Ten Christian Rock Bands Not Afraid to Say "Jesus"

Christian rock fans often have to defend themselves against critics who say that there's too little mention of Jesus in Christian rock songs to make them truly Christian. These critics say that just mentioning "Him" every once in awhile, or throwing in some uplifting lines, just doesn't cut it. Often fans will respond by questioning whether Christian artists should be constrained by a quota of "Jesus'-per-minute."

Both sides are missing an important point, and that is that there are a lot of really good Christian rock bands out there that do say the name of Jesus in their songs because they love Him and they want to praise Him. Here are a few of my favorite Christian rock bands not afraid to say Jesus--if you haven't heard of any of them, they're all worth checking out.

10. Thousand Foot Krutch - Thousand Foot Krutch is a hard rock band through and through, and they've got a lot to say about life. Thankfully, what they have to say about life often involves Jesus. In the song "Small Town," they sing: "And her heart opens wide / and for the first time in her life / she feels the touch of Jesus deep inside."

Their song "This is a Call" goes, "They say someone out there sees us / Well if you're real, then save me Jesus / 'cause I've been here for far too long / I wasn't meant to feel alone."

9. Curbsquirrels - Curbsquirrels are a very, very catchy pop-punk kinda band. They have one song called "Beautiful" which is a really simple song, but probably one of the most heartfelt and, appropriately enough, beautiful, songs I've ever heard. Part of it goes, "Jesus you're so beautiful, nothing but light, no darkness, not at all / and there is no one who could love me like You do."

8. D.C. Talk - D.C. Talk was one of the first Christian rock bands to kind of break out of the box. Their song "Jesus Freak" practically became the anthem of a generation of Christian teens. Its chorus goes, "What will people think / when they hear that I'm a Jesus freak / What will people do when they find that it's true / I don't really care if they label me a Jesus freak / there ain't no disguising the truth."