August 11, 2019 (Sunday)
Lampasas is a Texas town located in the northeast corner of the Texas Hill Country on the 
Lampasas river; population, 6000. Wanda and I had been married 3 months when we moved there to pastor a mission of the First Baptist Church. While there the mission organized into a church and was named, “Northside Baptist Church.” Our oldest son, David, was born while we were living in Lampasas. Today is his birthday. He is 65 years old. We chose Burnet, the next town just south of there for his birthplace. As Charlie Chan used to say, he was our “Number One Son.” And he was beautiful.
I Love to Tell the Story
The Hymn, “I Love to Tell the Story,” reminds us of the awesome fact that we love to tell the story of Jesus because “those who know it best seem hungering and thirsting to hear it like the rest.”
In the small congregation where I serve as Interim Pastor it is safe to say that on almost any day of worship most, if not all, of those present are children of God by faith in the Lord Jesus Christ. They have heard the “Story” many times, so what should I do when it’s time for the sermon? Tell it again. Why? Because we have been commissioned to tell the old, old story of Jesus and His love. As Christians, we enjoy hearing it again and again, and we nearly always discover something about Jesus that we perhaps did not know or allowed to fade from memory.
There are many people who have not heard the gospel, but they are not attending our church. That fact should alarm us and call us to serve Christ by inviting people to church, or, even better, inviting them to accept Jesus as their Savior and Lord.
I LOVE TO TELL THE STORY
Words, Arabella K. Hankey, 1866
Music, William G. Fischer, 1869
“Come and hear, all you who fear God, And I will declare what He has done for my soul” (Psalm 66:16 KJV).
I love to tell the story of unseen things above,
Of Jesus and His glory, of Jesus and His love;
I love to tell the story, because I know ’tis true,
It satisfies my longings as nothing else would do.
Refrain:
I love to tell the story,
‘Twill be my theme in glory,
To tell the old, old story
Of Jesus and His love.
I love to tell the story, more wonderful it seems
Than all the golden fancies of all our golden dreams;
I love to tell the story, it did so much for me,
And that is just the reason I tell it now to thee.
Refrain
I love to tell the story, ’tis pleasant to repeat,
What seems each time I tell it more wonderfully sweet;
I love to tell the story, for some have never heard
The message of salvation from God’s own holy Word.
Refrain
I love to tell the story, for those who know it best
Seem hungering and thirsting to hear it like the rest;
And when in scenes of glory I sing the new, new song,
‘Twill be the old, old story that I have loved so long.
Refrain
LISTEN
