A Christian friend recently sent me an article about Maverick City Music collaborating with rapper GloRilla on her debut album Glorious. I haven’t personally listened to much of Maverick City’s music, so I can’t say I’m a fan—but I do know they’ve had a huge influence in modern worship. When I read about this collaboration, I immediately thought about the danger of evangelism compromise: trying to reach the lost in ways that unintentionally blur the truth of the Gospel.
Their song, Rain Down on Me, is worshipful and harmless on its own. The issue isn’t the song itself—it’s the context. The rest of GloRilla’s Glorious album, released in October 2024, is highly explicit. It’s full of profanity, sexual content, and other messages that clearly don’t align with biblical values. For example, songs like Don’t Deserve and How I Look feature repeated uses of the F-word and B-word, while other tracks celebrate sexual freedom and aggression.
When a worship song is placed right in the middle of an album like that—without any public clarification from the Christian artists involved—it risks sending a confusing message. I would call this evangelism compromise: trying to reach the lost but doing so in a way that blurs the Gospel’s clarity.
The Biblical Danger of Evangelism Compromise
Scripture speaks directly to situations like this. Jesus calls us to be in the world but not of it (John 17:14–16). Paul reminds believers not to be “unequally yoked with unbelievers” because light and darkness cannot fellowship (2 Corinthians 6:14). And Ephesians 5:11 instructs us to “have nothing to do with the fruitless deeds of darkness, but rather expose them.”
Jesus modeled engaging with sinners—He ate with tax collectors and reached out to the broken—but He never blurred the truth to build relationships. He always called people to repentance. When Christians step into worldly spaces like the mainstream music industry without clear biblical distinction, it can appear as though we’re endorsing the very sin we want to free people from.
If Maverick City had issued a public statement like this, it might have changed everything:
“We pray this song draws GloRilla and her fans closer to Christ. While we can’t endorse the explicit content in the rest of the album, we hope God uses this opportunity for His glory.”
That would have shown love for the artist and clarity for the audience. Without that, the collaboration comes across as confusing at best—and compromising at worst.
A Personal Reflection
This story made me reflect on my own walk with Christ. Evangelism is not just about showing up where people are—it’s about calling them to where Christ is. If my actions or associations ever leave people unsure of what I believe, then I’ve blurred the Gospel, no matter how good my intentions were.
Our culture already blurs the lines between right and wrong. As Christians, we cannot afford to make those lines fuzzier. Evangelism compromise is a trap: love without truth is compromise, and truth without love is harshness. But when we hold them together, our witness becomes powerful and unmistakable.
This is why I wrote about the real danger of Progressive Christianity, which often does the same thing—keeping the language of faith while quietly compromising with the culture. The result is a message that sounds Christian but lacks the power to call people to repentance.
How Christians Can Engage Without Compromise
- Lead with love, speak with truth – Love draws people in, but only truth can set them free.
- Set clear boundaries – If you step into secular spaces, make your stance clear. Silence often looks like agreement.
- Use your platform wisely – Influence is a gift, but it carries responsibility to represent Christ faithfully.
- Remember your audience – Both unbelievers and believers are watching. Clarity honors them both.
The Takeaway
Even though this controversy began last October, its lesson is timeless: evangelism without clarity is evangelism compromise. Christians can and should engage the culture, but we must do so with a bold witness that reflects Christ without blurring His truth.
Maverick City’s collaboration with GloRilla is a reminder for all of us: if we want to influence the world for Jesus, we can’t just share stages—we must share the Gospel with clarity.
Arch Kennedy
Bold, Unfiltered, and Unafraid
God’s Silence: Finding Hope When Heaven Feels Quiet
Great blog! I appreciate the reminder that truth without love is harshness. The equal blend of both truth and love is the spot we as Christians must strive to reach. It’s such a fine line that Jesus walked perfectly. More of Him, less of me. I love you Arch Kennedy. Keep bringing us to where faith and culture collide; it’s enlightening and uplifting. Thank you and God Bless!
Thank YOU for the blog idea! ❤️
I strongly disagree with the claim that a disclaimer release that never happened, would have changed everything.
A song ment to worship the God, of Light released in the midst of an album full of worldly filth, can only be seen as a written endorsement of the worldliness that is all around it.
Especially with the disclaimer.
It’s like putting your signature to something, and then asking God to bless it.
Your not standing as a Light in the darkness, your endorsing the darkness.
It is your obedient submitted to Jesus Christ, live voice, and the Glory of God within your real presence standing separately not together with the world,
This is what Disciples of Christ are called to.
You stand clearly separate from the world, but United’s with like minded believers in Jesus Christ, Calling out to the world to repent confess and salvation.
Salvation Changes everything, because then you are empowered by the Grace power of God. You are now able to move in new life wear you respond with good Deeds that God Himself has written a book for you to do. This of course is not required for redemption, but a new nature response to your newness of life, that desires to worship the God of Love life and liberty.
Thank you for taking the time to share your thoughts. I truly appreciate your passion for holiness and for keeping worship pure before the Lord. You’re absolutely right that believers are called to be set apart from the world’s values, and that our worship should never blend with what dishonors God.
At the same time, my heart behind this article was to highlight that separation doesn’t always mean isolation. Jesus walked among sinners without ever compromising His holiness. He entered dark places not to endorse them, but to bring light to them. I believe the same principle applies today — that we can engage the culture as long as our message and motives remain clear.
That’s why I mentioned the importance of a disclaimer. It’s not that words alone fix everything, but they can clarify intent. It’s the difference between appearing to partner with the world versus standing in it as a light with a clear gospel witness.
We need both holiness and presence — the courage to remain distinct, yet the compassion to reach those still lost.
Grace and peace to you, brother (or sister), and thank you again for adding to this important conversation.
— Arch Kennedy