Worship is my Weapon Podcast with Rita Springer

Pastor Philip Mitchell once fired his entire worship team. They were leading on Sundays and living a different life during the week, and he chose a year of one singer and a backing track over a compromised stage.In this episode of Worship Is My Weapon, Rita Springer sits down with the lead pastor of 2819 Church in Atlanta and author of Contend. Philip shares how a former street kid from Queens met Jesus on a bathroom floor, and what he believes is the greatest threat to the American church. He also explains why his worship leaders face each other instead of the crowd, and why some Sundays he never gets to preach.It’s a sobering and hopeful conversation about holiness, the fear of the Lord, and a worship culture that eats the fruit and stays away from the glory.Get Content here: https://www.amazon.co.za/Contend-Standing-Boldly-Biblical-Winning/dp/140036132X00:00 Intro00:51 Welcome & Introducing Pastor Phillip Mitchell02:15 Contend: A Call to Surrender03:35 Phillip’s Testimony: From Despair to Faith06:48 Called vs. Chosen09:14 What Has the Church Lost?12:38 Sponsor: Amazing Kids13:35 Intimacy with Jesus & a Compromised Gospel18:10 Spiritual Warfare in Worship & the Arts21:57 When Worship Becomes a Performance25:54 Samson, Solomon & the Slow Drift of Compromise31:11 Pastoring Worship Leaders & Building Accountability35:42 Worship Is More Than Singing39:46 Choosing Songs & Following the Holy Spirit43:02 Writing Songs That Serve the Church46:16 Worship Songs, Branding & Chasing Success49:39 Full Surrender & the Cost of Discipleship52:26 Pursuing Holiness Instead of Recognition56:15 Why Phillip Removed an Entire Worship Team57:39 Protecting Purity as the Church Grows58:42 Falling Away from God & Learning Holy Reverence01:01:36 Enjoying the Fruit Without Taking the Glory01:04:08 Closing Reflections & ThanksIf you're enjoying the show, please rate and review!Follow Rita on ALL Social Media: https://linktr.ee/ritaspringerIf you would like to support the Worship Is My Weapon podcast you can donate to Wearing Justice at https://give.tithe.ly/?formId=0f0e22b... 🙏🏻🕊️🤍💌 Stay connected with Rita by signing up for her exclusive mailing list: https://2f1ja.share.hsforms.com/2ioKtH_9GRNiXq3hp6ykFmw

What if the only reason you believed was where you were born?Clark Beckham, American Idol runner-up and one of the most soulful voices in music, grew up in church, went to Christian school and showed up every Sunday. At 16 he quietly decided none of it was real. He calls himself a “closeted little atheist.”In this conversation with Rita Springer, Clark tells what changed his mind. It wasn’t a debate. It was watching the people closest to him become completely different. He also tells about the night, two days after he finally believed, when his parents told him they were divorcing, and how God met him in that room in a way he still can’t forget.Rita and Clark also talk about why God told him “not yet” to American Idol, why he felt led away from becoming a worship pastor, what it’s like to be the only Christian in secular writing rooms, and how complex chords became a way to worship.If you grew up in church and ever quietly wondered whether any of it was true, this one’s for you.----------------------------------------------------------------------------------00:00 Intro01:04 Welcome & Meet Clark Beckham02:15 Growing Up in a Musical Family06:14 Choosing Lee University & Discovering His Calling10:52 Sponsor: Amazing Kids11:49 Life After College & American Idol12:36 Growing Up in Church & Questioning Christianity18:27 Seeing Real Faith Through Changed Lives20:26 The Encounter That Changed Everything22:41 Reaching People Who Think Church Is Fake25:36 His Parents’ Divorce & Experiencing God’s Embrace30:34 American Idol: Calling, Pressure & Reality TV34:22 Overcoming Insecurity & Trusting God’s Timing41:07 Thriving in the American Idol Experience43:00 Breaking Out of the Christian Music Box47:05 Called to Music Beyond Worship Leading52:02 Following God Through Relationship & Obedience55:03 Sharing Faith Outside the Church58:30 Breaking Down the Secular–Sacred Divide01:00:58 The Heart Behind Acoustic Worship Sessions01:05:17 Musical Creativity That Serves the Song01:10:27 New Music & Choosing Authenticity01:12:50 His Vision for Music, Ministry & Fatherhood01:15:54 What Fuels Your Calling?01:17:21 Fighting Distraction & Discovering Creative Evangelism01:23:10 Closing Encouragement & A Prophetic ConnectionIf you're enjoying the show, please rate and review!Follow Rita on ALL Social Media: https://linktr.ee/ritaspringerIf you would like to support the Worship Is My Weapon podcast you can donate to Wearing Justice at https://give.tithe.ly/?formId=0f0e22b... 🙏🏻🕊️🤍💌 Stay connected with Rita by signing up for her exclusive mailing list: https://2f1ja.share.hsforms.com/2ioKtH_9GRNiXq3hp6ykFmw

Get When God Is Your Father: Amazon or leecummings.comWhat if the wound you thought God healed years ago shows up again, and that’s not failure but mercy?Pastor and author Lee Cummings (Radiant Church, Kalamazoo) joins Rita to talk about his seventh book, When God Is Your Father. It’s the book he thought would be the easiest to write and the one that took him over a decade.Lee opens up about a father who walked out, a stepfather who provided but never quite wanted him, and the grandfather who led him to God. He tells the night at 12 years old when he heard the Father say, “You’re not a mistake.” He and Rita get honest about why father wounds come back in every new season, why so many pastors are deeply insecure, and what it’s like to preach on Sunday while your own son is running from God. He also shares the dream that brought his son home.If you’ve ever struggled to see God as a Father who is good, who provides, and who actually wants you, this conversation is for you. Send it to someone who needs to hear it.00:00 Intro00:56 Welcome & Introducing Lee Cummings02:09 The Story Behind When God Is Your Father04:16 How Fatherlessness Affects Us Differently06:37 Fatherhood Is Who God Is08:16 Lee’s Childhood: Abandonment & Rejection10:45 Sponsor: Amazing Kids11:42 Childhood Wounds & a Grandfather’s Love13:49 Encountering God as Father at 1217:13 The Redemption of Lee’s Biological Father19:32 Why Healing Comes in Layers24:39 Father Wounds, Scarcity & Trusting God26:31 Adoption, Identity & Calling God “Abba”29:29 Finding Identity Beyond Titles & Performance34:10 Healthy Ambition Without Competition37:35 How to Know God as Your Father41:16 The Prodigal Son & Returning Home44:12 Rita’s Adoption Story & Parenting with God47:47 Lee’s Son: A Prodigal’s Return52:10 Trusting God with Your Children54:12 Adoption & Being Chosen by God56:49 The Heart Behind the Book59:14 Asking God for an Encounter1:00:24 Becoming Spiritual Fathers & Mothers1:03:05 Building a Church with Lasting Weight1:06:02 Spiritual Parenting, Correction & Encouragement1:09:03 Closing & Where to Find the BookIf you're enjoying the show, please rate and review!Follow Rita on ALL Social Media: https://linktr.ee/ritaspringerIf you would like to support the Worship Is My Weapon podcast you can donate to Wearing Justice at https://give.tithe.ly/?formId=0f0e22b... 🙏🏻🕊️🤍💌 Stay connected with Rita by signing up for her exclusive mailing list: https://2f1ja.share.hsforms.com/2ioKtH_9GRNiXq3hp6ykFmw

What happens when the person who hurt you never apologizes, and the closure you've waited your whole life for never comes?In this deeply personal episode of Worship Is My Weapon, Rita Springer welcomes back Lisa Jennett to share her journey of childhood trauma, family rejection, forgiveness, and healing.After spending five years caring for her aging mother, Lisa faced a heartbreaking decision that left their relationship fractured. Her mother stopped speaking to her and passed away without reconciliation.Together, Rita and Lisa explore finding healing without an apology, surrendering to God, and discovering how even anger, doubt, and unanswered questions can become acts of worship.If you've ever struggled with family wounds or wondered how to move forward without closure, this conversation is for you.----------------------------------------------------------------------------------Try Amazing+ Free: Access the world’s first total ministry strategy from curriculum and technology, to training and resources, free for 30 days here: https://www.joinamazing.com/freetrial📧 Got feedback or podcast topic suggestions? Email Rita:[email protected] or [email protected] you would like to support the Worship Is My Weapon podcast you can donate to Wearing Justice at https://give.tithe.ly/?formId=0f0e22b... 🙏🏻🕊️🤍Sign up for my newsletter here: https://2f1ja.share.hsforms.com/2ioKtH_9GRNiXq3hp6ykFmw00:00 Intro01:03 Welcome Back, Lisa03:47 Losing Her Mother and Revisiting the Past07:28 The Journey Toward Forgiveness10:51 Longing for a Mother's Acceptance13:07 When Life Became Overwhelming19:37 Reaching the Breaking Point22:01 The Fear of Never Being Loved26:42 A Painful Goodbye30:21 Losing Her Mother Without Closure33:48 Sponsor Break34:45 The Watch That Changed Everything40:58 Healing Doesn't Come From the Source of Pain45:06 Confession, Comfort, and God's Love50:22 Surrender Means Stepping Behind the Shield58:19 Understanding Forgiveness and Family Wounds63:07 Faith Is a Process, Not an Instant Miracle68:13 Hold My Beer and the Hail Mary Pass72:09 Can You Question God and Still Worship?76:11 Finding God in the Small Things82:29 What Does It Really Mean to Be Blessed?87:41 Walking Through Pain Without Being Alone90:03 Curiosity, Faith, and Final ThoughtsIf you're enjoying the show, please rate and review!Follow Rita on ALL Social Media: https://linktr.ee/ritaspringerIf you would like to support the Worship Is My Weapon podcast you can donate to Wearing Justice at https://give.tithe.ly/?formId=0f0e22b... 🙏🏻🕊️🤍💌 Stay connected with Rita by signing up for her exclusive mailing list: https://2f1ja.share.hsforms.com/2ioKtH_9GRNiXq3hp6ykFmw

What do you do when you no longer trust your pastor? How do you know whether it’s time to leave a church? And have you really lost your calling—or are you simply burned out?In this episode of Worship Is My Weapon, Rita Springer answers real questions from worship leaders, church staff and people navigating the complicated realities of serving in ministry.Rita gets candid about honoring leaders you disagree with, leaving a church without carrying offense into the next one, unhealthy expectations of loyalty, ministry burnout, losing your passion for worship, and the desire for a bigger platform.She also shares honestly about questioning her own calling as a songwriter and the exhaustion that can come from playing the “game” of the worship industry.And underneath every question is an even deeper one: What is God trying to do in you through the season you’re in?0:00 Intro1:10 Welcome to Worship Is My Weapon5:25 Supporting Wearing Justice & the Podcast7:30 The Story Behind Wearing Justice9:30 What Today’s Q&A Is About13:36 How Do I Honor a Pastor I No Longer Trust?21:57 How Do You Know When It’s Time to Leave a Church?25:56 What If Loyalty Doesn’t Allow Disagreement?33:44 Burnout or Losing Your Calling?38:23 What If I Don’t Feel Anything When Leading Worship?45:10 Can I Want a Bigger Platform and Still Want Jesus?52:50 Knowing God vs. Just Doing Ministry53:47 Learning to Hear God’s Voice60:01 Final Encouragement & ClosingIf you're enjoying the show, please rate and review!Follow Rita on ALL Social Media: https://linktr.ee/ritaspringerIf you would like to support the Worship Is My Weapon podcast you can donate to Wearing Justice at https://give.tithe.ly/?formId=0f0e22b... 🙏🏻🕊️🤍💌 Stay connected with Rita by signing up for her exclusive mailing list: https://2f1ja.share.hsforms.com/2ioKtH_9GRNiXq3hp6ykFmw

What if “the other side” doesn’t look anything like you thought it would?This week, Joe L and Lauren Barnes turn the tables and interview Rita about hearing God, prophetic words, obedience, suffering, spiritual comparison, and the story behind her upcoming record, The Other Side.Rita opens up about the danger of speaking too quickly when you believe God has said something—but also the cost of staying silent because you're afraid of getting it wrong. Together, they wrestle with why Christians can become obsessed with someone else’s “oil,” whether we sometimes romanticize the wilderness, and why following Jesus was never a promise that life would become easy.Sometimes the other side isn't a change in circumstances. Sometimes it's discovering that Jesus is still Jesus in the middle of them.----------------------------------------------------------------------------------00:00 Intro01:14 Welcome + Turning the Tables on Rita05:10 How Rita, Joel & Lauren Met07:19 The Prophetic Word That Changed Their Story12:06 From Friendship to Family14:12 Finding the Courage to Hear & Obey God16:40 The Missionary, the Car & the Cost of Hesitation23:15 What Happens When People Don’t Obey?26:33 When It Feels Like God Didn’t Show Up27:40 From Fed by Ravens to The Other Side30:17 The Other Side Is a Mindset Shift32:53 Are We Selling the Wrong Gospel?35:15 The Unseen Battles Behind the “Oil”36:48 Recognizing Jesus in the Distance40:09 Revival, Repentance & the Wilderness42:53 Don’t Chase the Wilderness for the Oil47:22 You Don’t Know What Their Calling Cost48:16 Stop Comparing Your Calling to Someone Else’s51:22 What Are You Actually Called to Carry?53:26 Find Your Own Fragrance55:55 The Light at the End of the Tunnel1:00:32 Can You Be Disappointed and Still Be Faithful?1:02:40 What Does Contentment Really Mean?1:04:44 The Story Behind “The Other Side”1:06:25 What the New Record Will Sound Like1:08:19 “I Just Want to Know Him More”If you're enjoying the show, please rate and review!Follow Rita on ALL Social Media: https://linktr.ee/ritaspringerIf you would like to support the Worship Is My Weapon podcast you can donate to Wearing Justice at https://give.tithe.ly/?formId=0f0e22b... 🙏🏻🕊️🤍💌 Stay connected with Rita by signing up for her exclusive mailing list: https://2f1ja.share.hsforms.com/2ioKtH_9GRNiXq3hp6ykFmw

Franni Cash joins Rita Springer for an incredibly honest conversation about growing up in what she describes as a cult, losing her community, questioning her faith, and eventually learning to separate who God is from the people who misrepresented Him.Franni shares the story behind We the Kingdom and why she ultimately knew she needed to step away—even while the band was experiencing incredible success. She opens up about crying every night on tour, the return of self-harm, and the realization that something looking “blessed” from the outside doesn’t always mean you’re supposed to stay.They also talk about forgiveness, therapy, rediscovering her love for music, the real story behind “Kool-Aid,” and Franny’s new chapter as a solo artist.Now that so much of the pain has healed, Franny is wrestling with a completely new question: What happens when an artist who has always created from pain learns to create from peace?If you’ve ever experienced church hurt, confused success with calling, or had to rediscover who God is beyond the people who represented Him, this conversation is for you.----------------------------------------------------------------------------------0:00 Intro1:08 Welcome + Meet Franni Cash3:15 Who Was Franni Cash?5:43 Growing Up in a Church Cult8:04 The Truth Comes Out11:09 Finding God After Spiritual Trauma17:17 Forgiveness, Surrender + Healing18:50 Amazing Kids19:46 Learning to Forgive21:26 Songwriting, Theology + Finding Her Own Voice22:56 Why Franni Left We The Kingdom28:32 Choosing Her Life Over Success31:29 Redefining God’s Favor34:25 Who Is Franni Cash Now?38:36 Breaking the Christian Music Mold39:40 Falling in Love With Music Again43:19 Choosing Art Over Commercial Success47:52 Staying Creative Without Losing Yourself51:20 Authenticity After a Controlling Church53:23 The Story Behind “Kool-Aid”55:32 Creating the Album + Finding Freedom58:43 Can Great Art Come From Peace?1:01:06 Creating Beyond Pain1:04:22 Who Is Franni Cash Becoming?1:07:27 The Future of Christian Art1:11:25 Art, Evangelism + Authenticity1:15:23 The “Unknown Daisy” Encounter1:18:03 Creating With God1:20:22 The Songs Still Waiting to Be Written1:23:01 Franni’s New Record + ClosingIf you're enjoying the show, please rate and review!Follow Rita on ALL Social Media: https://linktr.ee/ritaspringerIf you would like to support the Worship Is My Weapon podcast you can donate to Wearing Justice at https://give.tithe.ly/?formId=0f0e22b... 🙏🏻🕊️🤍💌 Stay connected with Rita by signing up for her exclusive mailing list: https://2f1ja.share.hsforms.com/2ioKtH_9GRNiXq3hp6ykFmw

What do you do when you know God is good, but you’re still heartbroken over something He allowed?In this episode of Worship Is My Weapon, Rita Springer gets deeply honest about the difference between being heart-sick and being brokenhearted, the wounds we learn to live around, and the places where repeated disappointment can quietly affect our trust in God.Rita shares how God began revealing broken pieces she thought she had already moved past and the invitation to finally hand those pieces back to Him.If you’ve been praying, waiting, grieving, or wondering why God hasn’t changed something, this conversation is an invitation to be honest with Him, lay down the burden, and rediscover His nearness in the middle of your brokenness.00:00 Intro01:03 Welcome to Worship Is My Weapon03:36 Living With a Broken Heart05:39 Does God Allow Our Hearts to Be Broken?08:13 Staying Curious in Your Faith09:28 Giving God the Broken Pieces11:29 Amazing Kids12:26 Heart Sick vs. Brokenhearted16:11 When the Hits Keep Coming18:43 The Enemy Attacks Our Weaknesses20:31 Finding Strength After Brokenness26:11 God Is Near to the Brokenhearted30:01 Accepting God's Invitation to Draw Near33:28 How Crisis Reveals Our Relationship With God35:32 Breaking Cycles of Disappointment38:14 What Are You Still Holding Onto?41:12 Giving God the Burden of Your Brokenness42:42 Healing vs. Remaining Sensitive to the Wound46:18 God's Desire Is to Heal and Restore47:41 What to Do When God Feels Silent49:26 Are You Heart Sick or Brokenhearted?49:57 God Is Not Offended by Your Honesty51:51 Surrendering Without Having All the Answers52:30 Don't Let Worry Steal Your Wonder53:44 Letting God Repair a Broken HeartIf you're enjoying the show, please rate and review!Follow Rita on ALL Social Media: https://linktr.ee/ritaspringerIf you would like to support the Worship Is My Weapon podcast you can donate to Wearing Justice at https://give.tithe.ly/?formId=0f0e22b... 🙏🏻🕊️🤍💌 Stay connected with Rita by signing up for her exclusive mailing list: https://2f1ja.share.hsforms.com/2ioKtH_9GRNiXq3hp6ykFmw

What happens when a genuine calling from God slowly turns into a need to be chosen?Harvest Bashta Grapevine joins Rita Springer for an incredibly honest conversation about worship, ambition, disappointment, prophetic words, divorce, comparison and rediscovering why she fell in love with the presence of God in the first place.Long before Harvest was a worship leader, she was a young girl praying, “God, make me a voice.” But after discovering her gift, hearing that she was “anointed,” and watching others receive the opportunities she thought God had promised her, something began to change.In this episode, Harvest and Rita wrestle with a difficult question for every gifted believer: What if your calling was never supposed to become a platform?They talk about the worship industry, the danger of building your identity around your gift, prophetic words that create unrealistic expectations, surviving deep personal disappointment, and finding freedom in simply being faithful where God has planted you.00:00 Intro01:22 Welcome & Introducing Harvest Grapevine07:02 Growing Up in Revival & a Family on Mission11:56 "Lord, Make Me a Voice"15:29 Living in the Prayer Room20:03 Marked by God vs. Chosen by God22:40 When Worship Became About People's Approval28:58 The Fast Rise of a Worship Career30:50 Losing the Doorkeeper Heart35:00 Feeling Used by Ministry39:28 Comparison, Rejection & the Industry46:15 Divorce, Disappointment & Rock Bottom49:20 God Restores Identity During Sabbatical52:16 Returning to the Prayer Room53:48 Why Worship Leaders Are Burning Out59:09 Prophecy, Calling & Expectations01:05:20 "I've Reserved You for Myself"01:11:46 The Gift Was Never the Destination01:18:42 Releasing Music vs. Loving Jesus01:22:47 Advice for Dreamers & Staying Faithful01:27:57 How to Handle Prophetic Words01:33:53 Returning to Your First Love01:35:03 Closing ThoughtsIf you're enjoying the show, please rate and review!Follow Rita on ALL Social Media: https://linktr.ee/ritaspringerIf you would like to support the Worship Is My Weapon podcast you can donate to Wearing Justice at https://give.tithe.ly/?formId=0f0e22b... 🙏🏻🕊️🤍💌 Stay connected with Rita by signing up for her exclusive mailing list: https://2f1ja.share.hsforms.com/2ioKtH_9GRNiXq3hp6ykFmw

What does it really mean to know who you are? Rita Springer sits down with Doe Jones for an honest conversation about identity, purpose, race, motherhood, anxiety, and living as the person God created you to be. From the story behind "Black Boy" to why she believes God made her a Black woman on purpose, this episode is a powerful reminder that your identity is found in Christ—not in the labels the world gives you.00:00 Intro01:04 Welcome Doe | The Story Behind Her Name05:39 Growing Up Between Washington & Louisiana07:24 Discovering Her Gift for Music10:14 Knowing She Was Called to Create12:24 Sponsor: Amazing Kids Curriculum13:20 Christian Artist vs Christian Who Goes to Work18:40 Creativity, Calling & Writing with God20:08 Identity, Purpose & Being a Black Woman25:30 The Powerful Story Behind "Black Boy"32:46 Creating the New Album "Shiloh"36:08 The Weight of Writing Songs for the Church42:35 Women, Worship & Pioneering New Paths46:04 Bridging Generations in the Church48:19 Mental Health, Anxiety & Learning to Thrive55:13 Does God Trust You?56:02 Motherhood, Grace & Depending on God58:16 Generational Blessing & God's Faithfulness01:00:32 The New Album "Shiloh"01:01:43 Touring While Raising Young Children01:05:52 Final ThoughtsIf you're enjoying the show, please rate and review!Follow Rita on ALL Social Media: https://linktr.ee/ritaspringerIf you would like to support the Worship Is My Weapon podcast you can donate to Wearing Justice at https://give.tithe.ly/?formId=0f0e22b... 🙏🏻🕊️🤍💌 Stay connected with Rita by signing up for her exclusive mailing list: https://2f1ja.share.hsforms.com/2ioKtH_9GRNiXq3hp6ykFmw