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Shane Barnard
Truly continuing to grasp on to God’s sovereign grace, He saved me by it in the ninth grade. He holds me up with it today and by it He will fully be revealed in the day to come! I have nothing else to grab on to!!! It is the grace of God manifested through Jesus Christ crucified that has ruined me and interrupted my life. I didn’t see it coming. I was a “good” moral kid in a “good” moral family, too much “good” to know God maybe? I hadn’t even known a believer or the gospel before the ninth grade, so I was out and left bare by this irresistible fellowship.
I began, in the middle of a Catholic family circle, to sneak out to a Bible church youth group, and there began to get blown away by the things of God. Music wasn’t ever my hobby or my passion, but soon I was mocking my new youth pastor and plucking my four chords on our family “prop guitar” of old. Back then, nobody played so the guy who has great uncle’s guitar and knows four chords automatically is dubbed the worship dude. So basements and living rooms were my sanctuary for years. And there, enjoying Him with a group of friends, God tricked me. Seven years later, He had put things in me that I didn’t ever see coming.
I hadn’t really ever given music a thought before the Lord commanded it of me my junior year at Texas A&M University. And overnight, the music that I didn’t even know that was in me became the way He created for me to proclaim His greatness. Whatever Lord! You do it!!! And He has! I have had absolutely no part in the way He has gifted me. And praise Him!
Shane Everett
Lost and Found!!! Praise God!!! A past marked and scared with years of rebellious living met its demise in 1997. I remember the day unsuspecting and unaware of what was to be revealed. A brief history will set the “stage.”
“I was born in Dallas into a middle class family. We moved around town a couple of times until we landed in Garland in a Dallas suburb. It is there that my path began to take shape. Lakeview High School, the place I hailed from; I was a patriot with aspirations of becoming the next Donald Trump. Sophomore year I was made aware that two art credits were needed to graduate and I had few options, art or choir. Providence without recognition said, “CHOIR.” Amazingly, I found out that I loved to sing. So it was official. I had become a choir geek, and I loved every second of it. Senior year rolled around, time came to pick a university, and there were no options so I filled out my application. I was accepted, Texas A&M, “WHOOP!” There I continued pursuing self promotion and the American dream. Those are terms are almost synonymous. Sophomore year I began to sing in a cover band called 4D2. We toured the bar scene and everything seemed to be going great. I mean, I was getting a great education! I was in a band! I had a lot of friends! I should be so happy!” At that point, I began to notice a trend in my life. I was always anticipating the next step. It looked like this,
“I will be happy when, I get my license! I am a senior! I go to college! I get a job and make a lot of money! Etc.”
In April 1997, I found myself at Sandy’s Home Place in Killeen, Texas. It was a familiar scene by this time. I had been “bar hopping” for a year and a half and who could have known what was about to transpire. The night went as usual and it seemed as if everyone had a great time. The numbers began to fade as did the excitement from the room until the quiet darkness was all that remained. I remember the smell and the ringing of my ears as I sat on the end of the stage. I was waiting on our pay check from that evening’s show and ironically the lord began to reveal the wages of my sin. I was taken back and felt a stirring in my sprit and then the Lord’s voice saying “Son, it’s time to come home.” What was happening? 20/20 vision is the Lord’s and why this revelation would come to this most undeserving candidate is still baffling. But the truth was revealed, the scales did fall from my eyes, and I could see that I had been found. My eyes began to explode with tears, my face found rest in cupped hands, and my breath was nowhere to be found. It began, the journey to eternal worship, the road to eternity, and my lot had been confirmed. So the next day I wandered into Central Baptist Church where I found a new family. A few weeks after my conversion experience I met Shane B. and we began to walk in the fellowship of believers and what a sweet path it was and continues to be. Now here we are six years later, better friends than ever and still singing. I would never have thought that I would be a herald of the risen Christ sent to redeem people for his glory but praise him because there is nothing better to do.
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