Last year Grammy-nominated, Dove Award-winning Sanctus Real released a song called ‘Lead Me’. The song is a personal confession and prayer written by lead vocalist Matt Hammitt.
“My wife and I aren’t shy about sharing that we’ve had some pretty major struggles,” admits Matt after his wife implored him to be a better spiritual leader in the family. “I think the challenge for me in the song, and hopefully for other men as well, is every time I hear it, every time I sing it, I ask myself, ‘what kind of man am I?’ Not yesterday, not tomorrow, what kind of man am I today? Have I invested in my family emotionally, spiritually the way that God has called me to reach out to them and to lead them.”
To lead them with strong hands / To stand up when they can’t /
Don’t want to leave them hungry for love / Chasing things that I could give up /
I’ll show them I’m willing to fight / And give them the best of my life /
So we can call this a home / Lead me, ‘cause I can’t do this alone /
Father, lead me, ‘cause I can’t do this alone
The song is a great story of what can happen when we follow God’s plan for our lives.
Story Behind the Video
As Christian men, we are called to be leaders in our house, our community and within the world, but this can be a very difficult road for many. So many men and women today haven’t had good examples, either in their own family or in their community. Often, men haven’t been how to consistently and respectfully be spiritual (or other) leaders.
In the past several years, I have been blessed with meeting a number of men that are true leaders in their families, at work and in the area we live. They serve as great examples to me of the man that God has called me to be, and it’s still an area I grow in every day.
May these videos be a calling and an example to you.
Original Video
We are told to let our light shine, and if it does, we won’t need to tell anybody it does. Lighthouses don’t fire cannons to call attention to their shining- they just shine.
~ Dwight L. Moody
Who is a good leader in your life?
How have they helped you to grow?
Is it the big things or the small things that have had the most impact? What have they shown you?
Do you think they know the impact that they have had in your life?
What has changed in your life as a result of them reflecting God’s light?
Do you wish that your husband, father or friend would lead more? How can you encourage others?
Tags: Christian marriage, conflict, divorce, Dwight L. Moody, Matt Hammitt, Men, Sanctus Real
Prayer leading to the new year: Lord, prepare my heart this week for the goals you would have me set for this next year. Soften and change my heart to be open to Your Will in my life, create within me an unquenchable thirst for the Word and the ability to step aside to let Your strength flow through me. Amen.
Bible stories are often told like fairy tales; they become larger than life. But the author of the Christmas story included a footnote that firmly plants the story of Jesus’ birth in an historical context. Luke wanted us to know that what “came to pass” was not a fairy tale, but rather the greatest story ever
All those even vaguely familiar with Luke’s Christmas story have heard of Caesar Augustus and his famous decree. It was this decree that sent Mary in the ninth month of her pregnancy 80 miles south to Bethlehem, along with husband Joseph. Luke 2: 1 In those days Caesar Augustus issued a decree that a census should be taken of the entire Roman world. 2 (This was the first census that took place while[a] Quirinius was governor of Syria.) 3 And everyone went to their own town to register.
The following short video from Andy Stanley, Footnote: The Story of Christmas, tells how the most powerful man at the time of Christ’s birth became a footnote to the most important story of all time
Top 16 Christian Christmas Movies
Tags: Andy Stanley, Caesar Augustus, Christmas, Wise Men
A spoiled schoolgirl (Christina Fougnie), her overworked executive mother (Amy Hess) and a disillusioned young minister (Matt Wallace) each receives an uplifting message about friendship, commitment, and the truest meaning of Christmas from a friendly, but mysterious, drifter named Jess.
Trailer
Click here to buy The Perfect Gift (We have it on sale!)
Tags: Christmas, Christmas movies, movie, the perfect gift
Fan videos of the Casting Crowns Christmas song While You Were Sleeping
The following video is great but may not be appropriate for all ages, as it includes movie scenes of Jesus’s crucifixion.
Lyrics
Oh little town of Bethlehem
Looks like another silent night
Above your deep and dreamless sleep
A giant star lights up the sky
And while you’re lying in the dark
There shines an everlasting light
For the King has left His throne
And is sleeping in a manger tonight, tonight
Oh Bethlehem, what you have missed while you were sleeping
For God became a man
And stepped into your world today
Oh Bethlehem, you will go down in history
As a city with no room for its King
While you were sleeping
While you were sleeping
Mary shivers in the cold
Trying to keep the Savior warm
Born among the animals wrapped in dirty rags
Because there was no room for Him in the world He came to save
United States of America
Looks like another silent night
As we’re sung to sleep by philosophies
That save the trees and kill the children
And while we’re lying in the dark
There’s a shout heard ‘cross the eastern sky
For the Bridegroom has returned
And has carried His bride away in the night
America, what will we miss while we are sleeping
Will Jesus come again
And leave us slumbering where we lay
America, will we go down in history
As a nation with no room for its King
Will we be sleeping
Will we be sleeping
United States of America
Looks like another silent night
Tags: casting crowns, Music
Your character and behavior are a stronger statements to others than anything you can ever say
“Preach the gospel at all times; when necessary, use words.” – Saint Francis of Assisi
What kind of example are you setting for others? Do your actions prove out what you say you believe?
We are all examples for others, whether we realize it or not. It may be a co-worker, a child, a friend or even the person behind us in traffic. Someone in your life looks up to you and is watching your example. Please do not consider this a call to be perfect, for we all fall short of our potential. However, if we realize the unlimited crazy love that God has for us, that joy will fill us and we will want to grow closer to our Father and to please him.
For me personally, I find that having close friends that feel comfortable confronting me (in love and with my best interests in mind) helps greatly. They are there to support in good times and in bad. It takes time to seek out and develop these relationships with other believers – take the first step today.
Tags: behavior, character, christian living, example
God gives us people to love and things to use, not things to love and people to use. – Max Lucado.
Tags: Max Lucado, quote
True wisdom goes beyond amassing knowledge. True wisdom is applying knowledge in life changing ways.
Tags: wisdom
Are you a Darrell Waltrip fan? Here are a few videos about Darrell Waltrip talking about success and how his life and his career changed since 1983.
Have you had an experience that humbled you and softened your heart? Has it happened to someone you are close to?
Tags: Christian men, Darrell Waltrip, manhood, Masculinity, Men, NASCAR
Have you seen Soul Surfer – The Inspiring True Story of Bethany Hamilton? Let us know in the comments what you think of it.
“Soul Surfer” is the inspiring true story of teen surfer Bethany Hamilton, who lost her arm in a shark attack and courageously overcame all odds to become a champion again, through her sheer determination and unwavering faith. In the wake of this life-changing event that took her arm and nearly her life, Bethany’s feisty determination and steadfast beliefs spur her toward an adventurous comeback that gives her the grit to turn her loss into a gift for others.
Trailer
AnnaSophia Robb and Bethany Hamilton Interview
Carrie Underwood talking about Bethany Hamilton
Bethany Hamilton Interview
Tags: Bethany Hamilton, Carrie Underwood, Movies, Soul Surfer, surfing