I went from preacher’s kid to meth addict — then everything changed

From crystal meth addiction to radical restoration, this preacher's son describes an incredible journey from a "wrecking ball of bad decisions" to a transformed life.

As I stepped into my preteen years, I became a wrecking ball of bad decisions. In my mind, both my earthly and heavenly fathers were the villains in my story. By the time I was 11 and 12 years old, I was smoking cigarettes, stealing, and drinking alcohol.  More than 20 years ago, Stephen McWhirter was a meth addict and wounded preacher’s kid who had a life-changing encounter with Jesus. Today, he travels the world leading worship and sharing his testimony, propelled by his hit song "Come Jesus Come," which has surpassed 100 million streams and been performed or recorded by artists including CeCe Winans, Shirley Caesar, Cody Johnson, and Christine D’Clario. Now an artist and writer with Capitol Christian Music Group and Re:think Music, McWhirter lives in Louisville, Kentucky, with his wife, Tara, and their three sons, and tells his story in the book "Radically Restored."

As I stepped into my preteen years, I became a wrecking ball of bad decisions. In my mind, both my earthly and heavenly fathers were the villains in my story. By the time I was 11 and 12 years old, I was smoking cigarettes, stealing and drinking alcohol. 

As a teenager, I stayed up almost every night, snorting cocaine, drinking, smoking pot and, finally, taking painkillers to get to sleep. When I was 17, someone introduced me to a drug called crystal meth. This was a new low. Looking back, it feels like an out-of-body experience. How could I have made such monumentally destructive choices? I had built an entire life around my trauma, my hurt, my anger and my addiction.