Breanna Nix, a Christian singer and recent finalist on “American Idol,” has reached the No. 1 spot on Apple’s Country chart with her single “Higher.” The song surged to the top following her third-place finish in the show’s 23rd season.

Nix shared the chart milestone in an Instagram post this week, where she thanked supporters and called the success “just the beginning.”

“Higher,” a cover of Toby Lightman’s original track, currently holds the fourth position on Apple’s overall Country chart, behind entries from Jelly Roll, Blake Shelton and Morgan Wallen.

On the broader Apple Songs chart, “Higher” sits at No. 9, with fellow “Idol” finalist and season winner Jamal Roberts claiming the top spot with his new single, “Heal.”

The 23rd season of “American Idol” concluded Sunday, with Roberts crowned winner and John Foster finishing second. Nix ended the season in third place, becoming the only openly Christian contestant to reach the top three this season.

Her journey through the competition included performances that featured prominent Christian and gospel music, such as “In Jesus Name” by Katy Nichole and “Tell Your Heart to Beat Again” by Danny Gokey.

Throughout the season, Nix regularly referred to her faith in social media updates and on-air appearances.

After reaching the top 10, she expressed distress about online criticism that questioned her religious identity. In a mentoring session aired after her top 10 placement, Nix told mentor Fantasia about the impact of a comment that said she was no longer a Christian. Fantasia, who won season 3 of “American Idol” more than 20 years ago, responded by encouraging her to stay off social media and assured her that faith could remain central to her work.

Nix’s public embrace of faith connected her with other Christian contestants from this season, such as Canaan James Hill, a 17-year-old aspiring preacher who also performed gospel music on the show.

Hill made it to the top 10 but was eliminated before the semifinals. He returned for the finale to perform duets of “Melodies From Heaven” and “Love Theory” with gospel artist Kirk Franklin.

On finale night, Nix joined Roberts and Foster to perform Queen’s “We Are the Champions.” She also delivered a solo performance of Katy Nichole’s “In Jesus Name.” Following the broadcast, Nix expressed her gratitude on Facebook for making it into the top 3, calling the experience “insane” and thanking viewers for their votes.

While Roberts celebrated his win with a performance of Tom Odell’s “Heal” and a message about his gratitude, Nix posted a video predicting his win earlier in the competition. She recorded the video during Hollywood Week and referred to Roberts as “anointed,” congratulating him in advance. In the caption, Nix wrote that she “called it” the day she met him, saying she always believed he would win.

Roberts and Nix have both posted faith-affirming messages following the finale.

Roberts wrote that “God is so good” and credited divine guidance for his journey, from his first audition to his win, noted Church Leaders. Fantasia, who also offered guidance to the finalists, posted a message praising Roberts for staying true to his beliefs during the competition.

Two years ago, Megan Danielle finished second in season 21, and previous winners like Carrie Underwood have also spoken about maintaining Christian beliefs in the entertainment industry. Underwood, who served as a judge this season, has described the difficulty of navigating the music world while openly expressing her faith.

Nix’s single “Higher” joins other Christian and country songs currently charting, including “Hard Fought Hallelujah” by Brandon Lake and Jelly Roll at No. 5 and “Your Way’s Better” by Forrest Frank at No. 8 on the Apple Songs chart.
Sources:Christianpost

http://theendtimeradio.com

Actor Neal McDonough is on a mission to live out his values in Hollywood.

McDonough’s new film, “The Last Rodeo,” hitting theaters May 23, was birthed from an idea the actor believes God put in his heart.

While starring in “The Warrant,” a 2020 Western, McDonough found himself crippled by an idea: What would happen if he ever lost his beloved wife, Ruve? How would he survive and process it?

“And that was kind of the genesis of the the thought process of this film,” he said of “The Last Rodeo,” noting the inspiration for a bull-riding movie came from the Lord. “And then a gift came from above.”

McDonough continued, “So where did that thought come from? I knew nothing about bull riding, and then, within 24 hours, I came up with kind of an outline for the film.”

“Within a week, we had the first draft on,” he said. “And a week later, we had it sold. This is His divine intervention that … two years from the idea, it’s going to be in the theater.”

“The Last Rodeo” offers up a powerful narrative.

“A retired rodeo legend risks it all to save his grandson,” a description reads. “Facing his own painful past and the fears of his family, he enters a high-stakes bull-riding competition as the oldest contestant ever. Along the way, he reconciles old wounds with his estranged daughter and proves that true courage is found in the fight for family.”

It’s the sort of film that offers an introspective message to the masses — the kind of movie for which McDonough has become known. The actor said he has enjoyed creating such content as he continues honing his craft decades after entering Hollywood.

“If you’re blessed enough in life to find something you’re really great at, and I tell my kids this all the time, if you find something you love doing, do it to the best of your ability,” he said. “Don’t compete against anybody else. Just do it the best that you can for his glory, and if you can keep doing that, you won’t worry about money — you won’t worry about stuff because you’re going to be enjoying your life, and you’re gonna be doing something you want to go to work at every day … and knock it out of the ball yard.”

Despite achieving widespread success in Hollywood, McDonough said it hasn’t always been easy, with the actor getting “beat up” for some of his stances.

One of the biggest reasons he made a media splash was for his longstanding policy of declining to kiss castmates, something that caught attention during his time on the TV show “Desperate Housewives.”

“I wouldn’t kiss a woman on that show years ago,” McDonough said. “And then I got blackballed.”

He continued, “I lost my house, and I lost everything — cars, you name it. I went bankrupt.”

McDonough said he ended up with a “massive drinking problem,” spending two years consuming alcohol to cope with not being able to land a job.

Despite those challenges, McDonough said he’s glad he stuck by his convictions. Ultimately, he had to decide what he’d do next – and he has since filtered those energies into making films that matter like “The Last Rodeo.” Eventually, his career came roaring back.

“It has come back tenfold,” McDonough said. “Now, I’m in the position where God has given me the gift of — Ruve and I are about to produce our eleventh production in four years. How does that happen? That wouldn’t have happened 10, 15 years ago. I had to be called really to my faith.”

A lot of this success hinged on some important questions about faith and belief, particularly in God’s goodness, love, and sovereignty. With the Lord, the actor believes anything is possible.

“He’s always there for us,” McDonough said.” We’re not always there for him, but He’s always there for us.”

In the end, McDonough said telling stories is his absolute passion, but it’s his wife and kids that matter most. And, over the years, he’s learned to keep everything in perspective.

“I love just coming home to my wife and kids and being with my family,” he said. “That’s my life or we’re coaching them in sports or seeing my kids do well. The fame and fortune part, that’s the least interesting part to me of all of this. I love telling great stories. And now I get to tell great stories that entertain people — that give glory to God.”
Sources:faithwire

http://theendtimeradio.com

It has been said that a good laugh can completely change your day for the better. Why is comedy so important?

The Bible is filled with example after example of laughter being a vital and valuable gift from God. For example:

In Job 8:21, it says, “He will once again fill your mouth with laughter and your lips with shouts of joy.”

“A cheerful heart is good medicine, but a broken heart saps a person’s strength” — Proverbs 17:22.

Psalm 126:2 says, “We were filled with laughter and we sang for joy. And the other nations said, ‘What amazing things the Lord has done for them.’”

And from Ecclesiastes 2:2: “Laughter is silly. What good does it do to seek pleasure?”

It has been scientifically proven that comedy entertains and connects us in a way that drama and seriousness does not. Comedy addresses difficult topics in such a way that it provides a break from the world bearing down on us. Needless to say, there is great value in the ability to entertain and uplift. Making someone laugh just … feels … good.

“God gifted us with laughter and comedy because the joy of the Lord is our strength,” says Carrie Murphy, a rising Christian comedian based in Nashville, Tennessee. “When we’re going through the valleys, or not even valleys, just life itself is very complicated and hard. I think that joy is a respite, it’s medicinal. It’s not an exclusion of the heart. It’s not ignoring the pain, but it is saying that I can hold both the seriousness of knowing Jesus and the levity at the same time.”

Murphy claims that she is the funniest Christian you will ever meet, or at least she thinks so. She is also a published writer and speaker who has shared the stage with Matthew West, Grammy Award-winner CeCe Winans, Tasha Layton, and many more. It is her passion to make everyone feel seen, included, and shame-free in the name of Jesus!

“I truly believe everyone was made with a specific attribute of God in mind,” shares Murphy, who regularly performs her standup act throughout the country. “I believe you’re created to reflect a certain aspect of Him. I’m created to reflect a certain aspect and to live into that, to not be shy of that, even if it’s different from the norm, even if it’s different from what you see, what you can compare yourself to.”

Murphy, who has a nine-part comedy special on KLOVE, joins us to talk about how life is too short to be serious all the time. Listen as she explains that as Christians, we can laugh and be God honoring because our Creator made laughter for everyone.
Sources:Christianpost

http://theendtimeradio.com