For more than 20 years, Toby McKeehan (better known as TobyMac) has been combining pop, rock, soul, hip-hop and urban flavors with Christ-centered lyrics. As his songs have gained national attention by being featured in numerous television programs, movies and sporting events, the gospel-filled lyrics have been instrumental in pointing teenagers and young adults to Christ.
“I think God’s been teaching me a lot of things lately and reminding me of messages that need to be shared,” McKeehan said. “We all need to be reminded that in the middle of a world that is telling you to focus on yourself, God is calling us to help meet the needs of others.
“I think that if we don’t have the reflection of God’s Word and friendships that remind us of that, it’s easy to get caught up in this world. All of a sudden, you look up and you’re a self-absorbed person. It’s awkward at times and you’re working against the very hard ways of this world when you say, ‘I’m going to care about others.’ It takes a lot more effort than to just care about yourself.”
McKeehan said he is passionate about reaching teenagers and young adults because of the impact a youth minister made on his life.
“I grew up in Fairfax, Va., and when I was 12 years old, my mom was dragging my siblings and me to church every Sunday,” McKeehan said. “We didn’t go to Sunday School, just to church. I didn’t really understand a lot of things about church and the Bible but was too afraid to ask anyone about them.”
A pivotal turning point came when his youth pastor invited him to church camp. McKeehan was excited about the new experience but never expected that the week would change his life.
“Looking back, it’s funny because I didn’t have a clue what was really involved in a church camp,” he said. “I had invited four friends, and I just thought we would play a lot of sports. That’s what I thought the whole week would be about. It was interesting because obviously there was a lot of preaching, which we didn’t expect.
“But the beautiful part of it all was every night when the youth pastor would sit on the floor with us in our little cabin, he would open the Bible and share about Jesus. I remember that youth pastor telling us about the mistakes he had made in life and about the hope that he had found in Christ. I think the Bible suddenly made more sense to me because the youth pastor seemed like a regular person who was willing to get down on our level and reach out to us. As a 12-year-old, God used that to begin to work in my heart.”
Before the end of the week, McKeehan knew that he needed to talk with the youth pastor about accepting Christ as his Savior.
“I will never forget that Friday night, getting into my sleeping bag and my heart was just pounding,” McKeehan said. “The whole time I was trying to lay there and go to sleep, but I knew that I needed to do something about what I was feeling inside. I finally unzipped my sleeping bag, walked into the other room and woke up that youth pastor in the middle of the night. I shared with him that I had never accepted Christ before, but I was ready to do so. He led me to Christ right then.”
Afterward he began praying that his father also would accept Christ. A few months later, his father agreed to attend a worship service when he heard there would be a guest speaker and relaxed atmosphere. As the Lord was working, McKeehan’s father made a profession of faith during the invitation. From then on, his entire family regularly attended worship services together.
Years later, he went on to attend college at Liberty University in Lynchburg, Va., and formed the contemporary Christian music group dc Talk in 1987 with Michael Tait and Kevin Max. After performing together for more than a decade, the band members decided to pursue other ventures.
Although he has garnered many accolades and achievements, McKeehan remains focused on shining the spotlight on Christ.
This year, he is releasing his first Christmas album, “Christmas in Diverse City,” which includes a song written to raise awareness about adoption. McKeehan and his wife adopted twins in 2002. Because of his commitment to faith and family, he makes it a priority to provide entertainment that presents biblical principles while wearing many hats as a singer, songwriter, author, record label president and parent of five children.
Through his albums and concerts, McKeehan desires to share songs that are not only relevant to believers but also spark conversations and pose questions with non-Christians.
“By sharing songs about the attributes of Christ and the fruits of the Spirit, it presents great opportunities for non-Christians to start asking questions and opens doors to share the gospel,” he said.
For more information, visit www.tobymac.com.
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