Signs & Wonders Blog

@ Rhema in 1994 Romans 13:7 tells us to give honor to whom honor is due. In this article, I want to express gratitude for fifteen preachers who played a big part in my spiritual growth. This list is in chronological order to show the progression of my Christian walk. 1) Mac Hammond - Mac is the founder and senior pastor of Living Word Christian Center in suburban Minneapolis. I started attending his church in February 1991, just before committing my life to the Lord. Later that year, I became a member of Living Word. Every weekend I looked forward to listening to Pastor Mac. I was impressed with his speaking abilities and knowledge of the Bible. Pastor Mac repeatedly reminded us from the pulpit that we come to church to hear from God and not man’s opinion. Because Living Word is a megachurch, I never really got to know Pastor Mac personally (discipleship mostly came from associate pastors and lay leaders). Nevertheless, I consider him my first spiritual father . 2) Jerry Savelle ...

If someone were to guess what my all-time favorite song is, one might assume it would be a hymn or inspirational tune. There have been a few that touched me over the years. However, one particular song stands out from the rest. In July 1979, I was fifteen years old and went on vacation with my family. One night in my motel room, I turned on a radio and for the first time heard “Born to Be Alive” by Patrick Hernandez. I already knew about the song since Casey Kasem had announced it was #1 on Billboard’s disco chart. I liked it immediately with its entrancing synthesizer sounds, dreamy strings, and catchy guitar riffs. Two weeks later (and exactly 40 years ago today), “Born to Be Alive” debuted on “American Top 40” at #40. I taped the song off the radio and for the next several days played it over and over (even today it still gives me goosebumps). Soon I bought the Patrick Hernandez album of the same name. Meanwhile, I continued rooting for “Born to Be Alive” to hit #1 on th...