As singer/songwriter Rhett Walker performs concerts around the country, he desires to connect audiences with the gospel by sharing powerful messages about how God has transformed and redeemed his life.
“There’s just nothing we can do without God’s grace,” Walker said. “When we try to do things our own way, the plans fail or cause trouble. We’ve all messed up plenty of times in our lives and need a Savior. Because of God’s grace, we find His love and mercy waiting for us when we surrender to Him.”
During his teenage years, Walker followed the wrong crowd, which took him down a rebellious path.
“When I was 16, we moved away from my hometown and I was trying to find my way around a new place,” Walker said. “The loudest crowd was the easiest crowd to join, but it wasn’t the smartest choice. I started getting in trouble with the law and expelled from school. My girlfriend became pregnant when I was only 17 years old. This was the moment when I realized that I needed to give up living for myself.”
As Walker’s life was interrupted with a dose of reality, he decided to step up and changed the direction of his life by returning to the Lord.
“Growing up in the church, I knew all the right answers,” Walker said. “I knew how I was supposed to be living and acting, but I still chose to live selfishly. It was a pivotal moment when I realized that I needed to turn back to the Lord.
“I sat down with my girlfriend, April, who is now my wife, and said: ‘We’ve done everything wrong. Let’s do things right from here on out and give everything to Christ.’”
Soon after the birth of their daughter, Rileigh, the young couple became involved in a local church, where Walker began leading worship.
“I started out playing the drums, but one day, they asked me to sing ‘Grace Like Rain’ by Todd Agnew. I didn’t think I was a good singer, but my wife kept encouraging me. I remember thinking, ‘Lord, I don’t know why I’m being asked to sing, but I will this one time.’ After that song, they never let me go back to drums. From there, opportunities started opening up for me to lead worship at other churches. With these opportunities, I knew that I wanted to share my testimony and help other people who were struggling to find their way in life.”
Last year, Walker released his debut album, “Come to the River,” which has garnered a Grammy nomination for the hit single, “When Mercy Found Me.”
“This record is full of personal stories — encouraging people to live each day to the fullest and to stand up for what you believe in,” Walker said. “It’s been amazing to hear so many stories about how people are attaching themselves to these songs and how God is using the lyrics to speak truth into their lives. I recently received a message from a lady who said this album and my story opened up a door to share the gospel with a coworker.”
Desiring to further help audiences connect with the message behind the music, Walker maintains a busy touring schedule and will appear on the 2013 Rock & Worship Roadshow at Von Braun Center Arena in Huntsville on Feb. 11 and the Civic Center in Mobile on Feb. 16.
“It’s such an incredible experience to look over a crowd of people and to hear them singing about where I’ve been and how God has redeemed,” he said. “My life drastically changed when I was willing to surrender my life to Christ. We can’t make it through this life on our own strength. Sometimes it takes us coming to the end of our rope when we’re broken and on our knees to realize that we must give our lives over to the Lord.”
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