34 Years of ApX, New Baby, $5000 Matching Donation |
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J. Jackson, lead singer and lyricist for ApologetiX here.
Today marks the 34th anniversary of the first ApologetiX concert, March 27, 1992, at The Paradise Club in Irwin PA. That fell on a Friday, too. It’s crazy to think that, back in 1992, a musical performer celebrating their 34th anniversary would’ve had to have made their debut in 1958! Let me further put that into perspective:
Of all the artists who made their debuts on the charts in 1958, the one with the most successful career was Bobby Darin, whom we spoofed last year with “Back to Life," our parody of the #1 smash “Mack the Knife.” His first hit, “Splish Splash,” went to #3 in '58. In fact, it peaked the same week Billboard introduced its famous Hot 100 chart.
Over the course of his career, Darin racked up 48 Hot 100 hits, 22 of which reached the Top 40, and 10 of which made the Top 10, including such other notable records as “Queen of the Hop,” “Dream Lover,” “Beyond the Sea,” and “If I Were a Carpenter.” Sadly, he died in 1973 after open-heart surgery at the tender age of 37.
In light of that, I praise God not only for the longevity of the band ApologetiX, but that all four original members — Karl Messner, Andy Sparks, Jeff Pakula, and myself, are still alive.
We even outlasted the place where we made our debut. As I’ve pointed out before, in a bizarre example of life imitating art (in this case, a famous song originally done by Joni Mitchell, with charting cover versions by The Neighborhood, Amy Grant, and Counting Crows Featuring Vanessa Carlton) ... |
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ApologetiX hasn’t made it through nearly three and a half decades unscathed, though. In the past eight years, we’ve lost three members who joined us along the way, drummers Keith Harrold and Rick Servocky and keyboardist Chris Von Bartheld.
I miss those guys, but unlike the wishful, hopeful thinking that sometimes happens when people talk about certain deceased rock and rollers in Heaven, I knew all them personally and can attest to their strong, shared faith in Christ, so I know I’ll see them there (1 John 5:13).
In the meantime, we have a new little life here on earth to tell you about ... |
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Keith Haynie Has a New Grandbaby |
Congratulations to ApX bassist Keith Haynie and his wife, Krista, who just became grandparents for the fourth time! Their oldest daughter, Sarah, gave birth to her fourth child and third daughter, Sasha Celina Espenscheid, last Friday, March 20.
Sasha only weighed 5 lbs., 11 oz., but she was born by scheduled C-section a month and a half early, so that’s amazing! Sasha means “victory; defender; helper of mankind” and Celina means “of the heavens.”
Here’s what Sarah had to say on Saturday afternoon:
"This girl is victorious and we know God has a huge, miraculous, wonderful plan for her life. She is so clearly sent to us from heaven and we just can’t get over how in love we are with her.
"She completes our family perfectly. We’re so excited to be on the other side of this challenging time and pray everything is smooth sailing from here … Overall she is looking amazing and the doctors are very happy with her!”
Sasha's CPAP and feeding tube were removed on Saturday night. Krista sent us the photos below on Sunday morning. Sasha and Sarah both got to come home from the hospital on Wednesday.
Praise the Lord for safely delivering another lovely baby girl to Sarah; her husband, Dusty; and their other children, Wyatt, Ophelia, and Viola. |
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Fan Will Match Donations Up to $5000 |
J. Jackson, lead singer and lyricist for ApologetiX here.
In case you missed our announcement on Monday ...
You’re not gonna believe this … I can barely believe it … but it’s true:
A fan in Tennessee contacted us over the weekend and told us, "I had a rental property that had been vacant for a number of months, so I told my realtor/property manager to list it for sale as well and see if it sold before it rented, which it did. As a result, I'd like to do a $5000 donation match."
He will match all donations sent in response to this offer from now through Easter Sunday, April 5, at 11:59 p.m. PDT.
As I told that fan in my reply, "You know, I was just thinking today about upcoming expenses and how things have been slow the past few days, and I thought/prayed about how the Lord can deliver with many or with few or even with one … As many times as I’ve seen God come through for us, I am still stunned.”
What an amazing blessing! And it happens just as we are coming up on the 34th anniversary of our first concert ever as ApologetiX. That was Friday, March 27, 1992. This Friday will be March 27, too. Praise the Lord!
If you're interested in participating toward the matching donation, here's how you can help: |
Give by mail: ApologetiX, 208 Charlemma Dr., Pittsburgh PA 15214
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Donations aren't tax deductible, but they're worth twice as much!
If you can't participate, please don’t worry about us! Every previous time God has inspired somebody to make an offer like this, He has always provided the match for us as well. We’re just sharing the news. It’s in His hands. Hallelujah! |
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We hope to release our fifth single of 2026 by the end of this weekend, Lord willing.
Here are your clues. Want to really impress us? See if you can spot all of the references in both entries. We counted a total of 18.
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SONG 1
When you surrender your heart to Jesus, He doesn’t give you a ball and chain and tell you to stay put; He gives you freedom and a desire to help others see the light before it’s too late. Are you inexperienced at sharing the Gospel? Say a little prayer and go have a heart-to-heart talk with someone. When all is said and done, you’ll be glad you did. |
SONG 2
Do you feel distant from God? It takes two to tango. Open up His Book. Ever been all the way through? Rather than reading with an editorial eye, why can’t you approach it in a simple manner and allow Him to speak to you there? It’s so true. When everything else is gone, the Word of God will still endure forever. Hallelujah! Thank you, Jesus! |
Once the new single is released, we'll announce it in our news bulletin, on our website, and on our Facebook page. |
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Easter Season Playlist 2026 |
This year, Easter falls on April 5. Here's the 2026 edition of the ApologetiX Easter Season Playlist. We’ve added five new selections since last year, so there are now 61 songs in all. We put them in chronological/thematic order as best as we could.
We've included the CD where you can find each song. If ApX has done the song more than once, we listed the CD or single that contains what we consider to be the best version. |
10. Sadducees - Can't You See - Marshall Tucker Band |
31. Emmaus - Shambala - Three Dog Night |
32. Scars - Cars - Gary Numan |
42. Easter - Easy - The Commodores |
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New USBs Include Songbook & New CD, Too |
Two weeks before last Christmas, we offered a deluxe USB thumb drive that proved to be popular with fans.
It included the digital versions of all of our CDs, plus any singles, EPs, or rarities that aren't on CD, but it also included the latest edition of our digital songbook (1992–2024), which is not on our standard USB. We had just enough of them to get us through the holidays.
With Easter around the corner, we’re happy to announce that we have a new batch in stock.
And this time, they not only include the songbook, they also include our new CD, Everything But, plus the two new singles (four songs) we’ve released thus far in 2026.
The songbook is 1359 pages long with lyrics and commentaries for each song, photos, articles, discographies, and multiple indexes (parody title, topic, original song title, original artist, year the original was a hit, and Bible verses covered)! Sorry, no sheet music.
Emblazoned with the band's logo, the USBs have a storage capacity of 16 GB, and they’re write-enabled, so you can add more music to them if and when you get future ApX downloads.
We only have 85 of these USBs in stock. They're available for a donation of $150 or more each. Multiple copies are available for $100 each.
ALL THAT, PLUS THIS ...
If you order one or more of these USBs, we’ll also email you a PDF of our complete library AND a link to download the songbook directly to your computer. That way, if you're getting the USB for somebody as a gift, you'll also get digital copies of our library and songbook for your own collection. Or vice versa.
NOTE: If you wish to order the digital songbook or the complete library without the USB, those options are still available. |
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Get ApX Complete Library, USBs, Songbook |
To get the complete ApologetiX library, ApX USB thumb drives, and/or the new ApX digital songbook — or to get more info about them — just click on the item(s) you want below. |
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Bible-Reading Plan for 2026 |
We began our latest trip through the Bible on Wednesday, April 3. Note: If you don't have a Bible handy, you can look up these passages for free on Bible Gateway. They have about 60 different English translations/versions there to choose from, plus translations in many other languages, many of which also have multiple translations/versions. |
CLICK HERE to see the reading plan for the whole year. |
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If you'd like to donate to the ministry of ApologetiX, there are a couple ways you can do it. |
If you prefer to mail a check or money order, please make it out to "ApologetiX" and send it to:
ApologetiX
208 Charlemma Drive
Pittsburgh PA 15214-1414
Although the donations are not tax-deductible, they will be received very gratefully and used immediately. Thank you! |
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1 John 5:13 I write these things to you who believe in the name of the Son of God so that you may know that you have eternal life. |
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P.O. Box 101705
Pittsburgh, PA 15237
USA
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