An unprecedented audience that came to worship and pray early on Sunday morning during the NRA Annual Meetings in Houston was enriched by a host of inspiring messages. The NRA Prayer Breakfast has grown to where many attendees echoed speaker Joe Gregory's sentiments, "Our most important meeting here is this one ... and we can avail much through prayer."
Host Rick Caldwell from Authentic Manhood, along with NRA Directors Joe DeBergalis and Susan Howard, welcomed attendees and began the service with an invocation and the Pledge of Allegiance.
Once again Trijicon sponsored the event and this year it was co-sponsored by Universal Coin & Bullion, whose President Mike Fuljenz talked about how U.S. coinage and currency came to bear the words, "In God We Trust" and why it is so important to preserve that belief.
Then Dr. Rick Rigsby, TV personality, educator and coach, delivered a powerful message about lessons on values he received from his parents, in particularly his father, taken from his book, Lessons from a Third Grade Dropout. "What's at stake are America's values," said Rigsby, "and you in the NRA family need to keep standing on the word of God and principles and convictions like the ones my parents taught me."
Chuck Buck, President of Buck Knives, shared his faith and stories from the life of a Christian businessman whose company provides scripture along with every knife sold and maintains a Missionary Assistance program.
Keynote speaker Dr. Bob Reccord, wears numerous hats as a pastor and leader of the Counsel for National Policy and Total Life Impact Ministries. His frank and motivating devotional lesson from Exodus 14, recalled how God told Moses to "stand firm" and then to "move out." Dr. Reccord said God is calling us as NRA members to do the same now, to stand firm on our values and the move forth to make an impact on the world.
During a speakers' break, visual worship artist Brian Keith Daniel dazzled the audience as worked with just his bare hands and black paint to quickly transform an on-stage illustration into a stunning portrait of Christ on the cross, a unique performance that helped illuminate the morning's messages.