Brad Arnold, lead singer of the rock group 3 Doors Down, has opened up about how faith helped him overcome addiction — and how he felt called to share the Gospel with his fans after Jesus sent him a direct message: “I want you to tell them that I love them.”
In a recent interview with Pastor Allen Jackson on the “Culture and Christianity” podcast, the 46-year-old singer revealed that despite growing up in a Christian home, he fell into alcohol addiction after 3 Doors Down shot to popularity in the early 2000s with hits like “Kryptonite” and “Here Without You.”
During this time, country artist Charlie Daniels urged him to return to Nashville, Tennessee, and go to rehab — and it was there that he rediscovered Christianity. The past nine years of sobriety have been “the best years of my life,” Arnold told Jackson, whose church he attends.
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He credited the pastor with encouraging him to “lead with my faith and to not be a comfortable Christian that sits in a pew … and lives how they want.”
Last year, Arnold made headlines after pausing a concert in Pennsylvania to share the Gospel with thousands of fans and remind them of their value as children of God.
Before performing “Away from the Sun,” he addressed the audience, saying: “I feel like I can identify with this song more than most of our songs. … This world surrounds by a message we’ll never be good enough, we’ll never be strong enough, we’ll never be beautiful enough, we’ll never be rich enough.”
My friends, I just want to take a second to tell you, that’s an absolute lie. You are loved. You are enough, and you will win. Not only can you win, but you will win. You’ll always be enough for one reason: and that’s because Jesus Christ loves you.”
“Jesus Christ loves you so much that He made you just the way you are, just the way you’re standing there right now,” he said. “He also loves you to let you know that you’re not complete. I promise you there’s more, and you will win.”
“I failed all day today. You failed today. But you’re still the one that Jesus loves,” Arnold told concertgoers. “Repeat after me: I am the one that Jesus loves. Amen, my friends. Thank you so much.”
Speaking to Jackson, Arnold revealed that he decided to openly share his faith a few years ago after he heard Jesus say, “I want you to tell them that I love them this summer.” The singer said he chose to obey, even though he didn’t know “how to go about that at a rock concert” where half the people were “standing there with a beer in their hand.”
After seeing a post referencing John’s description as the disciple Jesus loves, Arnold said, “I was like, that’s a good something that I can build on.”
The artist revealed that 3 Doors Down always prays before taking the stage, adding: “We fight against principalities in this world … I thought if our words are the most powerful things that we have, how can I get people to speak a blessing over their life?”
Arnold revealed that he and his wife, Jennifer, got re-baptized together in the fall of 2023: “She and I stand side by side, and Jesus is in front of us,” he told Jackson. “She is an anchor for me in so many ways.”
Last year, Arnold said he was able to share the Gospel message with about 680,000 people from the stage. “That is the highlight of my career if I never get to do anything else,” he said. “I’m so thankful that God allowed me to do that.”
He acknowledged that he has a “short window” to share Jesus’ love given the fact that “people aren’t at a rock show to be preached at,” but stressed, “I want to share that [message] with them, and I know that [God] put me in this position to do exactly that.”
“I don’t care if it cost me my career. I don’t care if it cost me my life. I can honestly, 100 percent say that. … It’s the greatest thing I’ve ever got to do.”
Formed in 1996, 3 Doors Down is known for hits like “Kryptonite,” “Be Like That” and “Not My Time.” The group has sold 16 million albums globally, received three Grammy nominations, and won two American Music Awards and five BMI Pop Awards for songwriting.
Though the band is not overtly Christian, Arnold often shares his faith on social media, along with prayers and Bible verses.
In January, the singer credited his faith for his sobriety, sharing a photo of his AA sobriety medallion, which has the words “To thine own self be true” and “unity, service and recovery” engraved around the Roman numeral for the number eight.
“January 19 is a special day for me every year,” he wrote on Instagram.
“It marks the start of a new year of a new life, a life without a bottle in my hand. I feel like a different person than I did eight years ago … and it feels so good. Without question, God took that burden from me. I was so tired of carrying it. I couldn’t carry it any more so I gave it to God and I’m not taking it back! If you’re struggling with something, give it to Him. He’ll gladly take your burden and you’ll never have to carry it again.”
Leah M. Klett is a reporter for The Christian Post. She can be reached at: leah.klett@christianpost.com
