Have you thought of yourself as a wretch? I would say few of us take that personal perspective, but John Newton saw himself in that way and had lived a life that validated it. A brief look at his life gives us a glimpse at the saving grace, the Amazing Grace, that turns our lives around, transforms us, and directs us on the path to become more like Jesus. The dedication of a godly, devout mother was eventually answered when John entered the ministry and was a Christ-follower the rest of his days. It is a testimony to God's grace that He can reach us and redeem us no matter what we have done with our lives. Have you committed your life to Christ? Do you know His forgiveness and have peace with Him? If not, take a moment now, confess your sin to Him, and ask Him to take control of your life and give you the same amazing grace He gave John Newton.

If you would like to send a comment or have a question about the podcast, please send an email to turninyourhymnalto@frontier.com . I look forward to hearing from you. Article taken from Living Stories of Famous Hymns by Ernest K. Emurian. Copyright © 1955 by Baker Book House Company. Used by permission of Baker Book House Company.

How can Queen Liliuokalani of Hawaii, the hymn Pass Me Not O Gentle Saviour, and the Park Street Church in Boston all be included in the same story with Fanny Crosby? It isn't easy, but the podcast today will help tie in the connections. Of greater significance than these peripheral actions, however, is the incredible body of hymns and poems written by Fanny Crosby. To say she was prolific does not do justice to the thousands of hymns and poems she wrote. Further, it is hard to imagine she didn't write her first hymn until she was forty-four. Her love for Jesus caused her to overflow in song and poetry. This hymn, Saved by Grace, was one that came to her after she heard about the unexpected death of a minister she had heard earlier in the week. Fanny realized that in heaven she would be healed of her blindness and she would see her Saviour face to face. How great was the opening of her eyes, and may we desire to grasp what she anticipated.

For something new, I want to announce that an email address has been set up for comments and questions about the podcast. If you would like to send a comment, please send an email to turninyourhymnalto@frontier.com . I look forward to hearing from you.

Article taken from Living Stories of Famous Hymns by Ernest K. Emurian. Copyright © 1955 by Baker Book House Company. Used by permission of Baker Book House Company.

Celestial navigation. Sailing and navigating by the position of the stars. And, during the day, the "star", our sun, can be used for navigation. Today, we have numerous sophisticated devices to give us our position on earth and show us what direction we should travel. With all of these devices, it is tempting to discard the old-fashioned ways of navigating but there is no guarantee the sophisticated devices will be available. There is the similar parallel in our spiritual lives. We want and hope to see the "blazing sun" guiding our direction but often we must carefully look for the quiet light of the twinkling star to mark our path. This was the lesson learned by John Henry Newman that caused him to pen Lead Kindly Light. In addition, his desire for direction is somewhat reminiscent of Elijah's "journey". God answered Elijah's prayer in front of Baal's prophets, sending the consuming fire on the sacrifice on Mount Carmel. Later, when God spoke to Elijah, it was in the still, small voice (I Kings 19:12). Let us maintain the strong, intimate relationship with Christ that allows us to see His twinkling star or His bright sun.

Article taken from Living Stories of Famous Hymns by Ernest K. Emurian. Copyright © 1955 by Baker Book House Company. Used by permission of Baker Book House Company.