Then In Steps Jesus

Rap music: love it? Hate it?

We did a wide variety of styles yesterday in our PCC service. From Taylor Swift's White Horse as the set up song to Lecrae's Just Like You as the closer - with a VERY funny skit in the middle - the message package had something for everyone. (If you missed the service, you can see it in it's entirety here.)

We've gotten a good bit of feedback regarding Just Like You, the closer. And it's been just that - good. Elijah Schiarelli did a tremendous job of owning the lyrics and delivering them with passion and power at the Powhatan Campus, and Patrick Parkins did the same at Westchester (despite a bad cold). It's a powerful song, with a strong message.

Here are the lyrics, to make sure you got the full story. It's worth reading. Then listen to the song again. You can get it on iTunes here.

And below the lyrics, take four minutes to hear a bit from Lecrae, the guy who wrote Just Like You. Even if rap's not your style, you might find that you can relate a few things he says.

I just wanna be like you
Walk like, talk like, even think like you
The only one I could look to, you're teaching me to be just like you
I just wanna be like, like I just wanna be like you


Dear Uncle Chris, Uncle Keith, Uncle Ricky
Before the Lord get me I gotta say somethin' quickly
I grew up empty since my daddy wasn't with me, shoot - 
I wasn't picky, I'd take any male figure
You stepped in at the right time; it's cause of you that I write rhymes (You probably never knew that)
I love the way you used to come through, teach me to do the things that men do
True, you showed me stuff I probably shouldn't have seen, but you 
Had barely made it out your teens, took me under your wings
I wanted hats, I wanted clothes just like you
Lean to the side when I roll just like you, didn't care if people didn't like you
You wanna bang, I wanna bang too, Skyline Pyrue
You woulda died, I woulda died too
You went to prison, got sick, lost your pops - yeah, I cried too
You never know who's right behind you, I got a little son now, and he do whatever I do
But it's something deep inside you, that tell you its gotta be more than doin' what other guys do
Didn't have nobody there to guide you, but I followed your footsteps and this shouldn't suprise you
You realize you, you realize you, you, yeah I just wanna be like you


Now all I see is money, cars, jewels, stars
Womanizers, tough guys, guns, knives, and scars
Drug pushers, thug strippers, fast girls, fast life, "everything I wanted and everything I could ask" life If this aint living then they lied - well, guess I married an old wive's tale - wow - fail
I don't know another way to go, this is the only way they ever show
I got this emptiness inside that got me fighting for approval cause I missed out on my daddy saying "Way to go" and get that verbal affirmation 
On how to treat a woman, how to fix an engine, to keep the car running
So now I'm lookin at the media and I'm following what they feed me
Rap stars, trap stars, whoever wants to lead me
Even though they lie they still tell me that they love me
They say I'm good at bad things, at least they proud of me


I was created by God but I ain't wanna be like Him, I wanna be Him
The Jack Sparrow of my Carribean
I remember the first created being, and how he shifted the blame on his dame for foolish in the eating
And I look at us all out of Eden, wearing designer fig leaves by Louie Vuitton, make believing 
But God sees through my foolish pride, and how I'm weak 
Like Adam, another victim of lucifer's lies
Then in steps Jesus
All men were created to lead, but we needed somebody to lead us
More than a teacher, but somebody to buy us back from the darkness
You can say He redeemed us
Taught us that real leaders follow God, finish the work 'cause we're on our job
Taught us not to rob, but give life
Love a wife like He loved the Church, without seeing how many hearts we can break first
I wanna be like you in every way
So if I gotta die every day, unworthy sacrifice, but the least I can do is give the most of me
'Cause being just like you is what I'm supposed to be
They say you came for the lame, I'm the lamest
I made a mess, but you say you'll erase it - I'll take it
They say you came for the lame, I'm the lamest
I broke my life, but you say you'll replace it. I'll take it.


I just wanna be like you
Walk like, talk like, even think like you
The only one I could look to, you're teaching me to be just like you
I just wanna be like, like I just wanna be like you