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Third Day lead singer Mac Powell uplifts spirits at Convocation

Mac Powell, lead singer of Third Day, performs at Convocation in the Vines Center.
Mac Powell, lead singer of Third Day, performs one of his worship songs during Friday’s Convocation.

Friday morning’s Convocation crowd, combined with College For A Weekend (CFAW) visitors and their parents and youth pastors, flooded Liberty University’s Vines Center in anticipation of hearing from Mac Powell.

The lead singer for Third Day — one of the most influential Christian bands in recent history, with more than 10 million albums sold — was invited by David Nasser, new senior vice president for spiritual development. Following an uplifting praise and worship session from Liberty’s Campus Band, Powell and his acoustic entourage entertained the 10,000-plus in attendance with a selection of songs ranging from Gospel to country.

The performance included a medley of “I’ll Fly Away,” Hank Williams Sr.’s “I Saw the Light,” and “Amazing Grace.” It concluded with “Agnus Dei,” written by Michael W. Smith, and “Mississippi” off Powell’s solo country project. Powell’s second country CD, “Southpaw,” is scheduled for release in October, and Third Day is in production of its 16th studio album, to be released in early 2015.

Before playing “Your Love, Oh Lord,” from one of Third Day’s worship projects, Powell described the inspiration behind the song — Psalm 36.

“Most of the songs that I’ve written for Third Day in the 22 years that I’ve been with the band, I’ve straight up stolen from King David in the Psalms,” Powell said. “When I get to heaven, I’m going to owe him a lot of copywriting money and publishing rights.”

Nasser, who considers Powell one of his closest friends, described him as a godly man and a good steward of his talents, time, and treasure, noting that he opened his home to two adopted children after he and his wife Aimee had three of their own.

Powell, who grew up in Alabama and lives in Atlanta, said Nasser — who came to Liberty after starting Christ City Church near Birmingham, Ala. — has influenced him through much of his career as a Christian recording artist. He has invited Nasser to tour with Third Day on occasion.

“God has used David so much in my life, and the life of my family, just encouraging me as a father, as a husband, as a believer,” Powell said. “He means so much to me.”

The crowd for Friday's Convocation nearly overflowed the Vines Center.
College For A Weekend visitors helped pack out the Vines Center for Friday morning’s Convocation service.

Now that Nasser is serving as campus pastor, Powell said that he plans to visit Liberty more frequently.

“I haven’t done the math, but I’m pretty sure that the very first time I played here, in this room, most of you were not born yet,” Powell said. “Now that one of my closest and dearest friends in all of the world and my whole life, David Nasser, is here with you guys, I’m going to come back a lot more often.”

While Christian hip-hop artist Andy Mineo is in concert Friday night in the Vines Center, Powell will perform songs off his country album in a more intimate setting in the new LaHaye Event Space, which has standing room for about 900.

Visit the CFAW website for a full schedule of events, which include academic admissions sessions, tours of the Jerry Falwell Library, winter sport activities at Liberty Mountain Snowflex Centre and in the LaHaye Ice Center, the Tower Theater’s opening weekend of “The Little Mermaid,” and football, field hockey, men’s soccer, and men’s hockey games.

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