Rick Lee James Podcast Network

Phil Keaggy Has a Message About My New Single Dear friends, Thank you for taking a few minutes to watch Phil’s message. Having him play guitar on this recording is something I’ll treasure for the rest of my life. His musicianship has inspired me for years, but his encouragement throughout this project has meant even more. On July 24 , I'll be releasing my new single, Heaven Is Full of Criminals ,...

Voices in My Head (The Rick Lee James Podcast) Episode 627: Amber Carroll is “Ready To Talk” about gender and sexuality This week on Voices in My Head , I sit down with Amber Carroll, Vice President of Equip and author of the upcoming book Ready to Talk: A Christian Parent’s Guide to Gender and Sexuality . Drawing from her experience as a former public school teacher, a single mom, and someone who...

“Do not despair, one of the thieves was saved. Do not presume, one of the thieves was damned.” –St. Augustine. Heaven Is Full of Criminals, my new single featuring Phil Keaggy, releases July 24, 2026. Spotify Pre-Save: https://show.co/sOrc2zb This is a public episode. If you'd like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit rickleejames.substack.com/subscribe

Voices in My Head (The Rick Lee James Podcast) Episode 626: A Chapel Reflection on John 3:16 and the Invitation of Jesus This week on Voices in My Head (The Rick Lee James Podcast) , I share one of the most unexpected chapel services I’ve ever led. Our scheduled speaker didn’t arrive. I had no sermon prepared, no notes, and not even a Bible in front of me. As I played the opening worship song, I f...

Voices in My Head (The Rick Lee James Podcast) Episode 625: Lectio Divina and the Compassion of Christ This week on Voices in My Head , I'm sharing a chapel service I recently led at Springfield Regional Medical Center. Using the spiritual practice of Lectio Divina and reflecting on Romans 12:9–21, I explore what it means to offer the gift of presence to those who are suffering, drawing inspiratio...

Voices in My Head (The Rick Lee James Podcast) Episode 624: Brian Zahnd - Unseen Existences In this episode of Voices in My Head , Rick Lee James welcomes back author, pastor, and theologian Brian Zahnd to discuss his newest book, Unseen Existences: Of Heaven, Earth, and the Divine Mystery in All Things . Together they explore heaven as a present reality rather than merely a future destination, th...

Vinyl Sale! Get Thunder on vinyl + digital download for just $10 + shipping. Songs for quiet nights, thoughtful mornings, and the storms we all walk through. Order now: This is a public episode. If you'd like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit rickleejames.substack.com/subscribe

In this Pentecost-themed chapel service from Springfield Regional Medical Center, Chaplain Rick Lee James leads a gentle time of worship, prayer, and sacred listening through the ancient practice of Lectio Divina. Reflecting on Acts 2 and the coming of the Holy Spirit, this service invites patients, families, caregivers, and listeners alike to slow down, listen deeply, and consider what word, invi...

Voices in My Head (The Rick Lee James Podcast) Episode 623: Hank and Henry Spaulding On this episode of Voices in My Head , I’m joined by theologian Hank Spaulding and his father for a conversation that spans three powerful and deeply connected books: The Gospel of the Incarcerated Christ , The Rhythm of Grace , and Between Two Gileads . Together, these works explore some of the most pressing ques...

Voices in My Head (The Rick Lee James Podcast) Episode 622: Ginny Owens Brings A Different Kind of Water In this episode of Voices in My Head , I sit down with Ginny Owens to talk about her new EP Different Kind of Water , the creative journey behind her music, and the deeper spiritual questions woven throughout her songs. We explore themes of longing, letting go, faith conversations with those wh...

Voices in My Head (The Rick Lee James Podcast) Episode 621: In Praise of Job’s Friends In this week’s episode, I’m sharing a chapel service I recently recorded at Springfield Regional Medical Center, where I offer a reflection on the story of Job—especially focusing on his friends, who I believe deserve a little more grace than they often receive. Together, we explore what it means to sit with oth...

Truth, Justice, and the Way - Episode 9: When Ideals Fall Short: Superman, Racism, and the Stories We Tell In this episode of Truth, Justice, and the Way: Superman and Spirituality , we examine the tension between the ideals we claim and the ways we sometimes fail to live them out—both in the world of Superman and in our own lives. Together, we explore how the history of DC Comics reflects both ha...

Voices in My Head (The Rick Lee James Podcast) Episode 620: Beyond the Image: Where Is Jesus Really Found? In this brief, early-morning episode of Voices in My Head, I reflect on the controversy surrounding an AI-generated image depicting Donald Trump in a Christ-like role, and why, while it’s troubling, it may not be the biggest issue we should be concerned about. I talk about how easy it is to g...

Voices in My Head (The Rick Lee James Podcast) Episode 619: I Cheerfully Refuse In this solo episode of Voices in My Head, I reflect on rest, recovery, and the quiet joy of being newly certified as a chaplain after years of work. I also share a heartfelt recommendation of I Cheerfully Refuse by Leif Enger—a novel set in a broken world that somehow still points toward hope. Through story and reflec...

Voices in My Head (The Rick Lee James Podcast) Episode 618: Heaven Is Full of Criminals (A Fifth Week of Lent Reflection) In Episode 618 of Voices in My Head (The Rick Lee James Podcast), Rick Lee James shares a message recorded live during a hospital chapel service in the fifth week of Lent. Reflecting on Jesus’ parable of the workers in the vineyard and the story of the thief on the cross, Rick...

Voices in My Head (The Rick Lee James Podcast) Episode 617: A Big Week: 10 Years of Hymns & Becoming a Chaplain In this episode, I share an update on a pretty significant week—reflecting on the 10-year anniversary of my album Hymns, Prayers, and Invitations and walking through what it actually takes to become a certified hospital chaplain. I talk about the long process, the interview, and what thi...

Hello Friends, Ten years ago today I released an album called Hymns, Prayers, and Invitations. It’s an album that came out of prayer books, hymnals, Scripture, and quiet moments with God. I wanted to write songs that felt like ancient faith meeting modern worship—songs that people could sing in church, in their homes, or in the quiet places of their lives. The album opens with a song called “Chris...

Voices in My Head (The Rick Lee James Podcast) Episode 616: Faith Under Fire: Carl Ruby on Standing with Haitian Families in Springfield In this episode of Voices in My Head , I sit down with Pastor Carl Ruby to talk about what has really been happening in Springfield, Ohio, as our city has found itself at the center of national headlines and viral rumors about Haitian immigrants. Carl shares what...

Hi friends, Just a quick note to let you know that today is Bandcamp Friday . For the next 24 hours, Bandcamp waives its revenue share, which means more of every purchase goes directly to the artists you support . If you’ve ever thought about picking up one of my albums—or filling in a gap in your collection—today is one of the best days to do it. You can visit my Bandcamp page here: https://rickl...

Voices in My Head (The Rick Lee James Podcast) Episode 615: James K. A. Smith In this episode of Voices in My Head (The Rick Lee James Podcast) , I’m joined by philosopher and author James K. A. Smith—who invited me to call him Jamie—to talk about his new book, Make Your Home in This Luminous Darkness. We explore the wisdom of the Christian mystics and what they can teach us about living faithfull...

Voices in My Head (The Rick Lee James Podcast) Episode 614: From Parasocial to Personal: Mister Rogers, Superman, and The Accessorized Bible with guest David Dault Hello, friends, this one is a fun episode for me because it’s a crossover between all three of my shows: Voices in My Head (through Rick Lee James Podcast) , Welcome to the Neighborhood: A Mister Rogers Tribute Podcast , and Truth, Just...

Voices in My Head (The Rick Lee James Podcast) Episode 613: The Simple Hymnal with Jered McKenna This week I’m joined by Jared McKenna, the creator of The Simple Hymnal —a musician-friendly hymnal designed to help modern worship leaders, guitarists, and small congregations sing the rich hymns of the church without fighting the format. We talk about Jared’s story (from growing up in the Trinity Hym...

Voices in My Head (The Rick Lee James Podcast) Episode 612: Springfield Haitian Situation Update This week’s episode of Voices in My Head is a little different from what was planned. The scheduled interview has been rescheduled for next week, so I will use this time to share updates from my hometown of Springfield, Ohio. Over the past several weeks, our community has faced growing tension and fear...

Voices in My Head (The Rick Lee James Podcast) Episode 611: Ministry Transitions: Grief and Loss Recorded live at Worship 4:24 at Cedarville University, Rick Lee James explores how ministry transitions carry real grief and loss, even when the change is good. He invites leaders to stop trying to “fix” people or rush past endings, and instead to name what has been lost, because unnamed grief often s...

Groundhog Day always makes me think about second chances. Not just the movie, but the idea behind it. The same day coming back around, giving us another opportunity to hear something, notice something, or maybe even become a slightly different version of ourselves. So today I am resharing an older episode of Voices in My Head that feels right for this day. Back on episode 205, I sat down with Step...