The internet expected another messy feud. Instead, God used a broken back, a parody video and an honest rebuke to help bring a worship leader back home.
Cory Asbury, best known for the worship anthem Reckless Love, revealed this week that he spent the past five years running from church and worship ministry before experiencing a powerful restoration in his faith walk.
“After tasting the goodness of God in my 20s, I came to the end of myself when I realized my running was tearing apart my brothers and sisters that were still in the Father’s house,” Asbury wrote in a social media post discussed during a recent segment from CBN News.
“But God is good and the rebuke of my brother Forrest gained Heaven another soul,” he added. “This past autumn, God came running to find me bruised, beaten, and broken.”
The story traces back to last year when Forrest Frank suffered a serious back injury after falling off a skateboard. While recovering, Frank continued making music from bed and several songs went viral online.
As his popularity exploded, parody videos soon followed. Asbury participated in one of them, which sparked tension between the two artists.
But instead of responding in anger, Frank chose reconciliation.
“Instead of being angry and mad, Forrest connected with him,” journalist Billy Hallowell said. “They had a great conversation, became really good friends, collaborated on a song together.”
Hallowell said that kindness and friendship helped lead Asbury back to faith.
“That is the biblical model of what we should do when a brother or sister frustrates us,” he said.
The conversation also touched on the pressure many Christian artists face while living publicly in the spotlight. Raj Nair said many believers expect Christian musicians to appear spiritually perfect while giving little room for struggle or doubt.
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“They’re trophies of Christian culture,” Nair said. “They can’t doubt. They can’t question.”
Still, the heart of the story remained centered on restoration and mercy. Nair pointed to Jude 1:22, which says, “Be merciful to those who doubt,” while comparing Asbury’s return to the prodigal son coming home.
“He invites His children to come back,” Nair said. “Does He condemn the son when he comes back? No. He runs and throws a cloak around him and He has a feast.”
In a culture filled with outrage and public takedowns, the story stood out because two Christian artists chose reconciliation over division. And in the process, a wandering believer found his way home again.
James Lasher, a seasoned writer and editor at Charisma Media, combines faith and storytelling with a journalism background from Otterbein University and ministry experience in Guatemala and at the LA Dream Center. A Marine Corps and Air Force veteran, he is the author of The Revelation of Jesus: A Common Man’s Commentary and a contributor to Charisma magazine. For interviews and media inquiries, please contact [email protected].
