Who is Justin Bieber's hot, shirtless pastor? Details emerge on their relationship

Did Justin Bieber cancel his tour because of his "spiritual awakening"?

Sources close to the singer have indicated that the "Sorry" singer suddenly cancelled the remainder of his Purpose World Tour this week after "spiritual soul-searching and his own view of the path in life he should be taking."

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His newfound spirituality stems from his increasingly "intense" relationship with a pastor. In recent months, Bieber has become heavily involved with Hillsong Church and one of its twelve lead pastors, Carl Lentz. Though insiders told TMZ that Lentz didn't recommend Bieber cancel the rest of his tour, he has definitely gained influence over the erratic star.

Though Bieber himself denied that religion played any role in his decision to cancel the Purpose World Tour, a couple of buzzed-about outings with Lentz have had fans speculating otherwise.

In pictures that have gone viral on social media this week, Bieber and Lentz are seen looking buddy-buddy while out and about in Los Angeles. In one photo, Bieber is all smiles as he walks next to a shirtless Lentz in very low-rise camo shorts. In another photo, Lentz wraps his arm familiarly around Bieber.

See more photos of Carl Lentz:

To be sure, Lentz and Bieber's relationship isn't new. The star allegedly holed up at Lentz's home, which he shares with his wife, back in 2014 before his major Purpose-led career comeback, which the star has repeatedly said was fueled by a newfound spirituality. Bieber also attended a Hillsong conference in Sydney with Lentz earlier this year.

Sources say that Lentz is "not a typical pastor" and that Bieber is "becoming the Tom Cruise of that church," alluding to Cruise's de facto status as the celebrity face of the Church of Scientology.

Bieber's manager Scooter Braun maintains that Bieber cancelled his tour to benefit his "soul and well-being," and Bieber responded with a resounding "no" when paparazzi asked him if religion played a role in his decision. That being said, there's no denying that the Carl Lentz could be influencing Bieber's career decisions.

Bieber also isn't the only young star to be involved in Hillsong. Two of his ex-girlfriends, Selena Gomez and Hailey Baldwin, have also routinely posted about the church on social media, though it's unclear whether or not Bieber was the one to introduce them to the church.

Earlier this year, Gomez actually sang with Hillsong Young & Free earlier this year while leading a worship for the church in Los Angeles.

See photos of Justin Bieber on the Purpose World Tour:

For more on Justin Bieber's denial, watch the video above.

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