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American Idol alumna Jordin Sparks told her fans that she's "awake" to what the Lord is doing in her life.
"Everyone takes their own unique journey," the singer-songwriter posted to Instagram. "It's filled with experiences that are joyous, difficult, easy and painful. But somewhere along the line, after many experiences, they finally 'wake up.' I love the expression: 'When a man's Bible is falling a part, the man isn't.' I'm awake, Lord. Thank you, thank you, thank you. Be encouraged today."
Sparks shared a picture of Proverbs 3:5-6 in her Wayfinding Bible, which she describes as her favorite.
Sparks says her Bible now looks like the ones her parents and grandparents would mark up during her childhood.
"I've only had this Bible for a little less than a year, and I look at the pages of mine now, and I understand. These are so much more than words. It's amazingly overwhelming and I cannot fully explain it."
3 Reasons Why you should read Life in the Spirit. 1) Get to know the Holy Spirit. 2) Learn to enter God's presence 3) Hear God's voice clearly! Go deeper!
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Join us on the new C-Pop podcast where Taylor and Jessilyn discuss, debate and sometimes deride pop culture with a strong sense of humor and a focus on Christ. Listen at charismapodcastnetwork.com.
Former 'American Idol' Contestant Reveals Dark Secret in New Film
Jason Castro, who gained fame after placing fourth on season seven of American Idol, opens up publicly for the first time about a deep, dark secret that nearly destroyed his marriage in a new White Chair series film released today on iamsecond.com.
This is Castro's second film with I Am Second, having been one of the first individuals featured on the website when it launched in December 2008. In this new film, Castro speaks transparently about his addiction with pornography and the wreckage it created in his life.
"Having a secret just eats at you like so much. You feel like a liar the whole time," said Castro.
While taping American Idol kept him busy, a sense of loneliness set in after, and Castro ran toward porn to fill the void. What began as a small, every-now-and-then practice quickly grew into a daily dependency.
"By the time I was on tour, I was looking at stuff every day, multiple times a day," Castro said. "This addiction was really bothering me. It was bringing me down. It was keeping me depressed. I wasn't sleeping at night. I would stay up all night out of shame and then go back to my thing. The addictive cycle ... I couldn't stop."
Though Castro had a serious girlfriend at the time, his addiction manifested itself beyond the computer screen into real life when he slept with someone else on tour. "I found myself doing something I'd never come close to with my girlfriend, my future wife. We had barely kissed and here I had slept with somebody I barely knew," he said.
Castro hid the secret from his then-fiancé for four months before he finally confessed. The couple called off their engagement, but four months later reconciled. They married Jan. 2, 2010.
His wife told him if he ever looked at porn again, they would divorce, but Castro eventually discovered the pull of his vice was too powerful.
"I would wake up every morning and my heart would start racing, and I would want to go look at porn. Look at porn and then go start the day. Then be the happy, good husband," Castro said.
For reasons unbeknown to his wife, the couple began to grow apart. Eight months into marriage, they were invited to a 12-step support group at church.
Hearing the raw stories of others' struggles filled Castro with an overwhelming sense of hope that he wasn't alone. After a couple of months of attending, he finally confessed in front of the group and his wife about his addiction. But it wasn't until one night when Castro finally disclosed everything to his wife and revealed his true self, that he found healing.
"That is when everything started to change, because I started feeling freer," Castro said. "I always believed in God but didn't really trust Him with everything. I thought this thing was too dirty, too dark to share with anybody, but once I trusted Him, we started the road of living a godly life, living in community and being known. It feels good to be known."
Castro eventually removed every outlet and potential hazard that might aid his temptation. Through accountability with friends and openness with his wife, he has found freedom from his addiction. Today, he and his wife have two children.
"This struggle might never go away. It's part of my flesh, but I've been able to overcome it really," said Castro. "This is the real miracle. That I'm able to have a family right now, married to my wife and a better relationship than either of us ever imagined."
3 Reasons Why you should read Life in the Spirit. 1) Get to know the Holy Spirit. 2) Learn to enter God's presence 3) Hear God's voice clearly! Go deeper!
Has God called you to be a leader? Ministry Today magazine is the source that Christian leaders who want to serve with passion and purpose turn to. Subscribe now and receive a free leadership book.
Carrie Underwood's Newest Song Sings of Strong Christian Themes
By Charis Brown, 7 Cultural Mountains
Her newest song, "Something in the Water," describes a heartfelt conversion experience.
Carrie Underwood, the country superstar and Grammy winner first discovered on American Idol is not shy about her Christian faith.
"It's really kind of a joyous, uplifting song about changing your life for the better and kind of having that 'a-ha' moment, to waking up and your life being different from that moment forward," she told NBC's TODAY.
From singing "How Great Thou Art" as a duet with Vince Gill to talking with Oprah about her prayer life, Underwood is never afraid to talk about her faith when she has the opportunity. Recently, she and her husband, hockey player Mike Fisher, surprised attendees at the Q Conference in Nashville to talk about their marriage and respective callings. She credited Nashville with being a supportive environment to be a Christian.
"It's easy to be a Christian in Nashville," she said.
But, there are definitely some critics who don't appreciate the song's candid message.
"I'm not the first person to sing about God, Jesus, faith [or] any of that, and I won't be the last," said Underwood to Glamour Magazine. "And it won't be the last for me, either. If you don't like it, change the channel."
DALLAS -- He may not have taken the crown, but fans of "American Idol" still remember former contestant Jason Castro for his dreadlocks and carefree sound. He scored big on the show, making it all the way to the top four.
American Idol - 2008
After leaving Idol in 2008, Castro quickly scored a No. 1 international hit. Then he disappeared from the charts and the pop music scene, leaving fans with questions: What happened? Why the switch to Christian music?
And perhaps the biggest question of all: What's up with the haircut?
"Well, I felt like it was time for a change. Once I cut it I'm like, 'Oh, this is what it feels like to run your fingers through your hair,'" Castro laughed.
But that hair cut wasn't the only big change for the 27-year-old.
Even with all the fans and fame, loneliness began to take a toll. Although Castro grew up in church, the separation from family developed into a growing separation from God. He also struggled physically with exhaustion.
A New Sound
Then came the faith questions.
"It started to feel a little meaningless. Why am I doing this? To make a name for myself? To make some money? I started to really have a longing to have more God in my life," Castro said.
"I struggled to stay close to God on the road. I wanted more God in my life and as a part of that I wanted more God in my music," he continued.
"I got to this point where I realized God doesn't want me to do anything on my own. He wants me to give it all to Him and trust Him with everything. And you know it really changed everything for me to kind of let go of everything and realize that God can take care of it," Castro reflected.
Around the same time Castro became involved with the I Am Second campaign, a popular ministry where Christian celebrities share their personal stories. He found new success with the release of his first Christian album, Only a Mountain.
Today Castro tours with some of the biggest names in Christian music such as Matthew West, Toby Mac, and The Sidewalk Prophets.
Renewed Purpose
But perhaps his greatest accomplishment is as husband and father.
"She really changed everything," Castro said of his 2-year-old daughter Madeline. "I didn't know she would change it. More than anything I want to be a part of her life and I want her to know her daddy loves her more than just a song."
This isn't a story about a young man going to Hollywood and getting lost in the glitz and glamour. Instead, Castro is using Hollywood to spread the love of God around the globe.
Castro hasn't abandoned his American Idol past. Rather, he uses the platform to give back to others.
He spends much of his time overseas working as spokesperson for the charities Malaria No More and helping with Roma Boots, a nonprofit providing boots to children in need.
"When I see these kids in need I have a deeper connection because I look at them and I see my daughter," Castro told CBN News.
"I remember on the trip there was one kid that was like the same size as my daughter and he had on a little sweatshirt, no pants," he said. "We gave him some rain boots. Now he has some shoes."
Castro recently led a benefit concert for Young Life Capernaum, a group that specializes in meeting the social, physical, and spiritual needs of young people with special needs.
And when not on tour, he's singing with his talented siblings. His brother Michael and sister Jackie have a strong following with solo careers of their own.
So is there a chance for a Castro family album? We'll have to wait and see.
As for the future Castro said," I don't know what the future holds for Jason, but there will always be music."
She may have became famous from her hit songs, impressive choreography and judging on American Idol, but Paul Abdul explored her spiritual side during a recent trip to Israel.
The former American Idol and The X Factor judge discussed her Jewish heritage and even said she was planning on holding a belated Bat Mitzvah - the Jewish coming of age ceremony girls typically have at age 12 or 13.
'Beyond being Jewish, I've always found myself to be very much in tune with spirituality,' the 51-year-old told The Associated Press. 'I feel very grateful coming to Israel now, where as a woman I know who I am a lot more than even 10 years ago.'
Pleased to meet you Mr President: Paula Abdul shares a laugh
with Shimon Peres in Israel
An official guest of Israel's ministry of tourism, Abdul has been touring the country and visiting holy sites, museums and markets in Jerusalem. Israeli President Shimon Peres also hosted the former Lakers Girl.
Abdul said the trip has provided her a rare opportunity to experience the country like a 'regular tourist' without the nonstop schedule of a concert tour.
'I've traveled the world touring and things like that but I don't get the chance to see much of wherever I'm at,' she said. Abdul described the visit as 'the most magnificent trip I've ever taken... magical and emotional.'
After a music career that saw her have six number one singles in the late 1980s and early 1990s, Abdul reinvented herself as a quirky judge of talent on American Idol.
She left the U.S. talent show in 2009 after eight seasons over a contract dispute. She later had one season as a judge on the U.S. version of The X Factor. She'll appear next year as a judge on Australia's version of So You Think You Can Dance.
These days though, Abdul describes herself as 'a fan of talent.' She also said she tries to dance as much as she can. 'I dance because I have to, because I'm so passionate about it,' Abdul said.
She's famous here too: Abdul is well known for her hit singles, her choreography
and her American Idol judging
Going for gold: Paula in full glamorous mode in a floor length dress
Carrie Underwood, the country superstar and Grammy winner first discovered on American Idol is not shy about her Christian faith.
