Christian artist Chris Tomlin inspires Show Me audience

The Show Me Center in Cape Girardeau was filled with smiling faces and Christian spirit Friday night.

About 2,300 fans gathered at the venue for "An Evening with Chris Tomlin" and guest artist Brandon Heath.

People welcomed Heath, the warm-up act, with a large round of applause. The singer talked about his friendship with Tomlin and promised he would join the audience and sit with them throughout Tomlin's show, being a fan himself.

"I met Jesus when I was 16," Heath said. "Best thing that happened to me."

His emotional, worshipful performance found a responsive crowd that was as involved in his show as they were later with Tomlin's. Heath got the audience to clap and sing with him. Children in the audience particularly seemed to enjoy the atmosphere filling the Show Me Center.

"Are you pumped for Chris to come here?" Heath asked before starting his last song.

A standing ovation escorted him off the stage after the song, and people remained standing to welcome Tomlin onstage. Thunderous applause rang out when he and his musicians walked into the venue.

Song lyrics were shown on a large screen above the stage so the audience could sing along. People jumped and danced as he sang, "I am alive on God's great dance floor."

As the artist invited the audience to move and dance with him, the Show Me Center rocked to the sound of Christian music.

"You are the nicest people in America," Tomlin said.

Tomlin offered the Show Me audience a performance of a new song from an album he is working on, "Love Ran Red."

Arms raised and eyes closed, people also sang "Amazing Grace" with

Tomlin.

"I don't have it all together. You don't have it all together. But we worship God who holds us together," Tomlin said.

The fact Tomlin is one of the worship leaders of Passion City Church in Atlanta did not come as a surprise, as the passion he puts in his musical performance could be seen at his concert.

It has been estimated 40 million people sing Tomlin's songs each week. Some of them were at the Show Me Center on Friday and sang along with every word.

Cheers and applause surrounded Tomlin as giant orange and gray balloons invaded the venue late in the show. The audience shouted as Tomlin thanked them and left the stage.

Cellphones turned into flashlights and brought the musicians back onstage for a curtain call.

"For our first time here, this is so beautiful," Tomlin told the audience before singing the finale.