1,000 Respond to Gospel at ‘Packed’ Christian Music Festival in N.C.
Michael Foust
Audio By Carbonatix
By Michael Foust, Crosswalk.com
More than 1,000 people made professions of faith at a Christian music festival in North Carolina over the weekend, where top names in Christian music performed and pastor Greg Laurie delivered a powerful gospel message urging people to turn to Christ.
It was the ninth year of FaithFest, which this year drew tens of thousands to hear some 10 artists, including Zach Williams, Phil Wickham, Ben Fuller, Terrian, Leanna Crawford, and Josiah Queen. It is a ministry of Craig Church Ministries and one of the largest Christian music events in the nation.
The two-day festival in Wilkesboro, N.C., drew some 50,000 people, according to Laurie.
It even included baptisms. Samaritan's Purse was one of the sponsors.
Craig Church, the founder of FaithFest, described this year's event as "incredible."
"We were packed," he said.
"The Lord's been so good."
Laurie, the senior pastor of Harvest Christian Fellowship in California, urged attendees to come to Christ before it's too late. He spoke both nights of the Friday-Saturday festival.
"It's a relationship with Christ that you need, but you have to humble yourself and say, 'I need God,' and He'll save you," Laurie told the gathering, thousands listening intently.
"What will he save you from? He'll save you from your sin. He'll save you from a future judgment. See, there's an afterlife, and we decide in this life where we will spend the afterlife. And according to the Bible, there are only two options on the other side -- Heaven and Hell. And the last thing that a God of love wants is to send any person uniquely made in His image to a place called Hell that was not created for people, but it was created for the devil and his angels. That's why Christ died on the cross for our sins, so we would not have to go to Hell, which is eternal separation from God."
God was on the move at the festival, Laurie said in a social media post.
"At least 1,000 made commitments to follow Christ -- though it's hard to count precisely, because we weren't able to have them come forward. Instead, they stood where they were, and we brought New Believers' Bibles to them -- over 1,000 given out!"
The FaithFest social media account declared: "There is an army rising. And it's not silent. It's bold. We declare JESUS IS LORD. Who's with us?"
Other artists at FaithFest included Jason Crabb, Caleb and John, Cochren & Co., and Charity Gayle.
Photo Credit: ©FaithFest
Michael Foust has covered the intersection of faith and news for 20 years. His stories have appeared in Baptist Press, Christianity Today, The Christian Post, the Leaf-Chronicle, the Toronto Star and the Knoxville News-Sentinel.
Listen to Michael's Podcast! He is the host of Crosswalk Talk, a podcast where he talks with Christian movie stars, musicians, directors, and more. Hear how famous Christian figures keep their faith a priority in Hollywood and discover the best Christian movies, books, television, and other entertainment. You can find Crosswalk Talk on LifeAudio.com, or subscribe on Apple or Spotify so you never miss an interview that will be sure to encourage your faith.
