The Walk: Real Stories of Faith

Romans 3:23 (NKJV) says, “for all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God…” That includes Pastors and those in full time ministry. We are all sinners and constantly need salvation, grace, repentance, and realignment with the way of Jesus.Worship Leader, songwriter, and worship artist Stephen Mcwhirter has a story that may seem “extreme” to some of us, but to God is just another example of a lost sheep finding its way back home to the Father. It started with abuse, which led to a lifestyle of seeking to escape the pain of that abuse, then to radical salvation, and to an even more radical transformation.This episode is inspiring, to say the least, but it also includes a roadmap that all of us can be encouraged by, which surrounds learning to love Jesus when nobody else is watching. Psalm 91:1 (NKJV) says, “He who dwells in the secret place of the Most HighShall abide under the shadow of the Almighty.” A daily practice of visiting with Jesus and building that intimate relationship with the Creator leads to a life that can reshape a radical transformation that starts with a one-time event, but sustains through an entire life.Matthew 6:1 (NIV) “Be careful not to practice your righteousness in front of others to be seen by them. If you do, you will have no reward from your Father in heaven.- - - - - -Please subscribe to our social channels for more information and great content surrounding building a lifestyle of worship. This podcast is brought to you by Authentic Media and Worship Leader Magazine. Our host is Joshua Swanson and the show’s co-producer and editor is Matt McCartie. More episodes can be found here.Who is Stephen Mcwhirter?Stephen McWhirter is a touring wor ship leader, producer, speaker and author whose powerful testimony of divine deliverance from addiction is the cornerstone of his ministry platform. A founding member of the former worship collective Iron Bell Music, he is also a songwriter with Essential Music Publishing/Sony PLG and a Lula Street (Integrity Music) recording artist. Discover more Christian podcasts at lifeaudio.com and inquire about advertising opportunities at lifeaudio.com/contact-us.

Here at Worship Leader we consistently see artists and worship leaders referencing a mentor or a coach that steps in at just the right moment and gives us a piece of advice or drops some scripturally based wisdom on us that changes our lives forever. In this episode of our devotionals podcast, The Walk, artist and songwriter Evan Craft tells a story of his first tour of South America, how it all “fell apart,” but how God used the chaos and the struggle to realign Evan’s heart with his true purpose in ministry. Discover more Christian podcasts at lifeaudio.com and inquire about advertising opportunities at lifeaudio.com/contact-us.

"For All My Life" singer, songwriter, and worship leader TAYA is our guest in this episode of The Walk. She tells a story of how she has consistently chosen the way of Jesus in the midst of really difficult seasons. Her faith in God’s goodness and mercy led her through a redemption process even though she continues to face the same hurt and letdown over and over and over again. Discover more Christian podcasts at lifeaudio.com and inquire about advertising opportunities at lifeaudio.com/contact-us.

Christian musician, worship leader, songwriter, and painter Jon Reddick is the guest on our episode today and what may seem like a random start to his story about his lawn lands home with a message that is always relevant. Our Father in heaven loves us so much that his light, beauty, and glory can literally cover over any of the “spots” we’ve allowed to develop. Whether those spots are on our lawn or in our heart, our God’s grace is sufficient and our true power is shown in him working through our weaknesses. Discover more Christian podcasts at lifeaudio.com and inquire about advertising opportunities at lifeaudio.com/contact-us.

In this episode our guest, worship leader and artist Lydia Ignegneri, talks about how God used her worship ministry as a creative training ground to raise up her immensely talented, yet overactive and frustrated son.Being a mom and raising kids while running a full-time ministry isn’t easy. Add in homeschooling four children, and it’s a wonder that Lydia has time for anything at all. But her beautiful story of God speaking to her about the way in which to bring up her son Dominic should is a testimony to all of us about how we should approach this next generation of young leaders. Discover more Christian podcasts at lifeaudio.com and inquire about advertising opportunities at lifeaudio.com/contact-us.

Mentorship and coaching is seen all throughout the Bible, but what is not talked about often is the sacrifice needed from both the mentor and the mentee. In this episode, Matt Maher takes us through a story of embarrassment and shame that shaped his faith walk and identified his need for a mentor. The biblical reference in the episode is based on Deuteronomy 34. Discover more Christian podcasts at lifeaudio.com and inquire about advertising opportunities at lifeaudio.com/contact-us.

Our culture celebrates things like “life hacks” and “faster is better” and “multi-tasking your way to success,” but all Jesus wants from us is to receive his Love and Abide with him. To develop a personal and intimate relationship with him takes time and a commitment to actually focusing on getting away and drawing close. In this episode of The Walk, worship leader and songwriter Aaron Williams tells a story about a very difficult situation that he had to walk through and that forced him to the intimate places to meet Jesus on a deeper level. Discover more Christian podcasts at lifeaudio.com and inquire about advertising opportunities at lifeaudio.com/contact-us.

When is the last time you spoke the name of Jesus over someone? Has God ever asked you to do something radical like walk away from the Church for a year to rediscover him? In today’s episode, we feature a remarkable story followed up by an uncomfortable challenge surrounding our “priesthood” from Jesse Reeves. He’s a church planter and a prolific songwriter with hundreds of titles to his name including How Great Is Our God, Lord I Need You, Indescribable, Our God, I Speak Jesus and a bunch more. Discover more Christian podcasts at lifeaudio.com and inquire about advertising opportunities at lifeaudio.com/contact-us.

There’s no question that rest and rejuvenation are built into God’s daily routines for us. In this episode we hear from pastor, author, and entrepreneur Curtis Zackery who tells an intimate story of when he was confronted with the need to rest. Most of us can relate to a situation where we were forced to stop due to our inability to listen to the father and slow down. It’s almost built into the DNA of our culture to work so hard we end the day having nothing left.What if we could operate from a place of unending joy and vitality? Does God run out of energy? He does not, but even God took a sabbath day as he knew the value of rest. Discover more Christian podcasts at lifeaudio.com and inquire about advertising opportunities at lifeaudio.com/contact-us.

How good are you at listening to that still, small voice? Jenn Johnson from Bethel Music challenges us to be radically obedient to the voice of God in our daily walk. As a songwriter, artist, and record label executive, Jenn wears a lot of hats and the only way to do that successfully is by allowing the Holy Spirit to guide her every step. And, as a part of developing the listening ears needed to hear God’s voice, Jenn reminds us to remove distractions and to simplify our lives.This great devotional podcast episode reminded us of when God revealed himself to Elijah. It wasn’t through fire or earthquakes as it says in 1 Kings.1 Kings 19:11-12 - Then He said, “Go out, and stand on the mountain before the Lord.” And behold, the Lord passed by, and a great and strong wind tore into the mountains and broke the rocks in pieces before the Lord, but the Lord was not in the wind; and after the wind an earthquake, but the Lord was not in the earthquake; 12 and after the earthquake a fire, but the Lord was not in the fire; and after the fire a still small voice.What are you doing to position yourself on a daily basis to hear the voice of God? What are some of the most memorable times in your life where you’ve heard His voice? Did He ask you to do something crazy…and was it really crazy or did it just feel that way at the time?Please subscribe to our social channels for more information and great content surrounding building a lifestyle of worship. This podcast is brought to you by Authentic Media and Worship Leader Magazine. Our host is Joshua Swanson and the show’s co-producer and editor is Matt McCartie. More episodes can be found here .Who is Jenn Johnson? Jenn Johnson is a co-founder and President of Bethel Music and Bethel Music Worship School, headquartered in Redding, California. She is also a musician, a songwriter, singer, speaker and author. Jenn has been an integral part of 16 albums by Bethel Music that have influenced the culture of worship across the global church. Jenn has written and been a part of several anthems sung by the global church such as “Goodness of God”, “You’re Gonna Be OK”, and “God I Look to You”. Jenn is the founder of “Lovely by Jenn Johnson,” a lifestyle brand intended to inspire, equip and engage women of all ages to thrive. She has written her first book, All Things Lovely, which released in November of 2021. Jenn, along with her husband Brian, reside in Redding, California, with their five wonderful children, Haley, Téa, Braden, Ryder Moses, and Malachi Judah. Discover more Christian podcasts at lifeaudio.com and inquire about advertising opportunities at lifeaudio.com/contact-us.