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Lead Me

Finding Courage to Fight for Your Marriage, Children, and Faith

Matt Hammitt

About Lead Me

The former lead singer of Christian music sensation Sanctus Real comes clean about the tension between life on the road and life at home.
 
“Father, lead me, ’cause I can’t do this alone.”
—“Lead Me” by Sanctus Real
 
Matt Hammitt had performed his hit song, “Lead Me,” almost a thousand times. And every time he sang, the lyrics echoed the voices of his own family. His marriage was strained. His kids were growing up without him. Matt’s good intentions could no longer sustain his family; he needed to be a man of action. Yet even as he told his Sanctus Real bandmates that he was leaving the band to invest in his family, he wondered: Was it really possible to be present at home and still provide financially too?
 
In Lead Me, Matt identifies the tension many men experience when trying to balance work and home life. With bracing honesty, vulnerable storytelling, and practical application, Matt challenges you to be faithful both to God’s vocational call and to His call to lead your family well.
 
Discover the extraordinary joy of actively and intentionally pursuing your wife and children. Matt reminds us that it’s messy. It’s difficult. And it’s the most rewarding thing you can do, beyond following Christ.

Praise

“As I finished reading the last sentence of Matt’s new book, I felt humbled and in awe of the genuineness, realness, and loving heart of my friend. This transparent and inspiring book verbalized so many things I have felt but have never talked about—the tension between work and family, marriage challenges, family life, anxiety, and hearing a call to ‘come home.’ It put a lump in my throat and made me laugh out loud (many times!). Matt has challenged me to be not just a man of polished presentations and good intentions but a man of authenticity and action. This intimate and exposed look into Matt’s and Sarah’s personal, professional, and spiritual lives gives me the courage and hope I need to be the man, the husband, and the father I’ve always wanted to be for my wife and kids.”—Kirk Cameron, television and film actor and producer

“A gritty, authentic read about a courageous man who chose to step up and double down on loving and leading his wife and family spiritually. This is an epic book that every man, married or single, should read and have for his journey of becoming the man God created him to be. Buy an extra copy for a friend. . . We all need the kind of practical encouragement that Matt brings.”—Dr. Dennis Rainey, cofounder of FamilyLife

“I grew up being inspired by the honesty of Matt Hammitt and Sanctus Real’s lyrics. Their words and melodies met me in places of anxiety and doubt, while leading me back into the arms of Jesus above all else. At its core, this book carries the messages of the music we all love dearly. The transparency in Matt’s (and Sarah’s) storytelling is captivating as both a reader and a longtime fan turned friend. And as first-time parents, my husband and I have been encouraged and challenged by Lead Me to keep Christ at the forefront with every step we take for our marriage and family.”—Jamie Grace, Grammy-nominated singer-songwriter

“I’ve enjoyed Matt’s friendship for many years, and I’m grateful that he’s sharing his story with great honesty and transparency. The valleys in life can produce character and perseverance, and you’ll be challenged and encouraged by the character that’s on display throughout this book.”—Luke Smallbone, for King & Country

“Matt and Sarah are dear friends. I’ve followed the challenges their family has faced so gracefully in recent years and felt compelled to know the rest of their journey. For me, reading this book unlocked such a beautiful picture of a man choosing his family—embracing that no mission, platform, or opportunity is more important than the mission at home. It has reminded me as a husband and father not to miss the most important responsibility that God trusted to me alone. This story is powerful and will move you to tears and to action.”—Andrew Erwin, filmmaker, I Can Only Imagine

Featured Videos

Book Trailer: LEAD ME by Matt Hammitt

Product Details

224 pages | Published by Multnomah

On Sale Date: Feb 11, 2020

Trim Size: 5-1/2 x 8-1/4

Carton Quantity: 24

Sneak Peek

Read the first few chapters of Lead Me. The former lead singer of Christian music sensation Sanctus Real comes clean about the tension between life on the road and life at home. “Father, lead me, ’cause I can’t do this alone.” —“Lead Me” by Sanctus Real   Matt Hammitt had performed his hit song, “Lead Me,” almost a thousand times. And every time he sang, the lyrics echoed the voices of his own family. His marriage was strained. His kids were growing up without him. Matt’s good intentions could no longer sustain his family; he needed to be a man of action. Yet even as he told his Sanctus Real bandmates that he was leaving the band to invest in his family, he wondered: Was it really possible to be present at home and still provide financially too? In Lead Me, Matt identifies the tension many men experience when trying to balance work and home life. With bracing honesty, vulnerable storytelling, and practical application, Matt challenges you to be faithful both to God’s vocational call and to His call to lead your family well. Discover the extraordinary joy of actively and intentionally pursuing your wife and children. Matt reminds us that it’s messy. It’s difficult. And it’s the most rewarding thing you can do, beyond following Christ.

Press Release

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Contact: Chelsea Woodward, Publicist
cwoodward@penguinrandomhouse.com
(719) 268-1915
 
Grammy-Nominated Singer and Former Front Man of Sanctus Real Tells Raw Story of His Family Life, Inspires Men to Lead Their Families Well

“…This transparent and inspiring book verbalized so many things I have felt but have never talked about—the tension between work and family, marriage challenges, family life, anxiety, and hearing a call to ‘come home’…Matt has challenged me to be not just a man of polished presentations and good intentions but a man of authenticity and action. This intimate and exposed look into Matt’s and Sarah’s personal, professional, and spiritual lives gives me the courage and hope I need to be the man, the husband, and the father I’ve always wanted to be for my wife and kids.”
—Kirk Cameron, television and film actor and producer
 
Matt Hammitt, Grammy-nominated Christian singer and former front man of the band Sanctus Real, had performed the band’s hit song “Lead Me” almost a thousand timesTopping the charts, the song propelled Hammitt and the band to the height of their careers. But as the lyrics echoed through concert halls night after night and on radio stations across the country, they also echoed the hearts of Hammitt’s own family.
 
“Lead me with strong hands/Stand up when I can't/Don't leave me hungry for love/Chasing dreams, what about us?”
 
In his new book, LEAD ME: Finding Courage to Fight for Your Marriage, Children, and Faith (2/11/20, Multnomah), Hammitt takes an honest look at how fulfilling his dreams of life on the road with Sanctus Real—which often meant 250 days away from home each year—ultimately came at the cost of his family. As he digs deep into this personal struggle, he also recognizes that many men wrestle with this same tension between work and home life. 
 
Through vulnerable storytelling, Hammitt reflects on his challenging newlywed years—including hopping into a 15-passenger van with his band and wife, Sarah, immediately after their honeymoon—as well as the times he was thousands of miles away when crises hit at home. A particular tipping point came with the birth of his third child, Bowen, who was born with a life-threatening heart defect. As Hammitt and his wife grieved the diagnosis differently, he found himself back on the road, facing a new, unexpected set of personal challenges.


After years of living in an unhealthy cycle of communication and conflict, Hammitt realized that although he was a man of good intentions, he needed to be more than that—his family needed him to be a man of action.
 
“…my family needed more than financial provision,” writes Hammitt. “Something that another million streams of ‘Lead Me’ couldn’t give them. Sarah and the kids were hungry for me to provide for their emotional and spiritual needs, and I knew it was time for me to do more than just sing about it. I had to step up and be the man I was called to be, to move beyond my good intentions and take action as the spiritual leader of my family.”
 
As Hammitt’s story unfolds of how he answered the call to be a better husband and father—including parting ways with Sanctus Real—he challenges men to be the spiritual leaders of their own families, reminding them of the extraordinary joy that comes with that responsibility. 
 
With his passion for family, Hammitt’s ministry has since developed into speaking and performing at marriage and men’s conferences across the U.S. In 2018, he began touring alongside Kirk Cameron on the Living Room Reset tour, and together they minister to audiences ranging from 2,000 to 5,000 per event. Their next 30-city tour is set to launch in February 2020. 
 
Hammitt can speak to: 
- Sanctus Real’s hit song “Lead Me,” and both the heart and irony behind the song
- How Hammitt answered the call to be a better husband and father, and his challenge to men to be the spiritual leaders of their families 
- The struggle many men face putting their family’s emotional and spiritual needs first while also financially providing for their physical needs
- Why good intentions aren’t enough when it comes to leading your family
- Bowen’s life-threatening heart defect, the doctors’ suggestion to abort the pregnancy, and how the diagnosis affected Hammitt’s marriage
- Sometimes we can learn the most about love through hard stories like Bowen’s
- How Bowen has taught Matt selflessness in his marriage and parenthood  
- Hammitt’s current ministry to families, including the Living Room Reset tour
 
For more information, visit www.waterbrookmultnomah.com.
 
ABOUT THE AUTHOR
 
MATT HAMMITT is a singer, songwriter, and speaker. He was the lead singer for the band Sanctus Real from 1996 to 2016. Hammitt is the recipient of three Dove Awards and has been nominated for two Grammy Awards. After leaving the band, Hammitt joined the FamilyLife speaker team as a keynote speaker and performer at marriage and men’s conferences across the U.S., including Kirk Cameron’s Living Room Reset events.
 
Hammitt and his family have been featured on national television, including ABC News and 700 Club. He has also had articles published 
on websites including FoxNews.com, FocusOnTheFamily.com and FamilyLifeToday.com. Hammitt lives in Tennessee with his wife, Sarah, and their children. For more information, visit www.matthammitt.comand www.bowensheart.com. 
 
 
Facebook: www.facebook.com/MattHammitt
Instagram: @matthammitt 
Twitter: @matthammitt  

 
 
PRAISE FOR LEAD ME
“A gritty, authentic read about a courageous man who chose to step up and double down on loving and leading his wife and family spiritually. This is an epic book that every man, married or single, should read and have for his journey of becoming the man God created him to be. Buy an extra copy for a friend… We all need the kind of practical encouragement that Matt brings.”
—Dr. Dennis Rainey, cofounder of FamilyLife

“I’ve enjoyed Matt’s friendship for many years, and I’m grateful that he’s sharing his story with great honesty and transparency. The valleys in life can produce character and perseverance, and you’ll be challenged and encouraged by the character that’s on display throughout this book.”
—Luke Smallbone, for King & Country

“I grew up being inspired by the honesty of Matt Hammitt and Sanctus Real’s lyrics. Their words and melodies met me in places of anxiety and doubt, while leading me back into the arms of Jesus above all else. At its core, this book carries the messages of the music we all love dearly. The transparency in Matt’s (and Sarah’s) storytelling is captivating as both a reader and a longtime fan turned friend. And as first-time parents, my husband and I have been encouraged and challenged by Lead Me to keep Christ at the forefront with every step we take for our marriage and family.”
— Jamie Grace, Grammy-nominated singer-songwriter

“Matt and Sarah are dear friends. I’ve followed the challenges their family has faced so gracefully in recent years and felt compelled to know the rest of their journey. For me, reading this book unlocked such a beautiful picture of a man choosing his family—embracing that no mission, platform, or opportunity is more important than the mission at home. It has reminded me as a husband and father not to miss the most important responsibility that God trusted to me alone. This story is powerful and will move you to tears and to action.”
—Andrew Erwin, filmmaker, I Can Only Imagine

“I’ve always appreciated Matt’s willingness to bare his soul—for years in Sanctus Real’s music and now in his new book, Lead Me. He uses how God has comforted and challenged him in the past to encourage and comfort others in their own journeys, and that’s exactly what the Bible encourages us to do.”
—Scott Smith, on-air personality at K-LOVE Radio

“Matt does a brilliant job of pointing men back to the real hero of our families. . .Jesus.”
—Jerrad Lopes, founder of Dad Tired

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