Matt Wood: The Christian Cover Guy

He’s handsome, smart, and an all around nice guy—the all American boy look is in. Computer technology consultant Matt Wood was voted one of the hottest guys in America-- Cosmopolitan’s Bachelor of the Year for 2006.

700 club producer Dory Nissen recently sat down with Matt and learned that behind his great looks and blue eyes, is a big heart and a man on a mission.

Dory Nissen: When your hairdresser sent in your picture, were you shy about it? What was your reaction?

Matt Wood: I figured, what’s the harm in it [?]... the chances that I would get picked are so slim to none, and she was having a blast, so I said go for it.

[Matt was chosen to represent Colorado and was flown to New York for the finals.]

Nissen: And then, Mr. Colorado … you win! Could you believe it?

Wood: Oh it was unreal. I literally had to look down at my shirt and said, “Oh Colorado, that guy sounds familiar." And people were shaking my hand and pulling me forward to give my acceptance speech. All the cameras were flashing and I said, "I’m just Matt."

Nissen: And the media keeps calling!

Wood: There are so many doors, I can hardly name them all ... national commercials, auditions for CSI, Days of Our Lives ... across the board, doors have opened. I got a call from Survivor. I got a call from The Bachelor ... all these calls have come in.

Nissen: But there is a side to Matt Wood that goes far deeper than a stunning physique. Matt is a born again believer. Raised in a Christian home, he accepted Christ as a child and never looked back.

Wood: It comes down to Jesus. He is my Lord, Savior, and life. When you experience Jesus as life, your whole life changes because the air you breathe is Him! My life is Christ, and when I live it's Christ speaking, it’s Christ walking, it’s Christ living, and I think that’s what these people have seen.

Nissen: Matt, are you concerned that people will say that you are just saying that and this is some kind of bandwagon you are on?

Wood: No, absolutely not.

Nissen: So, you don’t care?

Wood: Yeah, pretty much. I don’t fight my battles anymore. When you give your life to Christ you give Him everything -- including defending yourself. There have been things that have come up in the media right after I won that questioned my character. So yeah, I got attacked for sure, but I don’t fight those battles. No bandwagon, I’m for Jesus. If that’s a bandwagon than I'm on the bandwagon.

Nissen: The bottom line is much of Cosmopolitan’s content is not in line with someone with Christian character. In our lives, we are bombarded with things that we consider not Christian and not in our Christian character. But it’s about Christ and when He opens the door, you can’t say no. And He may take you into some tough places -- places where you are really going to be challenged.

Wood: Oh, there was a lot of prayer involved. I mean I said, "God what have you got me doing here? This is not the first thing I would have thought You’d put on my plate as far as being a witness." But that‘s how God works -- He never picks the easy way .

Matt is very passionate about a few things -- acting and modeling … and kids! So when Matt won a $15,000 bachelor pad makeover, he asked for cash instead to do something special. Matt bought film and editing equipment, teamed up with some Christian friends with film and acting backgrounds, and established a summer camp for kids interested in the arts. Matt’s message is clear.

"You are accepted, you are worth it. So I have an audition with McDonalds, but I’m not going to walk in and say, 'Like me, like me -- please like me. Hey look at me, I’m cool right. I can do hot. I can do geeky -- that’s easy.' "

"We are sheparding here. We are lifting them up -- and it’s not so much as telling them what do do or telling them how to live," he says.

"I had a chance to speak at a youth conference, and I spoke on purity. The thing I wanted to drive home was not so much, 'You gotta live pure, you gotta live righteous' but, 'You are pure, you are righteous. So live like it! You are the prince and princess of the king!' And if I can get that message across that you are a son and a daughter of the king, man you can change the world," he adds.

Matt has a new girlfriend. He met Raqel through this experience—a Christian women whose passion for sharing Christ with people is as strong as Matts.

"I would want to show people that Matt Wood is a personality. And it’s Christ living through Matt's personality, and that’s the Christian life. Matt Wood can not live the Christian life, but Christ through Matt Wood can live the Christian life."