By Chip Hutcheson, Kentucky Today

CENTRAL CITY — Chase Thompson has pastored First Baptist Church for nine years, but this past Sunday was a noteworthy “first” for him — and the response was overwhelming.

“I’ve never done this before nor do I ever hope to do it again,” he said just before playing a guitar and singing a hymn that he wrote recently.

Entitled “He Crushed the Snake’s Head,” the hymn was the result of inspiration from Gen. 3:15, Rom. 16:20 and 1 John 3:8.

“I had been preaching a different sermon series each month, and on Jan. 21 the text was Genesis 3,” Thompson said. “That had been in my mind, and I was thinking that would be a nice hymn — how Christ crushed the snake’s head.”

Less than two months later, on March 9 — the Saturday night before his youngest son, John, was born — he wrote the hymn in about 20 minutes. “It just came to me — the tune, the words, I wrote some things down and about 20 minutes later it was done.”

Thompson introduced the song to his congregation with words of encouragement.

“I have seen many of you in some of your biggest struggles in life, I have seen you go through heartache, pain, and have seen you suffer. We fight many battles in our day, but recognize Jesus Christ is our King, our Victor, and through His burial, death and resurrection, He has crushed Satan’s head. One day we will stand over a defeated and vanquished foe … we will crush him as well.”

Thompson admitted to being “terrified” before doing the song.

“My stomach hurt, and my hand was flipping all over the guitar. But I don’t want people to think it’s about me — I just felt led to share it.”

He said his congregation gave him rave reviews.

“Folks said they really enjoyed it, and they appreciated the lyrics. That song, along with activities for young people later in the day, prompted one young boy to tell his parents, “Best church service ever, best song ever.”

Several church members have asked for a copy of the song, so plans are to record it and provide them with a copy. Thompson laughed when saying it will be for “people who are gluttons for punishment.”

Thompson said the song was birthed in the midst of a sermon series he is doing on biblical masculinity. “We live in a confused culture,” he said.

While voicing his love for old and new hymns, he said his desire was for this hymn to “speak to the fact that Christ has defeated, has crushed Satan, and He is coming again. I wanted it to be a battle cry hymn.”