Lessons from the Road

by Nigel James

Lessons from the Road is a behindthescenes look at life as a touring Christian rock band. It features Real life stories Observations and memories from band members Stories behind a few selected songs... This description may be from another edition of this product.

• Format: Paperback
• Language: English
• ISBN: 1934068489
• ISBN13: 9781934068489
• Release Date: January 2008
• Publisher: Authentic
• Length: 192 Pages
• Weight: 0.65 lbs.
• Dimensions: 0.5" x 5.8" x 8.5"

Customer Reviews

A band on the road for God!

Reviewed by Leslie Granier for Reader Views (12/08) "Lessons from the Road" chronicles the roots and success of Third Day, which is a contemporary Christian band. It is written by Nigel James, who serves as the road pastor for the band. Third Day is comprised of five men - Tai, David, Brad, Mac and Mark - who seem very down-to-earth and are extremely grateful for everything they have been given in life. They openly discuss their successes as well as the difficulties they have experienced from being on the road and away from their families so often. The members of Third Day say they sing and perform to worship God and spread His word and not for fortune and fame. After reading their stories about their lives on the road and the various charitable and volunteer projects in which they participate, I can honestly say I believe them. They pray with their pastor before each show and spend time with their fans after the performances, even if they are exhausted, because they realize it is their mission to evangelize as many people as they can. Their humility is demonstrated by the fact they strive to always give their best, regardless of whether they are playing in a large arena or a small venue because all of their fans deserve to experience their best effort. The band members obviously love what they do. They say they especially enjoy seeing how their music visibly affects the members of the audience. There is a chapter in which the songwriters share the inspirations (many of which are passages found in the Bible) behind the lyrics to their songs. My only complaint with this book is slight. The author could have put the profiles of the band members a little earlier in the book. Although presumably most people who read this book will have some prior knowledge about Third Day, I was unfamiliar with the group so the early pages in which they were being interviewed had less meaning for me. Being unfamiliar with their music, I checked them out on YouTube. I enjoyed what I heard. "Lessons from the Road" by Nigel James provides a refreshing concept - musicians who do not resort to lewd lyrics and foul language to capture an audience. Rather, they do what they do for the love of music and the love of God.

Devotional Memoir

Nigel James has an enviable position in life. And he also bears a large responsibility. He shares his thoughts surrounding his duties and his in-your-dreams job in Lessons from the Road. Third Day band members are given opportunity to share from their hearts as well. Third Day fans will likely consider this a must read. Others who may get much out of it? Musicians and worship leaders should appreciate the stories behind the songs, the nitty-gritty details of life from suitcases, and how creativity is encouraged in that atmosphere. Lessons from the Road would also make a good mini-devotional or study book because the chapters contain topical Bible studies with application.

A Look at Life on the Road

I still remember buying my first Third Day album. It was their self-titled debut album and I purchased a cassette copy of the original 9-song album released by Gray Dot Records. It was a bit rougher and, in my mind, a little bit better than the subsequent major-label release a year later. I loved the combination of Mac Powell's voice with the southern rock and occasional bluesy melodies. I remained quite a fan of Third Day until Time or so. While I have since grown a little bit ambivalent about their music, I continue to respect them as a band and as individuals; I admire the fact that they have strayed true to their Christian roots despite finding a great deal of fame and popularity. They seem committed to serving God in the unique way He has gifted them. As Third Day has traveled the world over the past fifteen years, they have often been accompanied by "road pastors" (probably not a church office you'll find in the New Testament). One of these men, Nigel James, has just released Lessons from the Road, a book that gives insight into the band--"the excitement, the homesickness, the relentless schedule, the challenge to stay committed to God's purpose while on the road." Featuring contributions from the band members, the book gives an interesting inside look into the lives of the men of Third Day. James shares some of the devotionals he has taught to the band and reflects on his times spent with these men. The band members write about some of their songs, about their lives, and about their priorities. Overall, the book offers a very positive and intimate look at Third Day. One thing that concerned me just a little bit as I read the book was an subtle, underlying assumption that pastoring a rock band is somehow a higher calling than pastoring a church. I doubt that either the band or the book's author believe this, but James seems to regularly face people who consider him a kind of celebrity because of his role in the lives of the men of Third Day. I hope he would be the first to say that his primary calling in life and the one that excites him most is pastoring a local church. And I hope Christians understand the critical importance of the local church relative to rock bands and rock stars. I delighted to read how the band members are members of local churches and how they have renewed their commitment to these local bodies despite travel schedules that make such commitment difficult at times. I suspect the reader's enjoyment of this book will rise and fall in proportion to his enthusiasm for the band. Those who are fans of Third Day will no doubt consider this a must-read. Those who have little love for the band will find little to love in Lessons from the Road. And I guess I stand as proof that those who are somewhere between can still read it with enjoyment. I continue to enjoy Third Day's music and ministry and, having read this book, understand why God has blessed them so they can do what they do. They are committed to His purposes and I

Intriguing look behind the scenes of Christian rock

Lessons from the Road is a terrific look behind the scenes of a Christian rock band, specifically Third Day. Nigel James has served as their road pastor for over ten years and leads them in devotionals and prayer while they tour all over the world. The guys in the band contribute to the book with anecdotes about how songs came to be written, trouble with home life vs road life, and some amazing things that have happened during concerts. James includes abridged versions of some of the devotionals that he has taught over the years. The strongest of these is the one themed: of those who are given much, much will be asked. I enjoyed reading this book and learning about the guys of Third Day.

Insightful and entertaining

"Lessons From the Road" by Nigel James with Third Day provides a candid look at the musicians' life on tour. James is the pastor who tours with the band. His writing is witty and wise with a deep love for Jesus. Much of this book reads like Nigel James' diary of his travels with the band. Peppered with memories, comments and insights from the band members, this book is an eclectic mix of perspectives. There are explanations of the motivations for the band's songs, transparent and insightful stories and wonderful snippets of the history of Third Day. I was blown away from page one - the foreword where James describes a bit of the band's tour in Iraq. The author immediately sets the stage that we are all soldiers for Christ. I loved the devotions that were included in the book on success, prayer, friendship, worship, faith, the Holy Spirit, discipleship, God the Creator and bearing fruit in our lives. This is a wonderful book that will not only get you singing along with the song excerpts sprinkled throughout, but take you to a new level of worship.