Salt and Light Council Lecture Series Set Monday, April 20, 2026– Introduction to Manhood (250 Years Later)

Nearly 250 years ago at a meeting hall in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, fifty-six men entered the valley of decision. As delegates from the thirteen American Colonies, they gathered to consider what course of action they should take after “a long train of abuses” from a tyrannical government had increasingly encroached on their freedoms and threatened to remove them once and for all. The British army and navy had laid siege to Boston and the Americans were resisting. Peace with Britain was still possible, but at what price? As leaders and ministers in their communities, these men had been preaching, based on the Bible, that God made all men free and equal. Now the time had come for them to decide whether to declare independence and start their own nation: Did they really believe in the things they preached?

But they took their most daring leap by far when they signed the Declaration of Independence, possibly the greatest piece of political writing ever penned. They knew that when they put their names on that piece of paper they were committing treason in the eyes of the King, and if they were to lose the war, they would all be executed.

What makes their actions in signing the Declaration so incredible is that they had no reason to hope for success—in the natural. The British army was the largest and most powerful in the world as was the British navy. In contrast, America had virtually no navy and only a fledgling army under the command of fellow patriot, George Washington. The brandnew confederation of colonies had no allies, little money in its treasury, and few supplies. But these fifty-six men, whom we now call America’s “Founding Fathers,” placed their faith in God and did what their consciences and their convictions told them had to be done, even if it meant great cost to themselves. I submit to you that these men were obeying God’s calling to true manhood. 

These courageous men didn’t just sign a piece of paper and hope for the best; they followed through on their convictions. At this time in history, only twenty percent of the American public was in favor of the Declaration. Being moved by what was right, not by public opinion, these fifty-six men worked tirelessly for years until their vision became a reality. The courageous decision they made on that fateful July day at Independence Hall nearly 250 years ago, and their determined commitment to see it through, birthed what would become the greatest nation the world has ever known. Today in America, we are faced again with challenges that are not dissimilar to the ones that the signers of the Declaration of Independence faced.

As it was in 1776, today we need men of courage, integrity, and dedication to step up and not step aside! We need a remnant of men from this generation, for the sake of our families, our communities, and our beloved country, who will rise to the biblical calling of what it really means to be men. Unless we answer the call to manhood, there is no guarantee that America will continue to survive.

(Editor’s Note: Register for The Salt and Light Council Lecture Series with Richard Harris on Monday, April 20th at 5:45 p.m. PST. Attorney Harris, founder of Richard Harris Ministries, Executive Director of Truth & Liberty Coalition and host of Truth & Liberty will speak on: “One Nation Under God: The Cure for America’s Ills.” One of the root causes of America’s troubles is the false ideology of “secularism.” We must restore the proper understanding in our nation of the role of God and faith in public lies, so the Church can fully shine the light of Truth on the issues of our day. Men must also awaken to true manhood. Click here to register.)