(dramatic music)

- Welcome back to The 700 Club.

Well, Anthony Evans most recent album

hit number one onBillboard's gospel charts

and his songs has been calledspiritual battle cries.

It's easy to see whybecause they were written

and recorded during oneof the most trying times

of his life.

- [Narrator] Gospel recording artist

and worship leader Anthony Evans

is the son of megachurchpastor, Tony Evans.

He's also an alum of NBC's The Voice.

Over the past year and a half

he has endured several family tragedies

including his mom's cancerand the sudden death

of his cousin, Winter Evans Pitts.

Anthony's journey from grief to hope

is reflected in his latest album, Altared

which day viewed at number onethe Billboard gospel chart.

Anthony Evans joins usnow and welcome back to

The 700 Club.- Thank you good to see you.

- You were one of my firstinterviews a few years ago

and I know you've evenbeen back since then

but I didn't get to interview you but.

Anyway we wanna talk about your journey,

you've dealt with a lot of heartbreak

and some of it recently.

How has God showed upfor you in so many ways

and helped you?

- You know it's been very interesting,

I always tell everybody, first of all,

in my family, I'm the emotional one,

so it's easy for my dad ormy sisters or my brother

to return to hope very quickly

but I'm the one who takes a little while.

'Cause I feel thingson a really deep level,

not that they don't but it's hard for me

to reign in my feelings.

And there have been timesin the last year and a half

you all mentioned justwhat we've gone through

as a family, I've beenlike, God are you for real?

Like, are you kidding me a little bit?

- [Host] Yeah, yeah, this is too much.

- Yeah, yes, this is too much

which I know I representa lot of the viewers

probably watching wherethey're in scenarios

where it's like this is too much!

But God has allowed myscenarios to be altered,

that's why the record's called Altared.

And it's actually drawn me closer to Him

because I've allowed it to.

Just like for instance with my mom.

The different perspective that I have now

as it relates to our relationship,

as horrible as the scenario is

and we're working throughall the health issues

there's been a newperspective that I have.

And my relationship with my mom has become

something that it never was before.

And so God has given melittle glimpses of hope,

that's a example of how He'sgiven me glimpses of hope.

- All things work together for good.

- Yes.- Yeah.

Well one important lessonthat you've learned

is you don't try to pretendthat everything's okay.

- No I'm not good at that.

(laughs)

- So what do you do?

- You know, I'm just honest.

I build my ministry now,

and what I get to do withmy family on the principle

of being authentic,vulnerable, and transparent.

I think that is wherechange actually happens

in the life of the listener and you,

when you're actually saying what's wrong.

If you go to the doctor's office and you

won't tell him what's goingon, they can't start anywhere.

And I believe that that's the same thing,

God knows what's going on

but wants us to be honest with him.

- Well your most recentalbum is called Altared,

and it's spelled differently from

altered meaning changed,

what's the significance behindthe spelling difference?

- The significance inthe spelling difference

is that I believe in mylife my experience has been

God has allowed my scenarios to be altered

by the things that youmentioned and other things

that have been going on.

And those experiences changinghave drawn me back to Him,

like the proverbial altar.

Those scenarios happened,and a lot of times

those are the ones that drive us back to a

new and fresh perspective of Him.

I've been able to see Godagain for the first time,

via all these experiences in my life.

So I- [Host] Back to the cross.

- That's the bottom line.

- Back to the feet of Jesus!

- That's the bottom line.

- And probably, the wayyou described yourself

is more emotional and introspective,

it helps you become abetter songwriter no doubt.

- Absolutely yes, and it helps me be

just creative in general more.

I actually took songs because it was me

seeing God again for the first time.

I took a lot of songs thatpeople know on this album

and I altered them,

and I changed them so you hear them again

for the first time.

It's all kind of one thought, one theme.

- Well how many albums do you have now?

- This is actually the 10th.

- [Host] What?

- Isn't that crazy?- That is so crazy!

- I can't believe that,

I can't believe I've almostbeen doing this 20 years

which means I started whenI was three and a half.

- [Host] Yeah, exactly.- Nah, it's not really that.

- Well tell us about whenyou're not writing music

when you're not in thestudio, what is Anthony up to?

- I am up to a lot.

I have a production companycalled Sherman James productions

which I know you were talkingabout outside of work,

but the production company arm produces

all the events my family does,

so when I'm not on stageor recording music,

I'm working on the eventsthat I do with my sisters

and my dad and my brother,

that's a huge part of us.- [Host] There they all are.

Wow that's awesome, great picture there.

Oh man, your mom looks great there.

Well in a few moments you'regonna do a song for us,

you're gonna sing a songcalled Fighting For Us,

and that's a song thatyou say has healing power

in the lyrics?

- Oh yeah.

I sang this song for thefirst time live the night,

I sang it in front of my parents,

my dad was being honored forNational Religious Broadcasting

Convention, and I sang thissong for the very first time

the night my mom told usabout her cancer diagnosis.

I sang it, then we wentto their hotel room

to have a moment and we were all like

what's wrong with mom and dad?

There's some energy that's off right now,

and they told us that.

So this song when I recordedit was supposed to be

an encouragement to the audience,

but it's become our family's theme song.

And I want the viewersto know as they listen,

that this isn't a gimickylet's do a song for radio,

this is me singing words over them

that our family needs right now,

that I know that their family needs.

It's a reminder that nomatter how you're feeling

in the moment, thatGod is fighting for you

in spite of maybe feeling like he's not.

- And one final question,you're going to be

joining your sister Priscilla Shirer

for an event called Fervent 2.0,

what can you tell us about that?

- As many people know,my sister was in a movie

called War Room a few years back,

it was an accidental, shewasn't trying to be an actress!

So that went well, and thenshe did I Can Only Imagine,

and now she has a newmovie called Overcomer

coming out this August.

So we take the message ofthat movie live on the road

and the new music from Altared,

and we get to be in front of audiences

live all over the country,

so we're excited about that.

- That is so cool, she'san incredible actress.

You must be so proud of her.

- I'm so proud.

- Well Anthony thank you so much,

we can't wait to hear you sing.

You can hear Anthony pour his heart out

in his brand new CD it's called Altared,

spelled A-L-T-A-R-E-D.

And it's available wherever music is sold.

And in just a few secondsAnthony's gonna be singing

for us with a debut single off that album.

And that song is called Fighting For Us,

here's Anthony.

♪ You are not flesh and bone ♪

♪ You are not weak or slow ♪

♪ You're everything brave and bold ♪

♪ You're fighting for us. ♪

♪ You are not distant and cold ♪

♪ Your heart's not angry and closed ♪

♪ And even in ways we don't know ♪

♪ You're fighting for us ♪

♪ You won't hold back whenit comes to your children ♪

♪ You fiercely defend ustil we stand delivered ♪

♪ You're fighting for us ♪

♪ Always fighting for us ♪

♪ You never close your eyes ♪

♪ And you've never been surprised ♪

♪ Whatever war may rise ♪

♪ You're fighting for us ♪

♪ You move with holy rage ♪

♪ In all your miraculous ways ♪

♪ We simply stand here amazed ♪

♪ 'Cause you're fighting for us ♪

♪ You won't hold back whenit comes to your children ♪

♪ You fiercely defend ustil we stand delivered ♪

♪ You're fighting for us ♪

♪ Always fighting for us ♪

♪ You won't back downfacing armies of thousands ♪

♪ You speak one word andthey scatter around us ♪

♪ You're fighting for us ♪

♪ Always fighting for us ♪

♪ How great the love ♪

♪ The furious love ♪

♪ Of the one true Father ♪

♪ How great the love ♪

♪ The conquering love ♪

♪ Of the one true Father ♪

♪ You won't hold back whenit comes to Your children ♪

♪ You fiercely defend ustil we stand delivered ♪

♪ You're fighting for us ♪

♪ Always fighting for us ♪

♪ You won't back down ♪

♪ You speak one word ♪

♪ You're fighting for us ♪

♪ You're always fighting for us ♪

♪ You're always fighting for us ♪