Judged: One night after a concert, Kids in the Way lead singer Dave Pelsue stood outside the auditorium talking to a group of teens. "They'd been growing spiritually and we were sharing thoughts about God," he says. "And then, a woman breaks into the middle of this circle, interrupts whoever was talking and says, 'I can't believe that you'd expose kids to this."

She pointed accusingly at Dave's tattoos and dark eye makeup.

True Identity: When confronted by the woman, Dave tried to calmly explain his feelings about his appearance. "I told her I really didn't think

I was leading people away from God," he says. "Besides, I'd never encourage everybody to get a tattoo. I never want people to see my look and assume

I think it's right for everyone. It's not.

I know I look different, and so I try not to leave any chance for anyone to misunderstand who I am. I share my heart. I try to be as real as possible so people can see who I really am—not just see my tattoo and piercings."

Learning from Judgment: After the woman left, Dave talked with the others about what just happened.

"I didn't want them to leave with any question about who I am or what

I believe based on my appearance," he said. "I discovered these kids didn't really care what I looked like. It's cool when people see your heart."

Dave tries to treat others the same way. "Being judged by my appearance challenges me not to just look at somebody and assume they must be a certain way," he says. "I want to find out who they really are. With a relationship with Christ, you realize God didn't make any mistakes when he created his children. God created us in his own image. Our true identity can only be found in him and with him."

Read more from 'Bands & Artists'

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