Justin Bieber Takes Reporter to Church And Says 'I Was Close to Letting Fame Destroy Me'

Justin Bieber is making news with his recent Billboard interview, but post-interview was notable as well. The pop star capped off the night at a church service in which his pastor, Judah Smith, preached, "Jesus is God.

The service was held in the ballroom of the Beverly Wilshire hotel. Bieber took a front row seat and with him was a Billboard magazine reporter. The entertainment publication went as far as sharing pieces of the sermon, quoting Smith as he said, "He's the relationship and the friendship you've been craving your whole life. If you believe that with all of your heart, every ounce of your being, I'm going to count to three, and then I'm going to ask you to lift up your hand."

As Bieber conducts a promotional tour for his upcoming album Purpose on November 13, he has been bringing mainstream media on his faith journey.

During his interview, the singer admitted that he did not always understand his faith and questioned his pastor a lot. "I'd come and listen to him and try to hear him out. I had all these questions and things were not adding up. 'Well, why is this, then? How did all those animals fit on Noah's Ark, then?'" he told Billboard, "That's what it's all about – not questioning it."

Bieber and Smith have now built a rapport in which they send each other messages daily. "We text almost daily, and it's not just me sending him Bible verses anymore," said Smith, "He'll send them to me, along with encouraging thoughts or an encouraging emoticon. I'm committed to helping him and protecting him, but it's fair to say we're there for each other."

Just this year during an interview with Complex Magazine, Bieber declared that Jesus is the greatest healer.

Read Bieber's full interview with Billboard here including the reporter's first hand experience.

Why Does Young Hollywood Love Hillsong Church So Much?

Hillsong UNITED packs arenas and tops the Christian charts consistently in the United States. They have built quite a following. Interestingly, Hillsong UNITED seems to have hit a chord with a group that has more influence than many: young Hollywood.

This appears to be a natural development out of of the friendship that several young music, TV and movie stars have with the leadership of Hillsong Church. Celebrities such as Justin Bieber, Selena Gomez, Ashley Benson, Vanessa Hudgens count the Hillsong pastors as their spiritual mentors. Sports stars such as Russell Wilson and Kevin Durant share similar connections with Hillsong.

And when Hillsong welcomed Justin Bieber to their annual church conference in Sydney, the relationship between Bieber, Hillsong NYC pastor Carl Lentz, and Seattle pastor (and friend of Lentz) Judah Smith was again in the spotlight.

Late in 2014, after an altercation with Orlando Bloom, Justin seemed to have reached a tipping point. As Christian Post reported at the time, he became a regular attendee of Judah Smith's Bible study. The difference in Bieber's life since he began attending that Bible study is evident. After several years of controversial behavior, Bieber appears to have turned a corner.

So what is it about Hillsong that appeals so much to this particular group? It could be the focus on Jesus himself, and their lack of concentration on evangelical 'fundamentalism,' which has fallen out of favor.

Another factor? Judah Smith, Carl Lentz and Hillsong UNITED worship leader Joel Houston, are adept at using social media. With frequent posts on Snapchat, Instagram, and Twitter, these individuals provide ways to share the word of Jesus on a medium where these young stars love to share. Hillsong meets these Hollywood elite where they are: online.

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