Steve's Conversations With Influencers & Leaders

Steve hosts virtual interviewers with leaders and influencers. Each conversation is compelling, informative,relevant to issues of today and well worth your time.

Videos of the conversations are posted here in Steve’s blog. Topics range from religious liberty, to living out faith in Hollywood, to perspectives of a former president’s son, to the difficulties faced by a Congressional Medal of Honor recipient when he returned to civilian life after serving in Vietnam.

Along with each video posted, there will be a brief bio of Steve’s guest and their picture. You won’t want to miss one of these interviews so check back often for the latest conversation to be posted.

O Rend The Skies

April 6, 2020

Isaiah 64 is a powerful passage of scripture. I want to share a song written by my friend, Steve Fry, based on that passage. The song is entitled, "O Rend the Skies” and a link to copy and paste into your browser is below.

The song is a passionate plea that God would open the heavens and move in a powerful way.

During these days of uncertainty, God never changes and His mercies endure forever. But this is a time for us to examine our hearts and see God bring revival to our land.

Steve

Better Than I

March 28, 2020

The story of Joseph is such a fascinating story. No one, including Joseph, could have imagined how God could and would use him. 

From being tossed into a pit, he was then placed in a position of prominence and authority. God had a bigger and better plan than one could imagine.

Sometimes we go through tough days. We can become discouraged and wonder if God knows what He is doing. At a low point years ago, I wondered if God even remembered my name.

I came through that time and was stronger for it, but sometimes we need to be reminded that God has an eternal perspective and he knows better. I hope you enjoy this video recording of “Better Than I.”

Steve

Thankful

March 21, 2020

During these challenging days, either the best or the worst in people surfaces. I’ve got to say, my experience so far is pretty positive as I see people being gracious as they try to locate the essentials to survive.

In times like these when people get bumped, whatever is inside will spill out onto others. If we are filled with fear and distrust, that is what will spill onto others.

As people of a higher call, we must be filled with God's grace, hope, and compassion. We need to be thankful.

Steve

God Can!

March 20, 2020

How quickly things can change. Last week I was in the United States Capitol leading worship, praying and taking the Lord’s Supper.

The tension could be felt in the Capitol as Congress was dealing with the coronavirus, the renewal of the FISA process and the President was dealing with the financial situation facing our nation.

Just over a week later, I’m back in California with a “stay at home” request from our governor.

Nevertheless, God is still in control. He’s not writing His hands about the virus. He’s got this. He can handle this. But, he is desiring that we look to Him, listen for His voice and turn our hearts to Him.

Steve

Keeping Your Battery Charged

I use some tracking devices in my carry-on bag, my computer bag and my tennis bag. I can use an app to find them if they ever get lost or stolen. Recently, my tennis bag with my rackets and a couple of other items was stolen. 

I opened the app on my phone to try and track the location of my bag. Unfortunately, the battery in the small tracking device had died. I missed the opportunity to replace the tracker with a fresh battery. It’s no one’s fault but my own. I let the batteries lose their charge.

In our spiritual lives it’s important not to lose our charge and to not allow our energy to get drained. Taking time to recharge our physical and spiritual lives is crucial. I’m probably not the best at doing this, but I’m aware that keeping my battery charged makes it easy for God to speak into my life.

Check your battery. Get a tune-up. Make sure there is plenty of air in your tires and stay on the journey.

I have some great ministry opportunities in the coming weeks including times on Capitol Hill, a concert with an orchestra and services at a great church in Texas. I so appreciate your encouragement and support.

Steve

Agents of Reconciliation - January 2020



As followers of Jesus we have a different perspective, a Kingdom economy and a reason for hope.

With the impeachment trial going on, maybe you are glued to your television or maybe you've had enough and have turned it off.

What is evident to me is something I discovered when I first started going to Capitol Hill. People just can't agree on what is true. The trial in the Senate continues to show that. And no matter what the outcome is in the Senate, the bickering and arguing will continue. 

It's all part of our culture as people talk about his truth or her truth or my truth. What we are desperately lacking is coming together under The Truth. Trying to bring people together under The Truth is one of the reasons why I believe God has opened the door for me to be in Washington, DC.

If I were to tell you the names of some of the lawmakers who I have engaged with in the past few weeks, you would probably be shocked. You've seen them on television spouting their version of the truth. And yet, I know many of these people claim to follow Jesus. It's hard to make sense of it all but we desperately need God's truth to reign.

On my last trip to Capitol Hill, one representative asked me to tell a representative on the other side of the aisle that they would like to get together and pray. I conveyed the message later that day.

My purpose on the Hill is not only to lead worship in the Capitol but to also be an agent of reconciliation. These words in the Philips translation from chapter 5 of 2 Corinthians are relevant:

All this is God's doing, for he has reconciled us to himself through Jesus Christ; and he has made us agents of the reconciliation. God was in Christ personally reconciling the world to himself - not counting their sins against them - and has commissioned us with the message of reconciliation. We are now Christ's ambassadors, as though God were appealing direct to you through us. As his personal representatives we say, "Make your peace with God." For God caused Christ, who himself knew nothing of sin, actually to be sin for our sakes, so that in Christ we might be made good with the goodness of God.

 May we all be agents of reconciliation.

Steve

When The Song Ends How Do We Respond?

O God, my heart is quiet and confident. No wonder I can sing your praises! Psalm 57:7 (TLB)

 I’m “old school.” I prefer well-crafted songs that have a great lyric and a solid melody. As I have composed songs over the years, I tried to never settle for that’ll do. I want every word and every note to be significant when the composing is complete. 

 When I finish singing a song, I’m not always looking for applause. Applause is nice but sometimes the biggest compliment an audience can give is to be still and to sit in silence. To me, it means that they got it. They received the message of the song; of what I was offering and digested the message and the meaning. 

 This quiet kind of response might be appropriate for sacred songs but also for songs like the impactful, “Bring Him Home,” from the musical, Les Miserables. I love when the spirit of God inhabits musical moments.

In life, I try to want to improve at taking in words and actions of those with whom I engage and give the appropriate response. Too often I find myself interrupting in a conversation before the other person has even finished their thought. Sometimes the best response might be just to sit, be still and let words sink in.

Lord, quiet our hearts so that we can sing Your praise.

Steve

The Fellowship of the Unashamed

Recently my friend, Pastor Bob Moorehead, passed away. Bob pastored Overlake Christian Church in Kirkland, Washington where I sang 18 or 19 times. It was one of my favorite churches to sing at for a variety of reasons including the passionate and vibrant worship led by Dave Morgan and the equally passionate and inspired preaching of Bob Moorehead.

Bob would stand in the pulpit and deliver. There was nothing wishy washy or timid about Bob in his preaching or how he lived his life.

On one of my visits I remember Bob sharing a piece called “The Fellowship of the Unashamed." Evidently the author of this work was a Rwandan man who in 1980 was forced by his tribe to either renounce Christ or face certain death. He refused to renounce Christ and was killed on the spot. The night before his death, the man wrote "The Fellowship of the Unashamed," (shared below). Bob Moorehead published this in his book "Words Aptly Spoken."

I hope this will be an encouragement to you!

Steve

The Fellowship of the Unashamed

I am part of the "Fellowship of the Unashamed."

The die has been cast. I have stepped over the line.

The decision has been made. I am a disciple of

Jesus Christ. I won't look back, let up, slow down,

back away, or be still. My past is redeemed, my present

makes sense, and my future is secure.

I am finished and done with low living, sight walking,

small planning, smooth knees, colorless dreams,

chintzy giving, and dwarfed goals.

I no longer need pre-eminence, prosperity, position,

promotions, plaudits, or popularity. I now live by

presence, lean by faith, love by patience,

lift by prayer, and labor by power. My pace

is set, my gait is fast, my goal is Heaven, my

road is narrow, my way is rough, my companions few,

my Guide reliable, my mission clear. I cannot be bought,

compromised, deterred, lured away, turned back,

diluted, or delayed.

I will not flinch in the face of sacrifice, hesitate in the

presence of adversity, negotiate at the table of the enemy,

ponder at the pool of popularity, or meander

in the maze of mediocrity.

I am a disciple of Jesus Christ. I must go until

Heaven returns, give until I drop, preach until all know,

and work until He comes. And when He comes to get

His own, He will have no problem recognizing me.

My colors will be clear.

More Grace In God

More Grace In God - August 2019

Linda and Dave McKechnie became friends several years ago when Dave served as an interim pastor at our church. Linda is a talented pianist and arranger and Dave is an outstanding preacher having served churches in several locations throughout the country.

For me, Dave's preaching was and still is like that of a combat surgeon. He gets in and gets out quickly but gets the job done, unlike other pastors who miss some good stopping places when they are preaching. Dave's messages are not long but they are power packed and he always has a great closer. His final thought is often worth the trip to church.

One of Dave's phrases that has stuck with me is, "There is more grace in God than sin in us." What a great thought! All of us are broken. We all fall short. We all miss the mark. And yet, God's grace is not only sufficient but abundant.

Growing up, I remember singing the gospel song "He Giveth More Grace," with a lyric by Annie Flint (1866-1932). She grew up as an orphan and developed rheumatoid arthritis in her twenties. Even through and maybe because of the pain, she endured and composed many great lyrics, poems and prose.

He giveth more grace when the burdens grow greater,

He sendedth more strength when the labors increase.

To added affliction He addeth his mercy,

To multiplied trials, His multiplied peace.

His love has no limit, His grace has no measure,

His power no boundary known until to men.

For out of his infinite riches in Jesus,

He giveth, and giveth and giveth again.

Whatever the challenge, whatever failure, whatever the disappointment, there is more grace in God.

Steve

Drain the Swamp

Drain the Swamp - January 2019

 Psalm 51:10-13 

Create in me a clean heart, O God, and renew a steadfast spirit within me. 

Do not cast me away from Your presence, and do not take Your Holy Spirit from me. 

Restore to me the joy of Your salvation, and uphold me by Your generous Spirit. 

Then I will teach transgressors Your ways, and sinners shall be converted to You.

The phrase "drain the swamp" has been firmly planted in our vocabulary. Virtually every day we hear the phrase on radio, television or the internet. 

 It's not just the government where things can become entrenched and embedded. Things take root in any organization or group and even in our personal lives. We become accustomed to the comfortable and the familiar. We are resistant to change.

We can expect two things to happen when a swamp is drained. First, those people or habits that live in the swamp fight more ferociously as their refuge begins to disappear and they are exposed. This is human nature. It's a fight for survival. I've heard it said that the best way to end a bad habit is to starve it. Take away its source of nourishment. It will eventually wither and die. Don't just try to end a habit cold turkey. Stop feeding it. Those habits or destructive things in our lives won't necessarily die easily but draining the swamp and exposing what lies below is part of the process.

Secondly, as a swamp is drained we need to be aware that what we find on the bottom probably won't be pleasant and it will probably smell. It's not just draining the swamp but cleaning up those things that have been hidden beneath the surface. This can take time as things that are mired in the mud and muck can't be extricated easily. It might require putting on some waders and manually prying them loose.

All of us have some swamp, some part of our life that needs to be drained and renewed. As with the psalmist, all of us should cry, "Create in me a clean heart, O God."

Steve

The View From The Hill

The View from The Hill - December 2018

The past ten days have been quite busy and I have more opportunities to sing before Christmas.

Last week, I was in Washington, DC for several events including a Christmas concert that was scheduled to take place in Statuary Hall in the United States Capitol.

About twenty-five years ago I met then Indiana Assemblyman Mike Pence and his wife, Karen. I was singing at an event for Overseas Council in Florida and the Pences were in attendance. I distinctly remember our meeting. Then in October, I saw Vice President Pence briefly at an event in Dallas and he immediately knew my voice as I was singing when he entered the room.

Kristine and I were honored to be guests at a Christmas gathering at the Vice Presidential residence at the Naval Observatory last week. During the party, Mrs. Pence asked if I would sing and I sang, "O Holy Night" for the assembled guests. That was the start of the week.

From there, God moved in some amazing ways. A group of folks from around the country were in Washington, DC for two days of activities and I was showing them a bit about my work on Capitol Hill. I had arranged

I had arranged several events for them to attend including the Carols in the Capitol concert for which I was responsible and some other meetings with members of Congress.

With the passing of President Bush, the arrangements I had made for events in the Capitol were cancelled. The Capitol was closed Monday afternoon through Wednesday evening to honor President Bush.

In spite of the closing of the Capitol, God allowed our group to have a phenomenal experience including visiting the Rotunda while President George H.W. Bush was lying in state and to meet with several members of Congress including Pete Sessions (TX), Gregg Harper (MS), Diane Black (TN), Virginia Foxx (NC), Jeff Duncan (SC) and Gary Palmer (AL). All of these men and women are followers of Jesus.

Our Christmas concert that was scheduled to be in Statuary Hall on Wednesday evening had to be moved to the World Stage Theatre at the Museum of the Bible. I cannot thank the Museum of the Bible and the staff enough. They were so gracious and accommodating. If you have not visited the Museum of the Bible, I highly recommend you add that to your travel plans.

Following some great days in Washington, DC I flew home to sing in two Christmas concerts at our home church, Bel Air Church in Los Angeles.

Following the second concert on Sunday evening, I took a night flight to New York City.  On Tuesday morning, I sang, "Mary, Did You Know" on the Fox & Friends television show. It was great to continue the Christmas tradition of singing for this program.

Following the Fox & Friends appearance, I flew to Las Vegas where on Wednesday, I sang for the opening festivities of the National Finals Rodeo. It's pretty amazing that this 10-day event opens each night with a word of prayer for safety of the cowboys.

Between now and Christmas I have several more concert events. Two of the events are outreach events where an opportunity to follow Jesus will be shared.

 Thanks for your support and encouragement in all that Amerson Music Ministries does to help build the Kingdom.

Steve