By Jeanni Ritchie
When I found out Matthew West, TobyMac, and MercyMe would all be at the Mississippi Coast Coliseum in Biloxi the very day after my first cruise, I knew I had to go. Three of the biggest names in Christian music on one stage? It felt like a gift—an encore to a week already filled with joy.
Matthew West: Unashamed
Matthew West opened the evening with a powerful set that immediately brought the crowd to its feet. Don’t Stop Praying resonated deeply, reminding us that no matter the season, prayer is always our lifeline. The anthem that electrified the arena was Unashamed—also the slogan on the t-shirt that quickly sold out at the merch table.
Because when you sell out for Jesus, you can’t stay silent. It’s a fire shut up in your bones, a faith you can’t contain. That was the heartbeat of Matthew’s set, and it rippled through every corner of the coliseum.
TobyMac: Hits, Heart, and Hope
TobyMac followed, and I sang every word to every song. I’d seen him earlier this summer in Brandon, Mississippi, and couldn’t wait to experience his energy again. He’s one of my all-time favorite Christian artists—maybe the favorite.
He came out strong with Nothing Sweeter, then rolled through hits like Help Is On the Way and A Lil’ Church. With over 50 singles in his catalog, each one carrying the message of Christ, he has a way of making a stadium feel like a living room full of friends.
He sings, raps, dances, preaches, and somehow pulls us into all of it. Move (Keep Walkin’), especially, is personal for me. That song carried me through a dark season when I didn’t think I could take another step. Hearing it live again reminds me of the message I now share with others: keep moving, it’s not over yet.
A verse from Psalm 9:9–10 lit up the screens as Toby shared about losing his son. Then he poured that pain into Faithfully, a song whose opening lyric—“It’s been a hard year, it almost took me down”—hit me as hard as the first time I heard it. Yet beneath the grief was hope: God was faithful, always there.
He closed with Feel It, confetti cannons firing and joy exploding across the crowd.
MercyMe: Generations Singing Together
MercyMe took the stage next, with the exciting announcement that I Can Only Imagine 2 will be released in February. They opened with All God’s People and moved through a blend of classics and brand-new tracks from their 12th album, Wonder & Awe.
Songs like Flawless carried a unifying message: “No matter the bumps, no matter the bruises.” You could hear it in the way people of every age sang along, from teens to grandparents—proof that these songs have become part of the soundtrack of faith across generations.
When they launched into Oh Death! the entire arena screamsang the lyrics back. That song once hit me so strongly I had to pull over my car and write about it. Seeing thousands of voices echo the same cry showed me I wasn’t alone.
Three artists. Three testimonies. One unforgettable night. From Matthew West’s declaration to be unashamed, to TobyMac’s reminder to keep walking, to MercyMe’s songs of redemption, the concert was more than music. It was worship, fellowship, and fuel for faith.
Jeanni Ritchie is a contributing journalist from Central Louisiana who frequently writes at the intersection of faith, community, travel, and pop culture. Read the essay inspired by Oh Death! here: faithunfaded.com/2025/
