Keep it Positive, Sweetie - Listening to the Voice of God While Battling Restlessness in This Season - A Candid Conversation with Jonathan McReynolds. 

Episode Date: February 15, 2026

Jonathan McReynolds’ music has long created a space for reflection, faith, and real-time conversation with God.  This weeks conversation goes beyond the songs — touching on faith, vulnerability, growth, and what it really means to walk with God in real time.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

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I'm Ben Higgins, and if you can hear me, is where culture meets the soul. Honest conversations about identity, loss, purpose, peace, faith, and everything in between. Celebrities, thinkers, everyday people, some have answers. Most are still figuring it out. And if you've ever felt like there has to be more to the story, this show is for. for you. Listen to if you can hear me on the IHeartRadio app, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you get your podcast. Calling all my sweeties to the forefront, I'm your host Chris Renee Hazett, and this is the Keep It Positive Sweetie Show. Welcome to the Keep It Positive Sweetie Show, the place where we heal, grow,

and learn together. Today's guest is Grammy Award-winning singer, songwriter, worship leader, Jonathan McReynolds. Jonathan McReynolds music has long created a space where we've, reflection, faith, and real-time conversation with God. Today's conversation goes beyond the songs, touching on faith, vulnerability, growth, and what it really means to walk with God in real time. Kids family, please give a very warm welcome to Jonathan McRennels. Jonathan, thank you so much.

Thank you. Yes, I've been wanting you to come on. You were in town promoting your new album. I'm so excited to have you on. You are a man of many gifts. You're a singer, a songwriter, an author, an actor, a musician, all the things. But before we get into the work that you've done,

what I want to do, and I want to get into the habit of doing this when people sit down because we're carrying so much. How are you? Oh, man. Because we don't think we go right into it, you know. How are you today? Well, how much time you got? We got time.

We got time. I'm good. I think that recently with a lot of what's going on in the world, it's been a little heavy. You know, I think that, you know, a daily dose of society is a little overwhelming after a while. It starts to accumulate that plus your own personal stuff that you carry in. So I think that there is, while I feel good and God has been really blessing, I have a lot of things to look forward to. I do feel a little heaviness in this season as, you know, I try to hear God on what I should be doing.

how I should be responding or not responding. Right. And to whom, you know? And so I think that in these times there is some restlessness. Like I should be doing something. Right. We already feel like that about career and love and everything else. We should be doing something right now.

Yeah. But then the world gives you another reason to try to figure that out quickly as well. Yeah. And I think I have been a little heavier. Still happy. but a little heaven. Same. I feel the same thing.

That has been my prayer lately. Like, God, what am I supposed to be doing? What voice do you want me to be or not in this season? Because there's so much going on. And oftentimes I feel like a lot of it is distractions. So I also pray for like, what is it that I'm missing or that I may not be seeing while all this is going on? Because it's so much noise. Yeah.

Yeah. And sometimes we have to be okay with not doing much at all right now. You know what I'm saying? I think as people with platforms, we recognize some level of social responsibility, that we all feel like our number one responsibility and priority is the world that watches us and our following that cares and the fans that consume. Sometimes the number one priority is one, you, two, just your people, your family, your friends. I've had incredible private conversations that I can't figure out how to put on threads for life of me. Right.

And by the time I think about what to post, something else has happened. Nope. Seriously. Sometimes I have to log off. It's like, this is too much. Yeah. So just allowing God to help you process for yourself, give you opportunities to process with people privately and individually.

and then maybe there's something to be shared to the greater world out there. And I feel like he'll put that on your heart. He'll let you know like share this. Yeah. Because there's some times I've been ready to go off on threads. Oh, sure.

Because there's just so much going on. And God, it's a quiet whisper. He's like, I'm in control of this. I got it. I don't need you saying nothing. Let me handle it. And I'm like, you know what I find peace in now? He does have the final say in everything.

And as much as I want to be like, you're going to get what's coming to you. Yeah, we want to, We want to be the, we want to, we want to, we want to, we want to, it's just human to want to see what the seeds that you plant grow up to be. Yeah. You know, it's hard to, you know, as they say, like, you'll never get to sit in the shade of the tree that you plant it.

That's right. You know, it's way far down the line. There's generations that are going to be watching this or. Same way we are. Yeah, you know, we're, we're consuming stuff from people who never, would have even thought that this would be the context for their art. And so I think that we definitely have to trust that we're not just living out our plan. We are part of a very long, great agenda and plan and narrative. And we got to play our parts, even if we don't see all of the ends that we want

to see. Yeah, that's so true. That is good. You are known for making music feel like a conversation, not a performance. I want to know at what point did your relationship with God come about actually being up, living it versus just acting it out when it came to your music. Oh, man, I think that's a fight every day. Yeah. You know, I don't think, you know, I, I think they, I think people might get, um, a lot of us, Jesus folks wrong. Okay. Like, like we, like we get somewhere and then we've graduated. Yeah. No, most of the time you have to pick up across every day.

Every day. You have to get daily bread. Like, you know, I wish, I mean, and there are some things that I just don't have to worry about anymore. I've just completely mature past. But then there's some things that they'll just be coming right back. And I got to put it, you know, I got to put the dog back in the closet again. You know, he somehow got his way out, found his way out.

And so I think that in this season, you know, I'm excited. accepting not just how well I'm doing, but I'm accepting who I am in Christ. That's different. That's different. Because that doesn't go up and down with your whims and your feelings. It doesn't go up and down with how everybody else feels. That's your status. Yeah.

That's your status. You're a son. You're a daughter of God. Yeah. And from that place, I do things or not do things. From that place, I make maybe hopefully less mistakes. From that place, I can come somewhere confidently as opposed to, I'm on a good streak. You know what I'm saying?

That's how we be thinking. Like, you know, I'm doing good. You know, this summer's been great. And the truth is, when you were doing terribly, you were no less of a son. And when you're doing amazing, you know more of a son. Right. You are just maybe embodying a little bit more and accessing a little more of something you already had. Yeah, I love that.

Something that we both do, we live our life out loud and in the public eye. As a follower of Christ and a believer, sometimes that can be tough because they're watching everything in real time. The falls, the triumphs, they're seeing it all. Has there ever been a moment in your career where you like, I wish that didn't happen or where you felt like, You know, I just because I want to take a step back. This is too much. Every day. What are you talking about?

Is it every day? I mean, yeah, no, I mean, the first half where, what was the first half? The first half is living your life out in public and as a believer. Yeah, I think, I think, I would say this has been my biggest lesson. Okay. Because when you first start and at various places in your career, God and people will sound the same. They'll all be clapping or they'll all be booing.

You know, and you'll be like, man, people are enjoying this. They're being blessed by it. Therefore, God must be in it. He must be happy. And then there are other times where they're still being blessed by it and God is not that impressed. Or people don't. don't like it. And God is smiling. And so I think every day, that's why I never want to, I can

never buy the idea that I figured anything out or mastered anything because it is kind of a moving target. It is kind of a pursuit all the time. I'm always trying to figure out where God is and where he isn't. Where I'm supposed to be and where I'm not supposed to be. And maybe I was supposed to be in this room for a season and not in this season. Right. You know, maybe people were supposed to clap in this season, but not in this season. And so I think trying to figure that out in front of people, our biggest pitfall is thinking that the people's happiness and approval is God, is the voice of God, is the approval of God. And having to unlearn that in this day, in this age for me, because I've never been,

I've never been an adult without also being a career musician. I've never been a musician without also being a Christian. And honestly, when I was beginning my Christian journey, I started writing music. And so people put me on a platform of being a minister as well of it. So I've never even been a Christian without having to tell the world about them. You know what I'm saying? And so when you have all those things put together, you've got to unravel them and say, okay but who am I?

Yes. Skip the fact that I'm, you know, they are expecting a minister out of me or expecting a song out of me. What's my actual prayer and condition and status? And I think that's the hardest part for us is knowing that they'll never fully know. Yes. And they'll never fully tell us. That part.

Yeah. Clock it. That's so good. That is so good. In your life and your journey, has there ever been a moment where. you felt like, and we can be honest, where sometimes we're like, dang, like God, I really wanted that.

You felt let down or felt like he was being silent in a moment. And how did you navigate that, keeping your faith aligned with what you really believe? I think there are a lot of things I thought of when you say that. You'd be asking these questions that have like 10 answers and I'll be catching each

one. The first thing I'll think about is keep doing what you were doing. A lot of times, you know, we're looking for a fresh instruction when we just need to continue what we were doing

even in this new season, even in this new place. If you were writing and praying and studying in this season and God ain't told you doing something different, then keep doing it. Even if your status with other people, people that's changed. And on the other level, I do believe that we don't do often, I have gone through seasons

where I've wanted God to be a lot more plainer, a lot more like, just a lot more plain, a lot more just, God, just whispering my ear and tell me what I'm supposed to do. Tell me if that girl is the one or she's going to make everybody mad. You know what I'm saying? Just say it. You just say no. And sometimes he does. And oftentimes, have time when he does, I still disobey anyway.

And so it really... He's like, now that ain't the sign. Oh, no, you wouldn't have been that obvious. That's just me. But... He's like, you asked me to be clear. Right, right. And we still don't even listen to the clear stuff.

So, truly, the, the, I think that what people have to understand is we're on a journey here. And we have to work out our salvation and fear and trembling. We have to constantly pursue. Yes. Like, he hides himself on purpose. It's not so that he will never be known. It's so that we reach to find him and so that he can reveal stuff.

And so please understand that if there is a moment of silence, if there's a moment about, I'm not really sure, half the time, 95% of the time, it's so you can reach. So you can try something different. So you can pray a little bit more so you can wake up a little earlier and really try to find. him and in that process you normally find out a whole bunch of other stuff about you and your world and I think that's just I think we're so kind of in-minded that we forget the journey in between that is normally pretty uncertain for sure for sure in that you just talked about how like you'll ask God I need to be clear are there any lessons and I'm sure there are

because we all for me for sure there's been lessons that I've had to learn more than once What is something that you were like, God, like, I know you told me not to do this, or I know I've learned the lesson, but I keep the cycles. We keep repeating it. Yeah. I mean, that's what I was to say, man. That's where that song came from. Sing it.

Let's hear it. God, no, I can't do it. No, don't be scared now because the camera's on. As soon as I walked here, y'all, she gave a great E. It was a very, see, I told you, she'd be holding back. Yeah, like, of course. Yeah. Of course.

Like, I meant it when I said, you know, the devil learns from your mistakes, even if you don't. Man. And, again, a lot of times we realize our mistakes when stuff starts hitting the fan. Yeah. But one of the greatest things, one of the most brilliant things the devil does is he makes the wrong thing feel comfortable a lot. A lot. More often than not doing the wrong thing don't feel that bad. It takes a while for it to blow up in your face.

Right. And therefore, our decisions to follow God or to live in a certain way can't be connected just to the drama or lack of drama. Yes. The outcome or lack of outcome. It's all about who you want. You want this or you want me? Come on. Who you want?

You know what I'm saying? That's the whole thing is who you want. It's not even what feels better. It's just who you want Yeah And the whole Our whole process is Trying to figure out who we want

Who we want Yeah And for me A lot of my recurring mistakes came from Right now I'm lonely I want company Yeah

More than I want Jesus Come on I want you know Somebody I want companionship more than Jesus I want somebody to see me Right More than Jesus

You know what I'm saying And these are not like Things that sound terrible. I ain't say I wanted evil. Right. I ain't want bad. Right.

But I did want those things. And I chose sometimes the quick fix of those rather than the long-term idea of a relationship with my father and heaven. Yes. And so I think that, of course, there's been a lot of those, a lot of recurring mistakes. Because my immediate needs and my immediate

ways that I know I can get to those needs being kind of met temporarily, whatever. They normally are in the opposite direction of where God actually wanted me to go. And so, yeah, I'm admitting in front of your audience that when I wrote cycles, I wasn't writing it about y'all. Right. I was writing it about me. There's your own testimony. That was me.

And to certain things, certain cycles, I've gotten better. Some, I still have to figure that thing out. And you are not alone in that. We all do. And I feel like anybody acts like they got it all together. They're a liar. They probably don't. They do not.

Because nobody has it all together. Everybody struggles with something. I'm a firm believer of that. Last year you wrote a book before you climb any higher. And it focused on character, humility, spiritual alignment before success. Let's talk about that because so many people want the fame. They want the life. They want the success.

But the things that you focus on, on this book are things that people really need to have intact before they get the success or you will not withstand everything that comes with it. Let's talk about that and unpack what prompted you to write this book and what are some of the things that you went through where you're like, this is something we need to put on paper. Oh, for sure. Like, I mean, all right, so if you look at mountains, they're beautiful. They're incredible. They're noble. Wow. I would love to be on top of that mountain. But if you really look at them, there's trees, grass, green on the bottom, and there's snow, ice, thin air on the top. What people don't realize is, while mountains look

amazing from back here, to be on a mountain is hell. To be on the mountain sucks. To be on the mountain there's, you know, less oxygen, nothing to eat. You know, you start, you know, you start making mistakes. I don't know if you're like an arts buff. Did you see, have you seen Hampton? Yes, yeah. Okay. And I listened to the soundtrack. Really? That's what I'm talking about.

I listened to that thing for about five months or something like that. And I had never, I'm not even a big musical theater person, but I really enjoyed that. And there was one line when Hamilton was about to make his big mistake, you know what I'm saying, that would haunt him for the rest of his life. It said you've never seen a bastard orphan more in need of a break. He was tired. Yes. We didn't talk, we didn't say his character was bad. We didn't say he was a ridiculous person.

We said he was tired. A lot of our mistakes happened because we're tired. We're on this mountain, this lifeless mountain, and we keep climbing because I don't want mediocrity to catch me. I don't want, I want to win one more award and maybe my father will love me or let me get this and maybe my ex will be jealous. We keep doing a whole bunch of climbing higher and higher and higher. And the truth is we're up there tired.

And so mistakes start to happen. You know, loss of identity starts to happen. You know, the proverbial selling your soul starts to happen when you're tired. That's so true. And you think something up there is going to give you rest when really the rest was down there. The rest is humbling. The rest is going back before you were CEO, before you were star, before you had a blue check, and you were just son or daughter.

that's what the rest is. And so, yeah, I'm not just encouraging people who haven't climbed to get some more of that life. But I'm really encouraging us who are climbing that we can step down too. I know it's scary. People might see us without makeup and, you know, hair cut and I got a hoodie, whatever it is. But man, no, like, we got to step down or we'll die up there. That's so true. I love that.

I love that. you just talk about loneliness and in your music you've been very vocal about what you really go through like even with cycles you talk about loneliness, longing and self-reflection I want to know what parts of you have you had to make peace with as you've been on this journey of navigating the loneliness and the self-reflection

oh man because when you're I feel like when you're lonely and sitting by yourself is so much that you like really have to be like oh I see me now you know before you're you're like you're not distracted by anybody else i think that's the that's the best answer right there you have to learn to see you again we'd be wanting everybody see us yeah um and i if i really got honest all those times where i was hoping somebody saw me i don't know that i really saw myself you know what i'm saying like we be we want everybody else to to kind of like initiate

the understanding of ourselves. Like, y'all, if y'all applaud for the right stuff and y'all tell me that I'm good and you tell me that I'm wanted, you tell me that I'm desirable, you tell me that I'm beautiful or handsome, you tell me, then I'll know about myself. Right. What you know about yourself first? That's good. And so I would say that my biggest answer to that is normally I need other people to do for me

stuff that I was supposed to do for myself. Yeah, yeah. And the loneliness, of course, man. I still walk with the idea that, you know, I'm not supposed to be alone right now. It is not what meant to be. No, no, it's still a place I need to be. But on the part of it that makes it real ugly is when you feel like nobody sees you in it. But I need you, you incredible, white.

wise person that's always able to see other people. I need you to turn your eye back on yourself and for a day or two see you. And I bet you a lot of that boredom and loneliness will go away when you realize just how interesting and amazing you are. So true. Without them telling you first. That is so true. And I think also when we are in industries where our lives lie in the claps, in the applause and the approval, you get lost in that. And when people aren't saying, no, you're great, this is amazing. It's like, you're waiting for that. And it turns into like, I need to hear that in everything, you know.

And it's so people don't understand how, like, when that is what your life lies on, it's like, wow, like, I kind of need that for everything. Right. And I need it constantly. You know what I'm saying? It's like. Why has nobody clapping? Why aren't you guys clapping?

You sleeping. Wow. He was up. He was just texting somebody. Let's look at who are you texting, Doc. I'm joking. I'm joking. The way you looked at her, you're like.

It looked like he did something, though. Looked like he got caught class. Yeah. But no, man. No, but you do, you look for that approval, like the nides in the audience. For sure. Is everybody liking this? For sure.

And now you need it every single time. Yeah. You need it every single time. Every single time. And, yeah, we can, that's how you get lost in it. People think that it's like way more like intentional or like quick. Like we literally just decide I'm going to lose myself. And it's, no, it's subtle.

It is. Just over time, you start, man, there was literally a moment. And I know I'm a gospel artist. So this is maybe a different, you know, something that other artists may not have to worry about. But, but. God really had to distinguish in the moment whether I was leading, following him or following people. Like, as far as, like, work in the room and stage presence and keeping everybody in it, like, was I really, like, doing this because of, you know, I'm aiming to him or doing this because I'm trying to keep them engaged?

Right. You know what I'm saying? Like, it's literally sometimes a distinction that we, always have to make. And again, it's all just about pursuit. It's about finding where God is today and aiming there. Exactly. No, that's so true. In that how have you, like, do you do therapy or do you talk to someone to kind of help you manage those feelings when you're in the thick of it? Yeah. So I have, first of all, I have, I have my therapist turned coach because we actually started to hoop and became friends afterwards. So he can't be my therapist no more. But, uh, maybe a lot. Maybe. Maybe a lot. Maybe

life goes. But yeah, no, that's what I'm saying. He's still my life coach, big brother. And here's what I did this year. I found like this company that makes these coins. And I made a coin and sent it out to what I call my council. I dubbed all these, there's, you know, people like, people that you would know like a Jason Nelson or William McDowell. But then other people that you might not know, like the dean at my school or the, you know, this past over there, this older guy, over here, my uncle. And they're like, these, I, I, I wanted to empower them to him me up when necessary. I wanted to let them know that you guys are my counsel.

I'm not doing anything unless I run something by y'all. Bible says that there's safety in a multitude of counsel. And I need y'all because I want to be safe. I don't want to make a whole bunch of risky, crazy decisions. Like I, I'm, so not only is there like a, a straight-up licensed therapist within that council. but there are people who have lived this life and people that I respect highly, people that kind of see the end before I do. They're on the other side of a lot of these changes and stuff I'm going through.

Right. So they know how my knees are going to hurt. They know what arthritis is. You know what I'm saying? They know how it feels to take two pills a day. Right. And so I need that. perspective sometimes to be like, hey, look, yo, like my doctor said, I need to, you know,

I need to drop my cholesterol out here. Yeah, he's like, yeah, you better do that because this was coming out. You know what I'm saying? Or we just be living without any perspective. And so what I'm really proud of this year is that I kind of really codified my own little council. That's amazing. It's like 10 guys that have the permission to yank me off stage if necessary.

Wow. Let's talk about that because I feel like a lot of men, they, one, we are like everyone, we are a result or a sum of the five people that we're around the most. And a lot of times we don't realize the people that we're around are either hindering us or they're promoting us to like higher levels or holding us back. And what was it in you that said, I need wise counsel, I need these men because I feel like men need to hear that it's okay to have people that can that you can talk to and run things by that'll hold you accountable just to make them just better men and like even grow wiser. But what was it in you that said, hey, like, this is what I need right now?

The first thing I thought of, look, I'm a weirdo. So sometimes you be asking questions and I have these visuals. It reminded me when we were young bowling. And for if you were young enough or terrible enough. somebody would come up and put the little guard rails up, okay? Because when you have guardrails, even if you are terrible at bowling, even if you just bowled a terrible ball, somehow it works out. Yep.

Somehow it stays in the lane. Sometimes you get a strike when you didn't deserve that. That would have been a gutter ball. Right. And I promise you, if it weren't for God's grace, if it wasn't for some of the people around me, I would have had a lot more gutter balls in front of everybody that turned out to be spares and strikes. It turned out to be very decent. And so for me, like, and for all men, I think that we are so convinced that everything has to be in our own strength.

Wow. You know, ladies, you know, y'all can kind of chill around us, and we take that, we rise to the occasion. Yeah, you don't even have to think about nothing. I got, I'm going. I know where we're going. I'll drive, blah, blah. Y'all just chill over there, turn your brain off. We like, please, we like that.

Oh, of course. And honestly, I take pride in being able to provide that, and most men do. The problem is if you are always the source of your own strength, if you are always the strength of your own life, you are going to run out. You're just going to run out. I mean, there's a difference between, you know, one of these light bulbs that are not connected to electricity and other ones that are connected to electricity. and other ones that are connected to electricity. Can you connect yourself to a larger resource that will actually kind of keep you where you need to go?

And for men, like, we got to know, you're still going to be the one bowling, but, like, get some girl rails. You're still going to be the one shining, but plug into something. Yes. You know what I'm saying? Like, it's still going to come down to you.

You're still going to get the credit that you need. She's still going to love you. Right. She just might not realize you're only able to shine this long because you're plugged up to something. Yeah. And so, like, that little moment of humility that allows you to plug into something greater than you is normally all that you need for this next season. Yeah. Wow.

That's good. The fellow said, I heard that. That's so good. No, thank you for sharing it. Because I feel like more men need to hear that. It's okay to have your tribe. And it's okay to step outside of like, if you realize your core group isn't really taking you where you want to go,

step outside of that and find the right people. Yeah. A good group chat is going to save mankind. That's real. I'm telling you, man, like I started a group chat maybe like last October and we still hanging in there. I love that. Still, you know, talking about anything that comes up. Because sometimes you just need to let it out.

You know what I'm saying? Man, we hold a lot in. I'm telling you. Because we know, because we know. that if we say it the way we feel it, it's going to come off violent, it's going to come off aggressive, it's going to hurt somebody. So you just sometimes need just the outlet, even just for that, just to get the bad out that, you know, and it's not going to hurt anybody.

Right. And so, like, you know, I definitely am part of the movement that says, men, we need some more help. Yeah. We need some other connections. It can't just be her. Yeah. Like, that can't be the only connection we got because she got 10 friends.

She can go on vacation with just them. Yeah. We'd be like, we ain't got nobody to talk to for real. And so I just believe that this generation, maybe through the group chat, is, today's men are becoming more communal. Yes, absolutely. And that's going to be a great thing for everybody. I love that. I want to talk about your latest album, Closer, live recorded album, in your home.

hometown Chicago. Tell me about that. Man, it was a movie. So we did it in July last summer. And, man, I had such a good time. I wore my little leather jacket, the snake skin, whatever that thing is. And, no, we had a really amazing time. Hopefully, people have already heard the first single that came out still.

It was nominated for a Grammy this past February. And we had a great time doing it. And I really can't wait for everybody to hear it. It's a lot of new vibes, a lot of different vibes. It's kind of, you know, it's upbeat. I know people are used to me on the guitar. You know what I'm saying? But like, you know, just imagine the ease, but just even bigger.

Okay. Let you guitar, you know what I'm saying? I got a little solo and everything. So I'm really, man, it was fun. And I think that it's appropriate for this season. Absolutely. So can you give us like the backstory to the album, the creative process and what made you say,

I want to do this and I want to do it live. Yeah, man. Well, you know, I think that one, like, lyrically, I was just at a place where, you know, I tell everybody, we are always striving for bigger and better. You know what I'm saying? We always want to do as an artist. You don't never want to go smaller than the last album.

You never want less success than the last album. You always look in the bigger. And if you're anybody like me, like, you're always trying to improve. You know, you're asking your ex, hey, so what did I do wrong? So you can go fix that. You know what I'm saying? You asking your boss. How did I do that so you can fix that?

We're always trying to be better as well. But in this season, God, I feel like, was really just calling me closer. Like, so you can hear me, so you can know the real me. You know what I'm saying? The real Jesus, the real father. Not just the one, not the fake one that you hear all over the place. and, you know, has a weird, that guy's weird. I don't know, he changes with whoever's talking, but the real me.

And really find the confidence and the status. Remember, I keep talking about status. Yes. You know, finding the status, somebody who did not have the most robust relationship with their father, it's hard for me to know how to operate like a son. But in this moment, man, I feel more like, yo, dad says, I can go in the refrigerator whenever I need it. I can go to the pantry.

So I don't have to pray for peace and pray for joy. I have access to it if that's your dad. Right. And so, like, learning how to just accept that status and that relationship and, like, really believe it. More than he's just, like, this big, terrible faraway God. No, he's like, you can get close. Yeah. And so he wants that.

He invites that. That's the whole point. Yeah. And so, yeah, that's lyrically kind of where we were going. Now, as far as the sound, I legit just woke up one day and was like, Lionel Richie. I don't know, but one Lionel, two Lionel Richie songs, but I just woke up with a desire to study the 80s. MJ, Lionel, you know, Early Whitney, all that stuff. And so, yeah, what came out, I really had a good time, so I think you'll enjoy it.

I'm excited. I'm excited. Do you ever wrestle with the pressure from being inspirational and also just being honest? Because I know as a gospel artist, everything is inspirational. But sometimes, like, I feel like in cycles, you were just like, I'm just about to put it out there. Oh, yeah. I got a few songs that I'm like, man, y'all let me put this out. They really let me get away with this.

Yeah, you know what? I'll say this. A lot of honesty is inspirational. That's true because I think it lets us know like wait you feel the same way yeah because a lot of us feel the same way we just are scared to say it For sure yeah you know I tell everybody man you if you Google like the weirdest symptom like my my my my my my my my my my my my my my my my my my my my my my my my my my my my my my life part of my right knee is it feels tingling whatever right when you type that into Google not only will Google feel that

finish it out, but you'll have thousands of search results from all these people that also felt the same way. So I've always gone that way when it comes to songwriting. Even the most specific thing about you is going to free somebody else. Your honesty is inspiring. And then, of course, I'm going to point to the real big answer at the end that this is all for God's glory. Absolutely. The relationship will help with all of this. Man, to me, I don't have to choose between inspiring and honesty because to me only honest things are inspiring yeah i love that that's that's amazing in closing i um i want to ask you can you share a word or a prayer or a reminder because we talk about being seen um for someone who feels unseen or unheard today

hmm as a as a gospel art is i'm supposed to be having these things off the top of my head um but yeah Nothing you speak from your own truth in like your heart. Yeah. Yeah, I think I would want everybody to know that God has a lot of capacity for us. I think capacity is the word that keeps popping in my head. I remember when I was young, I would be real smart out of people. I'd be like, I'd be telling them stuff. You don't know that?

You don't know what you're talking about. You know what I'm saying? And that's my third grade teacher. I got a D that year in behavior. Not from fighting nobody. Just being smart out. He was a little boozy. Yeah, but you know, like, but I realized I was really just testing to see which one of these adults around me had capacity enough for me.

Because I knew I was smart. I had a lot of thoughts. Which one of y'all is smart enough that I can relax, that I can rest? Wow. Which one of y'all is smart enough? Fellas, we're always thinking about which situation is strong enough that I could actually take off my cape at the end of the day. Yeah.

I want you to know that right now, God has the capacity for you, all of you. Yeah. You don't have, matter of fact, you can be smart out like with God right now if you like. Go ahead. Give them your best shot. Even if church did not have enough capacity for you, the way you are, the way you express yourself, the way you look, the way you come off, the way you think, God does.

And I'm not saying that he loves, you know, he's going to leave it as is. But I will say the way that you are, you can go to him with the raw stuff, with the messed up stuff, the good, the bad, and the ugly. And he can take it. He ain't afraid of you. Right.

And please exercise that right, that access to go to him, boldly, come boldly before the throne, and let him know who you are, where you are. You'll find out he already knew anyway. Listen, every single time. That is so good. I needed it, so thank you. Okay, so our theme this season is unapologetic.

What is one thing that you are unapologetic for in this season? All right, so you got to know my context. You got to know that sometimes my self-confidence ain't as high as should be. Really? But this year, I'm unapologetically good. Come on. Come on, man. I'm unapologetically competent.

I'm unapologetically ready for every stage, every room. I'm unapologetically good. I love that. And I ain't going to keep second guessing myself. Period. I know that's right. Thank you. I love that.

That's good. Thank you so much. Jonathan, I appreciate you for coming by. Thank you. Let the fans know where I can follow you. And if there's anything else that we've made, miss that we can support you on. I'm telling you the kids family, they're right of dies. That's what I. That's what I'm going to push you on. But yeah, if there's anything else

that you want to let us know that you have going on so we can support. Sure. No, I appreciate y'all. I appreciate you. I'm a big fan of you. Thank you. How you care yourself, how you represent all the different communities that you represent, including, of course, the faith community. Yeah, thank you. And so I thank you. And it's an honor. This is a big day to meet you in real life. Oh, thank you. So, yeah, but you can always go to my website, Jonathan McRournals.com. I'm on Instagram like every other millennial in the world,

like at J-O-M McReynolds. That's the hub, for real. TikTok at John McReynolds Talk, Facebook, all that stuff. And so look out for my new albums coming out, 327. It's called Closer. It'll be everywhere that you listen to music.

There's a couple videos already up on YouTube. Go check that out. Yes. And if you are, you about a year late, but check out my book before you climb any higher as well. I think that it has something to say to a lot of people no matter where you are on your climb. I love it. We'll add that to my unofficial book club.

I love it. That's what's up. Yes, we need to make that official. Come on here, make it official. Yeah, I'm always posting what I'm reading and then the girls will go by it. So, yeah, we'll do that. Thank you so much. Thank you.

I appreciate it. Absolutely. This is awesome. This conversation is a reminder that faith doesn't have to be perfect to be real. It just has to be honest. Thank you guys so much for tuning into another episode of the Keep It Positive Sweetie Show. Don't forget to download the Season 10 Kipps Reflection Guide to store all the gems that were dropped today for free at www.com. Be sure to subscribe, share this episode with someone who needs it.

And if you need advice, positivity, or question with something you're going through, please email us at Keep It Positive Outcomes at gmail.com. As always, stay blessed, stay encouraged, and keep it positive. and sweetie. I'll see you all next time.