Kanye West talks about serving God during visit with Osteen

Rapper Kanye West, right, answers questions from Joel Osteen, left, during a service at Lakewood Church, Sunday, v. 17, 2019, in Houston.

Rapper Kanye West told parishioners at Joel Osteen’s Houston megachurch on Sunday that his recent spiritual awakening has made him realize he’s longer in service to fame and money but “in service to God.”

West spoke to a packed crowd of about 16,000 people at Lakewood Church’s 11 a.m. service during an interview with Osteen from st. West told parishioners about his recent conversion to Christianity and how God has been guiding him.

“I kw that God has been calling me for a long time and devil has been distracting me for a long time,” West said. He added that at his lowest point, when he was hospitalized in 2016 after a “mental breakdown,” God “was re with me, sending me visions and inspiring me.”

Last month, West released “Jesus is King,” a Gospel-med album that’s been described as Christian rap.

rapper’s wife, Kim Kardashian West, and ir daughter, rth West, joined him at church. y sat in front row of caverus arena, former Compaq Center, which was once home of Houston Rockets. Many of parishioners seated around West took photos of him with ir cellphones.

“This is like Super Bowl today,” said Amy Holmes, who was visiting from New Orleans with her husband and decided to attend.

West also was scheduled to perform in evening at Lakewood with his “Sunday Service,” a church-like concert featuring a choir. Tickets for free concert were distributed through Ticketmaster and sold out within minutes Saturday, though some people have been reselling m for hundreds of dollars.

West has been traveling around U.S. holding his “Sunday Service” concerts since January, including at Coachella festival, an outdoor shopping center in Salt Lake City and at an Atlanta-area megachurch.

On Friday, he and his choir performed for inmates at Harris County Jail in Houston.

During Sunday morning’s appearance, West touched on a variety of topics in what he called his “streams of consciousness,” including religion, perils of fame and money, going to church as a child, strip clubs and devil.

“ only superstar is Jesus,” West said as crowd applauded loudly.

But West’s trademark boastfulness hasn’t completely disappeared.

“w greatest artist that God has every created is w working for him,” West said.

After service, Osteen told reporters he was excited that West was “using his influence for Lord.”

“We come from different backgrounds. Styles are different. But we’re still brors in Christ. We’re all on same team,” Osteen said.

Jose Gonzalez, a 25-year-old who attended service, said he believes West’s religious conversion to be sincere.

“I don’t see why it would t be genuine. Especially with someone with his platform that talks about God and love and unity, it can get really shut down unfairly,” said Gonzalez.

When asked what advice he had for people, West told reporters, “Every single millisecond be in service to God.”

West and his wife are among celebrities who have expressed support for Texas death row inmate Rodney Reed, who received an execution stay on Friday. Reed’s supporters said new evidence raises serious doubt about his guilt in a 1996 killing.

On Friday, Kim Kardashian West traveled to death row in Livingston, Texas, and visited Reed.

Lakewood Church, where more than 43,000 people attend services each week, has become largest church in U.S.

Osteen’s weekly television program is viewed by more than 13 million households in U.S. and millions ors in more than 100 nations around world.