Music to Avoid - TobyMac

Hey y’all!

This post exists to provide links and information explaining why this teacher/resource is unsound, false, and should NOT be used or followed. We will add to it as we find more information.

We present this information out of love for our brothers and sisters in Christ. We would hope someone would love us enough to tell us when there was evidence that someone we followed was unsound and could be leading us astray. We are also told in Scripture to name those who are false teachers and to not associate with unfruitful works of darkness (Eph. 5:11, 2 Tim. 4:3-4, 2 John 1:10-11, Matt 24:24, Mark 13:22, 1 John 4:1, 2 Peter 2:1). Please read with all of this in mind.

TobyMac is a very popular CCM (Contempory Christian Music) artist. Tobymac is very quiet about his beliefs. There is very little to be found on him personally and that is odd considering how long he has had a career in Christian music. We have known about him since his DC talk days which was formed in the 90's. There should be a plethora of information about his beliefs, and yet there is virtually nothing. He does however state in a interview he would love to collaborate with Lauren Daigle who holds new age beliefs, doesn't think homosexuality is a sin and got her start with hillsong.

Here is the research we have done on his music. Perhaps it might save you some time on a few songs. This is not something we normally do, but since TobyMac is so popular we thought it would be helpful. Below is an overview of a few songs.

Links are also provided at the end of this post like all of our other mark & avoid posts.

SONG RESEARCH

Speak life - the title evokes "word of faith" speaking to something to make something happen. The lyrics are Borderline word Faith as well. Speaking to things is a common word of Faith false practice that has infiltrated many parts of the church today.

Move - only says Lord 2x. Without it, the song would be a motivational song that could be played on secular radio. 

Everything - no mention of God (the lack of naming God/Jesus occurs regularly in his music). This song could easily be about anybody to a nonbeliever and conforms like many of his other songs to the world enough to be played on regular radio.

Lights shine bright - no mention of God again (the spirit mentioned but non believers or new age people wouldn't necessarily apply "spirit" to Holy Spirit as it isn't stated to be the Holy Spirit in the song).

City on our knees - more clear that this is Christian because of referencing sinners and saints, but not one reference to God? No theology, no meat to feed a Christian spiritually. Most of his songs are light (at best) on both theology/food for the Christian and/or praise and worship of God directly.

Feel it - on the face of it, it seems more Christian although he continues using "You" instead of naming God. But talks about "feeling" God. Our heart is deceitful and God isn't a feeling or an emotion. He also states that everybody is talking about needing proof and he only needs to "feel You." This is contrary to what John says that all is written and was done for PROOF of Christ/God.

Funky Jesus music - is superficial at best. If you removed "Jesus" from the main place it occurs in the song (chorus: funky Jesus music) you would not know this song had anything to do with Jesus. "Jesus" only occurs 1 other place in the song about a "Jesus blazer." It isn't really praise. It's more of Jesus being inserted  so it can be played on Christian radio. Most of his music falls into this category. In the video for this one he even boasts about his shoes to the crowd and then he says he wants all the Baptist and Pentecostals and Catholics to move together for his music. This would sound ok to someone who is a new Christian or perhaps uneducated in theology, except many people who claim to be Christian don't believe the same fundamental theology as a born again true Christian. This includes a lot in the Pentecostal Charismatic Movement as well as Roman Catholics—they simply don’t believe the same things taught in Scripture.

We will end the lyric research and digging in there. After all, TobyMac has been around for decades and we could dig in for about as long. If you would like further info on why TobyMac isn’t a a Christian artist you should really be listening to, see below for links. We will also continue to add to this page as we come across more resources.

Disclaimer: We did not write the resources linked below, and we have not thoroughly vetted every website these links come from. We do our best to only share links that are from sound sources, but sometimes things could get missed. We do not endorse anything on these sites that deviates from the Bible or with our beliefs listed on our “What We Believe” page or our “Who We Are” page.

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***If you are in need of a resource to help you discuss different false teachings with the people in your life, we highly recommend these 2 books—A Field Guide on False Teaching by Ligonier ministries and Kingdom of the Cults by Walter Martin. If you would like to try Audible, using our link to sign up for a trial will get you up to 2 free audiobooks.***

Religous Affections - Paul’s Words to the Ephesians (in depth look at TobyMac)

The Dissenter - TobyMac Records New Contemporary Christian Album With Pro-LGBTQ, Pro-Abortion Atheist

Michelle Lesley - God’s not like “Whatever dude,” about the way He’s approached in worship

Michelle Lesley - The Mailbag: False Doctrine in Contemporary Christian Music