My Story, My Song: Recent Episodes
Nathan Maack
Listen to the stories of some of Christian music's best songwriters, learn the origins behind the classic hymns of the church and gospel music standards, and enjoy an arrangement of the song during each short-format podcast episode.
This episode features the story behind the hymn "He Lives."
Learn more about Nathan Maack and his music ministry by visiting his website at www.nathanmaack.com.
Lyrics: Alfred H. Ackley
Music: Alfred H. Ackley
Performance: Nathan Maack
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I serve a risen Savior, He's in the world today;
I know that He is living, whatever men may say;
I see His hand of mercy, I hear His voice of cheer,
And just the time I need Him, He's always near.
Rejoice, Rejoice, O Christian, lift up your voice and sing
Eternal hallelujahs to Jesus Christ the King!
The Hope of all who seek Him, the Help of all who find,
None other is so living, so good and kind.
He lives, He lives, Christ Jesus lives today!
He walks with me and talks with me
A-long life's narrow way.
He lives, He lives, salvation to impart!
You ask me how I know He lives?
He lives within my heart.
This episode features the story behind the hymn "Day By Day."
Learn more about Nathan Maack and his music ministry by visiting his website at www.nathanmaack.com.
Lyrics: Carolina Sandell
Music: Carolina Sandell
Performance: Nathan Maack
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Day by day and with each passing moment,
Strength I find to meet my trials here;
Trusting in my Father’s wise bestowment,
I’ve no cause for worry or for fear.
He whose heart is kind beyond all measure
Gives unto each day what He deems best-
Lovingly, its part of pain and pleasure,
Mingling toil with peace and rest.
Every day the Lord Himself is near me
With a special mercy for each hour;
All my cares He fain would bear, and cheer me.
He whose name is Counselor and power.
The protection of His child and treasure
Is a charge that on Himself He laid;
“As thy days, thy strength shall be in measure,”
This the pledge to me he made.
Help me then in every tribulation
So to trust Thy promises, O Lord,
That I lose not faith’s sweet consolation
Offered me within Thy holy word.
Help me Lord, when toil and trouble meeting,
E’er to take, as from a father’s hand,
One by one, the days, the moments fleeting,
‘Til I reach the promised land.
This episode features the story behind the gospel hymn "This World Is Not My Home."
Learn more about Nathan Maack and his music ministry by visiting his website at www.nathanmaack.com.
Lyrics: Albert E. Brumley
Music: Albert E. Brumley
Performance: His Messengers
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This world is not my home, I’m just a-passing through,
My treasures are laid up somewhere beyond the blue;
The angels beckon me from heaven’s open door,
And I can’t feel at home in this world anymore.
They’re all expecting me, and that’s one thing I know—
My Savior pardoned me, and now I onward go;
I know He’ll take me through though I am weak and poor,
And I can’t feel at home in this world anymore.
Just up in glory-land we’ll live eternally,
The saints on every hand are shouting victory,
Their songs of sweetest praise drift back from heaven’s shore,
And I can’t feel at home in this world anymore.
O Lord, You know I have no friend like You,
If heaven’s not my home, then, Lord, what will I do?
The angels beckon me from heaven’s open door,
And I can’t feel at home in this world anymore.
This episode features the testimony given which would lead to one of the greatest gospel songs written, "Mansion Over The Hilltop."
Learn more about Nathan Maack and his music ministry by visiting his website at www.nathanmaack.com.
Lyrics: Ira F. Stanphill
Music: Ira F. Stanphill
Performance: Nathan Maack
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I'm satisfied with just a cottage below
A little silver and a little gold
But in that city where the ransomed will shine
I want a gold one that's silver lined
Don't think me poor or deserted or lonely
I'm not discouraged I'm heaven bound
I'm but a pilgrim in search of the city
I want a mansion, a harp and a crown
I've got a mansion just over the hilltop
In that bright land where we'll never grow old
And some day yonder we will never more wander
But walk on streets that are purest gold
This episode features the story behind the hymn "Heaven Came Down And Glory Filled My Soul".
Learn more about Nathan Maack and his music ministry by visiting his website at www.nathanmaack.com.
Lyrics: John W. Peterson
Music: John W. Peterson
Performance: Nathan Maack
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O what a wonderful, wonderful day-
Day I will never forget;
After I'd wandered in darkness away,
Jesus my Savior I met.
O what a tender, compassionate friend-
He met the need of my heart;
Shadows dispelling, With joy I am telling,
He made all the darkness depart!
Now I've a hope that will surely endure
After the passing of time;
I have a future in heaven for sure.
There in those mansions sublime.
And its because of that wonderful day
What at the cross I believed;
Riches eternal And blessings supernal
From His precious hand I received.
Heaven came down
and glory filled my soul,
When at the cross
the Savior made me whole;
My sins were washed away
And my night was turned to day-
Heaven came down
and glory filled my soul!
This episode features the story behind the hymn "Come Thou Fount Of Every Blessing".
Learn more about Nathan Maack and his music ministry by visiting his website at www.nathanmaack.com.
Lyrics: Robert Robinson
Music: Folk Tune
Performance: Nathan Maack
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Come Thou Fount of every blessing
Tune my heart to sing Thy grace;
Streams of mercy, never ceasing,
Call for songs of loudest praise
Teach me some melodious sonnet,
Sung by flaming tongues above.
Praise the mount! I'm fixed upon it,
Mount of God's unchanging love.
Here I raise my Ebenezer;
Hither by Thy help I'm come;
And I hope, by Thy good pleasure,
Safely to arrive at home.
Jesus sought me when a stranger,
Wandering from the fold of God;
He, to rescue me from danger,
Interposed His precious blood.
O to grace how great a debtor
Daily I'm constrained to be!
Let that grace now like a fetter,
Bind my wandering heart to Thee.
Prone to wander, Lord, I feel it,
Prone to leave the God I love;
Here's my heart, O take and seal it,
Seal it for Thy courts above.
This episode features the story behind the great hymn "I Need Thee Every Hour".
Learn more about Nathan Maack and his music ministry by visiting his website at www.nathanmaack.com.
Lyrics: Annie Sherwood Hawks
Music: Robert Lowry
Performance: Nathan Maack
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I need Thee every hour,
Most gracious Lord;
No tender voice like Thine
Can peace afford.
I need Thee every hour,
Stay Thou near by;
Temptations lose their power
When Thou art nigh.
I need Thee every hour,
In joy or pain;
Come quickly and abide,
Or life is vain.
I need Thee every hour,
Teach me Thy will;
And Thy rich promises
In me fulfill.
I need Thee every hour,
Most Holy One;
Oh, make me Thine indeed,
Thou blessed Son.
I need Thee, oh, I need Thee;
Every hour I need Thee;
Oh, bless me now, my Savior!
I come to Thee.
This episode features the story behind the great gospel hymn "At Calvary".
Learn more about Nathan Maack and his music ministry by visiting his website at www.nathanmaack.com.
Lyrics: William R. Newell=
Music: Daniel B. Towner
Performance: Nathan Maack
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Years I spent in vanity and pride,
Caring not my Lord was crucified,
Knowing not it was for me He died
On Calvary.
By God’s Word at last my sin I learned;
Then I trembled at the law I’d spurned,
Till my guilty soul imploring turned
To Calvary.
Now I’ve giv’n to Jesus everything,
Now I gladly own Him as my King,
Now my raptured soul can only sing
Of Calvary!
Oh, the love that drew salvation’s plan!
Oh, the grace that brought it down to man!
Oh, the mighty gulf that God did span
At Calvary!
Mercy there was great, and grace was free;
Pardon there was multiplied to me;
There my burdened soul found liberty
At Calvary.
This episode features the story of the American Christmas carol, "It Came Upon A Midnight Clear".
Learn more about Nathan Maack and his music ministry by visiting his website at www.nathanmaack.com.
Lyrics: Edmund H. Sears
Music: Richard S. Willis
Performance: Nathan Maack
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It came upon the midnight clear,
that glorious song of old,
from angels bending near the earth
to touch their harps of gold:
"Peace on the earth, good will to men,
from heaven's all-gracious King."
The world in solemn stillness lay,
to hear the angels sing.
For lo! the days are hastening on,
by prophet seen of old,
when with the ever-circling years
shall come the time foretold
when peace shall over all the earth
its ancient splendors fling,
and the whole world send back the song
which now the angels sing.