Matt Redman Rocked a Standing Room Only Crowd at Manna Church

Matt Redman, the renowned English Christian worship leader, songwriter and author, gave a message of hope prior to his free concert at Manna Church on Thursday evening.

It was standing room only inside , the largest of the four church sites in Fayetteville. 

Redman hails from Brighton, on the south coast of Great Britain and proved to be a comedian as he ribbed the crowd about all the things that began in England, yet seem to fall short against the U.S. Using sports as an example, he admittedly stated that it's hard to be an English man in America as a result.

"I believe Matt Redman is at least in the top 5 most important songwriters in our era", said Senior Pastor Michael Fletcher. "There have been so many times in my life, when I needed something, a touch from God or to connect with God, and I put that c.d. in, and that song - and those words, were like he sat down and wrote the song for me."

With his easy going demeanor and warmth, Redman kept the crowd laughing at his tales that involved the antics of his five children. He mentioned that both Jackson and Levi were born in the U.S., making them eligible to run for the Presidency. The singer-songwriter had the crowd on their feet, with hands raised in high abandoned, as he played some of his well recognized praise and worship songs before speaking to the church. 

Redman closed with some verses about God, taken from the Psalmists, putting them into practical advice for those hurting or enduring trials.

"Take heart tonight if you are going through something huge, because He is an ever present help in time of trouble", preached Redman. "But take heart in that moment because God is our refuge and our strength. Be still and know that He is God. Breathe that in today and know that you known, that you are fought for, are loved beyond your greatest imagination. He is the God of the calm, and the God of the storm. He is the God of the dark, He is the God of the dawn. He is the lion and the lamb. He is the God of yesterday, He is the God of you right here today, He is the God of all your forevers. He is the God of thunders and whispers. He is the God who terrifies and befriends. He is the king who hung in agony on beams of wood that He himelf called into being. He is the one who knelt down, He's the one whose footstool was the earth, yet he knelt down and washed the earth and the feet of his disciples. This is the one we're worshipping. I won't skirt around the edges, or play any games; this is life changing stuff, isn't it? If you can find and believe in a God like this, even in the midst of that storm, than everything's going to look different."

In February 2011, his new live album, 10,000 Reasons, was recorded during LIFT - A Worship Leader Collective alongside Chris Tomlin, Louie Giglio, and Nathan and Christy Nockels. Copies of the c.d. were available with his most recent of four books, Mirror Ball that relays his thoughts and experiences of 'living boldly and shining brightly for the glory of God', which he touched on in one of his many life stories he shared with the crowd.

The session was recorded live and will be broadcast during the upcoming Sunday services. View their website for experience times in your area of Fayetteville.

What is your favorite Matt Redman song? Tell us in the comments. Subscribe to the daily Fort Bragg Patch e-news in your in box here.