The Story Steward Show
I believe every writer is called to put Christ at the center of their work.
Too many creatives try to carry that calling alone. We push harder. We build routines. We try to stay disciplined enough to make something meaningful happen. And yet we still feel anxious, tired, and scattered.
We were never meant to do this by ourselves.
I’m Justice Tilsher, and I’m convinced the only lasting peace in a creative life comes through surrender to Jesus Christ. Not hustle. Not pressure. Surrender.
We were created for two things.
To love the Lord our God.
To love our neighbor and make disciples.
I believe our stories can be an act of worship that does both.
This show is for Christian writers who want to write with peace, freedom, and surrender. Writers who want their work to flow from their faith, not their fears.
Welcome to The Story Steward Show.
Episodes
71 episodes
Ep. 71 - How to Market Your Book Without Losing Your Mission (ft. Victoria Lynn)
Marketing can feel overwhelming for Christian writers, but it doesn’t have to pull you away from your purpose.In this conversation with author and entrepreneur Victoria Lynn, we talk about practical ways to share your book while s...
Ep. 70 - Is It God’s Will for You to Be a Writer?
How do you know if writing is part of God’s plan for your life?Many Christian writers spend years trying to discover God’s hidden will, while overlooking what He’s already revealed in Scripture. In this episode, we talk about wh...
Ep. 69 - Stop Trying to Write Your Book by Yourself
Creative culture tells writers to figure everything out alone. But Christian writers weren’t meant to create that way.In this episode, I talk about why we shouldn’t write our books by ourselves, and what it looks like to involve God in t...
Ep. 68 - What Does Your Writing Life Say About God?
Let me ask you something…What does your writing life actually say about God?Not what you say you believe.But what your habits, reactions, and mindset reveal.My pastor always says that your life shows what you t...
Ep. 67 - The Fountain Pen Incident… (ft. Abigail Thompson)
This one… did not go as planned.In this episode, I sit down with pro-life advocate and author Abigail Thompson (Behind the Clouds) for an open mic conversation on writing, faith, and storytelling with purpose.We talk abou...
Ep. 66 – Who Is Your Hagar?
In this episode, I dive into the story of Abraham and how he tried to fulfill God’s promise his own way… instead of trusting God to do what He said He would do.And if we’re honest?We do the same thing all the time.Especiall...
Ep. 65 - The Backstory Mistake That Kills Your Book
Let me be honest with you…Most writers are making the same backstory mistake, and it’s quietly killing their story.In this episode, I break down the one cliché I see everywhere that makes readers want to DNF the book…&nbs...
Ep. 64 – The Art of Writing Biblical Characters (ft. Kate Campbell)
How do you write biblical characters without flattening them into Sunday school versions of themselves?In this replay from our first ever Story Steward live event, I sit down with Kate Campbell and we talk about writing characters that c...
Ep. 63 - What Do You Need to Kill?
What part of you is standing in the way of God’s plan?A habit? An ambition? A comfort? A version of yourself you refuse to let die?In this episode, we walk through four biblical characters who had to kill something in themselves t...
Ep. 62 - Would You Write Your Book if No One Ever Read It?
I’m serious. If God told you your book would never reach a single soul… would you still write it?Would you obey if it meant obscurity? Would you create if it meant discomfort? Would you keep going if it didn’t go your way?Too ofte...
Ep. 61- Like a Groom for His Bride
From the beginning of Scripture, God has been writing a love story that moves through waters, wilderness, and the cross, all to bring His bride home.Wherever you are today, my hope is to remind you who it is that loves you… and what kin...
Ep. 60 - God at the Soul of Writing (ft. Héloïse Van Gemerdan)
Join guest speaker Héloïse Van Gemerdan as she shares one of the most powerful testimonies of coming to Christ I’ve ever heard. Through deep loss and tragedy, God met her in the midst of her pain and carried her love of writing when she couldn’...
Ep. 59 - Make this the Year You Pray
I grew up in a Christian home. I knew about Jesus. I knew the stories. I knew the language. But in 2025, my life flipped. For the first time, I didn’t just know of Him... I fell in love with Him. In this episode, I share what I’ve b...
Ep. 58 - Three Crucial Steps to Marketing Your Book
When you’re in the thick of writing a book, marketing is the first thing we all pretend we’ll “figure out later.” Then launch day hits… and suddenly we’re like, oh. Right. That part matters.In this episode I walk through three really sim...
Ep. 57 - Lock Into Your Habits This Month
I’ve been working in 14-day sprints, and honestly, it’s changed my life. Why? Because life isn’t lived year to year... It’s lived in tiny, daily choices. In this episode, I share how rebuilding my habits in short, focused windows helped me get ...
Ep. 56 - Are You Ashamed of Jesus?
I’ll be brutally honest. I used to not get worship. The hand waving, the singing, the full surrender. I didn’t understand it. And if I’m being real, I was embarrassed by it. Ashamed, even.How many times do we withhold our praise because ...
Ep. 55 - The Untold Story of Jesus Writing Month: feat. M.B. Springer
Today, I’m interviewed by M.B. Springer to share the raw story behind how Jesus Writing Month began, what it eventually became with Story Stewards, and how I came to Christ through it.I hope you enjoy!
Ep. 54 - How to Actually Win the Beginning of 2026
I don’t care about New Year’s resolutions. They sound nice and die fast. What actually matters is how you structure the first stretch of the year. In this episode, I break down how I’m thinking about the gap between where you are and w...
Ep. 53 - This Show is Changing
My dear friends, we have officially changed the name of the "Rewind Storytelling Show"... and I am so excited to share the reason why with you all!
Ep. 52 - Why the David Movie is Important
The new David movie promised epic storytelling, but did it deliver? I dive into what went right, what went horribly wrong, and why, despite its flaws, it still matters.
Ep. 51 - George Bailey and Living in the Gap
In this episode I talk about George Bailey and the trap he fell into, spending his whole life living in the gap between where he was and where he thought he should’ve been. He had blessings, purpose, and people who loved him, ...
Ep. 50 - God Doesn’t Need You… He Chooses You
This episode might sting a little, but in the best way. God doesn’t need you. He doesn’t need your talent, your plans, your writing, your “I’ll try harder next time.” He is God with or without us. But here’s the beautiful part… He chooses ...
Ep. 49 - Writing the Accidental Betrayal with Klaus
There’s nothing like that awful storytelling moment when a character finally starts to change… and then the truth comes out. The lie. The mistake. The thing they didn’t mean that way. Suddenly everything they’ve built shatters. And the...
Ep. 48 - Scrooge, Sodom, and Second Chances:
Scrooge’s story hits different when you realize he wasn’t always a cold, bitter old man. He was a boy once. A dreamer. Someone who loved and lost and slowly shut himself off from the world. And that’s why his redemption matters so much... becau...
Ep. 47- Wicked Wisdom: Christian Truths in the Land of Oz
In this episode, I break down how Elphaba and Glinda’s opposing desires and fears drive their choices, create conflict, and lead to real consequences. If you want to learn how to write characters who challenge each other, push the story forward...