WHOA That's Good Podcast - Why Fear of Criticism & Gossip Doesn't Consume Me Anymore | Sadie Robertson Huff & Jenn Johnson

Episode Date: February 19, 2025

Jenn Johnson is a self-described "girl's girl" who embodies such joy and, as Sadie says, is one of the most fun people to be around! Where does all her joy come from? Knowing and loving the Lord — as she's done all her life. Jenn talks about Bethel Music's latest album, "We Must Respond," where the title came from, and what the songs mean to her. For Jenn, she loves writing as a collaboration and why it's often when some of the most impactful songs are written — with others! Sadie and Jenn both share how the fear of what others think has made a mark on them, and how they're striving to make God's approval the only thing that matters. You can listen to/purchase Bethel Music's new album, "We Must Respond" now! This Episode of WHOA That's Good is Sponsored By: https://www.trymiracle.com/whoa — Get 40% off + 3 FREE towels with code WHOA at checkout! https://drinkag1.com/whoa — New subscribers get a FREE $76 gift when you sign up. You’ll get a Welcome Kit, a bottle of D3K2 AND 5 free travel packs in your first box! https://liberty.edu/Sadie — Get your application fee WAIVED when you start your future with Liberty University today! - Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

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Rise to rewards with the BMO Eclipse Rise Visa Card. Terms and conditions apply. ["Rise to Rewards"] What's up friends? Happy Wo That's Good Wednesday. I hope you're having a great week, but per usual, it is about to get so much better, y'all. We have a treat. This girl is no stranger to the Wo That's Good podcast.

We have our dear friend, Jen Johnson, back on the podcast. Hi! Woo! The hype is real. We're black sweatshirts. This is when you need the live audience. I know. And we're matching in our black sweats, because Friday is our chill day.

And we're chilling together today. So I love it. Except for you had your hair appointment before mine. Mine's tomorrow. So your hair is looking for a wreck had your hair appointment before mine. Mine's tomorrow. So your hair is looking for a wreck. My hair is fresh and clean and silky. Jen's doing tomorrow. Day before hair day.

You are always the beauty queen, though. I remember the first time I went to your house and your makeup was just like perfect. But you were like, no, I had someone come and do it. I was like, oh, that's awesome. You're epic. We take all the help we can get. And then when you came for a conference, my friend was,

I hope you're OK, if you don't want me to say this, I can cut this out. I am an open book. My friend was hosting you, and she was like, it was the most fun thing ever. She had me go get her eyelashes from Ulta. I was like, that's the most Jen Johnson request ever. Yes, it's a frequent request.

It's got to the point now where my guy who travels with me, he keeps just extra eyelashes in his bag at all times and he's just the tech guy. Oh my gosh. You're going to have to tell me your eyelash secrets though, because I'm always scared to wear them because I'm always subject to cry at any message, any worship moment. But do yours just stay on or do you just not cry? I am a crier, especially if it's Jesus, but it's the glue. I have a good glue.

So it's all in the glue. We're going to have to link the glue. The ones I have on today are extra wild. My friend actually picked them up and the door dasher brought her the really extra wild ones. So if you look closely, they're like really dramatic today. I love it. It's awesome.

I was like, feels right for this Friday. It feels right. We're in a black sweat. If you're chill here, you can go, feels right for this Friday. It feels right. We're in a black sweat. If you're chill here, you can go a little extra with the lashes. Am I right? That's right. Okay. So we're going to get to all of our serious stuff, but now that we're on the topic of

lashes and fun, you truly like carry the balance of just one of the most fun people to be around. You're such a girl's girl. You love the eyelashes. You love to laugh. You're such a girls girl. You're such a, you love the eyelashes. You love to laugh. You're hilarious. But you also like sincerely love the Lord with all your heart and follow Jesus. So with so much dedication. And I do think that there's such a, there's such a sad thing where people think if you're follow Jesus, you got to have just be so serious and you can't have the fun in life and all the different things. How do you carry that balance? Did you ever feel that pressure or is that something that you just always been like that?

You know, I've grown up my whole life loving Jesus and I just think that joy is such a fruit of the Spirit. And love, obviously, gets the most press when it comes to the fruits of the Holy Spirit. But joy is right there behind. And so, I think that, first of all, it really is a gift that comes just from knowing the Holy Spirit. And that no matter what's happening in our life, good, bad, or ugly, that He's with us and that He is filling us with those things. So, I think it's a gift in a big way. But yeah, I don't know. Life is just, no matter what's going on, you can find the good and just staying anchored in the

Word of God. No matter what is happening in the world around, I get up every morning, unless my kids have had one of those nights. There's always grace, but I get up every morning and just read my Bible for the first hour and man, it just changes the day, changes my life. And so, I think that's a big key to it is to just starting my day from the very beginning with the Lord. Just keeps you on the right track. That is so good. I love that. I love that you said love gets the most press, but joy is there too. That is so true. Love does get the most press, and for good reason, but there are a lot of fruits of the spirit,

and it's amazing when you see those begin to come out of your life, which actually is so cool, because I do, every now and then I'll ask my Instagram, I'm like, hey, ask me anything, and I'll answer questions, but then there will be some questions that are like, man, this is so deep to answer in an Instagram moment, but I hold it, because I'm like, maybe I'll talk about it in the podcast, and. But I hold it because I'm like, maybe I'll

talk about it in the podcast. And then specifically, I'll pull them if I think, oh, man, this guest would probably nail this question because I see this person living this. So today, I had the answering DM thing, or answer whatever, the question thing. And someone asked, how do you actively live and step with the Holy Spirit

when he seems foreign or far away? And knowing you were going to be on the podcast, I was like, man, this is a great question to ask Jen. And now that we're already talking about the Holy Spirit, can you talk about that a little bit? Yeah, you know what, honestly, we were both just at Passion and Earl spoke on the Holy Spirit. I think it's one of the best messages on the Holy Spirit I've ever heard. I agree. So, I would just encourage all the listeners, go back, listen to Earl's message from Passion Conference 2025. But you know, I think that walking with the Lord, you really have to understand that you're

walking with the Trinity, the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit. And they all have three very vital roles in our life. I used to explain it to my kids when they were little, and now I have little kids again, that we've adopted, but that God is like an apple. There's three different parts. There's the skin, there's the inside, and then there's the seeds. And it's all the same apple, just different parts. They have different functions, but all the same thing. And I don't know how sound that theology is, but it just came to me in a moment when I was trying to explain God to my daughter. And I'm like, hey, this works. And so, I think that

just understanding God like that in His three different parts. We walk with the Father, God created us, He's there for us, so loving and present, and He is wisdom in all things that the Father represents. And then Jesus, the Son, the Sacrifice, the Friend forever wisdom, and all things that the Father represents, and then Jesus, the Son, the Sacrifice, the Friend forever, you know, on and on and on. And just looking through the Word to define who God is in those three parts so that you can understand who He is and celebrate and enjoy those aspects of Him throughout your life. I love that.

I think that's a big key, is just saying centered and understanding who He is and all the three parts and walking with Him. And you know, a big part of the Holy Spirit is risk, I think, that when you get that prompting in your heart to do something or say something, you know, you're in line at the grocery store and you just have this little thing that you feel like you're supposed to reach out and go beyond that wall, you know? Sometimes there's just that wall of like, oh, man, I know if I say this, it means we're now in an interaction, you know? Maybe it's, hey, do you need healing in your body? Or maybe it's, hey, I just wanted to encourage

you with this simple word that I'm practicing hearing God, and I just wanted to share this with you. You know, those things are profound moments. I had a really fun one at Passion, actually. There was a guy who was sitting across from me, and I just had this little picture that I felt like the Holy Spirit gave me. And I just saw him with boxing gloves on, and he was just boxing this, like beating the snot out of this boxing bag, you know? And I just saw the Holy Spirit kind of meeting him right there in that. And so I just went over to him in between passion sets and I said, Hey, I said, I'm Jen and I just had this picture for you that I wanted to share and I shared it with him. He looks at me, he goes, no way.

I was like, are you a boxer? Like what? And he goes, he goes, you're not going to believe this. I was like, what? And he goes, I used to be really into boxing and would box all the time. He goes, you're not going to believe this. I was like, what? And he goes, I used to be really into boxing and would box all the time. And I haven't for a long time. And this morning, I went down the gym in my hotel room, and I put the gloves on and I just wailed on that bag. And it was just like this moment where like of anything in the world that God could just reach in and go, hey, I know you, I see you. And it wasn't this profound word that was gonna happen

in his future, I love all that stuff, but it was just this simple meeting. I think that's something beautiful about the Holy Spirit. He's present with us, He's talking to us, He's meeting us right where we're at. And sometimes just leaning into what God's saying and connecting that, giving that to someone else can just change their life.

It's so true, man, that's so cool. It's so funny too, because when you said that, a passion that you had, a moment, I was like, oh, I know about this because one of my friends came over and was like, Jen had a word for it was her husband. And she was talking about how powerful it was and how much it helped her. But it was a totally different word. This was this was another moment.

And like, I love that you do that, though. Every time I'm around you, you have like these moments where you're so in tune with the Spirit. And you even gave us a word last year at LO Conference, or two years ago, LO Conference, that our family refers to all the time. And so it's just amazing when you allow yourself to be used like that by God.

And I love how you said it takes risk. Like it is risky to go up to someone you don't know and share a word like that, but that has a potential to one, let them feel loved and met and seen by God. And then two, yeah, it can be life-changing for real. I mean, I think about, I was thinking about that this morning with even naming Haven Haven,

I was just thinking back on just how we got that name. And it was so from the Holy Spirit because it came out of nowhere. It was just like something in me. And then I never had it on any baby name lists we thought of or anything like that. But I just knew that was just from the Lord. And then like, you know, a year later,

we had like the coolest moment where we realized on me and Christian's first date, we only took two pictures on our first date. And the first picture, I was holding a mug that said honey. And in the second picture, there was a banner behind me that said Haven. And I've never, ever noticed that, ever. Oh my gosh, how cute.

It was so cool because I was like, whoa, God, one, you gave me that name. And even if it was just for this moment to be like, wow, God, you truly are knitting it together in my womb, writing the coolest story over life, have had them in mind since our very first date. Like, it just gives you this awe and wonder of, like, wow, God, you are in every detail. And so, I love that. I love, you know, her question is, like, how do you feel that whenever he feels foreign? But I think it's just inviting him in,

like, don't let him feel far away, Like, invite Him into that nearness and listening. But yeah, you live that out. And asking Him to speak. Just asking, that's what really, I feel like, started it for me going from, you know, knowing the Lord my whole life. But when I was like about 15 years old, that's when I really started asking the Holy Spirit to speak to me. Like, God, speak to me. I'll do anything. I don't care what it is. And so, I think just encourage that asker of that, like, just ask him to speak to you, and then when you feel like he does, no matter what it is, do it to the best of your ability. And, you know, he would never ask you to do something that's outside of his word. And so, I think that it's important for people to know that, to study even in the Word, how God speaks speaks and, you know, I was reading this morning

at Exodus, just, you know, God just speaks some wild things sometimes. And I just, it's an adventure to follow God. Anyone who's a bored Christian is, because they're not listening and following the Holy Spirit, because it's an adventure when you listen. That is so true. He'll have you do wild stuff. Friends, a struggle is real when it comes to finding the perfect tent for sleeping. But getting it right or wrong has a huge impact on your sleep quality and just overall health.

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to treat yourself today. I remember for me, one of the starts to asking the Lord to speak was asking God to speak to me in dreams. It's like, God, speak to me in dreams, speak to me in dreams. And then I would start having these dreams that felt, okay, that one was different. You know, it felt, I describe it like it just kind of felt holy. Like there was something about it that just, you felt like the Lord was speaking. And so I would just write it down.

And then the Lord would give me confirmation a couple of months later, a year later, a week later, and I would go back to it and be like, whoa, you showed me that like a year ago, you know? And that was like part of me learning how to hear, learning how to listen, learning how to trust. And so, yeah, such an adventure, start asking the questions, I love it. All right, we have something super exciting to talk about because y'all have a brand new album with Bethel Music.

And if you haven't heard it yet, I don't know what you're doing, but that's what you're doing the rest of the day. Tell us all about We Must Respond. Yeah, it has been incredible. It just came out a couple of weeks ago and it's 17 new songs. And so that we also redid Made For More. So I think it's 18 songs on there, but 17 brand new songs.

And we really pushed the team, you know, we've been doing this for 25 years, and we really pushed the team this time to craft these songs to another level of excellence that I just am so proud of. You know, our team are really incredible. We have so many worship leaders and musicians, and they're just the best humans. I'm very proud of our team. And they write great songs and they are filled with the Holy Spirit. So in these moments, especially in this spontaneous portion, they're just hearing what God's saying, and they're doing their best to sing it out and say it out, you know, and that these songs would be biblically based and just full of the power of God, you know. And so I feel like every artist on the collective has their own song

on the album and they have just come through in a special way. There's a song Hannah McClure sings called, Even Though I Walk Through the Valley of the Shadow. And, you know, she's incredible, but she almost died after a miscarriage and had to have a blood transfusion. And the song that she sang through that, those lyrics, even though I walk through the valley, they said, I will fear no evil. When she sings it and you listen to that, the power of that testimony echoes into your own life of what God's brought you through and anchors you that no matter what you're going through, He's right there in the middle of it and you will not fear. And so I love when there is truth that we sing these strong songs,

but the power of the testimony behind that song, it hits at a different level. That's really profound. So we encourage everyone who listens to this project to start it from the beginning and listen all the way through. Take the journey, we say, take the ride. Because it really is such a, and I think anytime you listen to someone's music, at least the first time, do it justice for any project you ever listened to. Listen to it from start to finish to take it in kind of what is being said in the whole project.

Because it really is special, the layers that are in this song, so, are in this album. So, yeah, we're proud. And we have Brooke Ligertwood and Aiden King. Oh, it is stacked. Abby Gamboa. It's a fun ride. And some of the ones that are y'all's artists that I didn't know before,

necessarily, are incredible. Like, it is totally stacked. And I love that because I was listening to that even I love that, cause I was listening to that even though this morning, and I love listening to songs that just quote scripture, I was actually talking to someone today about the song, Wait on You, and how like that song has been so helpful to me in certain times where I feel like I'm waiting on God.

And because I'm like, literally singing the scripture, they that wait on the Lord will renew their strength. And I'm like getting it in my spirit, like this is going to be true and is true about me. And so to hear you say that these songs are coming from that place of like testimony, you do feel that I was listening to that this morning. I was like, man, I'm so thankful for a song like this

because I have walked through seasons like that where you wanna have the words, yes, to read over yourself, speak of yourself. But I feel like there's something so powerful when you're able to sing it over yourself. And people like you guys who are so musically talented give a melody to so much truth. So it's incredible.

I love it. And it's, yeah, it's just an absolutely incredible album. So I love that you even said, take the journey, take the ride. It's one of those I was thinking back when I was younger and listening to a pop artist that I'm not recommending. But there was like an album that they put out and it was like every song was so good.

I'm like, there's not one song that's a sleeper. Like at this concert, I will be up on my feet the whole time. That's this album. It's like, there's not one sleeper. It's all good. That's encouraging that you say that. We've gotten that with this album a lot, which is amazing to hear. So we're excited about that.

I didn't even know. There's so many good ones. I was like, which one is their one song? And I was seeing that like the church, which that song is incredible. And I want to hear your heart behind it. But it could have been so many of them. I don't know so much about the music world other than, you know than we started LO Worship. So I'm dipping my toes in the water. We've gotten, but every time they're like, what's gonna be your single? I'm like, I don't know, but this album,

I'm like, I really wouldn't know. But tell us about the church and singing that song. I mean, I feel like that's your heart cry. There's a lot of heart cries, but that one really felt like that for you. Absolutely. I feel like this song was maybe the one I was put on the planet to write. I'm thankful for the other ones too.

Goodness of God, that's pretty special. Holy Forever is right behind. Yeah, that one might be that too. Holy Forever. There's a couple. Hopefully I'm not done yet. But great team, surrounding yourself with a great team. And that's what's special about all of those songs, the Goodness and Holy and the Church

as well is just the collection of people behind the song. It's not like it's just my song by any means. And this was no different. We wrote this song, we had a little songwriter's retreat with some people from Passion City Church, some people from Upper Room, some Bethel guys, and we just sat together and we had two hours left in the retreat to write. And we sat down together and I just said, what if we just all try to write one together in the same room? There was like probably 14 of us in the room. Wow. And one of the keyboard players, I think, played a melody and I've always, I have such a passion for the unity and celebration of diversity within the global church. So, Jenny Allen's

actually doing this Gather 25 event. And when she heard this song, or she actually called me to be a part of the event and didn't know I had this and we got together and we just lost our minds. I was like, this is us walking! That's so cool. But we really wrote this song, the church, as a prayer to the global church, all of us representing that, that say Jesus is Lord and that we have the same faith, that we would unify and to stop the, I'm better than you, you're, just stop all of that and to really celebrate the body of Christ. Jesus has the head, He does a great job at that, we'll leave that to Him, but all the different body parts and the different denominations, expressions of who He is in

His church and instead of pointing fingers of, you know, to alienate and divide, instead a call to gather and celebrate the uniqueness of each denomination. I know from traveling all over the world to a million different churches and movements, I'll go there and the part of God that they are so beautifully celebrating, it just kind of, it charges my faith to take back. Maybe it's reading the Word, maybe it's following the Holy Spirit, maybe it's prayer, maybe it's whatever their movement is carrying a great gift for in their faith, I am encouraged in, like iron sharpens iron. And so,

this song is just such a beautiful song for the churches to sing in the unity of all of us being the cry for the Holy Spirit to make us one and praise the Father, praise the Son. So it's been a special one. It is so special. That's so cool. And in my life, I've gotten to go through different experiences with church. I grew up very traditional in like a church of Christ setting and then kind of went off and did a non-dominational, but it was like very Holy Spirit led. So I went like complete opposite and found myself somewhere in the middle now. But it was like such a gift for it to grow up like that and then go there for a little

bit and now kind of be planted in the middle. But I'm like, I'm so thankful for that. And I always tell people that because sometimes when people ask me, like you expect maybe there to be like a hurt or a pain or like a problem with why you left. And like, no, it really, you know, there's stuff in churches messy sometimes because people are people and whatnot. But I'm actually so grateful for the things that I learned

from those spaces and places. And man, I feel like it helped me become who I am, but not even that, but just know God the way that I do. And I'm so grateful now that my family does get to travel and go to different places because we do get to see the beauty of the church and the different aspects of the church. And so I love that like you're celebrating

the different denominations and what they bring to the table and the beauty that they bring. That's so true. Like the Bible focus here, the spirit focus there. But when you bring the unity together, all of it, like you said, the apple, the skin, the middle, the seeds, like it is a gorgeous thing. So I love that you wrote a song like that with, it seems like the church in the room,

14 different people, there's a lot of people to write a song with. So that's awesome. It was a great collaboration. And it honestly, like it just really, it just happened. Like it was a holy moment in that room. We were on our faces, actually, a lot of us, and crying. It felt like when you write a song that really was right out of the heart of God. So we did our best to capture the lyrics, but it really just felt like a holy special one.

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the Holy Spirit felt so present around your faces. Do you have more, as you can think back, writing all these songs of the years that was like, no, that was a standout moment? Yeah, it's wild. People ask how we write a lot. And I would say, every song is different in how we get the song. I remember one time, we have a song called, Come to Me. And the song, I didn't have it, even the thought of it in my head, but it was a time where there were a lot of natural disasters happening in the world, kind of popping up everywhere. And people were just so freaked out that they were going to, you know, something, a tornado or earthquake or something was going to happen.

And so I went into my room and I laid down with my notebook and I said, Lord, what do you want the whole world to know? And this, I mean, it was like, I couldn't write fast enough of Him just downloading to me, like, I'm the Lord, your God, you know, and just like this biblical, like, do not fear, come to me, I'm all you need. I am your anchor in the wind and the waves. I'm your steadfast, do not be afraid. And I just wrote as fast as I could these lyrics. And so sometimes it happens in a kind of a

download moment, we call it. And sometimes it's a lot of crafting. You know, when Goodness of God, when we wrote that, I wrote probably 60 or 70% of that song just singing in the car to God, just so thankful after we had adopted our son Ryder, which was our fourth child at the time, three biological, and then him, and then we adopted another baby as well. So I felt like just pouring out this song of gratefulness. But then the crafting part of it, Jason Ingram, Ed Cash, my husband, Ben Fielding, they really helped it to get where it was. And then the flip side of Holy Forever is Brian and Chris Tomlin, my husband Brian, they had been writing, and I think Phil Wickham had been writing verses in a bridge, but they

didn't have a chorus. And so they showed me what they had so far at the time. And instantly, I just sat down at the piano and I went, and the angels cry, holy. And they were like, Wow. So it's kind of like a puzzle piece, but we have found, Bethel music, we have found, it's almost like God smiles and winks on the collaborations, especially of the church coming together. It's almost like he shines on and downloads to us even more when we work together outside of our own streams. So cool.

So yeah, it's the best. It's absolutely, it's so fun. So we've got a lot more coming. We had this coming out and then Top Secret, you heard it here kind of first. Are we dropping it here? Let's go. I am working on my first ever solo album right now. No way. Oh my gosh, that's so cool. Yeah, that's hopefully going to be out, um, this year. And so I'm, it's, it's getting really close to going into the finals of things. That's your first ever?

I know. The funny thing is I just never have had the desire to do kind of my own thing. I'm much happier to just do a collab. That's my vibe. But I have a collection of songs. It's really fun. I have a love song to my husband.

I have a love song to my kids. I'm so excited. Yeah. I've got every genre of of music because I love it all on. I have like a crazy gospel song. I have like a fun pop song. Like I've got like a Billie Eilish vibe. Like it's it's going to be really fun. So and we're going to call it happy. So the album title, the album title is happy. Back to Joy. Back to the whole thing. I was like, this is what I know you as. That is so cool. Your voice is so insane. I was thinking that today, I was listening to it and I think it's the way you start church.

I was like, Jen is just on another planet. And you're so humble about it. You really are. You're so humble about it. Well, that's true for many reasons, but no, specifically your voice. You're so humble. Check's true for many reasons, but no, specifically your voice. Like, you're so humble. You're such a team player. You are a collaborator. But then it's like, okay, hold on. But this is like insane that your voice is so amazing. And so I'm so excited for that.

How did you even get started leading worship? You mentioned 25 years. Is that 25 years of doing Bethel music or when did it all start for you? Funny enough, I started singing in church at age five. I sang my first solo in church and started playing. I started piano lessons at five as well. So that's really when, but my mom said I always sang as a little kid. My mom played piano for church. My dad sang in church. So we kind of just grew up in it. And then I just started leading worship in kids church. Like they needed somebody to, you know, and I knew a few chords when I was like probably 10 or 12. And so I started playing for kids church and Bible study and youth group and, you know, kind of anywhere that I could serve and just kind of grew in my gift. And back in the day, my pastor wouldn't

let me lead worship for big church, because I think he thought I was a little wild, which is true. And so it wasn't actually until I moved to Reading when I was 17, and Bethel and I joined their team that, you know, we just started on the journey of kind of the next season of my life, but definitely didn't see it coming. So you started at such a young age and you've been doing this for so long. Can you remember like a time that you like shifted in how you led?

Like when you think back of all the years, like was there a time that it's like, oh man, this happened. And from that point on, I led differently. Or has it been like a gradual just learning as you go? Does that make sense? Because I feel like sometimes I look back, even as speaking, I look back at last year, a specific moment speaking that I had

where I actually forgot everything I was about to say on stage. I've never done that before. It was like total blank out moment. But the Lord used it so much in my life. And since then, I literally approach every single message so differently than I used to. I put so much less pressure on myself

and lean so much more into the Spirit. But I feel like there's just moments in your life where it just kind of shifts the way you lead in a humbling and good way. Do you have any of those that you can think of? Yeah, absolutely. I think that when I was younger, I actually was the BGV, background vocal is what that

stands for. I wasn't ever really the main worship leader because I wasn't good enough. And I think that what really changed for me along my life is staying faithful, for one, and as I stayed faithful, I just kept getting better and learning and growing and taking lessons. But it really changed for me when I got a hold of the courage, I think, in a big way. And I remember being younger. I was in chapel when I was younger and I was sitting there and I remember I wanted to raise my hands when I was like seven years old, but I didn't because I was so scared of what people would think around me, you know, like they'd make fun of me and other people weren't doing that really.

And I, but I wanted to, and I remember closing my eyes and just raising my hands and, you know, just breaking past the fear of man to do what I knew I was supposed to do. And it was a marker. It was one of those markers in my life. And so, you know, as I grew up and got older, I felt like I've just grown in that to where I am so much more focused on partnering with who God says I am and what He's asking me to do than I am. I don't really care.

So if I sing a wrong note or if I say something weird, like I'm so much more focused on listening to Him and going for that than I am in the fear of man and messing up, because everyone messes up, everyone's great, no one's perfect. And I think in life, that's what the Lord's looking for in us, is that a willingness to obey, no matter what it looks like, or what people think or say. And so I think growing in that was huge. But as you walk with God in your life, you gain authority with Him and you learn Him in a sense of confidence, not arrogance. Arrogance is disgusting. But confidence is really beautiful because there's humility and confidence with

the Lord. And so, you know that you're absolutely nothing without Him. But with Him and with that submission and that courage to follow Him, He can really use that in a powerful way. And so, I think I've learned and grown and I still feel like I am learning and growing in my life. I think it's something like, you have to tune a guitar every time you play it. And I think that's how it is with our lives. Like, we always need to be tuned. We always need to be leaning in or growing or learning and not getting stagn it. And I think that's how it is with our lives. Like we always need to be tuned. We always need to be leaning in or growing or learning and not getting stagnant. And I think that's just evident.

And you gotta tune a guitar every single time before you play it. So. That's good. I love that. That's really good. That's a whoa, that's good advice moment. Let's talk about something that the Robertson family loves.

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whenever I was young of really wanting to raise my hands because I just was beginning to like feel that and wanting to express self in worship and just I did, I couldn't, it was like, I don't even want to hold it back because I'm just so into this moment worshiping God. And I was like, okay, I'm gonna bust past it. And so I raised my hands in worship. And the first time I did though, this guy literally came up to me and this is like you.

So we're like middle school. And he taps on my shoulder and he says, we don't do that here. And it like embarrassed me. I was like, oh my gosh, like put my hands down. And then years later, fast forward years later, this was like the dynasty days before I'm speaking or anything,

we got invited to go to the Dove Awards. And I sat right behind Lauren Daigle and her friend. And I will never forget this moment. It had such a significant impact on me. They were worshiping like no one was watching. And it was so beautiful. They both had on like so many bracelets too. And they were just like-

They love their bracelets. They do. They're just going for it. And I just remember just watching them and being like, they do not care what anyone thinks about them. And they're expressing themselves and worship so beautifully, but it's not to gain attention. It's not... Like it was so pure-hearted. It was so beautiful. And it really inspired me. And I don't know if it was after that,

it was the first time I started raising my hands again, but I just remember being like, okay, I'm not gonna care, Laura. I care so much more about you than what people think. And like that was from middle school to all the way till I was like 16, went to the double wards and saw Lauren. And so that had a grip on me.

And it was so cool later now that Lauren and I had become friends to be able to share that with her. And now I've actually become friends with her friend who was there too. And I didn't realize I was her friend until this is so cool. This story comes full circle. Like two weeks ago, I was texting this Lauren's friend. Her name is Jen. Great name.

Actually also great, fantastic name, wonderful people. And she's just become such a prayer partner for me and so amazing. And she goes, we talked about meeting. We're like, hey, we need to meet sometime. Like it's so amazing that we always text and you're such a great prayer word for my family. And I pray for your family. And she goes, oh, actually you don't remember this,

but we did meet when you were so young. We sat in front of you at the Dove Awards. I was, I went with Lauren and I was like, are you kidding me? I sent her a voice memo ASAP. I was like, you don't even know the impact you have on my life. Like 10 years ago, you changed my life.

She was like, what? It's just so cool how the Lord, one, it's so amazing. Whenever you get out of your head and you just surrender to the Lord and obey the Lord, one, it benefits and blesses your life so much because you're in relationship with Him. But two, it inspires every single person around you. Because when I'm looking at that, I'm like,

I want a relationship with the Lord like that. Not necessarily I want to worship like that. True, that would be a overflow of what comes from the relationship that I wanted to have with the Lord, to where I could get to the place where I really didn't care what people around me thought, and I could just worship the Lord freely.

And so I love that you shared that about your story, because when I look at you, it's like the most freedom and worship person. Like I've been so inspired by you in so many of those moments. And I remember that moment for me in my life where kind of overcoming that fear of man too. I remember praying a prayer before I would go preach

where I would say, God, I would rather face plant in front of all these people, you know, than miss what you have for me and these people in this moment. And just having to actually pray off that fear, man. One thing I want to ask you, because you've been to West Monroe several times now for LO Conference, and you've just been such a sister and a friend and encouraged me so much. But one thing I love about planting ourselves here is that it's a small town. And when people come here, there's nothing like really impressive about it,

besides like what God is doing. And when I think about Bethel and Reading, like that is so y'all story. Like, does it blow you away, like the global impact that you guys have at Bethel? And when did that even start? How did that start? Like, what does that even look like to see something like that happen? Yeah, I, you know, I loved also passion. I loved John Tyson's message. He went to all these places around the world that had experienced God in a profound way or revival or, and just to study, you know, the why or the how, just to learn and to receive also those precious places that

God had, Azusa Street, you know, these places. And he came to Bethel and, you know, it's just been this really special, and it still continues to this day, like we're at church, you know, every Sunday we're home. And I just think that Bill says that, you know, God chose a person and, you know, he, and that person chose a city. And I think that, you know, God chose a person and, you know, that person chose a city. And I think that's really true, especially of Bethel and our Johnson family legacy before my husband's dad pastored it, his dad pastored in the history of Bethel as well. And was there a forerunner, actually, Brian's grandpa was a really, was a forerunner even in worship and expressions in worship and out of the

traditional setting. And so, he really was a pioneer for our family that obviously carried onto Bill in really losing the fear of man. If you've ever heard Bill's testimony of, I think it's in his book, I don't know what it's called, but it's something about having an encounter with God, but it's really profound. And his testimony about that, and he was just shaking, like under the power of God in his bed. And he had to say, you know, God, if this is what it looks like for the rest of my life, to have the more of you, I'll take it, whatever it looks like.

And so, I'll figure out what that book title is, and we'll put it in the chat. Yes, we'll put it in the show notes. It will shake you up. It's an intense, powerful book, but just what does that look like to be hungry for God for your city? And I love it in John's message after going around to all the places in the world that had experienced revival or a move of God, that was what it came down to is that there were hungry people that said, God, we want you here. And even in passion, I just cried at that. And I just felt so rocked

by God of like, God, have I lost that cry? Have I been so surrounded by fire and by a move of God that I have actually gone cold myself because I'm around the fire and I'm hot just because I'm around the culture? I'm hot just because I'm around the culture. I'm constantly around where God is moving. Have I not even noticed it and gone cold? And I actually had an encounter at Passion where I just, the Holy Spirit, just in that moment, actually after He spoke, I just closed my eyes and I sat there and I cried and cried as I just heard the Holy Spirit speak into me, wake up, wake up. And I hadn't even realized that I had been slipping. We'd had a really few, a hard year, honestly, in our

family with a couple different things going on in our family. And I just found myself like I'm slipping, like emotionally a little bit. And, you. And I was still reading my Bible, I was still, but I knew I needed to fast and I knew I needed to cut alcohol out completely. And alcohol is a hot topic. It's like, do we? Don't we? I don't know. I think alcohol is a different journey for every human and it's between you and God. But I do think that there's times in our life where with anything could be food, could be addiction of anything, that we just have to monitor it and know when God's asking us to make a big break from anything that's kind of clouding our life or distracting us in a big way. And so, I started to fast and man,

that next week even, I did like 21 days, it just changed my life just to even realize, wow, I really was slipping and finding comfort in things that was replacing the Holy Spirit and was clouding me. And so, it was a gift in that moment to have the Lord say, wake up to me. But anyway, it's back to where God moves and why. Gosh, that, you know, it's like so powerful in these moments. Like you can have a message plan, but it's whenever you share your testimony, what you're actually going through, that's what people are gonna take away.

And this podcast has been amazing. There's a million things we've learned from you, but that moment is what so many people are gonna go, man, I need to hear that. And to hear it from someone like you, where it's like hearing someone say like, I read my Bible for an hour in the morning, like you automatically are like,

wow, this person has it like going on, she's figured it out. And I'm like, I need to do that. But then to say like, no, I do read my Bible, and I do love the Lord, but like, it's been a hard year because we've gone through hard things as a family and there were things I need to get out. Like that's so real and so honest.

And so something that not everybody, especially in leadership shares, and you need to get out like that's so real and so honest and so something that not Everybody especially in leadership shares and you need to hear that and so for me personally Thank you for sharing that and I know so many people are gonna be like man I needed to hear that and I was thinking about my own life There was like a time where I felt like the Lord just telling me to cut out coffee and I was like Yeah, I don't want to like I just like get behind me saying I'm like no that was not from the. And then also it was like so real. And I'm like, well, it's not a sin. Like why do I need to cut out coffee?

You know what I mean? And then like over time, I finally had a doctor recommend that I take out coffee. And I was like, I was like, I heard it. I ignored it. Then I heard it again. I was like, okay. And then I did. And like actually just physically felt so much better.

But it was obviously a spiritual thing too. But I was like, whoa, God, you're looking out for me. You're looking out for my physical body, and you're looking out for my spirit. And I needed to just withhold something that I care about, even though it's not that big of a deal. It's coffee, whatever. But it's like, I needed to withhold something so that I could just, even though it's not that big of a deal. It's coffee, whatever, but it's like, I needed to withhold something so that I could just

fill myself with the spirit. And so, yeah, I've had that happen to me so many times in life, and I'm thankful you shared that even with alcohol in that particular sense. I wanted to ask you that because someone actually recently came down to Monroe and she's like doing stuff for us right now and helping us out. And she was like so intrigued by our life.

And she was like, I just like, I love it, but I don't understand it. Like, why did you choose there? Like you could have lived anywhere. You lived in Nashville, you went to LA, like you've seen what's out there. Like, why did you choose here? Cause it's just, you know, a small, small town.

And I was like, you know, there's so many reasons and family is a huge reason for that. Love being by my family. That this is probably the biggest reason. But also I was like, what we feel like the Lord is doing here is so incredible. And what I feel like we get to be a part of is just like, it's so exciting. I feel like we get to be a part of, it's just like, it's so exciting.

I feel like we get to be a part of a revival, like of a thing that God's doing. And it's funny, because you're speaking this and you're not like seeing it yet, but I so feel it and I so believe it. And I've seen parts of it. And I'm just like, man, it's so cool to be in a space where so many people want God who,

and it's not about anything else. It's about wanting God. It's about being family. It's about being present be in a space where so many people want God. And it's not about anything else. It's about wanting God. It's about being family. It's about being present and loving each other and walking through life together. And to me, nothing can replace that. To me, big cities are fun and cool and awesome, and I love to travel to them.

But it can't replace that feeling and that desire to be with God and be with family and people. And so your family is such an inspiration to mine and to me personally, because I look at that and I'm like, that's where I see us going, that's where I see we're at. And it's just beautiful. So thank you for being such a good example in that.

It's beautiful. Yeah, absolutely. You guys are amazing. Oh man, I could literally talk to you all day, Jen. You're so incredible. Last thing I wanna ask you, even just the title of the album, how did you all come up with the title? It's such a, kind of grabs your attention because it's, we must respond.

What made you feel like you wanted that title? Yes, it is. Okay, so it is so wild because usually with any album, you title a lyric of this song or one of the song's titles, that's your album name, you know? And We Must Respond is kind of two-parted. It was this thing that was happening that was something actually my father-in-law Bill had shared is basically how could we not respond when all that God has done for us from creation to salvation to the daily life of Him just being

present with us in everything. How could we not respond? But it's also, it's phrased in that way, we must respond because it is that hook, it is that charge, kind of like when they put those paddles on you when you're failing in health to charge you. It was the Holy Spirit saying, wake up to me. Because sometimes when we're surrounded by church or music, you can actually go days without worshiping. You can go, if life gets with you, you're just like, oh my gosh, I haven't even worshiped in like a week or, and so this, this, we must respond is a charge for us to be aware of our need for worship every day, that we must respond to Him. We can't even let a day go by. And there's a verse in that

Bible that says, they sang responsively to the Lord. And so that's just the charge for all of us every single day, breath in our lungs, that we even have that in itself, that we, all that He's given us, all that He is, all that He will do in the future that we don't even know, we must respond. We have this responsibility to respond. And worship is not because God needs it, and He's this egotistical, like, praise me, I need it. Like, it's actually for us as well to remember who He is and what He's done and to get our eyes off of our human things and just to get our eyes on Him. Because when you do that every single day, top of your morning, all throughout your day,

you just keep Him right here in your heart. You're connecting with him, praying always, staying on track with that. Your life will be pretty, pretty great. It will be blessed for sure. That's so good, Jen. I love it. Well, I love you. I am cheering on all that you and your family are doing.

I'm so thankful for this album and thanks for coming back on the podcast. We'll have you back again, I'm sure. Yes, and I'm so excited for Duck Dynasty relaunching. Let's go. I know we're so excited. Thank you. I love you. Love you. you