If it sometimes feels like we’re on the cusp of a revival in America right now, I think that’s because we are. Overall church attendance may be holding steady, but younger folks like Millennials and Gen Z are having a resurgence in church attendance, outpacing older generations for the first time in decades. Last year marked a 21-year high in Bible sales in the United States, and even country music is wrestling more with faith. Cody Johnson just teamed up with Brandon Lake for “When A Cowboy Prays,” Jelly Roll and Brandon Lake had an absolute smash with “Hard Fought Hallelujah,” and Carly Pearce just released a new song called “Church Girl.”  Despite the divisiveness in our political climate, and the constant chaos on the internet, people are searching for more, deeper purpose and meaning, something they can put their hope in that isn’t a pop star or a politician. We’re even hearing the Gospel be proclaimed on Netflix? NETFLIX!? What a time to be alive… Netflix recently revived the talent competition Star Search, featuring Anthony Anderson as host, and judges Jelly Roll, Sarah Michelle Gellar, and Chrissy Teigen. And during the Week 2 episode, a contestant named Bear Bailey, who you may recognize from his viral gas station performances, took the stage for a powerful, moving, performance of “Hard Fought Hallelujah.” But here’s the kicker… as it turns out, Bear had discussed song selection with producers and was planning on performing that song long before anyone knew that Jelly Roll would actually be a judge on the show. And he crushed it… check it out: But the most powerful part of the performance was what came after. Host Anthony Anderson asked Bear why he wanted to perform that song, and he delivered a powerful personal testimony about what he has overcome through the healing power of Jesus Christ: “Because I’m a very imperfect person loved by a perfect God. And Jesus has redeemed me, Jelly, from drug addiction. I’ve lost everything because of addictions, and I’m not perfect, but I serve a God who is, and he believes in redemption. I’m sorry. I’m sorry for being emotional. I’m just thankful for God. I thank you, Jesus.” PREACH. Of course, Jelly Roll was an emotional mess throughout the entire performance, as someone who has lived and breathed every word of the song, but when he finally worked through the tears and was ready to speak, he said that a performer like Bear was exactly what he prayed for when he agreed to do this show: “Man, I had no clue… I prayed this morning. I said, God, give me an opportunity to talk about you. Night one was great, but I didn’t get to live on my purpose yet. God, you called me here to talk about you. What I just seen was a room full of people that might not have ever felt it before, but that is called the Holy Spirit of God. He don’t care anything about your past. He doesn’t care what you’ve been through. He doesn’t care about your drug addiction. He is your Father. He us here to father you, to show you to be a father to those kids, He is here to pour life into you. He hung so you can stand here and sing His name on the biggest streaming service in the world… on Netflix. Can I get an amen in here? “This is a God moment to show what God has done. He is a redeemer. He is for everybody. Jesus is for everybody. He doesn’t hate anybody. He loves everybody, and that’s what He stands for. I’m cheering for you… you took my song and made it yours. In fact, you took our song and you gave it to God. I know Brandon Lake is somewhere crying right now.” View this post on Instagram How about it? Did we ever think we’d be hearing Jelly Roll of all people, boldly proclaiming the Gospel during a Netflix talent show? Bringing people tears, openly weeping himself, about the opportunity to bring people to Christ with his presence on the show? Go ahead and ask Jelly Roll if he ever thought he’d be preaching on a talent show? I mean, who would’ve seen this coming five years ago? God that’s who…. an all powerful, loving, creator God who has routinely proven that He can call anyone… from anywhere… out of any thing… and redeem them. And then mold and shape them into a vessel to make much of His glorious name. Powerful stuff is happening in America right now… can I get an amen?  The post “God Is A Redeemer”: Jelly Roll Breaks Down & Proclaims The Gospel After Bear Bailey Delivers A Gut-Wrenching “Hard Fought Hallelujah” Performance first appeared on Whiskey Riff.