I’m delighted to announce that accomplished Christian singer Terry Warren has decided to join Honey Lake Church and Worldwide Ministries as its fulltime Praise Minister. This Titusville Florida native and NCAA All-American linebacker is no stranger to this community. He played football for the Florida State football team under all-time winningest coaching legend Bobby Bowden. His athletic ability was a force to be reckoned with and after completing what amounted to a stellar career at FSU, he was signed by the Dallas Cowboys and was well on his way to fame and glory in the NFL.
Here’s how his first season went:
“I was at the highest point in my life. My rookie season I was warming up for practice before our first regular season game and after hitting the ground on my hip I broke my back during warm-ups…. It was a complete freak accident. They told me if I tried to gamble and play again, that I could risk being paralyzed with the type of back injury that I had. My whole life came to a halt at that time. It was pretty devastating.”
Hmmm…It has to be devastating to work so hard all of your life for something and want it so badly only to lose it when it’s within your easy grasp.
Has that ever happened to you?
It has to me and the reality of our existence on this planet is that sometimes our plans aren’t necessarily the same as God’s plans for our lives.
A year earlier Terry had sung the National Anthem at Florida State’s homecoming game in front of 80,000 fans. Famous movie star Burt Reynolds was there and heard him singing and called and said that he was “blown away” by his performance and if he ever wanted an opportunity, or was interested in getting into the entertainment industry that he’d love to help.
After Terry recovered from his injury, he remembered Reynolds’s offer and decided to take him up on it and the next thing you know he’d moved to Hollywood. He did background music for Reynolds’ popular Emmy Award winning sitcom, Evening Shade (including the theme song); he also did a Palm Beach Motors (TV pilot), and movie appearances alongside talents such as: Eriq LaSalle, Michael Chiklis, Neal Patrick Harris, and Peter Faulk. He also landed the leading role of Jean Val Jean in Les Miserables on Broadway.
I suppose those old “Hollywood Lights” got to him during this period of his life and without dragging him through the muck I suppose I could nicely say that his Christian upbringing was not exactly at the forefront during this period of his life, and he did some things for which he’s not very proud.
In the mid-90s those old Hollywood lights began to dim and flicker, and then finally went out for the last time and Terry left for Nashville to work on his music career. He married and started a family. But while his career was thriving, his home life was turbulent. After eight years his marriage ended in a nasty, bitter divorce. Terry was once again devastated and forced to deal with dark emotions.
“I was angry at God. There was a six year period when I was dealing with deep depression. Every day I wanted to die, every day looking for different ways. I didn’t have the courage to do it myself, but I would tell people I was looking for a bullet.”
Then, in 2007, one of Terry’s best friends committed suicide. Terry was asked to sing at his funeral. He recounted that day as follows: “My departed friend’s two little boys were sitting on the front row and I saw the faces of my children sitting there. I realized at that point I had to make a change in my life. I either had to go through with pulling the trigger, or I needed to change. I decided to change and in August of 2008 rededicated and committed my life to Christ. It’s when I truly chose to start living my life each day to serve the Lord.”
After his rededication, God delivered Terry from his depression. In 2010, he founded his own ministry called Crossing The Goaline and released an album entitled, Amazing Love.
His music tells the story of his life including the intimate details. Terry writes on his website: “So much of my life has been about being in that red zone and ready to cross the goal line and then some form of tragedy has hit me causing me to fumble just before reaching the goal. It’s my hope that I can help others see that though there may be setbacks in life, ultimately it is Christ who will help us reach across that goal line. If we make that the number one priority in our lives, no matter what’s going on, He will start blessing us with the desires of our hearts.”
Terry sang of God’s Amazing Love and His Amazing Grace at our inaugural service a couple of weeks ago and it was truly inspirational.
Terry sings with passion.
Hmmm…I suppose that’s no big surprise, David Wilkerson once said, “All true passion is born out of anguish. All true passion for Christ comes out of a baptism of anguish. Anguish is extreme pain, distress, or sorrow. Whatever happened to anguish in the house of God? You don’t hear about it in this pampered age. More of the world is coming into, and taking over, the church than the church is impacting the world. So many times we say to God, ‘This time you’ve touched me for life. I’ll never be the same.’ It’s just all fireworks, a loud bang, and a lot of noise, and then it dies. All true passion is born out of anguish”.
Everyone who shares the pulpit next Sunday has experienced a baptism of anguish in their lives. That includes me, Terry Warren, Jack (Murf the Surf) Murphy, and country music legend Clifton Jantsky. You won’t want to miss the singing, personal testimonies, or the celebration of God’s amazing love and grace.
Please know that our church is different than others you might’ve visited. The following excerpt is an example of what I’m talking about:
“Ten years ago I was talking to a young Jewish woman who had left her family in Israel to enjoy the pleasures she could find in New York City. She eventually fell into prostitution, but was looking for a way out. (She was in her early 20s) I spoke to her about Jesus, and she said, “If he is like you say he is, he must be a wonderful man.” Weeks later I spoke to her again, and my heart was glad and sad. She said, “I have been looking for a church, but all the churches I’ve gone to have shunned me, because of my hair style and piercings in my nose, cheeks, eyebrows, etc.” (Some churches she had gone to would not even let her in their door.) My heart was grieved. I told her that I would find her a church. The only church I knew of in this city that would welcome her with open arms was the church where David Wilkerson pastored, Times Square Church.
Ghandi once said: “I like your Christ; I do not like your Christians. Your Christians are so unlike your Christ.” Not all Christians Mr. Ghandi – not all…David Wilkerson’s church welcomed this gal and so will Honey Lake Church. If that makes anyone uncomfortable, please don’t attend…
BE THERE! COME JUST AS YOU ARE!
2 Chronicles 7:14-15
“Then if my people who are called by my name will humble themselves and pray and seek my face and turn from their wicked ways, I will hear from heaven and will forgive their sins and restore their land. My eyes will be open and my ears attentive to every prayer made in this place.”