Takin’ a Giant Leap
Takin’ a step, takin’ a step of faith. Walkin’ out on the promises of God made. Takin’ a giant leap in the air. Steppin’ out on nothin’ and findin’ somethin’ there
Now faith is being sure of what we hope for certain of what we do not see. (Heb. 11:1)
The boat rocked. The waves overwhelmed the small fishing craft. Holding on for their lives, the disciples look up and what do they see? A ghost? A spirit? A spook? In fear, they are scared out of their wits. “Don’t fear, it is I,” comes back the familiar voice of Jesus.
Not quite believing his ears, Peter says, “If it’s You, Lord, tell me to come.” “Come on,” Jesus invites. And you know what? Peter, an ordinary man, walked on water! If it wasn’t for his faith he would have sunk. But he believed God’s Word. And because he did, he might as well have been walking on solid ground!
Can you imagine trusting something you can’t see? No way, you say. Oh really? Give me a break. You do it all the time every day. What? Trust the air you breathe? You can’t see it but you trust it to keep you alive. What about someone you love? You’ve never seen their love but you trust it. We trust things we don’t see all the time.
So here’s the fact. We have faith in things unseen all the time. Question is—what or whom do you trust? Willing to step out of the boat with Peter? Or will you hang on to all your worldly ideas, fears and doubts? Jesus says, “Trust me.”
R.I.O.T. ACT
“Everything is possible for him who believes.” (Mark 9:23)
Storms rage around you everyday. So, get out of the boat. Be a trusting lamb. Not an obstinate goat!
Excerpt permission granted by Albury Publishing
Carman Domenic Licciardello is an enigma in Christian music, often described as part evangelist, part Vegas Showman. His concerts were more like a rock and roll Billy Graham Crusade than a Christian music event. After all the singing, dancing, clapping, and preaching, crowds of people would stream down to the counseling area to accept Christ-many times as many as 5,000 in an evening.
Admission was usually free; a simple offering was taken, similar to 30,000 churches on Sunday mornings. And he filled the largest stadiums the world over. Carman held the record for the largest Christian concert ever in Dallas, Texas. But it even goes beyond that. Take the Mega Stadium acts that played the famed landmark such as Pink Floyd, U 2, Madonna, The Jackson Five, Paul McCartney, Garth Brooks, and even Metallic. As the newspapers noted, you'll see that the one-act that drew the highest attendance in Texas Stadium was Carman, with 71,132.
Carman (1956-2021) was a popular contemporary Christian singer and songwriter.
Born Carman Licciardello, he began recording under his first name and released his debut album in 1980. Carman began charting contemporary Christian hits in 1984 with "Sunday's on the Way," reaching No. 1 with "The Champion" (1986) and "Radically Saved" (1988). His other hit songs include "Lord of All," "Jesus Is the Light," and "Satan, Bite the Dust!" Carman reportedly holds the world record for the largest audience at a Christian concert. His popularity was at its height in the 1980s and early '90s, but he continued releasing albums for years, including his most recent release, 2014's "No Plan B." In 2018, he was inducted into the Gospel Music Hall of Fame.
