Christian Devotions SPEAK UP!

Join us this week on Christian Devotions SPEAK UP! as a regular contributor to Focus on the Family’s Clubhouse Junior joins to share many genres of writing excellence. Nancy I. Sanders grew up on a dairy farm in Everett, Pennsylvania, with five older sisters and one older brother. She spent her childhood days milking the cows, baling hay, and ice skating in the winter. She also spent many happy hours with her nose in a favorite book, whether perched high in an apple tree or floating on a raft in the middle of a pond. Today Nancy loves to write and is the author of over seventy-five books released by publishing houses both big and small. She’s a regular writer for Clubhouse Junior. One of her favorite things is to encourage other writers and help them learn practical strategies to build their own successful and satisfying career.

Join us this week on Christian Devotions SPEAK UP! as a regular contributor to Focus on the Family’s Clubhouse Junior joins to share many genres of writing excellence. Nancy I. Sanders grew up on a dairy farm in Everett, Pennsylvania, with five older sisters and one older brother. She spent her childhood days milking the cows, baling hay, and ice skating in the winter. She also spent many happy hours with her nose in a favorite book, whether perched high in an apple tree or floating on a raft in the middle of a pond. Today Nancy loves to write and is the author of over seventy-five books released by publishing houses both big and small. She’s a regular writer for Clubhouse Junior. One of her favorite things is to encourage other writers and help them learn practical strategies to build their own successful and satisfying career.

Join us this week on Christian Devotions SPEAK UP! as Scott talks with country music journalist, Deborah Evans Price. Deborah Evans Price has covered country, gospel, and rock music for Billboard magazine since 1994. She also contributes regularly to AOL's The Boot, Country Weekly, Gospel Music Channel.com, CMA Close Up, FIRST, and other publications. A noted country and Christian music historian, she's authored The CMA Awards Vault and A History of the Country Music Association Awards published by Whitman Publishing, as well as a historical retrospective on Word Records—Word: Six Decades of Hits. She has interviewed countless artists, including Willie Nelson, Amy Grant, Third Day, Don Henley, Bon Jovi, Chris Rice, Charlie Daniels, Kirk Franklin, 3 Doors Down, Sarah Brightman, Alan Jackson, Kenny Chesney, Smokey Robinson, Brad Paisley, Taylor Swift, Carrie Underwood, Steven Curtis Chapman, Sandra Bullock, and Robert Duvall. A respected music industry analyst, Deborah has been interviewed by key media outlets including MSNBC, CNN, the Today Show, ABC's Prime Time Live, the Gospel Music Channel, Country Music Television, The Washington Post and the New York Times, among others. Deborah is on the Gospel Music Association's Board of Directors and is a 2002 graduate of Leadership Music. She resides on a hilltop south of Nashville with her husband, Gary, and son Trey.

Eric Thompson is a three-time presenter at SABR (Society for American Baseball Research) national conventions concerning baseball's first expansion between 1960 and 1962. A retired high school mathematics teacher and a life-long Cleveland Indians' fan, Thompson coached youth baseball and served as an assistant high school baseball coach for many years. Today Thompson plays softball in The Babes of 1916 senior league for players 65 and over. Eric lives in Solon, OH, with Colleen, his wife for 44 years. He has three grown children and four grandchildren. In Baseball's LOST Tradition: Two Eight-Team Leagues, Thompson took on the challenge of researching and reporting the history of baseball's first organized expansion and then switched gears to a unique mathematical application to the statistical side of the game, all in the interest of his favorite topic, baseball. This year's poster presentation at the SABR national convention will reflect an extension of the mathematical application between 1961 and 1976. On a different level, Thompson recently released the first two books in the Cooperstown Tales series: Book 1: A Providential Meeting and Book 2: A Trilogy. The series recounts the life in Cooperstown, NY, of two fictional characters, Vance Winkles and Connie Gillis, with a backdrop of factual (mostly baseball) history.

Join us this week on Christian Devotions SPEAK UP! as Scott talks with country music journalist, Deborah Evans Price. Deborah Evans Price has covered country, gospel, and rock music for Billboard magazine since 1994. She also contributes regularly to AOL's The Boot, Country Weekly, Gospel Music Channel.com, CMA Close Up, FIRST, and other publications. A noted country and Christian music historian, she's authored The CMA Awards Vault and A History of the Country Music Association Awards published by Whitman Publishing, as well as a historical retrospective on Word Records—Word: Six Decades of Hits. She has interviewed countless artists, including Willie Nelson, Amy Grant, Third Day, Don Henley, Bon Jovi, Chris Rice, Charlie Daniels, Kirk Franklin, 3 Doors Down, Sarah Brightman, Alan Jackson, Kenny Chesney, Smokey Robinson, Brad Paisley, Taylor Swift, Carrie Underwood, Steven Curtis Chapman, Sandra Bullock, and Robert Duvall. A respected music industry analyst, Deborah has been interviewed by key media outlets including MSNBC, CNN, the Today Show, ABC's Prime Time Live, the Gospel Music Channel, Country Music Television, The Washington Post and the New York Times, among others. Deborah is on the Gospel Music Association's Board of Directors and is a 2002 graduate of Leadership Music. She resides on a hilltop south of Nashville with her husband, Gary, and son Trey. If you know someone who would be a great guest on Christian Devotions SPEAK UP! contact Scott@christiandevotions.us. 

David has been working in the entertainment industry in Los Angeles for over fifteen years. Raised in a small farming town outside of Dodge City, Kansas, David grew up the son of a Mennonite preacher.        After high school, David attended Moody Bible Institute in Chicago; however, he left Moody after one year and moved to Los Angeles. At the age of nineteen, without knowing anyone, and only six months after moving, David landed a recurring role on the hit CBS TV sitcom, Evening Shade for four years. He played the best friend of Burt Reynolds’s son, David, then went on to make guest appearances on such shows as: Coach, Saved by the Bell, Sisters, Melrose Place, Martial Law, and many others. Raised in the church, David was very familiar with Christian films, and had a passion to use his gifts and talents to make films that uplift and inspire the human spirit. In 1999, with that passion, David produced and starred in the feature-length film, The Moment After. The following year, he produced and starred in the groundbreaking film, Mercy Streets. David was nominated for a movie guide “best actor” award for his dual roles in the film. Early in 2006, David became a founding partner in the film distribution/production entity Pure Flix Entertainment. Today, Pure Flix maintains its position as the number one Christian studio, producing and distributing more films than any other studio. David produced and played a lead role in his latest movie, God’s not Dead. This airs the weekend after the movie releases into theatres and you can find a link at http://godsnotdeadthemovie.com.

Join us this week on Christian Devotions SPEAK UP! as Scott talks about the new movie God’s not Dead with producer and actor David White. David has been working in the entertainment industry in Los Angeles for over fifteen years. Raised in a small farming town outside of Dodge City, Kansas, David grew up the son of a Mennonite preacher.        After high school, David attended Moody Bible Institute in Chicago; however, he left Moody after one year and moved to Los Angeles. At the age of nineteen, without knowing anyone, and only six months after moving, David landed a recurring role on the hit CBS TV sitcom, Evening Shade for four years. He played the best friend of Burt Reynolds’s son, David, then went on to make guest appearances on such shows as: Coach, Saved by the Bell, Sisters, Melrose Place, Martial Law, and many others. Raised in the church, David was very familiar with Christian films, and had a passion to use his gifts and talents to make films that uplift and inspire the human spirit. In 1999, with that passion, David produced and starred in the feature-length film, The Moment After. The following year, he produced and starred in the groundbreaking film, Mercy Streets. David was nominated for a movie guide “best actor” award for his dual roles in the film. Early in 2006, David became a founding partner in the film distribution/production entity Pure Flix Entertainment. Today, Pure Flix maintains its position as the number one Christian studio, producing and distributing more films than any other studio. David produced and played a lead role in his latest movie, God’s not Dead. This airs the weekend after the movie releases into theatres and you can find a link at http://godsnotdeadthemovie.com.

Join us this week on Christian Devotions SPEAK UP! to find out what taxidermy, sculpting of dinosaurs and music have in common with creation. Gifted by God in many ways, Buddy Davis is a speaker and singer/songwriter for AiG. He is an adventurer and paleo-artist, and he leads the very popular “Creation Adventure” children’s workshop at AiG conferences and at the Creation Museum. Buddy plays many acoustic instruments, and his music is enjoyed around the world. As a speaker for AiG, Buddy’s talks cover a wide range of topics. Whether geared for adults, children, or the whole family, Buddy’s messages are aimed at the lay audience. His easy-to-understand style makes him popular with listeners of all ages. As an author and illustrator of children’s and family books, Buddy is once again able to minister to a wide range of people. Fiction and non-fiction, print and audio, Buddy’s easy-to-read style is perfect for family read-aloud time and classroom use. As a songwriter, the sole purpose of Buddy’s music is to uphold the authority of God’s Word and draw people to a closer walk with Jesus Christ, our Creator and Savior. Hard-hitting songs like “Godly Men” and “I Believe” (written by Buddy) have ministered to many. Buddy plays a variety of folk-style instruments (e.g., guitar, mandolin, harmonica), and his down-home-America singing style is pleasing to all. He has recorded 12 CDs, and when he is at the museum, Buddy does a concert every day.

Join us this week on Christian Devotions SPEAK UP! to find out what taxidermy, sculpting of dinosaurs and music have in common with creation. Gifted by God in many ways, Buddy Davis is a speaker and singer/songwriter for AiG. He is an adventurer and paleo-artist, and he leads the very popular “Creation Adventure” children’s workshop at AiG conferences and at the Creation Museum. Buddy plays many acoustic instruments, and his music is enjoyed around the world. As a speaker for AiG, Buddy’s talks cover a wide range of topics. Whether geared for adults, children, or the whole family, Buddy’s messages are aimed at the lay audience. His easy-to-understand style makes him popular with listeners of all ages. As an author and illustrator of children’s and family books, Buddy is once again able to minister to a wide range of people. Fiction and non-fiction, print and audio, Buddy’s easy-to-read style is perfect for family read-aloud time and classroom use. As a songwriter, the sole purpose of Buddy’s music is to uphold the authority of God’s Word and draw people to a closer walk with Jesus Christ, our Creator and Savior. Hard-hitting songs like “Godly Men” and “I Believe” (written by Buddy) have ministered to many. Buddy plays a variety of folk-style instruments (e.g., guitar, mandolin, harmonica), and his down-home-America singing style is pleasing to all. He has recorded 12 CDs, and when he is at the museum, Buddy does a concert every day.

Scott T. Brown is a pastor at Hope Baptist Church and the director of the National Center for Family-Integrated Churches, spending his time as an expository preacher and helping people think through the two greatest institutions God has provided — the church and the family. Scott graduated from California State University in Fullerton with a degree in history and received a Master of Divinity degree from Talbot School of Theology. The heart of his message is that Scripture is sufficient to address any subject. That is why his driving passion is to study the Bible for answers to all of life’s questions, whether they be about the church, the family, leadership, or anything else. Scott views his job as a speaker not as a means to communicate his own innovative ideas, but to simply apply the Word of God to the issues of today. His greatest desire is to exalt the Lord Jesus Christ, to explain the beauty of His Kingdom, and to call everyone to understand and recognize the power of the gospel.

Join us this week on Christian Devotions SPEAK UP! as host Scott McCausey speaks to Scott Brown about the priority of Christ, recognizing the importance of leadership within the walls of homes and abroad through God’s mandates. Scott T. Brown is a pastor at Hope Baptist Church and the director of the National Center for Family-Integrated Churches, spending his time as an expository preacher and helping people think through the two greatest institutions God has provided — the church and the family. Scott graduated from California State University in Fullerton with a degree in history and received a Master of Divinity degree from Talbot School of Theology. The heart of his message is that Scripture is sufficient to address any subject. That is why his driving passion is to study the Bible for answers to all of life’s questions, whether they be about the church, the family, leadership, or anything else. Scott views his job as a speaker not as a means to communicate his own innovative ideas, but to simply apply the Word of God to the issues of today. His greatest desire is to exalt the Lord Jesus Christ, to explain the beauty of His Kingdom, and to call everyone to understand and recognize the power of the gospel.

Thomas Shelton is a gospel musician currently living in Zanesville, Ohio. Shelton was born in Indiana and raised in a devout Christian home. He began performing as a Christian musician about 1977, when he was listed in "Who's Who in Musician America." In June 1977 Shelton became a member of the touring group General Delivery U.S.A. He later was the lead singer for the Gospelites group of Dobbins, California, and the tenor for the Watchmen. Shelton served two years with his wife in the Caribbean and South America. They were both cruise directors for New America World Wide Christian Cruises. Shelton also served as music director at three churches and as youth minister at two churches. Shelton started Thomas Shelton Ministries and has performed as a soloist gospel singer since at least 1999. He has toured in every U.S. state and eleven countries. He performs in about 150 concerts a year and has seven CDs for sale. Thomas Shelton is married to Shannon and they have three sons, Zachery, Curtis, and Hunter. In 2011, Tom’s son Zack hit the road with the new alternative country band, 64 to Grayson. In the summer of 2012, 64 to Grayson made their big debut as they headlined the “Kickstart Tour,” which visited more than sixty venues in thirteen states throughout the East Coast. Bringing a fresh, self-titled album released in September of 2012, 64 to Grayson is currently gearing up to hit the road full-time this May after Zack graduates from Kentucky Christian University with a major in Bible and minor in worship. Discover more about the band at www.64tograyson.com. 

Join this week on Speak UP where a legacy of worshipping Christ is displayed for all to enjoy with Thomas Shelton of Thomas Shelton Ministries and his son Zack who formed the band 64 to Grayson. Thomas Shelton is a gospel musician currently living in Zanesville, Ohio. Shelton was born in Indiana and raised in a devout Christian home. He began performing as a Christian musician about 1977, when he was listed in "Who's Who in Musician America." In June 1977 Shelton became a member of the touring group General Delivery U.S.A. He later was the lead singer for the Gospelites group of Dobbins, California, and the tenor for the Watchmen. Shelton served two years with his wife in the Caribbean and South America. They were both cruise directors for New America World Wide Christian Cruises. Shelton also served as music director at three churches and as youth minister at two churches. Shelton started Thomas Shelton Ministries and has performed as a soloist gospel singer since at least 1999. He has toured in every U.S. state and eleven countries. He performs in about 150 concerts a year and has seven CDs for sale. Thomas Shelton is married to Shannon and they have three sons, Zachery, Curtis, and Hunter. In 2011, Tom’s son Zack hit the road with the new alternative country band, 64 to Grayson. In the summer of 2012, 64 to Grayson made their big debut as they headlined the “Kickstart Tour,” which visited more than sixty venues in thirteen states throughout the East Coast. Bringing a fresh, self-titled album released in September of 2012, 64 to Grayson is currently gearing up to hit the road full-time this May after Zack graduates from Kentucky Christian University with a major in Bible and minor in worship. Discover more about the band at www.64tograyson.com. 

Join us this week on Christian Devotions SPEAK UP! when Scott will feature Jane Herlongs’s journey as a comedian, author, and singer. Jane entertains by using funny, original Southern stories, folksy wisdom, and singing to help folks live a more productive, stress-free life. Jane believes in the extraordinary healing power of humor and storytelling. This is evident in Jane’s most recent accomplishment of being an Amazon “Best-Seller” for her new book, Bury Me with My Pearls (published by Lighthouse Publishing of the Carolinas). As a Southern humorist, Jane combines her stories and singing (you may hear a parody or two) with life lessons. As she combines her talents, audiences laugh while learning how to handle difficulties at home and in the workplace. Jane is a Certified Professional Speaker (CPS), professional singer, recording artist, and published author, and is featured on Sirius XM Radio and Pandora. She crisscrosses the country sharing her “down-home principles delivered with uptown humor.” She has spoken is New Zealand and Germany, and is fluent in four languages: English, Southern, Northern, and Gullah (gul-la). Active in both church and community, Jane serves on the Parent Board at Clemson University. She is also Commissioner at Piedmont Technical College of South Carolina, Chair of the National Speakers Association Scholarship Committee, and serves on the Foundation Board of the National Speakers Association. However, Jane’s proudest accomplishments are being a wife and mother. Jane and her family live on the family peach farm in Edgefield County, South Carolina.

Join us this week on Christian Devotions SPEAK UP! when Scott will feature author Bob Ravener. Bob Ravener brings his years of experiencing trials, along with advice on overcoming those trials.  Bob Ravener is the Executive Vice President and Chief People Officer for the Dollar General Corporation, a Fortune 200 publicly traded company. In this capacity, Mr. Ravener has leadership responsibility for all human resource initiatives for a 16+ billion-dollar company with more than 90,000 employees in over 10,500 stores. His latest book, also published by Lighthouse Publishing of the Carolinas, is called Up: The Difference Between Today and Tomorrow Is You.