I grew up listening to rap music.

Not just rap music, and not all rap music. But, yes, the stuff the kids nowadays call "old school hip hop" was the fresh new stuff for me and my friends when we were growing up.

There was a record shop just off the square in Talladega. You know the kind — where incense was always burning and the owner always had what you were looking for. When my mom would drive into town for the weekly shopping trip on Saturdays, my brother and I would use our allowance to buy rap albums. (Yes, the vinyl ones with the elaborate covers.)

Run-DMC, Eric B. and Rakim, Big Daddy Kane, The Fat Boys, LL Cool J … the ones that rappers today call rap legends.

So, it makes sense that once I became a believer, I tried listening to gospel rap.

The music was much the same — rhythmic, upbeat samples from familiar R&B songs, catchy melodies that stick in your head.

Unfortunately, the lyrics also were much the same — defiant, self-centered, prurient.

Seems like people think Christians will buy anything if you put a cross on it and toss around the name Jesus. (Too often it's true.)

That was almost 10 years ago, but a few months ago a friend introduced me to the music of a couple of gospel rappers — Trip Lee and Lecrae (and others) — who are truly Bible-believing Christians. The music is a sophisticated, high-quality production that could compete with any of the rap you'd hear on secular radio.

However, the lyrics are Christ-centered, insightful, convicting and Scripturally sound.

For instance, the chorus to a track called "The Good News" goes like this:

The bad news, we were all born in sin
The good news, we can be born again

There are also songs about repentance, fleeing temptation, the character of the Holy Spirit, and how those who are willing to share the gospel have beautiful feet (Rom. 10:15).

I think it's worth mentioning because, as people of faith, we're quick to identify demons and bad guys and things we consider evil, and rap music has long been high on that list.

However, rap music should be seen not as an evil force but as a tool, much like a firearm. Whether a gun is good or bad depends on who's holding it.

Songs like "Cash or Christ" turn the traditional rap culture on its head by proclaiming that material possessions are temporary, and, instead of grasping for those things, we should cling to Christ.

The messages in these songs are as timely and relevant and biblical as the last sermon you heard.

And a greater consequence might be that, while your grandson or granddaughter might not stay awake through a sermon, they'll put this in their CD player or iPod or make it a ring tone on their cell phone.

Lord knows they don't know what an album is.