Christian singer-songwriter Michael W. Smith recently detailed the rock bottom moment that led him out of a drug and alcohol addiction and into lifelong ministry.

In a conversation on the Trevor Talks podcast, Michael W. Smith candidly reflected on a period in his late teens when he fell into partying in the Nashville music scene. “I was deceived,” he reflects in hindsight. “The cool thing was, my mom and dad never condemned me. They never raised their voices at me. I was met with kindness and love. I’m having this interview because of the prayers of my mom and dad.”

The legendary Christian musician and songwriter went on to share about the moment when an overdose left him shaking on the kitchen floor of his East Nashville apartment— a place where he felt the presence of the Abba Father God quietly lie beside him. The encounter would change his life forever. Within just a few more years, he was on the road with Amy Grant, and on the road to becoming one of the most influential songwriters of our time.

Sharing that story is set amid the backdrop of the reflections he shares in his new book, The Way of the Father, which was released in May. In the book, Michael offers insight into the ways his relationship with his father shaped his life and his faith. “The only time I would see my dad get upset is when my songs didn’t go number 1,” Michael fondly remembers.

His testimony and his new book are not the only ways that Michael W. Smith is reflecting on the past lately: he’s a part of The Jesus Music, the new documentary from the Erwin brothers (producers of I Can Only Imagine) that details the surprising twists and turns of the early Christian music industry. Michael says that he expects audiences will be blown away when they see the film, which releases through Lionsgate Pictures on October 1. You can find out more about the groundbreaking movie at lionsgate.com/movies/the-jesus-music.

Michael W. Smith has earned 3 Grammys, 45 Dove Awards and countless number 1 hits over a career that spans nearly 4 decades. For more from Michael W. Smith, be sure you’re following him on Facebook, Instagram, YouTube, and Twitter.

You can listen to the full podcast conversation on Spotify, Apple Music and Google Podcasts.

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