Matthew West Opens Up About the Hidden Truths of Growing Up in Church

by Alaina Goode

January 21, 2026
2 minute read

In Matthew West’s I Am Second interview, he opens up about life as a pastor’s kid and the quiet pressure that came with it. He talks about feeling like all eyes were on him, watching how he behaved, what he believed, and whether he lived up to the expectations that came with his family’s faith.

For a long time, Matthew admits his faith wasn’t really his. As a kid, he assumed he’d get into heaven simply because his family believed. Church was familiar. God was real—but personal faith wasn’t something he took seriously yet.

That changed when he was 13 years old.

Sitting at home, Matthew watched a Billy Graham crusade on TV. In that moment, faith stopped being inherited and became personal. He realized that knowing about God wasn’t the same as knowing Him. That night, he responded to the gospel for himself, not because of his parents, his church, or his last name, but because Jesus was calling him.

Still, Matthew’s story didn’t become perfect overnight.

In college, he drifted. He made choices he’s not proud of and walked away from the faith he once embraced. And yet, grace met him again this time on his knees in a dorm room. In that quiet, humbling moment, Matthew rededicated his life to the Lord, surrendering control and returning to the God who never stopped pursuing him.

 

 

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One of the most powerful things Matthew says to viewers is simple but freeing: you are never too far gone for Jesus.

That truth matters, especially for those of us who grew up in church or who still sit in the pews every Sunday feeling like we’re being watched. Maybe you’ve felt the pressure to look put-together spiritually. Maybe you’ve wondered if your faith is real, or if you’re just going through the motions. Maybe you’ve messed up and assumed everyone sees it or worse, that God does.

But your relationship with Jesus was never meant to be a performance.

It’s not about who’s watching you. It’s not about growing up in the right family or saying the right things. It’s about a personal relationship with a Savior who already knows your doubts, your failures, and your story and still offers grace.

Matthew West’s journey is a reminder that faith isn’t inherited, staged, or earned. It’s personal. And no matter where you’ve been, Jesus is still inviting you to come close.

Grace isn’t reserved for the ones who “get it right.”
It’s for all of us right where we are.

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