Cory Asbury Says He Walked Away from Church – but Forrest Frank Helped Lead Him Back
A well-known Christian singer-songwriter is opening up about his struggles with faith, comparing himself to the prodigal son in Jesus’ famous parable and crediting a fellow artist with helping lead him back to the fold.
Cory Asbury received a Grammy nomination and three Dove Awards following the release of his song Reckless Love, but says in a series of new Instagram posts he had grown “cynical,” “jaded,” and “frustrated” in recent years and even had walked away from church and abandoned the career that made him famous.
“For the past 5 years I've been running from the church and worship ministry (more on that later) after tasting the goodness of God in my 20s,” he wrote on Instagram. “By my 30s, I was an established son of the house. I knew my place and still demanded my inheritance just to run off and waste it on other, lesser things.
“In many ways, this running – and His pursuit of my heart in that time – was much more of a true ‘prodigal son’ story than the one that originally birthed Reckless Love. But I came to the end of myself when I realized my ‘running’ was tearing apart my brothers and sisters that were still in the Father's house.
“Whether they were right or not, I was still doing Saul's work – persecuting the church, supposing I had the moral high ground even though I was chest deep in my own pig sty.”
Asbury implied that his drifting from God came to a head last year when he poked fun on social media at Frank’s viral songs God’s Got My Back and Lemonade, which were released following a serious skateboarding accident that landed Frank in the hospital. Asbury shared a parody song about a vasectomy – prompting Frank to respond emotionally, saying the jokes minimized one of the most traumatic seasons of his life. Frank, though, extended grace to Asbury, inviting him to collaborate on a future song.
“God is good,” Asbury wrote in the new social media post. “And the rebuke of my brother (Forrest) gained heaven another soul. Faithful are the wounds of a friend. Much better than the kisses of an enemy. Proverbs 27:6.
“And this past Autumn, God came running. To find me – bruised, beaten, broken. He held me in His arms and reminded me of His unconditional love. There's no shadow. He won't light up. No wall He won't kick down. Coming after me. I am The One. Thank you, Jesus.”
Meanwhile, Asbury said he has written a new song that will drop on Friday.
It is, Asbury added, a “New Season” in his life. Asbury said he is now driven by a “passion to walk in the calling God has for me.”
Asbury is set to embark on the 29-city Jesus Generation Tour this summer alongside Forrest Frank, Tori Kelly, and The Figs, beginning June 1 in Tulsa, Okla.
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Photo Credit: ©Instagram / Cory Asbury
Michael Foust has covered the intersection of faith and news for 20 years. His stories have appeared in Baptist Press, Christianity Today, The Christian Post, the Leaf-Chronicle, the Toronto Star and the Knoxville News-Sentinel.
Listen to Michael's Podcast! He is the host of Crosswalk Talk, a podcast where he talks with Christian movie stars, musicians, directors, and more. Hear how famous Christian figures keep their faith a priority in Hollywood and discover the best Christian movies, books, television, and other entertainment. You can find Crosswalk Talk on LifeAudio.com, or subscribe on Apple or Spotify so you never miss an interview that will be sure to encourage your faith.
Originally published May 19, 2026.
