Rupp Arena was host to Casting Crowns and Matt Redman last night. It was the first of 3 events in five days here at the arena (with Kings of Leon on Saturday, and WWE on Tuesday). Stacy Hicks attended the concert and guest blogged the show for us. Hit the jump to read his thoughts about the concert.

The crowd was treated to a real church service in Rupp Arena Thursday night. Not the plastic kind as Casting Crowns lead singer Mark Hall put it but a true “smacking people in Jesus’ name” worship service.

British transplant Matt Redman gave the crowd a verse of foreshadowing Psalms 95 “ Come let us sing to the Lord” because before the two hour plus worship ended, we , the audience, would join the choir. Matt lead the choir in versions of “You are the everlasting God” and the 2005 Dove award winning “Blessed Be the Name “. He proclaimed the night to be “All about the worship of our Lord” and it was.

Casting Crowns entered the service without the glitz and glamour of today’s major touring groups. The group continued the night’s theme with rousing approval of such hits from the past albums as “What if God’s people prayed “and “American Dream”. Lead singer Mark Hall showed the “choir” that the emphasis was on “Lord it’s you”. With the help of his band mates and the return of Matt Redman, Crowns showed that an old hymn favorite “One Day” could be turned into something fresh and exciting to the ear. When the band pointed the way to the new title cut of the forthcoming album “Until the Whole World Hears”, it became apparent that WorldVision’s sponsorship was more than financial it was God’s charge for our lives. The line “Ready Yourselves” was a word from God as many took the charge to sponsor a child of WorldVision. After a short intermission the stage was transformed into a version of “Unplugged”. The band took their stools and played the five song set of fan favorites “If We Are the Body” and “Voice of Truth” along with the new take on the classic hymn “Blessed Redeemer”. The group put the icing on the cake with “Praise You in This Storm”, “East to West” and “Lifesong”. As the evening came to an end, Mark and the band charged the crowd to “Lay it at the feet of Jesus” and “Take Him with you”. With a renewed spiritual spark and the charge of reaching the lost we will work “Until the Whole World Hears”.