Granger Smith Reflects on God’s Grace: ‘Righteousness Comes From Grace Alone’
By Movieguide® Contributor
Former country singer Granger Smith is sharing an important moment in his music career and how it showed him the meaning of grace.
“Last year, I left my career in country music to embrace what I could best describe as a treasure hidden in a field,” he said during a recent sermon. “I love making music, but I love telling you about Jesus more.”
Smith added, “I do think about the touring days occasionally because they were a gift from God, and it was those days that refined me [and] made me who I am today, because God used those in so many ways.”
“There was one chilly night in October 2021, and I was standing behind the stage at the Bristol Motor Speedway in Tennessee…I suddenly had this idea: ‘What if I sang a gospel song right in the middle of the set?’” he said. “The lights came down, and I asked everyone in the crowd to take out their phones and turn on their flashlights…I sang one word, ‘Amazing,’ and the instantly, the entire stadium erupted in unison at the top of their lungs as they helped me finish that line: ‘…Grace, how sweet the sound.’ It was incredible. It was inspiring.”
Smith then shared his views on the meaning of grace.
“Living liberated means giving yourself permission to be imperfect, knowing that God’s grace is sufficient in our weakness, and it’s about extending the same grace to others,” he explained. “Righteousness comes from grace alone, through faith alone.”
Smith has previously spoken about his decision to step away from his career in the music industry.
“Giving it up now is still a huge sacrifice for me because I do love it and it is a passion that I’ve had for a long time, but I just feel like now I have a more important message to give and there’s not enough time to do music,” he told Entertainment Tonight. “This season of my life will be actually being with my family and going to our little local church and learning under our pastor and going to seminary and getting out and speaking occasionally and talking about this book and telling people about my darkest night and how I was saved from that, so that’s where I am right now.”
Movieguide® previously reported:
Former country star Granger Smith is sharing his excitement about his new life as a pastor.
“I’m just so excited about it, and I have so much joy just even thinking about it… actually did my first message yesterday…that was the first stage of the new stages. It was at Liberty University, so I went out there and spoke to the students out there in Virginia, and what an incredible experience,” he said.
Smith announced his departure from the music industry and calling to serve in ministry in April 2023.
“I am so encouraged and hopeful and excited and joyful about the next chapter, but to a large extent, I have no idea what it will look like,” he said at the time. “I just want to glorify God the best way that I can. I want to learn and grow and serve my local church and allow my pastors to equip and affirm those next steps. Lord willing, I want to be used to help people find their purpose.”
Smith is currently celebrating the recent release of his children’s book, “Up Toward the Light.”
“Whenever we experience loss or shock in this way, even with a country music legend, we have this tendency to look inward and to try to fortify ourselves so that we could be a rock as we’re processing our own mortality and thinking about how fragile life is,” Smith said of the book.
He added, “It’s a kids’ book, but I think it could be helpful for kids and parents alike. Processing these thoughts about our own mortality, and what is a helpful way to think about loss. Maybe this particular story, [it’s] about a boy losing his grandpa, and he has a conversation with a tree, a very wise tree, and I hope it could be helpful for you. …I think this is gonna be an important project for me, so that we could all stop worrying about what’s down below and start realizing that we have to be moving up toward the light.”
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