Newsboys singer Michael Tait says he accepted Christ after hearing a sermon on Hell in high school
The lead singer of the Christian band Newsboys, who was also part of the Christian rap-rock group DC Talk, Michael Tait, says he accepted Jesus as his Lord and Savior after hearing a sermon about Hell while in high school.
In a Dec. 23 interview with CBN News' Billy Hallowell, the 57-year-old Tait said he didn't fully accept Christ into his heart until his final year in high school, even though he was one of nine children raised by a pastor.
Tait, who attended a private Christian school in Maryland, said a preacher named Jerry Johnston shared a message that many religious leaders today do not "preach about much anymore."
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"He preached on the subject of Hell. And how real Hell is, how beautiful Heaven is, and how you can't get saved on the back of your dad or your mom," Tait shared, adding that he remembers the preacher also said: "It's not osmosis. It's a thing we have to be one-on-one with God."
Tait said the preacher's words made him "fired up that day." After the sermon, Tait said he went up for prayer and accepted Christ as his Savior that same day.
Ever since the day he accepted Christ, the Grammy Award-winning musician said he has tried to live a life that pleases God by following the Bible to the best of his ability.
But, as any other Christian might experience from time to time, he said there have been times in his walk with God when he struggled to meet the tall standards that Scripture holds for the children of God.
But Tait said God has been merciful in carrying Him through the bumps in the road he has encountered throughout his spiritual journey.
"God has been so faithful to this boy, so faithful to me when I had been grossly unfaithful more than once. But he keeps bringing me back to the cross," Tait said.
"God speaks to me through my voice. How I feel when I sing or what I sing, it comes back at me like a boomerang," the singer continued.
"God goes, 'I love you, boy. Stay the course. It's OK. I will never leave you nor forsake you. Confess your sin. Right your wrongs and keep walking forward.'"
Tait said always having the public's eye on him, especially within the walls of the Church, can sometimes be a "daunting" experience.
"It gets tough sometimes. But, to who much is given, much is required. I will never shun that," he said.
Tait believes Jesus spoke through his earthly father to teach him the biggest lesson he has ever learned.
His dad taught him that he should always practice what he preaches when it comes to sharing his lyrical craft with others.
"My dad told me as a kid — he goes, 'Son, if you don't mean it, don't sing it.' … I've learned just to stay true to who you are when you're doing what you do," Tait added.
Nicole Alcindor is a reporter for The Christian Post.
