Steven Curtis Chapman: A Great Adventurer
“Saddle up your horses!” Steven Curtis Chapman is an artist, but most important he is strong Christian. He has served the Lord in many more ways than singing and writing songs. He is an adventurer in the great adventure God had set out for him.
At the moment I am listening to Steven Curtis Chapman, and I will use his songs to show his character, for he wrote the songs, therefore there is a bit of himself in every one of them. To get the full effect, however, you’ll have to ACTUALLY hear the music and lyrics. You can tell he is praising God with every word and note.
“For the Sake of the Call” describes how Steven Curtis Chapman lives his life. He will abandon it all to serve God. “Free” is about a time he went to a prison and a born again prisoner professed he is now free from sin. Jesus is the One who frees us and nothing, not even death, can even take that away from us. He has served God many times and that is much of what inspires his music.
“I Will be Here” is one of the songs he has written to his wife. He is devoted to Mary Beth, his wife. The song says no matter what he will be there for her. He expresses the joy of being a Christian in “Heaven In The Real World.” He says it isn’t going to be easy, but Jesus will never leave us. In “Hiding Place,” he talks about how Jesus is our hiding place. No matter what trouble we confront, we can always go to Jesus to save us. “His Strength is Perfect” talks about how we need the strength of Jesus. We are so weak without Jesus. We can’t do anything without Him, but with Him, we can do anything!
He talks about how his abilities come from “The Lord of the Dance.” The beginning of the song he says how his dancing seems empty, but then in the last half he found “the Lord of the dance” and now his dancing has purpose.
“Children of the Burning Heart” has a verse that says, “…run through the fields of forgiveness and grace.” Jesus is a forgiving God. We don’t deserve this, and so it is grace. God is a consuming fire. He loves us, as we are His children, therefore the title, “Children of the Burning Heart.” We “carry the eternal flame” to show others the “burning heart” of Christ.
Christians are aliens on this world. Steven Curtis Chapman begins his song, “The Signs of Life,” being the character of an alien that has just landed on earth communicating with the “mother ship.” The alien is looking for signs of life: “love…. compassion and concern….” In the second verse the alien has found the signs of life and has a “living Love” inside, and wants it to show. This is a parable. The alien is a Christian. Steven Curtis Chapman is trying to show people that we have to show Jesus to others by loving others.
“Let Us Pray” is my favorite song that he sings. He is saying we should constantly be talking to God. God loves us to talk to Him. He inhabits the praise of His people. Ephesians 9:15 in The Holy Bible says “Speaking to yourselves in psalms and hymns and spiritual songs, singing and making melody in your heart to the Lord;”
When one sings, it is a kind of prayer, of speaking to the Lord. Obviously Steven Curtis Chapman prays to God as much as he can. This allows for a deep personal relationship with Christ.
Steven Curtis Chapman is a good role model. From his wonderful, touching, inspirational music he writes or co-writes, to the service work he does, he proves his love for people and his Lord Jesus. He puts all his faith and trust in Jesus. This is why he is so famous. Not because he is a great singer, though he is, but because he gives all the glory to Jesus, the one who saved him and us from our sins! He does not do this to become famous but to reach the lost for Christ.
One site,
http://ltd.simplenet.com/scc/text/concert_hope.htm,
mentions his “Concert of Hope.” "Concert
of Hope" Delivers More Than $28,000 to Paducah Community; Steven Curtis
Chapman Returns Home to Help Paducah Tragedy Victims: PADUCAH,
Ky.--(ENTERTAINMENT WIRE)--May 16, 1998--Christian music artist Steven Curtis
Chapman will deliver more than $28,000 to the Paducah, Kentucky community
victimized by school violence last December, thanks to the more than 3,000 who
attended his "Concert of Hope" here last night.”
God has blessed Steven Curtis Chapman. Steven Curtis Chapman’s voice, his musical talent, and his way with the lyrics that touch people, all come from God. He knows this and that is why he is where he is today. He gives all the glory to God, where it belongs. Steven Curtis Chapman’s music is inspiring to Christians and can touch the hearts of the lost soul.
BIBLIOGRAPHY
Chapman, Steven Curtis. Signs of Life. 1996
Chapman, Steven Curtis. Greatest Hits. 1997
April 21, 1999
