Andrew Osenga believes in showing Christianity warts and all.

Osenga is the lead vocalist and main songwriter for the Christian rock band The Normals, which will headline a show at 8 p.m. Sunday, Dec. 31, at the Bangor Auditorium. At that concert, the quintet is likely to play cuts from its current second album, “Coming to Life,” which tackles meaty topics such as broken relationships, broken hearts, loneliness and lust.

These themes run contrary to the positive stance taken by much of Christian music, but Osenga thinks talking about such problems is equally important.

“There’s a place for encouragement and edification in the church,” he said by phone from his home in Nashville. “But if we can’t talk about our sins, feelings and fears, then Christianity is pretty worthless. In the Bible, God takes people who are screwed up and does great things with them. When we understand who we are and what we’re being saved from, then it becomes more real.”

Many of the songs for the critically acclaimed “Coming to Life” were written during a tumultuous period for the band, which saw one member leave and three new ones join Osenga and fellow founding member Mark Lockett. Many of Osenga’s feelings about those times show up on the album.

“We had done a record [1998’s ‘Better Than This’] that was all right, but we didn’t have a lot of connection with it personally,” the Illinois native said. “We wanted to make a record that was real, that had our hearts on it. We wanted to sit and record the five of us as it is when we’re playing or rehearsing, to reflect what we’ve been through together. We sought honesty, in a word.”

“Coming to Life” was recorded in New Orleans, in the living room studio of producer Malcolm Burn, whose past clients include Midnight Oil, Emmylou Harris, John Mellencamp and Iggy Pop. Everybody – band and crew – was in one room.

“We wanted to return to the sound of a lot of the records we listened to when we grew up,” Osenga said. “It was fun to set it up and play. It was such a great release, one of the best things we’ve done as a band. There’s a real intimacy in recording like that.”

Osenga said that too often, the media has portrayed Christians as perfect and self-righteous. The Normals seek to counter that perception with their music. “A lot of Christians think we’re supposed to be like that,” he said. “We have to realize that we’re not perfect or flawless, but that we’re forgiven. Our music says what we believe a greater God has meant in our daily lives.”

Opening for The Normals will be The Blacksmiths, Kendall Payne and comedian Paul McGinty. Tickets cost $15 in advance or $20 at the door and are available by calling 947-2751 or by stopping at the WHMX studio at 1476 Broadway, Bangor.