Church Lessons
in the Holler

SALVATION IS OF THE HEART

Stop beating yourself up over your sins.

There are people who know they have sinned, and there are people who simply accept their sin and say, “No big deal.”

But when you truly see what’s happening in your heart, you begin to see the difference.

Jesus said that sin comes from within.
Salvation is of the heart.

It’s not about the list of things you’ve done.
It’s not about the labels you’ve put on yourself.
It’s about what is happening in your heart.

Anger is not something to hold onto.

Anger becomes hatred.

And when you judge yourself and everybody around you, you’re trying to play God.

But God didn’t call you to be your own judge.

The devil is the accuser.

He’ll whisper in your mind:

“I thought you were a Christian.”

“Look what you just did.”

“Look at what you’ve become.”

And then you believe the accusation.

But that’s not the voice of God.

God calls you toward the light.

He calls you toward forgiveness.

He calls you toward love.

So go and forgive.

Forgive your mother.

Forgive your father.

Forgive the people who hurt you.

Forgive the people you believe failed you.

And don’t use forgiveness as another weapon against yourself.

When you forgive, you stop holding yourself and others under judgment.

You begin to see that of yourself, you can do nothing.

You need God.

You need His Spirit.

You need His love.

And when the heart changes, the life begins to change.

The things you picked up along the way—the habits, the destructive behaviors, the darkness, the things you wish you had never done—don’t have to become your identity.

Stop calling yourself by the thing you struggle with.

Don’t say,

“I am an addict.”

“I am an alcoholic.”

“I am a failure.”

“I am broken.”

Those things may describe something you’ve experienced, but they don’t have to define who you are.

You are not your worst mistake.

You are not your past.

You are not the accusation in your mind.

Turn toward God.

Let Him change your heart.

And as your heart changes, your desires begin to change.

You begin to want what is good.

You begin to love people instead of hating them.

You begin to walk upright.

You begin to forgive.

You begin to live free.

Jesus said that the greatest commandments are to love God and love one another.

The commandments aren’t meant to bury you under guilt.

They’re meant to show you the way toward a life of love, truth, righteousness, and freedom.

And that’s why we need grace.

We can’t manufacture a changed heart by ourselves.

We can’t simply make ourselves righteous through willpower.

We need God.

We need the Spirit of God working within us.

And that’s where baptism comes into the picture.

Before Christ, baptism was connected with washing and repentance.

John baptized people in water as they turned toward God.

But Jesus brought something deeper.

John baptized with water.

Christ spoke of baptism with the Holy Spirit.

Water can wash the outside.

But God changes the inside.

The outward baptism points toward an inward reality:

a person turning away from the old life
and turning toward God.

The old heart doesn’t have to remain in charge.

The darkness doesn’t have to remain your master.

You don’t have to live forever under condemnation.

Come back to the Father.

Forgive.

Repent.

Believe.

Let God work on the heart.

And when the accuser comes whispering,

“Look at everything you’ve done,”

you don’t have to answer him with another accusation against yourself.

Turn toward the light.

Because the goal isn’t simply to become somebody who looks clean on the outside.

The goal is a heart made new.

A heart that loves.

A heart that forgives.

A heart that seeks truth.

A heart that wants God.

Salvation isn’t about pretending you’ve never fallen.

It’s about knowing where to turn when you fall.

Turn toward the Father.

Turn toward the light.

And let God do what you could never do by yourself.

Change the heart.

[Intro — soft acoustic guitar, harmonica]
[Bubba — Verse 1]
I carried words from years ago
Like stones nobody else could see
I blamed the ones who raised me up
For all the hurt inside of me
One day I saw the weight I held
And what that weight had done to us
I couldn't change a yesterday
But I could lay it in God's love

[Darlene — Verse 2]
Forgiving doesn't call wrong right
Or make a wounded childhood fair
It means I will not spend my life
With yesterday still living there
And when I cannot find the words
I whisper softly from above
Lord, lead my feet toward mercy now
And give this weary heart Your love

[Bubba and Darlene — Chorus]
Give me a heart of love
Not one that keeps the score
Open up these old shut windows
Let Your light come through the door
I can lay my anger down
I can walk a different road
Give me a heart of love, dear Lord
And help me let this burden go

[Instrumental — harmonica and piano]
[Bubba — Verse 3]
I learned my father had his scars
My mother carried burdens too
I won't pretend they never hurt
But I don't have to hurt them too
I turned my face toward heaven
With no fine speech to rise above
Just a child asking Father
For a new heart full of love

[Darlene — Bridge]
Peace is not pretending
Love is not a chain
Mercy leaves the doorway open
Even after rain

[Duet — Final Chorus, rising harmonies]
Give me a heart of love
Not one that keeps the score
Open up these old shut windows
Let Your light come through the door
I can lay my anger down
I can walk a different road
Give me a heart of love, dear Lord
And help me let this burden go

[Outro — harmonica, B3, acoustic]
[Bubba — spoken softly]
And all is well.

[Intro — lone harmonica, footsteps, B3 enters]
[Bubba — Verse 1]
There's a whisper in the midnight
Dragging yesterday back home
Says my worst mistake's my first name
And I'm bound to walk alone
But I can own the harm I've done
And still believe there's grace for me
I can make amends tomorrow
Without wearing shame eternally

[Darlene — Response]
Hear that old accusing echo
It don't speak the final word
There's a sweeter voice of mercy
For the broken to be heard

[Duet — Chorus]
The accuser ain't my Father
And my shame ain't who I am
I can turn around and make things right
And reach for His outstretched hand
When that old dark story calls me
I don't have to answer there
The accuser ain't my Father
And there's mercy in His care

[Bubba — Verse 2]
I have judged my fellow traveler
Then held a mirror full of blame
Built a prison out of memory
And called that prison by my name
But forgiveness is a doorway
And the truth can set us free
I won't hide from what needs healing
I won't let it bury me

[Instrumental — harmonica trades with Darlene's tenor sax]
[Darlene — Bridge]
A conscience can remind you
To repair what went astray
But an endless song of condemnation
Only steals the light of day

[Duet — Final Chorus, congregation harmonies]
The accuser ain't my Father
And my shame ain't who I am
I can turn around and make things right
And reach for His outstretched hand
When that old dark story calls me
I don't have to answer there
The accuser ain't my Father
And there's mercy in His care

[Bubba — Outro]
The door is open, the porch light's on
It's time to lay that burden down
[Instrumental — resolved gospel ending]

[Intro — boot stomp, bright harmonica, boogie piano]
[Bubba — Verse 1]
I had a pocket full of labels
And a suitcase full of blame
Every time somebody asked me
I would hand 'em my old name
I'd say I'm nothing but my trouble
I'm the worst I've ever been
Till a little porch-light mercy
Said, Come on home again

[Darlene — Verse 2]
You can name the road behind you
You can ask somebody's aid
You can face the things that happened
And the price that must be paid
But a hurt is not your whole life
And a habit ain't your soul
There's a living, breathing person
With a future yet untold

[Duet — Chorus]
That ain't my name anymore
I ain't the lock upon the door
I can tell the honest story
And still walk toward something more
I'm a child beneath the heavens
With a porch light on the shore
Call me learning, call me living
That ain't my name anymore

[Bubba — Verse 3]
I won't mock the hands that helped me
When I couldn't stand alone
Every day I keep on choosing
What will bring my spirit home
I have work to do tomorrow
I got folks to make things right
And my past can be a lesson
Without taking all the light

[Instrumental — slap bass, guitar, sax and harmonica break]
[Darlene — Bridge]
Tell the truth and keep on growing
Let the love come through the rain
Your whole life is more than one old chapter
You don't have to wear the chain

[Duet — Final Chorus, handclaps]
That ain't my name anymore
I ain't the lock upon the door
I can tell the honest story
And still walk toward something more
I'm a child beneath the heavens
With a porch light on the shore
Call me learning, call me living
That ain't my name anymore

[Tag — Bubba and Darlene]
[Bubba] Like ninety going north!
[Darlene] And all is well!
[Full band — crisp resolved ending]

[Instrumental intro]
[Verse 1 - Bubba MALE]
By the river stood a family
With a towel upon the rail
Grandma prayed in quiet wonder
As the church began to sing
Different roads had brought them near here
Different ways to speak of grace
But they came with humble questions
And the hope of love's embrace
[Chorus - Bubba and Darlene FEMALE harmony]
The water and the wind, Lord
The mystery of Your grace
Let my outward words and living
Meet an inward heart of faith
I won't claim to hold Your wonder
In the little that I know
Let the love You plant within me
Find a place to grow
[Verse 2 - Darlene FEMALE]
Some would speak of sacred promise
Some of witness to belief
Some would tell of Spirit's filling
As they shared their history
We can listen with respect here
Bring our questions to the Word
Let our differences find kindness
Let each neighbor still be heard
[Chorus - duet]
The water and the wind, Lord
The mystery of Your grace
Let my outward words and living
Meet an inward heart of faith
I won't claim to hold Your wonder
In the little that I know
Let the love You plant within me
Find a place to grow
[Instrumental solo and break]
[Bridge - intimate then build]
Not a song to settle doctrine
Just a prayer beside the stream
For a life that bears good fruit, Lord
For a heart made clean
[Final chorus - full duet]
The water and the wind, Lord
The mystery of Your grace
Let my outward words and living
Meet an inward heart of faith
I won't claim to hold Your wonder
In the little that I know
Let the love You plant within me
Find a place to grow
[Outro - resolve naturally]
The Water and the Wind
[Instrumental ending]

[Instrumental intro]
[Verse 1 - Bubba MALE]
You broke a cup before the coffee
And called yourself a fool
You wouldn't talk that way to someone
Sitting on your porch with you
Yesterday came through the window
With a list of every fall
But mercy pulled another chair up
Said that list ain't all
[Chorus - Bubba and Darlene FEMALE harmony]
Don't be cruel to yourself
Let some mercy in the room
You can own the wrong and mend it
Without living in its tomb
There's a hand to help you rise
There's a better word to tell
If you're learning how to love
Don't be cruel to yourself
[Verse 2 - Darlene FEMALE]
Darlene said the road to healing
Ain't a courtroom after dark
Tell the truth and make your amends
Then let grace get to your heart
We don't have to call the bruises
Proof that we were born to lose
Take the next step soft and steady
In those worn-out walking shoes
[Chorus - duet]
Don't be cruel to yourself
Let some mercy in the room
You can own the wrong and mend it
Without living in its tomb
There's a hand to help you rise
There's a better word to tell
If you're learning how to love
Don't be cruel to yourself
[Instrumental solo and break]
[Bridge - intimate then build]
Lord, give me courage for repairing
Give me patience for the climb
I can learn without a whipping
From that old voice in my mind
[Final chorus - full duet]
Don't be cruel to yourself
Let some mercy in the room
You can own the wrong and mend it
Without living in its tomb
There's a hand to help you rise
There's a better word to tell
If you're learning how to love
Don't be cruel to yourself
[Outro - resolve naturally]
Don't Be Cruel to Yourself
[Instrumental ending]

[Instrumental intro]
[Verse 1 - Bubba MALE]
He had forty-seven answers
And a notebook full of plans
But the neighbor needed groceries
And a pair of willing hands
Darlene shut the notebook gently
Said there's something we can do
Sometimes one small act of kindness
Tells you more than talking through
[Chorus - Bubba and Darlene FEMALE harmony]
Smoke on it, think about that
Let the question sit beneath your hat
Is the love you're always talking
In the road that you've been walking?
Let a little silence answer back
Smoke on it, think about that
[Verse 2 - Darlene FEMALE]
Nobody lit a match that morning
Just a light behind the eyes
We quit rehearsing being helpful
Took that basket for a ride
At the porch we found a welcome
And a story worth our time
Turns out wisdom wears work clothing
More than fancy words that rhyme
[Chorus - duet]
Smoke on it, think about that
Let the question sit beneath your hat
Is the love you're always talking
In the road that you've been walking?
Let a little silence answer back
Smoke on it, think about that
[Instrumental solo and break]
[Bridge - intimate then build]
I'm just asking questions
Leave a little room to see
What is right here waiting
For the likes of you and me?
[Final chorus - full duet]
Smoke on it, think about that
Let the question sit beneath your hat
Is the love you're always talking
In the road that you've been walking?
Let a little silence answer back
Smoke on it, think about that
[Outro - resolve naturally]
I'm just asking questions. Go smoke on it.
[Instrumental ending]

[Instrumental intro]
[Verse 1 - Bubba MALE]
The paint was new, the porch was pretty
But I knew that creaking floor
I'd walked past every little warning
Like the many times before
Called the silence understanding
Called the hurry something true
I was changing all the faces
Keeping what I used to do
[Chorus - Bubba and Darlene FEMALE harmony]
I won't walk the same door twice
With my eyes shut to the light
I can slow down, ask a question
Let the honest answers rise
Love can have a sturdy boundary
Grace can take a little time
I won't walk the same door twice
With my eyes shut to the light
[Verse 2 - Darlene FEMALE]
She said peace ain't never asking
Someone else to disappear
And a promise needs some living
Before trust can settle here
So we spoke without pretending
Let the truth stand in the room
Some doors open into healing
Some you kindly don't walk through
[Chorus - duet]
I won't walk the same door twice
With my eyes shut to the light
I can slow down, ask a question
Let the honest answers rise
Love can have a sturdy boundary
Grace can take a little time
I won't walk the same door twice
With my eyes shut to the light
[Instrumental solo and break]
[Bridge - intimate then build]
Lord, don't make me hard and bitter
Make me tender, make me wise
Let me learn what I was missing
With a heart and open eyes
[Final chorus - full duet]
I won't walk the same door twice
With my eyes shut to the light
I can slow down, ask a question
Let the honest answers rise
Love can have a sturdy boundary
Grace can take a little time
I won't walk the same door twice
With my eyes shut to the light
[Outro - resolve naturally]
The Same Door Twice
[Instrumental ending]

[Instrumental intro]
[Verse 1 - Bubba MALE]
My hands were shaking at the doorway
Had a word I had to say
Thought that courage meant no trembling
So I almost walked away
Then a friend stood right beside me
Didn't hurry, didn't preach
Said you don't have to be fearless
For the next step within reach
[Chorus - Bubba and Darlene FEMALE harmony]
Let the fear pass through
Like the rain across the blue
You can pause and find your footing
Ask a hand to walk with you
There's a road beneath this feeling
There's a light beyond this view
Take your time, keep breathing gently
Let the fear pass through
[Verse 2 - Darlene FEMALE]
I won't call a warning weakness
I won't stay where harm is done
I can listen, seek some shelter
I can turn toward the sun
In the place where faith is growing
There is room for help and rest
And a little shaky courage
Can be all I have at best
[Chorus - duet]
Let the fear pass through
Like the rain across the blue
You can pause and find your footing
Ask a hand to walk with you
There's a road beneath this feeling
There's a light beyond this view
Take your time, keep breathing gently
Let the fear pass through
[Instrumental solo and break]
[Bridge - intimate then build]
Lord, be near me in the weather
Let me know I'm not alone
I can face this day with kindness
I don't face it on my own
[Final chorus - full duet]
Let the fear pass through
Like the rain across the blue
You can pause and find your footing
Ask a hand to walk with you
There's a road beneath this feeling
There's a light beyond this view
Take your time, keep breathing gently
Let the fear pass through
[Outro - resolve naturally]
Let the Fear Pass Through
[Instrumental ending]

[Instrumental intro]
[Verse 1 - Bubba MALE]
The radio was full of answers
My own worry louder still
Every road became an argument
Every pause a test of will
So I sat beside the window
Let the evening take its time
Prayed for wisdom, stayed there listening
Without chasing every sign
[Chorus - Bubba and Darlene FEMALE harmony]
The voiceless voice of mercy
Is the name I give this peace
Not a sound that orders someone
Just a prayer that softens me
Let the fruit be love and patience
Let the truth be kind and clear
In the quiet, Lord, prepare me
For the life that's waiting here
[Verse 2 - Darlene FEMALE]
Morning came with ordinary
Dishes waiting in the sink
And a neighbor needing someone
Who would listen more than think
If the stillness taught me something
Let it show in what I do
Not a claim to know all answers
Just a heart becoming new
[Chorus - duet]
The voiceless voice of mercy
Is the name I give this peace
Not a sound that orders someone
Just a prayer that softens me
Let the fruit be love and patience
Let the truth be kind and clear
In the quiet, Lord, prepare me
For the life that's waiting here
[Instrumental solo and break]
[Bridge - intimate then build]
Test my pride and guide my footsteps
Keep me humble when I speak
May the wisdom I am seeking
Make me gentle with the weak
[Final chorus - full duet]
The voiceless voice of mercy
Is the name I give this peace
Not a sound that orders someone
Just a prayer that softens me
Let the fruit be love and patience
Let the truth be kind and clear
In the quiet, Lord, prepare me
For the life that's waiting here
[Outro - resolve naturally]
The Voiceless Voice
[Instrumental ending]

[Instrumental intro]
[Verse 1 - Bubba MALE]
He set his lunchbox on the counter
With a layoff in his hand
Thirty years of working steel beams
Now he wondered where he'd land
She said you still make folks welcome
Still remember every name
There's a world beyond that time clock
And your worth is still the same
[Chorus - Bubba and Darlene FEMALE harmony]
This is what I do, not who I am
I can lay the tools down, still be a man
I'm a neighbor, I'm a learner
I'm a heart within God's hands
This is what I do, not all I am
[Verse 2 - Darlene FEMALE]
She had raised a house of children
Now the rooms were growing still
Wondered who she'd be by morning
Without schedules left to fill
They went walking by the river
Found a friend who needed care
Life had not run out of meaning
There was more for them to share
[Chorus - duet]
This is what I do, not who I am
I can lay the tools down, still be a man
I'm a neighbor, I'm a learner
I'm a heart within God's hands
This is what I do, not all I am
[Instrumental solo and break]
[Bridge - intimate then build]
Roles can be a blessing
Work can be a gift
But nobody's whole story
Fits on one small printed slip
[Final chorus - full duet]
This is what I do, not who I am
I can lay the tools down, still be a man
I'm a neighbor, I'm a learner
I'm a heart within God's hands
This is what I do, not all I am
[Outro - resolve naturally]
This Is What I Do, Not Who I Am
[Instrumental ending]

[Instrumental intro]
[Verse 1 - Bubba MALE]
The letters on his office door
Were polished bright as gold
But the lady cleaning down the hall
Had stories never told
He stopped to learn her children's names
She asked about his dad
And all the distance in that hallway
Wasn't all that much to have
[Chorus - Bubba and Darlene FEMALE harmony]
A nameplate ain't a heart
A title ain't a soul
Respect belongs to everyone
More than the role we hold
Do your work with honor
Let compassion do its part
A name can tell your business
But a nameplate ain't a heart
[Verse 2 - Darlene FEMALE]
She'd worked for thirty winters
Kept that building clean and warm
He'd helped a hundred families
Find some shelter from a storm
Neither had to lose their calling
Neither had to bow in shame
They could meet as human neighbors
Give each other's lives a name
[Chorus - duet]
A nameplate ain't a heart
A title ain't a soul
Respect belongs to everyone
More than the role we hold
Do your work with honor
Let compassion do its part
A name can tell your business
But a nameplate ain't a heart
[Instrumental solo and break]
[Bridge - intimate then build]
Let the humble keep their dignity
Let the mighty learn to see
Every person has a story
Every person matters here to me
[Final chorus - full duet]
A nameplate ain't a heart
A title ain't a soul
Respect belongs to everyone
More than the role we hold
Do your work with honor
Let compassion do its part
A name can tell your business
But a nameplate ain't a heart
[Outro - resolve naturally]
A Nameplate Ain't a Heart
[Instrumental ending]

[Instrumental intro]
[Verse 1 - Bubba MALE]
I was holding every argument
Like a deed to all my land
Couldn't take the love before me
With my fists around the past
So I laid down being right, Lord
Not the people in my care
Let my pride become more quiet
Let my love be present there
[Chorus - Bubba and Darlene FEMALE harmony]
Empty hands, open heart
Let the healing find a start
I can loosen what controls me
Keep my promise, do my part
I ain't giving up on loving
I'm surrendering the guard
Empty hands before Your mercy
Open heart
[Verse 2 - Darlene FEMALE]
The old self wants a winner
Wants somebody else to blame
But a new day asks for patience
And a gentler kind of strength
When my children need their father
Let me answer, let me stay
Freedom isn't leaving love behind
It's loving well today
[Chorus - duet]
Empty hands, open heart
Let the healing find a start
I can loosen what controls me
Keep my promise, do my part
I ain't giving up on loving
I'm surrendering the guard
Empty hands before Your mercy
Open heart
[Instrumental solo and break]
[Bridge - intimate then build]
What falls away is pride, Lord
What comes alive is grace
Make a little room for kindness
In the life I face
[Final chorus - full duet]
Empty hands, open heart
Let the healing find a start
I can loosen what controls me
Keep my promise, do my part
I ain't giving up on loving
I'm surrendering the guard
Empty hands before Your mercy
Open heart
[Outro - resolve naturally]
Empty Hands, Open Heart
[Instrumental ending]

[Instrumental intro]
[Verse 1 - Bubba MALE]
The sun came over cedar tops
Didn't make a single speech
Found the frost upon the fence rail
And the pears beyond our reach
Darlene opened up the curtains
Said the light knows what to do
Maybe love could quit announcing
And come pouring through us too
[Chorus - Bubba and Darlene FEMALE harmony]
The sun don't have to say it's shining
The river don't announce its flow
Let the kindness come out quietly
Let the living let it show
One warm hand can change a morning
More than all the things we know
The sun don't have to say it's shining
Love will show
[Verse 2 - Darlene FEMALE]
There's a widow down the road there
With a porch that needs repair
We could tell her all our blessings
Or go put some lumber there
So the band put down the talking
Picked the tools up after nine
By the evening she was smiling
With her rocking chair outside
[Chorus - duet]
The sun don't have to say it's shining
The river don't announce its flow
Let the kindness come out quietly
Let the living let it show
One warm hand can change a morning
More than all the things we know
The sun don't have to say it's shining
Love will show
[Instrumental solo and break]
[Bridge - intimate then build]
Faith can have a thousand verses
Let one verse become a deed
May the light we're always praising
Find somebody else's need
[Final chorus - full duet]
The sun don't have to say it's shining
The river don't announce its flow
Let the kindness come out quietly
Let the living let it show
One warm hand can change a morning
More than all the things we know
The sun don't have to say it's shining
Love will show
[Outro - resolve naturally]
The Sun Don't Have to Say It's Shining
[Instrumental ending]

[Instrumental intro]
[Verse 1 - Bubba MALE]
I put tomorrow on the calendar
Paid the bill that had to go
Then I found I'd missed the morning
Watching worries come and grow
Trigger waited by the screen door
With his nose toward the day
So I left the clock a-ticking
Took the little walking way
[Chorus - Bubba and Darlene FEMALE harmony]
Only this moment to offer my love
Only this breath and the blue sky above
I'll make plans for tomorrow
But live where my feet can stand
Only this moment is here in my hands
[Verse 2 - Darlene FEMALE]
At the bend a neighbor waved me
Said he'd had a heavy week
I had almost hurried past him
With my future full of things
We stood talking by the mailbox
Let the quiet have some room
Nothing grand to put on paper
Just a little shared afternoon
[Chorus - duet]
Only this moment to offer my love
Only this breath and the blue sky above
I'll make plans for tomorrow
But live where my feet can stand
Only this moment is here in my hands
[Instrumental solo and break]
[Bridge - intimate then build]
Yesterday can teach me
Tomorrow needs some care
But the person right before me
Needs to know that I am there
[Final chorus - full duet]
Only this moment to offer my love
Only this breath and the blue sky above
I'll make plans for tomorrow
But live where my feet can stand
Only this moment is here in my hands
[Outro - resolve naturally]
Only This Moment
[Instrumental ending]

[Instrumental intro]
[Verse 1 - Bubba MALE]
They passed the rolls and photographs
And laughed about the rain
Everybody knew the old jokes
No one asked about the pain
Then a cousin by the doorway
Said I'd like to talk sometime
Not right here before the whole room
Just a little of your time
[Chorus - Bubba and Darlene FEMALE harmony]
Beneath the family laughter
There's a story we can hear
If we leave a chair for honesty
And make it safe right here
We don't have to force the telling
We can let the silence start
Beneath the family laughter
There's a heart
[Verse 2 - Darlene FEMALE]
We took coffee to the porch swing
Didn't try to fix the years
I could listen without preaching
Let him choose what he would share
Later on we joined the singing
Nothing solved in one short night
But a little door was opened
And a porch was full of light
[Chorus - duet]
Beneath the family laughter
There's a story we can hear
If we leave a chair for honesty
And make it safe right here
We don't have to force the telling
We can let the silence start
Beneath the family laughter
There's a heart
[Instrumental solo and break]
[Bridge - intimate then build]
Love can laugh around a table
Love can sit beside a tear
Let the welcome go much deeper
Than the stories easy to hear
[Final chorus - full duet]
Beneath the family laughter
There's a story we can hear
If we leave a chair for honesty
And make it safe right here
We don't have to force the telling
We can let the silence start
Beneath the family laughter
There's a heart
[Outro - resolve naturally]
Beneath the Family Laughter
[Instrumental ending]

[Instrumental intro]
[Verse 1 - Bubba MALE]
She found a yearbook in a cabinet
Saw her father's younger face
Most likely to succeed was written
By his picture on the page
As a child she'd watched him struggle
Didn't know what dreams he'd lost
Now she wondered who had counted
All the things a life had cost
[Chorus - Bubba and Darlene FEMALE harmony]
Most likely to succeed
By the measure of whose eyes?
Is it all the things we gather
Or the love we leave behind?
There is honor in our working
There is more than wealth to need
May we learn a kinder meaning
Of succeed
[Verse 2 - Darlene FEMALE]
We won't judge a hidden sorrow
From a yearbook or a check
Someone rich may be generous
Someone poor deserves respect
Let the kingdom lead our wanting
Let the neighbor find a chair
When the photographs are fading
Let a little love be there
[Chorus - duet]
Most likely to succeed
By the measure of whose eyes?
Is it all the things we gather
Or the love we leave behind?
There is honor in our working
There is more than wealth to need
May we learn a kinder meaning
Of succeed
[Instrumental solo and break]
[Bridge - intimate then build]
Not a race against our children
Not a verdict on our dads
Just a question worth the asking
Of the borrowed days we have
[Final chorus - full duet]
Most likely to succeed
By the measure of whose eyes?
Is it all the things we gather
Or the love we leave behind?
There is honor in our working
There is more than wealth to need
May we learn a kinder meaning
Of succeed
[Outro - resolve naturally]
Most Likely to Succeed
[Instrumental ending]

[Instrumental intro]
[Verse 1 - Bubba MALE]
She found the birthday on the calendar
When she was just a child
Learned to keep the weather peaceful
Learned to read each grown-up smile
Years of carrying that burden
Left her tired of keeping score
Now she spoke with honest sorrow
And she would carry hurt no more
[Chorus - Bubba and Darlene FEMALE harmony]
I know you did the best you knew
And I can tell what hurt me too
I don't have to call it harmless
To let mercy make me new
I can choose a safer distance
And still wish some peace for you
I am laying down the burden
Of the hurt we both walked through
[Verse 2 - Darlene FEMALE]
She didn't write a perfect ending
Didn't claim the past was fair
Found a friend to walk beside her
Found the courage to get care
When the old resentment visited
She could notice it and pray
Healing wasn't one performance
It was how she lived each day
[Chorus - duet]
I know you did the best you knew
And I can tell what hurt me too
I don't have to call it harmless
To let mercy make me new
I can choose a safer distance
And still wish some peace for you
I am laying down the burden
Of the hurt we both walked through
[Instrumental solo and break]
[Bridge - intimate then build]
Lord, give every child their childhood
Let the grown-ups bear their own
May the next small act of kindness
Build a different kind of home
[Final chorus - full duet]
I know you did the best you knew
And I can tell what hurt me too
I don't have to call it harmless
To let mercy make me new
I can choose a safer distance
And still wish some peace for you
I am laying down the burden
Of the hurt we both walked through
[Outro - resolve naturally]
I Know You Did the Best You Knew
[Instrumental ending]

[Instrumental intro]
[Verse 1 - Bubba MALE]
He said we ought to love our neighbors
Then he saw one by the gate
With a flat tire in the rainfall
And a boy already late
Put his coat around the youngster
Set the jack beneath the frame
All the words from Sunday morning
Had some working clothes that day
[Chorus - Bubba and Darlene FEMALE harmony]
The things we teach without a word
Are the lessons longest heard
Little eyes are watching
How our love becomes a verb
We can preach a mighty sermon
But the truth is what we've served
In the things we teach without a word
[Verse 2 - Darlene FEMALE]
She was tired and dinner burned up
And the kitchen filled with smoke
Took a breath and said I'm sorry
For the sharp way that I spoke
That small child beside the table
Saw a grown-up make repair
Learning strength could mean an apology
Learning love could still be there
[Chorus - duet]
The things we teach without a word
Are the lessons longest heard
Little eyes are watching
How our love becomes a verb
We can preach a mighty sermon
But the truth is what we've served
In the things we teach without a word
[Instrumental solo and break]
[Bridge - intimate then build]
We won't do it all correctly
We can still show how to mend
Let the story of our living
Teach us how to start again
[Final chorus - full duet]
The things we teach without a word
Are the lessons longest heard
Little eyes are watching
How our love becomes a verb
We can preach a mighty sermon
But the truth is what we've served
In the things we teach without a word
[Outro - resolve naturally]
The Things We Teach Without a Word
[Instrumental ending]

[Instrumental intro]
[Verse 1 - Bubba MALE]
She'd watched a dozen bright adventures
On a rainy Saturday
When her grandma brought two garden hats
And said come out and play
There were questions in the cabbage
Little kingdoms in the soil
She discovered tiny wonders
In an hour of happy toil
[Chorus - Bubba and Darlene FEMALE harmony]
Let her work in the garden
Let her wonder, let her grow
Let her ask why roots go downward
And where butterflies all go
Tell a story, share a shovel
Leave a little room for joy
Let her work in the garden
Every girl and every boy
[Verse 2 - Darlene FEMALE]
Later on they watched a story
Talked about who helped a friend
How a foolish-looking character
Could learn before the end
Screens could have their little corner
They had other things to see
Seeds and books and people living
All a child could learn to be
[Chorus - duet]
Let her work in the garden
Let her wonder, let her grow
Let her ask why roots go downward
And where butterflies all go
Tell a story, share a shovel
Leave a little room for joy
Let her work in the garden
Every girl and every boy
[Instrumental solo and break]
[Bridge - intimate then build]
Not a race to know the answers
Not a contest to be grown
Just a child beside a grown-up
With some wonder of her own
[Final chorus - full duet]
Let her work in the garden
Let her wonder, let her grow
Let her ask why roots go downward
And where butterflies all go
Tell a story, share a shovel
Leave a little room for joy
Let her work in the garden
Every girl and every boy
[Outro - resolve naturally]
Let Her Work in the Garden
[Instrumental ending]

[Instrumental intro]
[Verse 1 - Bubba MALE]
At the crossroads by the mill road
He could list what might go wrong
If he stayed he'd wish he'd traveled
If he left he'd miss his home
Then she asked what do you know now
What can wait and what needs care
Some decisions need good counsel
Not another night of fear
[Chorus - Bubba and Darlene FEMALE harmony]
Every road has a what if
Every step has ground to learn
We can pray and check the signposts
We can stop and make a turn
We don't need a perfect promise
For a choice that's kind and wise
Every road has a what if
Let grace ride
[Verse 2 - Darlene FEMALE]
He called someone he could trust there
Wrote the costs down on a page
Made the choice with what he knew then
Didn't call it fate or shame
Some days brought a new direction
Some days brought a lesson home
All the doubt was not a verdict
He could learn as he went on
[Chorus - duet]
Every road has a what if
Every step has ground to learn
We can pray and check the signposts
We can stop and make a turn
We don't need a perfect promise
For a choice that's kind and wise
Every road has a what if
Let grace ride
[Instrumental solo and break]
[Bridge - intimate then build]
Lord, give wisdom for the choosing
Give me mercy when I miss
Help me meet the road before me
With the honest light I get
[Final chorus - full duet]
Every road has a what if
Every step has ground to learn
We can pray and check the signposts
We can stop and make a turn
We don't need a perfect promise
For a choice that's kind and wise
Every road has a what if
Let grace ride
[Outro - resolve naturally]
Every Road Has a What If
[Instrumental ending]

[Instrumental intro]
[Verse 1 - Bubba MALE]
Fourteen on the practice field
With a helmet in his hands
Every drill was getting harder
Than the one he'd learned to stand
Thought that maybe he should quit it
Find a road that felt more light
But the coach said let's take one step
Learn this play before tonight
[Chorus - Bubba and Darlene FEMALE harmony]
The next hard thing ain't proof you're failing
It's a place you haven't learned
Ask for help and take your time now
Let the lesson have its turn
You can rest and change direction
You can choose what matters most
Don't let fear alone decide it
Before you know
[Verse 2 - Darlene FEMALE]
This is not a tale of trophies
Nobody can promise gold
It's a story of a youngster
Finding what his hands can hold
And the older folks among us
Have a practice field as well
When the next day looks too heavy
There's another truth to tell
[Chorus - duet]
The next hard thing ain't proof you're failing
It's a place you haven't learned
Ask for help and take your time now
Let the lesson have its turn
You can rest and change direction
You can choose what matters most
Don't let fear alone decide it
Before you know
[Instrumental solo and break]
[Bridge - intimate then build]
Faith can walk beside good coaching
Courage doesn't work alone
There's a strength in asking questions
There's a wisdom being shown
[Final chorus - full duet]
The next hard thing ain't proof you're failing
It's a place you haven't learned
Ask for help and take your time now
Let the lesson have its turn
You can rest and change direction
You can choose what matters most
Don't let fear alone decide it
Before you know
[Outro - resolve naturally]
The Next Hard Thing
[Instrumental ending]

[Instrumental intro]
[Verse 1 - Bubba MALE]
He could quote a hundred verses
Had the answers memorized
Then his neighbor needed patience
And he saw his temper rise
All the words he loved were waiting
For a chance to take their feet
So he stopped and asked forgiveness
On that ordinary street
[Chorus - Bubba and Darlene FEMALE harmony]
Let me be a living witness
Not a perfect painted sign
Let the mercy I believe in
Find some daylight in my life
In my kitchen, in my talking
In the debts I need to mend
Let me be a living witness
And begin again
[Verse 2 - Darlene FEMALE]
She said knowing ain't a trophy
You can set upon a shelf
It's the love that keeps on learning
When you see the truth yourself
We can hear and keep on seeking
We can fail and still repair
Let the fruit be humble kindness
Let it show that You are there
[Chorus - duet]
Let me be a living witness
Not a perfect painted sign
Let the mercy I believe in
Find some daylight in my life
In my kitchen, in my talking
In the debts I need to mend
Let me be a living witness
And begin again
[Instrumental solo and break]
[Bridge - intimate then build]
I have not arrived, my Father
There is more for me to see
Let me walk the words I'm singing
Till they grow some roots in me
[Final chorus - full duet]
Let me be a living witness
Not a perfect painted sign
Let the mercy I believe in
Find some daylight in my life
In my kitchen, in my talking
In the debts I need to mend
Let me be a living witness
And begin again
[Outro - resolve naturally]
A Living Witness
[Instrumental ending]

[Intro – Warm acoustic guitar, steady upright bass, harmonica answers]
[Spoken – Bubba, gentle]
Some days the work gets heavy.
But you don't have to carry tomorrow today.

[Verse 1 – Bubba, male lead]
They promised me a little more money,
Said a better road was waiting up ahead.
Now three jobs sit upon my shoulders,
And the worry follows me to bed.
I traded working with my hands
For a screen I barely understand.
Heard the boss say, "You've got to do more,"
And I stood there staring at the floor.

[Pre-Chorus – Darlene, female lead]
When your thoughts start running wild,
Be still a little while.
You can tell the truth and make a plan
Without losing who you are.

[Chorus – Bubba and Darlene, close gospel harmony]
Just do today's work, leave tomorrow alone,
You don't have to carry every stone.
Keep your heart clear, let the hard words fall,
Don't let anger build another wall.
If a different door is opening, you can walk that way,
But do today's work, just do today's work today.

[Verse 2 – Darlene, female lead]
You can speak up when the load's too heavy,
You can ask which task should come first.
Learning something new takes time,
And fear can make the long days worse.
Write it down and take it one by one,
Find some help before the daylight's done.
Being grateful doesn't mean you stay
Where your peace is wearing away.

[Pre-Chorus – Bubba, male lead]
No need to prove who's right,
No need to lose your light.
Just take the next small step in front of you,
And let the Father guide you through.

[Chorus – Full duet, Holler Shakers enter]
Just do today's work, leave tomorrow alone,
You don't have to carry every stone.
Keep your heart clear, let the hard words fall,
Don't let anger build another wall.
If a different door is opening, you can walk that way,
But do today's work, just do today's work today.

[Bridge – Bubba spoken-sung, Darlene soft response]
[Bubba] I can look for a new road without burning down this one.
[Darlene] Keep the faith, keep your word, till the working day is done.
[Bubba] I can hear the hard truth without handing fear the wheel.
[Darlene] Be still enough to know what's right, and brave enough to feel.
[Both] The morning's got its own road, the evening has its rest.
I'll give this day my honest work and let God handle the rest.

[Instrumental Break – expressive harmonica lead, Hammond B3 swells, tasteful pedal steel, gentle piano]

[Final Chorus – Both, uplifted]
Just do today's work, leave tomorrow alone,
You don't have to carry every stone.
Keep your heart clear, let the hard words fall,
Don't let anger build another wall.
If a different door is opening, you can walk that way,
But do today's work, just do today's work today.

[Outro – Bubba with Darlene harmony]
[Bubba] Yesterday is gone.
[Darlene] Tomorrow's on its way.
[Both] The Lord is here beside us...
And all is well today.

[End – single warm acoustic chord, screen-door creak in distance]

[Instrumental intro]
[Verse 1 - Bubba MALE]
He was deep into a question
Had the whole room leaning in
Then somebody passed spaghetti
And he lost his place again
Said I heard about this supper
From a gathering down the way
One small bowl without the meatballs
Made the big talk take a break
[Chorus - Bubba and Darlene FEMALE harmony]
The spaghetti stopped the sermon
Put a grin on every face
All that wisdom took a number
While the noodles found their place
No one's getting slapped at supper
Mama gets the finest chair
When the sauce is that delicious
There's enough good cheer to share
[Verse 2 - Darlene FEMALE]
Darlene took the sax and answered
Bubba laughed into his sleeve
Even serious conversations
Need a little room to breathe
We can talk of things eternal
We can pass the garlic bread
There's a blessing in a table
Where a hungry friend is fed
[Chorus - duet]
The spaghetti stopped the sermon
Put a grin on every face
All that wisdom took a number
While the noodles found their place
No one's getting slapped at supper
Mama gets the finest chair
When the sauce is that delicious
There's enough good cheer to share
[Instrumental solo and break]
[Bridge - intimate then build]
That's so good, it makes you want to slap your mama!
That's an old food saying, friends
Give her seconds and a hug instead
Now where was I again?
[Final chorus - full duet]
The spaghetti stopped the sermon
Put a grin on every face
All that wisdom took a number
While the noodles found their place
No one's getting slapped at supper
Mama gets the finest chair
When the sauce is that delicious
There's enough good cheer to share
[Outro - resolve naturally]
The Spaghetti That Stopped the Sermon
[Instrumental ending]

[Instrumental intro]
[Verse 1 - Bubba MALE]
She had led a little movement
For a classroom full of kids
Then the boss asked her a question
About just what she had did
She explained the simple stretching
And the talk was calm and plain
But her worry wrote a firing
No one in that room had named
[Chorus - Bubba and Darlene FEMALE harmony]
A thought ain't a verdict
A fear ain't a fact
Ask a question, tell it plainly
Let the truth bring you back
If there's something worth correcting
You can make a better plan
A thought ain't a verdict
Put the gavel down
[Verse 2 - Darlene FEMALE]
Next time she would ask permission
When the guidelines weren't quite clear
There was room for useful learning
Without handing life to fear
This is an imagined telling
From a listening story's spark
Not a final word on someone
Not a window to their heart
[Chorus - duet]
A thought ain't a verdict
A fear ain't a fact
Ask a question, tell it plainly
Let the truth bring you back
If there's something worth correcting
You can make a better plan
A thought ain't a verdict
Put the gavel down
[Instrumental solo and break]
[Bridge - intimate then build]
Lord, help me check what's certain
Help me name what I don't know
Let my conscience guide a repair
Let the wild prediction go
[Final chorus - full duet]
A thought ain't a verdict
A fear ain't a fact
Ask a question, tell it plainly
Let the truth bring you back
If there's something worth correcting
You can make a better plan
A thought ain't a verdict
Put the gavel down
[Outro - resolve naturally]
A Thought Ain't a Verdict
[Instrumental ending]

[Instrumental intro]
[Verse 1 - Bubba MALE]
The morning didn't change the mailbox
Or the scratches on the door
But he answered with more kindness
Than he'd answered there before
Old regrets were still remembered
Still some work he had to do
Yet the way he met his neighbor
Had a little something new
[Chorus - Bubba and Darlene FEMALE harmony]
All things are new in Your mercy
New light on an old familiar road
Not a claim I've finished growing
But a place for grace to grow
Let the heart keep turning toward You
Let the daily love come through
By Your mercy, by Your patience
All things are new
[Verse 2 - Darlene FEMALE]
She could feel a worry rising
Didn't name herself a failure
Called a friend and asked for wisdom
Found some room to breathe and pray
Hope can live beside the healing
Faith can take a helping hand
There is beauty in a small step
When we're learning how to stand
[Chorus - duet]
All things are new in Your mercy
New light on an old familiar road
Not a claim I've finished growing
But a place for grace to grow
Let the heart keep turning toward You
Let the daily love come through
By Your mercy, by Your patience
All things are new
[Instrumental solo and break]
[Bridge - intimate then build]
Let forgiveness open windows
Let repentance mend the wrong
We are still becoming, Father
Keep Your mercy in our song
[Final chorus - full duet]
All things are new in Your mercy
New light on an old familiar road
Not a claim I've finished growing
But a place for grace to grow
Let the heart keep turning toward You
Let the daily love come through
By Your mercy, by Your patience
All things are new
[Outro - resolve naturally]
All Things Are New
[Instrumental ending]