When the Storms Come

Posted on October 14, 2026 by Roger E. Bruner

A home recording of this song is available here. You’ll find a free lead sheet here.

Those who will listen to Jesus’ words
And try to obey them are like a wise man,
One who builds his house on a rock,
And when the storms come,
It will stand firm.

When the storms come and the flood waters rise,
When the winds blow, his house will survive.

Those who don’t listen to Jesus’ words
Or try to obey them are like a fool,
One who builds his house on the sand,
And when the storms come,
It will fall down.

When the storms come and the flood waters rise,
When the winds blow, his house will collapse.

When the storms come and the flood waters rise,
When the winds blow, will your house survive?

This  Scripture-based song comes from Matthew 7:24-27. . .

24 “Therefore everyone who hears these words of mine and puts them into practice is like a wise man who built his house on the rock. 25 The rain came down, the streams rose, and the winds blew and beat against that house; yet it did not fall, because it had its foundation on the rock. 26 But everyone who hears these words of mine and does not put them into practice is like a foolish man who built his house on sand. 27 The rain came down, the streams rose, and the winds blew and beat against that house, and it fell with a great crash.”
(NIV)

I’ll never forget hearing a knowledgeable architect use this Scripture as the basis for his devotional. As many sermons and lessons as I’ve heard over the years, no one else had ever made the point he did. This was his spin.

Yes, rock makes the most secure foundation, but sand is the next best. So anyone building on sand is at least using the second best foundation available.

I’m still not sure how his point related to the one Jesus was making. It’s not as if believing in Jesus and obeying His words is best and ignoring him is second best.

The Scripture is clear. We should build on the best, the only sure foundation–Jesus as Lord and Savior–or lose everything. Eternally speaking.

I hope your life is built on the Solid Rock. Not just to have the assurance of eternity with God in heaven, but to live the most meaningful life possible here on earth. That doesn’t mean trouble-free or pain-free. But it does mean experiencing the kind of hope, peace, and satisfaction there’s no other source of.

What is your life built on?

I’ll be back again next Wednesday. Please join me then. Better still, sign up to receive these weekly posts by email.

I write Christian novels as well as songs.  If you’ve read and enjoyed Wait for Me, would you mind leaving a simple review on Amazon?

   

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As Independent As Cats

Posted on October 7, 2026 by Roger E. Bruner

You may listen to this song here.  The cat’s meow at the end was recorded live. A free lead sheet is available here.

We’re as independent as cats,
And we lived our lives on our own
Till we meowed at God’s door
And Jesus Christ took us in,
Took us in, took us in.

Jesus bandaged all of our wounds,
And He made His house our new home.
Ignoring we were just strays,
He treated us as His own,
As His own, as His own.

Though we love our Master so much,
We’re still independent as cats.
We run and play under foot
And paw at fish in the tank,
In the tank, in the tank.

When He calls us, we may just yawn;
When he pets us, we may jump down.
We nip His toes as He sleeps
And we knock plants from the shelf,
From the shelf, from the shelf.

We sun in the window and watch
All the strays Christ wants to bring in;
Then we slink off and we sulk,
Because He loves them all, too,
He loves them, too, He loves them, too.

We’re as independent as cats,
And we lived our lives on our own
Till we meowed at God’s door. . .

This song is one my most unusual ones. I mean, the very idea of comparing ourselves as Christians to stray cats who’ve found a perfect home. How insulting!

And it’s not as if Christians are actually God’s “pets,” either.

But if you get past those objections, I think you’ll find some pretty apt points. Before becoming Believers, we stray and live our lives our own way. Once we become Christians, we’re assured of a permanent place in Heaven, where we will live under God’s eternal care and protection. Not to mention having His loving care while we’re still living on earth.

But do we always behave? Do we always do the things God expects of us? Do we always show our appreciation of Him? Do we always treat Him with the love and respect He deserves?

Not me. No matter how good my intentions, I’m like the apostle Paul, who wrote that in spite of his desire to do good, he still ended up doing bad things.

We should rejoice whenever another sinner comes into God’s family. While we’re not apt to act like Jonah, who griped at God for saving the people of Nineveh after he preached there rather than destroying them, we sometimes feel that way when some really evil person claims to have become a Christian. We don’t want to believe it and we don’t want him or her to be our equal in God’s sight.

A long time ago I read a novel that pointed out that each of us is God’s favorite person. He doesn’t love anyone more–or less–than He does anyone else. So there’s no need for jealousy.

I’ll be back again next Wednesday. Please join me then. Better still, sign up to receive these weekly posts by email.

Wait for Me is my most recent novel. If you’re one of the people who’ve already read it, Amazon would love to have your review.

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God’s True Children

Posted on September 30, 2026 by Roger E. Bruner

You’ll find a free PDF lead sheet of this song by clicking  here.  It shows the original version in 3/4 time. I’ve since changed it to 4/4, which you may listen to a home recording of  by clicking here. Caution: Because of the nature of the stanza progressions, you won’t offend me if you prefer not to listen to all of it.

Who are God’s true children? (3x)
All who believe.

Who will believe in God’s Son, (3x)
Unless they have heard?

Who will hear of God’s love, (3x)
Unless they are told?

Who will tell them God’s good news, (3x)
Unless somebody goes?

Who will go to tell them, (3x)
Unless someone is sent?

Who will send out tellers, (3x)
Unless somebody cares?

Who cares enough to send them, (3x)
But true children of God?

Who are God’s true children? (3x)
All who believe.

“God’s True Children” is what I would describe as a circular song. You’ll notice the progression as one word in each stanza ties it to the next stanza. Then that stanza introduces a word that will be referred to in the following stanza. And so forth and so on until the song returns to where it started: “Who are God’s true children?” in a slightly different context.

Although this song is based loosely on Romans 10:13-15, which I’ve included below, I wouldn’t have been foolish enough to try to “improve on” the Bible. I did, however, make an effort to fill in between the lines and give this idea a slightly different spin.

Romans 10:13-15
13 for every one — whoever shall call upon the name of the Lord, he shall be saved.’
14 How then shall they call upon [him] in whom they did not believe? and how shall they believe [on him] of whom they did not hear? and how shall they hear apart from one preaching?
15 and how shall they preach, if they may not be sent? according as it hath been written, `How beautiful the feet of those proclaiming good tidings of peace, of those proclaiming good tidings of the good things!’
Young’s Literal Translation (YLT)

I write Christian novels as well as songs. The most recent song is shown below. The twenty-five-book picture is a link to my Amazon Author Page.

I’ll be back again next Wednesday. Please join me then. Better still, sign up to receive these weekly posts by email.

        

 

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By Faith We Are Saved

Posted on September 23, 2026 by Roger E. Bruner

By faith we are saved,
But by our fruit we prove that
We’re what we claim to be.
For we cannot be light
If we hide from the world
That is dying in darkness.

By faith we are saved,
But by our light we are known.

By faith we are saved,
But by our fruit we prove that
We’re what we claim to be.
For we cannot be salt
If we lose the taste of love
That this world’s dying for.

By faith we are saved,
But by our salt we are known.

By faith we are saved,
And with hope we endure.
But with love we are everything
God wants us to be.

The Scripture basis is Matthew 5:13-14. . .

13 “You are the salt of the earth. But if the salt loses its saltiness, how can it be made salty again? It is no longer good for anything, except to be thrown out and trampled underfoot.
14 “You are the light of the world. A town built on a hill cannot be hidden. 15 Neither do people light a lamp and put it under a bowl. Instead they put it on its stand, and it gives light to everyone in the house. 16 In the same way, let your light shine before others, that they may see your good deeds and glorify your Father in heaven.”
(NIV)

Yet it also hints of ideas in 1 Corinthians 13:1-3. . .

1 If I speak in the tongues[a] of men or of angels, but do not have love, I am only a resounding gong or a clanging cymbal. 2 If I have the gift of prophecy and can fathom all mysteries and all knowledge, and if I have a faith that can move mountains, but do not have love, I am nothing. 3 If I give all I possess to the poor and give over my body to hardship that I may boast,[b] but do not have love, I gain nothing.
(NIV)

And perhaps a sprinkling of Mark 9:50. . .

50 “Salt is good, but if it loses its saltiness, how can you make it salty again? Have salt among yourselves, and be at peace with each other.”
(NIV)

While this song doesn’t specifically refer to James 2:14-17, I certainly had that in mind when writing “By Faith We Are Saved”. . .

14 What good is it, my brothers and sisters, if someone claims to have faith but has no deeds? Can such faith save them? 15 Suppose a brother or a sister is without clothes and daily food. 16 If one of you says to them, “Go in peace; keep warm and well fed,” but does nothing about their physical needs, what good is it? 17 In the same way, faith by itself, if it is not accompanied by action, is dead.
(NIV)

Faith is a good thing. Right?

Faith in God. Faith in our family and friends. Faith in our neighbors. Faith in ourselves.

Yet our neighbors–and even our closest family and friends–occasionally let us down. Just as we let them down.

But God never lets us down. He may not always do things the way we want–He has a perspective and a purpose we lack–but He is faithful. Always. Every time. Under all circumstances.

It’s reassuring to know that our relationship with God results from our faith in Him through accepting His Son, Jesus, as our Lord and Savior.

But as the Scriptures this song is based on emphasize, faith ought to result in “works”–doing the things God expects of us. This post would be endless if I tried to quote the appropriate verses.

Suffice it to say that God expects us to be salt and light to the world. If we demonstrate real Christian love to those about us, we will bear the kind of fruit that shows the world that our faith–and the God our faith is in–is real.

Here’s the lead sheet for “By Faith We Are Saved. A recent recording is here.

I also write Christian novel

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Comfort Zone

Posted on September 16, 2026 by Roger E. Bruner

You may listen to a recording of this song here. A free PDF of the lead sheet is available here.

Why should I wake when I can sleep?
Why should I stand when I can sit?
Why should I run when I can walk, Lord?
I want to stay safe,
I want to stay safe
In my comfort zone.

In my comfort zone, Lord,
In my comfort zone.
I want to stay safe, Lord,
In my comfort zone.

Why should I go when I can give?
Why should I preach when I can pray?
Why should I serve when I can send, Lord?
I want to stay safe,
I want to stay safe
In my comfort zone.

In my comfort zone, Lord,
In my comfort zone.
I want to stay safe, Lord,
In my comfort zone.

Lord, You want me to go WHERE?
Lord, You want me to do WHAT?
Don’t You know I can’t do THAT, Lord?
I’m scared to go out,
I’m scared to go out
From my comfort zone.

From my comfort zone, Lord,
From my comfort zone.
I’m scared to go out, Lord,
From my comfort zone.
From my comfort zone, Lord,
From my comfort zone.
Give me faith to go out
From my comfort zone.

Twenty-some years ago I attended a missions conference at what was then the Ridgecrest Lifeway Conference Center in western North Carolina. I was in the auditorium late one morning playing my guitar for fun. The only other person in the auditorium–a lady–asked me to sing something for her. I chose this song, and it appeared to move her.

That evening when the call to surrender to mission service was given, a woman I believed to be the same one was one of the people who came forward. She said she’d been afraid to come out of her comfort zone before, but now was ready.

I felt great, knowing that my song had apparently helped to inspire her to overcome her fear.

Although our salvation through faith in Christ is free, the Christian life can be costly at times. God has high expectations of His Children. In fact, He wants each of us to participate in His Family business: reaching out to the lost and inviting them to join His family, too.

That’s not always easy. Especially for those of us who have trouble sharing our faith verbally. While a lifestyle witness is desirable, it may not accomplish much if we’re unwilling to say something about our faith.

A number of years ago a friend asked why I never talked about my religious beliefs. I told him I’d been counting on the way I lived to speak for me. He told me in no uncertain terms that my lifestyle by itself didn’t cut it.

I suppose we’re all afraid to go out of our comfort zones in regard to one thing or another. But my constant prayer is that God will take me far enough out of mine to be a better witness than I used to be. It’s a long, slow process, though.

Has God brought you out of your comfort zone about something you were afraid–or at least quite hesitant–to do? How about sharing a comment…

I write Christian novels as well as songs. The most recent one is shown below. The twenty-four-book graphic is a link to my Amazon Author Page.

Links you might be interested in:

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The More Like Him I Grow

Posted on September 9, 2026 by Roger E. Bruner

Even though I prefer to make new recordings of the songs I post here if the older ones aren’t up to snuff. Sometimes I can’t do as well now, much less better. The recording of this song is too special to try to improve on, as you’ll understand why when you read its history below these lyrics…

God is my Heavenly Father;
He made me who I am.
He wants all that’s best for me;
It’s written in His plan.
His Son is like a big brother
Who guides me as I go.
The closer I walk beside Jesus,
The more like Him I grow.
Yes, the more like Him I grow.

The more I come to love Jesus,
The more I learn about me:
Who I was and who I am
And who God wants me to be.
It’s a lifelong transformation;
The changes seem so slow.
Yet the more I seek to please Jesus,
The more like Him I grow.
Yes, the more like Him I grow.

While I was away on a mission trip to Australia in 1995, my daughter, Kristi, made a profession of her faith in Jesus Christ at our home church; she was eight years old at the time. I wrote this song soon after my return, dedicating it “to Kristi at the beginning of her Christian growth.”

She sang it with me at our church not long after that and again at the Windsor District Baptist Church in Australia on a family trip in 1996. Never has her singing been sweeter. We’re singing it together here. A free lead sheet is here.

Our growth into human adulthood takes years, and our growth into full Christian maturity takes even longer. As this song states, the growth into being who God wants us to be “is a lifelong transformation.”

Christians don’t necessarily mature equally. But those who “seek to please Jesus” will continue to grow into the kind of people God wants them to be.

I write Christian novels as well as songs. Wait for Me is a new release. It’s quite different from any of my other twenty-four novels.


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Working Behind the Scenes

Posted on September 2, 2026 by Roger E. Bruner

You may listen to this song here. A free lead sheet is available here.

I believe God’s working behind the scenes;
He’s helping me in ways I can’t see.
God understands all my problems;
He knows my best efforts are not enough to solve them.

I believe God’s working behind the scenes;
He’s retouching my faded hopes and dreams.
God always provides the things He knows I need.

I believe God’s holding me in His hands,
Assuring me I’m safe in His plans.
God banishes fear and confusion;
I know that His way is the only true solution.

I believe God’s working behind the scenes,
Drawing from His unlimited means.
God always provides the things He knows I need.

In 2003 I was downsized from my work as a programmer/analyst after working almost nineteen years at a Christian organization. I wasn’t quite fifty-seven at the time–far too young to think of retiring.

At the same time, trying to keep up with the changes in Information Technology had worn me out so much I couldn’t conceive of continuing to work in that field.

I participated in several job search groups, but my favorite was a small group sponsored by a local Presbyterian church. It met weekly for breakfast at a Bob Evans restaurant. The fellowship among the men in the group was wonderful, and God inspired me to write this song and dedicate it to the group.

I might add as a P.S. that I ended up working  a while at home as a part-time administrative assistant for a management consultant. When she ran out of work even for herself, I started a three-year job on the register at Target.

During that time, I wrote my first novel and started attending Christian writer’s conferences. By the time I turned sixty-two, my wife agreed that writing was more important than working outside the home–and I was eligible for more Social Security than I’d been making at Target, anyhow.

So I look back on that whole time and see God’s hand leading me from stepping stone to stepping stone as I hopped across what at first had appeared to be an uncrossable river.

And that makes this song all the more personal to me.

I write Christian novels as well as songs. Wait for Me is a new release. It’s quite different from any of my other twenty-four novels.

Links you might be interested in:

 

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Psalm Eight

Posted on August 26, 2026 by Roger E. Bruner

When I look up into the night skies
And see the wonders that Your hands have made,
I see the moon and I see the stars,
And I marvel that You bother with man.

Yet You made man to be just lower than angels
And put a crown of glory on his head
And You placed him in charge of the whole earth.
May the wonders of Your ways fill the world.

Yes, You made man to be just lower than angels
And put a crown of glory on his head
And You placed him in charge of the whole earth.
May the wonders of Your ways fill the world.

“Psalm Eight” is based on the following verses, although it doesn’t include all of them…

3 When I consider your heavens,
    the work of your fingers,
the moon and the stars,
    which you have set in place,
4 what is mankind that you are mindful of them,
    human beings that you care for them?
5 You have made them a little lower than the angels
    and crowned them with glory and honor.
6 You made them rulers over the works of your hands;
    you put everything under their feet:
7 all flocks and herds,
    and the animals of the wild,
8 the birds in the sky,
    and the fish in the sea,
    all that swim the paths of the seas.
9 Lord, our Lord,
    how majestic is your name in all the earth!
(NIV)

I often pray while lying in bed going to sleep. One thing I especially like to do is praise God for everything He is. He is far beyond my ability to comprehend, and dwelling on that fact helps me to grow in my faith.

I often say something like, “Lord, I can’t see the night skies from my bedroom, but if I could, I would feel just like the Psalmist who wrote Psalm 8.” Then I proceed to express my marvel that someone as big as He is could care so deeply about someone as tiny as I am.

No wonder this song means so much to me.

The next time you look into the night sky, let the Psalmist’s words–or the lyrics to this song–flow from your heart as you meditate on God’s infiniteness in contrast to our finiteness.

You may listen to a recording here. A lead sheet for this song may be found here.

My most recent Christian novel is available on Amazon in both print and Kindle editions.

 

Posted in Angels, Man, Night Sky, Praise, Psalms, Wonder, Worship | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , , | Leave a comment

What I Can Do for You I’m Doing for Him

Posted on August 19, 2026 by Roger E. Bruner

No matter how serious the meaning of this song, it’s also a bit fun. You might enjoy listening to it here . A free lead sheet can be found here.

Let me feed you when you are hungry;
Let me quench your thirst when you feel dry.
Let me shelter you when it’s cold outside.
Let me cheer you up when you feel cold inside.

Let me walk with you when you’re lonely;
Let me lift you up when you fall.
Let me show you the love of Jesus:
What I can do for you I’m doing for Him.

Let me love you when you need love;
Let me visit you when you’re in jail.
Let me wash your feet when you enter my house;
Let me clothe you in my very best.

Let me walk with you when you’re lonely;
Let me lift you up when you fall.
Let me show you the love of Jesus:
What I can do for you I’m doing for Him.

Let me forgive you when you have wronged me,
Let me turn the other cheek.
Let me bring you soup when you’re home sick in bed;
Let me listen to your ills, not make you listen to mine.

Let me walk with you when you’re lonely;
Let me lift you up when you fall.
Let me show you the love of Jesus:
What I can do for you I’m doing for Him.

Jesus talked many times about the importance of ministry to others. One of His most popular sayings is from Matthew 10:42:

“And if anyone gives even a cup of cold water to one of these little ones who is my disciple, truly I tell you, that person will certainly not lose their reward.”

But He also talked specifically about ministering to Him by ministering to others. Many of the ideas this song uses come from Matthew 25:40-46:

40 “The King will reply, ‘Truly I tell you, whatever you did for one of the least of these brothers and sisters of mine, you did for me.’
41 “Then he will say to those on his left, ‘Depart from me, you who are cursed, into the eternal fire prepared for the devil and his angels. 42 For I was hungry and you gave me nothing to eat, I was thirsty and you gave me nothing to drink, 43 I was a stranger and you did not invite me in, I needed clothes and you did not clothe me, I was sick and in prison and you did not look after me.’
44 “They also will answer, ‘Lord, when did we see you hungry or thirsty or a stranger or needing clothes or sick or in prison, and did not help you?’
45 “He will reply, ‘Truly I tell you, whatever you did not do for one of the least of these, you did not do for me.’
46 “Then they will go away to eternal punishment, but the righteous to eternal life.”

What do you think? Is Jesus speaking to you the way He’s speaking to me? We (individually) aren’t responsible for feeding and caring for the whole world, but our lives touch people who need something from us–whether physical help, encouragement, or simply a listening ear. Are we willing do that much for Jesus?

You may already know that I also write Christian novels. Wait for Me, pictured with the cover below, has just been released. You may find it on Amazon by clicking here. The postcard graphic displays my other twenty-four novels.

Links you might be interested in:

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The Cross Song

Posted on August 12, 2026 by Roger E. Bruner

You may listen to this song here and get a free lead sheet here.

Won’t you tell me about that cross that’s hanging down from your neck?
Did you get it as a gift or purchase it for yourself?
Did you choose to wear it now or put it on by habit?
Won’t you tell me about that cross that’s hanging down from your neck?

Won’t you tell me about that cross you’re wearing as a necklace?
Do you usually have it on or mostly keep it boxed up?
Is it just some pretty shape or does it have some meaning?
Won’t you tell me about that cross you’re wearing as a necklace?

Won’t you tell me about that cross you’re wearing upon your neck?
Do you often think of  it or take it much for granted?
Does it tell what you believe or is it merely jewelry?
Won’t you tell me about that cross you’re wearing upon your neck?

I wear this cross upon my neck to tell how God loves me.
I wear this cross upon my neck to show I love Him, too.
I wear this cross upon my neck to say that God loves you,
For His Son died upon a cross,
But He rose from death to give us life,
When we trust in Him.

Thanks to my former pastor, Randy Mathis, for making me think more seriously about the reasons people wear crosses.

If you’re like me, you frequently notice people–both men and women–who are wearing crosses. Some are small. Petite. Some are big and look heavy enough to ward off an attacker if the wearer took it off and swung it.

But are all of those people Christians? We can’t tell just by looking, but we can express admiration for their crosses. Sometimes we may even be able to ask about their significance.

Are you prepared to reply truthfully if someone asks about your cross.

Look for me again next Wednesday. Better still, subscribe to receive these weekly posts by email.

My twenty-fifth Christian novel, Wait for Me, is out and available on Amazon in both print and Kindle editions. The cover (front and back) is depicted in the graphic below. Underneath that is a graphic showing the covers of the first twenty-four books.

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