Brodie Lefebvre- "Worshipful Shepherding"

Brodie was born and raised in Southern California. The second oldest in a family of 14, he spent his childhood surfing and growing in his knowledge of music and love for the Lord and His Word. From a young age he discovered a passion for music ministry and using his abilities to serve God’s people. Brodie enjoys surfing, snowboarding, and spending time with his family and friends. Leading a congregation in worship is one of his greatest joys in life and he hopes to be able to do so vocationally for many years.

Transcript

SPEAKER_00 0:31

All right, welcome back to another episode of Aspire Ministries Podcast. Today I have um a good friend and a young man that has led worship now for quite a bit of time at our church at Christ Community. Why don't you go introduce yourself?

SPEAKER_01 0:48

Yeah man, what's up? My name is Brody Lefever. And yeah, I've been leading worship for about three years now professionally. And yeah, stoked to be here. Super stoked.

SPEAKER_00 0:58

Dude, I'm stoked to have you. This is this is gonna be a lot of fun. I'm so excited. I mean, you come from a fun family. So I'm excited. I've gotten to know your parents a bit. Um talked about a lot of stuff. Yeah and so excited to have you dive into your journey of um what's your official role?

SPEAKER_01 1:18

What what's the title official title at Christ Community is Music Director. Music Director. Okay.

SPEAKER_00 1:24

All right. Um, so excited to explore the journey for you leading into you being the music director at Christ Community. Right. Um so Brody, the s are are you the second or are you junior?

SPEAKER_01 1:39

Uh oh, sorry. Yeah, yeah. Junior, I'm junior. You're junior. Junior. Okay. All right. All right. I got it. I don't know why my brain like froze on the answer. Yes. Brody junior.

SPEAKER_00 1:50

Okay. So um, where did you grow up?

SPEAKER_01 1:54

I grew up here in Southern California. You know Laguna Nigel? Yes. Um, yeah. So I was there till uh I was 12. So straight like middle of the city, and then obviously my family grew. A little bit. A little bit.

SPEAKER_00 2:09

For everybody listening, how big is your family?

SPEAKER_01 2:12

I'm one of 12 kids.

SPEAKER_00 2:14

That's my book. Now, was this the in Laguna Nigel, was this the one bedroom apartment that I've heard about?

SPEAKER_01 2:20

This wasn't the one bedroom. We literally lived in multiple apartments and houses all within like two miles of each other in Laguna Nigel until finally we settled in the home that like I would consider my childhood home. Yeah. Uh, which was just a track house in Laguna Nigel, you know, like I think it was two bedroom, three bedroom, you know, and we had all the girls in one room, all the boys in one room, and then mom and dad and the master, you know. Uh so we did that for probably 10-ish years or so until I was 12 or 13, and then that's when we moved for the first time.

SPEAKER_00 2:56

All right. So, so okay. So now in your home, did you grow up with believing in Jesus? Was Jesus present in the home? What was home life like?

SPEAKER_01 3:08

Yeah. I uh yes, I can confidently say I grew up with like faith as long as I can remember. Jesus was very, very prominent um in my family growing up. My grandpa was actually a worship leader at a church. Oh, um up, yeah. So he was a worship leader at a church up in Pasadena. And uh I didn't get a chance to know him very much when I was older. He passed away when I was 10 years old, but I still do look to him as like kind of like a cornerstone in my faith and also a cornerstone in like the reason why I lead worship in the first place, you know. Um, so yeah, just to answer the question, faith was just always been number one priority ever, like as long as I can remember.

SPEAKER_00 3:49

Do you have any recordings of your grandfather? Any whether audio or video, anything like that?

SPEAKER_01 3:55

You know, we do. It's really hard to listen back, honestly. Just so emotional. Sure. Uh, but there are a few recordings uh, you know, in the attic on some VHS that that we'll pull out every now and then. Yeah, dude, literally.

SPEAKER_00 4:09

Do you have VHS players, so you can do that?

SPEAKER_01 4:12

Dude, you know what? You know Toby from church. Yeah. We borrow his VHS player whenever we because he still has one. I don't know why.

SPEAKER_00 4:18

Hey, yeah, I have one. Do you actually? I have actually one of those. Uh it's the dual DVD in VHS.

SPEAKER_01 4:26

Oh, I remember when those came out. Those are huge.

SPEAKER_00 4:29

Yep.

SPEAKER_01 4:29

Dude, yeah. I it's been a while since I've watched some recordings of my grandpa, but I should go back and do it sometime soon because it's so special.

SPEAKER_00 4:36

Yeah, for sure. Um, so Jesus was always present. Um I'm not.

SPEAKER_01 4:45

Second oldest. The second oldest. Yes.

SPEAKER_00 4:47

Okay. All right. So how was that growing up watching your family expand like that? Going from, you know, you you know, your sister, right? Yes. Sister, you, and then what was that like? Because you have, just for context, you have um blood and adopted siblings.

SPEAKER_01 5:17

Correct. Yeah.

SPEAKER_00 5:18

That's that's a big family.

SPEAKER_01 5:19

It's a very big family. And you know what? I don't think I realized like how um how like different and bizarre it was until recently, not recently, but until I was like, you know, a teenager, and then I was like, oh, this isn't like normal. Because the truth is, like, when my family expanded like that, I don't even remember the point where I felt like, oh, like, this is a lot of kids. Like, it always just felt normal. It felt, you know, it felt natural because we had uh my older sister, myself, and then just three other girls in a row behind me. So I kind of felt like I was always just kind of in the mix of a ton of kids. And then um it wasn't until after the let me see, we after the sixth biological one that the adoptions began. And I feel like that's more when I started to realize like that's more when I felt it, I guess, like we were growing quickly, you know what I mean? Because we adopted two at a time. Um, we brought in two kids into our family, and then we brought in another two a few years later. So that's where it felt like we bumped, like, whoa. Sure, you know? Sure. So but yeah, but yeah, I I didn't realize how big our I didn't know that big families weren't like normal. Big family always felt normal to me until like I was older, and I was like, whoa, like this is pretty abnormal.

SPEAKER_00 6:33

Was that because you were just always around other big families?

SPEAKER_01 6:37

Yeah, we had a we kind of had a lot of friends who had big families, maybe like five or six kids. I think the difference between us is we just just never stopped, you know. Like, right. So, but yeah, dude, but I loved it. It was awesome, it was such a blast. Like always having a friend, always having somebody who's down to do something with you is really cool, you know. I would love to give my kids one day the opportunity to have plenty of friends and their siblings. Um but yeah, dude, it was the best.

SPEAKER_00 7:06

Wow. Um and so growing up in a house that was had immense faith, where in your journey at what age did uh did you claim that for yourself? And when did you when did you just grab a hold of you uh and save you? When when did that come into play?

SPEAKER_01 7:29

Yeah, great question. I think um I ever since I was very young, like my earliest memories probably go back to being like five or something like that, maybe four or five. And I could I honestly feel like in my heart of hearts, like I understood sin and salvation from a very young age like that, just because I was surrounded by it so much, and I tend to be a very uh emotionally in touch person, you know, just like like kind of able, just like feeling things pretty deeply, and I think I could always sense a need for a savior, and I would al I was you know, I was that kid where if I would get in trouble, I would cry, you know, because yeah, just because I knew I had done something wrong, you know. Um, and so I think it the grounds for that faith were kind of just instilled in me just because I grew up in it and just like in my personality. But the moment it became my own was uh when I was I was uh 11 years old. 11. I was eleven years old and I got baptized along with one of my sisters at the beach with our church family at the time. And I just remember it was kind of it was kind of just brought before me because I always just felt like I I had faith. I knew I was a Christian, and then they were like we we want to bapt we want to get you baptized. Uh and then that's kind of when I actually took the moment to take a step back and think about these things, like for myself critically, you know? Um, and just just uh taking that deep dive that everyone you know who is in faith does at some point. And and yeah, I mean I never once doubted it, but in that moment I was like, yep, like here's the 100% I'm in, like this is my faith. I believe this for myself. Yeah, and and that led to getting baptized at 11 years old and haven't looked haven't looked back since, honestly.

SPEAKER_00 9:27

Wow. Um you said church family. Where where were you guys going to church at the time?

SPEAKER_01 9:33

Dude, we went to church all over the place. At the time I was baptized, we were actually a part of a home church, which consisted of like probably four or five families, my one my cousins included, very tight. Yeah, we were we were at all sorts of places um around Orange County. We tried out a couple different things and we stayed a few places for like you know, a few years or so, but uh with strong conviction, you know, in certain things, like and just really truly desiring to be countercultural, you know, as believers, it's hard to find people who think that way too. You know, especially in like the the cushy Orange County scene, I'm sure you you understand. Yeah. So and you know, not knocking any other church, but like very blessed that we've ended up where we've ended up. Um Christ Community is a rare gem. Yes, exactly, bro. So but yeah, so at that point we were we were meeting in a home church. Okay. Different families' homes. Gotcha. And yeah.

SPEAKER_00 10:27

Wow. So 11 years old getting baptized. What beach did you get baptized in?

SPEAKER_01 10:31

Dude.

SPEAKER_00 10:32

Do you remember?

SPEAKER_01 10:33

I do remember. It was right, I don't know the name of the beach, but I know the spot. Okay. It's um you know where uh Doheny turns into like uh uh I guess hole in the fence. Yeah. So it's like right in between hole in the fence and poachies. Like, yeah, like right it's honestly might still be hole in the fence.

SPEAKER_00 10:52

Sure. But but yeah, right there, dude. Yeah, super cool. Okay, almost like Beach Road area.

SPEAKER_01 10:57

Yes, beach road, yeah, yeah, literally. Yeah, really, you're right here. Yeah, right here, bro. It's super special.

SPEAKER_00 11:01

Wow, okay, very cool. And then you mentioned not long after that, you alluded to it at 12. You guys moved.

SPEAKER_01 11:08

We did move. We did deal. Yes. That's where that's where my life really my family's life, honestly, took a whole new trajectory. We moved out of the track house in Laguna Nigel, um, and just wanted more space and a different pace of life. And we moved up into the hills. Uh, and yeah, got some property, got some land, got some space, and started our our homestead, you know, journey. Right off Ortega there. Yeah, it's right after Ortega Highway. Dude, this was back when like the Fix Rupper show was huge. Oh, Chip and Joanna. Yeah, everybody wanted to do the homestead life.

SPEAKER_00 11:46

Dude, you're the house your parents have now is insane. It's like I see I saw I remember pulling up and I'm like, this is Chip and Joanna, dude. This is it right here. Thank you, man. Oh, such a blessing. It's beautiful. Um, but okay, so at 12 years old, you go from suburban Orange County, yeah. Friends all probably everywhere.

SPEAKER_01 12:08

Yeah, we would ride skateboards with the neighbors every day, like all that to country land.

SPEAKER_00 12:14

You're 45 minutes away from the beach. Yeah. Was that hard?

SPEAKER_01 12:20

You know, I think uh it it was. Yeah, it was it was hard purely because of the beach, but at the point I was in my life, you know, I was a 13-year-old kid who, you know, who heard I got the right horses, you know, and I was I was pretty stoked. I there wasn't like there was not very much going on in my head about like, oh, this is like sad. Like I was excited, I was really excited.

SPEAKER_00 12:41

And you guys have always been homeschooled. Yes.

SPEAKER_01 12:44

Always been homeschooled, yes. So yeah, so that helped a lot too. Not having to change schools or even deal with getting to school, you know. Right, right. Okay. Yeah.

SPEAKER_00 12:52

So you guys, uh about what year was that?

SPEAKER_01 12:55

This was probably 20 hmm. It's crazy. Probably 2016. 2016.

SPEAKER_00 13:00

Yeah. Okay. Um, so about 2016, you guys move out there. Awesome place. You guys are riding horses, yeah. Essentially. Commuting out this way from time to time.

SPEAKER_01 13:13

Yeah, yeah, we would come out here a lot. Obviously, my dad still worked out here. But the funny thing is, we were actually not in the house that you visited.

SPEAKER_00 13:20

Right. It was a different house.

SPEAKER_01 13:21

Yeah, it was a different house, same neighborhood that we're in right now.

SPEAKER_00 13:24

Right.

SPEAKER_01 13:24

But we were at that house for four years, and then we eventually ended up moving to the house we've been in for six years or so. Yeah.

SPEAKER_00 13:30

Well, there was another move that took place.

SPEAKER_01 13:32

There was. You want me to go into that? 100%.

SPEAKER_00 13:36

There was that yeah, that was the move that I originally thought you were talking about. Gotcha. So, but so two moves. Um, so four years later, you have a really big move.

SPEAKER_01 13:48

Really big move. So four years later, uh, we fell in love with the whole farmstead, you know, simpler lifestyle, and we wanted more of that. And it's like, where better to find that than Tennessee? And it's 2020. Exactly.

SPEAKER_00 14:03

So everybody, yeah.

SPEAKER_01 14:05

Exactly, man. It's like this is probably like maybe like 2019, just a little just a little bit before. Right before. And uh, I'm getting my numbers wrong. This is a little earlier. This is like 2016, 20, this is like 2018 that we moved.

SPEAKER_00 14:17

Okay, so like two years later.

SPEAKER_01 14:19

You know what? This is so weird. When you're a teenager who doesn't really care, dude. It might have even been 2017. It was it was this was a little bit my mom's gonna be listening to this in the game. I'm sending her. Oh yeah, she's gonna listen and be like, that was all the I'm getting all the years wrong. But moral of the story is uh we loved, we fell in love with the homestead lifestyle, and we wanted more of it. So we had some friends who lived out in Tennessee and a few in Virginia, and we would we saw their lifestyle, we loved it, you know. It it is amazing, it's beautiful. So we slowly but surely prayed about it, asked the Lord uh about it, and there seems to be a a great community of believers out there who were already starting up a church, and we wanted to be a part of that. And so really genuinely just following the Lord, we we put our home on the market. It sold kind of through some, you know, like very God type things. Um and then yeah, we packed up all uh this was 11 of us at the time. All 11 of us um got on a plane and moved out to Tennessee. Whoa. So and this is where things just got crazy because we land in Tennessee, the home we were supposed to be moving into was like actually under renovation. We we we were kind of like not misled, but there was some details left out about how how far the home had to be uh you know built up before it was even livable. So we show up to Tennessee, we're staying in a friend's like second house in the middle of the city. So we're not even in we're not even in rural Tennessee, we're in the city. You know, not Nashville. This is uh more in the Knoxville area, which is like yeah. Um we're not even living the rural lifestyle that we moved out there for. We're in the city. Uh being a part of this church community that you know we we had we had moved out there to be a part of, me and my dad and my brothers would wake up every day and go literally help out the construction crew that was building this house that we were supposed to do. Yeah, literally. Um and we did that for maybe for probably about a month, a month and a half. And it just was taxing, man. Like having all those kids in a in a place we didn't know and uh in a you know, in just not great scenario, you know, a scenario that maybe could could potentially get good eventually, but we didn't know, we were just out there trying. Yeah. And then on top of all that, just the relationships at the church and and some of the beliefs and some of the the ways of doing things were just like shockers to us. We were just like, whoa, like I don't know if we agree with that, I don't know if we agree with that. And um, and you know, and it wasn't even because like we went out there blindly, like I, you know, I genuinely think like there was some stuff that was just like hidden and and not totally talked about that that would have been nice to know and probably would have changed some things before we moved out there. But also we really just were like on this pursuit of just like you know uh having godly community and people who who were like-minded and uh living an amazing, you know, slower-paced lifestyle and doing this farm thing and and all that stuff. And it's so funny just being Southern California, you know, where I'm at, where I am right now, thinking back to that. But like, you know, I I still love that dream. Like, you know, the the farm life and and all that stuff. Um, but yeah, dude, just with all that stuff piled up together, we were just like, this is this isn't it, like this isn't working. Um and literally I remember the night when we were sitting at the house, me and my dad had gotten home from you know, working on the house that we were trying to move our family into. And we were like, what if we just went home? Like, like literally, like I remember somebody said those words, like, what if we just went home? And and then like I think in the over the course of like a day, we decided, like, yeah, like we we tried this, we're done, we're going home.

SPEAKER_00 18:22

So I wanna ask, I mean Yeah. You know, Allie and I have observed you guys as a family and just inspired um it seems like obviously, of course, I I can't obviously not involve, but it seems like there's been a lot of unity in the family. Um at least from an outsider's perspective. Um of course kids are kids and then you know, there's for sure. Was there a lot of unity in all this? I mean, I mean it seemed like it, right?

SPEAKER_01 18:59

Dude, I mean that's really insightful, yeah. I genuinely yes, and it still is that way to this day.

SPEAKER_00 19:06

Why do you think there is? Why in large family like that where there's different personalities, yeah, blended fa like how? Why? Dude, how what do you think has led to that?

SPEAKER_01 19:16

You know, it's a good question, and maybe I don't have like an exact answer, but I think I think there's two huge factors about it. Yeah. One, maybe the more surface level is like mom and dad have always ever since, you know, like I was a teenager, like even like 12, 13, I always felt like they really regarded my opinion and how I felt.

SPEAKER_00 19:37

When did that start for you? When did they start asking, what do you think?

SPEAKER_01 19:41

You know, I I think um it must have been I know they always cared about how I felt about things, but they probably started asking me what I thought about stuff, like maybe even as soon as I was like, you know, able to put up a fight about something, you know, probably around those teenage years or whatever. Okay. Um, yeah, I can't even really remember a time where I didn't where they weren't like looking to me like we want to, you know, when we're making big family decisions, like how do you feel about this? You know, um, obviously, as a kid, you're inclined to kind of follow your parents with whatever they're kind of feeling, you know, or deciding. But I think I truly think it's a big piece of it is they from a younger age treated me and my siblings, you know, at least the ones who were kind of aware what what was going on. They they they've they treated us like they valued our opinions, and they did, you know, they valued how we felt about things. Um and I think the other side of it is like I know everyone wants to talk up their mom and dad, or you know, hope hopefully, but um, like I I 100% feel like my parents were just following the Lord, and I noticed that, like they would they would bring to me, you know, crazy idea like like what if we moved out to Tennessee, you know, and um and they would be like, here's the way we've been praying about it, and here's what the Lord has been kind of lining up in in our personal prayer walks, in our in our marriage, and in the conversations we've been having, and and so I just really got to witness them truly, just like following the Lord. And because I for myself had such a you know fear of the Lord and a respect for the Lord and a relationship with the Lord, uh that made it that much easier to kind of you know agree with what they were saying, you know.

SPEAKER_00 21:28

Why do you think you had such a fear of the Lord at such an early age?

SPEAKER_01 21:34

I don't know. I I think there's there's two aspects of it. One to be like superhuman and super real about it is like I I mentioned I always felt a weight of my sin even when I was little. I think that's a huge part of it, you know. Like when you believe God exists and combine that with you know, a severe awareness to your sin and your shortcomings, that's a great way to to kind of realize that he's there, you know. Yeah. Um but also I just felt like I put the effort in and the time in to pursue a relationship with him and he pursues you back. And he uh he makes himself aware to those who and I don't do this perfectly, or I didn't always do this perfectly. Sure, of course. But but at the time and and over my life, I've pursued relationship with the Lord, and uh you can't really if you go looking for him, you're gonna find him. You're gonna feel his presence, you know. So I think and my parents taught me how to do that, you know, or even told me to do that, you know. So I think that's where my fear of the Lord came and because I had that, I knew my parents had that, and I knew they were making decisions based on what they felt he was planning on their hearts, not just willy-nilly, whatever felt right financially or whatever, you know. Yeah. If that hopefully hopefully that makes sense.

SPEAKER_00 22:54

Totally, totally. It's just super interesting that at such a young age um you had this fear of the Lord. It's not common. Um I don't think it's common. And so um so that's where why do you think you had this, you know? And then say with your parents. It's not I I mean, I don't know. I mean, it's I don't think it's very common for parents to bring their children, even teenage children, into a major decision. It's more of this is what we've been praying about, this is what we've been thinking about, that here's what's gonna happen.

SPEAKER_01 23:26

Yeah.

SPEAKER_00 23:27

And seeing the you know, how you guys interact with each other, you and your siblings. There's love and unity there. I've seen it. And this was going to Tennessee is a big decision, big life change, yeah, big culture change. But from everything I've heard, it seems like there was pretty good unity through it. Why? We all need to take notes for all those young parents. Let's take notes.

SPEAKER_01 23:58

Dude, you gotta get my mom and dad in here to to give you the details of that.

SPEAKER_00 24:02

But but yeah, you're on the receiving end, you know what I mean? I mean, yes, they're gonna have their for sure, yeah. But you're the one that you're kind of along for the ride. Yeah, right? And so what have you seen as a child watching your parents and why do you think that's happened? And so that's why I wanted to ask that question.

SPEAKER_01 24:20

Yeah, I appreciate that for that comment. It's definitely not, dude. And the more I mature and the more I see outside of my own bubble, like the more I realize that, and then the more thankful I become, you know. Like, yeah, just to just to have been given respect. Not given not given respect, I feel let me phrase that differently, just to like know my parents cared about and respected me even from a young age to bring me into those things, and to and for them to understand that I had feared the Lord and wanted to be in his will, and for me to know they had feared the Lord and wanted to be in his will, it just created this beautiful unity that I feel like we've you know, I've always had with my parents. I you know, for the most part, all my siblings have had with my parents, so like yeah, dude, it helps out a lot. It definitely makes it makes following the Lord that much easier, especially with a family, you know? Yeah. When everybody's kind of in the same boat and everybody's giving in, you know, everybody's thoughts are considered, you know. So yeah. Wow. It's a blessing.

SPEAKER_00 25:19

But obviously things weren't working out. It was really hard for multiple reasons. Was everybody in like yes, amen? Let's just head home. Like, let's just go home.

SPEAKER_01 25:32

Yeah, at that point, yeah. Yeah, we got even more than moving, like any any tears we shed while we were moving during the emotion, like we were like, let's go home. Let's just go home. Let's go home, man. Yeah.

SPEAKER_00 25:44

Yeah. Wow. I mean, let's go home. This isn't our home.

SPEAKER_01 25:50

Yeah.

SPEAKER_00 25:50

And so let's go home. And so you guys just packed it up and we packed it up.

SPEAKER_01 25:54

We flew to Tennessee and we drove back. So we did a five-day road trip with the fam. That's fun. You know, that was dude, honestly. I bet that was fun. I attribute that fun. Dude, that's the reason I saw North America, you know, is like because of that trip. And we saw the Grand Canyon, and we you know, and like it was crazy, man. We were just going from Airbnb, Airbnb to Airbnb. You know, it's funny because we were living in that townhouse in Tennessee. We really didn't never even unpack.

SPEAKER_00 26:24

So we kind of said we were there, what, a month? Literally a month. Yeah.

SPEAKER_01 26:28

So we literally just put our boxes back in a truck, you know, and like I if and then and then drove home, you know? Wow. So yeah. What a trip. What a trip, dude.

SPEAKER_00 26:38

I mean, just an extended work trip. Basically, dude. Yeah. Wow. Um, and you came home. And and you guys, if I if I remember the story, so correct me, because I've heard this story from your parents.

SPEAKER_01 26:55

Uh-huh. Hopefully I'm getting the details right, but they'll correct me later.

SPEAKER_00 26:58

Like they you guys came back, didn't really know where you're gonna go, but then you like got a house right over here or something. That's like on Beach Road.

SPEAKER_01 27:06

That's where I had gotten the the years wrong because when we came home, it was probably like mid-2018, and we started renting at a house on Beach Road. Yeah.

SPEAKER_00 27:16

Dude. Which was You can't get better than that.

SPEAKER_01 27:19

Sick. To go from this uh a random city in Tennessee to living on the beach. It was like it was like God's little like band-aid on the wound. Like, like you're home. You're here, you're at you. All the sleep to the waves, and like you're good. Such a blessing. And you know, it's like a shack on the back on the face. No, it's so awesome for not that long, like a year and a half max, maybe two. Yeah, yeah, a little bit longer. Um, so we were there, and and the cool thing was um, this is a totally unnecessary detail, but we had rented that house before back in the day. Oh, okay. There's there's all these little pockets of time that I leave out for time's sake. But yeah, basically while we were living in Laguna Miguel, basically the last little touch of just like God's providence and him taking care of us was the house we stayed in on Beach Road was a house we had rented before during a a certain time while we were living in Laguna Nigel. Yeah. So we when we were ready to move back from Tennessee, we just looked on the market and that one was available to rent, you know. So we were like, so liter we quite literally went to what home. Yeah, it was a place we had lived before. So yeah.

SPEAKER_00 28:25

Okay. Now I you know, we start off talking about where you're at now.

SPEAKER_01 28:32

Right.

SPEAKER_00 28:33

Um, so I just gotta ask, was music always a part of your life? Was this something that obviously you spoke about your grandfather? Yeah, so growing up through the apartments and Laguna Nigel and Tennessee, was music always a part of your life?

SPEAKER_01 28:50

Music was yes, always a part of my life.

SPEAKER_00 28:52

Who was her was that from your grandfather? Was it from a parent, both parents? How did music and the passion and love of music come into play?

SPEAKER_01 29:01

Yeah, I would say, you know, I partially from my grandfather. I knew him, I only knew him when I was so young. Sure. Um, my mom was also very musical as well, and encouraged that. This was her dad, correct? Yes, exactly. So it makes sense. Also, literally just a classic case of we had a piano in our house, and I and I decided to play it one day. Not you know, decided to try to play it one day. And that that was probably like I remember the first song I learned how to play. I was probably fire. Dude, it wasn't. I did learn that one eventually. That's my favorite, bro. But that's my ringtone. Is it actually? Oh, 100%. Dude, I love those movies, bro. Yeah, so good. Nah, dude, but I it was like some sort of classical piano piece that like I heard on the radio and thought sounded pretty, and I was like, let me try to learn this. So I watched the YouTube video. And then yeah, I was probably 11 when I started that, and uh then just started just learning instruments. I never even I wasn't even worship leading, you know. I played in the I played, you know, like our little box drum when our family did home church, you know, with those guys, but I never sang, never did anything like that. And I didn't start worship leading. My sister sang. My sister knew how to sing and play guitar, my older sister Ada. Um, so the very first time I ever even led anything was uh actually, am I jumping too far ahead or is that okay? Yeah, so was was literally the first time I ever sang was at Christ Community Church's Young Adults group. Um Alathea, yeah. Whoa. Um I Ada, you know, Tim was the was the you young adults pastor at the time, kind of got word that Ada could sing and play guitar, so she was kind of singing and playing guitar along with Tim. And then I knew how to play guitar, um, but I wasn't singing. Yeah. And so I was like, yeah, I'll come along and I'll I'll play guitar. And I just played guitar next to her. And I obviously I could sing a little bit, so I was singing along. And then I kind of it was the first time I kind of saw, you know, worship leading or music leading as like a thing people do. You know, I always knew there was a guy who did it, and I engaged in worship, and my cousin, my cousin Dean, uh was the one who led at our home church, and he was great at it, but I just never the the the position of that never caught my eye until that first night at Alathia. And then after that, I was still 17, I went to Alathea just you know, a year early, just because uh my sister was going there and they let me. And then I went back to the youth group at our church and started singing there because you know, everyone tells someone, you know, like hey, this new kid Brody can sing and play guitar, and you know it's like you don't have to be good. Like sometimes youth ministries are like if you're breathing and can pull the guitar, we'll let you lead. Um, and so I did that, and yeah, dude, I think that's where I kind of fell in love with it, honestly. Like I have a video of the first time of me singing a song, and funnily enough, it's that song Reckless Love, which you know, maybe there's reasons, you know, say what you want about that song, but it was the first song I ever learned how to play on the guitar. Yeah, and um, because it was like, you know, relatively easy, just four chords or whatever. And I have a video of me singing it, and I remember I was like, this is the first time I was like, oh, like, you know, singing is a thing you can do. And so I just did that at young adults for probably two or three years or so.

SPEAKER_00 32:30

And then I don't know if you were at our church for this, but we we showed up uh February of 22, and at the time Greging. So we got to witness that transition, guys, and I thought with all the transitions I've seen in church, that was one of the most beautiful I've done. Oh it was so well done, it was so good. Um it truly felt like a passing of the baton in the best of ways. That's awesome. And it's not one of those situations where Greg's no longer part of a church. No, he's still very active. He's still led at times when you either asked him or not been there or something. Um it's beautiful. It was beautiful, and so I was stoked to see that. Um when you guys came back and everything, did you automatically go to Christ Community and all this happened? Or how long did that take?

SPEAKER_01 33:31

Basically, yeah, a few months after we got back. Okay, our cousins were at the time going to Christ Community. So we were like the Metzger family, you might not have met them. They probably they they no longer go there, but they were at the time.

SPEAKER_00 33:45

Right. Well, I I know some Metzgers.

SPEAKER_01 33:47

Oh, really? Debbie and David? Were you allowed to name drop on here? Oh, we name Gotcha.

SPEAKER_00 33:53

I was like No. No, um, I don't think I I don't think I know them.

SPEAKER_01 33:58

Gotcha. Um but there's a lot of Metzgers. Yeah, dude, I hear a lot about a lot of them running around. Um Okay, so they were going there, so that's how you They were going there, so we just started going, and then we were like, there seems to be something here, these guys seem pretty cool. Yeah, and that was almost six years ago now, and yeah, that's that's how we found our way there, literally just by going with our cousins. There you go. And uh there was a different worship leader's name was Adam Green at the time. Okay, and he was the one leading, and you know, I was just a little kid who who knew who was playing key piano in my room, and you know, I credit all credit to my mom for being like, You should get up there and play key. Like you sound good, you should go play on the stage, and I was like, No, I didn't want to. But then I had started playing at you know Alathia and the young adults, and then building up that confidence a little bit, and then finally just threw my hat in the ring with Adam. He let me play piano, you know, one Sunday. It was like the scariest thing I've ever done.

unknown 34:55

Oh yeah.

SPEAKER_01 34:56

Oh, so intimidating. Not not because it was an intimidating environment, but just because it was new to me.

SPEAKER_00 35:01

It's your first time. First time on that stage. First time in a probably a room like that, right? Oh yeah, first time. Oh yeah.

SPEAKER_01 35:08

Never had been in front of that many people before. And dude, it was I I still remember it. I just remember being sweaty. Like, you know, uh, dude, and like to to like I would never have imagined that I'd be like the guy, you know, responsible for that stage, you know, later on.

SPEAKER_00 35:26

After that point, kind of take you under his wing, and he did to an extent.

SPEAKER_01 35:30

I mostly just played on his band. I never led, I didn't sing at all, I just played piano for him, and I didn't start, and he was he was an amazing guy. I don't think he really like took me under his wing as like a worship leader, yeah. Um, but then he did um kind of suddenly have to move him him and his family. And then that's when the hunt began for a new guy, and then that's when Greg came along.

unknown 35:51

Sure.

SPEAKER_01 35:52

Greg was already going to the church, Greg's a phenomenal musician, he plays in his 80s cover band. And have you gone to Saturday? I've been to a few.

SPEAKER_00 35:59

Dude, I've been to one. Did you? And we went, it was a Saturday night, so I saw him in all decked out in TVs like rocker, like everything. Yeah. And then I see him Sunday morning going to games. I'm like, dude, what?

SPEAKER_01 36:10

Dude, Greg's his ability to like do both sides of spectrum is awesome. Awesome.

SPEAKER_00 36:17

Dude, I'm like, dude, where's the makeup?

SPEAKER_01 36:19

Yeah, yeah, where's the eyeliner and the gel, bro?

SPEAKER_00 36:22

Um now at this point, were you thinking, all right, yeah, this is the route in life I want to go, not just service-wise, but I want to be in vocational ministry. Or was something else on your mind, and the Lord started to turn your heart and your mind that way.

SPEAKER_01 36:42

Yeah. To be to be quite honest, still, still no. I still wasn't quite. What was on your mind? I was uh I've always been into video production. So I was filming and editing wedding videos. Okay. And uh, you know, flying drones and doing all that stuff, which is great for you know a 20-year-old kid, you know, want to make good money doing that, you know. So like I was set with pursuing that. I was um working like a day job at Trader Joe's. Like, I really didn't have a ton of ambition.

SPEAKER_00 37:13

Like a lot of the young adults at church.

SPEAKER_01 37:15

Basically, yeah, everyone at our church worked at Trader Joe's.

SPEAKER_00 37:18

Wait, wait, uh, which Trader Joe's?

SPEAKER_01 37:20

Uh two. I worked at the Newport one and the Elisa Viehill one.

SPEAKER_00 37:22

You know Darren.

SPEAKER_01 37:23

Darren, oh gosh.

SPEAKER_00 37:25

I'm Alice.

SPEAKER_01 37:26

Yeah. Oh man, I haven't thought about that guy in a long time. He lives right here. Really?

SPEAKER_00 37:30

He's dude, that's that's Uncle Darren and my boy. Him and I have gone to church. I've gone to Africa with him.

SPEAKER_02 37:36

Really?

SPEAKER_00 37:37

That's we've done so he goes to the church I pastored at for years. Um, I've known him since 2015.

SPEAKER_01 37:46

No way.

SPEAKER_00 37:47

Yeah. He lives right over here.

SPEAKER_01 37:49

Bro, I don't even know if you remember me. That's so sick. But dude, what a small world.

SPEAKER_00 37:54

Yeah, I walked to right next to his house. Really? Oh, yeah.

SPEAKER_01 37:57

Dude, what a small world. Yeah. I don't even know if you I was just like a 18-year-old kid backing groceries. I don't think he would even remember me. Oh, yeah, he does. Really? Oh, 100% he does. Oh.

SPEAKER_00 38:08

I remember he came to visit Christ Community. He's like, that's bro. Like, this is awesome. He loves his oh, that's cool. He knows all you guys. Everybody, all the young adults, all the kids that have worked at Trader Joe's. When he shows up to Christ Community, he says he tries to as much as he can. Gotcha. Oh, yeah.

SPEAKER_01 38:27

Oh, next time he comes, will you let me know? Because I dude, I would want to say hi to him. I totally will. That's so random, bro. That's so crazy that he lives right there. Yeah. Dude. Yeah, well, Trader Joe's, man. It's the uniting of all different people, bro. Oh man. Yeah. Just working at Trader Joe's and serving on the music team every now and then, pursuing, you know, more of a career in like doing wedding video and real estate video and stuff like that. Okay. Okay. And then, dude, I feel like in my life, there's a lot of like that was the moment type moments, not to be cliche. But literally, the Greg had been leading for like six months or so, and I was still playing on the team, helping him out. And then he was like, it was the first time I ever led was he's like, I'm gonna be out of town. You I know you lead at Alethea. Do you want to lead? And I was like, sure. You know, I literally walked up there, said good morning, played the songs, and then walked off. Like, I didn't know how to speak. I didn't, you know, it's like nothing. Nothing.

SPEAKER_00 39:25

Presence is a thing.

SPEAKER_01 39:26

Exactly. And I didn't have it back then.

SPEAKER_00 39:28

Sure. Nobody, nobody has it first time.

SPEAKER_01 39:31

Sure. I yeah, I know. It's just funny to think about how little I knew.

SPEAKER_00 39:35

Sure, of course. But yeah. How old were you?

SPEAKER_01 39:37

I was probably 19.

SPEAKER_00 39:39

19? Yeah. Okay. Wow.

SPEAKER_01 39:42

That's crazy.

SPEAKER_00 39:43

Not a normal thing in most places. Most churches don't have a 19-year-old leading like that.

SPEAKER_01 39:48

Really? I mean, I guess you're you're probably right. Yeah, you're right. I don't think so. I honestly maybe they should. I probably scared away a few visitors that day. I think they should. Yes, they should, 100%.

SPEAKER_00 39:59

Um obviously nervous, but what was that experience like? First time leading.

SPEAKER_01 40:07

Dude, I just I remember feeling very nervous, but very supported. You know, like I remember just looking out and seeing faces of people I knew and just like like I think about how I would feel if I was watching, you know, a teenager kid lead worship for the first time, clearly nervous. We all know it's his first time. Like I'd be over the moon for him, you know. And that's how people were for me. And you know, looking back, I see that, and honestly, like I was so nervous, but afterwards I felt so supported, you know, which was just so beautiful, dude. And that's part of the the the the perks of going to a super gracious church, you know. But but yeah, and then kind of that moment I was like, oh, like this feels like a way I can truly serve the Lord with like the the gifts he's given me, you know. Um I never really knew where I fit in in like serving the church, you know. I never really had served in the church, yeah, you know. Um and then yeah, leading worship for that I mean like I led worship in so I led worship in small capacities, but that first time being like this is Sunday morning, you're the worship leader, music director, like it kind of changed everything. It was like yeah.

SPEAKER_00 41:24

From that first time to then you are the w uh music director, how long time was that?

SPEAKER_01 41:34

A few more steps for sure. Greg led for about a year. So I led my first time like maybe six months in, and then I would lead for him like maybe once a month. Sure. You know, and was just building up that that thing. And then get called into the office one day, and they're like, Hey, like Did you think you were in trouble? Yeah. Well, it's funny because I didn't know how like meetings worked back then. So who called you in? Oh, did you think you were in trouble? I thought I didn't know what I did. I was like, I was like, of course, my brain's like, did I say something like heretical, you know, last week? Or like it's like, you know, you never know what to do.

SPEAKER_00 42:10

Did he call you?

SPEAKER_01 42:11

He texted me, he just had my number and he texted me. He said, he was like, hey, like, come meet me at my office around four, um, or whatever. And I was like, oh yeah, sure, I'll be there. And for me as a teenager, around four literally meant like around four. So I show up at like four forty-five or something. Yeah. I'm not I'm dead serious. And then he was like, hey, just an FY, like, let me know what time you're gonna be there. And I was like, Oh, I thought this was a casual thing. Like, I thought it was like casual, like I thought it was like, and then so I walk in nervous, trying to postpone the meeting as far past four as I can, walk in, and then he just drops the bomb on me, like, hey, like, like basically Greg is gonna step down just because Greg had so much life going on, he he teaches, he does his band. We all know why, and Greg still goes to our church, but he they were like, We can either go on the hunt again, or we can take you and you know, start slowly training you to be a good worship leader for this church. And I was just like, I literally remember being like, What? Like, like I was like, you can do that? Like I was like, you know. Are you sure? Yeah, I was like, really? And then they're like, Yeah. And then I remember I was supposed to get like a they were like, they were like, Yeah, like you would come on staff here, you we did you have a job here, here's you know, whatever. And I was like, Whoa, like you can get paid to like sing and praise Jesus, yeah, you know, was my paid you? Yeah, exactly. Yeah, exactly. That's exactly like what was going through my head, and and like I think like the first day I was supposed to show up and and get my like picture taken for the church website, and I was in like a dingy surf t shirt, and they literally sent me home and they're like, come back next week in a collar shirt because like this is going on the church website. Like, that's how like it's not that I wasn't taking it seriously. I just was like, what? Like world changing. Yeah. You just didn't know what you didn't know. No, exactly. Yeah. And even just looking back on like the jump they took with me, you know, setting me up for hopefully a career in in, you know, music leading and and ministry, you know, wherever the Lord takes me, like so blessed. Like and it's just awesome, man. Yeah.

SPEAKER_00 44:23

So you're three years in.

SPEAKER_01 44:25

Yep.

SPEAKER_00 44:26

Uh and you're still a young man, you say you're twenty three. Twenty-three. Um what lessons have you learned in those three years?

SPEAKER_01 44:37

Dude. So many. Just so many. Like I think about where my head was at with so many different aspects of church and worship and and music. You know, back in those first few months and even the first year. Like it feels like everything's kind of been flipped 180, you know?

SPEAKER_00 45:00

And how so?

SPEAKER_01 45:01

Yeah, but honestly, uh Yeah, I'm just trying to think like like what would be like the most like like relevant. Really just like it's it's down to like the the very, very base level of like what I thought were good songs and what I thought was theologically okay to, you know, sing, or or even you know, the lack thereof, like like, oh, this song is cool. Let's play it, you know. Like so your theology has changed. My theology, I would say, has just has deepened.

SPEAKER_00 45:38

And where did how did that happen? Was it I mean you spoke about training through conversations with Jesus or Rick or it was through, yeah, many, many conversations with Rick.

SPEAKER_01 45:52

Jesus was very much so there for me on the uh more like um maybe more like logistical side of things, like, hey, here's actually how to send an email, here's how to schedule people. You know, it's tough to know. I never worked an office job, so I didn't, you know, like I never had. So like Jesus was there for me on a lot of that, and like here's how to lead a band, here's how to plug things in, whatever, you know, at a base level. But Rick and I had he's he's the place where like going through books with like him, like Worship Matters by Bob Coughlin and Rhythms of Grace and just absolute like bangers in like you know, doxology and stuff like that, like that's where so much stuff shaped for me. And I think the biggest flip I had, and it feels so silly to say this out loud, but I thought it, so maybe somebody else does too. Like, like I realized very quickly that like worship is a congregational thing, which sounds so dumb to say out loud, but like in my head, I was not thinking about are these people singing with me? Am I singing songs that they can sing, you know? Are these words good for us to sing together? I was just like so nervous that I was like, how can I sound good while I sing this song? And I think I sound good when I sing this song, so let's play this song, you know. Yeah. Um, and uh obviously I I I wasn't like that wasn't 100% like I was still praising Jesus up there, but just not in I don't think I was leading, you know.

SPEAKER_00 47:24

There wasn't it was would you say that there was more maybe emotion versus purpose?

SPEAKER_01 47:31

Uh probably.

SPEAKER_00 47:33

Is that a good description of it?

SPEAKER_01 47:34

I think so. There's yeah, probably more emotion, more more logistics, maybe even too behind it. Like uh Yeah, yeah, that's a good way to put it, actually. Okay. Just like I was just like consumed with like being nervous and and worried about people liking me, you know, and liking what I was doing up there, that that was more the concern. And then once my eyes kind of opened, like to the fact that like, hey, like, you're you're and again, sounds dumb to say it out loud, but I had to be told this you're not putting on a show, you're inviting people to engage in something with you. That's right. It changes the way you think about things, it changes the the words you use, it changes the eyes from we to we's, you know, it changes the keys from up high where I think I sound great to down here where where everyone can sing, you know? Like uh Yeah, like and that took time, dude. That took a lot of time.

SPEAKER_00 48:32

Is that something obviously I imagine in the past three years you have met and associated with other uh worshipers, directors of music, is that pretty common in that world to wrestle with and deal with wrestling with, you know, hey, it's not a performance. You're not there to put on a show, you are there with a congregation leading them in this moment.

SPEAKER_01 48:59

Dude, I would say like it's it's the most talked about thing in like the the worship scene, you know, um, or at least the it was the biggest piece of advice I received in those early years. I was so blessed to get to meet up with some amazing worship leaders back in the day. Um, David Stone, who leads worship at Saddleback, this guy named Trevor Kelso who leads worship at Shoreline. Oh, yeah, yeah.

SPEAKER_00 49:21

I know I've met him one time. I know a good friend of his, Ethan Holse. Oh, okay.

SPEAKER_01 49:27

I heard his name too. I don't know him. Yeah, but yeah, dude, just guys like and then obviously, you know, Rick Tim, Jesus. Um, all these I was like looking back, I was like, wow, there's just so many great church leaders and and ministry guys who took time to grab coffee with me and really shape a few things of how I still think about things to this day. And like, yeah, dude, and that was one of the main things. They were like, just remember what this is, and like you'll figure the rest out later. Like, you'll learn how to play your guitar better later. That'll come. Yes, you'll have better people skills and better better posture on stage later. Like, start from the ground level of like, you're just here to lead these people in praising the most high God. That's right. You know, the and the the re the the logistics and the fine details will come later, you know. So yeah.

SPEAKER_00 50:21

Um now being a few years into it, um, you've matured, obviously you've matured. I can see that in how you're describing it. I hope so. Um what does it do for you knowing that these guys seasoned mature men of faith that are leading this church pastors? Yeah, as a 19-year-old kid with very little experience to take on that mantle. What does that do for you?

SPEAKER_01 50:59

Dude, it humbles me. Yeah, it humbles me a lot, you know, and like I think I think I really atribute at I'm not gonna try to say that word because I'm gonna say it wrong. A tribute. Gosh. I attribute it just to like um honestly the Lord having this path for me and working through those guys. Big time. You know, like I don't think Rick let me become the music director at Crush Committee Church because he thought it would be the best financial and you know political decision. You know, I think he did it because like probably a stirring on his heart for the from the Lord. Big time um and uh just like a faith in in in what the Lord had put before him being you know being me. And so yeah, so I'm just I praise the Lord that he put it on those guys' hearts to to to let me in and to give me opportunity to lead. Yeah, you know, because like like I said, like on paper, it was not probably not the right decision, yeah, you know, um, or at least one that didn't make the most sense. Sure. So uh honestly humbled and just extremely grateful for them, but ultimately the Lord for working through them in that way. You know, so yeah.

SPEAKER_00 52:20

And now since this you've done a tour or two?

SPEAKER_01 52:26

Just the one tour recently. Just the one tour, yeah.

SPEAKER_00 52:29

And you did it with uh Gary Ray.

SPEAKER_01 52:31

You know Gary? Yeah, I'm just gonna assume you know all of my friends at this point.

SPEAKER_00 52:36

Gary, Gary, I don't know him super well. He was a worship leader at a church in St. Klemeni. Yep. Um, and I think he's leading still in St. Right? Yeah, Paradigm. Yes, and they meet at the uh community center, right? Yep, yeah. Um yeah, yeah, he's been around for a long time. I've met him through some uh pastor lunches and stuff. That's sick. Uh I've seen him around town and stuff. So I I when I see him, I try to say hi. That's so cool. But uh so yeah, talk talk to us about that. So how did that come about? Your tour? Where did you go? What was it? Yeah, yeah. Or what was this?

SPEAKER_01 53:14

Yeah, so this was dude, this did this even come about. Dude, it's it's again, it's just a god thing. Like I've noticed in my life, like I'm a pretty like passive person, you know, maybe to a fault sometimes. Like I don't often like go out and pursue things, you know. Yeah, and so that leads the Lord to just like kind of throw stuff in my face, you know, and which praise the Lord for that. So basically that's what it was. So you know Justin. I'm gonna take it all the way back. You know Justin Unger.

SPEAKER_02 53:40

No, of course.

SPEAKER_01 53:41

Um, you know, likewise worship, which is an incredible ministry, and like I could just talk for hours about the how awesome they've been. You gotta get Justin on here, bro. I'll dude, I'll text him. I'm supposed to be getting lunch with him later this week, so I'll let him know.

SPEAKER_00 53:57

I've been messaging him like, dude, I'd love to get you on here. Dude, he's a busy dude. I know he is. Oh, I imagine. I imagine. Uh, but we need to get him on.

SPEAKER_01 54:06

If you're listening, Justin, hop on. Yeah, dude. So throwing it all the way back, um, do you know Scott Cunningham by chance? Yeah. Okay.

SPEAKER_00 54:14

I don't know him, but I know of him. I know of him.

SPEAKER_01 54:16

So basically, Scott Cunningham works for likewise. He runs the South County worship leader lunch gathering. Yeah. So that's where all the South County guys who lead worship, that's where I met Trevor. Uh, you know, like we all will go get lunch once a month together and just be like, hey, you ready for Easter? How'd Christmas go? You know, just literally just have talks that worship leaders have together, and it's awesome. That's cool. Um, and then at that lunch, this big old South African guy walks in, and I knew who he was because he I had knew of Land of Colors music um from a long time ago, just because like they opened for Rent Collective and we saw them, bought their CD or whatever, and I was like, Are you the guy from Land of Color? I'm all timid, you know. This is like maybe almost two years ago. I'm like, Are you the guy from Land of Color? Like, so embarrassed, and he's so nice, and you know, he just like lets me ask questions, whatever. So I meet him at that worship lunch, and I'm like, great, you know, met him, and then I would just like see him around town every now and then. And then after that, uh, you know, literally just kind of running him into him here and there, he put on a worship night, and I had written a song with my buddy Elijah at the time, and we released it together, and Elijah was performing at that worship night, performing some of his original music, and then he was like, Oh, my friend Brody's gonna be in the crowd. Brody, do you want to just come up and sing our song together? And I was like, sure, why not? You know? Um, and so I went up and did that, and so Gary kind of like that was the first time he saw me like play. And then uh he knew I made music, he knew I played. We just knew of each other, you know, like friends, acquaintances, you know. This is this is a long backstory, but it's all relevant, I promise. Yeah. Now I'm at the Likewise School of Worship, yes, which is a whole other area of growth that has just been incredible for me.

SPEAKER_00 56:05

Yeah.

SPEAKER_01 56:06

And one of my great friends, Amberly, was a student along with me, and she's like family friends with Gary. They're both from South Africa. She lived with them for a while, like she's incredible. And she actually threw my hat in the ring for to be one of the openers at the show with Gary. Okay. She they were doing a show in San Clumene, they knew I'm always in San Clumeni, and they were like, let Birdie for open, let Birdie open for you at the San Clomene show. So Gary texts me, and I like can't believe it. And um they they say, like, yeah, we want you to open for us at the San Clumene show. I'm super down. There's this other amazing artist who we toured with named Ali Page, who was there. She's incredible, she has amazing like indie worship and Christian music. And then just another God thing, uh, all these different uh, you know, openers and and things fell through where because they were gonna have the try to have a local band open for them at every spot, and they all fell through, or they couldn't find anybody. So they were like, Brody, like you're the only one confirmed for San Clemeni. Do you want to just come with us for the rest of the shows? Right. And I was like, Whoa, like this just became like playing a gig to like you know going on a tour. Yeah. Yeah. And then they were like, Yeah, like it'll be we'll have you all covered, you'll run in the van with us, you know, we'll go here. Uh it was four dates and four different shows. And I just said yes. I was like, All in Southern California? All in Southern California. So we went, uh, we went Huntington Beach, Carlsbad, Pismo Beach, which was the farthest one, and then down here to San Clemente. Gotcha. So we drove all up and down, you know, this for SoCal coast. Yep. And uh yeah, dude, like couldn't be more happy I said yes to that. Because I I almost did it. I was I was like, that's a time commitment, that's a a lot of nerves and whatever, you know, performing your own original music. It's like it's different when you're singing How Great Is Our God, and you're like, everyone sing How Great Is Our God. Everybody knows it. You know, everybody knows that we we're all praising Jesus, and then it's like everyone be quiet and listen to me while I sing you my song, you know? It's like a different feeling, and especially as like a worship leader, like that's a weird headspace to put yourself back into. It's kind of usually what we're trying to work ourselves away from. Um, but but I mean I love I've performed some original music before, so I kind of knew how it worked. And then yeah, dude, just showed up to the gigs, hopped in the bus with them, and and like had the greatest experience. This was almost a month ago, maybe three weeks ago now. And land of color, coolest guys ever. Their family's beautiful. Um, Allie Page and her husband came with us, they're incredible. Everybody all the churches we visited were awesome, so accommodating. They really, everybody who showed up to the shows didn't know me, but knew Land of Color. Sure. And just the the attention and respect I felt, you know, for everyone to like give me, you know, those 15 minutes of me playing songs and listening to the stories. It was all Christian music, so right, um, and just you know, showing genuine care and and support for my music and original songs is was just unreal, dude. So cool.

SPEAKER_00 59:06

Like, is there gonna be around two?

SPEAKER_01 59:08

Dude, I hope so. They're talking about it, dude. They're talking about next year, maybe even making it bigger, or I don't know, like even if it's not with land of color, you know, just there's some other bands that I've been in contact with that DM'd me through it and we're like, we're looking for openers. So it's like a big thing I want to pray about, and and you know, but like people have been asking me, like, I couldn't make it to any of the shows, but I want to go, like, when are you playing next? And yep, you know, it and so it begins. So, like, I again, like, if it feels like it's where the Lord calls me, I'll do it. I would 100% do it again and do it bigger and do it more, you know. Um, but yeah, dude. Yeah, pretty sick.

SPEAKER_00 59:47

So, so um do you see yourself ever going? I mean, you went through the school, yeah. Is it called the school of worship? It's called the school of worship, yeah. School of worship, but likewise. Are you gonna pursue any other type of training or education or anything like that?

SPEAKER_01 1:00:01

Yeah, I've I'm thinking about it a lot. Um, I think it really just depends on like where the Lord takes me in these next few years. Sure. Bible college is of course on the table. Gotcha. Um, or it's like if I'm like, okay, working in full-time ministry is what I'm gonna do for my life, then of course Bible college is is uh the next step in. Gotcha. Uh I want I don't really want to leave California, which limits my options a lot. You know, and you know, maybe not limits, but more kind of zeroes in on which ones are which which I would actually go for. Yep. But um yeah, not a not a ton of like research, you know, in there. I'm sure like I've got you, I got the pastors at our church to to talk to when the time comes for that. Um but yeah, I'm just kind of on the journey of just like is ministry where the Lord has me full time. I know I love it, I know I enjoy it. Is it what I'm gonna do when I'm a dad? You know, is it what I'm gonna do in 10 years from now? You know, I I genuinely don't know that. Yeah, all I know is I love to do it right now, and I just need to keep praying. And um, I'm you know, this is literally my first week out of the school of worship, so I'm just gonna take the summer just to apply what I've learned there into my ministry. That's cool, and then see where I end up at the end of this year and what is it? They taught us everything from like, you know, top to bottom that you would expect in worship ministry, a lot of music theory, uh, music lessons, you know, more technical stuff, and then just a ton of worship theology. Um, you know, kind of like the nuts and bolts of here's why we pick songs, here's what worship looked like in the Bible, here's what it looks like for us today, you know, um, different things like that. And also just one thing I didn't expect and and ended up loving about the school is I thought it was gonna be like, you know, 100% kind of logistical and and some theology, which would be great, but more just like, you know, lecturery, but like they really had a heart for for teaching us how to worship for ourselves and how to understand who God was. Because when you're worship leading, if you're truly worshiping, it's it makes your job that much easier to help a congregation worship, you know, as opposed to just talking about something that you somewhat understand, but to literally be like, let me introduce you to to the Lord, let me show you this guy that I know is uh is different. Yeah, so so we spent just a ton of time just worshiping together and and learning about who God is and how He wants to be worshipped, you know? Um and not just like how what feels good to us, you know.

SPEAKER_00 1:02:39

Yeah, exactly.

SPEAKER_01 1:02:41

That's huge.

SPEAKER_00 1:02:42

Exactly. Um as we wrap up our time here for that young Brody out there, that that 16, 17, 18, 19 year oldie out there, the next one what advice or guidance would you give um as he's looking into worship leading. I mean a director of music, uh what have what lessons have you learned that you would want if you would have known a lot easier?

SPEAKER_01 1:03:23

I would say there's there's probably a few, but probably the main things would be pray about it way more than I did. Okay. Pray about it. Yeah. Pray about it and ask the Lord about every detail about it. Praise the Lord, it's it's it's worked out for me, but I I didn't pray much about it. I didn't I didn't consult the Lord about it as much as I wish I had. I think I was in his will and in his path, and that's why he's you know kind of blessed to take care of me throughout this. But looking back, I'm like, gosh, I I wish I had just walked in with more of just like uh a confidence, like yes, this is where the Lord has for me. You know, I think I learned that over time, which can work too. Sure. But to feel more like yes, like Lord, like I've I've I'm in your I feel and sense that I'm in your will in this moment makes everything easier. Um that's probably one thing I would say, but also the biggest thing, dude, and I know this is gonna sound cliche, but whatever feedback you get as you begin your journey as a music director, whether it's good or bad, hold it way lightly, way more lightly than you think you should. Because from in my experience, in the first six months, all I got was good feedback. I could do anything up there. I probably could have played life as a highway, and they would have, and they would have, you know, they would have said, like, look at him up there trying. He's like it's so beautiful, he loves the Lord, and he's just up there trying, you know. And then you get to a year in where you're the music director, and you know, you you're still growing, and then you do something someone doesn't like, and you get your first negative email, or you get your first negative comment, and you're like, Whoa, like I thought I was crushing it, like, you know, and so I think I was like went through a phase where everybody just all my friends go to this church, so everyone was like, Brody's doing great. We're so glad you're here. And then it got to a point where I was all those things that I wasn't doing, you know, up to par or weren't quite right, and those songs I was choosing or whatever it may be finally started, the negative feedback started kind of hitting, and then it crushed me. Like I was like, I was like, Am I even good at this? Am I even supposed to be here? So I would say at the beginning, whether you're getting great positive feedback, say thank you for that, praise the Lord for that. I'm gonna take receive that, but I'm gonna keep growing. I'm gonna keep maturing. And when you get your first negative feedback, say like thank you for that. I'm gonna keep growing in spite of that. Or not in spite, but you know, in a in according to that or whatever it may be. So so whatever feedback you get, hold it way more lightly than than uh than you're inclined to, unless it's senior pastor telling you to do something. Then you better hold that, you know, like to the highest, you know. But when but when the lady sitting in front says she loved it, and then the next week she's not trying to be rude, but she says, Hey, I didn't like that song, and you know you have to go play it in you know the next service, it's like you just can't let that stuff get to you, you know. So so yeah, I know that sounds cliche, but but that's what I would say, and that's what I wish I had done. Um yeah, just hold it with a ton of weight. It's I mean, we all know Paul says, like, I it's better that most of you don't become teachers, you know, and and most worship leaders aren't teaching pastors, but in a sense, you are teaching the gospel through what you get people to seeing and mode of teaching. Exactly. And like even just for me, like the kind of you know, like the kind of walk I have to have with the Lord in spite of being a worship leader, like it's so like it's just that higher standard. And when you're you know, for the person who's listening to this, you're I'm assuming you're probably pretty, you know, you're you know how to play an instrument, you know how to sing pretty good, you're the one, you know, they asked to do that. Most people ask you to be up there in the first place because you're good at, you know, whatever your instrument or your voice or whatever. But like the second you get on that stage, like hold that with a ton of weight and never let that go. Because every time I've let the gravity of what I do slip, just everything falls to pieces. Like, there's been maybe a month or two months where I've been tired or I was in a sludge and stepping out on I keep saying stage, maybe a platform is a better word. Um, every time I step out on that platform, you're literally caring for God's people and shepherding his flock, and you're not just playing songs. Every time I got into that headspace or out of that headspace, things just fell apart. And so, yeah, I would just say hold it with the weight it deserves. No matter how good you think you're doing, and even if it's like like let's say everyone genuinely feels like everyone hates you, and everyone's just saying, I wish you played this song, or I wish the music was louder or quieter, or whatever it may be, even then hold it with weight and say, I'm up here to to serve the Lord and to serve his people, and this is a serious thing. Yeah, you know, and obviously worship is the funnest thing to do for me, but um, but first it's serious and first it's reverent. And so as a young kid receiving good or bad feedback, that's great. People are gonna say what they're gonna say. Don't forget God is at the center of it first. Make deal with Him rightly first, and then look to the people and listen to what the people are saying and what the world is saying. Yeah. I probably could have phrased that better, but I think you know what I'm trying to say.

SPEAKER_00 1:09:20

I I know ja exactly what you're trying to say. Um I think that's gonna hit with a lot of people. I mean, I definitely understand what you're saying. I hope so. Um because I mean it's very the same thing happens with sermons. It's you hit people praising you, but at the same time they aren't in that seat. Yeah. And so you wanna take it's good to get feedback. My buddy Aaron and I we've been ministry partners for many years, uh, since twenty eleven. And he was the one that I would go to uh with my sermons because he was a fellow pastor gave me the good, the the bad, and the ugly. So because he was in that same role as me, struggling through putting sermons together, wanting to shepherd people, that's who I would go to. Right. Because the feedback I would get was actually constructive. Yeah. Versus you know, somebody from the congregation, I like you said, appreciate um, I'll take it, I'll take the encouragement. Right. Um or the opposite.

SPEAKER_03 1:10:31

Yeah.

SPEAKER_00 1:10:32

You know, sometimes somebody really didn't like something. Yeah. Um you know, you you you you take it for face value, you see the heart behind it. But I I was very choosy who I actually led at. Yes. You have to be. You have to be. So I know exactly what you're saying, and I that's a great piece of advice because um it's intimidating, it's a skill to learn. It's a skill to learn.

SPEAKER_01 1:10:59

Yeah.

SPEAKER_00 1:11:00

Brody, thank you so much for taking the time and sharing about your life, sharing about your journey, um, that the Lord has taken you on, and the advice given, I know that's come with the experience you've had with for the past three years, with the mentorship you've had for the past um three years. Um and I'm excited to see and be be a watcher of your journey as the Lord continues to mold you and shape you um into the man he's creating you consistently to be. Um and it's been an like I told you before, uh it was wonderful to see the transition with you and Greg, and it's been wonderful to see you grow. It's been evident uh to see you grow in your in your um ability to stand there and lead a congregation. Praise the Lord, dude. Um maturely. Thanks, man. You you really have grown. And so I want to encourage you now. It's not easy to do, um, it takes discipline to do, and it's been evident that you have that. Brother, thank you. Uh from the songs that you've chosen to just how you carry yourself. It it I I've noticed it. So thank you. Um it's really mattered. So thank you for taking the time. And for those that are listening, please take um these pieces of advice, take this journey, and know that the church is supposed to raise up its own leaders, and this is one area where we can see that, and so um being involved where you can be raised up in some manner in whatever you are pursuing. We will catch you next time.