By Katherine Smith

Special to The Pilot

"But God commendeth his love toward us, in that, while we were yet sinners, Christ died for us," Romans 5:8.

For Christians, that "but" at the -beginning of the sentence means a saving alternative to a life of apathy. For the gospel group His Choice, that "but" also refers to the size of God's arms.

"Jesus came for people, not religion," says Sandra Green, singer for His Choice. "And we're not going to put on that religious front. We're just ordinary people. It's all about him."

On Saturday, Aug. 4, His Choice will be singing at 6:30 p.m., along with Victoria Huggins and the Down East Boys, on the Railroad Stage during Robbins Farmers Day.

The music they will be playing is a fast-paced variety of the reverence and warmth that they bring many to North Carolina churches, restaurants and special events.

Sandra Green is the group's soprano. Her husband, James, whom she married in 1983, sings alto and tenor.

"I met him in '82 at a singin'," Green says. "He came with his dad and I came with mine, and I really liked him so I got him to play in my daddy's band so I could see him more. We were married the next year."

A photo that she keeps on her mantel shows her father and James Green's father playing music together.

The Greens met Kimberlea Gaff in 1999.

"She's a dynamic lead singer," Sandra Green says. "She's our version of Vestal Goodman."

Sammy Olvey sings bass "and he sounds just like his daddy," Sandra Green says. "He's been a friend of James since middle school and they used to be in a band together."

The quartet comes out of Lexington, N.C.

"All four of us have come from gospel musical heritages," Sandra Green says. "God has called us generations before and we came to that through raising and Scriptures."

"My and Kim's parents, I know, have been our spiritual inspirations," she says. "But my husband was not raised with that blessing. But when he met Jesus, boom, he has been on fire ever since. That'll show you what God can do. My husband will sit and listen to anybody talk for hours and he's a man of his word."

Collectively, the group wants to offer satisfying music. "But our first priority is for everyone to come to the -saving knowledge of Jesus Christ."

His Choice is in process of -creating their -second CD, under the tentative name "Walk Upon Water." Their first one was called "In the Hands of the Master."

Weekly -practices are "more like fellowship time," Sandra Green says. "Ministry begins at home. We all work full-time jobs so we try to make the most of being together while running over music."

The gospel music they play is not out of ornery resistance to the contemporary Christian wave, but out of preservation of the dimming musical art.

"Our audience is our parents' generation," Sandra Green says. "God does new things, but the message is still the same."

They preserve classics like "He Didn't Throw the Clay Away," "Didn't I Walk on the Water" and "He Will Never Let Go of My Hand."

They also write original songs, like Sandra Green and Gaff's song "Jesus Heals Hurting Hearts."

"We all are sinners saved by grace wanting to share what Jesus has done for us," Sandra Green says. "We won't always get the harvest but we're planting the seeds."

For more information, visit -www.gospelgigs.com/hischoice.