, drawing closer to God, closer to His love, and closer to His message for our lives. And after all these years, that is still what I hear when I hear this song: a simple declaration of love for Jesus that never grows old.

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Monday Memories gives me a chance to look back at the music and moments that have been part of my journey. Today’s Monday Memories is especially meaningful as I revisit the song I played for my very first public performance—a song that takes me all the way back to where my musical journey began.

“This Little Light of Mine”

I started playing piano as a young child. By the age of 4, my parents had me taking piano lessons, and my very first “public performance” came when I was just 4½ years old. I was in Children’s Church when I walked over to the piano and started playing “This Little Light of Mine.” It wasn’t fancy, but it was well received, and I knew from that moment that I was on to something special.

This song—and its glorious meaning—has stayed with me throughout the years. It has always been a part of me, and I have always tried to do anything and everything I could to let my light shine. It was with me through high school and college, as I played piano and keyboards and performed music in church and Christian settings whenever I could. It was with me as I served in church staff positions as Worship Leader, Music Minister, and Music/Youth Pastor. It was even with me during my “heathen years,” when I was engineering Top 40 cover bands and programming and sequencing music for party and dance bands. And it remains with me today. So, for this Monday Memories, I want to take a look back at some of the more notable performances of this timeless song: “This Little Light of Mine.”

Caleb & Kelsey – “This Little Light of Mine”

Caleb & Kelsey bring a beautiful and deeply personal feel to “This Little Light of Mine.” Sitting together in an intimate setting, they strip the song down to its heart, allowing their voices and the simple message to take center stage. There’s something especially powerful about hearing this familiar childhood song performed with such sincerity and warmth. Their performance is a wonderful reminder that the message of letting our light shine never really grows old—it simply takes on new meaning as we grow older.

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One Night in Dublin

The next performance takes “This Little Light of Mine” in a completely different direction. This is Bruce Springsteen and the Sessions Band performing the song live at The Pointe Theater in Dublin, Ireland. Bruce is certainly not who most people would expect to find performing a song that has its roots so deeply embedded in Christian faith, but that is precisely part of what makes this performance so fascinating to me. I have spent much of my life around music in all kinds of settings, and I don’t believe a song’s significance is diminished simply because it crosses musical or cultural boundaries. In fact, sometimes hearing a familiar song in an unexpected setting can make its message stand out even more clearly.

And make no mistake—this is the most electrifying performance of “This Little Light of Mine” that I have ever seen. The energy is absolutely incredible, and the audience is swept up in it from beginning to end. But beyond the music itself, I take great joy in something else: if only for a brief moment on a Sunday night at The Pointe Theater in Dublin, Ireland, the full attention of that room was turned toward a song that exists purely to honor God. Whatever else was happening that night, whatever brought those people through the doors, for those few minutes they were singing along with a song whose simple message has been shining for generations. And I find something genuinely beautiful about that.

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AI-Created 90s Rock Ballad

And now, just for fun, I wanted to imagine what “This Little Light of Mine” might have sounded like as a ’90s rock ballad. This AI-created version takes the familiar song and gives it a completely different musical identity, with soaring guitars, big drums, and the kind of emotional intensity that defined many of the great rock ballads of that era. It may be a long way from the little boy sitting at a piano in Children’s Church, but the message remains exactly the same: this little light is still meant to shine.

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What about a TikTok Dance?

What if you made a TikTok dance out of “This Little Light of Mine”? Well, folks, this is about as close as you can get! Steve Fee took the basic idea of the classic song and turned it into a brand-new song called “This Little Light,” complete with an energetic, contemporary sound and choreography that feels tailor-made for the TikTok generation. It may not be the traditional version I grew up with, but the spirit of the original is unmistakable – and watching this, I can’t help but think that my four-year-old self would have loved it!

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Thanks for taking this walk down memory lane with me and spending a little time with one of the most important songs of my life. From a four-year-old boy sitting down at a piano in Children’s Church to the many places, people, performances, and seasons of life that followed, “This Little Light of Mine” has been there through it all. After all these years, its message remains as simple—and as powerful—as ever: let your light shine!

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Monday Memories is our chance each week to look back at a song, artist, album, or moment in Christian music history that still has something to say to us today. Sometimes a great song is simply a great memory; other times, its message suddenly feels remarkably relevant to where we are right now. For the first edition of Monday Memories, we’re looking back at two songs whose messages seem almost tailor-made for the adventure FishWorship is beginning.

“The Great Adventure” by Steven Curtis Chapman is a particularly fitting place to start. Released in 1992, the song is an exuberant invitation to step beyond the familiar and follow God into whatever comes next. Its sense of anticipation, movement, and willingness to embrace the unknown makes it feel almost like a musical mission statement for anyone beginning something new with a sense of purpose.

That’s certainly how we hear it at FishWorship. Building a Christian music website from the ground up is, in its own way, an adventure. We don’t know exactly where this project will take us, how many people will discover it, which artists and songs will become part of its story, or what opportunities may appear along the way. But that’s part of the fun. The goal isn’t to have every mile of the road mapped out before we begin; it’s to start moving, keep our eyes on the destination, and be willing to see what God does with the journey.

For the FishWorship founder, “The Great Adventure” is more than a nostalgic favorite from another era of Christian music. It is a reminder to approach this project with enthusiasm rather than hesitation—to build, explore, discover, and keep going even when the road takes an unexpected turn. FishWorship may be a website, but the hope behind it is much bigger: to create a place where people can discover Christian music, rediscover old favorites, encounter artists they haven’t heard before, and perhaps find a song that means something completely new to them.

So as we begin this particular adventure, we’ll gladly borrow a little inspiration from Steven Curtis Chapman. We may not know exactly where the road leads, but that’s no reason not to take the next step. The adventure is the point.

The Great Adventure – Steven Curtis Chapman

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Shake Heaven – Montel Jordan & Beckah Shae

“Shake Heaven” is a particularly fitting song for the first Monday Memories because its story is almost as unexpected as the sound of the song itself. Montell Jordan had already established a major career in mainstream R&B before making a dramatic turn toward Christian ministry, eventually serving as a worship pastor at Victory World Church and helping lead the church’s Victory World Music project. Beckah Shae, meanwhile, had been developing her own distinctive blend of pop, R&B, and worship, bringing an energetic, genre-crossing sound to Christian music. Their paths came together on the title track of Shake Heaven, released by Victory World Music in 2011.

The collaboration makes even more sense when you know the story behind it. Jordan had come to the conviction that he was being called away from his mainstream music career and into full-time ministry. He wanted to take the musical skills and energy that had once been used to make people dance and celebrate and redirect them toward the worship of God. His meeting with Beckah and her husband, producer Jack Shocklee, helped shape that new direction, and “Shake Heaven” became the kind of energetic Christian anthem Jordan had envisioned—music that could cross generations and cultures without sounding like it had to apologize for being contemporary.

That’s a big part of why this song speaks to us at FishWorship. “Shake Heaven” is ultimately about making some noise, gathering people together, and using music to get God’s attention and give Him glory. That sounds like a pretty good mission statement for a Christian music website, too. FishWorship isn’t trying merely to catalog songs—we want to create something energetic enough to make people stop, look, listen, discover, remember, and perhaps find themselves wanting to share the music with someone else.

And there’s something especially appropriate about beginning our Monday Memories journey with a song born from a musical career changing direction and a new ministry taking shape. Montell Jordan and Beckah Shae weren’t simply making another record; they were taking the gifts and experiences they already possessed and asking how those gifts could be used for something bigger. That’s an idea we can certainly get behind as we build FishWorship. We’re on our own little musical mission, and we’re hoping that the songs, stories, artists, and discoveries collected here will make a joyful noise of their own.

Let’s shake heaven.

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