A family in our church gave us three tickets to the Third Day concert last night at First Baptist of Raytown, MO. Rachel, her dad, and I went.

A surprisingly good band from Australia named Revive opened up. Then it was Decemberadio and then Sanctus Real before Third Day.

I thought that Revive was the best of the bands that opened up. I’d never heard of Decemberadio before. Their lead singer was a little more show than substance.  At least that’s how he came across to me.  I was familiar with Sanctus Real.  I’d heard a few of their songs before, decided against buying an album after listening to their other songs.  The most all sound the same.  Revive was more of a style of music that I like — rock worship.

Couple of other cool things:

They had a stage light malfunction that blinded all of us in the stage-right side section of the sanctuary.  About that same time Mack sang all the way up to us.  I shook his hand and he climbed up on the pew in front of us and the guy next to Rachel sang along with him.  That was awesome.  He’s so unassuming, warm and charismatic (in a non-speaking in tongues kinda way).

Mack mentioned having the great BBQ here in Kansas City. According to a post-concert blog post by their lead guitarist Mark Lee, they ate at Jack Stack. No doubt in my mind it’s the best in Kansas City. This endorsement is just another confirmation.

The latter part of the concert, primarily Third Day, brought back lots of memories of my high school days and how gifted musicians — ones that used their talents for the Lord — helped lead me to faith in Christ.  I recalled how I felt standing in the balcony of a David Meece concert in a Baptist church in Wichita, KS in 1990 — the warmth of God’s presence speaking to me about how is love for me is not like anything I could comprehend or earn on my own.  Good times.