On Sunday, February 2, 2025, the cheers were transformed into praise for the Lord as TobyMac’s Hits Deep 2025 Tour kicked off its Tampa concert. 

The tour, organized by the Awakening Foundation and promoted by Awakening Events, is an annual Christian music event, showcasing an array of talented figures within the Christian music world. In past years, the lineups featured popular names such as Tauren Wells, Cochren & Co, We Are Messengers, and Tasha Layton. This year’s lineup included Crowder, Ryan Stevenson, Terrian, and CAIN.  

When asked behind the scenes what he hopes attendees will get from the tour, TobyMac shared, “Our prayer has always been the same. We pray that we would turn people’s eyes toward the King: that they would leave with the name ‘Jesus’ on their lips and not TobyMac, or Cain, or Crowder, or Terrian, or Ryan Stevenson, but they leave with the name ‘Jesus’ on their lips. He’s the only one that can do anything for them.”  

Ryan Stevenson, the first artist to kick off the night’s performances, visited the Spirit FM table before the show. He encouraged fans to prepare to encounter the Holy Spirit. “Get ready to dance and jump around and get ready to have your heart [truly] impacted with the Holy Spirit tonight!” he shared.

When asked about fans sharing testimonies of how his music has impacted them, Stevenson said, “That’s the thing I love the most – hearing those stories and testimonies of how the music found its way into somebody’s story, into somebody’s hard time or their struggle that they’re dealing with.” 

The night continued with acoustically diverse and spiritually impactful performances by David Crowder, Terrian, CAIN, and TobyMac. Whether it was Terrian’s soulful singing or TobyMac’s upbeat dancing, each artist brought a unique energy to the stage as they were all united by a shared excitement to praise Jesus Christ and lead the audience closer to Him.

The family-friendly event was enjoyed not only by locals from the Tampa Bay area, but also the families of some of the artists performing. During CAIN’s performance, the bandmembers’ spouses and young children who had joined them on the tour were present on the side of the stage, enjoying the music in unison with Spirit FM’s staff. After the performance, Spirit FM staff joined CAIN and their families behind the scenes, discussing topics such as parenting, life on the road during a tour, and upcoming plans.  

To be kept in the loop on next year’s Hits Deep Tour and other faith-based events happening within the Diocese of Saint Petersburg, tune in to Spirit FM 90.5, visit www.myspiritfm.com, or follow the radio station’s Facebook and Instagram pages @itsmyspiritfm. 

Spirit FM 90.5, the radio broadcast ministry of the Diocese of Saint Petersburg, is partially funded through donations to the Catholic Ministry Appeal. To learn more about the ministries supported by the Catholic Ministry Appeal, or to make a gift, visit www.dosp.org/catholicministryappeal.