Praising Jesus At The Indiana State Fair

The Indiana State Fair isn’t a Christian conference. It’s a place where people see farm animals, eat expensive fair food, and seek entertainment. Yesterday, as I walked through the grounds under the blazing sun with the smell of funnel cakes and livestock in the air, I witnessed many ungodly things, including a booth selling a hat with a Freemason symbol. Let’s not forget the haunted house at the Midway not far away, complete with screaming and dark imagery that celebrated fear rather than faith. I was really shocked when I saw the Freemason hat – it was a reminder of how far we have drifted from being a truly Christian society. Certainly, thousands of people were walking around who don’t know Jesus.

Now don’t get me wrong, I’m not calling the fair an evil place. There was also lots of family entertainment, people wearing Christian T-shirts, etc. The Indiana State Fair isn’t a Christian event, but they do have a Christian-sponsored concert once every year, bringing in a major headliner. This year, I was not disappointed.

God Showed Up

After spending most of the day under the blazing 89-degree heat and dropping more than $30 on drinks alone, I found myself sitting on a bench with my family an hour and a half before the concert. I wanted to make sure I got a good seat because this Christian musician was absolutely worth waiting for.

This was the great Chris Tomlin – one of the greatest Christian artists of all time. With dozens of hits that are sung in churches around the world, he has won numerous awards. He is truly an anointed musician. After waiting that hour and a half, he finally took the stage.

The concert began with approximately 2,000 people gathered together outside, ready to worship Jesus at the Indiana State Fair. We began to lift up the name of Jesus and praise Him while Chris Tomlin sang. As the concert developed, you could feel the Holy Spirit descend. People all around were lifting their hands, singing at the top of their lungs – pure praise and worship in the name of Jesus.

In a place filled with worldly distractions, God showed up in power. At a place where God is easily forgotten, the Holy Spirit made himself real to thousands of people once again.

We don’t need a church building to encounter God. When believers gather with sincere hearts, God inhabits our praise – whether in a sanctuary or at a state fair. Those thousands who came for entertainment witnessed something far greater: the authentic worship of the living God.

I drove home that night, sweaty, heat-exhausted but spiritually refreshed. I was reminded that the harvest field isn’t just in the church – it’s everywhere people gather, even at the Indiana State Fair.

Where might God be calling you to be His light in unexpected places?