Christian rapper, pastor, and author Trip Lee says one of the most important lessons believers learn over time is that God's strength becomes most visible when their own strength fails.
Speaking with The 700 Club's Ashley Key, the Reach Records artist reflected on his faith journey, his ongoing battle with chronic illness, his love for the local church, and his new worship-focused musical venture, Brag Worship.
Raised in Dallas, Texas, Lee grew up attending church but admits he was initially confused about what it truly meant to follow Christ.
"I think I loved my sin and I didn't love Jesus," Lee said as he reflected on his childhood faith experience. It wasn't until a youth retreat at age 14 that the Gospel became clear to him and transformed his life.
That encounter with Christ would eventually lead him into Christian hip-hop. Already passionate about rap music as a teenager, Lee began using his creativity to point listeners toward Jesus rather than himself. By the time he was a senior in high school, he had signed with Reach Records and released his debut album just days after graduation.
Looking back on his career, Lee says he never imagined where his ministry would lead.
"I just wanted to make incredible music that honored Jesus and then leave all the results to him," he explained. Rather than pursuing chart success or industry recognition, Lee said he focused on faithfulness and trusted God with the outcome.
Alongside his music career, Lee felt called to pastoral ministry. After studying at Bible college, serving on church staffs, helping plant a church in Atlanta, and eventually pastoring at the Dallas church where he first came to faith, he developed a deep appreciation for the local church and its role in spiritual formation.
"I think we can't think of growing without thinking of growing alongside God's people," Lee said. "The local church is extremely important."
One of the most personal moments of the interview came as Lee discussed his long battle with chronic illness. Diagnosed with a condition related to chronic fatigue syndrome and autoimmune dysfunction, he has lived with debilitating symptoms since 2007. The illness has affected every season of his adult life and eventually led him to step away from pastoral ministry.
Currently, Lee is not serving as a pastor, a decision he made after recognizing the limitations his health placed on ministry and family life.
"I'm trying to figure out what does it look like for me to be most faithful to Jesus," he said.
Yet Lee believes his suffering has deepened his understanding of God's character. Referencing passages such as 2 Corinthians 12, Psalm 73, and Habakkuk, he explained that God's sufficiency becomes more than a theological concept when personal strength disappears.
"Some things about God's character are clearer when you have to depend on them more," Lee said. "Since my physical strength is so undependable, I cannot live under the illusion that the reason things work out is because of my strength."
Those convictions have shaped his latest musical endeavor. Through Brag Worship, Lee is stepping into the worship music space with songs designed not merely to be listened to, but sung together by congregations. The project takes its name from the biblical call to boast not in human achievement but in God's greatness.
Lee believes modern Christians often underestimate the importance of congregational singing.
"The songs Christians sing together are really important," he said. "Singing songs together is serious gospel work." Drawing from Colossians 3, he emphasized that worship is one of God's primary tools for teaching, encouraging, and discipling His people.
The project's lead single, "Boast," featuring Madison Ryann Ward, captures the heart of the ministry. The song points listeners away from self-reliance and toward confidence in Christ alone.
More broadly, Lee hopes the songs help believers find peace and security in God's faithfulness amid a chaotic and uncertain world.
"Life is really hard and God is really good," Lee said. "I want Christians to be able to say both in the same sentence."
For Lee, maturity in the Christian life is not about becoming stronger, more successful, or more self-sufficient. It is learning, often through hardship, that God's grace truly is sufficient and that His strength is made perfect in weakness.
