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.

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00:00 Intro
01:04 Welcome & Meet Clark Beckham
02:15 Growing Up in a Musical Family
06:14 Choosing Lee University & Discovering His Calling
10:52 Sponsor: Amazing Kids
11:49 Life After College & American Idol
12:36 Growing Up in Church & Questioning Christianity
18:27 Seeing Real Faith Through Changed Lives
20:26 The Encounter That Changed Everything
22:41 Reaching People Who Think Church Is Fake
25:36 His Parents’ Divorce & Experiencing God’s Embrace
30:34 American Idol: Calling, Pressure & Reality TV
34:22 Overcoming Insecurity & Trusting God’s Timing
41:07 Thriving in the American Idol Experience
43:00 Breaking Out of the Christian Music Box
47:05 Called to Music Beyond Worship Leading
52:02 Following God Through Relationship & Obedience
55:03 Sharing Faith Outside the Church
58:30 Breaking Down the Secular–Sacred Divide
01:00:58 The Heart Behind Acoustic Worship Sessions
01:05:17 Musical Creativity That Serves the Song
01:10:27 New Music & Choosing Authenticity
01:12:50 His Vision for Music, Ministry & Fatherhood
01:15:54 What Fuels Your Calling?
01:17:21 Fighting Distraction & Discovering Creative Evangelism
01:23:10 Closing Encouragement & A Prophetic Connection

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Get When God Is Your Father: Amazon or leecummings.com

What 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 Intro
00:56 Welcome & Introducing Lee Cummings
02:09 The Story Behind When God Is Your Father
04:16 How Fatherlessness Affects Us Differently
06:37 Fatherhood Is Who God Is
08:16 Lee’s Childhood: Abandonment & Rejection
10:45 Sponsor: Amazing Kids
11:42 Childhood Wounds & a Grandfather’s Love
13:49 Encountering God as Father at 12
17:13 The Redemption of Lee’s Biological Father
19:32 Why Healing Comes in Layers
24:39 Father Wounds, Scarcity & Trusting God
26:31 Adoption, Identity & Calling God “Abba”
29:29 Finding Identity Beyond Titles & Performance
34:10 Healthy Ambition Without Competition
37:35 How to Know God as Your Father
41:16 The Prodigal Son & Returning Home
44:12 Rita’s Adoption Story & Parenting with God
47:47 Lee’s Son: A Prodigal’s Return
52:10 Trusting God with Your Children
54:12 Adoption & Being Chosen by God
56:49 The Heart Behind the Book
59:14 Asking God for an Encounter
1:00:24 Becoming Spiritual Fathers & Mothers
1:03:05 Building a Church with Lasting Weight
1:06:02 Spiritual Parenting, Correction & Encouragement
1:09:03 Closing & Where to Find the Book

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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.

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📧 Got feedback or podcast topic suggestions? Email Rita:
wearewearingjustice@gmail.com or oneseaththeater@gmail.com

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00:00 Intro
01:03 Welcome Back, Lisa
03:47 Losing Her Mother and Revisiting the Past
07:28 The Journey Toward Forgiveness
10:51 Longing for a Mother's Acceptance
13:07 When Life Became Overwhelming
19:37 Reaching the Breaking Point
22:01 The Fear of Never Being Loved
26:42 A Painful Goodbye
30:21 Losing Her Mother Without Closure
33:48 Sponsor Break
34:45 The Watch That Changed Everything
40:58 Healing Doesn't Come From the Source of Pain
45:06 Confession, Comfort, and God's Love
50:22 Surrender Means Stepping Behind the Shield
58:19 Understanding Forgiveness and Family Wounds
63:07 Faith Is a Process, Not an Instant Miracle
68:13 Hold My Beer and the Hail Mary Pass
72:09 Can You Question God and Still Worship?
76:11 Finding God in the Small Things
82:29 What Does It Really Mean to Be Blessed?
87:41 Walking Through Pain Without Being Alone
90:03 Curiosity, Faith, and Final Thoughts

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If you would like to support the Worship Is My Weapon podcast you can donate to Wearing Justice at https://give.tithe.ly/?formId=0f0e22b... 🙏🏻🕊️🤍

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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 Intro
1:10 Welcome to Worship Is My Weapon
5:25 Supporting Wearing Justice & the Podcast
7:30 The Story Behind Wearing Justice
9:30 What Today’s Q&A Is About
13:36 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 Ministry
53:47 Learning to Hear God’s Voice
60:01 Final Encouragement & Closing

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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.
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00:00 Intro
01:14 Welcome + Turning the Tables on Rita
05:10 How Rita, Joel & Lauren Met
07:19 The Prophetic Word That Changed Their Story
12:06 From Friendship to Family
14:12 Finding the Courage to Hear & Obey God
16:40 The Missionary, the Car & the Cost of Hesitation
23:15 What Happens When People Don’t Obey?
26:33 When It Feels Like God Didn’t Show Up
27:40 From Fed by Ravens to The Other Side
30:17 The Other Side Is a Mindset Shift
32:53 Are We Selling the Wrong Gospel?
35:15 The Unseen Battles Behind the “Oil”
36:48 Recognizing Jesus in the Distance
40:09 Revival, Repentance & the Wilderness
42:53 Don’t Chase the Wilderness for the Oil
47:22 You Don’t Know What Their Calling Cost
48:16 Stop Comparing Your Calling to Someone Else’s
51:22 What Are You Actually Called to Carry?
53:26 Find Your Own Fragrance
55:55 The Light at the End of the Tunnel
1:00:32 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 Like
1:08:19 “I Just Want to Know Him More”

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If you would like to support the Worship Is My Weapon podcast you can donate to Wearing Justice at https://give.tithe.ly/?formId=0f0e22b... 🙏🏻🕊️🤍

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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.
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0:00 Intro
1:08 Welcome + Meet Franni Cash
3:15 Who Was Franni Cash?
5:43 Growing Up in a Church Cult
8:04 The Truth Comes Out
11:09 Finding God After Spiritual Trauma
17:17 Forgiveness, Surrender + Healing
18:50 Amazing Kids
19:46 Learning to Forgive
21:26 Songwriting, Theology + Finding Her Own Voice
22:56 Why Franni Left We The Kingdom
28:32 Choosing Her Life Over Success
31:29 Redefining God’s Favor
34:25 Who Is Franni Cash Now?
38:36 Breaking the Christian Music Mold
39:40 Falling in Love With Music Again
43:19 Choosing Art Over Commercial Success
47:52 Staying Creative Without Losing Yourself
51:20 Authenticity After a Controlling Church
53:23 The Story Behind “Kool-Aid”
55:32 Creating the Album + Finding Freedom
58:43 Can Great Art Come From Peace?
1:01:06 Creating Beyond Pain
1:04:22 Who Is Franni Cash Becoming?
1:07:27 The Future of Christian Art
1:11:25 Art, Evangelism + Authenticity
1:15:23 The “Unknown Daisy” Encounter
1:18:03 Creating With God
1:20:22 The Songs Still Waiting to Be Written
1:23:01 Franni’s New Record + Closing

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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 Intro

01:03 Welcome to Worship Is My Weapon

03:36 Living With a Broken Heart

05:39 Does God Allow Our Hearts to Be Broken?

08:13 Staying Curious in Your Faith

09:28 Giving God the Broken Pieces

11:29 Amazing Kids

12:26 Heart Sick vs. Brokenhearted

16:11 When the Hits Keep Coming

18:43 The Enemy Attacks Our Weaknesses

20:31 Finding Strength After Brokenness

26:11 God Is Near to the Brokenhearted

30:01 Accepting God's Invitation to Draw Near

33:28 How Crisis Reveals Our Relationship With God

35:32 Breaking Cycles of Disappointment

38:14 What Are You Still Holding Onto?

41:12 Giving God the Burden of Your Brokenness

42:42 Healing vs. Remaining Sensitive to the Wound

46:18 God's Desire Is to Heal and Restore

47:41 What to Do When God Feels Silent

49:26 Are You Heart Sick or Brokenhearted?

49:57 God Is Not Offended by Your Honesty

51:51 Surrendering Without Having All the Answers

52:30 Don't Let Worry Steal Your Wonder

53:44 Letting God Repair a Broken Heart

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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 Intro
01:22 Welcome & Introducing Harvest Grapevine
07:02 Growing Up in Revival & a Family on Mission
11:56 "Lord, Make Me a Voice"
15:29 Living in the Prayer Room
20:03 Marked by God vs. Chosen by God
22:40 When Worship Became About People's Approval
28:58 The Fast Rise of a Worship Career
30:50 Losing the Doorkeeper Heart
35:00 Feeling Used by Ministry
39:28 Comparison, Rejection & the Industry
46:15 Divorce, Disappointment & Rock Bottom
49:20 God Restores Identity During Sabbatical
52:16 Returning to the Prayer Room
53:48 Why Worship Leaders Are Burning Out
59:09 Prophecy, Calling & Expectations
01:05:20 "I've Reserved You for Myself"
01:11:46 The Gift Was Never the Destination
01:18:42 Releasing Music vs. Loving Jesus
01:22:47 Advice for Dreamers & Staying Faithful
01:27:57 How to Handle Prophetic Words
01:33:53 Returning to Your First Love
01:35:03 Closing Thoughts

If you're enjoying the show, please rate and review!

Follow Rita on ALL Social Media: https://linktr.ee/ritaspringer

If you would like to support the Worship Is My Weapon podcast you can donate to Wearing Justice at https://give.tithe.ly/?formId=0f0e22b... 🙏🏻🕊️🤍

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