Rodney Morss

About Rodney Morss

I was raised in a hard-working, blue collar, church going family, who taught me good morals and
values. I am the youngest of three children.
At the age of thirteen, I started experimenting with alcohol and cigarettes. By fifteen, I had
experimented with drugs. Church was no longer important. My peers became my life. I hung
out with the kind of friends who smoke, drank and did drugs.
To get my parents off my back, at the age of eighteen, I entered into my first alcohol and drug
rehab program. I wasn’t serious about getting clean. In December of 1988, after drinking and
smoking dope, I wrapped my truck around a light pole and broke my neck. By the grace of God,
the two friends who were with me were not injured and went for help. While they were gone, a
woman hit the same patch of ice and her car struck my truck, bounced off the truck and hit a tree.
A young teenage passenger in that car flew out the window and broke his collar bone. I was life
flighted to a hospital in Peoria, Illinois. There I found that the break was a mere 1/4 inch shy of
paralyzing me for life.
Despite the seriousness of my injury, I continued to drink and use drugs. Nothing scared me.
I met a great girl a couple of years later. We decided to get married. We both faced our own
demons and she was able to get her life together. I was not. Eight or nine years and two
children later, we were divorced.
Set out on course of destruction, for years, I would lie, manipulate, and steal to support my habit.
I went from jails to institutions, fighting an inner battle for many years. I wanted to change, but
never managed to stay straight.
Struggling through low self-esteem, guilt and worthlessness, alcohol and drugs caused me to
forget about God. Before long I didn't even know who I was anymore. The drugs and alcohol let
me escape my insecurities.
In 2003, my dad introduced me to a Christian man, who invited me to Kentucky Fried Chicken.
He shared the gospel with me and I gave my life to Christ. Unbeknownst to me, God was
sending me to my first faith-based alcohol and drug rehabilitation program. He drastically
changed my life in that year and a half. But I let Satan have a foothold again and found myself
back in the pit, worse than ever before.
I struggled to get clean again. During those times when I would get clean, reality hit. I became
aware of just out how badly I had hurt and disgraced my family and friends. I didn’t want to
deal with the reality, so I turned to my escape. I repeated this cycle numerous times until I
finally got to a point where I simply didn’t want to live anymore. I made up my mind that life
had absolutely no more meaning for me.
I attempted suicide on a few occasions, feeling it was the only way out of my shame. In 2012, I
was at lowest point in my life. I had gone on a binge of all binges. Being in a dope house for a
week, and smoking up thousands of dollars, not having eaten or drank anything except alcohol,
my body was starting to shut down. A good friend took me to the hospital. Once I was released,
I found myself desperate, ashamed, and afraid. I stood out in a cold garage and told Jesus to
either use me or take me and if He would heal me, I would serve Him the rest of my life. That
was two and half years ago. God has been faithful and, praise Him, I am still clean.
As He continues to work in me, the music that has been such a passion in my life, God has used
for ministry. A year and a half ago, I cut my first album with A&G records (Alisa Asbury and
Gerald Crabb). In January of 2015, I released my second album with A&G records (Almost
Home), which has won contemporary album of the year with the Rural Routes Music
Commission and we have released two national radio singles - Headed Home, Almost There and
Born in America. Most recently, I won the Country Gospel Music Association’s Male New
Artist of the Year award.
By the power of God, through His Word and the work His Spirit is doing, I have discovered that
there is purpose for my life. My hope is, that through the gift of singing, I am able to share
God’s love and bring the hope that Jesus gave me to others who might be feeling alone and hurt;
who might be thinking that there is no more hope for them either; who might believe there is
nowhere to turn or worst of all, that no one will even listen or care....I want to share the good
news with them.
Here’s the message - I don’t care how many times you have fallen, get back up. Satan wants to
steal, kill and destroy us but Jesus says He will never leave us or forsake us. The work He has
started in you, He will bring to pass. We have to keep going forward one foot in front of the
other. Don’t ever give up. There is nothing beyond His grace and mercy.