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Bold as a Lion

Sat, 30 May 2026 16:28:13 GMT

Our final morning at the King's Table 2026 Cleveland, Tennessee men's conference kicked off with more games and empowering praise and worship. We were then treated to a short sermon from the animated and passionate Judie Jacobs before Eddie James once again performed for all of us.

The closing sermon was delivered by King's Table founder Pastor Jamie Tuttle. His message was one of the need for boldness from the men of Christian Faith. He began by bringing a young boy named Joshua to the stage. Joshua is perhaps 12, and had been here all weekend, and was fearless in his willingness to be all in during this conference.

Joshua's father was also brought to the stage. Pastor Tuttle then shared to them the importance of the father giving permission and approval to the son's journey with Christ. Tuttle and Joshua's father then laid hands upon Joshua and prayed.

The inspiration went a step further when Tuttle turned the tables and he and Joshua then laid hands and praid on Joshua's father. The room exploded as Joshua was filled with the Holy Spirit!

As they returned to their seats, Tuttle implored that as men of the Faith we must roar like the lion. We must be bold like the lion and never lose our motivation.

"There is a feature on a lion's vocal chord that is a feature to make him the loudest animal in their domain," Tuttle said. "When a lion roars, it is heard by everything in the jungle. When the lion roars, everything stops or runs. The wicked flee in terror, they take off running and kicking. The riteous are as bold as the lion."

He continued, explaining that the roar signals to all that something bold is coming. Something powerful is coming. Something life-changing is coming. Something annointed is coming.

"The wicked flee in terror, they take off running and kicking," Tuttle shouted. "But the riteous are as bold as the lion!"

The lion is not always there to eat what is in the jungle. The lion is also there to protect it.

Jesus Christ is the lion of the tribe of Judah. There is an image we see online of a lion and its cub looking into a pool of water. It's been depicted in cartoons as well. But we must remember that the lion is not the one looking in the water. It is the cub, dreaming of what he can be.

King's Table has come to a close, but one thing is certain: the Lord was present, delivering us a message through all of the men in the room that we must be bold like the lion.

We must ROAR like the lion!

Looking to be Seen

Sat, 30 May 2026 04:01:19 GMT

Friday night at King's Table is a high-energy, all-in worship session. Nearly one thousand men gathered tonight in His name.

The evening began with praise and worship before introducing Eddie James. James has ministered in 27 nations and 43 states, releasing more than 30 albums of worship, garnering Dove Award nominations and Billboard-charting projects. James is also the founder of Eddie James Ministries.

What no one knew until he took the stage is that just one hour ago, James learned his mother had passed away. He could have stayed in his hotel room or begun his trip back home, but instead he did what he believed his mother would have wanted, and he sat down behind the piano. In a heartfelt, moving performance, James sang praise to God, knowing his mother was doing the same thing right then up above.

Bishop S.Y. Younger followed. Younger serves as the senior pastor of the Mother Church—The Ramp Church International, located in Lynchburg, Virginia; The Ramp Church DMV located in Washington, DC; and The Ramp Church SP located in São Paulo, Brazil. He also oversees The Ramp NationTM, consisting of The Ramp Church Texas, The Ramp Church Los Angeles, The Ramp Church Toronto, and The Ramp Church Richmond.

Younger spoke about the struggles we all have with ourselves, the insecurities and feelings we have about who we are, and the ways we use connectivity and secrecy to compensate. None of us are looking to sin. Rather, we are all looking to be seen.

And doing it for the wrong reasons.

"I hate hearing people introduce me by reading my bio," said Younger. "Who I am is not just connected to my accomplishments. My bio tells you what I majored in, but it doesn’t tell you that I flunked out. My bio tells you how many churches I started, but it doesn’t tell you about when they turned the microphone off mid-sermon."

"And once I'm alone, I have to deal with the real issue," Younger said. "I have to deal with me."

In Genesis 32:24-32, the Bible tells the story of Jacob, when he was left alone and wrestled with God: So Jacob was left alone, and a man wrestled with him till daybreak. When the man saw that he could not overpower him, he touched the socket of Jacob’s hip so that his hip was wrenched as he wrestled with the man. Then the man said, “Let me go, for it is daybreak.”

Jacob's name was changed to Israel by the man, the mark of a covenant renewed. It is a spiritual transformation and the birth of a nation.

"It is because I saw God face to face, and yet my life was spared."

"Did we come to the King's Table for a men's conference," asked Younger, "or did we come for transformation? You can't be healed unless you put it out there. You cannot heal that which you keep concealed."

Through this event, all of us here have been transformed, and we move forward needing only to see ourselves and holding ourselves accountable only to the Lord.

Cowboy Baptism

Sat, 30 May 2026 02:28:36 GMT

Between our afternoon and evening session, the King's Table moved outside to the parking lot to offer cowboy baptisms to anyone in attendance. This was my second time experiencing the phenomenon, and it truly is a moving sight to be a part of.

For those who may not know, cowboy baptisms began as part of cowboy churches, a style of church service popularized in the Southwest that embraces the style and aesthetics of traditional Western cowboys as part of their Christian worship. When cowboy churches perform a baptism, it focuses on a simple and direct approach, reflecting the relaxed and informal lifestyle of the cowboy.

Instead of a giant hot tub-like fixture on their church stage behind the pastor's pulpit, a cowboy baptism takes place in a livestock tank – the kind of metal tub horses or farm animals would drink from.

Most moving to me is that it eliminates all of the fixtures, fluff, and fancy from the baptism. It is the pastor, the person being baptized, and as many close friends, loved ones, and supporters as can surround the tub! It is highly personal and there is a visceral, primal simplicity brought about through zero distractions that amplifies all the senses.

You hear everyone being submerged. You feel every splash of water as they rise up again reborn. You see all the people surrounding the tanks, squeezing together around their friends, celebrating and lifting one another in worship of our Lord.

The Holy Spirit is palpable.

Should you ever have an opportunity to witness a cowboy baptism, or better yet, the opportunity to take part, do not miss it.

Today, more than 100 people at the King's Table took part, and it was glorious.

Unity is not Uniformity

Fri, 29 May 2026 22:09:20 GMT

This morning's session ran a bit long, so we began later than planned this afternoon. Things kicked off quickly with a presentation from Hope For Justice, an organization dedicated to fighting human trafficking and child exploitation, before moving directly into this afternoon’s main speaker.

Pastor Myles Rutherford is one of the founders and Senior Pastors of Worship with Wonders Church in Marietta, Georgia. He and his wife are successful authors, recording artists, and have made guest appearances across many media outlets, including TBN and radio.

Rutherford is a passionate, animated speaker and rapidly captivates his audience. The room began reacting with whistles, claps, and shouts almost immediately as he delivered his message centered on unity.

The men in the room were on their feet as Rutherford preached about the current state of division that is in our world, and how the fear of conformity often leads us to fear unity. He showed us that this is not the case.

"True unity is accountability, not harmony," Rutherford explained. "It is coming together not to look alike, but so that we can move of the same mind. One mind isn't conformity, it is harmony."

He implored us then to recognize the power of men who are unified in what they believe. This is a time when we must not become complacent in our fight for the things we believe in. Winning a single battle does not mean we can relax and walk away from a war.

As Rutherford concluded, he implored us to recognize division and to take responsibility for not allowing division to prevent us from succeeding.

"We are writing people off who are meant to be part of our future," said Rutherford. "God tells us that He is the one who should do the separating."

We are the ones who must come together, to unite, and pursue the Truth of the Gospel together.

Not One Bone Broken

Fri, 29 May 2026 17:19:57 GMT

This beautiful sunny morning at King's Table began with another incredible praise and worship session. Pastor Tuttle then welcomed us all, and Germaine Brunson gave a short sermon.

We were then gifted with a performance by the incredibly talented Tyson Leamon. Leamon is a singer/songwriter from Riceville, Tennessee, who has performed alongside The Steel Woods, Confederate Railroad, The Kentucky Headhunters, Jacob Bryant, and more. He has been singing since he was 3 years old, and his music moved everyone in the room.

Keenan Clark then took the stage. Clark is an evangelist who travels around the country preaching at churches, conferences, and events. Today, he spoke on the Blood of the Lamb and the importance it holds in our salvation and our journey as Christians.

He shared Revelation 12:11, “They triumphed over him by the Blood of the Lamb and by the word of their testimony.”

"The foundation of the Blood comes from an unbreakable place, a place sin doesn't know how to break," Clark said. "If your life is built on anything, surrounding anything, praising anything other than the Blood of the Lamb, it is built on a foundation that is going to break."

The message challenged me to ask myself what happens should my life go in a direction I didn't ask for? When life takes a turn that is unexpected and challenging, perhaps even unavoidably difficult, how do we manage and continue as men of faith?

Your story, your testimony, will break if it was not bathed in the Blood of the Lamb.

"It is not your church that has saved you," Clark reminded us all. "It was not that preacher that has saved you. It is the Blood of the Lamb."

Psalm 34:19-20 tells us, “The righteous person may have many troubles, but the Lord delivers him from them all; he protects all his bones, not one of them will be broken.”

Tennessee Fault Lines

Fri, 29 May 2026 03:06:42 GMT

God still moves in ways that are undeniable. Be encouraged today.

I watched in awe as hundreds of believers filled the sanctuary this evening for the first night of King's Table. There were men in suits, men in shorts, men in matching work clothes, and men in T-shirts celebrating past King's Table events they had attended. They all came together to be moved by the Almighty this evening.

Prior to the event start, there was a half-hour of ice-breaker games to build a sense of community and familiarity. There was a basketball slam dunk competition and a golf contest in which one person attempted to chip a marshmallow into another person's mouth. It was fun, challenging, and brought the crowd to readiness.

Then the room shook with loud and glorious praise and worship led by Kaylee Tuttle and Erica Schuette. All of us in the room were drawn out of our chairs and led to surround the stage as the presence of the Lord filled the sanctuary.

Pastor Jamie Tuttle and Pastor Judy Jacobs Tuttle then welcomed us all with words of encouragement and prayer before introducing Apostle Jim Raley. Apostle Raley traveled as a full-time Evangelist until 1997, when he joined Calvary Christian Center. Calvary Christian Center has launched many outreaches in their community and has flourished into a multi-generational and diverse house.

He shared that tonight we are on a fault line, preparing for the Word to shake us in an undeniable way. He spoke from Acts chapter 4, the story of the arrest of Peter and John by the authorities for preaching of Jesus' resurrection. The Bible tells us that, despite the terrible opposition, the number of believers grew through the power of their message and the work of the Holy Spirit.

"Hells agenda didn't break us," noted Apostle Raley. "It gathered us."

Acts 4:31 says that, " After they prayed, the place where they were meeting was shaken. And they were all filled with the Holy Spirit and spoke the word of God boldly."

"I don't run from the shaking, I run to it," Apostle Raley declared. "I'm ready for some aftershocks. I'm ready to get with some people who are ready to make the house move again."

And it moved!

Apostle Raley closed with a lesson on receiving fully the spirit of God so that we may be filled with the Holy Spirit, having the faith to freely speak in tongues as the room filled with prayer and an altar call.

No one could deny the aftershock of the power of the Holy Ghost shook this fault line in Tennessee tonight.

God still moves in ways that are undeniable. Be encouraged today.

Setting the Table

Thu, 28 May 2026 20:26:54 GMT

This evening I will begin experiencing my second Gather the King’s men’s conference. My first was in San Antonio last year, which you can read about in earlier blog posts on this site. This King's Table is different because it is happening in my hometown of Cleveland, Tennessee.

This afternoon, I arrived at the venue, Omega Conference Center International. The main sanctuary is enormous, and particularly large in comparison to the church in San Antonio where my first King's Table experience happened. It is humbling to sit and absorb the calm and peace in this giant space which will be filled with hundreds of people in just a few short hours celebrating God's Glory.

This evening’s program begins at 7 p.m. Eastern Standard Time, so there is still time to join me if you are local and interested. Tomorrow they are offering a one-day special price of just $30 at the door! If you are unable to be here in person, the conference is going to be live-streamed on the King’s Table Facebook and YouTube pages.

This evening’s service will feature the Apostle Jim Raley. Apostle Raley traveled as a full-time Evangelist until 1997, when he joined Calvary Christian Center. Calvary Christian Center has launched many outreaches in their community and has flourished into a multi-generational and diverse house.

I rather enjoyed his sermon in San Antonio about entering the Holy of Holies, and know his message tonight will be equally as moving and powerful. Make certain you tune in – you won't want to miss it!

We’ll also hear from Pastor Jamie Tuttle, the founder of the King's Table conference. Pastor Tuttle serves as the Lead Pastor of Dwelling Place Church International in Cleveland, Tennessee. He has a Bachelor of Arts degree in Biblical Studies/Theology from Emmanuel College in Franklin Springs, Georgia, and a Master of Divinity with an emphasis in Marriage and Family from the Pentecostal Theological Seminary in Cleveland, Tennessee. He is married to Judy Jacobs, and together they birthed Dwelling Place Church International, His Song Ministries, the International Institute of Mentoring, His Song Music Group, and Dwelling Room Studios.

I'm going to step away and clear my head as I ready myself for the next few days. I can't wait to share my experience with you all, and encourage you to watch along on YouTube or Facebook!

My Massive God

Sat, 30 Aug 2025 18:07:23 GMT

King’s Table founder Pastor Jamie Tuttle closed out this incredible men’s conference this morning with a fiery sermon about the size of our God and his anointing upon us as men.

“As a man of god – as god’s man – you are given the power and authority to determine what goes on in the room, in your family, in your house, in your life,” Pastor Tuttle declared as he stood beside a nine-foot tall cutout of a giant warrior.

He challenged us to recognize the size of the Lord, and to be careful when we use mundane descriptions like “massive” to describe both Earthly things that are big and the incomparable size of God. We should never describe a motorcycle doing a “massive jump” and then refer to the power of God as “massive.”

“None of that is massive,” Pastor Tuttle exclaimed. “It doesn’t compare to God. It doesn’t compare to the supernatural season in our lives. The massive hand of God is moving in every one of your lives. You don’t know the massiveness of my God within me.”

Pastor Tuttle demonstrated how we are all given power in our lives through God, and how that power enables us to face the challenges in our lives.

“God’s challenge is to push you beyond your capacity,” he continued. “The anointing on your life of being massive gives you the authority over your life. If I’m 5’7” on a sunny day, then on Sunday I am 7 feet tall. Through God I rise up to fight giants.”

Through that power, as men we are called to be Kings. A King loves everything he covers, and a real King ordained by a massive God has the ability to have Kingship over everything he is assigned to.

“This battle you are fighting, the giant you are facing in your house, in your marriage, in your life – it never compares to the massive anointing of God in your life,” said Pastor Tuttle. “No real man diminishes his wife. No real man beats his wife or beats his children. No real man curses in the face of opposition unless it’s against the Devil.”

The most resounding message of this men’s conference rang through the air as the sanctuary erupted into an altar call greater than any I’ve ever seen.

“The calling of God operates in my life and Kingship is who I am.”

Running the Devil Out of Texas

Sat, 30 Aug 2025 16:40:30 GMT

Senior Pastor Brian Ayala of XTreme Harvest Church blessed me with a few minutes of his time this morning before the final session kicked off. Members of his congregation have been to King’s Table in Cleveland, Tennessee, so I wanted to know what it was like to receive the phone call letting him know that the King’s Table men’s conference was coming to his church.

“First I had to just shout,” Pastor Ayala said with joy. “I was really shocked more than anything. Every time we had been to King’s Table, our men had come back stronger and on fire. We’ve been to conferences where they come back and kind of lose that fire. This is one conference where they continue burning and burning.

“It was the quickest ‘yes’ I could ever say.”

Pastor Ayala was familiar with the ministries of Pastor Jamie Tuttle and his wife, Judy Jacobs Tuttle. He had seen them on television for many years, and had attended King’s Table himself. He had no qualms about how a men’s conference from southeastern Tennessee might translate to a big-city church setting.

“From Tennessee to Texas, there’s no difference,” he explained. “The only difference is the state. The anointing, the impact, the fire, the desire – it’s all here!

“San Antonio is one of those cities where you either take a stand or you get run over. To have King’s Table here, it’s what we’re used to. King’s Table brings a very hard punch with it. They don’t come swinging to miss. They come in swinging to let the Devil know he isn’t running anything in Texas any more!”

One of the most amazing parts of this weekend for Pastor Ayala has been watching all of these men fall in love with Jesus. Whether they just walked in the door or have been on fire for years and are experiencing that fire beginning to fade, they have all been touched in some way.

“The biggest thing for me,” noted Pastor Ayala, “is being able to witness men becoming men of God. Seeing them have an encounter with God. That is the most beautiful thing for me.

“You don’t see that in every ministry. I’ve seen men’s conferences where they’re playing basketball and playing football – there’s nothing wrong with that – but I think there’s been too much entertainment. We have to get back to understanding that we don’t have to entertain the men to get them to Jesus. We have to give them the Word and give them the Truth to get them to Jesus. Love is the greatest thing.”

Tomorrow is Sunday, and Pastor Ayala is already planning for his regular weekly service in the morning. I was curious if he thought it might be different on the heels of King’s Table.

“It’s going to be crazy,” he said. “Our men are on fire and they love the Lord, and all this did is give them a massive catapult into a whole new level. I’ve seen the men who are real conservative coming in who didn’t know what to expect, and now they’re the wild ones up in front! I believe everyone here is taking something special back to their city and back to their ministry and it’s going to spread like wild fire.

“They’re going to ask how that happened, and we’ll tell them, ‘we ate at the King’s Table!’”

Worship from the Heart

Sat, 30 Aug 2025 03:58:15 GMT

This evening’s service was closed out by Apostle Jim Raley. Apostle Raley traveled as a full-time Evangelist until 1997, when he joined Calvary Christian Center. Calvary Christian Center has launched many outreaches in their community and has flourished into a multi-generational and diverse house. Tonight, he brought his desire to experience the Spirit, embrace the lost, and live the life for all of us to be inspired by.

He began his sermon discussing the Wilderness Tabernacle – the portable sanctuary that served as the dwelling place of God among the Israelites during their journey through the desert. Within this Tent of Meeting were three areas: the Outer Court, the Inner Court, and the Holy of Holies.

There were eight steps to enter the Holy of Holies.

God had to be first.
Come through Judah (Judah means praise)
There was one door into God’s presence.
They had to come by the Brazen Altar.
The Brazen Laver was a place of cleansing.
The Golden Candlestick.
The Shewbread.
The table of worship was the last stop before the Holy of Holies.

All of these steps and elements represent and foretell the coming of Jesus, and His sacrifice for us, and His place being seated in Heaven as the right hand of God.

Apostle Raley declared, “Every weapon that has been brought against you by the Enemy has been put into remission by the blood of Jesus Christ.

“You may have been through Hell, but your fire has actually prepared you for fresh oil!”

As the end of the services approached, even as we all grew tired from a full day of being anointed in the Lord, Apostle Raley continued to draw the passion and energy into the air around us. He put into words exactly how we all felt about what was happening here this weekend.

“I want to be in a church where there is some oil and there is some fire,” he exclaimed. “I want a worship that isn’t just in the room when I’m with church people. I want a worship that gets out of the house! You don’t worship on the inside. You don’t worship in your heart, you worship FROM your heart!”

Amen, sir.

Cowboy Baptisms

Sat, 30 Aug 2025 01:29:17 GMT

The midday session featured Pastor Tony Suarez, the founder of Revivalmakers Ministries. He began his time with us retelling the historic tale of the Alamo, noting the similarities between Davy Crockett traveling to San Antonio to make a stand at the Alamo and Pastor Tuttle’s trip from Tennessee to make a spiritual stand here.

With the local Texans appropriately fired up, Pastor Suarez recounted the tale of Sampson, revealing his thoughts on the mighty warrior’s downfall. His inspiring perspective was that the worst thing to happen to Sampson was not that Delilah cut his hair.

He questioned if Sampson had said his power came from God and not his hair, how would that story have been different? Are we not all Sampsons? And as such, we must remember that Sampson’s hair began to grow back!

“However ugly that mess up was, your hair is growing back,” said Pastor Suarez. “I’m here on assignment from the Lord to open your eyes and to heal your eyes, because the worst thing to happen to Sampson was that he couldn’t see his reflection. He couldn’t see that his hair was growing back.

“God is restoring you. Maybe you haven’t seen it, maybe you haven’t been able to feel it, but I’m here to decry to the Sampsons in this room that your hair is growing back!”

During the altar call, Pastor Suarez brought onstage a man named Alex. With all hands in the room outstretched toward Alex, Pastor Suarez declared him to be healed of a broken heart, and physical heart. The pain of loneliness and the pain of heart palpitations were to be no more!

The afternoon ended in front of the building beneath the bright Texas sun, as more than fifty men and women came together for a cowboy baptism. In two giant livestock water tanks, Pastor Tuttle and other pastors placed a seal of protection around anyone who felt the call to be baptized in the Holy Spirit!

In this old-fashioned baptismal moment, I saw the act of baptism done in a manner I think it should always be. Each person stepped into the tank and was immediately crowded around by their loved ones, friends, and brothers and sisters in Christ! They were all praying blessings, banging on the tank with joy, and cheering with each baptism. It was such a moving expression of the love of God and family!

Tonight, we’ll be hearing from Apostle Jim Raley from Calvary Christian Center!

A Trumpet and a Torch

Fri, 29 Aug 2025 19:49:45 GMT

Trumpets and Torches

This morning’s service began with the wild, impassioned praise and worship session that is clearly a staple of these Gather the King’s men’s conferences. The Holy Spirit was palpable in the auditorium as the music soared and Mike Ramirez painted another of his artistic masterpieces.

Our sermon was delivered by Pastor Myles Rutherford, one of the founders and Senior Pastors of Worship with Wonders Church in Marietta, Georgia. He and his wife are successful authors, recording artists, and have made guest appearances across many media outlets, including TBN and radio.

Pastor Rutherford focused on the difference between being a man of God and being God’s man. He shared that God raises up, and God answers a cry, but leaders answer a call.

“God will test you before he trusts you, because you can’t have the harvest without the hardship,” explained Pastor Rutherford. “If you want public victory, you have to have private victory. You’ve got to thank God for the fire as much as you thank him for the blessing. We need prophets, priests, and kings to stand up, even when they are not known.

“Benching 350 pounds doesn’t make you a man. Being a man is staying out of bed with a woman who isn’t yours.”

Pastor Rutherford brought the house down in an altar call filling the room with the anointing of the Spirit, men running about the room bathed in the excitement and love of the Lord.

“God will break your will,” he shouted. “He will not break your spirit.”

Concluding his sermon, Pastor Rutherford encouraged us all to bear a trumpet in one hand, and a torch in the other.

“The trumpet is the physical announcement to your enemy,” he explained, “The torch is the spiritual announcement to your enemy. Why do you need a trumpet and a torch? Because one makes a sound and the other lights the way.”

A Moment with Bishop Wallace

Fri, 29 Aug 2025 14:32:32 GMT

“I am here because I believe the Lord allowed the door to open.”

Bishop Kevin Wallace spent a few minutes with me before he took the stage last night, sharing, “This men’s movement is really something growing across the nation. I’m so excited I’ve been asked to be part of it!”

Bishop Wallace was born and raised in Chattanooga, Tennessee. He attended Lee University in Cleveland, Tennessee, and at 20 years old became an associate pastor. Today, he’s been a pastor with Redemption To The Nations Church for 24 years.

A giant man, Bishop Wallace towers over those around him, in both spirit and height. He is exuberant in his passion for the Lord, and it’s impossible to not be swept up along with him when you speak to him. I asked what he was going to speak about.

“Tonight I’m going to talk about Naboth’s vineyard,” he shared. “Naboth had a vineyard and Jezebel and Ahab wanted it. In Bible times, you don’t just plant a vineyard – you inherit one. And you don’t just inherit one, you steward it and leave it to the next generation. The Enemy is always trying to take the vineyard of the people of God. The Enemy wants churches to sell their vineyard to get rid of the wine. We’re going to talk about the importance of keeping the wine and keeping the vineyard. I feel like I’m called tonight to challenge my brothers not to sell their vineyard.

“I hope they take home a courage and a resolution to put their foot in the ground and say, ‘I’m not selling my vineyard. I’m not giving it to Jezebel and Ahab. I’m not losing the legacy God gave to me. I’m going to hold onto it for the next generation and leave them something to inherit.’”

As I reflect on the sermon he gave shortly after, there was no doubt that his prayer for

the men in the room to go home with the resolution deep in their heart that the vineyard God gave us is worth keeping, and worth passing on to the next generation.

Not For Sale

Fri, 29 Aug 2025 04:00:32 GMT

The conference is off to an incredible beginning! As the sanctuary filled with several hundred people, men of all ages and backgrounds, the feeling of anticipation and eagerness to be with the Lord and with one another was palpable.

A house full of men comes with barriers. As men, we hide from emotion and can be difficult to bring together as one, and the folks from King’s Table understood this. During the thirty minutes prior to the event, ice-breaking games of marshmallow golfing and paddle pickle (you had to see it!) were held to encourage the opening up and begin the camaraderie with laughter.

Praise and worship then took over, igniting the Spirit in the room as Mike Ramirez began his live-painting. As the music reached its apex, Mike carried his giant canvas out onto the center of the stage. It was a strange mismatch of color and shape, but then he spun it upside down, revealing a magnificent image of Jesus and a mighty lion!

Pastor Jamie Tuttle and Pastor Judy Jacobs Tuttle came forth to welcome everyone and share some inspirational words about the journey to bring King’s Table to Texas before introducing Bishop Kevin Wallace.

Bishop Wallace spoke from 1 Kings 21:1, giving an impassioned sermon with roots in the story of Nyboth’s vineyard and King Ahab’s offer to trade or buy the land. Firing up the men in the room, he explained that vineyards are an inheritance, as is the church, and we are tenders of the vines we will hand down to our children.

“May the Holy Ghost write these words on your heart tonight,” Bishop Wallace prayed. “It’s not a matter of if, it’s a matter of when. Someone will try to give you a price for this inheritance of life that God has given you. And in that moment, you will look them in the eye and say, “Not for Sale.”

Signs declaring those three words were handed out to everyone and proudly raised as the evening came to a close.

Pastor Tuttle returned to the stage to close things out with prayer and an altar call, providing blessings and healings to several individuals dealing with intense, serious situations.

The Holy Spirit was present and a men’s movement was sparked into being. As the night closed, I was struck by the accuracy of the echoing refrain of the final worship song.

“You’re not done with me yet. There’s still so much more to the story. The best is yet to come.”

A Brush with Faith

Thu, 28 Aug 2025 21:26:45 GMT

The church is wild and bustling as final preparations are made for the Gather the Kings men’s conference starting this evening. While so many here are quickly moving about to make rounds and do checks, I had a minute to meet Mike Ramirez, who will be doing live-paintings on-stage during the conference.

We spoke for some time as he showed me the work he had with him. Jesus, lions, lambs, Kings, crowns – imagery that is iconic and symbolic are his trademark. I asked him to tell me how he came to be a live-painter.

Mike had hurt his back at work and had been on worker’s compensation for a period of time in early 2015. Two weeks before Easter, that benefit ran out, and he and his family were left without any income. As Easter approached, he was asked if he could do a live painting.

“I didn’t even know what that was,” Mike told me. “I figured, since I wasn’t working, maybe I could just YouTube it. I did it, and thought this was pretty cool, so I did some more research, and told them I’d do it. I didn’t even know how to paint!”

Live-painting, it turns out, is a performance art in which the artist creates a painting on-stage in front of a live audience. At a church, it’s generally done during worship music.

He laughed about that first painting, telling me, “It wasn’t too good.”

When the service ended, someone at the church came up to Mike and asked him, “How much?”

“I had no idea, and so he said he’d give me $300,” recalled Mike. “The guy behind him heard and said, ‘I’ll give you $500! So I thought that I would tithe $50 and go home with $450 blessed money.“

Only, when the man asked who to write the check to, Mike noticed a group of twelve missionaries his church supported standing nearby.

Mike changed his mind, “You know what? I said to make it out to the missions department. The whole amount.

“I left knowing I did the right thing.”

Mike went home excited, and the next day he bought some more canvas and did a couple more paintings, which he posted on Facebook. A few days later, he had sold them and made a few hundred dollars more!

“I woke up Saturday with an urgency,” he shared. “I woke up my wife and started naming all these big ministries. I said, ‘we’re going to go there!’”

He had never met the pastors at the large churches he mentioned, but Mike was determined he was being called to do his live paintings for them. Indeed, the Lord proved that calling to be true, when later that afternoon the very first pastor Mike had named to his wife called him out of nowhere.

The pastor had seen the video of the live-painting Mike had done the week before, and asked if he would do it at their next three services!

“Almost every weekend I get calls,” Mike said, “To this day, I have not called a ministry or a church for them to book me. They have always called me! We’re ten years into this, and God has supplied, God has moved. I have been on so many stages and painted for a lot of people.”

Tonight, he will be painting on-stage for more people, and I count myself as lucky to be one of them.

Anticipation

Thu, 28 Aug 2025 16:38:03 GMT

I’ve been thinking about what the Gather the King’s men’s conference is going to be like when it begins this evening. I’ve never been to a gathering like this before, and I’m sure many others who are attending are in the same position as I.

This morning, I arrived at the venue, XTreme Harvest Church. The folks here are incredibly kind and welcoming. Like any gathering, things are always better when your hosts are wonderful! I spent a few minutes sitting in the main sanctuary, marveling at the space that will be filled with hundreds of people sharing the Glory of God in a few hours.

This evening’s program begins at 7 p.m. Central Time, so if you’d like to join me there is still time. Tickets can be acquired at the door. If you can’t be here in person, the conference is going to be live-streamed on the King’s Table Facebook and YouTube pages.

I’m excited to hear tonight’s message from Pastor Kevin Wallace. Pastor Wallace serves as a Lead Pastor of Redemption to the Nations Church. He has committed his life to impacting the city of Chattanooga, Tennessee, with a message of love and redemption. He and his wife have led RTTN Church’s efforts in caring for their local community, planting a church campus in Uruguay, developing programs to care for human trafficking victims in Guatemala, Romania, and Chattanooga through The Together Cafe, and have most recently founded the Redemption Preschool. They are both graduates of Lee University in Cleveland, Tennessee, and travel the world with a gospel message of hope and healing.

We’ll also hear from the founder of the conference, Pastor Jamie Tuttle. Pastor Tuttle serves as the Lead Pastor of Dwelling Place Church International in Cleveland, Tennessee. He has a Bachelor of Arts degree in Biblical Studies/Theology from Emmanuel College in Franklin Springs, Georgia, and a Master of Divinity with an emphasis in Marriage and Family from the Pentecostal Theological Seminary in Cleveland, Tennessee. He is married to Judy Jacobs, and together they birthed Dwelling Place Church International, His Song Ministries, the International Institute of Mentoring, His Song Music Group, and Dwelling Room Studios.

In addition, there will be an on-stage artwork creation made by Mike Ramirez of ThorneStudio. Mike began his journey in ministry as a youth pastor in 1994 until his calling led him to the birth of ThroneStudio on Easter Sunday of 2015. That same year, Mike entered full-time ministry. ThroneStudio is a creative ministry that brings the Word of God to life through live prophetic painting. With a deep passion to both paint and preach the Word, Mike uses his gifts to visually express the Gospel, drawing hearts to encounter the presence of God in a powerful and artistic way.

I believe tonight is going to be such an incredible, moving experience, and I hope everyone reading this tunes in to the stream to share this moment with me.

Preparing for King's Table

Wed, 27 Aug 2025 21:27:02 GMT

My name is Ryan, and I am a Christian.

I am in San Antonio, Texas, today, blessed to have been invited to attend the King’s Table men’s conference, Gather the Kings, and share my experience with all of you following along from home. This 3-day men’s conference is happening at XTreme Harvest Church beginning tomorrow (Thursday) evening. The morning began having breakfast at a little local restaurant with Pastor Jamie Tuttle, who is one of the founders of the conference. He is man of love, passion, and humility, and I am eager to hear more from him as the conference gets underway.

Sometimes, amidst the hustle, stress, and general business of life, it can be easy to forget that. It isn’t that being Christian, loving our Lord, or living a Christ-like life goes away. But sometimes the idea of self and being a man of God can be drowned out by the noises of life and the responsibilities that we carry as men – being the provider for our families, the rock for our friends in difficult times, the leaders of our social circles, the father’s of our children…

I spent the afternoon visiting the Mission San José, a historic mission and national park here in the city. Built in the 1700s, the Mission San José ceased to be a mission in the 1800s, and in the 1900s the Franciscan’s returned and still worship there today. In the 104 years it was a mission, over 2,000 people were baptized.

In this sacred space, history and Christianity are preserved in what feels like a moment paused in time, captured in silent reverence to the Lord amidst the modern world outside. The stone buildings are giant, capturing the ominous and glorious nature of the Father in the magnificent manor that seems to be so forgotten in modern churches.

I walked through centuries-old spaces where food was once stored. I stepped through a field where numerous worshippers were laid to rest in unmarked resting space. I prayed alongside a Relic of Saint Francis and sat in reverence on a pew before the Mission’s elegant altar.

It is in this silence, I find stillness. All of those responsibilities, all of the noise, and all of the distractions slip away to lay bare only the self. We are at our most vulnerable, honest, and focused in these moment – when we take that moment to “be still and know that [He is] God.”

I found in that moment excitement and anticipation for this conference and what the next few days will bring. That moment is a reconnection of self. It is a reminder and also a confirmation of who I am.

My name is Ryan, and I am a Christian.