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The Song: “Home” by Daughtry

Main Point of Discussion: God’s love is a “home” where we can always return when we go astray.

Vital Info Before You Get Started: (The following should help you contextualize this very popular song so you can have a great discussion about it with your kids.)

 

• Chris Daughtry is probably more than just a little pleased about “losing” American Idol, since he has become a very successful songwriter and leads a popular rock band.

 

• “Home” is a great tune about a safe place to return when life’s been hard—and even when we haven’t appreciated who’s at home, loving us the whole time we’ve been away (which probably is why it’s so popular with teens).

 

• Above all, don’t appear as if you have a “canned” discussion in your head and rattle off questions like a teacher giving a pop quiz—your kids get enough of that in school. This is a guide, primarily—not a verbatim script. Just familiarize yourself with the content here and start a conversation in the most natural, unforced way you know how.

The Music Video:
The song’s video can be found at the following link: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RRTqgYxWG6A

Lyrics: HomeI’m staring out into the night,
Trying to hide the pain.
I’m going to the place where love
And feeling good don’t ever cost a thing.
And the pain you feel’s a different kind of pain.

Well I’m going home,
Back to the place where I belong,
And where your love has always been enough for me.
I’m not running from.
No, I think you got me all wrong.
I don’t regret this life I chose for me.
But these places and these faces are getting old,
So I’m going home.
Well I’m going home.

The miles are getting longer, it seems,
The closer I get to you.
I’ve not always been the best man or friend for you.
But your love remains true.
And I don’t know why.
You always seem to give me another try.

So I’m going home,
Back to the place where I belong,
And where your love has always been enough for me.
I’m not running from.
No, I think you got me all wrong.
I don’t regret this life I chose for me.
But these places and these faces are getting old…

Be careful what you wish for,
‘Cause you just might get it all.
You just might get it all,
And then some you don’t want.
Be careful what you wish for,
‘Cause you just might get it all.
You just might get it all, yeah.

Oh, well I’m going home,
Back to the place where I belong,
And where your love has always been enough for me.
I’m not running from.
No, I think you got me all wrong.
I don’t regret this life I chose for me.
But these places and these faces are getting old.
I said these places and these faces are getting old,
So I’m going home.
I’m going home.
Three Simple Questions (with Answers You May Be Looking for):

Q: What’s the message of this song?

A: “Home” is about a safe place to return when life’s been hard—even when we haven’t appreciated who’s at home, loving us the whole time we’ve been away.

Q: How do you suppose we—as serious Christ-followers—should react to this song?

A: It should remind us of the gospel story—that God loves us unconditionally and doesn’t shut the door in our faces when we return to him in repentance.

Q: How can we move from healthy, Bible-based opinions about this song to actually living out those opinions?

A: The message here is the assurance that God always welcomes us with open arms—like a father who scoops up his children who run to him in complete trust and faith that they won’t be turned away. But many Christians don’t seem to hold that view of God—instead they see a stern judge or a vindictive spiritual force and, given the chance to run into God’s open arms, would hesitate, wondering if God might stop them in their tracks and wag his finger their way instead of loving them. We must remind ourselves that God is that loving father—and encourage (and pray for) others to that end.

Where to Take It from Here:
Wherever it feels natural. If these questions lead to a longer discussion on the topic, wonderful! (There’s a guide just after this paragraph that helps you do just that.) If your kids are barely uttering grunts, don’t get discouraged—the next time it feels right, try out another song. Keep engaging them.

For Deeper Discussion:
(If your kids seem into diving in deeper and looking at what the Bible has to say on the subject, the following discussion guide can help take you there.)

Want help getting your teenager engaged in conversation? CLICK HERE for a helpful article from our “Parenting Help” page providing you with 3 Essentials to Talking with Today’s Teens.

Transitional Statement:
In the lyrics to the song, Daughtry seems to be saying that even though he doesn’t regret the life he chose, he still desires to return home. For many of us, our homes—our roots—have a profound effect on who we are—“home” is our safe place.

More Discussion Questions:

1. HAVE ALL YOUR FAMILY MEMBERS ANSWER: What do you appreciate the most about our home?
2. ASK A FEW: Are there any ways you wish our home life was different?

Now say something like:
Probably all of us have things about our home life that we like, but also things we would like to change—sometimes we might even feel like leaving. We’re going to look at a story Jesus told about a person in that exact situation.

Read the following passage from the Bible:

1. 1. Luke 15:11-24 (NLT)

“A man had two sons. The younger son told his father, ‘I want my share of your estate now before you die.’ So his father agreed to divide his wealth between his sons.

“A few days later this younger son packed all his belongings and moved to a distant land, and there he wasted all his money in wild living. About the time his money ran out, a great famine swept over the land, and he began to starve. He persuaded a local farmer to hire him, and the man sent him into his fields to feed the pigs. The young man became so hungry that even the pods he was feeding the pigs looked good to him. But no one gave him anything.

“When he finally came to his senses, he said to himself, ‘At home even the hired servants have food enough to spare, and here I am dying of hunger! I will go home to my father and say, “Father, I have sinned against both heaven and you, and I am no longer worthy of being called your son. Please take me on as a hired servant.”’

“So he returned home to his father. And while he was still a long way off, his father saw him coming. Filled with love and compassion, he ran to his son, embraced him, and kissed him. His son said to him, ‘Father, I have sinned against both heaven and you, and I am no longer worthy of being called your son.’
“But his father said to the servants, ‘Quick! Bring the finest robe in the house and put it on him. Get a ring for his finger and sandals for his feet. And kill the calf we have been fattening. We must celebrate with a feast, for this son of mine was dead and has now returned to life. He was lost, but now he is found.’ So the party began.

1. ASK A FEW FAMILY MEMBERS: How do you think the father felt when he saw his son returning?
2. ASK A FEW FAMILY MEMBERS: How do you think the son felt when he received grace instead of condemnation from his dad?
3. HAVE ALL YOUR FAMILY MEMBERS ANSWER: The bottom line is that God is like the father in the parable—and even when we choose to go astray, if we are God’s children, we always have a choice to return to God’s open arms. So the key question for us: Have we wandered away from our real home—God? If not, have we thought about it, for whatever reasons? Let’s talk about that.

Wrap Up:
Tonight we’ve been talking about how God’s love is our true home, and we can always return there, even after we’ve gone astray. My challenge—remember that your heavenly Father is always there, with arms wide open, ready to welcome you back home.

Close in Prayer