May 21, 2025

In This Issue 

FORREST FRANK

Brings Salt(water) and Light in Summer-centric "Child of God II" 

<<As Forrest Frank and Brandon Lake made history this week by landing on the Billboard Hot 100 — the first time in over a decade that Christian music has broken through in this way — it’s clear we’re living in a new era of faith-fueled pop culture. And there may be no better soundtrack for this moment than Forrest Frank’s "Child of God II."

<<I sat down with all three of my kids — Ryker (12), and twins Golda and Georgia (9) — to break down the first half of Forrest’s 20 song soulful, spiritual, and genre-bending sequel.

<<If his "Child of God" was the breakthrough, "Child of God II" is the confirmation. With this deeply emotional, genre-blending follow-up, Forrest doesn’t just prove his staying power — he stakes his claim as both a champion and innovator of Christian music for a new generation.

<<I don’t say that lightly. We grew up with giants. DC Talk, Audio Adrenaline, Newsboys — artists who weren’t afraid to be fun, bold, authentic, and unapologetically faith-driven. Our kids deserve their own version of that. And in Forrest Frank, they have found it.

<<This sequel album leans into softer production, more gospel-pop, and emotional depth — but still delivers plenty of viral, high-energy joy. And while many of these tracks have already made waves online, the full body of work hits different when experienced in sequence, especially with the surprise drop announcement just a few weeks ago.

"Your Way's Better"

<<The album's first single (currently at #23 on Billboard's Top 25.)

<<Ryker: “We all love this song. The dance is captivating people all over the globe.”

<<Georgia: “Very catchy! Everyone at school does the dance.”

<<Golda: “I really like it.”

"Amen"

<<Ryker: “I like this one, but felt it was a better live experience.”

"B.I.G'

<<Ryker: “It sounds like a video game — but in a good way. Like the music from Sonic the Hedgehog.”

<<Golda: “There has to be a TikTok dance for this.”

<<Ryker: “I had to learn what COG and GTG meant!.

<<Playful, upbeat, and built for repeat listens. Kids love it. You will too.

"Father's House"

<<Ryker: “It reminded me of ‘Big House’ by Audio Adrenaline. It makes you feel like you have to sway.”

<<Golda: “It’s fun!”

No L's

<<Ryker: “It’s upbeat hip-hop. Feels like something you’d hear in an arena.”

<<Georgia: “This is more what I expected from Forrest. Probably my favorite so far.”

<<Golda: “It’s super fun!.

<<This is Forrest in his element — big beat, bold message.

"Paradise"

<<Ryker: “Very beachy.”

<<Golda: “It sounds really chill!”

<<Georgia: “I really like this one.

<<A warm, relaxing track with vacation-energy gospel vibes.

"Woke Up This Morning"

<<Ryker: “It’s a mix of hip hop and lo-fi with some catchy lyrics. The backup singing brings it to life.”

Golda: “It’s gospel-infused.”

<<Perfect for morning devotions — or morning carpool, in our case.

"Dancing In The Presence"

<<Ryker: “It’s a slow song you could use for bedtime music.”

<<Georgia: “Made me feel warm.”

<<Soothing and sacred.

"Nothing Else"

<<Ryker: “One of my favorite Forrest Frank songs ever. It’s serious, catchy, and motivating.”

<<Georgia: “You feel something when you hear it.”

<<It’s the emotional heart of the first half — raw, reflective, and deeply moving.

Click Here For The Full Story

Click Here To Watch The Official Lyric Video of "Your Way's Better"

Billboard Magazine's Current Top Contemporary Christian

Music Chart

#1 (LW1) - Jamie MacDonald

“Desperate"

(Single) (7th week at #1)

#2 (LW2) - Jon Reddick

“No Fear"

(from No Fear)

#3 (LW3) - TobyMac

“A lil Church“

(from Heaven On My Mind)

#4 (LW4) - 

Brandon Lake & Jelly Roll

"Hard Fought Hallelujah"

(from King of Hearts)

#5 (LW5) - Katy Nichole

“When I Fall”

(from Honest Conversations)

Click Here For This Week's Top 25

Contemporary Christian Music Songs

Matthew West, Jeremy Camp, Mac Powell & Bart Millard to Co-Host 2025 K-LOVE Fan Awards

<<Fans can cast their votes through this Friday, May 23 at 7 p.m. ET by visiting the awards’ website.

<<In addition to co-hosting the 2025 K-LOVE Fan Awards, Jeremy Camp, Mac Powell and Matthew West are set to perform on the show, which will take place at Nashville’s iconic OPRY House this Sunday, May 25, and will air exclusively on TBN the following Friday, May 30, at 7:30 p.m. and 10 p.m. ET. The fourth co-host, Bart Millard, will not perform.

<<Other performers on the show, announced on Thursday (May 15) are Leanna Crawford, Crowder, Colton Dixon, Elevation Rhythm, for KING & COUNTRY, Jordan Feliz, Jamie MacDonald, MercyMe, Michael W. Smith, Jon Reddick, TobyMac, We The Kingdom, Zach Williams, Anne Wilson, CeCe Winans and Megan Woods.

Click Here For The Full Story

Metro Atlanta Christian Concerts & Family Events

Saturday, August 9

Newsboys, North Point Worship

At The Frederick Brown Amphitheater

201 McIntosh Trail,

Peachtree City, GA 30269,

Tickets on sale now.

7:30 p.m. (770) 631-0630

www.amphitheater.org/

Saturday, August 16

Crowder

At Georgia Mountain Fair Anderson Music Hall

1311 Music Hall Rd,

Hiawassee, GA 30546

Atlanta based Crowder has over 3 Million records sold, 1.8 Billion global streams, and 5 GRAMMY® Nominations. "Somebody Prayed" is currently #1 on Billboard's Contemporary Christian Music charts for the 5th straight week. Ticket includes Georgia Mountain Fair admission. 7:00 p.m. (706) 896-4191

www.georgiamountainfairgrounds.com

Sunday, August 17

Gospel Music Show 

Carolina The Band, Triumphant Quartet & The Inspirations

At Georgia Mountain Fair Anderson Music Hall

1311 Music Hall Rd,

Hiawassee, GA 30546

Triumphant Quartet remains a quintessential act in the gospel music industry. Consistently voted a fan favorite, the group has garnered multiple chart-topping hits, as well as Dove, Singing News and BMI Awards, including numerous Quartet of the Year honors. admission. 2:00 p.m. 2pm

Admission: $20, Ticket includes Georgia Mountain Fair admission (706) 896-4191

www.georgiamountainfairgrounds.com

Click Here For All Upcoming Concerts and Links For More Information

Billboard Magazine's

Current Top

Gospel Music Chart

#1 (LW1) - MAJOR.

"I Prayed For You (Said A Prayer)"

(from The Hope of My Soul

(Deluxe Edition)

(Weeks at #1 (2)

#2 (LW2) - Pastor Mike, Jr.

"Amen"

(Single)

#3 (LW8) - Sincere

"That's God LaLaLa"

(Single)

#4 (LW6) - Carvin Williams

"God Is Still Working On Me"

(Single)

#5 (LW5) - Tamela Mann

"Deserve To Win"

(from Live Breathe Fight)

Click Here For This Week's Top 25

Gospel Music Songs

MAJOR. Scores First Gospel Airplay No. 1 With ‘I Prayed for You (Said a Prayer)’

(MAJOR. is at #1 for the second straight week on Billboard's Gospel Music charts with "I Prayed For You (said a prayer).")

<<Prayer is a form of communicating gratitude and praise, asking for help, or making a personal request to God. Prayer can be audibly spoken or silent and meditative. Some prayers are communal or expressed creatively. Platinum Soul singer MAJOR. has voiced a prayer through a song that emanates hope, restoration, and revival. His "I Prayed For You (said a prayer)" is from the album "The Hope of My Soul, Deluxe."

<<“My momma named me Major,” he said with a slight laugh when I mentioned all the “major” moves he was making. “She wanted it clear! That’s why I write my name in all caps (MAJOR).”

<<She spoke it into existence because MAJOR continues to do big things in entertainment.

<<His career is filled with accolades, including nine NAACP Image Award nominations, GRAMMY and Dove Award nominations, a 2025 BMI Trailblazers of Gospel Music Award, The St. Jude Champion's Spirit Award, The Berklee Gospel Music Hall of Fame Induction and platinum status for his hit "Why I Love You." But "I Prayed For You (said a prayer)" is his first #1 hit song.

<<"It's clear, the people want and need hope like never before," says MAJOR. "I Prayed For You" is my response to the cry of the earth. I have over fifteen years as an independent artist in the game, and Prayer got me my first Billboard #1!"

<<It's a love letter to the ones he loves and the heart of the world, reminding us to speak life, lean into HOPE, and believe in the power of prayer.

<<MAJOR has a weekly podcast “The Hope in Between” (Wednesdays) and operates the MAJOR Hope Foundation.

<<“I’m from the church,” he said when I mentioned how soulful his voice is. “I’m a gumbo of that goodness. That’s where I draw my faith from…love…working together.”

<<“Prayer still works,” MAJOR said when talking about what we are to get from the current single. “Our very existence is evidence of prayer.”

Author

EMILY WILSON HUSSEM

Talks About Her New Book,

"Sincerely, Stoneheart"...

A modern take on C.S. Lewis’s The Screwtape Letters

Bestselling Christian author

Emily Wilson Hussem's latest book,

“Sincerely, Stoneheart,” Unmask the Enemy’s Lies, Find the Truth That Sets You Free, entered this month's Top 50 Christian Best Seller's List at #10.

<<Emily Wilson Hussem recently joined Stasi Eldredge on the Wild at Heart podcast to discuss her new book, "Sincerely, Stoneheart." The conversation opened with Emily sharing her passion for helping women recognize the unique beauty God has placed within each of them:

<<“There’s a radiance hidden in your heart that the world desperately needs, and I am very passionate about that… because I think that’s what a lot of women have forgotten… so many women just… believe ‘I have nothing to offer the world’… but to all the listeners out there, that’s my favorite thing to talk about with women”.

<<Emily described the premise of "Sincerely, Stoneheart" as a modern take on C.S. Lewis’s "The Screwtape Letters," but written specifically for women. The book is structured as letters from a senior demon, Stoneheart, to her apprentice, Belphegora, instructing her on how to attack the heart of a young woman who has recently committed her life to Christ. The demons’ main tactic, Emily explained, is to sow doubt about God’s love:

<<“The key tactic the demons use is to have the woman doubt that she is beloved by God, making her become obsessed with her lovability and acceptance by others”.

<<Throughout the interview, Emily emphasized the spiritual battle women face today, describing how the enemy uses fear, distraction, and discouragement to keep women from stepping into the fullness of who they are in Christ:

<<“Satan attempts to fill us with fear and discouragement to keep us from stepping into the fullness of who we truly are in Christ. We each hold a unique beauty that God placed within us. When we root ourselves in God, we can step boldly into the life we are created for”.

<<She also pointed listeners to the hope and victory found in Christ, referencing John 10:10: “The thief comes only to steal and kill and destroy; I have come that they may have life, and have it to the full”

Click Here To Watch Full Interview

Christian Booksellers'

Top Christian Books 

#1 - Lysa TerKerst

“Forgiving What You Can't Forget”

How to Move On, Make Peace with Painful Memories, and Create a Life

That's Beautiful Again

#2 - Sarah Young

“Jesus Calling”

Enjoying Peace In His Presence

#3 - Gary Chapman

“The 5 Love Languages”

The Secret To Love That Lasts (New Edition)

#4 - John Mark Comer

“Practicing The Way”

Be with Jesus. Become like him. Do as he did 

#5 - Paul David Tripp

“New Morning Mercies”

A Daily Gospel Devotional

Click Here For The Full List of May's

Best Selling Christian Books

Watch An Interview with Paul David Tripp, author of the #5 Christian Book, "New Morning Mercies" - Click Here

Watch An Interview With Jennifer Tucker, author of the #16 Christian Book,

"Breath As Prayer" - Click Here

Watch a "Girls Gone Bible Podcast" Interview With Jonathan Pokluda, author of the #17 Christian Book, "Your Story Has a Villain" - Click Here

#1 - Ascension -

The Bible in a Year

(with Fr. Mike Schmitz)

#2 - The Bible Recap

(with Tara-Leigh Cobble)

#3 - The 2819 Church

(with Philip Anthony Mitchell)

#4 - The Bible Project

(in depth Bible conversations)

#5 - Girls Gone Bible

(Angela Halili & Arielle Reitsma)

#6 - followHIM

(with Hank Smith & John Bytheway)

#7 - Woah That's Good Podcast

(with Sadie Robertson Huff)

#8 - Timothy Keller Sermons Podcast by Gospel in Life

(with Tim Keller)

#9 - SiriusXM -

Joel Osteen Podcast

(with Joel Osteen)

#10 - Ascension -

The Rosary in a Year 

(with Fr. Mark-Mary Ames)

Click Here For This Week's

Top 40 Christian Podcasts

Atlanta Christian

Radio Station Guide

Top Contemporary Christian Stations

91.5FM - Victory 91.5

106.7FM, K-LOVE

104.7FM, Air1 Worship

93.3FM - The JoyFM

Top Gospel Stations

102.5FM - Praise 102.5

Top Southern

Gospel Stations

90.7FM & 91.7FM - NewLife Radio

Top Religious

Talk Stations

970AM - Faith Talk 970

Click Here For A Complete List of

Metro Atlanta Christian Radio Stations With Links To Their Official Websites

Radio host, 

best selling author

Dave Ramsey

15 Cheap Vacation Ideas

for the Whole Family

<<Summer is just around the corner. And if you’re like most families, it’s busier (and more expensive) than ever. The culprits? Summer camps, swim lessons, passes to the local waterpark, trips to the ice cream shop . . . and the list goes on.

<<With all those summer extras poking a hole in your wallet, a fancy vacation isn’t really in the cards. But with these cheap vacation ideas, a well-oiled budget and some creativity, you can still hit the open road, making family memories that will last a lifetime.

15 Cheap Vacation Ideas in the U.S.

<<No need to stress about ways to go on a great family vacation at a fraction of the price—we’ve got you covered. Here are 15 cheap vacation ideas in the U.S. that will help you stick to your budget. So, now’s as good a time as any to turn up your favorite playlist, bust out those shades, and start making your travel checklist.

1. Tour your own city.

<<When we say tour your own city, we don’t mean you should go to the same restaurant you eat at every Sunday and call it a night. We’re talking about being a tourist in your own town! Explore local art galleries, get lost in the trails nearby, and check out that new restaurant you’ve been meaning to try. The best part about touring your own city is that it’s super easy to be thrifty, which definitely keeps your budget and your bank account happy.

Click Here To Read The Full Column

Click Here For The Full Story and More on Our Dave Ramsey Financial Peace Page Including A Complete List Of Area Radio Stations and Times Where You Can Find The Dave Ramsey Show

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Call 770-596-6451 or email atlantachristian@comcast.net

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