Ep 245: Phil Wickham: How Do You Stop Performing for God?

Worship leader and songwriter Brooke Ligertwood is back on the couch — a third-time guest whose new album Eat sets Scripture word-for-word to music. She and Levi swap stories about the time they turned a Montana set into the moon, talk through the marriage-saving phrase "is that a final draft?", and unpack her philosophy of "iceberg life" — why the healthiest faith is 90% invisible. It ends, naturally, with wedding-night chaos and a burnt bridal gown.   Connect with us on social! Brooke: @brookeligertwood Levi: @levilusko Jennie: @jennielusko Fresh Life Church: @freshlife [Links] Listen to EAT: https://bit.ly/4ck2S5Q Watch Brooke and Levi in From the Rock: https://bit.ly/4x49Ymu Get the 5 Gallon Bucket: https://bit.ly/sdl4sHY Get the Lusketeer Sticker: https://bit.ly/sdl4sHY   Subscribe for more exclusive content: https://levilusko.com/hitl-subscribe Time Stamps: 00:00:00 – Steamy intro 00:03:14 – Recreating the moon in Montana (and the "Last Supper" crossover) 00:06:20 – Inside Eat — an album of verbatim, sung Scripture 00:12:11 – Letting God write the record instead of forcing it 00:14:50 – The prophetic voice: when not to dilute what God gave you 00:17:04 – Sister Act, Choir Room, and her favorite song "Watchmen" 00:21:37 – Marriage hack: "Is that a final draft?" 00:30:18 – Iceberg life — why your inner world should outweigh your outer show 00:36:00 – Why you can't actually be discipled by social media 00:48:02 – Wedding night bloopers and a burnt wedding dress

Sadie and Christian Huff are back for their third visit — and three years, three kids, and one viral leech-in-a-box clip later, they're catching Levi and Jennie up on everything. They open up about filming Duck Dynasty: The Revival through Sadie's pregnancy with Kit (which wrapped the same week they said goodbye to Phil Robertson), what Sadie learned writing her most personal book yet, and the honest, sometimes hilarious dynamics of doing life and ministry as a family in the public eye.   Connect with us on social! Sadie: @legitsadierob Christian: @christian_huff Levi: @levilusko Jennie: @jennielusko Fresh Life Church: @freshlife   [Links] Check out Sadie's new book It's Not Personal: https://bit.ly/4gEBxwy Listen to the Huffs on Woah That's Good!: https://bit.ly/4iEAy1Y Listen to Christian's teaching from Fresh Life Church: https://bit.ly/3T673f9 Listen to LO Worship: https://bit.ly/4wVCLd3 Check out LO Sister Conference: https://bit.ly/4gN3DG9 Get the 5 Gallon Bucket: https://bit.ly/sdl4sHY Get the Lusketeer Sticker: https://bit.ly/sdl4sHY   Subscribe for more exclusive content: https://levilusko.com/hitl-subscribe   Time Stamps: 00:00:00 – The leech-in-a-box clip, eight years later 00:02:03 – Nervous laughter, Louie Giglio's advice & finding the "one sentence" heart of a message 00:07:52 – Christian's first sermon and Sadie's first Passion talk 00:10:37 – Two kids to three: the "beautiful chaos" transition 00:12:51 – Filming Duck Dynasty: The Revival while pregnant with Kit 00:15:33 – Losing Phil Robertson the week the show launched 00:29:07 – Marriage, masking emotions & growing up on camera 00:30:24 – Sadie's new book: "It's Not Personal, But the Knot is Slashed Out" 00:44:41 – Date nights, pickleball tournaments & the Passion Club debate 00:56:40 – Unashamed, hosting the K-LOVE Awards & the Sisterhood Conference

Fifth-time guest Lisa Harper is back — fresh off a whirlwind trip through England, Wales, the Netherlands, and Scotland, and still nursing the jet lag. Between hug-ministry theology, Levi's 75-day merino wool shorts experiment (Lisa remains skeptical), and a surprise moment praying with a stranger in a London store, the conversation turns to Lisa's new book on the Song of Songs — unpacking how the Bible's most intimate book taught her that God delights in her, brokenness and all.   Connect with us on social! Lisa: @lisadharper Levi: @levilusko Jennie: @jennielusko Fresh Life Church: @freshlife   [Links] Get Lisa's book, Song of Songs: The Love We Long For: https://bit.ly/4xQn2MY Visit Lisa's website: https://bit.ly/3UAIS8W Get the 5 Gallon Bucket: https://bit.ly/sdl4sHY Get the Lusketeer Sticker: https://bit.ly/sdl4sHY   Subscribe for more exclusive content: https://levilusko.com/hitl-subscribe Time Stamps: 00:00:00 – Lisa's fifth visit and the great HITL guest rankings 00:01:37 – Confessions of a hug-ministry professional 00:08:28 – Levi's 75-day merino wool shorts experiment 00:11:19 – Praying with a stranger in a London store 00:14:09 – King Arthur's Seat and an accidental royal garden party 00:19:46 – Introducing her new book, Song of Songs: The Love We Long For 00:24:53 – Why the bride's voice matters more than we think 00:36:47 – Favorite vignettes and the Song of Songs sequel jokes 00:46:17 – Closing thoughts on intimacy, bruises, and redemption

David Thomas — co-founder of Daystar Counseling and co-author of the new book Capable — joins Levi and Jennie to unpack why chasing our kids' happiness might actually be setting them up to fail. From three kids under age two to a grandmother who asked one piercing question his whole life, David breaks down the "three C's" (coping, competence, challenges) and why loving our kids sometimes means letting them struggle. Plus: the running story that changed how he parents. Connect with us on social! David: @raisingboysandgirls Levi: @levilusko Jennie: @jennielusko Fresh Life Church: @freshlife [Links] Check out David & Sissy's book, Capable: https://bit.ly/4htx7uA Check out the I Am Capable workbook: https://bit.ly/4wTQLEZ Raising Boys and Girls podcast & tour info: https://bit.ly/3TRpd4r Get the 5 Gallon Bucket: https://bit.ly/sdl4sHY Get the Lusketeer Sticker: https://bit.ly/sdl4sHY Subscribe for more exclusive content: https://levilusko.com/hitl-subscribe Time Stamps: 00:00:00 – Welcome David Thomas (no, not the Wendy's guy) 00:04:23 – How a running family got made, mile by mile 00:07:08 – The accidental path from advertising major to child counselor 00:12:57 – Grandma's question: "Did you make yourself useful today?" 00:16:54 – Why chasing happiness sets kids up for a hard adulthood 00:25:37 – Inside the new book: Capable 00:31:30 – Pampering vs. preparing: the parenting swing to avoid 00:37:11 – The three C's: coping, competence, challenges 00:46:23 – "Moving outward": the coping strategy his daughter taught him 00:52:52 – Capable Connections: what sons need from mom, daughters need from dad

Phil Wickham catches up with Levi and Jennie fresh off his Song of the Saints tour — the one where God stopped him in his tracks the night before opening night with one question: are you really letting me be Lord of your life? Phil opens up about that surrender, the inflatable rocks that gave him a stage-prop identity crisis, and the audiobook producer who wasn't a believer until eight hours in the studio together. Plus: his new book Everyday Hallelujah, cottage cheese hacks, and a fall tour with Chandler Moore!   Connect with us on social! Phil: @philwickham Levi: @levilusko Jennie: @jennielusko Fresh Life Church: @freshlife   [Links] Get Phil's new book, Everyday Hallelujah: https://bit.ly/4vF9CC3 Get the 5 Gallon Bucket: https://bit.ly/sdl4sHY Get the Lusketeer Sticker: https://bit.ly/sdl4sHY   Subscribe for more exclusive content: https://levilusko.com/hitl-subscribe   Time Stamps: 00:00:02 – Catching up: the long-overdue reunion and a bearskin rug offer 00:00:48 – The Lusko family's 21-day road trip and the great Chuck E. Cheese letdown 00:06:23 – The question that stopped Phil in his tracks: "Are you letting me be Lord of your life?" 00:08:53 – Why this was his favorite tour ever — plus 16 fall dates announced with Chandler Moore 00:13:16 – Inflatable rocks, Joshua Tree, and a "my stomach drops" stage design story 00:19:22 – World Vision, Jamie McKay, and falling more in love with God's people 00:25:05 – Announcing Everyday Hallelujah — and the "flowers on Sunday" analogy for a stale faith 00:44:44 – Cottage cheese hacks, protein gummies, and the great diet debate 00:54:33 – The audiobook producer who wasn't a believer — until he was 00:58:09 – Fall tour lineup, songwriting with Chandler in Encinitas, and Henry's Father's Day drawing

Dr. Joel Muddamalle is back for round three, and this time he's taking Levi and Jennie into the deep end — demons, the Nephilim, and what the Bible actually says about spiritual warfare. They talk why he's stepping back from viral reaction content in favor of long-form Substack essays, swap travel stories from Ephesus and Crete, and dig into his new book The Unseen Battle: can demons read minds, were the Nephilim real, and is Judas in heaven? Plus: Snickers bars, Nicolas Cage, and a very memorable joke about Indiana Jones.   Connect with us on social! Joel: @muddamalle Levi: @levilusko Jennie: @jennielusko Fresh Life Church: @freshlife   [Links] Order The Unseen Battle: https://bit.ly/4bTkNQt Subscribe to Joel's Substack: https://bit.ly/4vGjPhI Get the 5 Gallon Bucket: https://bit.ly/sdl4sHY Get the Lusketeer Sticker: https://bit.ly/sdl4sHY   Subscribe for more exclusive content: https://levilusko.com/hitl-subscribe

Jon Erwin — the filmmaker behind Young Washington, House of David, and Jesus Revolution — joins Levi and Jennie to talk about why he spent a decade obsessed with George Washington before ever picking up a camera. They get into how Washington's worst failures actually forged his leadership, the real bullet holes that shaped his faith, and why Jon cast Andy Serkis (yes, Gollum himself) for the film. Plus: the wild, lifeguard-overwhelming baptism story behind Jesus Revolution and what's coming next from Wonder Project. Connect with us on social! Jon: @jonerwinofficial Levi: @levilusko Jennie: @jennielusko Fresh Life Church: @freshlife [Links] Get tickets to see Young Washington: https://bit.ly/4vIbH0M Stream House of David on Amazon Prime Video: https://bit.ly/4oO1PA5 Get the 5 Gallon Bucket: https://bit.ly/sdl4sHY Get the Lusketeer Sticker: https://bit.ly/sdl4sHY Subscribe for more exclusive content: https://levilusko.com/hitl-subscribe Time Stamps 00:00 - Welcome Jon Erwin 02:33 – America's 250th and why this is "an experiment worth believing in"  05:37 – The leadership lesson hiding in young Washington's biggest mistakes  16:02 – Making war feel real without losing the family audience  22:56 – The "divine hand of providence" — Washington's faith, bullet holes, and Cincinnatus  31:13 – Inside Wonder Project's new short-form Bible series, starting with Moses  46:44 – The three unexplainable moments and the mass baptisms behind House of David

He's the son of pastor Stephen Furtick, but Graham built something all his own — a Sunday-night Bible study with four friends that grew into "the living room," a movement so big the cops got called on it. Fresh off graduation, Graham joins Levi and Jennie to talk about walking away from a wrestling scholarship, the "pocket praiser" principle that changed how he worships, and bombing his very first sermon. Connect with us on social! Graham: @graham.furtick Levi: @levilusko Jennie: @jennielusko Fresh Life Church: @freshlife [Links] Apply to Fresh Life Leadership College Today: https://Freshlife.church/leadership-college Get the 5 Gallon Bucket: https://bit.ly/sdl4sHY Get the Lusketeer Sticker: https://bit.ly/sdl4sHY Subscribe for more exclusive content: https://levilusko.com/hitl-subscribe Time Stamps: 00:00 - Welcome Graham Furtick 00:48 – Why the Glacier hike nearly broke him (and what kept him climbing)  05:19 – How a fizzling middle school Bible study became "the living room"  11:06 – The night 110 teenagers nearly broke through Graham's ceiling  17:35 – Walking away from a wrestling scholarship for an answered prayer  32:05 – The "pocket praiser" lesson that changed how he leads worship  41:28 – His first sermon was a disaster — here's how he found his voice

From Cliffe getting pies thrown at him on a college quad while three-year-old Stuart clung to his leg, to preaching in Boston's red-light district as a seminary student, this episode is equal parts hilarious, theologically sharp, and genuinely moving. Father-son duo Cliffe and Stuart Knechtle — open-air apologists, church planters, and co-authors of Demolishing Doubt — join Levi and Jennie for one of the most wide-ranging conversations the podcast has ever had. Plus: the hardest question Cliffe still gets a flutter about, why miracles aren't actually defying nature, and the reason Stuart's eight-year-old already has Romans 8 memorized. Connect with us on social! Cliffe + Stuart: @Stuart_Knechtle Levi: @levilusko Jennie: @jennielusko Fresh Life Church: @freshlife [Links] Order Demolishing Doubt: https://bit.ly/4x4R8Nc Watch Cliffe's Passion Sermon: https://bit.ly/3PJcbnX Get the 5 Gallon Bucket: https://bit.ly/sdl4sHY Get the Lusketeer Sticker: https://bit.ly/sdl4sHY Subscribe for more exclusive content: https://levilusko.com/hitl-subscribe Time Stamps: 00:00:00 – Meet Cliffe + Stuart Knechtle  00:05:12 – How a 14-person Bible study above a bar became a church  00:10:06 – Why memorizing scripture isn't obsolete — it's a lifeline  00:15:58 – Miracles don't defy nature — they restore it 00:29:47 – Preaching in Boston's red-light district (the seminary years)  00:43:49 – The hardest questions: suffering, doubt, and where God came from

Pastor Shawn and Jill Johnson from Red Rocks Church are back for their fourth appearance, and things get real fast — from the legendary canoe trip where Shawn sat on a dead mouse for four hours, to the honest, hard-won wisdom they've collected after nearly three decades of marriage. Levi and Jennie swap notes with the Johnsons on keeping it flirty, surviving hard seasons, knowing when comfort tips into neglect, and the "final draft" language that changed how Shawn and Jill communicate. Plus: Red Rocks Church's sold-out 20th anniversary service at Red Rocks Amphitheater, a son DJing his second-ever gig on that same stage, and Jill's surprisingly sweet trick for reconnecting with why she fell in love in the first place. Connect with us on social! Shawn: @shawnjohnsonrrc Jill: @Jilljohnson03 Levi: @levilusko Jennie: @jennielusko Fresh Life Church: @freshlife [Links] Order Kiss The Fire: https://bit.ly/49C6bUF Get the 5 Gallon Bucket: https://bit.ly/sdl4sHY Get the Lusketeer Sticker: https://bit.ly/sdl4sHY Subscribe for more exclusive content: https://levilusko.com/hitl-subscribe Time Stamps: 00:00:00– The canoe trip that tested their friendship (and Sean's packing skills)  00:09:21 – Kiss the Fire update: what happens when a vulnerable book meets the world  00:14:11 – Austin the DJ opens Red Rocks Amphitheater (his second gig ever)  00:22:39 – The marriage conversation: humility, longevity & what 27 years teaches you  00:38:24 – The "I feel most loved when..." exercise from their counselor  00:50:15 – "Is this your final draft?" — the language that changed how they communicate