The Bryce Crawford Podcast - The Brandon Lake Interview (EP 93)

Episode Date: April 28, 2025

In this episode, Bryce talks to Brandon Lake about his life story, career, mental health, and more!

I have a huge announcement before you guys continue to watch this episode of the podcast. Guys, May 18th, we are doing our second live podcast show in my home state, Atlanta, Georgia. We're going to be at the Cobb Energy Center, May 18th for worship and a powerful word. Guys, I am so excited to be back in the same city that God took me from death to life. If you guys want to come out to the hometown live podcast show, May 18th, go to Ticketmaster and search up Bryce Crawford and get your tickets. today. Guys, I'm looking forward to seeing you guys on May 18th. Go to Ticketmaster. Search Bryce Crawford. Get your tickets to the live podcast show May 18th. Love you guys. Now enjoy the episode. What's going on, guys? Welcome back to another episode of the

Bryce Crawford podcast. I'm Bryson. Today I have a very amazing special guest day. We've got Brandon Lake Brandon. What up? How are you doing, man? I'm doing so good. Having a blast on the West Coast. Let's go. Let's go. And you're originally from the East Coast. Same here. East Coast. Yep. On the other side. I grew up between Myrtle Beach and Charleston, all Dirty Myrtle. Yeah. That is what they call it over there. That's what we called it too.

That's so crazy. Dude, everyone, like growing up Myrtle Beach for half my childhood, then we moved to Charleston. It's where I'm now. But it's the more classy part of the East Coast. But growing up in Dirty Myrtle, everyone would go there on vacation. Yeah. And I'm like, why? No, I'm more a Florida guy.

Grungy, dude. Yeah. But yeah, everybody would come to Marlady. Myrtle Beach and we would escape to the mountains. It was like opposite. Everybody from the mountains came to us. I love Charleston, man. Charleston's a gym.

Charleston is a west, East Coast gym. Yeah, it is. We're obsessed. Yeah, I say often, like, it would make a lot more sense if I lived in Nashville. I'd probably get a lot more work done. Not that I need to be any busier. But we just, we can't leave Charleston. And now we have, like, deep roots.

We just bought a farm and we got a bunch of animals now. Well, I love that. I mean, just from talking off camera, I mean, hearing about your kids, when you talk about your kids to farm, I love that you're a family man. Yeah. I respect that a lot. And I think we need more, we need fathers, present fathers and present families. So I appreciate that you care about your family.

And it sounds like you steward it well. So I appreciate that about you. Thanks, man. Thanks for coming on, man. I'm super pumped. I'm honored to be here, dude. I got to break the eyes and ask what shampoo. you use.

Okay. Everybody asked me this. And all right, I'm going to probably scare some people off. But I have not shampooed my hair in probably 15 years. Dude, there is no way. Yeah. I don't use shampoo. I don't even think I've cut my hair in probably five years.

So my ends are definitely split. But yeah, condition. Conditioner only. I'm still searching for the perfect, like, organic conditioning. because they put a bunch of crap in, you know, most of the stuff out there. But, yeah, only condition, air dry. Dude, I was not expecting that. I, you know, I was definitely not expecting you to say like a two-in-one or a three-in-one

because your hair is way too, you know, good for that. But I was maybe a pantine. You know Trevor Lawrence, the football player? Yes. He uses Pantene, and he's got pretty nice hair, so I assume that you were more on like the Pantyne. He has glorious hair. No, I kept shouting out Pantene to try to do a sponsorship,

and they didn't even respond. respond to me. So I was like, bump them, dude. Let me. I honestly, hey, there's actually a product. Shout out to these people. I need to connect with them. It's called curlsmith. Sometimes when I want my hair to be a little more plicety plat instead of Shabloom, I put a little of that curl smith gel in. And I noticed one day I was looking on the can, just happened to pick up this can of gel.

And then it had a scripture on it. Oh, wow. And some, the scripture, and then a little writing or whatever encouragement or something. So I need to hit them up and be like, let's collapse. I like that. Yeah. I like that. How do you maintain it?

Like is it like, do you have like a thing, a system or? No system. Literally, condition, get out of the shower, maybe put a little gel if I'm trying to be on a, Bryce's podcast. Hey! It stays a little more tame. But even when I do shows, I'll put gel in it. And the difference between my hair from song one to like song 13, like,

wrapping up the show, it literally goes from like this to like, I want to see that. Yeah. Lions, man. I want to see it big. Yeah. I like it. I ain't got time for like getting into all the products and all that kind of stuff. I have people trying to like get me into all these different products.

And I'm like, I just don't have the time for it. Or I don't care that much. Yeah, that makes it carry on easy at the airport. Because then you have to worry, most people check the back because they've got to bring their hair products and stuff. And now you just... Most of those are over three ounces. I think that's how you can take.

Yeah. I like that. I was not expecting that. No, no shampoo. Okay. No shampoo. It's bad for my hair. I like it. Well, thanks for telling us about that. I mean, as I was like praying and figuring out what I wanted to kind of like focus on today, I really want to talk about two main things, worship and but I really want to hone in on mental health. One thing I appreciate about you is your openness with your struggle and openness in your music,

about what it looks like to actually be a human. Sometimes I get intimidated by Christians that come across as like juggernaut Christians that are like, oh, superhero. And I remember like growing up feeling like, feeling intimidated or not love because I felt like, well, I struggle. And these guys don't look like they're struggling. And so kind of invite me into that. I want to know more about that.

Well, before I get into it, I want to say like I am. am not the poster child for like depression, anxiety, panic attack. Like, I've just tasted enough of it to know that it was real. Because I would have said before I had, I'll share the story of kind of like when it began. And now what I have, now the pace of my life and the things that I do, so many mountaintop experiences can actually, if you're not careful on the back end of that is a pretty deep valley. you know and so um it was um several years ago that i had you know i would have told you that depression or anxiety you could wish it away you know or just like and then i realize no it's um

it's spiritual but it's also physical and like you can be chemically and balanced and so there are some real physical reasons why you're prone to attack right or depression and so kind of how it came about for me was not through an immediate just like, you know, low point and something happened and I fell into depression or something. Mine came about because all my dreams were coming true. So like I, this was gosh, probably 2018. And I was writing a ton of songs. I used to be a part of this group called Maverick City Music. And we were, before we were named anything, we were just writing a ton of songs. And then that led me to my first record deal with Bethel music. And as soon as I sign with them, they're like, we have a tour in like a few weeks. Would you, you know, can you jump on

the tour? And I'm like, yes. And then between that time, I had written songs with like some of my all-time heroes, Matt Redman, Phil Wickham. And all this was pretty new to me, getting introduced to like all of my heroes. Yeah. And so I'm on the craziest high of and back to back. And then I go on this tour and it wasn't like, you know, my content, like my, my only context for leading has been local church. I'm still a local church kid, you know, or man, now I can't say that anymore. Um, and just leading, you know, a few hundred to maybe most 1,500 people in the room. And then I jump on this tour where every night it's like minimum 3,000 people and they're not just giving me the mic to sing a few songs. They're like telling me to go after healing and stuff, which the crazier

story is healing broke out in my church right before this happened. And my best friend, Micah, who's actually here hanging with me, who actually got me out of this crazy panic attack, which I'll tell you in a second, Micah was healed of like a five-year like gut disease. Wow. And crazy, crazy, like over the phone, like, and wild. wild radical miracle yeah and so I see this happen and my church dude is like we have like charismatic roots but like through the whole seeker friendly movement I like to say uh we're like charismatic but like with the seatbelt on really tight yeah yeah and so all of a sudden seatbelt came off and and and in a really beautiful and not like hype way or like trying to manipulate anything or

like we had this worship night and hundreds of of documented healings took place. And so I jump on this tour. Sorry, I'm talking a lot, but it's a long story. Okay, so I jump on this tour, and then I start going after it. She's like, Jen's like, you got to like pray for people to get. And I'm like, I don't even know how to do that, except I just watch this guy do it at my church. Like, let me, I'll just say what he said.

And because I have faith for it. I believe God wants to. He's the same yesterday, today, and forever. If it happened the Bible, it can happen today. I believe it. Miracle signs of wonders, follow those who believe, lay hands on the sick and they will recover. Okay, even when I don't feel like it or feel like it's going, I'm still going to align, you know, my posture with what the word says and what are going to go after it. And all of a sudden, dude, so many people were healed on this tour. Wow. And saw a dude, like, who had a metal plate

in his shin from an accident years ago, we went after metal. Like, one of the worship leaders were going to this ministry time and Jim was like, If anybody gets a word or just like wants to go after something, just say it in the mic, because there's like six leaders on stage. And I'm kind of leading this moment. And my buddy Hunter walks up with the mic and he goes, metal plates. And I'm like, I'd never heard of that before. I'm like, what do you mean metal plates, whatever?

And so I'm like, you don't even know what's okay, we pray for metal to dissolve or disappear, you know, for increased mobility and whatever. So they bring this dude backstage. He's like, they're like, you've got. to hear this guy's story. And one of our worship leaders jumped off the stage and had prayed for this guy. And he comes backstage and he's like, you've got to hear this. He's like, I was in an accident.

I had this metal plate in my shin for like 12 years. And you could see the scar around where they put it in there. And he goes, after you prayed, I reached down and I touched my leg. And the metal's gone. I have not felt my muscle and bone in my leg in 12 years. I can't feel the metal I was like dude can I feel it and he's like yeah absolutely

and I'm feeling his leg and I'm like dude I can't from what I can tell there is no metal in here it's completely normal so we saw crazy stuff like that happened and I'm the guy that's gonna say like

it's either all real or it's not and I'm just like I've seen too much to like you know I know some people can fabricate things but I've definitely seen real I mean there's a literal miracle in this room. I'm a miracle. My mom had six

miscarriages and I'm alive. Wow. Like, I've seen too much to not believe. And so we ended up writing this song, too good to not believe that the bridge is like all of these real miracles that I've seen. Anyways, that was a long way of just saying I was on this crazy high. I didn't get, so I fly not home after this tour. I go to Disney World to meet my family. Nice. Most people, that's heaven. It was hell to me. I go to Disney World.

I had zero time to decompress, share with my wife just like, you know, what I'd experienced. And so all this is pent up. And then all of a sudden, it was like the enemy attacked. And he knew exactly where to attack my insecurities, my fears. And I just allowed what I did and what the enemy loved is that I isolated myself. Didn't share with my wife over the next two days all of what I was wrestling with mentally. I went into a dark place where I was like when my wife was. laugh at someone else's jokes and stuff. I'm like, is she like like like like like great?

And I had zero real. I like crazy thoughts. Got so bad in two days so fast that I was even like, I don't even want to be here anymore. Like dude, it was it's embarrassing to say and that's why probably a lot of people don't talk about it because it felt so embarrassing that I didn't even want to admit to my wife that I was wrestling with such immature thoughts. But they felt so real. I didn't even recognize who I was, my mental state. And so we're going to bed one night, putting the kids to bed. And I reached out and I texted Micah and my buddy Nate. And I was like, guys, I don't know what's going on right now, but I need help. And I was too prideful to pick up the phone, which is actually literally the lyric in this song was Sons of Sunday. I was like 3 a.m.

I was like, God, I was too prideful to pick up that phone. 3 a.m. I know I needed help, but I didn't want anyone else to know I was losing it. But I texted the guys, Micah immediately calls me, I didn't answer. Because I was like, I don't want to talk about it. I just need help. And so then he sends me a voice memo of him praying over me. And like that scripture in the Bible, right, where like David plays for Saul, who's got that evil spirit tormenting him, right?

And he plays and the spirit leaves. Dude, that's like exactly what happened. He's praying over me. And all of a sudden it's like something broke. I broke and I finally like surrendered and my wife, I'm just start, she looks at me and she's like, babe, what's going on? Because I'm listening to that prayer. And she didn't know.

And I just broke. And dude, she held me. I was like fetal position and she just like held me. And I just like finally like really reached out to the Lord instead of trying to like fight it myself. Yeah. Because I kept, I think the enemy loved it. I was like, I can get over this.

I'm tougher than this. Like I can fix this. Yeah. And even a professional Christian like me didn't go to the Lord first. He was like in that moment, I used him as a last resort instead of my first response. And luckily, it was the power of the Holy Spirit, but also the power of real community that kind of broke that. But then that began my journey of figuring out what are the tools that I need to combat what's going to happen again when I come off of another mountain top. experience. How do I level out? And so that's been a journey, which I can share some things,

but I've had to learn how to redefine success, redefine who I, that God loves me, not for the things that I'm doing for him, but just like loves me for who I am. Yeah. And I had to stop chasing all of these, like, these highs, these dreams coming true to make me feel fulfilled and and I realized one day I even ran to my wife for that fulfillment and because it was it was like months of learning yeah how do I how do I um how do I honestly like fix this and I was going to my wife I became extremely needy I needed sex every single day to feel and she was like at one point she was like babe I cannot fill what you are trying to feel. Only God can do that. And I'm still learning a very elementary lesson that like I've got to go to

God for like everything. And so it's a tough way of learning that. But I'm so grateful that I did. And learning to also define like or celebrate as much as writing with a hero or doing a tour. Like I want to celebrate like changing my kid's diaper as much and realize like God looks at that and goes, man, I'm so proud you're being such a good dad right now. You know, being a present father, he's probably more proud of that than me getting up and singing for 10,000 people. Yeah. Man, I'm so encouraged. I think you hit some spot on about mental health struggle.

I think a lot of people don't really realize is it's the small believing the immature thoughts that lead to it. And I'm, you're saying that. And I'm like, you're telling me how I think. I'm a big overthinker. and before I was a Christian, I was people pleaser to another level. Because I said, man, if I can get everyone in my school, all these friends, every sports team, I was doing three different sports because I was trying to figure out who was who and who was who was, who was Bryce. But I wasn't even Bryce.

I was everybody else around me. And I was a different person. And it was draining. And ultimately, you know, my story outside of people pleasing. And I had depression and anxiety for years, crippling. And I was planning. same thought of I want to make an irrevocable decision with my life because I don't think I'm valuable and went to take my life one night when I was 17 and I had a supernatural encounter with Jesus

inside of Waffle House on a I was having on Waffle House. I've had some experiences in Waffle House but they weren't supernatural like like I feel like Waffle House is the only like do motorcycles on fire in the parking lot you know you're at home yeah you know what I mean like it's it's awesome but that was like my favorite restaurant last meal had a supernatural encounter with Jesus and so my first experience with healing and I with the way I grew up I grew up in in in the south deep roots of like I grew up in the southern Baptist church nothing against that at all but the way I was raised I thought that that wasn't possible I thought God didn't heal and that's what I thought and my first moment of healing was me going okay God if you're real take away my anxiety and depression right

because this feels like an incurable disease. And so I'd be lying if I said I don't have moments of anxiety, moments of sadness, moments of depression. But my crippling anxiety and depression, God took away. Wow. And that was my first sign of, okay, God, you love me, you see me, you really do care about my soul. Yeah.

And then as I grow, I do those things where I, then it was me starting to step out, pray for the healing. And, man, we were seeing crazy stuff too. I mean, torn ACLs completely reattached. God, opening blind eyes, opening deaf ears, crazy stuff. And then, you know, then it was the challenge was my close friends and family that struggled with crippling, anxiety, and depression. I would pray the same prayer. Sometimes me feeling like I had more faith than I did that night in Waffle House and nothing would happen. And I remember I was approached by someone really close to me.

He said, but I said, don't know why God isn't taking this away. And I remember, it was like, Holy Spirit spoke so. clear to me. It was like, man, maybe sometimes the healing of God is God giving wisdom to the doctors to prescribe the right amount of medication so that somebody can get it under control. Or maybe the wisdom and healing of God is God supernaturally removing it. Or maybe it is, you know, this, that, and the other end. I'm like, man, like, God does care. Yeah. Whether it is God literally supernaturally healing, mending the muscles, dissolving the metal, you know, things, or maybe it is literally God giving the doctor the wisdom. And

it blows my mind how God is still moving like that and active. But to take that all the way to the thing that you're saying about mental health, and even those moments, like the high moments, which I think is so spot on, I think people picture depression as like you've got to be at your lowest low. And you're saying, no, but it was hit me when I was at the high. Yeah. I mean, how do you, even now, after learning that and navigating through these? Because I feel like even me, I could say, man, like I said earlier, God healed me in my crippling anxiety and impression.

But I still have moments of sadness. I still have moments of anxieties. How do you navigate those situations when it creeps back up? Yeah. I mean, so many things. But I would say, like, you know, when you're out there and you're either, dreams are coming true or you're just running at a really fast pace it's almost like you're off the ground and like i've just needed things that ground me that bring me back to reality and remind me like

like i was saying earlier like god cares as much if not more about the way that i'm spending time with my family and loving and being a great husband as much as he does and more than me going out and ministering to people that i don't even have a very personal relationship with and god's in that and he's called me to do that, but he's called me first and foremost to my family. That's my first ministry. And if I'm not taking care of that, and also he knows that, like,

there's a reason why I think he blessed my marriage with Brittany and her specifically, because he knows, like, she has things, like, we're a unit, we're a team, and God uses my wife, uses community to keep me in line, you know, and to, I call, you know, I jokingly call her my, second Holy Spirit because she's just like got crazy discernment she knows when I'm off she knows the things I need to hear she knows how to put me in my place she also knows how to encourage me in the

right way and but I've just had to stay grounded it's been my family it's been doing things that are opposite of like being on a stage like there's a reason why we bought land and we moved outside of the city where I would come home from a trip and in the middle of the city I'd feel so claustrophobic anywhere I went people wanted to talk and oh how was this and I was that I'm like I love people but I hated coming home and feeling like I hate people. Yeah. I'm in the people business. Like that's what Jesus is all about people and I don't want to, but there's a reason why Jesus got away often.

And where I live now is my wilderness, you know, in a great way. And it revives me. And now I've had to find things, bro, if you told me a few years ago that I would be revived by getting on a tractor and spending time with cows and many donkeys and being out in nature, I would have told you you're crazy because I was really attracted to like the city life and fashion

and I still love that stuff, but I've really had to learn what, what like gives me life and and revives me and centers me. And so it's where I live. It's who I live with

and not just my family, but my community. Yeah. And being planted in the, the church. You know, a tree, I think there's a scripture that says like a tree planted by streams of water will flourish. And even though, I jokingly, I think before we started, it was like, bro, it's really hard to go to church right now because it's like, all the mamas want to stop me in the hallway and be

like, we're so proud of you and pinch my cheek. And shout out to all the mama's listening in. That's right. Shout out to my mom. She also loves Brandon. And you know what's crazy. Okay, mama, hear this. This is crazy. My parents, I meant to bring this up with you, so I'm glad to remember. My parents were going to name me Bryce. No way. Yeah. Yeah. It was the first name and they were going to name me Bryce. And for some reason, the last minute, they switched to Brandon. I don't know why. Mom, you did good? Yeah, I always thought it was such a cooler name than Brandon. I had an insecurity about my name growing up. I was like, I could never be anybody of significance with the name Brandon Lake. And I don't even know why I thought it was weird. And now I'm just like, I like my name. you know,

Grundler. But, um, what was I saying? How hard. It's hard to go to church sometimes. Yeah. But being planted,

like we've had to find new ways of, of doing church. We, we go to church now, same church, but a different campus that's like really small. And even that where like the worship is like, it's not like the main campus

where it's completely dialed and just, and the worship's actually awesome. Yeah. But like, literally like, they're the most country people and it's so humble and just and I I just love it so much like getting to hear some of the imperfections and stuff and it's not so glossy and like transitions are I love that the transitions are horrible sometimes and you're just like you feel this awkwardness and I'm like yes we need to get more comfortable with the uncomfortable and church has become so slick that I think people don't trust it anymore like give me the real thing you know like who cares about perfect transitions

like we're just a bunch of people coming together to like lift up the Lord, minister to him and then like love on each other. Yeah. And so I'm going on a tangent. But no, I love it. Yeah, it's it's I have had to find people that are proud of me, but not impressed by me. So that they don't reinforce what everyone else is saying out there when they're putting glory on you. And they're not trying to. Yeah. But when they're praising you, even for just doing a great job, you can take that home sometimes. Yeah. And I've had to learn how to quickly get that off of me, give it to the Lord, and, and have people around me that are, like, know how to say the right things,

ask the hard questions. They know, like, my best friends know when I'm off. Yeah. They can tell something's up. What lie are you believing, you know? And so, yeah, man, it's a lot of things. But ultimately, the biggest lesson I learned, and this is so elementary, but it's been transformative. My counselor said, because I was trying to feel.

I was trying to cure any kind of anxiety, depression, panic attack, insecurity with, again, good things, my wife. Yeah. Another opportunity to write another, but cool things. But I wasn't feeling it with God, time with God. And I had to learn to go to God first and go to God most. And anytime I do that, I feel like I stay in the right state of mind, you know? and I'm trying to still learn how to be transformed by the renewing of my mind and give God. Because sometimes I won't let him in.

And he's like, okay, well, I'm not going to, you know. But when I let him in, he's like continually transforming my mind and helping heal that, you know. Yeah. I feel like you're just speaking my language, man. I mean, this is something that I've been trying to learn or that I have been learning. So I went through this like six to eight month time period of, busy. Yeah. Good busy. I mean, you know, you,

you were just talking about earlier. You know, good, busy. It's not that things are bad, but I love John Markomer has a book called The Ruthless Elimination of Hurry and he says, if the devil can't make you sin, he'll make you busy. Yep. Keep you distracted and I was just busy, busy, busy with good things. And I felt like I couldn't feel God.

Yeah. And it's not all about feeling God, but you know, it's nice to know that you recognize that he's there and you can feel his presence. And it's not always going to be like that, but it's nice. And I'm going through this drought and and then I'm listening to this sermon and the man says how can the most beautiful flower be buried in a forest so deep where no man or angel will ever see this flower how does that flower give glory to God and I paused it and I couldn't answer the question because just like you said earlier I was deceived by the fact that well God loves me because I'm doing all of this stuff right now

and he sees it and so he loves me couldn't answer the question, I play it, and he said, the reason that the most beautiful flower buried in the deepest forest where no man or angel will ever see it, the reason that flower gives glory to God is because God sees the flower. Wow. And for the first time of my life, I recognized it breaks God's heart to see me doing all this ministry and see me tired. Yeah. And when you're telling me about how slowing down, getting on the tractor, spending time with family, like your goal, man, I just want to know the 80 people at my church, man. I like that and I'm learning that.

And it's that awkward space of, I love people too. You love people too. You're so kind and hospitable the way you've been treating us this whole time. It's amazing. And it's not that you hate people, but we're, we get tired. We get exhausted. And I'm learning this lesson that God has been speaking to you for years right now. I'm in the fresh stage.

of holy crap i can slow down and it doesn't matter yeah because i got i was literally sacrificing my own soul for the sake of other people and it was hurting me and bro i literally just learned this lesson again okay not only will if you take the like the the the opportunity to slow down like god do a deeper healing but like i even think he honors it so much that your opportunities after time of rest will be tenfold had you then had you just kept on going and and not slowed down and I have real I mean dude the past six months I come off of this tour this past summer summer worship nights tour we ended in Hawaii and I'm just being real um like my wife was was not in a good place like uh of just like I need you home like and we even do tour in a

pretty sustainable way like a few shows on come home for a few days and I had just wasn't listening I wasn't paying close enough attention to how she was feeling and it was because it wasn't like I don't want you to do this it was just like man that's a lot of dates or like you really think Hawaii is the best you know because you have to be out on the west coast and then you're going to Hawaii and it's just going to be like a long two weeks you know and we've had to find this is a good thing practical thing me and my wife have had to find our our boundaries of like how how many days away and we found out very quickly that nine days is like breaking point, you know?

Yeah. And now it's like it, you would think after you do traveling a while and all this kind of stuff that you would be like, oh, okay, we've worked up to like, now we can do 14 days or whatever. No, it's actually going to like about three days and it's like, babe, I need you home. Like, and it's not like things are falling apart at home and I'm falling apart. But it's just like you don't feel as, you don't feel right, you know? Yeah. And, uh, and, um, I come.

home from this tour and we just had her head of a real out no actually I was in Hawaii and I was hanging out with this pastor and and he said it was like hearing from the voice just directly from the Lord and he told me what I needed to hear and I came home and I was like I need to apologize to my wife and I was like I've not been I've not been really hearing what you've been saying and and she was like I think I think we need to be off for like eight months until the next summer tour. I said no to a spring tour. They'd already had kind of working out everything. And it was a and it's not like I make 10 bucks off of a tour. You know, it's like this is how I provide for my family too. And so I said no to, you know, basically years work. And so I was like, man, this is really

tough. And things were popping off for me. And so I'm like, how at the height of my career so far would I, why would I take eight months off? Yeah. I was like, all right. So I met with my manager. We're taking eight months off. I want to be obedient. And then, dude, like, I've been home so much, but yet because we were obedient and obedience brings blessing, so many doors have opened up for me. And what's really cool is right in this time of taking, I got to go hang out with John Maxwell. Shout out. Just, oh, I mean, absolutely. Go, author, leader, just amazing man of God. And he gave me like my new mission statement for this season, probably the rest of my life. And he looked at me and he said, Brandon, and I wouldn't have had that opportunity had I not slowed down. And I got to have

dinner with him and he was like, Brandon, stay in the church, but never stop moving towards the lost. And that struck me to like my core. And right after like around this same season, I have this song with jelly roll. And yeah. And then I'm getting invited to do American Idol and I'm getting invited to do Jimmy Kimmel and I'm getting invited to do all these crazy things that I wouldn't have had time to do. And honestly, I was home so long that my wife was like, go. Get out in the house. You've been home. You did the thing. Like, yes, I want you to get. And now we get to celebrate all these new opportunities instead of, you know, because of that obedience. And honestly, I'd probably be half dead. If I kept saying yes, all these tours and stuff. And so, man, I just think like God blesses.

And what I was going to say, too, is like not only has it been really. cool to have opportunities say yes to opportunities I wouldn't have had but they have been the biggest opportunities I've ever had to reach lost people like not just edifying the saints but like truly truly like reaching lost people have never listened to worship music ever Christian music are now listening to hard fought hallelujah and they're like what is this like I feel something yeah it's like yeah it's called the spirit of God and he's speaking to you you and then they're like well and then like i was on the phone with this radio station yesterday and she's like okay hard fought hallelujah was like my introduction to you but tell me about this graves

and the garden song and all that she had no idea and so it's just like an open door and so it's just been really cool um that like all to say when you when you obey god especially when it's like when he's telling you to slow down yeah spend time with him spend time with those that he's placed you go deeper man it only gets higher and it might be later but like the way he I think blesses it it's tenfold yeah had you not obeyed you know yeah man I I want to talk about that song hardfall hallelujah because it has changed my perspective a lot significantly on what it means to praise the Lord because the days that I'm having a hard time throwing up my hands.

Yeah. And then I do. I realize that God sees it. Yeah. And it is praise, even when it's hard. Yeah. I think that song spoke to so, this is what I love about this Christian revival that's happening in America.

Yeah. It's because it's not flashy. It's just real. Yes. It's just real. Yeah. Like that song is so real. Yeah.

Gratitude is so real. They're all real because it's just you, you're looking at it. Like, I'm a human being. And I, I, I, I think. that was my biggest issue growing up was thinking that this Christianity thing was always perfect. And then as I'm growing up, man, now life's not perfect, but thinking that if my life wasn't perfect if I was trying to seek Jesus, then it was this weird thing. And then even after I became a Christian, I kind of fell into this trap of like, okay, well, if my life isn't going good all the time because

I'm following Christ, or if I'm struggling, that means I'm doing something wrong. but it's no that that's the world we live in we live in that broken world we struggle and it's hard can you can you tell me the heart behind it what's the heart behind that song gosh you know sometimes you write stuff and you think you know what it's for or you don't know what it's for but you're just like I like it it moves me and then you find out after you release it you're like oh that's what so I want to be honest and say like I don't write that song with my friends. Because I was going through a really hard time at the moment.

Like, I somehow we stumbled on this fresh way of saying kind of this, you know, just really simple truth. Like, and what you say, like, I always feel like it. But man, that's when I need it the most. And I think all of us can relate to that. Like, most days I don't feel like praising, you know? but that's when I need to. Praise shifts your perspective,

puts it back on God, not the situation you're in. Praise is a weapon, you know? Things I believe, if this is all real, then my praise is a weapon. Like, it shifts the atmosphere.

It, like, it pleases the heart of God. And so we wrote the song, and we kind of have this new motto of just, like, write for your phone first. So, like, even if we can't see a place where this song could land and minister, certain people like we just want to we're going to write the song even if it only lives on my phone so i can listen to it and we kind of and and i honestly it was a hard fought song to write because like we got the

first verse and the chorus then i went back and labored over the verse two and probably the lyric i'm most proud of is like you know your faith isn't proven like gold till it's been through the fire yeah and i want to encourage people that's like man that's when it matters the most you know it's like not how you're praising when you're all, you know, cupcakes and rainbows and jelly beans. It's like, no, dude, like, how are you going to praise and persevere and when you don't know what, you know, tomorrow looks like? And so, yeah, we, I teased it on Instagram. And I just thought it sounded cool, had a growl to it. It does sound cool.

The rasp is awesome. I love that. That's kind of, ever since Graves and the Gardens came out, just kind of started to chase the rasp. but I'd never sing like that before. Oh, I love the rasp. So, and yeah, it felt like a cool bridge of like, this feels gospel, it feels country, it feels, you know, worshipful. And so I teased it on Instagram and then basically people in the comments threatened my life

if I didn't release the whole song. So we finished it, put it out, and then I was really dreaming about like, this feels like such a special song. How can I share it with somebody? And Jelly Roll immediately came into my mind. And I'm like, gosh, I've been so inspired by his story. Yeah. And that he's like, I am a believer in God.

He's, he's changed my life, but I have got a long way to go. And it's been, honestly, it's been such a beautiful friendship because he's really helped me with some things. Yeah. And one, he's helped me with getting a very realistic perspective on probably the average person out there and the way they're wrestling, you know? Yeah. Because I can live in a bubble. Most of my friends are Christians. And I try to get out of that bubble to realize,

Like, who am I writing for? It's not just for people who already believe. It's mainly for people who don't know who Jesus is and that don't know that God has such an amazing plan for their life. Yeah. And so it's been really healthy. And so I reached out to him. What's crazy is he'd already heard the song on TikTok a week before he threw his phone in the river. I've learned a lot from him too.

He got a flip phone dog. Like, he battles the same things. And so he's like, I can't. I'm like consuming too much content on my phone. He gets a flip phone, but right after he'd heard hard fought. And so I reach out and I'm like, do, would you be willing? I had no idea. I was just like, I want jelly roll in this song.

Yeah. Because this sounds like his story, you know, a man of faith, but he's still fighting to find it every day, you know? And he'd already heard the song. And so I had no idea I was about to reach out, reach out, ask him to get on the song. And he's like, bro, I've been praying for a song. song like this. And he goes, this song is going to do for millions what it did for me. It's going to get millions of people to worship for the very first time. Come on. And they might not even see it coming. Come on. And so then, yeah, we released it. And it's just been crazy how God's using it. And I've gone

into some spaces that are very secular. And I thought, I'm going to feel very unwelcomed and get the cold shoulder. And it's like, why are you here? Yeah. And dude, it's crazy how I've just felt so welcomed by these secular-ish, you know, like stations and just the way they're embracing it because it's real and it's honest, it's authentic. And I think last thing I'll say is like I'd love to see more worship sets, more churches, like kind of keep Bubba in mind. Yeah. Like we call him Bubba, the guy who's like in the back of the room and he's like, he got dragged there by his wife.

Yeah. Yep. And I just don't know if like when you're opening song or the most of your songs, I have so much Christianese language. Yeah. I think he has a hard time going like, can I sing that? Like I'm not there yet. Right. I think he hears a hard fight. And I'm not, I'm not saying hard fight is the answer. But like I love like when your first song is like holy, holy holy is the Lord. to God Almighty. Yeah. I think he's going like, what does Holy Me? Yeah, yeah. Holy crap. Like what?

Like, I don't know. Like, I don't know. Obviously, that's where we want to get to in a worship set is where it's just every eye is fixated on him. Right. And it's just like everyone, it's like vertical. Yeah. But like, give Bubba some language.

He can be like, all right. I find myself in that song. I feel like that, you know. And hopefully that's what some of my music can continue to do. I mean, I love, I think that is the direction. That, I think it's 1,000% worship. That's how worship should be to introduce people, because people don't know. You're right.

Like, one of the challenges that we found when we were, like, telling people about Jesus in the street was like, we could say the, and I call it Christianese too, but like I could say something like repentance. And they're like, what does that even mean? And it's like, you got to teach them. They have to understand, like, why would someone want to, Quoho, repent? Well, it's because they don't even know who Jesus is. and this man and like this simplistic understanding Jesus isn't doing mental gymnastics with Bryce. Yeah. So like this like simple get in the get my foot in the door and I'm so stupid.

So I'm still like, you know, I got to have it fed to me on a spoon, you know, kind of thing. But but I think there were no thank you for writing that song. And people don't like fake and you're authentic and you can feel the passion. You can feel the heart. And there wasn't a better, there's no better person to put on that song than Jelly Roll, who is also extremely authentic, passionate, has a heart. I appreciate you guys for that. I want to say too, man, like for anybody listening, like, I love what Jelly Roll said when we had asked them.

We're like, what do you wish the church had said to you years ago that might have, like, kept you around? He's like, I just wish they would have shown me a little more grace and specifically patience. not everybody's going to have a i believe god can but he's like not everybody i haven't had a saul to paul kind of moment yeah and and i'm he goes if you look back at interviews five years ago i'm definitely not that man yeah but imagine what god can do with me in five years from now yeah and i think if we would give people some more patience and not expect them to be a completely i believe God can make you a new creation, but some of your behaviors, some of your patterns got to be

worked out, you know? Yeah. Yeah. I believe he made me brand new. The moment that I accepted Jesus, I was a new creation. Yeah. But that doesn't mean I carried into that new life some like old ways of thinking. Yeah.

And I'm surrounded by sin. I'm surrounded by temptation, all that. And so you have to gain tools. You have to, just like in a marriage, like you grow closer and closer. You learn each other's love language. You learn how to best serve each other. Yeah. Like that's the kind of the way it is with, you know, I think a relationship with the Lord.

He cares so much about that relationship and not just checking boxes and stuff. Like he wants to transform your heart, but you've got to give him time or you got to let him in and do the hard work. But yeah, man, yeah, I don't know where I was going with that. But just I love that he, he's owning it. And he even said, this is what I was going to say. Like, dude, we're talking yesterday. and we're about to do stage coach. Yeah.

And he's like, bro, what if instead of, and I don't know if we're going to do this, but he came up with it. There's some logistics, we had a workout and stuff. But he was like, what if instead of going into the bridge of that song, we broke it down, and you just start praying over people.

Bro, 100,000 people. That'd be insane. He's like, what if you just, like, let a moment? Yeah. And he's like, anybody who's going through a hard time, bro, you just like pray for him. And then we ramp back up and go into this. I'm like,

jelly roll just came up with that idea like what this is crazy and so i'm i'm i'm watching him continually like like he's evolved he's growing and um and all it has taken is like this it's just relationship dude and like i think more transformation happens around the dinner table than anything yeah that's what jesus did and so i'm just trying to be you know one by one just whoever God puts in my path. It's like, do what you're doing and just share your heart and just love on them. And, you know, you're doing the big things, podcast, you're speaking, you're preaching, all the big things.

But, man, God moves in those things. But he also is like, you know, bump into a dude, you know, on the street. And it's like, God cares just as much about that moment than speaking to 10,000, you know. Yeah. Thanks for that encouragement. That means a lot to me. um one way we like to close the way i like to close out my episodes with my christian friends that are married is asking for some relationship advice because uh i i have an amazing girlfriend and i don't

take dating advice from anyone that isn't married and uh smart so uh i i i really appreciate the way that you talked about your wife and you're the good moments the bad moments that just in this conversation, recognizing the faults and things like that. And I do want to preface, one of my favorite things about Maddie. I find myself like as a dude, I'm saying sorry all the time. Oh my gosh. Well, that doesn't end. It's like just getting started. But she still draws near to me, even though she sees every flaw in me. That's my favorite thing about my girlfriend. But what if you could give me, what's the greatest piece of relationship advice that I could take home? Oh. Oh, gosh. I don't know about the greatest.

I mean, I would say knowing your tendencies being the same as mine, when you do feel insecure or you're wrestling, especially once you're married, do not isolate yourself. Obviously, everyone maybe needs a moment to, like, you know, take it to the Lord first. But our biggest fights were in moments where I drew away instead of drawing near, drawing near. And I think as men, we have a tendency to be like,

let me go figure this out first. Let me figure, you know, and, and dude, the more you just own, like get rid of your pride and just be humble and just go, hey, I want to work this out. Like, tell me what I need to hear that you're not saying, you know, like tell me the hard thing or whatever. I mean, I would say, too, this is not going to sound deeply spiritual, what I think it is.

Actually, my wife said this one day on the one podcast we did. We need to do a podcast. I want to call it Pillow Talk, and it's literally us like laying in bed. I like it. And she said on this thing, intimacy isn't great sex. Intimacy is what you do that leads to great sex. we've got this idea that intimacy, real intimacy is having great sex. And she's like, no, it's the things that you do that that's a byproduct.

Intimacy is like, what have we been, how have we been fostering our relationship? What are the things that give us life and make us feel close? And dude, nothing grows our marriage more than having fun together. I know it does, it's not deeply spiritual and yet it is. But we've really learned these past few years, especially when I travel. and I'm busy. When I come home, what can I do as the man to lead and go,

hey, let's do this, this, or this. That fills our tank. Like, jokingly said, what leads to great sex for us

was going on bike rides and playing tennis. Nice. It's not sexy, and yet it is. I'm telling you, like, we bond over watching the office,

that TV show. Dude, I love that show. Biggest office fans. Quote your favorite character. I mean, how can it not be Dwight Shrewt? Come on. He's the go.

He's the go. He's amazing. But dude, literally like we, nothing, nothing is more curing and, and helps us grow and love each other more than when we're laughing together. Like, she's my best friend. And if you can keep her your best friend stay in that place of like, you just have so much fun together. And dude, bring her into everything with your traveling and all your opportunities and all of that. I've had to learn the hard lesson of like there are some things I protect her from like when someone hurts me because she will take it she'll carry it twice as much as I will yeah and she's had to like forgive people and I had no idea she was wrestling with that because I just brought work home and I was like this person did this or blah blah blah blah and she's like what you know and then like months later she's like I finally forgave that person I'm like what you've been carrying that around for so long yeah like no it's not that big of a deal you know like yeah yeah we already made up about that it's all good, you know? But, um, but, but like bringing her in on just like celebrating all the wins and just

like, I, you know, you might assume that they're aware of everything and feel a part of everything, but I'm still learning 14 years into marriage, like that I have a tendency to like leave her out of things, not intentionally, but just like, you know, and then, but the more she's apart, because God knows, like, I needed that partner. I need her perspective. Yeah. Her discernment is so high that I need that I can be honestly more just like the really happy guy and just like overlook things and she's like no something something's wrong here we have to address this or this is going to grow like a cancer wow and so sorry that's a lot man but like ultimately like dude have fun together dang you have one life bro and one marriage hopefully the way yeah the way

the office we like pickleball I'm not good at tennis so we like basically it translates yeah It translates. Dude, that is so funny. I love that. Thank you. I think that's so good. I love the practical stuff like that. That's so good.

Would you close this out in prayer? I would love to pray. But actually, sorry, one more thing. Before we pray, do you have any new projects coming out? I do. I, depending on when this releases, my new record, King of Hearts, is out June 13th. 16 songs, I think.

Come on the deluxe. So excited. about this record and then it leads into the King of Hearts tour, which tickets are on sale right now. Oh, nice. And they are flying. So let's go. Where they at? All over the, it's like North America tour.

Just go to brandonlake.com. Okay. Brandonlake.com and get the record. Come out on tour. It is going to be so entertaining, but more importantly, going to be an encounter with God. People are going to get healed, saved. We've seen thousands of people give their lives to the Lord. So if you want to be a part of a movement like that, I believe it's more than a concert.

It's more than a show. Something's happening all over. And it's bigger than me. And it's not about me. But these are going to be powerful nights. Guys, please go to braenlake.com. I had one of the most beautiful encounters ever with God during your worship set, passion, 2023.

No way. Yeah. At nighttime. Yeah, it was a beautiful encounter. I was at the very top. Dang. I was at the very top. Closer to heaven.

And that's right. That's right. And man, I just said it was like so powerful, beautiful. And it really is. I just love the authenticity. And the way that you, not to throw the Christian ease out there, but like the way you lead people into God's glory, I got convicted because I felt like I always pray for God's hand,

but Moses prayed to see God's face. And I really feel like the way that you lead worship at these concerts are at these events is you're really leading us to see God's face. So please, guys, go to brandlake.com, do your tickets to the tour. We'd love for you to pray us out. Please pray us out. Thank you for honoring me and saying those things. It's really kind.

Lord, we love you so much, and we thank you for this opportunity. I just want to recognize that you are up to something. You are up to something that we can't even perceive. but it's huge and I thank you that we get to be a very, very small part of it. Thank you for Bryce and thank you for the amazing, amazing work that he's doing. But beyond the things that he's got his hands in and that are amazing and the way, Lord, just thank you for his heart. Thank you for saving him, for healing him and now using him as a vessel to help.

point people to you and ultimately they get saved and healed. And Lord, we just, if for anyone listening in right now that feels far, God, I pray that right now that they would, that your presence would just sweep in and that they would experience your nearness, that you are a father to the fatherless, but God, you're also a friend. Holy Spirit, you are a friend. Thank you for befriending us, for loving us. Lord, thank you for calling us your sons.

and daughters and sharing this incredible kingdom with us. And God, I just pray, if anyone's listening right now, that doesn't have a relationship with you, that that would begin today. The word says that if you confess with your lips, he's Lord, you believe in your heart, that God raised Jesus from the dead, you'll be saved. And so I just pray if there's anyone right now,

and you're like, I believe Jesus was really, raised from the dead. I confess you as my Lord, my Savior. Lord, I pray that they would make that commitment today and start this amazing relationship with you, the one that made them, designed them, loves them more than anything. Obsessed. God is obsessed with you. And God, if there's anyone under the sound of my voice right now that needs a miracle, a physical healing, God, we speak healing in the mighty name of Jesus. And I'm just going to simply say, because that's all that is needed, In Jesus' name, be healed. Be healed.

And Lord, thank you for our time, and we just want to give you glory. And all the honor, all the praise. Lord, thank you. So much gratitude in our hearts for allowing us to do this, but more importantly, just to know you and love you and be loved and be known by you. So we thank you, and it's your holy name we pray. Jesus. Amen.

man. Brandon, thank you so much for coming on and sharing your heart. Guys, please go to brandonlake.com, get your tickets. Get ready for the new record. Thanks for coming on. Let's rage. Come out on tour, listen to the record. That's rage. Let's rage, baby. I'm telling you, we're going to turn up. It's going to be awesome. Thanks for coming on. Yeah, honor, man. Appreciate you. Thank you. Guys, thank you so much for watching and tuning into these episodes. Guys, if you love watching and listening to these episodes, aside from following us along on Instagram, TikTok, Spotify, YouTube, I want to ask you guys, would you guys, would you guys, would you guys,

would you guys consider partnering with our ministry financially? Your guys' radical generosity is actually what continues to fuel and produce these podcast episodes and our evangelism videos. So if you guys feel a burden to support this ministry, reach lost souls with the gospel through digital and in-person ministry, go to Jesus and the street.org, pray and ask God, how should I partner with Bryce and their ministry and Jesus in the street ministry? Should I partner with them in prayer? Should I partner with them in finances?

Should I partner with them in support? whatever it may be, pray and ask God, how should I support Jesus in the street ministry? Love you guys. See you guys next week for the next episode.