The Dennis Jernigan Podcast

In this week's episode, Dennis Jernigan shares the story behind his song,  “The Source” from the recording, Forty Days and Forty Nights - Songs of Contemplation and Intimacy Vol. 1." That mp3 is available at https://www.dennisjernigan.com/store/product.php?c=24&p=2353 The lyrics can be found below.

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You will find the show notes and lyrics below:

Hello and welcome to the Dennis Jernigan podcast. Through the years God has seen fit to give me many songs and there's a story behind each and everyone of them. This week’s song is no different. The song is called The Source and it can found on my recording Forty Days & Forty Nights - Songs of Contemplation and Intimacy, Volume One.

This particular song came on May 8, 2010, which happened to be day six of a 40 Day Fast I was doing as a means of cleansing my soul, mind, and body in order to draw closer to Jesus. That means of helping me keep my eyes and mind focused on Jesus, I was meditating daily on Psalm 40 and on Isaiah 40. This song came as I meditated on Psalm 40 verse three part a which says, “Many will see and fear And will trust in the LORD.”

In those days I was still traveling and ministering around the world quite a bit and honestly felt a bit overwhelmed and out of control of my life. It seems like my life was well ordered and very much in sync with the Lord, but reality was that I had many things I was clinging to which the Lord wanted me to release to him.

Some of the hardest things to release in my life involved my children. Basically, I was having to learn to let them go and release them to begin their own adult journeys without me trying to control or manipulate them in anyway regarding the choices they would need to make on their own.

On another level, the political climate of those days was becoming quite hostile toward me which, in turn, worked against me feeling free enough and safe enough to share my story of deliverance from same-sex attraction. Even though I knew God was the source of my strength, I begin to recognize during the fast that there were still areas of fear that I needed to deal with.

I desperately needed to strip away all the fear from every area of my life and I did this by reminding myself that God loves me with the passion and intensity of 100 million stars and that he is the absolute source of everything good in my life. He spoke the universe into existence. He set every star, every galaxy, and every planet in just the exact place in the gravitational force to sustain life. Quite simply, I truly needed to see him as my all in all.

The Lord reminded me that he would be with me every step of the way through this journey we call life. He reminded me that I was never and had never ever been alone. He reminded me I was not here to be served but that I was here to lay down my life as a servant to those around me. He reminded me that even if I lost my life due to my faith, there would be no big change because I would still be with him. The bottom line was becoming quite evident to me. I needed to see Jesus Christ as the source, as the only one who could truly meet my deepest needs.

And let's take the next five minutes and simply acknowledge the fact that Jesus Christ is the source of everything we all need. He is here. Let’s acknowledge that truth whether we feel anything or not. Let’s plug into out Source right now. Ready?

SONG

Regardless of our circumstances, regardless of the countless hurts and wounds we receive throughout this journey we call life, and regardless of what anyone else thinks about our faith in Jesus, our God is the ultimate source and he is ultimately in control…especially when our lives seem to be spinning out of control. I have Parkinson's and I hate it, but I believe my God is able to use it for my good and for his glory - and that is enough for me. My personal goal is to just simply stay connected to him each and every moment of each and every day.

John 15:4-9 in the NIV has become very dear to me due to my health issues. In these verses, Jesus says it so clearly and I take it so personally: 4 Remain in me, as I also remain in you. No branch can bear fruit by itself; it must remain in the vine. Neither can you bear fruit unless you remain in me. 5 I am the vine; you are the branches. If you remain in me and I in you, you will bear much fruit; apart from me you can do nothing. 6 If you do not remain in me, you are like a branch that is thrown away and withers; such branches are picked up, thrown into the fire and burned. 7 If you remain in me and my words remain in you, ask whatever you wish, and it will be done for you. 8 This is to my Father's glory, that you bear much fruit, showing yourselves to be my disciples. 9 As the Father has loved me, so have I loved you. Now remain in my love.’

No matter what, I must remain connected to Him. I must - WE must - remain in His love. It is in this place of God’s love that the cares of this world - even Parkinson’s - is unable to touch me. And I can live…I mean REALLY live…with that.

Thank you for tuning in to The Dennis Jernigan Podcast! For more about my journey, music, and updates, visit dennisjernigan.com. Stay connected by following me on Facebook, Instagram, and enjoy my music on various streaming platforms. If you'd like to support this podcast's creation or the many various ways I still seek to minister the life and love of Jesus to others, consider joining my team at www.patreon.com/dennisjernigan.

If you're looking for the mp3 of the song “The Source" from the album "Forty Days and Forty Nights - Songs of Contemplation and Intimacy Vol. 1," head over to the store at dennisjernigan.com or find it on your favorite streaming service.

Remember this from today's episode: the one and only place in the entire universe to have all your needs met is in our relationship with Jesus Christ through faith. He is the vine from which we receive the fulness of life and we are the branch which extends His life and love to others. You and I are not here for ourselves. We are servants of the Kingdom…even with something like Parkinson’s thrown into the mix. My plan? To minister to the needs of others in spite of Parkinson’s. Now, go forth and embrace the truth of who your heavenly Father says you are.

 
The Source
Words & Music by Dennis Jernigan
Received on May 8, 2010
Psalm 40:3b
©2010 Shepherd’s Heart Music, Inc./Dennis Jernigan
Administered by PraiseCharts.com
 
Verse
All of the things that I think I need
Do I control them or do they control me
Feed the hunger, quench the thirst in me
Take control of my lack of control
Loose the grip of my sense I see hold
And feed the hunger, quench the thirst in me
 
Chorus
And many will see, and many will hear
And many will know, and many will fear
That you are the reason, You are the answer
To their existence
 
So here is my life Lord, take it and use it
I will find life the moment I lose it
You are the reason, You are the answer to my existence
You are the source, You are my source
 
Verse Two
I am not here for my own happiness
You created me to proclaim and confess
That you alone are God and very source
 
I will be the cloth used to wash men’s feet
Hid behind the cross helping others to see
That you alone are God the very source

Chorus
And many will see, and many will hear
And many will know, and many will fear
That you are the reason, You are the answer
To their existence
 
So here is my life Lord, take it and use it
I will find life the moment I lose it
You are the reason, You are the answer to my existence

Chorus
And many will see, and many will hear
And many will know, and many will fear
That you are the reason, You are the answer
To their existence
 
So here is my life Lord, take it and use it
I will find life the moment I lose it
You are the reason, You are the answer to my existence
You are the source, You are the source