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Chandler Means and his wife have been foster parents to more than 30 children over the last 16 years. Some of those have been from horrific backgrounds and Chandler and his wife have experienced heartache, joy, frustration, and celebration. He is now executive director of Agape, an organization in Nashville that strengthens children and families. For this breakfast we invited brothers to share their stories with us. Paul Aldrich and Denny Brownlee (part of our leadership team) led us in a few songs and then Chandler told us about his experiences as a foster father.

Last summer my wife, Lois, heard a radio interview with Barbara Miller Juliani, who told about growing up in a Christian family, rejecting her parents’ Christianity, and joyfully reconciling with her parents and with the Lord. Lois bought the book that Barbara wrote with her father – Come Back, Barbara. When I realized that Barbara’s father was Jack Miller – professor at Westminster Theological Seminary, founder of World Harvest Mission (now Serge), and a mentor of Scotty Smith -- I reached out to Scotty because I had heard him talk about Jack Miller in reverential tones for nearly as long as I had known Scotty.   One of Jack Miller’s sons said the story “is not just the story of a prodigal daughter, but also of a father who was acting like the elder son. Dad’s willingness to first take the beam out of his eye transformed him into the kind of dad a prodigal would want to return to.”   Jack Miller died 26 years ago and cannot be with us in person. Scotty will be Jack’s stand-in to tell us the story of a father’s pursuit of a prodigal daughter.

Jeff Allen combines clean and hilarious humor with inspiration.   He’s performed for American troops, twice at the National Prayer Breakfast, starred in specials on Comedy Central, and been featured on Bill Gaither’s Homecoming Tours.   And although “Jeff is a class act and true gentleman,” (according to the CEO of BlueCreek Investment Partners), he’s going to be with us this Thursday, December 15. If you know anyone who is a class act and a true gentleman – unlike the rest of us -- invite them to join us.

Have you heard this story before?   A real estate appraiser in Austin quits his job and moves to Nashville to pursue his career as a songwriter. He supports himself by parking cars and working in a warehouse.   Remember that your next valet parking attendant may become another Allen Shamblin. Allen has written hit songs for Randy Travis, Bonnie Raitt, Miranda Lambert, and others and is a member of the Nashville Songwriters Hall of Fame.   At one point, however, Allen was at what he thought was the end of his career. He had writer's block and the words just would not come to the page. Feeling useless and frustrated he turned to God and . . . well, you will have to wait for the rest of the story when Allen Shamblin joins us this Thursday at Puckett’s.

Rob Touchstone, our speaker this Thursday, is passionate about helping students at Lipscomb (where he just founded the Center for Vocational Discovery) discover who they are and what they are living for and how their vocation fits into God’s plan for their lives.   Young people wrestle with this. Then they settle into their vocation and many of us — men especially — find our identity in our jobs. That seems to serve us well until . . . our job ends. Mostly through retirement.   So perhaps Rob’s experience helping young people discover who they are and what they are living for will be of benefit to a few older men who are once again asking, “who am I and what am I living for?” Come on Thursday when Rob tells his own story and how he found the answer in Christ Jesus.   There’s a lot more to Rob’s story than just the Center for Vocational Discovery . . . more than I can include here.

Casey Beathard seemed to lead a charmed life.   His father was an NFL general manager and a member of the Pro Football Hall of Fame. Casey was a high school football star and then played in college. He moved to Nashville where he was named Songwriter of the Year in 2004 and 2008. One son is a quarterback with the Jacksonville Jaguars and another is a recording artist with Dot Records. No problems, right?   Then a third son was fatally stabbed one night outside the Dogwood Bar and Grill on Division Street in Nashville. Through it all, Casey is on fire for the Lord. His son’s tragic death has opened doors and hearts for the Lord.

This Thursday Wes and some of our leadership group are going to explore with us why our NCS breakfasts are so important and why we need to tell our own stories to each other. I was trying to think of a way of making this sound “exciting,” when I received a story from Chip Arnold (who spoke last Spring) about Barry Scott (who spoke 2-1/2 years ago). This story is a bit long, but it’s worth reading.

Dennis Parker is a banjo picker with an amazing story of God’s grace.   You may remember Dennis from last April at NCS when Paul Aldrich hosted a few musicians from Music City Fathers.   Dennis won a bluegrass contest at age 7, played with Ricky Skaggs, and began drinking. “I wasn’t a good drunk,” Dennis says. “I was like a blackout drunk.” That landed him in jail five times, where a friend told him, “God loves you. You . . . are right at the place you need to be -- away from everybody, away from everything and away from all the responsibilities. Get in the Bible and let Him reveal himself to you.’” God changed Dennis.   And now Dennis is back with Kentucky Thunder, playing with Ricky Skaggs

Franklin is the third best place to live in the United States, according to Money. When a company or town is doing something right, much of the credit goes to the head person – the CEO or the mayor.   This Thursday we’re going to meet Ken Moore who has been mayor of Franklin since 2011. During his tenure the population of Franklin has grown by 1/3, businesses have been added, and yet Franklin has retained its charm.   Ken will tell us his story – stories of being an orthopedic surgeon, stories of serving people overseas, stories of Franklin, but most importantly, stories of his relationship with Jesus Christ.

God does not depend only on people older than 50 to accomplish His purposes.   He is working through a lot of people younger than most of us and many of those “younger people” are following God’s leading to Middle Tennessee.   Who are these young entrepreneurs? This Thursday you will meet three who have recently moved here from southern California and who have been with us at NCS this year.               * Joshua Thomasec’s vision is to provide a safe place where young men can be mentored and learn the life skills they need to succeed at J2J Motorsports.               * Colby Gilmore is helping young families with their life strategies through Ron Blue Trust.                         * Zach Norman is dedicated to supporting the mental health needs of artists and musicians through certified brain health coaching through Wave Initiative Worldwide.   Ron Henry, who works with Marketplace Chaplains – another great story – and is on our NCS leadership team, will moderate this panel with Joshua, Colby, and Zach.

Dan Scott, formerly pastor of Christ Church and now in mental health practice and an Anglican bishop, talks about what pastors are not telling you about their mental health. In 2021 a Barna poll discovered that 51% of the pastors in mainline churches and 34% of the pastors in evangelical churches would like to quit.   Dan says, “I will talk about a crisis of identity in American Evangelicalism that is particularly acute for church leaders. Are we shepherds, managers, CEOs, teachers, entertainers, political organizers, what? Many American clergy remain dedicated to Christ and committed to their calling, but they can’t find relief from the intense divisions within their congregations, and from their congregants’ unwillingness to accept silence on social / political issues.”    Dan focuses on five statements: We have redefined church. We have redefined the pastor’s role. We are losing transcendence Many of us struggle with doubts about our faith. Few of us have a safe person with whom we can share our inner life and intimate thoughts.

This Thursday we will have a double header at our NCS Breakfast at Puckett’s.   With us live and in-person will be Paul Young, author of The Shack, and friend of many brothers on death row at Riverbend.   With us by cell phone will by Terry King, who, at the age of 22, was sentenced to death for murder and has spent more than 37 years on death row here in Nashville.   During those 37 years, Terry has become a believer and a changed man. “I don’t need to pretend to be someone I am not,” he says. “I am just a sinner saved by God’s loving grace. I want to spend the rest of my life helping others so they don’t walk in the same footsteps that I have walked.”   In C.S. Lewis’s Screwtape Letters, Screwtape (the senior demon) tells Wormwood (the junior Tempter), “Remember, the only thing that matters is the extent to which you separate the man from the Enemy (i.e. Jesus). Murder is no better than cards if cards can do the trick.” In spite of Satan’s temptations to us, God’s love can be victorious. Whether you are guilty of murder or of “playing cards,” God’s forgiveness is available to you, as Terry has discovered.   It will be a morning you won’t forget.

You’ve seen pictures, heard reports, lamented over the horrors perpetrated on the Ukrainian people, and prayed for those involved.   Fred Heumann of MusicWorks International has made 18 trips to Ukraine to train church and seminary leaders in worship, theology, and music. One of those seminaries, the Ukraine Evangelical Theological Seminary (UETS), is 15 minutes from Bucha, the city that was savagely occupied by Russian soldiers.   On the second day of the war, Fred founded ServeUkraine.org to help meet the needs of Ukrainians. On Thursday he will share some background and insight into Ukraine and its people from his unique perspective. He will also introduce us to Ivan Rusyn, president of UETS. If the technology works and he’s available, Ivan will be with us also by Zoom.   If you want to know more about Ivan, you can read an interview in Christianity Today. Ivan concludes the interview, “I want to say I see God’s hand at work. When I go back to Bucha tomorrow, can I tell the old woman (who “had no windows, no water, no electricity, nothing”) that God is working in her life? Theologically I believe He is. But in front of such suffering, I lack the strength to communicate it.”

In case you missed Tin Pan South Songwriters Festival last week at the Bluebird Cafe, Station Inn, or Third & Lindsley, you can join us this Thursday when we’re having a morning of pickin’ and prayin’, singin’ and sharin’ at the NCS breakfast at Puckett’s.   Except for the last two Covid-filled years, about 20 singers, songwriters, music producers, and “pastor types” have gathered at a two-day annual retreat organized by our own Lyle Williams. These brothers call themselves “Music City Fathers” and get together for a little friendship, a little encouragement, a lot of memories, and some really great music. The retreat is this week and some of the Music City Fathers are going to join us.   We expect to have several Jesus Music legends with us including John Fischer, Scott Wesley Brown, Bob Bennett, and Bruce Carroll.

On December 10, tornadoes traveled 260 miles from Arkansas to Kentucky and pulverized Mayfield, Kentucky, a town of 10,000. The Tennessean headlined, “Tornado reveals strength of Mayfield people” – people who still needed help. “Food, water, heavy equipment, essential physical needs were addressed with hugs, pats, and smiles from total strangers.”   Jason Ellerbrook was on our NCS leadership team while he was executive director of a Southern Baptist men’s ministry and living in Nashville. Nineteen months ago Jason moved to Murray, Kentucky to become Executive/Discipleship pastor of FBC Murray, 22 miles from Mayfield.   Jason and his church became one of the many centers that provided food, water, hugs, pats, and prayers to help the people of Mayfield.

Chip Arnold is a Nashville actor who has played Paul, Jesus, and King Saul as well as Willy Loman (in “Death of a Salesman”), Henrik Ibsen, Henry Potter (in “It’s A Wonderful Life”), and many others. He was scheduled to be with us on January 6, but that breakfast was cancelled due to snow and ice. This Thursday Chip will present -- as only he can do -- The Sermon on the Mount. Chip explains: “The words I memorized and speak are true. Most important, the words reveal the One who was and is the true source of power and life. I am not the same man.”

Philip Yancey is author of 25 books, including The Jesus I Never Knew and What’s So Amazing about Grace? His most recent – Where the Light Fell: A Memoir – is his most personal. It’s an amazing book. One reviewer said, “Where the Light Fell could be a Faulkner novel, with racist preachers, off-kilter parenting, tormented siblings, and religious hypocrisy right and left. It’s not an overstatement to say that this stunning memoir might be the miracle we’ve all waited for.” This podcast is produced by underdog.film, based in Franklin, TN. Underdog.film focuses on video storytelling for businesses, churches, non-profits and documentary film production.  Everyone has stories,  we help tell it through powerful video.  Visit https://www.underdog.film or send Kendall an email at johnsonk@underdog.film to start a conversation about your film needs.

Becca is a Nashville treasure. The chaplain at St. Augustine’s Episcopal Chapel on Vanderbilt’s campus, she founded Magdalene, a residential program for women who have survived lives of prostitution, trafficking, addiction, and life on the streets. Thistle Farms, a job training program in which women create natural bath and body products and more, grew out of Magdalene and there is also a delightful restaurant, Thistle Stop Café on Charlotte Avenue. Magdalene and Thistle Farms seek to transform the culture around us that buys and sells women. They seek to demonstrate that love is more powerful than all the forces that drive women to the streets. This is what love looks like.   This podcast is produced by underdog.film, based in Franklin, TN. Underdog.film focuses on video storytelling for businesses, churches, non-profits and documentary film production.  Everyone has stories,  we help tell it through powerful video.  Visit https://www.underdog.film or send Kendall an email at johnsonk@underdog.film to start a conversation about your film needs.

I think Jimmy Sites has had a lot of fun filming nearly twenty years of “Spiritual Outdoor Adventures,” which airs in the US (of course), is popular in Russia, Ukraine, and Ecuador, and is seen in more than 50 other countries.   Jimmy has hunted river bear and giant mountain goats in Alaska, trout in Lake Tahoe, whitetail in Arkansas, Ibex in Spain, and a giant mountain lion in Nevada. He has also filmed a visit to the Waodani tribe in Ecuador’s Amazon jungle with Steve Saint.   And that’s only the tip of the iceberg. Would you believe that Jimmy has some very interesting stories to tell?   This podcast is produced by underdog.film, based in Franklin, TN. Underdog.film focuses on video storytelling for businesses, churches, non-profits and documentary film production.  Everyone has stories,  we help tell it through powerful video.  Visit https://www.underdog.film or send Kendall an email at johnsonk@underdog.film to start a conversation about your film needs.

JT Olson is on his third career . . . and he’s most excited about this one. For 23 years JT was with the Southwestern Company (door-to-door book sales), ten years with an executive search firm he co-founded, and now he is founder of Both Hands, a unique ministry that helps orphans and widows. (See James 1:27 if this sounds vaguely familiar). It’s expensive to adopt a child. Both Hands helps an adopting couple build a team to serve a widow for a day. The family and team seek sponsors for their project and the money raised helps pay for the adoption. They raise money this way instead of, for instance, raising money with a golf tournament. JT is excited to share stories about some of the widows that have been served, as well as the families and their journey of adoption. JT's story is unique and compelling. The hand of God has been on his life from an early age and it's all making sense now. It’s an inspiring and encouraging story you won’t want to miss.   This podcast is produced by underdog.film, based in Franklin, TN. Underdog.film focuses on video storytelling for businesses, churches, non-profits and documentary film production.  Everyone has stories,  we help tell it through powerful video.  Visit https://www.underdog.film or send Kendall an email at johnsonk@underdog.film to start a conversation about your film needs.