The Walk: A Devotional Podcast from Worship Leader Magazine

What if the most important part of worship happens long before Sunday morning? In Episode 178 of The Walk: Faith in the Real World, Bella Taylor Smith shares her remarkable journey from a teenager with no church background to becoming one of Christian music's most compelling voices. After winning The Voice Australia in 2021, Bella's life changed dramatically. What began as a simple prompting from...

What does it take to write a worship song that serves the Church? In this episode of The Walk: Faith in the Real World , Kurtis Parks sits down with Justin Barnett, Bryant Urich, and Anne Elise Sherrod of the NCS Collective to talk about songwriting, worship leadership, artist development, and the power of Christian community. The NCS Collective recently released their live worship album, Nothing...

What if the songs we sing on Sunday are shaping our faith more than we realize? In this episode of The Walk: Faith in the Real World, award-winning artist, songwriter, worship leader, and author Ginny Owens joins us for a thoughtful conversation about worship, theology, discipleship, and the responsibility of leading people in song. After nearly three decades in Christian music, Ginny now serves a...

What happens when the thing you believe God called you to becomes more important than God Himself? In this episode of The Walk: Faith in the Real World, Amanda Janson shares one of the most honest and powerful testimonies we've ever featured on the podcast. Before releasing her debut album, Sinner to Saint, Amanda found herself living the dream she thought God had given her. After moving to Nashvi...

What do you do when you're exhausted, discouraged, and ready to quit? In this episode of The Walk: Faith in the Real World, the brothers of Consumed By Fire share the deeply personal story behind some of the hardest seasons of their lives—and how God met them in the middle of it. Known for hit songs like "First Things First" and "Walk With Jesus," Caleb, Jordan, and Josh Ward open up about g...

What if worship was never just about music? In this episode of The Walk: Faith in the Real World , Alexandra Osteen of Lakewood Music shares an honest conversation about worship, calling, healing, church community, and the faithfulness of God across generations. As the Worship Director at Lakewood Church and part of the leadership behind Lakewood Music’s newest album House of Worship , Alexa...

What if praise was never meant to be a warm-up for worship? In this episode of The Walk: Faith in the Real World , Alexander Pappas—founding member of Hillsong Young & Free and writer of songs like Alive , Wake , Real Love , and Echo —shares a passionate and deeply personal conversation about worship, grace, repentance, and the transformational power of praise. After years of leadi...

Church hurt is real. But what if we’ve misunderstood where the hurt actually comes from? In this episode of The Walk: Faith in the Real World , Cliff Preston shares one of the most honest conversations we’ve had about pain, ministry, mental health, and why community still matters even after disappointment. Growing up as the son of a pastor in broken church environments, Cliff experienc...

What do you do when God keeps stirring something in your heart—but none of it makes logical sense? In this episode of The Walk: Faith in the Real World , rising Christian pop artist Meeks Carter shares the incredible story behind his journey from pest control and finance… to signing with Red Street Records and stepping into a calling he couldn’t ignore. But this conversation isn...

Some pain doesn’t just go away. It follows you. It waits. It whispers. And if you’re not careful—it starts to feel like it owns you. In this episode of The Walk: Faith in the Real World , Kevin Young of the band Disciple shares an unfiltered conversation about sin, freedom, and the battle every believer faces behind the scenes. After more than 30 years in Christian music, Kevin o...

Most Christians would say they know Jesus. But what if we’ve misunderstood who He really is? In this episode of The Walk: Faith in the Real World , Mark E. Moore—teaching pastor at Christ’s Church of the Valley and bestselling author of Core 52 —challenges one of the most foundational assumptions in modern faith: not whether we believe in Jesus, but whether we actually unde...

The cross is central to everything we believe. So why does it sometimes feel… familiar? In this episode of The Walk: Faith in the Real World , Cade Thompson opens up about a tension many Christians quietly carry—what happens when the message of the cross stops feeling powerful and starts feeling routine. Growing up in church and now touring as a Christian artist, Cade shares how easy...

This episode gets honest about something many worship leaders feel—but rarely say out loud. Dan Rivera has led on big stages, written songs heard around the world, and helped shape worship culture in the Church. But in this conversation, he pulls things back to what actually sustains a life in ministry: humility, real relationships, and a faith that doesn’t depend on the platform. Beca...

This episode is about the quiet tension every worship leader feels—but doesn’t always say out loud. Clayton Brooks has spent over 20 years in worship ministry, and in this conversation, he pulls back the curtain on what it really looks like to lead when no one’s responding, when insecurity creeps in, and when the line between worship and performance starts to blur. From leading i...

Chris Clayton: Writing Worship Songs That Shape the Church What does it really mean to write songs for the Church—not just for a moment, but for generations? In this episode of The Walk , Chris Clayton shares his journey from a dream in Texas to becoming a trusted voice in worship songwriting and production in Nashville. With honesty and depth, Chris opens up about family, faith, discipline,...

What if your biggest project wasn’t just creative—but deeply spiritual? In this episode, Tommee Profitt shares how The Resurrection of a King was born out of surrender, obedience, and a powerful encounter with God that reshaped how he creates music. About This Episode Tommee Profitt is known for cinematic music that reaches billions—but behind the success is a story of calling, t...

Real worship leadership begins long before the stage. In this episode of The Walk , Kurtis Parks sits down with worship pastor, mentor, and founder of The Worship Life, Amber Peairs , to talk about identity, leadership health, and why so many worship leaders quietly struggle behind the scenes. Amber shares wisdom from more than three decades in worship ministry—along with hard-won lessons ab...

When God disrupts what’s familiar, He’s often inviting us into deeper trust. In this episode of The Walk , Kurtis Parks sits down with Jeff Deyo to talk about calling, pain, faithfulness, and what it really means to shepherd people—not just lead platforms. In this conversation, you’ll hear Jeff and Kurtis talk about: Why pastoring is less about performance and more about gu...

In a divided and distracted age, what does it really mean for the Church to be the hope of the world? In this rich and wide-ranging conversation, Kurtis Parks sits down with theologian, worship pastor, and author Steven Félix-Jäger to rediscover the Church’s calling to live as a people of Jubilee. Episode 160 Hosted by Kurtis Parks Steven invites us to zoom out—beyond our l...

In this episode of The Walk , Kurtis Parks sits down with pastor-turned-maker Derek Welborn to tell a story that starts with loss, wrestles through identity, and unfolds into unexpected calling. What began as a painful journey through alopecia became the soil God used to birth Saints Western—and a deeper trust in His timing. Episode 159 Host: Kurtis Parks In This Episode, You’ll Hear:...

Sometimes faith isn’t about finding answers. Sometimes it’s about waking up again—and choosing to join Jesus right where you are. In this episode of The Walk , host Kurtis Parks sits down with singer-songwriter Tim Timmons for a conversation that is honest, challenging, and deeply hope-filled. Episode 158 Host: Kurtis Parks Episode Highlights How a terminal cancer diagnosis at 25...

What does it look like to walk faithfully with Jesus through success, suffering, creativity, and calling? In this episode of The Walk , Trip Lee opens up about discipleship, worship, and learning to boast in the Lord in every season of life. Guest Bio Trip Lee is a Dove and Stellar Award–winning Christian artist, pastor, and author based in Atlanta, Georgia. A foundational voice in Christian...

In this episode of The Walk , host Kurtis Parks sits down with Dove Award–winning worship leader and songwriter Meredith Andrews for an honest conversation about rejection, rest, identity, and learning to live at the walking pace of Jesus. From her home near Nashville, Tennessee, Meredith shares how seasons of burnout and hiddenness revealed deeper wounds shaped by rejection—and how Go...

What does it look like to come full circle after 30 years in ministry and music? In this raw and inspiring episode of  The Walk , Grammy-winning artist Mac Powell shares what it's like reuniting with Third Day for a 30th Anniversary Tour, the sacred weight of worship, and the surprising joy of rest after decades on the road. From the depth of stage memories to the fire that fuels his calling,...

“We’re not just making art — we’re shaping theology.” In this deeply honest and thought-provoking episode of The Walk , musician, producer, and hymn scholar Andrew Osenga unpacks the surprising discovery that reshaped his faith: ancient songs still speak today. From his early years in Caedmon's Call to his executive work at Integrity Music, Andrew has always wrestled...