Early years
Third Day began in 1991, when singer Mac Powell and guitarist Mark Lee finished studying at McEachern High School in Powder Springs, Georgia. They had already played together in a garage band called Nuclear Hoedown, but now wanted to form a band where they could express their faith in God. Powell and Lee added a keyboard player named Billy Wilkins, and dedicated their time to write songs and perform around the state of Georgia.[1]
In 1992, they were playing at Lee's church the same night that drummer David Carr and bassist Tai Anderson were playing with a band called Bullard Family Singers. Their youth director asked the band to perform at their church. The group took along quickly and were invited to join the band.[2] The album that Carr produced would be released the next year under the title Long Time Forgotten.
In 1993, while dealing with their studies, the band started playing more aggressively around Atlanta and saved $3,000 to record a full-length album. Also, during this time, original member, Billy Wilkins, who was working as a school teacher, ended up leaving the band.[3] Still, Third Day continued to work on their first full-length album, recording at Furies Studios in Atlanta. The album was finally released in 1994 with 2,000 copies available.[4] In 1995, the band started looking for a second guitarist. They had heard Brad Avery play with singer Chris Carder and asked him to play with the band. After playing "Consuming Fire" during their first rehearsal, Avery officially joined the band.
As the band completed its line-up, they also started playing steadily around the South-east area. They also started playing at an Atlanta venue called the Strand Theatre. The management of the local decided to sign the band to a new independent record label called Gray Dot Records. That same year, the band released the album Third Day, which ended up selling 20,000 copies. Shortly after, Reunion Records signed the band to a multi-album deal.[5]
International Success
In 1998, the band started working on their next project titled Time under the production of Monroe James. They had compiled around 30 songs to choose from during the last year, and ended up choosing only ten. The album was also nominated for a Grammy and won another Dove Award for the band. Some of the other songs the band recorded, but were left out can be found in the EP Southern Tracks.[8] Also, during the band's live shows, the worship part was becoming more "powerful", which prompted them to release an album exclusively of worship songs, titled Offerings: A Worship Album. The album was recorded in about a week, and they followed it with a tour alongside Jennifer Knapp. They also collaborated in the project called City on a Hill: Songs of Worship and Praise.[9]
In 2001, the band played in Australia and New Zealand on the heels of the success of the Offerings album. They continued to tour in the States, and recorded one of their concerts in Atlanta to be released as their first DVD, The Offerings Experience. The concert was held at the Hi-Fi Buys Ampitheatre with an attendance of close to 15,000 people. That same year, the band won a total of five Dove Awards as well as their first Grammy. They followed that year with the release of Come Together which ended up winning two Dove Awards and one more Grammy. The album was certified gold the next year, along with Time.[10][11] In 2003, they also released a follow-up to their hit Offerings titled Offerings II: All I Have to Give.
The band appeared in the 2002 film "Joshua", the movie version of the Joseph Girzone novel of the same name. The Third Day song "My Hope is You" was included in the Joshua soundtrack album.
Recent Years
In 2004, the band released their next album, Wire, and toured the States with tobyMac and Warren Barfield. In June of the same year, the band traveled to Europe for a two-week tour. Upon returning, the band recorded a concert at Louisville which ended up as their next project, Live Wire, released later that year. During that year, they also collaborated on the soundtrack for Mel Gibson's film, The Passion of the Christ, they played at the Republican National Convention, and were featured in the show 60 Minutes.[12] In January 2007, the band played one night each in Melbourne, Brisbane, and Sydney, Australia.[13]
Their next album, Wherever You Are, debuted on the Billboard 200 at #8.[14] It also won the band their third Grammy. They have followed it with the holiday album, Christmas Offerings in 2006, and with a compilation of their hits titled Chronology in 2007. On February 28th, 2008, Third Day released a statement announcing Brad Avery's departure from the band after 13 years and over 1000 concerts.
Their best album to date entitled Revelation was released July 29, 2008.
Third Day released Miracle on November 6, 2012. The band toured Miracle on the Miracle Tour with artists Colton Dixon and Josh Wilson as their opening acts, commencing on February 21, 2013 in Fairfax, Virginia and concluding on May 19, 2014 in Orlando, Florida.
Third Day released the worship album Lead Us Back: Songs of Worship on March 3, 2015. The album, produced by the duo The Sound Kids, composed of Jonny Macintosh and JT Daly, peaked at No. 20 on the Billboard 200, No. 1 on the Christian Albums chart, No. 5 on the Top Rock Albums chart[27] and No. 13 on the Digital Albums chart. The album has had one single, "Soul on Fire", that spent 19 weeks on the Billboard charts, peaking at No. 2 on Hot Christian Songs and No. 3 on Christian Digital Songs.
Soul on Fire
Third Day Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
I'm running for Your heart
Till I am a soul on fire
Lord, I'm longing for Your ways
I'm waiting for the day
When I am a soul on fire
Till I am a soul on fire
I'm running for Your heart
Till I am a soul on fire
Lord, I'm longing for Your ways
I'm waiting for the day
When I am a soul on fire
Till I am a soul on fire
Lord, restore the joy I had
I have wandered, bring me back
In this darkness, lead me through
Until all I see is You
God, I'm running for Your heart
I'm running for Your heart
Till I am a soul on fire
Lord, I'm longing for Your ways
I'm waiting for the day
When I am a soul on fire
Till I am a soul on fire
Lord, let me burn for You again
Let me return to You again
And Lord, let me burn for You again
And let me return to You again
God, I'm running for Your heart
I'm running for Your heart
Till I am a soul on fire
Lord, I'm longing for Your ways
I'm waiting for the day
When I am a soul on fire
God, I'm running for Your heart (I'm running)
I'm running for Your heart (I wanna be, I wanna be)
Till I am a soul on fire
I wanna be
Till I am a soul on fire
Till I am a soul on fire
The lyrics of “Soul On Fire” by Third Day is a prayer to God, expressing the desire to become a “soul on fire” for the Lord. The phrase “soul on fire” is used figuratively to describe the state of being completely consumed by the Holy Spirit. The song is a reminder of the importance of being close to God and seeking his ways, embracing a deep and intimate relationship with Him.
The opening lines of the song express the urgency of the situation. The singer is running after God, following Him with all his heart and longing for His ways. He desires to be completely consumed by the Holy Spirit, till he becomes a soul on fire. The next verse expresses the need for restoration and a desire to return to God. The singer acknowledges his wandering away from God and in this darkness, he seeks to be led back to the Lord.
The chorus repeats the sentiment of running after God and seeking to be a soul on fire for Him. The bridge expresses the yearning to burn for God again and to return to Him with the whole heart. Overall, the song is a cry to be in close fellowship with God and to experience the fullness of His Spirit.
Line by Line Meaning
God, I'm running for Your heart
I am striving towards living my life in a way that is pleasing to God.
I'm running for Your heart
I am seeking to have a deep connection with God.
Till I am a soul on fire
Until my heart and soul are completely passionate and devoted to God.
Lord, I'm longing for Your ways
I yearn to understand and follow God's teachings and commands.
I'm waiting for the day
I am eagerly anticipating a future where I am completely living in accordance with God's will.
When I am a soul on fire
When my heart is fully devoted to God and His ways.
Lord, restore the joy I had
God, please bring back the happiness and peace that I used to feel when I was closer to You.
I have wandered, bring me back
I have strayed from Your path, so please guide me back to You.
In this darkness, lead me through
God, help me to navigate through difficult times in my life and give me strength to overcome them.
Until all I see is You
May my focus be solely on You, God, and Your ways.
Lord, let me burn for You again
God, reignite the passion and love I have for You in my heart.
Let me return to You again
Please take me back and allow me to follow You with all my heart.
And Lord, let me burn for You again
God, please help me to feel Your love and presence in my life again.
And let me return to You again
Guide me back to You, Lord, so I can live a life that is pleasing to You.
I wanna be
I desire to be close to God and follow Him completely.
Till I am a soul on fire
Until my passion and love for God burns brightly within me.
Lyrics © CAPITOL CHRISTIAN MUSIC GROUP, Sony/ATV Music Publishing LLC, Capitol CMG Publishing, Kobalt Music Publishing Ltd., Warner Chappell Music, Inc.
Written by: BRENTON BROWN, DAVID CARR, MAC POWELL, MARK LEE, MATT MAHER, TAI ANDERSON
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
@chriskilmer6367
When I was in my mid-20’s, I had what I can only describe as an encounter with God. I have since shared this experience with few people because I knew many who heard it would think I imagined the whole thing. Why tell anyone if I was going to be the only person to believe it, right?
I’ve since come to realize that God may have given me this experience so that I would share it with others who then might seek Him out. I don’t want to let Him down, so here it goes...
I was driving on HWY 290 just outside of Bastrop, TX. All of the sudden, a bright light rushed into my mind. The light had intellect, a personality, and a presence which felt too immense for my mind to properly handle.
What was most surprising, though, was my response to its (or God's) presence. I had always imagined that my first meeting with God would involve me reverently introducing myself to an unapproachable deity. Instead, I loudly demanded “where have you been?!” with a huge smile on my face. It felt as though I was greeting a beloved family member I had somehow forgotten about but had never really stopped searching for.
God's presence felt more like home to me than anything else I had ever experienced. It made my life up to that point feel foreign, fleeting, and insubstantial by comparison, much like a mist or dream.
It also gave me the distinct impression that my time on earth, as compared to my time with Him, was akin to a small, dark smudge on an expansive sea of white light. This new outlook on my existence made the hardships of life and the darkness of this world no longer seem so daunting to me.
God emanated an intense pride and love for me. It had nothing to do with what I had done or would do. It was simply because He had made me. How He felt for me at that moment was how I later felt for my own children when rocking them to sleep at night.
God’s presence faded away after a few minutes. I somehow knew it would, but was still disappointed God didn't say anything to me. Why make such a spectacular entrance into my life, not say anything, and then fade away?
I eventually figured out that God didn't need to say anything to get His message across to me. It was simple and yet undeniable; "I am here, I love you more than you know, and nothing can ever come between us because I am God and I will not allow it." Nothing more really needed to be said.
What I’ve learned about Jesus has since confirmed for me that God genuinely feels this way about each and every one of us.
@Santiago-bm2kf
Anyone here in 2024?
@evandana8358
Oh yeah
@unspokenlullabies8039
👋
@HilaryAlexander-ro3yi
Yesss
@jasongenge6677
Amen!!!
@villaindeku6587
Meh
@zilmatavares4611
god is not dead ,he lives forever , i love you god
@namelessperson2170
He has a name. JESUS
@namelessperson2170
@@zzz.emerald look up lee stoneking JESUS is GOD. GOD has a name JESUS.
@eliwild1
@@zzz.emerald be careful, Catholicism is heretical and is not Biblical. Check what you learn from them against what the Bible actually says.