Southern Gospel Lessons
I was raised on Southern Gospel music. My mother once sang in a Southern Gospel quartet that actually received radio airplay in Atlanta, and several of my friends grew up as part of what became known as the Gaither music world. So I suppose Southern Gospel has always had a special place in my heart. But as I look back at some of those songs today, I realize they were doing more than providing a soundtrack to our lives. Many of them were quietly teaching us something about God, about faith, about eternity—and sometimes, about ourselves. So for this Monday Memories, I’d like to revisit a few of those Southern Gospel songs and the lessons they still have to teach us.
“God’s Got A Bigger Thing Going On”
Greater Vision
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“God’s Got a Bigger Thing Going On” by Greater Vision is one of those songs that seems to get more meaningful the more times I hear it. Its message is a powerful reminder that I’m usually seeing only a small piece of the picture, while God sees the whole thing. When circumstances don’t make sense, when my plans don’t work out the way I expected, or when I simply can’t understand what God is doing, I can remember that He always has a plan—and He always knows best. That’s why I’ve adopted this song as one of the FishWorship Theme Songs. I want it to be a reminder, for me and for FishWorship, that even when we can’t see what’s ahead, God can.
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“Daddy Sang Bass”
Gaither & Dailey & Vincent
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“Daddy Sang Bass,” as performed by Gaither & Dailey & Vincent, reminds me of something that can be easy to overlook when we talk about Christian music: there is something almost magical about people singing together. A song can bring generations together, turn a room full of people into a community, and somehow make us feel like we belong to something bigger than ourselves. There’s just something special about hearing voices blend together—especially when those voices are singing about things that matter. That’s one of the reasons I love Southern Gospel music. It doesn’t just give us songs to listen to; it gives us songs to sing together. And sometimes, there may be no better way to experience the wonder of music than to hear a whole room full of people singing the same words, at the same time, with the same joy.
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“The Old Gospel Ship”
Gaither Vocal Band, Russ Taff, & Vestal Goodman
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“The Old Gospel Ship,” as performed by the Gaither Vocal Band, Russ Taff and Vestal Goodman, is a classic Southern Gospel gem that brings a smile to my face while delivering a message that is anything but small. Beneath all the energy and joy of this performance is a simple reminder of the hope we have in salvation. The imagery of climbing aboard that old Gospel ship points us toward a destination far beyond this life—a reminder that, as Christians, our journey has a destination and our hope rests in something much bigger than the circumstances we see around us. Songs like this are one of the reasons Southern Gospel has endured for generations: they can make you smile, make you want to sing along, and at the same time remind you of what matters most.
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“Turn Your Radio On”
Gaither & Ben Spear
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“Turn Your Radio On,” performed here by Gaither and Ben Speer, is one of those songs that takes me right back to the simple joy of making music. I’ve performed this song many times myself, so it has a particularly special place in my memories. There’s something wonderful about the idea that we can simply “turn our radio on” and be reminded of the music of Heaven—the kind of music that lifts our spirits, brings us together and points our hearts toward God. To me, this song is a celebration of the incredible gift of music itself and the way God can use a song to reach places that words alone sometimes cannot. And perhaps that’s one of the great wonders of Christian music: sometimes all it takes is a song.
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“Jesus Is Coming Soon”
Gaither featuring Buddy Mullins
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“Jesus Is Coming Soon” is another Southern Gospel classic that carries a message Christians have been singing for generations: our story doesn’t end here. In the middle of all the uncertainty and troubles of this world, this song points us toward the hope of our Savior’s return. I love the way Southern Gospel can take a truth that is both profound and eternal and turn it into something we can sing together with joy. We don’t know when that day will come, but we do know the promise—and songs like this one remind me to keep looking up, keep trusting God, and keep living with the hope that Jesus is coming again.
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“I Saw The Light”
Gaither featuring Russ Taff, Jessie Dixon & Stephen Hill
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“I Saw the Light” is a Hank Williams classic that has become a Southern Gospel staple, and it’s another song that has a particularly special place in my heart because I’ve performed it many times myself. But there’s a reason I’ve also adopted it as one of the FishWorship Theme Songs. At its heart, this song is about what happens when we move from darkness into the light of Jesus—and that is really what FishWorship is all about. Everything we do here, all the artists, songs, albums, stories and music we share, is ultimately an invitation. Maybe someone will find their way to FishWorship looking for a song, listen to something they’ve never heard before, and somewhere along the way discover something much more important: the love of God. If even one person comes to know and follow our loving God because they found their way here, then everything we do is worthwhile. Maybe they’ll come looking for music, and maybe they’ll leave having seen the light.
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“I’ll Fly Away”
Gaither Vocal Band, The Oak Ridge Boys & The Gatlin Brothers
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“I’ll Fly Away” is another Southern Gospel staple that has been sung by generations of Christians, and for me, it has always been a joyful reminder of the hope we have in our eternal salvation. There’s something wonderfully uplifting about the way this song looks beyond this life and toward the day when we will finally be home with our Savior. I’ve always loved pairing it with “I Saw the Light”—in fact, whenever I’ve performed “I Saw the Light,” I’ve always followed it with “I’ll Fly Away.” It just seems like the perfect combination: first we see the light, and then we look forward to the day when we’ll fly away. Together, these two songs capture so much of what I love about Southern Gospel music: simple words, joyful music and a message of eternal hope.
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“Family of God”
Gaither Worship & Maranatha! Music
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“Family of God” seems like the perfect song to bring these Southern Gospel lessons to a close. There is something wonderfully simple and beautiful about the idea that, through Jesus, we become part of a family that reaches far beyond the people we know or the places we call home. I love the warmth and joy in this song, because that is what I hope people will find when they come to FishWorship—not just great Christian music, but the love, hope and joy that come from knowing Jesus and being part of the Family of God. That is my hope and my prayer: that somewhere along the way, through a song or a story or simply something they discover here, someone will come to know the love of our Savior and experience the joy of being welcomed into His family.
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