Career
Green was born in Portland, Oregon to missionary parents, Charles and Jo Green. He is one of six siblings who spent much of his early life in Argentina. He studied Music at Grand Canyon University, graduating in 1976. He originally broke into Christian music with the Mobile, Alabama based youth worship group Truth. He also sang backup vocals and played bass with Sandi Patti, White Heart and the Gaither Vocal Band. In 1982, he joined the Christian rock band White Heart as a vocalist. But a difference in ministry vision accompanied by a confrontation with his brother, Randy, led to a spiritual renewal in Steve's life in 1983. He signed a solo contract with Sparrow Records, and his self-titled debut album appeared in 1984. In the same year, he established Steve Green Ministries.
His break out year came in 1985 with the release of He Holds The Keys. The album garnered Green a nomination and win as Male Vocalist of the Year in the Contemporary Christian Music (CCM) category. The following year, 1986, saw the release of two recordings, "For God And God Alone," and a high church style worship album entitled "A Mighty Fortress." The following year saw the release of his first Christmas recording, "Joy To The World." In early 1988, he released an album dedicated to his parents called "Find Us Faithful." As the 1980s came to an end, many of Green's songs became recognized standards including "People Need The Lord" and "Broken And Spilled Out." He was often considered the male version of Sandi Patti, using many of the same songwriters and styles as well as the traditional ending the song on a (literal) high note. Green also contributed background vocals to Patti's 1986 hit, "Let There Be Praise."
Green was one of the first artists to be involved with Promise Keepers, performing at their inaugural event at Folsom Field in Boulder, Colorado in July 1993 before 50,000 men. His song "Answer The Call" was inspired by the event and another song, "O Men of God Arise," embodies the Promise Keeper mentality.
Green recorded "The Mission" in 1989 and continued his success with "We Believe" in 1991. As the early 1990s direction of Christian music changed to a more rock oriented format, Green returned to traditional roots by releasing an album of hymns in 1992. Yet Green switched styles in 1994 on his "Where Mercy Begins" album. He also received the first of two career boosts due to outside events.
On September 9, 1994, a US Air jet crashed in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, killing all aboard. One passenger was an up and coming Christian singer named Kirk Lynn. Lynn has just recorded Green's song "As We Sail To Heaven's Shore" from the 1988 "Find Us Faithful" album. Only a rough cut played at the memorial service for the passengers, grieving family members were told where to find the original song by Green, which boosted album sales for the older recording.
Green's style change continued on his 1996 recording, "The Letter." He was also instrumental in attempting to set up an accountability group for Christian artists following the adultery scandals of Michael English, Marabeth Jordan, and Sandi Patty as well as the Mike Warnke debacle. He was helped in this endeavor by Steve Camp, Wes King, and Michael W. Smith. That year also saw the release of his second Christmas album, "The First Noel."
Green changed focus again in 1998 by declaring he would only record songs that honor the Lord - songs that he could be satisfied with should it be his last recording. That year saw the release of "The Faithful" and 2000 saw the release of a devotional song album entitled "Morning Light." Two years later Green released "Woven In Time" and again found himself receiving a career boost.
Space Shuttle Columbia Disaster
Green was a personal friend of Space Shuttle Columbia commander Rick Husband, who was killed along with six others in the February 2003 disintegration during reentry. Green was interviewed by CNN and his song "God Of Wonders" got a boost from the unexpected publicity. He released another album in 2005.
Green's sister is married to Dr. Mark Bailey, president of the evangelical Dallas Theological Seminary, and he helped the seminary celebrate its eightieth anniversary in April 2004. He has also written a thirty day devotional titled, "The Power of the Cross" and has recorded numerous children's videos and songs.
His bilingual abilities have seen the release of two Spanish CDs in the United States.
He is married to Marijean Green, who has testified to her own struggle with bulimia and they have two children, Summer (b. 1984) and Josiah (b. 1986).
Green has expanded his musical ministry to include videos and James Dobson's Focus on the Family.
Embrace the Cross
Steve Green Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Therefore I no longer live
Jesus Christ now lives in me
I am crucified with Christ
Therefore I no longer live
Jesus Christ now lives in me
I am crucified with Christ
Jesus Christ now lives in me
I am crucified with Christ
Therefore I no longer live
Jesus Christ now lives in me
Embrace the cross where Jesus suffered
Though it will cost all you claim as yours
Your sacrifice will seem small beside the treasure
Eternity can't measure what Jesus holds in store
Embrace the love the cross requires
Cling to the One whose heart knew every pain
Receive from Jesus fountains of compassion
Only He can fashion your heart to move as His
Oh, wondrous cross, our desires rest in you
Oh, Lord Jesus, make us bolder
To face with courage the shame and disgrace
You bore upon Your shoulder
Embrace the life that comes from dying
Come trace the steps the Savior walked for you
An empty tomb concludes Golgotha's sorrow
Endure then till tomorrow, your cross of suffering
Embrace the cross
Embrace the cross
The cross of Jesus
These lyrics from Steve Green’s song Embrace The Cross are powerful in their proclamation of being crucified with Christ and allowing Him to live in us. The first stanza emphasizes the idea of dying to ourselves and being alive in Christ. The repetition of “I am crucified with Christ, Therefore I no longer live, Jesus Christ now lives in me” drives this point home. This is an allusion to Galatians 2:20 which says, “I have been crucified with Christ and I no longer live, but Christ lives in me. The life I now live in the body, I live by faith in the Son of God, who loved me and gave himself for me.”
The second stanza speaks to the sacrifice that embracing the cross requires. It implies that what we give up is nothing compared to what we gain, which is eternal life with Jesus Christ. The third stanza urges the listener to embrace the love that the cross requires and to cling to Jesus, the one who understands every kind of pain. The fourth stanza speaks to the hope that comes from embracing the cross and the life that comes from dying to ourselves. It encourages listeners to follow in the steps of Christ, bearing their own cross of suffering with endurance until tomorrow.
Overall, the message of the song is clear: to embrace the cross of Christ is to die to ourselves and live in Him, allowing His love and compassion to shape us and move us to live and love as He did.
Line by Line Meaning
I am crucified with Christ
I have died to my old self and my sins, and now live according to the teachings of Jesus Christ.
Therefore I no longer live
My old self and my sinful ways no longer have control over me.
Jesus Christ now lives in me
My life is now guided by the teachings of Jesus Christ.
Embrace the cross where Jesus suffered
Follow the teachings and the example of Jesus Christ, even if it means suffering or sacrificing things that you may hold dear.
Though it will cost all you claim as yours
Following Jesus Christ may require giving up things that are important to you, but in the end, it will be worth it.
Your sacrifice will seem small beside the treasure
The reward for following Jesus Christ will be much greater than any sacrifices you have to make along the way.
Eternity can't measure what Jesus holds in store
The rewards that Jesus Christ has waiting for us in the afterlife are beyond measure and comprehension.
Embrace the love the cross requires
Follow Jesus Christ's teachings of love, compassion, and sacrifice, which are exemplified in his crucifixion on the cross.
Cling to the One whose heart knew every pain
Hold onto Jesus Christ, who suffered greatly on the cross and understands the pain and struggles of human life.
Receive from Jesus fountains of compassion
Through following Jesus Christ's example, we can receive compassion for others and develop our hearts to be more like his own.
Only He can fashion your heart to move as His
Jesus Christ has the ability to shape our hearts to become more like his, full of love and compassion for others.
Oh, wondrous cross, our desires rest in you
Jesus Christ's crucifixion on the cross is a symbol of his love for humanity and the ultimate sacrifice he made for our salvation. It is the source of our hope and desires.
Oh, Lord Jesus, make us bolder
Through the power of Jesus Christ, we can find courage to face the challenges of life and stand up for our beliefs.
To face with courage the shame and disgrace
We should not be ashamed to follow Jesus Christ, even if it means being ridiculed or facing persecution.
You bore upon Your shoulder
Jesus Christ carried the burden of all of humanity's sins on his back, and through his crucifixion, he provided salvation for all.
Embrace the life that comes from dying
By dying to our old selves and following Jesus Christ, we can experience true life and find meaning and purpose in our existence.
Come trace the steps the Savior walked for you
Follow Jesus Christ's example and live your life in a way that reflects his teachings and principles.
An empty tomb concludes Golgotha's sorrow
Jesus Christ's resurrection from the dead represents the ultimate triumph over death, and symbolizes the hope and promise of eternal life for all.
Endure then till tomorrow, your cross of suffering
We may face challenges and difficulties in life, but by following Jesus Christ's example, we can find strength to endure and overcome them.
Embrace the cross
Follow Jesus Christ's example, even if it means suffering or sacrificing things that you may hold dear.
Embrace the cross
Follow Jesus Christ's example, even if it means suffering or sacrificing things that you may hold dear.
The cross of Jesus
The crucifixion of Jesus Christ on the cross is a symbol of his sacrifice, love, and teachings, and serves as a reminder for us to follow his example.
Contributed by Peyton E. Suggest a correction in the comments below.
@FerventInPrayer
This has to be the most passionate song. Every year since 1990 I keep singing this song wanting all to hear it during the Easter Season. I have been searching for this song for 20 years (knew it by a diff. title)and finally found it once again this year. Tonight, I sing it before our Congregation this Good Friday. My prayer that it will touch their hearts the way it has with me and many others. Thanks Steve Green for ever so much blessing your people. God's Hugs..
@harmonno98
A great song, reminding us of our suffering Savior, taking our rightful punishment, and motivating us to live the message, and take it to a lost and dying world.
@vraikou
This is a very special song for me since it what I sang in my church the day of my baptism. And I don't really think I could give a better message on that day. This is what it is all about to see His cross and what He has offered us. Be blessed.
@DJPantanal2014
Wonderful ! Thanks for posting it !