Down here in my neck of the woods, July means plenty of cookouts with family and friends. It means freshly squeezed lemonaid, watermelon, potato salad, BBQ ribs, homemade ice cream and, of course, plenty of music.

My habit is to put together a playlist for each event so that we have different music on hand each time whether we are at home or away. The playlist for this weekend is all upbeat but has plenty of meat and meaning.

_{Image courtesy of: INO Records. Used by permission.}

So far this week in the 'Bobby Bishop - Everyday Man' series, the gospel rapper and I have talked about who he is and who the everyday Christian man of today is. In part 3 of the series, we are delving deeper and today's chat is about marriage. In a society where divorce is so common (even in Christian homes), Bobby and his wife Jessica have already celebrated nine years and are looking forward to many more to come. With his usual candor, Bobby explains how they've done it and continue to move forward.

_{Bobby Bishop courtesy of: Chosen Records. Image used by permission.}

In part two of the ongoing 'Bobby Bishop - Everyday Man' series, the gospel rapper and I continue talking about being human and Christian. Today's topic is the everyday Christian man of the 21st century.

When challenged to go even deeper than he did yesterday, Bobby was up for it and then some! If every person that we admire - be they an artist, an actor, a politician or even a neighbor - were willing to be as transparent as Bobby is and as humbly honest, we could solve a world's worth of problems. But being that brutally honest comes with a price. You risk having people look at you as "less than" and even more importantly, you have to be willing to look into the mirror, strip it all down and recognize that you see a flawed individual who falls way short of the glory of Heaven. Most of us don't want to be quite that honest with ourselves and we believe (flawed logic) that we somehow are hiding it from our Maker.

_{Bobby Bishop courtesy of: Chosen Records. Image used by permission.}

Bobby Bishop has several independent and two previously released national projects under his belt as he brings us Everyday Man on July 14th.

In honor of the project and Bobby's amazing heart for the lost (yes - I know this guy and it's not a bit hype for him ... he is one of the most "real deal" people you will ever meet), for the next few days, About.com will be presenting Bobby Bishop as the 'everyday man' that he is. Each day I will share a part of an ongoing interview/chat that he and I are having about everyday life and the problems and issues that us 'everyday folks' face.

If you're looking for fluff, hype and "rock star" mentality, you're going to be disappointed. When I asked Bobby to put his cards on the table and be transparent, he went way beyond anything I could have imagined. This is Bobby Bishop at his finest ... raw, unprocessed, unscripted and as real as the computer monitor you're reading this on.

_{Image courtesy of: Chosen. Used by permission.}

Summertime is here with a blazing passion! The kids are out of school and families all over America are planning vacations. In July 2009 there will be five major Christian Music Festivals covering Wisconsin, Minnesota, Washington, Tennessee and California. So if Christian music is your passion, there are plenty of opportunities for fun and fellowship coming in July.

_{Image courtesy of: Gotee Records. Used by permission.}

Matthew West is back on top this week (you just can't keep that song down), but Chris Tomlin is nipping at his heels. Smokie Norful and Mary Mary (with Kierra 'Kiki' Sheard) come in with new music, giving an urban groove to this week's Top 10.

Time Machine:

• Top 10 Weekly Christian Music Hits - 7/1/07
• Top 10 Weekly Christian Music Hits - 7/2/06
• Top 10 Weekly Christian Music Hits - 7/3/05

_{Image courtesy of: Sparrow. Used by permission.}

Sunday Edition, one of Nashville’s favorite groups, recently found out that their latest single, “He Bore a Cross,” has become on of the most added songs at Southern Gospel radio. It is the first single from Sunday Edition to break the Top 10 New Releases chart.

_{Image courtesy of: SSE Group. Used by permission.}

Newsong started out in 1981 as a 9 member church band for Morningside Baptist Church in Valdosta, GA. Throughout the years, and changes in the group, they have had 17 #1 singles, six Dove Award nominations, numerous songwriting awards, and five of the Top 100 Christian radio singles of the past decade.

Their 2009 tour schedule is a busy one with plenty of shows.

Newsong 2009 Tour Dates

• Jul 2, 2009 - Edgewater Beach Resort (Panama City Beach, FL)
• Aug 15, 2009 - Billy Graham Training Center at The Cove (Asheville, NC)
• Sep 16 & 17 2009 - Gaylord Opryland Hotel (Nashville, TN)
• Sep 18, 2009 - Western Branch Community Church (Chesapeake, VA)
• Sep 19, 2009 - First Baptist Church (Beckley, WV)
• Sep 25, 2009 - LifePointe Christian Church (Fort Mill, SC)
• Sep 26, 2009 - Heritage Church (Moultrie, GA)
• Oct 2, 2009 - Indiana Wesleyan University Performing Arts Center (Marion, IN)
• Oct 3, 2009 - Ramsey Ball Park (Manchester, KY)
• Oct 10, 2009 - Madill Church of the Nazarene (Madill, OK)
• Oct 11, 2009 - First Baptist Church (Nevada, MO)
• Oct 23, 2009 - First Baptist Church (St. Cloud, FL)
• Oct 24, 2009 - Westside Baptist Church (Jacksonville, FL)
• Oct 31, 2009 - Elizabethtown Middle School Gym (Elizabethtown, NC)
• Nov 6, 2009 - Metro Center (Rockford, IL)
• Nov 7, 2009 - Watseka High School (Watseka, IL)
• Nov 8, 2009 - First Baptist Church Forsyth (Forsyth, MO)
• Nov 13, 2009 - Anderson Christian School (Anderson, SC)
• Nov 14, 2009 - Columbus State University Hall (Columbus, GA)
• Dec 4, 2009 - Kinston-Lenoir Co. Performing Arts Center (Kinston, NC)
• Dec 5, 2009 - TBD (Whiteville, NC)
• Dec 11, 2009 - Marion Cultural and Civic Center (Marion, IL)
• Dec 12, 2009 - Smoky Mtns Center for Performing Arts (Franklin, NC)
• Dec 13, 2009 - Village Baptist Church (Destin, FL)
• Dec 18, 2009 - Life Christian Center International (Albany, GA)
• Dec 20, 2009 - Landmark Baptist (Cincinnati, OH)

_{Image courtesy of: Provident. Used by permission.}

Chris Tomlin and Tenth Avenue North are closing June out on top and new music from Brandon Heath adds to the pre-July heat.

Time Machine:

• Top 10 Weekly Christian Music Hits - 6/30/08
• Top 10 Weekly Christian Music Hits - 6/27/04
• Top 10 Weekly Christian Music Hits - 6/29/03

_{Image courtesy of: EMI. Used by permission.}

Deon and Susan Unthank, administrators of SoGospelNews.com, have announced the line-up for the 10th Annual SGN Music Fest, held July 26, 2009 - July 31, 2009 in Smyrna, TN.

Artists appearing include: Driven Quartet, The Galloways and John’s Call (formerly Johnny Minick & Friends).

_{Image Courtesy of: Southern Spin. Used by permission.}